Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, North Carolina

The district has identified the disproportionate representation of minority students in special education classes as a targeted area for change. The district is seeking interventions for the disproportionality problem that is primarily emanating from referrals for behavior issues.

The district is currently working on several improvement initiatives that started this year. One major initiative is an extensive review of the different methodologies for working with children with autism. The district intends to implement a new program next year that will be based on recommendations from the literature. The district is also involved in a major reading initiative that includes training for all regular and special education teachers. To supplement this staff development, the Exceptional Children's Department provides additional support to special education teachers through Cecil Mercer's "You Fly" training. The district has adopted the Open Court reading program at the elementary level and plans to establish districtwide reading programs at the middle school and high school levels.

Another major initiative is the Balanced Score Card. Through this initiative, the superintendent has established districtwide goals that aim to improve instruction for all children and has developed service integration teams that include staff members from special education, regular education, and instructional support teams. To improve special education services, the Exceptional Children's Department has established two specific goals: 1) to increase the number of children who exit special education programs at the end of grades 5 and 8; and 2) to increase the number of special education students who graduate with a regular diploma.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg has worked with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC) on several collaborative grants. Currently, the district is partnering with UNCC on a grant to increase transition opportunities for special education students. Another collaborative grant between the district and UNCC aims to improve instruction by examining the results of portfolio assessments for children with cognitive difficulties. The district is also in the grant-writing stage for collaborative work with the local chapter of the Association for Retarded Citizens.

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