Report 2021-108 Recommendation 5 Responses

Report 2021-108: Bellflower Unified School District: Has Not Used Its Significant Financial Resources to Fully Address Student Needs (Release Date: June 2022)

Recommendation #5 To: Bellflower Unified School District

To ensure that it is providing consistent and adequate services to its students with disabilities, Bellflower should review all its current Individual Education Programs (IEPs) before December 2022. As part of its review, the district should validate that student IEPs comply with legal requirements and that it is providing the services listed on the IEPs. In the future, the district should, as part of its annual review of IEPs, ensure that the IEPs comply with legal requirements and that it is providing the services listed on the IEPs. Bellflower should also take steps to ensure that it has a robust process for identifying students who may have a disability and to appropriately and promptly evaluate those students.

1-Year Agency Response

In preparation for the 2023-2024 school year, the Special Education Handbook which outlines various topics that support the development of IEPs that comply with legal requirements, and addresses the needs of our students with disabilities will be implemented. This Handbook will accompany the current Reference Guide. The Handbook provides staff with guidance for referring students for an evaluation for special education and related services. The Handbook addresses items pertaining to "Child Find", referral for assessments, assessment procedures, timelines, and outlines elements of the Student Success Team (SST) process. These items will support in improving the District's process for identifying students who may have a disability, and appropriately and promptly evaluate these students. The Handbook and Reference Guide will be used to provide ongoing training to case carriers, administrative designees, and school administration on compliance with legal requirements of the development and implementation of student IEPs. In addition, the District's Special Education department will continue scheduling training for related service providers (e.g., psychologists, speech and language pathologists, etc.) for completing legally defensible evaluations/assessments.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Partially Implemented

In addition to the steps Bellflower has previously taken to implement this recommendation, we confirmed that the district added to its special education reference guide a section related to best practices for identifying students who may have a disability and to appropriately and promptly evaluate those students. However, Bellflower did not provide evidence that this new section within the reference guide was specifically communicated to staff. The district should communicate these updates to ensure its staff provide consistent and adequate services to its students with disabilities.

6-Month Agency Response

The District's Special Education department worked with schools to create a process for case carriers to review and validate current students IEPs. For items that required further action, an amendment IEP was completed to address areas of concern.

Case carriers verified and certified the following items below:

I certify that all students on my caseload have a current and compliant Plan Review.

I certify that all students on my caseload have a current and compliant Eligibility Review.

I certify that all students on my caseload have measurable IEP goals.

I certify that during a recent IEP meeting the team considered all appropriate services and assessments as a team.

I certify that all students on my caseload are receiving all services in the IEP offer of FAPE.

The District reviewed and updated the Special Education Reference Guide and disseminated these items to schools to serve as a resource. This resource will assist with future staff training to review topics related to the District's practice in support of the development of Bellflower Unified School District student IEPs.

The District's Special Education department has provided and will continue to provide ongoing training to case carriers and administrative designees on compliance with legal requirements of the development and implementation of IEPs. The District's Special Education department has established plans for providing training for related service providers (i.e. psychologists, speech & language pathologists, etc.) for completing legally defensible evaluations/assessments.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Partially Implemented

The district has partially implemented the recommendation through its staff review of current IEPs and attestation to their compliance with legal requirements, and it also recently updated its Special Education Reference Guide, which includes an IEP completion checklist to ensure IEPs are complete. However, the district's response does not address our recommendation to establish a robust process for identifying students who may have a disability and to appropriately and promptly evaluate those students.

60-Day Agency Response

All case carriers and/or service providers as part of their responsibility will review all IEPs for compliance and validate services as part of the beginning of the year process. Special Education Program Administrators will provide training and support as needed. Documentation that the review has taken place will remain on file with the students IEP. Special Education staff will work alongside our Director of Instruction and Curriculum to review our current Student Success Team (SST) process to ensure that students who are needing assessment are moving appropriately through the process. Special Education staff will update Special Education Handbook which provides an overview of the special education referral and evaluation process. The Special Education Handbook will be disseminated to staff. District staff will provide a training for related service providers (i.e. School psychologists) for completing evaluations/assessments.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2021-108

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.