Online ISSN: 2325-7466
2006
Triannual
National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET)
United States

Articles

Improving Outcomes for Students with Disabilities: Identifying Characteristics of Successful Districts

  • Melissa DeVries, M.Ed. (Author)
    Melissa De Vries, M.Ed., is a former teacher, district administrator, author, college instructor, speaker, and former Director of State Initiatives for the Arizona Department of Education. She is currently employed by the Arizona Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. Over the last two years Melissa has worked with local education agencies who raised student achievement for students with disabilities to identify the factors that lead to their success. Melissa has presented the information of this work to school leaders both nationally and across the state of Arizona. This scope of work has led to programmatic changes, creating systems of support that will enable all schools within Arizona to have the same success. Melissa has been in public education for 28 years.
  • Oran Tkatchov, M.Ed. (Author) Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind
    Oran Tkatchov, M.Ed. is currently a provider of professional learning for the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. Prior to this work, Oran spent over a decade overseeing professional development and school improvement resources at the Arizona Department of Education as the Director of Professional Learning and Sustainability and as the Co-Director of School Improvement for Central Arizona. He is a former middle school teacher, high school teacher and charter school director.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.325
Abstract
The common characteristics among Arizona districts and charters with high academic outcomes for student disabilities were identified in a qualitative study involving site visits and interviews. In 2014, the Arizona Department of Education examined over three years of state testing data to identify districts and charter schools that closed the academic achievement gap between students with disabilities and their non-disabled peers. These local education agencies (LEAs) had 30% higher proficiency rates for students with disabilities than the state average. Six clearly identifiable systemic trends were detected to increase academic achievement for all students. These LEAs were implementing systemic frameworks to improve schools not only for students with disabilities but for all children. The good news is that these systems can be replicated at other sites to improve outcomes for all students and provide evidence that every student can succeed academically.
Keywords
Academic Achievement, Achievement Gap, Charter Schools, Disabilities, Educational Improvement, Interviews
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How to Cite
DeVries, M., & Tkatchov, O. (2017). Improving Outcomes for Students with Disabilities: Identifying Characteristics of Successful Districts. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 12(1), 45-61. https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.325

Winter 2017

Article Information

  • Article Type Articles
  • Submitted January 16, 2017
  • Published February 15, 2017
  • Issue Winter 2017
  • Section Articles
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