KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knox County Schools is implementing a new five-year plan aimed at changing how special education services are provided and improving academic outcomes for students with disabilities, however, some parents are still concerned about the services their student will receive.
The plan, called PACT, or Performance, Accountability, Collaboration and Transitions, would more fully integrate special education services into general education classrooms. The Knox County Board of Education presented the plan last month.
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Brad Carr, executive director of special education for Knox County Schools, helped develop the initiative. Carr said students with disabilities have continued to make academic gains, but the district wants to close the gap with other students.
“Data was our students with disabilities, our students with IEPs are doing well achievement wise. We’ve seen continual growth over the last four years in that subgroup. But we are not advancing proficiency in that group as quickly as we are the overall student group. So that’s an area where we really want to jump in,” Carr said…