In response to findings that a disproportionate number of black students enrolled in the Sun Prairie School District are placed into special education programs, the district has agreed to revamp its student screening process and bolster teacher training.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights announced Friday that the Sun Prairie district had volunteered to make the changes in response to a “compliance review,” which was designed to determine whether the district discriminates against black students when referring them to special education meant for students with a disability.
The federal office found that in the 2012-13 school year, black students made up 10 percent of the district’s student enrollment but 24.2 percent of the students enrolled in special education.
Screenings for students who might be struggling vary from school to school within the 7,372-student district, and some students referred to special education did not receive follow-up, the investigation found.
The review was still in progress when the district offered to make changes, including: