A state investigation found that students in eight private special education programs in Connecticut were “grossly underserved.”
The Connecticut Office of Child Advocacy and Disability Rights conducted a three-year investigation into High Road Schools, a group of eight state-licensed private special education programs owned by Specialized Education Services, Inc.
The students, some as young as 5, are among the most vulnerable in the state, the report said. It says High Road receives millions of dollars in public funding each year and primarily serves children in low-income school districts.
The report, released Tuesday, said it found many students were “grossly underserved in educational planning and service delivery.”
“This is a report on High Road and what we saw there, High Road is one of the largest companies in the state, and it's a report on the consistency and quality of oversight,” said Sara from the CT Office of Child Advocacy.・Mr. Egan stated.
Investigators consistently described students being “completely left alone” in their cubicles or computers, with no or only minimal interaction with teachers or aides, during 30- or even 45-minute classes. He reported seeing it. says the report.
“In recent years, the programs they have participated in often lacked qualified teachers, did not conduct background checks on staff who worked directly with children, and reported non-compliance to school districts.” Frequently, we didn't,” Egan said.
The study found widespread student disengagement, chronic absenteeism, a failure to provide individualized services to adequately assess and support students' educational needs, and “certified special education teachers and other qualifications who work with children.” It was found that there was a serious lack of educational staff and systemic deficiencies in educating students.and/or
Documentation that the employee has undergone an employment investigation, criminal and child welfare background check. ”
Investigators say one of the administrators, who is not certified by the state, told investigators, “Students here don't have academic goals. He pointed out that he had not done so. They are here for action. ”
The report further states that High Road failed to document that it conducted basic background checks on its staff, including employment checks, criminal background checks, and DCF background checks.
The company also said it lacked background check documents for more than 60 employees over a three-year period.
The report also revealed that there were more than 1,200 reported instances of student restraint or seclusion during the 2021-2022 school year, and Hartford Elementary and Middle School High Road School It said there were a total of 543 detentions in the academic year alone.
Investigators are recommending changes to state law to strengthen the oversight and annual inspections and on-site inspections of state-licensed private special education programs by the Connecticut Department of Education.
They also recommend that the state Department of Education consider enacting rules regarding the use of restraints and seclusion.
According to the report, the state Department of Education “expressed its disagreement with the report's conclusions and recommendations. Specifically, the CSDE “disagreed… This suggests that appropriate supervision may not have been carried out.
Connecticut High Road School released the following statement to NBC Connecticut on Tuesday:
”High Road Schools has been a trusted partner for more than 40 school districts in Connecticut for decades and is dedicated to providing a safe, secure, and positive learning environment for students with academic, behavioral, and emotional disabilities. I am. We are accountable to our students, their families, our communities, our school district partners, and the state agencies that make our work possible, so we value higher levels of accountability and transparency. Therefore, we actively participated in her two-year process. Use OCA and DRCT.
The final report does not accurately reflect the school's academic and behavioral supports in accordance with state and federal regulations and guidelines. Our program is based on meeting the academic and behavioral needs of our students, and the lack of clinical services mentioned throughout the report is misleading. High Road School only accepts students who need the services we provide.
Over the course of two years, High Road School provided a comprehensive response outlining these inaccuracies and highlighting specific improvements made as part of this process. Unfortunately, the authorities refused to acknowledge this in their report.
We remain committed to working with all stakeholders across the state, including OCA, DCRT, and CSDE, to ensure the highest standards of education and care for our students.”
