Special Education

a teacher helps five students while crowded around a laptop

It is the mission of SCUSD Special Education Department to provide appropriate, high quality, evidenced based supports and services to students in the least restrictive learning environment.

The Department is driven to LEAD this work by the following department focus areas:

Launch proactive systemic data-based decision making
Empower through adult professional learning & coaching
Accelerate Instruction & Learning
Deepen understanding in order to implement MTSS

Child Find
Student Records

Child Find

Child Find is a legal requirement under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that mandates schools and local education agencies to identify, locate, and evaluate all children with disabilities who may need special education and related services. This includes children from birth through age 21 who are suspected of having disabilities, regardless of the severity of their disability.

Learn more

Student Records

Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA)

SCUSD is a single district SELPA and is responsible for the development of a local plan, describing how it provides special education services. Further, the SCUSD SELPA collaborates and supports the operations of the SCUSD Community Advisory Committee (CAC).

SCUSD SELPA

Statewide information

Learn more regarding the legal background and overview of SELPAs statewide.

CA Dept of Education SELPA

In This Section

Parent Handbook

Special Education Parent Resources

Action Plan Website

Community Advisory Committee Meetings

History/Background of SPED Reviews/Audits

History/Background of SPED Reviews/Audits

In the Spring of 2017, after conducting a review of the SCUSD’s services for students with disabilities, The Council of the Great City Schools released a report designed to help SCUSD identify systemic changes needed to achieve its goal of maximizing the District’s capacity to educate all students. The full report is available HERE.

In 2018, the California Community College Equity Assessment Lab, released, The Capitol of Suspensions, report sighting data showing SCUSD’s suspension rate for black male students was more than five times higher than the state average. The report, available HERE, included recommendations for addressing the large disparities in discipline within the Sacramento region.

Following the release of the 2019 CA School Dashboard data, four school districts became eligible for Systemic Instructional Review (SIR) Support from the California Collaborative for Education Excellence (CCEE). The purpose of a SIR is to identify strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities (SWOT) in the implementation of instructional initiatives and practices of an LEA through a series of data collection activities. The full report is available HERE.

The report recommendations continue to inform the continuous improvement efforts of the special education department and District at large. For additional information regarding these reports and metrics that the District is currently monitoring, please visit the Special Education Continuous Improvement Dashboard.