EXTERNAL REVIEW OF THE OAKLAND SCHOOLS SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Oakland Schools is committed to excellence in all aspects of the organization. The recent arrival of a new superintendent and the pending need to hire a new Special Education Executive Director makes this an ideal time to pause and take stock of the Oakland Schools’ special education services delivered to constituent districts and public school academies. To that end, Oakland Schools has contracted the services of Thayer-North Educational Consulting, LLC, to conduct an external review of the Oakland Schools Special Education Department. The purpose of the external review is to identify areas where the department is working well and areas where there may be an opportunity for growth, thereby providing an overall picture that will help the superintendent and new special education director think about planning for the future.

Two components of the external review will be of primary interest to special education administrators and parents.

1. Survey: One data point for the external review is a survey. The goal of the survey is to gather perception data which will be used to inform the external review. The survey will be completed by special education administrators and parent advisory committee representatives from all the local districts and public school academies that comprise Oakland Schools, as well as local district superintendents, business officials, and curriculum directors. Oakland Schools’ special education staff will also participate in the survey. The survey is expected to launch in the last week of October; watch for more details via email.​

2. Focus Groups: Another data point in the external review process will be focus groups with special education administrators and Oakland County PAC members. These focus groups will provide a facilitated format for more personalized sharing of thoughts regarding the services provided by the Oakland Schools special education department. Dates/locations are currently being finalized for the first week in November. Watch your email for an invitation with more specific details.

The external review is expected to be completed by December 1, 2015, with a subsequent report submitted to the Oakland Schools’ superintendent. Questions about the external review process may be addressed to Donna Tinberg, Thayer-North Educational Consulting, LLC, at thayernorth@gmail.com or by phone at 248-231-9723.