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Elk Grove Unified School District lacks clear procedures to ensure students with disabilities consistently receive the services outlined in their education plans, an outside review found, prompting district officials to pledge systemwide changes.
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WestEd, a nonpartisan education research and service agency, partnered with the district to review its special education program and released its report this year.
The study rated the district “emerging” in five core areas — system integration, policies and procedures, learning environments, human resources and fiscal responsibility, and family and community partnerships. It was the second-lowest of four ratings and meant that key practices were in the early stages of implementation but were not consistent.
The report also found that the district “lacks clear procedural guidance to ensure the consistent, efficient delivery of services for students with IEPs,” or individualized education programs. IEPs are written plans describing the support and services for students with disabilities and how schools will provide them.
“The study aimed to identify strengths and challenges and to develop actionable recommendations to support inclusive practices, strengthen service delivery, and expand equitable access to high quality Tier 1 instruction for students receiving special education services,” according to the report.
The study included staff interviews, focus groups, surveys, classroom observations and reviews of IEPs.
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“WestEd describes a system problem, not a standalone special education program. So our response has to be a systemwide response,” said Dr. Travis Collier, EGUSD’s executive director of school support, said at the Board of Education’s meeting Tuesday.
Corrie Buckmaster, an executive director of school support for the district, noted that the result of the study is “not an absence of effort, not an absence of good practice.”
“Our district can strengthen our capacity for meaningful change and foster sustained growth, innovation and excellence,” Buckmaster said.
Amanda Scott, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy organization EG SPEAKS, said that she and other advocates have seen the effects of problems within the special education program but also see the potential for change in the district.
Scott said the district is understaffed and does not provide adequate training for staff, which “puts students at risk.”
She also said EGUSD does not prioritize educating staff and students about disability culture and history, which she said would help students understand their peers and prevent bullying.
“You want them to start treating our kids with respect and inclusion, you need to show them that they fit into the world, but we don’t do that,” Scott said.
Scott said the organization is advocating for special education leaders with lived experience and knowledge of disability rights, as well as more support for educators and staff and greater accountability for IEP implementation and compliance.
“Parents shouldn’t have to become experts in special education law in order for their kids to get their needs met,” Scott said.
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Sarah Fetter, director of advocacy services with EG SPEAKS, said during the meeting’s public comment period that she often sees a “long-term impact” on students whose IEPs do not have accurate baseline data.
“Too often that student is still missing the foundational skills their IEP was supposed to teach them,” Fetter said. “They’re struggling and frequently find that their opportunities are limited not by their capabilities but by the district’s continued failure to provide the individualized skill building and reasonable accommodations that they require to access their education.”
Fetter said issues in special education have a “lifelong” effect on student outcomes.
“When IEPs aren’t producing meaningful progress over time across all school sites in the district, that is a systemic failure to deliver a free and appropriate public education,” Fetter said.
The district’s presentation on the study’s results also showed that 54.4% of Elk Grove students are meeting or exceeding state English language arts standards for 2024-2025, compared with 19.3% of students with disabilities. Both figures are higher than the state average, but the gap between the two is wider than statewide and in other districts compared with Elk Grove.
The district saw more than a 20% increase in students with disabilities since the 2019-2020 school year, while total enrollment declined 0.4%, according to the presentation.
The number of students experiencing homelessness increased 175% since the 2018-2019 school year. In 2024-2025, 43% of foster youth and 23% of students experiencing homelessness had an IEP.
The report found strengths in paraeducator hiring, career technical education pathways and university partnerships for special education teachers. It also identified the district’s multi-tiered system of supports as a strength. The system integrates academic, behavioral and social-emotional instruction and intervention, though the report found it was implemented inconsistently.
The report also said that EGUSD staff emphasized that “special education should be integrated into the district’s day-to-day work, rather than treated as a separate system or the sole responsibility of the special education department.”
District staff said they are working on steps to make changes in response to the study, including standardizing IEP guidance, offering more staff training, expanding conversations with families and building an inclusive districtwide vision.
“We asked for this review in order to respond to our district’s current needs. Nobody required it of us. Our participation was voluntary,” Buckmaster said.
Trustee Susan Davis, who represents Area 1, said multiple board members have family members who have been in special education programs, have IEPs or have disabilities.
“We’ve lived it, we walked it, we understand it. The time is right for change. You have the board to bring that kind of change right now,” she said, drawing applause from the audience.
The board will hear another presentation on the study and discuss next steps for making changes at its next meeting Oct. 6.
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