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Q&A
Tracking special education students' access to arts education and services
2:01:37
ยท
70 sec
Council Member Rita Joseph inquires about how special education students' access to arts education and services is tracked. DOE officials explain the current approach and challenges in ensuring equitable access.
- Special education students are generally included in the overall population receiving arts education in schools
- Specific cases of students being pulled out for services are managed at the school level
- The importance of principals prioritizing arts education for all students, including those with special needs, is emphasized
Rita Joseph
2:01:37
That would make a lot of sense.
2:01:39
How are these students being tracked?
2:01:42
The students are special education students.
2:01:44
How do you track to make sure they're getting their services and getting a little bit of art?
2:01:49
A little bit of something.
Cordelia Veve
2:01:51
Well students who so I think they're getting art, right, because they are part of the general population within the schools that are receiving art.
2:02:02
And so special classes are not eliminated from receiving arts in that school, and then we talk about the percentage of students within a school that are getting arts education that's inclusive of all.
2:02:13
I think we're talking about unique cases where a student is pulled out, and that really has to live within the school because those service recommendations are reported in CECIS.
2:02:25
That would just be for specific students and not sort of a school wide view.
2:02:29
And so schools have to be cognizant.
2:02:31
And going back to Paul's thinking about that this is really a mind shift thing.
2:02:35
So principals, when they're making programming decisions, have to believe that the arts are important and the arts are important for all students and as they're making programming decisions keep that in the forefront of their minds.