OPEN INITIATIVES
PAC works with families, staff, and district leadership to identify priorities and strengthen special education and inclusion across RCS. Our Open Initiatives list highlights the issues we’re working on, ideas for future consideration, and completed efforts.
👉 Explore our initiatives and follow our progress here.
This school year, PAC is focusing on the following priority initiatives:
​
Student Discipline
PAC will partner with district and Special Education Administration to support the consistent implementation of disciplinary practices for students with disabilities across all RCS buildings. PAC recognizes and appreciates the recent updates to the RCS Code of Conduct, including changes intended to provide greater clarity, support, and protection for students receiving special education services.
Families have reported differences among buildings in how disability-related behaviors and disciplinary matters are addressed, with some buildings relying more heavily on punitive responses and others using restorative and supportive approaches. PAC would like to work collaboratively with the district to better understand these differences and help promote greater consistency.
​
This initiative may include reviewing how the updated Code of Conduct applies to students with disabilities, ensuring administrators understand applicable procedural safeguards and district expectations, and identifying opportunities for continued training. PAC will also encourage approaches that consider the relationship between a student’s disability and behavior, prioritize appropriate supports and interventions, and ensure that similarly situated students are treated equitably across the district.
​
Inclusive Access to School and District Events
PAC will partner with district and building administrators to identify opportunities to make RCS-sponsored events welcoming and accessible to all students with disabilities, including students in both categorical and non-categorical programs.
This work will include collaborating with the district on major events, such as World of Welcome, to consider accessibility from the beginning of the planning process. Depending on the event, inclusive supports may include a designated sensory-friendly time, a quiet or reduced-stimulation space, visual schedules, accessible activities, advance information for families, or other appropriate accommodations.
PAC will also encourage building principals and PTAs to consider accessibility when planning school-sponsored events. At a minimum, event communications should explain how families may request accommodations or contact their building PAC representative for assistance.
In addition, PAC will work with Special Education Administration to identify and address situations in which students in categorical programs may not be appropriately included in general education activities and events. PAC will gather specific examples, to help identify barriers and develop practical solutions with district and building leadership.
Inclusive Student Engagement
PAC will identify and promote opportunities for students with disabilities to participate meaningfully in school and districtwide service projects, celebrations, and community-building activities. PAC will collaborate with students, families, building representatives, staff, and community partners to ensure these opportunities are accessible, inclusive, and responsive to students’ individual strengths and support needs.
Accessibility of New Elementary Literacy Curriculum
PAC will partner with RCS administration to understand how the district’s new elementary literacy curriculum supports students with disabilities. This work will focus on how grade-level content is made accessible to students with differing decoding, language-processing, communication, and written-output needs; how IEP accommodations and specially designed instruction are incorporated; the roles of general and special education staff; and how the district will monitor students’ meaningful participation and progress. PAC will also seek information about staff training, available accessibility tools and scaffolds, and the supports provided when students require foundational reading instruction beyond the core curriculum.
Equitable Access - Extended School Year Services
PAC will examine how Extended School Year (ESY) services are considered and provided across all special education eligibility categories. This work will focus on ensuring that ESY eligibility, services, and duration are determined by each student’s individual needs—not limited by disability category—and on exploring whether programs should be expanded to provide up to 20 instructional days, consistent with the ESY opportunities available to students in SXI programs. Students with mental, emotional, or behavioral health needs should have equitable access to appropriate ESY services and should not receive less support solely because their disabilities are not physical.