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education. That is 14.1 percent of our total
enrollment
and the number of those being served in
general education classrooms continues to rise. The
successful implementation
of multi-tiered systems of
support in Illinois districts
has enabled our schools to
meet the needs of all
students through a
prevention-based
framework for improving
learning outcomes for every
student using a layered
continuum of evidence-
based instruction,
intervention and
assessment practices and
systems.
The issues that are
important in Special
Education are the same
issues that are important in
general education. Gone
are the days when the two
operated in silos, separate from each other. Special
Education leaders are working collaboratively with
general education leaders to reimagine Special
Education and improve efficiency, improve outcomes,
and provide the very best programs and services for
all of our students. IAASE works collaboratively with
the Illinois State Board of Education and other
statewide professional
organizations for the benefit of
our school and our students.
We took a significant step
forward as an organization in
2015 by partnering with IASA to
employ a full-time policy
analyst/government relations
specialist, Shannon Miller-
Bellini. The IAASE Executive
Board long recognized that in
order to effect change and give
our members the voice they
deserve, we had to increase
our presence in Springfield.
This is a new endeavor for
IAASE, but we believe it is
already paying off for our
members and we appreciate
IASA Executive Director Dr.
Brent Clark and the IASA Board of Directors for
sharing our vision and partnering with us to move
forward.
“The issues that are important in
Special Education are the same
issues that are important in general
education. Gone are the days
when the two operated in silos,
separate from each other. Special
Education leaders are working
collaboratively with general
education leaders to reimagine
Special Education and improve
efficiency, improve outcomes, and
provide the very best programs
and services for all of our
students.”
Evolving practices in Illinois