ALLENTOWN, PA (June 26, 2025) - At its Regular School Board of Directors Meeting on Thursday, June 26, 2025, the Allentown School District Board of Directors received the results of a comprehensive, independent audit of the District’s Special Education programs. The audit was led by Total School Solutions (TSS), a nationally recognized consulting firm retained by the District for its expertise in improving education systems and services.
Launched in Fall 2024, the audit was designed to assess the effectiveness, efficiency, and accessibility of Special Education service delivery across the District. The final report offers a detailed, data-informed review of current strengths as well as opportunities to enhance support for students with exceptionalities.
“Commissioning this audit is a reflection of our unwavering commitment to accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement,” said Dr. Carol D. Birks, Superintendent & CEO of the Allentown School District. “We owe it to our students with exceptionalities and their families to ask hard questions, listen to the feedback, and take action. This process affirms that their success matters and that we are committed to building systems that support every learner, consistently, effectively, and with care.” The District will use the audit’s recommendations to guide strategic actions and ensure that all students are equipped to reach their full potential in a welcoming and supportive learning environment.
The audit commended the Allentown School District for its strong leadership, dedicated and knowledgeable staff, effective collaboration and communication between departments, culturally responsive evaluation practices, high compliance with IEP timelines, proactive family engagement efforts, and a significantly reduced number of legal disputes, all of which reflect a deep commitment to high-quality, student-centered special education services. The report also identified key areas in need of targeted improvement, including:
- Enhance Instructional Access: Improve Tier 1 instruction and expand the use of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to ensure that all students, regardless of ability, can access grade-level content in inclusive, general education classrooms.
- Strengthen Inclusive Practices and Supports: Reduce unnecessary student separation by expanding Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), promoting co-teaching, and ensuring appropriate staffing to meet student needs without over-relying on contracted personnel.
- Align Staffing Models: Adjust staffing structures to meet caseload standards, improve service delivery, and build a more stable, in-house support workforce—particularly for paraprofessionals and related service providers.
- Expand Professional Learning: Increase training for educators and staff on lesson design, inclusive instruction, collaboration, and effective IEP implementation to better serve diverse learners.
- Support Successful Transitions: Improve transition planning and post-secondary supports so that students with exceptionalities graduate prepared for college, career, and independent living.
In response to the audit, the District will design a comprehensive action plan to align its Special Education services with the priorities outlined in the strategic plan. Implementation will follow a structured, four-phase process beginning in September 2025 and concluding in 2028, to ensure sustained and measurable progress on each recommendation.
###