Informed and Ahead, Session 1: Three Questions Every Special Education District Leader Should Ask

Back-to-school season is always full throttle for special education leaders with staffing shortages, new referrals, compliance deadlines, and a dozen fires to put out before lunch. But this year brings an added layer of urgency.

Across the country, special education disputes are on the rise.

• Written state complaints increased 22% in 2023–24, totaling nearly 9,927 cases.
• Pending cases doubled (from 3% to 6%), while timely resolutions declined. 81% were resolved within 60 days, down from 92%.
• Advocates attribute the rise to Office for Civil Rights backlogs and the ongoing shortage of special educators.
• Mediation remains highly effective, offering faster, more collaborative, and less costly resolutions than due process.
• Experts emphasize that preventative approaches, such as IEP facilitation and family engagement, can significantly reduce conflict.

Conflict is natural in a system defined by law and human need. But as Dr. David Bateman emphasized during the opening session of Parallel Learning’s Informed and Ahead series, unresolved conflict harms students most. The antidote is preparation in terms of tight systems, clear communication, and real-time progress monitoring.

Dr. Bateman framed his guidance around three essential questions for every district leader to ask at the start of the year:

1. Are all eligible students being identified (Child Find)?
2. Are IEPs being implemented with fidelity?
3. Are students making measurable progress toward their goals?

Here’s how to use those three questions to stay both compliant and confident as the school year unfolds. Short on time? Download this Early-Year IEP Fidelity Audit Checklist developed from this framework to support your systems. 

1. Child Find: Tighten the referral pathway immediately

When staff notice a concern, the legal timeline begins. Delays in evaluation expose districts to risk and postpone critical support for students. The first step is tightening the referral pathway so no concern falls through the cracks.

Action steps to take this month: 

• Make referral steps visible and universal. Everyone, including teachers, aides, bus drivers, and cafeteria staff, should know how to flag a concern and who receives it.
• Revisit “no-evaluation” decisions. If a team decides an evaluation isn’t needed now, schedule a follow-up in three to four weeks to reassess the student.
• Close carryover cases. Complete spring referrals that are still pending so students aren’t waiting for instruction or services.

The goal isn’t more testing; it’s faster clarity. Tight, transparent referral systems build trust and show families that the district responds promptly when needs arise.

Parallel’s Pathway platform gives districts structure and visibility across the referral process. Evaluations, timelines, and communication logs live in one secure space, helping teams stay organized even when caseloads surge. And when staffing gaps appear, Parallel’s licensed specialists can step in quickly so identification never stalls.

2. IEP Implementation: Audit early, not after a complaint

Most state complaints stem from a simple issue: what’s written in the IEP isn’t happening in practice. An internal audit now, before parent concerns or monitoring visits, can prevent that gap.

Action steps to take this month:

• Verify services began on schedule. If not, track compensatory time and communicate proactively with families.
• Confirm general education access to IEPs. Teachers should have timely access to relevant accommodations and know exactly what they’re responsible for.
• Observe implementation. Walk through classrooms to ensure accommodations are being used correctly.
• Review behavior plans for fidelity. Check that interventions are actually in use and that data are being collected.

Compliance is the floor, not the ceiling. Checking boxes may satisfy legal requirements, but strong systems protect staff capacity and parent relationships.

Within Pathway, every session (speech, counseling, or instruction) is logged automatically, creating a living record of service minutes, documentation, and progress and audited at the end of the month. District and building leaders can see implementation status in real time while Parallel’s clinical team provides behind-the-scenes quality support. The result is stronger fidelity without extra paperwork.

Leadership reminder: Principals carry building-level responsibility for special education compliance. Encourage them to schedule IEP meetings at least 30 days in advance and document all family outreach. Clear communication prevents procedural errors that can undo otherwise solid work.

3. Progress Monitoring: Collect data you can graph and use

Monitoring is more than paperwork. It’s the evidence base for instructional decisions. Districts that wait until the quarter’s end to check progress lose valuable time for mid-course corrections.

Action steps to take this month:

• Choose quick, repeatable measures. Five-minute math or reading probes, brief observations, or check-ins at consistent times provide graphable data without overtesting.
• Define behavioral data precisely. Frequency counts (e.g., calls out, out of seat) or duration measures are useful when definitions are consistent and times are comparable.
• Include context. Compare results to typical peers to see whether behavior or performance truly differs.
• Analyze before reporting. Data that informs instruction is more valuable than data that just fills reports. If trends show a mismatch, adjust the IEP and don’t wait for the annual meeting.
• Communicate clearly with families. Replace vague statements (“making progress”) with concrete data that parents can understand. 

Progress monitoring isn’t optional. It’s protection for students, educators, and the district itself.

Parallel’s Pathway gathers progress data during each session and turns it into clear, visual summaries. Providers spend less time tracking and more time teaching, while leaders gain immediate insight into student growth. It’s a simple way to keep progress monitoring both consistent and meaningful.

Red flags worth catching early

• Services not yet started or inconsistently delivered
• General education teachers without IEP access or clarity on accommodations
• Behavior plans written but not implemented or not producing change
• Discipline removals nearing the 10-day threshold without services
• Pending evaluations from last spring
• Progress reports with no trend data

Each of these can turn into a complaint if left unaddressed. Addressed early, they’re opportunities to strengthen systems and relationships.

Preparation or crisis, Parallel’s got you. Whether a district partners proactively or reaches out when workloads spike, Parallel’s blend of technology and human expertise helps ensure compliance, reduce stress, and keep students moving forward.

Staying informed and ahead with Parallel Learning

The Informed and Ahead series was designed for exactly this moment: a time when compliance pressures are growing, staffing gaps persist, and special education leaders are juggling impossible workloads. Each session, led by national expert Dr. Bateman, translates shifting policy and legal trends into actionable steps district teams can use immediately.

For many special education departments, the problem isn’t intent, it’s bandwidth. Caseloads overflow, evaluations pile up, and staff recruitment lags. That’s where Parallel Learning serves as more than a thought partner.

Parallel’s model helps districts up-resource special education through secure virtual delivery of speech, psychology, social work, and specialized instruction. Its platform streamlines data collection, documentation, and compliance oversight, so districts can focus on instruction, not paperwork.

Because when the next challenge hits, whether it’s a staffing gap, a due process surge, or another wave of policy change, leaders who have systems and partners in place won’t be scrambling to react. They’ll already be informed and ahead.

To make it easier for district leaders to take immediate action, we’ve created an Early-Year IEP Fidelity Audit Checklist, a one-page resource to help teams confirm that services are being delivered, accommodations are implemented, and progress monitoring systems are ready to go. It’s designed for quick use within the first 30 days of school, helping you catch small issues before they become compliance risks.

Grab your checklist →Early-Year IEP Fidelity Audit Checklist

Catch the replay→ Informed and Ahead, Session 1

About the Author

Laura McBride is a former English Learner educator turned educational copywriter who partners with mission-driven education brands to tell stories that inspire action and trust. With over 15 years in K–12 education, she brings a deep understanding of the challenges and triumphs within schools, especially in supporting multilingual and exceptional learners. Today, she helps organizations like Parallel Learning share stories that connect educators, students, and families, keeping them informed, inspired, and part of the conversation about what’s next in education.