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Hawaii can learn from
New York’s special-education
program, official says

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By Leila Fujimori
Star-Bulletin

New York and Hawaii's education departments have wrestled with meeting the needs of special-education students.

While Hawaii is still struggling to comply with a court-ordered decree to improve its special-education program, New York has turned its program around.

The press in New York focused on why special education was costing so much, said Larry Gloeckler, deputy commissioner of New York state's education department. So the department changed its strategy, focusing instead on performance, results and setting clear measurements, Gloeckler said.

Gloeckler appeared before Hawaii's Board of Education Committee on Special Programs yesterday. He spent the past few days at the invitation of the state Department of Education Special Education Section. He shared details on New York's success story with its leadership and staff and lent a hand with its program.

"We used data to shape change," and money was spent where it was needed rather than equally distributed, he explained.

Now discussions in the media are on how special-education children are improving and succeeding in school, Gloeckler said.

With the Felix consent decree, "we've been very reactive," said Debra Farmer, administrator of the department's Special Education Section. "We need to be proactive. We don't publish how our kids are doing."

Gloeckler told school board members yesterday that test results of New York students with disabilities show they are able to achieve.

The students were previously screened out from taking a particular test. But when they were given the opportunity to take it, many did well, raising expectations of children and parents.

Many of the students are going on to post-secondary education, Gloeckler said.

Board members expressed an interest in learning more about Gloeckler's positive approach to addressing the problems.

They had just finished listening to a report monitoring the progress of Hawaii schools' compliance with the Felix consent decree. Although the report commended teachers, administrators and staff, the schools still fall short of meeting many requirements.

The deadline for compliance is set for December 2001.

Harvey Ouchi, education specialist who went out to the schools and interviewed the staff, many of whom are new, said he was impressed with their commitment.

"They may not have dotted all their I's and crossed every T, but they're doing good with the kids. The report is not an accurate picture."

Farmer said in the next monitoring report, student outcomes will be looked at.