Cerebral Palsy

"We need higher expectations."Taggart's experience isn't uncommon, according to the final draft of a report recently presented to the School Board.The School District paid the Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative $50,000 to review its Exceptional Student Education Department to find its weaknesses and suggest possible solutions.The group's report found that Polk's ESE program is fraught with problems, including low graduation rates, racial imbalance and inconsistent discipline.David Riley, executive director of the collaborative based in Newton, Mass., said many problems may be traced back to a districtwide culture of low expectations for ESE students.

"Overall, while there's a valiant effort to provide appropriate services...we came away with the feeling that there's a pervasive set of low expectations for students," Riley said.

"It's a cultural thing."Because many Polk County teachers and administrators don't think that children with disabilities can excel, the children do not succeed, Riley said.

"The expectations need to be elevated," he said.

"People need to hear that the children need to succeed."Polk Superintendent Gail McKinzie did not dispute the study's conclusion about a culture of low expectations, ...

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