HCPSS Moves Special Education Strategic Plan from Design to Implementation

October 30th, 2026

Howard County Public School System’s (HCPSS’) Department of Special Education (DSE) launched its five-year Strategic Plan in August 2025. Aligned with the HCPSS Strategic Plan and guided by the belief that every student with an Individual Education Program (IEP) or Individual Family Support Plan (IFSP) deserves an ambitious and attainable learning journey designed just for them, the plan outlines goals, action steps, and accountability measures in an effort to redesign the structure and delivery of special education services so all students achieve success.

Year 1 of the DSE plan focused on listening to the experiences of staff, students, and families to inform initial actions, including establishing the districtwide Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), expanding behavioral expertise, revising staffing methods, expanding the continuum of services, and engaging families and community partners more consistently. Year 1 also focused on gathering baseline data across several areas, including the percentage of students with IEPs who achieved academic goals and graduated at rates comparable to their peers.

Based on the actions taken and data gathered in Year 1, Year 2 of the DSE Strategic Plan will focus on using new systems consistently and improving students’ access, progress, inclusion, safety, and family experience.

Examples of Year 2 actions will include:

• Continued development of the districtwide MTSS infrastructure, building a shared understanding of Tier 1 (first) instruction and establishing consistent data routines, school-based team structures, intervention planning, progress monitoring, and family engagement
• Developing an updated HCPSS Special Education service delivery framework for IEP design and implementation aligned with MTSS and current Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) guidance.
• Establishing a plan to create a comprehensive behavior support structure responsive to student needs and reduce disproportionate discipline and special education identification
• Implementing differentiated systemic professional learning for Special Education teachers, specialized program paraeducators, and instructional paraeducators
• Implementing level-specific compliance checklists to guide IEP compliance practices
• Publishing a DSE Support to Schools Guide to provide organizational clarity and access to supports
• Developing a regional program model, supporting more equitable access to services, closer to students’ homes
• Evaluating 2026–2027 programming against student needs and using the findings to publish revisions for 2027–2028
• Expanding collaboration with community partners and stakeholder groups to identify opportunities to strengthen educational experiences for students and families

Special Education department leaders will monitor the quarterly data points listed below for all schools to assess the impact of these actions on students and drive progress on the overall strategic plan goals.

• Individualized Education Program (IEP) Timeline Compliance: annual reviews, reevaluations, and initial evaluations
• Suspension Data
• Restraint Data
• Administrative Review Requests and State Complaints
• Master Schedule Alignment: alignment to student needs and maximization of teacher and paraeducator staff

Comprehensive outlines of HCPSS’ Year 2 action plans, as well as the measures that will be used to evaluate progress on them, are organized by theme and available online.