Good evening. My name is Yang Xiong, and I am the parent of Kaleb, a student with significant disabilities in Elk Grove Unified.
I appreciate that the District commissioned this independent review and is acknowledging that all five essential elements were rated “Emerging.” For our family, WestEd’s findings are not theoretical. We have experienced them directly.
Kaleb is blind, autistic, and has significant communication and safety needs. His IEP requires continuous individualized adult support. Yet last school year, we experienced inconsistent implementation, confusion over adult-support roles, and communication breakdowns between the school site, District staff, and our family.
We ultimately had to seek formal remedies, and the California Department of Education sustained a finding that Kaleb did not receive his required one-to-one support on a field trip. His IEP was later amended with much clearer safety language.
That experience is why WestEd’s statement that an IEP must be an instructional tool matters so much. A compliant document is not enough if staff do not understand it, carry it out consistently, or know who is responsible.
I also ask the District to be very careful with “independence plans” for adult support. Independence should never become a systemwide reason to fade one-to-one assistance. For some students, adult support is what makes safe and meaningful access to education possible. Any reduction must be individualized, data-based, and made through the IEP process.
And when staff change, the full history of the student—including parent concerns—must follow the student so families are not forced to start over.
I support one coherent learning system. But one system cannot mean one-size-fits-all.
Please build accountability, role clarity, family partnership, and measurable IEP implementation into the next phase.
Thank you.