Complaint Summary
Date Findings Report Sent:
March 30, 2026
Case Number:
26-0417
Grade Level:
Elementary
Person filing complaint:
Parent
School District:
Waterbury Public Schools (single student)
Allegation(s):
The Parent alleges that the Student was not provided with paraeducator services in accordance with the Student’s IEP. The Parent alleges that the paraeducator who provides the services is frequently absent, and the student was not provided with the academic skills service on multiple occasions during the 2025-2026 school year. (34 CFR § 300.17(d))
Conclusion(s):
Although the exact hours of the missed service of academic skills: 1x per week for 630 minutes with a special education teacher as the responsible staff and a special education teacher/paraeducator as the service implementer cannot be determined by the service logs or timesheets provided by the District, it can be assumed from the paraeducator’s timesheets that the Student’s service was impacted by the paraeducator’s absences. Although more paraeducator support was provided to the Student at the start of the 2025-2026 school year to November 10, 2025 than what was noted in the Student’s IEP, it can be considered inconsistent based on the paraeducator’s absences. Although the special education teacher was assigned to cover the service when the paraeducator was absent, the teacher had other services to provide and could not be in the classroom for the entire time of the scheduled service.
To determine the impact of the missed service on the Student’s progress, a review was conducted on the Student’s progress on IEP goals and objectives associated with the service provided by the paraeducator. The progress report dated March 9, 2026, indicates that the majority of the Student’s IEP goals and objectives were reported as the Student making no progress or limited/minimal progress. The interviewee also reported that the Student continues to struggle academically and requires more support to make academic growth.
Because the Student was not consistently provided with the service of academic skills in the general education setting in accordance with the Student’s IEP, and because of the Student’s limited/minimal progress on IEP goals and objectives assigned to that service, the District is in violation of 34 CFR § 300.17(d). Corrective action is required.
Corrective Action(s):
- For the remainder of the 2025-2026 school year, the District must track the Student’s academic skills service in the general education classroom to ensure the service is provided to the Student. The service log must include the date, implementor, and whether or not the Student was provided with the service. If the Student was not provided with the service, the service log must note the reason the service was not provided.
- On or before June 30, 2026, the District must submit a copy of the service log to the CSDE as evidence that the Student was provided with the service.
- Starting April 20, 2026, and for the remainder of the 2025-2026 school year, the District must provide the Student with one additional hour per week of the academic skills service in the general education classroom implemented by a paraeducator or special education teacher. The instruction for this service must be designed based on the Student’s IEP goals and objectives that are associated with the service. On or before June 30, 2026, the District must submit a copy of the service log to the CSDE as evidence that the Student was provided with this service.