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Filing the complaint
The Southern Poverty Law Center, The Southern Disability Law Center, the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana, and the private firm of Walker and Lyons in filed a class administrative complaint against the Caddo Parish School District. The complaint was filed on behalf of six special education students with severe behavorial disabilities. Source: Southern Poverty Law Center -
The Focus Monitoring Report is filed
Negociated Settlement AgreementThe Louisiana Department of Education files the Focus Monitoring Report. The report finds that the school district is in didn't provide services like counseling or behavior interAs a result, an indpendent consultant had to be hired at district expense to help fix it. Source: Negociated Settlement Agreement -
Deadline for consultant names
Both the school district and the petitioners had to submit a list of names for people and/or firms that could be used as consultants.
Source: Negociated Settlement Agreement -
Giving the okay
The parents of the six students sign the settlement. Source: Negociated Settlement Agreement -
Hiring a consultant
The deadline to hire an independent consultant, according to the settlement agreement. Eventually. Robert March is hired. Source: Negociated Settlement Agreement -
March comes for a visit
Robert March visits the Caddo district to discuss the plan with principals and other key administrators. Twenty-nine schools indentifed to have suspension rates at 15 percent or above. March develops the Corrective Action Plan, steps on how the district can improve behavorial policies and lower suspension rates. Source: The Times, April 12 article. -
Meeting with the community
March, the consultant, meets with families to discuss plans for improviing behavorial and academic support services for students. Meetings are held at the Louisiana State Museum Auditorium and the Southern Hills Church of Christ. -
Approving the budget
After a presentation of the Corrective Action Plan, Caddo Parish School Board approves the budget for it and interim contract for Robert March. Caddo will have to pay $736,750 for services such as data analysis and on- and off-site consultation for services provided from July 1 to June 30. So far, the district owes $31,500 to March for July and August The 29 schools with high suspension rates, including seven underperforming schools, will be monitored. Source: The Times, Sept. 9 article