Several state contractors failed to provide all required services for students with individual education plans (IEP) according to state auditors.
A performance audit covering the 2022-2023 school year reviewed four private providers who have contracted with the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) to provide special education services that school districts are unable to provide in-district, including Ädelbrook Academy – Cromwell, American School for the Deaf, Grace S. Webb School, and High Road School of Wallingford.
The audit reviewed whether the four providers had followed contracts and IEPs in spending state and local education funds, whether they “adequately” delivered contracted services, and whether they “engaged in key management practices” to deliver quality education.
The audit found that three of the four providers failed to deliver all the services for which they were contracted for students’ IEPs. Ädelbrook Academy provided 91% of their contracted services, Grace S. Webb School provided 60%, and High Road School provided 52%. Auditors weren’t able to document the percentage of services the American School for the Deaf provided, but found similar patterns.
Ädelbrook Academy disputed the audit’s finding, stating that “unavoidable events and circumstances,” like early releases, cancellations, accidents, and a “student’s inability or unwillingness” to participate, impact their ability to provide services. They further stated that they take steps to reschedule missed services.
The American School for the Deaf said they agreed with the finding and have begun utilizing an internal tracking system to facilitate the provision of services. The Grace S. Webb School also said they agreed with the finding and would work to ensure services were better documented.
CSDE told auditors they were “concerned with the alleged lack of consistent delivery of IEP services to students” and had developed a resource to clarify the roles and obligations of school districts and APSEPs.
The audit also found Ädelbrook Academy incorrectly billed for IEP services. Auditors reviewed the records of four students who received services from Ädelbrook Academy and found discrepancies in all their records. One student’s record showed invoices for 183 percent of group speech therapy services and 69 percent of individual speech therapy services as outlined by their IEP.
Auditors found school districts that received invoices from Ädelbrook Academy couldn’t determine whether students had received individual or group services, and that they had paid for services not required by student IEPs. Auditors determined that Ädelbrook Academy had attempted to make up for missed individual or group services by substituting the alternate delivery method.
Further, auditors found that contracts between school districts and the providers were missing required information and were insufficiently detailed, noncompliance with a number of different policy requirements, and a failure by several providers to complete mandated background checks for staff.
CSDE reviews approved private special education programs (APSEPs), which school districts use to outplace students when they can’t provide education services in-district, every three to five years after their initial approval.
Attendance at APSEPs has grown in recent years, with 2,901 students enrolled during the 2024-2025 school year, according to CSDE data. Students with autism make up the majority of that population and have been the fastest growing percentage of students enrolled in APSEPs, rising from 808 students during the 2022-2023 school year to 920 students in the 2024-2025 school year.
Prior to the 2022-2023 school year, students with an emotional disability made up the majority of the population of students enrolled in APSEPs.
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