Dartmouth’s schools are doing the job when it comes to providing special education to students.

That was the overall consensus of a report by Jim Shillinglaw of Walker Partnerships, a group hired to provide a comprehensive, 30-page evaluation of the district’s special education programs for grades kindergarten through 12.

“The faculty, staff and students of Dartmouth have really impressed him,” said district Special Education Director Elizabeth Cabral Townsend prior to Shillinglaw’s appearance at Monday night’s Dartmouth School Committee meeting.

Shillinglaw provided a summary of his findings, and though he did have some suggestions for the district, most of his comments were positive.

“This district does make a commitment to provide students (with special education),” said Shillinglaw.

He spent six days in the district late last year conducting interviews, looking at written documents, budgets, procedure manuals, out-of-district student placements, classroom observations and more.

From those experiences, he provided a report that named several strengths, including the district’s intervention programs, co-operative teaching programs, opportunities for teachers and paraprofessionals to get progressional development, behavioral support programs, and low caseloads for special education teachers, among other positives.

“There were clearly support systems built-in,” said Shillinglaw.

He also had some recommendations.

He thought a co-teaching model, which is used in the lower grade levels, could be beneficial at Dartmouth High. He suggested the district start a special education “task force” to develop a mission statement and vision going forward. He also suggested it consider the changing needs of students as there’s been a continued increase in students with autism spectrum disorders.

Townsend, who took over as district's special education director last fall, said that a task force has already been formed.

Some committee members commended the faculty and administration for their efforts.

“You’ve always been in the trenches trying to the do the best you can with students needs,” said committee member Carol Karafotis. “My congratulations go to all of you. I think the recommendations are things that we can work on.”

“The commitment and support of district’s principal, school-based personnel . . . that speaks to our staff and our faculty,” said Chair Christopher Oliver.

Upon request from the committee, Townsend said she would provide reports going forward regarding addressing the requests from the report.