Special education: resource specialists: special classes.

Assembly Member Addis proposes new requirements for special education resource specialists and staffing ratios through legislation that would modify how local educational agencies manage special education workloads and classroom staffing. The bill requires agencies to distribute initial student assessments equally among resource specialists, while maintaining the existing 28-pupil maximum caseload per specialist.

The legislation directs the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish recommended adult-to-pupil ratios for special education classes serving students ages 3 to 22 by July 2027. These recommendations must incorporate input from education specialists, administrators, paraprofessionals, parents, and experts in inclusive practices. The superintendent must consider factors including student support needs, age groups, school settings, existing practices, other states' ratios, and implementation constraints for small and rural districts.

Local educational agencies would receive state reimbursement for costs associated with implementing the new requirements, pending review by the Commission on State Mandates. The bill maintains current provisions requiring instructional aides for 80% of resource specialists and prohibiting specialists from simultaneously teaching regular classes.