ADAMS TWP — A year after major flaws were found in the Mars School District's special education programming, representatives from the state and parents have noted that positive changes have taken place.

During a meeting of the Mars School Board Tuesday, Superintendent Wesley Shipley said a review by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Special Education recently found the district to be in 100 percent compliance on two separate fronts.

The first was a random and targeted sample of student files to determine their accuracy, with investigations showing they were. The second focused on evaluations and whether timelines were being met for individualized education program (IEP) meetings. Shipley said the district was found to be performing well.

“We're very happy to announce that,” he said.

In January 2018, the district was found by the Bureau of Special Education to be out of compliance with state rules in a number of areas, including “least restrictive environment,” which is based on a student's ability to be educated with nondisabled peers to the greatest extent possible.

Other areas of non-compliance included parent training, personnel training and a lack of documentation used for students to make the transition from high school to college or the workforce.

This is an excerpt — read about parent's responses to the change in Friday's Butler Eagle.