Building Behavioral Services That Reintegrate and Graduate Students: The Path Back

Presented by Scott Acton, Exceptional Student Services Director, Buckeye Union High School District (AZ); and Dr. Kari Nahgahgwon, VP of Arizona Behavior Programs, LEARN Academy Learn more about earning a CE certificate and our accessibility features. For many students with significant behavioral needs, the traditional path leads out: out of the classroom, out of the district, and too often, away from a hopeful future. Buckeye Union High School District (BUHSD) in Arizona knew this wasn’t acceptable. Students placed externally rarely came back, and when they did, there was little structured system support to help them transition successfully. In this edLeader Panel, education leaders explore how BUHSD built an in-district behavioral services model that keeps students connected to their schools, communities, and futures. Panelists, including Exceptional Student Services Director Scott Acton, share strategies grounded in 15 years of real-world implementation. You will learn: BUHSD’s model produced measurable results: increased reading and math performance, reintegration rates among the highest in Arizona, and graduation rates approaching 90%. This edLeader Panel will be of interest to K-12 district leaders, special education directors, directors of student services, and school leaders responsible for behavioral programming. Scott Acton serves as the Exceptional Student Services Director for the Buckeye Union High School District, a position he has held since July 2019. Buckeye’s superintendent has also tapped Scott to direct special education for the district. His work has included navigating the difficult challenges of maintaining strong student support through school closures, hybrid learning, and/or distance learning through the COVID era. Scott has been a Certified School Psychologist for 25 years. He attended Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University, where he earned a school psychologist degree. Scott spent 12 years as a School Psychologist in the Pendergast Elementary School District as well as the Littleton Elementary School District. Dr. Kari Nahgahgwon serves as VP of Arizona Behavior Programs for Learn Academy, a private therapeutic day school and alternative learning program, part of the LEARN Academy network. A Nationally Certified School Psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Dr. Nahgahgwon has devoted the last 25 years to enhancing the lives of students, not only at school, but also in their home and community environments. She collaborates with school districts nationwide to develop proprietary programming for students with a range of exceptional needs, such as autism, as well as developmental, emotional, and specific learning disabilities. Dr. Nahgahgwon earned a bachelor’s, master’s, and an education specialist degree from Western Michigan University, as well as a Ph.D. in school psychology from the University of Arizona. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys the outdoors and quality time spe