PONTIAC - A state review of special education programs in Pontiac elementary and junior high schools was a positive experience, school officials said.

"We heard a lot of good things about our district, and the state board was really impressed with what a lot of our teachers had to say," said Barbara House, special needs coordinator for the school district. "Everyone was really pleased with the way that everything went."

The Illinois State Board of Education spent Tuesday through Thursday reviewing the Pontiac Elementary District 429 special education programs, especially those for reading.

The review was triggered by a significant gap between special education students and the general student population in the district on the 2005-06 Illinois Standards Achievement Test, which is taken by third through eighth-graders across the state.

The average for the district's special education students was about 23.8 percentage points below the state average for special education students.

House said the state team interviewed teachers, went through student files, observed classes and held a public forum where parents were able to give suggestions.

All of the information collected will be reviewed and presented to the district in mid-January.

House said the district then will be required to add one more objective to its school improvement plan, and the state will monitor progress on the changes and how they are affecting student test scores.

House said the team asked her why she thought the gap was there. She attributed it to the fact that special education students take the same ISAT as the rest of the student body.

"Some students just don't have the same ability as other students," she said. "We have brought in a lot more programs over the last couple of years to improve children's reading skills."

Sandy Valentine of Peoria, a parent monitor on the state team, said the district is making strides in special education.

As a mother of an autistic 16-year-old who requires 24-hour supervision, Valentine said it was important to her that parents had a say with any changes and options available.

She wants the district to make it easier for parents to participate in the process, she said. For example, the district could provide child care when there are meetings for the public.

"I want to let (the parents) know the power that they have," she said.

Overall, Valentine said she was impressed with numerous aspects of the district, calling the visit an "eye-opening experience."

She said she was impressed with some of the features at Pontiac Township Junior High School, such as the synergy lab. That lab is open to all students and teaches them aspects of everyday life, such as child care, laundry and cooking.

She also liked the district's smaller kindergarten sizes and its co-teaching program, which puts special education and mainstream teachers together in the same classroom.