On Beyond the Box, host Dr. Ronald G. Taylor sits down with Troy Lange, Executive Director of Exceptional Student Services at Eagle County School District in Colorado. Troy oversees special education, gifted and talented programming, and nursing services—designing systems that support students ages 3 to 21 across diverse schools and pathways.

Troy shares how Eagle County moved from individual teacher-selected materials to a clearer districtwide service delivery model, why intervention fidelity matters more than simply purchasing resources, and how standards-based grading creates both friction and opportunity for students with disabilities. He also reflects on supporting twice-exceptional learners and building instructional systems that balance coherence with personalization.

Key Moments

02:31 Inventorying special education materials across the district

03:04 Defining a districtwide service delivery model

04:04 Building ongoing PD cycles for new staff

04:49 Barriers to blended learning adoption

06:11 Shifting teachers from content delivery to feedback focus

07:00 Supporting rural districts through collaboration

09:08 Lessons learned from pre-COVID blended learning work

09:54 Retention through instructional satisfaction

11:11 Using progress monitoring to inspire teacher buy-in

13:17 Standards-based grading and IEP tensions

14:57 Intensive interventions in elementary years

16:47 Differentiating struggling learners from disabilities

Why You’ll Love This Episode

This episode offers a thoughtful look at how exceptional student services can move beyond isolated classrooms toward coherent district systems. Troy explains how service delivery models, intervention fidelity, and progress monitoring can drive stronger outcomes while increasing teacher satisfaction.

You’ll also gain insight into navigating standards-based grading with IEPs, building meaningful Tier 2 interventions, and supporting twice-exceptional students whose “unique brilliance” requires both challenge and support. It’s a valuable conversation for leaders balancing compliance, innovation, and belonging for every learner.

Connect with Troy Lange | Executive Director of Exceptional Student Services
Eagle County School District

Website: https://www.eagleschools.net/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-lange-5b401aa8

Connect with Dr. Ronald G. Taylor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ronald-taylor-59999981/

NovoDia
Website: https://www.novodia.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/novodiaed/

About Beyond the Box
Beyond the Box is the podcast where district leaders share how they are customizing curriculum to better serve teachers and students, and how they are filling gaps in boxed programs to ensure alignment and consistency.

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