Summer Whitmore, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Assess. Analyze. Advance.
Educational Diagnostic Services & Consulting of Louisiana
Building School Capacity Through Evaluation, Technical Assistance, Professional Development, and Program Audits.
Founded in Baton Rouge, EDSCLA supports schools, districts, families, and students across Louisiana with special education evaluation services, compliance guidance, professional learning, and student-centered recommendations.
Support that meets students where they are.
EDSCLA works with schools, districts, families, and partner organizations to provide evaluation support, student-centered recommendations, and practical guidance for educational teams.
About EDSCLA
Educational Diagnostic Services & Consulting of Louisiana, LLC was founded in 2015 as an education consulting firm focused on building the capacity of schools. EDSCLA has experience supporting charter schools, public school districts, universities, and the Louisiana Department of Education.
40+
professionals across Louisiana
15+
charter schools supported
10
public school districts supported
2015
founded in Baton Rouge
Meet the Executive Director
Dr. Summer Whitmore is the Executive Director of Educational Diagnostic Services & Consulting of Louisiana and a certified Educational Diagnostician with more than 25 years of experience in special education, pupil appraisal, school improvement, compliance, and educator development. Through EDSCLA, she leads a statewide team supporting schools, districts, families, and students through comprehensive evaluations, technical assistance, professional development, Section 504 and IEP support, and special education compliance monitoring.
Dr. Whitmore's career includes leadership roles with the Louisiana Department of Education, where she served as State Coordinator for Section 504, Education Program Consultant for School Improvement, Scholastic Audit, and Title I, and SPLC Manager supporting special education monitoring and corrective action. She also coordinated the Louisiana State Personnel Development Grant at LSU, providing training and support across sixteen school districts in culturally responsive practices, positive behavior support, data-driven decision-making, family engagement, school leadership teams, and implementation planning.
In higher education, Dr. Whitmore served as an adjunct instructor at Southern University A&M College, where she designed curricula, taught undergraduate and graduate special education courses, supervised student work, and helped prepare educators to serve diverse learners. Her teaching has included courses in assessment of atypical children, multicultural education, behavioral approaches to classroom management, consulting teaching strategies, classroom organization, and survey of exceptional children.
Dr. Whitmore earned her Ph.D. and M.Ed. in Special Education and her Bachelor of Secondary Education in Social Studies from Southern University and A&M College. Her professional work also includes published and selected educator materials, national conference presentations, state-level Section 504 resources, and co-authored grant proposals totaling more than $12 million, including Louisiana State Personnel Development Grant awards and an international education partnership connected to Vista University of Africa.
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Certifications
- State of Louisiana Teaching Certificate
- Education Leadership
- Mild/Moderate (1-12)
- Child Search Coordinator
- Educational Diagnostician
- LA INTECH Technology Program training
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Professional Affiliations
- American Educational Research Association
- Council for Exceptional Children
- International Reading Association
- Louisiana Educational Diagnosticians' Association
- Louisiana Department of Education Disproportionality Committee
- Significant Disabilities Leadership Consortium
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Publications & Materials
- Factors that Affect Rural Special Education Teachers to Remain in the Field
- International Special Education Conference Calendar
- Addressing Discipline: Data, Policies, and Practice
- Professional Development Planning Guide for Culturally Responsive Practices
- LaSIG Family Engagement Empowerment Handbook
- School Improvement Tools for Success
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Conference & Training Topics
- Response to Intervention
- Section 504
- Child Find
- Discipline and related services requirements
- Differentiated instruction
- Cultural competence in the classroom
- Effective IEP development
- Reducing disproportionality
- Student Assistance Team requirements
- Reflective inquiry
Office Staff
EDSCLA's office team supports families, schools, districts, and partner organizations with communication, scheduling, administration, and day-to-day operations.
Jo Ann Sanders
Business Manager
Cory Stewart
Communications Manager
Shalana Spencer
Administrative Assistant
Vision
EDSCLA is guided by excellence, integrity, and a strong school and district focus.
Excellence
EDSCLA is committed to attaining the highest standards of professional practice and progressive delivery of services.
Integrity
Honesty, fairness, sensitivity, objectivity, and confidentiality are essential to EDSCLA's work with families and school members.
School and District Focus
EDSCLA responds quickly, effectively, and efficiently to the expectations and needs of schools and districts.
Core Services
EDSCLA builds the capacity of districts and schools through special education evaluation services, pupil appraisal support, speech-language services, technical assistance, professional development, and special education program audits.
Evaluation Services
EDSCLA conducts Louisiana Bulletin 1508 evaluations to determine eligibility for special education services and provides clear explanations of results, learning needs, and implications for educational programming.
Pupil Appraisal & Comprehensive Evaluations
EDSCLA offers assessment batteries to meet the individual needs of each student, ranging from dyslexia assessments to full psychological and psychoeducational evaluations while adhering to Bulletin 1508 and Bulletin 1903 requirements.
Evaluations are conducted by certified and licensed school psychologists, educational diagnosticians, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists at school sites or EDSCLA's Baton Rouge office.
Speech-Language Services
EDSCLA's speech-language pathologists provide onsite collaborative service delivery, individual and small-group sessions, and telepractice through HIPAA-compliant platforms.
Service delivery is determined through a team approach, with attention to the least restrictive educational setting, the student's IEP or intervention goals, and whole-language approaches.
Services may be provided at school or in the student's home during school hours, after hours, weekends, holidays, and summer. Staff include certified speech-language pathologists and assistants supervised by ASHA-certified speech-language pathologists.
Technical Assistance
Customized consultation supports schools and districts with monitoring support, RTI development, compliance guidance, coaching, behavior management, inclusion, transition, assessments, assistive technology, and therapy services.
Professional Development
EDSCLA provides summer training, site-based learning, Professional Learning Communities, workshops, conferences, coaching, leadership development, and implementation resources.
Program Audits
EDSCLA helps schools and districts evaluate program design, clarify outcomes, use data and research, identify barriers, document progress, and strengthen future effectiveness.
Assessment Services for Students and Families
EDSCLA provides comprehensive assessment packages for children, adolescents, college-bound students, college students, graduate students, and adult learners.
Comprehensive Dyslexia Evaluations
For children and adolescents experiencing difficulties with reading, spelling, writing, or language processing.
$1,250
The package includes educational assessment, dyslexia assessment, record review, parent consultation, a written evaluation report, a results conference, and individualized recommendations.
- Review of educational records and intervention history
- Dyslexia-specific assessment of reading and language processes
- Evaluation of phonological awareness, decoding, encoding, word recognition, fluency, comprehension, written language, and spelling
- Family-centered communication throughout the process
College Disability Documentation
For students seeking academic accommodations through college, university, technical school, or graduate program disability services offices.
$1,250
Reports are completed within 45 calendar days of receiving all required records, documentation, and consent forms.
- Dyslexia, reading disorder, learning disability, and academic achievement evaluations
- Documentation reviews for college disability services
- Accommodation recommendation reports
- Transition planning and reevaluations for updated documentation
Professional Development & Technical Assistance
EDSCLA offers engaging, interactive, and research-based learning experiences customized for school districts, charter schools, administrators, teachers, related service providers, pupil appraisal personnel, and families.
Special Education & Compliance
- Writing effective and compliant IEPs
- Standards-based goals and objectives
- PLAAFP, accommodations, modifications, and progress monitoring
- Child Find, referrals, evaluations, reevaluations, and Bulletin 1508 requirements
Section 504
- Developing and implementing effective Section 504 plans
- Eligibility, evaluations, accommodations, and monitoring
- Documentation requirements, annual reviews, and reevaluations
- Support for medical, mental health, and learning needs
Behavior & Student Support
- PBIS, FBAs, and BIP development
- Trauma-informed practices and restorative approaches
- Classroom management, SEL, and tiered behavior systems
- Crisis prevention, de-escalation, SAT processes, and equity concerns
Instruction & Leadership
- Differentiated instruction, RTI, MTSS, and structured literacy
- Progress monitoring and data-based decision making
- Inclusive practices, co-teaching, UDL, and culturally responsive teaching
- Compliance reviews, program audits, strategic planning, and leadership coaching
Experience and Qualifications
EDSCLA's professionals have a track record supporting evaluation work across Louisiana. The team includes educational diagnosticians, school psychologists, speech therapists, adaptive P.E. providers, social workers, and IEP/evaluation compliance facilitators.
Highly Qualified Team
The team includes six professionals with terminal degrees, twenty-one with master's degrees, and five with bachelor's degrees.
Evaluation Expertise
Team members have experience with Student Assistance Teams, evaluation coordination, initial evaluations, reevaluations, waivers, and administrative reviews.
District Support
EDSCLA has provided pupil appraisal support in early childhood, special education, Section 504, and positive behavioral intervention and supports.
What Clients Say
Families, educators, students, and school leaders describe EDSCLA as professional, practical, and personal in the moments when support matters most.
"Before working with EDSCLA, I felt lost trying to figure out what services my son needed and how to navigate the school system. Dr. Whitmore took the time to answer my questions, explain the evaluation results in plain language, and help me understand the next steps. The process was professional, but also personal. I finally felt like someone was listening and helping us move forward."Patrice S., Parent
"As a special education teacher, I've reviewed many evaluation reports over the years. What I appreciate about EDSCLA's evaluations is that they're thorough, easy to follow, and include recommendations that are actually useful in the classroom. Their reports help us better understand our students and make informed decisions about services and supports."Melissa R., Special Education Teacher
"I struggled with focus, organization, and staying on top of assignments throughout college, but I never really knew why. I decided to get evaluated through EDSCLA, and the process was straightforward and comfortable. The evaluation helped me better understand how I learn and provided documentation for accommodations through my university. Looking back, I wish I had done it sooner."Jeremy T., College Student
"Our district brought in EDSCLA to provide professional development for teachers and support staff. The training was practical, engaging, and relevant to the challenges educators face every day. The feedback from our team was overwhelmingly positive, and we've been able to apply many of the strategies immediately."Dr. Angela M., School Administrator
Store
Shop EDSCLA apparel created to celebrate students, families, educators, and neurodiversity. All shirts are listed at $30 each.
Student Collection: I Am Exceptional
A bold confidence-building shirt for students who deserve to be seen, supported, and celebrated. The design centers the message, "I Am Exceptional," with bright EDSCLA-inspired colors.
Parent Collection: I Don't Just Parent. I Advocate.
Designed for parents and caregivers who show up, speak up, and keep pushing for brighter outcomes. This shirt honors the love, persistence, and advocacy behind every child.
Teacher Collection: I Teach Exceptional Minds
A bright educator shirt for teachers, specialists, and school teams who inspire growth every day. The design celebrates the heart and skill it takes to teach exceptional minds.
Autism Acceptance Collection: Celebrate Every Mind
A meaningful neurodiversity shirt that centers acceptance, inclusion, and limitless potential. This design is made for anyone who believes every mind should be valued.
Payment setup note: This order form can send shirt order details to the office now. To collect payment online, EDSCLA will need a checkout service such as GoDaddy Online Store, Square, PayPal, Stripe, Shopify, or another payment processor.