January 2025 - LEA Newsletter

The Title IV, Part A Capacity Building Initiative is working to create even more resources to support you through every step of your Title IV journey, as well as making improvements and updates to existing resources. We encourage you to utilize our NEW website. Reach out to your ESC Title IV Specialist with any questions or challenges you may encounter. We look forward to another year of collaboration, innovation, and success!

• Validations of Fiscal Data Reported by School Systems for Federal Grants (September 5, 2024)

• January 22, 2025 (9:00 AM - 3:00 PM CST) | 2025 ACET Virtual Winter Academy FOUNDATIONAL PATH | Register | Virtual - Ideal for those with less than three years of experience (building core competencies and confidence)

• February 5, 2025 (9:00 AM - 3:00 PM CST) | 2025 ACET Virtual Winter Academy ADVANCED PATH | Register | Virtual - Ideal for those with more than three years of experience (dive deeper into complex strategies and leadership skills for seasoned professionals)

• April 22-25, 2025 | Spring ACET Conference | Registration opens January 31, 2025. | Houston (Royal Sonesta Galleria, 222 West Loop S Houston, TX, 77027)

Session Description: Delve into the critical aspects of measuring and evaluating Title IV, Part A objectives and measurable outcomes. You'll learn how to effectively integrate objective statements into your District or Campus Improvement Plan (DIP/CIP) and select research-based strategies to address your specific needs. We'll guide you through the process of crafting measurable objectives, from initial needs assessments to the final evaluation stage, while you discover how to effectively assess both the financial and programmatic impact of your initiatives.

• State Board of Education Approved Instructional Materials Entitlements and the new List of Approved Instructional Materials (December 12, 2024) - Share with appropriate budget staff and instructional materials coordinators.

Proposed Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 74, Curriculum Requirements, Subchapter AA, Commissioner's Rules on College and Career Readiness, §74.1003, Industry-Based Certifications for Public School Accountability | The proposed amendment would update the criteria used to identify the industry-based certifications to be used for public school accountability.

• Public Comment Period: January 10, 2025 - February 10, 2025
• Proposed Effective Date: April 27, 2025

• New CTE TEKS Public Comment - The official public comment period for the proposed new CTE TEKS opens Friday, December 20, 2024, and closes January 21, 2025.

• Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Conditional Grant Program - The Conditional Grant Program is a state-mandated program that provides support for economically disadvantaged bachelor’s degree students entering or attending Texas public and private four-year institutions. Participants receive $4,000 per semester or $8,000 per academic year for tuition throughout their bachelor’s degree program. Upon graduation, they are offered a position at TxDOT with a commitment of staying on board for two years. The Conditional Grant application period opens in January 2025, with a deadline to apply by April 1. Please contact Talent Acquisition Specialists Jennifer Levine and Megan Zella at careers@txdot.gov for more information and to discuss local presentation opportunities. Watch to learn more.

• ACET Scholarship - High school seniors and paraprofessionals looking to continue their education should apply. More information can be found at the link provided. Due February 28, 2025.

• Thomas Edison Pitch Contest - Students create their own STEM inventions to solve real-world problems. Registration opens December 1, 2024 with the event taking place on May 14, 2025.

• LOTE Graduation Requirement - Students who come to a district from another country CAN satisfy their LOTE Graduation Requirement with their native language if all requirements are met and proficiency is determined.

• Seeds of Success Toolkit - KidsGardening created a Seeds of Success Toolkit to help schools start and maintain edible gardens. This toolkit is based on the experience of school gardeners from across the country. It provides the resources needed to set up and run a successful school food garden. Topics include planning, designing, funding, safety, and more. Resources include downloadable chapters and recorded webinars.

• Subscribe to the TEA newsletters to receive timely updates in all content areas and programs.

• FY24 School Safety Allotment Data Collection (December 12, 2024)

• January 15, 2025 (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST) | US Secret Service Webinars - Enhancing School Safety Using Behavioral Threat Assessment (supplemental to required School Behavioral Threat Assessment Training) | Register | Virtual - In this virtual training event, you will learn about the background, thinking, and behavior of school attackers and how some schools discovered and stopped plots before violence occurred. This training will provide guidance on how schools may develop or improve existing violence prevention programs utilizing a behavioral threat assessment model.
• Alternate Date: March 19, 2025 (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST) | Register
• Alternate Date: May 21, 2025 (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST) | Register
• February 19, 2025 (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST) | US Secret Service Webinars - Preventing Mass Attacks in Our Communities | Register | Virtual - In this virtual training event, NTAC researchers discuss important findings from our research on mass attacks perpetrated in public and semi-public spaces, including businesses, restaurants, bars, retail outlets, houses of worship, schools, open spaces, and more. This training will provide guidance on how communities may develop or improve existing violence prevention programs utilizing a behavioral threat assessment model.
• Alternate Date: April 16, 2025 (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST) | Register
• Alternate Date: June 18, 2025 (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST) | Register

• Safe Firearm Storage Information - The Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC) has safe firearm storage resources with toolkits, sample letters, and templates to introduce and share information about section 46.13 of the Penal Code. The Texas Department of Public Safety has an educator toolkit and social media graphics available for schools to download.

• Date Adopted: December 2, 2024 (TEC § 22.904)

• January 21, 2025 | "Start with Hello" Training Program | Register | Virtual - The training offered by TxSSC and Sandy Hook Promise is 2.5 hours and includes various activities to help schools incorporate this training into their culture.
• January 30, 2025 (8:30 AM - 12:30 PM) | Texas Health and Human Services Commission Safety Planning Intervention Trainings | Register: Send an email to suicide.prevention@hhs.texas.gov. - Safety Planning Intervention (SPI): is an evidence-based intervention training. This training teaches participants how to conduct safety planning with an individual who may be at risk for suicide.

• February 20, 2025 (8:30 AM - 4:00 PM) | Texas Health and Human Services Commission Safety Planning Intervention Trainings | Register: Send an email to suicide.prevention@hhs.texas.gov. - Safety Planning Intervention (SPI): is an evidence-based intervention training. This training teaches participants how to conduct safety planning with an individual who may be at risk for suicide.

• February 22-23, 2025 (LIVE) | 2025 Child & School Counseling Summit | Register | Virtual (On Demand February 22 - April 20, 2025)
• March 13, 2025 / May 8, 2025 | Mental and Behavioral Health Webinar Series | Register March | Register May | Virtual/Webinar (Past recordings available)

DFPS is committed to eradicating human trafficking through awareness, services, and prevention efforts. There are many exciting and impactful events happening this January across Texas and the United States. Please see DFPS's 2025 Human Trafficking Prevention Month Participation Guide to join the fight against human trafficking.

• January 2025 | Light the Way End Human Trafficking: Lunch and Learn Series 2025 | Register by Session | Virtual
• January 16, 2025 (9:00 AM - 9:45 AM CST) | Human Trafficking Awareness for Educators | Register | Virtual
• Repeat Session: January 16, 2025 (10:00 AM - 10:45 AM CST) | Register

• December 2024 Edition
• To subscribe, use the Subscribe button in the top left corner of the December newsletter (linked above).

Invites schools and students (ages 13+) to tackle pressing topics like healthy social media use, digital citizenship education, and responsible technology policies. This exciting initiative is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology (OET) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Applications are open Friday, December 6, 2024 and close on Wednesday, January 15, 2025. Learn more.

• January 22-23, 2025 | Statewide STEM Leadership Training - Region 4 | Register | Houston - This immersive professional development prepares campus administrators to shape, support, and sustain STEM initiatives within their district or campus. Participants will learn by doing, engaging directly in the instructional approaches most critical to the STEM endeavor: project-based learning, design-based challenges, and computational thinking. (A TEALearn Badge can be earned for this training.)
• March 1, 2025 (8:30 AM - 3:00 PM) | 9th Annual Greater Houston Area STEM Conference: YOU Belong in STEM | Register | University of Houston-Clear Lake Bayou Building (For additional information contact stemconference@uhcl.edu.)
• February Dates COMING SOON | Free Texas Mobile STEM Lab Professional Development - During the sessions, the Learning Undefeated team will walk educators through the free hands-on engineering design challenges available through the Texas Mobile STEM Laboratory. Sessions will also guide participants in developing and facilitating their own Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)-aligned engineering design challenges. Texas Mobile STEM Laboratory lessons are cross-curricular, and all lessons are aligned with science and math TEKS and other subject areas as applicable.

• February 1-5, 2025 | TCEA Convention & Exposition | Register | Austin

• June 29-July 2, 2025 | ISTE Live 25 | Register | San Antonio

• TEA’s STEM Coordinators Network - This group is designed for district and campus-level STEM coordinators, education service center STEM leads, higher education STEM directors, and STEM directors at non-profit organizations—anyone involved in the planning and implementation of STEM programs at a systemic level. Complete the form to become a member of the STEM Coordinator’s Network. Next Meeting: January 14, 2025, from 12:30–2:00 (Central)

• TEA Texas STEM Education Toolkit
• TEA Texas EcosySTEM
• TEA Technology Applications Newsletter
• TEKS Guide for Technology Applications - COMING SOON!

ESSASupport@tea.texas.gov | PNPOmbudsman@tea.texas.gov

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Monthly newsletters are posted on the Title IV, Part A State Initiative website under District/LEA Resources.