Quarterly Chronicle

Project Purpose

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is committed to providing effective supports and guidance to Texas public schools in their implementation of strong and effective programs for students with disabilities. The purpose of this project is to increase capacity in Texas local education agencies (LEAs) regarding the implementation of effective practices related to child find, evaluation (including full and individual initial evaluations (FIIEs)) and the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) process. This will be accomplished through the development of easily accessible resources and professional development opportunities, both of which must reflect best practice regarding adult learning theory.

Click HERE to learn more about the network and access resources.

This professional development session is a self-paced, online course that is intended to provide participants with best practices to ARD committee managers for local education agencies (LEAs) that choose to use this model. This course is intended to provide information, guidance, and best practice for successfully achieving the expectations, roles, and responsibilities of an ARD committee manager, including scheduling ARD committee meetings, preparing and finalizing required ARD committee paperwork, facilitating the ARD committee meeting, and supporting families and school personnel with the ARD committee processes.

Click HERE to register for this course.

This question and answer document is intended to provide guidance and best practices to LEAs regarding review of existing evaluation data and reevaluation.

Click HERE to access the resource.

This webinar consists of content related to PLAAFPs (the federal law and state guidance related to PLAAFPs that identify a student’s strengths, baseline data, and critical areas of need), annual academic goals (the purpose and importance of measurable annual goals and a four-step process for developing annual academic goals), and annual functional goals (the purpose and importance of functional goals and a four-step process for developing a functional goal).

Click HERE to register for access to this recording.

The focus of this session is to learn more about the Standards-Based IEP Process. The primary focus of the training is to review the role of the administrator (or LEA representative in an Admission, Review, or Dismissal (ARD) committee meeting in reviewing the full and individual evaluation (FIE), developing present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) development, drafting measurable annual goals, and objectives if appropriate, and creating a data collection system for progress monitoring. This training was created by the Child Find, Evaluation, and ARD Support Statewide Technical Assistance Network in collaboration with the Texas Education Agency with state and federal grants.

Contact your local regional education service center (ESC) for session information.

Click HERE to contact your regional ESC network representative for more details.

The focus of this session is to learn more about the Standards-Based IEP Process. The primary focus of the training is on the full and individual evaluation (FIE), present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) development and writing goals and objectives. This training was created by the Child Find, Evaluation, and ARD Support Statewide Technical Assistance Network in collaboration with the Texas Education Agency with state and federal grants.

Contact your local regional education service center (ESC) for session information.

Click HERE to contact your regional ESC network representative for more details.

Click HERE for recorded session links.

• Writing Effective Impact and Need Statements in the Full and Individual Evaluation (FIE)
• Reevaluations: From Review of Existing Evaluation Data (REED) to Evaluation
• Triangulating Data in the Full and Individual Evaluation: Telling the Student's Story
• Best Practices for Conducting a Virtual Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee Meeting
• Evaluations During the 2020-21 School Year
• ARD 101
• Documenting Growth in the FIE
• Evaluating Dysgraphia in the FIE

On September 3rd, 2021, the State Board of Education (SBOE) gave final approval for updates to the Dyslexia Handbook. Some of the updates to the Dyslexia Handbook may require LEAs to make policy, procedure, and practice changes. The updated Dyslexia Handbook will go into effect on February 10th, 2022.

Dyslexia Handbook 2021 Update - Approved for second reading and final adoption by the Texas State Board of Education at its September 3, 2021 meeting. To be effective February 10, 2022.

LEAs are encouraged to inform staff and begin the process of preparing for implementation, so they are well positioned to be in compliance once the changes go into effect. Additional guidance and information will be released as the in-effect date approaches. For more information on the updated Dyslexia Handbook please click on the link below for the Letter To The Administrator Addressed.

Updates to Dyslexia Handbook: Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders (Dyslexia Handbook)

Application Open January 24, 2022 - March 11, 2022

This grant program allows for Texas school districts and open-enrollment charters to apply for funding to increase local capacity to appropriately serve students with dyslexia.

LEAs will be able to apply for grant funding to provide:

A. high-quality training to classroom teachers and administrators in meeting the needs of students with dyslexia; and/or

B. training to intervention staff resulting in appropriate credentialing related to dyslexia.

Visit the Dyslexia Grant Award Program website to learn more about this grant and register for upcoming webinars!

Application Open February 1, 2022 - March 18, 2022

All Texas local education agencies (LEAs) are eligible to apply for grant funding to increase their capacity to implement innovative programs that effectively serve students with autism ages three through 21.

Visit the Innovative Services for Students with Autism Grant Award Program website to learn more about this grant and register for upcoming information sessions

Each month, TEA publishes a Special Education Newsletter. These newsletters contain announcements, upcoming dates, department news, and links to new resources and guidance. Click on the link to access the monthly newsletter.

November 2021

January 2022

Email: childfindtx@esc4.net
Website: childfindtx.tea.texas.gov
Location: 7145 West Tidwell Road, Houston, TX, USA
Phone: 713-744-6365