Data Points

Hello,

Welcome back!! Hope you had a fabulous summer and got some much needed rest! This issue includes links to sessions that are now posted for registration. I will continue to publish sessions in the next few weeks and add others, so check back here or go directly to our webpage HERE, to see what is available for you to consider in the coming year!

Amy

This Pearson webinar is an excellent overview of the WIAT 4 and the research it is based upon when using it to inform your understanding of SLD in basic reading and reading fluency due to the condition of dyslexia.

Using the WIAT 4 to Understand Reading Challenges

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!!

8/14/2023 Eval 101-New Evaluation Staff Meeting

Session ID: 2656870

You did it! You survived your graduate program or certification, you aced the interview, and you landed your job as a School Psychologist or Diagnostician! Now the questions you ask yourself are.. what do you do now? How do I turn all of that new knowledge and skill into something that can actually support students? And what is the real world not at all like what I learned in my program?!?!?

Region 10 is here to help! In this session, you will hear from our seasoned evaluation support team about some of the ins and outs of assessment, how to manage some of the major components of your workflow, and how you can get continue your growth and support as you make your way through your career.

8/23/2023 ARD Manager 101 with Amy Smith, Educational Diagnostician, and Region 10 Child Find Consultant

Session ID: 2655888

This session is intended for new personnel assigned to the role of ARD manager or facilitator. In this session, participants will receive an overview of the IEP process including systems for organizing and preparing for ARD meetings, ARD membership, parent participation, how to write meaningful deliberations, and determining when a revision to an IEP is needed.

8/31/2023 Dyslexia Identification in the FIE with Amy Smith and Amie Davenport

Session ID: 2652526

This full-day interactive session is intended for teams of diagnosticians and dyslexia specialists. Policy and research as outlined in the Texas Dyslexia Handbook will be reviewed and discussed giving the multidisciplinary evaluation team members the knowledge needed to systematically evaluate and make determinations of dyslexia in the FIE.

9/12/2023 CTOPP (am) - Session ID: 2652498 GORT (pm)- Session ID:2652495 with Amy Smith and Amie Davenport

These sessions are for dyslexia specialists charged with administering and/or interpreting the respective test. Testing requirements, standardization procedures, and administration rules will be discussed in detail. This is an interactive session so all participants must bring a copy of the respective test for the session(s) attended.

9/15/2023 C-SEP: Application and Analysis with Dr. Tammy Stephens and Dr. Ed Schulz

Session ID: 2655909

This one-day in-person session will provide new and experienced evaluators will provide a deep dive into the best practices for the analysis and application of CSEP.

10/20/2023 IEE's from the Perspective of a Private Evaluator with Dr. Amanda Gray

During this session, Dr. Gray will share some of the common reasons why parents request IEEs. Dr. Gray is passionate about building bridges between schools and parents so that students have the best opportunity for success and moving forward parents will choose to seek the advice of the evaluators and educators at their child's school.

10/26/2023 Dual Discrepancy Consistency Model (a.k.a. XBASS, Cross Battery): Application and Analysis with Dr. Gail Cheramie and Dr. Mimi Gomez

Session ID: 2655910

This one-day in-person session will provide new and experienced evaluators with a deep dive into the best practices for the successful application of this PSW model.

11/7/223 Making Evaluations Meaningful with Marnee Loftin, School Psychologist

Session ID: 2656300

This full-day in-person session is intended for those evaluation team members including your teacher of the visually impaired responsible for evaluating students with or suspected of a visual impairment. All districts and charters represented at the training will receive a copy of Marnee's recently released book, Making Evaluations Meaningful for the Visually Impaired.

11/10/2023 Dysgraphia Evaluations with Dr. Mimi Gomez and Laura Dowdy, OTR

Session ID: 2652449

This full-day interactive session is designed for diagnosticians, dyslexia specialists, and occupational therapists. Presenters will discuss best practices for identification and intervention in alignment with the Texas Dyslexia Handbook.

1/17/2024 (Session ID: 2656546) and 1/19/2024 (Session ID: 2656547) Orthographic Mapping Webinar Series with Dr. David Kilptrick

These two half-day sessions for educational diagnosticians and dyslexia specialists will focus on the research behind how orthographic mapping plays into reading, how to conduct an evaluation that provides the information needed to judge its impact on reading and recommended research-based interventions.

1/24/2024 (repeat from fall)

CTOPP (am) -Session ID: 2652504 GORT (pm)- Session ID: 2652503

with Amy Smith and Amie Davenport

These sessions are for dyslexia specialists charged with administering and/or interpreting the respective test. Testing requirements, standardization procedures, and administration rules will be discussed in detail. This is an interactive session so all participants must bring a copy of the respective test for the session(s) attended.

Essentials of the FIE

The following series is designed for educational diagnosticians who are interested in developing or deepening their skills as an evaluator. These may be taken as a group or individually.

Part 1: Planning for the FIE from Referral to Consent for the Educational Diagnostician

(8/15/2023) 9:00-4:00 Session ID: 2655876

Part 2: Selecting and Administering and Interpreting Assessments for the Educational Diagnostician

(8/16/2023) 9:00-4:00 Session ID: 2655878

Part 3: Writing Impactful FIEs for the Educational Diagnostician

(8/22/2023) 9:00-4:00 Session ID: 2655887

(11/2/2023) 9:00-4:00 Session ID: 2655911

Ask the Expert Series

This year we are going to try a new series to support you in your work. Have you ever thought, I would really love to sit down with someone like Dr. Schultz or Dr. Cheramie to review a case, so they can provide me guidance based on their expertise in the field of evaluation?

During each session, we will have 2 of our favorite experts including a bilingual evaluation expert on the panel to review your cases. These 2-hour sessions will be set up to allow attendees to submit cases for review by experts in evaluation.

Registered participants will be contacted a few weeks before each session, so that case information can be submitted to the experts as they prepare for the session. You can submit data from a previous evaluation or one you are currently working to complete. District/ charter and student information will be kept confidential. Our goal is to review one monolingual student case and one bilingual case during each session. Additionally, the experts will provide feedback regardless of the PSW model being applied and cases are not limited to SLD.

10/24/2023 (Dr. Ed Schultz and Dr. Sarah Holman) Session ID: 2656535

11/28/2023 (Dr. Gail Cheramie and Dr. Corinna Cole) Session ID: 2656532

2/27/2024 (Dr. Mertie Gomez and Dr. Corinna Cole) Session ID: 2656542

4/23/2024 (Dr. Ed Schultz and Dr. Sarah Holman) Session ID: 2656543

Virtual Lunch and Learn Series

Dates and Topics Coming SOON!

The Virtual Lunch and Learn sessions will be offered from 11:30-1:30 and will cover a variety of topics critical to your success as an evaluator and will include interactive activities and group discussions. Attendees may opt to participate during the live session or asynchronously during the week following the live session.

SAVE THE DATES:

9/20/2023 (will be rescheduled)

11/29/2023

2/14/2024

4/17/2024

Roadmap to Texas Transition Resources

Did you know that many local and state resources available to students or adults with disabilities go unused? The Roadmap to Texas Transition Resources includes lists by area to quickly identify needed resources: Advocacy, Financial, Legal, Education, Employment, and Community.

Whether you need resources now or are planning for life after graduation, this document identifies agencies and programs across Texas. During transition planning at any age, the listed resources can help:

Educators

• Consider supports for students and families within the local education agency (LEA) and surrounding community

• Facilitate connection to statewide agencies

• Identify specific contact information to share with students and families

For questions about the Roadmap to Texas Transition Resources, you may contact:

• Your LEA’s Transition and Employment Designee (TED)

• The transition contact at your regional Education Service Center (ESC)

For more information about transition planning, see the Texas Transition & Employment Guide available at www.texastransition.org

ON Demand TEA Course: Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee Manager Training

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. Participants who complete the course will receive 12 hours of professional learning credits.

Click HERE to register for this course.

IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!

On-Demand Standards-Based Individualized Education Program (IEP) Process Training Course

Virtual Lunch and Learn Series for ARD Managers

The Virtual Lunch and Learn sessions will be offered from 11:30-1:30 and will cover a variety of topics critical to your success as an ARD Manager and will include interactive activities and group discussions. Attendees may opt to participate during the live session or asynchronously during the week following the live session.

TOPICS COMING SOON! SAVE THE DATES

10/4/2023

1/17/2024

3/20/2024

Leaving a Clear Trail 7/27/2023

Earning a diploma signifies the completion of one’s education, but it is the Academic Achievement Record that tells the whole story. Participants will receive an overview of the relationship between state and district requirements for graduation, special education graduation options, rules for coding courses on the AAR, and documentation needed to accurately reflect a student’s high school education. Participants are encouraged to bring a copy of their district's course description guide.

Register here: Session ID 2652762

8/23/2023 ARD Manger 101

Session ID: 2655888

During this full-day interactive session, participants will deepen their understanding of the legal requirements of the IEP process and gain practical tips for organizing and documenting these pieces in their own district or charter.

How to Stay Cool When Conversations Get Heated

10/18/2023 (Session ID: 2655857) OR 1/31/2024 (Session ID: 2655859)

Have you ever dreaded going to an ARD meeting that you knew was not going to go well? How about having conservations you knew not everyone would agree with? In this interactive session, you will learn strategies for changing the course when a conversation during an ARD/IEP meeting begins to get heated.

CFEAS Network TEALearn Courses credit is awarded through the TEA Learn's platform upon completing each course

Child Find Duty-Everyone’s Responsibility

ARD Committee Manager Training

SB IEP Process Training

HB 1416 - Accelerated Instruction | Texas Education Agency

A webpage has been established https://tea.texas.gov/academics/learning-support-and-programs/accelerated-instruction. It includes a FAQ on HB 1416 - commonly known as the HB 4545 clean-up bill. There is also this document that relates to accelerated instruction. Minimum Middle/Junior High School Personal Graduation Plan (PGP) Standards and Guidance Associated with Intensive Programs of Instruction (IPI) (texas.gov)

** COMMISSIONER RULE UPDATE- 19 TAC 89.1050 **

The following Texas Administrative Code (TAC) rule action was filed with the Texas Register for publication in the July 14, 2023 issue.

Adopted Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 89, Adaptations for Special Populations, Subchapter AA, Commissioner's Rules Concerning Special Education Services, Division 2, Clarification of Provisions in Federal Regulations and State Law, §89.1050, The Admission, Review, and Dismissal Committee
Summary: The adopted amendment provides clarification regarding students who register in a new school district during the summer months, as well as students who transfer to a new district during the school year.

Additionally, the adopted amendment clarifies the federal requirement to ensure that a parent who is unable to meaningfully participate in English is still able to understand the proceedings of the admission, review, and dismissal committee and receives proper notice in the parent's native language or other mode of communication.

The amendment was adopted with changes since published as proposed.
Effective Date: July 18, 2023

House Bill (HB) 3928

House Bill 3928 was passed by the 88th Texas Legislature (Regular Session) and impacts dyslexia evaluation, identification, and services. While the agency works to update the necessary materials, be aware that the law is effective immediately. The State Board of Education's proposed timeline for its required changes will be communicated to the field once it is determined and communicated to the Texas Education Agency (TEA). You can view a brief video overview of the requirements of HB 3928 HERE

REPRINTED FROM JIM WALSH’S “DAILY DAWG” WITH PERMISSION FROM THE WALSH GALLEGOS LAW FIRM.

CAN A COUSIN BE A STUDENT’S “PARENT”?

JULY 19, 2023 JIM WALSH

Our special education law, IDEA, has a broad definition of the term “parent.” Just how broad? The 3rd Circuit has determined that a student’s adult cousin qualifies as “parent” under IDEA.

The student had been living with her adult cousin for several years, and the school district treated the cousin as the student’s parent. The cousin gave consent for special education testing, successfully requested an independent evaluation, and was invited to meetings to consider a 504 plan. But when the cousin requested a due process hearing the school district threw up a roadblock. “You can’t do that! You are not the ‘parent’!”

The cousin responded to that with: “Baloney! You’ve been treating me as the parent for years. Why am I all of a sudden not the parent?” In legalese this argument is known as estoppel. The cousin argued that the school’s consistent acknowledgement of her as “parent” of the student “estopped” them from denying it.

That sounds like a pretty good argument, but that’s not what the court based its decision on. The court simply noted this part of the IDEA’s definition of “parent”:

An individual acting in the place of a natural or adoptive parent (including a grandparent, stepparent, or other relative) with whom the child lives…. 20 U.S.C. 1401(23)(c).

There is another part of IDEA’s definition of “parent” that creates a hierarchy among the various people who may qualify as a “parent” but that comes up only if the parties are fighting over it. This student had a biological father in the picture, and a grandmother who had a court order giving her custody. If either of them had asserted the right to act as the “parent” their claim would have outranked the cousin. But neither of them did, and in fact, both of them supported the cousin’s effort to act as the “parent.”

It's Q.T. v. Pottsgrove School District, decided by the 3rd Circuit on June 14, 2023. It will be published in the Federal Reporter, but for now can be found at 2023 WL 3987851.

DAWG BONE: LOTS OF PEOPLE CAN QUALIFY AS A “PARENT” UNDER IDEA.

Got a question or comment for the Dawg? Let me hear from you at jwalsh@wabsa.com.

If you need training or technical support with child find, evaluations or ARDs, please reach out!

Email: amy.smith@region10.org
Website: https://www.region10.org/programs/evaluation-special-education/overview/
Location: Region 10 Education Service Center, East Spring Valley Road, Richardson, TX, USA
Phone: 972-348-1784