As you are able (even if it is not until June) take time to celebrate what you have accomplished and more importantly the impact you have had on students, parents and staff. Then go enjoy the much needed break that you have more than earned.
This is the last official Data Points newsletter for this year. There will be a quick update with any important information that you will need before the start of next year sent mid summer and from there it will pick up again in August.
I truly hope that you have found this newsletter as well as the other supports and services I have offered helpful. If you have suggestions for services, supports or solutions you want to see continued or expanded, please take a minute to share that below in the Suggestion Box link provided toward the end of this newsletter!
And finally for those who have reached that point of deciding it is time for that next step of retirement, THANK YOU for your service.
Have a great summer everyone!
Amy
Region 10 will be hosting the Summer Dyslexia Institute a two-day event focused on helping Texas educators acquire the latest information regarding dyslexia research, student evaluations, and assessment, technology, accommodation considerations, and instruction. This year’s Institute will be delivered with a blended virtual format. Each day will have three national speakers followed by a menu of break-out session options on a variety of topics related to dyslexia and related disorders. Break-out sessions will be recorded and available to view at your convenience. ALTA CEUs has been applied.
Fee: $100
Evaluation Institute Region 4Virtual Conference (Synchronous and Asynchronous Sessions)
Attend this 3-day virtual institute to promote the knowledge and application of best practices and to acquire the latest information related to the comprehensive and integrated evaluation of students. Dr. Shari Robertson, CCC-SLP, ASHA Fellow, will present
I Used to Have a Handle on Life, But it Broke: Surviving and Thriving in a Post-Pandemic World. Dr. Debbie Silver will present Practicing Safe Stress-Building Resiliency in Educators, and attorney, Paula Maddox Roalson, will share the latest legal updates
Fee: $125
The Hill Country Summer Institute 2021 is a two-day live broadcast virtual conference that addresses critical issues important to educational diagnosticians and licensed specialists in school psychology.
Our conference will be presented via Livestream and will be recorded. You'll receive 12.0 hours of CEs for the four sessions you view live.
We know that it can be difficult to choose what session you want to attend at a live conference. There might be two different sessions at the same time that look interesting. Have no fear! After the conference is over participants may access the recordings for all of the sessions through 8/2/21.
Fee: $160
Eval 101- New Evaluation Staff Meeting: Advice and Strategies for Your First Year
8/6/2021 9:00-4:00 Session ID 2638230 (registration opens July 15, 2021)
Are you a new LSSP, Diagnostician, SLP, or Dyslexia Evaluator? Not sure what you need to know to put your shiny new credentials to good use? Have no fear! The Region 10 Evaluation Team is here!
This session will cover some important basics for individuals who are new to the work of evaluation, interpretation, and report writing.
What SSI requirements have been waived?
- 3 testing opportunities
- promotion or retention based upon STAAR results
What SSI requirements remain in place?
- Accelerated instruction
- Decisions about promotion/retention
If the student does not pass the assessment, the ARD committee must
determine just as they do with students in other grades:
1) how the student will participate in accelerated instruction and
2) whether the student will be promoted or retained based upon the ARD committee determination that the student has made sufficient progress in the measurable academic goals in the student's IEP
(page 10)
Can we do this in an ARD Amendment?
TEC §28.0211(i) and (i-1) require an ARD committee to meet for a
student who has not performed successfully on STAAR. During the
meeting, the ARD committee must determine how the student will
participate in accelerated instruction and whether the student will be
promoted or retained. These determinations may not be conducted
through the amendment without a meeting process. For questions
related to this law, contact the TEA Division of Special Populations at
512-463-9414.
(page 11)
The Inclusion in Texas Network works in collaboration with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to build a statewide culture of high expectations for students with disabilities and significantly improve academic and functional outcomes for students served by special education.
Our goal is to build school district capacity to develop and appropriately implement instructional programs that provide meaningful access to inclusive environments and grade-level standards, where appropriate.
Here are two recently developed resources you will want to bookmark, share and reference for future use:
upcoming sessions for ARD Facilitators
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.
8/13/2021 Session ID 2638285 (registration opens July 15, 2021)
Dyslexia FAQ and Training Course
TEA Frequently Asked Questions: Dyslexia and Related Disorders, Updated January 2021
o TEA Texas State Dyslexia Requirements Worksheet - This tool is intended for LEA teams to gather evidence about, and reflect on, their current dyslexia programming to strengthen internal systems and programming. This document is for internal use only and should not be submitted to TEA.
o Dyslexia: A TEA Professional Learning Course - The purpose of this course is to empower educators to serve and advocate for students with or at risk for dyslexia. The course consists of four modules. A participant handbook is provided to guide participant learning. Participants will receive 6 CPE credits for completion of the course. Please note – this is a new course and not related to the Texas Dyslexia Identification Academy Modules (not yet available).
STAAR ALTERNATE 2 TRAINING - OVERVIEW & ELIGIBILITY
These trainings are located in the District and Campus Coordinator Resources under Training:
This module provides an overview of the design of the STAAR Alternate 2 assessment. It is designed to supplement, not replace, the mandatory training required of all personnel involved in testing.
o STAAR Alternate 2: Eligibility
This module helps ARD committee members assure that only students with significant cognitive disabilities are assessed with an alternate assessment. It is designed to supplement, not replace, the mandatory training required of all personnel involved in testing.
STAAR ALTERNATE 2 TRAINING - OVERVIEW & ELIGIBILITY
These trainings are located in the District and Campus Coordinator Resources under Training:
This module provides an overview of the design of the STAAR Alternate 2 assessment. It is designed to supplement, not replace, the mandatory training required of all personnel involved in testing.
o STAAR Alternate 2: Eligibility
This module helps ARD committee members assure that only students with significant cognitive disabilities are assessed with an alternate assessment. It is designed to supplement, not replace, the mandatory training required of all personnel involved in testing.
NEW: Child Find Training for LEA Staff
This course is intended to provide participants with a fundamental understanding of the definition and purpose of child find and requirements for Local Education Agencies (or LEAs). The training will address the topics of an overview of child find, the key child find populations, and LEA responsibilities, including: written board policies and special education operating procedures; public awareness programs; coordination activities with other agencies; notification to families; targeted outreach to primary referral sources; special education referral procedures, including screenings; maintenance and reporting of accurate data, and professional development and training for staff.
This professional development session is a self-paced online course that will be completed within the Region 4 Canvas instance.
The course registration can be accessed via the Region 4 ESC Professional Development at esc4.net and by entering Session ID 1603655 in the Search PD box.
It is about 45 minutes to 1.5 hours and free for all.
REPRINTED FROM JIM WALSH’S “DAILY DAWG” WITH PERMISSION FROM THE WALSH GALLEGOS LAW FIRM.
TOOLBOX TUESDAY!! ANNUAL ARD AND “THE QUESTION”….
May 4, 2021 Jim Walsh
Having a lot of annual ARD meetings these days? It’s pretty common to have the annual in the spring so that you can review progress this year, and develop an IEP for next year. As you consider each student’s situation, you are going to be asked this question:
Does the student have behaviors that impede the learning of the student or others?
That question is in your forms, with a YES and a NO box. I know it’s in your forms because it’s required by federal law. Here are three things to think about as you answer that question.
First, notice that it does not limit the question to behaviors that arise from the student’s disability. This is not a preliminary manifestation determination. It’s a simpler question: does the student exhibit behaviors that “impede” the learning of this student or of others?
Second, remember that behaviors that “impede learning” are not always loud, disruptive, and obvious. That depressed and quietly withdrawn student sitting in the corner, alone at lunch and on the playground, may be showing signs of behaviors that impede that student’s learning. How are the student’s grades? Is depression impeding educational progress? Don’t ignore it.
Third, if you answer “yes” the minutes of the ARDC meeting should reflect the discussion that followed. What do you want to do about it? How to address these behaviors? A “yes” answer does not require a FBA and a BIP, but it does require some thoughtful discussion.
We talk about all this in our firm’s Toolbox Trainings. Let me know if you are interested in one.
DAWG BONE: A “YES” ANSWER REQUIRES SOME THOUGHTFUL FOLLOW UP
Subscriptions to the Daily Dawg are available at www.edlawdawg.com
Amy Smith, Evaluation Consultant
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