Weekly Update (6.23.2016)
TEA Information
State Board of Education Seeks Public Input About Assessments And Accountability
The State Board of Education (SBOE) issued a survey in English and Spanish to seek public input about the state’s current assessment and accountability programs and gather suggestions for future program development. The survey will be open online to all Texans through June 30.
The information gathered from the survey and the Community Conversations will be compiled into a report and presented to the SBOE for its consideration at its July 19-22, 2016 meeting. Once adopted, the report will be provided to legislative leaders and the Texas Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability. The 15-member commission, created by the Texas Legislature, is to make recommendations for statutory changes to the state’s assessment and accountability systems. The commission report is to be submitted to the governor and legislature by September 1, 2016.
· The survey is available at the following links. Please complete by June 30, 2016.
o English at http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2762440/State-Assessments-and-Accountability-Survey and in
o Spanish at http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2851839/Encuesta-de-evaluaciones-y-responsabilidad-educativa-del-estado . Bahorich encourages Texans to share the link to the surveys to encourage widespread participation.
· From October 2015 to March 2016, SBOE members held nine Community Conversations meetings around the state, meeting with more than 500 citizens to gather comments about the state’s student assessment and accountability systems. Comments gathered at each of the Community Conversations are available at http://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/Leadership/State_Board_of_Education/SBOE_Meetings/Community_Conversations_about_Assessment_and_Accountability/
· For more information about the Texas Commission on Next Generation Assessments and Accountability, please visit http://tea.texas.gov/2804Commission.aspx
Proposed Amendment to Adopt the 2016 Performance-Based Monitoring Analysis System Manual.
Proposed Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 97, Planning and Accountability, Subchapter AA, Accountability and Performance Monitoring, §97.1005, Performance-Based Monitoring Analysis System (PBMAS)
Summary: The proposed amendment would adopt the 2016 Performance-Based Monitoring Analysis System Manual. Click here
Public Comment Period: May 20, 2016 - June 20, 2016.
Earliest Possible Date of Adoption: June 20, 2016.
Proposed Effective Date: July 28, 2016.
Please see the TEA website to view proposed commissioner of education rules.
You may submit comments on proposed rules to . A request for a public hearing on a proposal submitted under the Administrative Procedure Act must be received by the commissioner of education not more than 14 calendar days after notice of the proposal has been published in the Texas Register. Unforeseen circumstances may delay publication of the agency rules in the Texas Register. The Rules website will be updated to reflect any changes.
Please contact Rulemaking if you have any questions.
Rulemaking
Texas Education Agency
(512) 475-1497
Comment Period for 2016 Accountability Manual
The following rule action was filed with the Texas Register on Monday, May 16, 2016, for publication in the May 27, 2016 issue:
Proposed Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 97, Planning and Accountability, Subchapter AA, Accountability and Performance Monitoring, §97.1001, Accountability Rating System
Summary: The proposed amendment would adopt applicable excerpts of the 2016 Accountability Manual.
Public Comment Period: May 27, 2016 - June 27, 2016.
Earliest Possible Date of Adoption: June 27, 2016.
Proposed Effective Date: August 7, 2016.
Please see the TEA website to view proposed commissioner of education rules.
You may submit comments on proposed rules to . A request for a public hearing on a proposal submitted under the Administrative Procedure Act must be received by the commissioner of education not more than 14 calendar days after notice of the proposal has been published in the Texas Register. Unforeseen circumstances may delay publication of the agency rules in the Texas Register. The Rules website will be updated to reflect any changes.
Please contact us if you have any questions.
Rulemaking
Texas Education Agency
(512) 475-1497
For Your Information
Assistive Technology Team Seminars Applications are due June 30, 2016. You received the application packet with directions for online submission at the May SPED Director’s Meeting. If you did not attend, it was mailed to you. If you have question or concerns, please contact Angela Standridge at or 713-744-6831.
Parent’s Guide to the ARD Process – Additional Distribution
We are pleased to announce that almost 20,000 new April 2016 ARD Guides were delivered to Region 4 districts and charter schools at the end of May/beginning of June!
After distribution to Region 4 and seven other ESCs, we realized that more ARD guides were printed than expected. If you would like an additional shipment of ARD Guides for your district/charter school, please completed the survey by clicking on the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/R4ARDGuides
Please note that there is a limited supply and ARD Guides will be distributed on a “first-come-first-serve” basis as well as the number requested may need to be adjusted based on the supply.
Region 4 Upcoming Professional Development
Register online at the Region 4 Conference page or by clicking on the session link below. Join us for fun in the sun all summer for engaging strategies for student success… it’s all here at Region 4!
Date / Event / Session#· June 28, 2016 / Texas Behavior Support State Conference - Administrator Pre-Conference / 1176772
· June 29-30, 2016 / Texas Behavior Support State Conference / 972605
· July 19-21, 2016 / Preschool Summer Institute: Early Childhood Special Education / 976009
· July 26-28, 2016 / Access to the General Curriculum (AGC) Institute 2016 / 972765
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA): Skills Training Institute
Join this three-day institute designed to provide educators with the knowledge and skills required to implement the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA). Participants will learn of the myths andfacts of ABAand leave theseries withknowledge of themethods to increase, decrease, and refine behavior. Those who attend will also receive 2 CDs:Autism and ABA: A How-To Handbook forTeachersandInstructional Objectives Handbook.
Session ID: 1219171
Dates: July 26, 27, & 28, 2016
Time: 9:00 – 4:00
Location: Crowne Plaza Brookhollow
Fee: $135
Contact information: Cathy Williams, , 713.744.6801
New for 2016-2017: Transformational Special Education Leadership Series
In a leadership position for Special Education in schools in the state of Texas? Or want to be? Join us for the Transformational Special Education Leadership series. Topics include:
· Transformational Special Education Leadership
· Crucial Conversation and Accountability Skills for the Special Education Leader
· What Every Special Education Leader Needs to Know About Resource Allocation, Supervision, Legal, Compliance, and Fiscal/Budget, Issues
· Instructional Leadership and Program Supervision in Special Education
· Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change in Special Education
· Key Components to Take the Next Step in Leading for the Future
This session is designed for current and future leaders of special education including Directors, Assistant Directors, Administrators, Coordinators, Supervisors, Senior Specialists, Leads, and ARD Facilitators. Participants will be encouraged to operationalize leadership by identifying and focusing on a personal leadership application. Topic specific resources for each day will be provided during the series. Attendance and participation during each respective session is mandatory for receipt of training materials for that day. This seven-day series will be provided throughout the 2016-2017 school year. Registration is limited to 50 participants. Registration fee will not be prorated. Session and materials are partially or fully funded by state or federal grants.
Session ID: 1170966
Dates:
· 9/15/2016
· 10/5/2016
· 11/4/2016
· 11/15/2016
· 1/11/2017
· 2/8/2017
· 3/1/2017
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Location: Region 4
Fee $245
Contact: Linda De Zell Hall, Ph.D., 713-744-6399 or
ARD Facilitator Networking Meeting (2016-17)
Networking opportunity for ARD Facilitators. Participants will review legal updates, facilitation skills, and current topics related to implementation of Texas Administrative Code (TAC) 89.1196 Individualized Education Program (IEP) Facilitation at the local level. This networking opportunity is designed for special education staff who are serving in the role of ARD Facilitator in districts or charter schools. Materials and resources are partially or fully funded by state and federal funds.
Note: Participants in this Networking Meeting will need to have completed the online modules for Facilitating the IEP process provided by Region 4 and 13 Education Service Centers. Register online for the following sessions. Information on submitting evidence of course completion will be provided.
· Region 4 ESC: The 4 Tenets of IEP Meeting Leadership and Facilitation – Modules 1–4 (6 hours credit for all modules). Click here to search ◦
o Module 1: Foundational Knowledge
o Module 2: IEP Preparation & Planning
o Module 3: Problem Solving & Consensus Building
o Module 4: Breaking Through an Impasse
· Region 13 ESC: The Basics: Facilitating ARDs/IEP Meetings (18 hours credit) Course # FA1219851. Click here to search.
Topic specific resources for each day will be provided during the series. Attendance and participation during each respective session is mandatory for receipt of training materials for that day. This networking opportunity is not designed as a training, it is designed to support districts and charters implementing facilitation of IEPs. It is recommended that participants attend all days. A resource will be provided only at the first session that will be used throughout the year. Registration is limited to 50 participants. Special Education Director of the participant’s district or charter will be contacted to verify extent to which local facilitation is being implemented.
Session ID: 1171248
Dates:
· 9/13/2016
· 10/11/2016
· 1/10/2017
· 2/7/2017
· 4/4/2017
Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Region 4
Contact: Linda De Zell Hall, Ph.D., 713-744-6399 or
Facilitation Skills for Managing Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Meetings
Back by popular demand! Join our national presenter, Ingrid Bens, for two days in September for an exploration of how facilitation tools and techniques can help Facilitators increase the consistency and effectiveness of ARD meetings.
Session objectives are to:
- Identify recurring dilemmas and challenges commonly encountered in ARD meetings.
- Practice using specific facilitation tools and strategies to manage these challenges.
- Develop conflict resolution and problem solving skills.
- Gain new tools for reaching consensus, overcoming resistance and gaining buy-in.
Session ID: 1081188
Dates: 9/27-28/2016
Time: Time: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Fee $70 (Registration is limited to 50 participants for this interactive session to build capacity skills for facilitation)
Location: Region 4
Contact: Linda De Zell Hall, Ph.D., 713-744-6399 or
Residential Placement Application Updates
NOTE: TEA HAS PROJECTED CHANGES IN THE RESIDENTIAL APPLICATION/NONPUBLIC DAY SCHOOL APPLICATION PROCESS MOVING TO ONLINE SUBMISSION FOR 2016-2017. PLEASE REGISTER FOR THE FOLLOWING SESSION IN ORDER TO RECEIVE UPDATES VIA EMAIL ON THESE CHANGES. ALSO NOTE THAT THIS SESSION MAY BE RESCHEDULED OR CANCELLED BASED ON FUTURE NOTICES FROM TEA ON THE NEW SYSTEM.
Local Education Agencies (LEAs) which intends to contract for placement of a student with a disability under IDEA in a residential facility in accordance with 19 TAC 89.61 must notify the Texas Education Agency (TEA) through the residential application process. The Application for Approval of Funding for Residential Placement is available through each Education Service Center (ESC). The application is to be completed by the LEA and submitted through the ESC to be forwarded to TEA for review regardless of the funding source the LEA intends to use. This session is designed to provide information, updates, and technical assistance to LEAs who will be completing the TEA Application for Approval of Residential Placement. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state or federal grants.
Session ID: 1171249
Dates: 9/20/2016
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Location: Region 4
Contact: Linda De Zell Hall, Ph.D., 713-744-6399 or
Noneducational Community-Based Support Services Funds Application Updates
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) under TEC 29.013 has established procedures and criteria for the allocation of funds to school districts for the provision of noneducational community-based support services (noned) to certain students with disabilities under IDEA and their families so that those students may receive an appropriate free public education in the least restrictive environment. The funds may be used only for eligible students with disabilities who would remain or would have to be placed in residential facilities primarily for educational reasons without the provision of noneducational community-based support services. This session is designed to provide information, updates, and technical assistance to Local Education Agencies (LEA) that choose to apply through their Education Service Center (ESC) to TEA for noned funds. Participants are encouraged to share information during the session regarding their LEA policies, procedures, and administrative processes related to providing noned funds. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state or federal grants.
Session ID: 1171250
Dates: 9/20/2016
Time: 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Location: Region 4
Contact: Linda De Zell Hall, Ph.D., 713-744-6399 or