Region 4 Education Service Center
Special Education Directors’ Meeting
September 18, 2014
TOPIC / RESOURCES / SIGNIFICANT POINTS / NOTES /Announcements/Information
Welcome and Introductions / We are happy to have you here!
New Region 4 Staff:
· Marina McCormick, Regional Day School Program for the Deaf (RDSPD) Coordinator
· Kristina Parr, Education Specialist, Preschool
· Kara Zwolinski, Education Specialist, Student Evaluation
New District/Charter Directors:
Region 4
· Natalie Hudson, Amigos Por Vida-Friends for Life Public Charter, Arrow Academy
· Denise Cummins, Aristoi Classical Academy
· Bridgett Powers, Beatrice Mayes Institute Charter
· Pamela Ellis Moore, Clear Creek ISD
· Karin Olsen, CyFair ISD
· Tammy Kennedy Takeda, Galena Park ISD
· Andy Sellers, Galena Park ISD
· Natalie Edwards-Hudson, Houston Area Special Education Coop
· Jaime Messinger, Willman, Kipp Inc Charter
· Lauren Ivins-McFarland, Klein ISD
· Linda Lane, Lamar CISD (Interim)
· Sonya Sonia, LaMarque ISD
· Marcus Whitfield, Northwest Preparatory Charter
· Cathy Reinhold, Premier Learning Academy
· Maria Salinas, Raul Yzguirre School for Business
· Granville O’Brien, Pro-Vision Academy
· Kathy Oliver, Santa Fe ISD
· Charmaine Garcia, Stafford MSD
· Karen Mintsioulis, Texas City ISD
· Marcia Cunningham, University of Houston Charter Schools
Outside Region 4:
· Teresa Cannon, Conroe ISD (Region 6)
· Allison Hollis, Huntsville (Region 6)
· Debbie Walker, Willis ISD (Region 6)
Celebrations:
· Deena Hill, Pasadena ISD, -- TCASE President-Elect
· Laurie Goforth Rodriguez, Dickinson ISD--married
Reports / TCASE
· Mary Rosenberg, Ph.D., TCASE House of Delegates Representative, Klein ISD
· Deena Hill, Ed.D., TCASE President-Elect, Pasadena ISD
GCASE
· Cynthia Peltier, GCASE President, Clear Creek ISD
Special Education CAC
· Laurie Goforth Rodriguez, Texas Special Education Continuing Advisory Committee stakeholder, Dickinson ISD
Autism Theatre Initiative, Radio City Christmas Spectacular / · Through the Autism Theatre Initiative, the Hobby Center is pleased to announce a special December 6th, 2014 performance of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in an autism spectrum-friendly environment. The purpose of this project is to make the presentation not only autism-friendly but also financially feasible and accessible to families who might otherwise not be able to afford attending a Broadway performance. With only slight modifications to the regular performance, the event will include educational materials for parents and children, quiet and activity areas throughout the lobbies, and assistance from a large number of volunteers specifically trained in autism spectrum disorders.
For additional information, please contact
Lorraine Klim-Drew
713-556-7025
Jill Jewett
Jewett Consulting
3333 W. Alabama, Suite 110
Houston, Texas 77098
713-874-5875
Special Education Directors’
2014-2015 Meetings / · Register online for Special Education Director’s Meeting at: https://www.escweb.net/tx_esc_04/default.aspx * / · Please register for the 2014-15 Special Education Director Meetings:
o November 6, 2014 Session # 1032529
o February 5, 2015 Session # 1032545
o May 7, 2015 Session # 1032541
Location: Region 4 ESC
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Resources / · Resources are provided to districts to support the provision of services to students with disabilities.
· Region 4 Special Education Quick Reference Guide Set: (2 Sets Valued at $25 Each, Total of $50)
o Special Education
o Co-Teaching and In-class Supports
o Special Education Discipline
o Students Who Are Deaf/Hard of Hearing
o Section 504.
· Region 4 resources for Behavior /Discipline Management
o Discipline Flow Chart for Students with Disabilities (Valued at $25)
o Pocket Guide to Behavior Strategies (Valued at $20)
o Tune Up Behavior & Discipline: Tools for the Teacher's Desk (Valued at $50)
· Region 4 Access to the General Curriculum/IEP Supports
o Functional Education Evaluation: Look at all we can do! (Valued at $85)
o Inclusive Strategies for Diverse Learners, Second Edition (Valued at $20)
· LRP What Do I Do When...® The Answer Book on Special Education Law -- Sixth Edition (Valued at $62.75)
· Wiley Essentials of Executive Functions Assessment (Valued at $50)
· Texas Education Agency (TEA) The Dyslexia Handbook (Revised July 2014, Printing Cost Valued at $7.50)
· Texas Education Agency (TEA) 2014 Performance Based Monitoring Analysis System Manual (Revised July 2014, Printing Cost $5.50)
The following test kits will be provided on a one-per district/cooperative/charter basis for Local Education Agencies (LEA) who have evaluation personnel employed by the LEA (not contracted staff).
· Woodcock-Johnson IV (WJ-IV) Tests of Achievement Form A (Valued at $724)
· Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (KTEA)-3 Form A Kit (Valued at $410)
· Delis Rating of Executive Function (D-REF) Starter Kit (Valued at $49)
· Co-Teaching and Inclusive Supports
o The following DVDs will be provided on a one-per district/cooperative/charter basis.
§ More Power! Instruction in Co-Taught Classrooms (Valued at $ 189)
§ Instructional Power! Co-Teachers Share Instruction Techniques (Valued at $ 79)
§ Releasing the Power! District and School-Based Leaders on Inclusive Schooling and Co-Teaching (Valued at $139)
Standards-Based IEP Process: Training of Trainers Opportunity / Survey Link:
· https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SBIEPTOT / · Region 4 is pleased to offer a Standards-Based IEP Process: Training of Trainers opportunity. Each district, cooperative, or charter may send up to one participant to one of two Training of Trainer sessions on Standards-Based IEPs.
· Participants will receive:
o 1 Standards-Based IEP Process: Presenter Training Manual (Valued at $495)
o Standards-Based IEP Process: Participant Manual (Pack of 10) (Valued at $250)
o 3 days of Standards Based IEP Training of Trainers Professional Development (Valued at $350).
· Participants are not to register until they receive the Promo Code. Completing the survey to nominate the participant does not register the participant for the session. Districts, cooperatives, or charters may register additional participants online through the Region 4 Professional Development website at https://www.escweb.net/tx_esc_04/default.aspx
For additional information, contact Kirsten Omelan, Ph.D. at 713.744.6361 or Amy Doolan at 713.744.6337 or . / Special Education Directors may nominate up to one participant from each district, cooperative, or charter by completing the survey. The participant will be provided a Promo Code and will need to register online through the Region 4 Professional Development website to attend one of the following dates:
· Session 1058150 on October 29, 30, and 31, 2014. Complete survey by no later than October 1, 2014
· Session 1058261 on April 14, 15, or 16, 2015. Complete survey by no later than March 1, 2015.
Community Resource Coordination Groups of Texas / · District/Charter contact updates on each table* / · Community Resource Coordination Groups (known as CRCGs) are local interagency groups, comprised of public and private providers who come together to develop individual services plans for children, youth, and sometimes adults whose needs can be met only through interagency coordination and cooperation.
· There are approximately 160 Community Resource Coordination Groups (CRCGs) available to the 254 Texas counties. These CRCGs are organized on a county-by-county basis and some CRCGs cover several counties to form one collective CRCG.
· Each CRCG has elected one of their members as a Chairperson to serve in a leadership or facilitator role at each CRCG meeting. These CRCG leadership positions are voluntary and no monetary compensation is given. The Chairperson serves as a point of contact for his/her local CRCG.
· Region 4 Districts and Charter Schools are asked to designate or update their CRCG contact person.
This Just In – Hot Topics / · We will review topics “hot off the press” that impact services for students with disabilities.
Funding
TEA Active Grants: Universal Errata / Weblink
· http://burleson.tea.state.tx.us/GrantOpportunities/forms/GrantProgramSearch.aspx
· Click on link from left menu for “General Fiscal Guidelines” / · On August 12, 2014, a Universal Errata was posted for all active grants administered by TEA.
· The universal errata notice is to inform recipients of all active grants administered by TEA that an updated version of the General and Fiscal Guidelines was posted to the TEA website on June 27, 2014. This new version of the General and Fiscal Guidelines is effective from July 1, 2014. For example, processes and procedures regarding grant negotiations and selection will be conducted according to the newly published General and Fiscal Guidelines effective July 1, 2014.
· For details, refer to the full errata notice posted on the TEA Grant Opportunities page.
· For funding information, please visit the TEA Grant Opportunities page. If you have any other questions, submit them through the TEA Help Desk. To access the TEA Help Desk, visit the Grants page of the agency website and click the green “TEA Help Desk” button at the top of the page.
Region 4 Contact: Jerry Klekotta at 713.744.6393 or
Application for Approval of Funding for Residential Placement 2013-14 Update / · Submission of the residential application is mandated for approval of use of special education funding and compliance review.
· In 2013-14, the Region 4 Special Education Department worked with 7 Local Education Agencies (LEAs) on the process of submitting 28 Approval of Funding for Residential Placement (SAS-A111-13) applications and/or amendments to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) totaling $4,488,239.76.
· All applications were approved by TEA for use of the 25% set aside, IDEA funds, local tax share, and/or state FSP education costs.
· Three districts received IDEA B Discretionary Residential Awards totaling $403,327.
Region 4 Contacts: Linda De Zell Hall, Ph.D. at 713.744.6399 or or Jerry Klekotta at 713.744.6393 or
Application for Approval of Funding for Residential Placement Packet 2014-2015 / · General Procedures and Instructions for Completing the Application for Approval of Funding for Residential Placement
· 2014-15 Application for Approval of Funding for Residential Placement
· 2014-15 Amended Application for Approval of Funding for Residential Placement
· Residential Application Submission Form and Checklist
· Sample Agreement Form for Special Education Services
· Recommended Reintegration Plan / · TEA has provided the 2014-2015 Application for Approval of Funding for Residential Placement. A school district may contract for residential placement when the student’s admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee determines that a residential placement is necessary in order for the student to receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE).
· A school district which intends to contract for residential placement of a student with a residential facility shall notify TEA of its intent to contract for the residential placement through the residential application process.
· The application is submitted to the Education Service Center (ESC) and the ESC submits to TEA through the Accellion system.
Region 4 Contacts: Linda De Zell Hall, Ph.D. at 713.744.6399 or or Jerry Klekotta at 713.744.6393 or / · Applications are due to TEA no later than November 1, 2014. Please allow time for the ESC to review.
Noneducational Community-Based Support Services (Noned) Funding Update for 2013-14 / · The 74th Texas Legislative appropriated funds to provide noneducational community-based support services (noned) for certain students with disabilities and their families to help them care for their children with severe disabilities, and to enable them to better cope with having an individual with a disability at home.
· TEA granted $158,199 in to Region 4 for the provision of Noneducational (Noned) Community-Based Support Services for the 2013-2014 funding year. This represented a significant decrease over past years.
· Noned funds may be used only for eligible students with disabilities who, without the provision of these services, would remain in or would have to be placed in residential facilities for education reasons.
· The intent of the state legislation is for LEAs to provide services that are unallowable purchases with education funds, to help families of this population care for their students, and to enable families to better cope with having an individual with a disability at home. [34 C.F.R. 300.154(a-c), TEC 29.013(a-d)].
· These funds are for services which are periodic and short-term and are not intended for services that are intensive or long-term.
· Region 4 Special Education Department processes applications and administers flow-through noned funds allocated by TEA for LEAs.
· In 2013-14, Region 4 reviewed 44 applications from 9 LEAs requesting noned funds totaling $259,410 or about 39% more than the TEA allocation. As these funds are for short-term, intermittent services, priority was given to Year 1 applications.
Noneducational Community-Based Support Services (Noned) Funding for 2014-15 / · TEA Weblink
· http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=2147497817
· Question and Answer document available via weblink
· Sample Application for District Decision-making process*
· Region 4 Noned Request Submission Spreadsheet / · TEA has extended the deadline for use of the 2013-14 noned funds and therefore Region 4 has funds currently to allocate for use.
· Only local education agencies LEAs may apply, and therefore, the decision whether or not to apply for funds rests solely with the district or charter school.
· The LEA electing to apply for noned funds must have a planning meeting to discuss options for noned services. Persons attending and participating in this meeting
should be district staff knowledgeable about the student, a representative of the local Mental Health Agency (MHA), the Local Intellectual Disability Agency (LIDA), and/or the Community Resource Coordination Groups of Texas (CRCG), or other service providers, and the parents. The student’s Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee may not serve as this planning group and should not make the decision regarding services.
· Parents wishing to access services may not directly apply for these funds to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) or Region 4 Education Service Center (Region 4). Parents should contact their LEA and request a meeting to discuss the need for noned services for their student.
· Once it has been determined what services are needed, the LEA contacts the regional Education Service Center (ESC) to obtain directions and procedures for applying.
· Requests for noned funds must be submitted to Region 4. As these funds are for short-term, intermittent services, preference will be given to first year applications.
· Once the LEA has been notified of application approval and the allocation amount, reimbursement will be made after noned services have been provided to the student through an invoice process to Region 4 with documentation of LEA payment to provider.