Weekly Update (9.22.2016)
TEA Information
Performance-Based Monitoring Update
The 2016 Performance-Based Monitoring Analysis System (PBMAS) masked district reports and masked data download files are available at the following links:
https://rptsvr1.tea.texas.gov/pbm/distrpts.html (MASKED DISTRICT REPORTS)
https://rptsvr1.tea.texas.gov/pbm/download.html (MASKED DATA DOWNLOAD)
Contact Information
Performance-Based Monitoring
(512) 936-6426 or
SHARS Reporting Requirement
TEA has posted the annual SHARS reporting requirement at: http://tea.texas.gov/interiorpage_wide.aspx?id=51539610477 .
Each LEA (district & charter) must complete the SHARS Reimbursement Form and choose form one of three options. They are:
· Option 1: The LEA did not participate in the SHARS Medicaid program and thus did not receive any SHARS Medicaid reimbursements to expend again in state and local expenditures for special education services.
· Option 2: The LEA received SHARS Medicaid reimbursements but did not expend any of the reimbursements in state and local expenditures for special education services.
· Option 3: The LEA received SHARS Medicaid reimbursements and made subsequent expenditures with the reimbursements in state and local expenditures for special education services.
Deadline is October 31, 2016. Remember, your choice impacts Maintenance of Effort (MOE).
To access and submit the form, you must do as follows:
· Log on to TEASE/TEAL.
· Select “GFFC Reports and Data Collections.”
· Select “Download Response Documents” to download the form.
· Select “Upload Response Documents” to submit the form.
· From the Report Title drop-down menu, select “SHARS for IDEA-B LEA MOE.”
· From the School Year drop-down menu, select “2015–2016.”
· From the Response Doc Type, select “Response Document.”
· Select “Browse” to locate your completed, signed, and scanned form.
· Select “Upload Document.”
Please share this with your business office and superintendent.
Contact Information: Jerry Klekotta, , 713.744.6393
Revised IDEA-B LEA MOE Calculation Tool TETNs
TEA is providing two TETNs to review the revised Maintenance of Effort Calculation Tool.
· October 13, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., Session # 1276808
Or
· October 19, 2016 form 1:30 p.m. -2:30 p.m., Session# 1276803
Please share with your business office.
Contact Information Jerry Klekotta, , 713.744.6393
NP Day and Residential Information - 9.21.16 Update
TEA has informed the ESCs that a TETN that will be open for Local Education Agency (LEA) participation is planned for Wednesday, October 5, 2016 to present information regarding the new online nonpublic notification and residential application process. The presentation will be shared with ESC’s afterwards for further trainings and discussions. Once TEA alerts the ESC of the time and details, information for registration to attend at Region 4 will be provided. LEAs that have access to TETNs most probably will be able to view from their districts.
The new TEASE application is still targeted to launch on Monday, October 10. Please note, applications for full funding considerations for students in nonpublic residential settings, since the start of the 2016-2017 school year, are due by December 1, 2016. LEAs are not required to upload the documentation immediately on the launch date.
Reminders from correspondence shared from TEA and forwarded by the ESC on July 25, 2016:
A new TEASE application is under construction for all nonpublic day and residential submissions for notification and funding. The new application will be within the current High Cost Fund TEASE application. LEA personnel with active accounts in the High Cost Fund Application (HCF) will not need to re-apply as these accounts will roll over to the new Nonpublic Day and Residential Application (NPDay/Res). LEA personnel that do not have active accounts in HCF, but anticipate needed access to NPDay/Res, can start requesting for TEASE user roles within High Cost Funds. Once active which will roll over to NPDay/Res once the system becomes active.
Currently, the target date to open the application for Nonpublic Residential submissions is September 30, October 10 2016. The deadline for submission of Nonpublic Residential applications for full year funding will be December 1, 2016. Please note that the daily rate for 2016-2017 will not exceed $260.95, an increase from last year. LEAs are encouraged to share this information with the approved nonpublic facilities.
The Nonpublic Day application for submissions will open on the same date as Nonpublic Residential application. Funding formulas will be applied at the close of the school year based on LEA provided information to the system.
Nonpublic submissions for day and residential placements are connected to funding approval and notification. As with all instructional arrangements, this process does NOT require TEA approval for placement. Students should start their placements according to the ARD decision, unless the Nonpublic facility is not yet on the approved facility list. The approval process for these facilities will be initiated through the NPDay/Res application, however, if approval for new facilities are necessary prior to the application open date, please contact the Nonpublic Day and Residential Support Team in the Division of Federal and State Education Policy at 512-463-9414, or by email at
For information or assistance contact
Nonpublic Day and Residential Support Team
TEA | Division of Federal and State Education Policy
Tel: (512) 463-9414
Fax: (512) 463-9560
Region 4 contacts for assistance: Linda De Zell Hall, Ph.D., or 713.744.6399 or Jerry Klekotta, , 713.744.6393.
For Your Information
Helping Your Special Needs Child Workshop at The Jung Center
Helping Your Special Needs Child Achieve Full Potential
Saturday, October 15
10 am - 1 pm
$65 ($55 Jung Center members)
3.0 CE hours
How do the stresses of raising a special needs child affect the way you help your child grow? Parents of special needs children have complex emotional experiences in trying to raise them, and the tension between ensuring safety and allowing freedom is particularly challenging. In this workshop we explore these feelings and their effect on decision-making, which in turn affects a child’s development. We will talk about new ways of thinking about how to help a special needs child become all that he or she can be. This workshop will include didactic, experiential, and discussion components.
Presenter
Margaret Jordan is a clinical psychologist in private practice and the mother of an adult special needs child. She has a BA from Rice, MA from New York University in psychology, and a PhD in clinical psychology from The Wright Institute in Berkeley, California. She is a clinical assistant professor in the behavioral science and psychiatry department at Baylor College of Medicine. She has presented several times in the August film series at The Jung Center, as well as in other forums in the Houston area.
Region 4 Upcoming Professional Development
Updates on State Assessment for Students with Disabilities
Attend this session to receive the latest updates regarding state assessment for students with disabilities. Participants will review the process for making state assessment decisions for students, including general education students, students receiving services through special education, and students served through 504. Review the current guidelines on STAAR, STAAR A, and STAAR Alt 2. Participants will receive the most current information regarding accommodations policies.
Date: November 2, 2016 Session ID: 1231994 or December 2, 2016 Session ID: 1231999
Time: 9:00a.m. – 4:00p.m.
Location: Region 4 ESC
Fee $35
Contact: Kirsten Omelan at or 713-744-6361
RtI Leadership Network
Join district and charter school leaders to participate in professional learning and networking related to response to intervention (RtI). Participants will receive current national, state, and/or local information related to RtI. Additionally, participants will identify trends and issues affecting the district/campus, provide feedback on Region 4 ESC services, participate in professional learning, and network with other professionals.
The network will be scheduled such that a professional learning opportunity will be provided in the morning session, and an opportunity to receive updates and networking will be provided in the afternoon session. Participants have the option to register for one or both sessions according to their needs and schedules.
Registration is open to district and charter staff who serve in leadership positions related to RtI. Session materials are partially funded through state and federal grants.
Professional learning in year one will focus on establishing common understandings and language aligned to guidance from the Texas Education Agency. Topics will be determined based on the needs assessment from the RtI Leadership Network and may include: RtI for behavior, intervention strategies, tier 2 instruction, tier 3 instruction, universal screeners, progress monitoring, and data utilization in the RtI process.
Questions? E-mail .
Center for School Behavioral Health – 2016 Conference – Educator Strategies for Addressing Student Trauma
Did you know thattwo out of three school children have been exposed to a traumatic event? Did you know that exposure to trauma can dramatically increase the likelihood that a child is retained, and can decrease his or her ability to perform in school? It is critical that anyone working children, particularly in a school setting, understand andmanagebehaviors exhibited by the growing number of children with trauma histories.
In order to respond to the ever-increasing need for trauma education, Mental Health America of Greater Houston’s Center for School Behavioral Health has partnered with Region4 to host its first annual conference: Educator Strategies for Addressing Student Trauma. The conference will balance both the clinical and classroom perspectives of childhood trauma, and offer attendees ready-to-use resources and strategies from expert speakers. The day will consist of two breakout sessions, two keynote speakers and an "unconference." In addition to online-access to handouts,PowerPointsand additional conference materials, attendees will receive post-conference materials developed from the breakout sessions and keynote lectures. The conference will also include an exhibition featuring community organizations, behavioral health providers and other key stakeholders.
Who Should Attend: Professionals, parents interested in improving student behavioral health, teachers, coaches, principals, assistant principals, district administrators, nurses, counselors, school social workers, LSSPs, and more.
Session ID: 1248816
Date: October 21, 2016
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Registration Fee: $35
Location: Region 4
For more information or questions, please contact Betsy Blanks at or call 713.523.8963 x 231 or Clynita Grafenreed at or call 713.744.6345
Woodcock Johnson IV Update
Attend this session to review changes and revisions to the Fourth Edition of the Woodcock Johnson. The Fourth Edition will provide three independent and co-normed batteries: WJ IV Tests of Cognitive Abilities WJ IV Tests of Oral Language - NEW! WJ IV Tests of Achievement The three batteries can be used independently or in any combination. Based on the evolution of CHC theory, new tests and interpretive clusters place emphasis on the most important and diagnostically useful measures of academic achievement, oral language, and cognitive abilities. The WJ IV’s focus on evaluation of relative strengths and weaknesses will help assessment professionals identify and describe patterns of performance across achievement, language, and cognitive domains that are key to diagnosing learning problems and developing targeted interventions for individual needs.
Session ID: 1238872
Date: September 23, 2016
Time: 8:30a.m. – 3:30p.m.
Location: Region 4 ESC
Fee $35
Contact: Kara Zwolinski at or 713-744-6562
An Introduction to the WJ IV Early Cognitive and Academic Development (ECAD)
This presentation will highlight the WJ IV Early Cognitive and Academic Development (ECAD). Using a battery of ten tests, examiners can measure general intellectual ability, early academic skills, and oral expression in children ages 2:6 - 7:11, and intellectually disabled children age 9:11 and younger using content adapted from the trusted WJ IV tests as well as unique new material. The presenters will introduce the WJ IV ECAD and discuss using the battery as part of comprehensive evaluations for Intellectual Disability and Autism. Additionally, unique features around obtaining information related to cognition, early achievement, and expressive language will be highlighted. PROMO CODE: R4DirectorECAD for one (1) free registration per district.
Session ID: 1240322
Date: September 28, 2016
Time: 9:00a.m. – 12:00p.m.
Location: Region 4 ESC
Fee $30
Contact: Kara Zwolinski at or 713-744-6562
KTEA-3 and WISC-V Update
Attend this session to become familiar with the updated Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement, Third Edition (KTEA-3) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fifth Edition (WISC-V), newly published in 2014.
· KTEA-3: This training will highlight the new features including four additional subtests, revised Oral Expression, parent intervention suggestions, digital administration, and the Intervention tool available in the scoring software. Administration, scoring, and interpretation will be covered.
· WISC-V: Particular emphasis will be placed on the changes from the WISC-IV to the WISC-V, including the revision goals, new subtests and test content, enhanced measurement of fluid reasoning and learning ability, and the revised factor structure. This workshop will also provide a look into how touch-screen digital technology can be used for test administration with the WISC-V. Administration, scoring, and interpretation will be discussed. Also, we will examine how the WISC-V can be used for CHC cross-battery assessment.
The session will end with case studies to span both tests. PROMO CODE: R4DirectorWISCV for one (1) free registration per district.
Session ID: 1233214
Date: October 7, 2016
Time: 8:30a.m. – 3:30p.m.
Location: Region 4 ESC
Fee $35
Contact: Kara Zwolinski at or 713-744-6562
ADOS 2 Training
The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) improves an instrument already viewed as "the gold standard" for observational assessment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This is a 2-day workshop that teaches you how to use the ADOS-2 to assess and diagnose autism. An experienced workshop leader will describe the ADOS-2 and demonstrate administration and scoring, operationalizing diagnostic criteria for ASD. The workshop focuses primarily on Modules 1 through 4.
Session ID: 1231648
Date: October 25-26, 2016
Time: 9:00a.m. – 4:00p.m.
Location: Region 4 ESC
Fee $90
Contact: Kara Zwolinski at or 713-744-6562
Functional Educational Evaluation Project
Explore best practices for using functional/non-standardized educational evaluation techniques that are non-discriminatory and are administered in the student’s native language or other mode of communication to assess students with moderate/severe disabilities, including autism and intellectual disability, as well as low-incidence disabilities such as auditory impairment, visual impairment, deaf-blindness, and traumatic brain injury. Build skills to identify what the student knows, understands, and is able to do in pre-academic, academic, and vocational areas, and learn how to write summaries of the student’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance within a full and individual evaluation. This is a 3-day project/series.