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Welcome to this month’s update curated for district Chief
Academic Officers.
Two new grants are available to provide innovative services to students with autism and with dyslexia in a school-wide
program. A program must serve
students who are between the ages of 3 and 9 years of age or who are enrolled
in the third grade or a lower grade level.
During the 2016-2017 school year,
the United States Department of Education performed a series of onsite
monitoring visits to review Texas’ compliance with the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The findings from that report require TEA to
develop a plan to address four corrective actions. TEA has been gathering
feedback on the Proposed Initial Draft Plan, and a complete draft plan will be available this month.
The Dyslexia Handbook
contains guidelines for school districts to follow as they identify and provide
services for students with dyslexia. At the last State Board of Education meeting, the Board directed revision of the Dyslexia Handbook to address
requirements of HB 1886 and to clarify IDEA and §504 guidelines regarding
identification and services.
TEA's Digital Learning Division provides two main services. The Texas Virtual School Network (TXVSN) provides online courses to eligible students through a course catalog and full-time online schools. The Texas Gateway provides instant access to resources for educators for the classroom and for professional development.
As outlined by House Bill (HB) 1164, 84th Texas Legislature,
for the 2016–2017 and 2017–2018 school years, TEA and Educational Testing
Service (ETS) are conducting a pilot program to explore alternative, authentic
methods of assessing writing in Texas. Over 41,000 students are participating in the pilot.
The 85th Texas Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 22, establishing three domains for measuring the academic performance of districts and campuses: Student Achievement, School Progress, and Closing the Gaps. Districts will receive a rating of A, B, C, D, or F for overall performance, as well as for performance in each domain, beginning in August 2018. Campuses will receive A–F ratings beginning in August 2019.
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