Our Vision for Special Education in Texas
Over the last three years, supports for special education programming in Texas have increased at the state level in unprecedented ways.
Throughout the process of building out the multiple areas of enhanced support, it was necessary to be able to concisely describe our end goal and how we plan to get there. This need drove the development of our vision statement for special education.
Together, we are committed to high expectations and strong systems that achieve equitable outcomes for every student with a disability.
In other words, the path to equity for students with disabilities begins with high expectations that are backed by strong support systems developed in partnership with stakeholders at all levels. These words serve as a reminder to TEA staff, and stakeholders of what exactly we're trying to accomplish with the work we all believe in so much.
For roughly the last 17 years, TEA has funded a system of 16 networks to support LEAs in various areas across special education. These 16 networks were individually developed in response to an identified need. We have recently taken the opportunity to step back and review the actual supports that. . .
In Texas, special education and related services for eligible children with disabilities, aged three through five years, have historically been referred to as Preschool Programs for Children with Disabilities (PPCD). To align with language used nationally and promote the understanding that special education is a service delivered in the least restrictive environment and not a classroom specific location, references to PPCD are being phased out of TEA publications and will instead be referred to as Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) services. This change will occur in the 2019-2020 Student Attendance and Accounting Handbook.
SpedTex is a TEA funded project run through Education Service Center 10 in Richardson, TX. SpedTex provides special education information to parents, families, and anyone else that contacts them. Individuals can reach out by phone, email, or live chat through the SpedTex.org website. In addition to assisting parents, families, and other stakeholders with questions, SpedTex has several informative resources available to the public. Beginning in the 2019-2020 school year there will be even more resources made available through the SpedTex project. Watch for future issues of this newsletter to receive updates regarding SpedTex.
Contact SpedTex:
Call: 1-855-773-3839
Email: inquire@spedtex.org
Please email TEA's Division of Special Education Programs at
sped@tea.texas.gov if you have any questions regarding the topics in this newsletter.
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