Texas Charter Schools Newsletter – September 2023

View as a webpage

Texas Charter Schools Logo

Division of Authorizing

September 2023

June 2023

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EVENTS & DEADLINES

September 2023

message_white

FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK

Congratulations on a successful start to the 2023-2024 school year! We hope this momentum continues for a safe, healthy, and successful school year. Please let us know if you need anything as the year progresses. 

Our first quarter Operator Council meetings will take place the week of September 11th. Please plan to be there. We’re sharing great information, providing opportunities to give us feedback, and connecting with other operators. We look forward to seeing your faces and hearing from you then. Our draft agenda for the upcoming council meeting features: 

   • Welcome and Introductions
   • Updates from TEA
   • TEA at TPCSA Conference
   • Q & A

We are grateful for you, your leadership and staff, and the service your schools provide to the students of Texas. As always, you can email, call, or text with any questions or concerns. 

Small (Single Campus Operators) – Tuesday, September 12 – 11am CST

https://zoom.us/j/94017288224

Medium (2 to 5 Campuses) – Thursday, September 14 – 10am CST

https://zoom.us/j/92973149573

Large (6 or More Campuses) – Thursday, September 14 – 1pm CST

https://zoom.us/j/97844183242

checklist

UPDATES FROM THE AUTHORIZING DIVISION

*LAST CHANCE* 2023 Charter Division Feedback Survey 

We are excited to offer the opportunity for charter schools to provide survey feedback to the charter division regarding our opportunity to serve you by processing amendments and waivers, renewals, governance forms, and other types of requests. In addition, we would like your feedback regarding the charter division newsletter.  

This opportunity for feedback is packaged in one easy to use electronic survey. The survey is constructed so that you will only need to complete those sections that are relevant to your charter. We would ask that each charter LEA submit a single survey that is reflective of the opinions of the charter.  

Thank you ahead of time for taking a few minutes to complete the survey, and we ask that you submit the survey to us no later than September 1, 2023. We value your feedback that allows us to continuously improve our processes and procedures to help us to do a better job of serving the schools in our charter portfolio!  

House Bill 1707 (88R) Notification Requirements 

In the coming weeks, the Division of Authorizing will send out a Charter Impact Guide regarding legislation from the 88th Regular Session that applies to charter schools. 

In the interim, we want to share some guidance regarding HB 1707 which went into effect 6/12/23. 

Bill Overview: Requires political subdivisions to equate open-enrollment charter schools with school districts for the purposes of zoning, permitting, code compliance, land development standards, and other municipal policies. 

Charter Requirements: To be considered like a school district in these instances, open-enrollment charter schools must provide the following notifications: 

  • written certification by the open-enrollment charter school to the political subdivision that there are no personal financial benefits from a real estate transaction with the charter school; and 
  • notice within 20 business days of closing on purchase or lease of real property in the same manner and to the same individuals as TEC 12.1101 of the location of a new campus.  
  • 19 TAC 100.1033(b)(11)(A)(ii)(III) requires expedited expansion amendment requests be communicated via certified mail with a return receipt to the following:  
    • (-a-) the superintendent and board of trustees of each school district affected by the expedited expansion; and  
    • (-b-) the members of the legislature who represent the geographic area affected by the expedited expansion. 

In summary, if you purchase or lease property AND want to be considered like a school district for municipal policies, you must:  

  1. Certify in writing to the political subdivision that there are no financial benefits from the transaction with the charter school, and 
  2. Notify the superintendent and board of trustees of affected school districts as well as members of the legislature of the affected geographic area of the location of the new campus by certified mail with return receipts within 20 business days of the purchase or lease of the property. 

Please reach out to charterschools@tea.texas.gov with any questions regarding notifications. 

AskTED Data

Now is a good time to review your charter organization data in AskTED, https://tea.texas.gov/askted.

Please check your organization, campus and personnel entries to ensure everything is in order. For school safety purposes, it is especially important that school and district site addresses be as accurate and up to date as possible. The data in AskTED feed multiple systems inside and outside of TEA, and we want to provide everyone with the best data possible.

If you need to make any changes to your AskTED data, please email the charters division at CharterAskTED@tea.texas.gov

2024 Charter Renewals 

We are excited that 11 charter schools whose contract ends on July 31, 2024, will participate in the 2024 charter renewal process. As a reminder, charters who are completing their 5th year of operation and charters completing their 10th year of operation after their initial contract renewal are required to participate in this process in order to be considered for contract renewal. 

Of the 11 renewing schools, 4 schools are participating in the renewal process for the first time, and 7 are subsequent renewals: 

Initial Renewal Schools 

  • Betty M. Condra School For Education Innovation 
  • Bloom Academy Charter School 
  • Promesa Academy Charter School 
  • Reve Preparatory Charter School 

Subsequent Renewal Schools 

  • Bob Hope School 
  • Henry Ford Academy Alameda School For Art+ Design 
  • Imagine International Academy Of North Texas 
  • Manara Academy 
  • Texas Leadership Public Schools 
  • Valere Public Schools 
  • University Of Texas University Charter School 

Portfolio team members will conduct an online renewal orientation for 2024 renewing schools on Friday, October 6 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. The superintendent and at least one board member for each renewing charter are required to attend the orientation. We will send Zoom registration information to each renewing charter on or before September 1st 

Please visit the authorizing division’s renewal webpage for more information including eligibility requirements, renewal designations, and key dates for the 2024 renewal process. 

Senate Bill 1882 Texas Partnerships Applications

Pursuant to Senate Bill (SB) 1882, 85th Regular Legislative Session, school districts can access potential financial and/or accountability benefits by entering into a partnership with a non-profit, institution of higher education, or other governmental entity to manage a district campus or set of campuses.  

This information below outlines required actions and application due dates for Texas Partnerships (SB 1882) benefits that begin in the 2024-2025 school year.  

Deadline for submission for Texas Partnerships benefits that begin in 2024-2025 

There are two priority deadlines and a final deadline for districts to submit their Texas Partnerships Benefits Application Package to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for partnerships beginning operation in school year (SY) 2024-2025.  

The final deadline to submit an application package is 5:00 p.m. (Central Time) on Friday, March 29, 2024.

Deadline and Description

Date

Texas Partnerships Benefits Application Package Priority Deadline 1 Districts must submit by this date for the campus/operator to be eligible to apply for a Charter School Program Start-Up Grant.

December 15, 2023

Texas Partnerships Benefits Application Package Priority Deadline 2 Districts that submit by this date do not have to submit a Pre-Opening Checklist and Implementation Plan. 

January 31, 2024

Texas Partnerships Benefits Application Final Deadline Districts that submit in February or March must include a Pre-Opening Checklist and Implementation Plan with their application.

March 29, 2024

Required Actions for Benefits Eligibility  

To be eligible to receive Texas Partnership benefits, districts must:  

  • Submit a non-binding Letter of Intent;  
  • Attend mandatory webinars;  
  • Adopt and implement the TEA model charter authorizing policy or a similar policy approved by TEA; 
  • Adopt and implement the TEA model campus charter application or a similar application and scoring rubric approved by TEA; and 
  • Submit the application for benefits no later than March 29, 2024.  

Each of these requirements are detailed in the sections below.  

Mandatory Letter of Intent  

Districts that are considering pursuing a Texas Partnership that begins in SY 2024-2025 are required to submit a non-binding Letter of Intent by Friday, December 4, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. (Central Time). Districts submit the Letter of Intent by completing this online form. The deadline to submit the Letter of Intent is the same for all application due dates. TEA will not accept a Texas Partnerships Benefits Application Package from a district unless the district has completed a Letter of Intent by the required deadline.  

Local Authorizing Policy and Local Campus Application Approval  

Districts that are not using the TEA model charter authorizing policy, TEA model campus charter application, or TEA model scoring rubric must have these locally developed items approved prior to submitting the application for Texas Partnership benefits or must notify TEA that the district has adopted and implemented the TEA models. These materials are submitted via this online form and are due Friday, December 4, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. (Central Time) or no later than 5 working days prior to local campus application release (whichever date is sooner). We encourage districts to submit locally developed materials as early as possible since these resources are used to develop partnerships. Model documents and eligibility requirements for district-created documents can be found at https://txpartnerships.org/tools/.  

Mandatory Webinars for Districts and Proposed Operating Partners  

Districts that intend to submit a Texas Partnerships Benefits Application Package and their proposed or potential operating partners must each attend mandatory training webinars.  

TEA will not accept a Texas Partnerships Benefits Application Package from a district unless the district has attended the following webinars:  

  • Texas Partnerships Overview (90 minutes) 
  • Submitting a Successful Texas Partnerships Application (60 minutes) 
  • Texas Partnerships Performance Contracts (60 minutes) 

Required attendees from the district are the superintendent or a cabinet member.  

TEA will not accept a Texas Partnerships Benefits Application Package from a district unless its proposed or potential operating partner has attended the following webinars:  

  • Texas Partnerships Overview (90 minutes) 
  • Texas Partnerships Performance Contracts (60 minutes) 

A required attendee from the proposed or potential operating partner is a board member or a full-time staff employee of the partner organization.  

The webinar date and time options, all to take place via Zoom, and all registration links can be found on the Texas Partnerships website.  

Summary of Important Dates Related to Texas Partnerships for benefits that begin in 2024-2025

Required Activities

Date

District and Proposed Partners Attend Required Webinars 

Late Summer-Early Fall 2023 (time and date options can be found here)

District submits Mandatory Letter of Intent

No later than Friday, December 4, 2023 

District submits locally developed charter authorizing policy, local campus partner application, and/or local application scoring rubric OR notifies TEA that the district has adopted TEA models 

No later than Friday, December 4, 2023, or no later than 5 working days prior to local campus application release (whichever date is earlier)

Texas Partnership Benefits Application Package due

  • Priority deadline 1 (CSP grant eligibility): Friday, December 15, 2023 
  • Priority deadline 2 (no pre-opening plan submission required): Friday, January 31, 2024 
  • Final deadline: March 29, 2024
people

SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 23-24 SCHOOL YEAR

2023 Campus Calendar Submission

As discussed in our July operator council meetings, based on your feedback we have streamlined the process by which campus calendars are submitted to the authorizing division.  The new process is in a survey format and replaces the previous way of submitting calendars into the Charter School Tracking System (CSTS) through TEAL.  

Only one representative calendar will need to be submitted if you are a single campus operator or if you have multiple campuses but all calendars are identical.  If all calendars are not identical , you will only need to submit one representative calendar for each group of campuses that share the same calendar. 

Calendars can be submitted using this survey link. All calendar submissions should be completed by September 30, 2023. This information was also provided to charter superintendents in an email sent by the authorizing division on August 17th. Our thanks to all of our schools that have already submitted their calendars! 

We’re happy to help answer any questions and address any issues that may arise when completing the survey. Please email charteramendments@tea.texas.gov or email your school’s portfolio coordinator. 

2023 Fees Survey

As required by Rider 58 of the General Appropriations Act, the Division of Charter School Administration is conducting a survey of fees collected by charters during the 2021-2022 school year. If your charter did not serve students during that school year, please do not fill out the survey. 

This survey is aimed at the charter as a whole; responses should be aggregated across all campuses open in the 2021-2022 school year. Only the data submitted with the survey will be considered for official results. Please do not submit the information to the division in any other format.   

If you work with multiple charters, please fill out one survey for each charter. 

Note that all responses are subject to public information requests. Also, note that non-response by charters that operated in 2021-2022 may be reported to the legislature as part of the report. 

All responses are due by close of business on Friday, October 13th, 2023. 

2023 Student Fees Survey (SY 2021-2022) 

If you have any questions, please reach out to the Charter School Division by email at CharterSchools@tea.texas.gov or by phone at 512-463-9575. 

2023 Governance Reporting Form

Thanks to your feedback, the 2023 governance reporting process has been streamlined!

For individuals who submitted reporting forms in 2022, the 2023 forms will be pre-populated with the previous year’s reporting information.

We have scheduled optional trainings on and Friday, September 15 and Friday, September 22 from 10:00-11:00 to assist those staff who will be completing the forms for their charter. Both sessions are the same.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE AGENCY

Emergent Bilingual Support Division Webinars

2023-2024 Emergent Bilingual Support Division Zoom Meetings

Education Service Centers, School District staff, and Open-Enrollment Charter School staff are invited to attend!

Please contact your local ESC panelist with questions before the EB Support Division Webinars.

Regions 1-10

Region 1: Cuahutemoc Paz
Region 2: 
Valarie Buhidar
Region 3: 
Laura Longoria
Region 4: 
Susie Abanobi
Region 5: 
Jennifer Smith
Region 6: 
Sandy Garcia
Region 7: 
Carmen Delgado
Region 8: 
Ana Aguilar
Region 9: 
Javier DeLeon
Region 10: 
Emma Selig

Regions 11-20

Region 11: Melanie Yocum
Region 12: 
Faith Foster
Region 13: 
Daniel Schaetz
Region 14: 
Andrea Smith
Region 15: 
Mary Castanuela
Region 16: 
Christy Velasquez
Region 17: 
Linda Musquiz
Region 18: 
Maria Mata
Region 19: 
Rita Monsivais
Region 20: 
Maggie De Los Santos

Topic: EB Division Webinar
Date: 
Friday, September 1, 2023
Time: 
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Resources: 
9/1/23 Registration 

Topic: EB Division Webinar
Date: 
Friday,October 13, 2023
Time: 
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Resources:
 10/13/23 Registration 

Topic: EB Division Webinar
Date: 
Friday, November 3, 2023
Time: 
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Resources: 
11/3/23 Registration 

Topic: EB Division Webinar
Date: 
Friday, January 12, 2024
Time: 
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Resources: 
1/12/24 Registration

Topic: EB Division Webinar
Date: 
Friday, February 2, 2024
Time: 
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Resources: 
2/2/24 Registration

Topic: EB Division Webinar
Date: 
Friday, March 1, 2024
Time: 
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Resources: 
3/1/24 Registration

Topic: EB Division Webinar
Date: 
Friday, April 5, 2024
Time: 
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Resources: 
4/5/24 Registration

Topic: EB Division Webinar
Date: 
Friday, May 17, 2024
Time: 
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Resources: 
5/17/24 Registration

Topic: EB Division Webinar
Date: 
Friday, June 7, 2024
Time: 
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Resources: 
6/7/24 Registration

Please send any questions to Englishlearnersupport@tea.texas.gov

2023-2024 Physical Fitness Assessment

The Texas Education Code, Sections 38.101 and 38.103 , requires that each school district and charter school annually assess the fitness level of all public school students in grades 3–12 enrolled in physical education course or any physical education substitute course or activity. School districts and open-enrollment charter schools are required to submit the results of the physical fitness assessment to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) each school year through one of three options, FitnessGram®, the Physical Fitness Assessment Initiative (PFAI) application, or other vendor collection tool.

Please note that for any of the options selected, the deadline to submit fitness assessment results for the 2023-2024 school year is on or before 5:00 pm (CDT) on June 14, 2024.

Option 1: FitnessGram

­­­­­TEA is pleased to announce that it has entered into a contract with Greenlight Fitness to provide a statewide site license for FitnessGram at no cost to qualifying schools for the 2023–2024 school year. Campus site licenses for the FitnessGram software are paid with funds allocated to the Physical Fitness Assessment Initiative by the Texas Legislature. Districts that select this option must renew their site license annually and report student physical fitness assessment data only through the FitnessGram software. No additional information will need to be submitted directly to TEA.

Registration information for the FitnessGram license will be made available September 5, 2023. Please visit https://help.fitnessgram.net/texas/ for instructions and registration information. The last day to register for a FitnessGram site license for 2023–2024 is on or before 5:00 pm (CDT) on June 7, 2024.

For technical assistance questions, please call 1-866-211-2718 or email support@fitnessgram.net. You may also visit https://help.fitnessgram.net/texas/.

Option 2: Physical Fitness Assessment Initiative (PFAI) Application

For districts that choose to use the PFAI application, the PFAI tool will open for data collection in January 2024. To submit data, districts are required to have a TEA Login (TEAL) account with access to the PFAI application. Information and resources, which include a PFAI Quick Start Guide, PFAI File Information and Upload Help Template, PFAI Data Template Spreadsheet, and PFAI Data Submission FAQs, have been posted to the Physical Fitness Assessment Initiative web page to assist districts with a successful data submission. 

Questions related to the PFAI application may be directed to TEA by telephone at (512) 463-9581 or by email at pfaiprogramsupport@tea.texas.gov.

Option 3: Other Vendor Collection Tools

Districts and charter schools are always free to choose other tools for the collection of physical fitness assessment data at local expense. Please note that with this option, the only way to successfully meet the requirement of reporting data to the agency is by submitting the data from the selected tool to TEA via the PFAI application. See the PFAI application above for details.

Performance Reporting Division Updates

What’s New in Performance Reporting  

A–F Accountability

For questions or assistance regarding the information in this section, call the Performance Reporting Division at 512-463-9704 or email performance.reporting@tea.texas.gov.

College Career and Military Readiness (CCMR) Final Student Listing (2022 Graduates including AEAs) Now Available (8/23/2023) The Final 2023 CCMR Student Listing is released within TEAL Accountability application. This data download contains CCMR data for 2021–22 annual graduates and 2021–22 non-graduating 12th graders, including applicable corrections submitted and approved through the 2023 CCMR Verifier. This data will be used to calculate the CCMR components for 2023 accountability ratings.   

CCMR Outcomes Bonus Report Now Available (8/22/23) The CCMR Outcomes Bonus Report is now available within the Performance Reporting Resources page under Popular Resources and Updates and the Frequently Asked Questions CCMR Tab. CCMR Outcomes Bonus are paid annually for the accomplishments of graduates above a certain percentage threshold that have demonstrated college, career, or military readiness.  The CCMR Outcomes Bonus Report is an overview of funding generated by graduates from the Class of 2020 and 2021.

CCMR Outcomes Bonus Counts by District 2021 Graduates Now Available (8/22/23) The Outcomes Bonus Counts by District 2021 Graduates is now available within the Performance Reporting Resources page under Popular Resources and Updates and the Frequently Asked Questions CCMR Tab. This downloadable spreadsheet includes 2021 graduates, listed by district, that met CCMR criteria. Please see Texas Administrative Code for more details outlining the standards and thresholds established by the commissioner of education.

Coming Soon: The Consolidated Accountability File (CAF) The CAF used in accountability is shared with districts from Cambium in the Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE).  Performance Reporting will provide any available update on the specific date as soon as we know from the vendor.

Assessment Scoring and Reporting   

For questions or assistance regarding the information in this communication, contact Texas Testing Support at 833-601-8821 ,TexasTestingSupport@cambiumassessment.com, or TexasAssessment.gov via live chat. Dates available in the Calendar of Events.  

Spring 2023 Statewide Item Analysis Reports Statewide item analysis reports for the spring 2023 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®), STAAR Alternate 2, and the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) will be posted to the Texas Education Agency’s website on August 22. These reports show the item number, the reporting category measured by the item, and the percentage of students selecting each possible answer for that item.

2023 TELPAS Administration On August 22, 2023, districts will receive updated versions of the final TELPAS reports for accountability. These final assessment reports will include any student updates processed since July 25, including updated rescore appeals and student information corrections submitted before August 4. These updates will be reflected in the consolidated accountability file (CAF) that will be delivered to districts in September. Not all districts will have updates from the original assessment reports. But all districts will receive an updated administration data file, district and campus summary reports, and campus rosters. Electronic copies of student labels and student report cards are posted for students whose results have been affected.

June 2023 STAAR Administration Final assessment results for accountability, including updated student report cards and data files, for the June 2023 STAAR administration will be posted to the Secure File Center on August 31, 2023. Final assessment results for the June administration will be available in the Family and Analytic Portals on September 5.

Annual System Rollover Online systems for the Texas Assessment Program will be offline through 1:00 a.m. (CT) August 28, 2023, to complete a system rollover. This includes the Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE), the Centralized Reporting System (CRS), and the Test Delivery System (TDS). District testing personnel should download any data files or certifications needed prior to August 18. All student data will be cleared from the TIDE, including rosters, and students will need to be added to TIDE for the 2023–2024 school year. In addition, user passwords must be reset. Practice tests will continue to be accessible in guest mode, and the Secure File Center and the Learning Management System (LMS) will be available for registered users through the Testing Personnel page of the Texas Assessment website.

District and Campus Coordinator Resources The District and Campus Coordinator Resources for the 2023–2024 school year will be available on August 28, 2023. A few sections will still be under construction at that time, but districts will be notified in upcoming communications when these additional sections are made available.

Training Updates TIDE Overview Training The TIDE Overview training module has been posted to LMS. This training module will review several topics, including tasks that typically take place during preparation for testing, during test administration, and after testing has concluded. Webinar Training The Student Assessment Division coordinates with the Technology Alliance for Statewide Initiatives (formerly the Texas Education Telecommunications Network) to present webinars on timely topics throughout the school year, including program updates and additional training. District staff should contact their Educational Service Centers to access the webinars.

The following webinars are scheduled:

  • LPAC Decision Making, Event #1134 October 5, 2023, 10:00 a.m. to noon (CT), Regional testing coordinators only
  • Fall Updates for TELPAS, TELPAS Alternate, and STAAR Alternate 2, Event #1135 October 19, 2023, 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (CT),  Regional and district testing coordinators only
  • Accessibility Updates, Event #1137 October 12, 2023, 10:00 a.m. to noon (CT), Regional and district testing coordinators only
  • Spring Updates for TELPAS and TELPAS Alternate, Event #1136 January 26, 2024, 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (CT), Regional and district testing coordinators only
  • STAAR Spring Refresher, Event #1162 February 15, 2024, 10:00 a.m. to noon (CT), Regional and district testing coordinators only

For questions or assistance regarding the information in this communication, contact Texas Testing Support at 833-601-8821, TexasTestingSupport@cambiumassessment.com

Preliminary 2022 - 2023 Performance Reporting Calendar 

May 19

Preliminary 2023 Accountability Manual Release and Public Comment Period Opened 

May 24 

CCMR Verifier (2022 Graduates) Corrections Window Opened 

May 31

What If Report (TEAL) Release; A–F Refresh Communications Resources Posted

June 9 

2023 A–F Estimator (TEAL) Released

June 20 

Preliminary 2023 Accountability Manual Public Comment Period Closed

June 21 

CCMR Verifier (2022 Graduates) Correction Window Closed

June 30

CCMR Tracker, Part 2A (TEAL) Release (2022-23 grade 9-12 students) Campus Comparison Groups (TEAL) Released

Late July 

CCMR Preliminary Final Listing (2022 Graduates)

August 4

CCMR Tracker, Part 2B (TEAL) Release: Inclusion of sunsetting IBCs

Mid-August 2023

CCMR Final Student Listing (2022 Graduates including AEAs) 

Early September 2023

Final 2023 Accountability Manual (All Chapters and Appendices) Released 2023 A–F Refresh Parent Resources; Explanatory Materials; Videos Released 

Fall 2023

Results Driven Accountability (RDA) Integration Taskforce Meeting (Taskforce selection remains on hold) 

September 26

2023 Accountability Ratings Published (TEAL)  Accountability Appeals Registration Window Opens 

September 28

2022 What If Ratings Public Publication and 2023 Accountability Ratings Published (TXschools.gov) 

Late September 

PEG List Posted 

January 2024

Appeals Resolved; Final Ratings; TAPR; School Report Card; and Federal Report Card Posted 

Foster Care and Education Summit 2023

The Texas Education Agency, in collaboration with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and the Supreme Court of Texas Children's Commission, presents the 2023 Foster Care and Education Summit. 

The target audience for this training is school administrators, school counselors, registrars, and district foster care liaisons, as well as child welfare ESSA points of contact, CASA, and DFPS staff who work with school-aged students. This training will provide up-to-date information and strategies for supporting students in foster care in Texas public schools and assist with fulfilling ESSA Foster Care requirements. Please join us on Thursday September 21, 2023!

Special thanks to Education Service Center Region 4 for hosting this event. All Region 4 districts and educational partners are invited to sign up.

If you have any questions, contact fostercareliaison@tea.texas.gov.

Required Annual Notification of Nondiscrimination

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the United States Department of Education requires that LEAs provide career and technical education (CTE) programs, services, and activities in accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has regulatory responsibilities for CTE programs in Texas public secondary schools and is required to adopt a civil rights compliance program to identify, remedy, and/or prevent discrimination in the CTE programs operated by LEAs. 

Requirements for compliance are found in the document, Vocational Education Programs Guidelines for Eliminating Discrimination and Denial of Services on the Basis of Race, Color, National Origin, Sex and Handicap (Guidelines). A link to the full text can be found at the US Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights Guidelines for Vocational Education Programs. 

One important requirement of the Guidelines is that, prior to the beginning of each school year, every district providing CTE programs must notify students, parents, employees, and the public that all career and technical education opportunities will be offered without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, or disability. Local newspapers, social media, websites, or other forms of media that reach the public may be utilized to disseminate the required notification. Information regarding this requirement can be found in Section IV-O of the Guidelines under Public Notification. 

An English and Spanish version of a sample public notification form, which includes all required elements for complying with this requirement, may be downloaded from the TEA Methods of Administration (MOA) Guidance. Please note, the Guidelines state that if the LEA “contains a community of national minority persons with limited English language skills, public notification materials must be disseminated to that community in its language and must state that the district will take steps to assure that the lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in vocational education programs.” Therefore, if your LEA contains communities who speak languages other than English or Spanish, it also will be necessary for the LEA to prepare and disseminate the required notice in those languages. 

An LEA must take continuous steps to notify participants, beneficiaries, applicants, parents, employees (including persons with visual or auditory impairments), other interested parties, and unions or professional organizations holding collective bargaining or professional agreements with the LEA or campus that it does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age. A statement of nondiscrimination shall be included on publications and other materials that are distributed to or accessible by students, parents, applicants, beneficiaries, employees, unions, or professional organizations holding collective bargaining or professional agreements with the district and other interested parties. As noted above, an English and Spanish version of a sample public notification form, which includes all required elements for complying with this requirement, may be downloaded from the TEA Methods of Administration (MOA) Guidance.

Texas Education Agency staff will provide support to districts in complying with the requirement to eliminate discrimination in CTE programs. If additional information is needed, please contact the Division of Special Populations Monitoring at ReviewandSupport@tea.texas.gov or by phone at 512- 463-8363. Information can also be found at TEA Review and Support home page. 

Reminders from Past TAAs

STAAR Paper by Request Administrations

House Bill (HB) 1225, 88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, adds Section 39.02342 to the Texas Education Code. The law provides a new optional process for LEAs to provide a paper administration of a State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) assessment to ANY student whose parent, guardian, or teacher in the applicable subject area requests a paper version. LEAs have the flexibility to implement this new optional process and gather paper administration requests as appropriate for their school. The parent, guardian, or teacher must submit the request for a paper administration of STAAR to the LEA no later than September 15 for December administrations and no later than December 1 for spring administrations each year. District testing coordinators must mark students as eligible for a STAAR paper administration in the Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE) by October 5, 2023, for the December 2023 STAAR administration and December 14, 2023, for the Spring 2024 STAAR administration. The only criterion that is required to be met is submitting the request to the LEA by the deadline. 

The number of students who are provided a paper by request administration of STAAR may not exceed three percent of the number of eligible students enrolled in the district who are administered each assessment. For example, if an LEA has 500 students who are eligible for the STAAR grade 3 math and reading language arts (RLA) assessments, the LEA may indicate up to 15 students as eligible for a paper by request administration of the STAAR grade 3 math and RLA assessments. Similarly, if an LEA has 300 students who are eligible for the STAAR Algebra I assessment, the LEA may indicate up to 9 students as eligible for a paper by request administration of that assessment.  

It is important to note that the number of students who receive a paper by request administration is separate and distinct from the students who are eligible for a special paper administration of STAAR. LEAs will continue the same process as last year for any student who is eligible for a special paper administration of STAAR because the student needs a testing accommodation that is not possible to provide in an online setting. These students are not counted in the maximum three percent of students who are administered a paper by request administration of STAAR.  

Holy Days and Religious Observance

HB 1883, 88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, adds Section 39.0238 to the Texas Education Code. The law allows LEAs to consider the dates of religious holy days or periods of observance likely to be observed by students in the LEA when establishing the LEA’s school calendar and days on which students are administered state assessments. Religious holy days and periods of observance are defined as days observed by a religion whose places of worship would be exempt from property taxation under Texas Tax Code, Section 11.20. The law requires LEAs to provide an alternate test date within the testing window to administer an assessment to a student who is absent from school to observe a religious holy day or period of observance on the day a STAAR or STAAR Alternate 2 assessment is administered. When providing the required make-up testing day, LEAs must maintain the security of the assessment to ensure that the assessment content remains valid throughout the testing window.  

Updated STAAR Alternate 2 Participation Requirements

Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, limits the number of students in a state who may participate in alternate assessments based on alternate academic achievement standards to no more than one percent. It also requires states who anticipate exceeding one percent to submit a waiver request to USDE requesting permission to exceed the one percent state limit.  

Texas has successfully submitted a waiver to exceed the one percent statewide limit for the past five years, except for spring 2020 when tests were cancelled due to COVID. However, there has not been a significant change in the number of students statewide who are assessed with STAAR Alternate 2, ranging from 1.2–1.6 percent. 

In December 2022, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) submitted a waiver request to USDE for the number of students statewide who can be assessed with STAAR Alternate 2 for the 2022–23 school year. In March 2023, the USDE denied Texas’ waiver request. Since then, the Student Assessment and Special Education Divisions of TEA have been working together on a new plan to update STAAR Alternate 2 documents and trainings to ensure all students are appropriately assessed. As a result, TEA has updated the STAAR Alternate 2 Participation Requirements for the 2023–24 school year, and they are available on the STAAR Alternate 2 Resources webpage.  

Testing Time

Based on feedback from educators, parents, and students, as well as other changes to the Texas Assessment Program, TEA is implementing a maximum allowable testing time of seven hours for STAAR and Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS) assessments. Students are expected to complete each STAAR and TELPAS assessment in about three hours. Students who are still testing after four hours should be consolidated into a general testing area to continue testing. Students must complete the assessment within the same school day, and no test session may exceed seven hours. Exceptions exist for students who have an approved accommodation for an extra day. TEA recommends that districts begin testing within one hour of the start of the school day. Districts should exercise judgment about starting a test session after lunch for students who are late, as they may not have sufficient time to complete the test before the end of the school day. In addition, just like the administration of STAAR assessments, the TELPAS listening and speaking assessment should be administered on a different day than the TELPAS reading and writing assessment to reduce student fatigue and allow students sufficient time and opportunity to do their best work. 

Testing System Updates

Based on input from educators, TIDE and the Test Delivery System (TDS) have been updated to include several enhancements.  

  • The secure inbox in TIDE has been renamed as the Secure File Center. The Secure File Center serves as a password-protected repository listing files containing data that have been exported from TIDE and other Cambium Assessment, Inc. (CAI) systems. In addition, district testing personnel may access the Secure File Center through TIDE or through the new Secure File Center card on the Testing Personnel page of the Texas Assessment website. 
  • The new View Student History feature in TIDE allows district testing personnel to see what and when changes were made to a student’s registration in the system during the current school year.  
  • The student registration file has been revised to only update the fields included that are intended to be corrected. 
  • Several accommodations in TDS have been updated and enhanced. There is now an embedded Word Prediction (Co:Writer) feature. The speech-to-text functionality will be added to the Notepad and Sticky Notes tools. Additionally, students are now able to modify font and background colors within the test.  

More information about the updates for this school year will be available in the District and Campus Coordinator Resources. If you have questions about the updates or about the Texas Assessment Program, contact TEA using the Student Assessment Help Desk

United States Presidential Scholars Program 

High school principals are asked to identify outstanding high school students who will be graduating between January and August of 2024, to apply for consideration for the United States Presidential Scholars Program (USPSP). One general program student applicant and one Career and Technical Education (CTE) student applicant will be accepted from each school.  

Application due date: October 6, 2023 

For the general program, the commissioner of education will nominate ten male and ten female candidates to apply for the opportunity to be U.S. Presidential Scholars. Additionally, the commissioner of education will nominate five CTE students to apply for the honor.  

Background: 

Established in 1964, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program honors graduating seniors for their outstanding scholarship, achievement and promise of future success. In 2015, the program was extended to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in CTE fields. Seniors chosen as U.S. Presidential Scholars are selected by the Commission on Presidential Scholars and will be presented with a medallion at a ceremony in their honor where they will engage in conversations and events related to issues that concern America and the world.  

Please see TEA’s US Presidential Scholars Program webpage for more information. 

United States Senate Youth Program 

High school principals are asked to nominate their most outstanding junior or senior high school student to apply for the United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP). 

Nominated applicants will be considered by a state committee from the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals. Texas will select two student leaders as delegates (and two alternates) to participate in an intensive week-long educational program with students from across the nation. The program will take place from March 2-9, 2024, in Washington D.C. 

Applications are due October 6, 2023 

Background:

The USSYP is a unique educational experience for talented junior or senior high school students who demonstrate outstanding leadership and a strong commitment to public service. Established in 1962, the annual USSYP authorizes the selection of 104 student delegates, two from each state, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Office of Dependents Schools to participate in a week-long immersion in Washington activities. Delegates will hear major policy addresses by senators, cabinet members, officials from the Departments of State and Defense, and other federal agencies, as well as participate in meetings with the president and a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. The program is sponsored by The Hearst Foundations that funds all delegate expenses for Washington Week (transportation, hotel, and meals). Each delegate is also awarded a $10,000 undergraduate college scholarship, with encouragement to pursue a career in public service. 

Please see the TEA’s US Senate Youth Program webpage for more information. 

 Unsafe School Choice Option (USCO)

The ESSA, Title VIII, Section 8532-Unsafe School Choice Option (USCO), requires any state that receives ESSA grant funds to establish and implement a statewide policy to identify:

  • Any student attending a public elementary or secondary school identified as a “persistently dangerous school (PDS)”; or
  • Any student who becomes a victim of a violent criminal offense while in or on the grounds of a public elementary school or secondary school that the student attends.

The policy further requires the option for these students to attend a safe public elementary school or secondary school within the LEA, including a public charter school.

2023-2024 Persistently Dangerous Schools Identification

For the 2023-2024 school year, using PEIMS data reported for the 2022-2023 school year, a campus will be identified as a persistently dangerous school (PDS) and required to implement the ESSA, Title VIII, Section 8532-Unsafe School Choice Option (USCO) if it meets the following criteria:

  • The campus is coded as a Regular Instructional Campus in AskTED; and
  • Campus has reported to PEIMS in the Discipline Action Extension Complex (category code 44425) that the location of the incident occurred on campus or off campus at a school-sponsored activity; and
  • The campus has fewer than 200 students and has reported to PEIMS in the Discipline Action Extension Complex (category code 44425) two (2) or more selected mandatory expulsion incidents in each of the three (3) most recent consecutive years for which data are available; or
  • The campus has 201 or more students and has a number of mandatory expellable incidents per year equal to 1% or more of its enrollment in each of the three (3) most recent consecutive years for which data are available.

LEAs report data in the summer (PEIMS submission 3); therefore, USCO uses the three previous years’ data and not the current year’s data to make identifications. The enrollment number or student population figure is the summer PEIMS submission attendance figure, a unique count of the students served at the campus each year.

Persistently Dangerous Schools Designations:

  • Watch List for One Year’s Incidents: If a campus meets the incident rates in the definition for the most recent year, the Agency will notify the campus/LEA by letter of the watch list status.
  • Watch List for Two Years’ Incidents: If a campus meets the incident rates in the definition for the two most recent consecutive years, the Agency will notify the campus/LEA by letter of the watch list status.
  • Identified as Persistently Dangerous School: If a campus meets the incident rates in the definition for the three most recent consecutive years, the Agency will identify the campus as persistently dangerous, as required by ESSA, and notify the campus/LEA by letter. Campus is also reported to the US Department of Education (USDE).

Persistently Dangerous Schools Designation Appeal:

If the LEA believes its designation is incorrect and wishes to appeal, the LEA must provide documentation within 21 calendar days from the initial designation notification that shows that the original PEIMS Action-Reason Codes and/or Behavior-Location Codes assigned by the LEA to the incidents at issue were incorrect. TEA will review the documentation submitted and make a determination as to whether the campus is to remain on the assigned watch list.

The PEIMS Action Reason Code 36 will remain part of the methodology for the 2023-2024 school year. If LEA designation is solely due to the use of vaping pens and LEA elects to appeal, the LEA documentation must provide documentation stating:

  • the PEIMS data were coded incorrectly; or
  • the incidents were due to the use of vaping pens.

For a detailed explanation of the process, refer to the USCO Handbook. The handbook outlines the PEIMS codes used in the methodology.

For information or guidance on the USCO process, please send inquiries to ESSASupport@tea.texas.gov

2024-2025 Persistently Dangerous Schools Identification and Impact of Recent Legislation

For the 2024-2025 school year using PEIMS data reported for the 2023-2024 school year. House Bill (HB) 3 and HB 114 of the 88th Regular Session, effective June 13, 2023, and June 14, 2023, respectively, are described below. The change in how these data are reported in PEIMS will assist with a decrease in the number of mandatory expulsions for felony-level drugs.

Mandatory Disciplinary Placements:

HB 114 of the 88th regular legislative session may assist with a decrease in the number of mandatory expulsions for felony-level drugs (which include marihuana and Tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) or alcohol offenses). This bill amends §37.006, Education Code (TEC), to now require mandatory DAEP placements for these offenses. Additionally, this bill requires a student be placed in in-school suspension (ISS) when the appropriate administrator is assigning a DAEP placement for the above behaviors and the DAEP is at capacity, until a place becomes available in the DAEP or the term of the disciplinary action expires.

Out-of-School Suspension and In-School Suspension:

According to TEC, §37.005(a)-(b), the principal or other appropriate administrator may suspend a student who engages in conduct identified in the student code of conduct adopted under TEC, §37.001, as conduct for which a student may be suspended. A suspension under this section may not exceed three school days, with the exception of students assigned ISS due to engaging in the offenses above and DAEP being at capacity.

For information regarding the change in PEIMS codes, please send inquiries to adhocrpt@tea.texas.gov

Approved Prekindergarten Instruments for 2023-2024 

The Commissioner’s List of Approved Prekindergarten Instruments that was initially approved for use during the 2017-2022 school years has been extended for use through the 2023-2024 school year in accordance with Texas Education Code (TEC), §29.169 and §28.006. 

The Commissioner’s list, with detailed information about each instrument, can be found on the Educator Resources page of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website, as well as on the Data Tool Selection Guidance webpage. 

Districts and open-enrollment charter schools, in the provision of high-quality, full-day prekindergarten for 4-year-old students, must collect data regarding student progress in all five domains of health and wellness, emergent literacy: language and communication, emergent literacy: reading, emergent literacy: writing, and mathematics at both the beginning of year (BOY) and end of the year (EOY) by using one or more of the instruments on the Commissioner's list. This raw data must be submitted to the Early Childhood Data System (ECDS) by June 27, 2024. 

As part of the required family engagement plan, districts are encouraged to provide families with progress monitoring updates that address all five required domains at least three times a year. 

The BOY and EOY windows are determined locally. It is recommended that students are administered the BOY instruments within the first 4-6 weeks of school so that resulting data can be used for instructional purposes. While the ECDS submission window for prekindergarten data closes on June 27, 2024, LEAs are encouraged to begin submitting BOY data as early as November 13, 2023. 

Update to the Commissioner’s List of Approved Prekindergarten Instruments

An updated Commissioner's list of approved prekindergarten progress monitoring instruments will go into effect for the 2024-2025 school year. The updated list will include new instruments and modifications to existing instruments to provide LEAs with enhanced tools for monitoring student progress in early childhood education. 

To access the updated 2024-2027 Commissioner's List of Approved Prekindergarten Progress Monitoring Instruments and related information, visit the Early Childhood Education webpage on the TEA website. The list, along with detailed information about each instrument, will be available on the Educator Resources page and the Data Tool Selection Guidance webpage. 

Kindergarten Reading Instruments

Districts and open-enrollment charters must use either the Texas Kindergarten Entry Assessment (TX-KEA) or mCLASS Texas as the required beginning-of-year reading instrument. The authorization period for mCLASS Texas as a free, Commissioner-approved alternative reading instrument for kindergarten is through August 2024.   

Learn more about each of the kindergarten reading instruments on the Kindergarten Data Tool Selection Guidance page.  

It is recommended that students are administered the kindergarten instrument within the first 4-6 weeks of school so that resulting data can be used for instructional purposes. Families should be notified of the BOY results in writing within 60 days of administration. The Early Reading Indicator Code should be submitted in the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) twice a year by December 7, 2023, and June 20, 2024. The BOY data should be submitted in ECDS between November 13, 2023, and January 25, 2024. The universal dyslexia screener should be conducted by the end of the school year. The Dyslexia-Risk-Code should be submitted in PEIMS by June 20, 2024. 

Grades 1 and 2 Reading Instruments

Districts and open-enrollment charters must collect data regarding student reading proficiency using an approved instrument (either from the Commissioner's List or selected by a district-level committee as authorized under TEC §28.006 (b)). There are two free approved instruments for grades 1 and 2. The free tools are mCLASS Texas and TPRI/Tejas Lee. The authorization period for mCLASS Texas as a free, Commissioner-selected reading instrument for first and second grade is through August 2024.  

Learn more about each of the first and second grade instruments on the 1st and 2nd Grade Data Tool Selection Guidance page. Please note that Fastbridge has elected not to renew authorization as a free approved tool for the 2023-2024 school year.

Results of the first grade BOY collection are used to report student Early Reading Indicator codes in PEIMS twice a year by December 7, 2023, and June 20, 2024. A dyslexia screener should be administered to all first-grade students by January 25, 2024. Student Dyslexia-Risk-Codes must be submitted to PEIMS by June 20, 2024. 

Results of the second grade BOY collection are used to report student Early Reading Indicator codes in PEIMS twice a year by December 7, 2023, and June 20, 2024.

 

shooting star

CHARTER SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

A.W. Brown Leadership Academy

 

June 2023

Do you have exciting news to share?

Send your Charter School Spotlight, news, and events to allison.werner@tea.texas.gov