Required Submission by 11/3/23: School Health and Related Services (SHARS) Report Survey
The purpose of this bulletin is to notify local educational agencies (LEAs) and fiscal agents about the approaching submission deadline for the School Health and Related Services Report Survey on November 3, 2023
SHARS and IDEA-B LEA MOE To conduct IDEA-B LEA maintenance of effort (MOE) compliance reviews, TEA must know how LEAs and fiscal agents expended any reimbursements they received under the SHARS program.
All LEAs that received IDEA-B grant funding in the 2022–2023 school year must therefore submit the SHARS Reimbursement Report Survey, regardless of whether they received SHARS reimbursements.
In accordance with Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations (34 CFR) §300.154(g)(2), if an LEA spends SHARS reimbursements for state and local expenditures for special education services, those subsequent expenditures must be excluded for IDEA-B LEA MOE purposes from the final calculation of state and local expenditures.
For details on this reporting requirement, refer to the September 21, 2023, To the Administrator Addressed (TAA) letter posted by the Federal Fiscal Compliance and Reporting (FFCR) Division to the TEA Correspondence page.
Survey Access and Submission Deadline
TEA has developed a simple SHARS Reimbursement Report Survey to collect this information. The survey is also available from the SHARS and IDEA-B LEA MOE Guidance page of the TEA website. Refer to these SHARS survey instructions for information on how to access and submit the survey by Friday, November 3, 2023.
With any further questions, please email compliance@tea.texas.gov.
What’s New in Performance Reporting
A–F Accountability
2022 Snapshot Report Now Available: October 20, 2023
The 2022 Snapshot Report is now available on the Snapshot: School District Profiles webpage. Snapshot provides an overview of public education in Texas, at both the state and district levels, and includes almost 100 separate data elements to either browse or download. Snapshot also combines the data into summary tables based on specific characteristics, and its peer search function allows a user to group districts according to shared characteristics.
Upcoming PEIMS Snapshot: October 27, 2023
PEIMS Snapshot determines the accountability subset of assessment results that are used to determine campus accountability ratings. Only assessment results for those students enrolled in the same campus on both the snapshot date (the last Friday in October) and the testing date are used to determine campus performance. Please see the PEIMS Data Submission Timelines for further details.
Fall 2023 PEIMS Submission Dates
December 7, 2023 – Fall Submission (initial submission) due.
January 18, 2024 – Fall Resubmission (corrected submission) due.
For further details on upcoming PEIMS submission dates please see TWEDS 2023-24 PEIMS Data Submission Timelines
Upcoming 2023 Performance Based Monitoring (PBM) Data Validation Release Dates
District and student level data validation reports will be posted to TEAL Accountability on the following dates:
Leaver Data Validation: Mid-November 2023
Discipline Data Validation: Early-December 2023
Student Assessment Data Validation: Mid-January 2024
For more information on each indicator, please see the Texas Education Agency’s Data Validation Manuals webpage.
If you have further questions, please email pbm@tea.texas.gov or call this team at (512) 463-9704.
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 are available in the Calendar of Events.
December STAAR Administration
As a reminder, district personnel must register out-of-school (OOS) and out-of-district (OOD) examinees for the December 2023 State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®) administration before October 26, 2023. The STAAR OOS and OOD Examinee Registration Form is available on the Other Testing Resources page of the Texas Assessment website.
STAAR Interim Assessments
Window 1 for the STAAR Interim Assessments is scheduled for November 6 through December 19, 2023, for mathematics and reading language arts assessments. Window 2, for science and social studies assessments, is scheduled for November 6, 2023, through April 5, 2024. Testing personnel may now create test sessions for Window 1 and Window 2 interim assessments in the test administrator interface of the Test Delivery System (TDS). For more information on how to create test sessions, refer to the Test Delivery System (TDS) User Guide.
Texas Through-year Assessment Pilot
Opportunity 1 of the Texas Through-year Assessment Pilot (TTAP) opens on November 6, 2023. Testing personnel in districts and campuses participating in TTAP may now create test sessions for Opportunity 1 in the test administrator interface of TDS. For more information on how to create test sessions, refer to the TDS User Guide.
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.
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
Senate Bill (SB) 629 (88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2023) added new Texas Education (TEC) §38.223(a), requiring schools with a policy in place regarding the maintenance, administration, and disposal of opioid antagonists to report the administration of an opioid antagonist no later than the 10th business day after the date a school personnel member or volunteer administers an opioid antagonist to:
- the school district, charter holder if the school is an open-enrollment charter school, or the governing body of the school if the school is a private school;
- the physician or other person who prescribed the opioid antagonist; and
- to the commissioner of state health services.
The law does not require school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, or private schools with a policy to report the administration of an opioid antagonist to TEA.
The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) School Health Programs is developing an online reporting form to meet this requirement. The reporting form will be posted on the DSHS School Health Program Required Reporting Forms webpage when the rules go into effect on November 1, 2023. Information about the rules, reporting form, and instructions on how to complete the reporting form will be included in a future DSHS School Health Programs Friday Beat.
For more information and to follow up on the status of the online reporting form, please email schoolhealth@dshs.texas.gov.
Many children are struggling with mental health concerns and parents often have limited access to mental health assessment and treatment services. The Texas Legislature has ensured that every Texas public school has an opportunity to enroll in Texas Child Health Access through Telehealth (TCHATT). There is no cost to the school or families for services. Search for Texas public schools enrolled in TCHATT to date, reach out to learn more, and equip your school to help here.
For questions about TCHATT, please email tcmhcc@utsystem.edu.
It has become crucial to educate ourselves and our students, educators, families, and communities about the dangers of fentanyl.
To support this initiative, TEA is coordinating with our state agency partners to provide resources targeted to school personnel, students, and families we serve. Through TEA’s new Texas School Mental Health Resource Database, TEA and regional education service centers (ESCs) have identified resources throughout Texas to support collaboration with mental health and substance abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery services in each region and statewide.
School systems can also strategically collaborate with other community-based organizations in the statewide effort to prevent harm from this dangerous drug.
Questions about this database should be directed to Texas School Mental Health Database.
Reminders from Past TAAs
2024-2025 Programs of Study
Perkins V is federal legislation requiring states that receive federal CTE funds to align CTE programs of study to high-wage, in-demand, and high-skill occupations. In Texas’s Perkins State Plan TEA committed to reviewing programs of study every four years to ensure they continue to meet the needs of the Texas workforce. Over the past year, TEA’s CTE team engaged stakeholders in a rigorous process to refresh programs of study. The team conducted a statewide listening tour to obtain feedback, then provided that feedback along with labor market information to CTE advisory committees made up of district leaders, teachers, postsecondary staff, and industry leaders. TEA published the advisory committees’ recommendations for public comment before finalizing updates.
The refreshed programs of study are now final. TEA has created the 2024-2025 Programs of Study Change Crosswalk for district leaders to use as a planning guide for the upcoming school year. The spreadsheet includes changes to the refreshed programs of study that will take effect with the 2024-25 school year as well as course level changes being implemented in the 2023-24 school year. The 2024-25 finalized programs of study framework documents will be posted on the website later this year.
Proclamation 2024 Update
The State Board of Education (SBOE) issued Proclamation 2024 at its April 2022 meeting to call for science, grades K–12; technology applications, grades K–8; Personal Financial Literacy and Economics; and several CTE courses. The SBOE is scheduled to adopt materials for Proclamation 2024 in November 2023. The adopted materials will go into classrooms in the 2024–25 school year.
The Proclamation 2024 section of the Proclamations webpage has been updated with the reports that were shared with the SBOE at the August/September 2023 meeting and reports that will be shared at the November SBOE meeting. The posted reports include:
The public is invited to provide comments on or report errors in the pre-adoption samples through Monday, October 30, 2023. Errors and comments received by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 30, 2023, will be presented to the State Board of Education at its November meeting and posted to the TEA website.
Proposed New Career Preparation and Entrepreneurship TEKS
The SBOE gave preliminary approval for proposed revisions to the TEKS for the following CTE courses at the August/September 2023 SBOE meeting:
- Career Preparation I
- Career Preparation II
- Extended Career Preparation
- Career and Technical Education Project-Based Capstone
- Entrepreneurship I
- Entrepreneurship II
- Practicum of Entrepreneurship
- Extended Practicum of Entrepreneurship
The official public comment period for proposed revisions to the TEKS for these courses opened on October 13, 2023, and will close at 5:00 p.m. on November 13, 2023.
To view the proposed revisions and submit public comments, visit http://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/Laws_and_Rules/SBOE_Rules_(TAC)/Proposed_State_Board_of_Education_Rules/.
The SBOE will consider the proposal for second reading and final adoption at its November 2023 meeting.
SBOE Discussion and Public Hearing for Proposed New CTE TEKS
At the November 14-17, 2023 State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting, the SBOE will discuss recommendations for revisions to a selection of CTE TEKS in agriculture and aviation. The review also includes two CTE courses from the STEM career cluster that satisfy a science graduation requirement. The draft recommendations are currently posted on the 2023 CTE TEKS Review webpage.
The courses include the following:
Agribusiness
- Agribusiness Management and Marketing
- Agriculture Leadership, Research, and Communications
- Extended Practicum in Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
- Practicum in Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
- Principles of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
- Professional Standards in Agribusiness
Animal Science
- Advanced Animal Science
- Equine Science
- Livestock Production
- Small Animal Management
- Veterinary Medical Applications
Plant Science
- Advanced Floral Design
- Advanced Plant and Soil Science
- Floral Design
- Greenhouse Operation and Production
- Horticulture Science
- Viticulture
Aviation Maintenance
- Aircraft Airframe Technology
- Aircraft Powerplant Technology
- Aviation Maintenance
- Introduction to Aircraft Technology
CTE STEM Courses
- Principles of Technology
- Scientific Research and Design
The draft recommendations are available for review and feedback on the 2023 CTE TEKS Review webpage. When providing specific comments and recommendations, please identify the program of study or course(s) in the subject line of the email. For example, in the subject line please indicate "Animal Science CTE TEKS Review." Please submit comments to TEA at teks@tea.texas.gov.
A public hearing on the proposed new TEKS is scheduled for Wednesday, November 15, 2023. The public hearing and discussion item will be posted in the SBOE’s agenda in early November. Individuals may register online to provide public testimony beginning on Thursday, November 9 at 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. (Central Time), on Friday, November 10.
Additional information regarding registration is provided on the public testimony registration web page. The SBOE meeting can be viewed via the live webcast. The webcast will also be archived and available via the same link after the meeting.
Feedback from educators across the state is critical to the TEKS review and revision process. Please share this information with anyone you know who may be interested.
Updated Innovative Course Application Timeline
To benefit both innovative course applicants and LEAs who wish to implement innovative courses, the timeline for future innovative course application cycles has been updated. The updated timeline is designed to provide additional time for the following:
- Applicants to complete applications
- Applicants to receive local board approval
- Applicants to complete course pilots and analyze data
- Districts and open-enrollment charters to plan for innovative course implementation
Courses that are approved will be available for implementation beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
The updated innovative course application timeline has been posted on the TEA innovative courses webpage.
Webinars About Proposed Rule Changes and Updated Timeline
To highlight some of the changes for innovative courses that are under consideration by the State Board of Education (SBOE) at their meeting on November 14-17, 2023, the innovative courses team will be hosting two webinars to explain the proposed rule updates and timeline. These sessions are primarily intended for stakeholders who are interested in submitting an innovative course application in the future.
Individuals who are interested in attending one of these webinars may select one of the two links below in order to register. Seats are limited.
Monday, November 27, 2023 from 3:00-4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, November 28, 2023 from 9:00-10:00 a.m.
State CTE Leadership Committee Application
The CTE team is accepting applications from interested individuals to be considered for inclusion in the State CTE Leadership Committee. This committee provides input and recommendations on career and technical education and workforce development initiatives in Texas. The committee works collaboratively with the TEA CTE staff to ensure local education agencies’ needs and challenges inform the development of statewide CTE initiatives. The committee also provides guidance in aligning TEA CTE initiatives to current and emergent industry needs. Committee members solicit and share input from other leaders and industry stakeholders from within their respective education service center (ESC) region.
The committee is composed of one CTE administrator representative from each ESC region. Successful applicants have demonstrated depth of knowledge and experience developing, delivering, and administering CTE programs.
Committee members:
- agree to a 1.5-year term beginning January 1, 2024 and ending August 31, 2025, and
- commit to attending and participating in bimonthly webinar meetings, which are typically 1.5 hours.
The application period ends November 15, 2023. Interested individuals may access the application here.
Governor Abbott Encourages Texas Students to Participate in Cybersecurity Training
On October 19, 2023, Governor Greg Abbott issued a press release encouraging “Texas high school and college students to participate in CyberStart America (CSA) and Cyber FastTrack (CFT), online cybersecurity talent search and competition programs sponsored by the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation that award over $20 million in scholarships to high-performing students.”
Registration for both CSA and CFT is now open, with student play ending on March 15, 2024. Review the full press release here.
Texas Advanced Placement (AP)/International Baccalaureate (IB) Incentive Program – State Exam Fee Subsidy for the 2023-2024 School Year
The AP-IB exam state subsidy for the spring 2024 administration will be $32 for each AP and IB exam taken by an eligible student. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has provided subsidies for students taking AP and IB exams since 1993 with the enactment of the Advanced Placement Incentive Program. TEA is committed to ensuring AP and IB exams remain affordable for low-income students.
Eligible student:
All students enrolled in a Texas public school may be considered for the Texas AP-IB exam fee subsidy. However, the eligibility of each student must be confirmed using the published criteria that can be found at the Fee Reduction Eligibility Criteria webpage.
The criteria to qualify for a Texas exam fee subsidy is the same for both AP and IB students, and the subsidy applies to every AP and IB exam taken by an eligible student.
AP/IB Exam fee subsidy reimbursements:
- AP exam fee subsidies are discounts on the AP Program Invoice to be paid by June 15, 2024.
- The College Board will invoice TEA for the 2024 AP exam fee subsidies credited on the campus AP Program Invoice.
- After reconciliation of the State invoice, TEA will reimburse the College Board’s AP Program for AP exam fee subsidies granted districts on their June invoices.
- IB exam fee subsidies will be managed by each school and/or district. Each school or district may submit an IB exam fee reimbursement (subsidy) application in June 2024.
- The IB exam fee subsidy application will be available on TEA’s IB webpage by May 15, 2024.
- The completed application will be due to TEA by June 30, 2024.
Planning for the 2023-2024 school year:
A 2024 AP exam will cost $98. The College Board will provide a $36 fee reduction per AP Exam for eligible students with financial need. In addition, schools are expected to forgo their $9 rebate for these students. With the Texas subsidy of $32, the resulting cost of an AP exam taken by an eligible student will be $21. AP exams will be ordered through the online AP Classroom. The preferred AP exam ordering deadline is October 4 with the final order deadline of November 15, 2023.
The $32 subsidy should be applied to IB exams, as published on the Assessment fees and services webpage.
For more information, please email Kay Humes, Statewide Coordinator for Advanced Academics at advancedacademics@tea.texas.gov.
The University of Texas at Austin Automatic Admission Policy
Senate Bill 175, passed by the 81st Texas Legislature, allows The University of Texas at Austin to limit automatic admission to 75 percent of the university’s enrollment capacity designated for first-time resident undergraduate students.
The University has determined that it will automatically admit all eligible summer/fall 2025 and spring 2026 freshman applicants who rank within the top 6% of their high school graduating classes. A letter from University President Jay C. Hartzell is attached to this correspondence.
This information should be shared with all high school junior-level students and their parents. If you have questions regarding this policy, please contact Miguel Wasielewski, Vice Provost of Admissions at The University of Texas at Austin at (512) 475-6210.
Attachment – Notification Letter from The University of Texas at Austin President Jay C. Hartzell
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