Texas Charter Schools Newsletter – December 2023

Texas Education Agency sent this bulletin at 12/11/2023 12:56 PM CST

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Division of Authorizing

December 2023
June 2023

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EVENTS & DEADLINES

December 2023

  • 12/19 @ 9:30am CST: CSP Grant Application for Subchapter C Charters Information Session
  • Every Tuesday 1:00pm to 3:00pm CST: Division of Authorizing Amendment (and Renewal) Office Hours
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FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK

As we head into the holiday season, I want to send our wishes for a continued safe, healthy, and successful school year. We hope each of you takes some time to relax and recharge this winter break. 

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend our second quarter Operator Council meetings last week. These meetings offer us the opportunity to share great information, provide opportunities to give us feedback, and connect with other operators. The slide deck is linked here!

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. 

-Marian
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UPDATES FROM THE AUTHORIZING DIVISION

CSP Grant Application for Subchapter C Charters

The Charter School Program Grant application for Subchapter C charters posted on December 8, 2023. This grant is to support program design, planning, and initial implementation costs for district-authorized charters.

Eligible applicants include open-enrollment charter schools that meet the federal definition of a charter school, have never received funds under this grant program, and meet the following qualifications: a campus charter school authorized by the local board of trustees pursuant to TEC, Chapter 12, Subchapter C, on or before January 22, 2024, as a new charter school, or as a charter school that is designed to replicate a new charter school campus, based on the educational model of an existing high-quality charter school, and that submits all required documentation as stated in this RFA.

The application due date is January 22, 2024. An informational webinar will be held December 19, 2023, at 9:30 a.m.

Register here to attend: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAsd-yuqz8iGdY1dOJLUKcuN0zCv6yN9f82.

Questions can be submitted to Charlotte Nicklebur at CharterSchools@tea.texas.gov.

We are looking for external reviewers!

The Request for Qualifications for Independent Reviewers of Charter Applications, Grants, and Competitive Opportunities is posted on the ESC 13 website. Please review qualifications and feel free to share with your networks! Reach out to ESC Region 13 with any questions about the application process or performance task.

88th Regular Session Charter Impact Guide

The Charter Impact Guide contains bills passed during the 88th regular session that apply to charter schools. 54 bills passed the 88th regular session that apply to charter schools in some way.

For questions regarding bills included in this impact guide, please reach out to the Division of Authorizing at charterschools@tea.texas.gov.

AskTED Updates 

Thanks to everyone who has recently used our All-In-One Form to provide updates to AskTED. During the month of August alone our charter portfolio coordinators processed 1,786 individual AskTED requests through this new process!  

Did you know that the All-In-One form can also be used to do the following: 

  • Request a campus number for a new campus 
  • Verify information about a new campus or site 
  • Update governance information, including superintendent and governance board member changes 
  • Update other charter information that does not require an amendment 

Because the information in AskTED is used by the agency as the source of contact information for staff that are in various roles, it’s vital that this information is up to date.  In addition, it’s important for you to check to see that the information is correct (name spelled correctly, correct email address) so staff contacts don’t miss important communications from the agency. 

When you send an AskTED update using the All-In-One form, you should expect that the information will be updated in AskTED by the end of the next business day.  After that time, please check to verify that the information is updated correctly. If you notice that the information is not correct, please reach out directly to your school’s portfolio coordinator. 

Please note that some AskTED roles are required by statute for every Texas LEA, including: 

  • Cybersecurity Coordinator  
  • Foster Care Liaison  
  • Homeless Liaison  
  • Transition & Employment Designee 

In addition, there can only be one individual assigned to each campus principal role (assistant principals are not captured in AskTED), and there can only be one individual assigned to the superintendent role as well as the testing coordinator role at the LEA level.  Most other roles, including PEIMS coordinator, may have more than one individual assigned. 

Charter Amendments Update 

We have several exciting updates to share with you regarding charter amendments and waivers!  

Please note that because of the delay in the release of accountability ratings, the authorizing division is exploring options with our legal team on a strategy for expansion amendment consideration.  As soon as we have more information, we will share it with you. 

Revised Expansion and Non-Expansion Forms – Per your feedback, our amendment forms have been updated to allow the submission of multiple documents and have removed the attachment limitations associated with the previous forms.  You can access the updated non-expansion amendment form and expansion amendment form, along with other helpful resources, on our amendments and waivers webpage. 

Expansion Amendment Window Opens January 1 – The window to submit expansion amendments opens January 1 and closes March.  As a reminder, expansion amendments are requests from a charter to add a campus or site, increase the maximum approved enrollment, add additional ISDs to your approved geographic boundary, or add grade levels that are not already approved for the charter LEA.  

Amendment and Waiver Trainings - To assist charter operators in completing amendments and waivers, the portfolio team will be conducting two trainings in January, on Friday, January 12th from 10:00-11:00 a.m. and Friday, January 26th from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Charter superintendents and other administrative staff responsible for completing amendments and waivers are welcome to attend.  Both trainings are identical, so feel free to sign up for the training that best suits your calendar. Please note that registration is required. 

Amendment (and Renewal) Office Hours - We are excited to announce that we have established weekly “office hours” as an opportunity for charter staff to ask questions and receive clarifications about things related to amendments you are planning to submit (or have submitted) as well as to answer renewal questions if you are in the renewal process this year.  

These optional meetings are scheduled weekly on Tuesday afternoons from 1:00-3:00 p.m. now through Tuesday, March 24, 2024 (excluding December 26th). You can join at any time during the two-hour window and stay as long as you like.  The meetings are set up for you to breakout and have a private conversation with your coordinator.    

Zoom links for these office hours are as follows:  

Jeff Koch Jeffrey.Koch@TEA.Texas.gov    

A-D charter schools and Texas College Preparatory Academy, Premier High Schools, NYOS   

 Mercedes Coleman  Mercedes.Coleman@TEA.Texas.gov    

E-L charter schools and KIPP Texas Public Schools, BASIS Texas, School of Science and Technology, School of Science and Technology Discovery   

Zoom Link for all Tuesday 1:00-3:00 Office Hours   

  

 

Brittany Glenn  Brittany.Glenn@TEA.Texas.gov     

M-So charter schools and Harmony Public Schools 

 Laurie McIntyre  Laurie.McIntyre@TEA.Texas.gov     

Sp-Z schoolsGreat Hearts Texas, International Leadership of Texas, Uplift Education   

Zoom Link for all Tuesday 1:00-3:00 Office Hours   

Updated GTO Training –January 19, 2024 

If you are a charter board training provider, superintendent, officer, or someone who provides support to or wants to learn more about charters, please join us on Friday, January 19th, from 1:00-3:30 p.m. for Charter Governance Training Optimization (GTO) Version 2.0 training. If you are a current GTO training provider, feel free to attend as our GTO materials have been updated.   

GTO equips charter board members and school officers with high-quality materials developed by TEA in conjunction with the National Charter School Institute that are directly aligned with board and officer training requirements found in 19 TAC §100.1102-1105.  GTO covers a broad range of topics including: 

  • Why charter boards make a difference 
  • Board governance expectations and bylaws 
  • Implementing the goals of the charter contract 
  • Effective and efficient board meetings 
  • Evaluating academic performance 
  • Financial oversight and risk management 
  • Ensuring services to special populations 
  • School safety 
  • Tips for effective governance and continuous improvement.   

Please click on the registration link to join us on Friday, January 19th.  The training is fun, informative, and will be helpful to you in whatever role you serve with our Texas charters.  Please reach out to Bruce Marchand if you have any questions. 

Texas Authorizer Leadership Academy informational webinar and application opening for Spring 2024 Cohort

The Texas Authorizer Leadership Academy (TALA) is holding an informational webinar in January for the upcoming cohort. TALA is the program that serves as the Texas Education Agency’s authorizer development initiative.

Texas Partnerships (SB 1882) eligibility requirements state that there must be at least one district employee, employed prior to the district evaluation of the partnership, fully dedicated to overseeing the authorizing and ongoing monitoring of in-district charter schools. This employee must complete a TEA training program on authorizing and partnerships no later than one year from the date of benefits approval. The Texas Authorizer Leadership Academy (TALA) is the required training program.

A registration link is provided for the informational webinar about the upcoming sessions.

TALA orients district leaders to the work of authorizing and equips staff with the authorizing tools, practices, and resources that help increase the number and variety of high-quality, best-fit school options for students and families.

Created in partnership with the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA), TALA provides district leaders and staff with in-depth, context-specific learning opportunities they can translate directly into action.

Eligible applicants must work in a Texas independent school district with an active or aspiring authorizing office or Office of Innovation, be able to attend all scheduled TALA sessions, and work in a district that already has or is planning to launch SB 1882 partnerships, apply for School Action Fund grants, and/or System of Great Schools districts.

Participants are required to attend three in-person sessions and two virtual sessions over a 5-month period. The in-person sessions will take place in the San Antonio area.

TALA participants have no registration, tuition or materials fees associated with participation in the program. Participants will be able to submit travel, lodging, and meal expenses for reimbursement.

Please reach out to Mary Awalt if you have any questions. 

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 

NOTICE: The Texas Partnerships Benefits Application Package Priority Deadline 1 has been changed from December 15, 2023 to January 22, 2024. To be eligible to apply for the Charter School Program Start-Up Grant, a campus charter school must be authorized by the local board of trustees pursuant to TEC, Chapter 12, Subchapter C, on or before January 22, 2024, as a new charter school, or as a charter school that is designed to replicate a new charter school campus.

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 

January 22, 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 Monday, January 15, 2024, 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 Monday, January 22, 2024, 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 Monday, January 15, 2024 

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 Monday, January 22, 2024, 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: January 22, 2024
  • Priority deadline 2 (no pre-opening plan submission required): Friday, January 31, 2024 
  • Final deadline: March 29, 2024
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CHARTER SCHOOL TOOLBOX
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 Charter Renewal Information
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June 2023

Charter School Amendments and Waivers
June 2023

Charter School Governance Information

NEWS FROM AROUND THE AGENCY

Texas SPED Support Launch

Texas SPED Support launched in August 2023 and houses a suite of valuable TEA resources for educators, administrators, and support staff working with students receiving special education services.

Search Texas SPED Support by topic, type, or audience to find the TEA guidance documents, videos, tools and templates, online courses, and live events you need to support students with disabilities. Whether you’re looking for answers to specific questions or trying to find learning opportunities to extend your knowledge, Texas SPED Support has what you need.

New Science TEKS to be Implemented in 2024-2025

TEA highlights useful tools supporting pedagogy, lesson planning, and professional learning communities as campuses prepare for the new science TEKS. These resources are all linked on the TEA science webpage.

Science TEKS Side-By-Side documents are intended to support teachers' understanding of the upcoming changes to the science standards to be implemented in 2024.  While the current standards should continue to be implemented in the coming school year, these documents can help support educators by highlighting potential areas for teacher learning as they prepare for the revised TEKS.

Supporting Science TEKS with STEM One-pager documents are intended to support teachers’ understanding of STEM processes and how they are integrated into the newly adopted science standards.  Resources found here include an explanation of the engineering design process, evaluation tools, scientific and engineering perspectives on the upcoming recurring themes and concepts, and support for student development of scientific and engineering explanations.  Because these resources are useful across all units of study, they are an excellent starting point for teacher professional learning.

What’s New in Performance Reporting

A–F Accountability

Underlying Accountability Subset Data are Now Available (November 14, 2023)  

On Tuesday, November 14th in the To the Administrator Addressed (TAA) the agency announced the 2023 Accountability Reports and Data Tables and 2023 Accountability Data Downloads were posted in TEAL without scale scores or A–F ratings. This includes campus Comprehensive, Targeted, and Additional Targeted Support designations under federal accountability. The data relies on the methodology from the 2023 Accountability Manual, posted on October 31, 2023. The issuance of the A–F ratings under this final rule is pending and subject to change based on judicial rulings or decisions from the 88th Legislature during a special called session.   

District Results Driven Accountability (RDA) Reports are Now Available (November 16, 2023) 

On Thursday, November 16th the Notice of Review for Confidential Results Driven Accountability (RDA) Reports was announced in the To the Administrator Addressed (TAA). District RDA reports were published in TEAL. The 2023 Accountability Manual incorporates all information related to RDA, which was previously published in a separate rule. For more details on RDA please see Chapter 12 of the 2023 Accountability Manual. 

The 2023 review window closed on December 6, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. 

Comprehensive, Targeted, and Additional Targeted Support designations under federal accountability are Now Available (November 16, 2023) 

On Thursday, November 16th the public release of designations under federal accountability was announced in the To the Administrator Addressed (TAA). The release of designations is not subject to change pending judicial rulings. The School Improvement (SI) federal identification list is available to the public on the 2023 Accountability System webpage in order to comply with federal mandates. 

2023 Performance Based Monitoring (PBM) Leaver Records Data Validation Analysis are Now Available (November 17, 2023) 

The results of the 2023 PBM Leaver Records Data Validation analysis are available to districts in the form of a summary report and (as applicable) student-level data posted on the TEAL Accountability application (PBM tab). Posted reports only include those districts identified as a result of the 2023 PBM Leaver Records Data Validation analysis. A detailed description of the indicators examined in this year’s analysis can be found in the 2023 Leaver Records Data Validation Manual. 

Upcoming 2023 Performance Based Monitoring (PBM) Data Validation Release Dates 

District and student level data validation reports will be posted to TEAL Accountability, Performance-Based Monitoring, on the following dates: 

Discipline Data Validation: December 8, 2023Student 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. 

Fall 2023 PEIMS Submission Reminders  

The PEIMS Fall Snapshot is the source of several important pieces of data used for accountability calculations. Data collected during the Fall Submission is used to identify student characteristics to determine student groups, grade span for a campus, graduation type code, and a student’s continuously or non-continuously enrolled status. The CCMR Accountability Data Sources (texas.gov) provides additional information about the specific PEIMS elements and values used to identify students who have demonstrated college and/or career readiness through dual credit, industry certification, an associate degree, college prep courses, and special education graduates with an advanced graduation plan. 

The window for district submission, and correction if needed, of this data occurs during this school year.

Upcoming 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. As a reminder, districts are responsible for the accurate submission and timely verification of all TSDS PEIMS data submissions and data submitted to the Working File are not used in the accountability calculations. 

Summer 2023 CCMR PEIMS Review

For the 2022-23 school year, the finalized data for the Summer and Extended Year submissions became available on September 21, 2023, and October 19, 2023, respectively. The CCMR accountability data submitted in these collections includes elements related to dual credit, industry certifications, associates degree, and college prep courses. Although the corrections windows for these collections have closed, districts are encouraged to review these data. Please contact the Performance Reporting division at Performance.Reporting@tea.texas.gov for any assistance regarding the review of these final data for 2023 accountability (Class of 2023), in advance of the CCMR Verifier release later in 2024. 

Assessment Scoring and Reporting

Contact Texas Testing Support at 833-601-8821,TexasTestingSupport@cambiumassessment.com, or TexasAssessment.gov via live chat. Important Dates are available in the Calendar of Events.   

2022 - 2023 Performance Reporting Calendar 

August 23 

CCMR Final Student Listing (2022 Graduates including AEAs) 

September 12 

Consolidated Accountability File (CAF) shared with districts from Cambium in the Test Information Distribution Engine (TIDE) 

October 31 

Final 2023 Accountability Manual (All Chapters and Appendices) Released 

November 7 

2022 What If Ratings re-released, based on final manual (TEAL) 

November 14 

Release of the 2023 Accountability Reports and Federal Reports (TEAL) 

November 16 

Region and state-level raw data reports, slides summarizing the 2023 statewide raw data, and the School Improvement (SI) federal identification lists  

Delayed 

2023 A–F Refresh Parent Resources; Explanatory Materials; Videos Released; 

Delayed 

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

Delayed 

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

Delayed 

Preliminary Public Education Grant (PEG) List Posted 

Delayed 

Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR); School Report Card; and Federal Report Cards Posted 

Delayed 

Appeals Resolved; Final Ratings Posted 

Delayed 

Results Driven Accountability (RDA) Integration Taskforce Meeting 

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, 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

Texas Student Data System (TSDS) Upgrade Project

Background 

The TSDS Upgrade Project is a multi-year initiative to upgrade the Operational Data Store (ODS) and the Texas Education Data Standards (TEDS) to a current version of the Ed-Fi data standard. This initiative replaces the current Extensible Markup Language (XML) data extract provided by your source system vendors with Application Programming Interface (API) transactions for all TSDS data submissions beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. 

Impacts to Data Reporting 

This project significantly impacts how LEAs load and validate their data in TSDS. As a result of the upgrade, LEAs will no longer submit their TSDS data in the XML format. Student Information, Human Resource, Finance, and Early Childhood Data System Assessment source system vendors will be required to provide this data through API transactions based upon the Ed-Fi Standard v4 in the 2024-2025 school year. 

All source system vendors that TEA is aware of are in the process of changing their systems and testing in the 2023-2024 Parallel Submission year. All vendors are required to participate and test in the parallel year. Please contact your source system vendors directly to ensure their awareness and readiness of this upcoming change. Below is a link to the list of source system vendors TEA is currently collaborating with on this project: 

If your LEA currently contracts or provides their own solution to generate XML data files or your source system vendor is unaware of the upgrade project, please contact TSDSDeployment@tea.texas.gov immediately. Additional support and outreach will be provided by TEA to ensure an effective transition from XML data files to API transactions. 

Timeline 

2022-2023 School Year: TEA conducted a pilot program with various source system vendors and a limited number of LEAs to conduct initial testing. The pilot concluded in August 2023. 

2023-2024 School Year: TEA has established the Parallel Submission opportunity for over 300 participating LEAs to compare their XML data submissions against the API transactions provided by their vendor(s).  

2024-2025 School Year: The TSDS Upgrade Project will go live. All LEAs will be required to submit API transactions for their TSDS data submissions. XML data files will not be supported and accepted by TEA.

Parallel Submission 

For the 2023-2024 school year, TEA has established a comprehensive testing environment for participating LEAs to effectively compare XML data reporting against API transactions. LEAs will be able to verify the API transactions being provided by their source system vendors, participate in training opportunities being offered by their regional education service centers (ESCs), and submit direct feedback to TEA. XML will continue to be the official reporting for any LEA participating in the Parallel Submission.  

Data Changes and Requirements 

Refer to the Operational Data Store (ODS) Upgrade Texas Education Data Standards for changes to the TSDS Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) and CORE collections as a result of the TSDS Upgrade Project.  

For Further Information 

Learn more about the TSDS Upgrade Project by visiting our website: https://www.texasstudentdatasystem.org/tsds/about/tsds-upgrade-project 

If you have questions, please contact your supporting ESC or TEA at: TSDSDeloyment@tea.texas.gov.

Blended Learning PD Reimbursements for the 2023-2024 School Year

Blended learning combines online learning with face-to-face teacher-led instruction to effectively support differentiated instruction for all students. High-quality professional development (PD) for educators is a foundational component of successful blended learning (BL) implementation that leads to improved academic outcomes for students. To assist school systems in high-fidelity implementation of blended learning, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will reimburse school districts and open-enrollment charter schools (local educational agencies or LEAs) for blended learning professional development programs from qualifying providers. This funding is provided by Rider 49 of the General Appropriations Act of the 88th Texas Legislature.  

Qualified programs for 2023-2024 school year are the following:

UTeach Blended Learning Professional Development   

UT High School (UTHS) Blended Learning Professional Development 

  • UTHS offers online professional development courses facilitated by specialists with expertise in blended learning implementation for teachers and administrators. 
  • To request more information on BL courses, please visit at UT HS BL PD Courses.   
  • Contact at UTHSpartner@austin.utexas.edu or 512-232-3503 to schedule an appointment with a UTHS blended learning specialist. 

Note: This professional development is intended to align the core instructional content of the classroom with the online software component.  

Process for Approval of Reimbursements:    

  1. The LEA contacts the PD provider, completes provider-created readiness materials, and submits the list of educators to be enrolled in the program to the PD provider.   
  2. TEA and the PD provider will review a readiness assessment and approve LEA and educator eligibility for reimbursements.   
  3. Once approval is obtained, the LEA pays the cost of the selected program and educators begin the PD program; and   
  4. Upon verified educator completion of the program, TEA will reimburse the LEA.   

Please note:   

  1. Reimbursements will be approved based on the availability of funds and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.    
  2. For the 2023-2024 school year, PD programs must be completed by August 31, 2024, to be eligible for reimbursement.   

For additional information or assistance, please send an email to blendedlearning@tea.texas.gov.

Texas Mental Health Resource Database

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.

Military-Connected Students Webinar: Impact Aid 101

Did you know that federal lands like military installations, Indian Tribal lands, or lands purchased by the federal government to support major federal programs like NASA are not subject to local school property taxes? Ever wonder what happens to the loss of local property tax funding for school districts that have large areas of federal lands within their school district zone? Our next military-connected students webinar will help you learn more about the federal government's approach to providing aid directly to districts who are significantly affected by the responsibility to provide equitable educational experiences for federally impacted schools. Impact Aid provides funding to assist local education agencies in important areas including funding per federally-connected students, construction, special education services, etc.

Join us for our Impact Aid 101 webinar on December 5, 2023 at 10am. Our special guest for this webinar will be Dr. Billy Walker, Executive Director, Texas Association of Federally Impacted Schools (TAFIS). During the webinar, Dr. Walker will discuss a variety of topics related to Impact Aid including:

  • the history of Impact Aid;
  • eligibility for Impact Aid;
  • types of Impact Aid funding;
  • Impact Aid application timelines;
  • best practices for increasing Impact Aid Survey return rates;
  • effective uses of Impact Aid; and 
  • much more!

The webinar is open to all Texas public school district and open-enrollment charter campuses across the state. Seating is limited, so you must register to attend this informative webinar.

If you have any questions, please reach us via email at militaryconnectedstudents@tea.texas.gov.

Official Notification of the 2022–2023 Release of Final FIRST Ratings

Final 2022–2023 Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (FIRST) ratings based on fiscal year 2022 are now publicly available on the Texas Education Agency (TEA) website: 

A previous “To the Administrator Addressed” letter dated August 7, 2023, instructed your school district or charter school (local educational agency or LEA) to view its preliminary FIRST rating. The letter also provided information about the data the TEA analyzes to produce the rating and described the appeal process available to your LEA. This appeals process is now complete, and the FIRST ratings are final. 

Required Reporting 

Within two months of the release of its final FIRST rating, your LEA must announce and hold a public meeting to distribute a financial management report that explains the LEA’s rating and its performance under each indicator for the current and previous year’s ratings. The report also must provide the financial information described in 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §109.1001(q)(3). We encourage your LEA to include in the report additional information that will be beneficial to stakeholders, especially information explaining any special circumstances that may have affected the LEA’s performance under one or more of the indicators. 

The required newspaper notice to inform taxpayers of the meeting must be published no more than 30 days and no fewer than 10 days before the public meeting. Your LEA may combine the meeting with a scheduled regular meeting of the board of trustees. 

For full requirements related to the report and meeting, see 19 TAC §109.1001(q). For a template that your LEA can use in developing its financial management report, see the TEA School FIRST web page for school districts or Charter FIRST web page for charter schools. 

Accreditation Status 

Please note that the TEA considers an LEA’s FIRST rating when assigning an accreditation status, as required by the accreditation status rules in 19 TAC §97.1055. 

Contact for Further Information 

If you have questions about your LEA’s FIRST rating, please contact  financialaccountability@tea.texas.gov. 
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CHARTER SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT
June 2023

Academy of Accelerated Learning
June 2023

Every day is an exciting day in the lives our students at the Academy of Accelerated Learning, Generation 2, PK-8, a school where students have the opportunity to engage in a myriad of activities-- problem solvers, work as a team, competitions-- to achieve their full potential to become future leaders!

Do you have exciting news to share?

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