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DEPARTMENT NEWS
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At the February 2, 2024 State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting, the SBOE approved for first reading and filing authorization changes to 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) 74.28. Included as a figure in 19 TAC 74.28 is the SBOE’s Dyslexia Handbook. While this rule and the accompanying figure are expected to be filed in the Texas Register soon, which will begin the official public comment period on the rule, the agency is posting the draft of the handbook in advance to give individuals ample time to review it.
TEA has developed a robust ecosystem of synchronous, asynchronous, and blended training opportunities to meet a variety of administrator, educator, and support staff needs. Many of our offerings include a coaching component implemented by all 20 education service centers (ESCs). Research tells us that ongoing coaching is essential for achieving practice change. And without ongoing coaching and practice opportunities, professional development is highly unlikely to lead to increased knowledge and skills to implement a new practice with fidelity. If you're interested in receiving training and coaching from our ESC partners, click on the button below to find your regional contacts for the topics you want to grow your skills in.
To really see the value in coaching, see what Texas teachers are saying after their coaching experiences.
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Julie Swendig was the most amazing instructor. I was shown the correct way to write a PLAAFP. I was so surprised how it should be don,e I left during lunch to show our superintendent the information that was being shared. I should have taken that training 20 years ago.
- teacher from region 18, SB IEP training
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Working with Amy Reeves on post-secondary goals, I am now able to evaluate the goals written in my district to better know what training is needed. I have been in Special Education for 18 years and thought I knew how to properly write these goals. She shared some minor tweaks to improve the quality of the goals and that made a big difference.
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Cindi Bowling was AMAZING. Every time I engaged in one of her training sessions, I left feeling renewed and ready to implement what I had learned. She is extremely personable and knowledgeable and makes it easy to approach her to ask for guidance. Her mode of delivery is hands down the very best I have encountered. She makes the content exciting and interesting and is very skilled at reading the room and making adjustments as the day progresses. These sessions have never felt rushed or hastily done. There is intention behind every word or phrase spoken and she truly maximizes the time that we have. I feel like my tool box is bolstered every time we meet, and I walk away feeling excited about what I am doing with a renewed sense of purpose.
- teacher from region 20, MTSS training
The 2024 - 2026 Innovative Services for Students With Autism Grantis now open for applications! This grant is available to all LEAs, with priority given to collaborations across LEAs. The purpose of this grant opportunity is to increase capacity across Texas schools to implement innovative programs that effectively serve students with autism ages 3-21. The application window closes on March 27, 2024.
TEA provides funding for all public and open-enrollment charter schools to support their struggling readers with the Learning Ally Audiobook Solution. Designed to align with your objectives, The Audiobook Solution will help your school fulfill the mandates outlined in Texas Sec 28.006* and enhance your commitment to supporting students dealing with dyslexia and reading challenges.
Elevate literacy scores across your school effortlessly by:
- Identifying and enrolling all eligible students.
- Motivating students to engage in reading at least three times a week, dedicating 20 minutes each day.
- Establishing reading goals and diligently monitoring progress toward success.
Learning Ally's audiobook solution helps striving readers, from grade school to high school access grade-level content with ease. By removing the barriers to reading, students are able to read and learn.
Already have a membership and interested in delving deeper? Connect with your State Advancement Specialist by emailing jhuff@learningally.org.
*Texas Sec. 28.006.g-2 mandates that a school district, in accordance with a notification program developed by the commissioner, notify parents or guardians of students identified with dyslexia or reading difficulties. The program by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission allows these students to borrow audiobooks free of charge.
The SSES application will be closing on March 15, 2024, and will re-open next school year on February 3, 2025. This is a one-time-only grant; if you have previously applied for or received an SSES grant, you will not be able reapply. The SSES program is a $1,500 online grant for parents/caregivers of eligible students served by special education and who are enrolled in a Texas public school. Families of eligible students can use the online accounts to shop the marketplace to obtain educational materials and resources, such as textbooks, curriculum, or technology devices, and/or services, such as additional speech therapy, tutoring, or other specific services.
The SSES+ Medically Fragile program will be ending on December 6, 2024. However, since the application closes on March 15, 2024, this will be the last time families can apply and take advantage of the SSES+ Medically Fragile program. Families that currently have SSES+ Medically Fragile accounts or apply before March 15, 2024, will have until December 6, 2024, to spend these funds. Students who would have qualified for the SSES+ Medically Fragile program will still be eligible for the SSES program if they have not previously received an account. The SSES+ Medically Fragile program is a $5,000 online grant for parents/caregivers of eligible students served by special education and determined as “Medically Fragile” by their ARD Committees and who are enrolled in a Texas public school. For more information about eligibility, go to our SSES+ Medically Fragile website.
SDI is changes to the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction students receive when students are eligible for special education and related services under the IDEA. SDI is tailored to address the impact a student's disability has on their learning and ensures the student can access the general education curriculum and make progress toward individualized education program (IEP) annual goals.
The SDI Field User Guides are intended to be a bridge between existing student support plans and the instructional content available within the high-quality instructional materials. Each section of the document provides ways to connect high quality instructional materials to student plans and leverage the tools found in the high-quality instructional resource. This document provides multiple ways to approach and plan for the provision of SDI and presents multiple lenses through which readers can examine the connections between the tools and content in high quality instructional resources and the components of SDI.
Each SDI Field User Guide provides examples of how to support students in content areas, sample students, prerequisite teaching strategies, and more. The guides also include examples of collaboration between professionals to support student growth and provide connections to the core content to provide the most robust instruction using each resource.
Literacy For All is a free, two-day training. Participants are eligible to earn 12 continuing professional education (CPE) credits upon completion. The course is offered as a hybrid session so participants around the state can participate virtually or in person. This training delves into the science of teaching reading and explores how cognitive processes impact learning foundational literacy skills.
Math For All is a free, one-and-a-half day training. Participants are eligible to earn 9 CPE credits upon completion. The course is designed to help educators build capacity in understanding how specific disabilities impact students’ learning of mathematics and is offered as a hybrid session so participants around the state can participate virtually or in person.
We are always looking for ways to connect with our partners in the field!
From site visits, to review opportunities, to focus groups, there are numerous ways to connect with TEA and support the field of education. If you are interested in participating in an engagement opportunities, sign up by clicking the button below.
Instructional Materials Review and Adoption (IMRA)
TEA is seeking educators and subject-matter experts across Texas to serve as instructional materials reviewers for the new IMRA review process.
Selected reviewers will earn extra income while making a statewide impact. Reviewers will work in small teams to conduct quality reviews and collaborate with other educators to produce ratings and reports for assigned reading language arts, phonics, and mathematics products. For our bi-weekly information sessions, sign up HERE.
If you or your colleagues want to participate in the IMRA review process, please apply today! To learn more about the IMRA process, visit our website.
State Assessment Educator Item Review Committees
Each year the TEA invites groups of Texas educators to provide feedback on the development of state assessments (STAAR, STAAR Alternate 2, and TELPAS) through educator committees across all assessed grades and content areas. Developing high-quality, aligned questions relies on the expertise and experience of Texas educators. Participants collaborate with other educators from across the state to review and approve each potential question for state assessments. TEA is currently accepting applications from all districts to participate in item review committees all subjects and grade levels.
If you know of any educators (including yourself!) who might be interested in participating in these review meetings, please encourage them to apply using the link below. Meetings are typically held during the spring and summer. If selected, an invite will be sent with all the logistical information.
The commitment is generally two to three days in Austin with all travel, accommodations, and substitute coverage paid for by TEA. All participants will earn Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
American Institutes for Research (AIR) and its partners are conducting a U.S. Department of Education-funded study on a program called Promoting Adolescents’ Comprehension of Text (PACT). PACT uses evidence-based social studies and literacy teaching strategies that over a decade of prior research has shown to improve students’ social studies content knowledge, literacy, and academic language. These strategies are incorporated into three existing American history units commonly included in 6th-9th grade social studies curriculum (Colonial America, Road to Revolution, and Revolutionary War).
Schools and districts that participate in this opportunity will receive all PACT materials (teachers’ guides, team-based learning activities, student books, and activity pages). Additionally, educators will be provided with a workshop that builds their capacity in the use of PACT strategies, job-embedded coaching, and compensation to support PACT implementation by social studies teachers. For this study, all PACT materials, professional development, and coaching activities are provided at no cost to the district. The flyer linked in the button below and study website provide brief overviews of the opportunity.
To learn more about participating, please contact pactlrecruitment@air.org or fill out the interest form and a team member will be in touch.
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