DEPARTMENT NEWS
Are you looking for that perfect tool to use with your students and don't have time to create your own? Well look no further than the Autism Toolkit! While this collection of tools was developed for teachers working with students with Autism, they can be helpful for any student who is struggling. This toolkit includes visual cards, mini schedules, data collection tools, and so much more. Visit Texas SPED Support and find the tool that fits your need now!
This quick guide highlights key points and important resources for local education agencies (LEAs) to consider for children with disabilities enrolled by their parents/guardians in private elementary and secondary schools located in the LEA.
The focus of this course is how to use progress monitoring data to inform decision making. The course is designed for teachers, staff and administrators of K-12 schools, as well as ESC staff.
After engaging in this course, learners should be able to do the following:
- Explain how decision rules, considering level, trend, and variability, can be used to determine whether a student is responding to intervention.
- Interpret and handle variable data from curriculum-based measurements.
- Generate a hypothesis based on collected data to identify instructional changes to increase the effectiveness of intervention.
- Explain various ways intervention can be intensified.
SPEDTex has a new page of transition resources to help families plan for their child’s transition to life outside the public school system. Under Texas law, not later than when a student reaches 14 years of age, the admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee must consider and, if appropriate, address transition services for a child served by special education. Families can come to the ARD meeting with a vision for their child in adulthood and questions about any areas where more information is needed. This website includes a collection of videos, guides, checklists, and documents to provide helpful transition planning resources for families at any stage (from early childhood to high school graduation). Explore and share these resources today.
The SSES application is now closed for the 2023-2024 school year. We are no longer accepting applications for either grant program; and the SSES+ Medically Fragile program will permanently end after its final spending deadline, December 6, 2024. The main SSES application will re-open next school year on February 3, 2025. SSES eligibility has not changed – it is still a first-come, first-served, one-time grant for students enrolled in a Texas public school who receive special education services. If your student has previously been awarded an SSES or an SSES+ Medically Fragile account, you will not be able to apply again. If you would like to receive SSES email updates on the new application window and program information, please fill out the interest form below to join the email list. If you would like to receive updates in Spanish, please fill out the SSES Spanish Interest Form.
The TEA has partnered with the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) to offer UNLIMITED access to ATIA online courses for all educators, support staff, and parents serving students across Texas.
These online education programs include live and recorded versions by national experts on a variety of topics across the spectrum of the assistive technology industry sectors. Online courses are 60 and 90 minutes in length. Complimentary CEUs are available for completion of these programs. In addition to the stand-alone sessions, Texas specific bundles have been created to guide users through learning pathways to meet professional or tool specific needs.
Visit the Texas ATIA subscription page and use access code PD24INCLUSIONTX to take advantage of these resources.
Are you an administrator supporting classrooms unique to special education? Instructional Leadership Tools for Inclusion, Early Childhood, and Behavior can be found on the Texas SPED Support Website. The Tools are intended to assist LEA administrators with information and evidence to support performance evaluations for teachers of students with disabilities served in inclusive classroom settings. They are not intended to supplant any documents or resources adopted by the LEA to support the employee evaluation process. The considerations and discussion points provided are designed to help administrators guide their own thinking, teacher thinking, and purposeful conversations. This tool is designed to align with Domains 1-3 of the T-TESS evaluation system. It is recommended for use in any stage of the T-TESS process, especially during the Pre-Evaluation Conference and Post Evaluation Conference meetings.
As spring approaches, Learning Ally would like to encourage our students to continue their reading journey. We offer a vast library of audiobooks specifically designed to support students with dyslexia, visual impairments, and other reading barriers.
A Few of the Key STAAR Aligned Features: Watch this short video to see all of the special features available when using the Audiobook Solution. Learning Ally has specialized features aligned with STAAR requirements, designed to elevate your students' preparation and performance.
We are excited to offer Educator Rapid Coaching Sessions. If you're not yet familiar with Learning Ally or don't have an account, don't worry! You can easily enroll at no cost by visiting the Texas Landing Page. From there, you can register to attend an Educator Coaching Session, where you'll receive personalized guidance on how to effectively use Learning Ally to support your students' reading goals.
Let's make this spring a time of adventure, imagination, and growth through the power of reading with Learning Ally!
The Instructional Routines for Mathematics Intervention provide educators with FREE materials to use when providing intervention to students who experience difficulty with mathematics. The routines address content included in the grades 3-8 Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). There are 23 modules that include routines and examples – each focused on different mathematical content. Designed for Texas teachers and aligned with the TEKS, these 23 modules are focused on different mathematics content and are designed for grades 2 through 8.
These modules feature:
- Step-by-step routines for explicit teaching of mathematics content
- Vocabulary Cards with visuals that can be easily displayed in the classroom
- Problem Sets over 50 ready-to-use problems for each module
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 any 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.
Multi-Tiered System of Supports for Multilingual Learners: Using Culturally and Linguistically Aligned Practices
This new brief from the National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) highlights how to use culturally and linguistically aligned (CLA) strategies to support multilingual learners with a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) framework. It includes a case study showing MTSS implementation through a CLA lens for a school with a large Spanish-speaking student population.
Features of Explicit Instruction Self-Paced Learning
The first two modules in NCII’s course content focused on Features of Explicit Instruction have been adapted into self-paced modules available within the NCII and PROGRESS Center’s Learning Module Library. These modules include video lectures, activities, and checks for understanding.
The available modules are Modeling and Practicing to Help Students Reach Academic Goals (approximately 5 hours to complete) and Supporting Practices: Using Effective Methods to Elicit Frequent Responses (approximately 5.5 hours to complete). Users can choose to complete the modules in one sitting or return at a later time to pick up where they left off. At the completion of each module, users can receive a module completion certificate. The remaining two modules in the series are coming soon!
Empowering Learning: Technology, Equity, and Access
The Office of Educational Technology (OET) and the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) recently released two documents to boost and promote learning success for all students. The Dear Colleague Letter and Myths and Facts Surrounding Assistive Technology Devices and Services aim to increase understanding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act’s requirements regarding AT devices. In addition, OET released the National Educational Technology Plan, which calls upon all involved in American education to ensure equity of access to transformational learning experiences enabled by technology.
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