DEPARTMENT NEWS
As required by Texas Education Code §29.0113, Texas public schools must provide information about the options available through the Texas Driving with Disability initiative. Resources have been published on the TEA website to support schools in sharing information, as appropriate, including a guide for families that can be printed and shared.
Texas students with visual, physical, or reading disabilities can receive free library services through the Talking Book Program (TBP)! TBP has books and magazines available in audio, braille, and large print formats. And through TBP, students can access the Braille Audio and Reading Download service (BARD), which offers over 150,000 titles. These titles download straight to a phone, tablet, or computer with no wait times or due dates.
TEA is partnering with Learning Ally to provide free access to human-read audiobooks for eligible students from K-12 local education agencies (LEAs). Enroll for an educator account by completing the Educator Access Form.
Get Your Engines Started! Learning Ally is excited to announce their Race to Read Competition running from now until October 31, 2024! Race to Read is a dynamic, school-wide challenge designed to boost student reading and foster a love for learning across campuses. No registration is needed since all students with a Learning Ally account are eligible!
Important Dates:
-
September 9: Competition Begins
-
October 31: Competition Ends
-
September 9- November 4- Check your inbox for weekly emails that include valuable resources, updates, and deadlines
-
November 8: Winner emails sent out
-
November 11: Deadline to complete the Winner Acknowledgement Form
-
December 2: Prizes mailed out
Let’s Race to Read and make a difference in students’ lives!
The Texas Leaders and Educators Addressing Disproportionality in Special Education (LEADS) project is pleased to announce the launch of the 2024 fall workshop series designed to extend your capacity to address issues of significant disproportionality among students receiving special education services.
Participants will learn from expert presenters, participate in collaborative activities to better understand contributing factors to significant disproportionality, learn strategies for addressing significant disproportionality, and engage in small group discussions with other LEA staff with similar significant disproportionality designations. Participants will leave each workshop motivated to become champions of this work in their LEA and equipped with the tools and resources to help address significant disproportionality.
Participants will gain knowledge and skills in:
- understanding significant disproportionality in discipline, identification/representation, and placement of students receiving special education services,
- understanding the data analysis process needed to address disproportionality,
- identifying contributing factors to disproportionality, and
- developing strategies to address significant disproportionality in their LEA.
Who Should Attend?
LEA staff who want to learn more about addressing significant disproportionality and have received a determination of significant disproportionality for one or two years are encouraged to attend this workshop series. Ideally, each participating LEA would engage a team of stakeholders with diverse perspectives and expertise to join the workshop series together to maximize the learning opportunities and thoughtfully plan next steps for acting on the learning after each session.
Registration Information
Three two-part workshops will be presented in this series. Participate in all workshop sessions or choose the ones that most closely align with the issues of significant disproportionality that your LEA needs to address.
Exploring Practices: Significant Disproportionality in Discipline
Exploring Practices: Understanding Significant Disproportionality in Identification/Representation
Exploring Practices: Significant Disproportionality in Placement
Effective selection of assistive technology (AT) requires an understanding of the functional impact of a disability on a student’s ability to perform tasks. Soon you will be able to explore the Texas AT Support website, a vast library of essential tools and support for educators to enhance learning for students with diverse needs. You’ll discover valuable information on how to integrate these assistive technologies effectively, including guides on selecting the right tools, training materials for both students and staff, and examples of best practices.
Check out the topic "Assistive Technology" on Texas SPED Support in the coming weeks to explore what Texas AT Support has to offer.
HHSC Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DHHS) will host several webinars open to the public throughout Sept - Nov 2024. See below for more information and registration links for each event. Each registration link leads to a detailed description of the training event. Please share this announcement with anyone who might be interested. Email questions to DHHS Training & Education.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) program’s proposed amendments to the Texas Administrative Code (TAC) were published in the Texas Register on Sept. 13, 2024. HHSC ECI is accepting comments from stakeholders on the proposed rule amendments to 26 TAC, Part 1, Chapter 350, relating to ECI services through Oct. 14, 2024.
Proposed ECI Rules
To read the proposed ECI rules, visit the Texas Register.
Oral Comments at the ECI Advisory Committee Meeting
Oct. 8, 2024, 1 p.m.
Information for this hearing, including the location and a detailed agenda, will be available soon on the ECI Advisory Committee website.
Written Comments
HHSC will also accept written comments on the proposed amendments to the rules. These may be submitted at the public hearing, by mail or email. Written comments must be received by 5 p.m. on Oct. 14, 2024.
Health and Human Services Commission
Early Childhood Intervention Program
4601 W. Guadalupe Street
Mail Code 3029
Austin, Texas 78751
eci.policy@hhsc.state.tx.us
Additional Information
Additional tips for submitting comments and information about the rules process can be found on the HHS Rulemaking website.
A huge shoutout to all the educators who #TIERed across Texas to join us for the Pave the Way With MTSS (multi-tiered system of supports) summer 2024 training-of-trainers for district leadership teams! It was an incredible time filled with learning, collaboration, and valuable discussions. We also had participation from the TIER cohort and ESCs from multiple regions. Thank you for your dedication to making a difference for our students!
|
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 engagement opportunities, sign up by clicking the button below.
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.
National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) to commemorate the many contributions of people with disabilities to America’s workplaces and economy. The theme for NDEAM 2024 is “Access to Good Jobs for All.” The resources on the NDEAM website can help organizations -- from employers and employees, educators and youth service professionals, policymakers, associations and unions, disability-related organizations, and federal agencies— to take part in NDEAM 2024.
Progress Monitoring Workshop Series
Are you interested in enhancing your progress monitoring skills to better tailor instruction to student needs? Join National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) experts for the final session of their Progress Monitoring workshop series!
|
