DEPARTMENT NEWS
Join us for an upcoming Training of Trainers (TOT) this summer designed to empower district and campus leadership teams in implementing a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). This TOT will guide participants through the five stages of MTSS implementation, equipping them with the tools and knowledge necessary to reduce barriers and ensure successful implementation across multiple levels.
This TOT is scheduled for June 17-18, 2025, in Austin, Texas. For more information and to register, visit this Texas SPED Support webpage. Registration will close Friday, April 18, 2025.
Aligned! 2025: From Child Find to IEP Implementation Conference which is held on July 30-31, 2025, is open for registration. Join education professionals from across the state for this exciting FREE virtual conference as we explore child find, evaluation, admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) supports, transition, and early childhood special education (ECSE) topics. The Aligned! 2025: From Child Find to IEP Implementation conference provides expertise, best practices, and networking supports to assist public school district and charter schools. Participants can earn up to 12 continuing education units (CEUs)!
Audience:
Educational Diagnosticians
School Psychologists
Speech-Language Pathologists
Transition specialists and teachers
ECSE specialists and teachers
Dyslexia specialists and teachers, including providers of dyslexia instruction
Special Education Teachers
Administrators
ARD committee managers/facilitators
New: 185 Deafblind EC-12 and 186 Special Education Specialist EC-12 TExES Exam Preparation Manuals Now Available
The Preparation Manuals for the 185 Deafblind EC-12 and 186 Special Education Specialist EC-12 exams are now available on the Texas Educator Certification Examination Program website. Preparation manuals include:
- Aligned examination framework
- Approaches to answering different question types
- Sample selected-response questions
- In-depth rationales for correct and incorrect responses
- Sample constructed response question, sample responses, and rationales
-
List of preparation resources
New: 186 Special Education Specialist EC-12 Preparation Manual Overview and Constructed Response Item Spring 2025 Capacity Building Opportunities
As we approach the September 2025 launch of the 186 Special Education Specialist EC-12 certificate and aligned certification exam, we are excited to launch a series of spring capacity building sessions reviewing available exam preparation materials as well as the 186 Special Education Specialist EC-12 exam Constructed Response Item (CRI). Please review the information below for additional details.
What? The 186 Special Education Specialist EC-12 spring capacity building webinar series will consist of three virtual sessions throughout the Spring 2025 semester:
-
186 Special Education Specialist EC-12 Preparation Manual Overview Webinar
- This webinar will guide programs through an overview of the 186 Special Education Specialist EC-12 exam preparation manual, including suggested approaches for selected response items (SRIs), cluster items, and sample CRI responses. This session will be recorded and available for those who cannot attend.
-
186 Special Education Specialist EC-12 Constructed Response Item Deep Dive Webinar and Work Sessions
- The 186 Special Education Specialist EC-12 CRI Deep Dive Webinar and Work Sessions will provide programs an overview of the constructed response item, including the CRI prompt and exhibits candidates can expect to engage with on the exam. Programs will also have an opportunity to work in collaborative groups to review sample CRI responses, share best practices for candidate success on the constructed response item, and discuss curriculum updates. These two identical sessions will be highly interactive! Attending and/or viewing the 186 Preparation Manual Overview webinar prior to work session attendance is strongly encouraged.
Who? These webinars and work sessions are intended for special education faculty, staff, and/or other individuals responsible for supporting the preparation of special education candidates. Programs are highly encouraged to attend the sessions that best suit their availability.
When and Where?
-
186 Special Education Specialist EC-12 Preparation Manual Overview Webinar
- Wednesday, March 26, 2025
- 9:30-11:30 AM CST, via Zoom
-
Register Here
-
186 Special Education Specialist EC-12 Constructed Response Item Deep Dive Webinar and Work Session (Option 1)
- Wednesday, April 9, 2025
- 9:00-11:00 AM CST, via Zoom
-
Register Here
-
186 Special Education Specialist EC-12 Constructed Response Item Deep Dive Webinar and Work Session (Option 2)
The Determining the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) in Preschool guidance document has been posted to Texas SPED Support. This document is intended to provide local educational agencies (LEAs) with information on LRE, continuum of services and placement determinations to support educators and ARD committee members in understanding early childhood educational environments and making informed decisions for students ages 3 through 5 and not in kindergarten who receive ECSE services.
Continue the reading momentum with Learning Ally's "Spring into Reading" collection of valuable resources to support spring book clubs and National Poetry Month while encouraging students to continue on their learning journey this spring. Let's work together to ensure every eligible student is actively reading and thriving with Learning Ally in three simple steps!
-
Log in and sort your dashboard by “Pages Read” to see who could use a boost of engagement!
-
Load up student bookshelves with popular titles from our newest book lists!
-
Empower Students to Reach their Reading Goals with poetry challenges, reading choice boards and graphic organizers from our Spring into Reading program landing page!
New to Learning Ally and need an account? Get started by enrolling for your free account through the Educator Access Form.
Program Map
This map represents Special Education Support Programs for Students with Intensive Needs in Texas. It includes special education support programs (e.g., self-contained classrooms and multi-district classrooms) as options for students with intensive needs. The map showcases information provided by Special Education Directors of LEAs and fiscal agents of shared service arrangements (SSAs) from across Texas who participated in the annual map survey.
Program Survey
TEA's Special Education Small and Rural Schools project is gathering information on the use of specialized programs (such as self-contained classrooms or multi-district classrooms) as a program option for students with intensive needs.
The TEA would like to invite all current Special Education Directors to participate in filling out the annual survey. By sharing information and confirming specifics about your programs in your LEA/SSA (that you are the fiscal agent of), your data will be reflected on the Statewide Program Map. The survey will be open each Winter/Spring will take approximately 3-5 minutes. The survey is currently open until April 30th, 2025.
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.
TEA is looking to grow its pool of qualified monitors and conservators to help the state’s school districts and charter networks remedy issues related to governance, accreditation, academic performance, financial accountability, or other special investigations. Monitors, conservators, and management teams provide leadership, guidance, and support to school systems working to overcome historical systemic challenges and operate effectively and sustainably to improve student outcomes. Monitors and conservators are appointed, as needed, by the Commissioner of Education. If you are interested and would like access to the job description, would like to recommend a colleague, or apply for a monitor and conservator appointment by the commissioner, please visit www.tea.texas.gov/mc-appointments for more information!
Communicating with Children who are Deafblind
|
The latest professional development module in the “Teaching Children Who Are Deafblind” series is now available. “Communicating with Children Who Are Deafblind” explores the many ways children who are deafblind communicate and provides essential information, strategies, and detailed examples. Like other modules in this series developed by the National Center on Deafblindness, it was specifically designed for professional development providers to use in training programs and courses.
|
IRIS Modules Revised and Updated
IRIS has overhauled one of its modules and updated a few others:
Resource for Microsoft Excel Accessibility
People everywhere use Microsoft Excel to store, manage, track, analyze, and visualize data. To ensure the quality and usefulness of this information, it must be accessible to all.
The Rhonda Weiss Center developed the Document Accessibility Guide: Microsoft Excel with key strategies to create and format accessible Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. The guide includes detailed descriptions, as well as examples from IDEA Part C and Part B Child Count Excel spreadsheets.
|
