DEPARTMENT NEWS
The Autism Circuit Academy (ACA) Spring 2025 cohort application opened October 15th and closes December 15th. The ACA has been redesigned to offer separate fall and spring cohorts. Participants also have the option to enroll in both cohorts for a full year of training and coaching on evidence-based practices for students with autism. The ACA is free for educators across Texas who are employees of an LEA.
TEA will soon be sending STAAR Alternate 2 notices to LEAs that had participation rates over one percent last year. These LEAs are required to complete the STAAR Alternate 2 Justification and Assurance Form. For questions about the notices or completing the form, please contact the TEA Student Assessment Division using the Student Assessment Help Desk or emailing assessmentwaiver@tea.texas.gov.
TEA in collaboration with their grantee is providing training of trainers (TOTs) for ESC evaluation and standards-based individualized education program (SB IEP) trainers/coaches and dyslexia specialists on the Navigating the SB IEP Process for Students with Dyslexia synchronous course. Watch your ESC’s calendar for when this training will be offered in your region. This training applies the standards-based process for IEPs to developing present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) statements, writing annual goals, determining specially designed instruction (SDI), and progress monitoring goals for students with dyslexia. Case studies and examples are provided.
Participants may now take the updated Standards-Based Individualized Education Program (SB IEP) Process Training in person by finding a trainer at their regional ESC.
The intent of this training is to provide participants with an understanding of the SB IEP process for gathering student data, including the full individual and initial evaluation (FIIE), developing the student’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) statement, drafting measurable annual goals with short-term objectives/benchmarks, if appropriate, determining what specially designed instruction is needed, and creating a data collection system for monitoring progress on the annual goals.
This course is approved for 12 hours of continuing education credit by the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association (TSHA). TSHA approval does not imply endorsement of course content, specific products, or clinical procedures. Instructions for claiming TSHA continuing education credit will be provided at the end of this course.
Meaningful Access ensures that students with disabilities who receive special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) have equal opportunities to engage with and make progress in the general education curriculum and environment. This concept is deeply rooted in inclusive practices, which involve intentional, systematic actions designed to meet the individual needs of each student. Inclusion is achieved when these practices are implemented with fidelity, allowing students with disabilities to learn, participate, and make progress alongside their peers without disabilities in a meaningful and equitable manner throughout their entire school experience.
The NEW Meaningful Access Collection is a comprehensive suite of resources designed to support educators, instructional leaders, and support staff in implementing inclusive practices. These tools help ensure that students with disabilities have equitable access to the general education curriculum. The collection includes guidance on collaborative instruction, specially designed instruction (SDI), and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), with a strong emphasis on building effective partnerships. Take a look at the Meaningful Access Collection today!
The NEW SDI Field User Guides for Bluebonnet Learning K-5 Reading Language Arts (RLA), K-5 Mathematics, and Secondary Mathematics offer multiple entry points for approaching SDI and help educators make meaningful connections between the tools and content in the instructional materials and the core components of SDI: content, methodology, and delivery of instruction. Whether you're a classroom teacher, instructional coach, or administrator, these resources are designed to support thoughtful planning and inclusive instruction.
Leaves are falling and a new reading adventure is calling! Learning Ally’s Fall into Literacy program helps students, educators, and families stay engaged with reading through curated book lists, fun challenges, and seasonal activities throughout November. Our Fall into Literacy website is packed with resources to keep the love of reading alive all season long.
Utilize these resources to:
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Keep momentum going in your classroom with engaging activities, reading challenges, and a special “Stories Around the Campfire” virtual event.
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Inspire your students with new books and a chance to win prizes.
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Help families connect through our "Reading is S'More Fun Together" packet.
Be sure to check out our Texas landing page for exclusive Spotlight On Dyslexia “Diving Deeper” professional learning sessions and educator coaching sessions to level up your Learning Ally expertise.
New to Learning Ally and need an account? Get started by enrolling for your free account through the Educator Access Form.
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. This grant will be available to Texas school districts and open-enrollment charter schools, with priority given to collaborations across school systems. The application window will open in early spring 2026. Visit the Texas SPED Support Opportunities page for additional information and updates once the grant application is open.
The Texas Continuing Advisory Committee (CAC) for Special Education is looking for additional members! The CAC is the state advisory panel required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The CAC consists of members from around the state who fulfill specific roles as outlined in IDEA and state law. These members are appointed by the Office of the Governor for staggered terms of four years with the terms of half of the members expiring every two years. A majority of the members of the CAC must be individuals with disabilities or parents of children with disabilities.
We are always looking for ways to connect with our partners in the field!
Whether through site visits, collaborative review opportunities, or 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.
Five Considerations that Educators Can Employ for Accelerated Learning
This Fast Five defines the role of accelerated learning to support all students, but specifically students with disabilities. It provides considerations and ideas to support LEA’s to plan for and implement accelerated learning.
Guiding Questions: The FAIR Test
This resource provides guiding questions to help you select the best intervention for your student or group of students that are feasible to implement, acceptable for stakeholders, show a potential for impact and are relevant in your context.
This resource is a companion to Three Circles of Evidence-Based Decision Making to Support Students with Disabilities, which describes a process for collecting information and making decisions about interventions for students.
Functional Behavioral Assessment: Identifying the Reasons for Student Behavior
These modules from the IRIS Center explore the importance of discovering the reasons that students engage in challenging behavior and outlines steps for conducting a functional behavioral assessment (FBA). It is recommended to complete Behavioral Principles: The Basics of Understanding Student Behavior prior to beginning either FBA module.
Behavioral Intervention Plans: Developing a Plan to Address Student Behavior
These modules explore the steps for developing a behavioral intervention plan (BIP). They include identifying appropriate behaviors to replace the interfering behavior, selecting and implementing interventions that address the function of the behavior, monitoring students’ responses to the interventions, and making adjustments based on the data.
It is recommended to complete the FBA and Behavioral Principles modules previously linked in this newsletter.
Data-Based Individualization Hypothesis Development Tool
Analyzing diagnostic data is a critical step of the data-based individualization (DBI) process. In this step, educators review data to help generate a hypothesis for why a student has not yet responded to the intervention and determine the necessary adaptations to improve student outcomes.
This interactive tool designed by the National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) can assist educators in developing a hypothesis to explain why a student has not made adequate progress in an academic intervention and to help identify next steps for intensifying the intervention. Use this tool before or during a DBI team meeting to develop an initial hypothesis or to refine or change an existing hypothesis.
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