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September 2026

Special Education Newsletter

Announcements

Upcoming Special Education Funding Reporting Deadline

By the first PEIMS Attendance Submission reporting period (1st Six Weeks Attendance), due October 8, 2026, each school system is expected to review individualized education programs (IEPs) that are in place as of the first day of the 2026-2027 school year for at least 50 percent of their students receiving special education services and submit in PEIMS:

• the student’s tier of intensity,
• any applicable service group(s), and
• the average number of minutes per instructional day the student spends in a special education setting.

These data elements will be reported with a begin date of the first day of the school year. Once entered, these values, including the instructional arrangement/setting code, will remain in place with no end date unless the student’s specially designed instruction (SDI), as documented in the IEP, is revised.

By the second PEIMS Attendance Submission reporting period (2nd Six Weeks Attendance), due December 3, 2026, school systems must report data regarding a student’s eligible days present in the tier of intensity, applicable service group(s), and the average number of minutes per instructional day the student spends in a special education setting for students whose data was not included in the first Attendance Submission. 

Remember that, when using the special education funding tool available on Texas SPED Support, you can export the entered data into Excel. Any Excel spreadsheet created, however, does not equate to the data submission requirements described above. If your school system or student information system (SIS) vendor has questions about these submissions, Texas Student Data Systems (TSDS) teams are available to assist through the submission of a support ticket in the TSDS Incident Management System (TIMS) or by emailing TSDSCustomerSupport@tea.texas.gov.

Office hours are ending: For several months, TEA’s Office of Special Populations and Student Supports (OSPSS) has been holding twice weekly office hours on Thursdays from 9-9:30 am and 4-4:30 pm. To align with the first data submission, those office hours will end on October 8, 2026, with the 4 pm session. The team is available for questions at spedfunding@tea.texas.gov.

Updates for Special Educators, Administrators, and Other Professionals

Several Commissioner of Education rules were recently adopted and will become effective on October 4, 2026. Until October 4, when the rules will officially be posted in the Texas Administrative Code (TAC), you can view the rule text on the TEA website. In response, TEA developed this Back to School Updates newsletter to share highlights of some of the rule changes. The newsletter is not an exhaustive list or description of all rule changes, so please refer to the September 25, 2026, edition of the Texas Register for the full list of recently adopted rules.

Additional Funding Opportunity for 2026 Summer Special Education Data Support Grant Recipients

Districts that were approved for and received funding through the 2026 Summer Special Education Data Support Grant may apply for additional reimbursement if employee stipends paid for work performed outside of contract hours exceeded the amount originally awarded through the grant.

To be considered for supplemental funding, districts must submit documentation demonstrating that actual stipend expenditures exceeded the original grant award. Required documentation should include:

• A completed supplemental funding application  
• Assurances authorized by district official verifying that:
  • The submitted expenditures are accurate and allowable under the grant program.
  • The stipends were paid for work completed outside of employees' contracted work schedules prior to 8/31/2026.
  • The district has exhausted its original allocation for eligible stipend costs.
• Please feel free to reach out if you need help or have any questions at summerspedgrat@region10.org.

Upcoming Dates

• October 1: Learning Ally's dyslexia simulation session (see Department News for more information) 

• October 30: Last day of Learning Ally's Race to Read - Check out the Race to Read website for new book lists and classroom resources (see Department News for more information) 

Don't forget to check out TEA's Special Education Webinars and Newsletters website  for a list of upcoming events, previous webinar recordings, and past editions of the Special Education Newsletter.

In This Issue

• Day and Residential Applications in APEX
• Special Education Day and Residential Placement Programs: Texas Register Updates and Upcoming Effective Date
• The Importance of Progress Monitoring
• MTSS Resource Reminder: Updated Intervention Strategies and Student Records FAQs Available
• The Literacy Solution Supporting Educators and Empowering Students
• Celebrating Statewide Special Education Liaison Impact
• NATIONAL NEWS

DEPARTMENT NEWS

Day and Residential Applications in APEX

Local educational agencies (LEAs) who contract with day and residential programs for special education services are required to notify the TEA of these placements, via the APEX application in the Texas Education Agency Login (TEAL), at the time of placement and annually for the duration of placement.

For the 2026-2027 school year, the APEX system opened on Tuesday, September 1^st. The beginning-of-year application deadline (for continuing placements, summer 2026 placements, and August 2026 placements) is Monday, October 5^th. For new day and residential placements and changes of placement occurring after August 2026, applications or application revisions are due in APEX within 30 days of the placement or change of placement.

For questions about the day and residential application, please email SpedDayAndResidential@tea.texas.gov.

Special Education Day and Residential Placement Programs: Texas Register Updates and Upcoming Effective Date

The adopted updates to TAC §§89.1092 (Residential Placements) and 89.1094 (Day Placement Programs) are now available in the Texas Register for review and will take effect October 4, 2026. These changes establish updated requirements for special education day and residential placement programs serving Texas students with disabilities.

LEAs are encouraged to review the adopted rules and prepare for implementation. Beginning October 5, 2026, LEAs may not make a new initial placement in a day or residential placement program unless the program appears on TEA's approved provider list. This requirement applies to all new initial placements made on or after the effective date.

Additional information, implementation guidance, and approved provider resources will be available through TEA's day and residential placement program webpage and upcoming technical assistance opportunities.

Please contact the Day and Residential Team at SpedDayandResidential@tea.texas.gov with questions.

The Importance of Progress Monitoring

Learn the fundamentals of progress monitoring within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework. Designed for educators, administrators, instructional coaches, and interventionists, this course provides practical guidance on implementing progress monitoring within MTSS. Participants will explore assessment tools, data collection practices, and strategies for using student data to improve instructional and intervention decisions.

Enroll today to strengthen your data-based decision-making skills and learn how effective progress monitoring can improve student outcomes and support intervention success.

MTSS Resource Reminder: Updated Intervention Strategies and Student Records FAQs Available

TEA has developed updated FAQ documents to help LEAs and families better understand intervention strategies, parental notification requirements, and student records for students who are not eligible for special education. These resources serve as a reference for district and campus staff.

Please note: These FAQ documents replace the previous SB 1153 Frequently Asked Questions resources.

Available resources include:

• Questions and Answers: Intervention Strategies and Student Records (English)
• Preguntas y respuestas: estrategias de intervención y expedientes estudiantiles (Spanish)

These resources can be accessed on TEA's MTSS webpage under "Requirements and Frequently Asked Questions Relating to Intervention Strategies for Children Not Eligible for Special Education."

The Literacy Solution Supporting Educators and Empowering Students

Learning Ally partners with you to help eligible students build confidence and access the same content as their peers through TEA funded audiobooks. 

This Fall, Learning Ally Offers: 

• Race to Read: Continues through October 30th! Check out the Race to Read website for new book lists and classroom resources. 
• Professional Learning : Join us for an immersive dyslexia simulation on Oct 1st. This session offers an immersive dyslexia simulation to better understand student challenges, gain empathy, and refine your approach to literacy instruction. 
• Educator Coaching Sessions: Free sessions offered through November to help you identify eligible students, provide access and get students reading. 

New to Learning Ally? Get started today by enrolling for your TEA funded account through the Educator Access Form. 

Celebrating Statewide Special Education Liaison Impact

This summer, Statewide Special Education Liaisons were asked to support one of the most significant changes to special education in Texas: the transition to the new Special Education Funding Tiers of Intensity model. The work required liaisons to engage school system leaders, review complex funding resources and tools, and partner with local teams to develop strategies tailored to their unique contexts and needs. The funding model includes multiple tiers of intensity and service groups designed to align funding more closely with student needs.    The expectation was ambitious: liaisons were charged with helping school systems understand the new framework and develop plans for implementation within a compressed timeline. Not only did they meet the challenge, they eclipsed their goal.   Through intentional outreach, collaborative problem-solving, and trusted relationships with school system leadership, the liaison network helped drive participation from more than 350 school systems across Texas, creating momentum for a successful statewide transition. This accomplishment reflects more than effective outreach and strategic planning; it demonstrates the power of a statewide network of Special Education Liaisons who serve as trusted, boots-on-the-ground partners to school systems across Texas. Guided by design thinking, disciplined execution through 4DX, and deeply committed to building relationships, they embraced this challenge with confidence that their efforts would lead to meaningful outcomes. Their success is a testament to the power of collective efficacy. When talented professionals believe in their shared ability to make a difference and focus their collective genius on a common purpose, they can accomplish extraordinary things.   Their work serves as a reminder that success is rarely the result of a single effort. It is built through relationships, persistence, innovation, and a shared commitment to improving outcomes for all students.   Congratulations to our Statewide Special Education Liaisons for demonstrating that when collective expertise is focused on a common purpose, extraordinary results follow.

NATIONAL NEWS

Support Family Partnerships this School Year

Strong partnerships between schools and families are essential to supporting students who receive intensive intervention. This series of updated infographics developed by the National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) provides a high-level overview of intensive intervention, questions families can ask school teams, and practical tips for supporting their child. Spanish versions of all three infographics are also available on our website. 

Start the School Year Strong with Diagnostic Data

Now is the perfect time to learn more about the data-based individualization (DBI) process. NCII's new self-paced module, Collecting Diagnostic Data, focuses on collecting informal diagnostic data to guide intensification decisions within the DBI.

Time to complete this course is approximately 30 minutes.

English Learners with Disabilities: Supporting Young Children in the Classroom

This module from the IRIS Center offers an overview of young children who are English learners. Further, it highlights the importance of maintaining children's home language at the same time they are learning a new or second language, discusses considerations for screening and assessing these children, and identifies strategies for supporting them in inclusive preschool classrooms (est. completion time: 1.5 hours).

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The Texas Education Agency will improve outcomes for all public-school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.