Education Service Center Region XIII Page 4 of 4

Public Input & Information Meeting January 23, 2009

Indicators 1 and 2: Graduation and Dropout

Question: When it becomes apparent that a student with disabilities may not graduate, what can schools, parents, and the communities do to prevent the student from dropping out?

Submitted to TEA as priority comments from Region XIII Stakeholders:

16 / Offer more non-traditional delivery options: flexible hours, on-line courses, weekends, etc.
9 / Funding for (non-ESY) Year long support to allow students to have extra instructional time within four years.
8 / Career & technology—CTE and vocational courses made mandatory at every campus with funding and supports.
7 / Working with person centered plans and visual transition plans and with follow-up support.
6 / Mandatory individual Transition Plans (not IEP) should be separate from IEP, put in place by age 14, should include the student’s input and participation (formerly a requirement).
/ Additional comments submitted by Region XIII Stakeholders: /
5 / Early intervention, continuity of services and academic rigor.
4 / Mandatory certified special education teachers and certified bilingual teachers early (PPCD). Person providing bilingual special education support must be certified (teachers not paras).
3 / Identify collect, analyze underlying causes for students dropping out and then develop targeted solutions.
3 / Better training for pre-service special education teachers such as an interventions course.
2 / More counselor involvement/A special education counselor to work with our students.
2 / Rather than staying in the classroom, more community based instruction should be mandatory.
2 / More supports for students in grades 6-8 plus student mandatory transition planning by 14.
2 / More support in Career & Technology Programs to support teachers who work with students with disabilities.
2 / Stop retention at earlier grades.
1 / More integrated general education classroom support through special education co-teachers or counselors so students can be academically and socially successful within the campus community and the local community.
1 / Let families know sooner about the graduation requirements and the available resources if issues were to occur.
Sooner/early connection with students and community to find and build on passions/abilities for life after high school.
At end of 8th grade, create small academies for any at risk students. These academies incorporate extra mentoring and other supports to ensure success.
Providing or using more mentoring through community resources.
Have someone individually meet with students to develop their four-year plan
More graduation options.

Indicator 4: Suspension and Expulsion

Question: How can school personnel and parents work together to find appropriate options to disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP) placements for students with disabilities?

Submitted to TEA as priority comments from Region XIII Stakeholders:

15 / Mandatory (+ funding) curriculum for social skills, including parents, and regular educators.
07 / Pre- and in-service training for teachers on culturally responsive pedagogy.
06 / Educate students with individualized instruction on content and consequences of student code of conduct, emphasize application to all.
06 / Monitoring and accountability for providing positive behavior supports. Documentation and process should be in place before DAEP placement.
05 / Pre-service mandate/funds to take significant preparation in discipline and behavior at college when getting any teaching degree.
/ Additional comments submitted by Region XIII Stakeholders: /
05 / Need transition between school DAEP to address the behavior. St/parent come to a class—learn about the consequences of the behavior. Also have restitution as part of this process.
05 / To explore activities such as person-centered planning to get “at-risk” students involved in their goals for life. PCP process should help students feel more invested in their own education.
04 / To include social skills to the curriculum that teachers are teaching—a way to develop relationships with students—to infuse into general education classes. Counselor may come in to help with this. / STAR
student
teacher
acting
responsibly
04 / Training and information for parents of students in special education regarding discipline policy and additional considerations for their child due to the disability/special education eligibility.
02 / Monitoring and implementation of Personal Graduation Plan for students with persistent misconduct (discretionary placement issues).
02 / An administrator should be put in place at a “high level” (assistant superintendent) for the district, to study and analyze behavior and discipline (for the sake of consistency).
01 / For any student who is capable, involve them in development of their own BIP.
01 / All staff should get training in SAMA-type training to learn how to approach students who are upset.
01 / Early intervention using tools such as BIPs proactively and relevant instruction.
01 / DAEP placements are not appropriate for students with disabilities. They need to be placed in a setting where people have specialized training.
01 / Administrative analysis to identify needed structure and supports (such as mentoring, smaller class, peer support, mentoring) on general education campus/classes to prevent disciplinary issues.
Expectation students will follow the code of conduct from the beginning, not when it reaches crisis proportions.
Mandatory programs on campus for “at-risk” students with disabilities separate from programs for “at-risk” students without disabilities.
Students with disabilities should be included as part of the disciplinary procedures for DAEP because outside of school they will be held accountable.
Provision of community/agency support in developing and problem-solving behavioral interventions and person centered planning.

Indicator 8: Parent Participation

Question How can school personnel and parents work together to encourage and strengthen parent involvement in the ARD process?

Submitted to TEA as priority comments from Region XIII Stakeholders:

16 / Funding mandatory parent training upon admission to special education or transfer
1) special education process framework and goals
2) rights and responsibilities
3) district organization and resources
4) special education acronyms and definitions
12 / Hold a mandatory1 pre-ARD meeting2, 3 with the parent and case manager to preview the IEP and discuss how the parent can actively participate during the ARD meeting.
1only for annual ARDs
2including evaluation, reports, BIP, any official reports, transition goals, post secondary
3thirty days in advance (may be more than one meeting)
10 / Keep ARDs strengths based and student centered and involve the student as much as possible.
08 / Parent liaisons—In all districts to provide continuing support and education to parents.
05 / Funding for communities and schools’ programs
> full service schools
> to include child care and food
/ Additional comments submitted by Region XIII Stakeholders: /
04 / Give draft of IEP to parent to take home to review before signing. Have opportunity to discuss and revise before signing.
04 / Statewide funding network/pool of certified people who have been training/approved to serve as certified interpreters with proper funding.
02 / Mandate a time frame when assessment reports must go to parents prior to ARD (annual).
02 / Qualified interpreters for parents who speak a language other than English and written reports should be provided in their native language.
01 / Should not hold ARDs without parents especially those who don’t speak English.
01 / Staff training on grief process and cross cultural sensitivity.
01 / Hold ARDs at times all parents can attend—flexible hours, weekends, at night, etc.
Encourage parents, particularly non-English speaking ones, to bring an advocate to ARD to balance power.
Significant professional development for teachers on how to work with parents to level the playing field between parents and educators.