Weekly Update 10.8.2015
TEA Information
PBMAS Cut Points To Determine Staging
The attached documents give the cut points to determine staging. This document was shared by TEA, but is NOT POSTED ANYWHERE at this time! These are the documents which will determine the STAGING for the areas of PBMAS.
The intervention activities and templates that go along with the stagingareNOT AVAILABLE at this time. It should be coming out in the next few weeks.We are hopeful that we will have the information by our first PBMAS training on October 21st.
For further information, contact Richard Blair at or Jerry Klekotta at
Important Changes to Special Education Monitoring for the 2015-2016 School Year
On October 6, 2015 aTo the Administrator Addressed Letter was sent out describing changes to the Special Education Monitoring system. The letter is attached for your review. Highlights linlcude:
- State Performance Plan, PerformanceBased Monitoring Analysis System and Residential Facilities Monitoring have been combined into a single, integrated, non-duplicative monitoring system.
- Stages have been integrated with determination status.
Intervention Stage / Determination Status
Not Staged or Stage 1 / Meets Requirements
Stage 2 / Needs Assistance
Stage 3 / Needs Intervention
Stage 4 / Needs Substantial Intervention
- Stages will be included in the district Texas Annual Performance Report (TAPR).
- RF Tracker is open and ready for students and facilities to be reviewed, updated, and added as needed. Updates are due by November 20, 2015.
For further information please contact Judy Struve in the Division of Program Monitoring and Interventions at 512.463.5226 or by email at
State Performance Plan Designations and Staging
Non-compliance letters went out to 69 local education agencies across the state informing them of their non-compliance with at least one SPP indicator (11, 12 or 13). 52 LEAS were non-compliant in indicator 11
- 24 LEAs were non-compliant in indicator 12
- 13 LEAs were non-compliant in indicator 13
- Also, 13 LEAs were non-compliant in more than 1 indicator
- Only non-compliant LEAs will receive a letter.
Staging will be posted in ISAM in mid-October.
For further information, feel free to contact Jerry Klekotta at or 713.744.6393.
For Your Information
IEP Goal Development in Texas – Updated!
The free online training, IEP Goal Development in Texas (PD150922-A41), has been updated. It is streamlined from the version released in May, with the information condensed into fewer pages, as well as some technical edits. If you previously took the version released in May, you can still access it and your certification in iLearning. If you have not yet enrolled in the new training, you will only see the updated version.The attached flyer has registration information.The training is a product of the Texas AGC Network and the Texas Education Agency.
Contact Information: Kirsten Omelan, Ph.D. at or 713.744.6361
Region 4 Upcoming Professional Development
Paraprofessionals: Effective Support in the Inclusive Classroom
Learn about the changing role of the paraprofessional and how to work as a team with general and special education teachers. The session will address problem solving, communication, collaboration, and learning skills. The session will also address working with teachers, students, and parents; collaborative learning approaches; and student behavior management techniques. Teams of teachers and paraprofessionals who work together are encouraged to attend. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state or federal grants.
Session ID: 1158910
Date: 10/13/15
Time: 8:30a.m. – 3:30p.m
Location: MCC 103
Fee: $45
Contact Information: Tony Goedicke at or 713.744.6579
Paraprofessionals: Roles, Responsibilities, and Ethics
Identify and understand the roles, responsibilities, and ethical issues for paraprofessionals in bilingual/ESL, Title I, and inclusive classrooms. Topics include professional ethics related to confidentiality, responsibilities of paraprofessionals in teacher teams, and instructional strategies to support students in becoming independent learners. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state or federal grants.
Session ID: 1158909
Date: 10/20/15
Time: 8:30a.m. – 3:30p.m
Location: MCC 202
Fee: $45
Contact Information: Tony Goedicke at or 713.744.6579
Co-Teaching for Administrators
Assist your teachers in obtaining increased instructional intensity in the co-teach classroom by gaining knowledge of highly effective co-teach components. Perform observations and discuss with colleagues the positives and challenges within a co-teaching classroom. Leave with common planning tools for teachers as well as a classroom walk-through tool to enhance co-teach practices.
Session ID: 1158897
Date: 10/21/15
Time: 8:30a.m. – 3:30p.m
Location: MCC 207
Fee: $45
Contact Information: Tony Goedicke at or 713.744.6579
Shake and Bake 101: Introduction to Creating a High-Quality Structured Early Childhood Classroom (A 2-Day Series)
Have you ever attended professional development and left thinking, "This is great information but how am I going to do this in my classroom?" Join this 2-day workshop series to not only learn practical ways to add structure to your early childhood classroom, but also receive direct support to implement these practices. This series is geared towards those who want to learn the basics of how to increase structure in their classrooms. During this series, participants will 1) learn the components of high-quality structured classrooms; 2) identify an area in their own classrooms in which to add these components; 3) create the materials to be used; 4) receive direct instruction on how to apply these components in their classrooms; and 5) receive feedback following a period of implementation. In order that the workshop is as personalized and helpful as possible, participants will be asked to provide pictures or video of their classrooms and to commit to attending both days in the series.
Session ID: 1151645
Dates: October 21 & November 19, 2015
Time: 8:30 - 3:30
Fee: $90
Contact information: Cathy Williams, , 713.744.6801; Kristina Parr, , 713.744.6350
Accommodations and Modifications: What’s the Difference?
Accommodations? Modifications? There is definitely a difference! Attend this session to learn what those differences are, how implementing accommodations and modifications in the instructional setting and on state assessmentmay bedifferent, and how to create universally designed learning environments that support access to the general curriculum for all learners.Session and materials costs are partially funded through state or federal grants.
Session ID: 1167754
Date: 11/10/15
Time: 9:00a.m. – 4:00p.m
Fee: $45
Contact Information: Kirsten Omelan, Ph.D. at or 713.744.6361
Updates on State Assessment for Students with Disabilities
Attend this session to receive the latest updates regarding state assessment for students with disabilities. Participants will review the process for making state assessment decisions for students, including general education students, students receiving services through special education, and students served through 504. Review the current guidelines on STAAR, STAAR A, and STAAR Alt 2. Participants will receive the most current information regarding accommodations policies. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state or federal grants.
Session ID: 1167771
Date: 10/23/15
Time: 9:00a.m. – 4:00p.m
Fee: $45
Contact Information: Kirsten Omelan, Ph.D. at or 713.744.6361
The Teacher and Paraprofessional Team: Enhancing Communication and Instruction
Explore practical strategies for improving communication, problem solving, and team performance. Topics to be addressed include leadership, team personalities, the team building process, time management strategies, and effective communication. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state or federal grants.
Session ID: 115908
Date: 10/28/15
Time: 8:30a.m. – 3:30p.m
Location: MCC 103
Fee: $45
Contact Information: Tony Goedicke at or 713.744.6579
Co-Teaching: Taking Your Practices to the Next Level (Dr. Murawski)
Join Dr. Wendy Murawski, a nationally recognized expert on co-teaching and learn to expand your effective co-teach practices to produce greater instructional intensity in your co-teach classrooms than if only one teacher were present. Discover ways to incorporate and utilize common planning for co-teachers that will enhance units, lessons, instruction, and overall classroom management to increase your student's performance. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state or federal grants.
Session ID: 1158819
Date: 10/28/15
Time: 8:30a.m. – 3:30p.m
Location: MCC 201
Fee: $45
Contact Information: Tony Goedicke at or 713.744.6579
Updates on State Assessment for Students with Disabilities
Attend this session to receive the latest updates regarding state assessment for students with disabilities. Participants will review the process for making state assessment decisions for students, including general education students, students receiving services through special education, and students served through 504. Review the current guidelines on STAAR, STAAR A, and STAAR Alt 2. Participants will receive the most current information regarding accommodations policies. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state or federal grants.
Session ID: 1167758
Date: 12/2/15
Time: 9:00a.m. – 4:00p.m
Fee: $45
Contact Information: Kirsten Omelan, Ph.D. at or 713.744.6361
Pivotal Response Training in the Early Childhood Classroom: Addressing Motivation, Learning, and Social Interaction
Do you have students who are difficult to engage in your early childhood classroom activities? Join this session to learn more about strategies that support the motivation, learning, and social interaction of early childhood students with autism. Pivotal Response Training (PRT) is grounded in Applied Behavior Analysis and developmental psychology and is applied in a naturalistic manner so that the strategies are more readily implemented in early childhood classrooms. PRT increases academic and social skill acquisition while at the same time decreasing challenging behaviors so that students can participate more meaningfully in classroom and inclusive activities. In this session, The Koegel Autism Center will present information on the principles of PRT, as well as relate the information specifically to the early childhood classroom through the use of student examples. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state and/or federal grants.
Session ID: 1151457
Dates: November 3, 2015
Time: 9:00 – 4:00
Fee: $45
Contact information: Cathy Williams, , 713.744.6801
Accommodations and Modifications: What’s the Difference?
Accommodations? Modifications? There is definitely a difference! Attend this session to learn what those differences are, how implementing accommodations and modifications in the instructional setting and on state assessmentmay bedifferent, and how to create universally designed learning environments that support access to the general curriculum for all learners.Session and materials costs are partially funded through state or federal grants.
Session ID: 1171168
Date: 1/26/16
Time: 9:00a.m. – 4:00p.m
Fee: $45
Contact Information: Kirsten Omelan, Ph.D. at or 713.744.6361
Structured Teaching: It’s More Than Just Work Systems, A 3-Day Series
Join this 3-day series to gain in-depth information on creating a structured classroom to support the learning and behavior of students with autism and other disabilities. During this professional development series, participants will learn 1) the principles and research base for structured teaching; 2) how to apply structured teaching principles to support students of varying ages and ability levels; 3) how to implement structured teaching in a variety of settings including special education classrooms, general education classrooms, and the community; 4) how to teach students to use structured teaching components; and 5) how to “re-structure” systems when students are not responding positively. Participants will also create materials, use these materials to practice implementing structured teaching in their classrooms through “homework” assignments, and receive feedback.
Session ID: 1164910
Dates: January 26, February 9, & March 8, 2016
Time: 9:00 – 4:00
Fee: $135
Contact information: Cathy Williams, , 713.744.6801
Coping with Autism and Anxiety: Strategies to Support Students in the Classroom
Join this professional development session to learn more about the impact of mild to severe anxiety on students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). During this session, participants will gain information about 1) indicators of anxiety, 2) assessment tools, 3) interventions that decrease anxiety and enhance self-management, and 4) tips for addressing anxiety in the classroom. Videotaped examples will be used to demonstrate the strategies.
Session ID: 1156334
Dates: February 4, 2016
Time: 9:00 – 4:00
Fee: $45
Contact information: Cathy Williams, , 713.744.6801
Use of the WISC-V in Cross-Battery Assessment and SLD Identification
Learn how to interpret the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children®-Fifth Edition (WISC-V) according to the CHC theory. Explore the strengths and weaknesses of the WISC-V and understand how to circumvent some of the most salient weaknesses of the cross battery to maximally exploit its clinical utility via the use of the X-BASS. Gain guidance on how to link WISC-V assessment results to education strategies and interventions that are likely to lead to positive outcomes for children. This presentation will also describe the pattern of strengths and weaknesses (PSW) approach to SLD identification and demonstrate how the WISC-V is used in the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test®, Third Edition (WIAT-III); Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement™, Third Edition (KTEA-3); and X-BASS to conduct a PSW analysis. This workshop will conclude with comprehensive WISC-V cross-battery case studies that highlight the use of X-BASS and the PSW model.
Session ID: 1152875
Date: October 16, 2015
Time: 8:30a.m. – 3:30p.m.
Location: Region 4
Fee $45
Contact: Kara Zwolinski at or 713-744-6562
Ethics for Licensed Specialists in School Psychology
Examine ethical situations that commonly occur for individuals providing psychological services in the school setting. This session will review relevant rules of practice, ethical standards, and legal implications. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state or federal grants.
Session ID: 1170412
Date: October 21, 2015
Time: 8:30a.m. – 11:30a.m.
Location: Region 4
Fee $30
Contact: Kara Zwolinski at or 713-744-6562
Issues in Cultural Diversity for the LSSP
Attend this session to consider and discuss current issues in cultural diversity as it relates to the field of school psychology. This session will satisfy the annual requirement for 3 hours of cultural diversity training that is required by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists.
Session ID: 1170413
Date: October 21, 2015
Time: 1:00p.m. – 4:00p.m.
Location: Region 4
Fee $30
Contact: Kara Zwolinski at or 713-744-6562
Functional Educational Evaluation Project
Explore best practices for using functional/non-standardized educational evaluation techniques that arenon-discriminatory and are administered in the student’s native language or other mode of communication to assess students with moderate/severe disabilities, including autism and intellectual disability, as well as low-incidence disabilities such as auditory impairment, visual impairment, deaf-blindness, and traumatic brain injury. Build skills to identify what the student knows, understands, and is able to do in pre-academic, academic, and vocational areas, and learn how to write summaries of the student’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance within a full and individual evaluation.
Session ID: 1138715
Date: October 22, 2015 (and December 10, 2015 and February 18, 2016)
Time: 8:30a.m. – 4:00p.m.
Location: Region 4
Fee $135
Contact: Kara Zwolinski at or 713-744-6562
Introduction to the Behavior Assessment System for Children™, Third Edition (BASC-3)
Gain an overview of all Behavior Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3) components, including Teacher Rating Scale, Parent Rating Scale, and Child and Adolescent Self-Report Rating Scale. Changes to the rating scales will be presented as well as updates on the other BASC-3 components, including history taking (Structured Developmental History), observations (Student Observation System), screening (Emotional Screening System), interventions, and progress monitoring.
Session ID: 1155440
Date: October 23, 2015
Time: 8:30a.m. – 3:30p.m.
Location: Region 4
Fee $45
Contact: Kara Zwolinski at or 713-744-6562
Assessing Adaptive Behavior with the Newly Revised Adaptive Behavior Assessment
System™, Third Edition (ABAS-3)
Attend this session to learn the newly revised Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Third Edition (ABAS-3) to assist with assessment and identification of skills and behaviors related to how an individual meets his or her personal needs as well as how they deal with expectations from society and the environment. Participants will learn to identify the appropriate populations for the ABAS-3, to understand the relevance of the ABAS-3 in relation to the criteria for intellectual disability, to apply the principles of administration and scoring of the ABAS-3, to apply the three rules of interpretation, and to apply the results of the ABAS-3 scores to intervention planning.
Session ID: 1154137Session ID: 1154141
Date: October 27, 2015Date: October 27, 2015
Time: 9:00a.m. – 12:00p.m.ORTime: 1:00p.m. – 4:00p.m.
Location: Region 4Location: Region 4
Fee $30Fee $30
Contact: Kara Zwolinski at or 713-744-6562
Bilingual Assessment Strategies for Monolingual Evaluators
Attend this session to gain a greater understanding of language development in English language learners (ELLs), to understand the instructional and intervention strategies that are appropriate for ELLs prior to referral and post-evaluation, to learn three comprehensive assessment strategies when evaluating ELLs, to learn to use various informal and formal tools (a variety of assessment tools and strategies), and to learn to use an interpretive framework that will help distinguish between language differences and language disorders. This session will add to the skill set of monolingual evaluators when identifying language-based disorders.
Session ID: 1158034
Date: November 5, 2015
Time: 9:00a.m. – 4:00p.m.
Location: Region 4
Fee $45
Contact: Kara Zwolinski at or 713-744-6562
Special Education Webinar – The Assessment of Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents
This presentation will present a multi-faceted approach to assessing executive skills in children and adolescents, including the use of parent interviews, behavior checklists, both formal and informal assessment tools, and behavior observations. The strengths and limitations of each assessment device will be discussed, as well as strategies for linking assessment to intervention.
As a result of this workshop, participants will:
1. Be familiar with a variety of assessment measures for evaluating executive skills in children and adolescents.
2. Understand the strengths and limitations of each assessment approach.
3. Learn how executive skills assessment fits into a larger evaluation context, the purpose of which is to understand the whole child and the issues impacting school performance.
4. Be exposed to a philosophy of assessment that focuses on hypothesis testing and that integrates objective data with clinical observations to explore questions that arise during the evaluation process.