Weekly Update (11.3.2016)
TEA Information
2016-2017 Performance-Based Monitoring Intervention Staging
The TEA has released a TTA letter regarding the implementation of Performance-Based Monitoring (PBM) activities for the 2016-2017 school year. The purpose of this letter is to notify districts, including charter schools, that 2016-2017 staging identification for the bilingual education/English as a second language, career and technical education, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), and special education program areas, will be available this week through the Accountability application (PBM Tab) on the Texas Education Agency Secure Environment (TEASE). Resources and required intervention activities will be available the week of November 14, 2016, through the Intervention, Stage, and Activity Manager (ISAM) application on TEASE.
This letter is attached and has links to several useful documents, including:
· Guidance for Districts Participating in Performance-Based Monitoring Analysis System Intervention
· PBMAS Staging Framework
· Intervention and Submission Requirements chart
Link: http://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/News_and_Multimedia/Correspondence/TAA_Letters/2016-2017_Performance-Based_Monitoring_Intervention_Staging/
TEA responds to USDE special education concerns
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) submitted its response to concerns recently expressed by the U.S. Department of Education regarding special education in the state. In a letter sent to Acting Assistant Secretary Sue Swenson, the agency made it clear that TEA has never set a cap, limit or policy on the number or percent of students that school districts can, or should, serve in special education.
In its letter to federal officials, the agency provided an explanation of the Performance-Based Monitoring Analysis System (PBMAS) – specifically the indicator for special education representation. PBMAS is a data system that reports annually on the performance of school districts and charter schools in selected program areas, such as bilingual education/English as a second language, career and technical education and special education.
TEA Deputy Commissioner of Academics Penny Schwinn advised Secretary Swenson that claims the special education indicator in the system somehow lead to financial savings for TEA are not accurate.
“The allegation that the special education representation indicator is designed to reduce special education enrollment in order to reduce the amount of money the state has to spend on special education is clearly false,” wrote Schwinn in the letter to federal officials. “Allegations that TEA issued fines, conducted on-site monitoring visits, required the hiring of consultants, etc. when districts provided special education services to more than 8.5 percent of their students are entirely false.”
The agency also countered allegations that TEA “quietly devised” PBMAS, noting that the agency has provided federal officials with information about the system and its indicators during various reviews. In addition, information about the system has been shared with legislators on the state level. The system is also reviewed annually with the input of various stakeholder groups, including those representing special education.
“Policy related to special education is extremely complex, so attempting to pinpoint one factor as the sole reason from an increase or decrease in the representation rate is simplistic,” said Commissioner of Education Mike Morath. “From my discussions with superintendents, I believe Texas school districts are well aware of their obligations, by law and agency policy, to identify and provide services to all students who require special education services.”
The U.S. Department of Education contacted TEA in an Oct. 3rd letter with a series of questions related to special education. Regarding the decline of special education representation since the state began using PBMAS, TEA noted that such declines pre-date the use of PBMAS, with special education representation in Texas increasing in 2016.
Additionally, the agency pointed to various factors on both the state and federal level occurring through the years, including major state initiatives specifically designed to help struggling students (such as the Texas Reading Initiative) and the provision in the 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that was added to ensure that a lack of instruction in reading or math or limited English proficiency were not determinant factors for eligibility determinations.
Over the years, changes to state and federal accountability systems related to inclusion of students with disabilities have been contributing factors. Improved policy and practice at the district-level with regard to understanding the basis for special education eligibility have also contributed.
“TEA does not have any specific evidence indicating there has been a systematic denial of special education services to eligible students with disabilities,” wrote Schwinn. “TEA has not received any formal or informal complaints demonstrating that specific school districts have engaged in such an effort to deny eligible students with disabilities the services they need based on the special education representation indicator in PBMAS.”
TEA continues working with special education advisory groups for feedback and guidance on all aspects of special education policy. Because of recent confusion regarding the PBMAS special education indicator, school districts and charters will be advised that it will not be used for current PBMAS staging purposes.
Commissioner Morath remains committed to utilizing input from parents and educators to make any revisions to the monitoring system that are necessary for Texas students. State leadership – including members of the Texas Legislature – will be kept updated on actions regarding special education made by TEA.
TEA formally submitted its letter to the U.S. Department of Education today. There is no timeline regarding any response from federal officials.
To read the entire TEA response to the U.S. Department of Education (including all supporting materials and attachments), visit the TEA website at http://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/News_and_Multimedia/Press_Releases/2016/TEA_responds_to_USDE_special_education_concerns/.
For Your Information
GCASE Law Conference
Registration for the annual GCASE Law Conference at the Westin Galleria is now open. Encourage your campus administrators to attend this timely presentation on special education discipline, what to expect in the upcoming legislative session and how to avoid special education litigation. Please see attached flyer for details and registration information.
Improving Outcomes for Youth with Disabilities in Juvenile Corrections
OSEP is pleased to announce the launch of a new web-based toolkit on Improving Outcomes for Youth with Disabilities in Juvenile Corrections. This toolkit can assist State educational agencies, educators, families, facilities, and community agencies to better support and improve the long-term outcomes for youth with disabilities in juvenile correctional facilities. The toolkit includes topical briefs, family engagement strategies, and resources that summarize evidence- and research-based practices in juvenile corrections.
The toolkit focuses on four key areas: Facility-Wide Practices, Educational Practices, Transition and Re-entry Practices, and Community and Interagency Practices. These areas were identified as part of an OSEP-sponsored focus group series on Juvenile Corrections, which included nationally-recognized researchers and practitioners with expertise on this topic. The toolkit further expands on sub-practices within the four key areas, such as IDEA compliance and coordinated aftercare services. The site also includes linked resources to support the use of the State Correctional Education Self-Assessment.
Region 4 Upcoming Professional Development
Video Modeling: Applications for School- and Transition-Aged Youth
Attendthis professional development session to learn more about video modeling, an evidence-based practice for instructing students with disabilitiesin the classroom and postsecondary settings. Following this session,participants will be able to immediately incorporate this technique into their existing practices. Examples of how video modeling (VM) has been used by different districts throughout the country and across disability categories will be provided. Participants will be shown, and have a chance to practice, all of the steps needed to create and deliver VM interventions using an iPad or other commonly available technology. Practitioners will also be shown how to monitor and chart student progress. As part of the professional development, practitioners in small teams will develop, film, and implement their own VM intervention.
Session ID: 1226438
Dates: November 4, 2016
Time: 9:00 – 4:00
Fee: $35
Contact information: Cathy Williams, , 713.744.6801
Autism and Self-Determination: Teaching Skills across the Life Span
Join this session to learn more about the development of self-determination skills in individuals with autism. Most students leave high school with self-determination skills that are sufficient to help them continue their education and attain employment. However, many students with autism do not develop these skills resulting in limited future opportunities. In this session, participants will learn 1) what self-determination is and why it is important, 2) how to assess self-determination skills, and 3) how to promote self-determination starting at an early age and continuing into adulthood.
Session ID: 1260235
Dates: January 23, 2017
Time: 9:00 – 4:00
Fee: $35
Contact information: Cathy Williams, , 713.744.6801
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: 1224374
Dates: January 24, February 7, and February 28, 2017
Time: 9:00 – 4:00
Fee: $105
Contact information: Cathy Williams, , 713.744.6801
Verbal Behavior: Teaching Communication Skills to Children with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities
Join this session, presented by Dr. Vincent Carbone, to learn more about the behavioral approach to teaching communication skills to children with autism and other developmental disabilities. Participants in the workshop will learn how to 1) conduct a Behavioral Language Assessment, 2) select the most appropriate form of communication for a child (vocal, signing, pointing to or exchanging pictures, or activating an augmentative device), and 3) select the communication responses and supporting skills that should be taught first.The workshop includes the recommended teaching procedures for those children who have no formal communication skills to those who are near conversational speakers. Dr. Carbone will also describe and demonstrate errorless teaching, specific quick-transfer (prompting and fading) procedures, and the use of both discrete trial training in the natural environment and during intensive teaching sessions. Many video tape demonstrations are provided to illustrate the methods to increase spontaneous language and to develop conversation.
Session ID: 1225548
Dates: March 7 & 8, 2017
Time: 9:00 – 4:00
Fee: $70
Contact information: Cathy Williams, , 713.744.6801
Region 4 Autism Symposium
Join this 3-day symposium to gain the most recent information on autism research and issues related to autism from birth to transition. Keynote speaker, Temple Grandin, Ph.D., will share her personal experiences as an individual with autism. Additionally, leaders in the field, Celine Saulnier, Ph.D., Paula Kluth, Ph.D., and Peter Gerhardt, Ed.D. will provide information regarding research on the etiology and early identification of autism, strategies to support students with autism in the classroom, and issues related to adolescence and early adulthood.
Session ID: 1143551
Dates: August 1, 2, & 3, 2017
Time: 8:30 – 4:00
Fee: $200
Contact information: Cathy Williams, , 713.744.6801
Special Education Webinar – Orthography and Reading
A common misconception is that phonological deficits are at the root of all reading disorders. This webinar will explore the critical role that orthographic processing plays in reading while introducing the concept of a functional reading system. Participants will learn how to identify orthographic deficits, and will be provided information on research-based intervention recommendations.
Session ID: 1240442
Date: November 8, 2016
Time: 10:00a.m. – 12:00p.m.
Location: online
Fee $20
Contact: Kara Zwolinski at or 713-744-6562
Introduction to the Vineland-3
The Vineland is a standardized, norm referenced instrument for the assessment of adaptive behavior. This workshop will provide an orientation to the changes in the revised Vineland-3, along with guidance on the basic use of the instrument.
Session ID: 1231552 Session ID: 1256515
Date: November 17, 2016 Date: November 17, 2017
Time: 9:00a.m. – 12:00p.m. OR Time: 1:00p.m. – 4:00p.m.
Location: Region 4 Location: Region 4
Fee $30 Fee $30
Contact: Kara Zwolinski at or 713-744-6562
PROMO CODE: R4DirectorV3 for one (1) free registration per district.
Houston Metropolitan Educational Diagnostician Association 41st Conference
Houston Metropolitan Educational Diagnosticians Association (Hou-Met), a local chapter of the Texas Educational Diagnosticians Association (TEDA), promotes professionalism, excellence, and continuing growth for diagnosticians to provide individuals with disabilities quality educational services in the Houston-Metropolitan area. The purpose of this conference is to provide the latest information on evaluation for eligibility and facilitate networking opportunities for school personnel involved in the evaluation of children with disabilities. Attend this annual conference to learn more about current special education evaluation issues.
Session ID: 1213201
Date: November 29-30, 2016
Time: 9:00a.m. – 4:00p.m.
Location: Region 4
Fee $125
Contact: Kara Zwolinski at or 713-744-6562
Language Development: What Diagnosticians and LSSPs Need to Know
Distinguishing language development from disability is a common challenge for many evaluation professionals in Texas. This workshop will review the different language development trajectories of ELL students, formal and informal assessment practices for language proficiency and data interpretation from a cross-linguistic perspective. Emphasis will be given to the evaluation of Spanish-speaking students.
Session ID: 1256514
Date: December 2, 2016
Time: 9:00a.m. – 4:00p.m.
Location: Region 4
Fee $35
Contact: Kara Zwolinski at or 713-744-6562
Help! I’m Not Bilingual and I Have ELL Students to Evaluate
Students from diverse cultures and backgrounds are often referred to special education for evaluations. Sometimes, a bilingual evaluator is not available. What are the best practices for both monolingual and bilingual evaluation staff? This presentation will provide practical field-based guidelines and research findings for the assessment of ELL students.