Weekly Update (2.23.2017)
TEA Information
TEA Announces 2016-2017 Accreditation Statuses
The Texas Education Agency released accreditation statuses for school districts and charters across the state. Accreditation statuses are based on state academic accountability ratings, the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas (known commonly as School FIRST), data reporting, special program effectiveness, and compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
Of 1,199 Texas school districts and charter school districts, 1,180 (98 percent) received a status designation of Accredited for the 2016-2017 school year. An Accredited status recognizes districts and charters as a public school that meets specific academic and financial standards.
Under the Texas Education Code, the commissioner of education annually assigns accreditation statuses to each school district. Accreditation statuses for the 2016-2017 school year include: Accredited (1,180); Accredited-Warned (9); Accredited-Probation (7); Not Accredited-Revoked (2); and Pending (1).
An Accredited-Warned status means a district or charter exhibits deficiencies in academic and/or financial performance that, if not addressed, could lead to probation or revocation of its accreditation status. For the 2016-2017 school year, 7 school districts and 2 charter schools received an Accredited-Warned accreditation status.
An Accredited-Probation status means a district or charter exhibits deficiencies in academic and/or financial performance over a three-year period, or in both academic and financial performance over a two-year period. These deficiencies must be addressed by the district to avoid revocation of its accreditation status. For the 2016-2017 school year, 5 school districts and 2 charter schools received an Accredited-Probation accreditation status.
A Not Accredited-Revoked status means the Texas Education Agency does not recognize the district or charter as a Texas public school following multiple years of deficiencies in academic and/or financial performance. For the 2016-2017 school year, two school districts received a Not Accredited-Revoked accreditation status.
Note that the school districts assigned an initial Not Accredited-Revoked status have the opportunity for a review at the Texas Education Agency, and ultimately the opportunity for a review at the State Office of Administrative Hearings.
The accreditation status of one district has been left pending due to pending litigation.
The 2016-2017 accreditation status for each school district and charter school district can be found on the Texas Education Agency website at
News from the Federal Fiscal Compliance Reporting Division: Reporting Requirement, Applicable to all ISDs
The PR7000—Private Nonprofit School Participation Report for school year 2016–2017 is now available to independent school districts (ISDs) that received NCLB grant funds in 2016–2017.
The PR7000 is required for all ISDs, even if no private nonprofit schools chose to participate and even if there are no private nonprofit schools located within the boundaries of the school district.
Districts must certify and submit the PR7000 no later than April 3, 2017.
For additional details regarding the PR7000, including instructions on how to access, complete, and submit the report, refer to the To the Administrator Addressed letter posted to the TEA Correspondence page on February 21, 2017.
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For Your Information
Walgreens Features Model With Down Syndrome
by Michelle Diament
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The smiling face of a 7-year-old with Down syndrome will greet customers at thousands of Walgreens stores this spring as part of an Easter promotion.
The drugstore chain said a photo of Grace Driscoll, a Chicago kindergartner, is part of signage appearing in all of Walgreens’ more than 8,000 locations nationwide.
Driscoll is one of two kids featured in a “dangler” hanging from the ceiling above the section of the store with seasonal merchandise, which went on display right after Valentine’s Day.
“This would probably be the first time that we’ve profiled someone with a cognitive disability in recent memory,” said Phil Caruso, a spokesman for Walgreens. “We wanted this marketing campaign to be inclusive. This image felt authentic — it didn’t feel forced — and that worked for our brand.”
Driscoll was selected to model for the campaign after a talent agency reached out to her mom, Katie Driscoll, who runs Changing the Face of Beauty, a nonprofit focused on increasing representation of people with disabilities in advertising.
“How nice will it be for families with children with (a) disability to feel represented when they shop for Easter candy,” Katie Driscoll told Disability Scoop. “This is extremely significant. When are children with disabilities included in this type of store signage across the nation? Virtually never. It is important that all kids are represented all the time.”
Caruso said the decision to feature a child with Down syndrome in Walgreens’ Easter marketing is part of the company’s broader efforts to be inclusive and ensure that advertising is reflective of the retailer’s customer base.
With the move, Walgreens joins a handful of other major brands — includingTargetandNordstrom— that have sought out children with disabilities to feature in their promotions in recent years.
Outside of advertising, Walgreens is well-known in the business community forchampioninghiring of people with disabilities.
Region 4 Upcoming Professional Development
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
Maximizing Auditory Potential in Total Communication Classrooms
Explore the concept of auditory access and its implications for students who are deaf and hard of hearingin the Total Communication classroom. Learn to identify the stages of auditory development, as well as what formal and informal assessments are available for listening, language, and speech. Participants will discuss the implementation of auditory teaching strategies, including potential challenges, within the Total Communication classroom.
Session ID: 1233585
Date: 03/08/2017
Time: 8:30a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location: Region 4
Fee: $45
Contact information: Marina McCormick, , 713.744.6329