Weekly Update (3.2.2017)
TEA Information
RF Tracker End of Year Activities
A To the Administrator Addressed letter will be coming out this month or early next month describing the obligation of districts/charters with the data submission fo RF Tracker.
By June 12, 2017 at 11:59 P.M., all student entries must be complete. Each student will have a minimum of two events: Start of the Year or Enrollment event and the second event will either be a Withdrawal or End of the Year event. Some students leave and return to an RF facility and will have multiple events but every student will finish the school year with an even number of events.
The End of the Year event date for all students will be May 12, 2017. Any student enrolling in your district after May 12th will not be included in the RF Tracker system for the current year. Keep a separate record of these student so that thye can be added if still enrolled when the new year starts for 2017-2018 and the RF Tracker system opens.
Contact information: Jerry Klekotta, or 713.744.6393.
Surrogate Parent Training and Resources
The Texas Education Agency and Parent Coordination Network (led by Region 9 ESC) have posted training and other resources to assist Local Education Agencies (LEA) in the process of appointing a surrogate parent. Under 34 CFR 300.519 (a), a surrogate parent must be appointed to protect a child's rights when:
· No parent (as defined in 34 CFR 300.30 ) can be identified;
· The district or charter, after reasonable efforts, cannot locate a parent;
· The child is a ward of the state; or
· The child is an unaccompanied homeless youth as defined in section 725(6) of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act 42 USC 11434 a(6)
The LEA must make "reasonable efforts” to ensure the assignment of a surrogate parent in not more than 30 days. All the procedural safeguards granted to parents under IDEA are afforded to surrogate parent. In a recent LRP (February, 2017) article, it was noted that LEAs should always check a parent’s educational decision-making rights have been terminated before appointing a surrogate parent. Don't assume a parent lacks educational rights just because the child lives in foster care and/or not with the parent. Consider these questions to help determine if a child may need a surrogate parent
· Did the district make reasonable efforts to identify, locate parent?
· Do you have documents to confirm that the parent's educational decision-making rights have been terminated?
· Is this child a ward of the state or in long-term foster care?
· Can a relative or long-term foster parent serve as the child's parent?
It is recommended that the LEA have a centralized process for requesting surrogate parents. In addition, consider best practices to find/keep surrogate parents such as
· Reaching out to local children’s advocacy organizations who are not directly involved in the education or care of the child
· Recruiting via newspapers, neighborhood fliers, service organizations
· Holding information or lunch and learn to share information about the role and how to volunteer
· Identifying
o Retired teachers or other educators
o Social workers
o Business or community members
Be sure to follow up with surrogate parents after an ARD and thank them for their service.
Click on the links following for helpful information, training, and other resources:
· Region 18 ESC Legal Framework: Parent at http://framework.esc18.net/display/Webforms/ESC18-FW-Summary.aspx?FID=1233
· Region 9 ESC Surrogate Parent resources at: https://www.texasparent.org/projects
o Surrogate Parent Brochure in English and Spanish
o Surrogate Parent Training in English and Spanish
o Forms
· Region 20 ESC resources at: http://www.esc20.net/default.aspx?name=ci_se.SurrogateParent
o Surrogate Parent Decision-making Flowchart (updated October, 2016)
o How to Serve as a Surrogate Parent
o Surrogate Parent Brochure
o Documentation Tools
o Designation
o Determination of Conflict of Interest
o Tracking Form
o Visitation Log
Cyber Security Tips and Tools
The following new Texas Education Agency Correspondence has been posted at the TEA website:
Cyber Security Tips and Tools webinar series
Texas Assessment Conference: TEA Presentations Posted
The TEA presentations for the Texas Assessment Conference are available at http://tea.texas.gov/student.assessment/tac/
Scroll down to “Students with Disabilities” for the following presentations:
· STAAR-Alternate 2 Update
· Accessibility within the STAAR Program
The agenda includes:
o Accessibility Within the STAAR Program
o Accommodation Request Process
o Special Paper Request Process
o Special Situations and Frequently Asked Questions
o Online Tutorials and Practice Tests (includes video demonstrations)
Contact information: Kirsten Omelan, r 713.744.6361; Cynthia Barrett, Ph.D. or 713.744.6343. For STAAR-Alt 2, contact Susan Parker or 713.744.6398
For Your Information
ASHA Confidentiality Issues: Observations During Speech Therapy
During the TSHA conference in Austin last week, there were some issues that prompted much discussion during several different sessions. One of the issues related to parents requesting to observe their children during group speech therapy sessions. In order to determine if allowing a parent to observe their child during group therapy is considered a breech in confidentiality and therefore a violation of the ASHA Code of Ethics, ASHA was contacted for their response to the question.
Lisa Rai Mabry-Price with the ASHA Schools Services Team responded with the information below:
Thank you for contacting us with your inquiry. Allowing parents to observe group sessions could certainly set the stage for breeches in confidentiality. In order for one parent to observe, parents of the other students in the group should be notified and give consent for this to occur.
Also, if this is a practice that will happen on a routine basis, it needs to be determined whether it will be a distraction or hindrance to the student(s) being observed and whether it will interfere with progress over time.
There may be other, less intrusive ways to share the information such as short video of clips of just their child interacting in the group while concealing the identity of the others (not showing their face or calling their name).
This Issues in Ethics: Confidentiality statement mayhelp to explain further.
Lisa Rai Mabry-Price, MS CCC-SLP
For information, contact Gayla Lutz, , 713.744.8138
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