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*October 2023
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*Special Education Newsletter*




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?Announcements


The following To the Administrator Addressed (TAA) correspondence has been posted on TEA?s To The Administrator Addressed Correspondence [ [link removed] ] website.


* *TAA: Child Find (SPPI-11 & SPPI-12) Submission in the Texas Student Data System (TSDS) for the SY 2023?2024*

On Thursday, October 5, 2023, the agency published a TAA to inform local educational agency (LEA) and education service center (ESC) staff that *data can now be submitted for the TSDS Child Find collection*, including key dates, submission responsibilities, data changes, and support information.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) follows a train-the-trainer model, where TEA trains the regional ESC Child Find (CF) Champions and the CF Champions then support (LEAs):


* TSDS Child Find Champions for ESCs 1 - 10 [ [link removed] ]
* TSDS Child Find Champions for ESCs 11 - 20 [ [link removed] ]

Programmatic and technical questions should be submitted via the TSDS Incident Management System (TIMS) [ [link removed] ] available within the TSDS Portal.?

Additional TSDS Child Find collection information and resources can be found on the SPPI 11: Child Find [ [link removed] ] and SPPI 12: Early Childhood Transition [ [link removed] ] webpages.

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?Upcoming Dates


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*December 1*: Anticipated award announcement for the Child Find and Early to Exit IEP Supports, Special Education Specialized Supports, and Legal Framework, grants.

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*Did you know...?*

*that October is Dyslexia Awareness Month??*

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Check out TEA's Dyslexia and Related Disorders website [ [link removed] ]?and?Texas SPED Support [ [link removed] ]?for the most up-to-date dyslexia guidance and resources. Additionally, visit TEALearn and register to take the FREE online course, Dyslexia: A TEA Professional Learning Course [ [link removed] ], which is intended to empower educators to serve and advocate for students with or at risk for dyslexia.?

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?In This
?Issue


* Discipline Flowchart for Students Identified With or Suspected of Having a Disability Under IDEA [ #link_1 ]
* State Assessment Educator Item Review Committees [ #link_4 ]
* NATIONAL NEWS [ #link_2 ]

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Monthly Spotlight:

The learning library in Texas SPED Support [ [link removed] ]?contains unique opportunities for administrators, educators, and support staff to participate in *online courses, workshops, events, and conferences*. Explore the learning library for professional development designed to support new and experienced LEA staff.?







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DEPARTMENT NEWS

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Discipline Flowchart for Students Identified With or Suspected of Having a Disability Under IDEA

The purpose of this flowchart is to assist administrators and special educators in understanding the processes and federal and state requirements when a student protected under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) violates a code of student conduct and the disciplinary consequence considered involves a day of removal from the current educational setting. Included in the chart are *state and federal requirements*, *clarifications of disciplinary decisions*, as well as *required actions in disciplinary decisions*. This flowchart is now posted on Texas Sped Support!

Go To Flowchart [ [link removed] ]

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State Assessment Educator Item Review Committees

Each year the *TEA invites groups of Texas educators to provide feedback on the development of state assessments* (STAAR, STAAR Alternate 2, and TELPAS) through educator committees across all assessed grades and content areas. Developing high-quality, aligned questions relies on the expertise and experience of Texas educators. Participants collaborate with other educators from across the state to review and approve each potential question for state assessments. *TEA is currently accepting applications from all districts to participate in item review committees all subjects and grade levels*.?

If you know of any educators (including yourself!) who might be interested in participating in these review meetings, please encourage them to apply using the link below.* Meetings are typically held during the spring and summer*. If selected, an invite will be sent with all the logistical information.?

The commitment is generally* two to three days in Austin with all travel, accommodations, and substitute coverage paid for by TEA*. All participants will *earn Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits*. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Apply Now [ [link removed] ]

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Update to the HHSC and TEA Early Transition MOU

The Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and TEA Early Transition Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is updated and posted on the TEA Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) website. This MOU *defines roles and responsibilities between the HHSC and the TEA *that guide and support transition services for families of children with disabilities who are approaching age three and potentially moving from ECI programs to the public school system.

*In order for LEAs and TEA to report accurate and reliable data on Child Find and ECI transition indicators, **the MOU now requires* *ECI programs*, which are administered by HHSC, *to include the date a child was initially determined eligible for ECI services* when notifying LEAs of a child?s potential eligibility for ECSE services.

Go To MOU [ [link removed] ]

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NATIONAL NEWS

OSEP Fast Facts on Children Identified With Intellectual Disabilities

The OSEP recently released a new OSEP Fast Facts: Children Identified with Intellectual Disability [ [link removed] ], which explores Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 618 data. This Fast Fact takes a closer look at data on children whose primary disability is intellectual disability.

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Updated Accessible Educational Materials Glossary

Need some assistance in breaking down key terms aligned with accessible educational materials (AEM)? The national center on AEM announced that the AEM glossary [ [link removed] ], which provides definitions of key terms, has been updated. Consider bookmarking and/or downloading this resource!?

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Resources for Families of Children Who Are Deafblind

Key Topics for Families [ [link removed] ] on the National Center on Deaf-Blindness website have tips, strategies, and supports that families of children who are deafblind can use to help them navigate their child's services and their family's everyday life. The topics are arranged by categories that include early intervention, educational services, learning at home, and transition.

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Join the SPEDTex mailing list [ [link removed] ] or visit the? ?site to locate resources [ [link removed] ]?you need. Create a My SPEDTex account HERE [ [link removed] ].?




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?Job Listings



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