Special Education Parent Newsletter
August 2021
Welcome Back!
Dear Parents,
We hope you had a restful summer break and are getting ready to join us back on August 11. Our campus leaders have spent the summer working hard to prepare to welcome students back on campus. Since last week, our teachers have been back and are looking forward to seeing their students in person.
As we get ready to start a great school year, please know that the special education team both at MR Wood as well as on our campuses is always here to support parents with any questions you may have. We have compiled a list of frequently discussed topics below and who you can reach out to for support. You will also find a wonderful article about conversations to have before the first day of school as well as other tips and resources that you may find useful throughout the year.
Additionally, we would like to share that Supplemental Special Education Services (SSES) has extended the application window until September 30, 2021. Please click on the link above to apply.
Enjoy the last couple of days of summer and we look forward to seeing our students soon!
Special Education Services Team
Fort Bend ISD
Getting the Support You Need: Who to Go to With Questions
2. Specific course, assignment, or learning resource: Teacher
3. Supports or accommodations: Teacher or Case Manager
4. Documentation (ARD/IEP, FIE): ARD Facilitator (MS, HS)/Campus Compliance Coordinator (ES): *See below for contact information
5. Student Schedule: Counselor
6. Personal or Social Emotional Concern: Counselor
7. Special education procedural or programming questions: Programs Managers, Special Education Services
ARD Facilitators
Campus Compliance Coordinators
Conversations
Tips From The Arc@School
The start of a new school year can bring both excitement and anxiety for students and parents, especially for families of students receiving special education supports. Students with disabilities who struggle with change may need extra help making the transition to a new school or teacher.
To help families start the new school year off right, The Arc@School offers the following tips:
- Prepare your children before school starts by discussing any anxiety your child may have, setting clear expectations, and slowly transitioning back to your child’s school routine and schedule.
- Review your child’s IEP prior to the start of the school year to ensure that the goals, support services, and placement are still appropriate. Make sure to consider any progress or regression your child may have experienced over the summer or since the last IEP.
- Meet with your child’s teachers/case manager and related services providers to review the IEP together and ensure everyone is on the same page regarding implementation of the IEP. This is also a great opportunity to establish a communication plan with the teachers and related service providers!
- Once school begins, allow your child some time to get used to the new classes, teachers, and schedule, and your child’s teachers some time to get used to your child’s unique strengths and needs, but do not wait too long to address any issues that might arise! Having open and respectful communication and dealing with challenges early can help avoid much bigger problems later.
If you have any concerns about your child’s services or supports, you can visit The Arc@School to learn more about your rights and where you can find help.
Get Involved!
The Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC) is a support network where parents can ask questions, meet other parents on the special education journey, and learn about relevant issues in the state and district that pertain to educating students with disabilities. The mission of the FBISD SEPAC is to:
- Advocate for innovative and inclusive educational environments
- Advise Fort Bend ISD on programs, parent/teacher trainings, and policy related to special education, and
- Support and facilitate effective communication between parents, students and the school district
Your campus principal will be reaching out to you shortly to share contact information for your campus SEPAC representative(s). If your campus does not have a representative, your campus principal will email you a link for you to apply to represent your campus if interested.
The role of a SEPAC representative is to:
- Be a liaison between campus parents and the district.
- Facilitate communication between campus parents, the SEPAC, and the district.
- Share information from the SEPAC and the district to campus parents.
- Gather feedback from campus parents and relay back to the SEPAC and the district.
- Provide feedback to the SEPAC and to the district from an engaged parent perspective as to what is working and not working at your campus.
If you have any questions about the SEPAC, please contact Amruta Kulkarni, Program Manager, Student Support Services, at Amruta.Kulkarni@fortbendisd.com
Legislative Updates: 2021 Legislative Summary
* Please note that this list of bills is not exhaustive; these are some of the bills related to special education. Please click on the bills to read the complete text.
Relating to supplemental information required for inclusion with a written statement of an individualized education program developed for certain public school students who received special education services during the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year.
Requires supplemental information documented in the ARD process for any student receiving special education in 2019-20 or 20-21, including whether student’s initial FIE was completed timely or services interrupted or delayed during pandemic. All ARDs must be held by May 1, 2022.
Effective Immediately
This bill establishes the Supplemental Special Education Services Program into the Texas Education Code. Supplemental special education instructional materials include textbooks, computer hardware or software, other technological devices, and other materials suitable for addressing an educational need of a student receiving special education services. Supplemental special education services means an additive service that provide an educational benefit to a student receiving special education services, including occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy; and private tutoring and other supplemental private instruction or programs. TEA by rule will establish and administer a SSES and instructional materials program for students who meet the eligibility requirements for participation in the program. TEA will provide each approved student not more than $1,500 to purchase SSES and SSEIM. TEA will maintain a system of online accounts to provide access to these amounts.
TEA will establish rules by December 1, 2021.
Relating to behavior improvement plans and behavioral intervention plans for certain public school students and notification and documentation requirements regarding certain behavior management techniques. Addresses Behavior and Documentation Requirements
- Behavioral intervention plans (BIP)
- Must review BIP at Annual ARD
- Restraint and Time Out
- Changes to Parental Notice and Documentation for Time Out
- Manifestation Determination Review (MDR) which results in a Changes of Placement
- Seek consent for a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA), if a FBA has never been done or is more than 1 year old
- Must also develop BIP if one has not been developed within 1 year
Effective Date: Applies beginning with the 2021-22 school year.
Relating to the limitation period for filing a complaint and requesting a special education impartial due process hearing.
The commissioner/TEA is prohibited from adopting or enforcing a rule that establishes a shorter period for filing a due process complaint alleging a violation of state or federal special education laws and requesting an impartial due process hearing than the maximum timeline designated under 20 USC Sections 1515(b)(6) and (f)(3).
Effective Date – September 1, 2022