Hello Parents/Guardians,

Happy 2023! I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday break and you and your student(s) are back into the swing of things for the Spring semester. We have a lot to celebrate as we continue to fine tune our teaching and learning opportunities for ALL of our students in DSISD. In this newsletter, I want to highlight our student performance on state testing as well as some of the great things that our teachers and students are doing on campuses and in the community. We hope you will take the time to celebrate your student's success and thank your student's teachers and support team for all that they do for our students.

Together,

Nadine Hogan

Director of Special Services

We are so excited about this opportunity to share information from our parent group, district events, important information, and more! The newsletter will be published one more time for the 2022-2023 school year!

• Volume 4: March 23, 2023

The Texas Education Agency releases theTexas Academic Performance Report (TAPR) annually. The TAPR report tracks several data points for all districts in the state of Texas. Some data points they track are related to STAAR testing. Below is data reflecting the overall performance on the STAAR tests for our students who receive special education supports and services.

While we know that the STAAR test is just one snapshot of how our students perform, we wanted to highlight the growth our students have shown, particularly in reading and math.

In the graphs below, you will see that we did not have STAAR scores in 2020, due to the pandemic. In 2021, we had a dip in our STAAR scores but we are definitely trending in the right direction. Our teachers and students continue to work hard to improve their student performance and close any learning gaps. We can't wait to share our continued success.

Did you know that you can give your child's teacher or support team a shout out on the District website? Tiger Stripes for Staff is a quick and easy way to send a message of thanks or support. Our teachers and staff need to hear how much they are appreciated. We hope you take the time to submit a Tiger Stripe for Staff! JUST CLICK BELOW

Our SE-PLC now has its own place on our DSISD Website. You can click below to access that page or you can access it from the main website by selecting:

• Departments from the top bar on the District website

• Special Services from the drop-down

• Special Education tab on the left

• Special Education Parent Leadership Committee under the Special Education section

The Special Education Parent Leadership Committee (SE PLC) will meet from 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. at Central Office (510 W. Mercer Street) on the dates shown below:

• November 1, 2022
• December 6, 2022
• January 10, 2023
• March 7, 2023
• April 4, 2023
• May 2, 2023

10 tips for Valentine’s Day for Children with Disabilities

1. Use social stories to prepare children who need preparation.

2. Think about what areas of need your child has (social skills, communication, writing, etc.) and think about how you can incorporate addressing those needs (or practicing) using Valentine’s Day.

3. Think about what your child can and cannot do, as it pertains to choosing, signing and distributing Valentines, and send a note to your teacher.

4. Celebrate Valentine’s Day at home, no matter how small your celebration.

5. Don’t buy a box or set of Valentines that is mixed if your child struggles with decision making. Find something cute online and print them. Many Valentines are sold in boxes that have an assortment of 4-6 different cards, and if your child really will want to send a particular card to a particular classmate, don’t buy items that give them that option. Buy or print 25 of the same card. Or plan to use this activity to work on making decisions (in a timely manner!).

This is a guide for Texas parents and caregivers of children with diagnosed or suspected disabilities from birth through 5 years of age. Click the photo below for more infomation!

Use findhelp.org to search and connect to support. You can find resources for financial assistance, food pantries, medical care, and other free or reduced-cost help. Click below to get started!

Texas Parent to Parent provides support, information, and education for families of children and adults with disabilities, chronic and mental health conditions and other health care needs. Click below for their website!

We would love to hear from you! If you have a suggestion for a future newsletter, please click the button below to submit your suggestion.