The Scoop
Special Services Update Weekend Edition - February 13, 2022
New Testing Materials!
KABC-2: 2 new test kits
Test of Problem Solving- Elementary (Ages 6-0 through 12-11)
Social Language Development Test- Elementary (Ages 6-0 through 11-11)
Preschool Language Assessment Instrument Second Edition (Ages 3-5)
Developmental Profile-4
Pragmatic Language Skills Inventory (2 kits)
Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test Second Edition
Battelle Developmental Inventory- 3rd Edition
District Collaborative Day February 18
STAAR Accommodations
1. READ ALL/Auto Text to Speech – When you want the student to have everything read to them. This might be used sparingly, depending on how the student responds to this accommodation. Choosing this accommodation will mean that the student automatically has all items read, which can be overwhelming for some students.
2. READ PARTS PER STUDENT REQUEST/Text to Speech – When the student must select to have parts read to them. This option is preferred by many students.
3. Oral/Signed Administration …… Online Embedded – We are no longer using this option in ARDs from here on out. In an effort to get things to correctly feed to Test Hound as well as align with the verbaige that the state is using (i.e. Auto Text to Speech), we will only be using option 1 or 2. This option has not yet been removed from Frontline because we don’t want to cause any issues for the students who currently have this selected.
Changes in accommodations must be completed through an ARD or IEP amendment.
Additionally, an updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document is available to address common questions about the redesign.
New Resources from Child Find, Evaluation, and ARD Supports Network
Question & Answer Document: Review of Existing Evaluation Data and Reevaluation
The Child Find, Evaluations, and ARD Supports Network has posted a question and answer document that is intended to provide guidance and best practices to LEAs regarding review of existing evaluation data and reevaluation.
Click HERE for access to the document
Writing PLAAFP's and Developing Measurable Annual Goals Recorded Webinar
This recently posted webinar covers the following content:
- The federal law and state guidance related to present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) that identify a student’s strengths, baseline data, and critical areas of need.
- The purpose and importance of measurable annual goals and a four-step process for developing annual academic goals.
- The purpose and importance of functional goals and a four-step process for developing a functional goal.
Random Act of Kindness Day!!
February 17th is Random Act of Kindness Day!! This is a great day to do something with students, staff, the community, or even for each other. Please share pictures or anything that you do to celebrate this day with keriwilliams@tomballisd.net with the subject line of RAKD. You can even make a whole week of it and do something each day. We'd love to hear/see what you do!
Reminder: Updated Evaluation Roles & Responsibilities
Other portions of the FIE will remain the same, including the completion of the assistive technology screening, as well as signing the evaluation report. Directions for signing the evaluation report can be found here. Signing the FIE.
Refer to the Evaluation Roles and Responsibilities guidance document for more information.
**NEW 2/3/22 Evaluation personnel will notify SPED case manager to complete appropriate sections using the new drop down choice "SPED Case Manager: Assistive Technology Screening/Review & Sign Report". This notification will be sent using the peer portal for the "Evaluation Request Form". For directions on how to complete the assistive technology screening, please view this video.
Dyslexia Handbook is officially in effect.
The following Texas Administrative Code (TAC) rule action was filed with the Texas Register for publication in the February 4, 2022 issue: Adopted Amendment to 19 TAC Chapter 74. Curriculum Requirements, Subchpater C, Other Provisions 74.28 Students with Dyslexia and Related Disorders. This amendment updates the Dyslexia Handbook: Procedures Concerning Dyslexia and Related Disorders.
Effective Date: February 10, 2022.
The new Dyslexia Handbook 2021 Update is posted on the TEA Dyslexia and Related Disorders webpage and will go into effect on February 10, 2022.
TEA Contact: Division of Special Education Programs
Region 4 Contact: Katharine Muller
You Be The Judge
Do pupil's brief suspensions amount to improper change in placement?
A student with an undisclosed disability frequently presented disruptive and defiant behaviors in class. To address those disability-related behaviors, teachers suspended the student multiple times throughout the school year. Although the student's suspensions never exceeded 10 consecutive days, the suspensions totaled more than 10 cumulative days. The Michigan district did not conduct a manifestation determination review.
Each time the student received a suspension, the district sent the parent disciplinary referral forms with information regarding the misconduct. However, the forms didn't indicate whether the student was entitled to receive educational services during his suspensions.
Alleging that the district failed to appropriately reevaluate the student prior to subjecting him to a series of out-of-school suspensions, the parent filed a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights. Under Section 504 and Title II, a district must reevaluate a student before any significant change in placement, including in the disciplinary context. 34 CFR 104.35 (a). A disciplinary removal constitutes a significant change in placement when the removal exceeds 10 consecutive school days. Additionally, a series of short-term removals may constitute a significant change in placement if it creates a pattern of exclusion and exceeds 10 cumulative days.
Did the district's failure to conduct an MDR create a compliance concern?
Click HERE to find out
See LRP Publications and Special Education Connection
TIP OF THE WEEK - Publicly Funded IEE's
8 things you always wanted to ask about publicly funded IEEs
Under the IDEA, parents of students with disabilities have the right to an independent educational evaluation funded by the school district if they disagree with a district evaluation unless the district demonstrates in a due process hearing that: 1) the district's evaluation was appropriate; or 2) the parents' evaluation didn't meet district criteria. But districts typically have other questions about how they may and may not respond to a request for a publicly funded IEE. Eight of the top questions are answered below in the LRP FAQ chart.
Read the FAQ's for IEE's HERE
Student Support Shout Outs
John Day - "John's 3 diags all day wonderful things about him! Yesteryear I saw Zbranek at GLJH and she said how much she enjoys working with him, and their TMHS evaluation team is very strong and has a strong level of trust and rapport. John has also volunteered to take on 4 counseling cases at GLJH. He has always been a valuable member of our LSSP team, and I needed to send this compliment after hearing from his SLP yesterday!"
Jennifer Rodriguez- "I was lucky to work with JRod at WES while Pooja was on maternity leave, and she is absolutely amazing! She has worked around my schedule (to the extent possible) and has been a great help in covering the campus. This e-mail is a little late, but I had been meaning to compliment her kindness, her compassion, and rocking diag skills for awhile!"
Jacy Warren - "Jacy has volunteered to take extra evaluations at NIS, rather than our each taking every other one, to allow me time to work on coordinating and attending to tasks at GOES and GLJH. Jacy is an incredible LSSP, she plans ahead incredibly, and is a total team player. I'm so grateful she decided to join our team!!"
Congratulations to all who responded to the last Scoop's hidden message and received a Jean's Pass!
More Information
Be sure and check out and read the other Smore Newsletters being produced by Student Support Staff: