The Scoop
Special Services Update - January 30, 2023
Communication, The Scoop & You!
The Scoop is a place for you to make sure you are in the know and have all the information you need. You are responsible for the information in the SCOOP. If you need clarification, please reach out to your Student Support Specialist or me.
Have a great week!
~Keri
Recap of Last Issue:
Be sure and look back if needed for any information on:
- The TISD FFA Special Rodeo was a HUGE success! Thank you to all who supported, planned and came out and helped.
- CTE Pathways - Be sure and share the information with case mangers, counselors and administrators. We want everyone to be experts in helping students make sure they find an appropriate transition plan. (I left this section in here again)
Spring Dyslexia Parent Night - February 2nd
1302 Keefer Rd
Tomball, TX 77375
CTE Pathways - Resources for Intentional Transition Plans
While ALL CTE courses are available for ALL students, individual needs need to be taken into account through the IEP decision making. When considering pathways for students, please consider and discuss the coursework and required elements of the courses. Some elements are able to be accommodated and modified while others may not be able to have as much adjustment due to standards and requirements. Your campus or district CTE representatives are a wonderful resource to discuss the courses and pathways. Some fabulous pathways have been discussed that MAY be appropriate for students who need more modifications or alt curriculum, depending on their unique needs and interests. Check out these great pathway options:
Business Management
Audio/Visual Production
Graphic Design
Teaching and Training
Animal Science
For students on alternative curriculum served in a PALS setting who are interested in Public Service, there is also a pathway through Family and Community Services for a possible Public Service Endorsement in which many courses are only offered through the ARD process. This pathway, like all pathways should only be considered if the student indicated a true interest in a future in this area. Check with the high school campuses for what is able to be offered. Here is an example of a possible 4 year plan for this pathway.
Please share with case managers and counselors.
VI State Registry is Completed
48 students served in special eduction
2 infants served through an IFSP
20 students served through 504
February District PD day is coming up
GameChanger Challenges for the Week
We are TISD GameChangers!!! Here's to a great 2023 being a year of positive change we can make for others!
A colleague sent me an inspirational story (below) that I though embodied the premise behind #Ubuntu and our #TISDGameChangers moments. This week, read about the "Blown Out Sneaker" and have a great week!
We are #TISDGameChangers ....
The Blown-Out Sneaker
Our decision of whether to jump on someone else's terrible luck can be incredibly revealing of our own character. On Sunday night, a pair of New York-area high school basketball powers were set to square off on national television when a bizarre mishap occurred in warmups. The size 17 sneaker of a player from Archbishop Stepinac unexpectedly blew out — meaning the Crusaders would be without one of their top players for a game with major local and national rankings implications on ESPNU. Rival Christ the King High School appeared to have caught a big break. But when Christ the King Coach Joe Arbitello learned about what happened, he searched around and found sneakers for the rival player to wear — a selfless gesture considering the stakes of the matchup. “When’s the last time he got to play on national television?" Arbitello told The Daily Coach. "Now he’s not going to get to play because his shoe blew up? I think it’d be ridiculous to not give him a pair of shoes.” There’s a key lesson in Arbitello’s sneaker gesture. Many of us as leaders view our competition as the ultimate enemy and will pull no punches in our efforts to defeat it. But at a certain point, perspective and maturity have to be more important than gaining a little extra edge over the opponent. Our decision of whether to take advantage of and capitalize on someone else's terrible luck can be incredibly revealing of our own character. And doing the right thing should never be about the stakes of a game or what it says on the scoreboard. The Stepinac player would go on to score 12 points and grab eight rebounds in his team’s 68-64 win over Arbitello’s team. But the coach said he wouldn’t hesitate to lend a helping hand again. “In life, you need to see the bigger picture, not just a win or a loss," Arbitello said. "At the end of the day, there’s a human element to it.”
Recognize symptoms associated with trauma, educational disabilities
Students with trauma often mimic behaviors associated with students with disabilities. Refer to this chart for trauma symptoms and what educational disability it may reflect.
January 18, 2023
Copyright 2023© LRP Publications
You Be The Judge
Does child's aggression justify brief stay in gen ed class?
A third-grader with a history of aggressive behavior attended a substantially separate classroom where he received speech therapy, OT, and behavioral services pursuant to an IEP. After he assaulted a peer, the IEP team agreed to an interim placement.
On May 27, 2010, the district placed the student in a general education first-grade class while it initiated the process for moving him to the interim placement. The principal explained that the school did not have a "safe alternative." She told the parent it would take four days to complete the process. The parent asked for tutoring in the meantime, but the school lacked the resources, according to the principal.
The parent disagreed with the general education class, believing the student felt humiliated there. She offered to keep him home until he entered the interim placement. The student entered that placement on June 14, 2010.
The parent claimed the district denied the child FAPE.
Does pause in services after assault deny student FAPE?
A. No. Minor or temporary deviations from a 504 plan or IEP generally do not deny FAPE.
B. Yes. The student went without any services for almost two weeks.
C. No. The parent voluntarily agreed to keep the child at home.
D. Yes. The fact that a student is aggressive, or a district lacks resources, never justifies an implementation failure.
How OCR found: B.
The deprivation of services was more than trivial, OCR concluded. Boston (MA) Pub. Schs., 111 LRP 19277 (OCR 2010).
If a 504 plan or IEP is not fully implemented, OCR examines factors including the nature and amount of services lost, the reason for the implementation failure, and the district's efforts to compensate for it.
OCR pointed out that the Massachusetts district failed to implement the child's IEP for 11 consecutive days. During that time, it did not supply any of the listed services. Although the removal was based on safety concerns, the district provided no valid reason for the failure to continue services. Finally, the district made no effort to compensate the first-grader for its failure. Consequently, OCR found that the district denied the student FAPE.
Answer A is incorrect. The implementation failure was not trivial, because all services were denied for nearly two weeks, with no compensation for the loss.
Answer C is incorrect. The parent only kept the student home because the gen ed placement was inappropriate.
Answer D is incorrect.The reason for missed services is a factor in OCR's analysis of whether an implementation failure rises to the level of a FAPE deprivation.
Editor's note: This feature is not intended as instructional material or to replace legal advice.
Joseph L. Pfrommer, Esq., covers special education legal issues for LRP Publications.
October 4, 2011
Copyright 2011© LRP Publications
GameChanger Thank You
Thank you Ms. I for joining #TeamTomball You’ve made this year awesome for your students, their parents, and for everyone who has the blessing to walk into your classroom.
More Information
Be sure and check out and read the other Smore Newsletters being produced by Student Support Staff:
The Specialized Support Snippits
Behavior Bulletin - NEW