Adapting Books for All Students



Weekly Update 10.1.2015?TEA InformationRF Tracker SystemRF tracker is open for data entry of students and facilities. Initial entries need to be completed by November 20, 2015. If you are designated to have a PBM visit, you are asked ot have RF tracker up-to-date before the visit.For further information or questions, please contact Jerry Klekotta at gklekotta@ or 713.744.6393.Music TherapyDr. Melody Musgrove, Director of the Office of Special Education Programs, recently wrote to state Special Education Directors about music therapy. A portion of her letter is below. In addition, an OSEP letter (Letter to Farbman) is attached.I am writing to address questions we have received regarding the inclusion of music therapy as a related service under section 602(26) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and §300.34(a) of the Part B regulations.? Related services means transportation and such developmental, corrective, and other supportive services as are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education. ?Attached for your reference is OSEP’s June 9, 2000 Letter to Farbman. (Note that Letter to Farbman includes citations to the 1999 Part B regulations.)? This letter reiterates the Department’s long-standing position that the list of services in the definition of related services is not exhaustive and may include other developmental, corrective, or supportive services (such as artistic and cultural programs, art, music, and dance therapy) if they are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education. ?If the IEP Team determines that music therapy is an appropriate related service for a child, the Team’s determination must be reflected in the IEP, and the service must be provided at public expense and at no cost to the parent. ?This position was restated in the 2006 Part B regulations at 71 Fed. Reg. 46539, 46569 and in Question E-1 of the document “Questions and Answers On Individualized Education Programs, Evaluations, and Reevaluations” September 2011 available at ?If you have any additional questions please do not hesitate to contact me.?All best,Melody Musgrove, Ed.D. ?PBMAS, SPP, and RF Staging According to TEA, PBMAS staging has been drafted and is waiting for Commissioner’s approval and posting to ISAM. You will not be receiving a letter. Please continue to check ISAM under your TEASE/TEAL account periodically to determine your LEA’s staging. All districts and charters need to login to ISAM to check.If you are noncompliant with SPPS indicators 11, 12, and 13, you will receive a letter. The date on the letter will start the timeline for correction. If your LEA was compliant in all three indicators, no letter will be sent. You will not receive a separate stage for RF. If your LEA is staged in SPED, you will also be required to complete the RF staging requirements. For RF there will no longer be a 4A or 4B stage. For LEAs that are stage 2 for SPED, no submissions are required (previously for RF stage 2 had to submit) but random selections by the agency may occur. Continue to forl the current RF manual pages 3-5 concerning the interventions as well as the investigatory topics. A revised manual is in process.Access to data in TEA secure web applications is protected by at least one of TEA's security gateways, the Texas Education Agency Security Environment (TEASE) or by the Texas Education Agency Login (TEAL). If you need to set up access, go to . As a reminder, apply for access as soon as possible to allow time for approval. For further information or questions, please contact Jerry Klekotta at gklekotta@ or 713.744.6393.Specific technical assistance at Region 4 for SPP 4A and 4B is Dr. Clynita Grafenreed at cgrafenreed@ or 713.744.6345SPP 11 and 12 is Kara Zowlinski at kara.zwolinski@ or 713.744.6562 SPP 13 is Karen Pepkin at kpepkin@ or 713.744.4470. Student Attendance and Accounting Handbook The Texas Education Agency recently posted the 2015-2016 Student Attendance and Accounting Handbook Change Document is available at (). Page 15 of the document outlines a change to Section 4 (Special Education).NEW:4.7.2 Code 01 – Homebound To be placed in the special education homebound instructional setting . . . The student is expected to be confined at home or hospital bedside for a minimum of 4 weeks. The weeks need not be consecutive if the student is chronically ill and the local district policy allows for such. OLD:4.7.2 Code 01 – Homebound To be placed in the special education homebound instructional setting . . . The student is expected to be confined at home or hospital bedside for a minimum of 4 weeks (the weeks need not be consecutive). The change adds language that the student must be chronically ill and that the local district policy must allow for such in order for the weeks to not be consecutive. Please note that in section 3.7 (General Education Homebound) there is no change to this requirement in the change document.Sign up Online to Receive TEA UpdatesTo sign up for TEA updates or to access your subscriber preferences, please enter your contact information below. About 60 different topic-specific subscriptions are available. The TEA PMI Division remind districts and charters to subscribe to their updates. Region 4 Schools Receive 2015 National Blue Ribbon HonorsEarlier this year, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) nominated more than 20 Texas public schools for national 2015 Blue Ribbon Schools recognition. Founded in 1982, Blue Ribbon Schools is a U.S. Department of Education program that recognizes public and private elementary, middle, and high schools where students perform at very high levels. The U.S. Department of Education announced today that 25 schools nominated by TEA have been awarded Blue Ribbon honors for 2015. The schools in Texas include the following:??Aldine ISD – Victory Early College High School?Houston ISD – North Houston Early College High SchoolAll schools were selected as exemplary high performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests. Each school has an economically disadvantaged population of 25 percent or greater. The nominated schools completed a rigorous application process through the U.S. Department of Education. Schools that receive the award are recognized at the Blue Ribbon School conference in Washington, D.C. For more information about the national Blue Ribbon Schools program, visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at . Projected 2015 Impact to LEAs from Potential Federal Government ShutdownA new statewide letter dated September 28, 2015, has been posted to the TEA Correspondence page. The purpose of this letter is to outline the minimal expected impact that a potential federal government shutdown could have on Texas local educational agencies (LEAs) and on TEA in terms of current federal education grants.?EDGAR Now Allows Two-Year Grace Period for Procurement Policies and ProceduresThe new EDGAR regulations now allow grantees the option of a two-year grace period to implement policies and procedures that conform to the procurement standards in 2 CFR 200.317–200.326. If taking the two-year grace period, the new procurement requirements would go into effect in school year 2017–2018.The Federal government will now allow a grace period of two full fiscal years after the effective date of EDGAR. Grantees must document whether they are in compliance with the old or new standard, and must meet the documented standard. For more information on the grace period, see Question 110-6 Effective Dates and Grace Period for Procurement of the Frequently Asked Questions document published by the Council on Financial Assistance and Reform (COFAR).TEA’s New EDGAR Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) guidance document will be updated soon to reflect this change.DescriptionIf you have any questions, please submit a request through the TEA Help Desk and enter either “government shutdown” or “procurement grace period” in the subject field.For Your InformationNational Bullying Prevention Awareness MonthOctober is National Bullying Prevention Month and it’s a good time for schools (including personnel and students), communities, districts, and states to take stock of current efforts to reduce and prevent bullying. Forget Work-Life Balance, Pursue Well-Being InsteadTrying to fulfill professional, family, and personal responsibilities? That’s is a constant struggle for everyone! A Google search of work-life balance shows almost 200 million results. There are two main dimensions that affect your well-being: feeling good and doing good. Feeling good is about experiencing positive emotions on a daily basis; doing good is about overall life satisfaction that comes from pursuing meaningful goals and making a positive impact. So Beth Cabrera (ATD, August 2015) suggests a better goal to consider is to improve your well-being since 1) failure to achieve work-life balance often causes more stress and 2) the pursuit of work-life balance is an impossible goal. When you are thriving, you have psychological resources that help you deal with work-life conflict. Experiencing more frequent positive emotions boosts your energy level and self-confidence. Positive emotions help you think in more creative ways, so you can come up with solutions to better manage the chaos and be more resilient! Consider changing your focus from balance to boosting well-being and increasing joy and meaning in your life! October 2015 to be Breast Cancer Awareness MonthOctober is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. While most people are aware of breast cancer, many forget to take the steps to have a plan to detect the disease in its early stages and encourage others to do the same. See information at Fall is Ideal for Planting Trees and Shrubs in TexasAccording to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, now is a perfect time to add a new tree or grouping of shrubs to your landscape. Fall months of September through December have distinct advantages. Plant roots grow anytime the soil temperature is 40 degrees or higher, which may occur all winter in Texas. During the winter months, the root systems of the fall-planted specimens develop and become established. When spring arrives, this expanded root system can support and take advantage of the full surge of spring growth. Find the best tree for your yard at ECHO: Service Animal to John Bramblitt (Texan), inducted into the TVMF Hall of Fame031623000Last year, the Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation (TVMF) announced that Echo, a loyal companion and guide dog to John Bramblitt of Denton, was to be inducted into the 2014 Texas Animal Hall of Fame. ?John Bramblitt, an artist who is blind, was selected as the winner of the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities’ 2013 Texas NDEAM Poster Art contest; his winning piece, Cowboy Sunset, was used in the design of that year’s Texas NDEAM Poster. Echo, his guide dog, was inducted into TVMF as the 2014 winner in the Professional category, which recognizes a remarkable specially-trained assistance animal. Echo was trained at Guide Dogs of Texas. Echo has given John the freedom to travel and navigate the world in a way that would have been impossible in the past and has impacted John in ways in which he will be forever grateful.A call for nominations has now been issued for this year’s Texas Animal Hall of Fame candidates. Please download the application form HERE and send it to the TVMF office by Sept. 15, 2015. - See more at: 4 Upcoming Professional DevelopmentBuilding An Inclusive School SeriesDeveloping and maintaining an “Inclusive School.” Bring a campus core team and learn the key components in developing and/or maintaining an inclusive school. Day One’s focus is on Inclusion Philosophy, Inclusion Committee, LRE, Case Management, and the IEP Decision-Making Process. Day Two will focus on scheduling and effective instructional frameworks. The final day will address inclusion models, common planning, classroom management/routines, and behavior. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state or federal grants.Session ID: 1158888Date: 10/6/15, 10/20/15, 11/10/15Time: 8:30a.m. – 3:30p.mLocation: MCC 205, MCC 202, MCC 103Fee: $135 for all three days, participant cannot substituteContact Information: Tony Goedicke at tony.goedicke@ or 713.744.6579Co-teaching Series: Basic and Advanced Co-Teaching PracticesDeveloping highly effective co-teach teams. Come as a co-teach team to increase instructional intensity more than a one teacher classroom. Day one (High Quality Instruction and Co-Teaching) explores implementing high quality instructional frameworks with the six (6) co-teaching approaching, common planning and the stages of co-teacher development. Day two (Advanced Co-Teaching) explores the variations of the co-teaching approaches. We will dive deeper into analyzing co-teachers beliefs and philosophies of education as well as to evaluate your partnerships in order to development a highly effective team. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state or federal grants.Session ID: 1158894Date: 10/7/15, 10/27/15Time: 8:30a.m. – 3:30p.mLocation: MCC 204Fee: $90Contact Information: Tony Goedicke at tony.goedicke@ or 713.744.6579Pivotal Response Training in the Early Childhood Classroom: Addressing Motivation, Learning, and Social InteractionDo you have students who are difficult to engage in your early childhood classroom activities? Join this session to learn more about strategies that support the motivation, learning, and social interaction of early childhood students with autism. Pivotal Response Training (PRT) is grounded in Applied Behavior Analysis and developmental psychology and is applied in a naturalistic manner so that the strategies are more readily implemented in early childhood classrooms. PRT increases academic and social skill acquisition while at the same time decreasing challenging behaviors so that students can participate more meaningfully in classroom and inclusive activities. In this session, The Koegel Autism Center will present information on the principles of PRT, as well as relate the information specifically to the early childhood classroom through the use of student examples. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state and/or federal grants.Session ID: 1151457 Dates: November 3, 2015Time: 9:00 – 4:00Fee: $45 Contact information: Cathy Williams, cathy.williams@, 713.744.6801Region 4 ESC Homebound Instruction Network MeetingSession ID: 1196660Date: December 4, 2015Time: 9:00am – 11:30amLocation: Region 4 ESCFor further information or questions, please contact Susan Parker at sdparker@ or 713.744.6398.Life Skills Institue: Elementary and SecondaryLearn key elements necessary for setting up and maintaining a self-contained life skills classroom for students with significant intellectual disabilities. Critical issues covered in this seven-day series are?classroom management, positive behavior supports,? community-based/referenced instruction, working with paraprofessionals, instructional strategies, writing?measurable IEPs, and teaching standards-based and grade-linked instruction. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state or federal grants. Elementary Session ID: 1154947Elementary Dates: 10/09/15, 11/06/15, 12/09/15, 1/04,16, 2/16/16, 3/03/16, and 4/26/16Secondary Session ID: 1164948Secondary Dates: 10/09/15, 11/06/15, 12/09/15, 1/04,16, 2/16/16, 3/02/16, and 4/26/16Time: 9:00a.m. – 4:00p.mLocation: Region 4 ESCFee: $315 Contact Information: Susan Parker at sdparker@ or 713.744.6398Paraprofessionals: Effective Support in the Inclusive ClassroomLearn about the changing role of the paraprofessional and how to work as a team with general and special education teachers. The session will address problem solving, communication, collaboration, and learning skills. The session will also address working with teachers, students, and parents; collaborative learning approaches; and student behavior management techniques. Teams of teachers and paraprofessionals who work together are encouraged to attend. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state or federal grants. Session ID: 1158910Date: 10/13/15Time: 8:30a.m. – 3:30p.mLocation: MCC 103Fee: $45Contact Information: Tony Goedicke at tony.goedicke@ or 713.744.6579Paraprofessionals: Roles, Responsibilities, and EthicsIdentify and understand the roles, responsibilities, and ethical issues for paraprofessionals in bilingual/ESL, Title I, and inclusive classrooms. Topics include professional ethics related to confidentiality, responsibilities of paraprofessionals in teacher teams, and instructional strategies to support students in becoming independent learners. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state or federal grants.Session ID: 1158909Date: 10/20/15Time: 8:30a.m. – 3:30p.mLocation: MCC 202Fee: $45Contact Information: Tony Goedicke at tony.goedicke@ or 713.744.6579Co-Teaching for AdministratorsAssist your teachers in obtaining increased instructional intensity in the co-teach classroom by gaining knowledge of highly effective co-teach components. Perform observations and discuss with colleagues the positives and challenges within a co-teaching classroom. Leave with common planning tools for teachers as well as a classroom walk-through tool to enhance co-teach practices.Session ID: 1158897Date: 10/21/15 Time: 8:30a.m. – 3:30p.mLocation: MCC 207Fee: $45Contact Information: Tony Goedicke at tony.goedicke@ or 713.744.6579Standards-Based Instruction for Students with Significant Intellectual Disabilities: Early Elementary or Secondary 2-day SeriesLearn the use of universal design for learning and systematic instruction to teach core content area academics to early elementary or secondary students with significant intellectual disabilities. This?2 day series will provide strategies and research-based methods to plan and implement grade-linked instruction in reading and mathematics aligned to Texas state standards. Models of instruction will be provided with curricular frameworks and lesson plans with explicit guidance. Participants will develop strategies that can be used to collaborate with general educators, to generate grade-linked lessons in core academic content areas. Opportunities for hands-on experience with materials and lessons will occur, as well as video examples of lessons being implemented. Participants will participate in model lessons with sample materials and will work in groups to generate teaching examples of specific academic and instructional procedures. Sessions and materials are partially funded through state or federal grants. Early Elementary Session ID: 1166114Elementary Dates: 10/26/15 and 12/15/15Secondary Session ID: 1166118Secondary Dates: 10/27/15 and 12/16/15Time: 9:00a.m. – 4:00p.mLocation: Region 4 ESCFee: $90 Contact Information: Susan Parker at sdparker@ or 713.744.6398Positive Behavior Supports for Students with Significant Intellectual and Developmental DisabilitiesLearn various strategies and interventions, including classroom organization, for supporting positive behavior in your students with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities.? Participants will have an opportunity to explore the use of visual supports and token economy systems as just a few of the ways to support positive behaviors. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state or federal grants.Session ID: 1160582Date: 10/29/15Time: 9:00a.m. – 4:00p.mLocation: Region 4 ESCFee: $45 Contact Information: Susan Parker at sdparker@ or 713.744.6398Shake and Bake 101: Introduction to Creating a High-Quality Structured Early Childhood Classroom (A 2-Day Series)Have you ever attended professional development and left thinking, "This is great information but how am I going to do this in my classroom?" Join this 2-day workshop series to not only learn practical ways to add structure to your early childhood classroom, but also receive direct support to implement these practices. This series is geared towards those who want to learn the basics of how to increase structure in their classrooms. During this series, participants will 1) learn the components of high-quality structured classrooms; 2) identify an area in their own classrooms in which to add these components; 3) create the materials to be used; 4) receive direct instruction on how to apply these components in their classrooms; and 5) receive feedback following a period of implementation. In order that the workshop is as personalized and helpful as possible, participants will be asked to provide pictures or video of their classrooms and to commit to attending both days in the series. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state and/or federal grants. Session ID: 1151645Registration Fee: $90.00Location: MCC Date Time10/21/15 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.11/19/15 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Contact Kristina Parr. at 713.744.6350 or kristina.parr@ S.T.E.M. Strategies for Preschool Discover how to create a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) enriched program that can inspire creativity and learning for all preschool students. Participants will explore a variety of techniques, lesson ideas and strategies to engage the preschool learner. Participants will receive a variety of materials to support STEM education in the PPCD and PK classrooms. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state and federal grants. Session ID: 1151653 Registration Fee: $135.00 Location: MCC Date Time10/6/15 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.12/8/15 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.2/11/15 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Contact Kristina Parr. at 713.744.6350 or kristina.parr@ Adapting Books for All Students (Pati King-DeBaun)Learn how to support emerging language and literacy using and adapting books for all students. Videos and adaptations will be appropriate for students on the autism spectrum, students with language and learning difficulties, students with cognitive impairments and students with severe and multiple disabilities. In this session, we will look at the early literacy levels of engagement and practical ideas to support those levels within the preschool. Participant will learn the how, when, what, and why of using visual supports with students within book-based reading and other supportive activities. The use of iPad to support book readings will also be infused in this session and including access for all students. Participants will receive a variety of materials to support and nurture language growth in the PPCD and PK classrooms. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state and federal grants. Important Session Information: This session will be held at: Crowne Plaza Northwest Brookhollow 12801 Northwest Freeway Houston, TX 77040 T: (713) 462-9977 Session ID: 1173613 Registration Fee: $90.00Location: Crowne Plaza Date Time Location10/27/2015 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM Crowne Plaza Brookhollow10/28/2015 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM Crowne Plaza Brookhollow Contact Kristina Parr. at 713.744.6350 or kristina.parr@ Handwriting Without Tears for the Preschool Student Explore how Handwriting Without Tears can support readiness, writing, literacy and math in the preschool classroom. Participants will learn how to plan instruction, teach hands-on letter play and explore concepts of prewriting through this multi-sensory, discovery play approach. Participants will receive a variety of materials to support handwriting in the PPCD and PK classrooms. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state and federal grants.Important Session Information: This course has been approved for 5.25 contact hours, AOTA .525 CEUs. AOTA continuing education credit information including a timed agenda and learning outcomes can be found at Session ID: 1151895Registration Fee: $45.00Location: MCC Date Time10/15/15 8:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.Structured Teaching: It’s More Than Just Work Systems, A 3-Day SeriesJoin this 3-day series to gain in-depth information on creating a structured classroom to support the learning and behavior of students with autism and other disabilities. During this professional development series, participants will learn 1) the principles and research base for structured teaching; 2) how to apply structured teaching principles to support students of varying ages and ability levels; 3) how to implement structured teaching in a variety of settings including special education classrooms, general education classrooms, and the community; 4) how to teach students to use structured teaching components; and 5) how to “re-structure” systems when students are not responding positively. Participants will also create materials, use these materials to practice implementing structured teaching in their classrooms through “homework” assignments, and receive feedback.Session ID: 1164910 Dates: January 26, February 9, & March 8, 2016Time: 9:00 – 4:00Fee: $135 Contact information: Cathy Williams, cathy.williams@, 713.744.6801Coping with Autism and Anxiety: Strategies to Support Students in the ClassroomJoin this professional development session to learn more about the impact of mild to severe anxiety on students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). During this session, participants will gain information about 1) indicators of anxiety, 2) assessment tools, 3) interventions that decrease anxiety and enhance self-management, and 4) tips for addressing anxiety in the classroom. Videotaped examples will be used to demonstrate the strategies.Session ID: 1156334 Dates: February 4, 2016Time: 9:00 – 4:00Fee: $45 Contact information: Cathy Williams, cathy.williams@, 713.744.6801 ................
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