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Weekly Update (4.6.2017)?TEA InformationTexas Progress in the General Curriculum (PGC) Network –Reading SeriesThe PGC Network is coordinating a series of sessions focused on evidenced-based practices in reading to support students with disabilities. Two flyers are attached with information on the workshops. ?Please share the information with your contacts. ?One flyer is for newly added PGC Reading Series workshops. ?There are no registration fees for the PGC Reading Series sessions. Cris Tovani will be in Lubbock (Region 17) next Wednesday, April 12.??Some of the topics she will address are motivation, engagement, comprehending complex texts in all content areas, learning targets, feedback and grading. ?Please contact Cara Wyly, at cara.wyly@ if you have questions about the PGC Reading Series.The second flyer is for a 2 day workshop presented by Dr. Jan Hasbrouck at Region 7 titled Meeting the Needs of Struggling Readers K-12. ?Please contact Sonja Burnett?Burnett, at sburnett@ if you have questions about this workshop. ?The registration fee is $175IDEA B MOE Local Education Agency Response Due April 10, 2017TEA has calculated preliminary IDEA-B local educational agency (LEA) maintenance of effort (MOE) compliance reviews for school year 2015–2016. Reports are accessible in the GFFC app in TEASE. Typically only the superintendent has access to the GFFC app or your business office. Please work collaboratively with your business office as needed.See the attached TTAA letter for instructions and deadlines.Contact Information: Jerry Klekotta gklekotta@ or 713.744.6393High Cost Funds UpdateTEA has notified us that due to technical issues, the opening of the High Cost Fund application has been delayed. ?The application will open as soon as possible following the technical repair.? TEA will consider an extension of the deadline once the extent of the delay is known.? Information on these statuses will be provided as they are known.In anticipation of the need for a quick turnaround for submission of the application, prepare now:Review TEA ProcessforHCFGrantEntitlementCalculation (1)Identify costs: There will be a link to an excess cost calculator for transportation in the applicationCopy of HighCostProRatingTool March 1 2016Copy of Student spreadsheet (002)Have ARD documents documenting services readyEnsure that you have access to HCF application through TEASE Information: Jerry Klekotta gklekotta@ or 713.744.6393Snapshot 2016: School District Profiles Now OnlineSnapshot is an online resource that provides an overview of public education in Texas for a particular school year. In addition to state-level information, this product contains a profile about the characteristics of each public school district and charter school. Snapshot profiles public education in Texas, at both the state and district levels, and includes almost 100 separate data elements to either browse or download. Snapshot also combines the data into summary tables based on specific characteristics, and its peer-search function allows a user to group districts according to shared characteristics. While Snapshot does provide an overview of public education in Texas at the state level and for each public school district, it does not provide any campus-level information. To view the information from the 2016 Snapshot: School District Profiles (or for previous years), visit the TEA website at: additional performance results for all Texas public school districts and campuses, visit the TEA Texas Performance Reporting System (TPRS) website at Contact InformationTexas Education Agency Office of AcademicsPenny Schwinn, Deputy Commissioner Division of Performance Reporting–Shannon Housson, Division DirectorDivision of Performance Reporting–Jamie Crowe, Director (512) 463-9704? performance.reporting@tea.Proposed Revisions to English and Spanish Language Arts and Reading TEKS for Kindergarten – Grade 8At the January/February 2017 State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting, the SBOE approved for first reading and filing authorization proposed revisions to the English and Spanish language arts and reading TEKS for Kindergarten – Grade 8. The SBOE is scheduled to consider the proposed revisions for second reading and final adoption at its April 2017 meeting. The board postponed first reading and filing authorization for proposed revisions to the English and Spanish language arts and reading TEKS for high school until the April 2017 meeting. The official public comment period for the proposed revisions to the English and Spanish language arts and reading TEKS for Kindergarten – Grade 8 is now open. The SBOE has specifically requested feedback regarding the amount of time needed to provide instruction in the proposed student expectations. Specific feedback related to the time needed to teach individual concepts would be helpful.To view the proposed revisions and submit public comments, visit (TAC)/Proposed_State_Board_of_Education_Rules/. Proposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 110, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading, Subchapter A, Elementary, and Subchapter B, Middle SchoolProposed Revisions to 19 TAC Chapter 128, Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Spanish Language Arts and Reading and English as a Second Language, Subchapter A, Elementary, and Subchapter B, Middle SchoolPublic Comment Period: March 3, 2017– April 18, 2017Earliest Possible Date of Adoption: April 2017 SBOE meetingVertical Alignment DocumentsVertical alignment documents that reflect the alignment of the proposed revisions across grade levels Kindergarten – Grade 12 are available for English and Spanish language arts and reading at—English language arts and reading: (TEKS)_Review/English_Language_Arts_and_Reading_TEKS/Spanish language arts and reading: (TEKS)_Review/Spanish_Language_Arts_and_Reading_and_English_as_a_Second_Language_TEKS/The SBOE requested that TEA staff apply adjustments made to the Kindergarten – Grade 8 TEKS at the January/February 2017 meeting to the proposed revisions to the high school TEKS as appropriate. The vertical alignment documents reflect these adjustments. Distribution of Remaining Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI) Kits TPRI kits provided by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for Texas public schools will no longer be available after the 2016–2017 school year. Since there have been no revisions to the TPRI assessment since its 2010 release, the current 2010–2014?kits remain valid.?Texas public schools and school districts that wish to obtain additional K–2 kits from the remaining inventory will be allowed to do so while supplies last or until May 31, 2017, whichever comes first. TEA encourages schools and school districts to replace any TPRI kits that are incomplete or damaged.?Schools and school districts may also order additional kits to meet projected increases in the number of K–2 classrooms and to replace incomplete or damaged kits in the future.?Orders will be fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis until no kits remain. To place an order, visit the TPRI ordering site at . Beginning in summer 2017, downloadable versions of TPRI and Tejas LEE and training on how to administer the reading instruments will be available through Gateway Courses by TEA. Updates regarding the transition to online resources will be shared through various TEA list-servs, including English Language Arts-Reading, Texas Literacy Initiative, and Texas Gateway. New and Updated Gateway Resources for English Language Arts and ReadingOnTRACK Lessons for grades 6 and 7 English Language Arts and Reading are now available. Examples of lessons include Summarize Informational/Expository Text (grade 6) and Analyze Point of View in Literary Texts/Fiction (grade 7). Additional lessons will be published throughout spring 2017. The Targeting the 2 Percent binder, which contains reading intervention lessons for grades K–5, has been updated to include Spanish versions of the lessons. To view, visit the featured resources at , select T2 PERCENT, browse the various resources, and follow the left-hand menu. For information and assistance on finding resources or enrolling in professional development courses, contact txgateway@tea..Texas Lesson Study on the GatewayAn overview of Texas Lesson Study is now available, and the first lesson—Sparking Curiosity and Wonder: Making Complex Inferences—is posted. Please note that a login is required to view this and future lessons. TEA will provide updates as new lessons go live. For information and assistance, contact txgateway@tea..Prekindergarten Guidelines Translation?The Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines are now available in both Spanish and Vietnamese on the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines webpage. Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines (updated 2015) Spanish (PDF)Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines (updated 2015) Vietnamese (PDF)Please contact the TEA Office of Early Childhood Education at (512) 463-8886 with questions.For Your InformationGCASE Board NominationsGulf Coast Administrators of Special Education (GCASE) board nominations are now underway. GCASE is seeking individuals who may be interested in serving in the following positions:President Elect: ?1 year term, then automatically serves as president and past presidentSecretary: ?3 year termTreasurer: ?3 year termTCASE Regional Coordinator: ?2 year termNorth Representative ?2 year term (includes individuals from Aldine, Cy-Fair, Huffman, Humble, Klein, Southeast TX Cooperative, Sheldon, Spring and Tomball ISDs)South Representative: ?2 year term (includes individuals from Angleton, Alvin, Brazosport, Clear Creek, Columbia-Brazoria, Dickinson, Greater Gulf Coast Cooperative, Pearland, Santa Fe, Sweeny and Texas City ISDs)West Representative: ?2 year term (includes individuals from Alief, Fort Bend, Hempstead, Katy, Lamar Consolidated, Royal, Spring Branch, Stafford, and Waller ISDs)?Charter School Representative: ?2 year termIf you are interested in any of the above positions or would like to nominate a colleague, please email lbruton@ or info@ by no later than April 30, 2017. ?Six Appointed to the Governor’s Committee on People with DisabilitiesGovernor Greg Abbott has appointed Saul Herrera and reappointed Elizabeth Dickey, Marilou Fowler, Archer Hadley, Linda Millstone and Dylan Rafaty to the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities for terms set to expire February 1, 2019. The committee recommends changes in disability policies and programs and supports a network of committees on people with disabilities, issues awards to promote greater awareness, and promotes compliance with disability related laws. See article at Marilou Fowler?of Katy is a caregiver and nursing student at Texas Health School. She is a volunteer and athletic coach for the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) Texas Chapter and a volunteer with the national PVA Caregiver Support Program. Fowler received a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in hotel, restaurant and business management from the University of San Carlos in Cibu City, Philippines.Barbara Jordan Media Award Winners AnnouncedThe Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities announces the winners of the 34th Annual Barbara Jordan Media Awards for pieces produced in 2016. Winners were chosen by a panel of judges, including journalists, professionals in the field of disabilities, and Texans with disabilities. Check out the winners at Region 4 Upcoming Professional DevelopmentAccess to the General Curriculum Institute 2017 – Don’t miss the early bird rate!Join education professionals at this three day Institute in exploring evidenced-based practices for creating effective learning environments for all learners. AGC Institute strands will include Solutions 4 accessing academic content, navigating federal and state accountability systems, achieving rigorous state assessment standards, creating 21st century digital learning environments, increasing student engagement, and implementing effective inclusive practices. Participants will leave the AGC Institute with practical strategies to promote access to and progress in the general curriculum. The AGC Institute will include general sessions from national speakers, the opportunity to attend concurrent break-out or workshop sessions, and our digital café where you can explore digital tools for the classroom. For more information, visit our website at . Session and materials costs are partially funded through state or federal grants. Session ID: 1229383Time: 8:00 – 3:30Date: June 20-22, 2017Registration Fee: $90 early bird (through April 31, 2017). On May 1, 2017 the fee will become $105Location: Region 4 Education Service CenterContact Information: Cynthia Barrett, Ph.D., cynthia.barrett@, 713.744.6343Visual Phonics: See the SoundAcquire a basic understanding of how the visual phonics system of sound-gesture-symbol relations is used with students with auditory discrimination as well as reading and writing skills challenges. Session and materials costs are partially funded through state or federal grants.Session ID: 1294949Dates: June 27-28, 2017Time: 8:30 A.M. – 3:30 P.M.Fee: $70Contact information: Marina McCormick, marina.mccormick@, 713.744.6329Region 4 Autism SymposiumJoin this 3-day symposium to gain the most recent information on autism research and issues related to autism from birth to transition. Keynote speaker, Temple Grandin, Ph.D., will share her personal experiences as an individual with autism. Additionally, leaders in the field, Celine Saulnier, Ph.D., Paula Kluth, Ph.D., and Peter Gerhardt, Ed.D. will provide information regarding research on the etiology and early identification of autism, strategies to support students with autism in the classroom, and issues related to adolescence and early adulthood.Session ID: 1143551 Dates: August 1, 2, & 3, 2017Time: 8:30 – 4:00Fee: $200 Contact information: Cathy Williams, cathy.williams@, 713.744.6801 ................
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