Domain I — Understanding Individuals with Disabilities and Evaluating Their Needs
Competency 1: Apply knowledge of applicable state and federal laws and procedures that pertain to special education services.
TEA, ESC 18, The Legal Framework
Outlines resources by title under the framework of federal, parent, state, and technical assistance categories. Additionally outlines all state and federal laws in an easy-to-access format with a glossary and search feature.
Board of Education v. Rowley Case Brief Summary | Law Case Explained Board of Education v. Rowley | 458 U.S. 176 (1982)
Before nineteen seventy-five, students with disabilities were frequently excluded from public schools entirely or attended public schools that failed to meet their educational needs. The Education of All Handicapped Children Act required public schools to provide all students with a free appropriate public education. The Supreme Court interpreted the act for the first time in Board of Education versus Rowley.
U. S. Supreme Court Case Decision Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District
On March 22, 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision in Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District Re-1, 137 S.Ct. 988. The court held that “to meet its substantive obligation under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a school must offer [a child] an IEP [individualized education program] reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child’s circumstances.” On December 2017 the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) released this 9-page Q&A to give parents and other stakeholders information on the issues addressed in the case and B. Demonstrate knowledge of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) eligibility categories for special education and related services.
TEA, “Technical Assistance: Child Find Duty”: Texas SPED Support
The TEA is providing this guidance to assist LEAs in meeting their obligations under state and federal laws and regulations regarding the responsibility to identify, locate, and evaluate all children suspected of having a disability and who are in need of special education and related services, commonly referred to as the Child Find obligation. To ensure that all children who may need special education and related services are identified, it is important that LEAs establish and implement continuing efforts to seek out these children and inform the public of services available to children and families.
TEA, “Technical Assistance: Individualized Education Program (IEP) Development”
Before digging into the details of Individualized Education Program (IEP) development, take a minute to set your mind toward high expectations and rigorous goals for students with disabilities. Without this mindset, the IEP will fall short, and our students will not achieve all that they are capable of. TEA believes that there is shared responsibility across the state to ensure that all students, including students with disabilities, are held to rigorous academic standards and high expectations.
This question and answer document is intended to provide guidance and best practices to local educational agencies (LEAs) regarding how to approach the development of annual IEP goals and ultimately write and monitor them to meet the above requirements. Therefore, when TEA refers to “measurable” annual goals, it includes both the requirement that the goals indeed be measurable, but they must also be focused on each individual student to ensure they are individualized and challenging enough to result in meaningful progress.
TEA, "Standards-Based Individualized Education Program (IEP) Process Training": Texas SPED Support
The intent of this training is to provide participants with an understanding of the SB IEP process for gathering student data, including the full and individual evaluation (FIE), to write the student’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) statement, to draft measurable annual goals with short-term objectives/benchmarks, if appropriate, and to create a data collection system for monitoring progress of the annual goals.
A Step Toward IEP Quality and Rigor for Students with Complex Access Needs
Welcome to A Step Toward IEP Quality and Rigor: A Rubric to Guide Development of Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP), Goals/Objectives, and Progress Monitoring Methods of the Individualized Education Program for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities.
ARD Committee Manager Training
This course provides best practices for ARD committee managers and is intended to provide information, guidance, and best practice for successfully achieving these expectations.
This virtual workshop will review the requirements of an ARD committee meeting, including membership, participation, and components. Participants will gain an understanding of the different types of ARD committee meetings and the processes for mutual agreement. Learn best practices of a compliant ARD committee meeting and process.
U.S. Department of Education "Protecting Student Privacy Training"
FERPA 101: For LEA's. This online training course was developed by PTAC as an introduction to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and its requirements relating to the privacy and security of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in student records. It does require a login but it should be free.
The IRIS Center, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University. "Access the General Education Curriculum: Students with Disabilities"
This module highlights classroom considerations that promote access to the general education curriculum for students with disabilities (est. completion time: 1.5 hours).
Determining the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) in Preschool
This document, Determining the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) in Preschool is intended to provide local educational agencies with information on LRE, continuum of services and placement determinations to support educators and Admission, Review and Dismissal committee members in understanding early childhood educational environments and making informed decisions for students ages 3 through 5 and not in kindergarten who receive Early Childhood Special Education services.
Pathways: The Texas Transition and Employment Guide
The Texas Transition and Employment Guide provides information on statewide services and programs that assist in the transition to life outside the public school system for students enrolled in special education programs and their parents. Use the following links to download your copy of Pathways: The Texas Transition and Employment Guide to a Successful Life After High School for Students with Disabilities.
Graduation and Special Education: Frequently Asked Questions
This Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document provides guidance related to graduation requirements for students receiving special education services in Texas, as outlined in the 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §89.1070. These questions and answers clarify expectations and are intended to support staff at local educational agencies (LEAs) in navigating the graduation process for students with disabilities.
The Texas Legal Framework - Graduation
Authorities: 34 CFR Part 300; Texas Education Code; Texas Family Code; 19 TAC Chapters 74, 89, and 101; House Bill 3 Federal and state requirements
TEA ”Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) - Texas SPED Quick Learns”
This video offers educators valuable insights and practical examples to understand and implement the Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) essential for enabling students with disabilities to access and make progress in the general curriculum. Additionally, it delves into related concepts like accommodations, modifications, differentiated instruction, and high-yield instructional strategies, which play distinct roles in supporting diverse learners.
Competency 2 : Apply knowledge of understanding how to address each student's developmental, communication, and learning needs.
TEA, "Disability Condition Eligibility Definitions"
The IDEA and Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Provide Explanations of the criteria for disability condition determination and characteristics.
TEA, "Connecting Communication and Instruction for Students with Complex Access Needs"
When developing or acquiring communication systems, careful consideration must be given to individual needs and contexts. Furthermore, a thorough investigation of various student response modes allows educators to tailor their approaches to best facilitate communication. By exploring diverse strategies for teaching these essential skills and actively connecting communication with instructional practices, educators can create more engaging and accessible learning environments that empower students to become confident and capable communicators.
TEA, "Behavior is Communication"
When developing or acquiring communication systems, careful consideration must be given to individual needs and contexts. Furthermore, a thorough investigation of various student response modes allows educators to tailor their approaches to best facilitate communication. By exploring diverse strategies for teaching these essential skills and actively connecting communication with instructional practices, educators can create more engaging and accessible learning environments that empower students to become confident and capable communicators.
TEA, Services for Emergent Bilingual Students: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
This DHH document provides support and guidance for Emergent Bilingual Students. It includes the identification and referral process, instructional strategies, and English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPs) resource tools.
American Psychological Association "Children, Youth, Families and Socioeconomic Status"
This article contains information and resources regarding how socioeconomic status (SES) is relevant to all realms of behavioral and social science, including research, practice, education and advocacy.
TEA, "Communication: The Power of Communication for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders"
This webinar course focuses on the essentials of communication. The ability to communicate is essential. This core deficit of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) must be addressed. Here you will learn about communication needs, strategies, and interventions. Case studies are provided covering students across the autism spectrum, including non-verbal, emerging verbal, and verbal communicators.
TEA, Dually Identified Technical Assistance Guide
Dually identified students require instructional services that address language proficiency levels, considerations for second language acquisition, and specially designed instruction to meet the needs of each individual student based on his or her disability. There are a variety of ways in which these students are served. To serve dually identified students, educators, leaders, and support personnel must effectively collaborate to ensure each dually identified student has the appropriate supports.
In this pathway, participants gain a better understanding of how a trauma-informed approach can improve the learning environment and improve outcomes for all students. Participants explore the research on adverse childhood experiences, the definition of childhood trauma, stress and fear responses, attributes of a trauma-sensitive school, and trauma-informed care within MTSS.
The TIER Mental Health module comprises four pathways, or trainings. These pathways aid educators in implementing evidence-based practices for mental health within a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) framework.
Overview of “The Theories of Human Development” Khan Academy
The video discusses four key theorists in development: Freud, Erikson, Vygotsky, and Kohlberg. Freud's psychosexual theory emphasizes early childhood, while Erikson's psychosocial theory spans a lifetime. Vygotsky's sociocultural cognitive theory focuses on social interaction, and Kohlberg's moral development theory explores moral reasoning. Each theory offers unique insights into human development.
“Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development” Video by Khan Academy
Piaget's cognitive development theory outlines four stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Each stage, occurring at different ages, represents unique ways children understand and interact with the world. Key concepts include object permanence, symbolic thinking, conservation, and abstract reasoning. This theory helps us understand how children's thinking evolves over time.
