Disability Services Newsletter

💘February Spotlight💖

Compliance + eSPED Reminders

⚠️Attention Case Managers⚠️

Ensuring special education compliance is paramount to our students’ success. You play a crucial role in implementing IEPs and ensuring meticulous record-keeping and documentation.

Our commitment to compliance in special education not only fulfills legal requirements but also guarantees that each student receives the individualized support they require to thrive academically, behaviorally and socially.

Let’s work together to uphold these values of equity and accessibility and remain committed to our students' success!

🚨Critical Issue Requiring Immediate Attention🚨

Processing Draft Records

Draft records serve as the foundation for IEPs and other essential documentation. Timely and accurate processing of these records is crucial to ensuring the student receives the most current individualized and unique support they require.

However, through our out of compliance findings, I have observed delays in processing draft records. This setback not only impedes our ability to meet legal requirements but also jeopardizes the most accurate and current support for our students.

🙏🏻Teachers, please prioritize the procedures following an ARD by reviewing the steps in this resource:

Process to Complete After Any ARD or Transfer Agreement

Seeking Help

The Compliance Team takes great pride in our efforts to build capacity within our staff and ourselves.

Questions you may ask yourself:

When you have a question related to ARDs/IEPs, compliance,

eSPED, what do you do first?

Questions can be answered by finding the necessary

resource document:

💟eSPED District Resources Index

💟eSPED + Compliance Team SharePoint

Transportation Training

⚠️All professional Special Education & 504 staff must complete the REQUIRED Transportation Training.⚠️

🖥️eSPED District Resources Index➡️Transportation Services Training🚌

Three Requirements: Training Video, How-To, Affirmation Form

A special message to our wonderful Special Education Teachers and Support Staff from

The Compliance Team:

For your patience, your kindness, and your inspiration, on this Valentine’s Day we hope it makes you feel appreciated for all you give. Happy Valentine's Day to our most amazing teachers, instructional assistants and support staff!

Teacher Highlight! Shoutout to Yesenia Garza one of the Resource/Inclusion teachers at Franklin Elementary for delivering Esperanza lessons to a student from Highland Hills through Zoom providing special education services to meet the student’s needs.

THANK YOU, Ms. Garza!!:)

Updates:

1. 📚 K-5 Reading Resource Teachers: Submit your MOY IMSE Progress Monitoring data using this Google Form ASAP! For students in RGR, submit your data using the Grouping Matrix.

2.📝Ensure a Course Performance Review has been completed for students who are not passing at the 3 weeks mark (Feb. 12, 2024).

• IEP Course Performance Guidance and Form
• Fillable Form (download to enable fillable features)

3. ⏰ The due date for adjusting and/or assigning state assessment accommodations is March 1, 2024. Ensure that students on your caseload are practicing their selected designated supports routinely, independently, and effectively in the classroom.

• STAAR Accommodations Resources

Upcoming PD:

SAVE the DATES:

• March 18, 2024 50/50 PD day
• March 20, 2024 PD in PJs

We had an awesome turn out at our 50/50 PD at Lowell MS on Friday, Feb 9. Teachers were able to get valuable, relevant information on implementing SDI for Reading, as well as Lexia Power Up.

The IAs were treated to some SEL strategies and guidance for themselves and for their students. They were also given implementation strategies for classroom support in Science and Social Studies.

😁Thank you to all that attended, and look for Part 2 at the next 50/50 PD day in March.

PK-5 Disability Services Contact Meetings

6-8 Disability Services Contact Meetings

• At least one special education teacher should attend the Contact Meetings and share information with the campus team.

💯Awesome News!! 🏆

Our district has been highlighted by both TeachTown and Rethink Ed. for significant increases in usage. We are now above 80% of elementary, middle, and high school for all TeachTown Encore usage.We are actually above the national average. Rethink usage has increased 500%! Way to go teachers! Please continue to reach out to your program specialist if you need help with either of these programs.

Please remember your access to the Calendy App.

You can schedule a virtual training/coaching session with one of the TeachTown BCBAs through their Calendy link. See the link below to get started.

https://calendly.com/teachtownhelp

Rethink February Newsletter

Save the Date:Our next 50/50 PD Day is March 18, 2024. Please be sure to share flyers and information with your instructional assistants.

🧡We love ALE !🧡

Thank you teachers, substitutes, and instructional assistants for all you do to make our program great!

📅Important dates:

• February 9, 2024 - All ECSE teachers need to complete the Rising Student Guidance Form for students rising to Kinder (ECSE co-teach) and 1st grade (ECSE self contained) and upload to the student google folder.
• February 16, 2024 - Complete the Rising Student Google Form for initial projections.
• For all other Rising Student important info, go to Rising Student Landing Page.
• Reminder - As you have students who may be receiving additional time in inclusion, the time must be documented in the IEP.

ECSE Olympics will be held Mar 28 at the Convocation center. Please click on the link below for information for teachers, parents, and for staff who would like to volunteer.

• ECSE Olympics Information

Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA)

The TEA has partnered with the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) to offer UNLIMITED access to ATIA online courses for all educators, support staff, and parents serving students across Texas.

These online education programs include live and recorded versions by national experts on a variety of topics across the spectrum of the assistive technology industry sectors. Online courses are 60 and 90 minutes in length. CEUs are available for completion of these programs. In addition to the stand-alone sessions, Texas specific bundles have been created to guide users through learning pathways to meet professional or tool specific needs.

Visit the Inclusion in Texas and TEA ATIA subscription page and use access code PD24INCLUSIONTX to take advantage of these resources.

Hello Teachers! If you are interested in working Extended School Year 2024, please review and fill out the Teacher Interest Form today!

SAISD hosted a three-day unified Special Olympics basketball event at Sam Houston High School last week. On day one our elementary schools participated, then on day two our middle school and academies competed, and the final day featured comprehensive high schools as well as the Adult Years Vocational Program (AYVP). The tournament was a bracket-style tournament that consisted of 16 teams. Each team had general education peers competing alongside our Special Olympic athletes for the tournament to truly make this a "unified" event. The final came down to Lanier and Burbank, with Lanier going home with the final win. Congratulations to all our talented athletes!

Save the date for the upcoming Special Olympics Track Meet on March 6th and March 7th! We are excited to announce that we will host the first area Fundamentals Event along side the Track Meet. Please click on the Track Meet Flyer for more information.

February 504/Dyslexia Newsletter

Please join me in congratulating the following Deaf student-athlete for their performance in last weekend's District Wrestling Championship. Yanelie Casas placed 4th in her respective weight class and has earned an opportunity to compete in this coming weekend's Regional Championship in Austin. This was not an easy task, considering our wrestling district is 17 schools strong! Her season's record is 21-9. Send her all your good thoughts and vibes as we hope her season continues!

It was Game Night during the RDSPD Family Sign Class. What better way to practice language than with a family game night?

Save the Dates for training sessions for parents:

February 21, 2024

Cooper building

9am-11am

ABC - Robert Peadon

March 6, 2024

Cooper building

9am- 11 am

ABC - Robert Peadon

March 26, 2024

Cooper building

9am - 11 am

The ARC - Jennifer Tarr

Please review the IHT flyer and consider becoming an in-home trainer. Supplemental pay is provided for preparation and instruction. Training is provided, as well.
Please complete the IHT Interest Survey today!

The Disability Services Department is offering supplemental pay for certified teachers to provide instruction to students receiving Homebound Services.

Hours: After school flexible hours. Teachers can work 5-10 hours a week.

Supplemental Pay:

$30/hr for Certified Teachers

Programs:

504/General Education, ECSE, ALE, BSC, Inclusion/Resource, All grade levels!

👉Apply Here!

514 W. Quincy St.
San Antonio, Texas 78212
210-354-9565 (phone)
210-228-3117 (fax)

DisabilityServices@saisd.net