The Scoop
Special Services Update - November 13, 2023
Communication, The Scoop & You!
Hello TISD #StarsofSpecialServices!! We have the roles of a lifetime to make a difference in so many lives...it's exciting to see your stories play out and and to see you #shine in your roles!
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.
~Keri
Recap of the last SCOOP - See last SCOOP for full details...
- School Psychologists Week was last Week! Lots of shout outs on Twitter, Insta and Facebook and some campus fun! Let's continue to support and show our appreciation to our School Psychologists!
Accommodation updates/reminders...Tricia will join us at CrossTalk on Friday.
Elementary Bowling Day was a hit!
Tips on remembering the 504 evaluation determines eligibility for 504, not an ARD.
Tips on not relying solely on grades to determine progress.
Remember to Complete Language Aquisition Assessments on students who are 3-8 years old and DHH or DB (SELA)
Please reach out to your student support specialist or Keri if you have any questions.
Secondary Bowling Challenge Day Was a Success!
Such a Fun Day!
Going the extra mile to ensure a great Bowling Challenge Day!
Concentration & Fun!
Upcoming Autism Grant Training... assessment staff encouraged to attend
Autism Grant Sessions:
Title: Autism, Neurodiversity & Social Support
Presenter: Phuong Lien Palafox, CCC-SLP
When: Thursday, November 16th 9-11am CST
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/p4SDXBW5rSpm5r526
Sessions will be scheduled throughout the school year and added to our Parent University webpage. Please visit the webpage for more details on sessions and what each session offers. All sessions are free to attend and are open to our Tomball ISD community.
How to Manage Out-of-State IEPs with unexpected service, programming specifications
Imagine this: The IEP team receives notice that a student arrived in the district with a lengthy out-of-state IEP. That IEP details several services not offered in your district and includes a list of service times much different than those typically provided to similarly situated students.
Is your team ready to tackle this tricky situation in a way that maintains legal compliance, maximizes student educational outcomes, and builds trust with new families? If not, it might be time to discuss how the team can effectively and ethically meet the needs of students with out-of-state service specifications. After all, failing to do so could land your district in legal hot water and sour your partnerships with parents before the child even receives his first IEP progress report.
To meet your legal and ethical obligations to interstate transfer students with disabilities, keep these best practices in mind when faced with unexpected IEP services.
Plan initial IEP meeting ASAP The IDEA provides that a child with a current out-of-state IEP who moves into a new school district is entitled to comparable services with those specified in his current IEP. 34 CFR 300.323 (f). That means comparable services must be provided until the new school's IEP team determines eligibility and, if appropriate, crafts a new plan. Neither the IDEA nor the Part B regulations provide a timeline for determining whether to conduct an evaluation and then develop a new IEP. Some states, however, require a district to decide whether to evaluate a transfer student within 30 days of enrollment. In any event, when a student with an out-of-state IEP arrives, your IEP team will initially meet to review records and decide whether additional evaluations are needed to determine eligibility in your state. If additional evaluations are requested, your team should also discuss what service provisions the student requires during the testing period. It can then make an official decision as an IEP team regarding appropriate service changes and document it in the meeting minutes and prior written notice. Strive to meet letter, spirit of the law prior to IEP meeting Even if the interstate transfer student arrives with services significantly different than those typically provided in your district, your district will be expected to provide comparable services prior to the initial IEP meeting. Doing so might require some additional scheduling flexibility and tapping the assistance of other staff members. However, keep in mind that extensive service time provides a platform for collecting data regarding the student's current performance. This data can be used during eligibility decisions to make the right call regarding what is truly required for the new student to access an appropriate education. If the student's existing IEP specifies a service that genuinely can't be provided, reach out to your district's policy specialists for guidance on getting access to specified resources prior to the eligibility determination. For example, if the student's IEP calls for ABA services and your district doesn't provide ABA services, check with district counsel or your district's policy team for state-specific guidance on meeting legal obligations. Keep parents, staff in the loop when inconsistent placements occur In this instance, as the IEP team prepares to hold an initial meeting quickly, it would be important to ensure that parents know that the current setting is materially different from the last. In addition, special education staff should also be informed so that guidance can be provided regarding whether the placement was made in error or was made to support access to the least restrictive environment while additional data is gathered. Conduct detailed record review It is essential to look carefully through all the documents provided by the sending district. While this is a critical practice for supporting all transfer students, it may require a little extra digging for students with unexpected service provisions so that you can ensure that your team has a comprehensive understanding of why previous services were specified. You may find that the new student appears similar to other students on the surface but that additional factors are at play once you have examined all available previous evaluations. In other situations, the record review may leave your team with additional questions about the student's true level of functional and academic performance. Your team's detailed record review will set the stage for the request for additional formal evaluations at the initial IEP meeting. Heather Lash is a licensed speech-language pathologist in North Carolina. November 7, 2023 Copyright 2023© LRP Publications
There may be times when a student is placed in a school environment that differs from his previous one in the sending state. For example, a student moving from a therapeutic preschool setting with a small student-to-teacher ratio may end up with a placement in a general education kindergarten in his new state.
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Don't Overlook Severe at-home behaviors
Don't overlook severe at-home behaviors. In some cases, a student's severe at-home behaviors may impact his ability to learn at school. For example, consider a situation where a student's defiant behavior toward his parents causes him to ignore his homework. In order to ensure the student receives FAPE, the district may need to reevaluate the student's needs and develop services to reduce those at-home behaviors.
See also:
· Park City Sch. Dist., 123 LRP 30451 (SEA UT 08/25/23).
· How to address requests for IEEs regarding challenging behavior at home
· FBAs and BIPs: Meeting IDEA Compliance Obligations
October 30, 2023
Copyright 2023© LRP Publications
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Dates:
CROSSTALK - November 17th... Will start promptly at 8:15. There will be coffee, but no breakfast, we will be providing lunch for our Thanksgiving send off!
2nd Annual Superintendent’s Fun Run
APRIL 13, 2024
- Check HERE for the rest of the year meetings for Special Services
SHOUT OUTS!
- Our amazing School Psychologists for all hte amazing support they provide for our students and staff!
- A HUGE shout out for the TEAM for organizing, setting up, supporting your campuses and being there to celebrate and work on community skills with the students at secondary bowling day last Friday! Fun was had by all!!!
- If you are a former TISD student and now staff and haven't received a yard sign, please see Sharon! We want to highlight you!
Special Services All Stars of the Month!
Social Media: Twitter
More Information
Be sure and check out and read the other Smore Newsletters being produced by Student Support Staff
PLEASE remember to contact your student support specialist for all questions, concerns, or needs. Thank you in advance.
Student Support Personnel by Campus
Our Student Support Personnel are listed by campus on the link above. This will help ensure you know your student support specialist as well as other campus contacts.