Welcome to our Parent Newsletter. Attendance Matters, make sure your child(ren) are present every day! I hope you all had a fantastic Winter Break. Each month we will highlight a skill(s) in Reading, Math, Speech, and Gifted. Also, in this newsletter you will find additional resources via links. If you are not able to locate a resource or would like additional information, please reach out to your local school. We are getting ready for another round of Assessments for the Winter. Please read the Parent Tips on helping your child with test taking. You will also find information for our 11th and 12th Grade students to help prepare them for their future. I want to thank you for all that you do to make your child's education possible, we could not do it without you!

Thanks,

Dr. Bruce Prescott

When students are evaluated for special education services, the team should consider all areas of suspected disability for the child who is being evaluated. In Alabama, there are 13 areas of disability in all. Over the next few months, we will give a brief overview of each exceptionality and some of the criteria considered during the eligibility process. Full information about each exceptionality can be found at https://www.alabamaachieves.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/AAC-290-8-9-11-4-2013.pdf

Hearing Impairment: an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. This term includes both deaf and hard-of-hearing.

o Criteria: vision screening, audiological evaluation, and performance measures, such as, intelligence scores, achievement tests, diagnostic tests, classroom observation, and/or review of records.

Intellectual Disability: means significantly subaverage general intellectual functioning existing concurrently with significant limitations in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period that adversely affects the child’s educational performance.

o Criteria: vision/hearing screening, intelligence test score of 70 or below, two adaptive behavior scales, one of which is 70 or below* (one teacher scale and one parent scale or two documented attempts to get the parent to complete the adaptive scale or a second teacher scale if the parent scale could not be obtained), achievement scores of 85 or below, environmental, cultural, language or economic concerns checklist.

*If a child has an intelligence score of 55 or below, the adaptive score must be 77 or below

⛄January🐧

1-31 School Board Appreciation Month*

8 Students Return

13 Report Cards Distributed

16 High School Open House*

20 Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday- Schools Closed

23 TCTA Open House*

💟February💟

1-28 Black History Month*

3-7 National Counselor Week #NSCW25*

14 🎳Special Olympics Bowling at Bowlero (More information will come from classroom teacher)

17 President's Day: No School (Inclement Weather Day if needed)

18 Staff Planning Day/No School for Students

28 at TASPA 9:00-12:00 🤸🏻‍♂️Special Olympics Gymnastics (More information will come from classroom teacher)

Future Special Olympics Event Save the Date

🎽👟Special Olympics Track and Field: Friday, May 2, 2025 9:00-2:00 at Central High School

*Look for information coming from your Child(ren) School.

The purpose of Postsecondary Transition Parent Engagement Night is to improve the postschool outcomes for students with disabilities by having informed and active parents who know what adult support services are available for their child upon graduation. We are planning to have multiple adult agencies, among others, present to speak with parents about their programs and how to access their programs. Some programs have a long waitlist, so it is imperative that parents know and complete the necessary documentation to get on these waiting lists. Moreover, our goal is to debunk any misconceptions about our students' capabilities.

Postsecondary training begins in elementary school and earlier according to research. The more transition skills students have prior to leaving high school, the more likely they are to sustain employment, graduate from college, and effectively utilize community resources. When students learn skills, have self-knowledge, and possess certain attitudes and dispositions, they can successfully navigate community resources, live as independently as possible, obtain employment of their choosing, and attend community colleges and universities and/or seek vocational training. Parents are a large part of supporting postschool outcomes when they are actively engaged in the process.

We would like parents to attend their feeder zone high school engagement night, but if you are unable to attend on that date, you can certainly attend any of the other dates.

March 20, 2025 at Paul W. Bryant High School at 6:00 pm

March 26, 2025 at Northridge High School at 6:00 pm

March 27, 2025 at Central High School at 6:00 pm

Key Reading Components:

• Phonemic Awareness: Recognizing and manipulating sounds in words.
• Letter Recognition: Identifying letters and their sounds.
• Pre-reading Skills: Understanding story structure, concepts of print.

How Parents Can Help:

1. Read Aloud Daily: Choose age-appropriate picture books, ask questions, and point to pictures and words.
2. Play Sound Games: Make up rhyming games, emphasize the first sounds of words, and play with word families.
3. Introduce the Alphabet: Sing the alphabet song, point out letters in books, and match letters with objects (e.g., “A” for apple).
4. Talk About Stories: Before and after reading, discuss the title, characters, and what happened in the story.

Resources:

• Reading Rockets (Preschool Reading)
• PBS Parents: Early Literacy

Key Reading Components:

• Phonics: Connecting sounds with letters and blending them to read words.
• Fluency: Reading smoothly and quickly.
• Vocabulary: Understanding and using a wide range of words.
• Comprehension: Understanding the meaning of the text.

How Parents Can Help:

1. Practice Phonics: Use flashcards, rhyming books, or phonics apps to reinforce sound-letter connections.
2. Read Together: Take turns reading aloud to build fluency, and re-read favorite books for better speed and expression.
3. Discuss New Words: When you come across unfamiliar words, talk about their meanings, and use them in sentences.
4. Ask Comprehension Questions: After reading, ask your child questions about the story’s characters, setting, and plot.
5. Use Interactive Tools: Play online reading games or apps that focus on phonics and vocabulary building.

Resources:

• Reading Rockets (K-5 Reading)
• Starfall (Phonics and Early Literacy)
• National Center for Improving Literacy (Reading Strategies)

Key Reading Components:

• Vocabulary Expansion: Learning and understanding more complex words.
• Fluency and Expression: Reading with correct intonation and expression.
• Comprehension: Analyzing text and making inferences.
• Critical Thinking: Understanding deeper meanings, themes, and author's purpose.

How Parents Can Help:

1. Encourage Daily Reading: Set aside time for independent reading of both fiction and nonfiction.
2. Vocabulary Building: Keep a vocabulary journal where your child writes new words and their meanings.
3. Discussion & Critical Thinking: After reading a chapter or book, have a discussion about the main idea, character motivations, and themes.
4. Practice Summarizing: Ask your child to summarize what they’ve read in a few sentences or paragraphs.
5. Use Graphic Organizers: Help your child organize information from a text using mind maps, Venn diagrams, or story maps.

Resources:

• Read Write Think (Middle School Reading Strategies)
• CommonLit (Free Reading Passages and Resources)

Key Reading Components:

• Advanced Vocabulary: Using academic and domain-specific words.
• Comprehension and Analysis: Understanding complex texts and interpreting themes, symbolism, and literary devices.
• Critical Reading: Evaluating arguments, biases, and perspectives in various texts.
• Writing & Synthesis: Writing coherent essays that analyze and synthesize multiple texts.

How Parents Can Help:

1. Support Independent Reading: Encourage your child to read challenging novels, textbooks, and scholarly articles.
2. Discussions and Debates: Discuss the themes and key points of books, articles, or historical texts. Encourage them to express opinions and provide evidence.
3. Help with Writing: Guide your child through writing essays, focusing on clear thesis statements, supporting arguments, and proper citation.
4. Introduce Literary Criticism: Help your child explore different viewpoints or critical theories when analyzing texts.
5. SAT/ACT Preparation: Use reading comprehension practice tests from official SAT/ACT prep materials to improve reading speed and accuracy.

Resources:

• Scholastic (High School Reading Strategies)
• Khan Academy (Reading and SAT Prep)
• College Board (SAT Reading Practice)
• ACT Official Practice: ACT Test Prep

1. Khan Academy (Preschool – 5th Grade)

• Resource Type: Website, App, Videos
• Subjects Covered: Early math skills, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, and word problems
• Link: Khan Academy

2. ABCmouse

• Resource Type: Website, App
• Subjects Covered: Basic math skills (shapes, counting, patterns, addition/subtraction) for preschool through early elementary grades
• Link: ABCmouse

3. IXL Math

• Resource Type: Website, App
• Subjects Covered: Extensive practice across all math topics, including operations, fractions, geometry, and data analysis for all grades
• Link: IXL Math

4. SplashLearn

• Resource Type: Website, App
• Subjects Covered: Math games and activities for early learners focusing on counting, addition, subtraction, and other elementary skills
• Link: SplashLearn

5. Prodigy Math

• Resource Type: Website, App
• Subjects Covered: Math skills from kindergarten through 8th grade, with personalized game-based learning
• Link: Prodigy Math

6. Math Seeds

• Resource Type: Website, App
• Subjects Covered: Early math skills for preschool through 2nd grade (counting, basic operations, shapes, patterns)
• Link: MathSeeds

• Resource Type: Website, App
• Subjects Covered: Interactive math tools (such as virtual manipulatives) for elementary and early middle school
• Link: Math Learning Center

1. Khan Academy (6th – 8th Grade)

• Resource Type: Website, App, Videos
• Subjects Covered: Pre-algebra, geometry, ratios, proportions, data analysis, basic statistics, and more
• Link: Khan Academy

2. Desmos (Graphing Calculator and Activities)

• Resource Type: Website, App
• Subjects Covered: Algebra, geometry, and graphing for middle and high school students, interactive graphing tools
• Link: Desmos

3. Study.com (Middle School Math)

• Resource Type: Website, Videos
• Subjects Covered: Pre-algebra, basic geometry, ratios, proportions, and word problems
• Link: Study.com Math

4. CK-12 Foundation

• Resource Type: Website
• Subjects Covered: Interactive lessons and exercises in algebra, geometry, probability, and statistics
• Link: CK-12

5. Math Help (Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1 & 2, Geometry)

• Resource Type: Website, App
• Subjects Covered: Pre-algebra, Algebra 1 & 2, Geometry with video lessons and practice exercises
• Link: MathHelp

6. BrainPOP Math

• Resource Type: Website, App, Videos
• Subjects Covered: Math topics for middle school such as algebra, geometry, ratios, and more with interactive videos
• Link: BrainPOP

1. Khan Academy (High School Math)

• Resource Type: Website, App, Videos
• Subjects Covered: Algebra 1 & 2, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, Statistics, SAT math preparation
• Link: Khan Academy

2. Paul's Online Math Notes

• Resource Type: Website
• Subjects Covered: Advanced high school math including Pre-calculus, Calculus, Algebra, and more
• Link: Paul's Online Math Notes

• Resource Type: Website, App
• Subjects Covered: Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, Probability, Statistics, and logic with interactive learning and problem-solving
• Link: Brilliant.org

4. Desmos (Advanced Math)

• Resource Type: Website, App
• Subjects Covered: Calculus, Algebra, Pre-calculus, Graphing Calculators
• Link: Desmos

5. Wolfram Alpha

• Resource Type: Website, App
• Subjects Covered: Algebra, Calculus, Trigonometry, and more; an advanced computational search engine for solving math problems and visualizing data
• Link: Wolfram Alpha

6. PatrickJMT

• Resource Type: Website, YouTube Channel
• Subjects Covered: Algebra, Calculus, Pre-calculus, and other high school-level math topics explained through step-by-step videos
• Link: PatrickJMT

7. Art of Problem Solving (AoPS)

• Resource Type: Website, Books
• Subjects Covered: Advanced topics in math (Algebra, Geometry, Precalculus, Calculus, and Olympiad level problem-solving)
• Link: AoPS

8. Mathway

• Resource Type: Website, App
• Subjects Covered: Algebra, Calculus, Statistics, and more with problem solvers for students at all levels
• Link: Mathway

We have a partnership with The Achievery from AT&T. It is an online platform with videos and activities aligned to national standards for grades K-12. The videos are divided into core content areas, SEL, Technology, Engineering, Digital Literacy, and Digital Arts. Teachers, students, and parents can sign up for accounts. Parents could use it at home for some additional practice. Here is the link that parents, teachers, or students could use to sign up for an account: https://bit.ly/44HWEHY

Introduction

The Individualized Education Plan (IEP) Team makes many important decisions regarding programs and services available to students eligible for special education and related services. One important decision involves a determination of how a student will participate in the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP); either in (1) the general education assessment with or without allowable accommodations, or (2) an alternate assessment for students unable to participate in the general assessment, even with allowable accommodations, due to significant cognitive disabilities.

The IEP Team should begin this decision-making process with the understanding that all students, including all students eligible for special education, can learn grade-level content and should participate in the general education assessment to the maximum extent possible. However, there are times in which the IEP Team can determine that an alternate assessment is necessary and appropriate for a relatively small group (approximately 1%) of the total tested population. For example, if the total tested population in a school district is 4,000, then 40 students would represent 1% of the total tested population.

This document is intended to help guide IEP Teams to determine whether the ACAP Alternate, an alternate assessment program based on alternate achievement standards, is the appropriate assessment for a student with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The ACAP Alternate was developed to ensure that all students can participate in an assessment that is a measure of what students know and can do in relation to the grade-level state content standards.

General Criteria

The decision about how an eligible student participates in the ACAP is an IEP Team decision, not an administrative decision. The IEP Team should use the following criteria for determining the extent to which a student can participate in the ACAP Summative, with or without allowable accommodations, or whether the student should participate in the ACAP Alternate:

1. The student must be eligible for special education and must have an IEP in effect at the time of the decision.

2. The IEP Team decisions regarding a student’s participation in the ACAP Alternate must be based on both current available data and consideration of historical evaluations and instructional data relevant to the student.

3. The IEP Team’s decision should be based on the student’s present levels of educational performance, need for specially designed instruction, current annual goals, learner characteristics and access to the general education curriculum.

4. The IEP Team’s decision regarding a student’s participation in statewide assessments must be made at a scheduled IEP Team meeting that precedes administration of the statewide assessment. 5. All decisions must be timely and current; switching assessments at the last minute, right before testing, is disruptive to the student and the administration of the assessment.

Avoid the Following as Criteria for Participation Decisions

Other issues may affect a student’s learning experience and his or her ability to learn that are NOT appropriate to consider during the decision-making process for the ACAP Alternate.

These are:

1. A disability category or label

2. Poor attendance or extended absences

3. Native language/social/cultural or economic difference

4. Expected poor performance on the general education assessment

5. Academic and other services student receives

6. Educational environment or instructional setting

7. Percent of time receiving special education services

8. English Learner (EL) status

9. Low reading level/achievement level

10. Anticipated disruptive behavior

11. Impact of test scores on the State’s accountability system

12. Administrative decision

13. Anticipated emotional distress

ACAP Alternate

Federal law requires the use of an alternate assessment for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities receiving special education services who cannot participate in the regular state assessment program. Each state is required to establish the state’s definition of “significant cognitive disabilities.” In Alabama, the definition of a student with the most significant cognitive disability is a student with an intelligence quotient (IQ) of three standard deviations below the mean, which is an IQ score of 55 or below, that significantly impacts intellectual functioning and that exists concurrently with deficits in adaptive functioning (defined as essential for someone to live independently and to function safely in daily life). As a rule, a student having a significant cognitive disability is not solely determined by an IQ test score, but rather by a holistic understanding of a student. The IEP Team should use this definition as part of the determination for a student to participate in the alternate assessment program. As determined by the student’s IEP, a student receiving instruction on the alternate achievement standards, an extension of the grade-level state content standards, meets one part of the eligibility to participate in the alternate assessment program.

Additional criteria for a student with a significant cognitive disability references students who require intensive or extensive levels of direct support that is not of a temporary or transient nature. A student with a significant cognitive disability may also require specially designed instruction to acquire, maintain or generalize skills in multiple settings in order to successfully transfer skills to natural settings including the home, school, workplace, and community.

For students with an IQ measured in the 55-70 range, additional factors related to the severity and impact of the disability must be taken into account. Neither the special education disability category nor a given standardized IQ score can be the sole factor considered when determining instructional standards and participation in an assessment.

For a student to be considered as having a significant cognitive disability and therefore eligible for the ACAP Alternate assessment, the student’s IEP Team should carefully consider ALL the following statements:

• The student’s demonstrated cognitive functioning and adaptive behavior in school, work, home, and community environments are significantly below chronological age expectations even with program accommodations.

• The student requires extensive direct instruction and/or extensive supports in multiple settings to acquire, maintain and generalize academic and functional skills necessary for application in school, work, home, and community environments.

• The student demonstrates complex cognitive disabilities concurrent with deficits in adaptive behavior that are below chronological age expectations, which prevents the student from meaningful participation in the standard academic core curriculum or achievement of the appropriate grade level expectations.

The Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services (ADRS) provides preemployment training services to students in grades 9-12 at no expense to families. By now, you should have received a VR Letter for PreEts and Transition Services consent form from your child's IEP case manager. If you have not received this consent form, the form is attached for your convenience. Please read, sign, and return to your child's IEP case manager. If you received the form but have not returned it to your child's case manager, please sign and return the form immediately. If you have any questions, please contact your child's IEP case manager.

Self-determination is a cornerstone outcome for students with disabilities. Research indicates that the more self-determined students are prior to leaving high school, the more likely they are to achieve their postschool goals. Self-determination is a mindset influenced by the ability to make choices and decisions for oneself and the belief that these choices and decisions will positively impact one's life. Parents can help their children build self-determination skills including, choice-making, decision-making, problem solving, goal setting and attainment, and self-advocacy by providing opportunities for students to utilize these skills. For example, your child can assist with meal planning and preparation; setting, monitoring, and adjusting daily, weekly, and/or monthly goals; ordering from a restaurant menu; and talking through situational issues where solutions are needed. These are just a few examples, but you can google self-determination videos and have a wealth of resources at your disposal.

Parents of high school students in grades 11 and 12 should contact the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services(205-554-1300) for the purpose of completing an application for adult support services. I also recommend that parents consult with ADRS about postsecondary service possibilities and procedures.

Transportation services may be available through Handi-Care (https://www.handi.care/). Handi-Care is a new for-profit transportation company in Tuscaloosa and surrounding areas. They take medicaid, which may help with the cost.

Transportation services may also be available at Tuscaloosa Transit Authority. Parents are encouraged to go to the website: Tuscaloosa Transit Authority; click on Demand Response Services; click on ADA Application and Rules to learn about how to access the services; click on Reasonable Modifications to learn more about requirement.

1. Time Management and Organization: Use a daily planner to plan out your days. Whether your planner a virtual (Google calendar), on your phone, or a physical planner that travels everywhere with you, use it and stick to it as best you can. Schedule in your free time, test prep hours, and anything else you can think of.
2. Task Prioritization: Using your calendar, evaluate what needs to be completed first. Is it the assignment that is due in two or the essay that is due in two weeks? Some students work better when harder tasks are completed first. Determine what is most important so that you can chip away at your to do list one assignment at a time.
3. Note Taking and Note Reviewing: Taking notes while you hear information will help you absorb it and hold on to it better. Sometimes it is hard to take detailed notes while your teacher is moving quickly in class. You can abbreviate words and phrases and use highlighters or different colored pens to help you remember where you have additional questions. Raise your hand in class or plan a time to meet afterwards for your teacher to elaborate. Once home, review your notes daily so that you can refresh your memory.
4. Setting Up Your Space: Your home study space is very important for your success. Do not study in your bed or in spaces where you can be distracted. Set up a desk or table in a quiet area with all of your supplies (paper, pencils, calculator, highlighters).
5. Motivation, Rewards, and Breaks: Small successes add up to your overall goal. Do not forget to cheer yourself on and to give your brain a chance to recharge by taking breaks.
6. Study Groups: Team up with others to study outside of school or ask your teacher if there are days that extended learning is offered after school.

Tuscaloosa Public Library

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Calendar of Events

WHAT IS DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY?

Success By 6 of United Way of West Alabama is proud to provide Dolly Parton's Imagination Library books FREE to children from birth to 5 years of age living in Bibb, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Pickens, Sumter, and Tuscaloosa counties. Once a month, your child will receive a new book by mail. You only need to do two things: register your child and pledge to read the books to him/her. Please, climb on board Dolly Parton's Imagination Library!

Special Education FAQs

Special Education Process

Special Education Services

Email: webmaster@tusc.k12.al.us
Website: https://www.tuscaloosacityschools.com/
Location: 1210 Almon Ave, Tuscaloosa, AL 35404, USA
Phone: (205) 759-3700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TCSBoardofEd
Twitter: @TCSBoardofEd