Texas Education Agency resources related to the Education of Students with Disabilities in Texas, go to:
- SPEDTEX (Region 10 ESC) – TEA\’s Special Education Information Center.
- Texas Education Agency – The website of TEA, whose mission “is to provide leadership, guidance and resources to help schools meet the educational needs of all students.”
- Regional Education Service Centers – Texas is divided into 20 Regional Education Service Centers (ESCs). Each regional ESC will provide leadership, training, and technical assistance in the area of special education for students with disabilities, in accordance with the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) focus on increasing student achievement. Each regional ESC will continue to serve as the first point of contact for school districts, parents, and other community stakeholders, and will, in accordance with 34 CFR §300.382(j), provide for the joint training of parents and special education, related services, and general education personnel.
- Special Education in Texas A-Z Index – TEA’s index of Special Education topics linked to relevant information on the agency’s website.
- The Legal Framework for the Child Centered Special Education Process (Region 18 ESC) -The Legal Framework is a template that summarizes state and federal requirements for special education by topic.
- Supporting Dual Identified Students – Students served though Special Education who are also identified as Gifted and Talented, Military-Connected, Experiencing Homelessness, or who are in Foster Care.
- Twice-Exceptional Children and G/T Services (TEA) – A “twice-exceptional learner” is a child or youth who performs at – or shows the potential for performing at – a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, experience, or environment and who:
- exhibits high performance capability in an intellectual, creative, or artistic area;
- possesses an unusual capacity for leadership; or
- excels in a specific academic field (TEC 29.121).
and who also gives evidence of one or more disabilities as defined by federal or state eligibility (IDEA, 2004) (300.8) (Section 504) criteria
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The Arc of the United States – This link takes you to the The Arc’s Position Paper on Special Education.
American Council on Rural Special Education (ACRES) – The website of the American Council on Rural Special Education “founded to enhance services to students and individuals with disabilities living in rural areas.”
Center for Applied Special Technology – This is the website of CAST, “an educational research & development organization that works to expand learning opportunities for all individuals through Universal Design for Learning.” (UDL is a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn.) CAST offers free multimedia learning tools and educational games.
Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice – Online document entitled “Prevention Strategies That Work” prepared by the Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice. “This electronic guide describes prevention practices that K-8 public school administrators have found to be effective in accelerating school performance, increasing readiness for learning, and reducing problem behaviors.”
Center for Parent Information & Resources – CPIR serves as a central resource of information and products to the community of Parent Training Information (PTI) Centers and the Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs), so that they can focus their efforts on serving families of children with disabilities. Here you can find resources on a wide range of special education topics in English and Spanish.
Children’s Disabilities Information Coalition – CDIC is the Community Parent Resource Center in El Paso Texas, which serves families through education and support.
Council for Exceptional Children – The website of the Council for Exceptional Children, “the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted.” It includes web links, resources, training events and public policy statements.
Disability Rights Texas: Education Resources – Includes handouts on a variety of special education topics and links to helpful resources.
Do 2 Learn – This website provides printable educational tools such as picture cards, organizational charts, math grids, time helpers and more. Also included are art projects, written activities, a children’s magazine, and a guide of recommended products.
Education Week Special Education – Education Week’s Special Education section features the latest news about special education, including articles, commentaries, and special features.
Education Week Texas – This is the Texas page from the “Education Week” online newspaper. It provides statistics on education in Texas; information on the Governor and Education Commissioner; web links to the Texas Education Agency and other state educational associations; web links to Texas newspapers; legislative updates and more.
Education World – This is the home page of Education World, an online resource where educators can share ideas and find information, research materials, and lesson plans. Click on “Special Ed” for links to information and tools from Education World and other resources.
Educator Labs – Features a Resource Bank with links to lesson plans and other resources for teachers, parents and students.
Edutopia – Edutopia (George Lucas Foundation) is dedicated to transforming & improving the K-12 learning process by documenting, disseminating, and advocating for innovative, replicable, and evidence-based strategies that prepare students to thrive in their future education, careers, and adult lives. In addition to explaining the strategies that work, there are Free classroom guides to download, as well as videos, and a weekly e-newsletter.
Emerging Technologies – This is the home page of emTech and provides web links to “over 15,000 resources organized by topics for teachers, students, and parents.”
Family to Family Network: IEP Support Tools – Here parents can find links to highly recommended resources for parents to acquire, read and use when planning for the ARD meeting. While on the web site, look under “Events” for Family to Family Network’s current listing of IEP training opportunities for parents of children with disabilities (most of them are free).
Gentle Teaching – This site discusses the “Gentle Teaching” instructional strategy – “a non-violent approach for helping people with special needs and sometimes challenging behaviors…” It includes a web link to the Gentle Teaching International home page.
GreatSchools.org – GreatSchools.org is a national nonprofit whose mission is to inspire and guide parents to become effective champions of their children’s education at home and in their communities.
IEP Technical Assistance Guide – This is an online IEP Technical Assistance Guide (with specific links to training modules) created by the Nebraska Department of Education. “It provides practical information as well as information about the best practices. It guides individuals through the IEP process by reviewing the requirements of the law, determining why those requirements are important and deciding how each requirement can be best implemented.”
Intervention Central – This website provides teachers, schools and districts with free resources to help struggling learners, implement Response to Intervention, and access the core curriculum.
National Association of State Directors of Special Education – This website provides information regarding NASDSE’s projects, which include the Response to Intervention (RtI) Project, IDEA Partnership, Charter Schools and Special Education, and other initiatives to “promote a performance-based educational system responsive to the needs of all children and youth, including those with disabilities.”
National Center on Educational Outcomes – The website of the National Center on Educational Outcomes who “provides national leadership in the participation of students with disabilities and limited English proficient students in national and state assessments, standards-setting efforts, and graduation requirements.”
Office of Special Education Programs – The website of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) under the U.S. Department of Education. Topics covered on the site include legislation, funding, projects and grants, monitoring, ongoing studies, and online publications.
Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights Center – This is the website for the PACER Center whose mission is “to expand opportunities and enhance the quality of life of children and young adults with disabilities and their families, based on the concept of parents helping parents.”
Partners Resource Network – This is the home page of the Partners Resource Network, a non-profit agency serving Texas as the statewide Parent Training and Information Center. Their mission is “to empower individuals with disabilities and their families to be effective advocates and decision makers, and to promote equal partnerships between parents/individuals with disabilities and professionals.”
Project Participate – This is the website of Project Participate, providing “families, educators, administrators and therapists with simple strategies to increase the active participation of students with disabilities in school programs…Project Participate facilitates team collaboration and the appropriate use of technology in the classroom.”
Special Education Laws and the School Environment: A Guide to Understanding Your Rights As A Parent – This handbook from The Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA) provides an introduction to: (1) the laws that affect your child’s education; (2) what you can do if you believe your school is not providing the necessary services and education for your child;(3) key phrases and words used by the schools with relation to special education; (4) your role in the diagnosis, identification, education, and ultimate success of your child; and (5) some resources available to you to understand your rights and the obligations of the school and yourself.
Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education – The website of the Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education (TCASE). It includes legislative and special education policy watches and links to other organizations and resources.
Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities: Position Statement on Education – “TCDD supports the position that all students regardless of individual needs must be provided with individualized appropriate instruction, research-based positive behavioral interventions and supports, access to the general curriculum, and related services in the least restrictive environment.” This link takes you to the TCDD’s full position statement and state resources on education.
Texas School for the Deaf – The website of the Texas School for the Deaf whose mission is to “promote quality educational opportunities and achievement for the deaf students of Texas by providing a comprehensive educational and residential program and a complete array of consultative services for parents and professionals throughout the State.”
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired – The website of the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired who works with Local Education Agencies, parents and guardians, students with visual impairments, and Education Service Centers from throughout the state of Texas.
U.S. Dept. of Education – This website includes parent, teacher, and student resources; directories; financial aid resources; and numerous fact sheets and web links concerning educational issues. See their “Helping Your Child Series” booklets, which feature practical lessons and activities to help your school-aged and preschool children master reading, understand the value of homework and develop the skills and values necessary to achieve and grow.
Whole Schooling Consortium – A network of educators and parents dedicated to Whole Schooling, an approach to teaching and schooling where children with vast differences are educated in an inclusive environment.
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