Blog — TxSER

Is Your Child's IEP Ready to Go Back to School?

Well, it's that time of year again. Time for the kids to go back to school. As a parent, this usually means some last minute shopping for school supplies, lining up after school care or activities, maybe getting sports physicals or tuning up band instruments. If you have a child receiving Special Education services, it's time to break out the current IEP and review it!

Christine BroughalAugust 14, 2018

Discipline or State Sanctioned Child Abuse: The Ugly Truth About Seclusion and Restraint

The US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights recently released the results of the 2015-16 Civil Rights Data Collection. Civil Rights Data Collection provides information on several key education and civil rights issues. In preparing the 2015-16 report, data was collected from every public school and school district in the country. Part of the data collected reveals the disproportionate rate at which students with disabilities are subjected to harsh disciplinary actions in our public schools (see data highlights from this most recent report here). As you read these statistics, keep in mind students with disabilities covered under the IDEA represent only 12% of all public school students.

Understanding the Full and Individual Evaluation Report

The Full and Individual Evaluation (FIE) report is arguably the most important element in the Special Education process. It is central to determining eligibility, calculating present levels of academic and …

TxSER Statement Regarding Governor's Firearm Safety Plan

The bottom line is that mental health services cost money. If Texas lawmakers are serious about improving mental health services as a method to reduce gun violence, they must…

The 411 on the IEP

I'm sure you are familiar with the old parental lament, "If only kids came with an instruction manual!" Wishful thinking, right? Or is it? What if parents could work together with a team of …

BlogChristine BroughalApril 30, 2018special education, IEP, ARD

TxSER Public Statement Regarding Judge Brister's Comments

As parents, educators and advocates for Texas children with disabilities, Texans for Special Education Reform is outraged to learn that Texas Public School Finance Commissioner Chair, Justice Scott Brister, has questioned the value of educating what he termed “slow learners” in Texas.

We have another term....

Full Report Released for Houston ISD's Review of Special Education

Executive Summary

Houston Independent School District (HISD) contracted with American Institutes for Research® (AIR®) to conduct a third-party, independent “Special Education Program Review.” AIR conducted this review over a 10-month period between May 2017 and February 2018. This report describes our assessment of HISD’s strengths and areas in need of improvement with respect to its special education program, and identifies recommendations for HISD to consider as it continues its efforts to improve services for students with disabilities in the district.

We Are TxSER

Imagine a Texas in which all individuals with disabilities are identified and receive an education that maximizes their future potential for post-secondary education, employment, and independent living. That's the TxSER vision....

ALL FOR ONE. ONE FOR ALL.

They came together – the deaf, the visually impaired, people with physical and learning disabilities. Veterans recently returned from Vietnam with war injuries and parents of children with developmental disabilities. On March 12, 1990, when the....

Cheryl FriesAugust 15, 2017

WELCOME

Welcome to Texans for Special Education Reform.

"Disability is a natural part of the human experience and in no way diminishes the rights of individuals to participate in or contribute to society. Improving educational results for children with disabilities is an essential element....