Special Education Acronyms

Also see: Dictionary For Parents of Children with Disabilities

PROGRAM PROVIDES HELP FOR EARLY LEARNERS

RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION (RtI) is a tool for assessing and working with
struggling learners. General and special educators must work closely
together to implement RtI in three areas:
(1) providing high-quality instruction/intervention matched to student needs and
(2) using learning rates over time and level of performance to (3) make important
educational decisions.

The RtI approach builds on two recommendations made by the President's
Commission on Excellencein Special Education report, A New Era:
Revitalizing Special Education for Children and Their Families (2002).

"Consider children with disabilities as general education children first... In
instruction, the systems must work together to provide effective teaching."
Embrace a model prevention, not a modelof failure. The current model
guiding special education focuses on waiting for a child to fail, not on
early intervention to prevent failure. Reforms must move the system toward
early identification and swift intervention, using scientifically based instruction
and teaching methods."

RtI is first and foremost a strategy to be used in the general education classroom.
RtI is the practice of providing high-quality instruction and interventions matched to
student need, monitoring progress frequently to make decisions about changes in
instruction or goalsand applying childresponse data to important educational
decisions. RtI should be used for making decisions about general, compensatory
and special education, creating a well-intergrated system of instruction/intervention
guided by child outcome data.

RtI is based on the following core principles:

• We can effectively teach all children.
• Intervene early.
• Use a multi-tier model of service delivery.
• Use a problem-solving method to make decisions within a multi-tier model.
• Use research-based, scientifically validated interventions/instruction to
  the extent available.
• Monitor student progress to inform instruction.
• Use data to make decisions.
• Use assessments for three different purposes:
  (1) screening applied to all children to identify those who are not making
  progress at expected rates; (2) diagnostics to determine what children can
  and cannot do in important academic and behavioral domains; and
  (3) progress monitoring to determine if academic or behavioral
  interventions are producing desired results.

Boerne ISD utilizes an individual child study process as a problem-solving
method to make appropriate educational decisions. The goal of this structured
process isto ensure that every student experiences success in school. If a
student is struggling behaviorally, socially, academically, physically or
communicatively, theclassroom teacher begins the process as soon as
possible. Through a series of steps, and with input from the parents, other
teachers, and support personnel, aplan for success is developed. If the
student does not respond as anticipated, additional resources and support
may be added to the plan. Eventually, an evaluation may be recommended to
determine if the child has a disability and a need for Special Education services.

To learn more about the RtI process or child study team process, you may
contact your school's administrator or counselor at your child's campus.

References: Batsche, G., Elliot, J., Graden, J.L., Grimes, J., Kovaleski, J.F.,
Prasse, D., Reschly, D.J., and Tilly III, W.D. (2005) Response to intervention:
Policy considerations and implementation. Alexandria, VA: National Association
of StateDirectors of Special Education. www.nasdse.org. President's Commission
on Excellence in Special Education. (2002) A new era: Revitalizing special education
for children and their families. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
P.L. 108-446. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004.
P.L. 107-110. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. August 07
Back to School - Boerne Star insert / BISD Student Handbook 07/08

Helpful Links

National Dissimenation Center for Children with Disabilities
Here you will find information to help support you in caring for your child
with a disability, or helping children with disabilities
achieve their full potential.

Texas Project First for Parents
Created by parents, for parents...this web site is a project of the
Texas Education Agency and is committed to providing accurate
and consistent information to parents & families of students
with disabilities.

Texas Education Agency Procedural Safeguards

English / Spanish
The Notice of Procedural Safeguards: Rights of Parents of Students
with Disabilities explains the specific rights and responsibilities of
the parent in the special education process. The Individuals with
Disabilities Education Improvement Act 2004 (IDEA 2004) requires
school districts to give parents the Procedural Safeguards only one
time a year, except upon: initial referral or on request for evaluation;
the first occurrence of the filing of a due process hearing complaint;
or upon request by a parent.

Texas Education Agency
This TEA site directly provides updates on special education in Texas.

Special Education Rules and Regulations
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Final Regulations from
March, 1999 Federal Register.

Region 18 Legal framework for the child centered process
Provides Statewide Leadership for the Legal Framework for the
Child-Centered Process in Texas in collaboration with the Division
of IDEA Coordination at the Texas Education Agency.

TASB Policies
Boerne ISD Board Policy Manual

TCDD (Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities)
The Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities is a 27-member
board dedicated to ensuring that all Texans with developmental
disabilities, about 423,500 individuals, have the opportunity to be
independent, productive and valued members of their communities.