Federal & State Programs

SB 139 notice to families (Eng)

SB 139 Notice to families (span)

how to request compensatory services (English)

How to request compensatory services (Spanish)

Transition steps to independence

how to request an evaluation (english)

how to request and evaluation (spanish)

SMSD Dispute resolution process

 resolve issues (English)

resolve issues (spanish)

IDEA, Dyslexia, MTSS, and Section 504

Please use the link below to learn more information regarding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Dyslexia, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

texas  education agency resources

The Stafford Municipal School District is required to develop and implement policies, procedures and practices related to the provision of special education services to eligible students. Operating procedures are the written procedures developed locally which outline the implementation of these practices.  

Furthermore, according to the requirements of IDEA (34 CFR 300.646(b) (1)), the State Education Agency must provide for review and, if appropriate, revision of the policies, procedures and practices related to serving student with disabilities. This process is conducted through the Special Education Monitoring unit of the Division of Program Monitoring and Interventions at the Texas Education Agency.  To assist in meeting the above requirement, the following Operating Procedures document was directly aligned to the Legal Framework for the Child-Centered Special Education Process hosted at https://framework.esc18.net. Each section provides the legal requirements for the identified area. 

Operating Procedures are reviewed on a yearly basis and updated as needed throughout the year.

sped operatiNG guidelines

Child Find

Evaluations

FAPE - Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Process

SMSD Dispute resolution process

For a student to meet criteria for special education services, he or she must meet one of the following eligibilities set forth by the state of Texas:

DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING

A student who qualifies for special education services as a student with an auditory impairment may meet criteria for either deafness or for a hearing impairment. Deafness means a hearing impairment that is so severe that the child is impaired in processing linguistic information through hearing, with or without amplification, that adversely affects the child’s educational performance. Hearing impairment means an impairment in hearing, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness.

AUTISM

Autism means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences. Students who are diagnosed with a pervasive developmental delay (PDD) may meet criteria for special education services under the eligibility of autism. The term does not apply if a child’s educational performance is adversely affected primarily because the child has an emotional disturbance.

DEAF-BLINDNESS

Deaf-blindness means concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness.

EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE

Emotional disturbance describes a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance:

• An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors
• An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers
• Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances
• A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression
• A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems The term includes schizophrenia. The term does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance.

INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY

Intellectual Disability means significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, which adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

MULTIPLE DISABILITIES

Multiple disabilities means concomitant impairments (such as mental retardation-blindness, mental retardation-orthopedic impairment, etc), the combination of which causes such severe educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education based on one of the impairments. The term does not include deaf-blindness.

NONCATEGORICAL EARLY CHILDHOOD

The disability category noncategorical early childhood (NCEC) may be used for children ages three through five who are suspected of meeting criteria for autism, emotional disturbance, learning disability, or mental retardation.

ORTHOPEDIC IMPAIRMENT

Orthopedic impairment means a severe orthopedic impairment that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes impairments caused by congenital anomaly (e.g., clubfoot, absence of some member, etc), impairments caused by disease (e.g., poliomyelitis, bone tuberculosis, etc), and impairments from other causes (e.g. cerebral palsy, amputations, and fractures or burns that cause contractures).

OTHER HEALTH IMPAIRMENT

Other health impairment means having limited strength, vitality or alertness, including heightened alertness to environmental stimuli, that results in limited alertness with respect to the educational environment, that:

• Is due to chronic or acute health problems such as asthma, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, hemophilia, lead poisoning, leukemia, nephritis, rheumatic fever, and sickle cell anemia, and
• Adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY

Specific learning disability is defined as follows:

• The term means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia
• The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.

SPEECH IMPAIRMENT

Speech or language impairment means a communication disorder, such as stuttering, impaired articulation, language impairment, or a voice impairment, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Traumatic brain injury means an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term applies to open or closed head injuries resulting in impairments in one or more areas, such as cognition; language; memory; attention; reasoning; abstract thinking; judgment; problem-solving; sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities; psychosocial behavior; physical functions; information processing; and speech. The term does not apply to brain injuries that are congenital or degenerative, or to brain injuries induced by birth trauma.

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

Visual impairment including blindness means impairment in vision that even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Special Education means specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability, including instruction conducted in the classroom, in the home, in hospitals and institutions, and in other settings, and instruction in physical education. (20 U.S.C. 1401(25); 34 CFR 300.26 OVERVIEW OF SPECIAL EDUCATION INSTRUCTIONAL OPTIONS)

In the Stafford Municipal School District, numerous instructional options are available under the direction of the Federal Programs Department to meet the needs of students with disabilities.

Inclusion support is offered in designated academic areas. Inclusion support consists of a special education teacher and/or paraprofessional consulting with the general education teacher to assist in the implementation of individualized education programs and/or modifications within the general education classroom. Based on the needs of the student, this support may be indirect, through consultation with the general education teacher, and/or direct, with the teacher or paraprofessional working directly with the student in the classroom.

Often students who require inclusion support have demonstrated difficulty with organization, motivation, attention, and basic study skills. Inclusion support provides the ongoing support that these students require to be successful, while allowing them to benefit from participation in the general education curriculum. Supplementary aids and services or assistive technology devices or services may be made available for the special needs learner in the general setting, according to the IEP.

ITINERANT TEACHER SERVICES

An itinerant teacher provides both direct and/or indirect services for students with disabilities by providing consultation to school personnel, training for families, and direct instruction when required for teaching unique skills. Students with visual or deaf or hard of hearing impairments may receive services of itinerant teachers who are specially trained.

EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION (ECSE)

This program is for eligible students’ ages 3 through 5, who have been determined by the ARD/IEP committee to require early academic intervention. Students three and four years of age by September 1st are in a full day program unless otherwise recommended by an individual student’s ARD/IEP committee. Students five years of age by September 1st are in a full-day program unless otherwise recommended by an individual student’s ARD/IEP committee.

SPEECH/LANGUAGE THERAPY 

Speech/language therapy is provided for the intervention or correction of communication disorders of articulation, language, fluency, and voice. It is provided for eligible students whose communication skills adversely affect their developmental and/or academic skills. The program is conducted in individual or group therapy sessions. Some services may be provided through consultation or collaboration with the student’s general and/or special education teacher(s).

BEHAVIOR SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM (CONECT)

The Behavior Support Services Program provides a continuum of services for students identified with emotional and behavioral difficulties. Students in need of these services are identified through a child-centered process and the appropriate services are determined by an ARD committee. An individual education plan (IEP) is developed by the ARD committee and appropriate behavioral and academic supports are identified that will enable the student to experience success

CO-TEACH CLASSES

Co-teaching services in the classroom at the Stafford Municipal School District involve two teachers working together to plan, deliver, and evaluate instruction. The co-teachers collaborate to create lesson plans and instructional materials that are tailored to meet the unique needs of each student in the classroom. They work together to differentiate instruction, providing multiple approaches to learning, and support students with disabilities and other diverse learners.

INCLUSION

Inclusion classes are a type of educational program that provides a supportive and inclusive learning environment for students with diverse learning needs. In the Stafford Municipal School District, inclusion classes are designed to support students with disabilities and other diverse learners to ensure that they receive high-quality instruction that meets their individual needs and supports their academic success. Inclusion classes are typically taught by one or more teachers, with one teacher serving as the lead instructor and a paraprofessional providing additional support to meet the needs of all students in the class.

LIFE SKILLS CLASSES 

LIFE (Learning in Functional Environments) Skills classes are designed for those students who would benefit from instruction in functional academics in a structured, consistent, small group setting with emphasis on self-help, communication and motor development. LIFE Skills classes are designed to provide students with disabilities the concepts and skills necessary to perform meaningful activities in a variety of domestic, vocational, recreational, and community environments.

HOMEBOUND INSTRUCTION 

The Homebound Instructional Arrangement/Setting can be provided for any eligible General or Special Education student who is expected to be confined at home or hospital and unable to attend a classroom program for a minimum of four weeks due to a serious illness, injury, surgery, pregnancy complications, childbirth or certain other medical conditions as documented by a physician licensed to practice in the United States. The weeks need not be consecutive. In making eligibility and placement decisions the ARD committee must consider the physician’s information, but it is not the sole determining factor in the committee’s decision making process.

REGIONAL DAY SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR THE DEAF

In conjunction with other area school districts, Stafford MSD participates in a shared services arrangement (SSA) regional day school program for deaf and hearing-impaired children. The District is a member of the Brazoria-Fort Bend County Cooperative.

DYSLEXIA SERVICES

Dyslexia services are offered for student’s identified with dyslexia, either through special education or through Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The dyslexia instructional program utilizes individualized, intensive, multisensory methods that contain reading, writing, and spelling components.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS

Eligibility for participation in Special Olympics is limited to persons who have an intellectual disability or who have related developmental disabilities that cause functional limitations both in general learning and in adaptive skills such as recreation, work, independent living, self-direction, or self-care. People with functional limitations based solely on a physical, behavioral, emotional, specific learning disability, or sensory disability are not eligible. Students ages 6 and older are eligible to participate in Special Olympics. However, only children who are ages 8 and older are eligible for competition. Students who are no longer eligible for special education services within the Stafford Municipal School District are no longer eligible for participation within the district's Special Olympics program.

• Bowling: October - February 
• Track & Field: February - May

Head of Delegation 
Michael Morales
281-261-9239 Ext.3910
mmorales@staffordmsd.org

2021 Updated Texas Dyslexia Handbook

On September 3rd, 2021, the State Board of Education (SBOE) gave final approval for updates to the Dyslexia Handbook. The updated Dyslexia Handbook went into effect on February 10, 2022. The handbook contains guidelines for identification and providing services for students with dyslexia. Click on the links below to access the updated handbook and the document Important Changes for Families to Understand.

Dyslexia Handbook Update ENG

Dyslexia Handbook Update SPAN

DYSLEXIA HANDBOOK ENG

DYSLEXIA HANDBOOK SPAN

For more information regarding dyslexia at Stafford MSD, please contact:

Brenda Kort M.Ed.

District Dyslexia Coordinator

bkort@staffordmsd.org

TEXAS TRANSITION & EMPLOYMENT GUIDE

This guide provides youth, young adults, parents and professionals with secondary transition resources to facilitate a young person’s progress towards post-secondary goals to education, employment, and community living.  Download a copy of the Texas Transition Employment Guide by visiting the Texas Transition website for parent and student access. 

For more information or assistance, please contact our Transition and Employment Designee, Marshelette Joseph marshelette.joseph@staffordmsd.org

TX Trans. Emp. Guide (English)

TX Trans. Emp. Guide (Spanish)

PROCESS FOR ADMISSION REVIEW & DISMISSAL (ARD)

The Parent's Guide to the Admission, Review, and Dismissal Process (Parent's Guide) implements Texas Education Code (TEC) Section 26.0081 requiring the TEA to create a comprehensive, easily understood document which explains the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process for a student in a special education program. Additionally, the Parent's Guide incorporates a parents’ rights and responsibilities concerning the ARD process.

Parent's Guide (English)

PARENT'S gUIDE (SPANISH)

PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS

The purpose of the procedural safeguards notice is to inform parents completely about the procedural safeguards available under IDEA. These represent their rights as parents and the protections they have—and their child as well—under the Individuals with Disabilities Act 2004 (IDEA) and its implementing regulations.

Procedural safeguards (english)

Procecural safeguards (spanish)

Proceduarl safeguards audio

We are pleased to introduce our comprehensive Community Resource List, designed to support and enhance the well-being of our students and their families. This guide offers a curated selection of local services and programs, including healthcare, housing assistance, educational support, food services, and more. Our goal is to ensure that every family has access to the resources they need to thrive within our community. We hope you find this list helpful and encourage you to reach out if you need further assistance or guidance.

Community Resource List

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) General Provisions and Assurances, Section GG, General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), as Amended, Applicable to All Federal Programs Funded or Administered through or by the US Department of Education, states the general application submitted by a local educational Agency (LEA) shall set forth these assurances:  The LEA "will provide reasonable opportunities for the participation by teachers, parents, and other interested agencies, organizations, and individuals in the planning for and operation of each program" and "that any application, evaluation, periodic program plan or report relating to each program will be made readily available to parents and other members of the general public" per 20 USC 1232(e).

PUBLIC NOTICE: DESTRUCTION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION RECORDS

In accordance with Federal and State regulations, Stafford MSD is giving notice of intent to destroy the special education records of students who graduated and/or ended services prior to the 2006-2007 school year. With proof of identity, the parent, guardian, or adult student may request student files between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. at:

Stafford MSD Federal and State Programs Office
Stafford Primary School 
1625 Staffordshire Road
Stafford, TX 77479

• Five year old special education files not requested by November, will be destroyed in December of each year.
• These records may be needed for social security benefit applications or other purposes.
• A notice will be published in the local newspaper in October of each year, making a public notice of this procedure.
• SMSD has 10 business days to release records after the request has been submitted and/or the consent for records has been signed.
• If you have any questions concerning this process, please call the Federal and State Programs Office.

NON-PROFIT PRIVATE SCHOOLS & HOME SCHOOLERS 

In an effort to appropriately serve students residing in our district we are hosting a consultation meeting. Non-profit private schools and home schoolers who legally qualify as non-profit are invited to meet with district representatives to learn more about federally funded services available for eligible residents of our districts.

Public Notice: 

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND (ARP ESSER)

Data shows that the pandemic has had a significant impact on student learning, both across the country and in Stafford MSD.  The Stafford Team is launching a comprehensive stakeholder engagement process to help determine how it should potentially spend federal dollars to address learning loss and COVID-19 recovery.  Stafford MSD will create a proposal/grant to request Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds from the federal government via the Texas Education Agency.  These funds are allocated specifically to respond to the impact of COVID-19.  The American Rescue Plan (ARP) was signed into law by President Biden and it included $122 billion for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds for school districts across the country. This is the third law providing funding as a response to the pandemic, the ARP is also referred to as ARP ESSER III or ESSER III. 

Additionally, Stafford MSD intends to apply for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER II) Fund, ESSER II, from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act of 2021.

It provides funding to school districts to prevent, prepare for, or respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including its impact on the social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs of students.

Seeking input from diverse stakeholders across the Stafford Community is essential to developing plans for the use of both the ARP ESSER III and CRRSA ESSER II funds that are responsive to the needs of students, families, and educators. Any member of the community wishing to provide a comment may submit feedback via the Stafford MSD Stakeholder Engagement Survey by 5:00 pm on Friday, June 25, 2021. 

For support or additional information on submitting your input, please contact the Department of Federal and State Programs at:  fedstateprograms@staffordmsd.org.

Here is the link for the survey:  https://forms.office.com/r/4zAU5igvTu

ESSER Survey Feedback

SMSD Safe Return to Learn Plan English 11-6-21

SMSD Safe Return to Learn Plan Spanish 11-6-21

This link below provides families with information regarding IDEA, Dyslexia, MTSS and Section 504.

Texas Education Agency Resources

COMPENSATORY SERVICES (ENG)

COMPENSATORY SERVICES (span)

parent and family engagement plan