Part A Parent and Family Engagement Liaison Updated Guidance
Texas Education Agency has updated their guidance concerning Part A Parent and Family Engagement (PFE) Liaisons. If PFE Liaisons are relegated to other operational tasks, the desired outcome of engaging every family will be lost. Any activities outside the parent engagement responsibilities must be minimal and restricted to no more than 5-10% of the liaison’s time and must not exceed the percentage of time other staff are required to work the same operational tasks outside their funded program responsibilities. Parent Liaison job descriptions should include a statement that limits the amount of time the PFE Liaison can work outside of their job description (i.e., The PFE Liaison must spend 90-95% of their day fulfilling the responsibilities defined in the job description or other duties as assigned as related to parent and family engagement). Additional PFE guidance can be found here.
Correction to the June 2023 TEA SPED Newsletter – HB 3928
Information regarding the requirements of House Bill 3928 was provided in the June 2023 issue of the TEA Special Education Newsletter. The summary of this bill is included below and a link to an informational video for the bill can be found here.
HB 3928: This bill requires several items surrounding the evaluation and identification of dyslexia. It first directs the State Board of Education (SBOE) to remove the distinction between standard protocol dyslexia instruction and all other forms of dyslexia instruction from The Dyslexia Handbook. It also clarifies many items that are already in The Dyslexia Handbook. It reiterates that dyslexia is considered a specific learning disability (SLD) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and requires evaluation for dyslexia to be done under IDEA unless a parent denies consent. TEA must develop a form for districts to distribute to parents that describes rights under IDEA that may be in addition to rights afforded under Section 504. A professional with specific knowledge of dyslexia instruction, the reading process, and dyslexia and related disorders must be a member of multidisciplinary evaluation teams and ARD committees. Each school board and governing board of an open enrollment charter school must adopt a policy requiring the district or school to abide by all laws and rules, including The Dyslexia Handbook, along with guidance issued by the commissioner. TEA’s monitoring must include a parental input component on how a district or school is implementing the dyslexia program. When a student is placed in a disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP), and when a personalized transition plan is developed for a student returning from DAEP, a parent must be informed of the right to request a special education evaluation for their child. The agency has created a video providing an overview of this bill (now found on the TEA Dyslexia and Related Disorders website), and additional guidance and technical assistance is forthcoming. Note that, although there are sections of the bill that require SBOE action, the bill is effective immediately and applies beginning with the 2023-2024 school year.