COMO-PICKTON CISD CHILD FIND POLICY

In accordance with Federal Regulations, Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act, Child Find Identification (34CFR section 300.125, 300.451), this is notification that Como-Pickton Consolidated Independent School District, Located at 13017 US Hwy 11, Como, Texas has a child find system for identifying, locating, and evaluating all children with disabilities, from birth through 21 years of age, residing in the district, including children with disabilities attending private schools, regardless of the severity of their disabilities, and who are in need of special education and related services.

Official Notice of Child Find

For more information, contact the Como-Pickton CISD Special Education Office at (903) 488-3671.

EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION (ECI)

ECI is a statewide program for families with children, birth to three, with disabilities and developmental delays. ECI supports families to help their children reach their potential through developmental services.

State and federally funded through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, P.L. 108-446), ECI provides evaluations and assessments, at no cost to families, to determine eligibility and need for services. Families and professionals work as a team to plan appropriate services based on the unique needs of the child and family. ECI asks families who can afford to do so, to share in the cost of services. The amount a family pays for ECI services is determined using a sliding fee scale and is based on family size and income after allowable deductions. No child and family will be turned away because of an inability to pay.

ECI goes to families and focuses on working with the child and family in their natural environment, such as at home, grandma’s, or a child care center. Essentially, it’s where children live, learn, and play.

If you are interested in services through the ECI program, please call the Sulphur Springs office at (903) 885-6437.

WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION?

In the Como-Pickton Consolidated Independent School District, we believe that all children can learn and are entitled to educational opportunities that meet their learning needs. Numerous programs are available for children with disabilities from birth through age twenty-one through the department of special education at CPCISD. To receive special education services, a child must meet criteria defined by the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

Each campus has a Student Support Team (SST), which reviews all information and, if appropriate, refers the student for a comprehensive assessment. Our dedicated staff of evaluation specialists administer appropriate assessments to obtain the needed information about the child’s strengths and needs. An Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee will then review all of the available data and determine whether a child qualifies for services.

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE ARD COMMITTEE?

ARD is an acronym for the Admission, Review, and Dismissal committee. This committee, which includes the parent, an administrator, teacher, and other staff familiar with the student’s needs, makes all decisions concerning the educational program/services of a student referred to or receiving special education support.

Following is a list of disabilities that may determine a student’s eligibility for Special Education Services:

Auditory Impairment
Autism
Deaf-Blind
Emotional Disability
Intellectual Disability
Specific Learning Disability
Multiple Disabilities
Orthopedic Impairment
Other Health Impairment
Speech Impairment
Traumatic Brain Injury
Visual Impairment
Developmental Delay (formally NCEC)

ARD COMMITTEE CAN WAIVE ADDITIONAL STAAR TESTS

With the passage of HB 657 during the 85th Texas Legislative Session, an ARD committee is now required to meet before the second administration of the STAAR reading or mathematics assessment when a student receiving special education services in grade 5 or 8 fails to perform satisfactorily on the first administration.

During this meeting, the ARD committee must determine the required accelerated instruction and if the student will be promoted or retained. The bill adds that promotion must be based on the student's performance on his or her IEP goals. The student is not required to take the subsequent STAAR administrations.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Laura Skillern, Special Education Coordinator at (903) 488-3671.

PARENTAL NOTIFICATION LETTER FROM MEDICAID

Local Education Agencies (LEAs), such as school districts, are eligible to receive federal Medicaid reimbursement for medically necessary services provided to their special education students when the services meet the requirements of the state’s School-Based Medicaid program and are provided in accordance with the student’s IEPs (§300.154(d)(2)(i)-(iii) ).

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA) and the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA) require schools to notify parents that the district participates in this program. The district utilizes services ordered in the IEP and the Medicaid identification number, in conjunction with the state Medicaid Agency and our Medicaid billing agent, to receive reimbursements for these services from the School-Based Medicaid program.

The district’s participation in this program in no way impacts the services being provided to the student nor impacts the family’s Medicaid benefits. At any time, parents can notify the school district in the event they no longer want the district to access student information for the purposes of seeking reimbursements through this program.

ACCESSIBLE BOOKS FOR QUALIFYING STUDENTS WITH VISUAL, PHYSICAL, OR READING DIFFICULTIES 

Accessible Books for Texas is a Benetech project funded by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) that provides on-the-ground training and support to Texas public K-12 educators, parents, and students on accessible instructional materials (AIM). Bookshare is Benetech's accessible online library which has over 500,000 titles available to individuals with print disabilities. Through an award from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), Bookshare offers free memberships to U.S. schools and qualifying U.S. students. Visit the Bookshare website for more information at: https://www.bookshare.org/cms

Learning Ally has 80,000 + human-narrated audio books available to individuals with print disabilities. The materials can be delivered through internet downloads and accessed using various mainstream and assistive technology devices. Through a contract with TEA, Learning Ally offers free memberships to Texas K-12 public and charter schools with qualifying students. Visit the Learning Ally website for more information: https://learningally.org

SB 2075 requires school districts to notify parents of the Talking Book Program. The Talking Book Program (TBP) provides free library services to qualifying Texans with visual, physical, or reading disabilities. TBP is part of the National Library Service to the Blind and Print Disabled, a program administered by the Library of Congress. The TBP collection consists of more than 100,000 titles, including hundreds of titles in Spanish, and some in French, German, Russian, and other languages. https://www.tsl.texas.gov/tbp/index.html

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