The PSAT is behind you--now what?  What do your scores mean?  Are you ready for the 'real thing?' When should you take your first SAT?  Should you take the SAT or the ACT?  How many times should you take  the tests?  All questions that many students and parents ask every year!  Creative Tutors Plano has been preparing students for the ACT, SAT and college for over 8 years and we  can get  help you prepare so that you, too, will be successful on the SAT and/or ACT!  Creative Tutors works with our students based on their  individual academic needs, using highly qualified SAT and ACT prep teachers.  At the same time we can answer all of your other questions regarding the tests,  college applications and those dreaded college essays.  We have a Junior and Senior calendar that we share with our parents that covers what needs to be done during those two years.  Call now to find out more!

Public Comment Period - October 17, 2011-November 7, 2011

Passed by the 82nd Texas Legislature during its 2011 Regular Session, SB 1788 requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA or Agency) to develop a model form for developing an individualized education program (IEP) for a student with a disability by December 1, 2011.   The intent of the bill was to have available to school districts a standardized form that is concise and understandable to parents and educators.  The bill sets out requirements for the information contained in the form, requires TEA to post the form on its Internet website, and authorizes a school district to use the form to comply with the requirements for an IEP under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  Under the bill, this optional model form may include only the information included in the federal model form and the information required by state laws and rules that are not required under federal law.

On September 20, 2011, the committee presented a draft of the model form to a small group of individuals who were instrumental in the passage of the bill.  The committee collected feedback on the draft model form from the meeting participants, and some of this feedback was incorporated into the current draft of the model form.  The draft model form sets out the IEP content that is required for all students with disabilities and also includes several supplemental sections that must be completed if applicable to the specific student.  TEA is now soliciting public comment from interested stakeholders throughout the state on the draft model form. The form will be posted on TEA's website from October 17 through November 7, 2011, along with a link to Survey Monkey for comments.  The link will be distributed through TEA's Special Education Updates listserv and through the 20 regional education service centers. TEA invites public comment on whether the draft model form includes the content required by the new statute and is understandable, usable, and complete.
To read SB 1788, click on the following link.
http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/billtext/html/SB01788F.HTM
The Draft Model Form link is included in the link for the survey at (Public Comment Period – October 17, 2011 – November 7, 2011):  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/IEPmodelForm

As Creative Tutors has listened to the frustration of students and their parents regarding their  struggles with the 4 x4  state educational requirements  and tutored those students to successfully complete these more rigorous courses--I wonder is this good for all students?  In years past, students were required to take four years of English and social studies, and only three years of mathematics and science. This means that under the 4x4 educational requirement  almost everyone has to take Physics, precalculus and more.   Do  you think that all high schoolers need to take  4 years of science and math  to graduate in the recommended or distinguished high school programs?

The former 24-credit schedule was less demanding which provided students more opportunities to push ahead in high school coursework and pursue early graduation or obtain college credit. By requiring an additional year of math and science – two subjects that are challenging learners across the state – the TEA has increased the rigor in obtaining a diploma. The move ensures that graduating seniors will no longer enter college after a one-year hiatus from both subjects, which officials hope will enhance the declining classroom performance of incoming collegiate freshmen.

But the move also leaves no room for error. There is no longer an assurance of extra elective periods where students have customarily had the option to take dual-credit courses, obtain college credit and graduate at mid-term. Instead, math and science are now required in two full-year blocks that were formerly electives.

And if students fall behind, the new schedule leaves no room to recover credit the following year – another traditional safety valve.

Throughout October, special events and announcements will promote keener understanding of learning disabilities. Adults are challenged to learn one new thing about learning disabilities each day in October.

 A learning disability is a neurobiological difference affecting 10 to 15 percent of schoolchildren. A learning disability can negatively impact a person’s ability to read, listen, write, spell, calculate, organize, remember or pay attention.  Many students with LD struggle mightily with personal organization of school supplies, assignments and workspace. Compounding that struggle is an inability to manage one’s time. Consequently, these students rely inordinately upon an adult or tutor to help them progress successfully through their assignments and complete them on time. Distractibility also comes into play, with learners bouncing from task to task and rarely completing one worksheet or book before moving on to another. The child feels like he or she is “always behind” and unable to catch up.

Throughout the month, let’s be aware of the socio-emotional challenges which too many students with learning disabilities endure. Classroom frustrations and poor grades deflate our children, with many concluding inaccurately that they are not as intelligent as their peers. Impulsive and overly-active behaviors can lead to disciplinary concerns, with the child’s misbehaviors then receiving more attention than the academic needs. Anxiety and even a fear of school can develop; some students with learning challenges become truant. As a result of lowered self-esteem, the student may choose solitude over interaction with others his or her age. In response, adults must create and nurture opportunities when the child can feel personally and socially successful. Parents and teachers should partner in promoting communication which edifies the child and acknowledges his or her strengths and talents.

ANTHONY R. KEMPER
Head, The de Paul School