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

My daughter has language processing deficit and ADD which makes note taking in school difficult, frustrating and miserable for her! Fortunately, one of her school accommodations is to trade her notes for a copy of the teacher's notes at the end of her class period. Many times, however, she forgets to request the copy and as a high school student she is expected to advocate for herself. As a parent, I have worried endlessly as to how she will continue to be successful in school without being able to listen to the teachers and take notes on the lecture simultaneously. NOW, there is new technology that I am hopeful will help her take notes in her high school and college classes--Livescribe Smartpen! According to Livescribe's website: "While you're writing, your smartpen is remembering–linking everything you hear to everything you write. Later, simply tap on your notes to replay the recording. Now you can find and get what you need, instantly, with a tap." At the ADDA Conference last week many parents and professionals were praising this new technology. Livescribe's smartpen is rather expensive and so it is a concern of parents of children with ADD that it will get lost or misplaced just like their phones, ipods, itouch, etc. I have ordered a Livescribe smartpen for my daughter so "stay tuned" for my review of the smartpen.