Region 4 ESC 1

Special Education Hot TopicsDiscipline Related to BullyingAccessible Instructional Materials

Region 4 ESC 2

Texas Education Code § 37.001 Student Code of Conduct

The child with a disability may not be disciplined for bullying, harassment, or making hit lists until an admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee meeting has been held to review the conduct.

Region 4 ESC 3

What do we already know?

MDRCOP

10

Region 4 ESC 4

So how is this different?

Consequence Change of Placement

Not Different!

Region 4 ESC 5

So how is this different?

Consequence Change of Placement

Different!

Region 4 ESC 6

Implications

• No discipline can be assigned until ARD “reviews” conduct

• No 10 “free days”• 5 day notice of ARD

Region 4 ESC 7

What are your options in this situation?

• Have a plan!• Increase supervision• Request parent to waive

5 day notice to expedite ARD meeting

• Change setting for educational reasons (ARD may be required)

Accessible Instructional Materials

Kirk Behnke M.Ed, ATPSenior Education Specialist

Special Education, Region 4 ESC

Region 4 ESC 9

Agenda• Texas Roadmap for Accessible Instructional

Materials (AIM)• Eligibility• Print Disability• Specialized Formats• Acquisition of AIM• Resources

Region 4 ESC 10

The Texas Road Map forAccessible Instructional Materials

• Developed to help give a visual • GPS to help you navigate the way through

accessible instructional material acquisition

• Provides 2 routes:Eligibility and acquisition routes

Region 4 ESC 11

Region 4 ESC 12

Print Disability

• Student /child is not able to use standard print materials

• Frequently the result of a visual impairment, physical disability or reading disability

• Meets copyright criteria for specialized formats

• Federal definition of “Print Disability” www.texasat.net/default.aspx?name=resources.aim2

Region 4 ESC 13

Accessible Instructional Materials

• Included in IDEA 2004• Requires that core instructional materials be

provided in a timely manner in specialized formats when needed by students with disabilities

• 4 specialized formats: Braille, large print, audio and digital text

Region 4 ESC 14

Digital Text

• May be referred to as electronic text or E-text

• Provides visual and auditory supports• Available in various formats such as online

HTML or EPub • Can be accessed using specialized software

(e.g. Read Hear™) or hardware (e.g. Apex, VictorReader Stratus, VictorReader Stream)

Region 4 ESC 15

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=2147487109

Region 4 ESC 16

Authorized Users for Texas

• Bookshare http://www.benetech.org/abt

• Learning Allyhttp://www.learningally.org/texas

Region 4 ESC 17

Resources• Texas Education Agency Instructional Materials and

Educational Technology www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=2147487109

• Texas Assistive Technology Networkwww.texasat.net

• State Leadership Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired Networkwww.esc11.net/Page/1321

• TSBVI: Accessible Textbooks Clearinghouse

www.tsbvi.edu/resources/1147-accessible-textbooks-clearinghouse

Region 4 ESC 18

Resources• AIM Consortium

http://aimconsortium.cast.org/ • National Center on Accessible Instructional

Materialshttp://aim.cast.org

• DAISY Consortium www.daisy.org

• Louis Plus from American Printing House for the Blindwww.aph.org

Region 4 ESC 19

Resources• National Library Service for the Blind and

Physically Handicapped www.loc.gov/nls/

• Learning Ally: Learning and Listening www.learningally.org/Educators/28/

• American Foundation for the Blind: Family Connect® -- Education www.familyconnect.org/parentsitehome.asp?SectionID=72