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Special Education Services

The Denison Independent School District Department of Special Education, in partnership with parents and the community, is committed to providing specialized academic and behavioral support services to students with diverse needs in order for them to be fully engaged in high-quality learning environments that challenge and prepare them to be well-rounded, active members of society.

Department Beliefs:

  • Effective general education is the key to improving special education
  • Collaboration among educators leads to improved student achievement
  • Each student has the right to a challenging, rewarding and inclusive education
  • All students can learn and it is our responsibility to ensure that they do 

Department Goals:

  • All students with disabilities living within Denison ISD shall be identified and evaluated with regard to their need for special education services through an extensive Child Find process.
  • A free and appropriate public education will be provided to all students with disabilities, including a challenging learning environment that ensures progress appropriate in light of the student’s disability.
  • Each child with a disability will receive related services, accommodations, supports, or modifications that address the needs of the child to make academic progress and support annual goals.

CONTACT THE DISD SPED DEPARTMENT

Special Education Information & Links

 

Parent- Directed Special Education Services

The Parent-Directed Special Education Services (PDSES) program is a one-time $1,500 online grant for parents/guardians of eligible students served by special education and who are enrolled in a Texas public school. Parents/guardians of eligible students can use the online accounts to shop the marketplace to obtain educational materials and resources such as textbooks, curriculum, or technology devices and/or services such as additional speech therapy, tutoring, or other specific services.
 
The PDSES Program is a first-come, first-served one-time only grant. If you have previously been awarded a PDSES account, you will not be eligible to apply again. Before you apply, please make sure your student meets the eligibility criteria.
 
To be eligible for the PDSES grant, a student must:
  • be currently enrolled in a Texas public school (grades Pre-K through 12th);
  • receive special education services through an individualized education program (IEP); and
  • have not received a PDSES grant in the past (PDSES is a one-time-only grant).
 
 

TEA SPED Link

 

Social Emotional Learning Resources

For the Home and Holidays

Promoting SEL at Home is a series of developmentally appropriate social and emotional learning (SEL) resources for parents, families, and caregivers to use at home.

  • Parent conversations from infancy through high school.CLICK HERE

  • Supporting Children and Teens During the Holiday Season CLICK HERE

  • Taking Care of Yourself CLICK HERE

  • Simple Activities for Children Adolescents reduce screen time. CLICK HERE

 

 

Child Find

Aiding Students Who Have Learning Difficulties or Who Need Special Education or Section 504 Services

For students who are having difficulty in the general education classroom, all school districts schools must consider tutorial, compensatory, and other intervention and support services that are available to all students, through the district or school’s multi-tiered system of academic and behavioral supports (MTSS). The provision of these intervention and support services, which might include a response to intervention (RTI) process, can have a positive impact on the ability of districts and charter schools to meet the needs of all students.

If a student is experiencing learning difficulties, which could include academic or non-academic difficulties, his or her parent may contact the campus principal to learn about the school’s MTSS. This system links students to a variety of support options, including making a referral for a special education evaluation or for a Section 504 evaluation, when appropriate, to determine if the student needs specific aids, accommodations, or specialized services. A parent may request an evaluation for special education or Section 504 services at any time.

Special Education Referrals

If a parent makes a written request for an initial evaluation for special education services to the director of special education services or to an administrative employee of the school district, such as a campus principal, the district or charter school must respond no later than 15 school days after receiving the request. At that time, the district or charter school must give the parent a prior written notice of whether it agrees to or refuses to evaluate the student, a copy of the Notice of Procedural Safeguards, and a copy of the Overview of Special Education for Parents form created by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). If the school district or charter school agrees to evaluate the student, it must also give the parent the opportunity to give written consent for the evaluation.

Please note that a request for a special education evaluation may be made verbally and does not need to be in writing. Districts must still comply with all federal prior written notice and procedural safeguard and form requirements and the requirements for identifying, locating, and evaluating children who are suspected of being a child with a disability and in need of special education. However, a verbal request does not require the district or charter school to respond within the 15-school-day timeline.

If the district or charter school conducts a special education evaluation for a student, it must complete the student’s evaluation and evaluation report no later than 45 school days following the date it receives a parent’s written consent to evaluate the student. However, if the student is absent from school during the evaluation period for three or more school days, the evaluation period can be extended by the number of school days equal to the number of school days that the student is absent.

There is another exception to the 45-school-day timeline. If a district receives a parent’s consent for the initial evaluation at least 35 but less than 45 school days before the last instructional day of the school year, it must complete the evaluation report and provide a copy of the report to the parent by June 30 of that year.

However, if the student is absent from school for three or more days during the evaluation period, the June 30th due date no longer applies. Instead, the general timeline of 45 school days plus extensions for absences of three or more days will apply. If a district receives a parent’s consent for the initial evaluation less than 35 school days before the last instructional day of the school year, the general timeline of 45 school days applies to the date the written report of the initial evaluation must be completed, with the same extension for three or more absences during the evaluation period.

Upon completing the evaluation, the district must give the parent a copy of the evaluation report as soon as possible, but no later than five school days prior to the initial admission, review and determination (ARD) committee meeting, which will determine a student’s initial eligibility or no later than June 30 if the parent consent was received at least 35 but less than 45 school days before the last instructional day of the school year. The copy of the evaluation must be provided to the parent at no cost.

Additional information regarding special education is available from the district in a companion document titled Parent’s Guide to the Admission, Review, and Dismissal Process.

Contact Person for Special Education Referrals

The designated person to contact regarding options for a student experiencing learning difficulties or regarding a referral for evaluation for special education services is:

Contact: Kerry Kaai

Phone Number: 903-462-7020

Email Address: kkaai@denisonisd.net

For more information on the Region 10 Child Find program, CLICK HERE.

Para información en español, PULSE AQUÍ