Statewide Leadership Functions
Education service centers (ESCs) provide state leadership for special education
related functions. The ESCs listed next to the function are considered the Lead
ESC. Each lead ESC is responsible for establishing and coordinating a 20-region
network for their function. The purpose of the 20-region network is to ensure
ongoing communication between ESCs about state-level needs assessment processes,
planning, and implementing and evaluating statewide activities.
Access
to General Curriculum (Region 20 ESC) | 20
ESC Network | Contact: Dawn White
Through a comprehensive planning process, the Access to General Curriculum
(AGC) Network develops a framework for statewide collaboration. Priorities
in professional development and technical assistance focus on ensuring that
all students with disabilities will gain access to and show progress in
the general curriculum through curricular/instructional adaptations in the
least restrictive environment.
Low Incidence
Disabilities (Region 3 ESC) |
20 ESC Network | Contact: Mary Scott
Region III ESC has the responsibility to provide leadership to the Texas
Regional ESCs for building capacity to meet the needs of students who are
severely and profoundly cognitively disabled, medically fragile, and or
deafblind. The goals of the project are to establish a collaborative network
of stake holders; facilitate professional development to meet statewide
needs; and to develop a process of evaluating the effectiveness of statewide
activities.
Multicultural
and Diverse Learners (Multicultural Education) (Region 1 ESC) | 20
ESC Network | Contact: Ruth
Solis
The Multicultural Network (MCN) is committed to assisting schools statewide
close the achievement gap between student populations via data driven results
based action plans, so that no student is left behind. The primary focus
of the MCN is to help educators effectively determine appropriate educational
services for all students, meet the educational needs of culturally and
lingually diverse (CLD) students and prevent the inappropriate referrals
of CLD students to special education.
Parent
Coordination (Region 9 ESC) | 20
ESC Network | Contact: Pam Humphrey
The Parent Coordination Network is committed to ensuring that parents of
students with disabilities receive accurate and timely information to assist
them in making informed choices in their child’s education. The Network
has identified the following priorities: joint training opportunities for
parents and educators, collaboration with other parent training entities,
and technical assistance to parents and school district personnel in the
area of special education.
Texas Assistive Technology Network
(Region 4 ESC) | 20
ESC Network | Contact: Kirk Behnke
Assistive technology enables students with disabilities to access the
curriculum, increase independence and participate actively in education
and life activities. Texas Assistive Technology Network (TATN) is working
to ensure that students with disabilities receive assistive technology devices
and services when needed to benefit from a free, appropriate public education.
The TATN consists of representatives from each of the Texas Education Services
Centers, and the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Through a comprehensive planning
process, the TATN has developed a framework for statewide collaboration
with priorities in professional development and technical assistance which
focus on providing training, products and services that:
• build district capacity in assistive technology knowledge and skills
• promote strategies for building the literacy skills of all students,
and
• are aligned with statewide literacy initiatives
Texas Behavior Support Initiative (Region
4 ESC) | 20
ESC Network | Contact: Clynita
Grafenreed
The focus of the Behavior and Discipline Management Network for Students
with Disabilities is to provide capacity building trainings and products
for Education Service Center and Child-Serving Agency Network Representatives
to use in regional level professional development and technical assistance
activities with districts/charter schools and child-serving agencies. The
goal is to create a Positive Behavior Support System in the Texas public
schools that will enable students with disabilities to receive special education
supports and services in the least restrictive environment and to participate
successfully in the TEKS-based curriculum and state assessment system.
Texas
Secondary Transition and Post School Results (Region 11 ESC) | 20
ESC Network Contact: Kathy Albers
ESC Region XI provides statewide leadership and facilitates activities for
the 20 ESC Region High School Transition Network and the statewide post-school
outcomes committee. The focus is to promote communication and collaboration
between stakeholders and a comprehensive, coordinated, transition service
delivery system in Texas that leads to improvement of post-school student
outcomes.
Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism
(Region 13 ESC) | 20
ESC Network | Contact: Monte
Parker
Through the network of the 20 Regional Education Service Centers (ESCs)
around the state and in conjunction with the Texas Education Agency, the
Texas Statewide Leadership for Autism (www.txautism.net)
is providing a mechanism to access training, technical assistance, support,
and resources for educators who serve students with autism.
Services
for the Blind and Visually Impaired (Region 11 ESC) |
20 ESC Network | Contact: Olga Uriegas
ESC Region XI provides statewide leadership and facilitates activities for
the 20 ESC regional networks. Professional development and technical assistance
focuses on building capacity to ensure students with visual impairments
have comparable access to the general curriculum and improve skill areas
necessary to compensate for visual loss.
Services
for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing | Contacts: Region 10 (Alicia
Favila), Region 11 (Penny Morrison), and Region 20 (John
Bond)
ESC Regions 10, 11, and 20 provide leadership, staff development, technical
assistance and support to assist Texas school districts meet the educational
needs students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Priorities include student
and staff communication and competence, access to the general education
curriculum, literacy, and appropriate services to infants, toddlers and
pre-school children. Contact information for the
Regional Day School Programs for the Deaf.
Statewide Leadership Projects
Education service centers (ESCs) provide state leadership for special education
related projects. The ESCs listed next to the project are considered the Lead
ESC. Each lead ESC is responsible for developing a plan and implementing and
evaluating statewide activities related to the project.
Legal Framework (Region 18) |
20 ESC Network
| Contact: Sue Beasley
The Legal Framework for the Child-Centered Process is a dynamic electronic
roadmap that summarizes state and federal requirements for special education
by topic. It empowers those who use it to be able to provide to every child
the benefits of FAPE. It also helps with managing systems change for continuous
student performance and program improvement.
Texas Autism Conference (Region 2
ESC) | 20 ESC Network | Contact: Laura
Cantu
The focus of the network is continued education of and opportunities for
people involved with individuals with autism.
Texas Collaborative for Emotional Development
in Schools (TxCEDS) (Region 4 ESC) | Contact: Donna
Black
The purpose of the TxCEDS project is to develop a guiding policy that promotes
the well-being and mental health of children in Texas schools through the
development of integrated and comprehensive support programs and services.
Texas Education Agency | Division of IDEA Coordination
1701
North Congress Avenue | Austin, Texas 78701-1494
Telephone: 512.463.9414 |
Fax: 512.463.9560
Last Updated: June 21, 2010 | Created: July 29, 1998
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