Presenter: Evelyn Crespo, Consultant, Project AWARE

Room: Wilson, Uvalde, Zavala (First Floor)

Discover the power of mindfulness in this one-hour session designed for educators working with students from Pre-K to Grade 12. Through interactive exercises and guided meditations, explore practical techniques to enhance focus, emotional regulation, and well-being in the classroom. Gain insights into addressing a supportive learning environment while prioritizing self-care and resilience. Join us for an empowering journey of personal growth and professional efficacy in service of our students with diverse learning needs. 

No handouts will be provided 

Presenter: Kimberly Baumgardner, Statewide Special Education Liaison 

Room: Mesquite (Second Floor)

The purpose of the TEA Strategic Support Plan (SSP) is to guide LEAs through the process of prioritizing RDA indicators contributing to low performance and designed to assist the LEA's area(s) of growth to improve outcomes identified within the RDA performance indicators. The SSP is a tool used annually as part of the LEA's continuous improvement process to prioritize essential program elements, timelines, milestones, metrics, and task owners.  This session will provide some considerations to help you be proactive in understanding the purpose of the 8-step process and how to effectively complete your plan with fidelity to meaningfully assist your LEA with your continuous improvement goals.  A SSP workbook will be provided to assist in your understanding and development of your Strategic Support Plan. 

Resources: Stress Free Strategic Folder 

Presenter: Sarah Cave, Consultant, Early Childhood Special Education

Room: La Salle/Medina (First Floor)

Join us as we learn how to build and use individual visual schedules with students that experience trouble transitioning throughout their daily routine.  Participants will practice “checking schedule” with schedules that depict various levels of symbolic representation. 

Resources: Slides 

Presenter: Diana Glass, Consultant, Early Childhood Special Education

Room: Maverick/Real (First Floor)

Join us as we explore how to build natural opportunities to teach communication skills using core vocabulary and communication boards with young learners. 

Resources: Slides 

Presenter: Michelle Candland, Strategic Integration Liaison

Room: Kerr/Kinney (First Floor)

So, you've heard the BUZZZZZ about MTSS and now you want to learn more? Awesome!  Join us for an Overview on Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS). During this course, we will learn the basics about MTSS including three student-centered approaches used in the framework. 

Resources: Slides and Handouts

Presenter: Priscilla Molina, Strategic Integration Liaison

Room: Maple (Second Floor)

In this session participants will learn about a variety of developmentally appropriate practices and resources connected to Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE). Instructional setting codes and service location codes will also be covered. 

No handouts will be provided 

Presenter: Julia Eyer, Ph.D., Statewide Special Education Liaison

Room: Riverwalk (Ground Floor) 

We’re all in this business for the kids, yet we’re all limited in our life experiences that come from how we were raised and educated.  This workshop will talk about how some of our SPED decisions can be tracked based on student race and ethnicity.  We will learn how to reference data collected annually by TEA on individual LEAs to examine practices that may inadvertently hinder some groups of kids.  We will think about other questions specific data patterns might raise and common disproportionate data patterns in Texas schools. 

Resources: Handouts  

Presenter: Sam Gonzalez, Consultant, Transition

Room: La Villita/Fiesta (Ground Floor)

Transitioning from secondary education to post-secondary life can be both exciting and challenging for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). This session is designed to provide valuable insights and strategies for navigating this critical phase of life. Attendees will gain an understanding of the secondary transition process, including the development and implementation of effective IEP transition plans. This session will cover essential topics to support students in achieving their goals beyond high school and offer valuable guidance for empowering students with disabilities to thrive in their post-secondary endeavors. 

Resources: Handouts