The Texas Education Agency :Eliminating Mistreatment of Special Education Students

Kenitha Ellison The George Washington UniversityPSPR 6230: Final Project

What is the TEA?

The Texas Education Agency is a state agency that oversees primary and secondary public education

TEA helps deliver education to more than 5 million students

Organizational DNA:

Providing leadership, guidance and resources to help schools meet the educational needs of all students

TEA Fact Sheet

The work of TEA and the entire public school system is driven by laws created by the Texas Legislature and the U.S. Congress

TEA provides support to the State Board of Education (SBOE) in the development of the statewide curriculum

The TEA Monitors for compliance with certain federal and state guidelines

Situational Analysis

Video Footage has appeared of a child with autism being harshly thrown into the 7ft by 8ft room with a door as punishment

The Issue:

Outraged parents want rooms removed and are pushing for new legislation that would require all special education classrooms to have cameras to track treatment of the students

Legitimacy Gap

The TEA is responsible for

guiding and monitoring

activities and programs related to

public education in

Texas

Some teachers argue that the

calm rooms are often the best option to “calm” special

education students when

they act out

Parents want legislation

mandated to hold school

districts accountable

for the misuse of calm rooms

Stakeholders

Internal:• TEA• State Board of

Education• State Board for

Educator Certification

• Educators/Teachers• Administrators

External • Parents of Students• Disability Rights

Texas• News Media• Reporters/Journalists• Advocacy Groups

Leadership Platform

The TEA will collaborate with the SBOE to re-emphasize the monitoring process for all activities and programs

Train educators with assistance of Disability Rights Texas on how to properly calm the students without using excessive force

TEA will work with legislators to remove “calm rooms” as a disciplinary action

Recommendations

Implement training programs on special education students; opened to teachers and parents

Promote understanding and keep open communication between parents, teachers and TEA.

Introduce the “We Learn Together” program for teachers and students

Timeline3 Months: TEA perform internal

investigations of improper

usage of “calm rooms”

6 Months: TEA present

findings of investigations to SBOE and legislators

6 Months: Begin

implementation of “We Learn

Together” program9 Months: All

“calm rooms” removed from public schools

15 Months: Legislation passed to include

cameras in all class rooms

Picture of Success

• Special Education students no longer improperly reprimanded

• Teachers gain a better understanding of interacting with autistic children

• Parents trust in TEA and public schools system restored

• “We Learn Together” program eliminates special education students feelings of being outcasts

References

Autism Speaks. “School Age Children.” Autismspeaks.org. Retrieved from https://www.autismspeaks.org/audience/school-age-children

Disability Rights Texas. “What We Do.” disabilityrightstx.org. Retrieved from www.disabilityrightstx.org/what-we-do

Lee, David. “Texas School's Use of 'Calm Room' Questioned” courthousenews.com. 2 September 2014. Retrieved from http://www.courthousenews.com/2014/09/02/70945.htm.

Friedman, Scott. “At Least Five Districts Found to Use Calm Rooms for Disruptive Students.” Nbcdfw.com. 5 November 2014. Retrieved from http://www.nbcdfw.com/investigations/At-Least-Five-Districts-Found-to-Use-Calm-Rooms-for-Disruptive-Students-281656671.html

Friedman, Scott. “Fallout from video alters Plano ISD’s policy on ‘calm rooms.’” Dallasnews.com. 24 April 2015. Retrieved from http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/plano/headlines/20150424-fallout-from-video-alters-plano-isds-policy-on-calm-rooms.ece

References

Friedman, Scott. “Fallout from video alters Plano ISD’s policy on ‘calm rooms.’” Dallasnews.com. 24 April 2015. Retrieved from http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/plano/headlines/20150424-fallout-from-video-alters-plano-isds-policy-on-calm-rooms.ece

Friedman, Scott. “Texas Education Agency Reviews Calm Room.” Nbcdfw.com. 12 May 2015. Retrieved from http://www.nbcdfw.com/investigations/Texas-Education-Agency-Reviews-Calm-Room-Use-Following-NBC-5-Investigation-303497861.html

Resmovits, Joy. “George W. Bush's Education Law, No Child Left Behind, Abandoned by Texas.” huffingtonpost.com. 30 September 2013. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/30/bush-education-law-texas_n_4018971.html

Solomon, Dan. “What You Should Know about Elementary School ‘Calm’ and ‘Focus’ Rooms.” texasmonthly.com. 19 May 2015. Retrieved from http://www.texasmonthly.com/daily-post/what-you-should-know-about-elementary-school-%E2%80%9Ccalm%E2%80%9D-and-%E2%80%9Cfocus%E2%80%9D-rooms

References

Texas Education Agency. “About TEA.” tea.texas.gov. Retrieved from http://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/

Texas Education Agency. “No Child Left Behind and Elementary and Secondary Education Act.” tea.texas.gov. Retrieved from http://tea.texas.gov/nclb/

United States Department of Education. “Executive Summary of No Child Left Behind.” 2.ed.gov. January 2001. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/execsumm.html

Wilonsky, Robert. “In Tarrant County, a federal lawsuit filed over Mansfield ISD elementary’s ‘calm rooms’ for developmentally disabled.” Dallasnews.com. 29 August 2014. Retrieved from http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2014/08/in-tarrant-county-a-federal-lawsuit-filed-over-mansfield-isd-elementarys-calm-rooms-for-developmentally-disabled.html/