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/