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Curriculum & Instruction/Special Programs
Curriculum & Instruction / Special Programs Contacts
Curriculum & Instruction
Stacy Tucker
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
stucker@hardinisd.net
Special Programs
Dr. Tammie Marberry
Assistant Superintendent
tmarberry@hardinisd.net
Big Thicket Cooperative Website
Special Programs and Services
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Legal Framework for the Child-Centered Special Education Process ESC 18.
Home Page for the Legal Framework (English)
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Section 504 Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in all programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance. An eligible student is one: who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, or working; in addition to eating, sleeping, lifting, bending, reading, concentrating, thinking, or communicating. Has a record or history of such an impairment; or is regarded as having such an impairment
Child Find
- The district annually notifies students with disabilities and their parents or guardians of the district's responsibilities under Section 504. The district assures that disabled students have educational opportunities and benefits equal to those provided to non-disabled students.
- Hardin ISD is required to provide a free appropriate education to school-age children within the district's jurisdiction who qualify under Section 504.
FAPE
- A student qualifying under Section 504 is entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).
Referral Process
- Referral of students to determine if a student qualifies for 504 services is a part of the district's overall regular education student pre-referral or screening system. Students having trouble in the regular classroom are considered for support services available to all students such as tutorial, remedial, compensatory, and other services.
- The referral for 504 consideration may be initiated by the parent/guardian, school personnel, physician, or other appropriate individuals. If a student is referred for dyslexia evaluation additional notification is required.
Potential Handicapping Conditions
Potential handicapping conditions under Section 504 which may be covered include:
- Dyslexia
- Chronic asthma and severe allergies
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- AD(H)D
- Behavior disorders
- Chronic diseases
- Orthopedic disorders
- Temporary handicapping conditions such as broken limbs (if substantial limiting one or more major life activities for an extended period of time)
Evaluations
- The parent has the right to examine relevant records. If a parent disagrees with the district's evaluation results, there is no right to an independent evaluation at public expense.
- Students being evaluated for dyslexia and related disorders will follow the guidelines set by the district for dyslexia evaluations.
- Purpose of 504 Assessment
- The purpose of the Section 504 assessment is to provide accurate data; to determine whether or not a handicapping condition exists; and to collect information that can be utilized to develop an appropriate Section 504 plan if the child is determined eligible.
Outside Evaluations
- The 504 committee will consider reports from private professionals, but is under no obligation to follow the recommendations given by the private professionals.
Educational Need
- A substantial limitation on learning must be demonstrated by an educational need, i.e., a serious academic deficit and/or serious behavior problems resulting from the student’s disability and not from other causes. Even though the student may have a physical or mental impairment, he/she is not entitled to Section 504 services unless there is an educational need.
Parent Participation
- Parents are invited to 504 committee meetings but are not required to be members of this committee. Parents are notified of the results of all 504 meetings concerning their child and given a copy of the Accommodation Plan.
State Assessments
- Section 504 students are required to take all state assessments unless the student is a special education student.
- The decision to use a particular accommodation with a student is made on an individual basis considering the needs of the student and whether the student routinely receives the accommodation in classroom instruction.
Academic / Behavior Concerns
- The 504 committee may meet any time a student is experiencing difficulty in school to review the 504 plan and make necessary adjustments. If the committee suspects that a child would qualify as a student with a disability under IDEA, a referral should be made for special education testing. Any student tested but not qualifying for special education is considered for 504 eligibility.
Facilities
- The student has a right to facilities, services, and activities that are comparable to those provided for nondisabled students.
Grievance Process
- Parents who wish to challenge a decision of the campus Section 504 Committee regarding the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of a student shall file a written notice of appeal with the district Section 504 Coordinator within 30 calendar days of the date of the notice of the campus 504 Committee decision with which they disagree.
- A written appeal should be directed to: Cami Jones, Hardin ISD Admin Office, P.O. Box 330, Hardin, Texas 77561. Within 30 calendar days of receiving the written notice of appeal, the district 504 Coordinator will schedule a hearing with an impartial hearing officer.
Discipline
- Before a student's placement can be changed for more than 10 school days for disciplinary reasons, the 504 Committee will make a “manifestation determination” prior to a Section 504 student being expelled or disciplined in a manner that constitutes a significant change of placement.
OCR Complaints
- Parents or guardians who believe that the district has violated the provisions of Section 504 are entitled to file a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR). The Regional Office of Civil Rights, which has jurisdiction of Texas, can be contacted as follows:
Texas OCR Enforcement Office
The Office for Civil Rights
Dallas Regional Office
1999 Bryan Street, Suite 1620
Dallas, Texas 75201
Telephone: (214) 661-9600
Fax: (214) 661-9587
Email: OCR.Dallas@ed.gov -
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What is Dyslexia?
- Dyslexia is a lifelong condition that makes it difficult for people to read.
- Dyslexia is mainly a problem with reading accurately and fluently. Students with dyslexia may have trouble answering questions about something they’ve read. But when it’s read to them, they may have no difficulty at all.
- Dyslexia can create difficulty with other skills. These include: Reading Comprehension, Spelling, Writing, and Math.
If signs of Dyslexia are noticed students will be referred for an evaluation for the dyslexia program based on common signs of dyslexia.
Who determines elgibility?
The Section 504 Committee determines eligibility based on the dyslexia assessment. After a student has completed the dyslexia assessment the Section 504 Committe will then make the following recommendation(s).
- No placement recommended
- 504 placement with classroom accommodations/placement in the Dyslexia Instructional Program
- Referral for Special Education services
- Other recommendation appropriate for the student
If the Section 504 committee recommends placement in the dyslexia program, written parent permission is required and will be obtained prior to placement.
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Resources from HISD
Hardin ISD Dyslexia Information for Parents
Resources from TEA
Manual Sobre Dislexia (The Dyslexia Handbook - Spanish)
Dyslexia Signs and Symptoms
What is Dyslexia? (Understood.org)
Dyslexia Fact Sheet
Dyslexia Fact Sheet (Understood.org)
Dyslexia Resources
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Hardin Elementary School
Charetha Sandles, Counselor
Phone: 936-298-2114
Email: csandles@hardinisd.netHardin Junior High
Leeandria Fordham, Counselor
Phone: 936-298-2054
Email: lfordham@hardinisd.netHardin High School
Dawn White, Counselor
Phone: 936-298-2118
Email: dwhite@hardinisd.net -
“Gifted and talented student" means a child or youth who performs at or shows the potential for performing at a remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, experience, or environment and who: exhibit high performance capability in an intellectual, creative, or artistic area; possess an unusual capacity for leadership; or excel in a specific academic field.” (Texas Education Code Ann. § 29.121)
See Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 89 for information regarding specific guidelines for gifted education in Texas.
Service Design
Hardin ISD services gifted students in the core subject areas of English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Program services for Kindergarten students begin March 1st as mandated by the state. Curricular compacting, completion of the Texas Performance Standards Project (TPSP), lesson differentiation, enrichment projects/presentations, and academic competitions are some of the many curricular options afforded to gifted students in the regular classroom setting in grades 1-12. Gifted program services are provided in open-enrollment Honors, AP, and Dual Credit classes at the secondary level as these rigorous courses stimulate higher level thinking as well as provide opportunities for academic advancement.
Identification Process
All campuses in Hardin ISD provide screening, identification, and services for Gifted and Talented students. In order for a student to be identified as Gifted and Talented (GT) in Hardin ISD, data from several quantitative and qualitative criteria are collected to identify students who exhibit potential and/or perform at levels significantly beyond the norm in areas of superior cognitive ability and/or specific academic achievement.
Quantitative criteria include the following: Verbal, Quantitative, and Non-verbal reasoning and specific academic achievement assessments. Qualitative criteria include the following: a parent survey, a teacher survey and/or observations, and a portfolio of student work, if applicable. Students may be identified as GT in the four core content areas.
The information is reviewed by the campus GT Building Selection Committee and students are recommended based on the preponderance of evidence. These committees are comprised of campus administrator(s), a counselor, and teacher(s) who have received training in nature and needs of gifted students.
Transfer Students
Within District Transfer: Identified gifted students who transfer from one school site to another school site within the district will be placed immediately into the receiving school’s program.
Out-of-District Transfer: To ensure that services are provided to the student in his/her new school district, within ten (10) days the campus must send to the receiving school district the complete data on the referral and identification of the transferring gifted student.
New to Hardin ISD Transfer Students: who transfer into Hardin ISD from another public school district and who meet or exceed Hardin ISD criteria for gifted services will receive gifted services upon receipt of student test data and permanent records. The parents of those students identified as gifted in another public school district whose identification pattern does not meet the Hardin ISD GT identification criteria will be notified that a re-evaluation is needed. Parent can choose to allow for evaluation or choose to evaluate student during normal testing cycle. If transfer evaluation is chosen, student will be evaluated within thirty (30) instructional days of entering the district.
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Career and technical education programs offer a sequence of courses that provides students with coherent and rigorous content. CTE content is aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in current or emerging professions.
The district offers career and technical education programs in the following areas:
- Agriculture, Welding
- Arts, A/V, Technology and Communications
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
- Government, Public Relations
- Human Services
- Education and Training
- Multidisciplinary
Admission to these programs is based on student interest and performance.
These programs will be offered without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, or disability. Hardin ISD will take steps to ensure that lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in all educational and CTE programs.