DEPARTMENT NEWS
The deadline for submitting State Performance Plan Indicator (SPPI) 14 Post-school Outcomes data in the Texas Student Data System (TSDS) is February 19, 2026, at 11:59 PM. This collection includes contact information for students with disabilities who exited an LEA during the 2024–25 school year. SPPI 14 meets the federal public reporting requirement on post-school outcomes for the State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR), as outlined in 20 U.S.C. §1416(a)(3)(B).
For assistance:
- LEAs should contact their ESC TSDS SPPI 14 Champion or TSDS Technical Champion (ESCs 1–10 or 11–20).
- Additional resources are available on the TEA SPPI 14 webpage and the TSDS SPPI 14 webpage.
- For technical support, submit a TSDS Incident Management System (TIMS) ticket through the TSDS Portal.
Results of the post-school outcomes survey conducted during summer 2025 are now available. Required by SPPI 14, this survey provides a clear measure of post-school outcomes for youth with disabilities as they transition from high school to adult life. You can learn about SPPI 14 by visiting the collection of videos on Texas SPED Support, or watching the TEA Special Education webinar that was recorded on January 20, 2026. Reports are available on the Post-School Outcomes page on the TEA website, including the results of the 2025 survey and prior years.
Beginning with the 2025–26 school year, the SPP Application in the Texas Education Agency Login (TEAL) was no longer used for collecting SPPI data. Local educational agencies (LEAs) must now submit data for the following indicators through the TSDS Special Education Data System (SPEDS) Summer Submission:
- SPPI 7: Preschool Outcomes
- SPPI 11: Timely Initial Evaluation (11A) and Eligibility Determination (11B)
- SPPI 12: Early Childhood Transition
- SPPI 13: Secondary Transition
On March 1, 2026, the SPP Application will be fully decommissioned and removed from TEAL.
Currently, the SPP TEAL application houses historic data for:
- SPPI 7 and SPPI 13: 2020–21 through 2023–24
- SPPI 11 and SPPI 12: 2018–19 through 2020–21
LEAs should download any needed historic data before March 1, 2026. After this date, data may be requested through a public information request (PIR).
Several commissioner of education rule amendments are currently progressing through the rulemaking process, with public comment opening soon. To better understand how the rulemaking process works and how to submit a comment during the designated window, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions on Public Comment Process for Proposed Rulemaking. Proposed rules are available on the Proposed Commissioner of Education Rules webpage, Proposed State Board of Education Rules webpage, and Proposed State Board for Educator Certification Rules webpage.
The public comment period for the following Commissioner of Education rules are currently scheduled to open from January 23 – February 23, 2026:
- 19 TAC §89.1197, State Individualized Education Program Facilitation
- 19 TAC §89.1195, Special Education Complaint Resolution
- 19 TAC §89.1175, Representation in Special Education Due Process Hearings
- 19 TAC §89.1150, General Provisions
TNTP, a national education nonprofit, in partnership with TEA, is launching a crucial initiative to ensure every student in Texas – including those identified within special populations as students with disabilities, emergent bilingual students, and dually identified students (those receiving both special education services and emergent bilingual) – has access to rigorous, grade-level Tier 1 instruction every day.
We are looking for schools to participate in a field research study on meaningful access. Meaningful Access ensures that students with disabilities who receive special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) have equal opportunities to engage with and make progress in the general education curriculum and environment. By participating in this study, your school system will help inform the development of statewide instructional supports and shape future resources to strengthen high quality instructional materials (HQIM) implementation for all students, including those identified within special populations.
If your school system is interested in participating, register using this link http://tinyurl.com/yc7pca7b or email [email protected] to ask questions and learn more about what participation involves.
TEA's ARD Committee Manager Training, a self-paced online course, has been updated for the 2025-2026 school year. Updates include:
- Per Texas Education Code §29.030, which was effective starting with the 2025-2026 school year, at the first ARD committee meeting during which a student's IEP is developed, a school district shall provide the parent of a student who has an intellectual disability or a developmental delay with information about services and public benefits provided by the local intellectual and developmental disability authority (LIDDA) that serves the county in which the student resides, including services under waiver programs.
- The Additional Days School Year (ADSY) initiative provides formula funding to support school systems with adding up to 30 additional instructional days (beyond a minimum of 175 days) at eligible campuses for grades PK – 8 and questions and answers regarding special education services during ADSY instructional days
- Updated SPPI 13 Data Collection Information and LEA Roles in the SPPI 13 Data Collection and Submission
This course provides best practices for ARD committee managers for LEAs that choose to use this model. Other common job titles for this position include ARD Committee Facilitator, ARD Committee Chair, and Child-Centered Process Liaison. Position titles may vary from one LEA to another.
The purpose of this grant opportunity is to increase capacity across Texas schools to implement innovative programs that effectively serve students with autism ages 3-21. This grant is available to Texas school districts and open-enrollment charter schools, with priority given to collaborations across school systems and to small and rural school systems. The application is open now and will close on February 10, 2026. Visit the Texas SPED Support Opportunities page for additional information.
The 2024-2026 Innovative Services for Students with Autism Grant was awarded to 10 LEAs across Texas and has directly impacted 33 LEAs due to many grantees collaborating across multiple LEAs. Read about the impact this grant has had on Fort Sam Houston ISD Military COOP:
Our TEA Innovative Services for Students with Autism Grant has been a total gamechanger for leveling up our students' social skills.
Employing interactive game systems, the grant team supports K-12 students across our three military districts - Fort Sam Houston, Randolph Field, and Lackland ISDs. Our primary goal is to enhance social skills, digital citizenship, and career readiness for students with autism by utilizing interactive technologies and game-based learning principles. We focus on building upon student strengths—particularly their affinity for gaming and technology—to create dynamic environments where they can practice essential skills like self-advocacy, teamwork, and problem-solving.
The growth in this area, and particularly in the realm of scholastic E-sports, has provided our students with autism a true community of peers where they can work on their social skills without the pressure of forced social interactions, instead gaining confidence by sharing skills, abilities, and passions to help them grow in their peer to peer relationships naturally and organically.
To further our STEM and career-readiness goals, we are integrating 3D printers and project-based STEM engineering kits to provide hands-on experiences in design, engineering, and coding. These tools are used to host community-wide events like "game jams," which supports our growing student business through our 18+/College & Career classroom, and build simulated career experiences, fostering both student skills and greater community awareness.
All in all, we are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to impact our school districts through this grant and look forward to continuing to level up students' social skills through gaming!
The Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) Collection is a key resource for school systems working to continuously improve instruction for students with disabilities. Do you have special or general educators who need support in understanding SDI and its application within high quality instructional materials (HQIM) like Bluebonnet Learning? The SDI Guide provides this foundation and accompanying examples. Are you looking for a collaboration opportunity between instructional coaches and special education staff? There are SDI Field User Guides for a variety of HQIM that bring SDI and specific resources together, allowing staff to leverage their own expertise and build capacity. Would you prefer a quick refresher on SDI? The SDI Quick Learn video gets it done in under 15 minutes. The variety of supports available in the SDI collection ensures there is something for everyone!
The Texas Achieving a Better Life Experience (Texas ABLE) Program was established to encourage and assist individuals with disabilities and their families in saving funds to pay for many disability-related expenses critical to maintaining the individuals’ health, independence, and quality of life. The Texas ABLE Program is established and maintained by the Texas Prepaid Higher Education Tuition Board, with assistance from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
Check out the January edition of Texas ABLE Connections — a quarterly newsletter with important information about the program. This edition celebrates an exciting new year for ABLE accounts. Check out these topics:
- Big Changes in 2026: Expanded Eligibility and New Contribution Limit
- Outreach Update: Connecting with Communities Across Texas
- Getting Started with Texas ABLE
- Inside Look at Qualified Disability Expenses
Get all the details in this issue!
Jump into the final month of the Great Reading Games competition! TEA is partnering with Learning Ally to provide free human-read audiobooks for K-12 public school systems. What better way to use this free access than to spark competition? Encourage students to read and rack up points in the Games; every page counts! Find strategies and support here: Learning Ally Great Reading Games.
Attending the TCASE Conference? Stop by booth 70 to say hello and learn about our latest resources!
New to Learning Ally? Get started by enrolling for your free account through the Educator Access Form.
History and Impact of IDEA
In honoring the 50th anniversary of IDEA, the Department also published a video describing the history and the impact of the law, and OSEP published a series of Fast Facts celebrating 50 years of IDEA. The Fast Facts series shows the consistent and significant growth in the number of children with disabilities served since the passage of the law, the growing recognition of the needs of students with disabilities and the expanding reach of special education services over the years, and the remarkable increases in the number of children with disabilities served in the general education setting and graduating with a regular diploma.
New Tools for Digital Accessibility Success
The National Center on Accessible Digital Educational Materials and Instruction (NCADEMI) has launched a suite of exciting resources guiding states and school districts through building a robust system for digital accessibility. At the heart of these resources are the Quality Indicators for the Provision and Use of Accessible Materials in PreK-12 Systems. Implementation support includes a Readiness Protocol, Self-Assessment Tools, and free technical assistance. Learn more about the indicators/resources.
Authentic Choice-Making for Children and Youth Who Are Deafblind
Educators and families of children who are deafblind often use choice-making as a valuable learning opportunity but helping a child improve their choice-making skills takes careful planning and consideration. To learn what’s involved, see the latest publication from the National Center on Deafblindness, “Authentic Choice-Making for Children and Youth Who Are Deafblind.”
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