001so I don't forget that I gotta talk myself through all of this. Um well officially good afternoon and thank you for joining us this afternoon. My name is Anna Mandreon. I'm one of the people here at TEA that gets the privilege of working with the other two who are here um and help facilitate some of these webinars. But we've got one important topic on the agenda for today um with Lori Merrill. I just wanted to remind everyone, please use the Q&A feature. We won't answer them live, but if there's things that you um need that you think maybe your ESC can't answer, we always guide people to the ESC's first, pop them in there and then we'll um shield them and kind of look at them and see if we can respond to any of
002them. Also, this is recorded. So, um in about a week, I will record um excuse me, post the link to the recording in the exact same spot that you got to the view button. So, or join the webinar. So, those are just a few housekeeping rules. So, um, thank you again and I'm going to turn it over to you, Lori. I You've got lots to share today, I know. >> Yes, definitely. Thank you guys so much and happy afternoon. We're close to the weekend, so it's always always good these webinars are on a Thursday. Um before I get into the actual presentation, I want to make sure that everyone knows where to find um the resources that I'm going to share because we have um we have tried to make sure that we have these
003posted and ready for you guys. So, let me um let me get my computer to open up on the right screen first off um and then we will go from there. So, got that share. Let's see. All right. Everybody's seeing that differentiated monitoring and support web page. Um, >> just about to pop up there. >> Oh, perfect. Perfect. So, if you Google tea DMS, this page should pop up for you. If you scroll all the way down to the bottom, you'll see that this is where we have posted all of our clarification process documents. This may seem odd if in the past you're used to going to this um date performance plan web page that we're usually used to with all the different cards for all the different indicators and then toward the bottom were
004the clarifications. We made the decision as an agency earlier in the year that this clarification process is much more of a monitoring event than it really is a data collection or a data piece connected to that state performance plan. So, we moved everything over to our monitoring and support page. And there you can see this top um bullet is the PowerPoint that I'll be reviewing with you guys today. So, if you want to grab that so that you can kind of follow along, make some comments on your own copy um to support and assist as you guys process through clarifications in about a month or so. Um and then there's other helpful documents including that verification workbook um the considerations you and your team can make as you're determining whether or not to participate in
005this pre-finding clarification process as well as a helpful one-pager that kind of outlines the timeline and the documents required. So, with that, I'm going to stop sharing this part and I'm going to hop on over to the presentation and get all ready to walk you guys through. Um, those of you that have uh participated in this presentation in the past, you'll notice that it is um very similar. Um, we did not make a whole bunch of changes this year. um instead what we really focused on was maintaining a process that all of us are familiar with um and have engaged in. So with that I'm going to share um hopefully you guys are seeing the first slide, the title slide. Awesome. All right. And I'm going to move the little help bars and everything off
006of this main screen so that I don't get tripped up while presenting and then we'll get started. So as it says on the invite and the title for this webinar um we are just going over that state performance plan indicator that clarification process. So this process kicks off after that submission time frame. So um today's objectives um are to really understand that purpose of clarifications determine that participation decisionmaking um what the requirements are to engage in the clarification submissions that we need and then if your LEA is accept is electing not to participate what do you need to do to ensure that we don't keep emailing you asking if you're going to participate or not. So the purpose of clarification after that annual TSDS SP application close date any LEA that met the submission deadline
007for each indicator and reported less than 100% can submit clarifications containing evidence of pre-finding corrections for SPI 11A B 12 and 13. So, it's real important to note here that eleas that get to opt in or opt out of clarifications are those eleas who meet the submission deadline. So, for SP 11A, B and 12, that's that July deadline. And for 13, that's the August deadline. If you do not make your submissions by those deadlines, you will not be eligible to participate in the um pre-finding correction clarification process. Uh so eleas who certify less than 100% by that data submission timeline. You'll have two choices um for your indicators. You can participate in clarifications or you can opt out and do nothing which basically means we'll have one step for you to do which is to
008let us know that you're not going to participate and then you have nothing left to do until you receive your notification of non-compliance um at the end of the process. So, we're kind of in this space right now where we're going to prepare for clarification. So, hopefully um you and your team have been reviewing your submissions data. You've been kind of generating those monthly reports to see how you're tracking and trending over the course of the past school year. You're identifying any potential non-compliance. So during this phase and determining whether or not you're going to participate in clarifications, some real important housekeeping pieces, not only for this process, but kind of all processes um as the LEA begins another school year of engagement, and that is to really make sure that you're verifying and updating
009those points of contact um email addresses, names, phone numbers in Ask TED. We as an agency rely on Ask Ted to get our contacts for everything. So any communications that comes from my team, complaints, any division here at the agency, we rely on Ask TED. So it's real important that if you know you're having staffing changes, um which we know happens during this time of the year, that you're quick to update, uh ask TED fields. Um any LEA who meets the the um criteria to engage in clarifications will receive notification from our team on September 16th. If by September 17th early in the morning, you still don't have an email from our team and you've checked your junk mail and you've checked all your emails and made sure that whoever's listed in um Ask TED
010from the superintendent level or the special ed director. If you're if you've checked and no one has received it, go ahead and reach out to your ESD and let them know that you have not received your um any level of notification indicating that um clarifications process is open. Otherwise, you should receive that notification from us on the 16th. In that notification, and we'll go over this a little more in a second, um is a form for all eleas to complete. And in that form, you're just selecting will you be participating? If so, on which indicators, and if you won't be participating, indicating that that form is due to us on that 18th. that ensures that we are monitoring your document submissions and connecting with you during the clarification window to ensure you have the proper
011opportunity to engage um with our team in this process. Be sure to check that email, check your spam folders. Um you should receive something either from send that may be the email address. It may say info at send, it may say monitoring review. Um, but you will be able to tell by the subject line that it is related to clarifications process. Um, if we don't hear back from an LEA, we assume you're not participating. So, that is why it's really important to ensure that if you know you submitted by the timeline um, and you have not received any type of notice or communication from our team that you connect with your ESC so that they can reach out to us and we can ensure that we deliver that information to you. Um when it comes
012to the clarification process um decisionmaking there's there's two paths that lead to this clarification process. The first one is a pre-finding correction. So pre-finding corrections defined um and and may occur during the clarification process when the LEA has violated an idea requirement but the agency has yet to issue a finding. So if we as an agency can verify that before issuing any findings, the LEA is correctly implementing the specific regulatory requirements um based on a review of updated data such as data subsequently collected through monitoring if applicable has corrected each individual case of child specific non-compliance unless that child is no longer within the jurisdiction of the LEA and has no existing corrective action under a TEA complaint or due process hearing decision. ision for the same child then we can consider a prefinding correction.
013The other path for pre-finding correction are kind of those data system corrections. So data entry event that resulted in a non-compliance, absent report discrepancies, calendar corrections, data system errors, transfer student coded incorrectly in your submissions, um and any other documentation provided by the LEA that indicates that the student is actually compliant, not non-compliant. It is important to note that engaging in the clarification process does not automatically guarantee pre-finding correction and compliance. We have to meet all of these expectations to make that determination of pre-finding correction and then to adjust that compliance rate. Um so we do have eleas who participate submit all of the elements but because one or more of these pieces is not able to be determined we cannot uh pre-finding correct. So participation in the clarification process, it is optional. Um it's
014not guaranteed. It's not um required. It is optional for the LEA to choose to participate. Um when an LEA is is determining participation in the clarification process, it's important for the LEA to complete the following steps. They'll review the data entered and completed SLcertified during that data entry period both in the TSDS system for 11A B and 12 and for that teal system for indicator 13. Make sure that you have looked at all of that to ensure that you have every indicator accounted for. Um, we have had instances where an LEA submits verification documentation, let's say for 11A, and they were out technically on 12 and 13 as well, but weren't aware um because of submission um practices in their district, and they missed that window for clarification and the opportunity to clarify for all
015indicators that were eligible for clarification. So, just be sure you take a look and and ensure that each indicator um is at that percent completion, percent compliance as you um knew it to be. Um once you've reviewed your documentation and your data, go ahead and complete that participation form. Um you'll receive the form inside of the email that's alerting you that the clarification window has opened. So that's that September 16th email that you'll receive from our team and there will be a link to a form. Form is a very simple form to fill out. Yeah, two or three questions on it. Um not not a heavy lift um of a form and it just alerts us and allows us to track um on your behalf that we are um gathering all the information and that
016we know who to expect information from. We ask that that form be completed by the 18th so that we can monitor submissions and ascend correctly and accurately. Um and then you'll go ahead and complete the steps in the SPI clarification participation follow-up email. So in that form when you indicate yes, we would like to participate, these will be the indicators. Your assigned contact will then connect with you and provide in an email everything that would be required to be considered for review in the clarification process. and we'll go over that here in a couple slides. Um once we gather all the information and that clarification window closes, our team then reviews um anything that we can make that pre-finding correction on we make. Um and then we recalculate compliance and make those final determinations um
017at the end of the month. Um we do rely on only the data that's submitted in ascend. So we don't go and look for data any other place. We don't look through data that is emailed to us. All d all data, all evidence must be loaded um uploaded into ascend. If there is knowledge of an ascend issue or an upload issue, our team will provide you um a secure file link so that we're not sending um sensitive student level data over email. When it comes to clarification requirements, every LEA must submit the items you see on your screen. We know that this seems overwhelming sometimes because when pre-finding correction cannot be established and your district still has the result of a corrective action plan, sometimes we are asking you for these items again. In those
018situations when the items are being asked again, that indicates that during our review, the root cause, the concern, the element that was identified as the the um the piece of training or the operating procedure edit that's needed was missing from what was originally submitted to us during the clarification window. So, our promise to you is that if you submit it and it is accurately written, it just wasn't practiced correctly and we couldn't pre-finding correct, um, if what's documented, what's been trained is accurate, we're not going to ask you to resubmit it to us. If we're asking you to resubmit one of these items, it's because there's a missing element um, during the review. So, we get that question asked um, often of us. We do it meaningfully. So we ask you to do this upfront
019because these are all the five required elements that we have to identify um to make those pre-finding um correction determinations and then during that corrective action process we have to be able to say that yes these have been updated if an update was required otherwise we will not ask you to resubmit. Um this outlines just a little um in in a greater detail each one of those items. So that child specific correction um you'll complete the SPI verification um workbook for each indicator. You'll see that at the bottom of the workbook there's a tab for each indicator and there's fields. In a couple slides we'll go over those fields in a little more detail. Um procedures uh procedures um operating procedures related to the indicator. So if you're looking at 11A, that timely initial evaluation,
020we want to see the procedures and we want to see that it's responsive to what you've identified as the root cause. So if it's miscalculation, if it's data entry errors, really identifying in those revised procedures the steps you'll take to ensure that your evaluators, your data entry, whomever it is who's responsible for that data piece or the issue that was identified um has steps to carry out to ensure compliance. Any training artifacts um that address those specific indicators, like I said, we're kind of in this unique window, right? You just finished the one school year. you guys are going to submit your data um in July into August and school years are already going to start up. So if you've been keeping an eye on what's tracking as your areas or you just have standing
021PD that you do at the beginning of every year, some of these training artifacts may be from the current school year that's just ending or the upcoming school year. So we just ask show us that what you've identified is the issue um that resulted in the non-compliance that you're addressing it with your team through professional development. A plan for self-monitoring to ensure that the non-compliance does not become systemic in nature and then um that current compliance evidence um that you're clarifying. So that's that attestation form that we ask for where um basically it's we've uploaded the students in the verification workbook. We attest that we've made all those corrections and we have no additional um non-compliance to be reported. So, um, as I said, the student level correction workbook, we've added a little more detail
022to it this year, um, for us to truly process the pre-finding corrections and, um, be able to determine if a LEA can be found as pre-finding corrected, we have to have all the fields of this workbook complete. Um, we routinely receive workbooks that one or more column has an NA or maybe is left blank. We understand that sometimes it feels like the column may not apply to the scenario or the situation. So, we added a little um bit of information at the beginning and the end of the workbook to guide more of the conversation and the completion of the columns. So for some of those kind of data corrections, while there may not be a need for a student level correction that required a compensatory ed decision date, instead of putting NA, we're asking that
023you explain to us because it was a data entry, it didn't result in a need for compensatory education. um and therefore there was no decision but we met and we discussed and once we determined that it was a data correction we knew that there was no need we don't know if it was NA not needed NA didn't happen NA truly isn't applicable so we're asking that you spell it out inside the workbook for us so that we can make valid determinations um this again just gives a little bit of um of an example of how to complete it. So again, all fields completed, no NAS. So completely okay to say not needed because it tracks to a clerical entry error and there's a root cause that explains exactly what the error was, which allows the
024reviewer to understand that I wouldn't expect to see a comped offering for this because this was data entry. this wasn't an actual impact on the student versus there being an actual student level correction needed and then the documentation and the information provided after to allow us to make the um determination. Again, we've kind of talked through this, so I'll just let you read it. But again, when it comes to those procedures, really ensuring that when we're asking you to review and revise procedures as it relates to that root cause of non-compliance that we see that change, that we see it captured um to ensure that processes are being put in place to prevent that non-compliance in future instances of reporting. So, what happens next? You will receive that initial email. You'll indicate in the form
025yes or no you're going to participate. Your point of contact will send you a formal email with all the required elements um to participate in the pre-finding clarification process. Um all the documentation is uploaded in a send. If we have any questions your point of contact will outreach you asking is this everything that you plan to submit? Are these all the indicators? Are you finished with your uploads? Um and then we will begin our review once we have confirmation from you that that is everything or the window closes. Um we have a very tight timeline so we cannot extend the window. Um and I'll go over the window here in the in the next couple slides. Um and just that reminder that participating in the clarification process does not guarantee non-compliance will be resolved. um
026every submission will be review. If um we are not able to pre-finding um correct and and clear through clarifications, we will send those written notifications of non-compliance in late October. Okay. So, uploading those clarification requirements in ascend. Most important, be sure that you select the 2526 school year dropdown from the ascend um dashboard. we will go search, but if we're searching, there's a greater chance we're going to miss something. So, it's really helpful if we can all start off on the same school, you're looking at that 2526 dropdown um on the dashboard. And then there's just instructions on how you can find the file transfer widget towards the bottom of your dashboard screen. and then how you can utilize the select document type for all SVP um clarification submissions. We're looking for that sped supporting
027documentation. So that's what we should be um selecting for the document type. Uh we do have naming procedures. We ask to name as close as possible to these. Again, it helps us get our eyes to the correct one and not I mean for those of you that are engaged with us already, you know, you may be submitting current SPC CAP documents, maybe cyclical review documents, maybe targeted review documents, other engagements with us, plus the clarification all around the same time. It helps us to make sure that again that we don't overlook anything in the system um by utilizing this naming function. So once you've submitted all that clarification documentation in a send um we will communicate that receipt of submission or communicate is this everything once you confirm then we'll communicate that receipt um if
028we need additional information we will reach out to you um and that um that successful completion of the clarification process requires all submitted all submissions to be uploaded in ascend during that September 16th and September 30th window. It's very important to try to get your information uploaded earlier in the window. If on the close of business on September 30th, you upload your documentation, we have no more of the window to go back and forth to ask for additional information from you. Um, again, it's just the timelines that we have to abide by to get all of this data back to the data team to be able to process it for um, every other data piece that relies on um, federally required elements are tied to these indicators. Your overall SP compliance, RDA, and all of
029that. So, our window is very short on our end. So, the sooner in the big window you guys are able to upload your documentation, the better chance that we can communicate back and forth. Otherwise, on close of business, September 30th, when we begin our final reviews, whatever is in a send is what will be reviewed. Anything submitted after that time will not be eligible for review. And if the re if the submitted documents aren't complete, then we won't engage in the review um for the clarifications for the pre-finding corrections and the clarification process. All right. If your LEA is aware of the non-compliance and you know that there's nothing you can do to um engage in the pre-finding corrections or you're electing not to, um we ask that you kind of follow some of the
030similar steps as the group that's opting in. So, if you're choosing to opt out, we're asking that you review the data entered in both the TSDS and applications just one more time to make sure you're aware of all the indicators and their final status. Once you've done that, definitely just fill out that form by the 18th indicating that you're not participating. And then at the end of October, you'll receive your notification of non-compliance. All right. Um we're coming toward the end of our um presentation. Just a couple handy resources for you. These are all linked to that DMS page that I showed you earlier. This is just a quick one pager that provides an overview of the time frame to remind you of the window, when to expect your notifications. Um, how the process flows.
031Um, also provides you with a list of those. It's kind of a a quick access list of the items that you'll need to have prepped and ready to upload into a send. Um, it also has some reminders. Like I said, we're in that phase, right, where you guys are still in that process of finalizing your data and making those final submissions. So, as you're doing that, as you're trying to determine how to run your own reports and see what your data is saying, here are the groups you can reach out to. So, when it comes to clarification, so the the piece after you do the submissions um and you're about to engage in that clarification process, that's our team. That's when you can reach out to us for any but anything related to TSDS childfind
032applications um 11A 11B 12 you're going to want to connect with either your TSDS champion in your LEA your ESC tsds champion or tea's um tsds uh team. They'll be able to walk you through how to read the screens, how to access the data, how to run any reports if you're running into issues. that's the group that can support you with those TIM ticket submissions um to ensure everything happens in a timely manner and everything's accounted for. If you're running into issues with your TIL application for SPI13, you can reach out to your um ESC or you can email that SP um at tea.ex.gov. Our team um won't be very helpful for the data entry piece. So that's why we always want to make sure to give you that TSDS group and the SVP group
033because they are in those applications can help you troubleshoot and if there is something bigger going on than what we can solve for um they are the ones that are able to get in the system and get some um supports and and uh uh corrections there. >> Um the verification workbook we have also posted inside of ascend. So, if you are an LEA that is able to engage um by meeting the timeline and you're electing to participate, you will be able to find the evidence workbook inside of um the ascend required um resource requirements on the dashboard. It is also a good time of year to make sure that everyone who needs to has access and the correct access to the teal ascend application. So really making sure you log in there. If you're a
034data entry, you have the ability to enter the data. Um if you're supposed to have access to the reports, the reviewer, all those pieces, everyone who needs to access anything related to the SPS get in um and make sure you have the correct ascend access. Um our team um is the team that approves it from the state level, but there's usually a layer at your own district level. So, if you're kind of pressing up against a timeline and you realize that someone doesn't have access, make sure you find out who locally is able to approve so that you can uh work that process through quickly on your end. And then we have um several of our team members who monitor the teal application requests uh throughout the day. So, we we we usually get them
035turned around pretty quick as long as your application is linked to a school district email. That's the most important piece. If it's linked to someone's personal Gmail, we kick it back. But if it's linked to your your LEA email, we're pretty quick in getting those um approved. That helpful document that we provided last year, it's been updated a little bit, but otherwise it reads pretty comparable to what you were familiar with um in last year's process. It's a helpful guide. Um, especially maybe you're new to having to participate in the clarifications process and you can't decide should you, shouldn't you, there's some nice uh steps to walk through and process your data to see yes or no, do you have all the required elements to um engage in the uh pre-finding clarification process. And then
036as always, there's some really helpful tools and resources as you are um entering into that final submission stage for all the indicators. And again, just those reminders of who to reach out to um to support that data entry and final submissions um for each of the indicator. This is my team um of managers. Of course, you guys get to interact with so many of our specialists, but uh we did want to provide some regional contacts. So, if you do reach out to your ESC and or you have additional questions that maybe your ESC is not able to support you with, you can reach out to the specific manager of your region um and they can provide some guidance and or connect you with your assigned reviewer. Um if you are a charter LEA, feel free
037to ping me and I will connect you to your um reviewer. Um we um for those of you that don't know Scarlett Papus who you usually see her name as one of ours, she's transitioned to a director role um on another uh part of the general supervision and monitoring team. So for right now um I'm helping any charters connect with their specialists. So feel free to outreach. Otherwise, um this big review and support email, we all monitor it every day. So um if you're uncertain who to reach out to, um your ESC is always a great stop. they know how to find all of us at any given moment. Um, otherwise you can ping us in this review and support uh mail and we will get you all the answers. Um, if you're like me,
038you sit in and you listen and then you think of 20 questions the following day. Um, if that is how you are learning too, feel free to ping us at the review and support tea.ex.gov um, email address and one of us will be able to answer your questions. So, thank you guys for having me today. I'll stop sharing. >> Thank you, Lori. And I can attest that if you do send the review and support at tea um.gov, they will get back with you there. The whole team does monitor it daily. So, um please send those in. I was able to actually answer a few questions as we went and put some links in there. So, I think the Q&A feature does allow links, Lori, because I went ahead and put the um link that you
039had shared right to where that document, but I appreciate you going through the steps of how to find it as well. So, thank you everyone for joining us this afternoon. That was our only topic and good luck with any clarification that might be necessary by you and your district. So, >> absolutely. Stop.