Two families, one at Hyer and one at UP Elementary, recently filed complaints with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) on behalf of their dyslexic children. The TEA found HPISD was out of compliance with federal and state law on allegations related to:
- Whether dyslexic students were properly identified as having a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) to qualify for special education
- This provides access to specially designed instruction in reading beyond / different than Take Flight
- The lack of services provided during COVID-19 spring learning
In addition to steps the district must take for individual students in the complaints, the TEA has mandated that HPISD conduct campus-wide reviews of recent evaluations at both schools. The purpose of the review is to determine if appropriate decisions were made based on evaluations that included reading, writing, learning challenges, etc., which is known as a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) in school evaluations.
If your child underwent a Full Individual Evaluation (FIE) between May 1, 2019 and May 29, 2020 at Hyer or UP Elementary, your student’s evaluation may be part of the review. Likely impacted are students who:
- Were informed that they did not meet SLD criteria (Ex. Scores too high, grades too high) and were therefore denied special education eligibility
- Qualified for eligibility in another area, such as Speech or Other Health Impairment for ADHD, but were not given an SLD identification despite weakness in reading
- Were identified as having a SLD, but informed they did not need special education services
To understand the review process initiated by the TEA and to ensure correct eligibility decisions were made for your child, contact the Special Education Coordinator at Hyer or UP Elementary.
CLICK HERE to read the redacted TEA Investigative Reports, and to learn more about the investigations and how they might impact your student.
