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Restorative Discipline Practices
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Dr. Gaye Lang: Restorative Discipline Practices Statewide Director
Mary Scott: Student Discipline Specialist
Victoria Rossi: Educator Training Specialist
Restorative Discipline Practices
Dr. Gaye Lang has launched a brand-new series,
Restorative Practices Made Simple: Families as Partners, a video series dedicated to empowering parents with the tools needed for effective communication and restorative practices at home. This series is designed to align
home environments with the restorative approaches taught in schools, ensuring a consistent and supportive experience for children. It focuses on providing parents with resources and strategies to foster better understanding and relationships with their children,
emphasizing the importance of collaboration between families and educational institutions. Below are the two latest episodes:
Watch
episode 5, which explores "Positive Parenting Support", featuring guest speakers
Stefani Stewart, Behavior Program Specialist, and
Erin Pacheco, Principal at Montclair Elementary, both from Garland ISD. They share firsthand accounts of their efforts to engage and empower parents in their children's educational journey.
This episode illuminates the collaborative strategies implemented to bridge the gap between home and school, offering parents practical tools and strategies to positively impact their children’s academic and behavioral outcomes. Viewers will see the transformative
power of effective communication and resource sharing, fostering a thriving educational environment where families are true partners in education.
Watch
episode 6, where Dr. Lang hosts a discussion with Cindy Rodriguez and
Jackie Trevino from Garland ISD. Cindy, a Behavior Program Specialist, and Jackie, a parent from Montclair Elementary, share their experiences and insights on implementing restorative strategies.
Discover how these methods can transform disciplinary approaches, create a supportive community, and positively impact both students and parents. This session is a must-watch for parents and teachers eager to enhance their understanding and application of
restorative practices.
Please submit all questions regarding Restorative Discipline Practices to
rdp@tea.texas.gov.
Student Discipline
The 2024-2025 Student Discipline Trainings will be held:
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August 7, 2024 Administrators
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August 21, 2024 PEIMS Coordinators
You can register for either training with the following link
Student
Discipline Professional Development Training Registration
NOTE: The 2024-2025 trainings are the same trainings offered the past 2023-2024 school year.
You can find the following technical resources on the
TEA
Student Discipline Webpage.
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PEIMS Discipline Data - Questions and Answers
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PEIMS Discipline Data - Disciplinary Action Reason Codes and Definitions
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PEIMS Discipline Data - Chart for Determining Mandatory and Discretionary DAEP Placements and Expulsions
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Behavior Supports and Guidance for Students with Disabilities
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Discipline flowchart for Students with Disabilities
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Monthly Supportive Schools Newsletter Subscription
For questions regarding student discipline policy and procedures please email:
StudentDisciplineSupport@tea.texas.gov
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Mental Health and Wellness Team
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Julie Wayman: Director of Mental and Behavioral Health
Tammy Gendke: Mental Health Program Coordinator
Ashton Millet: AWARE Texas Expansion Consortium State Coordinator
Mental Health and Wellness Team Updates
House Bill 3 Mental Health Training Commissioner Rule Open for Public Comment
The proposed Commissioner of Education Rules concerning HB 3’s Mental Health Training Requirements are now available and open for public comments.
This link will provide you with more information to view the proposed rules and submit public comment:
Proposed Commissioner of Education Rules | Texas Education Agency
Register for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Texas Suicide Prevention Symposium:
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IN PERSON ONLY (select sessions will be recorded) – it is free to attend and will be in Mesquite, TX
District Spotlight: San Marcos CISD Utilizing Community Partnerships to Support Student Mental Health
San Marcos CISD has utilized their partnership with the City of San Marcos, Hays County, and Texas State University to support their MTSS for school mental health. This collaboration
named the Core 4, has supported San Marcos CISD by training over 336 school community members using various evidence-based programs like
Youth Aware of Mental Health (YAM),
Youth Mental Health First Aid, and
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST).
Visit
https://schoolmentalhealthtx.org/highlights/spotlights/core-four-community-partnership/ to learn more about San Marcos CISD’s work with the Core 4.
TEA’s Mental Health Resources
General School Mental Health Resources:
https://schoolmentalhealthtx.org/
Mental Health Resources Database:
https://schoolmentalhealthtxdatabase.org/
Mental Health Best Practice Repository:
https://schoolmentalhealthtx.org/best-practices/
Contact the Mental Health and Wellness Team:
mentalandbehavioralheatlh@tea.texas.gov
Student Supports Team
Hank Weikert: Director of Student Supports Implementation
Carroll Sadler: Community Partnerships Specialist
Sarah McCaslin: Stronger Connections Grant Specialist
Community Partnerships
Hearne ISD is the Community Partnerships Grant spotlight district for the month of August.
Hearne Independent School District is a rural 2A school district located about twenty-five miles north of Texas A&M University. The district serves approximately 900 students across three campuses and is largely economically disadvantaged, with 95.5% of students
falling into this category.
Historically, the district faced challenges in fostering positive relations with families, resulting in limited support and involvement from the community. However, the district has made
significant strides in building partnerships with families and the broader community, and it has expanded its services for students.
Hearne ISD has established the Hearne ISD Community Partners Committee comprised of district and community stakeholders who collaboratively plan events to engage the community. The district
also frequently surveys the community seeking feedback about their perception of and access to various programs. A number of Town Hall meetings were also held last school year to share the state of affairs in Hearne ISD and receive in-person feedback. These
efforts have helped repair and improve the relationship between families, the community, and the school district.
In addition to informal partnerships with local businesses and community members, Hearne ISD has several formal agreements with organizations to support student growth academically, socially,
and emotionally. Some of these organizations are Big Brother Big Sister of Brazos Valley, Texas A&M College of Education, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Baylor School of Journalism, Public Relations, and News Media, and Tarleton State University.
As a result of Hearne ISD's proactive outreach and community involvement, students have access to a wider range of resources and opportunities, contributing to their overall success in
school and beyond. Families have expressed greater satisfaction with the educational experience, noting increased communication and involvement in their children's learning journey. The effort by Hearne ISD and its community partners underscores their commitment
to fostering a supportive and nurturing the educational environment for all students.
Safe and Supportive School Program
As LEAs prepare for the new school year, the SSSP team that serves the campus should be finalizing improvements to the SSSP plans for each campus they serve. The SSSP team should be making
data-based decisions to improve school climate, coordinating with other teams that serve the campus to align MTSS processes, ensuring that team members have completed behavioral threat assessment training, determining the training for staff and students on
identifying and reporting concerning behavior, reviewing SSSP data from previous years to improve school safety, and supporting the School Safety and Security Committee with planning and implementation of the campus multihazard emergency operation plan and
safety training for school staff. Resources that support the development and implementation of the SSSP can be found on the
Safe and Supportive Schools webpage. Questions regarding the Safe and Supportive School Program can be addressed to
safeandsupportiveschoolprogram@tea.texas.gov.
Stronger Connections
We are excited for the 24-25 SY and to officially launch the first implementation year of the Stronger Connections Grant! During this school year, awardees will continue to utilize effective
local advisory committees, implement climate and culture surveys using a suite of research-based best practices, receive training on the Student Support Framework (SSF)- including a level-set on student and staff safety, supportive discipline, mental and behavioral
health and wellbeing, and physical health and wellness, prepare for SSF diagnostics, launch parent and family engagement efforts, and so much more! As we prepare for a BUSY school year ahead, we also want to reflect on the past 6 months of hard work. Districts
finalized grant negotiations, established local advisory committees, attended the April roadshow with the Texas Center for Students Supports, heard from approved vendors during TCSS’ virtual vendor fair, and participated in two quarterly submissions of their
Fidelity of Implementation (FOI) tool. In quarter 4, we had 100% participation in the FOI! Our data team at TEA has created an interactive dashboard that ESC SCG leads will utilize in their FOI check-ins with districts this next school year.
For more information on the Stronger Connections work, please visit the
TEA webpage and the
Texas Center for Student Supports webpage. Questions can be sent to
sarah.mccaslin@tea.texas.gov.
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