August 2018

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About Foster Care

Students in Foster Care are supported by the Austin ISD Project HELP Program

Who Can Enroll a Foster Student?

A student may be enrolled by either a representative from Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) or Child Protective Services (CPS); or an individual from the student’s foster placement, such as a foster parent or representative of the shelter.

Forms and Court Documents Needed to Enroll the Student 

  • Proof of legal authority to enroll student;
    • Either DFPS Form 2085; or a court order naming a DFPS Temporary Managing Conservator or a Permanent Managing Conservator;
    • These forms are protected under FERPA and must be stored securely in the Project HELP Program office located at 2613 Rogers Ave. Room 207, Austin, Texas 78722.

  • Certified copy of student’s birth certificate or other proof of identity (allow 90 days for children not born in the United States);

  • Student’s immunization records (student may be enrolled provisionally, even if he or she has not had the necessary immunizations); and

  • Students’ records from school most recently attended.

  • If the student is under 11 years of age, the name of each previous school attended by the student and the records from those schools are needed.

  • Students may either continue attending their current school or a school in that feeder pattern or enroll in the school in the attendance zone of their placement.

  • If the student is to be enrolled based on the location of his/her placement, standard proof of residency is required (lease, utility bill, or other document allowed by campus).

  • Student must be coded with the appropriate “Foster Care” at-risk indicator in PEIMS. Also, T.E.C. 7.029(b-1) requires districts to report a foster care indicator through PEIMS.

NOTE: If a student is involved with CPS, but not in conservatorship or substitute care, or is awaiting foster placement, the McKinney Vento Act applies.

Immediate Enrollment 

The student should be enrolled immediately, any time of day, even if the student does not have all of the necessary paperwork. While it is requested that foster parents, placement agencies, and other residential facilities call ahead for enrollment, this is not required. 

If required forms and records are not received 30 days after student is enrolled, district shall notify the police department and request a determination of whether the child has been reported missing.

Obtaining Records from Student’s Prior School 

Student records must be transferred no later than 10 working days after the student enrolls in another school.

If necessary, contact the District Foster Care Liaison in the district the student attended for assistance.

See the TEA website for list of liaisons.  

Documents and IDs Required to Access Student and Student’s Records

The student’s attorney ad litem and guardian ad litem (including CASA representatives) may contact the school regarding the student’s educational status and needs. These individuals must have a court order or notification letter of assignment. The attorney ad litem is entitled to records related to the student, including school records, without a further order or release.

A student’s caseworker may access any educational records a parent could access for a student in DFPS conservatorship. To obtain the files, the caseworker only needs to provide the school with a badge showing employment with CPS.

When in doubt, ask to see either the court order or DFPS Form 2085 or contact the student’s caseworker.

The Uninterrupted Scholars Act permits educational agencies and institutions to disclose education records of students in foster care to state and county social service agencies or child welfare agencies. 

What to Do When a Student Withdraws

Be sure the student’s caseworker or guardian is provided with all of the student’s records, including a transcript, and documentation of any educational services or referrals in place, such as 504 services, special education or gifted and talented. 

Ensure the student’s new school receives the student’s record within 10 days of enrollment at the new campus. 

Meeting the Student’s Needs

Students in foster care are presented with unique challenges including separation from family, instability, incomplete or missing records, missed class time, special needs that have not been met, behavioral challenges, and safety concerns. It is important that the student feels welcomed and supported on the campus.

Maintain confidentiality as it is important the student is not labeled as a foster care child and that any related matters be discussed in private. Federal and state laws and policies require that a student’s status of being in DFPS conservatorship be kept confidential, except on a need-to-know basis.

Inform the student of safe places to go if the student needs emotional support such as, the counselor’s office, Principal’s office, Assistant Principal’s office, or another campus location as deemed appropriate by the campus leadership.

Contact Us

Project HELP
Department of Student Support Services
Campbell Elementary School
2613 Rogers Ave. Room 207
Austin, TX 78722
Office: 512-414-3690
Fax: 512-414-0761

Carla Grace Scott
Administrative Supervisor & District Homeless/Foster Care Liaison
carla.g.scott@austinisd.org

Project Help

Project Hope & Empowerment ~ Leveraging Possibilities (Project HELP)

Our Mission

Project HELP's mission is to ensure the educational rights and protections due under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to all students experiencing homelessness

Program Goals

Three primary goals of Project HELP include: (1) providing services to an increasing number of Austin ISD students under McKinney-Vento, (2) maintaining partnerships/collaborations with our many community resource collaborators, and (3) ensuring our service strategies are student-centered and aligned with students foremost being academically successful.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act

To view the law

Eligibility for services

  • Living in shared housing due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason.
  • Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, cars, substandard housing, abandoned buildings, and/or campgrounds
  • Living in emergency or transitional shelters
  • Being an unaccompanied youth (not living with a parent or guardian) living in a temporary situation
  • Being a migratory child who is living in any of the above circumstance

Parent and Student Educational Rights

  • Immediate enrollment
  • Removal of barriers to school enrollment
  • School selection
  • Transportation assistance (school bus or VIA)
  • Immediate eligibility for free child nutrition

 

TEA McKinney Vento Flyer for Parents - English
TEA McKinney Vento Flyer for Parents - Spanish
TEA McKinney Vento Flyer for Students - English
TEA McKinney Vento Flyer for Students - Spanish

Resources

 

Contact Us

Project HELP
Student Support Services
Campbell Elementary School
2613 Rogers Ave. Room 207
Austin, TX 78722
Office: 512-414-3690

 

Dyslexia Services

Risk Factors and Characteristics of Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a brain-based learning disability that makes learning to read, write, and/or spell difficult despite adequate instruction and intelligence. Students with dysgraphia, a related learning disorder, demonstrate academic challenges in handwriting, spelling, and written expression. For more information review: 

Characteristics

Risk factors and signs of dyslexia:

  • Family history of dyslexia or reading difficulty
  • Early language difficulties such as delayed speech or trouble pronouncing words
  • Difficulty identifying and manipulating individual sounds within words
  • Challenges learning letter names
  • Difficulty recalling the names of letters, numbers, and familiar objects
  • Avoidance of reading and writing tasks
  • Inaccurate or slow reading
  • Difficulty with note taking and producing written work
  • Over use of pictures to guess at words

Primary characteristics include difficulties:

  • Learning the sounds letters make
  • Reading words in isolation or reading unknown words
  • Reading smoothly with enough speed and accuracy to comprehend
  • Spelling

Secondary characteristics may include difficulty:

  • Expressing ideas or concepts in writing
  • Understanding what is read

Screening & Evaluation

Screening

Per Texas Education Code (TEC), §38.003, all kindergarten and first-grade students in AISD are screened for dyslexia and related disorders. Kindergarten students are screened at the end of the school year and first-grade students are screened before January 31st. AISD uses NWEA MAP Map Fluency to meet the requirements of (TEC), §38.003, K/1 Dyslexia Screening. Screening results are shared with families. At this time, there is not an instrument available for the purposes of screening for dysgraphia, nor is formal screening required.

Evaluation

To meet federal and state requirements, AISD provides timely evaluation and identification of students with dyslexia. Professionals conducting assessment (e.g school psychologists or educational diagnosticians) for the identification of dyslexia look beyond scores on standardized assessments alone and examine the student’s classroom reading performance, educational history, and early language experiences as part of a comprehensive evaluation.

Anytime your child’s school suspects a student has dyslexia or dysgraphia and needs services, the school must ask for parent consent to conduct a Full Individual Initial Evaluation (FIIE) through special education. Evaluations through the special education process makes sure that students who are eligible for special education services are identified and provided the support they need.  Students are not evaluated without parent consent.
 

Services

Interventions and services:

In accordance with 19 TAC §74.28(c), Austin ISD has purchased and implements evidence-based intervention programs for students with dyslexia and related disorders to be implemented by a trained teacher in dyslexia. Special education teachers, dyslexia interventionists, and classroom teachers may provide dyslexia intervention. Students with dyslexia may benefit from accommodations, assistive and instructional technology, and services as documented through a child’s special education or Section 504 plan.

Per HB 3928, evidence-based dyslexia programs are considered specially designed instruction (SDI) (i.e., a special education service). An admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee will ensure, for a student with dyslexia eligible under IDEA, that the SDI contains all elements of an evidence-based dyslexia program as outlined in the Handbook. Austin ISD implements three approved evidence-based dyslexia intervention programs: Reading By Design, Take Flight, and Esperanza as identified on the TEA Resource List of Evidence-Based Dyslexia Programs. Accommodations (e.g., additional practice, smaller groups or individual instruction, longer time to progress) may be listed in the student’s individualized education program (IEP) and provided based on student need.

What services might look like:

All students receive an evidence-based language arts curriculum provided by their classroom teacher. Students identified with dyslexia may also receive direct services and supports including dyslexia intervention and accommodations. All programmatic decisions are made by the ARD committee. Below are examples of what services and supports may look like at both elementary and secondary campuses.

Services and Supports Elementary (PK-5/6) Middle (6/7-8) and High School
Implementation of evidence-based classroom instruction and/or intervention

Students receiving direct services will meet in small groups to participate in an evidence based reading intervention program implemented by a specially trained teacher in accordance with the Texas Dyslexia Handbook. AISD supports different curricula based on the student’s needs. 

Small group dyslexia intervention programming is provided by a campus dyslexia interventionist, classroom teacher, or special education teacher specially trained to implement the program. The programs include the critical evidence based components of dyslexia instructions outlined in the Texas Dyslexia Handbook. The delivery of instruction is systematic, explicit, and cumulative. Students build sound awareness, word reading, handwriting, spelling, reading fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension skills. Progress is monitored through measuring word level reading and fluency skills, along with all required classroom, district and state assessments.

Students may be enrolled in a credit-bearing semester or year long supplemental reading elective to receive reading or dyslexia intervention (in addition to their required language arts or English course).

Students receiving direct services will meet in small groups to participate in an evidence based reading intervention program implemented by a specially trained teacher in accordance with the Texas Dyslexia Handbook. AISD supports different curricula based on the student’s needs. 

Small group dyslexia intervention programming is provided by a campus dyslexia interventionist, classroom teacher, or special education teacher specially trained to implement the program. The programs include the critical evidence based components of dyslexia instructions outlined in the Texas Dyslexia Handbook. The delivery of instruction is systematic, explicit, and cumulative. Students build sound awareness, word reading, handwriting, spelling, reading fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension skills. Progress is monitored through measuring word level reading and fluency skills, along with all required classroom, district and state assessments.
Accommodations The committee determines appropriate accommodations such as:
  • Learning Ally membership account
  • Text To Speech 
  • Speech to Text
  • No penalty for spelling errors on handwritten assignments
  • Additional time for assignment completion
  • Use of spell check
  • Access to laptop to take notes and complete assignments
  • Copy of class notes
 The committee determines appropriate accommodations such as:
  • Learning Ally membership account
  • Text To Speech 
  • Speech to Text
  • No penalty for spelling errors on handwritten assignments
  • Additional time for assignment completion
  • Use of spell check
  • Access to laptop to take notes and complete assignments
  • Copy of class notes
Screening and Identification

K/1 Dyslexia Screener: Campuses screen students in Kindergarten (in April) and First Grade (in January) for dyslexia per state law. The screening is conducted using the MAP Reading Fluency digital assessment platform in English or Spanish.

K-2 Early Reading Indicator: Campuses implement a K-2 reading diagnostic at the beginning, middle, and end of the year to identify students at risk for reading difficulties, including dyslexia. The diagnostic is conducted using the MAP Growth Reading digital assessment platform in English or Spanish.

Anytime a campus or parent suspects dyslexia, the campus will convene a Child Study Team (CST) or special education meeting to review records, collect additional data, and determine if referral for evaluation for dyslexia is appropriate.
 

Grade 7: Campuses administer a reading diagnostic to students who do not pass the STAAR Language Arts assessment at the end of 6th grade to identify reading difficulties. The diagnostic is conducted using the MAP Growth Reading digital assessment platform.

Anytime a campus or parent suspects dyslexia, the campus will convene a Child Study Team (CST) or special education meeting to review records, collect additional data, and determine if referral for evaluation for dyslexia is appropriate.

Resources

The Texas Dyslexia Handbook is developed and adopted into administrative rule by the Texas State Board of Education. The handbook contains guidelines for school districts to follow as they identify and provide services for students with dyslexia. In addition, information regarding the state's dyslexia statutes and their relation to various federal laws is included. The updated Texas Dyslexia Handbook, linked below, is in effect as of June 30, 2024.

The International Dyslexia Association is a national nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals with dyslexia, their families, and the communities that support them. Visit their site to connect with a local branch near you, find IDA-member providers in your area, and learn more about dyslexia.

Yale University’s Center for Dyslexia and Creativity seeks to illuminate the strengths of those with dyslexia, disseminate information, practical advice, and the latest innovations from scientific research, and transform the lives of children and adults with dyslexia. Visit their site to learn more about their cutting edge research and get concrete tips for parents, educators, and individuals with dyslexia.

Talking Book Program and Learning Ally Audiobooks

Talking Book Program

Per TEC 29.0031 (e), Austin ISD is required to notify families of students identified with dyslexia or a related disorder of the Talking Book Program (TBP) maintained by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. The TBP offers audio books at no-cost. For more information, contact the TBP at 1-800-252-9605 or 512-463-5458 or visit www.TexasTalkingBooks.org.

Learning Ally

Learning Ally offers more than 75,000 digitally recorded audiobooks (including both textbooks and literary titles) in English and Spanish and is available to eligible students. Contact your child’s campus principal or Necol.Roager@austinisd.org to learn more. 

Provider of Dyslexia Intervention (PDI)

Teachers, such as reading specialists, master reading teachers, general education classroom teachers, or special education teachers, who provide dyslexia intervention for students are not required to hold a specific license or certification. However, these educators must at a minimum have additional documented dyslexia training aligned to 19 TAC §74.28(d) and must deliver the instruction with fidelity. This includes training in critical, evidence-based components of dyslexia instruction such as phonological awareness, sound-symbol association, syllabication, orthography, morphology, syntax, reading comprehension, and reading fluency. In addition, they must deliver multisensory instruction that simultaneously uses all learning pathways to the brain, is systematic and cumulative, is explicitly taught, uses diagnostic teaching to automaticity, and includes both analytic and synthetic approaches.

Community Bond Oversight Committee Meeting

Date
Tuesday, August 14, 2018 - 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Where
812 San Antonio St., Conference Room A

CBOC AgendaThe public is invited to attend the Community Bond Oversight Committee meeting from 6-8 p.m. on Aug. 14.

The Board of Trustees appoints volunteer citizens to the Community Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC) to ensure that the projects remain faithful to the voter-approved bond program scope of work and to monitor and ensure the bond projects are completed on time, with quality and within budget.

More information can be found at the 2017 Bond Program Website, aisdfuture.org.

The meeting will take place at the Construction Management Building, Conference Room A, 812 San Antonio Street.

For more information, visit the CBOC webpage.

Student Enrollment

Contact Us

Have questions? Need assistance? We'd love to hear from you!

 

2026-27 Launch of Enroll Austin and Enrollment Round Dates

All Dates and Deadlines

Campuses with admissions-based programs are now accepting applications!

More info about Admissions-Based Programs

 

Austin ISD: Building Bright Futures

Austin ISD is committed to ensuring your child is college, career, and life ready. Every day and in every classroom from Pre-K to 12th grade, we offer a safe and healthy school environment that is academically rigorous and supported by a nationally-recognized focus on social-emotional learning. From Fine Arts, Dual Language and STEM, to Athletics, Magnet Programs, and more, we invite you and your family to Find Your Seat at Austin ISD.

Enroll Today

 

Austin ISD offers every student more than the basics.

Extracurricular
Athletics & Fine Arts

 

Pre-K

After School Programs

Special Education

 

Austin ISD Programs

Career & Technical Education

Build a career-ready future.

Digital Media

Hands-on digital media experience.

Dual Language

Multilingual academic programs.

Early College High School

Earn a no-cost Associate Degree.

Fine Arts Education

Maximizing creativity through music and visual arts.

International Baccalaureate

Critical thinking, writing and communication.
Admissions-based

Montessori

Free, child-centered elementary.

Single Gender

Increased equity and access for students.

STEM

Develop skills in science, technology, engineering and math.

 

 

Programs by Level

 

Third Base After-School Care Program

The Austin ISD 3rd Base After-School Program is a tuition-based, licensed childcare operation that currently services 25 elementary campuses within the district. This campus based program will allow a seamless transition from the classroom to after-school care for students in grades PK4 - 5th. The intent of the program is to provide a safe environment that enhances the student experience through quality programming and experiences. The 3rd Base Program is owned and operated by the school district.

The goals of the 3rd Base Program are:

  • Focus on the educational, social, and physical needs of all children.
  • Provide working families with a safe and secure environment for after-school care.
  • Attract and maintain quality staff dedicated to the well being of all children.
  • Expand community outreach and partner involvement.
  • Leverage technology to meet student, parent, and administrative needs.

ACE Austin

What is ACE Austin?

ACE Austin is an expanded learning program that takes place before school, afterschool, and in the summer. 

ACE Austin is funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant and administered by the U.S. Department of Education. ACE Austin programming is completely free to participants, including ongoing family engagement opportunities. Student activities are offered for at least 15 hours per week outside of the regular school day and at least five weeks in the summer.

Each ACE Austin program is managed by a full-time Site Coordinator who works with school leadership to supplement and support the academic and social-emotional needs of the campus.

ACE Austin offers activities in four component areas: academic assistance, academic enrichment, college and career readiness, and family engagement.

Every ACE Austin program offers supplemental support in reading and math. Other activity topics may include: writing, science, engineering, robotics, dance, theater, music, visual art, sports, martial arts, nutrition, scouting, and Texas Success Intuitive (TSI) preparation.

ACE Austin partners with a wide variety of community organizations and district programs that include but are not limited to 4-H CAPITAL, Creative Action, It’s Time Texas, Phoenix House, and Victory Tutoring.

What are the goals of ACE Austin?

  • To support the campus community's needs through supplemental academic enrichment and meaningful family engagement.
  • To help improve student outcomes in academics, attendance, and behavior. 
  • To provide a safe and supportive environment for students outside of school hours.

Resources

  1. Find more information about Texas 21st Century Community Learning Centers on the TEA website.

Campuses currently served by ACE Austin 

  • Cycle 11
    • Bedichek Middle School
    • Covington Middle School
    • Dobie Middle School
    • Langford Elementary School
    • Martin Middle School
    • Oak Springs Elementary School
    • Rodriguez Elementary School
    • T.A. Brown Elementary School 
    • Widen Elementary School
    • Wooten Elementary School
  • Cycle 12
    • Allison Elementary
    • Eastside Early College High School
    • Govalle Elementary School
    • Houston Elementary School
    • Linder Elementary School
    • Northeast Early College High School
    • Ortega Elementary School 
    • Palm Elementary School
    • Paredes Middle School
    • Perez Elementary School