Special Education Terms in Texas
What special education terms does Texas use?
Texas uses several unique terms in its special education system that differ from federal IDEA terminology. The most significant is the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee, which is the Texas equivalent of the federal IEP Team defined in 34 CFR 300.321. The ARD Committee serves three federal functions simultaneously: the eligibility team (34 CFR 300.306), the IEP team (34 CFR 300.321), and the placement team (34 CFR 300.116). ARD meetings are what other states call IEP meetings. Texas refers to its initial special education evaluation as the Full Individual and Initial Evaluation (FIIE), governed by 19 TAC §89.1011, which corresponds to the federal initial evaluation under 34 CFR 300.301. The state assessment system is the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR), with STAAR Alternate 2 serving as the alternate assessment for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, as determined by the ARD committee. Texas is divided into 20 regional Education Service Centers (ESCs), established under TEC §8.001, which provide training, technical assistance, and support to school districts on special education compliance and best practices. Content Mastery is a Texas instructional model (not a federally defined term) where students with disabilities receive supplemental support in a resource setting while remaining enrolled in general education classes. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is the state education agency responsible for administering special education under TEC Chapter 29, Subchapter A. The Parent-Directed Special Education Services (PDSES) program, formerly called Supplemental Special Education Services (SSES/SSS), was established by SB 1716 (87th Legislature) and expanded by SB 2304 (88th Legislature, 2023), codified at TEC §§29.041-29.049 and 19 TAC §102.1601. This program provides eligible students receiving special education with additional state-funded resources for supplemental services and materials, with parents directing how funds are used. The term 'dismissal' in ARD refers to exiting a student from special education services when the student no longer meets eligibility criteria.
What Texas Requires
ARD Committee (Admission, Review, and Dismissal) is the TX term for the federal IEP Team under 34 CFR 300.321, serving as eligibility, IEP, and placement team
FIIE (Full Individual and Initial Evaluation) is the TX term for the federal initial evaluation under 34 CFR 300.301, governed by 19 TAC §89.1011
STAAR Alternate 2 is the TX alternate assessment for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, replacing the federal requirement for alternate assessment under 34 CFR 300.160
ESCs (Education Service Centers) are 20 regional support centers under TEC §8.001 providing technical assistance to districts on special education
PDSES (Parent-Directed Special Education Services, formerly SSES/SSS) is a TX-specific supplemental funding program under TEC §§29.041-29.049 and 19 TAC §102.1601
Content Mastery is a TX instructional support model for students with disabilities receiving supplemental help in a resource setting while enrolled in general education
TEA (Texas Education Agency) is the state education agency administering special education under TEC Chapter 29, Subchapter A
Key Timelines
ARD Committee must meet within 30 calendar days of FIIE report completion to determine eligibility (19 TAC §89.1011(g); 19 TAC §89.1050)
Annual ARD review must occur at least once per year to review and revise the IEP (34 CFR 300.324(b)(1))
PDSES program funds are allocated on an annual basis per the state appropriations cycle (TEC §29.045)