In Our Schools Nancy Bingham, District 4 Trustee Goal of Dallas ISD Special Education Services is to Educate All Students for Success Addressing the needs of each student and providing support for them to succeed is one of the main goals of Dallas ISD. Special Education Services is among the many departments the district makes available to the Dallas community. The department offers services that range from early identification at birth to academic support through the school years, including the development of career skills. Services are provided to students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [Public Law 108-446] (IDEA). Currently, approximately 12,500 students are receiving these services. Special education providers deliver services to students on district campuses, in homes, in hospitals, and in residential care facilities. These services are offered to children with impairments in hearing, vision, learning, speech, health, and orthopedics as well as to students with autism, emotional disturbance, traumatic brain injury, and intellectual disability. Important to the district’s mission to educate all students for success, the Dallas ISD promotes high expectations for its students with disabilities. All the district’s students with disabilities participate in the state’s assessment program. Students with disabilities have access to the district’s curriculum, to quality instruction, and to quality instructional materials and equipment. The Child Find system is an integral component of a comprehensive program to locate, identify, and evaluate any child within the district’s geographical boundaries suspected of having a disability. Children residing within the Dallas ISD’s boundaries who attend a district school may be referred to the campus Student Support Team. Children residing within Dallas ISD’s boundaries who are not enrolled in school or who attend a private school within the district’s boundaries may be referred to the Child Find Office. The office operates a 24-hour hotline in English and in Spanish for referrals. Educational diagnosticians and licensed specialists in school psychology are assigned to campuses to conduct individual student evaluations and to participate as members of the admission, review, and dismissal committee in the development of students’ individualized education programs. Services for instruction, speech and language development, occupational therapy, physical therapy, behavioral needs, and assistive technology, as well as other specialized services, also are provided. For more information about these services, call (972) 925-5500. Upcoming events in Dallas ISD include: Las Llaves del Éxito (Keys to Success) Spring College Fair (for students in grades 11 & 12 and their parents) Saturday, March 3 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Mountain View College, 4849 W. Illinois Ave College representatives will talk about preparing for college and provide assistance in submitting college applications and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Other news in District 4: The dedication ceremony for Ebby Halliday Elementary is scheduled for Friday, March 9, at 1:30 p.m. The school is located at 10210 Teagarden Rd. Come out and help us celebrate this beautiful new addition to District 4. Bravo to Central Elementary students who participated in the school’s OSCAR (Our School Cares About Reading) event. Students who read at least 20 books were treated to a half day filled with fun activities and the opportunity to meet members of the business community, Seagoville’s Police Department, and McGruff. Representatives of Seagoville’s Animal Shelter also came out and provided special treats for the students’ pets. Students decided to give back by donating their spare change to the animal shelter. Speaking of Central Elementary, let’s wish their Destination Imagination Team luck as they prepare to compete with other teams at Greenhill School later this week. Thanks to everyone for coming out to the Listen and Learn community meeting last month and to the Attendance Zone meeting earlier this month. District 4 will have another meeting tonight for the new Balch Springs Middle School opening this fall. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m., at H. Grady Spruce High School, 9733 Old Seagoville Rd. We value your input and look forward to hearing your ideas. As always, I look forward to continuing to update you on events and activities taking place in Southeast Dallas, Pleasant Grove, Balch Springs and Seagoville schools. It is a pleasure to serve you. Your comments and suggestions are welcome at nbingham@dallasisd.org or (972) 925-3722.