Texas
Texas special education hub
Plain-language orientation to Texas SpEd processes: ARD meetings, Prior Written Notice, evaluations, and discipline, with TEA and IDEA as anchors.
Overview
In Texas, special education for school-age children is implemented under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and state rules administered through the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Local districts and charters deliver services; regional Education Service Centers (ESCs) provide support and training.
Texas uses the term Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee for the team that develops the IEP: the same federal IEP team concept with Texas-specific meeting language and procedures.
Always confirm current timelines and forms on TEA's special education pages and with your district. SEN does not invent statutory deadlines.
Pages in this hub
- ARD meetings
How ARD differs from generic IEP meeting language, who attends, and how parents participate.
- Preparing for your ARD
A parent checklist for before, during, and after the meeting.
- Prior Written Notice (PWN)
When schools must give written notice of proposals or refusals, and how to read it.
- 5-day notice and 10-day recess
A parent-practical explainer. Verify current practice with TEA and your district before relying on any day count.
- Evaluations (FIIE)
Full Individual and Initial Evaluation overview. Points to TEA rather than DIY legal timelines.
- MDR / manifestation
Parent overview of manifestation determination reviews.
- Discipline and special education
Overview of how discipline intersects with IDEA protections, with official links.
For parents in Texas
Follow the Texas parent journey, then see For Parents. Newer to the vocabulary? Start with the glossary terms ARD, PWN, and FIIE. National companions live in Guides and Topics. If you want paid parent support (not legal advice), that soft path lives only on For Parents, labeled clearly.
For Texas schools
District and campus leaders: see For Schools for a compliance-aware overview and a labeled soft path to SpEd Ally, a sister project. No fake case studies.
Official starting points: tea.texas.gov · SPEDTex · sites.ed.gov/idea · OSERS