Special Education Providing High Quality Support

The student achievement presentation for the March School Board meeting focused on the Special Education services of the C-FB ISD. Our Special Education Department currently serves more than 2,600 students from birth to 21 years of age, which is about 10 percent of our district's student enrollment. We offer high quality services for our students who have been identified as needing these services.

In C-FB ISD, our goal is "high achievement for all students." And, the students served in Special Education are achieving at high levels. As the chart indicates, C-FB ISD Special Education students outperformed their state peers on every state assessment in 2011.  We are very proud of our students, teachers and staff.

To achieve such success with our identified Special Education students, the district has Special Education teachers who work with our regular education teachers along with specialized team members to support students with specially designed materials, instruction and services.

Our district has a stellar reputation for its Special Education services. We offer these options to our students and families because we understand the importance of customization and support. We also provide related services to assist students if these will help them with their learning.  The district provides Extended School Year Services (ESY) during June, July and August if the instructional team believes students will lose significant skills during the summer.  For example, 92 students participated in ESY during summer 2011.  ESY will again be offered this summer for qualifying students.

A program that our Special Education team added to benefit our students who are 18 to 21 years is a  Functional Skills Workshop. The team created the workshop with these goals in mind:

• To provide vocational training and daily living experiences
• To learn how to access the community safely
• To be as independent as possible in "life after high school."

Child Find
The district is an ongoing participant in Child Find. Child Find is a statewide program seeking children with disabilities who reside in Texas who may need special education or related services.  Any student from birth to 21 years old must be identified, located and evaluated. Children may be referred by parents, doctors, school personnel or community members. If you have questions about Child Find, please contact the district's Special Education Department.

All Stars

We are so proud of the district's All Stars, the district's Special Olympics team.  In 13 years, we've grown from 16 athletes to more than 200 athletes from 22 campuses. They participate in bowling in the fall and track and field in the spring. We will host our 12th annual invitational meet at Standridge Stadium where the district will welcome more than 500 athletes from eight area school districts on March 28.  We invite everyone in the community to come watch the All Stars and the other special athletes as they compete.

Photos from 2011

Kacie's Run

Our annual track and field meet would not be possible without Kacie’s Run. This event definitely teaches the importance of giving. The run raises funds for the C-FB ISD Special Olympics Track and Field Meet and bowling competitions for the All Stars. 

The event is Sat., March 24 at Standridge Stadium, and we invite everyone in the community to come run or walk for our special athletes.
Please register online at www.cfbisd.edu/kacie.  And, even if you don't run or walk, we encourage you to come out and support the runners, walkers and our district as we raise funds our All Stars.

This event is a collaborative effort of our C-FB ISD students, staff and community. Our students and staff work with parents and the community at large to raise funds for our All Stars.  Last year, our Kacie's Run team presented $20,100 to our All Stars.  These funds help our All Stars participate in their bowling and track and field events.  Kacie's Run is truly a bright spot in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch community.  Click on the photos from the 2011 event, and you will see this is an event that you and your family will want to participate in on Sat., March 24.
Photos from Kacie's Run 2011

Kacie’s Run is held in memory of Kacie Brekhus, a 2003 graduate of R. L. Turner High School. Kacie’s Run involves a wonderful C-FB ISD family – Mel and Candi Brekhus. The Brekhus Family has been truly touched that the run has been named in honor of their daughter Kacie. The family serves an inspiration to the students and all of us.

The district's Special Education Department offers a variety of instructional programs and services to meet the educational needs of Special Education students. With high expectations for success, students with disabilities will become life-long learners and contributing members of the community. In the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, we have one goal – high achievement for all students. We invite you to join us as a partner.

For more information about the Special Education Department, visit the department's website: Marie Huie Special Education Center

You can also view the Student Achievement Presentation on the district's Vimeo channel: C-FB ISD Board Meeting: March 1, 2012

You can see the actual PowerPoint Presentation below.

Special Education Board Presentation March 2012