Special Education

The UT High School District provides special education services to eligible students enrolled in the full-time online high schools and also implements Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and accommodations for eligible students enrolled in a single course or exam as part of the UTHS Independent Learning Program. 

UTHS Special Education Program

Special education services are in place so that students with disabilities have services and accommodations available to them to ensure that they have a free, appropriate public education (FAPE).   

To best serve students, we: 

• Maintain compliance with state and federal regulations regarding students' ARD meetings, re-evaluation procedures, and periodic program updates. 

• Use state and federal guidelines to maintain timely procedures for the identification processes for students suspected of having disabilities. 

• Promote collaborative practices across educational settings between regular staff, special educators and related service providers. 

• Ensure participation in and dissemination of information concerning the transition process for students with disabilities and their parents. 

Overview of Special Education

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) is the federal law that governs the special education process. IDEA § 300.1 states that the main purposes of the legislation is to ensure that children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education (FAPE) that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living.” 

Child with a disability means a child who was evaluated according to the Evaluation frameworks and determined by an Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) Committee to have an intellectual disability, a speech or language impairment, a visual impairment, a serious emotional disturbance, an orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, other health impairment, a specific learning disability, deaf-blindness, multiple disabilities, or who is deaf or hard of hearing, and who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services. (IDEA §300.304 through 300.31, TGC § 392.002.) 

Special education means specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability. Related services are special services needed to support students’ special education so they can make progress to meet their academic and functional goals. Related services can include services such as occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language therapy, counseling services, orientation and mobility services, and/or transportation services. 

Records and Planning Meetings

For students taking a single course or exam, either the student, parent/guardian, or the student's local school district should email the student's formal, signed Individual Education Plan (IEP) to UTHSD when enrolling in a course or exam in order for the accommodations to be reviewed, approved, and implemented by the UTHSD. The student's local school district determines eligibility and accommodations for a student based on their needs.

For students enrolled in the full-time UT High School Diploma Programs, either the student, parent/guardian, or the student's prior school district should send the student's formal, signed IEP to UTHSD when registering for the program in order for the accommodations to be reviewed and meetings to be scheduled. Early registration and records submission (weeks before the first day of classes) will help to ensure that the UTHSD program coordinators can review each student's individual needs and schedule meetings with the student and parent to plan for the upcoming school year. 

Policies and Notifications