District-Wide Services

The Admission, Review and Dismissal committee determines the specially designed instruction needed and the frequency, duration and location of the services provided.

• Specially designed instruction means adapting the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to address the unique needs of the student that result from their disability and to ensure access to the general curriculum.

Inclusion

Inclusion is for students who access grade-level Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) through accommodations and/or modifications in the general education setting. A student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) must include the provision of specially designed instruction such as teaching prerequisite skills, pre-teaching vocabulary and key concepts or re-teaching within the general education setting. Students are supported in using different strategies to access and demonstrate their learning.

• The special education staff member will collaborate with the general education teachers regularly in order to effectively implement specially designed instruction and provide the necessary support for students.

• District grade-level curriculum and snapshots are utilized for instruction and assessment.

These services are provided from early childhood through high school.

Resource

Resource instruction is provided to students who require intensive, direct, specially designed instruction from a special education teacher in a separate setting from the general education classroom.

Resource instruction must address specific goals in the student’s Individualized Education Program aligned to the grade level Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and/or age-appropriate functional skills (e.g., behavior, social, study and adaptive skills). This specially designed instruction is determined necessary in order for the student to progress in the general education curriculum.

• Resource instruction is characterized by a smaller class size focused on skill deficits in functional and academic performance and may alter the pace of the student’s instruction.

• Resource instruction is intended for students who spend the majority of their day in the general education setting.

• District grade-level curriculum and snapshots are utilized for instruction and assessment.

These services are provided from early childhood through high school.

Dyslexia

Students who are identified with dyslexia and require services to address their reading deficits will be provided with an evidence-based dyslexia program in a special education setting. Each student’s program is delivered in accordance with their Individualized Education Plan. Dyslexia services are provided by dyslexia specialists or special education teachers who have additional documented dyslexia training aligned to 19 TAC §74.28(c).

• Dyslexia services include instruction in the areas of phonological awareness, sound-symbol association, syllabication, orthography, morphology, syntax, reading comprehension and reading fluency.

• Content is delivered through the following research-based practices: simultaneous, multisensory (visual, auditory, kinesthetic and tactile), systematic and cumulative, explicit, diagnostic teaching to automaticity, synthetic and analytic instruction.

• Student progress is monitored by the provider of dyslexia instruction.

These services are provided from elementary through high school.

Centralized Services

Students requiring more intensive programming from highly specialized staff to gain educational benefits may receive their services in a centralized setting. These services are available at select campuses.

While the Admission, Review and Dismissal committee is responsible for determining the student’s placement at least annually, the district decides the location of centralized classrooms based on student enrollment each year. The district educates students requiring centralized services at their zoned campus or at the campus closest to their home with availability.

• Access the 2024-25 Centralized Classroom Locations by Campus

• Access the 2025-26 Centralized Classroom Locations by Campus

Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)

Early Childhood Special Education provides specially designed instruction and access to the Texas Education Agency Prekindergarten Guidelines to eligible students beginning as early as their third birthday and who are not yet enrolled in kindergarten.

Instruction addresses all areas of early childhood development, including communication, pre-academic, cognitive, daily living, fine/gross motor and social/behavioral skills.

• Early Childhood Special Education programming includes whole-group instruction, such as circle time and structured learning activities centered around daily routines and procedures, small groups that focus on differentiated instruction in pre-academic areas and social skills based on student needs and learning centers where social skills instruction is embedded and play is guided to foster communication.

• Pictorial visual supports, such as schedules, expectations, procedures and reinforcement with integrated text are regularly accessed, individualized as needed and implemented throughout the day across all settings.

• Instruction supports teaching children to manage emotions, interact positively with peers and develop self-regulation and problem-solving skills as well as independence in personal care (e.g., self-dressing skills, toileting, personal hygiene, feeding themselves, managing personal belongings and recognizing and expressing basic needs).

• Skill acquisition is also supported through individualized goals with programmatic music therapy in addition to any individually-determined instructional and related services. Students work toward developing the skills necessary to be successful in their kindergarten experience.

These services are provided at the Early Childhood School.

Active Learning Class (ALC)

Active Learning provides access to the general education curriculum through an alternate curriculum of prerequisite skills.

Instruction is provided through teacher-created structured routines and sensory experiences using visual supports and concrete materials to help students interact with their environment in meaningful ways. Instructional routines support the student's progress through sensorimotor or preoperational levels of cognitive development.

• At the sensorimotor level, instruction is focused on educating students about the world around them including object permanence and cause-and-effect. Emphasis is placed on attention, exploration and function.

• At the preoperational level, instruction is based on using symbolic thought, symbolic language and pretend play. Active participation, repetition of opportunity, developmentally appropriate activities, reinforcing materials and limited distractions are supported through offering, imitating, interacting, sharing the work and experiencing consequences.

Progress is supported by programmatic music therapy at all levels in addition to any individually-determined instructional and related services. Students receive continuous personal care and health services throughout their day in a very small staff-to-student ratio.

These services are provided from early childhood through high school.

Functional Academics (FA)

Functional Academics provides access to the general education curriculum through an alternate curriculum of prerequisite skills.

Instruction is focused on the real-life application of academic skills; includes whole-group, small group and independent practice with scaffolded vocabulary instruction.

• Picture and/or written visual supports (e.g., schedules, reinforcement and work/break systems, checklists, graphic organizers, manipulatives) and classroom procedures and functional routines are regularly accessed and implemented.

• Instruction supports generalization of peer interaction and social skills as well as an increased independence in personal care (e.g., functional and social communication, meal prep/cooking, personal hygiene, money management, light housework/chores/laundry, functional reading, vocational activities, grocery shopping).

• Skill acquisition is supported by individually-determined instructional and related services.

• Students work towards vocational goals of continued education and/or competitive employment.

These services are provided from elementary through high school.

Life Skills (LS)

Life Skills provides access to the general education curriculum through an alternate curriculum of prerequisite skills.

Instruction is focused on the students’ activities of daily living, is teacher-led and occurs in a small group setting with a high level of prompting (e.g., hand over hand) and consistent cueing and redirection.

• Object and pictorial visual supports (e.g., schedule, token economy, first/then) and personal care supports (e.g., toileting/diapering, dressing, personal hygiene, assistance with mobility, communication and assistance with an augmentative and alternative communication device, nursing services) are integrated into the learning.

• The higher intensity of intervention and continuous supervision require a lower staff-to-student ratio. Skill acquisition is also supported with programmatic music therapy from elementary to middle school levels in addition to any individually-determined instructional and related services.

• When appropriate, students may participate in some activities and electives with supervision and support and work towards post-secondary goals of increased independence in the home and community.

These services are provided from elementary through high school.

Social and Interpersonal Learning (SAIL)

Social and Interpersonal Learning provides specially designed instruction in the areas of behavior and social skills while continuing to access the grade-level or modified curriculum.

Due to a deficit in social communication, students exhibit behavior that significantly impacts their social, emotional and academic success.

Instruction is focused on identifying and understanding the emotions and perspectives of others.

• Social stories, procedures and routines are explicitly taught and frequently reinforced to support their navigation of social interactions and the development of social connections.

• Instruction occurs in a highly structured environment with a lower staff-to-student ratio to provide sensory interventions and positive behavior supports, including an individualized behavioral intervention plan. Students are provided opportunities to generalize learned skills through authentic experiences.

• Skill acquisition is supported with individually-determined instructional and related services (e.g., speech therapy).

• Function-based behavioral interventions and academic supports provide students with the opportunity to gain social, emotional and behavioral skills while interacting with their general education peers to the maximum extent appropriate while working towards post-secondary goals of being college- and/or career-ready.

These services are provided from elementary through high school.

Specialized Behavior Support (SBS)

Specialized Behavior Support provides specially designed instruction in the areas of behavior and peer relationships while continuing to access the grade-level or modified curriculum.

Due to a deficit in emotional regulation, students exhibit behavior that significantly impacts their social, emotional and academic success.

Instruction is focused on their emotional awareness and regulation.

• Social skills, procedures and expectations are explicitly taught and frequently reinforced to support their acquisition of coping skills and emotional regulation.

• Instruction occurs in a highly structured environment with a lower staff-to-student ratio to provide sensory interventions and positive behavior supports, including an individualized behavioral intervention plan. Students are provided opportunities to generalize learned skills through authentic experiences.

• Skill acquisition is supported with individually-determined instructional and related services (e.g., counseling and/or psychological services).

• Function-based behavioral interventions and academic supports provide students with the opportunity to gain social, emotional and behavioral skills while interacting with their general education peers to the maximum extent appropriate while working towards post-secondary goals of being college- and/or career-ready.

These services are provided from elementary through high school.

Structured Learning Class (SLC)

Structured Learning provides access to the general education curriculum through an alternate curriculum of prerequisite skills.

Instruction is focused on integrating intensive language/communication intervention, including augmentative and alternative communication methods when appropriate and utilizing applied behavior analysis techniques, including discrete trial training and pivotal response training, throughout the school day.

• Students follow individual visual schedules/routines and instruction is highly structured with increased rates of reinforcement, sensory strategies and positive behavior supports, including a behavioral intervention plan when appropriate.

• Students are provided teacher-led direct instruction, independent work stations and structured opportunities to generalize learned skills to novel experiences or settings.

• Direct instruction in the area of play and social skills is integrated into the learning.

• The higher intensity of intervention, personal care needs and continuous supervision require a lower staff-to-student ratio. Skill acquisition is also supported with programmatic music therapy from early childhood to middle school levels in addition to any individually-determined instructional and related services.

• When appropriate, students may participate in some activities and electives with supervision and support and work towards post-secondary goals of utilizing functional communication to support independence in the home and community.

These services are provided from early childhood through high school.

Adult Student Services

18+ Campus-Based

18+ Campus-Based programming is for students who have earned the required high school credits but still need to meet graduation criteria. Instruction is focused on the development of independent living skills, vocational skills and recreation/leisure skills.

Individualized accommodations and supports that can be generalized to the workplace or community can be implemented as needed to support the acquisition of various pre-employment skills that may include filing, stocking and dish or clothes washing.

• Outcome-based instruction supports independence in personal care, daily living skills and community-based activities.

• Skill acquisition is supported by individually-determined instructional and related services.

These services are provided on high school campuses. If students fulfill graduation requirements before age 22, services end.

Aspire

Frisco ISD’s Aspire program emphasizes community-based instruction and work-based learning for students 18+ who have earned the required high school credits but still need support with essential skills to meet post-secondary goals.

Aspire aims to support their post-secondary goals by enhancing independence, self-advocacy, pre-vocational/vocational skills and social integration.

Participants engage in community internships or training for competitive employment and focus on independent living skills through various community experiences.

• Students participate in different settings based on their needs.

• Some interns work on pre-vocational skills in a classroom setting and then apply these skills in the community while others work in a fully integrated community setting.

Aspire's programming is grounded in evidence-based practices to support employment and community participation, including person-centered planning, instruction for daily living, social and vocational skills for employment and collaboration with community agencies for continued support.

Aspire interns manage two student-run enterprises:

• The Aspire Market, a coffee shop located on the 2nd floor of the FISD administration building, partnering with 107 Coffee Roasters for training and product supply.

• An e-recycling program, operated at the Sam Carter Warehouse, in collaboration with VHTechworks for recycling training and resources.

Aspire is thankful to local businesses for their partnership in student training and employment opportunities including:

Embassy Suites Dallas-Frisco, The Home Depot, Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Frisco, Baylor Scott & White Centennial, Hotel Indigo, Frisco Rough Riders, FC Dallas, Collin County Meals on Wheels, Love Pacs, 5 Below, Krispy Kreme Donuts, Omni at the Star, Pizza Hut, Credit Union of Texas, Frisco Public Library, Samaritan Inn and YMCA Frisco.

Project SEARCH

Project SEARCH is an application-based one-year internship for students with disabilities. The program targets students whose goal is competitive employment.

Project SEARCH partners with Embassy Suites Dallas-Frisco Hotel and Convention Center, where total immersion in the workplace facilitates the teaching and learning process and the acquisition of employability and marketable work skills.

Students attend eight hours daily, five days weekly, while they participate in three rotations to explore a variety of career paths. The students work with a team that includes their family, a special education teacher and rehabilitation services to support the student during this important transition from school to work.