Required Residential Facility Tracker Data Collection – Students with Disabilities
| Date: | November 5, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Required Residential Facility Tracker Data Collection – Students with Disabilities |
| Category: | Residential Facilities |
| Next Steps: | Data collection |
The purpose of this letter is to notify local education agencies (LEAs) of requirements related to the 2020-2021 collection of data for students with disabilities who reside in residential care and treatment facilities (RFs) within the geographic boundaries or jurisdiction of an LEA. For reporting purposes, an RF is considered a facility that provides 24-hour custody or care of students with disabilities 22 years of age or younger for detention, treatment, foster care, or any non-educational purpose.
Each LEA with an RF within its boundaries or jurisdiction, in which students with disabilities reside, must validate the data collection by December 4, 2020, as outlined in the Texas Education Data Standards (TEDS). The RF Tracker application will remain open for data entry after December 4, 2020, as LEAs are required to maintain current and accurate records in the system. The end-of-year date for reporting students with disabilities in the RF tracker is May 28, 2021. LEAs must validate and complete the RF tracker submission by July 30, 2021.
The RF Tracker application is a state reporting feature in the Texas Student Data System (TSDS). LEAs that are required to complete the RF student data collection must have a valid TEAL account in order to access the RF Tracker. If you do not have a TEAL account, you may register for one. LEA users who work within a shared services arrangement (SSA) and need access to more than one LEA within the RF Tracker application must complete an SSA application in addition to completing an online request for access.
For LEAs that are reporting data into the RF Tracker application for the first time during the 2020-2021 school year, guidance regarding completion of RF Tracker data can be found on the Special Education in Residential Facilities webpage. Technical guidance can be found at Texas Education Data Standards-TSDS Core Collections, which include RF Tracker State Reporting Requirements.
If you have questions regarding the content of this communication, please contact the Department of Review and Support by phone at (512) 463-9414 or by email at ReviewandSupport@tea.texas.gov.