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Steps to Admission

Learn about the services that are offered by the school (Outreach, Short Term Programs, and Comprehensive Programs) and the steps to admission to our regular school year program.

The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) works within a statewide network and partners with local school districts, educational service centers, and related agencies. We offer three programs (Outreach Programs, Short-Term Programs, and Comprehensive Programs) delivering services to students, families, and districts throughout Texas. Our campus can provide a range of options to support local district educational teams when they request our assistance in educating their students with visual impairments.

TSBVI serves Texas students determined by their local school districts to be eligible for educational services as students with a visual impairment or deafblindness. Referrals for consideration for admission must originate from the student’s local district in collaboration with the family; TSBVI cannot accept direct parent referrals. The school district begins the admission process by holding an ARD Meeting to request services or admission to TSBVI.

TSBVI provides services intended to serve students who require specialized or intensive educational services related to visual impairment. The school is not intended to serve students whose needs are appropriately addressed in a home, hospital or residential treatment facility, or students whose primary ongoing needs are related to a severe or profound emotional and/or behavioral deficit. TSBVI Outreach Programs provide support and training to people involved in the lives of individuals ages pre-K through 22 with visual impairments or deafblindness, giving access to both training and resources and opportunities for connection with other families.

Short-Term Programs provides school-year classes between September and May to academic students functioning on or close to grade level and can quickly adapt and learn in a new environment. These highly intensive three- to five-day classes introduce students to the Expanded Core Curriculum aspects that can be difficult to provide during the regular academic school day. Short-Term Programs also offers Summer Programs to Texas students not enrolled full-time at TSBVI during the regular school year. These programs, which range from one to five weeks, serve elementary through high school students, including visually impaired students with additional disabilities.

If the family and the district determine that a student may need a period of intensive services in the TSBVI Comprehensive Programs, the student’s local ARD committee can initiate a referral. If the student is accepted for Comprehensive Programs, an ongoing process of collaboration among TSBVI, the family, and the district begins immediately and continues throughout the student’s enrollment at TSBVI. The collaboration aims to ensure that TSBVI effectively contributes to your student’s long-term educational plan. TSBVI will deliver an appropriate on-campus educational program while at the same time assisting the family, the local school, and other agencies to prepare for the student’s successful return to the district or adult life after graduation.

Steps for Admittance to Comprehensive Programs

  • The first point of contact for districts and families is the TSBVI Admissions Coordinator at 512-206-9182.
  • The school district representative will send a copy of the student’s ARD meeting in which the TSBVI referral was discussed.
  • TSBVI Admissions Coordinator will send the application for admission request additional documents, such as the FIE, related service report, etc.
  • Upon receipt of all requested documentation, the TSBVI Referral Committee will review this information to determine if the student is eligible for services at TSBVI.
  • Additional information and an on-site visit to the local school district may be requested, and parents and school district staff can tour the TSBVI campus at any point in the process.
  • The Director of the Center for School Resources will notify the local school district of the decision of the Referral Committee.
  • If the student is admitted, the TSBVI Principal and program supervisors determine the program placement.
  • A pre-enrollment ARD meeting between the district, the family, and TSBVI will be scheduled to discuss and revise the existing IEP, discuss reasons for referral, and make a plan for an eventual return to the local school district.
  • The Admissions Coordinator arranges the enrollment date with the school district and the family.
  • All registration materials must be submitted by the district and the family before the student can complete the enrollment process.
  • The student and family participate in the registration process on the enrollment date, including meeting program staff, checking in at the Health Center, and moving into the dorm if the student is to be residential.
  • If the student starts school at TSBVI at the beginning of the school year, the student and family will arrive on campus on the Sunday before the first day of school.
  • If the student starts school at TSBVI after the first day of school, the student and family will register with the Admissions Coordinator.
  • At registration, the family receives information such as class schedules, helpful phone numbers, and information about weekend travel.
  • TSBVI, the local school district, and the family will review the student’s educational placement every year at the annual ARD.

If you are interested in learning about the admissions process, please review the guides listed below:

If you are ready to submit an application for referral, please complete the Intake Form.

For any additional questions or information, please contact our Admissions Coordinator Cathy Olsen.

Admissions Coordinator: Cathy Olsen
Email: olsenc@tsbvi.edu
Phone: (512) 206-9182

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