Summer PEIMS Review Questions
From the Training on 5/5/25
- Should the graduate date be the last day of school or the actual graduation ceremony date?
A: Generally, it would be the student’s last instructional day of school. Once a student finishes all graduation requirements, they are considered graduated. The graduation ceremony date is just that - a ceremony. Usually graduation requirements have been met before the ceremony date. This date is entered in Registration > Graduation Tab OR in the Graduation Application> PGP Tab, if applicable.
If this is in relation to the Year End Status Utility, the graduate exit date is the date after the last day of school. The utility should not be run until after the last day of school.
- How do I find out what would be “low attendance” for our campus? A: To find out what would be low attendance for your district:
Run the PDM3-130-001 from the previous year’s Accepted Summer Submission. Find the Percent in Attendance Total for all grade levels on the Total Grade Summary page (usually the very last page in this report). For a day when school was held but attendance was at least 10 percentage point below the Percent in Attendance Total determines if that day qualifies for a low attendance waiver.
*Remember that a low attendance waiver is due to inclement weather, health, or safety* *The waiver excludes that day from ADA and FSP funding calculations*
*Review Section 3.8.1.3 Low Attendance Day Waivers in the Student Attendance Accounting Handbook. This section steps out what a district needs to do to submit a waiver.
- Are SPED Cameras only for self-contained rooms?
A: A Student must spend 50% or more of their day in an Eligible SPED Classroom or Setting.
This submission is a new Submission added to the SPEDS data Collection for the 26-27 school year. Due at the end of the year on July 22, 2027.
Video Camera Reporting indicates whether an LEA has received any requests for cameras to be placed in a special education classroom.
- Regarding Education Savings Accounts: We are mostly a transfer district and some of our 25-26 school year students are already planning to homeschool for the 26-27 school year. These students are planning to start homeschooling over the summer. If they come
back to the LEA, how would that be handled? Not sure if they will come back during August registration or later.
A: The application window to apply for the TEFA (Texas Education Freedom Accounts) Program is now closed. The application window ran from February 4 to March 31, 2026.
Homeschooled students may be eligible to receive up to $2,000 annually. Private school students may be eligible to receive $10,474 for the 26-27 school year.
The Process: You will have to develop a local form or add an additional question to your Registration packet to capture whether a student, upon enrollment to your district, has received any Texas Education Freedom Account Funds. Initial funds were available to participants starting July 1, 2026. If a student did receive funds, mark them with a local program code of 28, Former ESA Student.
Here is the formal language on the timing of enrollment in SB 2:
Sec. 29.3611. ENROLLMENT IN PUBLIC SCHOOL. If a child
ceases participation in the program during a school year due to the
child's enrollment in a school district or open-enrollment charter
school:
(1) the district or school is entitled to receive, in
addition to other funding to which the district or school is
entitled to receive for the child, an allotment in an amount equal
to the basic allotment multiplied by 0.1 for the child's average
daily attendance at the district or school for that school year; and
(2) the child may not be considered in evaluating the
performance of a school district or open-enrollment charter school
under the public school accountability system as prescribed by
Chapters 39 and 39A for the first school year after the child ceases
participation in the program.
- Regarding Accelerated Instruction: Does there need to be a hard copy in each student folder of what their plan is and the instruction tracking as reported by the staff that facilitate that instruction?
A: The more documentation you have if asked about an individual student, the better. Is this a requirement, no. Is this a good idea, yes.
Accelerated Instruction FAQ from TEA:
What local documentation is required to prove implementation?
Local documentation is not required by statute but is a best practice for managing accelerated instruction. Examples of documentation that would serve as evidence include student schedules that include dates and duration of the tutoring session, tutor assignment, tutor-to-student ratio,
targeted subject area, and minutes completed. Other documentation that may be needed include any parent/guardian waivers that indicate a group greater than 4:1 was approved.
- Regarding Accelerated Instruction: Why is Accelerated Instruction greyed out in Grade Reporting?
A: This is a known issue, set to be corrected in the next Ascender release.
- Regarding Accelerated Instruction: What is the Accelerated Education Plan Box in Grade Reporting? Is it Required?
A: This box needs to be checked if a student has an accelerated education plan. The definition of an accelerated plan is: a student who did not perform satisfactorily on an assessment instrument under TEC 39.023(a) or 39.023(c) for two or more consecutive years in the same subject area and the school district developed an accelerated education plan as outlined in 28.0211(f)
Link to the Accelerated Instruction TEA page for an Accelerated Education Plan Template.
- Regarding Accelerated Instruction: What is the deadline for the Ratio Waiver? A: Question and Answer from the TEA FAQ:
Is there a formal waiver that school systems must submit to TEA to use any of the products on the HB 1416 Ratio Waiver List?
No, a formal waiver process/application is not necessary to use a product on the HB 1416 RWL. However, school systems must notify parents/guardians that they are using a product from the RWL to provide their student with the required supplemental instruction.
However; Vendors must apply to be a part of the Ration Waiver List of Products Link to the Ratio Waiver List of Products
Ascender: The Ratio Waiver List Product Used field is located in Grade
Reporting>Maintenance>Student>Accelerated Instruction. Mark this field if the student received accelerated instruction through a product on the Ratio Waiver list for more than 50% of their required hours.
- Regarding Accelerated Instruction: If coding for Accelerated Instruction was completed before knowing about the “new options” of a student who completed more hours than assigned, should the campuses go back and correct the hours and difference code?
A: Absolutely. The goal with PEIMS reporting is reporting what is being offered at the campus.
- Regarding Teacher Vacancy Collection: If a teacher is reassigned (moved from 2nd grade to 3rd grade), does this fall under the teacher vacancy collection?
A: You will report if a position is vacant due to transfer (code 04) meaning a position is vacant because a teacher took another position within the LEA. Table C367 (Vacancy Reason Table).
Reporting is tied to the original vacancy. Only the original 2nd grade vacancy should be reported. The Date Position Vacant will be the day after the final day in 2nd grade.
Training for Service Center Staff is still under development with TEA. This FAQ will be updated when more information is available.
- How will IDEA-B MOE be calculated moving forward?
A: More information will be provided as we get it.
- Update Regarding SPEDS Submission: PreschoolOutcomesReporting Data Element
During the Summer PEIMS Training, the PreschoolOutcomesReportingDataElement referenced Descriptor Table C356 for coding options. Table C356 does not exist anymore in the 25-26 TWEDS. Instead of having 3 Descriptors: 01, 02, and 03 that is in your Summer Review Packet > SPEDS>Slide 10. TEA has combined those to a Boolean Data Type. This field indicates that an LEA does NOT have any eligible students in an early childhood special education (ECSE) program that meet the criteria for reporting SPP Indicator 7 Preschool Outcomes.
Ascender: Registration> Maintenance>District Profile>District Maintenance>State Reporting Tab> There is a box titled Special Education Data System (SPEDS). Select the box to indicate if the LEA does NOT have any eligible students in an ECSE program that meet the criteria for reporting SPP Indicator 7 PreSchoolOutcomes.
- Update Regarding SPEDS Submission: ECSEServiceExitReason Data Element
During the Summer PEIMS Training, the ECSEServiceExitREason Data Element referenced Descriptor Table C358 for coding options 01-05. Instead of having the 5 Descriptors that are in your Summer Review Packet>SPEDS>Slide 14. TEA has shortened the code option to 01-03. The Long Description for codes 01-03 has stayed the same. Codes 04 and 05 have been deleted from the options. This field indicates the reason a student exited from a LEA’s ECSE Program.
Ascender: Special Education>Maintenance>Student Sp Ed Data>SPEDS>ECSE Tab>Exit Reason.
- When can we go on vacation with all these submissions?
A: NEVER! What is a vacation?