Continuing Advisory Committee for Special Education

The Continuing Advisory Committee for Special Education (CAC) is the state advisory panel required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to:

• advise the Texas Education Agency (TEA) of unmet needs within the state in the education of children with disabilities;  
• comment publicly on any rules or regulations proposed by the state regarding the education of children with disabilities;  
• advise TEA in developing evaluations and reporting on data to the Secretary of Education under Section 1418 of IDEA 20 U.S.C. §1418;  
• advise TEA in developing corrective action plans to address findings identified in federal monitoring reports under Part B of IDEA;  and
• advise TEA in developing and implementing policies relating to the coordination of services for children with disabilities.

The CAC also advises TEA on standards related to significant disproportionality determination and is required by state statute to submit a report to the legislature biennially with recommended changes to state law and agency rules relating to special education. 

Statutory and Regulatory Authority

• 20 U.S.C. Section 1412 (a) (21)
• 34 C.F.R Part 300
• Texas Education Code, Sec. 29.006    

CAC Members

The CAC consists of 17 members from around the state who fulfill specific roles as outlined in IDEA and state law. These members are appointed by the governor. A majority of the members of the CAC must be individuals with disabilities or parents of children with disabilities. Members of the committee are appointed for staggered four-year terms, with the terms of eight or nine members expiring on February 1 of each odd-numbered year.  

• CAC Appointment Process at the Office of the Governor 
• List and Biographies of CAC Members for the 2023-2027 Term

Meeting Dates, Agendas, and Minutes

The CAC meets in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act. Agendas are filed with the Texas Register at least 10 days before the meeting. Upcoming meeting dates, along with agendas and minutes from previous meetings, can be found on the TEA website at Continuing Advisory Committee Meeting Dates, Notices, and Minutes.   

Procedure for Submitting Public Comments

The CAC meets approximately four times each year in Austin, Texas. The public is welcome to attend the meetings. The committee encourages public participation by

• including a public comment period at meetings;
• receiving written comments from the public; and
• convening meetings that are accessible to the public.

Below are the procedures and general guidelines to speak at a CAC meeting.  

1. Individuals who wish to provide public comment must sign up to speak by completing an information card at the location of the meeting between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. the day of the meeting.
2. Each speaker will have a maximum of three minutes to speak, and speakers will be heard in the order they sign up. Individuals who wish to provide written comments to the CAC during the meeting should bring 17 copies of the written comments to the CAC meeting so that they can be distributed to the committee members.
3. The public comments period will take place after lunch to give ample time for visitors to sign up to speak and will last no more than 30 minutes. As many speakers as possible will be heard within that period. The CAC chair may ask individuals who wish to speak on the same topic to consolidate their comments.
4. A speaker who signs up by the 11:00 a.m. deadline but is unable to speak because of the 30-minute time limit will be given the opportunity to speak first at the next meeting.