November 2008 – Special Educator e-Journal

Table of Contents

Message from the Executive Directors

Letter to the Editor

This Just in…. 

Intersection: Navigating the Road to Work

Update From The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

Calls to Participate

Special Education Resources

Upcoming Conferences, Workshops, and Events 

Get Wired!—The Latest on Websites and Listservs

Funding Forecast and Award Opportunities

Acknowledgements

Download a PDF Version of This Issue

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Message from the Executive Directors

Dr. Roger Pierangelo & Dr. George Giuliani

Welcome to the November, 2008 edition of the NASETSpecial Educator e-Journal. To those of you who are new members, this is NASET’s publication that keeps its members up to date with all of the latest news in special education that we feel is important for special education teachers, professors, and those seeking a career as a  special education teacher.

This past October was a record month, with more professionals joining NASET than ever before.  Membership in NASET is growing faster each day, both with renewals and new members. We thank all of you for referring your colleagues to us. By continuing our Classroom Management Series, The Practical Teacher, Parent Teacher Conference Handouts, and many more practical resources, we know that we are well on our way to another great school year.  As always, the bottom line here at NASET is that we are committed to making sure that you are kept up-to-date with all of the most current information in the field of special education.

In this edition of the Special Educator e-Journal, we cover numerous topics. Most importantly, we hope that the broad range of topics enhances your knowledge of the current state of the field of special education, while being practical for your use in the classroom, school building, and with parents.

We wish you a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving season.

Sincerely,

Dr. Roger Pierangelo and Dr. George Giuliani
Executive Directors

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Letter to the Editor

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I thank you for your many great resources, including your Behavior Management series. They are shared with my paras and others in our school. I do question your information about Daydreaming, since it does not speak to at least one other option, that of ADD, Inattentive. One of the hallmarks of this is daydreaming. I see very little in the press and literature about this very common aspect for those with ADD, which really needs more attention itself.

Kris Schultz 

Response from NASET:

Dear Kris—Thank you for taking the time to write to us.  The issues surround children with Attention Deficit Disorder are vast, and they are ones that NASET feels needs to address.  Due to the various questions, comments and concerns regarding educating students with ADHD, NASET will be starting a new “ADHD Report” beginning in the next few months. 

NASET welcomes your comments and suggestions. You may write to us at: news@naset.org

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For more information click on the image or CLICK HERE

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This Just In…

NIH Launches New Web Site for Parents on Medical Research Studies for Children

Award-winning video clips feature children, parents discussing clinical studies
From asthma and cancer treatments to vaccines, research in children saves lives and improves their health and well-being. A new Web site from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “Children and Clinical Studies”  (www.ChildrenAndClinicalStudies.nhlbi.nih.gov), offers parents and health care providers an insider’s guide to children’s medical research. The Web site combines information about how clinical studies in youth are conducted with award-winning video of children, parents, and healthcare providers discussing the rewards and challenges of participating in research.

Click here to view the complete Multimedia News Release. http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/nhlbiclinicalstudies/35258/

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Intersection: Navigating the Road to Work

NCWD/Youth Announces the Release of Proceedings from a National Youth Development and Leadership Summit:

Blazing the Trail: A New Direction for Youth Development and Youth Leadership

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/background.php 
The Blazing the Trail Summit, sponsored by the Office of Disability Employment Policy, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and many other partners, provided a forum for a national dialogue on actions needed to improve policy and practice in the youth development and leadership field. Ensuring that youth with disabilities (including those with mental health needs), are included in opportunities available to all youth was another major focus. The report synthesizes the conversations that took place among youth with and without disabilities, state and federal policy makers, and community, state, and federal organization leaders during this two day meeting, and the important priority action steps identified by the participants.

These five topical areas discussed included the following: (1) Helping youth achieve youth development and leadership outcomes, (2) Promoting youth guided/youth directed policy, (3) Inclusion of youth with disabilities, (4) Partnership development, and (5) Professional development.  The report also identifies the challenges that surfaced during discussion and the next steps to be taken by all stakeholders in the field of youth development and youth leadership.

National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) Announces Release of State Profiles

Expanding Options: State Financing of Education Pathways for Struggling Students and Out-of-School Youth

http://www.nyec.org/page.cfm?pageID=141
NYEC’s newest publication explores how Indiana, Massachusetts, and North Carolina have created polices and funding streams to support a variety of secondary education options for young people. Building upon a previous report by NYEC, Financing Alternative Education Pathways: Profiles and Policy, highlights alternative education schools and programs accessing stat and local education funds in Wisconsin, Oregon, Ohio, Arizona, New York, Texas, Virginia, California, and Illinois.

Casey Family Programs Releases Annual Report on Foster Care

2007 Annual Report on Foster Care

http://www.casey.org/Resources/Publications/2007AnnualReport.htm
Casey Family Program’s 2020 Strategy aims to safely reduce by 50% the number of children in foster care by the year 2020. In this report, their 2007 accomplishments are presented. They include providing direct services to more than 16,000 children and families through nine field offices, consulting with states and counties, and educating lawmakers about the need for change. 
View the Foster Youth Demonstration Project: Final Evaluation Report, completed in collaboration with the Institute for Educational Leadership and Casey Family Programs. This evaluation of a series of demonstration projects around foster care transition added to the overall work that NCWD/Youth has completed around youth in foster care which also includes Negotiating the Curves Toward Employment: A Guide About Youth Involvement in the Foster Care System.

PACER Receives National ALLIANCE Grant

http://www.pacer.org/
PACER Center was awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Education on October 1, 2008 to continue as the National Center for the Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers for the next five years. Through this grant, PACER will provide resources, information, and training to the nation’s 105 Parent Centers that serve the families of the 7 million children in the United States receiving special education services. PACER has been the ALLIANCE National Center since 1997.

National Coalition on Leadership and Disability for Youth (NCLD/Youth) Publications

NCLD/Youth has released a few great publications for youth with disabilities and staff of youth development and leadership programs. The Disability History and Identity Self-Assessment (http://www.pacer.org/)  includes a “pop-quiz” teaching tool and a short section where a young person could discuss their own personal experience with identifying how they feel about their disability, and how they feel about societal expectations and stigmas they deal with on a daily basis. Am I Learning to Lead? (http://www.ncld-youth.info/WhatsNew.htm#announcement2) focuses on the needs of youth with disabilities and intends to help an emerging leader look at how they’re growing in terms of achieving outcomes identified in the field of youth development and leadership. A companion piece,  (http://www.ncld-youth.info/WhatsNew.htm#announcement2), was also created to focus on giving staff of youth development and leadership programs an opportunity to evaluate how their program is helping youth achieve outcomes in researched-based areas.

Coalition for Community Schools Announces a New “Community Agenda”

http://www.thecommunityagenda.org/
Because schools are one of the central institutions in the lives of children and youth, The Community Agenda promotes partnerships that address complex social problems, such as poverty, violence, substance abuse, and family instability that negatively impact student performance. Schools are the place where community leaders, institutions and citizens can bring together their resources to support student learning and engage students as active learners and contributors to their community.

“The Community Agenda is a workable set of solutions that are already being implemented in communities across the country,” said Director of the Coalition for Community Schools, Marty Blank. “Communities matter, whether urban, suburban or rural, and everyone in the community has a role to play in helping young people to thrive. Every student will benefit from a united effort to provide our young people and their families with more connections, more opportunities, and more learning time.”

Empowering Youth Achievement in a New Economy

The 2008 Youth Development Symposium, hosted by the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals will be held on November 17-20 in Chicago, Illinois. The Youth Development Symposium is designed to provide best practices and program guidance to workforce development professionals who serve youth, and leadership growth opportunities for the youth they serve. NCWD/Youth and our partners will be presenting at this conference including during the pre-symposium workshops: It’s Not Crazymaking: Serving Youth with Mental Health Needs and Employer Relations: Beyond the Handshake. For more information – Click Here

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Update From The National Dissemination Center forChildren with Disabilities

This month, NICHCY has posted various articles in its “News You Can Use” that may be of tremendous value to you.  Below are some of the ones we feel you may find useful:

Early Childhood Briefs from Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child
http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu/content/evaluation.html
These short, web-based publications from the National Forum on Early Childhood Program Evaluation summarize the results and implications of recently published studies evaluating the effects of childhood programs and conditions. – Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child
                                                             
Special education numbers declining in Wisconsin schools
http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu/content/evaluation.html
With a new method of identifying students with specific educational needs, for a second year in a row, the number of students receiving special education services has decreased in this Wisconsin school district.
– The Chetek Alert
                                                             
                                                             
Evidence-based approaches to chronic disease prevention 
Visit health-evidence.ca for evidence-based approaches to the prevention of chronic diseases, published from 1985 to the present. The reviews focus on the effectiveness of interventions in public health and the list offers the option to see the reviews categorized by disease, audience, setting, or intervention strategy. – health-evidence.ca – To read more – Click Here 

Response to Intervention at the Secondary Level: Teacher Quality Forum
http://www.tqsource.org/forum/index.php/topic/43.0.html
The summary of the most recent TQ Connection discussion – Response to Intervention at the Secondary Level – is now available on the TQ Connection. This online discussion featured Dr. Mark Shinn from National Louis University who offered excellent resources and stimulating responses to questions surrounding secondary RTI implementation, scheduling considerations, graduation requirements, teacher preparation needs, and self-study instruments. – National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality
                                                             
Campbell Collaboration Establishes Disability Subgroup
http://www.ncddr.org/kt/products/focus/focus20/
SEDL’s National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR) has worked with the Campbell Collaboration (C2) to develop a disability subgroup that will provide support and resources for disability researchers who are conducting systematic reviews. Read about this important work in NCDDR’s Focus Newlsetter. – National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR)

Reviewing a Reading Program 
The Curriculum and Instructional Projects Team at the Florida Center for Reading Research developed “Guidelines for Reviewing a Reading Program” to assist reviewers in determining if a program is consistent with the scientific research on reading. Based on that work, the Center on Instruction has developed a professional development module for Reviewing a Reading Program as a two-day training to guide reviewers of reading programs through the review process. The Participant’s Guide contains resources (charts, summaries, and the Guidelines themselves) to help in reviewing a reading program. The Participant’s Guide can also serve as a tool for reviewing any reading program. – Center on Instruction – To read more – Click Here 

Doing What Works: Organizing Instruction to Improve Learning
http://dww.ed.gov/disclaimer.cfm?[/index.cfm?
Visit the U.S. Department of Education’s “Doing What Works” Web site and check out the section called Psychology of Learning: How to Organize Your Teaching, which will empower educators and administrators with research-based strategies to help instructors organize their teaching and improve student learning. This latest addition is based on the What Works Clearinghouse Practice Guide called Organizing Instruction and Study to Improve Student Learning, which was released this month. – U.S. Department of Education
                                                             
Predicting which Students will Respond to Positive Behavior Support Programs
The Center on Instruction produced a new synopsis outlining an  article entitled “The Use of Reading and Behavior Screening Measures to Predict Nonresponse to School-Wide Positive Behavior Support: A Longitudinal Analysis.” In this analysis, the researchers investigate the ways in which academic and behavior problems develop,  conducted a retrospective longitudinal analysis of the interaction between reading skills and problem behavior among students from kindergarten through Grade 5 in a school district that was implementing universal support systems for both reading and behavior. The authors also sought to determine the usefulness of screening assessments in reading to predict responses to school-wide positive behavior support.  – The Center on Instruction- To read more – Click Here 

Suite of Products Released Detailing Successful Postsecondary Pathways
http://www.betterhighschools.org/
Too often today, high school students’ instructional training and experiences in the classroom do not adequately prepare them for what is expected in postsecondary education and the workforce. To address this national challenge, the National High School Center released a suite of products that examines the core elements and educational interventions currently facilitating students’ successful transitions out of high school to college and the workforce. The publications include:

• Preparing High School Students for Successful Transitions to Postsecondary Education and Employment
• Striking the Balance: Career Academies Combine Academic Rigor and Workplace Relevance
• Evaluating the Impact of Interventions that Promote Successful Transitions from High School

The National High School Center

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Calls toParticipate

25th Annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disabilities: Call for Proposals

http://www.pacrim.hawaii.edu/
The Service-Learning Showcase at the May 4-5, 2009, Pacific Rim Conference will feature high-quality service-learning projects from across the country and around the world. Showcase participants will talk with conference attendees about service-learning project implementation, connection to curriculum goals, and impact. Youth participation is strongly encouraged. Application deadline: November 3, 2008.

Online Transition Short Courses

http://www.ContinuingEd.ku.edu/is/sped.shtml
The University of Kansas will offer five online transition short courses designed to provide education professionals tools to improve transition planning and services for students with disabilities. The courses, each including four week-long sessions with articles, websites, videos, and discussions, are: Introduction to Transition Education and Services, Sep. 22-Oct. 19, 2008; Transition Assessment, Oct. 27-Nov. 23, 2008; Family Involvement and Student Involvement in Transition, Jan. 12-Feb. 8, 2009; Preparing Students for Employment/Postsecondary Education, Feb. 16-March 8, 2009; Interagency Collaboration during Transition Planning, April 6-May 3, 2009. The courses are designed for secondary-level special education personnel, but the content is applicable to parents, educators, adult service personnel and consultants, and they are open to anyone interested in transition planning and services, and can be taken for credit or noncredit. Enrollment is on the Web site (under SPED 798).

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Special Education Resources

New Transition Resources Available

NCSET Institute Proceeding
http://tinyurl.com/3laa2b
Resources from a Transition Institute sponsored by two PACER projects are now available online. The session handouts and PowerPoint presentations include links to curricula and tools developed by parent centers to help connect families and transitioning youth to community and adult service providers, and promote self-directed transition planning and self-determination. “Journeying Toward Adulthood: Supporting Youth to Build Self-Determined Lives” addressed the transition needs of foster youth with disabilities, transition and employment for youth with mental health needs, transition planning for inner city youth and their families, postsecondary education issues, and self-employment.

Preparing All Youth for Academic and Career Readiness Implications for High School Policies and Practices 
Report
http://tinyurl.com/4jmfaj
This National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability’s paper identifies the challenges in practice and policy for successful postschool outcomes and offers recommendations on how states, local school districts, and individual high schools can prepare all youth, including youth with disabilities, with academic and career readiness skills. The paper identifies five broad policy and practice areas: (1) Instruction, Curriculum, and Structure; (2) Assessment Practices; (3) Graduation Requirements; (4) Community and Family Connections; and (5) Data Quality Challenges. By addressing these areas, high school policymakers at the national, state, and local levels can improve their approaches for meeting the challenges of all students.

Alliance Hosts Briefing on Student Engagement (September 2008)  
http://www.all4ed.org/events/studentengagement_HSdropoutprevention
Read a summary and to watch video of Alliance for Excellent Education event “Student Engagement as a Dropout Prevention Strategy, with speakers Linda Darling-Hammond and Pedro Noguera (both professors of education and Alliance board members), and George Wood (executive director, Forum for Education and Democracy and principal of Federal Hocking High School in Ohio).

Community Schools: Working Toward Institutional Transformation  
Report
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/csinstitutionaltrans.pdf
This report from the UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools explores the concept of Community Schools, the state of the art, guiding frameworks for designing interventions at a community school, the process of school-family-community collaboration, and considerations related to moving forward. Available in pdf (126 pages, 543 KB).
 
Evaluating the Impact of Interventions that Promote Successful Transitions from High School 
Research Brief
http://tinyurl.com/3knmju
This research brief from the National High School Center examines the challenges and opportunities presented in evaluating whether an intervention achieves defined goals of increasing students’ educational attainment, employment, and earnings after high school. Available in pdf (11 pages, 279 KB).

From No Child Left Behind to Every Child a Graduate: A Policy Framework for Improving Secondary Schools 
Report
http://www.all4ed.org/publication_material/reports/ECAG
The Alliance for Excellent Education’s new report, “From No Child Left Behind to Every Child a Graduate,” chronicles problems in the nation’s secondary schools and presents a framework for improving secondary schools, reflecting agreement among educators, researchers, policymakers, and other authorities on the specific problems of secondary schools, as well as on the research- and best-practice-supported solutions to those problems.

New Resource Provides Easier Access to Foreign Languages for People Who Are Blind
Resource
http://www.miusa.org/ncde/tipsheets/languageguide
The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE) has published “Accessing Foreign Language Materials as a Blind or Low Vision Student” to support blind and low vision students in accessing course materials in a broad range of foreign language courses, from Arabic to Turkish. This informational guide includes: commonly used assistive technology and software to handle foreign languages, guidance for locating audio, braille or large print materials in foreign languages, tips on transcribing braille textbooks in foreign languages or using readers and scribes, and considerations for studying a foreign language abroad. The guide emphasizes critical need languages, such as Arabic, Chinese, Hindi/Urdu, Japanese, Korean, Persian/Farsi, Russian and Turkish, although information is also applicable to more commonly taught languages such as French, German, and Spanish.

Preparing High School Students for Successful Transitions to Postsecondary Education and Employment  
NCSET Issue Brief
http://www.betterhighschools.org/docs/PreparingHSStudentsforTransition_073108.pdf
This issue brief from the National High School Center highlights lessons learned from selected policies and programs designed to improve students’ preparation for postsecondary pathways. It summarizes core characteristics of popular interventions in a user-friendly chart, and poses implementation questions and challenges, including considerations for students with disabilities. Available in pdf (24 pages, 566 KB).

Projections of Education Statistics to 2017 
Report
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008078
This report from the National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, provides projections for key education statistics, including statistics on enrollment, graduates, teachers, and expenditures in elementary and secondary schools, and enrollment and earned degrees conferred expenditures of degree-granting institutions. For the nation, the tables, figures, and text contain data on enrollment, teachers, graduates, and expenditures for the past 14 years and projections to the year 2017; for the 50 states and the District of Columbia, they contain data on projections of public elementary and secondary enrollment and public high school graduates to the year 2017. The report also includes a methodology section describing models and assumptions used to develop national and state-level projections.

Promising Practices in Working with Young Adults 
Booklet
http://www.youthtoday.org/publication/article.cfm?article_id=2378
This booklet, from the Youth Development Institute, offers ways in which partnerships between schools and community organizations can support education/training and opportunities for young adults who have dropped out of high school. It describes specific practices and program models.

Resolution Meetings: A Guide for Parents Now Available in Spanish 
Guide
http://www.directionservice.org/cadre/resmtgdoc.cfm
This guide helps families to have a better understanding of Resolution Meetings. It is a joint Publication from CADRE and the ALLIANCE. Esta Guía ayuda a las familias a tener un mejor entendimiento de las Reuniones de Resolución. Esta es una Publicacion conjunta de CADRE y la ALLIANZA. To see the document in Spanish: http://www.directionservice.org/cadre/resmtgdocspan.cfm To see the document in English: http://www.directionservice.org/cadre/resmtgdoc.cfm

School Dropout Prevention: A Civil Rights and Public Health Imperative  
Report
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/Newsletter/fall08.pdf
Dropouts are a national crisis. This report stresses ideas and resources related to preventing student dropout, with a brief discussion on focusing on intrinsic motivation to re-engage students. More than half a million young people drop out of high school each year, and the drop-out rate has remained about the same for the last 30 years. Ultimately, as with so many problems in society, decreasing the rate of dropouts could be tremendously aided by reducing generational poverty. For the immediate future, however, there is a great deal schools and their communities can and should do. Available in pdf (12 pages, 513 KB).

State High School Exit Exams: Moving Toward End-of-Course Exams 
Report
www.cep-dc.org
The Center on Education Policy’s seventh annual report on high school exit exams looks at new developments in the implementation of state high school exit exams in the 26 states that currently implement or plan to implement these tests. The report finds that states are moving away from minimum-competency and comprehensive exams toward end-of-course exams. The report and profiles of each of the 26 states are posted on the CEP web site under “What’s New” and can be downloaded free-of-charge.

Status and Trends in the Education of American Indians and Alaska Natives: 2008
Report
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008084
This report from the National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, examines the educational progress of American Indian/Alaska Native children and adults and challenges in their education. Over time, more American Indian/Alaska Native students have gone on to college and their attainment expectations have increased. Despite these gains, progress has been uneven and differences persist between American Indian/Alaska Native students and students of other racial/ethnic groups on key indicators of educational performance.

Transition Goals and Experiences of Females with Disabilities: Youth, Parents, and Professionals 
Report
http://tinyurl.com/44f8m4
Researchers at the Regional Research Institute at Portland State University studied the influence of gender in the setting of goals and planning of transition services for young women with disabilities and gathered information through a interviews and focus groups with 146 youth, parents, and education professionals. Available in pdf (6 pages, 74 KB).

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Get Wired! – The Latest on Websites and Listservs

Web Sites

Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement Web site
www.centerforcsri.org
The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement at Learning Point Associates has just launched its new Web site on developments in school reform and improvement, with news, information on its webcasts and podcasts, and links to relevant Web sites.
 
My Voice, My Vote
www.myvoicemyvote.org
My Voice, My Vote is a new Web site for young adults with disabilities who want to learn about the voting process and make a difference in their communities. The site includes resources for voters in Minnesota and across the country, including the many different ways one can vote and what it means to be a good citizen. The Web site also includes an open-captioned video on the voting process. The video can be embedded in individuals’ Web sites by going to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6zL_PJYz-g.

National Resource Center Prepares Diverse Communities for Emergencies
http://www.diversitypreparedness.org/
The National Resource Center on Advancing Emergency Preparedness for Culturally Diverse Communities is a hub of resources for communities, service providers, and emergency planners and an exchange site to facilitate communication, networking, and collaboration. The site also features hundreds of cross-referenced annotated resources in over 40 languages highlighting successful programs and projects.

U.S. Department of Education College-gov Site
http://www.college.gov
The U.S. Department of Education has a new Web site that aims to motivate students with inspirational stories and information about planning, preparing, and paying for college. Designed with students’ input and participation, College.gov was created as an online resource for credible information about college, providing real-life experiences of peers already attending college.

Listservs

Special Ed Advocate Newsletter
http://www.wrightslaw.com/subscribe.htm
The Special Ed Advocate is a free online newsletter about special education legal and advocacy topics. Subscribers learn about new cases, articles, seminars and training, special offers on books by Pete & Pam Wright, and other useful information about special education law and advocacy.

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Funding Forecast, Grants, and Award Opportunities

Forecast of Funding Opportunities under the Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 2008
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edlite-forecast.html
This document lists virtually all programs and competitions under which the U.S. Department of Education has invited or expects to invite applications for new awards for fiscal year 2008 and provides actual or estimated deadlines for the transmittal of applications under these programs. The lists are in the form of charts organized according to the Department’s principal program offices and include programs and competitions previously announced as well as those to be announced at a later date.

FY 2007-2008 Discretionary Grant Application Packages
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html
This site, from the Department of Education, provides information on grant competitions that are currently open.

American Association of Physics Teachers High School Physics Teacher Grant
http://www.aapt.org/Grants/hsgrant.cfm
The American Association of Physics Teachers High School Physics Teacher Grant will reward a proposal designed to result in better teaching, student understanding and interest, and increased class enrollment. The proposal may use a new teaching method or an adaptation of an existing idea. Maximum award: $500. Eligibility: members of AAPT. Deadline: Dec. 1, 2008.

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Science and Math Programs
http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=216
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Science and Math Programs Grants assist educators in presenting mathematics, science, and technology principles to K-12 students in an exciting, hands-on manner. Maximum award: $1,000. Eligibility: AIAA Educator Associate K-12 teachers. Deadline: Nov. 30, 2008.

Broad Residency in Urban Education
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_education.jhtml
The Broad Residency in Urban Education is a two-year leadership development program that places participants into full-time high-level managerial positions in school districts and Charter Management Organizations. The residency is designed for individuals with an advanced degree (master’s or higher), at least four years of work experience, and a successful record of leadership and/or management. Residents earn starting annual salaries of $85,000 to $95,000 and participate in professional development sessions over the course of two years. At the end of the program, the Broad Residency expects that school districts and CMOs will hire residents permanently in their current positions or promote them into more senior leadership posts. The initial steps of the admissions process occur in two cycles. Candidates may enter the process in either the early or regular cycle. Candidates who apply to the early cycle will be notified sooner whether they will be advancing to a final interview with the hiring organization. The Early Cycle Deadline is December 1, 2008; the Regular Cycle Deadline is February 2, 2009.

Grants Available to Support Summer Camps to Introduce Young People to Careers in Manufacturing and Engineering
http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15015331/fmafdn
The Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Foundation and the Nuts, Bolts and Thingamajigs Foundation offer grants ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 not-for-profit organizations and educational institutions offering overnight or day-camp experiences in summer 2009 that introduce young people to careers in manufacturing and engineering. The purpose of the manufacturing camps is to provide a positive, hands-on experience so young people will consider manufacturing as a future career option. Camps must target young people, ages 12-16. Preference will be given to organizations serving minority populations. Grant funds may be used for expenses related to curriculum development and instruction, as well as direct expenses such as housing, meals, transportation, and supplies. Deadline: December 12, 2008

National Center for Family Literacy Invites Entries for Toyota Family Literacy Teacher of the Year
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/rfp_item.jhtml?id=227900013
An award of $7,500 plus a trip to the 2009 National Conference on Family Literacy in Orlando, Florida, will be given to family educators working to improve children’s, adult/ESL, and parenting education. Family educators from across the United States are eligible for the award. Nominees must work primarily in children’s education, adult/ESL education, parenting education, or other educational services and must be able to demonstrate an impact on intergenerational learning between parents and children. Programs may nominate up to two educators. The online nomination form must be completed by the program director or coordinator. The nomination must include a statement of support for the nominated educator written by an adult student who works with the educator. Deadline: December 5, 2008

NFL Grassroots Program
http://www.lisc.org/section/goals/healthy/youth
Community football fields or high school football fields need improvements or replacement can apply to the NFL Grassroots Program, which provides grants to nonprofit neighborhood-based organizations with financial and technical assistance to improve the quality, safety and accessibility of local football fields. Deadline: December 15, 2008.

Reader’s Digest Foundation: “Make It Matter” Grants
http://www.rd.com/make-your-mark-make-a-difference/make-it-matter/article54800.html
To identify people whose stories of giving back inspire others, the foundation will donate funds to a nonprofit organization associated with a particular story or cause. Anyone can submit a story about an effective or inspiring group, which will be published on the website; the nonprofits selected will receive funds up to $100,000. Deadline: January 1, 2009.

SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Environmental Excellence Awards
http://www.swbg-conservationfund.org/projects_Awards.html
The SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Environmental Excellence Awards recognize outstanding grassroots efforts by students and teachers to protect and preserve the environment. Maximum award: $10,000. Eligibility: all schools (grades K-12) and community groups. Deadline: Nov. 28, 2008.

Students Invited to Create “Green Solutions” in National Middle School Sustainability Challenge
http://www.wecanchange.com/
Middle school students across the United States are invited to submit solutions to environmental problems for the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, a national sustainability education initiative (sponsored by the Siemens Foundation, Discovery Education, and National Science Teachers Association). Student teams of 2-3 students, grades 6-8, under the mentorship of a teacher or adult supervisor, can register for the challenge. Teams will identify an environmental issue in their community, research the issue, and create a replicable green solution using Web-based curriculum tools. The mentors of the first hundred teams to register and complete a project for challenge will receive a Planet Earth series DVD set. All student teams entering the challenge will receive prizes; top-performing teams will earn cash, teacher education materials, and “Discovery Experience” trips. The grand prize winning team will receive a comprehensive prize package, which includes an appearance on Planet Green, Discovery’s eco-lifestyle network, and a Discovery Adventure Trip. Deadline: March 15, 2009

Do Something Announces “Increase Your Green” School Competition
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/rfp_item.jhtml?id=217000004
Awards of up to $1,500 will be given to middle and high schools working to reduce the environmental impact of their school during an eight week competition where students will showcase how their school saved energy, reduced waste, and raised awareness. The judging categories are: (1) energy saved; (2) garbage reduced, recycled, and reused; (3) number of people involved/impacted; and (4) innovative quality of actions and ideas. The competition is open to middle and high schools. Deadline: December 15, 2008

National Education Association Foundation Accepting Grant Applications
http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15014895/neafdn
Learning & Leadership grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty and staff working to improve student learning in public schools, colleges, and universities. The grant amount is $2,000 for individuals and $5,000 for groups engaged in collegial study. Student Achievement Grants provide grants of $5,000 to improve the academic achievement of students by engaging in critical thinking and problem solving that deepen knowledge of standards-based subject matter. The work should also improve students’ habits of inquiry, self-directed learning, and critical reflection. (These grants replace the foundation’s Innovation Grants program, which has been discontinued.) Application deadlines are October 15, 2008, February 1, 2009, June 1, 2009.

Nestle Very Best in Youth Program to Honor Young People
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/rfp_item.jhtml?id=216700014
Awards of $500, plus $1,000 given to the charity of his or her choice, will be awarded to young people between the ages of 13 and 18 who have excelled academically and are making a difference in their communities. The young people, selected from nominations from volunteers, parents, and teachers, will be featured in a special publication and honored at a black-tie ceremony in Los Angeles in July 2009. Applicants must be legal residents of the United States or its territories. Deadline: November 20, 2008

Surdna Foundation Invites High School Arts Teachers to Apply for Fellowships
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/rfp_item.jhtml?id=221500020
Eligible applicants this year include teachers working in specialized public arts high schools and arts-focused magnet and charter high schools; grants of up to $5,500 in support of artistic growth will be provided, with a complementary grant of $1,500 provided to each Fellow’s school for post-fellowship activities. Deadline: November 14, 2008 (Letters of Intent)

Native Plant Landscaping
http://www.for-wild.org/sfecvr.html
The Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Grant Program gives small monetary grants to schools, nature centers, or other non-profit educational organizations to establish outdoor learning centers. Funds will be provided only for the purchase of native plants and seed. Eligibility: schools, nature centers and other non-profit and not-for-profit places of learning including houses of worship with a site available. Deadline: November 15, 2008.

Nonprofit Music Programs
http://www.guitarcentermusicfoundation.org/grants/index.cfm?sec=info
The Guitar Center Music Foundation’s mission is to aid nonprofit music programs across America that offer music instruction so that more people can experience the joys of making music. Maximum Award: $5000. Eligibility: 501(c)(3) organizations. Qualifying applicants are established, ongoing and sustainable music programs across the United States that provide music instruction for people of any age who would not otherwise have the opportunity to make music. Deadline: N/A.

AILF Offers K-12 Education Grants
http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15012347/ailfgrants
The American Immigration Law Foundation (AILF) will award grants to teachers for the 2008-09 school year of $100 to $500 each to fund a limited number of K-12 grade-level projects that provide education about immigrants and immigration. The foundation seeks to fund classroom-based activities that are innovative and supportive of AILF’s mission of promoting the benefits of immigrants to the United States. Applications are limited to educators teaching in public or private primary, intermediate, and secondary-level schools. The 2008 program focuses on proposals that relate to: innovative use of technology; underrepresented minorities; community outreach and partnerships with community based organizations; and math and science. Deadline: November 28, 2008

Live Monarch Educator Outreach Program
http://www.lmf-educator-award.com/index.html
The Live Monarch Foundation Educator Outreach Program provides funding for U.S. teachers to enroll in the National Campaign to bring monarch butterflies into the classroom. This program provides education and materials to strengthen the monarch’s 3,000-mile migratory route within North America by creating self-sustaining butterfly gardens and refuges. Materials will be provided for each participant to raise a virtual butterfly and start a real butterfly garden with professional instruction on each level of its maintenance and care. Maximum Award: n/a. Eligibility: teachers and classrooms in areas on the monarch migratory route. Deadline: rolling.

Reader’s Digest Foundation: Make It Matter
http://www.rd.com/makeitmatter.do
This program honors individuals who are taking action and giving back to their communities in a significant way. Each month, Reader’s Digest magazine will profile an individual who has made a significant contribution to his or her community. Deadline: n/a.

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Acknowledgements

Portions of this month’s NASETSpecial Educator e-Journal were excerpted from:

• Committee on Education and the Workforce
• FirstGov.gov-The Official U.S. Government Web Portal
• National Center on Secondary Education and Transition, an electronic newsletter of the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET), available online at http://www.ncset.org/enews. NCSET is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.
• National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth
• National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
• National Institute of Health
• National Organization on Disability
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• U.S. Department of Education
• U.S. Department of Education-The Achiever
• U.S. Department of Education-The Education Innovator
• U.S. Department of Labor
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• U.S. Office of Special Education
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) thanks all of the above for the information provided for this edition of the NASETSpecial Educator e-Journal.

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