March 2009 – Special Educator e-Journal

Table of Contents

Message from the Executive Directors

What’s Happening at NASET

Update from the U.S. Department Education

District/School memberships in NASET

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

Intersection: Navigating the Road to Work

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 March 2009 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.

Let us first welcome all Western Brown Board of Education, Nassau BOCES and NYC District 75 teachers as District/School members of NASET.  As the latest School District Members, all special educators in Western Brown Board of Education, New York City District 75 and Nassau BOCES have the opportunity to become members of the NASET community. We look forward to their input and being a part of NASET. In this edition of the e-journal, we have provided you with information regarding School District memberships.  If your school might be interested in this opportunity, please review the materials in the e-journal and let us know.

We start this e-journal reviewing for everyone all that NASET has to offer.  There’s such a wide array of materials, resources and professional development opportunities, that we felt it would be a good idea to review them all with you.

As we say every month, membership in NASET is growing at an astronomical rate. Every month, we exceed the previous month’s numbers of members who have joined our community of teaching professionals.  We thank all of you for referring your colleagues to us, as we have heard from many new members that their basis for joining was “through a friend with whom I teach.”

Remember that NASET is your organization, and anything we can do to enhance your professional development, we will take very seriously.  NASET is working very hard to meet all of your needs, and we hope to continue to furnish you with professional and practical resources.

We hope you enjoy the March 2009 edition of NASETSpecial Educator e-Journal. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Roger Pierangelo and Dr. George Giuliani
Executive Directors

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What’s Happening at NASET

Take a moment to review the various e-Publications, professional development and special education resources that NASET currently offers you as members.  If you have any questions regarding anything, email us at contactus@naset.org

• Staff/Professional Development Courses
In response to a very important need by school districts, agencies and private schools for better trained, more informed, more qualified, and more knowledgeable teachers, NASET is proud to offer its members free access to over 50 comprehensive Staff/Professional Development courses for professional/staff development. Click on the link above to see a full list of available courses.

• IEP Development Tool
NASET provides the raw material to develop an entire Master Curriculum or an individual IEP [Individual Education Program] to all it’s members, free of charge. The development tool consists of the following components: 16 Subject Areas, 105 Goal Areas under the Subject Areas, 4,830 Objectives under the Goal Areas and 2,719 Suggested Activities for achieving the objectives.

• NASET Special Educator e-Journal
 The online Special Educator e-Journal is published ten times a year and provides timely information on what’s current in special education.

• The Special Educator’s List of 100 Forms, Tables, Checklists, and Procedures
This list is provided to all members of NASET to help facilitate the numerous tasks required on a daily basis. All documents are available to view online or download as a PDF file for offline printing.

• NASET WEEK in REVIEW
NASET’s WEEK in REVIEW is a weekly emailed publication that provides members with some of the most interesting stories, topics and issues reported during the week in the field of special education.

• NASET News Alerts
NASET News Alerts provide the latest special education news as it happens. News Alerts are emailed, posted and through RSS feeds.

• LD Report
The NASET LD Report is an education resource that provides NASET members with a comprehensive overview of learning disabilities.  The NASET LD Report covers many areas of study in the field of LD.

• The Practical Teacher
The Practical Teacher is a monthly education resource that provides NASET members with practical tools, strategies, and relevant information that they can use both in and outside of the classroom.

• Parent Teacher Conference Handouts
Parent Teacher Conference Handouts can be given at the end of parent teacher conferences to reinforce concepts and help parents better understand information discussed at the conference. New additions are added monthly.

• RTI Roundtable Archives
The NASET RTI Roundtable is an educational resource that provides members with the latest information on RTI.

• AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER SERIES
The NASET AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER SERIES is a monthly education resource that will focus on the research, writing, and practical information that we have obtained on causes, characteristics, eligibility, assessment, and teaching strategies.

• Behavior Management Series
NASET’s Behavior Management Series is a unique guide for all teachers in helping to understand what their student’s behavior really means and how to identify and resolve the issue. This series offers teachers the insight into the inner dynamics, conflicts, fears, symptoms, tension, and so on of students who may be experiencing difficulty learning or behaving in the classroom.

• Classroom Management Series
The Classroom Management Series provide teachers with practical guidelines covering a variety of topics and supportive information which may help improve their classroom.

• JAASEP – Researched Based Articles in Special Education
A Journal of Research Based Articles in Special Education are provided courtesy of The Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals (JAASEP). Each issue contains articles that are derived from multiple authors and are based upon the latest research in our profession.

• NASET Q & A Corner
At NASET, we get many questions from our members about certain areas of interest.  The NASET Q & A Corner provides all members with the opportunities to have access to these questions, and more importantly, answers to them from professionals in the field.

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Update from the U.S. Department ofEducation

U.S. Education Secretary Announces State-by-State Dollars in New York

The U.S. Department of Education posted on-line state-by-state estimates of new education revenues included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan vowed to release a significant share of the $100 billion in funding in time to avert teacher layoffs. Duncan made the announcement at a Brooklyn charter school where he was joined by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten.

“The single best way to stimulate the economy—short-term and long-term—is to keep teachers teaching and keep kids learning,” Duncan said after meeting with students and teachers of Explore Charter School.

“States are hurting, and schools across America are facing catastrophic cuts. We need to invest this money quickly, thoughtfully and transparently to protect kids, create jobs and drive reforms,” Duncan said. He added that the money—a two-year, one-time boost—will be released as quickly as possible to insure that states can help districts minimize layoffs.

New York City anticipated as many as 14,000 teacher layoffs next year, but city officials recently said that the stimulus money, with effective cooperation from New York State, could avert “most” of those cuts and keep those teachers in the classroom.

Mayor Bloomberg thanked President Obama and Secretary Duncan saying, “The State’s fiscal problems have threatened to drastically reduce State aid to City schools, forcing us to confront the possibility of deep cuts and substantial layoffs. Fortunately, President Obama and his administration worked with Congress to include much-needed education funding in the economic stimulus bill, which will help save jobs—and help our students continue acquiring the skills they need to lead the 21st century economy. The federal education aid will not be a cure all for our budget problems, but it’s an important shot in the arm. I want to thank President Obama and Secretary Duncan for their leadership in delivering this important infusion of funds.”

Duncan praised Mayor Bloomberg, Chancellor Klein and President Weingarten for the city’s aggressive education reform efforts saying, “Districts like New York are remaking public education in America with bold and innovative new learning models, higher standards and teacher quality initiatives. We must support those efforts. We can’t go backwards.”

Duncan further saluted AFT President Weingarten for her leadership and support of the administration, calling her, “A critical partner in advancing President Obama’s education agenda.”

State-by-state numbers are available on-line at http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/statetables/recovery.html. District-by-district numbers for IDEA funding also are available.

Duncan Hails Passage of President’s Stimulus Package, Cites “Historic Opportunity to Create Jobs and Advance Reform”

Education Secretary Arne Duncan today called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) a “historic opportunity to create jobs and advance education reform.” He credited the “leadership of the President and the Congress in laying groundwork for a generation of education reform and economic opportunity.” Duncan emphasized the urgency of distributing the funds to states on an aggressive timetable in order to avert layoffs. Citing a University of Washington study showing almost 600,000 education jobs at risk of state budget cuts, Duncan said that his office will publish timelines and initial guidance within a week so that states and districts can plan accordingly.

The ARRA provides more than $100 billion in education funding and college grants and tuition tax credits, as well as billions more for school modernization. It includes:

• $40 billion in state stabilization funds to help avert education cuts. Funds will be given to states in exchange for a commitment to begin advancing education reforms. School systems have discretion to use some of this money for school modernization.
• $13 billion for Title I, including $3 billion for Title I school improvement programs.
• $12 billion for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) programs.
• $5 billion in incentive grants to be distributed on a competitive basis to states that most aggressively pursue higher standards, quality assessments, robust data systems and teacher quality initiatives. This includes $650 million to fund school systems and non-profits with strong track records of improving student achievement.
• $5 billion for Early Childhood, including Head Start, early Head Start, child care block grants, and programs for infants with disabilities. (Includes Department of Health and Human Services programs).
• $2 billion for other education investments, including pay for performance, data systems, teacher quality investments, technology grants, vocational rehab, work study, and Impact Aid.

College Affordability — $30.8 Billion:

• $17 billion to close the shortfall in the Pell Grant program and boost grant amounts by $500 to $5350 in the first year and more in the second year, serving an estimated 7 million low and moderate-income young people and adults.
• $13.8 billion to boost the tuition tax credit from $1800 to $2500 for families earning up to $180,000.

Additional School Modernization — (up to) $33.6 Billion:

• An additional $8.8 billion in state stabilization funds are available for other state services including education. School modernization is an eligible use of this funding.
• Authority for states and school systems to issue $24.8 billion dollars in bonds over the next 10 years for renovation, repairs and school construction that will be retired through a combination of local, state and federal dollars.

“These investments are the surest way to provide long-term stability in to our economy,” Duncan said. “With these funds, we will educate our way to a stronger economy.&qu

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NASET District / School Memberships

A District or School membership in NASET is considered to be the most economical method to provide your entire staff with the full benefits of NASET Membership.

Membership in NASET provides unlimited access to our vast resources, special education/disability information, useful tools for special educators, mulitple e-Publications and the latest news about special education.

Another important feature for School Districts is our extensive list of online staff development courses. We now offer a reporting structure for your Special Education Administrative staff. These reports can provide accountability for individual access to the website and staff development course completion for each staff member.

Download a Guide to District Membership – Click Here  (left click to open, right click to save).

How much does District or School Membership Cost?

NASET provides a sliding scale based price which is dependent upon the number of special education staff within your district or school. To receive a quote for your district or school, use the link below and fax or email your quote request to us (fax and email address are provided on the request form).

Request a Quote for District or School Membership – Click Here

 Reasons for Your District or School to Join NASET

• SIMPLE, EASY MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION (EACH STAFF MEMBER CREATES THEIR OWN MEMBERSHIP ACCOUNT)
• ECONOMICAL STAFF / PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (ONLINE COURSES WITH TESTS – REPORTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF)
• STAFF ACCESS TO NASET 24 HOURS A DAY (ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR RESEARCH, COURSE STUDY AND TEST COMPLETION)
• PRACTICAL SPECIAL EDUCATION INFORMATION FOR YOUR ENTIRE STAFF (EVERYTHING FROM HOW TO MANAGE A CLASSROOM TO HANDOUTS EXPRESSLY DESIGNED FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS)
• REPORTING OF WEBSITE ACCESS AND COURSE COMPLETION AVAILABLE FOR STAFF ACCOUNTABILTY (YOUR DESIGNATED STAFF CAN ACCESS REPORTS OF SITE USAGE AND COURSES COMPLETED BY EACH STAFF MEMBER)

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Update From The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

It All Starts in Families and Communities

New! The Family Support Center on Disabilities: Knowledge & Involvement Network (KIN).
Welcome KIN to the scene! KIN operates a toll-free family support telephone hotline in English and Spanish to connect individuals with developmental and other disabilities and their families with helpful resources in family support. The national center will also be developing State Action Teams to improve family support services in every state and territory and build capacity in advocacy and leadership. Funded by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Toll-free number and TTY: 1.877.535.7575. Email: familysupport@aed.org.  Web: www.familysupportclearinghouse.org 

New! National Center for Parents with Disabilities and Their Families.
The new Center’s activities focus on priority issues facing parents with disabilities and their families: custody and parental evaluations; family roles and personal assistance; paratransit; and intervention with parents with cognitive and intellectual disabilities and their children. This National Center is funded by NIDRR at the U.S. Department of Education. http://lookingglass.org/ncpd/index.php 

Parent Driven Schools.
Visit this grassroots organization’s online resource that provides tools and support for parents to make sure their children receive an education that prepares them to succeed. Toll-free number: 1.800.893.6199.
Web: http://www.parentdrivenschools.com/  

Anxiety and anxiety disorders in children: Information for parents.
• http://www.nasponline.org/resources/intonline/anxiety_huberty.pdf (English)
• http://www.nasponline.org/resources/translations/anxiety_spanish.aspx (Spanish)

IEP team meetings: A guide for participation for parents.
• http://www.nasponline.org/families/iep.pdf (English)
• http://www.nasponline.org/families/iep_sp.pdf (Spanish)

Psychological evaluations: What every parent should know.
• http://www.nasponline.org/families/psycheval.pdf (English)
• http://www.nasponline.org/families/psycheval_sp.pdf (Spanish)

Being a good listener.
CADRE (the Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education) offers us all an online video on the critical skill of listening in communication and problem solving. http://www.directionservice.org/cadre/listening.cfm 

Understanding positions and interests.
Here’s another video from CADRE, which reviews the differences between positions and interests and provides specific examples.
http://www.directionservice.org/cadre/understanding_pos.cfm 

Guidelines for parents: Addressing culturally and linguistically diverse student overrepresentation in special education.

From NCCRESt, the National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems.
• http://www.nccrest.org/Briefs/Parent_Brief.pdf  (English)
• http://www.nccrest.org/Briefs/BRIEF_spanish_parent_guide_DOCUMENT.pdf  (Spanish)

The Little Ones: Early Intervention/Early Childhood

For child care professionals working with children who have disabilities.
Check out the wealth of online trainings on disability for child care professionals at the Center For Inclusive Child Care. It’s really incredible.
http://www.inclusivechildcare.org/c_learning.cfm 

2009 Train the Trainer schedule and information.
The Center for Inclusive Child Care has also announced its 2009 schedule for its Train the Trainer online courses. Topics include sensory processing disorder, challenging behaviors (including autism and AD/HD), children’s mental health, child development (both typical and atypical), and inclusion in general. http://www.inclusivechildcare.org/learning-tot.html 

Building early literacy: Practice guides especially for parents.
Do you have an infant, toddler, or preschooler with disabilities? Try CELL’s practice guide for parents, which will show you how to use everyday home and community activities to encourage your child to listen, talk, and learn the building blocks for early literacy.
http://www.earlyliteracylearning.org/pgparents.php 

Defusing violent behavior in young children: A guide for principals.
From the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).
http://www.nasponline.org/resources/handouts/revisedPDFs/defusingviolbehavior.pdf 

Schools, K-12

RTI and multi-tier interventions for students struggling with math.
This annotated bibliography of nine key studies identifies and describes the most current research available on the use of RTI to help students struggling to learn math. – Click Here 

Who qualifies for alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards?
This tool is designed to be used during a study group or stakeholder meeting to learn more about the characteristics of students who may qualify to participate in an alternate assessment based on modified academic achievement standards (AA-MAS). http://cehd.umn.edu/nceo/OnlinePubs/AA-MAStool.pdf 

Autism: From assessment to classroom intervention to social supports.
The Autism Internet Modules Project (AIM) provides comprehensive information to assist those working and living with individuals with autism spectrum disorder. http://www.autisminternetmodules.org/user_mod.php 

Preventing bullying in a positive behavior support middle school.
The PBIS Center offers this manual, among others, to address bullying prevention. http://www.pbis.org/files/newwebfiles2008/BullyPrevention_PBS_MS.pdf 

Cultural and linguistic differences: What teachers should know.
This IRIS module examines the ways in which culture influences the daily interactions that occur across all classrooms and provides practice for enhancing culturally responsive teaching. http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/clde/chalcycle.htm 

Understanding ELL’s needs and the process of language acquisition.
From the National Institute for Urban School Improvement. – Click Here

Resources for teachers of ELLs in grades 4-12.
Colorín Colorado and the American Federation of Teachers collaborated to develop new tip sheets focused on reading instruction for teachers of English language learners in grades 4-12. These tip sheets include information on what to do first, vocabulary instruction, and age-appropriate reading strategies. They are available in English and Spanish.
http://www.colorincolorado.org/guides/teachertips

Culturally responsive pedagogy and practice: A professional development module.
The National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational systems (NCCRESt) has released a new professional learning module, “Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Practice,” designed to help educators understand and create a classroom atmosphere and curriculum that integrate and respond to the vast diversity of cultures present today in our schools.
http://nccrest.org/professional/culturally_responsive_pedagogy-and.html 

PALS for reading.
The IRIS Center has released two new training modules on Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) – A Reading Strategy for Grades K-1 and A Reading Strategy for High School. Both modules provide teachers research-based information and strategies for implementing PALS techniques in their classrooms. http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/iris_new_materials.htm

How multiple intelligences theory can guide teacher practices with students with disabilities.
A 20-page brief from the National Institute for Urban School Improvement. – Click Here (pdf file download) 

New video on physical activity for children with visual impairments.
Teaching Children with Visual Impairments is a 35-minute-long free online video on physical activity instruction for students who are blind, visually impaired, or deaf-blind. The video covers the following topics: types of visual impairments, child-specific considerations, instructional techniques, safety considerations, running techniques, equipment and game modifications, and 8) teaching children who are deafblind. www.campabilitiesbrockport.org/Camp-Video.html 

Helping youth with disabilities learn to lead.
The National Consortium on Leadership and Disability/Youth offers two new self-assessments (one for youth and another for staff) for those working to improve youth development and leadership experiences for youth with disabilities in both generic and disability-specific programming.
http://www.ncld-youth.info/Resources_final.htm#youth_assessments 

Graduation and college entrance requirements in 50 states and DC.
Through an interactive map, The National High School Center makes it easy to find out about high school improvement initiatives in the USA, including what your state requires for high school graduation and getting into college.
http://www.betterhighschools.org/map/default.asp 

National transition report.
The National Council on Disability (NCD)’s The Rehabilitation Act: Outcomes for Transition-Age Youth is a comprehensive assessment of the impact of the Rehabilitation Act on the employment and postsecondary education outcomes of eligible transition-age youth.
http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/premium-publications/2008/doc/RehabilitationTransitions.doc

Strategies for improving high schools.
This report offers lessons from a conference sponsored by MDRC, the Council of the Great City Schools, and the National High School Alliance. Leaders from 22 midsize school districts describe their reform initiatives and discuss ways in which research and evaluation can inform and complement school change, including helping students transition successfully into high school, stay on track to graduation, and be prepared for moving into postsecondary education, training, or the workforce. http://www.mdrc.org/premium-publications/498/preface.html 

Evaluating the effectiveness of teachers.
This research synthesis, Approaches to Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness, examines how teacher effectiveness is currently measured and provides practical guidance for how best to evaluate teacher effectiveness. 
http://www.tqsource.org/premium-publications/teacherEffectiveness.php

State and System Tools

28th Annual Report to Congress on IDEA.
Hot off the press from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. http://www.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/osep/2006/index.html 

Joint guidance on the application of the FERPA and HIPAA to student health records.
http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/doc/ferpa-hippa-guidance.pdf

FERPA Final Rule!
Final regulations have been published for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy (FERPA).
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-28864.pdf 

Quality Counts 2009: Special focus on ELLs.
This annual report card for the nation on efforts to improve schools K-12 has English-language learners as its special theme, for the first time detailing state policies to support this diverse group of students.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2009/01/08/index.html 

National Task Force on Early Childhood Education for Hispanics.
The Task Force was established in May 2004 for the purpose of identifying major educational challenges facing Hispanic children throughout the United States from birth through the primary grades and making recommendations for actions.  http://www.ecehispanic.org/ 

Preventing disproportionate representation: Prereferral interventions.
From NCCRESt, the National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems. http://www.nccrest.org/Briefs/Pre-referral_Brief.pdf

Staffing patterns of 5 state special education units.
This In-Brief Policy Analysis describes five states’ current special education unit structures, changes in their structures, triggers for changes, and corollary changes. The states were chosen for interview because they either had already restructured or were in the midst of restructuring. These states were Delaware, Washington, DC, Maryland, New Hampshire and New York.
http://www.projectforum.org/ 

RTI: Research for your practice.
This document from the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) responds to concerns about a lack of a research base for RTI. It is a compilation of 25 of the most important articles of research for each topic regarding traditional LD diagnostic practices and RTI. http://www.centeroninstruction.org/files/RTI%20Research%20for%20Practice.pdf 

Increasing response rates to post-school outcome surveys.
Collecting Post-School Outcome Data: Strategies for Increasing Response Rates is a practice guide from the National Post-School Outcomes Center (NPSO) at the University of Oregon. The guide provides an overview of the IDEA requirements for collecting post-school outcome data, the challenges faced by states in collecting these data, and some recommended strategies from the literature as well as from state and local practice for securing sufficient response rates, especially from youth who have dropped out of school.
http://www.ndpc-sd.org/documents/Practice_Guides/Collecting_PSO_Data.pdf

Special Focus: More on Teaching English Language Learners

Woven throughout the resources listed above are links to information and guidance on teaching English language learners. Here are yet more resources we hope you’ll find interesting, insightful, and helpful.
 
Teaching academic English to ELLs.
Teaching academic English to those learning English is considered a key to academic success. From the Southeast Comprehensive Center.
http://secc.sedl.org/resources/newsletter/
ebulletin/secc-ebulletin-v2n1.pdf 

Equity and ELLs.
The Education Alliance is working with states, districts, schools, and teachers to ensure that all ELLs have access to an equitable and excellent education.
http://www.alliance.brown.edu/ae_ells.php 

Diversity kit.
This three-part kit aims to bridge the gap between research and practice with insights on language acquisition and the effects of students’ cultural backgrounds on the learning process. The interactive content of the kit can be used as a starting point for discussions in classrooms, teachers’ lounges, schools, state and district offices of education, colleges of education, and communities at large. http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/diversity_kit/ 

Instructional practices.
This publication is part of a three-guide series developed by the National Council of La Raza to help schools develop their capacity to provide appropriate curricula, instruction, and assessment for ELLs. This guide is designed for teachers, academic coaches, staff developers, and school leaders and provides instructional strategies, techniques, and guidelines helpful for engaging ELLs and other diverse learners. http://www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/nclr/edells_impinstprct.pdf 

A DVD set on ELL and LD.
In 2004, NCCRESt hosted a conference on English Language Learners Struggling to Learn: Emergent Research on Linguistic Differences and Learning Disabilities. Here’s the DVD set, which includes presentations from leading experts on issues for ELLs.  http://www.nccrest.org/premium-publications/dvd.html 

Practical guidelines for ELL education: Instruction and academic interventions.
From the Center on Instruction.
www.centeroninstruction.org/files/ELL1-Interventions.pdf

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Calls to Participate

Casey Family Programs’ 2020 Youth/Alumni Advisors
http://tinyurl.com/d9pc7a
Casey Family Programs is seeking adults and young people (ages 11 and older) to advise them as they implement their 2020 Strategy. Advisors must currently be in foster care, or have experienced foster care in the past. Candidates for this role should also have experience in the areas of mental health, education, or employment. If you have questions, contact Gregory Davis at gdavis@casey.org. 

Exceptional Parent and the University Of Illinois at Chicago
http://www.healthforyouth.org/
The University of Illinois at Chicago is looking for parents and caregivers of children aged 12 – 18 with special needs to complete an internet-based survey on the lifestyle and environment of adolescents with disabilities. This survey can be accessed at the website and entered using the access code: ECP3. For more information, or if you experience any difficulty accessing the survey, please contact Brienne Davis, Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago, by email (bdavis7@uic.edu), or by phone (312-355-4054).

Exceptional Parent and the University Of Illinois at Chicago
http://www.healthforyouth.org/
The University of Illinois at Chicago is looking for parents and caregivers of children aged 12 – 18 with special needs to complete an internet-based survey on the lifestyle and environment of adolescents with disabilities. This survey can be accessed at the Web site and entered using the access code: ECP3.

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Special Education Resources

Family Guide to Systems of Care for Children with Mental Health Needs 
Guide
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/premium-publications/allpubs/Ca-0029/default.asp
This guide to systems of care for families, from the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, a national family-run organization dedicated to helping children with mental health needs and their families achieve a better quality of life, provides information about how to seek care for children with mental health needs. The content and format were determined by families across the country.

Improving Higher Education Outcomes for Students from Foster Care 
Report
http://www.casey.org/Resources/Publications/HigherEdFramework.htm
Only about 10% of students from foster care enroll in higher education – with less than 2% earning bachelor’s degrees. This Casey Family Programs resource can assist colleges in improving their support for students coming from foster care.

Latino Students and U.S. High Schools 
Fact Sheet
http://www.all4ed.org/files/Latino_FactSheet.pdf
Almost five million Latino students were enrolled in America’s public schools in the 1993-94 school year. By 2005-06, that number had doubled. “Latino Students and U.S. High Schools”, from the Alliance for Excellent Education, provides information on how the nation’s high schools are failing too many Latino youth and updates data on schools, segregation, and teacher quality. Available in pdf (3 pages, 262 KB).

Learning to Lead Leadership Assessments for Youth and Staff 
Assessments
http://www.ncld-youth.info/Resources_final.htm#youth_assessments
Two new publications from the National Center on Learning Disabilities-Youth (NCLD-Youth) and its sister center National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) allow youth with disabilities and staff working with these youth to assess the emerging leadership skills of the youth. “Learning to Lead? A Self-Assessment for Youth,” helps emerging leaders look at how they’re growing in terms of achieving youth development and leadership outcomes in the areas of learning, connecting, thriving, working and leading. “Are They Learning to Lead? A Self-Assessment for Staff,” helps staff of youth development and leadership programs evaluate how their program is helping youth achieve in these areas.

National Center for Education Statistics’ “Course Credit Accrual and Dropping Out of High School, by Student Characteristics”  
Report
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2009035
This Statistics in Brief report from the National Center for Education Statistics, within the Institute of Education Sciences, examined data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 on the number of credits earned by high school students and the relationship between course credit accrual and dropping out. It found that that high school dropouts earned fewer credits than on-time graduates, and the cumulative course credit accrual gap increased with each year.

NCCRESt’s “Culturally Responsive Response to Intervention”  
Learning Module
http://www.nccrest.org/professional/culturally_responsive_response_to_intervention.html
NCCRESt has published a new learning module on Culturally Responsive Response to Intervention. The module is organized into three academies: (1) Culturally Responsive Response to Intervention Models, (2) Using Data to Assess Student Progress and Inform Educational Decisions in Culturally Responsive RTI Models, and (3) Ensuring Culturally Responsive Student Supports. Each of these areas includes a free facilitator manual, PowerPoint presentation, and participant handouts.

Students with Disabilities in U.S. High Schools Fact Sheet  
Fact Sheet
http://www.all4ed.org/files/Disabilities_FactSheet.pdf
Nearly one third of the more than six million students with disabilities in U.S. public schools are of high school age, and many face barriers and challenges to receiving an equitable education. The Alliance for Excellent Education has published “Students with Disabilities in U.S. High Schools”, which examines dropout rates, college- and work-readiness, and transition for this group of students. Available in pdf (3 pages, 179 KB).

Supporting Student Outcomes through Expanded Learning Opportunities 
Report
http://tinyurl.com/c43vrv
This paper, form the Harvard Family Research Project, looks at the role of after school and summer learning programs in supporting student success, with information on the benefits of expanded learning, why and how schools should partner, and a warrant for future research on expanded learning and education reform.

The Cost of Quality Out-of-School Programs 
Report
http://tinyurl.com/c5lzrp
What does a quality after-school program cost? Based on cost data collected from 111 out-of-school-time programs in six cities, this report provides cost averages and ranges for many common types of programs, and includes an online calculator and resources to help design the best programs for a given community.

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Get Wired!—The Latest on Websites and Listservs

College Options for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
http://transitiontocollege.net/
For students with intellectual disabilities considering college, a new Web site created by the Post-Secondary Education Research Center (PERC) project offers overviews and links to a number of programs.

National Center for Education Statistics Updates State Education Reforms Web site
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/statereform/
The State Education Reforms Web site, based on the report “Overview and Inventory of State Education Reforms: 1990 to 2000,” is updated periodically to incorporate new data on state education reform.

Proyecto Visión Newsletter
http://www.proyectovision.net/english/news/index.html
The Proyecto Visión newsletter for Winter 2009 includes interviews with disability advocate Stephanie Ortoleva and writer Natasha Álvarez and introduces new Proyecto Visión pages on Facebook and YouTube.

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Intersection: Navigating the Road toWork

Members: All information in this section can be retrieved by going to http://www.ncwd-youth.info/intersection/current_issue.html

Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) Releases New Documents
ODEP’s revised Business Case for Hiring People with Disabilities, including returning disabled veterans, features video clips, research and anecdotal information from businesses and industry leaders on how hiring people with disabilities improves an organization’s bottom line across six themes: Return on Investment, Human Capital, Innovation, Marketing, Diversity, and Social Responsibility.

Additionally, ODEP has released a Survey of Employer Perspectives on the Employment of People with Disabilities, a technical report which emphasizes current attitudes and practices of employers in 12 industry sectors, including some high growth industries as projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The objective of the nationally representative survey is to inform the development and promotion of policy and practice by comparing employer perspectives across various industries and within companies of varying sizes. It was found that 19.1 percent of employers surveyed report employing people with disabilities and 13.6 percent of companies actively recruit people with disabilities.

ODEP has also released two new fact sheets:

• Making Workplace Accommodations
• Employee Assistance Programs for a New Generation of Employees

DOL Releases First Official Data on the Employment Status of People with Disabilities

On Friday February 6, 2009, the U.S. Department of Labor released the first official data on the employment status of persons with disabilities. In January 2009, the percent of people with disabilities in the labor force was 23.1. The unemployment rate for those with disabilities was 13.2 percent.

These data provide, for the first time, an official monthly measure of the labor force situation for people with disabilities. ODEP sponsored the addition of new disability questions to the Current Population Survey (CPS) starting in June 2008. The addition of these questions to the CPS will allow the analysis of the labor force situation of persons with disabilities to be based on the same concepts that are already used for other groups. In addition to using the data to formulate policy recommendations, ODEP will use them to target its training, technical assistance, research, and dissemination efforts. To learn more see http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsdisability.htm.

NCWD/Youth

At the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth you can find the Guideposts for Employer Success which is organized with the explicit purpose of helping workforce development policy makers meet the needs of employers. There are two categories within the framework. The first focuses on what system designers (state and local) need to do. The second looks at what individual programs which include a wide array of education and training institutions such as community rehabilitation centers, secondary and post secondary institutions, apprenticeship programs, and One-Stop Centers need to do.

20 Years of NAWDP: Celebrating theProfession

The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) is excited to announce that registration for the 2009 Annual Conference is OPEN! The NAWDP conference is scheduled from May 31st through June 3rd in Minneapolis, MN. For more information contact NAWDP at 202-589-1790 or check out the 2009 Annual Conference Page to find out all of the latest information.

TASH Webinar Series

TASH is now offering a four-part webinar series featuring some of the nations most respected and engaging authorities and trainers on inclusive education. To register for the webinar series and pay online visit TASH’s website.
Casey Family Programs Requests Nominations for Youth and Alumni Advisors
Casey Family Programs is seeking adults and young people (ages 11 and older) to advise them as they implement their 2020 Strategy. Advisors must currently be in foster care, or have experienced foster care in the past. Candidates for this role should also have experience in the areas of mental health, education, or employment. Those who are selected will advise Casey Family Programs’ executive leadership in the development of strategies and policy positions around child welfare, education, employment, and mental health. Submit a nomination. If you have questions, please contact Gregory Davis.

Partner’s Highlight

National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) Receives $5.6 million from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

NYEC and other grantees will use a collective total of $69 million from the Gates Foundation to achieve the goals of the foundation’s Postsecondary Success Initiative. This initiative seeks to double the number of low-income young adults in America who earn postsecondary degrees by the age of 26—an increase of approximately 250,000 graduates each year. NYEC’s members include Casey Family Programs and other organizations that advocate on behalf of disadvantaged youth, including those who have experienced foster care.

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

NYEC has released a new publication which profiles state policy in Indiana, Massachusetts, and North Carolina on how various education options are accessing public funds in three states. They contextualize the funding of education options within larger secondary education reform and dropout prevention and recovery efforts and provide a close look at state education funding policy in each of the three states. Copies are available at nyec.org/pn_tools/prodreg.cfm

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Funding Forecast and Award Opportunities

Forecast of Funding Opportunities under the Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 2008-2009
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 2008-2009 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 2008-2009 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.

HP Innovations in Education Seeks Proposals from Secondary School Districts
http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15016671/hpgrants
The 2009 HP Innovations in Education grants for secondary school districts in the United States will provide funding to school districts launching innovative pilot initiatives that support administrators and teachers responsible for student success in math and science in middle and/or high schools. HP will award approximately 25 grants to public or qualified private school districts. Each grant is valued at more than $270,000 in HP technology, cash, and professional development. Deadline: March 30, 2009

Kohl’s Kids Who Care Scholarship Program
http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15016669/kohlscorp
Through the Kohl’s Kids Who Care scholarship program, the Kohl’s Corporation plans to award over $350,000 in scholarships and prizes in 2009 to kids whose volunteer efforts in the last twelve months have made helped make their communities better places. The activity cannot be performed solely to benefit a family member. Deadline: March 15, 2009

National Center for Family Literacy Grants to Support Hispanic/Immigrant Family Literacy
http://www.famlit.org/site/c.gtJWJdMQIsE/b.1204561/k.BD7C/Home.htm
The National Center for Family Literacy seeks applications from U.S. school districts to implement the Toyota Family Literacy Program. The opportunity builds on Toyota’s commitment to the program, currently serving 75 elementary schools in 25 cities. The program targets U.S. communities with fast-growing Hispanic and other immigrant populations with a family literacy approach designed to increase basic language and literacy skills and provides parents with the specific skills they need to help their children succeed. Deadline: February 20, 2009 (Capability Survey)

NEA Foundation Grants to Improve Academic Achievement
http://www.neafoundation.org/programs/StudentAchievement_Guidelines.htm
The NEA Foundation provides grants of up to $5,000 to improve academic achievement of students in U.S. public schools and public higher education institutions in any subject area(s). The proposed work should engage students in critical thinking and problem solving that deepen their knowledge of standards-based subject matter and should improve habits of inquiry, self-directed learning, and critical reflection. Proposals for work resulting in low-income and minority student success with honors, advanced placement, or other challenging curricula are particularly encouraged. Deadline: ongoing; deadline for September 15 notification period: June 1, 2009.

Sprint Character Education Grant Program
http://www.sprint.com/responsibility/education/character/index.html?id8=vanity:educationgrants
Sprint provides grant funding to U.S. public schools (K-12) and U.S. public school districts, to support character education programs promoting leadership, voluntarism, character education, and school pride. Grants will fund the purchase of resource materials, supplies, teacher training, and equipment that facilitates character education for K-12 students. Examples of eligible programs include character education curriculum and character education teacher training, direct project-related costs for service-learning programs, and leadership and mentor training. Public schools may apply for individual school grants of up to $5,000 each; public school districts for district-wide grants of up to $25,000 each. Deadline: February 27, 2009

Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
http://www.paemst.org/controllers/home.cfc?method=view
The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching are among the nation’s highest honors for teachers of mathematics and science, recognizing highly qualified teachers for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession. Maximum award: $10,000. Eligibility: teachers grades 7-12 with five years experience teaching math or science. Deadline: May 1, 2009.

Questbridge: College Prep Program for High School Juniors
http://www.questbridge.org/access/collegepreptext/
Questbridge, a non-profit organization dedicated to giving high-achieving low-income students resources during the college application process, is accepting applications for its College Prep Program for High School Juniors. Maximum award: full scholarship to summer program, college admissions counseling, and attendance at college preparatory conferences. Eligibility: qualified low-income high school juniors. Deadline: March 31, 2009

Horace Mann Companies College Course Scholarship for K-12 Educators
https://www.horacemann.com/resources/scholarships/default.aspx
K-12 educators with at least two years’ experience in U.S. public or private schools will receive scholarships of up to $5,000, paid to the college or university where they take classes. Applicants must be K-12 educators currently employed by a U.S. public or private school and planning to enter a two- or four-year accredited college or university. The college must be a public or private, not-for-profit institute. Applicants must have at least two or more years of teaching experience. Scholarship applicants will be judged on a written essay and school and community activities. (Applicants who have all educational expenses paid through other scholarships and/or grants are ineligible. The program is not open to residents of Hawaii, New Jersey, and New York.) Deadline: March 12, 2009.

Through the Looking Glass 2009 College Scholarships for Students with Parents with Disabilities
http://lookingglass.org/ncpd/index.php
Through the Looking Glass and its National Center for Parents with Disabilities and their Families are pleased to announce new scholarships specifically for high school seniors and college students who have parents with disabilities. These scholarships have different application procedures than in the past. There are two separate scholarship awards, with separate eligibility requirements. High School Seniors: to be eligible, a student must be a high school graduate (or graduating senior) by Summer 2009, be planning to attend college in Fall 2009 and have at least one parent with a disability. College Students: to be eligible, must be currently enrolled in a college or university, be 21 years of age or younger as of March 16, 2009, and have at least one parent with a disability. Five $1000 awards will be given in each category in Fall 2009; individuals may submit only one application per award period. Selection criteria include academic performance, community activities and service, letters of recommendation, and an essay describing the experience of growing up with a parent with a disability. Deadline: March 16, 2009.

NEA Foundation Accepting Applications for Student Achievement and Learning & Leadership Grants Programs
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/rfp_item.jhtml?id=237100008
Grants will be awarded to K-12 public school teachers, education support professionals, and higher education faculty working to improve their own professional development and the academic achievement of students. The Student Achievement Grants ($5,000 each) should improve students’ critical thinking and problem solving and habits of inquiry, self-directed learning, and critical reflection. Proposals for work resulting in low-income and minority student success with challenging curricula are particularly encouraged. The Learning & Leadership Grants are to individuals ($2,000 each) fund participation in professional development experiences such as summer institutes and action research or to groups ($5,000 each) to fund collegial study, including study groups, action research, lesson study, and mentoring experiences for faculty or staff new to an assignment. Deadline: February 1, 2009; June 1, 2009; and October 15, 2009.

Plum Grants
http://www.dosomething.org/programs/plum-grant-guidelines
Individuals who have recently created a sustainable community action project, program or organization and need $500 to further the growth and success of the program are eligible to apply for a Plum Youth Grant. Plum grants are given out weekly. Deadline: None.

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

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.

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.

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 NASET Special 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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