Table of Contents
- House-Senate Conference to Begin on Special Education Reform Bill
- McKeon Bill to Expand Access to Technology for Individuals with Disabilities
- Approved by House, Ready for President’s Signature
- House Passes GOP Bill to Shut Down Excess Taxpayer Subsidies for Loan Providers, Use Money to Help Teachers and Poor Schools
- Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act Comes to a Halt
Schools Sue for Special Needs Money - Meeting the Educational Needs of Students with Disabilities in Short-Term Detention Facilities (CD-ROM)
- Family’s landmark autism victory
- Special Needs Children “Shut Out by Teachers’ Attitudes” –United Kingdom
- Epilepsy Associated with Higher Risk for Learning Disabilities
- Individual with Dyslexia in cash fight over ‘negligent’ schools-Liverpool, England
- Special school teachers to give kids medical aid-Japan
U.S. Department of Education News
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Resources from the Office of Special
- Education Programs (2004)-Report
- Special Program by U.S. Department of Education — “Brown vs. Board of Education: The Promise and the Challenge” (Video)
- Free, Online, On-Demand, Professional Development
Federal Grant Opportunities: U.S.
Department of Education Grants
- Forecast of Funding Opportunities under Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 2004
- FY 2004 Discretionary Grant Application Packages
- DisneyHand Teacher Awards (Adult Scholarship)
- VSA arts Offers Young Soloists Awards for Performing Artists with Disabilities (Youth and Adult Scholarship)
- No Child Left behind-Standard Technology for Students with Disabilities
- Making the No Child Left Behind Act Work for Children Who Struggle to Learn: A Parent’s Guide (2004)-Guidebook
- New National Survey Shows Public Support for No Child Left Behind Act is Increasing; Recent Negative Attacks & Distortions on Education Reform Law Have Fallen Flat
- On the Horizon
- Maryland’s “Nonpublic Schools Workgroup” Ties the Public and Private Sectors Together To Help All Students
- Rural Teachers and No Child Left Behind
- Links for Teachers
- eLearning for Teachers
National Institute of Health News
- NIH Funds Centers to Study Islet Transplantation
- NIMH Grant to Explore Genetics of Autism
- Psychotherapy and Medications are Best for Youth with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- State offering help in gauging early childhood-Comprehensive list shows typical abilities to age 5
- National Early Childhood Transition Searchable Database (Web Page)
From The National Dissemination
- Autism Resources on NICHCY Web Site
- Grading Students with Disabilities Modifications in testing, what the law requires, and basic “rules.”
Topics of Interest for Special
- Panel Finds That Scare Tactics for Violence Prevention are Harmful-Good news is that positive approaches show promise
- Some parents worry whether inclusion is the right thing
- Streaming allows deaf to learn online.html
- Online Learning: A Smart Way to Nurture Gifted Kids
- Time-Out Room Guidelines
- Bush Signs Youth Suicide Prevention Bill-Grants Include Money for Early Intervention
- Union Seeks Streamlining for Special Ed Formula
- Findings From the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2)
November 16, 2004-1:00-2:00 p.m. Central Time - Parents Working to Eliminate Hurtful Acronym for Special Education
- Election Day Information
The National Center on Secondary
- Teaching Social Skills (October 2004)-Information Brief
- In Their Own Words: Employer Perspectives on Youth with Disabilities in the
Workplace (Guidebook) - Diabetes and the Workplace -(Fact sheet)
- Free Access to Training Videotapes (Video)
Upcoming Events and Conferences
Message from the President –
Dr. Roger Pierangelo
Welcome to the November, 2004 edition of the Special Educator E-Journal.
Beginning in November of 2004, The National Association of Special Education Teachers will be sending you NASET NEWS ALERTS. NASET NEWS ALERTS will provide you with the latest news breaking stories happening in special education, especially as it relates to teaching students with special needs.
NASET NEWS ALERTS will come to you in electronic format (via email) with:
Re: NASET NEWS ALERT—TITLE OF THE ALERT.
For example, if NASET were updating you on the latest reauthorization update on IDEA from Congress, you might receive an email with:
Re: NASET NEWS ALERT-IDEA Reauthorization Update
This will be your notification that the email is coming from NASET and it is an up to date source of information that we feel may be valuable to you at this time. All NASET NEWS ALERTS will be saved and then provided in the next NASET Special Educator E-Journal.
We will assume that you, as a member, would like to receive these NASET NEWS ALERTS as they happen. However, if you prefer not to receive any NASET NEWS ALERTS at this time, please email us at news@naset.org and simply state “Please remove my name from the NASET NEWS ALERTS”.
We feel that NASET NEWS ALERTS will enhance your information on what’s happening in the field of special education, as well as your professional development as an educator. NASET is always looking for new and innovative ideas.
Finally, we here at NASET hope that if you have any ideas or suggestions that you feel would enhance The Special Educator E-Journal that you contact us at news.naset.org (or if you have any ideas at all about how NASET can better serve your needs, please write to us at contactus@naset.org). We look forward to hearing from you
Sincerely,
Dr. Roger Pierangelo, President
Legal Issues Corner
House-Senate Conference to Begin on Special Education Reform Bill
Republican education leaders in the U.S. House applauded Speaker Dennis Hastert for appointing conferees to work with the Senate in conference to produce a final special education reform bill that can be signed into law by President Bush before the end of the year.
The House-Senate conference on special education reform will reconcile differing versions of legislation passed by the House and Senate to strengthen and renew the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the nation’s special education law.
“I believe the President will have the chance to sign legislation before the end of 2004 that will support special education teachers and improve academic results for children with disabilities,” said Education & the Workforce Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-OH). “I look forward to working with Democrats and Republicans in the coming weeks to ensure this happens.”
In April 2003, the House passed special education reform legislation (H.R. 1350), authored by Education Reform Subcommittee Chairman Mike Castle (R-DE), that would refocus the IDEA to improve education results for students with disabilities and reduce the paperwork burden on special education teachers. That bill, which received bipartisan support, has been hailed by school administrators as “the best special education policy revisions we’ve seen in decades.”
“The Improving Education Results for Children with Disabilities Act aims to improve current law by focusing on improved education results, reducing the paperwork burden for special education teachers, and addressing the problem of over identification of minority students as disabled. In addition, this bill seeks to reduce litigation, and reform special education finance and funding,” said Castle. “By appointing conferees, the House today is sending a strong signal that we intend to complete our work and send a final bill to the President for his signature this year. The reforms included in this bill are too important to wait.”
Education & the Workforce Committee members appointed as conferees are:
- Education & the Workforce Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-OH)
- Education Reform Subcommittee Chairman Mike Castle (R-DE)
- Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI)
- Rep. Ric Keller (R-FL)
- Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC)
- Education & the Workforce Committee Ranking Minority Member George Miller (D-CA)
- Education Reform Subcommittee Ranking Minority Member Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
- Rep. Major Owens (D-NY)
McKeon Bill to Expand Access to Technology for Individuals with Disabilities Approved by House, Ready for President’s Signature
The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed legislation authored by 21st Century Competitiveness Subcommittee Chairman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) to expand access to technology for individuals with disabilities. The bill, the Assistive Technology Act of 2004 (H.R. 4278), is now headed to President Bush for his signature.
“This bill shifts the focus of the program to provide greater benefit to individuals with disabilities. Our goal is to help states get more assistive technology directly into the hands of individuals with disabilities,” said McKeon. “I know this will help states continue to make progress in their efforts to expand access to assistive technology, and that increasing numbers of individuals with disabilities will be able to participate in society more fully everyday.”
The bipartisan bill, approved last week by the U.S. Senate, will strengthen assistive technology programs by refocusing resources to provide more direct aid to individuals with disabilities. By requiring states to spend the majority of their assistive technology grants on activities that directly benefit individuals with disabilities, the Assistive Technology Act of 2004 will help guarantee individuals will have greater access to assistive technology. The bill encourages states to invest in the programs that have been shown the most effective in providing assistive technology devices.
Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), chairman of the Education & the Workforce Committee, praised the bill’s reforms. “This bill is a milestone for Americans with disabilities who depend on assistive technology to improve their quality of life,” said Boehner. “By devoting fewer resources to building bureaucracy, this bill will expand access to needed technology for Americans of all ages living with disabilities.”
A summary of the Assistive Technology Act of 2004 can be accessed at: https://edworkforce.house.gov/issues/108th/education/at/billsummary.htm
House Passes GOP Bill to Shut Down Excess Taxpayer Subsidies for Loan Providers, Use Money to Help Teachers and Poor Schools
The Taxpayer-Teacher Protection Act (H.R. 5186) would shut down the excess subsidies and devote hundreds of millions instead to creating new incentives for high-quality teachers to teach in the nation’s poorest urban and rural schools. Specifically, the bill would expand federal student loan forgiveness from the current maximum of $5,000 to a new maximum of $17,500 for math, science, and special education teachers who commit to teaching for five years in schools located in high-poverty areas. President Bush has called on Congress to provide these incentives to help poor schools meet the high standards called for in the No Child Left Behind Act, which calls for states to have a highly qualified teacher in every public classroom. Similar legislation authored by Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) passed the House in 2003.
“Today, the Republican Congress has proven once again that improving education is about results over rhetoric. With common sense solutions, we are making it possible to have a highly qualified teacher in every classroom,” said Wilson . “Thanks to the leadership of Chairman Boehner and President Bush, we are making a real difference in lives of children in disadvantaged communities.”
H.R. 5186 has been applauded by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, which represents 100,000 educators across the nation.
“We are pleased and gratified to see action being taken to provide tangible support for the oft-stated goal of attracting and retaining quality mathematics teachers in classrooms where they are most needed,” wrote NCTM President Cathy L. Seeley in an October 4, 2004 letter to Chairman Boehner. “Providing up to $17,500 in federal student loan forgiveness for deserving early-career teachers should make our critically important and rewarding profession more appealing to young teachers.”
For further information on efforts to end excess taxpayer subsidies to student loan providers and support high quality teachers, visit https://edworkforce.house.gov/.
Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act Comes to a Halt
As Congress moved toward adjournment, efforts to reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act came to a halt. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee decided not to go forward and bring the Senate’s version of Reauthorization legislation to the full Senate for consideration, and the House was also unable to schedule a floor vote on its version of legislation. The reauthorization process will now likely resume sometime after the 109th Congress begins in January, at which point the process must start over with the introduction of legislation in both the House and Senate. For complete details, visit:
https://www.acteonline.org/policy/legislative_issues/Perkins_status.cfm
Schools sue for special needs money-State should pay for more of the services, 11 districts argue
Eleven Washington school districts are suing the state in an effort to obtain full funding for special-education services. The lawsuit, filed yesterday at the Thurston County Courthouse in Olympia, names as defendants the state of Washington, Gov. Gary Locke, Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson, Lt. Gov. Brad Owen and House Speaker Frank Chopp. Educators say the suit is needed after years of unsuccessful appeals to legislators to fully fund basic educational services, including special education. For more details, visit:
https://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/193347_specialed01.html
Meeting the Educational Needs of Students with Disabilities in Short-Term Detention Facilities (CD-ROM)
This CD-ROM, from the National Center on Education, Disability, and Juvenile Justice (EDJJ), provides an overview of the issues and strategies involved in the delivery of special education and related services in jails and detention centers. The CD is designed as a guide for the implementation of basic components of special education programs and practices in short-term detention facilities and is based on available research, best practice, and the experiences of the authors. Available for purchase from EDJJ for $7.50. For more details, visit: https://www.edjj.org/CD/
International News
Family’s landmark autism victory
An east Belfast family has won a legal battle to get full funding for an intensive course of home teaching for their autistic son. For complete details, go to:
https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3718630.stm
Special Needs Children “Shut Out by Teachers’ Attitudes” –United Kingdom
Teachers’ attitudes were blamed today for the failure of many schools to open their doors to children with special needs. Three years after new laws were passed to make schools more “inclusive”, the proportion of children with physical or learning difficulties in mainstream schools has not risen, Ofsted said. Officers focusing on special educational needs found that in almost half the primary and secondary schools visited, “the perceptions of staff” were “a major barrier to effective inclusion”. For more details, visit: https://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3614503
Epilepsy Associated with Higher Risk for Learning Disabilities
A recent study published in Epilepsia, the official journal of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), indicates that people who have uncontrolled seizures on the left side of their brains are more likely to have learning disabilities, in comparison to people who have seizures on the right side of their brains. Epilepsy, a neurological disorder associated with recurrent seizures, affects 0.5% to 1% of the population. In the U.S., about 2.5 million people have this disorder and about 9% of Americans will have at least one seizure during their lives. For more details, visit:
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2004-10/bpl-eaw101204.php
Individual with Dyslexia in cash fight over ‘negligent’ schools-Liverpool, England
Richard Smith suffers from severe dyslexia. Even worse for him, he went through his school life without the problem being diagnosed. Instead of receiving special help with his reading and writing skills, he was perceived as a slow learner and sent to special schools. When he left school in 1994, he did not have a single qualification, having lost interest towards the end of his last school year.
Richard was recently assessed as being of average or above average ability, yet was taught alongside children with severe problems including Downs Syndrome and cerebral palsy. Richard is now bringing a legal case against the three education authorities where he was taught – Liverpool, Portsmouth and Knowsley.
His claim, now with the High Court, is for damages exceeding £50,000. In it, his solicitor Christopher Newton, from Kirkby-based Maxwell Entwistle and Byrne, said: “Mr. Smith has lost the opportunity to enter employment at the level of an average school leaver and has suffered and continues to suffer a corresponding loss of earnings. For more details, visit:
https://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_objectid=14716060%26method=full%26siteid=50061%26page=2%26headline=dyslexic%2din%2dcash%2dfight%2dover%2d%2dnegligent%2d%2dschools-name_page.html
Special school teachers to give kids medical aid-Japan
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has decided to allow teachers at schools for blind and deaf children, and those with other physical disabilities to conduct a limited number of medical procedures for seriously disabled students, ministry officials said. For more details, visit: https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20041022wo03.htm
U.S. Department of Education News
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Resources from the Office of Special Education Programs (2004)-Report
The U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) recently released Part II of a two-part resource guide on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Part I, entitled ³Identifying and Treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Resource for School and Home² is designed for families and educators. Part II, entitled ³Teaching Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices², is designed for teachers, other school staff, and families. Suggestions of research-based academic instruction, behavioral interventions, and classroom accommodations are provided. Both documents are available in Word and PDF
formats. For more details, visit: https://www.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/osep/index.html#adhd-res
Special Program by U.S. Department of Education — “Brown vs. Board of Education: The Promise and the Challenge” (Video)
The U.S. Department of Education has produced a video that celebrates the anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court case Brown vs. Board of Education and examines its impact and legacy. Schools, communities and broadcast facilities are encouraged to take advantage of this taped program. The package contains four short video pieces and concludes with related resources. Please allow 3-4 weeks for processing and delivery. To request your VHS or BETA copy, send an e-mail to Education.TV@ed.gov with the following information: the video you are requesting (“Brown vs. Board of Education: The Promise and the Challenge”), Your Name,
Organization/Broadcast Facility/Station Number, Address, E-mail, and Phone. For complete details, go to: https://www.rackercenters.org/the_bigger_picture/in_the_news.php4?myId=219
Free, Online, On-Demand, Professional Development
As part of a follow-up to the summer workshops, the U.S. Department of Education is making the sessions available online [https://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/tools/initiative/index.html] for teachers to access. Each session comes complete with a course overview, study guide, assessment, follow-up activities, handouts and additional resources for teachers.
In most states, educators have several options for renewing their professional certification. Earning professional development credit, sometimes referred to as in-service or continuing education, is one of those options. If you desire to obtain credit for taking a course on the Teacher-to-Teacher Web site, please contact your local professional development office to determine whether these courses fit the guidelines specific to your area or state. Four sessions are currently available online at https://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/tools/initiative/index.html
Federal Grant Opportunities: U.S.
Department of Education Grants
Forecast of Funding Opportunities under Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 2004
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 2004 and provides actual or estimated deadline dates for the transmittal of applications under these programs. The lists are in the form of charts organized according to the Department¹s principal program offices and include programs and competitions previously announced as well as those to be announced at a later date. For more details, visit:
https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edlite-forecast.html
FY 2004 Discretionary Grant Application Packages
This site, from the Department of Education, provides information on grant competitions that are currently open. For more details, visit: https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/
DisneyHand Teacher Awards (Adult Scholarship)
DisneyHand, the worldwide philanthropic initiative of the Walt Disney Company, seeks to honor some of the most creative, inspiring teachers across the United States with the annual DisneyHand teacher awards. The focus of the awards program is to recognize the teaching profession, showcase creativity in the classroom, and honor those who can assist in developing creative teaching strategies in their school districts. Only full-time teachers are eligible for the awards program. For more details, visit: https://disney.go.com/disneyhand/learning/teacherawards/nominate.html
VSA arts Offers Young Soloists Awards for Performing Artists with Disabilities (Youth and Adult Scholarship)
VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization working to help create a society where people with disabilities can learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts. The VSA arts Young Soloists Award annually recognize outstanding young musicians with disabilities, ages 25 and under, who have exhibited exceptional talents as vocalists or instrumentalists. Each year, a committee of music professionals selects four award recipients to receive scholarship funds and the opportunity to perform at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. All types of music are encouraged. For more details, visit: https://www.vsarts.org/x22.xml
No Child Left Behind News
No Child Left behind-Standard Technology for Students with Disabilities
Students with blindness, low vision and print disabilities are expected to gain improved access to textbooks thanks to a voluntary standardized format for electronic files now available, U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige recently announced.
Textbooks and classroom materials produced according to this voluntary benchmark, called National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS), will be in an electronic format that can be adapted to create products ranging from Braille editions of textbooks to on-screen displays of text and graphics. In past years, the lack of a standardized format meant that publishers had to produce materials in multiple formats—often causing delays that meant students with disabilities did not receive their textbooks in time for the beginning of the school year.
To address these challenges, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs provided funding to the National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum at the Center for Applied Special Technology, Inc. (CAST) to convene an expert panel to establish a voluntary, standardized format for materials. The 40-member panel included educators, publishers, technology specialists and advocacy group members.
In addition, the Education Department recently awarded CAST two grants to support further development of NIMAS and to provide technical assistance to states that are implementing the standard, in order to improve academic results for students with disabilities.
For more information on the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard, visit www.cast.org/NFF/NIMAS.
Making the No Child Left Behind Act Work for Children Who Struggle to Learn: A Parent’s Guide (2004)-Guidebook
Two national organizations, the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) and Schwab Learning, have collaborated to develop a handbook designed to provide simple, accessible information for parents on the No Child Left Behind Act. The guide addresses the special issues, challenges and opportunities facing parents of children who struggle to learn. Available in PDF (22 pages). For more details, visit: https://www.ld.org/NCLB/NCLB.cfm
New National Survey Shows Public Support for No Child Left Behind Act is Increasing; Recent Negative Attacks & Distortions on Education Reform Law Have Fallen Flat
Washington, D.C. – U.S. House Education & the Workforce Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-OH) today called attention to a new national survey that shows public support for the No Child Left Behind education reform law is significant and rising, even after many weeks of negative attacks and distortions by education reform opponents. The national survey of 1,000 people, released today by Americans for Better Education (ABE), was conducted by The Winston Group on October 11-12, 2004, and has an error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
“These results show strong and growing support for the No Child Left Behind Act and its emphasis on high standards over government spending increases,” Boehner said. “Americans are far more concerned about children passing through our schools without learning to read than they are about students facing too many tests. They support testing teachers and making sure they’re qualified. They aren’t buying the negative rhetoric about funding, and they certainly aren’t supportive of lowering standards or making it easier for states or school districts to hide the fact that some children are not learning.”
Among the poll’s key findings:
-Support for NCLB is growing stronger among the American public, with support highest among African-Americans and parents of children in public schools. President Bush’s No Child Left Behind law is viewed favorably by the American public (58% favorable, 28% unfavorable). African-Americans have a favorable view of No Child Left Behind at a higher margin (62%-25%) than the national number. A majority of Hispanics (54%-24%) view NCLB favorably and support among parents of children in public schools remains strong (62%-28%).
-High standards and accountability trump spending. Americans continue to overwhelmingly support the philosophy of standards and accountability, over increased spending. A whopping 61% believe raising standards and accountability are more important to improving America’s schools than increasing funding (32%).
-Americans believe the federal government should hold states and schools accountable for results when they use federal education funds. Americans overwhelmingly (72%) continue to believe the federal government should be able to hold states and local schools accountable for using federal funds to improve student achievement; only 25% do not.
-More Americans are seeing a local impact. 43% of Americans are aware of changes in their local schools as a result of President Bush’s No Child Left Behind law, compared to 33% in an ABE survey conducted earlier this year.
Americans do not believe students take too many tests. Asked which is the bigger problem — children passing through U.S. schools without learning to read, or children being forced to take too many tests — Americans overwhelmingly (74%) believe the more important problem in education is that children are passing through schools without learning to read. Only 19% believe the bigger problem is too many tests.
On the Horizon
November 15-19
International Education Week. To download promotional materials and view planned activities, visit https://exchanges.state.gov/iew/.
November 16
8:00-9:00 p.m. E.T.
Education News Parents Can Use monthly broadcast will focus on approaches for preventing dropouts. Visit www.ed.gov/news/av/video/edtv or call 1-800-USA-LEARN for details.
December 6-8
Washington, D.C.
“Partnering to Prevent Truancy: A National Priority” conference, hosted by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education. Visit https://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/2004TruancyConference for online registration or call 202-307-5911 for more information.
Maryland’s “Nonpublic Schools Workgroup” Ties the Public and Private Sectors Together To Help All Students
One boy needs extra help in reading; a girl needs assistance in learning the English language; and middle school students are participating in a conflict resolution program. Even though the boy goes to a Jewish Day School, the girl attends her parish Catholic school, and the middle school students are enrolled in an independent school, they all receive the same federally funded services provided to their public school counterparts. In fact, private school teachers can also benefit from federally funded programs to improve their teaching or to integrate technology into their classrooms. In Maryland, the Maryland State Department of Education Nonpublic Schools Workgroup facilitates communication and coordination between the public and nonpublic education sectors.
Under No Child Left Behind (NCLB ), the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, local educational agencies are required to provide equitable services to eligible private school children, teachers, and other education personnel. These services must meet the needs of the private school students and teachers, be comparable to those provided to public school children and teachers, and must be provided in a timely way. While students and teachers in private schools, including religious schools, receive federal benefits and services, the private schools themselves do not receive any funding.
For this to happen, however, local educational agencies must engage in timely and meaningful consultation with private school officials regarding the needs of private school students and teachers. The Maryland State Department of Education Nonpublic Schools Workgroup began tackling this challenge as far back as 1998, when Maryland State Superintendent Nancy Grasmick established the group. This workgroup operates independent of the state department of education in order to provide an organized forum for addressing issues of mutual interest to Maryland’s public and nonpublic school communities. The workgroup is balanced by design and is currently chaired by Lois Kleinhen Lanier of Ann Arundel County Pubic Schools and Mary Ellen Russell of the Maryland Catholic Conference.
The workgroup first concentrated on educating both the public and private school communities about the need for closer collaboration and coordination. When the workgroup was formed, there were two issues to be addressed. First, the nonpublic sector felt that the local public school systems were not being responsive to their needs. Second, some nonpublic schools were reluctant to participate in services managed by the local public school system.
To break down barriers to communication, the workgroup made some specific recommendations out of which came concrete actions. A full-time position was created at the state department of education, and that staff person was dedicated to coordinating the efforts around federally funded services to nonpublic school students across the 24 local Maryland school systems (about a quarter of which are among the largest in the nation). Also, each local school system in the state established one point of contact for services for nonpublic students. In addition, the workgroup and the state coordinator provided technical assistance for implementing the provisions in federal education laws. And, finally, the workgroup disseminated information to the public and nonpublic communities in a timely way.
As a result of the commitment, education outreach, and technical assistance of the workgroup, awareness of the services and benefits available to nonpublic school students and teachers has been raised, and both the public and nonpublic communities have opened up to the shared responsibility for providing needed services to nonpublic school students and teachers.
Now, the workgroup has become institutionalized. It recommends policy and guidance to the State Superintendent of Education. It continues to improve collaboration and communication between local school systems and nonpublic school officials. And, it looks for and creates opportunities for the state department of education to facilitate the flow of communication.
For example, the workgroup is currently developing a toolkit to further improve the consultation process. When released, the toolkit will give promising practices and models, particularly for Title I schools, to assist local school districts in providing services to nonpublic schools.
In addition, the group is creating a web page on the Maryland Department of Education website, to share information about nonpublic participation in education, and an email listserv for members of the group and other interested individuals. Ultimately, the workgroup hopes to be a springboard for creative partnerships between public and nonpublic education officials to help build a stronger educational community across the state, with all students and teachers in mind.
Since the passage of No Child Left Behind, the workgroup has reinforced the requirements for providing services to nonpublic school students and teachers. The group is developing a publication with guidelines for implementing NCLB. In addition, it also holds annual meetings to update public and private schools about NCLB, as well as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, to highlight models of successful public/private collaborative activities in the state.
At the same time that the workgroup is identifying local models, it also attempts to serve as the state model for similar local groups. According to Mary Ellen Russell, “One of the most positive outcomes of the Nonpublic Schools Workgroup is not simply the fact that we’ve seen a marked increase in the participation of nonpublic students and teachers in programs authorized under NCLB. What’s really exciting is the way in which the state workgroup has become a model for establishing similar collaboration at the local level, where public and nonpublic school administrators are best able to develop programs that meet the unique needs of all students in their communities.”
Rural Teachers and No Child Left Behind
Six months ago, the U.S. Department of Education made some common-sense clarifications to the highly qualified teacher requirements. As noted in Teacher Update #8 (www.teacherquality.us/TeacherToTeacher/Knowledge062004.asp), these requirements provide that all teachers of core academic subjects have a bachelor’s degree, be certified by the state, and demonstrate subject-matter competency in each of the core subjects they are teaching. For rural teachers who teach multiple subjects, these requirements may present a significant challenge.
To assist rural teachers and schools, the secretary of education determined that if newly hired teachers in rural school districts (as defined by the Rural Education Achievement Program) are highly qualified in at least one subject they teach, they would have three additional years to become highly qualified in additional subjects. The eligible districts must provide teachers taking advantage of this flexibility with professional development and intense supervision or structured mentoring, as they earn additional subject-matter competencies. The secretary also determined that practicing teachers in these rural school districts would have an additional year to become highly qualified in each of the core subjects they are teaching (i.e., until the end of the 2006-07 school year.)
Links for Teachers
Is your school in a district defined as rural by the Rural Education Achievement Program? Click here to find out (www.ed.gov/programs/reapsrsa/eligible04/index.html).
To view the March 15th announcement of additional flexibility for rural teachers click here (www.ed.gov/nclb/methods/teachers/hqtflexibility.html).
eLearning for Teachers
This week the Department added the session “No Child Left Behind Basics” to our professional development Web site [www.ed.gov/teacherinitiative].
National Institute of Health News
NIH Funds Centers to Study Islet Transplantation
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced today that it plans to award about $75 million over five years to five clinical centers and a data coordinating center to conduct studies of islet transplantation in patients with type 1 diabetes. The network includes centers located in Iowa City, Miami, Minneapolis and Philadelphia, as well as in Edmonton, Canada, and Uppsala, Sweden.
The studies will focus on improving the safety and long- term success of methods for transplanting islets, the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, in people whose own islets have been destroyed by the autoimmune process that characterizes type 1 diabetes. Some studies will focus on improving combined islet and kidney transplants in patients with type 1 diabetes and kidney failure, a common complication of diabetes.
“This award accelerates studies of an experimental approach that could be very promising for some people with severe type 1 diabetes if specific barriers can be overcome,” said Dr. Thomas Eggerman, who oversees the consortium for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Two institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) — the NIDDK and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) — sponsor the consortium.
Type 1 diabetes accounts for up to 10 percent of diagnosed cases of diabetes in the United States (up to 1 million people). This form of diabetes usually strikes children and
young adults, who need several insulin injections a day or an insulin pump to survive. Insulin, though critical for controlling blood glucose, is no cure. Most people with
type 1 diabetes eventually develop one or more complications, including damage to the heart and blood vessels, eyes, nerves, and kidneys.
This NIH News Release is available online at: https://www.nih.gov/news/pr/oct2004/niddk-04.htm
NIMH Grant to Explore Genetics of Autism
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health, announced this week a 3-year, $3 million grant to Johns Hopkins University to study the genetic factors underlying autism. In an average year, 2 to 6 new cases of Autism, a neuropsychiatric disorder, arise per 1,000 children. While at least 80 percent of the disorder is due
to hereditary factors, experts believe it develops from an interaction between environmental factors and multiple unknown genes. The Johns Hopkins research team, led by Aravinda Chakravarti, Ph.D., proposes to use new genetic analysis technologies to dissect the complex neuropsychiatric traits of autism.
“Although the role of hereditary factors in autism is not in doubt, their nature remains elusive and no single causal gene has yet been identified,” said NIMH Director Thomas R. Insel, M.D. “This initiative is part of a group of projects put forward by NIMH to begin unraveling the underlying genetics of autism.”
The study will apply novel statistical methods and molecular technologies to identify specific genetic markers, or polymorphisms — naturally-occurring genetic variations — that may be related to autism. To accomplish this, the researchers will use DNA and clinical data from the NIMH Human Genetics Initiative (https://www.nimhgenetics.org) and the Autism Genetic Research
Exchange (https://www.agre.org), two large repositories of research resources available to the scientific community. The investigators aim to identify specific gene variants that contribute to vulnerability to autism. This NIH News Release is available online at: https://www.nih.gov/news/pr/oct2004/nimh-12a.htm
Psychotherapy and Medications are Best for Youth with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Children and adolescents with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) respond best to a combination of both psychotherapy and an antidepressant, a major clinical trial has found. Supported by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health, the study recommends that treatment begin with cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), either alone or with a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant. The research spotlights the need for improved access to CBT, since most young people with OCD currently receive only the antidepressant, often combined with an antipsychotic medication.
John March, M.D., Duke University, Edna Foa, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues report on the findings of the Pediatric OCD Treatment Study POTS) in the October 27, 2004 “Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).” Ninety-seven 7-17 year-olds with OCD completed 12 weeks of treatment with either CBT, the SSRI sertraline, the combination treatment, or a placebo. Independent evaluators, blind to their treatment status, assessed each patient every four weeks. Patients in the study were typical of patients seen in clinical practice. For example, while industry-sponsored trials commonly exclude patients with more than one condition, 80 percent of study participants had at least one additional psychiatric disorder.
Combining sertraline and CBT was more effective than treatment with just one or the other. CBT alone did prove superior to sertraline, which, in turn, was better than a placebo. By the end of the trial, the remission rates were 53.6 percent for combined treatment, 39.3 percent for CBT, 21.4 percent for sertraline, and 3.6 percent for placebo.
CBT alone was more effective in the University of Pennsylvania site than at Duke University site, but the combination treatment was equally effective at both sites, suggesting that it may be less susceptible to setting-specific variations. The strong showing of CBT at the University of Pennsylvania led the researchers to recommend it as “a first line option” for initial treatment.
They point out, however, that “only a small minority” of children and adolescents with OCD receives such state-of- the-art care.
“In the Treatment of Adolescents with Depression Study, which compared CBT with an SSRI and combination treatment, for teens with depression, the medication proved superior to CBT. In this case the reverse was true but in both studies, combination was superior. This underscores that different disorders in adolescents respond to different treatments,” noted NIMH Director Thomas Insel, M.D.
“We believe that the results of this study will contribute to the appreciation by non-physician mental health clinicians of the strengths and limitations of pharmacological treatments and to the appreciation by physicians of the evidence-based psychosocial treatments,” states the article. “It is imperative that the focus of research turn to identifying and testing dissemination strategies for CBT,” the researchers add.
To learn more, visit:
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD):
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/HealthInformation/ocdmenu.cfm
Treatment of Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS):
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/prtads.cfm
Depression in children and adolescents:
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/HealthInformation/depchildmenu.cfm
Early Childhood News
State offering help in gauging early childhood-Comprehensive list shows typical abilities to age 5
A parent’s 3-year-old child or grandchild is seriously scribbling all across the paper as she tries to ”write” her name. Should he/she be worried or pleased? Tennessee is rolling out a new set of early childhood standards to help families and child-care providers understand what — and when — youngsters should be doing through age 5. For more details, go to:
https://tennessean.com/education/archives/04/09/58707840.shtml?Element_ID=58707840
National Early Childhood Transition Searchable Database (Web Page)
The National Early Childhood Transition Research and Training Center announces the availability of a new on-line, searchable database of approximately 700 early childhood transition related research, policy, and practice documents. This database is an on-going activity of NECTC and is
designed to provide a one-stop resource for those interested in identifying potential transition resources. For more details, go to: https://www.ihdi.uky.edu/nectc/DATABASES/search.aspx
From The National Dissemination
Center for Children with
Disabilities
Autism Resources on NICHCY Web Site
The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) has a new Autism “suite” of Web pages that includes five separate topic pages devoted to five separate disorders under the umbrella category of Pervasive Developmental Disorders: Autism, Asperger Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDDNOS). For more details, visit: https://nichcy.org/resources/
Grading Students with Disabilities
This has always been a challenging area in educating students with disabilities. Here are some resources that may help you address the challenges.
What kind of grading adaptations are effective for students with disabilities?
Research tells us what kinds of grading adaptations can produce fair and meaningful grades for all students. Here’s a menu of six adaptations identified from the professional literature and the authors’ own research.
www.ascd.org/premium-publications/ed_lead/200310/munk.html
Modifications in testing, what the law requires, and basic “rules.”
This article by Eggert, entitled “Grading Students with Educational Disabilities”, was presented at the 4th Annual Best Practices in Special and Regular Education Conference held in Concord, New Hampshire. It defines common accommodations and modifications in testing students in the classroom, takes a look at what IDEA and Section 504 require, and presents some basic rules that the educator should apply to the grading of a special education student.
www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-03/Eggert9-01.html
NASET Member Accomplishments
NASET Members-Don’t be shy!! Let us know what you have been doing or accomplishments you have achieved. We hope to hear from you (and if you don’t want to write about yourself, send us an email of another NASET member that you know who has done something special or worthy of news.)
Topics of Interest for Special Educators
Panel Finds That Scare Tactics for Violence Prevention are Harmful-Good news is that positive approaches show promise
Bethesda, Maryland – Programs that rely on “scare tactics” to prevent
children and adolescents from engaging in violent behavior are not only ineffective,
but may actually make the problem worse, according to an independent
state-of-the- science panel convened this week by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The panel, charged with assessing the available evidence on preventing violence
and other health-risking behaviors in adolescents, announced today its assessment of the current research.
The panel found that group detention centers, boot camps, and other “get tough” programs often exacerbate problems by grouping young people with delinquent tendencies, where the more sophisticated instruct the more naïve. Similarly, the practice of transferring juveniles to the adult judicial system can be counterproductive, resulting in greater violence among incarcerated youth.
“The good news is that a number of intervention programs have been demonstrated to be effective through randomized controlled trials,” explained Dr. Robert L. Johnson, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, who chaired the state-of the-science panel. “We were pleased to find several programs that work, and we hope that communities will adopt them and continue to develop other interventions that incorporate the
features common to successful programs.”
The panel highlighted two programs that are clearly effective in reducing arrests and out-of-home placements: Functional Family Therapy, and Multisystemic Therapy. Among the important characteristics that these programs have in common are a focus on developing social competency skills, a long-term approach, and family involvement.
The panel also identified strengths and weaknesses in the field of violence prevention research, and made a number of recommendations to shape future efforts. Among these, the panel advocated a national population-based adolescent violence registry, and greater emphasis on economic research into the cost- effectiveness of intervention to prevent violence.
The panel released its findings in a public session this morning, following two days of expert presentations and panel deliberations. The full text of the panel’s draft statement is available at https://consensus.nih.gov.
Environmental Protection Agency Announces New Grant Opportunity
The Environmental Protection Agency has announced a new grant opportunity: Building State, Territorial, and Tribal Capacity To Address Children’s Environmental Health: Environmental Triggers of Childhood Asthma. This initiative is intended to achieve measurable environmental
and public health results by identifying and reducing environmental risks to protect and improve the environmental health of children impacted by asthma. For more details, visit:
https://www.healthinschools.org/grants/ops192.asp
Some parents worry whether inclusion is the right thing
About 17 percent of the public school students in Indiana are in special education. Statewide, about 58 percent of students with disabilities are in the general education classroom for most of the school day. Many of today’s parents of special education students are concerned about whether their children will receive the needed attention in a regular, or even self-contained classroom. Administrators say they can only do so much to help students with disabilities because of increased demands and a lack of funding. For more details, visit: https://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2004/10/11/news/top_news/c56275de3f452f0486256f2a000b75f0.txt
Streaming allows deaf to learn online
The spread of high-speed Internet is improving distance learning for the deaf through transmissions smooth enough to allow sign language instruction. Educators are increasing the use of video streaming – the progressive feeding of small chunks of information that can be viewed as they are downloaded – to supplement onsite teaching. Some hope the technology will enable them eventually to offer full degrees online. For more details, visit https://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/10/04/loc_loc3deaf.html
Online Learning: A Smart Way to Nurture Gifted Kids
With online learning, the newest wave of education, gifted students can take classes local schools can’t offer and learn at their own frenetic pace. For the full story, visit:
https://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20040928/oplede28.art.htm
Time-Out Room Guidelines
An advocacy group for the disabled called Monday for statewide guidelines on the use of time-out or seclusion rooms in special education and used a Lawrence school as an example of the practice. “Unfortunately, seclusion and restraint occurs in Kansas schools every day,” said Rocky Nichols, executive director of Kansas Advocacy & Protective Services. “KAPS’ position is that if you treat students like animals that they will behave like animals.” For more details, visit https://ljworld.com/section/stateregional/story/184970
Bush Signs Youth Suicide Prevention Bill-Grants Include Money for Early Intervention
President Bush on Thursday signed into law a bill authorizing $82 million in grants aimed at preventing suicide among young people. “The law authorizes $82 million over three years to provide grants to states, Indian tribes, colleges and universities to develop youth suicide prevention and intervention programs. It emphasizes screening programs that identify mental illness in children as young as sixth-graders, and provides referrals for community-based treatment and training for child care professionals.” For more details, visit: https://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/10/21/youth.suicide.law.ap/index.html
Union Seeks Streamlining for Special Ed Formula
New York State United Teachers is looking to streamline the state’s complex formula for funding special education services and make it more equitable for students and their districts. “Any revised formula should be simple and ensure adequate resources for acceptable student achievement,” said NYSUT Second Vice President Maria Neira, who took part in one of four State Education Department regional forums on special education funding in September. For more details, visit: https://www.nysut.org/newyorkteacher/2004-2005/041021specialed.html
Findings From the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2)
November 16, 2004-1:00-2:00 p.m. Central Time
The National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) follows a nationally representative sample of more than 11,000 students who were 13-16 years old and receiving special education services in seventh grade or above in December 2000. Findings related to the instruction of secondary school students with disabilities in general education academic classes, including instructional practices, student participation in classroom activities, and accommodations and supports will be provided. To participate, call 1-703-639-1178 a few minutes before the call begins, and refer to the “NCSET
Teleconference Call” if asked by the operator. For more details, visit: https://www.ncset.org/teleconferences/default.asp#nov
Parents Working to Eliminate Hurtful Acronym for Special Education
“You’re a stupid SPED.” These hurtful words are sometimes heard in the halls and playgrounds of schools throughout Brookline. SPED is an acronym for special education that has been used with increasing frequency by parents, school administrators and teachers not only in Brookline, but also in communities across the state. Yet like so many short phrases that roll off the tongue, the term has been misappropriated and used as an insult from one child to another, particularly in the middle school grades. Parents of special education students, with the support of the Brookline Public Schools, are about to change that. The Brookline Special Education Parent Advisory Council announced this week that it will no longer use the term SPED in its names or materials. The group, which formerly referred to itself as SPED-PAC, will now be called SEPAC (pronounced SEE-PACK). The Brookline Special Education Parent Advisory Council provides information and support to parents of children with disabilities in Brookline. For more details, visit:
https://www2.townonline.com/brookline/artsLifestyle/view.bg?articleid=109675
Election Day Information
With Election Day just around the corner, people and parties, programs and promises are being discussed by everyone.. Here are some interesting facts about elections:
**Federal elections have been held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November since 1845.
**Since America was originally a society where most people farmed or worked on the land, November was chosen for elections because it is the most convenient month for farmers and rural workers to travel to the polls.
**The first Tuesday after the first Monday was chosen for Election Day in order to avoid the election ever being on November 1st. Lawmakers didn’t want Election Day to fall on November 1st because it is a religious holiday for Roman Catholics. Also, in 1845 merchants usually balanced their books from the previous month on the first day of the new month.
Want to learn more about voting and elections? Check out FirstGov.gov’s “Voting and Elections” page at https://www.firstgov.gov/Citizen/Topics/Voting.shtml.
You’ll find great information such as:
**The Basics about Voting and Elections
**The History of the Electoral College
**Taking kids to vote
**Voting rights and discrimination
**How to be a poll worker on Election Day
**and even an Online Electoral Vote Calculator
Find out more about these topics and more at: https://www.firstgov.gov/Citizen/Topics/Voting.shtml
The National Center on
Secondary Education and
Transition News
Teaching Social Skills (October 2004)-Information Brief
This brief outlines the importance of social skills education for youth with disabilities, identifies specific skills needed by youth, provides guidance for choosing and implementing social skills programs, and offers information about creating a positive school climate that fosters the development of social skills. For more details, visit:
https://www.ncset.org/premium-publications/viewdesc.asp?id=1749
In Their Own Words: Employer Perspectives on Youth with Disabilities in the
Workplace (Guidebook)
It is essential for educators, transition specialists, workforce development professionals, family members, and youth to understand employers¹ needs, circumstances, and perspectives as they establish work-based learning experiences. This publication, the latest in our ³Essential Tools² series, features the experiences of employers in their own words. Eleven employers from various fields write about how they became involved in providing work experiences for youth with disabilities, what made it work, and what they recommend to individuals and organizations representing youth. For more details, go to:
https://www.ncset.org/premium-publications/essentialtools/ownwords/default.asp
Diabetes and the Workplace -(Fact sheet)
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has a fact sheet on how the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to diabetes in the workplace. This publication, available on the EEOC Web site, is designed to assist employers, as well as applicants and employees with diabetes, in understanding their rights and responsibilities. For more details, go to:
https://www.eeoc.gov/facts/diabetes.html
Free Access to Training Videotapes (Video)
The DO-IT Project (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) is offering educational videotapes that relate to people with disabilities, assistive technology, accessible information technology, college transition, faculty training, career preparation, and accessible campus services. These short videos are appropriate for a wide variety of training situations. They are available with captions and audio description, and include the voices of people with disabilities. They are available as streaming video and can also purchased in VHS format. DO-IT has also routinely made copies of the videos available for trainers to store on the hard drives of laptops they use for presentations. For more details, go to: https://www.washington.edu/doit/Video/
Upcoming Events and Conferences
November
1st Annual National Special Education Forum–Creating Model Dropout Prevention Programs: Begin With Effective Instructional Strategies
National Dropout Prevention Center/Network
November 3-4, 2004
Orlando, FL
www.dropoutprevention.org/conferen/conferen.htm
28th Annual TECBD National Conference on Severe Behavior Disorders of Children and Youth
Teacher Educators for Children with Behavioral Disorders (TECBD)
November 18-20, 2004
Tempe, AZ
www.tecbd.org/
English Language Learners Struggling to Learn–Emergent Research on Linguistic Difference and Learning Disabilities
National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRES)
November 18-19, 2004
Scottsdale, AZ
www.nccrest.org/events.html
December
Moving Upstream: The Third National Symposium on Dispute Resolution in Special Education
Consortium for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE)
December 2-4, 2004
Washington, DC
www.directionservice.org/cadre/2004_conference.htm
20th Annual International Conference on Young Children With Special Needs and Their Families
Division for Early Childhood (DEC)
December 5-8, 2004
Chicago, IL
www.dec-sped.org/conference_04/about_the_conference.html
Acknowledgements
- FirstGov.gov-The Official U.S. Government Web Portal
- The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition
- The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth
- The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
- The National Institute of Health
- U.S. Department of Education
- U.S. Department of Education-The Achiever (Oct. and Nov., 2004)
- U.S. Department of Education-The Education Innovator
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- U.S. Office of Special Education
The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) thanks all of the above for the information provided for this month’s newsletter
