August, 2005 Special Educator e-Journal -

Welcome back to school! Well, for some of you in the warmer states, you’ve been back for a few weeks now, while for others, you still have a few weeks to go. So, on average, consider it the first day of school for us all.

NASET has had an incredibly active summer. The emails we have received from you have been overwhelming in terms of your thoughts, opinions, and suggestions for us. We thank you very much for taking the time to contact us. We pride ourselves on getting back to everyone immediately and have had incredibly insightful and comprehensive question and answer discussions with many of you. It was a great summer.

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

One important area of concern has become a hot topic of conversation from members. NASET has been receiving many questions from you regarding the meaning of “Highly Qualified Teachers” under No Child Left Behind. In particular, members are seeking answers to questions regarding how it affects them, their students, and their professional development. Due to the large number of inquiries on the topic, we will devote one of our fall 2005 editions of the Special Educator e-Journal specifically to Questions and Answers regarding “Highly Qualified Teachers” and how they affect you as educators of children with special needs.

We hope you had a wonderful summer and wish you all the best in the upcoming school year. The work you do as special educators is invaluable, and the difference you make in the lives of children is extraordinary.

Sincerely,

Dr. Roger Pierangelo, President

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NASET Certificate of Merit for

Excellence in Special Education

2005 Recipients

The NASET Certificate of Merit for Excellence in Special Education is an award given annually to schools that NASET members believe have exhibited excellence in the education of exceptional students.

The NASET Certificate of Merit for Excellence in Special Education is bestowed upon schools that have shown great dedication and commitment to the education of children with special needs.

This year’s winners and a description of their commitment to the field of special education can be seen below:

School: Hillcrest Elementary School
Downers Grove, IL
Nominated by: Meghan O’Connor

“The Developmental Learning Program is housed at Hillcrest. Several years ago, when the program needed to be moved to a different building, our principal fought for the program be housed at this school. He has continually shared his contagious welcoming attitude toward these wonderful children. The teachers of our school also have their own amazing positive attitudes towards integration and inclusion. They have made tremendous efforts to help create a school environment of more than just tolerance for our children with special needs; they have radiated acceptance through the building, affecting other teachers, the students, and their families. The teachers at Hillcrest lead by example, and as a result, the students of our school demonstrate accepting and nurturing behavior that emulates the type of character toward which we all strive. Hillcrest is a very special place. The professionals here have certainly made a difference in the worlds of children and families living with special needs.”

School: Challenge Early Intervention Center
Brooklyn, NY
Nominated by: Ben Wolfson

“The Challenge Early Intervention Center has teachers who really care about the progress of each child and a staff of teachers in training who love their work. The therapy is intensive and children make real, data driven progress based on the methods of Applied Behavior Analysis. The program includes an in-home aspect. There is a social work department that makes sure the child gets all the services he legally is entitled to. Many mothers have said that they wish they’re children could stay after 3 years of age. I believe that this center, called Challenge Early Intervention Center in Brooklyn, NY is the best America has to offer.”

School: Central Baldwin Middle School
Robertsdale, AL
Nominated by: Sandra Fretwell

“Central Baldwin Middle School is superior in it’s support of Special Education Programs. Our students are included within the entire school, even our most profound students in wheel chairs are included within the regular education population. Our students are treated with respect and dignity. The Special Education Teachers are some of the best within the state of Alabama.”

School: Fernan Elementary School
Coeur d’Alene, ID
Nominated by: Susie Brott

“Fernan is home to the district developmental preschool program, resource and an elementary life skills program. I feel that Fernan has done a wonderful job with accepting and including children with exceptional needs. On a daily basis Fernan continues to show great dedication and commitment to the education of all children with special needs. All of the students in my Life Skills class participate with their age mates in the general education setting. While my students may not be able to complete the tasks asked of their gen. ed. age mates, they are encouraged by friends and teachers to do their best with each assignment. General education teachers consistently set examples for their students, both in the classroom and out on the playground, that fosters respect of children with exceptional needs. Our Principal, Lana Hamilton and the office staff, Debbie and Dana, provide an inviting atmosphere to parents and students. This is truly a wonderful environment for all children!”

School: Belle Chasse Academy
Belle Chasse, LA
Nominated by: Dionne Nichols

“I am nominating my extraordinary school for excellence in Special Education due its outstanding commitment and dedication to the students, parents, and teachers. Belle Chasse Academy is the first military-based charter school in Louisiana. We serve military dependent children in grades (K-8). Our school is committed to helping these students adapt to change and to foster them in an environment that is conducive for learning. Our Special Education Department has grown yet, our teachers are as passionate as ever about making sure our students receive a world-class education with a challenging core curriculum. We provide acknowledgement of the unique needs of the military child, assist with the reduction of service-connected disruption and stress, and actively engage our parents in supporting their child’s academic learning. Belle Chasse Academy deserves the recognition because of its commitment to the individual student with his/her particular interests, needs, abilities, and family background.”

School: Braintree College
Braintree, Essex
Great Briton
Nominated by: Robert White

“I would like to nominate Braintree College for it’s contribution to the delivery and development of Special Educational provisions for Secondary Students. Braintree College has developed a multi-agency agenda providing for behaviourally challenged youth who have been excluded or marginalized from their home school. This programme provides educational strategies which focus on the strengths of the student and encourages the development of life long learning through alternative portfolio structured Individual Education Plans. The programme is for students between 14 – 16 years old who have been removed from the Secondary School because of chronic Anti-Social behaviour. The approach utilizes dynamic activity/adventure based counselling to develop self-esteem and confidence followed on by Vocational programming embedded with literacy and numeracy to meet academic milestones.

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Letters to the Editor

In July, NASET published a Special edition of the Special Educator e- Journal on FAQ about No Child Left Behind (NCLB), as well as a News Alert from U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings (see below) that “No Child Left Behind is Working”, we wanted your feedback on this very controversial and hotly debated federal law. NASET has taken no stance yet on the impact and effectiveness of NCLB–We wanted to hear from you-Is NCLB really working? If yes, why? If not, why not? How, if in any way, was it affecting you as educators?

We thank all of you who took the time to write us–Here are some of the responses we received:

From KP

Having had the opportunity to teach in a variety of elementary schools over the last eight years as well as a fourth grade teacher for four years, I have some opinions about the NCLB concept. It is my opinion that teaching to a specific test does not necessarily reap the greatest educational benefit for the vast majority of students.

What I have noticed is that students will utilize the skills they were drilled most of the time, but this clearly does not necessitate a cognitive and logical understanding of the reason why they are performing in a certain manner in response to a question. Rather, I feel the students are imitating and mimicking the responses they have been drilled. Answering the questions correctly doesn’t mean the student understands the big question of WHY they are responding in the manner they are. This concept is especially clear to me when teaching Mathematics. When a realistic and hands on math concept is taught and time is allowed for the students to manipulate and develop understanding of a concept, the future skills that need to be taught are more likely to be understood since the student takes a very active, questioning, and practical approach to what is instructed. It has been my experience that teachers need to build upon each individual student’s knowledge base in a comfortable and realistic manner.

When students feel comfortable and positive about their learning they will desire to take in more knowledge. Many of my most enjoyable teaching experiences and I know my students have been times when we leave the textbook and make learning real and valuable to the students. Unfortunately, many of our classrooms today are extremely limited to these kinds of experiences and are not permitted such an autonomous atmosphere.

I am very fortunate to currently teach in a private special education school where our administration allows its staff flexibility in instruction and learning. Tremendous energy and effort is spent on individualizing our instructional program and in many cases our student score very well on the standardized testing without teaching in a drill fashion.

I hope this has been helpful to you. As always, it is a pleasure to read the information sent by NASET.

KP–PS–After reading the National Report Card report again something else came to mind regarding the national testing of students. In the New York City schools and the schools I have worked in, the results routinely are not shared with the students, and unless the parents request the results which many do not, the results of the tests are made known only to the administrators and teachers. Although the results may show an increase, I feel that unless the students are able to see their tests and gain insight and knowledge from their results, how are we assisting our students in building their confidence and self esteem as inquisitive and knowledge seeking individuals? My question is, “Who are we (state) truly assisting in the concept of No Child Left Behind?

From MW

No Child Left Behind does not work. When you have children who are unable to learn for whatever reason and push them into classrooms where they cannot handle the workload but are expected to, there is chaos. When a child comes from a school that is underperforming and is accustomed to doing little or no work and then is changed to another school where work is pushed, the child can and often will fail. And, most of all, when a student in high school knows that his availability is being reported to Selective Service there is no reason why, if the student is not doing well, that he won’t drop out. This act is a bomb in my opinion. I am a Special Education teacher and this act has caused more problems than it has solved.

From JB

I have been a special education teacher for 17 years. I have taught in Michigan and Illinois. In all of my experience, I have never had a student left behind. I have advocated for the rights of all students and their families. I have had the pleasure of working with some excellent administrators who supported my efforts to educate students and guide them toward healthy, full, productive lives. In some situations, I have had to work harder than others to ensure my students have the appropriate educational experiences, but never have any of them been left behind.

Current NCLB legislation and the current government policies however, have made it more difficult for me to effectively educate students. In particular, the alternative assessment component in the new law takes time away from the teaching and learning that should occur. I am taken away from my students to assemble assessment material into portfolios which are evaluated by people in another part of the state who have never met these students. The subjects that are evaluated do not reflect the educational needs of my students. The types of student progress presentation and documentation required do not reflect student’s true progress. I must spend about 80 hours completing each of these alternative assessment portfolios. That is time I am not spending teaching. I already have a legal document stating how well each student will complete each of their goals under what circumstances. It’s called an IEP. Why can’t that be my alternative assessment?

In my personal and professional opinion, it is this law that is causing my students to be left behind.–

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Focus Question in

Special Education

This year, NASET will be doing a focus question in each e-journal regarding a current topic or controversial issue in special education. We will post a new focus question in each e-journal, and then put your responses in the following one. We feel that having this type of discussion creates an insightful and thought provoking process where we can learn from each other and listen to each other opinions.

This month’s focus question:

Does Inclusion Work?

Tell us your thoughts on inclusion. Topics to write about include, but are not limited to:

Is it working? Why or why not? How are the special education and general education students responding to this type of classroom? How about administrators? parents? And of course, how do you feel it’s impacting you as a teacher?

Submit all emails to our editor at news@naset.org

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Education Daily Seeks NASET

Members Input on NCLB

Steve Brown, a writer from Education Daily sent NASET the following email:

I’m doing an article on modified assessments for the 2% flexibility under NCLB. I understand the Ed Dept. is referencing the modified assessment currently being used in Kansas as a model for other states seeking the flexibility. I was hoping you could help me get perspectives on this from teachers and parents. I know many parents are concerned that their children would be held to a lower standard under a modified assessment and are against them in general, whereas the states may be more interested in avoiding AYP failures.

As for specifically what I’m requesting, there are two questions I am seeking input on:

What are the implications of using the Kansas modified assessment nationwide for the 2 percent student population?

What general concerns are there about not holding this population accountable to the same standards as regular education students from the perspectives of both parents and teachers?

If you are interested in speaking with Mr. Brown at the Education Daily on this matter, please contact him via email at sgbrown@lrp.com or call/write him directly at:

Steve Brown
Education Daily
Fax: 703-516-9313
1901 North Moore St. Ste. 1106
Arlington, VA 22209

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Legal Issues Corner

Update on IDEA

IDEA is our nation’s special education law. IDEA stands for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The IDEA was originally enacted by Congress in 1975 to make sure that children with disabilities had the opportunity to receive a free appropriate public education, just like other children. The law has been revised many times over the years. The most recent amendments were passed by Congress in December 2004—yes, that recently! So, in some senses, the law is very new, even as it has a long, detailed, and powerful history.

IDEA guides how states and school districts provide special education and related services to more than six million eligible children with disabilities. Learn more about this important federal law here!

The proposed regulations to implement the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 were issued by the U.S. Department of Education on June 10th, 2005. Public hearings have been held around the country to give individuals an opportunity to make comments and provide input on the proposed regulations.

The public is further invited to submit written comments for review prior to the development of final regulations. To be considered, all written comments must be received by 5 p.m. on September 6th, 2005.

You may submit your comments—
Email: IDEAcomments@ed.gov
Web: www.regulations.gov
Via U.S. Mail: U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Potomac Center Plaza, Room 5126

The official version of this notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) is now published in the Federal Register in both PDF and TEXT formats. For a copy of the law and other pertinent information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s IDEA 2004 Web page. At https://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/idea2004.html

The Law Itself

• The “slip law” is the Public Law (P.L.) print of P.L. 108-446, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004. It’s available in PDF format and is 162 pages long. We’re pleased to offer the PDF file online at NICHCY, at:
www.nichcy.org/reauth/PL108-446.pdf
• And a text-only version of the law:
https://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:h.1350.enr:

From the Feds

From OSERS and OSEP:

For authoritative input on the law, we look to the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), within the Department of Education. These are the agencies within the federal government responsible for overseeing IDEA’s implementation. They’ve established a dedicated IDEA 2004 page, at:
www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/idea2004.html
OSERS and OSEP have also made the following one-page summaries available on changes from the IDEA 97 to IDEA 2004:
• Alignment with the No Child Left Behind Act
www.nichcy.org/reauth/NCLB.doc
• Changes in Initial Evaluations and Reevaluations
www.nichcy.org/reauth/Eval-Reeval.doc
• Children Enrolled by Their Parents in Private Schools
www.nichcy.org/reauth/PrivateSchool.doc
• Discipline
www.nichcy.org/reauth/discipline.doc
• Disproportionality and Overidentification
www.nichcy.org/reauth/Disproportionality.doc
• Early Intervening Services
www.nichcy.org/reauth/EIServices.doc
• Highly Qualified Teachers
www.nichcy.org/reauth/HQT.doc
• Individualized Education Program (IEP)
www.nichcy.org/reauth/IEP.doc
• Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team Meetings and Changes to the IEP
www.nichcy.org/reauth/IEPteam.doc
• Local Funding
www.nichcy.org/reauth/LEAfunding.doc
• Part C Option: Age 3 to Kindergarten Age
www.nichcy.org/reauth/PartCoption.doc
• I. Procedural Safeguards Regarding Surrogates, Notice and Consent
www.nichcy.org/reauth/1-ProcSafeguards.doc
• II. Procedural Safeguards Regarding Mediation and Resolution Sessions
www.nichcy.org/reauth/2-ProcSafeguards.doc
• III. Procedural Safeguards Regarding Due Process Hearings
www.nichcy.org/reauth/3-ProcSafeguards.doc
• Secondary Transition
www.nichcy.org/reauth/transition.doc
• State Funding
www.nichcy.org/reauth/StateFunding.doc
• Statewide and Districtwide Assessments
www.nichcy.org/reauth/State-DistrictAssessments.doc

From the Congress…

• IDEA: Guide to Frequently Asked Questions discusses key definitions, new provisions with respect to highly qualified teachers, funding, private schools, charter schools, new state policies, IEPs, procedural safeguards, discipline, and monitoring and enforcement. Find the guide on the U. S. House of Representatives Web site at:

https://edworkforce.house.gov/issues/109th/education/idea/ideafaq.pdf
• Issues page, which provides links to such documents as: the Bipartisan House-Senate Conference Report on H.R. 1350; a summary of the bill; and four fact sheets on the bill, entitled (1) Special Education Reform: Supporting Teachers & Schools, Providing New Choices for Parents & Students; (2) Making Special Education Stronger for Students & Parents; (3) Reducing Unnecessary Lawsuits and Litigation in Special Education; and (4) Building on Historic Funding Increases for Special Education. Find the issues page at:

https://edworkforce.house.gov/issues/108th/education/idea/idea.htm

General Summaries

It goes without saying, or surprise, that reauthorization of a law of IDEA’s incredible power would generate a multitude of comments, analyses, and summaries. What’s new? What’s different? What’s the same? Here is a long list of what has already hit the streets for all of us to use to understand the new law’s requirements.

• IDEA 2004: Overview, Explanation & Comparison.
www.wrightslaw.com/idea/idea.2004.all.pdf
Courtesy of Wrightslaw, this 56-page article describes the substantive changes to the five key statutes of IDEA 2004 by section and subsection. Text added to IDEA 2004 is in italics. Text deleted from IDEA 97 has been struck through.

• IDEA: Analysis of Change Made by P.L. 108-446.
www.cec.sped.org/pp/docs/CRSAnalysisofNewIDEAPL108-446.pdf
The Congressional Research Service, the part of the Library of Congress that serves as the research arm of Congress, has published an 47-page analysis of the new IDEA law.

• A User’s Guide.
www.c-c-d.org/IdeaUserGuide.pdf
The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) offers this 63-page guide on additions and deletions to IDEA brought about by the 2004 reauthorization and includes relevant information from the Conference Report, which articulates Congressional intent.

• More from Wrightslaw.
www.wrightslaw.com/idea/index.htm
Wrightslaw also makes available a number of other articles on IDEA 2004, including How Will IEPs Change Under IDEA 2004?; IDEA 2004: IEP Team Members & IEP Team Attendance; Requirements for Highly Qualified Special Ed Teachers, and Transition Services for Education, Work, Independent Living.

• And from the Thompson Publishing Group…

IDEA: New Expectations for Schools and Students is hot off the press at Thompson. For a mere $149 introductory offer (with discounts for multiple copies), this book is designed as a tool for educators, administrators, school attorneys, school board members, and parents seeking to understand and implement the new law. Call 1.800.964.5815 to order, or read about the book online at:
www.thompson.com/libraries/education/idea/index.html

• Summary of the 2004 IDEA.
www.ndsccenter.org/events.asp#summary
Courtesy of the National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC), this summary looks at the IEP process, due process, and discipline.

• Summary of the new IDEA provisions.
www.napas.org/publicpolicy/
Brief_Summary_of_Individuals_with_Disabilities_
Education_Improvement_Act_of_2004_
with_Current_Law.pdf
Courtesy of NAPAS, the National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems, Inc.

• Summary of the new law.
www.nichcy.org/reauth/2004IDEASUMMARY-12.04.doc
Courtesy of the National Committee of Parents and Advocates Organized to Protect IDEA.

• Let’s go section by section.
www.copaa.org/news/idea04.html
Courtesy of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA), take a look at the Comparison of H.R. 1350 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004) and IDEA ‘97. You can download the entire comparison in PDF, or look at individual comparisons of Parts A, B, C, or D of the law and the new provisions for the National Center for Special Education Research.

• A side-by-side analysis of transition requirements.
ncset.org/premium-publications/related/ideatransition.asp
Courtesy of NCSET, the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition. The side-by-side analysis identifies major changes between IDEA 1997 and H.R. 1350 (IDEA 2004) concerning transition services for youth with disabilities.

• And 200 pages from NASDSE.
www.nasdse.org/
NASDSE, the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, offers a 200-page side-by-side that compares current law to the amended law signed by President Bush on December 3rd. Individual copies are $15 each; bulk orders of 100 copies or more receive a 15% discount. To order your copy, send a check or purchase order to NASDSE, 1800 Diagonal Road., Suite 320, Alexandria, VA 22314, Attention: C. Burgman. The document is not available in electronic format.

IDEA 2004: What You Need to Know About IEP Team Members and Member Attendance (From Wrightslaw)

As many readers know, Congress made significant changes to the legal requirements for IEPs and IEP meetings in IDEA 2004.

IDEA 2004: What You Need to Know About IEP Team Members & Member Attendance describes these changes – when IEP meetings may be held, who will attend, when team members may be excused from an IEP meeting, and what parents and the district must do before a team member may be excused.

If you are the parent of a child with a disability, you represent your child’s interests. You need to stay informed about changes in IDEA 2004 that may affect your child. If you are a teacher or special education service provider, the reauthorized law will affect you and your job.

https://www.wrightslaw.com/idea/art/iep.team.members.htm

Supreme Court to Hear Oral Argument in Schaffer v. Weast on October 5 (From Wrightslaw)

The U. S. Supreme Court announced that they will hear oral argument in Schaffer v. Weast on Wednesday, October 5, 2005.

Brian Schaffer’s case began in 1997, when his mother requested that Montgomery County Public Schools provide her son with an appropriate special education program for the 1998-1999 school year. Brian’s parents did not agree that the school’s proposed program was appropriate. Brian has graduated from high school. He is now 21 and attends college.

Jerry Weast is the superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools.

Attorney William Hurd will represent Brian Schaffer in oral argument before the Supreme Court.

The high court’s decision in Schaffer is of enormous importance and may shift the balance of power in IEP meetings and due process hearings.

Who is Responsible for Proving that an IEP is Appropriate?

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is silent on who has the burden of proof in special education litigation. If a parent disputes an IEP, case law is clear that the parent must “place in issue the appropriateness of the IEP.”
The issue in Schaffer is whether, in a due process hearing about a disputed IEP, the parent must prove that the school’s IEP is not appropriate or the school district must prove that their IEP is appropriate.
Should the party that attacks the IEP have the burden of proving that the IEP is not appropriate? Or, should the party that prepared the IEP, and has greater expertise and resources, have the burden of proving that the IEP is appropriate?

Split Among Circuits

Five Circuits assigned the burden of proof to the parents (“Tatro / Alamo Heights rule”). Five Circuits assigned the burden to the school (“Lascari / Oberti rule”).

In 2004, the Fourth Circuit held that “parents who challenge an IEP . . . have the burden of proof in the administrative hearing.” In their decision, the Court noted that the “ . . . circuits are split – and splintered in reasoning – on this question.”

The Supreme Court will resolve this split among circuits.

Rule of Law

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act does not assign burden of proof to either party. The traditional rule of law is that if a statute is silent as to which party has the burden of proof, the complainant usually has the burden of proof.

Historically, the U. S. Supreme Court has resolved burden of proof cases by relying on the policy and history of the statute and concerns of fundamental fairness. In making decisions, they have also assessed which party is likely to have access to information that explains their actions to arrive at a result that is “right” and “just.”

Procedural Safeguards in IDEA

The procedural safeguards in the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (Public Law 94-142) and carried over in Section 1415 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) were taken, almost verbatim, from one of two landmark cases that triggered enactment of the IDEA in the 1970’s.

In Mills v. Washington, D.C. Public Schools, Judge Waddy provided a detailed list of procedural safeguards, including written notice, and found that in disputes between parents and school districts, the burden of proof shall be on the school district.

Amicus Briefs: States Take Sides

Eight states – Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Nevada, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin – joined with Virginia in an amicus brief supporting the parents.

Three states and one territory – Hawaii, Oklahoma, Alaska and Guam – filed amicus briefs in support of the school district (“Weast” is Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools).

Maryland did not file an amicus brief in support of Montgomery County Public Schools.

More than 20 disability organizations filed amicus briefs in support of Brian Schaffer. (Amicus briefs)

The Bush administration reversed their previous position (in support of parents), and now argues that the burden of proof should be on the parents who challenge the IEP.

Impact of Case

Depending on how the U. S. Supreme Court resolves this issue, IEP meetings and due process hearings are likely to change dramatically. For more information about this case, including pleadings and amicus briefs, go to the Schaffer v. Weast page at https://www.wrightslaw.com/news/05/schaffer.weast.htm

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The Special Educator Sponsor for

August- Walden University

Information from the National

Institute of Health

Communication Disorders Information Resource Directory

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) 2005 Information Resource Directory features nearly 150 organizations committed to preventing communication disorders or to improving the lives of people who have disorders of hearing, balance, smell, taste, voice, speech, and language. The directory also includes a special section on federal organizations that provide information or assistance related to communication disorders. Each organization is identified by up-to-date contact information as well as a short description that explains its scope and mission. To order a free copy of the newly updated directory, contact the NIDCD Information Clearinghouse toll-free at (800) 241-1044 (voice) or (800) 241-1055 (TTY). An online directory, which offers a keyword search feature, is also available at www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/directory/.

A report of the recent NIDCD-sponsored State-of-the-Science Conference: Developmental Stuttering is now available on the NIDCD web site. The meeting, held in Washington, D.C., brought together experts in various disciplines to discuss current research challenges and future opportunities. The meeting was co-sponsored by the American Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Professional Training, the National Stuttering Association, and the Stuttering Foundation of America. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/funding/programs/vsl/stutteringwrkshop.asp

Combination Therapy Leads to Partial Recovery from Spinal Cord Injuries in Rats

Combining partially differentiated stem cells with gene therapy can promote the growth of new “insulation” around nerve fibers in the damaged spinal cords of rats, a new study shows. The treatment, which mimics the activity of two nerve growth factors, also improves the animals’ motor function and electrical conduction from the brain to the leg muscles. The finding may eventually lead to new ways of treating spinal cord injury in humans. The study was funded in part by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health.

The new study provides the best demonstration to date that producing a nerve-insulating substance called myelin can lead to functional improvements in animals with spinal cord injury. Previous studies have shown that the loss of myelin around nerve fibers contributes to the impaired function after a spinal cord injury. However, until now it has not been clear whether promoting new myelin growth in the spinal cord can reverse this damage, says Scott R. Whittemore, Ph.D., of the University of Louisville in Kentucky, who led the new study. “Many other investigators have suggested that remyelination is a possible approach to repair the spinal cord, but this is the first study to show unequivocally that it works,” says Dr. Whittemore. “It is a proof of principle.” Although the finding is promising, much work remains before such a technique could be used in humans. The study appears in the July 27, 2005, issue of the “Journal of Neuroscience”.

In the study, the researchers took cells called special cells called glial-restricted precursors from the spinal cords of embryonic rats. These precursor cells develop from stem cells and are specialized so that they can form only two kinds of cells: astrocytes, which help support neurons and influence their activity, and oligodendrocytes, which produce myelin. The scientists used a modified virus to insert genes for marker proteins that make the cells visible. Some cells also received a gene called D15A. This gene produces a protein with activity similar to growth factors called neurotrophin 3 (NT3) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Both NT3 and BDNF help myelin-producing cells (oligodendrocytes) develop and survive.

Dr. Whittemore and his colleagues injected the treated precursor cells into the spinal cords of rats with a type of spinal injury called a contusion, which is caused by an impact to the spinal cord. Other groups of spinal cord-injured rats received just precursor cells, D15A gene therapy, or other treatments that were used for comparison. The rats were evaluated weekly for 6 weeks after the treatment using a behavioral test called the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scale, which measures characteristics such as weight support, joint movements, and coordination. The researchers also used an electrical current test in which they put a magnetic stimulator on the skull and measured whether the resulting electrical current was transmitted to a muscle in one of the hind legs.

Most of the rats treated with the combination of precursor cells and gene therapy improved significantly on both tests, the researchers found. The combination therapy led to an improvement in the rats’ ability to walk and about a 10 percent improvement on the electrical current test. Rats that received the other treatments did not improve significantly, and untreated rats did not have any electrical activity that passed through the damaged spinal cord. Studies of the damaged spinal cord tissue after the combined treatment showed that many of the transplanted cells survived and migrated within the cord and that about 30 percent of them developed into
myelin-producing oligodendrocytes.

“The key word here is ‘combination.’ This is one of a series of new studies showing that a combination of therapies is needed for successful spinal repair, in this case, specialized cells and growth factors. The experiments also used a combination of outcomes — physiology, behavior, and anatomy –to point clearly at myelination as the cause for improved function,” says Naomi Kleitman, Ph.D., the NINDS program director for the grants that funded this work. “The study also is a good example of strong collaboration between two spinal cord injury research centers, one at the University of Louisville and the other at the University of Miami in Florida.”

The researchers are now investigating ways to improve this type of therapy with additional genetic modifications to the transplanted cells, and they plan to test similar techniques that start with undifferentiated embryonic stem (ES) cells instead of glial-restricted precursor cells. ES cells would be better for human studies than glial-restricted precursors because ES cells can be more readily obtained, Dr. Whittemore says.

Trained Screeners Can Identify Preschoolers with Vision Disorders

Specially trained nurses and lay people performed effectively when using certain vision screening tests to identify preschoolers with vision disorders, according to a National Institutes of Health-funded research study of more than 1,400 children.

In comparisons using selected vision screening tests, trained nurses and lay people were able to correctly identify up to 68 percent of children with at least one of the most prevalent vision disorders of childhood: amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (eye misalignment), refractive errors (poor vision that can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses) or poor vision not associated with any obvious disorder. These results demonstrate that trained lay people and nurses can achieve similar results when using specific tests to screen preschool children for vision disorders.

The purpose of the Vision In Preschoolers Study (VIP Study) is to identify whether vision-screening tests can accurately identify preschool-aged children who would benefit from a comprehensive vision examination. Study personnel evaluated selected children enrolled in Head Start centers in Berkeley, CA; Boston, MA; Columbus, OH; Philadelphia, PA; and Tahlequah, OK. The VIP Study was funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health. Results from the second phase of this study are published in the August 2005 issue of the journal “Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science”. An earlier phase of the VIP Study found that four commonly used vision screening tests were more effective than seven other commercially available tests in recognizing vision problems in preschool-aged children.

During the first phase of the study, published in the April 2004 issue of the journal “Ophthalmology”, licensed optometrists and ophthalmologists compared 11 commercially available screening tests for diagnosing eye disorders in children. They tested 2,588 children in a mobile van specially designed with four vision screening rooms. They also gave each child a full eye examination using established diagnostic examination procedures and tests.

The 11 tests varied widely in performance when they were administered by the eye care professionals. The best tests detected two-thirds of children having at least one of the targeted vision disorders and nearly 90 percent of children with the most important conditions. Three tests that assessed refractive error (e.g., nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism) and one test that evaluated visual acuity were more accurate than others in detecting children with vision problems. These tests included two hand-held autorefractors used to measure refractive error; retinoscopy, which uses light reflected off the back of the eye and hand-held lenses to measure refractive error; and a visual acuity test in which children stand 10 feet away from a chart displaying symbols and name each symbol as the screener points to it.

“We are excited to have identified the best-performing tools for vision screening of preschool children, and to have found that trained lay screeners and nurses can use those tools effectively,” said Paul A. Sieving, M.D., Ph.D., director of the NEI. “As early detection of childhood eye disease increases the likelihood of successful treatment, these results have important implications for the visual health of children.”

For the second phase of the study, nurses and lay screeners administered four vision screening tests to 1,452 children at their Head Start centers. They screened all children who had failed a basic Head Start vision screening and a random sample of those children who passed the screening.

The screening tests included three of the tests that performed best in the first phase of the study: two hand-held automated refractors to measure refractive error (e.g., nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism); and a test of visual acuity in which children name or match symbols at a set distance. The screeners also administered a test for depth perception in which the children point to a three-dimensional image. All children screened also received a standardized, comprehensive eye examination by a licensed eye care professional in a specially equipped vision van at the child’s Head Start Center.

The results demonstrated that trained nurses and lay screeners achieved similar accuracy rates administering the two automated refractors. Nurses correctly identified up to 68 percent of children with vision disorders while lay screeners correctly identified up to 62 percent of these children. Using these hand-held instruments, nurses and lay screeners correctly identified more than 80 percent of children with conditions considered most severe.

Using charts displaying several symbols at one time at a distance of 10 feet, nurses and lay screeners were not able to correctly identify as many children with vision disorders. However, when lay screeners administered a simpler version of the symbols visual acuity test at a distance of five feet, they correctly identified 61 percent of children with vision problems. Nurses and lay screeners identified about the same percentage of children with vision problems (45 percent versus 40 percent) using the test of depth perception.

The researchers estimate that, nationwide, two to five percent of children ages three to five have amblyopia, three to four percent have strabismus, and 10-15 percent have significant refractive error.

“It is estimated that up to 15 percent of preschool children between the ages of three and five have an eye or vision condition that, if not corrected, can result in reduced vision,” said Paulette P. Schmidt, O.D., M.S., chairperson of the VIP Study and a professor of optometry and vision science at The Ohio State University College of Optometry. “Unfortunately, many parents are unaware that their child has an eye problem because vision problems do not hurt and children do not know how well they should see.”

“Accurate and efficient identification of preschool children with vision disorders has a significant impact on visual outcome,” Schmidt said. “Parents should question which eye problems are being screened for, the accuracy of the tests, and how often serious eye conditions are missed by these tests,” she said. “If results from a vision screening test indicate that a child should have a follow-up examination, parents should ask about next steps. Parents also should be aware that vision screening programs do not substitute for a comprehensive eye examination by a licensed eye care professional. However, vision screening may be a valuable way to detect children who would benefit most from an eye examination.”

Planning is now underway for a third phase of the VIP Study. A list of study centers is attached.

VISION IN PRESCHOOLERS (VIP) STUDY CENTERS

BERKELEY, CA. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY SCHOOL OF OPTOMETRY
PI: Deborah Orel-Bixler, PhD, OD.
School of Optometry
University of California, Berkeley
200 Minor Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720-2020
Phone: 510-642-2402
Fax: 510-643-5109
Email: dob@uclink.berkeley.edu

BOSTON, MA. NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY
PI: Bruce Moore, OD.
New England College of Optometry
1255 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02215
Phone: 617-236-6309
Fax: 617-369-0198
Email: mooreb@ne-optometry.edu

COLUMBUS, OH. THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY
Study Chair and PI: Paulette Schmidt OD, MS
VIP Study Center Office
The Ohio State University
College of Optometry
P.O. Box 182342
Columbus, OH 43218-2342
Phone: 614-292-3189
Fax: 614-247-6907
Email: schmidt.13@osu.edu

Marjean Taylor Kulp, OD, MS (Co-Investigator).
College of Optometry
The Ohio State University
P.O. Box 182342
Columbus, OH 43218-2342
Phone: 614-688-3336
Fax: 614-247-6907
Email: MTKulp@optometry.osu.edu

PHILADELPHIA, PA. PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY
PI: Elise Ciner, OD.
Pennsylvania College of Optometry
1200 West Godfrey
Philadelphia, PA 19141
Phone: 215-276-6059
Fax: 215-276-6196
Email: Eciner@pco.edu

TAHLEQUAH, OK. NORTHEASTERN STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY
PI: Lynn Cyert, PhD, OD.
College of Optometry
Northeastern State University
1001 North Grand Avenue
Tahlequah, OK 74464
Phone: 918-456-5511; Ext 4007
Fax: 918-458-9603
Email: cyert@nsuok.edu

COORDINATING CENTER: PHILADELPHIA, PA. UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA,
DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
PI: Maureen Maguire, PhD.
VIP Coordinating Center
3535 Market Street, Suite 700
Philadelphia, Pa 19104-3309
Phone: 215-615-1501
Fax: 215-615-1531
Email: maguirem@mail.med.upenn.edu

Cognitive Therapy Reduces Repeat Suicide Attempts by 50 Percent

Recent suicide attempters treated with cognitive therapy were 50 percent less likely to try to kill themselves again within 18 months than those who did not receive the therapy, report researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A targeted form of cognitive therapy designed to prevent suicide proved better at lifting depression and feelings of hopelessness than the usual care available in the community, according to Gregory Brown, Ph.D., Aaron Beck, M.D., University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues, who published their findings in the August 3, 2005 “Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)”.

“Since even one previous attempt multiplies suicide risk by 38-40 times and suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for adults under 65, a proven way to prevent repeat attempts has important public health implications,” said NIMH Director Thomas Insel, M.D.

To achieve a large enough sample to reliably detect differences in the effectiveness of interventions, the researchers first screened hundreds of potential suicide attempters admitted to the emergency room of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, ultimately recruiting 120 patients into the study.

Averaging in their mid-thirties, 61 percent of the participants were female, 60 percent black, 35 percent white, and 5 percent Hispanic and other ethnicities. Most had attempted to kill themselves by drug overdosing (58 percent), with 17 percent by stabbing, 7 percent by jumping and 4 percent by hanging, shooting or drowning. Seventy-seven percent had major depression
and 68 percent a substance use disorder.

After a clinical evaluation, each participant was randomly assigned to one of two conditions: cognitive therapy or usual care — services available in the community. Cognitive therapy was developed by Beck in the 1970s and has been applied successfully in a wide variety of psychiatric disorders. Those in the cognitive group were scheduled to receive 10 outpatient weekly or biweekly cognitive therapy sessions specifically developed for preventing suicide attempts. The sessions helped patients find a more effective way of looking at their problems by learning new ways to handle negative thoughts and feelings of hopelessness. In a relapse-prevention task near the end of their therapy, they were asked to focus directly on the events, thoughts, feelings and behaviors that led to their previous suicide attempts and explain how they would respond in a more adaptive way. If they passed this task successfully, their cognitive therapy ended; if they were unsuccessful, additional sessions were provided.

Both groups were encouraged to receive usual care from clinicians in the community and were tracked by study case managers by mail and phone throughout the 18 month follow-up period. The case managers offered referrals to — but not payment for — local mental health and drug abuse treatment and social services.

About half of the participants in both groups took psychotropic medications and about 13 to 16 percent received drug abuse treatment. About 27 percent of those in the usual care group received psychotherapy outside of the study, compared to 21 percent of those also receiving cognitive therapy.

Over the year-and-a-half follow-up period, only 24 percent (13) of those in the cognitive therapy group made repeat suicide attempts, compared to 42 percent (23) of the usual care group. Although the groups did not differ significantly in suicidal thoughts, those who received cognitive therapy scored better on measures of depression severity and hopelessness, which the researchers suggest “may be more highly associated with a reduced risk of
repeat suicide attempts.”

“We were surprised by the amount of energy and resources it takes to reach out to individuals who attempt suicide,” noted Brown. “This population lacks a positive attitude toward the mental health system and often fails to show up for scheduled appointments. However, the combination of cognitive therapy plus case management services was effective in preventing suicide attempts.” He suggests that cognitive therapy’s short-term nature makes it a good fit for treatment of suicide attempters at community mental health centers.

“Suicide and suicide attempts are serous public health problems that devastate individuals, families and communities,” added Dr. Ileana Aria, Director, CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. “This research provides valuable insight for those treating people at risk, so that they can learn adaptive ways to handle stress and resolve their problems and thereby reduce the likelihood they will resort to suicidal behavior as a solution.”

Also participating in the study were: Drs. Thomas Ten Have, Sharon Xie, and Judd Hollander, University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Gregg Henriques, James Madison University.

Day Care Settings are a Significant Source for Indoor Allergens

Researchers studying day care facilities in the South have found the facilities to be a significant source for indoor allergen levels. A new study of 89 day care settings in two central North Carolina counties found detectable levels of seven common allergens from fungus, cats, cockroaches, dogs, dust mites, and mice in each facility tested. The levels were similar to those found in Southern homes.

“Because children spend a significant portion of time in day care settings, it is important that parents understand the risks of allergen exposure and know where these allergens can be found,” said David A. Schwartz, M.D., the new Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the part of the National Institutes of Health that supported the study. The study will be available online in the “Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology” on June 1st.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 63 percent of children under five spend 37 hours per week in child care. Exposure to indoor allergens has been shown in previous studies to increase the likelihood of developing asthma or allergic diseases, especially in vulnerable children.

Both licensed family day care homes and child care centers are represented in the study. The researchers used a three-pronged data collection approach to evaluate allergens in each care facility, including administering a questionnaire to each manager, observing the room where the children spent most of their time, and collecting dust samples from that room.

Dust was collected from up to four, one square meter areas of floor on both carpet and hard surfaces. Twenty facilities had dust collected from both surfaces.

Detectable levels of each allergen were found in every facility where dust samples were collected. Concentrations were the highest for allergens from cats, dogs, and a fungus known as “Alternaria”.

“Interestingly, similar to other studies, dog and cat allergens were detected in nearly all the facilities tested, although no dog or cat was observed in most,” said, Samuel Arbes, Ph.D., a NIEHS researcher and lead author on the study. “It is likely the pet allergens are brought in on the children’s clothing.”

The study also found significant differences between carpeted and non-carpeted surfaces. Concentrations for five of the allergens were lower on the non-carpeted surfaces.

The researchers compared the day care allergen levels to concentrations found in Southern homes collected previously as part of the National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing (NSLAH). The NSLAH collected samples from 831 homes representing various regions and settings across the country. Five of the seven allergen levels were statistically similar with only one of two dust mite allergens and mouse allergen being slightly higher in the NSLAH.

“The similarities in allergen levels between the day care centers and Southern home living rooms means children and the day care workers may be getting prolonged exposure to allergens,” said Dr. Arbes. “More research needs to be conducted to determine the effects of allergen exposures outside of the home.”

State-of-the-Science Conference: Developmental Stuttering

A report of the recent NIDCD-sponsored State-of-the-Science Conference: Developmental Stuttering is now available on the NIDCD web site. The meeting, held in Washington, D.C. brought together experts in various disciplines to discuss current research challenges and future opportunities. The meeting was co-sponsored by the American Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Professional Training, the National Stuttering Association, and the Stuttering Foundation of America.
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/funding/programs/vsl/stutteringwrkshop.asp

Mental Illness Exacts Heavy Toll, Beginning in Youth

Researchers supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) have found that half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14, and that despite effective treatments, there are long delays – sometimes decades — between first onset of symptoms and when people seek and receive treatment. The study also reveals that an untreated mental disorder can lead to a more severe, more difficult to treat illness, and to the development of co-occurring mental illnesses.

The landmark study is described in four papers that document the prevalence and severity of specific mental disorders. The papers provide significant new data on the impairment — such as days lost from work — caused by specific disorders, including mood, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders. These measures will allow researchers to determine the degree of disability and the economic burden caused by mental illness, as well as trends over time.

The papers are reported in the June 6 issue of the “Archives of General Psychiatry” by Ronald Kessler, Ph.D., and colleagues. The study was a collaborative project between Harvard University, the University of Michigan, and the NIMH Intramural Research Program.

This study, called the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), is a household survey of 9,282 English-speaking respondents, age 18 and older. It is an expanded replication of the 1990 National Comorbidity Survey, which was the first to estimate the prevalence of mental disorders (using modern psychiatric standards) in a nationally representative sample. The expansion includes detailed measures that will significantly improve estimates of the severity and persistence of mental disorders, and the degree to which they impair individuals and families, and burden employers and the U.S. economy.

“These studies confirm a growing understanding about the nature of mental illness across the lifespan,” says Thomas Insel, M.D., Director of the National Institute of Mental Health. “There are many important messages from this study, but perhaps none as important as the recognition that mental disorders are the chronic disorders of young people in the U.S.”

Prevalence and Age-of Onset of Mental Disorders

Unlike most disabling physical diseases, mental illness begins very early in life. Half of all lifetime cases begin by age 14; three quarters have begun by age 24. Thus, mental disorders are really the chronic diseases of the young. For example, anxiety disorders often begin in late childhood, mood disorders in late adolescence, and substance abuse in the early 20’s. Unlike
heart disease or most cancers, young people with mental disorders suffer disability when they are in the prime of life, when they would normally be the most productive.

The risk of mental disorders is substantially lower among people who have matured out of the high-risk age range. Prevalence increases from the youngest group (age 18-29) to the next-oldest age group (age 30-44) and then declines, sometimes substantially, in the oldest group (age 60 +). Females have higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders. Males have higher rates of substance use disorders and impulse disorders.

The survey found that in the U.S., mental disorders are quite common; 26 percent of the general population reported that they had symptoms sufficient for diagnosing a mental disorder during the past 12 months. However, many of these cases are mild or will resolve without formal interventions.

It is likely, however, that the prevalence rates in this paper are underestimated, because the sample was drawn from listings of households and did not include homeless and institutionalized (nursing homes, group homes) populations. In addition, the study did not assess some rare and clinically complex psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism, because a household survey is not the most efficient study design to identify and evaluate those disorders.

Failure and Delay in Initial Treatment Contact

The study documents the long delays between the onset of a mental disorder and the first treatment contact, as well as the accumulated burden and hazards of untreated mental disorders.

These pervasive delays in getting treatment tend to occur for nearly all mental disorders, though they vary according to specific diagnostic categories. The median delay across disorders is nearly a decade; the longest delays are 20-23 years, for social phobia and separation anxiety disorders. This is possibly due to the relatively early age of onset and fears of therapy that involve social interactions.

Shorter delays between onset of disorder and treatment seeking — still a protracted 6-8 years — are seen for mood disorders, and are likely attributable to public awareness campaigns, the marketing of newer therapies directly to consumers, and expanded insurance coverage.

While approximately 80 percent of all people in the U.S. with a mental disorder eventually seek treatment, there are public health implications from such long delays in treatment. Untreated psychiatric disorders can lead to more frequent and more severe episodes, and are more likely to become resistant to treatment. In addition, early-onset mental disorders that are left untreated are associated with school failure, teenage childbearing, unstable employment, early marriage, and marital instability and violence.

“The pattern appears to be that the earlier in life the disorder begins, the slower an individual is to seek therapy, and the more persistent the illness,” said Dr. Kessler, a professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School. “It’s unfortunate that those who most need treatment are the least likely to get it.”

Treating cases early could prevent enormous disability, before the illness becomes more severe, and before co-occurring mental illnesses develop, which only become more difficult to treat as they accumulate, according to the researchers.

Severity and Comorbidity of Mental Disorders

The second paper reports that even though mental disorders are widespread throughout the population, the main burden of illness is concentrated in those with a severe disorder — about 6 percent. A “serious” disorder involves a substantial limitation in daily activities or work disability, or a suicide attempt with serious lethal intent, or psychosis. The serious group reported a mean of 88.3 days — nearly 3 months of the year – when they were unable to carry out their normal daily activities.

Unfortunately, say the researchers, individuals with one mental disorder are at a high risk for also having a second one (comorbidity). Nearly half (45 percent) of those with one mental disorder met criteria for two or more disorders, with severity strongly related to comorbidity. This finding supports the suggestion by a growing portion of researchers that the boundaries between some diagnostic categories may be less discrete than previously believed.

Use of Mental Health Services

The study indicates that the U.S. mental health care system is not keeping up with the needs of consumers and that improvements are needed to speed initiation of treatment as well as enhance the quality and duration of treatment. For instance, over a 12-month period, 60 percent of those with a mental disorder got no treatment at all.

The good news is that the proportion of people who reported 12-month mental health service use is higher now — at 17 percent — than a decade ago in the baseline NCS survey, at 13 percent. The expansion was mainly in the general medical sector, with more primary care physicians providing psychiatric services.

People with mental or substance abuse disorders were more likely to get treatment from a primary care physician/nurse or other general medical doctor (22.8 percent), or from a non psychiatrist mental health specialist (16 percent), such as a psychologist, social worker, or counselor, than from a psychiatrist (12 percent), though the survey did show that the adequacy of treatment — measured by number of visits — is best when provided by mental health practitioners. About 9.7 percent sought help from a counselor or spiritual advisor outside of a mental health setting; and 6.9 percent used a complementary-alternative source, such as a chiropractor or self-help group. This held true even for those with severe mood disorders. Traditionally underserved groups, such as the elderly, racial/ethnic minorities and those with low income or without insurance, had the greatest unmet need for treatment.

Future and Ongoing Efforts

The NIMH epidemiological research portfolio contains several related projects that are focused on mental disorders among adolescents and ethnic subgroups. These include 1) an arm of the NCS-R that is studying 10,000 youths; 2) the National Study of African American Life, with 6,000 participants; and 3) the National Study of Latino and Asian Americans, with 5,000 participants. Each of these, like the NCS-R, will provide information on diagnosis, medications, disability/impairment, and service use, drawing from nationally based samples.

An international perspective on these findings is also becoming available, as the study is part of a global initiative on the epidemiology of mental disorders in 28 countries, coordinated through the World Health Organization.

NIMH is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Federal Government’s primary agency for biomedical and behavioral research. NIH is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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U.S. Department of

Education News

Educational Resources

With many schools opening this month, teachers are referred to free resources with lesson plans and ideas for enriching content in core academic subjects. Two such resources are: (1) the Library of Congress (https://www.loc.gov/ ) and

(2) FREE, the Federal Resources for Educational Excellence website (https://www.ed.gov/free/index.html ), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, which includes information from across 30 federal government agencies.

Another free resource is the Help for schools’ “Education on the Web” site (https://www.helpforschools.com/EdonWeb/index.php ) with links to over 3,000 sites in more than 500 categories to help teachers and administrators.

New Listserv from the Institute of Education Sciences

The U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences has created a new listserv, available free to the public. Subscribers interested in education research, evaluation, and statistics will automatically receive periodic notification of information available on the IES website via their email inboxes. The listserv will focus on such topics as funding and training, research, recent publications, and education facts and figures from the National Center for Education Statistics.
https://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ies/signupform.html

Grants and Contracts from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education is dedicated to improving results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21. To this end, OSEP provides leadership and financial support to assist states and local districts.

This grant information is organized each year into four directories, each of which focuses upon a section of approximately 1,000 grants and contracts supported by OSEP. These four directories represent projects in the seven program areas of IDEA, Part D.

Which program area would you like to explore? Just click on the links below to learn more about what each program area emphasizes and the funding that OSEP has provided under that area.

Research and Innovation

https://www.nichcy.org/directories/research-innovation.asp
IDEA’s Research and Innovation program aims to produce and advance the use of knowledge to:

• improve services provided under IDEA, including the practices of professionals and others involved in providing services to children with disabilities, and
• improve educational results for children with disabilities.

Studies and Evaluations

https://www.nichcy.org/directories/studies-eval.asp

IDEA’s Studies and Evaluations program is designed to assess the effectiveness of state and local efforts to provide:
• a free appropriate public education to children with disabilities, and
• early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities, and to infants and toddlers who would be at risk of having substantial developmental delays if early intervention services were not provided to them.

Personnel Preparation-

https://www.nichcy.org/directories/personnelprep.asp

Projects funded under IDEA’s Personnel Preparation program area are designed:
• to help address state-identified needs for qualified personnel in special education, related services, early intervention, and regular education to work with children with disabilities; and
• to ensure that those personnel have the skills and knowledge (derived from practices determined through research and experience to be successful) that are needed to serve those children.

Technical Assistance and Dissemination—

https://www.nichcy.org/directories/tad.asp

IDEA’s Technical Assistance and Dissemination program (TA&D) provides technical assistance and information through such mechanisms as institutes, Regional Resource Centers, clearinghouses, and programs that support states and local entities in building capacity to improve early intervention, education, and transitional services and results for children with disabilities and their families. This program area also funds projects that address systemic-change goals and priorities.

Students with Disabilities Making Great Strides, New Study Finds
Data reflect successful experiences and achievements of special education students moving into early adulthood

Students with disabilities have made significant progress in their transition to adulthood during the past 25 years with lower dropout rates, an increase in postsecondary enrollment and a higher rate of gainful employment after leaving high school, according to a new report released today by the U.S. Department of Education. The report is available at https://www.nlts2.org.

The National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) documents the experiences of a national sample of students over several years as they moved from secondary school into adult roles. The NLTS2 report shows that the incidence of students with disabilities completing high school rather than dropping out increased by 17 percentage points between 1987 and 2003.

During the same period, their postsecondary education participation more than doubled to 32 percent. In 2003, 70 percent of students with disabilities who had been out of school for up to two years had paying jobs, compared to only 55 percent in 1987.

“These accomplishments show the benefits of accountability and high academic standards among all students, including those with disabilities,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. “As we focus increasingly on high school students, these findings square nicely with the goals of No Child Left Behind, such as closing the achievement gap and insisting that all students be given the quality education they so deserve.”

NLTS2 began in 2001, and is a follow-up to the first National Longitudinal Transition Study conducted from 1985 through 1993, in which the experiences of the first “cohort” of students were analyzed. NLTS2 reports on a second cohort of young people, 12,000 students nationwide who were ages 13-16 at the start of the study. Information will be collected over 10 years from parents, students and schools, and will provide a national picture of the experiences and achievements of young people as they transition into early adulthood.

The study also shows that the following progress has been made in special education:

• Core Academics Improved—Cohort2 high school students with disabilities were much more likely than their cohort1 counterparts to take core academic courses, including mathematics, science, social studies and a foreign language.

• Grades Were Higher—Regarding academic performance, more than half of cohort2 students with disabilities received above-average grades, representing a shift from students receiving mostly Cs to more students receiving mostly As or Bs, as reported by teachers.

• Age and Grade-Level Match Improved—The proportion of students who were at the typical age for their grade level increased from one-third to more than one-half between 1987 and 2001. As being older than the typical age for a grade level has been shown to be a powerful predictor of disabled students dropping out of school, this indicator signals positive outcomes for youths with disabilities in their efforts to finish high school.

• More Support—By 2001, half of 15- to 17-year-old students with disabilities were receiving related or support services from or through their schools, compared with less than one-third of students in 1987.

Forecast of Funding Opportunities Under Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 2005 and Fiscal Year 2006
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 2005 and fiscal year 2006, 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 Department¹s principal program offices and include programs and
competitions previously announced as well as those to be announced.
https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edlite-forecast.html

FY 2004-06 Discretionary Grant Application Packages
This site, from the U.S. Department of Education, provides information on
grant competitions that are currently open.

https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/

Technology
A user-friendly website, Grantsalert.com, helps educators and other stakeholders at the K-12 level find resources that can benefit students and schools. The website monitors federal, state, private, and corporate websites across the country to find announcements for funding opportunities. New listings are posted each day, and all of the information is free to the public.

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No Child Left Behind News

“Highly Qualified Teachers”

NASET has been receiving many questions from special education teachers regarding the topic of “Highly Qualified Teachers” under No Child Left Behind. In particular, members are seeking answers to questions regarding how it affects them, their students, and their professional development. Due to the large number of inquiries on the topic, we will devote a fall 2005 issue of The Special Educator e-Journal to Questions and Answers regarding “Highly Qualified Teachers”. Below are questions and answers to some of the questions that have been addressed here at NASET:

1. What is the definition of a highly qualified teacher?

The requirement that teachers be highly qualified applies to all public elementary or secondary school teachers employed by a local educational agency who teach a core academic subject. “Highly qualified” means that the teacher:

Has obtained full State certification as a teacher or passed the State teacher licensing examination and holds a license to teach in the State, and does not have certification or licensure requirements waived on an emergency, temporary, or provisional basis;
Holds a minimum of a bachelor’s degree; and
Has demonstrated subject-matter competency in each of the academic subjects in which the teacher teaches, in a manner determined by the State and in compliance with Section 9101(23) of ESEA.

The statutory definition includes additional elements that apply somewhat differently to teachers new and not new to the profession, and to elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers. The complete definition of a “highly qualified” teacher is in Section 9101(23) of the ESEA (Appendix A) and in Section 602(10) of the IDEA (Appendix D).

2. What is meant by “core academic subjects”?

The term “core academic subjects” means English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, and geography [Section 9101(11)]. While the statute includes the arts in the core academic subjects, it does not specify which of the arts are core academic subjects; therefore, States must make this determination.

3. How does the State determine if an elementary, middle, or secondary school teacher who is not new to the profession is highly qualified?

The SEA is responsible for developing and approving methods for ensuring that teachers have, in addition to a bachelor’s degree and full State certification, subject-matter competency and teaching skills. Teachers can demonstrate their competency and skills by (a) passing a rigorous State academic subject-matter test, (b) in the case of middle or secondary school teachers, completing an academic major, graduate degree, coursework equivalent to an academic major, or advanced certification or credentialing, or (c) using the high, objective, uniform State standard of evaluation (HOUSSE)) [Section 9101(23)].

4. How does the State determine if elementary school teachers who are new to the profession have the subject-matter knowledge and teaching skills that are needed of highly qualified teachers?

To meet the requirements of the law, teachers at the elementary level who are new to the profession must (1) hold at least a bachelor’s degree, (2) be licensed by the State, and (3) demonstrate, by passing a rigorous State test, subject knowledge and teaching skills in reading, writing, mathematics, and other areas of the basic elementary curriculum [Section 9101(23)(B)(i)]. While the Department is always willing to respond to inquiries from States, it is the responsibility of the SEA to identify and approve specific tests. We recommend that each SEA use the guidelines below to evaluate any subject-matter tests it may consider using for this purpose.

The test may consist of a State-required certification or licensing test (or tests) in reading, writing, math, and other areas of the basic elementary school curriculum. The content of the test should be rigorous and objective and serve as a high, uniform standard that each candidate is expected to meet or exceed.

The purpose of the test is to establish the candidate’s knowledge of content and teaching skills in reading, writing, math, and other areas of the basic elementary curriculum. Keeping an explanation on file of how the tests meet the criteria required by the law would be one way for the State to demonstrate it is in compliance with the Section 9101(23) requirements.

5. How does the State determine if middle and high school teachers who are new to the profession have a high level of competence in each of the subjects they will teach?

To meet the requirements of the law, teachers at the middle and high school levels who are new to the profession must (1) hold at least a bachelor’s degree, (2) be licensed by the State, and (3) demonstrate their competence, in each of the core academic subjects the teacher teaches, by:

• completing an academic major, a graduate degree, coursework equivalent to an academic major, or advanced certification or credentialing; or
• passing a rigorous State academic subject test [Section 9101(23)(B)(ii)].

While it is the responsibility of the SEA to identify and approve such tests, the Department recommends that each SEA use the guidelines below to evaluate any subject-matter tests it may consider using for this purpose.

The academic subject test may consist of a State-required certification or licensing test (or tests) in each of the academic subjects in which a teacher teaches . The content of the test should be rigorous and objective, focus on a specific academic content area, and have a high, objective, uniform standard that the candidate is expected to meet or exceed. These standards must be applied to each candidate in the same way.

The purpose of the test is to establish the candidate’s knowledge in a given subject-matter. In addition, the test might be used to target the areas where additional coursework or staff development may be needed to help the teacher succeed at meeting the standard.

Keeping an explanation on file as to how the tests meet the criteria required by the law, would be one way for a State to demonstrate it is compliance with the Section 9101 requirements.

6. How are the terms “new to the profession” and “not new to the profession” defined?

States have the authority to define which teachers are new and not new to the profession; however, these definitions must be reasonable. The Department strongly believes that a teacher with less than one year of teaching experience is “new” to the profession and, therefore, must demonstrate subject-matter competency as a new teacher.

7. What is meant by “full State certification”?

Full State certification, as determined under State law and policy, means that the teacher has fully met those State requirements that apply to the years of experience the teacher possesses. For example, these requirements may vary for first-year teachers and for teachers not new to the profession. In addition, “full State certification” means that the teacher must not have had certification or licensure requirements waived on an emergency, temporary, or provisional basis.

States are free to redefine, in accordance with State law, their certification requirements (for example, they may streamline their requirements if they determine that they are too onerous) or create non-traditional approaches to certification. For example, a State may determine that an individual is fully certified if he or she has passed a rigorous assessment, such as those currently being developed by the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence, of his or her subject-matter mastery and professional teaching knowledge. Such non-traditional approaches to full State certification are different from alternate route to certification programs because, in the former, the candidate is fully certified before he or she starts teaching.

8. When can a teacher in an alternate route to certification/licensure program be considered “highly qualified”?

A teacher in an alternate route to certification program may be considered highly qualified if the teacher holds at least a bachelor’s degree, has already demonstrated subject-matter competency in the core academic subject(s) the teacher will be teaching, and is participating in an alternate route to certification program in which the teacher: (1) receives, before and while teaching, high-quality professional development that is sustained, intensive, and classroom-focused in order to have a positive and lasting impact on classroom instruction; (2) participates in a program of intensive supervision that consists of structured guidance and regular ongoing support for teachers or in a teacher mentoring program; (3) assumes functions as a teacher for a period not to exceed three years; and (4) demonstrates satisfactory progress toward full certification as prescribed by the State.

The State must ensure, through its certification and licensure process, that these provisions are met [Section 200.56(a)(2) of the Title I regulations, December 2, 2002]. If the teacher does not complete the alternative certification program within the three-year period, the teacher is no longer considered to be highly qualified.

9. Must special education teachers who teach core academic subjects be highly qualified?

Yes. NCLB requires all teachers of core academic subjects, including special education teachers, to be highly qualified. The November 2004 reauthorization of IDEA reinforces this requirement. Subject to the special rules discussed in questions A-31 and A-32 below, IDEA now requires that all special education teachers who teach core academic subjects be highly qualified. The reauthorized IDEA adds the requirement that in order to be highly qualified, special education teachers must hold a special education certificate or be licensed as special education teachers in addition to holding a bachelor’s degree and demonstrating subject-matter competency.

10. If a special education teacher teaches core academic subjects exclusively to students who are being assessed against alternate academic achievement standards, at what subject-matter level must the special education teacher be highly qualified?

The 2004 IDEA amendments provide that if a special education teacher teaches core academic subjects exclusively to students who are being assessed against alternate achievement standards, the teacher must meet the highly qualified requirements for elementary school teachers and, for instruction above the elementary level have subject-matter knowledge appropriate to the level of instruction being provided. Please see Section 602(10)(C) of the IDEA for the complete text and the IDEA regulations when they become final to ensure compliance.

11. Must special education teachers who teach multiple core academic subjects exclusively to students with disabilities be highly qualified in all subjects they teach?

Yes. Special education teachers in this category, whether new to the profession or not, must be highly qualified. Special education teachers who are not new to the profession must demonstrate competence in all core subjects they teach, just as all teachers not new to the profession must do. States may, however, develop a multi-subject HOUSSE that allows teachers to demonstrate subject-matter competency in each of the core academic subjects they teach.

The 2004 IDEA amendments provide that special education teachers new to the profession who teach multiple core academic subjects and are highly qualified in mathematics, language arts, or science at the time they are hired, have two additional years after the date of hire to become highly qualified in all other academic subjects they teach, including through use of a HOUSSE. Please see Section 602(10)(D) of the IDEA for the complete text and the IDEA regulations when they become final to ensure compliance.

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Special Education Resources for

Both Parents and Teachers

New Website for Youth Launched by The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET)

The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET) launched its new youth Web site in the Spring of 2005. Youthhood.org is a dynamic, curriculum-based tool that can help young adults plan for life after high school.

Highlights of the site:

• Designed by and for young adults (and teachers, parents, and mentors)
• Includes online research-based transition curriculum guide
• Loaded with information, interactive activities, and an online magazine

Keeping Quality Teachers: The Art of Retaining General and Special Education Teachers

The Northeast Regional Resource Center (NERRC ) in collaboration with many partner organizations, has a new publication that provides an active framework and tools to promote the retention of quality educators
Keeping Quality Teachers: The Art of Retaining General and Special Education Teachers: https://www.wested.org/nerrc/keepingqualityteachers.htm

2005 National Disability Employment Awareness Month Theme Announced
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao has announced the official theme for
October¹s National Disability Employment Awareness Month: ³Workers with
Disabilities: Ready for Tomorrow’s Jobs Today. The theme will be used by
the private sector; federal, state, and local governments; and advocacy
organizations to plan events and programs that showcase the abilities and
skills of job candidates with disabilities.
https://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/odep/odep20051102.htm

Persons with Disabilities and Medical Conditions Wanted for Survey on Customer Satisfaction with Air Travel Screening Procedures
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has recently developed
guidelines, with input from various disability-related groups and
organizations, to ensure effective, safe, comfortable, dignified, and
respectful screening at all TSA security checkpoints whenever standard
procedures may not be appropriate. Now, TSA is conducting a short Persons
with Disabilities and Medical Conditions Customer Satisfaction Survey to
assess the experiences of people with disabilities and medical conditions
with its transportation security screening procedures. This Web-based survey
features the same questions used on the mail-in survey currently being
distributed by TSA screeners at the nation’s airports. The survey will be
available on the Web until August 23, 2005.
https://websurveyor.net/wsb.dll/29926/pwd.htm

Choices, Challenges, and Options: Child SSI Recipients Preparing for the Transition to Adult Life
The Urban Institute, a nonpartisan economic and social policy research
organization, used the newly released National Survey of Children and
Families to study the transition experiences of child Supplemental Security
Income recipients just prior to and after age 18. This paper compares
income, work, personal, and family circumstances of those on SSI benefits
after age 18 to those who no longer receive these benefits.
https://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=411168

Consumer-Directed Health Care: Challenges and Opportunities for Families with Youth with Serious Emotional Disturbance (2005)
Consumer direction in health care means that consumers conduct a
self-assessment of their health needs with appropriate advice and guidance,
decide how and by whom these needs can best be met, and monitor the quality of the services they choose. This paper from the National Mental Health
Information Center examines the impact of consumer direction on families and youth in families with a child with serious emotional problems.
https://www.mentalhealth.org/premium-publications/allpubs/NMH05-0191/

5th Annual National Inclusive Schools Week

Newton, MA—The 5th Annual National Inclusive Schools Week will be celebrated December 5–9, 2005, in classrooms, schools, and communities throughout the country. The Week highlights and celebrates the progress our nation’s schools have made in providing a supportive and quality education to all students, particularly those who have disabilities and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. It also provides an important opportunity for educators, students, and families to discuss what else needs to be done in order to ensure that their schools continue to improve their ability to successfully educate all children and youth.

This year’s theme “Bridging the Gap: Achievement for All” focuses on how schools and districts are narrowing the disparity in academic performance between individual groups of students—otherwise known as the achievement gap. The success of students with disabilities and those who are racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse has been regarded as among the most significant issues faced by schools and communities in past 30 years.

Federal mandates for accountability have become more rigorous over the past decade pushing schools, many with limited resources, to demonstrate that they can achieve adequate yearly progress for all students, including those with disabilities. What can we learn from communities who have made progress in meeting these ambitious goals? Most significantly, they have made a clear choice to provide a promising educational experience for all students. National Inclusive Schools Week provides an opportunity to highlight the successful approaches for improving results that many schools
have utilized to improve learning outcomes for all students.

Since its inception in December 2001, National Inclusive Schools Week has beencelebrated in thousands of schools and communities around the country and world. The Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative and Education Development Center, Inc. organize the Week as a way of acknowledging the hard work and commitment of students, families, and educators in making their schools and communities more inclusive, and, thereby, significantly contributing to the development of a more inclusive society.

An updated version of the popular Celebration Kit will provide educators, students, and families with everything they need to participate in the Week, including new celebration ideas and activities for bridging the gap in educational performance; publications that focus on the benefits of inclusive schools; suggested readings for children and adults; and materials to use in promoting the Week in their schools and communities. The kit will be available for downloading from:
www.inclusiveschools.org <https://www.inclusiveschools.org/> this fall.

In addition, the Collaborative will sponsor events during the Week focusing on this year’s theme and how to translate research related to the achievement gap into practice. Check the Week’s Web site for additional details as they develop.

To learn more about the 5th Annual National Inclusive Schools Week, visit
www.inclusiveschools.org or contact Bonnie Johnson Barry at nisw@edc.org or
877-332-2870 (TTY: 617-964-5448).

NYC Summer Options for Children and Teens with Special Needs
Parents and caregivers of children and teens with disabilities can plan ahead for summer with the wealth of information offered at the 21st annual free Special Camp Fair on Saturday, January 28, 2006 from 11 AM to 3 PM. at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, 405 W. 59th Street NYC (Entrance to Fair on Columbus Ave. near W. 60th St.). The Fair is presented by Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc., (212) 677-4650.

Representatives from 70 New York City day camps and sleepaway camps in the northeast will be on hand to help parents and professionals plan productive summer experiences for children with disabilities. The Fair will also feature information on travel programs, remedial education programs, volunteer and job opportunities and early childhood programs. Spanish and sign language interpreters will be available.

Visitors to the Fair will receive a free copy of the Camps 2006 Guide. The Camps 2006 Guide (publication date January 2006) is also available by sending a check for $25 plus $8.00 postage and handling to Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc., Dept. PR1, 116 E. 16th St., 5th Floor, New York, NY 10003. Contact: Gary Shulman, 212-677-4650

NICHCY e-News Launched
NICHCY’s e-News provides its readers with a wide range of information and sources of assistance on specific subjects related to the field of special education.

Effective Practices and Resources in Staff Development,

Effective Practices and Resources in Staff Development has the following sections:

• Staff Development: How, Why, What Works?
• Where to Start?
• On Professional Learning Communities
• On Coaching and Mentoring
• Training Your Paraprofessionals
• What’s Happening in Your State?
• Training Resources on Specific Topics

You’ll find this resource page on NICHCY’s Web site, at https://www.nichcy.org/enews/foundations/stafftraining.asp

Employment 101

Employment 101 has the following sections:

• Understanding the Network
• What Kinds of Jobs Are There?
• Getting Job Training
• Addressing Transportation Concerns
• Finding a Job
• All About Job Supports
• On the ADA, Accessibility, and More
• Just for Professionals

https://www.nichcy.org/enews/foundations/employment101.asp

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National Collaborative on

Workforce and Disability for

Youth Update

Key Publication Now on Website

Tired of wading through reams of documents searching for evidence-based research and practice? Help is at hand via NCWD/Youth’s new Publications Bank! The “Pub-Bank” will feature seminal reports and journal articles, program evaluations, research and literature reviews, and other meaty documents, organized around the Guideposts for Success, that will save you time and aggravation. View the first 12 entries at https://www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/pub-bank.

You can navigate directly to the document if it is available online — if not, a link to the publisher is provided. Check back regularly for new additions!
The five guidepost areas describe what all youth need for a successful transition to adulthood as well as the specific needs of youth with disabilities. Based in research and effective practice, the guideposts include: school-based preparatory experiences, career preparation & work-based learning experiences, youth development & leadership, connecting activities, and family involvement & supports. The guideposts are described in detail at https://www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/guideposts.

Disability Mentoring Day Announced

Disability Mentoring Day, a national effort to promote the employment of students with disabilities through personal mentoring, will be held on October 19th this year. Disability Mentoring Day promotes career development for students and job-seekers with disabilities through job shadowing and hands-on career exploration. It is a partnership between the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the US Department of Labor and the American Association of Persons with Disabilities.

In 2004, 9,000 youth with disabilities from all 50 states, Washington DC, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico gained a first-hand look into career opportunities as they spent the day in over 1,500 businesses, nonprofits, and government organizations. In addition, Disability Mentoring Day activities expanded internationally to more than 20 countries.
This is an excellent opportunity to kick off a year round mentoring initiative in your community. To participate in Disability Mentoring Day activities visit https://www.dmd-aapd.org/.

Disability Disclosure Workbook Available

A new publication of NCWD/Youth, The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Youth with Disabilities is now available online at https://ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/411.html. This workbook will help young people make informed decisions about whether or not to disclose their disability and understand how that decision may impact their education, employment, and social lives. Based on the premise that disclosure is a very personal decision, the Workbook will help young people think about and practice disclosing their disability.

Printed copies are now available and can be ordered at https://ncwd-youth.info/order.php. You can download a PDF version of this guide by clicking here or download a Word version of the guide by clicking here. Please note that this is a large document and the download time for the PDF document will be longer for users with slower connections.

Promising Practices Launched on NCWD/Youth website

NCWD/Youth announces Pro-Bank, an online database of promising programs and practices in the workforce development system that effectively addresses the needs of youth with disabilities. Pro-Bank was established to:

• Provide you with easily accessible information about promising practices through a trusted resource;
• Supply you with information that can be used to improve products and services within your own programs; and
• Promote quality program services to youth with disabilities throughout the workforce development system.

Programs featured on this site fall into two categories. The first category highlights effective and promising practices derived from youth-focused pilot demonstration projects funded by the United States Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). The second category showcases programs not funded by ODEP which are inclusive of youth with disabilities or which specifically serve youth with disabilities and which have a proven record of success. In this second category, the program’s success was validated by one of the following outside sources:

• Recognized national or state award winner from Baldrige/Education, PEPNet, or similar recognition process;
• Screened by a federally-supported peer review panel (e.g. career-technical education, National Clearinghouse for Comprehensive School Reform);
• Results of a formal third party evaluation; or
• Published in a peer-reviewed journal

Pro-Bank features workforce development programs that demonstrate effectiveness in serving youth, including those with disabilities. NCWD/Youth is continuously adding new programs to the site. If you are interested in having your program showcased, review the Pro-Bank criteria found at:

https://www.pro-bank.org/nominate.html. If you think your program meets the listed criteria and would like it to be featured in Pro-Bank, please contact us at pro-bank@ncwd-youth.info. Please include the program name, address and contact person, including an email address and phone number. We will then contact you to get more information

Pro-Bank currently has 19 profiles, six of which come from ODEP grantees. Pro-Bank is available at www.pro-bank.org.

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Upcoming Conferences and

Events

SEPTEMBER, 2005

Persistently Safe Schools 2005 Conference.
September 11-14, 2005
Philadelphia, PA
Hosted by the Hamilton Fish Institute.
Find out more at:
www.hamfish.org/conference/

IDEA 2004 Wrightslaw Conference
Date: September 17, 2005
Location: University of Richmond, T.C. Williams School of Law
(28 West Hampton Way, Richmond, Virginia 23173)
Hosted by: Virginia Legal Advocacy Center
For more information: Visit – https://www.wrightslaw.com/speak/05.09.va.htm

2005 National Summit on Developmental Disabilities–Many Voices, One Vision
Dates: September 21-24, 2005
Location: Washington Hilton and Towers Washington, DC
Sponsor: Alliance for Full Participation, LLC (AFP)
Contact: Alliance for Full Participation
c/o Carol Walsh
202 Lexington Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20901
(301) 706-6252
E-mail: walshworks@mindspring.com
Web: www.allianceforfullparticipation.org/news/060604.asp
Abstract: The purpose of the 2005 Summit is to create a spirit of partnership and collaboration that will lead to a vision and road map for achieving full participation that can be embraced by all stakeholders, including self advocates, family members, providers, professional and public officials (both elected and appointed official) at the federal, state and local levels,” said James F. Gardner, PhD, President and CEO of The Council on Quality and Leadership, and chairman of the AFP Program Committee. “Activities leading up to and after Summit will strengthen the collaboration within the developmental disabilities field in order to achieve our goal of inclusive communities for all.”

ALLIANCE FOR FULL PARTICIPATION SUMMIT 2005: MANY VOICES, ONE VISION
DATE: September 22-23, 2005
LOCATION: Hilton Washington and Towers, Washington DC
ABSTRACT: Through an innovative combination of networking discussion, plenary sessions, and a fully interactive and facilitated town hall meeting, the Alliance for Full Participation Summit will be organized around three seminal themes: Leadership, Community membership and self determination, and Enhancing the quality of supports and services.
COST: Ensure your participation. Early registration is only $299 and is now available.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit our web site at www.AllianceForFullParticipation.org to register, learn more about our state team network, or find out more about “Many Voices, One Vision”.

CCBD International Conference on Behavioral Disorders
Dates: September 22-24, 2005
Location: Omini Mandalay Hotel Dallas (Irving), TX
Sponsor: International Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (CCBD)
Contact: Dr. Lyndal M. Bullock
University of North Texas
P.O. Box 310860
Denton, TX 76203-0860
(940) 565-3583
(940) 565-4055 (FAX)
E-mail: bullock@coe.unt.edu
Web: www.unt.edu/behavioraldisorders/home.html (click on CCBD)
Abstract: Topics will include: data-based instructional decision-making, outcomes of educational reforms, differentiating curriculum/instruction within general education settings, use of technology in instruction, effective classroom management and instruction, development and utilization of home-school-community partnerships, implementation of systems care, demonstration of collaborative systems, and implementation of effective services for youth in juvenile correction settings.

The National Autistic Society International Conference 2005: Facing the Challenge, Meeting the Challenge
Dates: September 23-24, 2005
Location: Novotel London West Hotel Hammersmith London, UK
Sponsor: The National Autistic Society
Contact: Conference Office
The Coach House
21 St Johns Road
Richmond
Surrey
TW9 2PE
Telephone: +44 (0)20 8334 6503
+44 (0)20 8334 6517
E-mail: nas@meeting-point.co.uk
E-mail: Info@nas2005.org.uk
Web: www.nas2005.org.uk
Abstract: The National Autistic Society International Conference 2005 event seeks to provoke interesting debate, provide opportunities to hear of developments in the field of autism and to learn more about the best practice in the care and education of people with ASD. The explosion in the numbers of identified individuals and the subsequent pressure on care takers and families and those that deliver services is now being acknowledged world wide.

October, 2005

Florida CEC 2005 Annual Conference, “Magic on the Beach: Discovering the Treasures of Exceptional Education”
Date: October 13-15, 2005
Location: Holiday Inn-Cocoa Beach Oceanfront Resort, Cocoa Beach, FL
Contact: Dan Ezell, University of Central Florida,
1519 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, FL 32922-6598,
321/433-7943, fax 321/433-7946,
dezell@mail.ucf.edu
Information on the Web at www.ffcec.org

WRIGHTSLAW BOOT CAMP SPONSORED BY THE LEARNING DISABILITIES OF CT
DATE: October 14-15, 2005
LOCATION: Sheraton Four Points Meriden, 275 Research Pkwy, Meriden, CT 06450
ABSTRACT: The Wrightslaw two day Boot Camps are designed to meet the needs of parents, educators, health care providers, advocates, and attorneys who represent children with disabilities. These programs focus on four areas: special education laws, tests & measurements to measure progress & regression, SMART IEPs and advocacy tactics & strategies.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call the Learning Disabilities Association of Connecticut at (860) 560-1711 or visit www.wrightslaw.com/speak/05.09.ct.htm for more information.

Louisiana CEC Conference
“Planting Seeds That Thrive in 2005”
Date: October 17-19, 2005
Location: Sheraton Baton Rouge Convention Center Hotel, Baton Rouge, LA
Contact: Jackie Cefalu David,
104 Brushwood Dr, Lafayette, LA 70503,
337/988-3304, fax 337/993-3441, davidjd@cox-internet.com
Information on the Web at : www.lacec.org

Research-Based Tools and Strategies for Improving Outcomes for Secondary Youth with Disabilities
Date: October 19, 2005
Location:Albuquerque, NM (NCSET Capacity Building Institute)
Abstract: This institute will provide researchers, state transition coordinators, educators, families, and other interested stakeholders with information on research results and interventions that improve outcomes for secondary youth with disabilities. The morning of this day-long institute will focus on findings of the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2, as well as perspectives of youth about what works in helping them succeed. The afternoon sessions, small-group facilitated discussions, will provide participants opportunities to learn from and interact with researchers who will share their knowledge regarding how the key areas of schooling, career preparation, youth development/youth leadership, family involvement, and connecting activities can improve outcomes for secondary youth with disabilities. This institute will precede the Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT) Conference, October 20-22, AlbuquerqueConvention Center. It is hosted by DCDT (of the Council for Exceptional Children) and NCSET. More information will be posted as it becomes available. Contact Donna Johnson at NCSET at 612-624-1143 or johns042@umn.edu with questions.

Reaching New Heights: Improving Student Outcomes in a Diverse World
Dates: October 20-22, 2005
Location: Albuquerque, NM (Conference)
Abstract: The Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT), a division of the Council for Exceptional Children, will host its thirteenth international conference to present informative discussions, presentations, and research to national, state, and local professionals, leaders, and families on critical issues facing children, adolescents, and young adults with disabilities as they prepare for adult life. DCDT is a membership organization for persons and families interested in career and vocational issues for students with disabilities.
https://www.dcdt.org

New York State Federation Convention, “Special Education: An Island of Stability in a Sea of Educational Reforms.”
Date: October 27-29, 2005
Location: Long Island Marriott, Melville, NY.
Contact: John Szolnoki, 51 Holmes Ave, Hartsdale, NY 10530-1339, 914/949-8879, fax 914/834-6617, johnszolnoki@aol.com.
Information on the Web at www.nyscec.org.

Third Annual Applied Autism Research & Intervention Conference
Dates: October 28-29, 2005
Location: Hilton Arlington Hotel Arlington, Va
Sponsor: Organization for Autism Research (OAR)
Contact: Organization for Autism Research (OAR)
2111 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 600
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 351-5031
Caitlin McBrair
cmcbrair@autismorg.com
www.researchautism.org/conf.asp
Abstract: The OAR Conference will feature presentations and workshops by autism professionals, researchers and experts on various subjects related to education and intervention across the lifespan. With this Conference, OAR will expand the format to include dual tracks on each day. On Friday, October 28, the tracks will be Current Research and Research to Practice. Day 2, October 29, will be more practically focused with presentations and workshops organized along two tracks: Autism and High-functioning Autism/Asperger Syndrome.

First National Symposium on IEP Facilitation.
October 28-29, 2005
Eugene, OR
Hosted by CADRE.
Find out more at:
https://www.directionservice.org/cadre/IEPSymp.cfm

NOVEMBER, 2005

Pennsylvania CEC 46th Annual Convention, “Successful Children, Successful World”
Date: November 3-4, 2005, 2005
Location: Hershey-Harrisburg Holiday Inn, Grantville, PA
Contact: Darlene Perner, Bloomsburg University of PA, Navy Hall,
400 E. Second Street, Bloomsburg, PA, 17815,
570-389-4075 dperner@bloomu.edu .
Information on the Web at www.pacec-sped.org.

ZERO TO THREE: 20th National Training Institute
Dates: November 4-6, 2005
Location: Hilton Washington Washington, DC
Sponsor: ZERO TO THREE
Contact: ZERO TO THREE
National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families
2000 M Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 638-1144
Web: www.zerotothree.org
Abstract: ZERO TO THREE’s mission is to promote the healthy development of our nation’s infants and toddlers by supporting and strengthening families, communities, and those who work on their behalf. ZERO TO THREE is dedicated to advancing current knowledge; promoting beneficial policies and practices; communicating research and best practices to a wide variety of audiences; and providing training, technical assistance and leadership development. ZERO TO THREE is a national non-profit organization.

WRIGHTSLAW SPECIAL EDUCATION LAW AND ADVOCACY TRAINING PROGRAM SPONSORED BY FAMILY NETWORK ON DISABILITIES
DATE: November 5, 2005
LOCATION: Woodland Baptist Church, 9607 State Road 70 East, Bradenton, FL 34202
ABSTRACT: The Wrightslaw training programs are designed to meet the needs of parents, educators, health care providers, advocates, and attorneys who represent children with disabilities. These programs focus on four areas: special education laws, tests & measurements to measure progress & regression, SMART IEPs and advocacy tactics & strategies.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information, call Mary Smith at (941) 928-0682 or visit www.wrightslaw.com/speak/05.11.fl.htm.

DLD Annual Conference, “Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice.”
Date: November 7-8, 2005
Location: The Mills House Hotel, Charleston, SC.
Contact: ExecDir@TeachingLD.org.
Information on the Web at www.teachingld.org.

TED Annual Conference
Date: November 8-13, 2005
Location: Holiday Inn By the Bay, Portland, ME
Contact: gmk@cisunix.unh.edu

28th Annual TED Annual Conference and 1st Annual TED/TAM Conference, “The New Era of Accountability: Challenges and Opportunities.”
Date: November 9-12, 2005
Location: Holiday Inn By the Bay, Portland, ME.
Contact: gmk@cisunix.unh.edu.
Information on the Web at https://www.tedcec.org.

THE INTERNATIONAL DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION’S 56TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE “READING IN THE ROCKIES”
DATE: November 9-12, 2005
LOCATION: Adams Mark Hotel, Denver, Colorado
ABSTRACT: Attend the premier event in the field of learning disabilities! Listen to hundreds of noted experts in the LD field, covering topics such as diagnosis, teaching approaches, math, spelling, comprehension, ADHD, social issues, early intervention and more. Visit our exhibit hall and learn about teaching resources, assistive technologies, schools with programs for students with learning disabilities, and other related items. Share information with co-workers, colleagues, professionals and others. All session and exhibits will in at the Adams Mark Hotel.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information, call IDA at 1-800-ABC-D123, e-mail us at info@interdys.org or visit our website at www.interdys.org. For room reservations, call the hotel at 303.893.3333 or 1.800.444.2326 and identify yourself as attending The International Dyslexia Association conference so that the appropriate room rate will be applied. Look for additional information about the conference in the Spring 2005 issue of Perspectives.

16th Annual CASE Conference
Date: November 11-12, 2005
Location: Marriott Mountain Shadows, Scottsdale, AZ
Contact: Luann Purcell, Executive Director, Council of Administrators of Special Education
1005 State University Dr, Fort Valley, GA 31030
478/825-7667
lpurcell@bellsouth.net

2005 CEDS Conference, “Educational Assessment: Looking Forward, Reaching Further.”
Date: November 17-19, 2005
Location: Alexandria, VA.
Information on the Web at www.unr.edu/educ/ceds.

Kentucky CEC Conference
“Gaining on the Gap with an Unbridled Spirit!”
Date: November 20-22, 2005
Location: Galt House East, Louisville, KY
Contact: Marinell Kephart, PO Box 76091, Highland Heights, KY 41076-0091, fax 859/431-3760, kyceccc@fuse.net.
Information on the Web at www.kycec.org.

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Job Opportunities through NASET

Job Location: Norwalk, CT

Job Category: Special Education Teacher – Secondary

Title: Special Education Teacher & Teacher Assistant

Description: Community Solutions, Inc., is a nonprofit human service provider with over 35 years of experience in juvenile and adult programs. We operate a small, private education program in Norwalk, CT.

Requirements: Special Education Teacher – Certification with Special Education Endorsement or DSAP eligible) – FT and PT (Split Days) positions available. Teacher Assistant – BA required CSI offers a competitive salary and benefits package including tuition reimbursement. Please mail resume and salary req. to: CSI, HR Job Code 433220 4 Griffin Road N Windsor, CT 06095 fax: (860) 683-7198 email: jobs@csimail.org. EOE/AA Homepage: www.csi-online.org

Job Location: Philadelphia, PA Job Category: Special Education Teacher – Elementary

Title: Special Education Coordinator

Description: The Philadelphia Montessori Charter School (PMCS) is seeking a state-certified (PA) Special Education Coordinator to provide overall leadership to the development and implementation of special education services for this 2nd year public charter school. PMCS is located in Southwest Philadelphia and serves 168 students ages three – fourth grade. The vision of the Philadelphia Montessori Charter School is to offer a fully implemented Montessori program in an urban, public school setting, building on the School District of Philadelphia’s strong history with Montessori education. PMCS is dedicated to providing an enriching learning environment to every child within the parameters of Montessori philosophy and practice. The school serves special education students through an inclusion model implemented by teachers specially trained to pay attention to the unique developmental needs of individual students. The Montessori classroom is perhaps the most adaptable to the needs of special education students due to its emphasis on multi-sensory presentation, hands-on work, individualized tasks and the inherent self-pacing of the lessons. PMCS weaves in the use of a resource room and itinerant services as needed and complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act. JOB RESPONSIBILITIES: 1. Provide overall leadership to the creation and implementation of an innovative special education service delivery program. 2. Develop and coordinate training and professional development support for classroom teachers to enhance the effectiveness of the inclusion model. 3. Monitor internal and external best (special education) practices, create a knowledge sharing network, and provide support for teachers to implement best practices in their classrooms. 4. Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local special education regulations. 5. Learn specific guidance regarding charter schools and special education. 6. Identify students with disabilities. 7. Ensure appropriate early intervention with our youngest students. 8. Organize student evaluations, in conjunction with outside consultants. 9. Develop Individual Educational Programs (working with an IEP team). 10. Ensure IEP requirements are being met. 11. Conduct interventions directly as appropriate. 12. Select, schedule and supervise appropriate service providers including, but not limited to: speech/language, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychological services, etc. 13. Communicate with parents throughout the process. 14. Create and implement a public awareness campaign alerting all parents to available special education services at PMCS. 15. Maintain accurate, confidential individual student special education records. 16. Maintain general records to evaluate the progress of the special education program as a whole (e.g. information that might be used in an annual report). 17. Other duties as deemed necessary. EXPERIENCE and SKILLS: 1. A minimum of 3 years in education. 2. Masters in Education or related field is desirable. 3. Pennsylvania state certification in special education. 4. Experience working with a low-income urban public school is highly desirable. 5. Experience working in a charter school environment and/or a Montessori environment is desirable. 6. Willingness to learn quickly and work in a challenging, entrepreneurial atmosphere. CLOSING DATE: Open until filled. Interested candidates should email letter of interest and resume to: Kathleen Dzura Contact Information: Kathleen Dzura Philadelphia Montessori Charter SchoolPhiladelphia, PA 19142 Phone: 215-365-4011 Fax: 215-365-4367Email: philamcs@verizon.net Home Page: www.philadelphiamontessori.org

Job Location: Central Islip, NY Job Category: Special Education Administrator

Title: Executive Director, Vocational Independence Program

Description: NYIT seeks an executive director to administer and lead its Vocational Independence Programs. The executive director will manage full and part-time staff, ensure programs quality, obtain external funding, and represent the programs to families and the community. The Vocational Independence Programs include residential and nonresidential postsecondary programs for teenagers and young adults classified as having “high-functioning” developmental disabilities including Asperger Syndrome. In addition to a life-skills oriented certificate program, qualified students may pursue associate’s or bachelor’s degrees. A graduate program supports former students who live independently and work in the community. Candidates should have at least 10 years of experience overseeing similar populations/residential programs, as well as experience managing a nonprofit organization, enhancing academic quality, and obtaining external funds. Knowledge of empirically based interventions with this student population is essential. The candidate should be academically and professionally accomplished and credentialed, with excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Candidates should send a letter of intent with a curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references to provost@nyit.edu. We will contact only those persons selected for further consideration. NYIT is an AA/EEO institution. www.nyit.edu Contact Information: Provost at NYIT New York Institute of Technology Academic Affairs Northern Blvd., Tower House Old Westbury, New York 11568 Phone: 516-686-7630 Fax: NAEmail: provost@nyit.edu Home Page: www.nyit.edu

Job Location: Aspen, CO Job Category: Special Education Teacher-Secondary

Title: Core Subjects & Study Skills:Partial Home-Schooling High School Boys

Description: Needed in Aspen, Colorado: Teacher with Sp Ed skills for two high school boys who will attend public mainstream classes for electives and non-core subjects. The teacher filling this position should be able to teach study/organizational skills, as well as the core subjects of language arts, math for special ed, and middle school level math in a home environment. Both boys have organizational problems and lack study skills, but the 10th grader also has ADHD and dyslexia (learning disabilities in both math and reading.) Because their needs vary, we would like a teacher who has skills with both mainstream and challenged students. This teacher would be working with the boys as part of the boys’ school day and help with homework, organizing schoolwork and “re-train their academic style.” Some teaching may be conducted on school campus if that is possible. Supplemental curriculum is still being decided and can be at the suggestion of the teacher who fills this position. We are also open to a team of teachers, example a couple, or friends who are interested in undertaking this chanllenging position in Aspen. Benefits would include ski pass for winter, and salary and certification negotiable. Reasonable relocation expenses paid both ways, but must commit to full 2005/06 school year.

Job Location: Aspen, CO Contact: Ana Goldberg (PARENT) Address: 36 Glen Garry Drive City: Aspen State: CO Zip Code: 81611

Phone: (970) 920 0071
Fax: (970) 544 1791

Email: alg@analanda.com

Job Location: Various Locations Throughout Massachusetts Job Category: Special Education Teacher

Title: Intinerant Teacher of the Visually Impaired

Description: Perkins School for the Blind was the first school for the blind chartered in 1829. For almost 175 years the staff at Perkins have been providing quality services to students from birth to 22 years of age who are blind, visually impaired, deafblind, and multiply impaired. As the programs and services at Perkins have grown, their focus has evolved and extended beyond our campus and into many different communities throughout the United States and around the world. Perkins programs provide educational training opportunities for students from birth to 22 years and services for adults in residential, day and community-based programs. All of our programs and services strive to enable each student and client to develop his or her greatest potential and maximum independence.

The Itinerant Teacher of the Visually Impaired provides direct and consultative vision services and/or orientation and mobility services to infants, preschoolers and/or school age children, their teachers/professionals and parents in the community. Some of the children may have additional disabilities. Responsibilities include: student assessments, development and implementation of individual family service plans, development and implementation of individual education plans, consultation to and in-service training for education professionals and early intervention professionals, and paperwork associated with evaluations, contract services, reports and billing.
Minimum requirements: Current Massachusetts teacher certification in Vision Impairments or commitment to acquire such certification within one academic year. Prior experience working with infants, preschoolers, and/or school age children with visual impairments who may also have additional disabilities or who are deafblind. Valid driver’s license and vehicle. Preference may be given for dual TVI/O&M (eligible for ACVREP certification in O&M).

We provide a complete benefits package, which includes, school recesses, tuition reimbursement, medical and dental insurance, retirement programs and staff development and training. Also, professional opportunities: availability of supervision, mentorship, peer-to-peer support network, ongoing in-service training & professional development & materials and administrative support.

Please send cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to:
Employment Manager
Perkins School for the Blind
175 North Beacon Street
Watertown, MA 02472
Fax: 617-972-7635

For more information call 617-972-7235

Email: Employment@Perkins.org Home Page: www.perkins.org

Job Location: Richmond, VA Job Category: Special Education Teacher

Title: IEP.Online Account Manager

Description: Xperts Inc. is currently looking for an Account Manager to work for our IEP.Online product division. We are looking for someone with a Special Education background who has an eye for business. This person will have the following knowledge/skills/experience; 3+ years of teaching experience in a Special Education enviornment with planning and presentation skills, competent in navigating Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access), knowledge of the Special Education process, and strong conflict management skills. It is preferred that candidates have experience in the daily use of IEP.Online, have experience with documentation of processes and experience in peer training.

The Essential Functions of this position include the following:

Training
*Researches, plans, organizes and conducts training programs for Xperts, Inc. customers
*Assists in the design and implementation of training manuals and workbooks
*Assists in the development of online interactive “helps” for application and customer facing FAQ’s
*Execute customer training workshops and classes

Account Management
*Acts as the SME (Subject Matter Expert) for our products to assist in Customer Service
*Provides a measured response to customer issues based on best practices and experience
*Captures and reports possible change requests or enhancements to the product or other service offerings
*Maintains My Xperts extranet portal with relevant customer facing documents
*Maintains the Nurture program for the customer(s)

Sales
*Supports sales demonstrations

Quality Assurance
*Execution of test scripts
*Ensures quality by assisting the Business Analysis Team with tracing requirements to customer need or request
*Review release notes prior to the technical support team forwarding to the customer(s)
*Assists with Quality Assurance as needed to ensure accurate application delivery

If you are interested in and qualified for this position, please forward your resume to bmagne@xperts.com. Please be sure to put “IEP Online Account Manager” in the subject line of the email and attach your Word resume.

Job Location: Richmond, VA
Contact: Human Resources
School: Xperts, Inc.
Address: 4413 Cox Road
City: Glen Allen State: VA Zip Code: 23060
Phone: 804-967-0700
Fax: 804-747-8282
Email: bmagne@xperts.com
Home Page: www.xperts.com

Job Location:Norwood, Massachusetts

Job Categories:
(1) Special Education Teacher – Elementary
(2) Education Coordinator
(3) Assistant School Director

Title: Special Education Teacher

Description: To Work in a classroom setting providing services to children with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Responsibilities:
• Implement program goals and objectives
• Behavior Management
• Staff training and supervision
• Case Management (writing individual education plans/curriculum development, data collection, report writing and parent contacts)
Requirements:
• Certification in severe special needs or enrollment in a program towards certification.
• Strong organizational and communication skills
• Special Ed. and ABA experience

(2) Title: Education Coordinator
Responsibilities:
• Supervising lead teachers
• Teaching classroom management skills
• Teaching supervision techniques
• Overseeing the IEP process
• Collaborating with team members to identify appropriate goals for students .
• Organizing MCAS testing
• Corresponding with out-of-district and in-state school placements
Requirements:
• Master’s degree and certification in Special Education
• Minimum of 2 years supervisory experience

(3) Title: Assistant School Director
Position Description:
Support the development, operation, supervision and ongoing management of all services and educational needs for the students at our new school in Randolph, MA.
Responsibilities:
• Assisting with the development of educational programs in accordance with DOE and May Institute standards
• Implement and monitor the IEP process
• Ensure quarterly progress notes are completed for each student and forwarded to funding/licensing agency
• Work with corporate QI staff to ensure agency wide program improvement activities are achieved
• Supervise, recruit, train, and provide performance reviews to staff
• Ensure compliance with all state and federal regulatory requirements
Requirements:
• Master’s degree and certification in Special Education . BCBA (preferred)
• 3-5 years of management experience
• Strong inter-personal and communication skills
• Excellent time-management and organizational skills
• Ability to work independently

Job Location: Norwood, MA
Contact: Derek Padon
School: The May Institute
Address: 1 Commerce Way
City: Norwood State: MA Zip Code: 02062

Phone: 781/440-0400 Ext. 235 Fax: 781/440-0414 Email: dpadon@mayinstitute.org Home Page: www.mayinstitute.org

Job Location: Aspen, CO Job Category: Special Education Teacher – Elementary Title: Elementary School Special Education Teacher

Description: Aspen Elementary School in Aspen, Colorado is seeking a Special Education teacher to begin duties the 2005-06 school year. This position requires a degree and Colorado teaching license, or ability to obtain a Colorado teaching license, with an endorsement in the area of mild/moderate special education and advanced training and/or experience in intervention strategies for students with special needs. Information about the district, salary schedule, and application are located at www.aspenk12.net/dist/positions/. Screening will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Job Location: Aspen, CO

Contact: Virginia Haberman

School: Aspen School District

Address: 235 High School Road
City: Aspen State: CO Zip Code: 81611

Phone: 970/925-3760 Ext. 4003

Fax: 970/925-5721

Email: ghaberman@aspenk12.net Home Page: www.aspenk12.net

Job Location: Bloomfield, NJ Job Category: Special Education Teacher – Elementary Title: TEACHER OF THE HANDICAPPED

Description: Private, non-profit day school for behaviorally disabled students, ages 5-21, is seeking energetic, enthusiastic individuals to join our caring, compassionate & dedicated team. Teachers provide academic & social skills instruction in small classes of approx. six students. New Jersey Certified Teacher of the Handicapped required. Staff development training provided. Exciting opportunity for professional growth. Competitive salary and excellent benefits package offered. Mail or fax resume with cover letter to: Clara Litovsky, M.A., Chief School Administrator Child Development Center 60 West Street Bloomfield, NJ 07003 Fax #: 973-680-9650 AA/EOE

Job Location: Bloomfield, NJ Contact: Clara Litovsky

School: Child Development Center

Address: 60 West Street
City: Bloomfield State: NJ Zip Code: 07003

Phone: 973-429-8110 Ext. 41

Fax: 973-680-9650

Email: micheles@thecdcnj.org Home Page: www.thecdcnj.org

Job Location: New York City Job Category: Special Education Teacher

Title: Special Education Teacher

Description: SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER
We are looking for a Special Education Teacher to work in a supportive environment while making a difference in the lives of our students. The ideal candidate will recognize the importance of communication and incorporate the use of positive strategies to maximize each child’s potential. Our educational staff plays a central roll in the creation, evaluation and continuing development our program, therefore a “team approach” is necessary.

About Us:
THE GUILD SCHOOL serves students aged 5 through 21 with visually impairment or deaf blindness and have additional disabilities. The goal of The Guild School is to maximize the independence of each student through a curriculum designed to develop skills and abilities. The School enables its students to more fully participate as contributing members of their families and communities.

Requirements:
* MA degree in Special Education, with appropriate NYS Dept. of Ed. Certification, or eligible through a university program in Special Education or Vision Impairment
* Experience in early literacy, augmentative and alternative forms of communication a plus.

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Acknowledgements

“Portions of this e-Journal were excerpted from:

Committeeon Education and the Workforce

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

The National Organization on Disability

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. Office of Special Education

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Wrightslaw.com

The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) thanks all of the above for the information provided for this month’s e-Journal

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