April 2009 – Special Educator e-Journal

Table of Contents

Message from the Executive Directors

Update from the U.S. Department Education

Update From The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

Educational Placement for Students with Disabilities

Recruiting and Retaining Teachers

Communities of Practice

Deaf-Blindness

Calls to Participate

Special Education Resources

Upcoming Conferences, Workshops, and Events

Get Wired!—The Latest on Websites and Listservs

Funding Forecast and Award Opportunities

Acknowledgements

Download a PDF Version of This Issue

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Message from the Executive Directors

Dr. Roger Pierangelo & Dr. George Giuliani

Welcome to the April 2009 edition of the NASETSpecial Educator e-Journal.  To those of you who are new members, this is NASET’s publication that keeps its members up to date with all of the latest news in special education that we feel is important for special education teachers, professors, and those seeking a career as a special education teacher.

Let us first welcome all Eastern Suffolk BOCES, Western Brown Board of Education, Nassau BOCES and NYC District 75 teachers as District/School members of NASET.  As the latest School District Members, all special educators in Eastern BOCES Western Brown Board of Education, New York City District 75 and Nassau BOCES have the opportunity to become members of the NASET community. We look forward to their input and being a part of NASET.

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

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

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

Sincerely,

Dr. Roger Pierangelo and Dr. George Giuliani
Executive Directors

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Update from the U.S. Department of Education

Education Department to Distribute $44 Billion in Stimulus Funds in 30 to 45 Days

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that $44 billion in stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will be available to states in the next 30 to 45 days. The first round of funding will help avert hundreds of thousands of estimated teacher layoffs in schools and school districts while driving crucial education improvements, reforms, and results for students.

“These funds will be distributed as quickly as possible to save and create jobs and improve education, and will be invested as transparently as possible so we can measure the impact in the classroom,” said Duncan. “Strict reporting requirements will ensure that Americans know exactly how their money is being spent and how their schools are being improved.”

Guidelines posted by Duncan today authorize the release this month of half the Title I, Part A stimulus funds, amounting to $5 billion, and half the funds for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), $6 billion, without new applications.

By the end of March, governors will be able to apply for 67 percent of the State Fiscal Stabilization Funds (SFSF) and discretionary SFSF, totaling $32.5 billion. These funds will be released within two weeks after approvable applications are received.

In the next 30 days, nearly $700 million more will be available for various programs including vocational rehabilitation state grants and impact aid construction, Duncan said. Another $17.3 billion for Pell Grants and work-study funds is available for disbursement for the next academic year beginning July 1.

An additional $35 billion in Title 1, IDEA, and State Fiscal Stabilization Funds, as well as monies for other programs will be distributed between July 1 and September 30.

ARRA funds must be used to improve student achievement. To receive the first round of state stabilization funds, states must commit to meet ARRA requirements, including making progress on four key education reforms, sharing required baseline data, and meeting record-keeping and transparency requirements. To receive the second round of funding, they must provide evidence and plans for progress on these assurances. All four education reforms were previously authorized under bipartisan education legislation including the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the America Competes Act of 2007:

• Raising standards through college- and career-ready standards and high-quality assessments that are valid and reliable for all students, including English language learners and students with disabilities
• Increasing transparency by establishing better data systems tracking student progress over time
• Improving teacher effectiveness and ensuring an equitable supply and distribution of qualified teachers
• Supporting effective intervention strategies for lowest-performing schools

Finally, a $5 billion fund has been established under the law for the Department of Education. This includes a $4.35 billion “Race to the Top” fund to help states with bold plans to improve student achievement—including these four reforms—and $650 million to assist school districts and non-profit organizations with strong track records of improving student achievement. State grants will go out in two rounds over the next year, beginning in October 2009. Applications will be available later in the spring.

“These investments will save and create jobs in the short term, while raising achievement in the long term,” Duncan said. “We will need a strong commitment on the front end and even stronger proof on the back end that states are making progress.”

Duncan also said that states should work hard to avoid “funding cliffs” by investing ARRA funds in ways that minimize “the tail”—i.e., ongoing costs after the funding expires.

“These are one-time funds, and state and school officials need to find the best way to stretch every dollar and spend the money in ways that protect and support children without carrying continuing costs,” Duncan said.

Additional details, including a category-by-category list of all ARRA funds appropriated to the Department of Education, as well as requirements and plans for their distribution are posted at www.ed.gov/recovery.

“Our goals are to save jobs and improve education. Today’s guidelines show exactly how we can do both—balancing the need for a speedy release of funds with the need for aggressive and thoughtful school improvements and reform to improve results for our children,” Duncan sa

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Update From The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

It All Starts in Families and Communities

A Parent’s Guide to Response to Intervention (RTI)
Buzz words with some actual zip behind them. This helpful publication provides important information for parents and families.
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/rti.parent.guide.htm

SCHIP, health care for uninsured children, is reauthorized.
The bill includes a spending increase of $32.8 billion to cover an estimated additional 4 million uninsured children.

• Read about the reauthorized law at:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-2
• Find out about SCHIP itself and how to access the program by calling 1.877.KIDS.NOW (543.7669), or visiting online at: http://www.insurekidsnow.gov/
 
Promoting children’s social and emotional skills: Tools for parents.
Lots of tipsheets to choose from, here at the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL).
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel/familytools.html

For miliary families.
As the United States’ involvement in war abroad continues, thousands of families and children are being impacted. In response to this need, the TACSEI Primary Partners have compiled a list of resources for military families.
http://challengingbehavior.org/communities/families_docs/military_resources.htm

Finding help for children with mental health needs.
This guide to systems of care for families, from the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health provides information about how to seek care for children with mental health needs. The content and format were determined by families across the country.
http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/premium-publications/allpubs/Ca-0029/default.asp
 
How’s your news?
That’s the title of a weekly news show brought to you by a team of reporters with disabilities. How’s Your News airs every Sunday at 10:30 p.m. on MTV.
• Check out a short intro clip at:
http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/332955/hows-your-news.jhtml
• Watch full episodes at:
http://www.mtv.com/ontv/dyn/hows_your_news/series.jhtml 

Obama’s comprehensive plan for people with disabilities.
The new administration has a 4-part disability agenda: provide educational opportunities to Americans with disabilities; end discrimination and promote equal opportunity; increase the employment rate of workers with disabilities; and support independent, community-based living. The plan also has a statement on the Administration’s vision for autism support.
http://www..whitehouse.gov/agenda/disabilities/ 

Disclosure: The why, when, what, and how in an academic setting after high school.
This fact sheet, the newest in a series for youth with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who work with them, is available on the website of the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/wwwh.htm 

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

Who’s funded by the feds to work in youth transition?
Ahhh, a resource directory with project descriptions so you’ll know who’s up to what.
http://psocenter.org/Docs/Resources/SecondaryTransition/TransitionResourceDirectoryfinal.pdf

Vaccines and autism? No, says a special federal court.
In the Omnibus Autism Proceeding, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims has ruled that vaccines do not cause autism and that thousands of families with children who have autism are not entitled to compensation. If you’re interested in this issue, perhaps these resources would also be of interest:  
• HHS’s statement on the decision. http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/02/20090212a.html
• Background information on the proceeding and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. http://www.uscfc.uscourts.gov/node/5026 

FriendsLikeMe.org
FriendsLikeMe.org is a new social networking site for people with disabilities interested in meeting others with similar life circumstances and sharing experiences, support, and friendship.

The Little Ones: Early Intervention/Early Childhood

State policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families.
ZERO TO THREE has developed Baby Matters, a database that’s searchable by state, keyword, and category. Each entry contains key information on the policy or initiative, as well links to additional related resources. It is available online at: http://policy.db.zerotothree.org/policyp/home.aspx 

2009 NAEYC position statement on developmentally appropriate practice.
NAEYC is the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
http://www.naeyc.org/about/positions/dap.asp 

Screening instruments for social emotional concerns.
This document, the first in the Roadmap to Effective Intervention Practices series, provides a brief overview of the use of screening and helps administrators and teachers choose appropriate instruments for implementing a screening program. http://challengingbehavior.org/do/resources/roadmap.html

“On the Go” early literacy materials now available in Somali.
Washington Learning Systems has posted a Somali version of its free parent-child early literacy activities, which can be used outside the home (in the car, while walking, during bus rides) with children from birth through preschool. They were developed with support from OSEP and are
appropriate for children with disabilities, as well as children who are developing typically. http://www.walearning.com/Otg.html

Schools, K-12

Want a discipline tool to go along with NICHCY’s new pages on discipline?
The IDEA discipline compliance tool is designed for you, then. It’s intended to help you understand how IDEA’s discipline rules apply to specific situations.  You provide the situation, and the tool tells you what rules apply and what must, may, and may not be done.  http://ideadiscipline.blogspot.com/

If you’re trying to choose a beginning reading program…
Here’s a program review from Best Evidence Encyclopedia that answers the question: Which one has been shown to help students in grades K-1 succeed?
http://www..bestevidence.org/reading/begin_read/begin_read.htm 

Doing what works: How to encourage girls in math and science.
This workshop is part of the Doing What Works initiative that’s dedicated to helping educators identify and make use of effective teaching practices.
https://www.t2tweb.us/doingwhatworks/home.asp

And here’s another, called: Blackfeet Skies.
This Doing What Works workshop demonstrates ways to use Native culture and its stories to make the study of astronomy more memorable and inviting to students from all backgrounds. https://www.t2tweb.us/NativeAmerican/home.asp

Assistive Technology Implementation in the Classroom.
For children with IEPs, assistive technology is often critical to accessing the curriculum. FCTD’s latest newsletter examines the role of the AT professional in the selection and implementation of AT in the classroom.
http://www.fctd.info/resources/newsletters/displayNewsletter.php?newsletterID=10068

Special issue on applied behavior analysis and autism, yours for free.
To reach as many professionals as possible in the behavioral field, the Autism Society of America is making the December 2008 issue of its quarterly magazine available for free download. The issue, Applied Behavior Analysis: A Powerful Tool for Improving the Lives of People with ASD, is waiting for you at:
http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=autismadvocate_aba

And speaking of behavior, have you seen the new PBIS site?
The Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) has a new and improved website we all can enjoy and utilize in addressing student behavior in ways that are positive, supportive, and effective. http://www.pbis.org

RTI tiered instruction goes mainstream.
Three more useful RTI documents:

• A new practice guide for implementing RTI in the primary grades from the What Works Clearinghouse.
  http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/premium-publications/practiceguides/#rti_reading_pg
• This resource devotes itself to RTI in the general education classroom, providing examples of RTI at both the elementary and high school levels, as part of a comprehensive reading program and as part of a math program. http://www.nwrel.org/nwedu/14-01/
• Possibilities for Service Delivery at the Secondary School Level.
  http://www.centerforcsri.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=559&Itemid=5

Teachers: When students have AD/HD.
The Department of Education offers two resources for teachers on important issues in the instruction of children with ADHD.
http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/adhd/index.html

Using students’ primary language to help their English language development and content learning.
Dr. Wayne Wright tells you how in the newest blog series hosted by NIUSI- LeadScape. Dr. Wright also gives specific examples of which uses of students’ primary languages are effective and which are not. http://www.niusileadscape.org/bl/?p=41

The principal’s reading walk-through, K-3.
Here’s a suite of professional development materials designed for identifying research-based reading instruction in the classroom quickly and accurately. It includes a Participant’s Guide, a Facilitator’s Guide, a PowerPoint Presentation Module for Facilitators (with embedded video clips of classroom scenarios), and a Principal’s Orientation PowerPoint Presentation with speaker notes, to be delivered by principals to introduce the PRWT to their staff.
http://www.centeroninstruction.org/resources.cfm?category=reading&subcategory=&grade_start=&grade_end=

National High School Center adds “Ask the Expert” on website.
Drop in on March’s interactive topical discussion led by Todd Flaherty, Deputy in Residence for the Council of Chief State School Officers. The feature topic will be building capacity at the school, district, and state level for high school improvement.. You can submit your questions via email and Dr. Flaherty will address them. http://www.betterhighschools.org/expert/default.asp

State and System Tools

Employer views on hiring and employing people with disabilities.
ODEP, the Office of Disability Employment Policy, reports the results of its survey, where researchers interviewed executives from over 3,797 companies representing 12 industry sectors, including projected high growth industries. Hear what they had to say. http://www.dol.gov/odep/categories/research/index.htm 

Ethnic minorities and assistive technology (AT).
What barriers to AT exist for ethnic minorities? How do culturally or ethnically different views of AT or disability affect people’s access to it? Here’s what we now know. http://www.cr4at.org/PositionPapers/Minorities.html

Reducing disproportionality in special education.
The Regional Resource Center Program’s Disproportionality Priority Team is hosting a series of webinars on the topic. Follow the link to find out the dates and topics for all five sessions, taking place February-May, and to pre-register to participate. http://spp-apr-calendar.rrfcnetwork.org/explorer/view/id/631

Need updated info on the ADA?
The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 became effective January 1, 2009, although regulations haven’t yet been written. To find out what the new ADA requires, visit the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) and download its publication on the subject. http://www.jan.wvu.edu/bulletins/adaaa1.htm

Special Focus: Procedural Safeguards Explained in Many Languages

Schools are required to provide parents of children with disabilities with the procedural safeguards notice at specific times, so that parents are well informed of their rights under IDEA. The procedural safeguards notice provides parents with a comprehensive explanation of such special education rights as (but not limited to): independent educational evaluations; prior written notice; parental consent; IDEA’s dispute resolution options (e.g., mediation, due process, State complaint); and children’s placement during the duration of any due process complaint.

As such, the procedural safeguards notice can go a long way to acquainting parents with the special education process. School districts are required to provide the notice to parents in a language they can understand, including other languages (unless it is clearly not feasible to do so). For many schools, providing this notice in another language can be a real challenge. To help you meet that challenge, here are procedural safeguards notices we’ve found online in a wide variety of different languages. While we can’t vouch for the accuracy of any of these translations and would remind you that many contain state-specific information, we hope that they offer a starting point for sharing this important information with families. In alphabetical order by language, then, here’s what we found:

American Sign Language (using Windows Media Player):
• http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/ASL.html
 
Amharic:

• http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/index.html
 
Arabic:
• http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/index.html
• http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-6530_6598-16336–,00.html
• http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/prb/
• http://www.mpark.net/education/components/docmgr/default.php?sectiondetailid=9865
 
Bosnian-Croation-Serbian:
• http://www.nebo.edu/sped/pages/Pro_safe.html
 
Cambodian:
• http://www.k12.wa.us/SpecialEd/pubdocs/PS.pdf
 
Cape Verdean:
• http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/prb/
 
Chinese:
• Click Here 
• http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/prb/
• http://www.mpark.net/education/components/docmgr/default.php?sectiondetailid=9865

Creole:
• http://www..pcsb.org/ese/safeguards.html
• http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/prb/
 
Farsi:
• http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/index.html
• http://www.mpark.net/education/components/docmgr/default.php?sectiondetailid=9865
 
French:

• http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/index.html
 
German:
• http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/index.html
 
Haitian Creole:
• http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/prb/
 
Hindi:
• http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/index.html
 
Hmong:
• http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/index.html
 
Korean:
• http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/index.html
• http://www.k12.wa.us/SpecialEd/pubdocs/PS.pdf
• http://www.mpark.net/education/components/docmgr/default.php?sectiondetailid=9865
 
Kurdish:
• http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/index.html
 
Kymer:
• http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/index.html
• http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/prb/
 
Pilipino (Tagalog):
• http://inet2.cde.ca.gov/cmd/translatedparentaldoc.aspx?docid=759-768
 
Portuguese:
• http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/prb/

Romanian:
• http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/index.html
 
Ruandan:
• http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/index.html
 
Russian:
• http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/index.html
• http://www.k12.wa.us/SpecialEd/pubdocs/PS.pdf
• http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/prb/
 
Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic:
• http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/index.html
 
Serbo-Croatian Latinic:
• http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/index.html
 
Somali:
• http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/index.html
 
Spanish:
• http://www.nebo.edu/sped/pages/Pro_safe.html
• http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/premium-publications/policy/psgncover.htm#notice
• http://www.pcsb.org/ese/safeguards.html
• http://inet2.cde.ca.gov/cmd/translatedparentaldoc.aspx?docid=759-768
• http://www.k12.wa.us/SpecialEd/pubdocs/PS.pdf
• http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-6530_6598-16336–,00.html
• http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/prb/
• http://www.mpark.net/education/components/docmgr/default.php?sectiondetailid=9865
 
Swahili:
• http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/index.html
 
Tagalog:
• http://inet2.cde.ca.gov/cmd/translatedparentaldoc.aspx?docid=759-768
 
Urdu:
• http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/index.html
• http://www.mpark.net/education/components/docmgr/default.php?sectiondetailid=9865
 
Vietnamese:
• http://www.nebo.edu/sped/pages/Pro_safe.html
• http://www.dese.mo.gov/divspeced/Compliance/Proc_Safe/index.html
• http://inet2.cde.ca.gov/cmd/translatedparentaldoc.aspx?docid=759-768
• http://www.k12.wa.us/SpecialEd/pubdocs/PS.pdf
• http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/prb/
• http://www.mpark.net/education/components/docmgr/default.php?sectiondetailid=9865

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Educational Placement for Students with Disabilities

Where will a student with a disability receive his or her special education and related services? IDEA requires placement in the least restrictive environment (LRE) for each child, a setting that is based on the child’s IEP. Use the options and paths below to find out more about who decides placement and how they decide it; what LRE is and why it’s a foundation element in IDEA and in deciding a child’s placement; and how placement can be affected if a child with a disability violates certain codes of student content.

Select from among these links to find out more about each of these aspects of placement.

Placement, Short-and-Sweet
http://www.nichcy.org/EducateChildren/placement/Pages/overview.aspx

Placement, in overview. Here are the basics, if you please.

Considering LRE in Placement Decisions
http://www.nichcy.org/EducateChildren/placement/Pages/placement-LRE.aspx
LRE–least restrictive environment–is a foundational principle in IDEA. What is LRE, and how does it shape placement decisions? This extensive discussion takes a detailed look.

Placement and School Discipline
http://www.nichcy.org/EducateChildren/placement/Pages/disciplineplacements.aspx

How is a child’s placement affected when he or she is being disciplined for a violation of the student code? Find out what authority school personnel have to remove a child from his or her current placement, what authority the hearing officer has, what constitutes a change of placement, and what placement the child will have during any appeal.

Discipline, in Detail
http://www.nichcy.org/EducateChildren/placement/Pages/disc-details.aspx

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Recruiting and Retaining Teachers

Volumes have been written about the challenge of recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers in general and special education. Shortages of qualified educators have long been a serious concern for school systems, especially in rural areas and in low-performing, high-need schools.

To help you take on the challenges of recruiting and retaining teachers in general and special education, here’s a wealth of resources to explore. While not a comprehensive list of what’s available, these links will certainly get you started connecting with what research and practice have to say about effective ways to build and keep a qualified teaching force.

We’ve organized our list into several categories, so you can more easily find the type of information you’re looking for. Below, please find an “opener” resource for each of our categories, and a link to more resources in that category.

Short and Sweet Summaries

Need it fast? Need it short? Okay.

• Suggestions to improve retention (1 page)
  www.tr.wou.edu/rrp/ret-sug.htm
• Additional Summaries
  www.nichcy.org/StateAgencies/Pages/overviews.aspx

Guides and How-To’s

Here are practical steps and things to do that can improve the systems we use for teacher recruitment and retention.

• Compendium of strategies to reduce teacher turnover
  http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?projectID=169&productID=121
• Additional Guides and How-To’s
  www.nichcy.org/StateAgencies/Pages/guides.aspx

What Does the Research Say?

Let the research direct your decisions in teacher recruitment and retention.

• A review of the research since 1980.
  http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/2005/RAND_TR164.pdf
• Additional Research resources
  www.nichcy.org/StateAgencies/Pages/retention_research.aspx

Organizations to Know

Visit the projects and centers that are working every day on teacher recruitment and retention.

• The Personnel Center, otherwise known as the National Center for Special Education Personnel and Related Service Providers
  http://www.personnelcenter.org/index.cfm
• Additional Orgs to Know
  www.nichcy.org/StateAgencies/Pages/orgs.aspx

Mentoring New Teachers

It’s all the rage for a reason.

• Mentoring New Teachers to Increase Retention: A Look at the Research (4 pages)
  http://www.newteachercenter.org/pdfs/NTCResearchBrief.05-01.pdf
• Additional Mentoring resources
  www.nichcy.org/StateAgencies/Pages/mentoring.aspx

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Communities of Practice

Has the time come to consider the merits of forming or joining a community of practice? CoP, for short. These are proliferating to improve professional practice across the spectrum of professions–groups of people with a common concern who unite to discuss, decide, and pool what they know. Typically, these exchanges take place online. More often than not, any given CoP will also compile a library of resources that members can tap into and use in their own locale.

This page on CoPs looks specifically at CoPs that have formed to improve special education practice and services to children with disabilities. We’ve divided the discussion and resource lists into two primary parts, as described below. Pick your poison!

What’s the buzz about CoPs?

Find materials that explain what CoPs in general are and what they hope to achieve, as well as materials you can use to develop, guide, or strengthen your own community.

• Communities of practice:  A brief introduction.
http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm
• CoPs: Activities sponsored by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). This synthesis brief introduces the concept of CoPs, describes how CoPs are currently supported by OSEP at the state and national levels as a technical assistance (TA) strategy, and offers guidance to decisionmakers who are interested in forming their own state- or local-level CoP. Click Here

• The IDEA Partnership’s page on the subject.
http://ideapartnership.org/page.cfm?pageid=29
• And try this wealth of connections, already assembled for you and ready to go. http://www.rrfcnetwork.org/content/view/113/171

Up-and-running CoPs for joining

Perhaps you’re looking for a community that’s already working on a topic or challenge of great interest to you.  Is there one out there on your topic? Here’s a quick list of what’s up-and-running.

TACOMMUNITIES: 10 AND COUNTING.
TAcommunities is the home for CoPs that are supported by the Technical Assistance and Dissemination (TA&D) Network and OSEP. TAcommunities provide resources and TA to states on issues that impact students with disabilities. Here’s a quick list of the 10 CoPs.

• Exiting – Part B: Graduation, reduced dropout rates, increased graduation rates, plus transition to postsecondary education, employment, civic engagement, and adult community living.
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
• Identification – Part C: Identification of infants/toddlers, including homeless, foster care, wards of the State, and abused or neglected (CAPTA), or under 3 and affected by illegal substance abuse or prenatal drug exposure.
• Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)-Part B: LRE and access to the general education curriculum.
• Part C Settings-Services in Natural Environments
• Preschool LRE-Part B and 619: Promoting early childhood inclusion practices.
• Response to Intervention (RTI)
• Thinking Through Improvement: Teaches a process that allows participants to develop skills for analyzing and using data to make good decisions and improvements to existing programs.

Read all about these communities and join in the sharing at: www.tacommunities.org

THE IDEA PARTNERSHIP’S CoPS

These CoPs are focused on advancing policy and practice in four key areas:

• the intersections of NCLB and IDEA
• school behavioral health services
• interagency transition
• teacher quality (both general and special educators).

To that end, the Partnership has organized numerous CoPs that are worth delving into. Read all about what CoPs are available at:
http://www.sharedwork.org/

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Deaf-Blindness

There are approximately roughly 45,000 to 50,000 individuals in the U.S who are deaf-blind. According to the 2007 National Deaf-Blind Child Count,  over 10,000 are children under the age of 21.

The word “deaf-blindness” may seem to imply that a person cannot hear or see at all.  The term is actually used to describe having some degree of loss in both vision and hearing. The severity of loss in either function will differ from individual to individual.

Our nation’s special education law, the IDEA, defines “deaf-blindness” as:
…concomitant [simultaneous] hearing and visual impairments, the combination of which causes such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness. [§300.8(c)]

The National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness observes that the “key feature of deaf-blindness is that the combination of losses limits access to auditory and visual information.” This can severely limit an individual’s natural opportunities to learn and communicate with others.

Rather than duplicate the excellent work of others, NASET is pleased to connect you with an array of information and assistance already available on deaf-blindness. What’s listed below is not exhaustive, but will certainly lead you to the founts of experience and knowledge that will be very helpful in addressing the challenges associated with deaf-blindness.

About Deaf-Blindness

• FAQs about deaf-blindness.
  http://www.aadb.org/FAQ/faq_DeafBlindness.html 
• Overview of deaf-blindness.
  http://www.nationaldb.org/NCDBProducts.php?prodID=38 
• Children who are deaf-blind. http://www.nationaldb.org/documents/products/population.pdf 
• Information about deaf-blindness
  Personal insights and information from an individual with deaf-blindness.
  http://www.deafblind.com/info-db.html
• How do deaf-blind people communicate?
  http://www.aadb.org/factsheets/db_communications.html 
• The Deafblind Manual Alphabet.
  http://www.deafblind.com/card.html 
• Find what’s out there on your topic.
  Search the world’s most comprehensive collection of books, articles, proceedings, videos and other materials about deaf-blindness.
  http://www.nationaldb.org/ISLibrary.php

Finding Services

• State deaf-blind projects.
  Every state has one. Find yours at the National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness. http://www.nationaldb.org/ppStateDBProjects.php
• Visit the American Association of the Deaf-Blind.
  AADB provides a listing of state and local organizations for deaf-blind people and also a listing of service and rehabilitation agencies around the country.  http://www.aadb.org/resources/resources.html 

The Experts on Deaf-Blindness

• National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB) http://www.nationaldb.org
• Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults (HKNC)
  http://www.hknc.org
• American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB)
  http://www.aadb.org 
• Deafblind International
  http://www.deafblindinternational.org/

In Children’s Early Years

• Early interactions with children who are deaf-blind.
  http://www.nationaldb.org/NCDBProducts.php?prodID=34 
• Communication at home and in the community.
  Helpful strategies and suggestions from parents and families with a child who is deaf-blind.
  http://www.nationaldb.org/documents/products/parent99.pdf
• Communication factsheets for parents.
  http://www.nationaldb.org/documents/products/communication-a.pdf
• Talking the language of the hands to the hands.
  This publication examines the importance of hands for the person who is deafblind, reviews hand development, and identifies specific teaching skills that facilitate hand development and expressiveness in persons who are deafblind. 
  http://www.nationaldb.org/NCDBProducts.php?prodID=47 
• The intervener in early intervention and educational settings for children with deaf-blindness.
  http://www.nationaldb.org/documents/products/intervener.pdf

School Matters

• Considerations when teaching students who are deaf-blind (NETAC Teacher Tipsheet).
  http://pdcorder.pepnet.org/media/1011TPSHT_Deaf_Blind.pdf
• Deaf-blindness: Educational service guidelines.
  This best practice guide is designed to help states, districts, schools and practitioners in supporting students who are deafblind and their families.  Copies may be purchased at www.perkins.org/publications for $25.00 a copy.
• Teacher packet.
  A selection of articles, fact sheets, bibliographies and state resources organized to provide information for the teacher who is new to the deaf-blind student.  http://www.nationaldb.org/NCDBProducts.php?prodID=48 

Transition to Adulthood for Students Who Are Deaf-Blind

• Transition planning for students with deaf-blindness.
  http://nationaldb.org/documents/products/transition01-09.pdf
• More on transition planning: Coaching for students, parents, and professionals.
  http://centerondeafness.utk.edu/pec/transition%20planning%20for%20deafblind.pdf 
• Self-determination for students who are deaf-blind.
  http://www.nationaldb.org/documents/products/self-determ.pdf 
• National Transition Follow-Up Study of Youth Identified as Deafblind: Parent Perspectives.
  http://www.nationaldb.org/documents/products/transition.PDF

For Administrators

• • Deaf-Blind Child Counts: Issues and challenges.
  http://www.projectforum.org/docs/Deaf-BlindChildCounts-IssuesandChallenges.pdf
• National Deaf-Blind Child Counts.
  The National Deaf-Blind Child Count, reported by each state’s Project for Children and Youth who are Deaf-Blind, is collected annually on December 1 of each year and is a “snapshot” of the characteristics, educational settings and living arrangements of children and youth who fit the state project’s definition of being deaf-blind as of that date. The Annual Reports from 2001 through 2006 are available in PDF.
  http://www.nationaldb.org/TAChildCount.php#Summaries
• Psychological evaluation of children who are deaf-blind.
  This fact sheet provides answers to frequently asked questions about psychological evaluations for infants, children, and adults who are deaf-blind.http://www.nationaldb.org/NCDBProducts.php?prodID=40
• Recommendations on the training of interveners for students who are deaf-blind. http://www.dblink.org/pdf/intervener-train.pdf 
• Service delivery in rural areas.
  Here’s a manual or blueprint for rural agencies to develop deaf-blind services in their local areas.
  http://pdcorder.pepnet.org/media/1180LinkByLink.pdf 

Resources in Spanish

• Visit the National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness, where you’ll find many fact sheets and other resources available in Spanish.
  http://www.nationaldb.org/ISProductos.php
• English/Spanish Specialized Deaf-Blind Glossary/Espanol Glosario Especializado En Sordoceguera.
  http://www.nationaldb.org/documents/products/esgloss.pdf

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Calls to Participate

Accelerate, a Juried Exhibition of Young Emerging Artists with Disabilities
http://www.vsarts.org/PreBuilt/showcase/gallery/exhibits/vw/current/
Very Special Arts (VSA) is now accepting entries for Accelerate, a national juried exhibition of young emerging artists with disabilities. The program is open to artists between the ages of 16 and 25, living in the United States, who have a physical, cognitive, mental, or sensory disability. Submissions must be original work completed within the last three years and after the onset of disability. Eligible media include, but are not limited to, paintings and drawings (oil, watercolor, acrylic, pencil, or charcoal), fine art prints, photography, computer-generated prints, digital art, and time-based media (video, film). Work must have a visual component. Both representational and abstract works are welcomed. The competition will present one grand prize of $20,000, a first award of $10,000, a second award of $6,000, and twelve awards of excellence of $2,000 each. Deadline: June 19, 2009.

New Initiatives at Think College
http://tinyurl.com/d9kot3 The Institute for Community Inclusion (UMass Boston) and its partner organizations have launched new two new major programs related to college for students with intellectual or developmental disabilities and need help to identify college programs or services that support students with intellectual disabilities. This information will be used to identify the characteristics and outcomes of these postsecondary education programs to further understand their impact on individuals with intellectual disabilities. If your college and/or school system has a program or provides services or if you know of any programs or services that exist in your community, region, or state, even if you are not directly involved, please contact them.

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Special Education Resources

1000 Voices: A National Archive 
Video
http://www.1000voicesarchive.org/about.php
1000 Voices is a collection of videos taken nationwide documenting voices of the nation on issues of social justice. 1000 Voices believes peoples’ stories are a tool for change. Listening to one another’s stories facilitates connections between people all over the nation. More information and links to listen to the voices are at the Web site.

AUCD Multiple Transition Resources Information 
NCSET Web Topic
http://www.aucd.org/template/page.cfm?id=618
The Association of University Centers on Disabilities’ website has been updated with new resources for transitions.

Child Trends and Kid’s Count: A Guide to Resources for Creating, Locating, and Using Child and Youth Indicator Data  
Guide
http://www.childtrends.org/files/child_trends-2009_01_05_FR_childindicatorguide.pdf
This guide provides brief descriptions of data and information resources available to those who work in the child and youth indicators field. This 27-page directory includes listings with information on: books, journals, and other publications related to the identification, measurement, development, and use of child indicators; professional newsletters focused on child indicator issues and products; web sites offering data at the national, state, and local levels; research centers focusing on child and youth well-being; and technical resources for those who would like to develop their own indicators websites. Available in pdf (27 page, 260 KB).

Children’s Defense Fund: State of America’s Children 
Report
http://tinyurl.com/dnhau7
This statistical compendium of national and state-by-state data on children, published by the Children’s Defense Fund, includes comparisons of selected child statistics from the United States and other industrialized countries. Topics include child population, poverty and income, poverty and race, health and health coverage, welfare, youths at risk, education, child care and early childhood development, nutrition, and housing.

Directory of Projects and Centers Focusing on Transition 
Directory
http://tinyurl.com/d3t6ov
The Federal Interagency Partners in Transition Workgroup has developed “Strengthening Transition Partnerships: Building Federal TA Center Capacity,” a directory of federally funded projects and centers focusing on youth transition. The directory includes 15 descriptions detailing the name of the project or center, the funding agency, and the target audience, as well as descriptions of each center’s purpose, services provided, and links to center websites and publications. The document is not exhaustive of all transition services extended through federal, state, or local entities. Available in pdf (16 pages 153 KB).

Emergency Preparations Available for People Using Wheelchairs Booklet  
Booklet
http://www.unitedspinal.org/pdf/WheelchairFireSafety.pdf
The United Spinal Association’s new booklet, “Fire Safety for Wheelchair Users at Work and at Home,” provides information about getting out of a building caught on fire. It emphasizes that evacuation of people using wheelchairs is everyone’s responsibility, not just of individuals using wheelchairs. Available in pdf (9 pages, 259 KB).

Grad Nation: A Guidebook to Help Communities Tackle the Dropout Crisis
Guidebook
http://www.americaspromise.org/APAPage.aspx?id=11796
The America’s Promise Alliance has released its updated edition of Grad Nation, a comprehensive guidebook with supporting tools on the best evidence-based practices on keeping students in school, graduating, and prepared for college.

Graduation and College Entrance Requirements in 50 States and DC 
Interactive Map
http://www.betterhighschools.org/map/default.asp
The National High School Center’s interactive map makes it easy to find out about high school improvement initiatives in the U.S., including what each state requires for high school graduation and getting into college, and a calendar of high school improvement events.

Preventing Mental. Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People: Progress and Possibilities 
Report
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12480
The National Research Council and Institute of Medicine reports that young people experience mental, emotional and behavioral disorders as commonly as they experience fractured limbs, costing the U.S. an estimated $247 billion annually. The report highlights classroom and other interventions that work.

School Climate: A Critical Component 
Article
http://tinyurl.com/csbr8c
School climate is crucial to students’ academic achievement and healthy development and his article outlines ways for educators to assess their school’s climate. Although the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) recognizes the importance of character education and supportive learning environments, the authors point out that NCLB requires accountability systems to measure only “reading, math, physical violence, and (recently) science scores,” meaningful indicators of education quality, but “too narrowly focused.” Four major factors shape school climate: safety, relationships, teaching and learning, and the institutional environment, and the article lists the dimensions of these four major factors, excerpted from the Center for Social and Emotional Education’s (CSEE) Comprehensive School Climate Inventory.

State Tracking to Measure Student Progress Toward IEP Goals  
Policy Analysis
http://projectforum.org/docs/StateTrackingtoMeasureStudentProgressTowardIEPGoals.pdf
This brief policy analysis presents IDEA language requiring a description of how the child’s progress toward annual goals, if the IEP has no benchmarks or short term objectives, will be measured and a description of policies and practices that states have instituted to ensure that IEP teams provide for this. The analysis was based on data received from a survey of all states and a follow up interview with three states. Mechanisms to measure student progress on IEP goals across the nation and specific state strategies for tracking this progress are described. Available in pdf (5 pages 125 KB).

Students with Traumatic Brain Injury: Identification, Assessment, and Classroom Accommodations
Brochure
http://www.mssm.edu/tbicentral/resources/premium-publications/students_with_tbi.shtml
This 2001 brochure, now available on the internet, provides an overview of how schools can best meet the needs of students with TBI, highlighting what educators and advocates for children with TBI need to know about maximizing their educational experiences. These children need to be identified in schools, assessed appropriately, and taught in ways that address their cognitive and behavioral challenges, while capitalizing on their strengths.

The National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences Report on Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2006-07 
Report
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2009337
This report contains basic revenue and expenditure data, by state, for public elementary and secondary education for school year 2006-07 (Fiscal Year 2007). It contains state-level data on revenues by source and expenditures by function, including expenditures per pupil. To view, download, and print the report as a PDF file, please visit the website.

The Social Security Administration’s Youth Demonstration Projects: Profiles of the Random Assignment Projects 
Report
http://www.mdrc.org/premium-publications/510/overview.html
The transition to adulthood for youth with disabilities, particularly youth receiving disability program benefits, can be especially challenging. The Youth Transition Demonstration, led by Mathematica Policy Research, MDRC, and TransCen, Inc., is developing and evaluating six promising strategies to help youth with disabilities become as economically self-sufficient as possible as they transition from school to work.

What Parents of Students with Disabilities Need to Know: Guide to NCLB and IDEA 
Guide
http://cehd.umn.edu/nceo/OnlinePubs/Parents.pdf
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are two major federal laws on the education of children. NCLB seeks to improve the education of all children, especially children from low-income families. IDEA seeks to make sure children with disabilities receive specialized services. Both are important to parents of students with disabilities. This guide, written by The Advocacy Institute for the National Center on Educational Outcomes, highlights how these two federal education laws work together to improve the academic achievement of students with disabilities and identifies what parents can do to make sure their child with a disability benefits from education. The guide is available in Spanish (http://cehd.umn.edu/nceo/OnlinePubs/NCLBeIDEA.pdf

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Get Wired!—The Latest on Websites and Listservs

American Recovery Reinvestment Act
http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/
The Department of Education has created a specific ARRA web page where additional information on the act will be posted as it becomes available. Currently, it offers the press release, a more detailed fact sheet, and links to budget information, including state-by-state allocations for formula-based programs, as well as a brief “video statement” by Secretary Arne Duncan.

Combating Autism Web site from MCHB
http://mchb.hrsa.gov/autism/
As part of the Combating Autism effort, the Health Resources and Service Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) recently launched its Combating Autism Web site. This site includes a list of MCHB-funded activities and combating autism resources. HRSA’s implementation of the Combating Autism Act of 2006 addresses some of the most urgent issues affecting people with autism and their families.

Going to College
http://www.going-to-college.org/
Going to College is a new Web site with information about living college life with a disability. It is designed for teens with disabilities and provides video clips, activities, information, and additional resources that can help students get a head start in planning for college.

International Renewal Institute Inc. (IRII)
www.iriinc.us

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Funding Forecast and Award Opportunities

Forecast of Funding Opportunities under the Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 2008-2009
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edlite-forecast.html
This document lists virtually all programs and competitions under which the U.S. Department of Education has invited or expects to invite applications for new awards for fiscal year 2008-2009 and provides actual or estimated deadlines for the transmittal of applications under these programs. The lists are in the form of charts organized according to the Department’s principal program offices and include programs and competitions previously announced as well as those to be announced at a later date.

FY 2008-2009 Discretionary Grant Application Packages
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html
This site, from the Department of Education, provides information on grant competitions that are currently open.

AAAS Leadership in Science Education Prize
http://www.aaas.org/aboutaaas/awards/hs_scied_leadership
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is accepting nominations for the 2009 AAAS Leadership in Science Education Prize for High School Teachers. The $1,000 prize honors a high school science teacher who has contributed to the AAAS goal of advancing science education by developing an innovative and effective strategy, activity, or program. The winner will be invited to attend and make a brief presentation at the annual Shanghai International Forum on Science Literacy of Pre-college Students as a guest of the Shanghai Association for Science and Technology. Deadline: April 24, 2009.

American Honda Foundation: Grants for Youth and Scientific Education
http://corporate.honda.com/america/philanthropy.aspx?id=ahf
The American Honda Foundation makes grants to K-12 schools, colleges, universities, trade schools, and other youth-focused non-profit organizations for programs that benefit youth and scientific education. Maximum award: $60,000. Eligibility: schools and youth-focused nonprofit organizations. Deadline: Grant applications are accepted four times per year; next deadline is May 1, 2009.

Charles Lafitte Foundation: Grants for Education & Child Advocacy
http://www.charleslafitte.org/education.html
The Charles Lafitte Foundation Grants Program helps groups and individuals foster lasting improvement on the human condition by providing support to education, children’s advocacy, medical research, and the arts. Maximum award: varies. Eligibility: 501(c)3 organizations. Deadline: rolling.

Earth Island Institute Invites Applications from Young People for Brower Youth Awards
http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15017070/browerawards
The Earth Island Institute sponsors the annual Brower Youth Awards, honoring young people, ages 13-22 and living in North America, for outstanding activism and achievements in the fields of environmental and social justice advocacy. Award winners demonstrate “outstanding leadership” by leadership in creating, organizing, and implementing a project, in one or more of the categories of conservation (work to eliminate or decrease the use of natural resources and the negative impacts on ecosystems and communities), preservation (protecting eco-systems, species, indigenous cultures, and other irreplaceable elements of the world’s natural heritage), and restoration (re-establishing the healthy functioning of ecosystems, parts of ecosystems, and human communities that manage ecosystems). Six winners will each receive a $3,000 cash prize, a trip to California for the award ceremony and a wilderness camping trip, and ongoing access to resources and opportunities to further their work at the Earth Island Institute. Deadline: May 15, 2009.

ESA Funding for Youth Programs
http://www.theesa.com/foundation/application.asp
The Entertainment Software Association foundation aims at using the power of the interactive entertainment industry to create positive social impact in our communities. The foundation supports geographically diverse projects and programs that benefit American youth of all races, denominations, and genders. Applicant organizations must have tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status and be seeking funding for a specific project or program to be conducted in two or more states in the U.S. and serving youths ages 7-18. Applicant organizations must provide youth programs in one or more of the following areas: skills and personal development, general health and welfare, risk behavior prevention, education, or multimedia arts/technology. Deadline: April 15, 2009

Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes
http://www.barronprize.org/index.html
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes honors outstanding young leaders who have focused on helping their communities and fellow beings and/or on protecting the health and sustainability of the environment. Maximum award: $2,500. Eligibility: youth 8-18. Deadline: April 30, 2009

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reader’s Digest Foundation: Make It Matter
http://www.rd.com/makeitmatter.do

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Acknowledgements

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

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

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

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