April 2011 – Special Educator e-Journal

Table of Contents

• Update from the U.S. Department Education

• Calls to Participate

• Special Education Resources 

• Update From The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

• Latest Employment Opportunities Posted on NASET

• Upcoming Conferences and Events

• Funding Forecast and Award Opportunities

• Acknowledgements

• Download a PDF Version of This Issue

---

To learn more click on the image above or – Click here

---

Update from the U.S. Department of Education

Secretary Duncan Vows to ‘Move Away’ from the 2 Percent Rule in Assessing Students with Disabilities

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan vowed Tuesday to abolish the so-called “2 percent rule” that obscures an accurate portrait of the academic needs of America’s students with disabilities.

In prepared remarks to the American Association of People with Disabilities gala in Washington, Duncan declared that students with disabilities should be judged with the same accountability system as everyone else.

“I just want to say—here and now—for the record—we are moving away from the 2 percent rule,” Duncan said. “We will not issue another policy that allows districts to disguise the educational performance of 2 percent of students.”
Instead, he said, “We have to expect the very best from our students—and tell the truth about student performance—so that we can give all students the supports and services they need.”

Since 2005, the Education Department has used its regulatory authority to permit states and local school districts to effectively shield certain test scores of students with disabilities when determining adequate yearly progress (AYP) under the No Child Left Behind Act.

Specifically, proficient scores for up to 2 percent of all students in the grades assessed can be reported using alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards, and states without appropriate alternate assessments have been allowed for purposes of AYP to use a proxy—counting as proficient the scores of that 2 percent of students, regardless of how they actually performed.

That proxy has masked the kind of information that educators need in order to identify areas that can be targeted with resources to help students with disabilities achieve their academic potential.

While the Department will continue to allow states with approved alternate assessments based on modified academic achievement standards to use these assessments consistent with the regulation until the development of new, improved assessments, it will no longer permit the use of the proxy rule.
The secretary pledged to maintain the “highest expectations for every child in every classroom today. That’s the understanding we bring to our work in reauthorizing federal laws impacting people with disabilities.”

“Whether it’s the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Workforce Investment Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act,” Duncan said, “the Obama administration stands with you and I remain your champion, your advocate and your servant.”

He added, “Please know that I will always challenge myself and others to measure our success in terms of all children—not some children—and all people—not just some people. Equality and inclusion are at the heart of the American ideal. They represent our common hopes, our highest aspirations and our deepest values.”

President and First Lady Call for a United Effort to Address Bullying

Last month, the President and First Lady called for a united effort to address bullying at the White House Conference on Bullying Prevention. Approximately 150 students, parents, teachers, non-profit leaders, advocates, and policymakers came together to discuss how they can work together to make our schools and communities safe for all students.

“If there’s one goal of this conference, it’s to dispel the myth that bullying is just a harmless rite of passage or an inevitable part of growing up. It’s not,” said President Obama. “Bullying can have destructive consequences for our young people. And it’s not something we have to accept. As parents and students; teachers and communities, we can take steps that will help prevent bullying and create a climate in our schools in which all of our children can feel safe.”

“As parents, this issue really hits home for us. It breaks our hearts to think that any child feels afraid every day in the classroom, on the playground, or even online,” First Lady Michelle Obama said. “I hope that all of you – and everyone watching online – will walk away from this conference with new ideas and solutions that you can take back to your own schools and communities.”

Every day, thousands of children, teens, and young adults around the country are bullied. Estimates are that nearly one-third of all school-aged children are bullied each year – upwards of 13 million students. Students involved in bullying are more likely to have challenges in school, to abuse drugs and alcohol, and to have health and mental health issues. If we fail to address bullying we put ourselves at a disadvantage for increasing academic achievement and making sure all of our students are college and career ready.

The conference encouraged schools, communities, and the private sector to join together to combat bullying. Today the White House also highlighted private, non-profit, and federal commitments to bullying prevention.

Formspring and Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Formspring is a social network with over 22 million members, and is working with The MIT Media Lab, to develop new approaches to detect online bullying, and designing interfaces which help prevent it or mitigate it when it does occur.

This approach uses a collection of common sense knowledge and reasoning techniques from artificial intelligence to understand online bullying at a deeper level than just words. MIT Media Lab and Formspring hope to build self-reflective interfaces that encourage social network participants to think sensibly about their behavior and suggest alternatives and coping strategies. Unlike spam filters, which work by collecting statistics on occurrences of particular words, the new MIT Media Lab and Formspring approach seeks to understand the intent behind the words. In addition, Formspring will discuss their corporate commitment to discovering & supporting the most advanced and meaningful technological innovations that can identify and curb online bullying and harassment.

MTV Networks: “A THIN LINE”

As part of MTV’s multi-year, award-winning A THIN LINE campaign, the network will launch a new anti-digital discrimination coalition, which will work with MTV to fight bullying and intolerance online (in partnership with the National Council of La Raza, Anti-Defamation League, Council on American-Islamic Relations, and GLAAD). MTV will also announce the forthcoming premiere of a poignant new feature film inspired by the true, tragic tale of Abraham Biggs – a 19-year-old who battled bipolar disorder and ultimately webcast his suicide after being egged on by a digital mob. The film will illustrate what can happen when we forget there’s a person on the other side of the screen, and serve as a powerful call to action to fight the spread of digital abuse. The network plans six new cyberbullying and digital discrimination public service announcements, encouraging bullying bystanders to support their friends, connect victims of digital abuse to resources, and drive home the serious impact typewritten words can have.

Facebook

Facebook will unveil two new safety features in the coming weeks: a revamped multimedia Safety Center to incorporate multimedia, external resources from renowned experts, and downloadable information for teens. Additionally, they will create a new “Social Reporting” system to enable people to report content that violates Facebook policies so that it can be removed as soon as possible, while notifying parents or teachers of the content so that the reasons for its posting can be addressed.

SurveyMonkey:www.surveymonkey.com/bullying

SurveyMonkey—a “do-it-yourself” survey tool—allows anyone to survey people quickly and easily. More than 100 million people are interviewed in the education space each. The familiarity with the application, combined with its ease of use, create an opportunity to help students and administrators alike to use SurveyMonkey to collect information about the prevalence of bullying in schools. To facilitate data collection, SurveyMonkey has created a dedicated page for bullying detection which includes a 10 question survey that students can adopt in order to distribute and disseminate via email, on fliers, through Facebook, and elsewhere. The application is free to use.

National Education Association: “Bully-Free: It Starts with Me.”

The National Education Association (NEA) is launching a nationwide anti-bullying campaign entitled Bully-Free: It Starts with Me. Through this new online campaign, the NEA will identify and support caring adults in each school who will listen and act on behalf of bullied students in schools across America. The NEA will invite its members to join the campaign and will work to extend the campaign to the broader community. NEA will also release a new study on bullying in schools – based on a survey of more than 5,000 educators. Findings from the National Education Association’s Nationwide Study of Bullying: Teachers’ and Education Support Professionals’ Perspectives represents the first nationwide study of teachers’ and education support professionals’ perspectives on bullying and bullying prevention efforts.

American Federation of Teachers: “See a Bully, Stop a Bully, Make a Difference”

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is launching a national bullying campaign, See a Bully, Stop a Bully. Make a Difference, focused on raising bullying awareness and providing resources, training, and technical assistance for leaders and members. AFT will be hosting regional summits, holding a series of topical webinars, and developing new materials for the campaign, and incorporating it into their Back to School efforts. AFT is also working with various organizations including America’s Promise Alliance, the national PTA, AASA, GLAAD, NASP, ASCA, NEA, and GLSEN to amplify an anti-bullying message. The AFT has accelerated their efforts during the fall of 2010 in response to heightened awareness of bullying as well as the federal guidance issued by the Department of Education detailing the obligations of local school districts and state education departments to address bullying.

National PTA: “Connect for Respect”

National PTA is launching a campaign called Connect for Respect, asking PTAs nationwide to host a Connect for Respect event in their communities and to share resources with parents about bullying in the schools they serve. The campaign will also encourage parents to talk to their child about bullying and to advocate for policies and practices that create a safe school climate for all children. PTA will launch a communications campaign to promote Connect for Respect with PTA leaders and members across the country. PTA will issue five tip sheets for PTAs and for parents to increase their understanding of bullying, how to prevent it, and how to recognize if your child is the bully; create tools to share how to create a Connect for Respect event; and re-launch PTA.org/bullying, which will house all of the PTA resources.

National Association of Student Councils: “Raising Student Voice and Participation Bullying Challenge”

The National Association of Student Councils (NASC) declares its commitment to foster a national student-led conversation and call to action utilizing its Raising Student Voice & Participation (RSVP) process. Through RSVP, student councils can lead student summits to identify strategies and projects that address the problem of bullying. NASC will also involve its sister organizations, the National Honor Society (NHS) and National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) expanding its outreach to some 33,000 student groups in middle level and high schools around the nation. The NASC Raising Student Voice and Participation (RSVP) process was launched during the 2006-2007 school year.

National School Boards Association: “Students on Board for Bullying Prevention”

The National School Boards Association (NSBA) will launch a series of student conversations between boards of education and students in middle and high school. The conversations will be about the climate in their schools, and will be guided by questions from the research-based school climate surveys developed by the Council of Urban Boards of Education and by the Pearson Foundation’s Million Voices project.

Early in the Obama Administration, six federal agencies (Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Justice, Defense, Agriculture, and Interior) joined together to establish the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention Steering Committee to explore ways to provide guidance for individuals and organizations in combating bullying. This interagency group was recently joined by the National Council on Disability and the Federal Trade Commission. In August of last year, the Steering Committee brought together non-profit leaders, researchers, parents, and youth to begin the national discussion and identify issues requiring additional guidance and clarification. Since that convening, the Steering Committee has focused on the following activities:

• StopBullying.go: This website will launch at today’s Conference to provide information from various government agencies on how children, teens, young adults, parents, educators and others in the community can prevent or stop bullying. The website will provide information on what bullying is, its risk factors, its warning signs and its effects. It will also provide details on how to get help for those that have been victimized by bullying.
• Enforcing Civil Rights Laws: Last October, the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights issued guidance as a “Dear Colleague” letter to clarify issues of bullying and violation of federal education anti-discrimination laws. The guidance explains educators’ legal obligations to protect students from student-on-student racial and national origin harassment, sexual and gender-based harassment, and disability harassment.
• Shaping State Laws and Policies: In December of last year, Secretary Duncan issued a memo to Governors and Chief State School Officers in each state providing technical assistance and outlining key components of comprehensive and effective state anti-bullying laws and policies.

In addition to the Steering Committee’s work, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has also created the Stop Bullying Now! Campaign to raise awareness about bullying; prevent and reduce bullying behaviors; identify interventions and strategies; and encourage and strengthen partnerships. SBN was developed by a steering committee and implementation work group that included more than seventy organizations from in and out of government. The campaign covers ages five to eighteen years old, and includes tool kits to encourage and empower youth to mentor younger children to take action again bullying.

The Department of Education’s Safe and Supportive Schools competitive grant program requires recipient states to measure school safety, which includes issues of bullying and harassment, at the building level by surveying students. Federal funds are available for interventions in those schools identified as having the greatest need. The Department of Education has awarded grants to 11 States for activities under this program.

---

To top

Calls to Participate

100 Best Communities for Young People Contest 

http://americaspromise.org/Our-Work/Community-Action/100-Best-Communities.aspx

America’s Promise Alliance and ING Foundation want to identify the nation’s “100 Best Communities for Young People,” the best places for young people to live, learn, and thrive. Winners receive benefits including technical assistance and training sessions to help strengthen successful local programs. Application deadline: May 27, 2011.

Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs Invites Submissions to Support Transition

www.findyouthinfo.gov/resourcesubmission.aspx

The Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs invites submission from the public of resources to support successful transitions of transition-age youth. Entries that are approved for posting on the website (www.FindYouthInfo.gov) can include state or local strategic plans to support youth, research articles, youth-produced public service announcements (PSAs), etc. All materials and resources posted must be free of charge and hosted on either a government or non-profit website. In addition to information on supports for transition-age youth, submissions also are accepted for a range of other youth topics such as health and nutrition, positive youth development, substance use, and parenting.

National Center to Inform Policy and Practice in Special Education Professional Development’s Technical Assistance to Support Beginning Special Education Teachers

http://ncipp.education.ufl.edu/files_18/TechAssistApp.html

The National Center to Inform Policy and Practice in Special Education Professional Development (NCIPP) gives technical assistance to schools and districts working to provide differentiated instruction and mentoring supports for beginning special education teachers.

---

To top

To learn more click on the image above or – Click here

---

Special Education Resources

2009-2010 Counselors & Mentors Handbook on Federal Student Aid (2010)

Handbook
http://ifap.ed.gov/chandbooks/attachments/0910CounselorsHandbookAttach-10.pdf
This handbook from the U.S. Department of Education for those advising students on financial aid for post-secondary education includes information about federal student aid programs, the application process, how to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and how financial need is determined for students who may have expenses related to their disability. Available in pdf (7.24 MB, 88 pp).

America’s Promise Alliance Releases “Building a Grad Nation” (November 2010)
Report
http://www.americaspromise.org/Our-Work/Grad-Nation/Building-a-Grad-Nation.aspx
America’s Promise Alliance, Civic Enterprises and Johns Hopkins University’s Everyone Graduates Center have released “Building a Grad Nation.” The number of high schools where 40% or more of the students fail to graduate fell significantly from 2002 to 2008, according to analysis of the latest government data compiled in this report. The report discusses strides that have been made in the past decade in reducing the dropout rate, and showcases the practical and effective strategies that have helped.

Annenberg Institute for School Reform Report on Community Organizing and Reform (January 2011)
Report
http://www.annenberginstitute.org/Products/NMEF.php
The Annenberg Institute for School Reform (AISR) has issued “The Strengths and Challenges of Community Organizing as an Education Reform Strategy: What the Research Says,” on how community organizing fits into systemic education reform. Community organizing for school reform can create equitable changes in schools and districts, finding education solutions from the knowledge of underserved communities to support schools and districts and hold them accountable for improving achievement. AISR’s report includes a directory of 50 community organizations involved in New England education reform.

Casey Family Program’s Revised Supporting Success: Improving Higher Education Outcomes for Students from Foster Care (December 2010)
Guide
http://www.casey.org/Resources/Publications/SupportingSuccess.htm
Casey Family Program has updated its “Supporting Success: Improving Higher Education Outcomes for Students from Foster Care.” This second edition of the framework provides program development tools for college counselors, administrators, staff, and youth advocates. It helps education professionals define a plan for improving their institution’s support for students from foster care and homeless youth.

Child Trend’s What Works in Out-of-School Programs for African American Children (February 2011)
Fact Sheet
http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2011_02_01_RB_WW4AAChildren.pdf
African American children and adolescents often face challenges that differ from other groups of children in the U.S. Although a number of out-of-school time programs serving African American children have been implemented, data on which approaches work for this group are scarce. This Child Trends synthesis reviews evaluations of out-of-school programs to identify programs that work, and the intervention strategies that contribute to program success. The programs targeted outcome areas such as reproductive health, substance use, and physical health and nutrition. Available in pdf (300 KB, 14 pp).

Child Trend’s What Works in Out-of-School Programs for Latino Children (February)
Fact Sheet
http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2011_02_01_RB_WW4LatinoChildren.pdf
Latino/Hispanic children and adolescents often face challenges that differ from other groups of children in the U.S. Although a number of out-of-school time programs serving Latino children have been implemented, data on which approaches work among these groups are scarce. This Child Trends synthesis reviews evaluations of out-of-school programs to identify programs that work, and the intervention strategies that contribute to program success. The programs targeted outcome areas such as reproductive health, substance use, and physical health and nutrition. Available in pdf (199 KB, 10 pp).

Corporate Voices for Working Families and United Way Worldwide Release Business Engagement Toolkit for Community Organizations (January 2011) Toolkit
http://www.corporatevoices.org/supporting-education-pipeline
Corporate Voices and United Way Worldwide, in partnership with Workforce Strategy Center, have released a toolkit designed to provide community leaders with resources to help them recruit, engage and develop ongoing relationships with businesses and business leaders in their communities. “Supporting the Education Pipeline: A Business Engagement Toolkit for Community-Based Organizations” and the companion website feature tips, tools, resources and examples of techniques used to engage business. When leaders in education, business, government and community organizations align resources, build on existing high-quality supports and work together, outcomes improve. Business partners play a critical role in supporting community efforts that create a prepared, innovative and competitive workforce.

Corporate Voices Releases Business Engagement Stakeholders Wheel (January 2011)
Tool
http://forumfyi.org/content/corporate-voices-releases-business-engagement-stakeholders-wheel
Corporate Voices has released “The Business Engagement Stakeholders Wheel,” a tool to help nonprofits to identify all local businesses and business organizations in their community. The Wheel lists different business organizations and business leaders who could partner, as well as information on the roles business can play to ensure all youth are ready for college, work and life.

Dispute Resolution in Special Education: Four Exemplary State Systems (June 2010)
Report
http://www.directionservice.org/cadre/exemplar/exemplarprofiles.cfm
Between Fall 2008 and Summer 2010, The Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) examined state special education dispute resolution systems that are particularly effective, and how other states can learn from those systems and their components. Four states – Iowa, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin – were identified as exemplars and CADRE has published system profiles on them.

Minority Parent and Community Engagement: Best Practices and Policy Recommendations for Closing the Gaps in Student Achievement (June 2010)
Report
http://maldef.org/resources/premium-publications/NEA_Report.pdf
“Minority Parent and Community Engagement: Best Practices and Policy Recommendations for Closing the Gaps in Student Achievement,” from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and National Education Association (NEA), aims to increase the active involvement of minority parents in their children’s schools by identifying obstacles to such engagement and recommending strategies for parents, schools and communities to overcome them. The report includes policy recommendations submitted to Congress and the U.S. Department of Education during the 2010 reauthorization process of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Available in pdf (604 KB, 44 pp).

More To Do, But Less Capacity To Do It: States’ Progress In Implementing the Recovery Act Education Reforms (February 2011)
Report
http://www.cep-dc.org/
“More To Do, But Less Capacity To Do It: States’ Progress In Implementing the Recovery Act Education Reforms,” from the Center on Education Policy, finds that stimulus funds have built momentum for common school reform agendas, but state budget crises now threaten to stall them. The anonymous survey results from 42 states and the District of Columbia suggest that education budgets and staffing may be insufficient, at least through 2011, to fully implement critical reform activities.

Moving Beyond the Three-Tier Intervention Pyramid Toward a Comprehensive Framework for Student and Learning Supports (February)
Policy Brief
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/briefs/threetier.pdf
Both response to intervention (RTI) and positive behavior intervention and supports (PBIS) use a three-tier intervention pyramid. This brief from the Center for Mental Health in Schools discusses the limitations of the pyramid as an intervention framework and illustrates a multidimensional intervention framework that can foster a comprehensive, multifaceted, and cohesive system of student and learning supports. Available in pdf (171 KB, 12 pp).

NCES Data on Transition from High School to College and Work (January 2011)
Issue Tables
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2011234
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) at the Institute for Education Sciences, part of the U.S. Department of Education, has released “Postsecondary and Labor Force Transitions among Public High School Career and Technical Education Participants.” These Issue Tables describe the transition of high school career and technical education (CTE) participants into postsecondary education and the labor market during the first two years after high school graduation (from 2004 to 2006). For the transition to postsecondary education, the tables include information on postsecondary enrollment in general; enrollment in 4-year institutions; immediate, full-time enrollment; persistence; and the relationship between CTE coursetaking in high school and postsecondary field of study. For students who did not enroll in postsecondary education, the tables look at employment and unemployment rates, wages, full-time employment, and the relationship between CTE coursetaking in high school and occupation.

NCWD/Youth’s Blazing the Trail: Youth Call-to-Action (2010)
Report
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/blazing-the-trail-youth-call-to-action
“Blazing the Trail: A New Direction for Youth Development and Leadership: A Youth Call-to-Action” is based on findings from the Blazing the Trail summit organized by the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth), held in August 2007. The Youth Call-to-Action outlines actions youth can take to enhance their development and become leaders in their community and the nation, including learning about their rights and responsibilities, becoming a self-advocate, learning about disability history, and researching scholarships.

NCWD/Youth’s Cyber Disclosure Workbook for Youth with Disabilities (2011)
Workbook
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/cyber-disclosure
The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy released “Cyber Disclosure for Youth with Disabilities,” a supplement to “The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Youth with Disabilities,” which helps youth learn about disability disclosure and what it means for them. Search sites like Google, social networking sites like Facebook, and micro-blogging sites like Twitter have added a new element to disclosure. Now it is possible to disclose disability status on the internet without even being aware of it. This can be as simple as a picture of a person using a wheelchair, a comment on a friend’s blog about disability, or a profile posted on a disability organizations website. This document provides youth with suggestions on how to make informed decisions about their own disability disclosure and to manage their disclosures online.

NCWD/Youth’s Guide on Supporting Career Development of Youth with Learning Disabilities (2010)
Guide
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ld-guide
“Charting the Course: Supporting the Career Development of Youth with Learning Disabilities,” from the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth), is intended to help practitioners, administrators, and policymakers improve services and outcomes for youth, ages 14-25, with learning disabilities, both diagnosed and undiagnosed. (Some youth have learning disabilities that have never been identified, and others may know they have a learning disability but choose not to disclose.) The Guide includes reference charts, tables, and tools for counselors, career advisors, and other professionals who work directly with youth. Topics covered include types and impact of learning disabilities, needed supports, and research-based interventions.

NCWD/Youth’s Initial Findings of Individualized Learning Plans (2011)
Project Summary
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ilp-summary
The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) has issued “Individualized Learning Plans: A Research and Demonstration Project – Summary,” based on the study launched in the 2008-09 school year and targeted for completion in 2012-13, the first longitudinal research and demonstration project designed to understand the effectiveness of Individualized Learning Plans. The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’’s Office of Disability Employment Policy.

NCWD/Youth’s Strengthening Transition Partnerships Resource Directory (May 2010)
Transition Resource Directory
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/whats-new
“Strengthening Transition Partnerships: Building Federal Technical Assistance Center Capacity: A Transition Resource Directory,” from the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth), includes descriptions submitted by federally supported projects and centers with work that focuses on youth transition.

NCWD/Youth’s Workbook to Aid Adults Supporting Youth with Disability Disclosure (2011)
Workbook
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/411-on-disability-disclosure-for-adults
The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) has issued a workbook to benefit adults in the lives of young people with both visible disabilities and those with disabilities that are not apparent. “The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Families, Educators, Youth Service Professionals, and Adult Allies Who Care About Youth with Disabilities” helps adults make informed decisions about teaching a young man or woman about his or her rights and responsibilities in disclosing his or her disability, and how that decision affects a young person’s educational, employment, and social life.

No Teacher Left Behind (February 2011)
Policy Brief
http://www.all4ed.org/press_room/press_releases/02082011
“Transforming High Schools: Performance Systems for Powerful Teaching,” a policy brief from the Alliance for Excellent Education, calls for a set of standards and assessments to measure the quality of teacher performance. It proposes changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (currently No Child Left Behind) to elevate the teaching profession, support performance assessments, and encourage feedback systems to help teachers continually improve. It recommends that federal and state policymakers support educator development in high schools by establishing college and career readiness as the core mission of the K-12 education system; creating standards of teaching knowledge and practice; and developing rigorous assessments of teaching effectiveness.

NYEC’s Building Roads to Success: Key Considerations for Communities and States Reconnecting Youth to Education (February 2011)
Report
http://nyec.org/content/documents/Building%20Roads%20cover-FINAL.pdf
The National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) has released “Building Roads to Success: Key Considerations for Communities and States Reconnecting Youth to Education.” It includes briefs to assist community and state leaders, youth advocates, educators, and other stakeholders interested in improving and expanding education options for struggling students and out-of-school youth. It is relevant to the work of municipal government, community-based organizations, school districts, postsecondary institutions, workforce development organizations, apprenticeship programs, and other youth-serving organizations, as well as governors’ offices and state policymakers, departments of education, youth advocates, and workforce boards. Specific topics covered include: State & Local Policy, Cross-System Collaboration, Data Collection and Use, Building Capacity, and Funding. Examples of promising and successful programs, policies, initiatives, and citations for key resources are provided. Available in pdf (1.57 MB, 42 pp).

Providing Financial Aid for Youth Who Are Unaccompanied or From Foster Care (August 2009)
Report
http://www.casey.org/Resources/Publications/pdf/ProvidingEffectiveFinancialAid.pdf
The Foster Youth Success Initiative at the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office released a report, “Providing Effective Financial Aid Assistance to Students from Foster Care and Unaccompanied Homeless Youth: A Key to Higher Education Access and Success.” Available in pdf (2.48 MB, 40 pp).

Recruiting and Retaining Qualified Special Education Personnel: Approaches from Eight State Education Agencies
Policy Analysis
http://www.projectforum.org/
The National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) has published this policy analysis based on interviews as a follow-up to the survey document on the same topic. The interviews addressed 10 recruitment and retention strategies that were chosen based on the Personnel Improvement Center at NASDSE work with states, analysis of existing literature regarding best practices in the field, and survey responses. State level infrastructures, recruitment to the field, recruitment to specific jobs, retention, barriers and recommendations are discussed. An appendix on interviewed states’ approaches to recruitment and retention is provided.

Research Compares Youth with Disabilities Then and Now (September 2010)
Report
http://ies.ed.gov/ncser/pubs/20103008/index.asp
A new report from SRI International, a nonprofit scientific research institute, “Comparisons Across Time of the Outcomes of Youth with Disabilities 4 Years after High School,” compares two longitudinal studies of youth with disabilities held from 1983-1990 and from 2001-2009. The research, available from the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES), shows that 46% of young adults with disabilities had enrolled in postsecondary education in 2005, versus only 26% in 1990. However, youth with disabilities were slightly less likely to find employment in 2005 than in 1990 (56% and 62%, respectively).

Saving for Post-Secondary Education: Strategies for Individuals with Disabilities (2009)
Article
http://www.worksupport.com/research/viewContent.cfm/847
“Saving for Post-Secondary Education: Strategies for Individuals with Disabilities,” by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University, appeared in the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation. Citing misconceptions among individuals with disabilities, family members, and the disability services provider community, the article clarifies and details saving opportunities for students with disabilities that are in line with the Social Security disability benefit program rules.

Strategies to Increase School Completion Rates for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders (2010)
Discussion Transcript
http://www.ndpc-sd.org/dissemination/teleseminars.php#ebd
This August 2010 teleseminar, hosted by the National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities, focused on the prevention and intervention among high school students at risk for school failure due to problem behavior. A transcript of the discussion and audio or video recordings of it are available on the NDPC website.

---

To top

Update from the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

IT ALL STARTS IN FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES

2011 taxes and other Wrightslaw topics.

You know we think very highly of Wrightslaw’s information, so we pass along several you may find of interest:

2011 tax tips!
http://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/11/nl.0223.htm

More on tax benefits when disability is involved.
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/tax.credits.2011.htm

Is your child’s behavior caused by a disability?
http://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/11/nl.0215.htm

Parent training in autism.
The Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at UCDavis has developed a free, online training series called ADEPT–Autism Distance Education Parent Training Interactive Learning. ADEPT is a 10-lesson interactive, self-paced, online learning module that gives parents the tools and training to more effectively teach their child with autism using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) techniques.
http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/ddcenter/CEDD_ourproducts.html

For those affected by TBI — traumatic brain injury.
Brainline is a national multimedia project offering information and resources about preventing, treating, and living with TBI.
http://www.brainline.org/

I’m determined.
The I’m Determined project, funded by the Virginia Department of Education, focuses on providing students with disabilities with direct instruction, models, and opportunities to practice skills associated with self-determined behavior beginning at the elementary level and continuing through the student’s educational career.
https://php.radford.edu/~imdetermined/

Postsecondary education for students with intellectual disabilities..
Visit the HEATH Resource Center at George Washington University for its new 36-page publication that answers many commonly asked questions about college experiences for students with intellectual disabilities.
http://www.heath.gwu.edu/assets/50/pse_id_final_edition.pdf

THE LITTLE ONES: EARLY INTERVENTION/EARLYCHILDHOOD 

In praise of NECTAC’s eNotes again.
Check out the February 25, 2011 issue for great resources.
http://www.nectac.org/enotes/enotes.asp

Free Webinar | Teaching Communication to Young Children with ASD.
March 8, 2011, 3:30pm
Hosted by: Virginia Commonwealth University’s Autism Center for Excellence
http://www.vcuautismcenter.org/registration/webcast/index.cfm

11th National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute.
May 16-18, 2011 | Chapel Hill, NC
http://www.nectac.org/~meetings/inclusionmtg2011/splash.html

IFSP|IEP outcomes integration.

States and local programs are making child and family outcomes measurement more efficient and more effective by integrating those processes with IFSP and IEP development and implementation. See examples from states and find other supportive materials.http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~eco/pages/integration.cfm

The importance of secure attachment relationships for infants and toddlers.

The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning’s
What Works Brief #24.
http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/wwb/wwb24.html

Preventing the use of restraint and seclusion with young children.

From TACSEI, the Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children.
http://www.challengingbehavior.org/do/resources/documents/brief_preventing.pdf

New website featuring data from the Child Welfare Outcomes.
The Children’s Bureau makes the latest Child Welfare Outcomes data available for you to view in a variety of ways according to your needs. The site features a custom report builder which allows users to select the specific state(s), data, and data years that they would like to view. Users also have the capability to compare data across States.
http://cwoutcomes.acf.hhs.gov/data

Professional development in early childhood education.
View the presentations at the Year 5 symposium held by the National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education in November 3020. The symposium brought together 60 researchers, policy makers, state specialists, and program administrators to examine the latest science regarding effective professional development in early childhood education. When you click the link below, you’ll find the symposium’s resources listed at the bottom of the page.
http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/products/leadership-symposia/

SCHOOLS, K-12

Get technical assistance to support your beginning special education teachers.

Apply for technical assistance by April 1st, to the National Center to Inform Policy and Practice in Special Education Professional Development. NCIPP provides technical assistance to schools and districts working to differentiate induction and mentoring supports for beginning special education teachers. Read more and find the application at:
http://ncipp.education.ufl.edu/files_18/TechAssistApp.html

Interested in autism?
You may wish to take advantage of these two new resources on the subject:

Tell Me About the Story: Comprehension Strategies for Students with Autism.
Reading comprehension is often a concern for the teachers of students with autism. The comprehension strategies described in this article from Reading Rockets may help some students gain comprehension skills and improve their ability to read and communicate about written material.
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/36973

New VCU Autism Center for Excellence website.
The website provides information on training activities occurring throughout the state (Virginia) as well as a host of online training events for anyone who lives with, works with, or supports an individual with an autism spectrum disorder. Resources including fact sheets and summaries of journal articles on topics related to ASD are also available.
http://www.vcuautismcenter.org/index.cfm

Improving reading comprehension: What works.
This guide from the U.S. Department of Education recommends five specific steps that teachers, reading coaches, and principals can take to successfully improve reading comprehension for children K-3.
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/practiceguides/readingcomp_pg_092810.pdf

Roles of paraeducators in inclusive classrooms.
This 3-part series may interest many of you. Find it online at the Inclusive Schools Network:
http://www.inclusiveschools.org/files/ISN%20Tip-2011-02.pdf

Video and more | Reciprocal Teaching.

Reciprocal teaching refers to an instructional activity in which students become the teacher in small group reading sessions. It’s been shown to be an effective approach to increasing student learning. Now, this resource page at Reading Rockets explains it step by step, provides worksheets and templates to download, and includes a clip from the PBS show.

Reading for Meaning
in which a Seattle school uses reciprocal teaching to guide students in learning to lead a classroom discussion.
http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/reciprocal_teaching

Students with hearing impairments: Secondary school experiences and academic performance.
According to the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 dataset, a gap exists between the academic achievement of youth with hearing impairments and their peers in the general population in reading, mathematics, science, and social studies. This fact sheet from the National Center for Special Education Research gives a national picture. http://ies.ed.gov/ncser/pubs/20113003/

PACER’s Transition Trek—updated!
You may know about this resource already…it’s an educational board game that helps youth and young adults plan for life after high school. Happily, it’s been updated for 2010! Order your copy via:
http://www.pacer.org/premium-publications/OrderForm.pdf

OSEP’s memo on RTI and evaluation.
Writing to the state directors of special education, OSEP addresses how a RTI process (response to intervention) cannot be used to delay or deny an evaluation for eligibility under IDEA.
http://www.rti4success.org/images/stories/RTI%20Memo_1-21-11r.pdf

Limitations of the three-tier intervention pyramid.
Both RTI and positive behavior intervention and supports (PBIS) utilize a three-tier intervention pyramid. This brief from the Center for Mental Health in Schools discusses the limitations of the pyramid as an intervention framework and illustrates a multidimensional intervention framework that can foster a comprehensive, multifaceted, and cohesive system of student and learning supports.
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/briefs/threetier.pdf

Strategies to increase school completion rates for students with ED/BD.

This August 2010 teleseminar focused on the prevention and intervention among high school students at risk for school failure due to problem behavior. Hosted by the National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities.
http://www.ndpc-sd.org/dissemination/teleseminars.php#ebd

STATE & SYSTEM TOOLS

Supporting state-level collaboration among general and special educators.
This document is the third resource of a series of Conversations with Practitioners,
based on a working group of state-level and regional comprehensive center staff who collaborated on a project designed to learn how state departments of education, along with their RCCs, are supporting an RTI framework. This document focuses on the collaboration of general and special educators. It discusses the definition of collaboration, provides recommendations for supporting state-level collaboration, and offers tools and suggestions for building capacity for collaboration.
http://centeroninstruction.org/conversations-with-practitioners-supporting-state-level-collaboration-among-general-and-special-educators

ADA 2010 revised requirements: Effective date v. compliance date.
The Americans with Disabilities Act. The U.S. Department of Justice. Upcoming effective dates for two revised ADA rules (March 15, 2011). But what about compliance? These new revised rules set out several different “compliance dates,” dates by which entities covered by the ADA are required to comply with the new or revised provisions of the Department’s rules.
http://www.ada.gov/revised_effective_dates-2010.htm

Building comprehensive systems for vulnerable babies: A new tool for state leaders.
CLASP (the Center for Law and Social Policy)
has developed this resource to help state leaders strategize how to create or improve early childhood systems to meet the needs of vulnerable babies and toddlers, their families, and pregnant women.
http://www.clasp.org/admin/site/premium-publications/files/system_components.pdf

Who’s exemplary in dispute resolution systems, and how did they do it? – CADRE reports back on a 2-year process of identifying state special education and early intervention dispute resolution systems that are particularly effective. CADRE worked with representatives from the exemplar states to identify and document the processes and features of their dispute resolution systems that are effective and contribute to those states’ success. To simplify access to the many resources the exemplar states provided, CADRE developed this online Resource Showcase for others who wish to implement practices or utilize materials that are being successfully used elsewhere.
http://www.directionservice.org/cadre/exemplar/

How are states doing with providing accessible instructional materials to students who need them? – Find out in Status of State Systems for the Provision of NIMAS/AIM in 2010, a report submitted by the AIM Center to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.
http://aim.cast.org/learn/policy/stateresources/statestatus2010

---

To top

Latest Employment Opportunities Posted on NASET 

$125,000 Salary for Special Education Teacher

New York, NY
Job Category: Special Education (collaborative team teacher)

Description

Earn a $125,000 salary and join a team of master teachers at The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School, recently featured on the front page of the New York Times: (http://www.tepcharter.org/nytimes.php).

TEP is a 480-student 5th through 8th grade middle school in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City.  Applications are currently being accepted for teaching positions in Science, Latin, Math, English, Social Studies, Music, PE/Health Education, and Special Education.
Learn more and apply today at www.tepcharter.org/apply.php

Also, we invite you to learn more about TEP Charter School and about teaching at the school on our Live Online Information Session (link below):
http://www.tepcharter.org/info-session-for-teachers.php

Requirements
Learn more and apply today at http://www.tepcharter.org/apply.php

To obtain more information about the nature of the Special Education position, please visit the following link: http://www.tepcharter.org/special-ed-teachers.php

Benefits

$125,000 salary + potential annual bonus, full benefits package

Contact

Submit Preliminary Application to jobs@tepcharter.org

********************

Director, Center for Child Development & Learning

New York, NY

Job Category: Administration

Description

JBFCS, one of the nation’s premier mental health and social service agencies, is currently seeking a full-time Director for the Center for Child Development and Learning. This division serves a racially and economically diverse population of infants to young adults with developmental, learning and social-emotional challenges and their families. Leadership for the division will require knowledge of special education, typical and atypical child development, learning disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and working with families; and be able to support the JBFCS goal of expanding capacity for these services within its own network of programs. The ideal candidate will have experience in educational and clinical work, program planning, compliance, grant preparation, as well as experience managing budgets and financial reporting. Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills are critically important.
 
JBFCS is an equal opportunity employer.

Qualifications

Minimum of 10 years experience in direct service, supervision and administration of programs serving children with special needs and/or early childhood mental health issues. Advanced degree and license/certification in Early Childhood Special Education is required. Certification as a School Building Leader is a plus.
 
Contact
 
To apply, email your resume to: HRRecruit2@jbfcs.org. Include cover note with salary requirements, and mention title “Director CCDL” in the subject line.

********************

Senior Alternate Assessment Specialist

Washington, DC
Job Category: Special Education SME/Test Development/Program Man

Description
Senior Alternate Assessment Specialist responsibilities include:

• Demonstrate leadership for AIR in the alternate assessment practice area among clients, partner organizations, and at national meetings.
• Provide subject matter expertise and leadership to state department staff who have responsible for the development and oversight of state wide alternate assessments.
• Contribute ideas and information to support project efforts through presentations, trainings or seminars; while working directly with state department of education and district level staff.
• Work with internal staff and subcontractors to develop processes, procedures, for meeting project deliverables and client special education related needs.
• Work collaboratively with AIR staff to ensure that all plans and schedules are viable.
• Adhere to a master schedule of deadlines and deliverables.
  Provide information, support, and problem-solving to the clients, as needed, in a manner that provides positive solutions.
• Keep AIR senior management informed of any potential project problems, including issues with a client or another stakeholder and any potential for missed deadlines.

Requirements

• Minimum of a Master’s degree in special education, autism spectrum disorders, or low incidence disabilities.
• Minimum of 5 years of instructing students (K-12) with significant cognitive disabilities in academic content areas.
• Experience working in alternate assessment, extended/expanded standards and large-scale assessment.
• Experience teaching students with deaf-blindness is desirable.
• Experience providing instruction using assistive technology is desirable.
  Benefits

AIR offers an excellent compensation and benefits package, including a fully funded retirement plan, generous paid time off, subsidized garage parking, tuition assistance, and more.

Contact
TO APPLY, please go to our Career Center at: https://jobs-airdc.icims.com/jobs/6403/job

---

 

To learn more click on the image above or – Click here

---

Funding Forecast and Award Opportunities

 Forecast of Funding Opportunities under the Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 2010-2011

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 2010-2011 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 2010-2011 Discretionary Grant Application Packages
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html
This site, from the Department of Education, provides information on grant competitions that are currently open.

American Historical Association: Awards for Teaching of History
http://www.historians.org/teaching/Beveridge.htm
The American Historical Association Beveridge Family Teaching Prize recognizes excellence and innovation in elementary, middle school, and secondary history teaching, including career contributions and specific initiatives. The individual can be recognized either for individual excellence in teaching or for an innovative initiative applicable to the entire field. Maximum award: $1,500. Eligibility: teachers K-12. Deadline: March 15, 2011.

American Honda Foundation: Grants for 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 nonprofit organizations for programs that benefit youth and scientific education. Maximum award: $60,000. Eligibility: schools and youth-focused nonprofit organizations. Deadline: May 1, 2011.

Coalition for Community Schools: National Award for Excellence
http://www.communityschools.org/aboutschools/national_award_for_excellence.aspx
The Coalition for Community Schools is accepting applications for exemplary community schools and initiatives from across the country, in order to highlight the effectiveness and efficiency of community schools. Maximum award: schools: $1,000; initiatives: $2,500. Eligibility: individual community schools that have been operating for at least 3 years, are public schools, and have demonstrated success; community school initiatives that are joint efforts of schools and other stakeholders, that have organized multiple community school sites with demonstrable results, and that have demonstrated a strong commitment to going to scale with community schools across the community or school system. Deadline: March 25, 2011.

Kohl’s Corporation: Kohl’s Kids Who Care Scholarships
http://www.kohlscorporation.com/CommunityRelations/scholarship/index.asp
The Kohl’s Kids Who Care Program recognizes and rewards young volunteers who transform their communities for the better. Maximum award: $10,000 scholarship toward post-secondary education. Eligibility: youth 6 to 18 years old, not graduated from high school by March 15, 2011. Deadline: March 15, 2011.

Libri Foundation: Books for Children Grants
http://www.librifoundation.org/apps.html
The Libri Foundation Books for Children Grants donate new, quality, hardcover children’s books to small, rural, public libraries across the country. Maximum award: varies. Eligibility: Libraries should be in a rural area, have a limited operating budget, and an active children’s department. The average total operating budget of a Books for Children grant recipient must be less than $40,000. Deadline: April 15, 2011.

ING Unsung Heroes Program Opens Grant Program for K-12 Educational Projects
http://ing.us/about-ing/citizenship/childrens-education/ing-unsung-heroes
The ING Unsung Heroes program annually provides grants of $2,000 to U.S. K-12 education professionals using new teaching methods and techniques to improve learning. Educators may submit grant applications describing projects they have initiated or would like to pursue. Each project is judged on its innovative method, creativity, and ability to positively influence students. Each year, one hundred educators are selected to receive $2,000 each to help fund their innovative class projects. Three recipients are then selected to receive additional top awards of $5,000, $10,000, and $25,000. All K-12 education professionals are eligible to apply. Applicants must be employed by an accredited K-12 public or private school located in the United States and must be full-time educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, or classified staff with projects that improve student learning. Deadline: April 30, 2011.

---

To top

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.

---

To top

Download a PDF Version of This e-Journal

To Download a PDF file for this issue of the Special Educator e-Journal – CLICK HERE

NOTE: To save on your computer – Right Click and use “Save As” or “Save Target As”.