In this issue you will Find Topics On:
- Dropout Issues
- Early Intervention
- Families and Community
- IEP
- Inclusion
- Intervention
- Participation Requests
- Special Education Resources
- Technology
- Transition
Dropout Issues
Building a Grad Nation: Progress and Challenge in Ending the High School Dropout Epidemic (April 2013)
Archived Webinar
https://media.all4ed.org/webinar-apr-30-2013
The “Building a Grad Nation: Progress and Challenge in Ending the High School Dropout Epidemic” webinar shared details from the 2013 report update of “Building a Grad Nation: Progress and Challenge in Ending the High School Dropout Epidemic,” including information on states and student demographics making the largest gains in high school graduation rates. The report shows that the nation is slowly but surely making progress.
Count Us In! (September 2012)
Toolkit
https://tinyurl.com/bwb8jc2
The Count Us In! toolkit from Attendance Works, America’s Promise Alliance, Civic Enterprises, and Points of Light, offers talking points on the importance of good attendance, templates of proclamations and news releases, ideas for engaging students and parents, and advice for tracking data to identify and intervene with chronically absent kids.
Early Intervention
Overview of early intervention.
This page covers what it is, who is eligible, how to access services in your state, who pays for the services, and more.
https://nichcy.org/babies/overview
Effective practices in early intervention.
NICHCY connects you into the knowledge base of effective practices in early intervention, wherever services are being provided — an agency setting, the home, and across the child’s natural environment.
https://nichcy.org/babies/effectivepractices
Transition to preschool.
Early intervention services end at age three. These resources will help you to plan ahead if the child will need continued support in preschool so that the transition is smooth.
https://nichcy.org/babies/transition
Guided IFSP for young children with TBI.
This shell of an individualized family service plan (IFSP) will help early interventionists and families develop an effective IFSP for a child younger than 5 years old who’s had a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
https://nichcy.org/guided-ifsp-for-young-children-with-tbi
Early intervention for children with complex communication needs.
This website provides guidelines for early intervention to maximize the language and communication development of young children with autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, and multiple disabilities.
https://nichcy.org/early-intervention-for-children-with-complex-communication-needs
Preventing & dealing with autism behavior problems.
This help guide article provides valuable insights into how the behavior of a child with autism can be analyzed for its underlying messages about things that are important to the child.
https://nichcy.org/preventing-dealing-with-autism-behavior-problems
Families and Community
All about the systems of help available to you.
Learn about the help available to address the needs of children and youth with disabilities and their families at the national, regional, state, and local levels.
https://nichcy.org/families-community/help
Disability & special education acronyms.
This is a useful list of special education and disability related acronyms used to abbreviate names or phrases.
https://nichcy.org/families-community/acronyms
Disability awareness.
This page offers links to selected materials available from different organizations to educate you, your family, friends, community, and school about raising awareness of disabilities and disability etiquette.
https://nichcy.org/families-community/awareness
IEP
All about the IEP.
The resources we’ve collected will help you learn what the law requires, what information a typical IEP contains, how IEPs are developed, and more.
https://nichcy.org/schoolage/iep
Supports, modifications, and accommodations for students.
This page is intended to help teachers find information that can guide them in making appropriate changes in the classroom based on what their students need.
https://nichcy.org/schoolage/accommodations
Placement issues.
Find out more about who decides placement, how they decide it, what LRE is, and how placement can be affected if a child with a disability violates certain codes of student content.
https://nichcy.org/schoolage/placement
Sample IEPs: IEP templates and suggested accommodations.
It can be useful to see how IEPs vary from place to place and diagnosis to diagnosis as you sit down to plan your child’s IEP.
https://nichcy.org/sample-ieps-iep-templates-and-suggested-accommodations
Inclusion
Outcomes and insights from researchers on inclusive education.
This 7-page document describes seminal policy statements, research articles, and reports that demonstrate the positive outcomes of inclusive education.
https://nichcy.org/outcomes-and-insights-from-researchers-on-inclusive-education
Intervention
Student Interventions: One Size Does Not Fit All (2013)
https://tinyurl.com/crdlv25
In student interventions it is important to consider the categories of students who need intervention. This step is often missed in improving a school-wide academic intervention system. For example, having a mandatory lunchtime homework catch-up assumes that all students identified for the intervention are unmotivated (and have a place at home to do homework), but can actually do the work. Some students may be high-needs academically even though motivated, or both high-needs and unmotivated. Some may not have a home environment conducive to studying and completing homework. An individual teacher may need help from a team of teachers and/or from the principal to intervene effectively. The intervention designed should reflect these different needs.
Participation Requests
Learning Disabilities Association of America Seeks Submissions for 2014 Conference
https://www.ldaamerica.org/conference/index.asp
The Learning Disabilities Association (LDA) of America seeks submissions for the 2014 Conference in Anaheim, CA, February 19-22, 2013, for papers or other formal presentations, workshops, or informational sessions. LDA values sessions on current and best practices, including basic information about the nature of learning disabilities as well as innovative approaches to advocacy, assessment, intervention, and instruction; new ways to ensure successful transition, use of assistive technology, access to the general curriculum, providing a continuum of services and fostering productive adulthood; and hands-on practical techniques for Table Talk and reports of research for Poster Sessions. For 2014, a special focus will be placed on research best practices and skill building of both children and adults in culturally diverse populations. A new strand in the program will be “Correctional Education and Justice System.”
National Dialogue: Join the Conversation for Change
https://fptepolicyworks.ideascale.com/
The “Join the Conversation for Change” online national dialogue is a two-week discussion hosted by the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, Health and Human Services and Social Security Administration, May 13-27, 2013. Participants are sharing their input on federal legislative and regulatory barriers and opportunities to improve transition outcomes for youth with disabilities. This input is important to the Departments, which encourage participation in the discussion and look forward to an active exchange of ideas.
Youth Service America Seeks Applications for Youth Ambassador Program
https://www.ysa.org/grants/NCAM
Youth Service America, in partnership with the Festival of Children Foundation, is accepting applications for the National Child Awareness Month Youth Ambassador program, an initiative to help young people ages 16-22 address critical issues facing youth in the United States. Each Ambassador will receive support, advocacy training in the nation’s capital, and planning-guidance for their respective service projects. Fifty-one youth ambassadors will be selected, one per state and the District of Columbia, to join a national network of young people who will use their collective voice in service to other youth. Each Ambassador will receive a $1,000 grant and be flown to Washington, DC, for a training program. Ambassadors will receive ongoing networking opportunities with other youth ambassadors across the country, as well as ongoing training and mobilization resources to help advance participants’ service initiatives. Applicants must be between 16-22 years old, reside in the US, be able to attend a training in Washington, DC, in September and participate in Global Youth Service Day (April 11-13, 2014), and collaborate with a sponsoring organization or school. Deadline for applications: June 16, 2013.
Call For Applications: The HSC Foundation’s Advocates in Disability Award
https://www.hscfoundation.org/2013ADA.php
The HSC Foundation is seeking applicants for the 2013 Advocates in Disability Award (ADA). The Advocates in Disability Award goes to a young person with a disability between the ages of 14-26, who is dedicated to positively affecting the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families in the United States. The program also supports an innovative project developed by the award recipient that serves and empowers individuals with disabilities. The recipient will be awarded $3,000 in recognition of past disability advocacy and will receive up to an additional $7,000 in funding support for a proposed project.
Education and Health Care Transition
https://education.ufl.edu/education-healthcare-transition
The University of Florida’s College of Education offers an online Graduate Certificate program for graduate students or professionals in education, medicine, nursing, social work, law, public health, public policy, or work in other education or health-related areas. The program teaches skills for integrating education and health care transitions and building expertise in this emerging discipline.
Mansfield Hall Program and Residence for Young Adults Attending College and Transitioning to Independence
https://www.mansfieldhall.org/
Mansfield Hall is a comprehensive, individualized program and residence in Burlington, Vermont, that supports young adults attending college and transitioning to independence. They serve students who have learning disabilities, mild autism, Asperger’s syndrome, nonverbal learning disabilities, ADHD, executive functioning impairments, or other students with unique characteristics that may pose challenges in the transition to college life. Their goal is to provide skills training in all areas of adaptive functioning so students can flourish academically, socially, vocationally, and emotionally.
U.S. Department of Education Seeks Input on PROMISE Competitive Grant Program
https://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/promise/index.html
The U.S. Department of Education seeks input on a new competitive grant program, Promoting Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE). The purpose of this program is to fund model demonstration projects in states to promote improved outcomes for children who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and their families. Under this program, projects must form strong and effective partnerships among state agencies responsible for programs that play a key role in providing services to child SSI recipients and their families and provide coordinated services and supports designed to improve the education and employment outcomes of child SSI recipients and their families.
Special Education Resources
IDEA Partnership Collections (2013)
Web page
https://ideapartnership.org/using-tools/learning-together/collections.html
The IDEA Partnership collections include a glossary, powerpoint presentations, presenter’s guides, dialogue guides, etc., for people looking for resources on Autism Spectrum Disorders, the Common Core Standards, Response to Intervention (RtI), Secondary Transition, or related important topics.
Technology
Technology Gives Students with Disabilities Access to College Courses (May 2013)
Blog Article
https://www.ed.gov/blog/2013/05/technology-gives-students-with-disabilities-access-to-college-courses/
“Technology Gives Students with Disabilities Access to College Courses” reports on a group of high school students with learning disabilities who attend a dual-enrollment high school/college program that emphasizes the use of technology, including the Bookshare accessible library, to help students earn college credit while still in high school. The program offers a student-centered learning environment allowing seniors to complete required high school courses while accumulating college credits. Each student focuses on individual educational choices and academic and vocational studies relevant to future goals. The idea is to provide learning choices and empowerment for students. The program is inclusive of all students, with or without a disability. Programs like this, which use assistive technologies and digital accessible books, promote high academic standards for all, enabling more students to be college and career ready.
5 critical mistakes schools make with ipads and how to correct them.
K-12 schools and districts across the country have been investing heavily in iPads for classroom use. EdTechTeacher shares common challenges with you, so your school doesn’t have to make them.
https://nichcy.org/5-critical-mistakes-schools-make-with-ipads-and-how-to-correct-them
Transition
Helping Students with Disabilities Transition to College and Careers (March 2013)
Archived Webinar
https://tinyurl.com/cqk97lx
The American Youth Policy Forum has archived its webinar, “Helping Students with Disabilities Transition to College and Careers.” High quality transition services are important in preparing students with disabilities for college, careers, and other positive post-school outcomes. The webinar highlighted research, policies, and programs that have helped students with disabilities transition successfully.
How Career and Technical Education Can Help Students Be College and Career Ready: A Primer (April)
Policy Brief
https://tinyurl.com/ct5z93j
“How Career and Technical Education Can Help Students Be College and Career Ready: A Primer” is a Policy Brief issued by the College and Career Readiness and Success Center at the American Institutes for Research that provides an overview of the evolution of career and technical education (CTE) in the U.S. and highlights issues CTE faces in the field that must be overcome for it to become a major, wide-reaching strategy for preparing students for postsecondary success. The national commitment to graduate more students from high school prepared to face postsecondary challenges needs schools to improve CTE, to ensure that students have access to high-quality pathways to success.
Improving College and Career Readiness for Students with Disabilities (May 2013)
Issue Brief
https://tinyurl.com/kqnu52m
The “Improving College and Career Readiness for Students with Disabilities” issue brief prepared by American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) for the College and Career Readiness and Success Center at the American Institutes for Research aims to help state policymakers plan strategies to prepare students with disabilities and special needs for college and career.
The brief provides context and background on the numbers of students with disabilities who are college and career ready; examines issues related to preparation and readiness for postsecondary education and careers; and includes examples of current programs and policies that help students with disabilities to successfully transition to college and careers.
The New Transition Handbook: Strategies High School Teachers Use That Work! (2012)
Handbook
https://tinyurl.com/lvcmtmn
This updated edition of “The Transition Handbook” includes more than 500 research-based, teacher-tested transition support strategies to help students with disabilities achieve self-determination, access the general curriculum, increase their social acceptance and participation, set and reach individual goals, strengthen positive behavior, prepare for postsecondary education, develop employment skills, access community resources, and learn critical functional skills.
The Role of Work-Based Learning in Preparing Students for College and a Career (April 2013)
Archived Webinar
https://media.all4ed.org/webinar-apr-23-2013
The archived discussion of “The Role of Work-Based Learning in Preparing Students for College and a Career” webinar shared examples of work-based learning opportunities that help students become aware of the different career options available in a 21st century economy; explore career options of interest to students; apply academic, technical, and workplace skills in real-world situations; and train for specific occupations or postsecondary learning experiences.
