Introduction

This issue of NASET’s Assessment in Special Education series highlights the role that Parent Centers can play in supporting the family’s role as one of the primary decision makers about their child’s participation. The Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) joins with the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) as the first action step in a collaboration to develop and share user-friendly information about state assessments with families of children with disabilities. This webinar briefly describes the purposes of the collaboration and its anticipated activities and outcomes across the coming years, then focuses on NCEO’s new (and quite amazing!) resource, the Participation Communications Toolkit. The highly customizable toolkit is designed for stakeholders to use in discussing and making decisions about how children with disabilities will participate in state assessments.

This issue of NASET’s Assessment in Special Education series highlights the role that Parent Centers can play in supporting the family’s role as one of the primary decision makers about their child’s participation. The Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) joins with the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) as the first action step in a collaboration to develop and share user-friendly information about state assessments with families of children with disabilities. This webinar briefly describes the purposes of the collaboration and its anticipated activities and outcomes across the coming years, then focuses on NCEO’s new (and quite amazing!) resource, the Participation Communications Toolkit. The highly customizable toolkit is designed for stakeholders to use in discussing and making decisions about how children with disabilities will participate in state assessments.

The Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) joins with the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) as the first action step in a collaboration to develop and share user-friendly information about state assessments with families of children with disabilities. This webinar briefly describes the purposes of the collaboration and its anticipated activities and outcomes across the coming years, then focuses on NCEO’s new (and quite amazing!) resource, the Participation Communications Toolkit.

The highly customizable toolkit is designed for stakeholders to use in discussing and making decisions about how children with disabilities will participate in state assessments. The webinar highlights the role that Parent Centers can play in supporting the family’s role as one of the primary decision makers about their child’s participation.

Hosted by the Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR)

Download PDF of the presentation slides

https://www.parentcenterhub.org/wp-content/uploads/repo_items/webinar-slides-NCEO-CPIR-Feb2022.pdf

Presenters

Carmen Sanchez and David Egnor | Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U. S. Department of Education
Carolyn Hayer | Project Director, CPIR
Sheryl Lazarus | Project Director, NCEO
Kristin Liu, Andrew Hinkle, and Kathy Strunk | NCEO

Resources Highlighted in the Webinar

Participation Communications Toolkit
https://nceo.info/Resources?text=%22NCEO+Participation+Communication+Toolkit:%22

Customizable Parent Flyer:
https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/OnlinePubs/ParticipationCommunicationToolkit/FamilyFlyer.docx

Customizable Flyer for Students
https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/OnlinePubs/ParticipationCommunicationToolkit/StudentFlyer.docx

Customizable Flyers for Teachers and Policymakers

Teacher Flyer:
https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/OnlinePubs/ParticipationCommunicationToolkit/EducatorFlyer.docx

Policymaker Flyer:
https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/OnlinePubs/ParticipationCommunicationToolkit/PolicymakerFlyer.docx

Customizable IEP Team Discussion Guide
https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/OnlinePubs/ParticipationCommunicationToolkit/IEPteamDiscussionGuide.docx

Social Media Post Example: Series for Parents and Families
https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/OnlinePubs/ParticipationCommunicationToolkit/NCEOCommunicatingParticipation.docx

Customizable Slide Deck
https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/OnlinePubs/Tool10_IEPTeamResource.pdf

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Addendum Resources

Interpreters will find useful text and media resources. The following are recommended as a starting point; they focus on Special Education in the state of Virginia; however, interpreters will find a wealth of resources for various states, as well. Special Education law, processes, and terminology are very similar across the United States, although states are allowed limited authority to determine aspects of Special Education.

1. Definition of Special Education.

a .A Parents’ Guide to Special Education, developed by the Virginia Department of Education will help interpreters understand Special Education. It describes the law, processes, procedural safeguards, parental rights, helpful acronyms, abbreviations, and a glossary of Special Education terms.

2. Special Education law.

a.The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Special its history and categories are explained by the group, UnderstandingSpecialEducation.

b.The Center for Parent Information and Resources offers information, in English and Spanish, about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, enacted by Congress in 1975 as well as about recent amendments. www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/idea/

c.Published by Understood.org, How IDEA Protects You and Your Child, provides a clear explanation of the purpose and services of IDEA.

3.Special Education process.

a.The steps in the special education process are shown by the

Virginia Department of Special Education in www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/

4.Special Education terms.

a.An extensive list of Special Terms and Definitions is offered by Understanding Special Education.com, at

www.understandingspecialeducation.com/special-education-terms.html

b.This extensive Glossary includes terms translated from English to Spanish.

vafamilysped.org/Resource/JWHaEa5BS76MKQof0dGZAw/Resource-osep-english-to-spanish-translation-glossary

c.Special Terms and Definitions commonly used in meetings for development of Individual Education Programs (IEP) are explained by Understanding Special Education.com at

www.understandingspecialeducation.com/special-education-terms.html

5.Procedural safeguards.

a.The Virginia Department of Education offers information about Special Education, including Virginia Procedural Safeguards, in English and in seven other languages, at

www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/regulations/state/procedural_safeguards/english_procedural_safeguards.pdf