NASET Award Nominations Now Being Accepted
Controversial Issues Question in Special Education
U.S. Department of Education Update
Upcoming Conferences, Workshops, and Events
Funding Forecast and Award Opportunities
Last e-journal we asked our members: As we enter into the new year of 2007, what changes do you believe need to be made in special education? Why do you feel the way you feel?
My concerns for 2007: How can we improve teaching self-determination at earlier ages for students with special needs? Self-determination is an important issue for all students with and without special needs. We need to pay more attention in teaching these skills at earlier ages for students to learn how to transition from elementary to middle, middle to high, high school to work or college? We need more pilot programs across the state and nation. Some of our district schools are participating in a pilot program with T/TAC which has been a wonderful tool. C.S—NASET Member
Recently, President Bush signed into law the Combating Autism Act of 2006? What is this law and what does it provide? A.G., NASET Affiliate member
The Act Authorizes Research Under NIH To Address The Entire Scope Of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Autism, sometimes called “classical autism,” is the most common condition in a group of developmental disorders known as the autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Other ASDs include Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS).
The Act Authorizes Regional Centers Of Excellence For Autism Spectrum Disorder Research And Epidemiology. These Centers collect and analyze information on the number, incidence, correlates, and causes of ASD and other developmental disabilities. The Act also authorizes grants to States for collection, analysis, and dissemination of data related to autism.
The Act Authorizes Activities To Increase Public Awareness Of Autism, Improve The Ability Of Health Care Providers To Use Evidence-Based Interventions, And Increase Early Screening For Autism. The Act authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to:
- Provide information and education on ASD and other developmental disabilities to increase public awareness of developmental milestones
- Promote research into the development and validation of reliable screening tools for ASD and other developmental disabilities and disseminate information regarding those screening tools
- Promote early screening of individuals at higher risk for ASD and other developmental disabilities as early as practicable
- Increase the number of individuals who are able to confirm or rule out a diagnosis of ASD and other developmental disabilities
- Increase the number of individuals able to provide evidence-based interventions for individuals diagnosed with ASD or other developmental disabilities
- Promote the use of evidence-based interventions for individuals at higher risk for ASD and other developmental disabilities as early as practicable.
The Act Calls On The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) To Enhance Information Sharing. The IACC provides a forum to facilitate the efficient and effective exchange of information about autism activities, programs, policies, and research among the Federal government, several non-profit groups, and the public. The Combating Autism Act requires the IACC to provide information and recommendations on ASD-related programs, and to continue its work to develop and update annually a strategic plan for ASD research.
Is it true that the AAMR has changed it’s name? R.S.—NASET member
Yes. The American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR) has changed its name to the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD). To read more about the name change go to: www.aamr.org/.
Each year, NASET presents awards in a variety of categories for outstanding professional accomplishments. NASET takes great pride in the accomplishments and service of its members, and therefore bestows on to them awards and recognition for their work in the field of special education.
This year, we have created a very simple awards form to be completed online. If you have someone you feel is worthy of any of the NASET awards below, take the time to nominate him or her.
Visit http://www.naset.org/788.0.html for more information
Outstanding Special Education Teacher Award
This award is bestowed on special education teachers who have demonstrated outstanding achievement as a teacher in the field of special education. It recognizes and rewards the special skills and excellence of special education teachers throughout the United States.
Outstanding Graduate Student Performance Awards
For the 2006-2007 academic year, the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) is awarding The NASET Outstanding Graduate Student Performance Award to graduate students who are entering the field of teaching with degrees in special education.
Only nominations from Graduate Schools of Education are permitted to submit nominations for winners of this award. If your institution has students who are worthy of this award, NASET would like to send you the respective award certificates to bestow upon them either prior to or at graduation.
You may give NASET up to three names of students whom you feel should receive The NASET Outstanding Graduate Student Performance Award. You can simply discuss it amongst your faculty and let us know the names of the students you have chosen.
Certificate of Merit for Excellence in Special Education
The NASET Certificate of Merit for Excellence in Special Education is an award given annually to schools that NASET members believe have exhibited excellence in the education of exceptional students.
The NASET Certificate of Merit for Excellence in Special Education is bestowed upon schools that have shown great dedication and commitment to the education of children with special needs.
Distinguished Service Award in Special Education
The NASET Distinguished Service Award in Special Education is given to an individual(s) that has made a commitment to educate and/or advocate for children with disabilities and their families on a national or international level.
The NASET Distinguished Service Award in Special Education is NASET’s most prestigious award and is bestowed annually. The winner of this award exemplifies a genuine concern for the education and well being of children with special needs.
NASET Exemplary Service Award
The NASET Exemplary Service Award is presented to a member, or members of NASET, who have distinguished themselves in the field of special education, as well as having attained long-term service to the field of teaching exceptional children.
NASET’s Excellence in Special Education Award
NASET’s Excellence in Special Education Award is open to organizations who have made a commitment to educate, and or advocate for children with disabilities and their families. The NASET’s Excellence in Special Education Award is one of NASET’s most distinguished awards which will be bestowed no more than once a year and not necessarily every year.
Previous winners of this award include the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (www.nichcy.org) and Learning Disabilities Online (LDonline.org)
This month U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings stated the following regarding No Child Left Behind:
“At its heart, [NCLB] was intended to help teachers help students reach their potential,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings at a national summit on the law held last April…….Ultimately, NCLB set a historic goal for the country: every child reading and doing math at grade level by 2014. Schools are held accountable for students achieving annual progress toward proficiency in those subjects based on state standards. Performance is measured in grades 3-8 and once in high school by state assessments that must be reported by income level, race and ethnicity, disability and limited English proficiency to ensure that no child falls through the cracks……..Since its enactment, test results have shown that the law is working. “The achievement gap that has persisted for decades in the younger years between minorities and whites has shrunk to its smallest size in history,” said Spellings. The most recent Nation’s Report Card also revealed that America’s fourth-graders posted the best scores in reading and math in the history of the 30-plus-year-old report, while eighth-graders earned the highest math scores ever.
What are your thoughts to Secretary Spelling’s statement about NCLB?
“Since its enactment, test results have shown that the law is working”
How about in special education?
Is NCLB working?
Send your comments to: specialeducator@naset.org
History of Childhood Abuse or Neglect Increases Risk of Major Depression
People who were abused or neglected as children have increased risk of major depression, which often begins in childhood and has lingering effects as they mature, according to a study funded by NIMH. This was the first long-term study to examine the risk of depression in this population. The results were published in the January issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
Lead author Cathy Widom, PhD, formerly of New Jersey Medical School and currently at John Jay College in New York City, and colleagues compared 676 adults with a court-substantiated history of childhood physical and sexual abuse or neglect occurring before age 11 with 520 non-abused and non-neglected adults. The two groups were matched for age, race, sex, and approximate family social class during childhood. The average age of participants was 29 at the time of the study.
The researchers found that, overall, childhood physical abuse or multiple types of abuse increased the lifetime risk for depression. Neglect, which accounts for nearly two-thirds of the reported and substantiated cases of child maltreatment in the United States,1 increased risk for current depression. Sexual abuse did not appear to increase risk of full-blown depression, but adults with a history of childhood sexual abuse reported more depression symptoms than people who did not experience such trauma. Previously abused or neglected study participants with depression were also more likely than matched control participants to meet the diagnostic criteria for at least one other mental disorder, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), drug dependence, dysthymia (a less severe form of depression), or antisocial personality disorder.
The researchers concluded that such results call for increased attention to the psychological health of abused and neglected children. Early diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders that may arise from maltreatment is important to prevent harmful, long-lasting effects on functioning.
New Design for the FREE website
One of the most popular online resources supported by the U.S. Department of Education recently received an extreme makeover that has put hundreds of teaching and learning resources easily at the public’s disposal.
The redesign of the FREE (Federal Resources for Educational Excellence) Web site—available at http://free.ed.gov—helps users to better navigate more than 1,500 resources from more than 35 federal agencies that range from an interactive program picturing phases of the moon from the National Science Foundation to video narratives by Holocaust survivors from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. It organizes these resources according to academic subjects, using an appealing display of photos and illustrations for easy identification.
In addition, the new design adds a subject map on the home page that organizes the online collection according to eight categories: language arts; math; science; U.S. history; U.S. time periods; world studies; arts and music; and health and physical education.
Each category follows with a subgroup that helps to fine-tune the search for resources. For instance, U.S. history covers ethnic groups, famous people, movements and wars. The science category explores applied, earth, life, physical and space sciences, while the math group looks at algebra, data analysis, geometry, measurement, and numbers and operations.
The redesign was the first since the FREE Web site was created in 1998.
Different Families, Different Characteristics – Different Kinds of Bipolar Disorder?
People with bipolar disorder (BPD) tend to share similarities in certain characteristics with other members of their families, NIMH-funded researchers have shown. Because the levels of similarity vary from family to family, the findings suggest the existence of different subtypes of BPD and may help determine if the subtypes have different causes.
The researchers reported in the December 2006 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry that good social functioning “ran in the families” of some people with BPD, and poor social functioning ran in the families of others, with varying levels in between. In either case, the quality of social functioning was among the strongest similarities between members of each family. The researchers also found that about 20 percent of the difference in social functioning had a genetic basis, although influence of shared family environment could not be ruled out as a contributor.
Other characteristics included the levels of substance abuse, alcoholism, psychosis, and suicide attempts within families. As with social functioning, some families tended to share high levels of these characteristics, while other families shared low levels. In either case, the level “ran in the family” of the person with BPD.
Breaking up the broad diagnosis of BPD into subtypes by including these familial characteristics can help researchers untangle the mix of genetic and environmental factors that contribute to this complex disorder. It will, for example, enable researchers to make better decisions about which characteristics to focus on in studies seeking genetic and other biological underpinnings of BPD. Ultimately, this may lead to better diagnosis and treatment.
U.N. General Assembly Adopts the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
On December 13, 2006, the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/). Once the Convention is adopted, signed and ratified by national governments, it will have an impact on national laws that will transform how people with disabilities can live their lives and offer a way forward to ensure that those with disabilities enjoy the same human rights as everyone else—in education, employment, access to buildings and other facilities, and access to justice.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2006/sgsm10797.doc.htm
Twenty-Sixth Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
http://www.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/osep/2004/
The Twenty-Sixth Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is now available online. Volume 1 focuses on the children and students being served under IDEA and provides profiles of individual states’ special education environments. Volume 2 contains state-reported data tables and appendices.
NCLB and IDEA: What Parents of Students with Disabilities Need to Know & Do
http://education.umn.edu/nceo/OnlinePubs/Parents.pdf
This guide from the National Center for Educational Outcomes informs parents of students with disabilities about The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), two of the most important federal laws relating to public education. Available in PDF (23 pages, 753 KB).
Final regulations of IDEA Now Available
You’ve no doubt heard that final regulations for IDEA 2004 have been published. They’re only 307 pages long— including the comments and analysis of changes— perfect reading for a 3-day weekend. Pick up your copy of the regs (in PDF), at:
http://www.nichcy.org/reauth/IDEA2004regulations.pdf
How Has IDEA Changed?– Comparing IDEA 2004 to IDEA 1997
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) answers this question with its Topic Briefs prepared just for the new regulations. Hook up with available briefs at:
http://www.nichcy.org/idealist.htm
Implementing IDEA: How Are We Doing?
www.abt.sliidea.org/reports.htm
Marking the Progress of IDEA Implementation discusses the implications from the six-year Study of State and Local Implementation and Impact of IDEA (SLIIDEA). SLIIDEA addressed how states, districts, and schools made progress toward issues of concern identified by Congress in the 1997 amendments to IDEA. A three-volume Sourcebook has been prepared to complement the report provided at the link above. Volume I summarizes study findings for each of the Congressional topics. Volume II consists of tables that display state, district, and school-level data for each data collection year and that show changes, including trends over time, in responses to individual survey items for each Congressional topic. Volume III provides a complete description of the sampling design and analytic approach used in SLIIDEA. Where would you find these three volumes? At the link above as well, where all the reports from the project can be found.
OSEP-Reviewed Materials on IDEA 2004
http://www.nichcy.org/idealist.htm
The materials listed on this Web page from NICHCY, the National Dissemination Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities, relate to IDEA 2004 and its implementing regulations. They have been reviewed by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs for consistency with the IDEA Amendments of 2004. Materials are available on the following topics: assessment, behavior/discipline, disproportionality, due process, early intervening services, evaluations/reevaluations, funding, highly qualified teachers, IEPs/IFSPs, learning disabilities, mediation, model forms, NCLB, NIMAS, Part C, preschool, prior written notice, private schools, procedural safeguards, state complaint procedures, and transition.
Fifth Anniversary for No Child Left Behind Cited from the U.S. Department of Education:
This month marks the fifth anniversary of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the bipartisan legislation signed into law by President George W. Bush on Jan. 8, 2002, to reform America’s public schools. The law is based on four principles:
- stronger accountability for results
- greater flexibility for states and communities
- proven education methods
- more choices for parents.
“At its heart, [NCLB] was intended to help teachers help students reach their potential,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings at a national summit on the law held last April.
Ultimately, NCLB set a historic goal for the country: every child reading and doing math at grade level by 2014. Schools are held accountable for students achieving annual progress toward proficiency in those subjects based on state standards. Performance is measured in grades 3-8 and once in high school by state assessments that must be reported by income level, race and ethnicity, disability and limited English proficiency to ensure that no child falls through the cracks.
Since its enactment, test results have shown that the law is working. “The achievement gap that has persisted for decades in the younger years between minorities and whites has shrunk to its smallest size in history,” said Spellings. The most recent Nation’s Report Card also revealed that America’s fourth-graders posted the best scores in reading and math in the history of the 30-plus-year-old report, while eighth-graders earned the highest math scores ever.
Among its efforts for improving student achievement, NCLB has introduced free tutoring for children from low-income families in persistently underperforming schools, the Reading First program to boost literacy skills in the early grades, and grants to improve teacher quality. In addition, federal funding for it has increased by 34 percent over the life of the law—from $17 billion in 2001 to $23 billion in 2006.
The No Child Left Behind Act is due to be reauthorized this year. President Bush has pledged to work with Congress to ensure that the accountability measures that have led to academic gains as well as the nation’s commitment to NCLB’s 2014 goal remain in tact.
For more information about the No Child Left Behind Act, visit http://www.ed.gov/nclb/.
2007 American Stars of Teaching Nomination Process
The Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative of the U.S. Department of Education is pleased to announce the start of the 2007 American Stars of Teaching nomination process. The American Stars of Teaching program is designed to honor exemplary classroom teachers who are using innovative teaching strategies to improve student achievement and positively shape their school environment.
Every day America’s teachers extend themselves beyond their classroom doors to meet the needs of all children in their school community. Don’t miss this opportunity to honor a teacher that has made an impact on their students, as well as their school community, by investing in the lives of those they teach and sharing success with whom they work.
Nominations for the 2007 American Stars of Teaching are currently being accepted at http://www.ed.gov/teachers/how/tools/initiative/index.html. The nomination process will conclude on April 1st at which time a committee of teachers at the Department will review the details of each candidate and select the recipients of the 2007 American Stars of Teaching honor.
One teacher from each state and the District of Columbia will be selected as representatives of the many teachers who are making a difference in the lives of students. Officials from the U.S. Department of Education will announce the American Stars by visiting the recipients in the fall of 2007.
The Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative: 2007 Summer Workshop Schedule
The Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative is pleased to announce its 2007 Summer Workshop Schedule. Regional workshops will be held in 22 cities across the United States to provide free high-quality professional development opportunities for teachers. Prominent educators will share best practices in all grade levels and content areas. Agendas will be posted during January and February and registration begins on April 8, 2007. This year’s co-hosts include the National Park Service, NASA, Microsoft, Siemens, EMC, AMD, Symantec, University of Nevada, Motorola, General Motors, and Target.
A 2006 participant commented on his experience saying, “Fantastic.Outstanding.Every session has been thorough and informative.” Another participant said, “Its more than what I expected, there is so much information that I am going back with that I want to just use it right now!” And another still commented, “You just get energized and I am very motivated!”
You will not want to miss an opportunity to attend a Teacher-to-Teacher Workshop this upcoming summer! Check with your district about receiving professional development credit for your participation.
Click here to review a full listing of the 2007 Summer Workshop Schedule: https://www.t2tweb.us/Workshops/Schedule.asp
Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities: Create or Join a Next Chapter Book Club
The Next Chapter Book Club (NCBC) provides adolescents and adults with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to read and learn to read, talk about books, and make friends in a fun community setting. NCBCs meet weekly in local bookstores and cafés across the country to read and discuss books of their choosing. NCBC members range from those who read well to those who do not read at all. On this Web site, you can sign up to be a member, facilitator, host site, or sponsor organization of an NCBC.
http://www.nextchapterbookclub.org/
Children and Youth with Learning Disabilities: Enter the “30 Voices of LD” Competition
The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) is seeking works of art, photography, poetry, videos, essays, short stories, websites, blogs, etc. that express what life is like for individuals with learning disabilities. From the works submitted, NCLD will select 30 entries to showcase on its Web site and at its benefit dinner in April. In addition, NCLD is offering a grand prize of $500 for outstanding works from each of the following age groups: children (ages 4-13), teens (ages 14-17), and adults (ages 18+).
http://www.ncld.org/content/view/1104/874
Educators and Former Educators: Apply to New Leaders for New Schools
New Leaders for New Schools (NLNS) is a non-profit organization that trains individuals from within education, as well as former educators, to become urban public school principals in Baltimore, California’s Bay Area, Chicago, Memphis, Milwaukee, New York City, and Washington, DC. NLNS is currently seeking applicants for its 2007-08 cohort of trainees. Applicants should have an unyielding belief in the potential of all children to achieve academically, a record of success in leading adults, and demonstrated instructional knowledge (with a minimum of two years of K-12 teaching experience). Application deadline: March 1, 2007. http://www.nlns.org/NLWeb/Index.jsp
Secondary Special Education Professionals: Apply to the KU Online TransCert Program
University of Kansas (KU) TransCert is a project providing online graduate training for secondary special education professionals through a 12-hour block of online graduate courses plus a 3-hour culminating experience. The program provides a comprehensive approach to preservice transition training and an opportunity for current special education professionals to increase their instructional strategies in transition service and delivery. Applicants for Fall 2007 are now being sought. Student stipends are available. Application deadline: March 16, 2007.
http://www.transitioncoalition.org/cgiwrap/tcacs/new/training/onlinecourse/index.php?page=gradcert
Teachers, Share Your Alternate Assessment Administration Experiences
The National Alternate Assessment Center (NAAC) is gathering stories about effective and/or ineffective practices in administering alternate assessments. Share your administration stories to help NAAC identify successful alternate assessment administration practices used across the nation.
http://www.naacpartners.org/OTS/default.aspx
Youth with Disabilities: Apply to the U.S./Costa Rica Youth Leadership and Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Disability Rights Exchange Program
Mobility International USA (MIUSA) is currently accepting applications from youth (ages 18-24) with disabilities to take part in an international exchange program June 20-July 5, 2007 in Costa Rica, entitled the U.S./Costa Rica: Youth Leadership and Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Disability Rights Exchange Program. Selected individuals will travel with 12 other young people with disabilities, live with a host family, take part in a service learning project, and practice Spanish through immersion. Scholarships are available. Application deadline: March 2, 2007. http://www.miusa.org/exchange/costarica07/
Census Data Regarding People With Disabilities
This Information Bulletin from Steve Gold, a disability rights attorney, provides a summary of the American Community Survey data regarding people with disabilities, including disability prevalence, employment of persons with disabilities, and socioeconomic status of persons with disabilities.
http://www.stevegoldada.com/stevegoldada/archive.php?mode=N&id=186
Academic and Workforce Development Programs for Court-Involved Youth: A Youth Development Approach
This Web page summarizes an American Youth Policy Forum forum held November 20, 2006. The forum highlighted two programs directed at diverting juvenile offenders from the correctional system to alternative educational programs with a strong focus on youth development. The goals of both programs are to discourage recidivism among the youth offenders and provide academic and technical skills needed for youth to enter the workforce.
http://www.aypf.org/forumbriefs/2006/fb112006.htm
Addressing America’s Dropout Challenge: State Efforts to Boost Graduation Rates Require Federal Support
This report from The Center for American Progress and Jobs for the Future shows that although high school graduation rates are far lower than previously understood, federal action could significantly close the graduation gap. These two organizations recommend that Congress pass the proposed Graduation Promise Act of 2007, which would establish a federal commitment to partner with states, districts, and schools to raise graduation rates. It would seed and scale up effective strategies and school designs for student retention and achievement, and would put these proven strategies to use immediately in the nation’s worst-performing high schools.
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2006/11/graduation.html
Adolescence and the Transition to Adulthood: Rethinking the Safety Net for Vulnerable Young Adults
This Web page provides links to PowerPoints and audio files from this conference of the Chapin Hall Center for Children, which brought together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to offer a comprehensive picture of early adulthood for youth without family support or for those whose physical, mental, or behavioral problems create special barriers to independence. Panel topics included Youth with Health and Mental Health Needs, Youth Involved in the Criminal Justice System, Youth in the Child Welfare System, Youth with Disabilities, and Immigrant Youth.
http://www.about.chapinhall.org/conferences/Oct2006ATA/presentations.html
Charter High Schools: Closing the Achievement Gap
This guide from the U.S. Department of Education profiles eight charter secondary schools that are making headway in meeting the achievement challenge. It describes common themes among these schools: they are mission-driven, focus on college preparation, teach for mastery, provide wraparound student support, value professional learning, and hold themselves accountable. http://www.ed.gov/admins/comm/choice/charterhs/
Family-to-Family Fact Sheets in Spanish
The Parent to Parent of New York State–Family to Family Healthcare Information and Education Center has developed fact sheets in Spanish to assist the parents they serve. Fact Sheet titles include HCBS Waiver Programs, Medical Appointments, Medical Information on the Internet, Prescription Medications, Record Keeping, and Relieving Stress. A 34-page Care Notebook in which families can keep a complete record of a child’s medical history is also available in Spanish.
http://www.hcbs.org/moreInfo.php/nb/doc/1758
Indicator 13 Checklist: FAQs and Responses
This document from the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center provides OSEP-approved answers to some frequently asked questions regarding its Indicator 13 Checklist (http://www.nsttac.org/?FileName=indicator13_checklist&type=1).
National Survey on Service-Learning and Transitioning to Adulthood Final Report The final report for the National Youth Leadership Council’s “National Survey on Service-Learning and Transitioning to Adulthood” is now available. This nationally representative survey of over 3,000 young adults, which was conducted on behalf of NYLC by Harris Interactive, reveals service-learning’s significant impact on the youth-adult transition.
http://www.nylc.org/happening_newsarticle.cfm?oid=5453&null=1167415394010
The Impact of Afterschool Programs on Personal and Social Skills: Recent Findings of a Scientific Review
This Web page summarizes an American Youth Policy Forum forum held November 9, 2006. which discussed the significance for policymakers and practitioners of a new, nationwide review of evaluations of afterschool programs. The review concluded that programs using evidence-based skill training not only improved youth’s school performance, but also their personal and social skills, it also found that afterschool programs that tried to build personal and social skills without using those approaches failed to do so.
http://www.aypf.org/forumbriefs/fb110906.htm
Tough Choices or Tough Times: The Report of the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce
On December 14, 2006, the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce unveiled recommendations calling for the biggest changes in the American education system in a century. According to the Commission, without such changes, the American standard of living will be seriously jeopardized. This is the executive summary of the Commission’s recommendations; to order a copy of the actual report, visit http://skillscommission.org/request_copy.htm. Available in PDF (28 pages, 1.8 MB).
http://skillscommission.org/pdf/exec_sum/ToughChoices_EXECSUM.pdf
Genetics Home Reference: Your Guide to Understanding Genetic Conditions
This Web site from the National Institutes of Health includes extensive information on genetic conditions, genes, and chromosomes, as well as tools including a handbook, glossary, and information on how to find a genetics professional in your area.
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/
National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
This Web site from the National Institutes of Health includes information on health and human development topics and clinical trials, information on NICHD research, and information on funding from NICHD for research and training.
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/
Models of Collaboration and Cost Sharing in Transition Programming
This brief describes two funding tools that are increasingly used in collaborative relationships. Both blended funding and braided funding pool financial resources to maximize outcomes. These tools can help maintain and sustain effective relationships in transition programming.
http://www.ncset.org/premium-publications/viewdesc.asp?id=3447
Programs and Practices for Special Education Students in Alternative Education Settings
This brief shares some findings from the University of Oregon’s descriptive study, “What do they do there? Examination of alternative education schools, programs, and practices for special education students.”
http://www.ncset.org/premium-publications/viewdesc.asp?id=3448
Analyses of State Performance Plan Data for Indicator 1 (Graduation) and Indicator 2 (Dropout)
The National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) was assigned the task of analyzing the information that states provided about their performance and activities related to Indicator 1 (Graduation) and Indicator 2 (Dropout) in the 2005-2010 State Performance Plans (SPPs), which were submitted to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs in December 2005. These reports summarize NDPC-SD’s findings. Available in PDF:
http://www.ndpc-sd.org/assistance/docs/Indicator_1–Graduation.pdf (20 pages, 95 KB) and
http://www.ndpc-sd.org/assistance/docs/Indicator_2–Dropout.pdf (20 pages, 87 KB).
Education Map of the Decade
This map from the KnowledgeWorks Foundation depicts the forces affecting education and the economy. It is structured as a grid that presents the intersection between six key drivers of change/trends and five critical impact areas which represent key areas of activity where the major trends are revealed from different perspectives. Each intersection is marked by one or more specific trends likely to affect education. Together, these multiple intersections suggest an emerging future landscape of issues, concepts, and phenomena that will shape the broader context for education and its stakeholders. Available in PDF (2 pages, 499 KB).
http://www.kwfdn.org/map/
National Post-School Outcome State Profile Database
This online database from the National Post-School Outcomes Center includes information that addresses data requirements for Indicator 14 (Postschool Outcomes) of the State Performance Plan. The state profiles include a description of how each state currently collects and uses post-school outcome data, state contacts, and links to related state materials, including Web sites, survey instruments, and reports. States profiled include CA, KY, NM, NY, ND, OH, OK, OR, TX, WA, WI, and WY.
http://www.psocenter.org/state_profiles.html
Proactive Culturally Responsive Discipline
This Exemplar from the National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems discusses several problems with the ways that schools tend to intervene with students’ challenging behavior. Available in PDF (9 pages, 326 KB).
http://www.nccrest.org/Exemplars/exemplar_culturally_responsive_discipline.pdf
Research-to-Practice Books from DO-IT: Creating an E-Mentoring Community, and Creating a Transition Program for Youth
These research-to-practice books from DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology; http://www.washington.edu/doit/) provide guidelines, respectively, 1) for creation of an e-mentoring community, with sample messages and materials to train and support mentors and protégés, and 2) for designing and implementing a transition program for teens that includes technology access, summer study, mentoring, peer and neer-peer support, college preparation activities, and work-based learning. National Science Foundation funds support the free distribution of a limited number of these books to interested individuals and programs. To request a set, e-mail Sheryl Burgstahler at sherylb@u.washington.edu and describe how you expect to use them.
SPP Toolkit Series #1: Improvement Strategies for State Performance Planning—A Few Steps to Better Data
This toolkit from the National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities discusses strategies states can use to improve the quality of their dropout-related data and get the greatest utility from them. It is designed for state education agency personnel, including special education directors, data managers, and program developers. Available in PDF (12 pages, 447 KB).
http://www.ndpc-sd.org/assistance/docs/A_Few_Steps_to_Better_Data.pdf
The Impact of After-School Programs That Promote Personal and Social Skills
This report from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning finds that kids generally do better in after-school programs which incorporate evidence-based approaches to personal and social skills development. Available in PDF (50 pages, 2.3 MB).
http://www.casel.org/downloads/ASP-Full.pdf
The Wraparound Process User’s Guide: A Handbook for Families
This guide from the National Wraparound Initiative (NWI) describes what families can expect from the wraparound process. It can also serve as an introduction to wraparound for service providers, policymakers, and other stakeholders. It can be used in any community that uses a wraparound process consistent with NWI guidelines. Available in PDF (24 pages, 1.6 MB).
http://www.rtc.pdx.edu/PDF/pbWraparound_Family_Guide.pdf
Too Soon to Tell: Deciphering Recent Trends in Youth Violence
Despite a 2% increase in violent crime in the U.S. between 2004 and 2005, this abstract from the Chapin Hall Center for Children shows that youth crime remains at or near a 30-year low and that predictions of a coming wave of youth crime are premature. It is inappropriate to describe the turnaround in violent crime as a problem of “juvenile” violence. Crime rates among youth ages 18-24 show the same pattern as those of juveniles under age 18. Effective prevention of youth violence should focus on all youth, not just those in the juvenile justice system.
http://www.chapinhall.org/article_abstract.aspx?ar=1437&L2=61&L3=132
Youth and Mental Health Stigma
Approximately one in ten American children and youth experience a behavioral, emotional, or mental health disorder that could be identified and treated, but stigma associated with mental illness can dissuade children and youth and their families from seeking help. The RTC on Family Support and Children’s Mental Health collaborated with a group of youth advisors and Harris Interactive to produce a survey on the perceptions of mental health difficulties and the stigma associated with them among children and youth ages 8-18. Survey report available in PDF (9 pages, 743 KB). – Click Here
Google Accessible Web Search for People with Visual Impairments
Accessible Search is a Google Labs product designed to identify and prioritize Web search results that are more easily usable by blind and visually impaired users. Regular Google search helps you find a set of documents that is most relevant to your tasks. Accessible Search goes one step further by helping you find the most accessible pages in that result set. Google Accessible Search examines the HTML markup on a Web page and favors pages that degrade gracefully—pages with few visual distractions and pages that are likely to render well with images turned off.
Leadership for Equity and Excellence: Transforming Education: The Second Annual National Forum on Disproportionality
Forum
February 7, 2007 – February 9, 2007
Washington, DC
http://www.nccrest.org/events/events/national_forum_2.html
At the Second Annual National Forum on Disproportionality, presented by the National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt), educators, policymakers, advocacy groups, parents, and community members will gather to explore how educational systems can assure equity in educational outcomes for all students through school improvement, leadership, family and community partnerships, policy, and teaching. The Forum will share current research, best practices, and tools for transforming educational systems. Early bird registration ends December 15, 2006.
OSEP Regulations Implementation Meeting
Meeting
February 12, 2007 – February 13, 2007
Los Angeles, CA
http://www.rrfcnetwork.org/content/view/339/379/
This OSEP Regulations Implementation Meeting is for Part B state directors and state staff, PTI and CPRC staff, TA&D Network directors and staff, and SPP Steering Committee members in Regions 5 (AZ, CO, BIA, KS, MT, NE, NM, ND, SD, UT, WY) and 6 (AK, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, WA, AS, GU, CNMI, FSM, RMI, Palau). The meeting is designed to support states in their implementation of the Part B Final Regulations. Topics for each meeting will include discipline; IEPs, IEP Meetings, evaluations, and re-evaluations; private school children; Highly Qualified Teachers; procedural safeguards (due process procedures, procedural safeguards notice); monitoring and monitoring activities (technical assistance and enforcement); National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS); and Response to Intervention for the identification of specific learning disabilities, early intervening services.
Resource Allocation to Support Student Achievement
February 14, 2007
10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Pacific
Some school funding dollars carry restrictions on their use while others may be used for many purposes. Planning how to spend each of these dollars to maximize the impact on student achievement and meet the goals and objectives of No Child Left Behind is critical, and can only be achieved when resources are used strategically to support fundamental changes in educational practice over time, changes that address specific identified needs at the school or district level. This session from Wested’s SchoolsMovingUp initiative will provide information on funding opportunities and demonstrate how to align resources to school improvement needs. Participation is free, but registration is required.
http://www.schoolsmovingup.net/cs/wested/view/e/1402
2007 Conference on Inclusive Education: Create an Educational Masterpiece Conference
February 15, 2007 – February 17, 2007
Denver, CO
http://www.peakparent.org/conferences.asp
Professionals who are committed to educational excellence for all students, who want to learn about successful alternatives to separate classrooms for students with disabilities, and who are looking for more strategies for supporting inclusion are encouraged to attend this conference, sponsored by PEAK Parent Center.
OSEP Regulations Implementation Meeting
Meeting
February 15, 2007 – February 16, 2007
Kansas City, MO
http://www.rrfcnetwork.org/content/view/339/379/
This OSEP Regulations Implementation Meeting is for Part B state directors and state staff, PTI and CPRC staff, TA&D Network directors and staff, and SPP Steering Committee members in Regions 3 (AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, OK, PR, TX, USVI) and 4 (IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, MO, OH, PA, WI). The meeting is designed to support states in their implementation of the Part B Final Regulations. Topics for each meeting will include discipline; IEPs, IEP Meetings, evaluations, and re-evaluations; private school children; Highly Qualified Teachers; procedural safeguards (due process procedures, procedural safeguards notice); monitoring and monitoring activities (technical assistance and enforcement); National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS); and Response to Intervention for the identification of specific learning disabilities, early intervening services.
19th Annual At-Risk Youth National FORUM: Tools, Techniques, and Strategies That Encourage Students to Graduate
Forum
February 18, 2007 – February 21, 2007
Myrtle Beach, SC
http://www.dropoutprevention.org/conferen/conferen.htm
Educators at all levels are invited to attend the 19th Annual At-Risk Youth National FORUM, sponsored by the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network. Attendees will learn about proven programs supported by evidence-based research in the areas of workforce preparation, literacy (helping struggling readers), attendance/truancy, teen pregnancy prevention, after-school programs, students with disabilities, resiliency, and service learning. The FORUM is designed to enhance the leadership skills of all adults who are working to strengthen interventions among schools, communities, and families, especially those in at-risk situations.
NASSP’s 91st Annual Conference and Exposition: Advocate, Lead, Achieve
February 23-25, 2007
Las Vegas, NV
The 2007 National Association of Secondary School Principals conference will provide attendees—including middle level and high school principals, assistant principals, and aspiring school leaders—the opportunity to improve and meld their advocacy and leadership skills with the end of raising student achievement. http://www.nasspconvention.org/
Forum 2007—Vision for a New Economy: Workforce Leadership Matters!
February 24, 2007 – February 27, 2007
Washington, DC
http://www.nawb.org/forum/
Workforce investment leaders and business executives are encouraged to attend this forum, sponsored by the National Association of Workforce Boards. The forum will focus in part on the impact that “regionalism” will continue to exert on the new economy and on the workforce development system, and the critical role that workforce leadership will continue to play in this process. The goal of the forum is to create a peer-to-peer learning environment where workforce leaders can openly exchange knowledge, ideas, and solutions on how their communities can turn today’s workforce challenges into long-term opportunities.
Mobilizing New Mentors . . . Through Faith- and Community-Based Collaborations
February 26-28, 2007
Los Angeles, CA
This training will assist and challenge mentoring programs in exploring avenues for finding and recruiting new mentors, particularly through faith- and community-based collaborations. It is hosted by MentorYouth.com, a division of National Network of Youth Ministries; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice; and The Corporation for National and Community Service. MentorYouth.com seeks to enlist, encourage, equip, and empower adults in the church and community to become mentors to youth.
http://www.mentoryouth.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/trainingla.home
Stand Up for Public Education: The National Conference on Education
March 1-4, 2007
New Orleans, LA
Speakers at this conference will include Sandra Day O’Conner, John P. Kotter, Terrence E. Deal, David Berliner, and Chris Gardner, author of The Pursuit of Happyness. Program sessions to be offered fall under the following topics: Instruction, Assessment, and Data Management; Leadership; Policy and Politics; Public Engagement; and Systems Thinking.
http://www.aasa.org/nce/
Disability Policy Seminar
March 4-6, 2007
Washington, DC
The 2007 Disability Policy Seminar will bring together state and local executives and affiliates, self-advocates, families, providers, and others for two days of in-depth policy discussions focused on issues affecting people with disabilities and their families. On the final day, participants will visit Capitol Hill to deliver a unified message that the federal government cannot continue dismantling the benefits and services important to the disability community. Co-hosted by The Arc of the U.S., United Cerebral Palsy, the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, the Association of University Centers on Disability, and the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities. http://www.aamr.org/Events/gas.html
Access to Community Living: Promoting Independence and Choice: The 2007 New Freedom Initiative Conference
March 5-7, 2007
Baltimore, MD
“Choice and Independence” is a key ingredient of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) vision for a person-centered long-term services and supports system for the future. This conference will focus on the policies, programs, and tools—including opportunities authorized by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2007—available to shape and carry out that vision. Presentations will present CMS’s Roadmap for Reform and provide perspectives from consumers and advocates. Sessions will address components of programs that promote independence and choice. Participants will have opportunities to meet with CMS officials to discuss the roadmap and available options and offer recommendations for reform. http://tinyurl.com/yxd9rz
23rd Annual Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities
March 12-13, 2007
Honolulu, HI
The Pacific Rim Conference is one of the top-rated international educational offerings for persons with disabilities, family members, researchers, service providers, policymakers, and professionals in the various disciplines in the diverse field of disabilities. Pac Rim provides opportunities to learn from one another; share resources and ideas that support quality of life, community inclusion, and self-determination for all persons with disabilities and their families; and help shape our world community.
http://www.pacrim.hawaii.edu/
18th Annual National Service Learning Conference
March 28-31, 2007
Albuquerque, NM
The National Service Learning Conference is the largest gathering of youth and practitioners from the service-learning movement: nearly 3,000 participants from all 50 states and 12 countries, including more than 900 youth. More than 200 workshops will be offered, in addition to showcases of service-learning projects and keynote speeches from internationally recognized experts. Those unable to attend can also participate in the conference “virtually.” Presented by the National Youth Leadership Council.
https://programs.regweb.com/metro/NYLC2007/registration/
Forecast of Funding Opportunities under the Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 2007
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 2006 and provides actual or estimated deadlines for the transmittal of applications under these programs. The lists are in the form of charts organized according to the Department’s principal program offices and include programs and competitions previously announced as well as those to be announced at a later date.
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edlite-forecast.html
FY 2006-2007 Discretionary Grant Application Packages
This site, from the Department of Education, provides information on grant competitions that are currently open.
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/
National School and Business Partnerships Award
The National School and Business Partnerships Award recognizes exemplary partnerships between K-12 public schools and/or school districts and businesses across the country. Award winners award receive national recognition and the schools/districts receive $10,000 to support partnership efforts. Sponsored by the Council for Corporate & School Partnerships. Application deadline: January 30, 2007.
http://www.corpschoolpartners.org/award.shtml
William Diaz Impact Award
The Disability Funders Network’s William Diaz Impact Award honors grantmakers who have a positive impact on the disability community and whose work encourages the foundation community to be more inclusive of disability. The Network presents the award to a funder who has awarded grants that have significantly enhanced and/or supported programs that break down physical and attitudinal barriers that keep people with disabilities from full participation in their communities and whose work encourages the foundation community to promote inclusion, integration, and equal rights for this population. Nomination deadline: January 12, 2007 (extended).
http://www.disabilityfunders.org/diazawd.html
K-12 HP Technology for Teaching Grant Initiative
The K-12 HP Technology for Teaching grant initiative is designed to support innovative and effective uses of technology in the classroom. HP will grant at least 130 awards to K-12 public schools using a collaborative, team-based approach to implementing technology integration projects. School teams consisting of five teachers will receive the equipment, professional development, and support they need to effectively integrate technology into their instruction. Based on the outcomes of those projects, some recipients may receive additional, larger grants from HP in 2008. Application deadline: February 15, 2007.
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/grants/us/programs/tech_teaching/k12_main.html
Promoting Academic Success of Boys of Color Grants
The Promoting Academic Success Initiative (PAS) of the FPG Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (http://www.fpg.unc.edu/) will award five-year grants to public school districts to promote the academic success of boys of color ages 3-8. PAS works to mobilize and support partnerships among Head Start, public schools, families, and community agencies to improve the academic and social development of boys of color; and to identify, evaluate, and disseminate the most promising multi-systemic (family, school, community) interventions that foster such development. Application deadline: February 15, 2007. Please email Crystal Smith at smith@mail.fpg.unc.edu to request an application.
Best Buy Scholarship Program
The Best Buy Scholarship Program awards scholarships to high school seniors who are entering a U.S. college, university, or technical center in the fall immediately following their senior year. Recipients are selected based on academic achievements and volunteer work. Application deadline: February 15, 2007.
http://communications.bestbuy.com/communityrelations/scholarships.asp
Yoshiyama Award for Exemplary Service to the Community
Each year, the Hitachi Foundation presents the Yoshiyama Award for Exemplary Service to the Community to 10 high school seniors from across the country who have left a lasting impression on their communities as a result of their community service activities. Many past recipients have started projects and programs or taken on challenges that relate to the corporate citizenship, philanthropic, and corporate social responsibility priorities of the Foundation and Hitachi, Ltd. The Award is accompanied by a gift of $5,000, dispensed over two years, which recipients may use at their discretion. Nomination deadline: April 1, 2007. http://www.hitachifoundation.org/yoshiyama/
Portions of this month’s 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
- Wrightslaw.com
The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) thanks all of the above for the information provided for this edition of the NASET Special Educator e-Journal
