March 2010 – Special Educator e-Journal

Table of Contents

Update from the U.S. Department Education

Transitional Inclusion Program (TIP)

Update From The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

Special Education Resources

Upcoming Conferences, Workshops, and Events

Funding Forecast and Award Opportunities

Acknowledgements

Download a PDF Version of This Issue

Update from the U.S. Department of Education

Investing in Education: Secretary Arne Duncan’s Remarks to the National School Boards Association

It’s been a little more than a year since the President took the oath of office and I became secretary of education.

When I look back on it, I’m astounded at what we’ve accomplished. One year ago, we were facing an education catastrophe. The economy was in the worst shape since the Great Depression. States and districts across the country were facing unprecedented budget shortfalls. One estimate suggested that half a million education jobs were at risk.

Beyond education, the country was losing 700,000 jobs a month when the president took office. The value of homes and retirement nest eggs across the country were plummeting. That followed a decade in which wages were stagnant and the cost of health care and education rose.
Today, things have gotten better. We avoided that education catastrophe. States have reported to us that the Recovery Act either saved or created over 300,000 education jobs. That’s a conservative estimate.

And across the country, the job market has improved.

We’re not where we want to be—not as a country or as a profession in education. But things are improving.

The President is working to rebuild the economy on a New Foundation—one that provides middle class families the economic security they want and deserve.

Education is the cornerstone of that foundation. The president believes we need to educate our way to a better economy. The country that out-educates today will out-compete us tomorrow.

Even in the midst of this recession, 61 percent of employers say they can’t find qualified candidates for vacant jobs. Those jobs are in fields like health care, computer science, accounting, and engineering.

The Conference Board predicts that the jobs that employers will be looking for 10 years from now are the same types of jobs going unfilled today. Those jobs are in areas like health care workers, computer programmers, accountants, engineers.

All of those jobs require an associate’s or bachelor’s degree—or at least a professional certification.

Our high school graduates aren’t ready to do those jobs. In fact, some research suggests that high school graduates aren’t ready to succeed in college.

One estimate says that 60 percent of college freshmen aren’t ready to do college work and take at least one remedial course.

We can’t let this continue. We’re lying to children if we’re giving them a diploma and they’re not ready to succeed in college or the workplace.

We need to improve at every stage of the education continuum—in early learning, in K-12, and in college. Our nation’s economic security depends on it.

The President understands this. Last year, he set an ambitious goal for America: By the end of this decade we once again will lead the world in college completion. A generation ago, 40 percent of our young people earned college degrees. That was good enough to lead the world.

We’ve held steady over time. But 10 countries have passed us. While we have stagnated, they have accelerated progress.

For us to join the leaders of the world, we need to raise the college completion rate from 40 percent to 60 percent. It will require an additional 8 million graduates with a 4-year degree, a 2-year degree, or a professional certificate.

The President is committed to getting there. Nothing demonstrates that better than the budget he released today.b At a time when other government spending is frozen, the President is investing in education because he understands that education is the path the economic security for our future.

He’s investing heavily in education at every level—from early education, to K-12 reform, to college access. It’s a cradle-to-career agenda, one that starts at birth and follows children every step of the way with the ultimate goal that they graduate from a 2-year or 4-year college. But this budget isn’t only about money. It’s also about changing the way we work here in Washington.

It shows that we’re committed to reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. You know it as No Child Left Behind today. I’ll always give credit to NCLB for exposing the achievement gap and advancing standards-based reform.

But you all know its problems. It has allowed, even encouraged, states to lower their standards. It’s encouraged teachers to narrow the curriculum. It relies on simplistic tests that don’t accurately measure whether students are learning. It mislabels schools—even when they’re showing progress on important measures.

The budget the President released today shows his commitment to reauthorizing ESEA. We want ESEA to support states that are raising standards—not lower them—to reward success, to redefine the federal role.

One of our goals with reauthorization is to give local educators flexibility to do what’s best for children. We don’t have all the answers in Washington. The best educational ideas and breakthroughs will always come from great leaders at the local level, not from Washington. As I often say, our role is to provide a common definition of success, not a prescription for success.

We will advance that goal when we reauthorize the ESEA. We will be creating a limited federal role in education. We will focus on raising standards for all students, rewarding success in schools, supporting and rewarding effective teachers and leaders, turning around low-performing schools, and helping schools design a well-rounded curriculum.

We’ll work with Democratic and Republican legislators on a new accountability system in coming weeks and months. The core principles are the following:

We want an accountability system that factors in student growth, progress in closing achievement gaps, proficiency towards college and career-ready standards, high school graduation and college enrollment rates.

That’s a lot to track, but if we want to be smarter about accountability, more fair to students and teachers—and more effective in the classroom—we need to look at all of these factors. We need to learn from them and we need to act on them.

As we travelled the country and heard the challenges, now we are coming back with some ways to address them and we welcome input, feedback and more ideas as reauthorization moves forward.

The budget the president proposed today will help us move forward.  The $3 billion increase for ESEA programs is the most that any president has ever proposed. We won’t stop there. When ESEA is reauthorized, the president will add another $1 billion for the law.

The President also is proposing a massive investment in college access—$173 billion in loans, grants, and Work-Study jobs. That’s enough to provide some form of federal assistance to 15 million college students—3 out of 5 students who are enrolled in higher education.

The money will go out in the form of Pell Grants and other aid, lower payments for student loans, and grants to colleges—particularly community colleges. The president also will make a $10,000 tuition tax credit a permanent part of the tax code.

One million graduates will be able to take advantage of new income-based repayment plans. They’ll pay a maximum 10 percent of their income toward their loans. Their debt will be forgiven after 20 years—10 years if they are a teacher, police officer, or other public servant. It will help us recruit the next generation of great talent into the classroom.

It’s the biggest investment in higher education since the GI Bill.  But the president isn’t simply pouring money into the system. He’s investing wisely. In student loans, the budget will change it so all new loans are made directly from the Department of Education. We’re cutting banks out of the process—which will save us $87 billion over the next decade. We want to stop subsidizing banks and invest those savings in education instead.

The savings will support our entire higher education agenda—increasing Pell Grants, improving our community colleges, and ensuring students who enter higher education complete it. The student loan savings also will support our early learning agenda with $9.3 billion over 10 years to improve programs for children from birth to kindergarten. We’ll be making competitive grants to states that are leading the way in improving the learning experiences and outcomes of their young children.

The early childhood agenda and the higher education agenda are included in a bill that has passed the House. It’s one of our top priorities to work with the Senate to pass this bill and make it law this year. Quality and access are the key goals for our early childhood and financial aid agenda. Our K-12 agenda can be summed up in one word: Reform.

We’re making a big philosophical and strategic change with these grants. We’re moving away from formula grants—where everybody gets a little money—and to competitive ones where we can support people doing the best work. We want our scarce resources to leverage dramatic change, change the will accelerate progress for decades to come. We’ve seen that happen in the past year in the Race to the Top program. We put $4.35 billion on the table—and people started changing the way they do business.

States responded by changing their teacher evaluation systems and improving conditions for charter schools and holding them accountable. I’m for expanding the number of charters—but only if we grow the good charter schools and shut down the bad ones.  Teachers unions are willing to partner with districts on turnarounds. I applaud their courage and willingness to take on this work.

In the fiscal 2011 budget, the president is proposing to add $1.35 billion to the Race to the Top program to offer a third round of grants. He wants to give us the option of including districts in the competition. I think the chance to fund districts directly is a great idea.  The president also wants to add $500 million to the Investing in Innovation program. He wants to reserve $150 million for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs. He also wants to give rural schools a competitive advantage in the competition because understands the challenges they face.

The goal for the Race to the Top and Investing in Innovation funds is to reward applicants that have the courage, capacity, and commitment to reform. Fancy presentations frankly don’t excite me—real progress for children is what we care about.  We’ll be introducing competition into other programs and focusing our grants on the most important issues facing education today.

We want to help you develop and recruit great teachers and principals. Nothing is more important than a great teacher in every classroom and a great principal  in every school. We’ll invest in the best preparation programs. It doesn’t matter if it’s through a traditional route or an alternative one—we’re going to invest in the ones that have the data showing they’re doing the best work.

We want you to give teachers incentives to join the profession and stay in it. We especially want you to put your best teachers in the schools and classrooms where they’re needed most—where the children are the neediest and challenges are the toughest. Historically underserved communities deserve better, and we must give it to them. We want to you to show us the best literacy programs in the country and tell us how you’ll make them better and expand them to have a broader impact.

We want you to expand and improve your science, technology, mathematics, and engineering programs so that all students are succeeding in them. Our country’s future economic security depends on all of our students succeeding in these fields. And because NCLB narrowed the curriculum, we’re looking to expand it again so that our children get a well-rounded education—one that includes rich content in history, the arts, foreign languages, and financial literacy.

But once ESEA is finished, the President wants to add another billion dollars for a new fund to reward high-performing high-poverty schools, to support works to improve assessments, and to expand and improve afterschool care. Between the budget the president announced today and the work we are already doing thanks to the Recovery Act, this has been an incredible first year for education.
But the fact is, the changes we’ve triggered haven’t begun to impact every child, and before they do—they are going to cross your desk.

Unless you show the courage and the will to make tough choices on behalf of children, these investments we’re proposing will not change lives. Unless you demonstrate the capacity to bring together all the adults in your schools—teachers, administrators, unions and parents—and overcome the divisions and disagreements that impede progress, these investments will not change lives.

So today, on behalf of the President, I want to appeal to you directly to find it within yourselves to embrace our agenda and to lead this movement for education reform. I know this is hard work. I know that it asks much of you.

But the urgency has never been greater. Our children and our future are at risk, so let us together do the difficult but necessary things our schools demand, and our children deserve. I thank you for all you have done and all you will do to make education America’s highest priority and greatest legacy.

Our nation’s children are incredibly lucky to have you as their champions, and on their behalf, I thank you for your extraordinary service.

Recovery Act Recipients Report Funding Continues to Support over 300,000 EducationJobs

On Jan. 30, the Reovery Accountability and Transparency Board released job numbers showing that Recovery Act education funding played a significant role in stabilizing the nation’s economy and in staving off a major fiscal crisis in 2009.

For the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2009, grant recipients reported over 300,000 education jobs, such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors. In total, the Department of Education funding supported approximately 400,000 positions including corrections officers, public health personnel, and construction workers. These numbers are consistent with the data submitted in October during the first round of Recovery Act reporting.

The consistency of these jobs numbers reflects the steady and profound impact of Recovery Act funding that is being used to fill over $40 billion in projected state education budget shortfalls for FY ’09 and FY ’10. State and local budgets remain strained, but the second round of ARRA reporting makes clear that most school systems throughout the country would be facing more severe fiscal situations without this funding.

A detailed analysis of the reported data shows a slight decline in SFSF jobs this quarter, reflecting that a significant portion of this funding was used in the previous reporting period as states filled immediate funding needs. Conversely, the number of jobs attributed to IDEA and Title I Recovery Act funding increased significantly between the first round and this reporting period – a 47% increase for IDEA and 41% increase for Title I. The accelerated use of these funds suggests that in the first quarter they were used to lay the groundwork for meaningful reform programs and now are generating the jobs to support the these programs while continuing to fill positions threatened by state or local budget cuts.

The data posted on Recovery.gov represent the second quarterly report of Recovery Act spending. As part of the unprecedented transparency requirements of the ARRA, all prime recipients of over $25,000 in funding are required to report quarterly on their expenditures. Approximately 98% of the 2,514 Department of Education Recovery Act grant recipients required to report for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2009, filed reports on time.

The Department of Education will continue to provide additional transparency beyond the reports posted on www.Recovery.gov by aggregating and presenting data on a program-by-program and state-by-state basis to allow for easier tracking of education dollars. This information will be posted on www.ed.gov/recovery in the coming week.

To summarize the distribution of funding, the Recovery Act provided approximately $100 billion to the U.S. Department of Education with the initial goal of delivering emergency education funding to States. Thus far, $69 billion of these funds have been awarded to states and other eligible recipients through the following grant programs:

Program Awarded as of 12/31/09
SFSF                                         $36.9 billion
Title I                                        $10.0 billion
IDEA                                          $12.2 billion
Student Financial Assistance      $8.7 billion
Education Technology               $649 million
Vocational Rehabilitation           $539 million
School Improvement Grants      $149 million
Independent Living                     $73 million
McKinney Vento Homeless           $70 million
Teacher Incentive Fund               $54 million
Impact Aid                                   $40 million

In addition to supporting education jobs throughout the country, these funds were intended to lay the foundation for meaningful education reforms. Since the implementation of the Recovery Act big steps were also made towards the four education reform priorities at the core of all ARRA grants and at the foundation of the Department’s overall agenda to promote:

• College and Career Ready Standards and assessments
• Strategies to recruit, train and retain Effective teachers and leaders
• Establishment of interoperable Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems 
• Aggressive Interventions to Turn Around our Nation’s Lowest-Performing Schools

Examples of such momentum include the fact that 12 states passed significant legislative reforms in line with these reform priorities, 40 states and the District of Columbia applied for Race To The Top fund, and ARRA funds have been used for substantial investments innovative professional development and classroom technology practices aimed at improving student achievement.

Approximately $30 billion dollars in additional ARRA funding will be distributed in the coming months to continue supporting jobs and furthering the Department’s four reform priorities. The Department will also continue to promote this agenda through other efforts beyond the Recovery Act such as the FY 2011 budget negotiations and the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

President’s Education Budget Signals Bold Changes for ESEA

President Obama’s 2011 education budget signals a bold new direction for federal K-12 education policy with more competitive funding, more flexibility and a focus on the reforms likely to have the greatest impact on student success.

All told, the president’s budget includes $49.7 billion for the Department of Education’s discretionary programs, an increase of $3.5 billion over fiscal year 2010. The budget also includes $173 billion in loans, grants, tax credits and work-study programs to help students go to college.

“This budget sends a very clear signal to the country that this president is serious about education,” said Duncan. “There are some very innovative proposals in this budget that come from across America. We want to advance reform on a bipartisan basis.”

The proposed budget includes a $3 billion increase in competitive funding for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the largest increase ever requested for programs under the 1965 law. This includes $1.35 billion to continue Race to the Top, $500 million for the Investing in Innovation Fund, more money for school turnarounds, charters, school safety and programs around preparing, retaining, and rewarding effective teachers and leaders.

“Race to the Top taught us that competition and incentives drive reform,” said Duncan. “So even as we continue funding important formula programs like Title I and IDEA, we are adding money to competitive programs that are changing the landscape of our education system.”

The proposed budget also reflects the president’s broader commitment to providing more flexibility, reducing red tape, and holding ourselves accountable for results. The budget consolidates 38 ESEA programs into 11 funding streams and eliminates six others that duplicate local or state programs or have not had a significant measurable impact, for a savings of $122 million. The budget also eliminates 571 earmarks for a total savings of $217 million.  The president’s budget also notes that the administration will propose to replace the accountability system established in No Child Left Behind with a new system built around the goal of helping all students graduate high school college- and career-ready.

“As I traveled to 37 states on a Listening and Learning tour over the last year I heard many complaints about the current system of accountability,” said Duncan. “We want to work together with legislators and stakeholders to develop a new Elementary and Secondary Education Act that will be smart, fair and useful for educators.”

The proposed 2011 budget also incorporates savings from a proposal to end student lending subsidies to banks and shift billions in savings into higher education and early childhood. That proposal passed the House and awaits Senate approval.

Under the proposed 2011 budget, the maximum Pell Grant increases by $160 to $5,710 and would automatically rise by rate of inflation plus 1 percentage point annually over the next decade. It also includes the $10.6 billion American Graduation Initiative to improve and modernize community colleges and a $3.5 billion College Access and Completion Fund. 

Finally, the budget would provide $9.3 billion for competitive grants to states over the next 10 years to improve the quality of early learning programs and prepare students for success in kindergarten.

When a reformed ESEA is enacted, the president will send Congress a budget amendment that requests up to an additional $1 billion for ESEA programs. The money will provide additional resources for low income students, including funding for awards to schools producing gains in student achievement, funding to improve the quality of assessments and additional funding for expanded learning time.

“The president has set a goal that America once again will lead the world in college completion,” Duncan said. “To do that by the end of the decade, we need to improve the education at every level, from birth through the end of college. This budget puts us on a path toward success and meeting that goal.”

Increases include:

• $539 million for innovative teacher and leader reforms such as performance pay, bringing the total to $950 million, and $269 million for teacher and leader recruitment and preparation, bringing the total to $405 million.
• $354 million for school turnaround grants, bringing the total up to $900 million. 
• $250 million for special education students, bringing the IDEA Grants to States total to $11.755B
• $210 million for Promise Neighborhoods, a new competitive grant program modeled on the Harlem Children’s Zone that combines comprehensive social services with school improvements in order to transform whole neighborhoods.
• $197 million for programs designed to promote a well-rounded education, supporting comprehensive literacy, STEM and other core subjects including history and arts.
• $81 million for expanding educational options, including at total of $365.5 million in funding for charter and other autonomous schools.
• $50 million for English Language Learner Programs, bringing the total amount up to $800 million.
• $45 million for school safety and student health programs for a total of $410 million under a new funding stream called Successful, Safe and Healthy Students.
• $98 million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities
• $96.57 million for Hispanic Serving Institutions, and other Minority Serving institutions

U.S. Department of Education Releases new Report on Use of Data Systems to SupportReform

States and districts are making significant progress in building educational data systems and are starting to use that valuable data to change classroom practice and improve student achievement, according to a new report released by the U.S. Department of Education. But school leaders are still searching for the best models to mine the data to discover the best instructional methods for students, the report says.

“Data should be part of a feedback loop used to drive improvement at every level of the education system. This study helps us understand the kinds of data that need to be available for teachers and school leaders if they’re going to use data to improve their practice,” said Carmel Martin, assistant secretary for the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development.

In “Use of Education Data at the Local Level: From Accountability to Instructional Improvement,” researchers surveyed officials from 529 districts, conducted in-depth site visits to 36 schools in 12 districts leading the way in data usage, and analyzed secondary data from a survey of over 6,000 teachers to obtain a national picture of current data use practices at the local-level.

Major findings from the report include:

Data-driven decision making is an ongoing process rather than a one-time event centered on the acquisition of a data system. Districts will get more out of their investments in electronic data systems if they think about data-driven decision making as a system-wide innovation and develop a long-term strategy for its implementation as part of a continuous improvement process.

To influence teachers’ day-to-day instruction, data systems must provide teachers with information that is both timely and relevant to their instructional decisions. To be useful to teachers, systems need to provide data from recently given assessments that provide diagnostic information on students’ learning needs

Human and organizational supports for data use are just as important as the technical quality of the data system. Professional development around data use is widespread, but only a small minority of districts and schools have made data use a regular part of teachers’ practice.

Districts can promote data-driven decision making in schools by providing time for teachers to meet with colleagues to discuss and use data, funding positions for instructional coaches who help teachers connect data to alternative instructional approaches, and by modeling data-driven decision making for continuous improvement in their own operations.

Districts’ greatest perceived area of need with respect to data-driven decision making is for models of how to connect student data to instructional practices. Among teachers, there is a need to enhance their assessment interpretation and data use skills.

Building and expanding state data systems is one of the four areas of reform under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The ARRA provided $250 million in money to help states improve their data systems. The money is supplementing the $65 million available in fiscal 2009 and the $58.2 million in fiscal 2010. States that win grants from the competitive $4 billion Race to the Top state grant program will have additional dollars available to improve their capability to use data to drive student achievement.

For additional information on the report, visit http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/opepd/ppss/reports.html#edtech

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Transitional Inclusion Program (TIP)

A new strategy in mainstreaming eases special education students into the general educationclassroom

by Karen Talalas, Recipient of the NASET 2009 Outstanding Teacher Award

The trend toward inclusion education is distinct and undeniable. Over the past decade, reform movements throughout education require appropriate curriculum and instruction for students with disabilities in inclusive environments. Thanks to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1997, we’ve all heard the term “least restrictive environment,” which requires schools to include students with disabilities in the general education classroom to the maximum extent possible with appropriate support. These reforms have created the need to redefine both the roles of special education and general education teachers.

Certainly, the benefits to inclusive education are numerous. Inclusion can improve learning for both classified and non-classified students. When classified students are included in a general education classroom, students without disabilities often perform better academically, because teachers are more inclined to break instruction into smaller segments and repeat directions. Students also learn to accept individual differences. Integrated classrooms can help students overcome their misconceptions about their peers who have disabilities and encourage new friendships.

In my experience, however, I have found that the initial transition of a student from a small resource setting to a larger inclusion classroom can also be problematic. Students who have only had instruction in small settings (nine students or less) may feel overwhelmed when placed in an inclusion class, which can have as many as 30 or more students with two teachers.

Additionally, some segregated students may not have been working at grade level, and have difficulty keeping up academically with their peers. Also, integration into a larger class can also be socially intimidating for learning- disabled students. General education students, who have always been in classes together, may have already formed friendships. Sadly, the newly included student can be made to feel like an outsider.

As a longtime inclusion teacher who is familiar with the many benefits of an inclusive classroom setting, I sought to challenge my resource students to test their readiness for an inclusion setting. I proposed a system of gradual integration to my school’s administration and my proposal was, fortunately, met with a great deal of enthusiasm and support. One trial class of five students was approved, and with the cooperation of department supervisors, general and special education teachers, the Transitional Inclusion Program (TIP) was created. This innovative inclusion program provides resource students with an opportunity to build academic skills and confidence by allowing a gradual immersion into an inclusion classroom.

What is TIP?

The Transitional Inclusion Program takes students assigned to a segregated resource classroom and introduces them to an inclusion classroom one day per week in the beginning of the school year. It slowly builds the frequency (to as often as three to four days per week after the first two months) as the students become more comfortable in their new inclusive environment. Ultimately, the goal is to have the student in an inclusion setting five days a week by the end of the school year. The days that students remain in the resource class are devoted to building skills to ensure that the newly included students can perform at the same academic level as their classmates.
The key components of the Transitional Inclusion Program are:

• The classes selected for participation in the Transitional Inclusion Program are scheduled at the same time and have enrollments that will meet appropriate ratios when classes are combined.
• Special education students are introduced to and included with their mainstream peers during the first week of school. They are given assigned seats in the inclusion classroom, so that they are always viewed as classmates and not visitors or guests.
• TIP students are in class with their mainstreamed peers two to three times per week by mid-school year, with a goal of full inclusion by June. Their IEPs reflect the amount of time spent in the inclusion classroom.

Flexibility is key in the Transitional Inclusion Program. Special education students will need to have a modified curriculum and expectations, as they will only be in the inclusion classroom a few days per week. In the event that a student in the program is identified as not being appropriate for an inclusion setting, and it is early in the school year, that child should be placed in a resource classroom and another student who shows potential as an inclusion student can join the Transitional Inclusion Program.

A great idea, but has itworked?

I am delighted to report that the first year of our Transitional Inclusion Program was quite successful. The improved academic performance, enhanced esteem, and friendships that were formed as a result of participation in the program made our efforts to implement the program very worthwhile.

“What I loved most about the Transitional Inclusion Program was the aspect of team teaching and complete student integration,” noted Mary Ennis, a 10th-grade English teacher. “At some point during the school year, there were no distinctions between the different rosters, and we became a truly blended classroom. As a matter of fact, all five of the students who were members of the pilot class were recommended for inclusion placement in their English classes for the next school year.”

This year’s TIP has nine very enthusiastic students. Currently, the students spend three days per week in a resource setting, and join their inclusion classmates two days per week. The students were brought to the inclusion classroom and assigned seats on the first day of school, and during shared class time, they are fully integrated into the inclusion classroom.

In fact, the students usually request to go to the larger classroom on their days in the resource room. Their academic performance (the TIP students participate in a general education vocabulary program) is actually slightly better than their general education peers, which is most likely a result of their work ethic. These students are clearly committed to building their skills so that they can attend class in the larger classroom five days a week. The goal of placement in an inclusion class for the following school year has a motivational effect on the students.

As Bill Gallache, ninth-grade English teacher and cooperative teacher in the Transitional Inclusion Program, shares, “What I’ve observed so far this year is that the opportunity to be included in a general education classroom means a great deal to the resource students. They come to class well prepared, very motivated, and ready to work. Interestingly, I must say that I am not seeing a dramatic difference in their skill level, and the attitude that the students bring to class is quite commendable. In fact, I’m really hoping that it’s contagious. I thoroughly enjoy having the transitional inclusion students in my classroom. ”
With careful planning, flexibility, and cooperation, a successful Transitional Inclusion Program can be implemented in any school setting.

Karen Talalas is a special education teacher at Howell High School in the Freehold Regional High School District. She is the recipient of the NASET (National Association of Special Education Teachers) Outstanding Special Education Teacher Award last June. You can reach Talalas at AskMrsT@aol.com.

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Update From The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

Audio programs to two student guides.

Are you familiar with NICHCY’s Student Guide series? Each features an audio program for students, a student booklet, and a technical assistance guide for those supporting students. Two sets in the series now have their audio programs posted on our website in MP3 format, so you no longer have to ask us for a CD or cassette to listen to–simply download the MP3 file, which will play on your computer (through Windows Media Player and iTunes both). You can also burn the files to a CD for use elsewhere. Find these two audio programs at:

• A student’s guide to jobs.
  http://www.nichcy.org/InformationResources/Documents/audio/st2.mp3
• Relish is for more than hot dogs: A student’s guide to making your own sweet success.
  http://www.nichcy.org/InformationResources/Documents/audio/Relish.mp3
• Find the student guide booklet and technical assistance guide accompanying each of these programs on our Publications page. Look under “S” for Student Guides.
  http://www.nichcy.org/InformationResources/Pages/NICHCYPublications.aspx#s

Wondering where the audio program is for the Student Guide to the IEP? It’s coming! We should have it posted online by next month’s newsletter. There’s been a bit of a snafu getting it converted to MP3 format, but it will happen!

IT ALL STARTS IN FAMILIES ANDCOMMUNITIES

New website from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (APA) has launched a new website, HealthyChildren.org, which was created to provide reliable, up-to-date information on child health and parenting issues.
http://www.healthychildren.org/english/our-mission/Pages/default.aspx 

Images of health and disability.
The World Health Organization invited amateur and professional photographers to participate in an international contest with a theme of “images of health and disability” and a special focus on work and disability. The 33 winning photos are available at the link below and enrich our perceptions of health and disability.
http://www.who.int/features/2005/disability/en/index.html

Coping with your baby’s challenging behaviors.
ZERO TO THREE has developed a set of resources designed to help parents better understand and cope with some of the typical challenges they face in the early years: aggression, defiance, inconsolable crying, slow-to-warm-up children, and sleep.
http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=key_challbehav

IEPs for children with behavior problems.
Must the IEP team develop a plan to address these problem behaviors? Are school districts required to train teachers to use positive behavioral interventions and support? Visit Wrightslaw’s article for answers to questions from parents whose children have behavior problems.
http://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/07/nl.0516.htm

How prevalent are autism spectrum disorders?
According to the latest report from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), autism occurs in approximately 1% of the population, or 1 in 110 of children 8 years of age.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5810a1.htm

And speaking of autism…are you a parent of a child on the spectrum?
A research study is being conducted at Boston University to develop a measure of everyday function for children and youth with ASD. It involves an online focus group for parents of children and youth with ASD. If you’re interested in participating, read more at: http://www.bu.edu/kidsincontext/pedi-asd-cat/

Interested in cochlear implants?

Cochlear implants are surgically implanted in the inner ear, allowing individuals who are profoundly hearing impaired to “receive” sound. Visit the featured health information page of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery to find out more.
http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/patients.cfm

Do you have (or teach) a student in grade 4, 8, or 12 who’ll be participating in NAEP this year?
NAEP stands for the National Assessment of Educational Progress. NAEP 2010 assessments are being conducted from January 25 through March 5 in civics, geography, and U.S. history. FYI: The NAEP website has a wealth of resources to help those selected students, parents, teachers, and schools who are participating.

• Student pages (with answers to frequently asked questions, student videos, games, study tools, and more for students of all ages!)
  http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/students/
• Parents’ page
  http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/parents/
• En español.
  http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/parents/index_sp.asp
• Selected Schools pages (offering fact sheets for teachers and principals, tools to encourage student participation, and helpful links to get more information).
  http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/about/schools.asp

Supporting adults with challenging behaviors in community settings (Webinar series).
TASH is hosting a series of Thursday Webinars (February 11 and 18; March 4, 11, and 18) from 12:30 PM- 2:00 PM eastern time. The prices associated with the series are per site, meaning that it doesn’t matter how many participants you have in the room. For TASH members, each webinar costs $75 ($337.50 for the entire series). Non-member cost is $115/session and $515 for the series.

• Find out more at:
  http://www.tash.org/dev/tashcms/ewebeditpro5/upload/PBS_for_adults_Session_descriptions(1).pdf
• Register at:
  https://www.tash.org/dev/tashstore/ONSCategory.aspx?catid=4

Adolescents and adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: Upcoming conference.
April 14-17, 2010, Vancouver, BC (Canada).
Save the date if this topic hits home. The conference is entitled Facing the Future Together: Where Do We Go From Here?
http://www.interprofessional.ubc.ca/ 

THE LITTLE ONES: EARLY INTERVENTION/EARLY CHILDHOOD

Understanding and addressing children’s mental health.
In April 2009, the Society for Research in Child Development sponsored an interdisciplinary summit on children’s mental health. The summit focused on: (1) the importance of mental health for normal child development; (2) everyday challenges for parents and child mental health; (3) prevention opportunities in child mental health; and (4) child mental health disorders and effective treatments. Read the report from the summit at:
http://www.srcd.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=838  

Making play accessible to children with disabilities.
The National Lekotek Center is presenting three training seminars on the subject from March 8-10, 2010. The seminars are intended for social workers, pediatric therapists, special educators, early childhood educators, parents, caregivers, and any others who wish to enhance their skills in play for children with disabilities.

• Understanding Children with Disabilities and How they Play
Monday, March 8th (10:30 am – 4 pm) — $150 
• Integrating Technology into Play
Tuesday, March 9th (9 am – 5 pm) — $175
• Adapting Toys, Equipment & Activities for Accessible Play
Wednesday, March 10th (9 am – 5 pm) — $175 
• To register.,  go to: http://www.lekotek.org/services/educators/training_fam_play_specl.html

Inclusive early childhood education and children with disabilities.
This publication, from the Institute on Community Integration and Research and Training Center on Community Living, addresses how early childhood professionals, researchers, and families can provide quality, inclusive early childhood education for young children with and without disabilities.
http://ici.umn.edu/products/impact/221/221.pdf

10th National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute: Registration is now open!.
To be held May 17-19, 2010 in Chapel Hill, NC.
http://www.nectac.org/~meetings/inclusionmtg2010/splash.html

Presentations now available from the 2009 OSEP National Early Childhood Conference.
Presentation materials and conference photos are now available from the 2009 OSEP National Early Childhood Conference, Strengthening Partnerships to Improve Early Learning and Development for Young Children, which was held on December 5-9, 2009, in Arlington, VA.
http://www.nectac.org/~meetings/national2009/mtgpresentations.asp  

Signing up for NECTAC’s newsletter.
We are always amazed at the wealth of early intervention/early childhood resources identified in NECTAC’s newsletter. We also really like its brief format in a weekly schedule. We highly recommend that all those involved in early childhood issues sign up via NECTAC’s page at:
http://lists.unc.edu/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=nectac-enotes

To give you a taste of eNotes’ quality, here are a few recent listings we’d like to repeat cos we found them quite on-target:

• The importance of investing in early childhood education.
  The Heckman Equation Project has a Web site featuring Nobel prize-winning economist James Heckman’s work to better understand the long-term benefits of investing in early care and education for disadvantaged children and their families. http://www.heckmanequation.org/
• 5 new products from the Center on Everyday Child Language Learning.
  These products are designed to assist practitioners in implementing an approach to early childhood intervention that uses everyday activities as sources of learning opportunities to promote the development of the language and communication skills of young children with disabilities and delays. http://www.cecll.org/articles1.php
• Early literacy practices for young children.
  The Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL) recently announced the availability of on-line technical assistance materials for promoting parent and practitioner use of early literacy learning practices.
  http://www.earlyliteracylearning.org/technicalasst.php
• FAQ: Using Title I of ESEA for early education.
  The Center for Law and Social Policy has published this FAQ providing answers to frequently asked questions on using Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act funds on early education. http://www.clasp.org/admin/site/premium-publications/files/titleifaq-1.pdf

Early childhood mental health services: Case studies from 4 states.
This in-depth policy analysis from Project Forum provides a background of the early childhood mental health focus of many organizations and the legal elements of why it is essential that children with disabilities be included in a comprehensive mental health system.
http://projectforum.org/docs/EarlyChildhoodMentalHealthServices-FourStateCaseStudies.pdf 

STATE & SYSTEM TOOLS 

ADA Best Practices Toolkit for state and local governments.
The Tool Kit is designed to teach state and local government officials ways in which to identify and fix problems that may prevent people with disabilities from gaining equal access to state and local government programs, services, and activities. The Tool Kit also includes how to conduct surveys of accessibility in their buildings and facilities to insure physical access for all people.”
http://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/toolkitmain.htm

Evaluating SPP/APR improvement activities. This document is intended to assist State Education Agency (SEA) and Lead Agency (LA) staff and technical assistance providers in designing a meaningful evaluation for the State Performance Plan (SPP)/Annual Performance Report (APR) improvement activities. Visit NECTAC, at:
http://www.nectac.org/~pdfs/pubs/evaluatingsppapractivities.pdf

Handbook on effective implementation of school improvement grants. This handbook is designed to bolster the effective implementation of the intervention models and strategies outlined in the 2009 School Improvement Grant (SIG) program in order to achieve the program’s clear goal-rapid improvement of persistently low-achieving schools. The handbook was edited by the Center on Innovation and Improvement and was developed by the five national content centers (Assessment and Accountability Comprehensive Center, Center on Innovation & Improvement, Center on Instruction, National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, and National High School Center).
http://www.centerii.org/handbook/

Training opportunity: How to use the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (NLTS2) database.
April 13-15, 2010, in Washington, DC.
A free 3-day seminar is being sponsored by the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) at the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. The NLTS2 is designed to support research on a wide range of topics pertaining to youth with disabilities as they move from secondary school into adult roles. The seminar is open to advanced graduate students and faculty members from colleges and universities nationwide and to researchers, education practitioners, and policy analysts from federal, state, and local education and human services agencies and professional associations. NCSER will pay for transportation and hotel accommodations. Participants will be responsible for their meals during travel and while in Washington, DC. To view the announcement and application information, visit:
http://ies.ed.gov/whatsnew/conferences/?id=607&cid=4

Another training opp: On cluster-randomized trials.
July 25 – August 6, 2010, at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.
The National Center for Education Research is clearly going to be very busy. It’s also announced the fourth Summer Research Training Institute on Cluster-Randomized Trials, designed to increase the national capacity of researchers to develop and conduct rigorous evaluations of the impact of education interventions. Find out more by visiting:
http://ies.ed.gov/whatsnew/conferences/?id=605

High school improvement efforts and the ARRA.
The National High School Center announces the release of several new resources to guide high school improvement efforts related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) as well as college and career readiness.

• Using the Right Data to Determine if High School Interventions are Working to Prepare Students for College and Careers.
  http://www.betterhighschools.org/docs/NCEA_CollegeCareerReadiness.pdf
• A Coherent Approach to High School Improvement: A Needs Assessment Tool.
   http://www.betterhighschools.org/docs/EightElementsNeedsAssessment.pdf

The health and well-being of children: A portrait of states and the nation.
This chartbook is based on data from the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health. It reports on the health and well-being of children, as well as the factors in the family environment and aspects of the neighborhood that may support or undermine the health of children and their families. Information is presented on the health status and risk and protective factors experienced by children on the national level, within the subpopulations who are at particular risk, and on the state level for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.  http://mchb.hrsa.gov/nsch07/index.html

Concerned with disproportionate representation?
You may wish to visit the National Center on Response to Intervention’s new webpage on the subject, where you’ll find guides, briefs, and research citations on the issue of disproportionate representation of certain student groups in special education.
http://www.rti4success.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=76&Itemid=169

Indicators of school crime and safety, 2009.
This annual report provides the most current detailed statistical information on crimes occurring in school as well as on the way to and from school. The report is a joint effort of the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics. http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2010012  

SPECIAL FOCUS: Summer Camps

Yes, we sure do realize that we’re still shoveling snow, chipping ice off our windshields, and occasionally enjoying snowboarding, skiing, or just watching the white fall, but families are already beginning to scramble to schedule what their children will be doing this summer. It’s strange how early in the year you have to do this, but that’s the reality–camp slots fill up quick!

So here’s our quick connect to camps and summer opportunities. Some identify camps available to all children, and some are especially for children who have disabilities. It is also very likely that your community has summer camps or recreational opportunities available, that you won’t find listed here! To find out what’s available in your community, consult local sources of information such as your child’s teachers, parks and/or recreation departments, area private schools, religious organizations, other community groups, parent centers, and fellow parents.

General Camp Info and Opportunities

American Camp Association
www.campparents.org

Association of Independent Camps
www.aiccamps.org

Camp Channel
www.campchannel.com/campers/search

The CampPage Guide to Summer Camps
www.camppage.com/

Kids’ Camps
www.kidscamps.com

My Summer Camps
www.mysummercamps.com

Summer Camp Search
http://summercamps.com/cgi-bin/summercamps/search.cgi

Camps for Those with Special Needs

Be sure to check out the National Center on Physical Activity & Disability’s Fun & Leisure section on camp resources, available at:
http://www.ncpad.org/fun/fact_sheet.php?sheet=88&view=all

And now let’s look at camps that are described as supporting children with specific types of disabilities. The list is alphabetized according to the disabilities mentioned. 

Amputees and Those with Limb Differences
http://www.amputee-coalition.org/fact_sheets/Kidscamps.html

Chronic, Life-Threatening Illnesses or Disabilities
www.bravekids.org/camps

Cancer
http://www.acor.org/ped-onc/cfissues/camps.html

Deaf or Hard of Hearing
http://tinyurl.com/yzk3ngx  

Diabetes
www.childrenwithdiabetes.com/camps

Diabetes
http://www.diabetescamps.org/

Easter Seals Directory of Day and Residential Camps
http://www.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=ntl_directory_camprec 

Hemiplegia and Stroke (CHASA)
http://www.chasa.org/summercamps.htm  

Special Needs in the Metro New York Area
http://www.resourcesnyc.org/premium-publications/camps-2009-2010  

Special Needs Camps
http://www.mysummercamps.com/camps/Special_Needs_Camps/index.html

Special Needs Camps
http://tinyurl.com/yzr66da

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Special Education Resources

Identifying Students Eligible for SSI Pass Plans at IEP Meetings 
Podcast
http://ruralinstitute.umt.edu/training/premium-publications/fact_sheets/student_eligibility.asp
Many transition-aged students with disabilities are receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a financial benefit available to families who meet income and resource requirements and who have a child with a disability. SSI has several Work Incentive programs that could provide resources to eligible students to assist them in obtaining, advancing, or maintaining employment. Plans for Achieving Self Support (PASS plans) are one such work incentive program.

Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation Takes an In-Depth Look at Challenges Youth with Severe Disabilities and Their Families Face 
journal article
http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/newsroom/releases/2009/jourvocrehab8_09.asp
Youth who receive benefits from the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, the largest federal program providing cash payments to low-income youth with severe disabilities and their families, face challenges transitioning to adulthood. Highlights from six articles in the September 2009 issue of Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, by researchers from Mathematica Policy Research, TransCen Inc., and the Social Security Administration, include the public cost of child dependence on SSI , the high number of SSI students at age 18 who are not working or in school, and how parents of these youth often face difficult tradeoffs between providing child care and entering the work place.

Quality Counts 2010 Presents “Broad Perspective” on Common-Standards 
http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2010/01/14/index.html
Editorial Projects in Education (EPE) has released its 14th edition of Quality Counts, an annual report card on public education as measured by states’ education policies and outcomes, focusing this year on the national debate over common academic standards. EPE conducted a 50-state survey that found solid foundations for a unified approach to standards, since many states already look beyond their own borders for guidance.

The Best Journey to Adult Life  
http://transitions.canchild.ca/en/OurResearch/resources/BestPractices.pdf
“The Best Journey to Adult Life for Youth with Disabilities” is a model that represents the developmental process of a young person’s life course, with the transition to adulthood depicted as an important “journey.” Best Practice Guidelines for the transition to adulthood for youth with disabilities have been written using the words of youth, parents, community members, service providers, educators, and researchers in Ontario, Canada. The Guidelines are organized into six themes: Collaboration, Capacity-building, Navigation, Education, Information, and Research. Available in pdf (90 pages, 990 KB).

Think-Plan-Do Encourages Self-Determination 
http://www.dds.ca.gov/ConsumerCorner/ThinkPlanDo.cfm
The State of California Department of Developmental Services has released a guide with leadership tips, from decision making to managing money, for people with disabilities. The Think-Plan-Do guide presents a simple plan for participating in the direction of one’s own future and establishing leadership goals. The guides are divided into four areas, covering 15 topics. Under each area are stories to assist in goal-planning.

Transition from College to High School Podcast 
Podcast
http://dll.ada-podcasts.com/shownotes/DLLPod35.php
The Disability Law Lowdown Web site has posted a podcast called Transitioning from High School to College for Students with Disabilities. Interviews are conducted about facts, myths, and tips for students with disabilities transitioning from high school to college.

Wheelchair Athletes on International Exchanges 
Journal
http://www.miusa.org/newsitems/announceaway
A World Awaits You (AWAY), published by Mobility International USA and the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange, focuses on how people with disabilities embark on life-changing journeys to volunteer in communities around the world. They provide their time, skills and passion, and have the cultural experience of a lifetime. Volunteers share their stories, with tips on everything from choosing a program to fundraising to foreign languages, and reflect on the challenges and rewards of serving far from home.
Widgets for educators.

Been to the free widget gallery at PBS? You’ll find a new free tool that educators can use to teach about the economy. It’s a widget you place on your blog or Facebook page. The widget allows you to select video from a playlist and watch it right inside the widget’s window. There’s also a Teachers Activity Pack called Arts Everywhere, for discovering how music, art and words can evoke our emotions and also unify us in protest, joy, and sorrow.
http://www.pbs.org/engage/widget-gallery

The Virtual History Museum.
VHM is a web-based history-learning environment, developed to help all students, including those with mild disabilities, learn and like history. The VHM helps teachers create motivating, inquiry-based history units. It also contains a number of features that support students’ learning and make it feasible for to differentiate instruction for the diverse needs of students in inclusive history classrooms. http://vhm.msu.edu/site/default.php 

WatchKnow.
Just think—millions of great short videos and other watchable media, explaining every topic taught in schools, in every major language on Earth. The co-founder of Wikipedia has launched a website that offers free access to thousands of education-related videos for students ages 3-18. The site also encourages everyone to collect, create, and share free, innovative, educational videos.
http://www.watchknow.org 

Reading interventions for students with learning disabilities.
This article on the Reading Rockets website provides research-based information and advice for sizing up reading programs and finding the right one for a child with a specific learning disability.
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/33084

The role of parents in the RTI process.  – Ever wondered “what role do parents play in the RTI process, including when do they become involved, are they on the decision making team, and where can they learn more about RTI?”  Watch the video of Dr. Daryl Mellard from the University of Kansas as he answers these questions in the fourth installment of the RTI Center’s Ask the Expert video series.  http://www.rti4success.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1430

When a student isn’t progressing adequately in Tier 2 of RTI.
This article, from the RTI Action Network, discusses the identification of students not progressing adequately in Tier 2 of an RTI model. The authors review different decision-making methods and provide recommendations for measuring response to Tier 2 instruction.
http://www.rtinetwork.org/Learn/Research/ar/Making-Decisions-About-Adequate-Progress-in-Tier-2

CITEd and using the new media to connect with students’ families. – CITEd (Center on Implementing Technology in Education) tells us about several interesting resources for schools. These include:

• Using social media.
  As a way of improving the family/school connection, more schools are using social media tools to involve families in two-way communication about their children’s education. View this article which describes how schools are using Web 2.0 tools like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn to reach parents.
  http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2009/09/schools_turn_to_facebook_twitt.html
• And there’s Parents as Partners.
  http://www.nextgenerationlearning.org.uk/At-School/Parents-as-partners/

Webinars on RTI for middle schools and high schools
The National Center on Response to Intervention (NCRTI) announces two upcoming free webinars on RTI.

• RTI in middle schools.
  Tuesday February 9, 2010, 2:00-3:00 Eastern
  http://tinyurl.com/ydvw23x
• Implementation of tiered interventions and RTI in high schools.
  Thursday, February 11, 2010, 3:00-4:30 Eastern
  http://tinyurl.com/yfxzane

Workshop for paraeducators on supporting students with learning and behavior challenges.
March 4, 2010, in Manchester, NH
April 6, 2010, in Concord, NH
The Institute on Disability is offering this workshop, which it calls The Paraeducator’s Toolbox, Preschool & Elementary School: Practical Strategies to Support Academic Achievement for Students with Learning and Behavioral Challenges. Registration: $75. For more information, visit:
http://www.iod.unh.edu/pdf/ParaPE_2010.pdf

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Funding Forecast and Award Opportunities

Forecast of Funding Opportunities under the Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 2009-2010
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 2009-2010 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 2009-2010 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.

Corporation for National and Community Service Announces Availability of Funding to Support Service-Learning
http://www.nationalservice.gov/about/newsroom/releases_detail.asp?tbl_pr_id=1645
Grants of up to $120,000 will be awarded to Indian tribes and U.S. territories working to engage school-age youth in service-learning projects that simultaneously support student development and meet community needs. The grants will fund programs that focus on: supporting high-quality service-learning sponsored by Indian Tribes and U.S. Territories and enhancing the infrastructure in schools and communities to support on-going service-learning programming; promoting healthy communities and healthy youth, increasing student civic, academic and leadership skills and those that support Indian Tribes and U.S. Territories working with schools to expand service-learning into more tribal communities that will involve students in service-learning projects. Deadline: March 9, 2010.

National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Program
http://www.nfb.org/scholarships
Applications are now being accepted for the 2010 National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Program. Each year at its national convention in July, NFB gives 30 scholarships to recognize achievement by blind scholars. The scholarships are available to blind students who will be enrolled in college or a graduate program beginning in the fall of 2010, including incoming freshmen. Scholarships range in value from $3,000 to $12,000. In addition to a scholarship, each winner will receive assistance to attend the 2010 National Federation of the Blind Annual Convention in July, providing opportunities for networking with active blind persons in many different professions and occupations. Deadline March 31, 2010.

Powered by Service Offers Funding to Seed Youth-Led Service Projects
http://tinyurl.com/y8l7j44
Grants will be awarded to young people around the world who are conducting service projects that encourage youth to become involved in addressing problems facing their communities. Grants presently are being accepting only from Atlanta GA, Detroit MI, Los Angeles CA, Milwaukee WI, New Orleans LA and New York NY, but other communities will be added at intervals. Deadline: Open.

Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge Invites Students and Teachers to Address Environmental Issues
http://wecanchange.com/
Students and teachers in grades K-8 will be awarded grants and publicity for their solutions to classroom environmental issues. Grades K to second will seek to create solutions to environmental issues in their classroom, grades third to fifth in their school and grades six to eight in their community. Student and teacher/mentor prizes, which vary according to grade level, include savings bonds, school grants, trips, TV appearances, and more. Deadline: Elementary-level entries is January 31, 2010; the deadline for middle-school entries is March 15, 2010.

Travelocity’s Travel for Good Volunteer Travel Opportunities
http://tinyurl.com/2v7sh2
Travelocity’s Travel for Good offers funding quarterly for its Change Ambassadors Grant to help support Americans who wish to travel to participate in volunteer opportunities (volunteer vacations). Two grants of $5,000 each will be awarded to individuals or groups going on volunteer vacations; applicants must demonstrate a previous commitment to volunteering and financial need. Deadline: not applicable.

Financial Aid On Disabilityinfo.Gov
http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=84
This Web site includes links to scholarship applications for students with various disabilities for graduate and undergraduate as well as vocational studies.

Got Grants?
http://www.teachersourcebook.org/tsb/articles/2009/03/16/02grants.h02.html
Successful education grant writers offer advice on how to access teacher-learning funds.

Michigan State Library of Financial Aid
http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/3disable.htm
Michigan State’s comprehensive list of financial aid resources for students with disabilities can be found at their Web site.

Scholarships4students.Com
http://www.scholarships4students.com/special_scholarships.htm
Scholarships4students’s Web site includes a list of scholarships for students with disabilities, by disability category.

National Scholarship Providers Association
http://www.scholarshipproviders.org
The National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA) web site offers information on NSPA scholarships for Latino students and for students formerly in foster care. A new NPSA product, the Scholarship Data Standard, allows students to complete an online scholarship application and then re-use the information with other scholarship providers without retyping their data.

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

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

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

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

Disaboom Scholarship Directory
http://www.disaboom.com/scholarships
Disaboom recently launched a scholarship directory for students with disabilities, listing over 125 scholarships.

Federal Student Aid Grant Program Fact Sheet
http://tinyurl.com/yfbe5tb
Disability.Gov has created a fact sheet that provides an overview of the major federal student aid grant programs. The federal government provides grant funds for students attending colleges, including career colleges and universities.

Grants, unlike loans, do not have to be repaid. (A Spanish version is at: http://tinyurl.com/yz2zheg.) Available in pdf (1 page, 164 KB).

Funding Education Beyond High School
http://tinyurl.com/yk7uot7
The US Department of Education’s Guide to Federal Student Aid (2009-2010) provides information for students and families on applying for federal student aid to pay for post-secondary education. This guide explains the application process, the various federal loans, grants, and work-study programs available, and how to apply for them. Education creates opportunities and is an important step toward success. Available in pdf (64 pages, 2.95 MB).

NASFAA and Casey Family programs: Guide to Financial Aid Assistance to Students from Foster Care and Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
www.casey.org/Resources/Publications/ProvidingEffectiveFinancialAid.htm
This guide provides information for those who help youth from foster care and unaccompanied homeless youth to secure financial aid for postsecondary education or training programs. It describes how to respond to new FAFSA questions 55-60 that will determine federal financial aid status for these students. A section on sensitive communications is also included. This guide will be useful for financial aid professionals, independent living coordinators, guidance counselors, financial aid counselors, social workers and advocates who are helping youth to secure the maximum allowable financial aid.

Scholarships and Internships for Latino Students with Disabilities
http://www.proyectovision.net/english/opportunities/scholarships.html
The World Institute on Disability (WID) has a five-year grant to establish the National Technical Assistance Center for Latinos with Disabilities living in the United States, through Proyecto Vision. Proyecto Vision’s website has a list of scholarship opportunities for college students who are Latino and who are living with disability.

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Acknowledgements

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

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

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

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