September 2012 – Special Educator e-Journal

Table of Contents

 

• Update from the U.S. Department of Education

• Calls to Participate

• Special Education Resources

• Update From The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

• Latest Employment Opportunities Posted on NASET

• Upcoming Conferences and Events

• Funding Forecast and Award Opportunities

• Book Review: Swagger: 10 Urgent Rules for Raising Boys in an Age of Failing Schools (Author Lisa Bloom) – – Written by Janet Herrera, Florida International University

• Digital Literacy of the Digital Natives — Written by Marcel T. Bustos, M.A.

• Acknowledgements

• Download a PDF or XPS Version of This Issue

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

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Update from the U.S. Department of Education

Change is Hard : Remarks of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan at Baltimore County Teachers Convening

I asked to speak with you today because, after three-plus years in Washington, it’s a good time to take stock of where we are as a country – and where we are going.

I can stand up here and sell you on the importance of reform. I can get hyped up about how we’re falling behind other countries. I’ve said those things a thousand times. And I believe in them. Reform is vital–and in several key areas, America is slipping.

That’s why President Obama spent $60 billion to keep teachers in the classroom. That’s why he’s calling for another $25 billion right now to protect teaching jobs.

That’s why – year after year – he has protected education from budget cuts – and that’s why he has pushed a bold agenda for change.

He fundamentally believes in education as the pathway out of poverty and the pathway to a strong, secure future.

And we both believe that teachers are the heart and soul of our education system– and that our success as a country is entirely dependent on your success as a teacher.

You are doing the hard, critically important work every day. And no matter what happens at the federal, state, or district level – it only matters if it works in your classrooms.

So first of all – I want to say thank you. Thank you for doing this work. Thank you for taking on the immense responsibility of educating our children. Nothing is more important to our future – to our economic security –even our national security.

Second, I want to share the truth as I see it. I won’t sugarcoat facts or paint a fantasy where every child’s social and emotional needs are always met in their home, and where the learning environment in every school is perfectly suited to support your work each day. That’s not our children’s reality. And I know that is not your reality.

We live in an imperfect world. Some children are challenged by poverty, neighborhood, or family issues that are almost unimaginable. Some schools are underfunded. Some principals are overwhelmed. And some teachers feel unsupported. They’re tired of feeling attacked.

And yet, even in those difficult circumstances, you are helping kids learn in remarkable ways. Every day, in classrooms all across America, students are overcoming huge barriers and succeeding because of caring, devoted teachers.

I’ve been to 47 states in the last three years – inner-cities, small towns, native-American reservations – remote communities in places like Alaska. We flew there in a small plane with duct tape on the wings. You can’t make this stuff up.

I remind you that my sport is basketball – not skydiving. I don’t even like jumping very high. I might be the only six-foot-four inch tall basketball player in the world who can’t dunk.

But I went to these states and saw people doing incredible things – and it always both gives me hope and affirms for me the generous and giving nature of people who choose to go into education.

Teachers want to make a difference in the lives of others. They get their greatest reward by helping their students discover themselves, find their voice, and develop into self-confident and well-directed people.

You simply can’t say that about every profession. Some people are motivated by money or power or ego or a large corner office. But teachers are uniquely driven by the desire to help others succeed.

Teaching is really hard work. It requires creativity, knowledge, skills, and empathy – the kind of emotional intelligence that can’t be readily acquired. It’s in your heart.

And that’s your strength – but it also makes you vulnerable when educational decisions beyond your control feel wrong. You give your life to this work, and you don’t want to see it go off-track. This is your craft. You know what is needed.

So today I want to have an open, honest conversation. I’ll share a few thoughts and then hear from you and take some questions. I hope that we can improve our common understanding of what we can all do, together, to get better and give all our children a chance to be successful.

In the last three years, there have been three really significant developments in K-12 education. The first is that all but a handful of states have raised academic standards, in an effort to prepare children for college and careers.

The internationally-benchmarked Common Core standards were developed by educators on behalf of the states. They have been reviewed extensively and they get generally strong marks – higher than most standards – and comparable to some of the best.

Now they’re going into the field – which means that teachers, principals, and administrators will have to figure out what this means in the classroom.

How will this affect curriculum? How will it change your daily lesson plans? Will you have more autonomy or less? And how can you best learn from, and share with, your colleagues across the country?

When children are assessed against new, higher standards, how will parents, teachers and schools react? If scores drop, will everyone feel deflated and beaten down? Or will we all be inspired to work harder?

And when the shelf life of so many education reforms is brief, how do we know that high standards that truly prepare young people for college and careers will take root and become the norm—not just for the privileged, but for all?

One never knows what the future holds, but this country is now committed to high standards. It’s one issue on which Democrats and Republicans, parents and teachers, and employers and higher education leaders can all agree.

The fact is that today 25 percent of our kids don’t even graduate from high school. About half of all students who go to community college need remedial education. And over 90 million adults in America have limited literacy skills.

Our families, our communities, and our country deserves better. And we won’t change those numbers without high standards and high expectations.

One of the many negative side effects of No Child Left Behind is that too many states lowered standards in order to meet the goal of getting every single child to proficiency by 2014.

It is a noble goal. And the fact that we are falling short of it does not mean the goal is wrong, and it doesn’t mean we have failed. It just means we have more work to do because we’re committed to all children–regardless of their talents, background, and challenges.

Nevertheless, the 2014 goal – along with the mandates and punitive sanctions in NCLB – put a lot of pressure on schools and teachers. In some cases we saw more focus on test prep and a narrowing of the curriculum.

Those are not good outcomes for children – and it’s not a good use of your time either. You didn’t go into education in order to teach kids how to pass a bubble test.

And you don’t want an accountability system that labels improving schools as failures or ignores the challenges children bring into the classroom. Teachers, principals—all of us, really–want a system that is fair, honest, and realistic.

And this has led to the second really big thing that has happened on our watch – which is NCLB waivers.

We tried hard to get Congress to fix the broken NCLB law. We sought to make it more fair and flexible, and better focused on the kids most at risk. But right now Congress is pretty broken as well.

As President Obama has said, repeatedly, “We Can’t Wait” for Congress to act, so we used our authority to offer flexibility to states willing to change.

Basically, we said to the states – raise standards, set performance targets that are ambitious and achievable — and design local interventions that focus closely on the neediest children.

In exchange for protecting children and setting a high bar, you get much more flexibility with our funds and the chance to create your own state-designed accountability system.

We also asked states to come up with a better way to support teachers and principals. Look at annual student growth and progress rather than proficiency. And use other measures of effectiveness – like classroom observation, peer review, and parent and student feedback.

We further encouraged states to develop new ways to support and evaluate teachers in all subjects –the arts, foreign languages, science, history, and physical education.

We didn’t eliminate testing because we believe it is important to measure progress. We need to know who is ahead and who is behind – who is succeeding and who needs more support. In an ideal world, that data should also drive instruction and meaningful professional development.

We absolutely understand that standardized tests don’t begin to capture all of the subtle qualities of successful teaching. That’s why we always call for multiple measures in evaluating teachers, schools, districts, and states.

We’re also hopeful that new assessments under development will better reflect the impact of your work. But they are still a few years away.

In the meantime, dozens of states have seized this opportunity for flexibility with interventions and the chance to set new performance targets – including Maryland.

A few states are staying with current law – and that’s their choice. We’re for flexibility as long as we have the goal of giving every child a college and career-ready education.

Overall, however, more than 60 percent of schools in America have new accountability systems in place that are both realistic and ambitious – and that capture more kids at risk than NCLB ever did. We expect that number to go even higher.

Now, the third big thing to happen is that we are having a very robust national conversation around teaching and school leadership. This is a very important conversation that’s long overdue.

It’s not an easy conversation either. It requires principals and teachers to look hard at themselves and ask – what would it take for us all to get better?

The conversation started around teacher evaluation. But it has now expanded to cover a full range of pressing issues, like teacher preparation, professional development, career ladders, tenure, and compensation. Everyone is part of the conversation, including unions, administrators, and school boards.

At a groundbreaking conference we hosted in Cincinnati in May, leaders from NEA, the AFT, and the national associations representing school boards, superintendents, chief state school officers, and large urban districts – all publicly signed a document spelling out seven principles for reforming the teaching profession.

This document is truly historic. Created with a united front and a real sense of collaboration, it provides a strong foundation for comprehensive reform. It promotes the importance of shared responsibility and accountability, a healthy school culture, enhanced teacher leadership, strong community engagement, multiple career pathways, and all of the elements needed for success.

Most important, teachers themselves are driving this national conversation. With the help of our Teacher Ambassador Fellows – these are fantastic, active classroom teachers working for a year with us–we held over 200 roundtables last year with more than 3,500 teachers across the country to shape a new vision for the teaching profession.

We call it the RESPECT project and the results are on our website. It’s closely aligned to the vision document signed by all of us in Cincinnati – especially the focus on shared responsibility.

We invite all of you to join the discussion. In fact, our teaching fellows are here today, and they plan to stick around, hold some roundtables, and talk with some of you about the RESPECT project.

Please tell us your vision for the profession and think through with us how we can get there.

The hard questions are so important: How do we change teacher prep programs to better prepare all teachers for the classroom?

How do we change recruiting and mentoring and induction so new teachers feel supported, instead of isolated and overwhelmed? How do we ensure our nation’s teachers reflect the great diversity of our nation’s students?

And how do we build career pathways where great teachers can stay in the classroom and earn salaries that are competitive with other professions like medicine and law?

You know what success looks like. You know what it would take to transform the field. We are not looking for incremental change here—this effort is much more ambitious than that.

And you definitely know what you want in your school and your classroom– whether it is more time to plan and collaborate, more support from school leaders, or more autonomy to structure class time in ways that best serve your students.

And, as I’ve said repeatedly, you also deserve much better pay—especially if it’s tied to effectiveness. I know you didn’t go into education to get rich, but you shouldn’t have to sign a vow of poverty either. Teacher salaries should be on par with other valued professions.

We’ve asked Congress for $5 billion to get the ball rolling and we’re directing other funding streams to support this work. But ultimately this will play out at the state and local level, which funds the vast bulk of public education.

Your voice in rebuilding and renewing your profession is so important–and the opportunity has never been greater or more urgent. Almost half of our existing teachers are set to retire in the current decade. A million new people are coming into this field.

Today, however, half of those new teachers will leave the field within five years. That is unacceptable. And many other bright, young people don’t even consider teaching – either because salaries are too low, opportunities for advancement are limited, or working conditions are too difficult.

As a country, we’re beginning to change those dynamics. And teachers are leading the change –through their unions or with grassroots groups like Teach Plus and Educators 4 Excellence.

Meanwhile, everyone is working harder than ever before to figure out how to raise standards. Right here in Maryland, the state held a conference last summer with 6,000 teachers to discuss implementation of the Common Core.

Maryland held regional meetings, and sponsored conferences to familiarize teachers with Common Core content. They developed and posted online lessons.

This fall, Maryland will field test teacher and principal evaluations based on multiple measures and fine-tune it before implementing.

To shape this new system of evaluation, Maryland established an Educator Effectiveness Council with unions, teachers, superintendents, school board members, and academics.

Under its NCLB waiver, Maryland has set ambitious new goals to reduce achievement gaps by half within six years, asking districts to develop locally-designed plans for improvement.

Now, I’m convinced that Maryland is poised to lead the country. But no one believes this will be easy. There will absolutely be stumbles and maybe a few wrong turns. The transition to higher standards will be choppy for everyone, including teachers, administrators, parents, and students.

But we can’t give up. We have to keep trying – keep getting better – keep pushing ourselves and each other. And when we encounter obstacles, we have to go over them, around them, or through them.

Let me tell you about Tennessee – which, like Maryland, was another Race to the Top winner.

A year ago, the state put in place a new statewide evaluation system. There was a lot of resistance. But instead of digging in their heels or retreating, the Tennessee Department of Education did the unthinkable for a government agency: They asked for feedback.

They met with 7,500 teachers around the state and surveyed 16,000 teachers and 1,000 administrators. They adapted and changed the evaluation system based upon all that feedback, and the results are already promising.

Meanwhile, a wonderful music teacher in Memphis named Dru Davison was so frustrated by his proposed evaluation that he also did the unthinkable. Working with his fellow arts educators, he helped create a blind, peer-review evaluation system for assessing teacher practice in the arts.

It proved so popular and effective that the entire district adopted it — and now the state itself is looking at doing the same.

This is the kind of initiative we want to support all across the nation: teachers rebuilding their own profession, holding themselves and each other accountable, and shaping their future in the classroom. And we need to proceed as quickly as possible.

Your fantastic new superintendent Dallas Dance talks about “deliberate excellence.” He knows kids only have one chance at a quality education.

Dr. Martin Luther King often talked about “the fierce urgency of now.” President Obama authorized waivers because we can’t wait for a divided Congress to act and fix a law that is so fundamentally broken.

Every day matters. Every day counts. That’s why, as a country, we’re asking more of ourselves, more of our principals and administrators, more of our students, more of their parents, and more of you.

We’re asking more from all of us because that is what it takes to get better. That is what it takes to fulfill the true promise of public education. This is what children desperately need.

Change is always hard, and top-down accountability too often feels punitive. At the end of the day, accountability comes from within – from teachers holding themselves to high standards because they take their profession seriously and want to see children succeed.

Let me tell you about a couple of extraordinary teachers I met.

Jamie Irish is a math teacher in New Orleans. He started teaching in the Bronx. But like many young teachers, he struggled to reach his low-income students. He felt overwhelmed. He switched to a private school — but then felt like he lost his purpose.

He finally found it again in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. He chose to work with the kids that many others had abandoned. He knew they were way behind. But he challenged them to outperform the selective enrollment school down the road.

He calls his students the Orange Crush. He wears an orange jumpsuit to inspire them. Most important, he’s reaching those kids. Children who no one believed in before are starting to believe in themselves.

His students are the fastest-gaining kids in the system and he’s been named teacher of the year in New Orleans. He’s been awarded the Fishman Prize for teaching by the New Teacher Project.

That prize is named for a current math teacher in D.C. named Shira Fishman. She is a former engineer who felt unfulfilled so she went into teaching nine years ago.

She has the highest ratings of any teacher in D.C. She’s the teacher of the year and she’s a Milken Award winner. She’s a mentor to younger teachers. And she coaches basketball.

She took a big pay cut to teach, and like some of you, she had to supplement her income waiting tables. How many doctors or lawyers have to wait tables on the side?

She acknowledges that teacher evaluation is stressful – but it’s necessary. In her own words, she says:

“Teachers who are struggling need to be helped. The ones that are continuously ineffective need to find a different career because it’s not good for the kids. Those that are good need to be acknowledged and used by the school to help everyone get better.”

Her philosophy of teaching is equally clear. It’s all about high expectations. She believes that if we keep raising the bar, our children will get over it– but only if we help them overcome their fear of failure.

Here in Baltimore County, and all across America, there are teachers like Shira Fishman. They are giving everything they have to their children, and asking for nothing in return, except for appreciation for their hard work and respect for their profession.

I have one last teacher story from right here in Maryland that illustrates the spirit, passion, and persistence of our classroom teachers.

Maddie Hanington teaches English in Gaithersburg. She was raised in the projects. Her parents are immigrants from Puerto Rico and she understands what it takes to help kids of color achieve.

She took a middle-school troublemaker on a path to failure and turned him into a science fair winner. More often than not, she dug into her own pocket for his lunch money.

Maddie is also a Milken Award winner. Her students are performing really well. She runs a book club for Latina girls – and she’s a mentor to her colleagues.

She’s everything we could ever want in a teacher. And she’s one of the three million reasons why this administration has the deepest respect and appreciation for you and your work. We believe in you and in the amazing power of education to transform lives.

We know the quality of a school system is only as good as the quality of its teachers and leaders. And we consider it our solemn duty to support you and honor your good work.

We also know that many of the changes underway are difficult and will take time. But we all have to meet this challenge together because the children who will be in front of you on Monday only get one chance at an education.

So as you begin the school year, please know that we are absolutely confident in you and in your ability to give all of our children the one thing they need to be successful in life: A world-class, well-rounded education.

Thank you.

U.S. Department of Education Awards $750,000 Grant for Research to Provide Opportunities for People with Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Education awarded a $750,000 grant to SEDL of Austin, Texas, to carry out activities to help people with disabilities through a Center on Knowledge Translation of Disability and Rehabilitation Research. This grant will develop resources for, support the training of, and provide technical assistance to disability and rehabilitation researchers to effectively communicate new research knowledge to people with disabilities and other stakeholders in a timely manner and in easy-to-understand formats.

“This grant will help to ensure that valuable new knowledge about how to improve the lives of those with disabilities gets to the hands of those who can use it to inform their decision-making,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “This project will support research and training that promote goals of inclusion, integration, employment and self-sufficiency – ultimately providing opportunities for individuals with disabilities and helping them achieve their full potential.”

The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), a component of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), is the main federal agency that supports applied research, training and development to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities.

More information on the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research is available at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/nidrr/index.html

Education Secretary Arne Duncan Names Six Members to National Assessment Governing Board

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the appointment of six education leaders from across the country to the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) for four-year terms. Two appointees were reappointed for a second term. The appointees include a school board director, former governor, state senator, education foundation president and CEO, testing expert, and non-public school representative.

Terms for all members officially begin October 1, 2012, and end September 30, 2016. The appointees will help set policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as The Nation’s Report Card. NAEP makes objective information on student performance available to policymakers and the public at the national, state, and local levels. Since 1969, NAEP has served an important purpose in evaluating the condition and progress of American education.

“The Governing Board plays a crucial role in ensuring that The Nation’s Report Card reflects the results of a challenging assessment of our K-12 students,” Duncan said. “We can be sure that the Board’s insight, wisdom and recommendations will help sustain the NAEP assessment as a barometer for what our students know and can do in the core subjects.”

In overseeing The Nation’s Report Card, the 26-member Governing Board – a group of governors, state legislators, state and local school officials, educators, researchers, business representatives, and members of the general public – determines subjects and content to be tested, sets the achievement levels for reporting scores, and releases the results to the public.

The slate of four newcomers includes a member of the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education, the president and chief executive officer of The Chicago Community Trust, a Harvard University assistant professor, and a Boston College tenured professor. Reappointed members Anitere Flores and Sonny Perdue serve, respectively, as a state senator based in Miami and a former governor of Georgia.

The new Board members and the categories they represent include:

• Rebecca Gagnon, Minneapolis, Director of the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education (local board of education representative): Since 2011, Gagnon has served as an elected board director of the district that includes 70 schools and 34,000 students, 70 percent of whom are minority. A parent of three children who attend Minneapolis Public Schools, Gagnon has served in a variety of paid and volunteer positions involving education and youth outreach, including as PTA president in Austin, Texas and as a parent volunteer in Singapore, working extensively with youth. She also has worked as a law clerk, legal research assistant, and event planner.
• Andrew Ho, Cambridge, Mass., Assistant Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (testing and measurement representative): At Harvard University since 2009, Ho conducts psychometric research on accountability metrics and teaches a variety of courses involving educational measurement and statistics. Over the years, Ho has extensively used NAEP data in research projects, publications, and presentations. His areas of analysis have included comparing score trends on NAEP and state tests and the testing of English language learners and students with disabilities. A recipient of numerous national awards and fellowships, he also is a member of the Future of NAEP Panel, appointed by the National Center for Education Statistics. Ho was a visiting scholar at Stanford University and served as an assistant professor of educational measurement and statistics at the University of Iowa.
• Terry Mazany, Chicago, President and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust (general public representative): Mazany oversees one of the nation’s largest community foundations that, over the past decade, has awarded more than $100 million in grant funds to nonprofit groups in the Chicago metropolitan area that aim to strengthen curriculum, improve teacher quality and principal leadership, and support the development of innovative school models. A 20-year veteran in education, Mazany has also served as the interim superintendent of Chicago Public Schools and as deputy and associate superintendent of Southfield Public Schools in Michigan and the Oakland Unified School District in California. Mazany also is a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
• Father Joseph O’Keefe, S.J. Chestnut Hill, Mass., Professor at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education (non-public school administrator or policymaker representative): Since 1992, O’Keefe has served as a professor and dean for the Lynch School, as well as a leader in the Catholic education community. He is a scholar of faith-related schools in the United States and abroad, with many faculty appointments. O’Keefe had a part in numerous publications, presentations, and grants related to Catholic education and other education policy topics. Through the Lynch School, O’Keefe was involved in projects that included teacher-effectiveness assessments and teacher-preparation curriculum. He also was responsible for the International Study Center for the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)/Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), which conducts large-scale assessments of academic achievement worldwide. His accolades include the F. Sadlier Dinger Award for contribution to Catholic education.

The continuing Board members and the categories they represent include:

• Anitere Flores, Miami, Florida State Senator (Republican state legislator): A state lawmaker for nearly a decade, Flores was elected to the Florida Senate in 2010, representing District 38, which consists of part of Miami-Dade County. From 2010 to 2012, she served as the Republican majority whip. Before her senatorial election, from 2004 to 2010, Flores represented District 114 in the Florida House of Representatives. She also served as Education Council policy chief from 2000 to 2002 in the state legislature and advised former Gov. Jeb Bush on statewide policies. From 2002 to 2004, Flores served as director of state relations for Florida International University. Her honors include the Florida Association of School Administrators’ Public Education Leader Award and the National Association of Social Workers’ Legislator of the Year.
• Sonny Perdue, Atlanta, Consultant and Former Governor of Georgia (Republican governor): From January 2003 until January 2011, Perdue served as Georgia’s governor. During his term, Perdue invested in long-term school reforms by creating new accountability measures and working to increase the high school graduation rate and students’ preparedness for college and careers. A former state senator, he also pushed for the development of a comprehensive longitudinal data system and supported measures to enhance the comparability of student achievement at national and international levels. Perdue serves as founding partner of Perdue Partners, LLC, an Atlanta-based global trading company that facilitates U.S. commerce through trading, partnerships, consulting services, and strategic acquisitions.

The members take office as the Governing Board is involved in several important initiatives, including research on how NAEP can be used as an indicator of 12th-grade academic preparedness for college and job training; NAEP parent engagement, with a focus on conveying the urgency of closing achievement gaps and improving student performance; innovative computer-based NAEP assessments; and studies linking NAEP with TIMSS.

More information about the Governing Board can be found at http://www.nagb.org. More information about The Nation’s Report Card can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/.

Education Department Invites Districts to Apply for $400 Million Race to the Top Competition to Support Classroom-Level Reform Efforts

The U.S. Department of Education announced today that it has finalized the application for the 2012 Race to the Top-District competition, which will provide nearly $400 million to support school districts in implementing local reforms that will personalize learning, close achievement gaps and take full advantage of 21st century tools that prepare each student for college and their careers. The program sets a high bar to fund those districts that have a track record of success, clear vision for reform, and innovative plans to transform the learning environment and accelerate student achievement.

“Race to the Top helped bring about groundbreaking education reforms in states across the country. Building off that success, we’re now going to help support reform at the local level with the new district competition,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “We want to help schools become engines of innovation through personalized learning so that every child in America can receive the world-class public education they deserve. The Race to the Top-District competition will help us meet that goal.”

Race to the Top, launched in 2009, has inspired dramatic education reform nationwide, leading 45 states and the District of Columbia to pursue higher college- and career-ready standards, data-driven decision making, greater support for teachers and leaders, and turnaround interventions in low performing schools. The next phase proposes to build on those principles at the classroom level to support bold, locally directed improvements in learning and teaching that will directly improve student achievement and educator effectiveness.

The Race to the Top-District competition invites applicants to demonstrate how they can personalize education for all students and is aimed squarely at classrooms and the all-important relationship between teachers and students. The competition will encourage transformative change within schools, providing school leaders and teachers with key tools and support in order to best meet their students’ needs.

The Department received about 475 public comments on the draft notice it shared in May. The 2012 final program criteria invites applications from districts or groups of districts proposing to serve at least 2,000 students with 40 percent or more qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Districts will choose to apply for funding to support learning strategies that personalize education in all or a set of schools, within specific grade levels, or select subjects. In addition, a districts must demonstrate a commitment to Race to the Top’s four core reform areas and have signoff on their plan from the district superintendent or CEO, local school board president, and local teacher union or association president (where applicable) in order to be eligible.

Applicants from all districts are invited to apply. The Department plans to support high-quality proposals from applicants across a variety of districts, including rural and non-rural as well as those already participating in a Race to the Top state grant and districts not participating. These 4-year awards will range from $5 million to $40 million, depending on the population of students served through the plan. The Department is expecting to make 15-25 awards.

Grantees will be selected based on their vision and capacity for reform as well as a strong plan that provides educators with resources to accelerate student achievement and prepare students for college and their careers. Plans will focus on transforming the learning environment so that it meets all students’ learning abilities, making equity and access to high-quality education a priority. Teachers will receive real-time feedback that helps them adapt to their students’ needs, allowing them to create opportunities for students to pursue areas of personal academic interest – while ensuring that each student is ready for college and their career.

The program also offers competitive preference to applicants that form partnerships with public and private organizations to sustain their work and offer services that help meet students’ academic, social, and emotional needs, as well as enhance their ability to succeed.

More information, including the finalized application for the Race to the Top-District competition, can be found at: www.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop-district. The Department is requesting interested districts to submit their intent to apply by Aug. 30, and will offer webinars and conference calls over the coming weeks to provide technical assistance. Applications are due Oct. 30, with awards being announced no later than Dec. 31, 2012.

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Calls to Participate

 

CADRE Survey on Parental Conflict and Special Education Decision Making

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/V786TK9
CADRE is developing a resource focusing on issues that families experience in times of high stress due to divorce or estrangement and strategies that can be used to assist them, particularly during the process of special education decision making. CADRE invites responses on a brief survey to assist them in developing this resource.

Inclusive Schools Network

http://tinyurl.com/7vguh9j
The Inclusive Schools Network seeks input from people who use or offer inclusive education services, to learn more about what kinds of information and services the Network could offer, and invites responses on a brief survey of opinions.

National School Safety Advocacy Council’s Conference on Bullying Seeks Session Proposals
http://tinyurl.com/8knek5f
The National School Safety Advocacy Council’s Annual National Conference on Bullying will be held February 27-March 1, 2013 in Orlando, Florida. Any professional with advanced knowledge and experience dealing with issues surrounding bullying is invited to submit session proposals or original research for presentation during the 2013 conference, to share effective models, policies, research and information and provide colleagues with insights and best practices addressing the bullying issues facing schools and communities. Deadline for proposals: October 19, 2012.

National Service-Learning Conference Seeks Proposals for Workshops
http://attendesource.com/profile/web/index.cfm?PKwebID=0x29850f48f
The 24th Annual National Service-Learning Conference seeks proposals for workshops. Workshops are the heart of the conference, providing professional development opportunities and showcasing service-learning projects from across the country. It is an opportunity to connect with people and share how a project was implemented, how it is connected to curriculum goals, and what makes it effective.

National Youth Leadership Council Requests Proposals for 24th Annual National Service-Learning Conference
http://attendesource.com/profile/web/index.cfm?PKwebID=0x29850f48f
The National Youth Leadership Council requests proposals for workshops and the service-learning showcase for the 24th Annual National Service-Learning Conference, March 13-15, 2013. Workshops provide professional development opportunities for youth and adults alike. The showcase highlights service-learning projects from across the country, providing opportunities to connect with people and share how a project was implemented, how it is connected to curriculum goals, and what makes it effective. Workshop proposals should offer innovative strategies grounded in research, focus on results, and be interactive. Deadline for proposals: September 21, 2012.

Department of Education Seeks Feedback on Vision for Results-Driven Accountability
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/rda/index.html
The Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is rethinking its accountability system in order to focus on results. OSEP’S vision for Results-Driven Accountability is that all components of accountability will be aligned in a manner to support states in improving results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities, and their families. OSEP invites the public to help re-conceptualize the accountability system.

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Special Education Resources

America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being 2012 (July 2012)
Report
http://childstats.gov/
The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, through the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) at the Institute for Education Sciences, part of the U.S. Department of Education, has released “America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2012,” a compendium of indicators depicting the latest data and recent trends among today’s children. The report highlights 14 of the report’s 41 key indicators on important aspects of children’s lives and features seven domains: family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, behavior, education, and health.

Autism and the iPad: Finding the Therapy in Consumer Tech (May 2012)
Newsletter
http://fctd.info/newsletters
The buzz about iPad “apps” (applications) is hard to miss, with an app for almost everything. The iPad apps are having an impact on the lives of many, including children and youth with disabilities. The May issue of FCTD’s Technology Voices interviews Sargent of the Lakeside Center for Autism in Seattle on their experience in using iPad apps with children, identifying apps which have been successful for them and discussing the needs of family members in supporting their children’s use of the device.

Fact Sheet for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities Interested in Starting a Career with the Federal Government
Fact Sheet
http://tinyurl.com/7v2ptgo
The Schedule A hiring authority can benefit youth and young adults with disabilities who have an interest in a career with the Federal government. It can also be a fast track way for Federal agencies to bring in talented individuals with disabilities. This fact sheet provides tips on understanding and using Schedule A. Schedule A is a hiring authority for Federal agencies to use to tap into a diverse and vibrant talent pool without going through the often-lengthy traditional hiring process. It allows eligible individuals to apply for a Federal appointment through a noncompetitive hiring process, without competing with the general public. Schedule A can be used to hire people in all professions from clerical staff to attorneys.

Improving the Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults: Out-of-School Time Programs That Have Significant Positive Impacts (July 2012)
Brief
http://www.childtrends.org/
Child Trends’ latest brief, “Improving the Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults: Out-of-School Time Programs That Have Significant Positive Impacts,” identifies 43 programs that have significant impacts on adolescent or young adult outcomes. The brief uses Child Trends’ online database of experimentally evaluated social interventions for children and youth, Lifecourse Interventions to Nurture Kids Successfully (LINKS), to identify programs with manuals that have positive impacts on a range of outcomes, such as behavior problems, physical health, and education. This list of effective programs for adolescents and young adults reflects progress in identifying programs and models that assist positive development.

NCWD/Youth, ODEP Webinar on New Soft Skills Curriculum (June 2012)
Archived Webinar
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/webinars#2012-06-Soft-Skills
NCWD/Youth and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) hosted a webinar on ODEP’s new curriculum, “Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success,” which focuses on teaching “soft” or workforce readiness skills to youth, including youth with disabilities. Created for youth development professionals as an introduction to workplace interpersonal and professional skills, the curriculum is targeted for youth ages 141-21 in both in-school and out-of-school environments. The program structure is modular, with hands-on activities that focus on six key skill areas: communication, enthusiasm and attitude, teamwork, networking, problem solving and critical thinking, and professionalism.

School Engagement Among Parents of Middle School Youth (May 2012)
Issue Brief
http://tinyurl.com/49xz2de
Most researchers, policymakers, and educators believe that children do better in school when their parents are involved in their education. However, there is no “gold standard” for how to engage parents. Schools often employ a broad range of “parent involvement” efforts, with little clear evidence about what works best and for whom. This issue brief uses data from Chapin Hall’s evaluation of the Elev8 full-service schools initiative to reflect on the efficacy of different parent engagement approaches during the middle school years.

Spotlight on Child Health Issues (July 2012)
Newsletter
http://www.medicalhomeinfo.org/about/newsletter/archive/#spotlight
The National Center for Medical Home Implementation’s e-publication, “Spotlight on Child Health Issues,” supplements their monthly “Medical Homes @ Work” e-newsletter and provides information and practical medical home resources for providers, families, and states regarding popular child health topics. The July issue focuses on Health Information Technology. Some other issue topics have been Mental Health (May 2012), Transitioning from a Pediatric to an Adult Medical Home (October 2011), and Child Care Programs (Spring 2011).

Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners: The Role of Noncognitive Factors in Shaping School Performance (June 2012)
Report
http://tinyurl.com/8ym9srv
“Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners: The Role of Noncognitive Factors in Shaping School Performance,” from the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research, summarizes research on five categories of non-cognitive factors related to academic performance: academic behaviors, academic perseverance, academic mindsets, learning strategies, and social skills; and discusses how these factors interact to affect academic performance, and the relationship between non-cognitive factors and classroom/school context, how non-cognitive factors matter for students’ long-term success, and how educators can support the development of non-cognitive factors within their schools and classrooms.

Division on Career Development and Transition Fact Sheets (2011)
Fact Sheets
http://www.dcdt.org/premium-publications/
The Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT) has developed Fact Sheets on Independent Living, Vocational Education, Self-Determination, Age-Appropriate Transition Assessment, Transition Planning, Competencies,, and Student Involvement in the IEP Process.

Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 2ast Century (2012)
Report
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13398
“Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21st Century,” from the National Research Council, discusses the key skills that increase deeper learning, college and career readiness, student-centered learning, and higher order thinking, including both cognitive and non-cognitive skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, effective communication, motivation, persistence, and learning to learn, as well as creativity, innovation, and ethics. All these are important to later success and may be developed in formal or informal learning environments. The report also describes how these skills relate to each other and to more traditional academic skills and content in the key disciplines of reading, mathematics, and science.

Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics on America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being (2012)
Report
http://childstats.gov
Each year since 1997, the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics has published a report on the well-being of children and families. Pending data availability, the Forum updates all 41 indicators annually on its web site and alternates publishing a detailed report, “America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being,” with a summary version that highlights selected indicators. The America’s Children series makes Federal data on children and families available in a nontechnical, easy-to-use format in order to stimulate discussion among data providers, policymakers, and the public.

GAO Report on Charter Schools & Students with Disabilities (June 2012)
Report
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-543
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report on “Charter Schools: Additional Federal Attention Needed to Help Protect Access for Students with Disabilities.” While the number of charter schools is growing rapidly, questions have been raised about whether charter schools are appropriately serving students with disabilities. GAO analyzed federal data on the number and characteristics of students with disabilities; visited charter schools and school districts in three states; and interviewed representatives of federal, state, and other agencies that oversee charter schools. GAO recommends that the Secretary of Education take measures to help charter schools recognize practices that may affect enrollment of students with disabilities by updating existing guidance and conducting additional fact finding and research.

Helping Over-Age, Under-Credited Youth Succeed: Making the Case for Innovative Education Strategies (July 2012)
Report
http://tinyurl.com/c4odb6b
Our Piece of the Pie’s report, “Helping Over-Age, Under-Credited Youth Succeed: Making the Case for Innovative Education Strategies,” highlights the challenges of helping over-age, under-credited youth, those students who have fallen behind in school and do not have the appropriate number of credits for their age and intended grade. Many of these students disengage from school entirely, becoming high school dropouts, or, at best, earning a high school equivalency degree. Because they are less likely to be employed and more likely to rely on government support systems, they place a significant burden on the state and individual taxpayers. This policy brief discusses these issues, as well as innovative education strategies and policy measures that can improve outcomes for these young people. Available in pdf (513 KB, 38 pp).

Making the Connections Report on What Intermediaries Do for Afterschool Programs (June 2012)
Report
http://tinyurl.com/bvvedwd
In “Making the Connections: A Report on the First National Survey of Out-of-School Time Intermediary Organizations,” the Collaboration for Building After-School Systems, with support from the Wallace Foundation, discusses the successes and challenges faced by organizations at the center of complex, cross-sector community change initiatives nationwide in advancing the quality, coordination and availability of afterschool programs.

National Endowment for the Arts on Benefits of Arts Education for At-Risk Youth (March 2012)
Report
http://www.nea.gov/news/news12/Arts-At-Risk-Youth.html
“The Arts and Achievement in At-Risk Youth: Findings from Four Longitudinal Studies,” a report by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), found that at-risk students who have access to the arts in or out of school tend to have better academic results, better workforce opportunities, and more civic engagement. The study reports these and other positive outcomes associated with high levels of arts exposure for youth of low socioeconomic status.

National High School College and Career Readiness (2012)
Database
http://www.betterhighschools.org/CCR/overview.asp
The National High School Center’s web page on College and Career Readiness derives from their scan of more than 70 organizations that address college and career readiness and identified more than 70 such organizations through a focus on policy, practice, advocacy, access and research. Through this scan, the Center identified three major strands of work and created a College and Career Development Organizer to help users examine the CCR landscape and each of the three strands. The Organizer is a tool that can support the development of strategies and initiatives to better prepare all students for college and careers. Additionally, the National High School Center has created tools and briefs to extrapolate on the College and Career Development Organizer and provide further insight into the wide field of college and career readiness initiatives.

National High School Knowledge Database (2012)
Database
http://www.betterhighschools.org/KnowledgeDataBase/
The National High School Center’s Knowledge Database is a repository for collected resources – research, tools, and products – that address a number of high school improvement areas that are important to the needs of stakeholders. Using its Tools and Products Review Criteria, the Center identifies research-supported tools and products to assist education consumers in locating credible and useful information. The National High School Center has also developed a comprehensive Research Review process to identify high-quality research on important high school improvement topics.

National Indian Education Study Reveals Varying Progress (July)
Report
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nies/
The National Indian Education Study (NIES) study reports that average math scores for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students attending Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools have improved since 2009; about one-half to two-thirds of fourth-and eighth-graders score at or above the Basic level in mathematics and reading. This NIES study of the educational achievement and experiences of AI/AN students also reveals details about these students’ cultural exposure, academic aspirations, school conditions, and curriculum. NIES is sponsored by the Office of Indian Education, within the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, and is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences.

National PTA’s Parents’ Guide to Student Success (2012)
Guide
http://www.pta.org/4446.htm
The National PTA has developed the “Parents’ Guide to Student Success” in response to the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics, now used in more than 40 states. Created by teachers, parents, education experts, and others from across the country, the standards provide clear, consistent expectations for what students should be learning in each grade to prepare for college and career. Guides are available in English and Spanish.

NCES Releases Report on Trends Among Young Adults Over Three Decades, 1974-2006 (July 2012)
Report
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2012345
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) at the Institute for Education Sciences, part of the U.S. Department of Education, has released “Trends Among Young Adults Over Three Decades, 1974-2006.” It describes patterns of continuity and change over time in four areas of the transition to adulthood among young adults as measured two years after their senior year of high school: postsecondary enrollment, labor force roles, family formation, and civic engagement. The analysis population is spring-term high school seniors in 1972, 1980, 1992, and 2004. The data come from four NCES-sponsored studies: the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS:72), High School and Beyond (HS&B), the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), and the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002). The percentage of young adults enrolled in postsecondary courses increased, as did the percentage who worked for pay while enrolled, and the association between expected levels of educational attainment and reported rates of voting.

NICHCY Webpage on States’ Assistive Technology Projects (2012)
Report
http://nichcy.org/laws/ata
The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) offers a webpage on the Assistive Technology Act, which was passed by Congress to promote providing Assistive Technology to persons with disabilities, so they can more fully participate in education, employment, and daily activities. The webpage provides connections with the law itself, a summary of its purposes and provisions, and information on each state’s Assistive Technology project funded under the Act.

NSTTAC New Annotated Bibliographies (2012)
Bibliographies
http://www.nsttac.org/content/annotated-bibliographies-0
The National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) has developed New resources available at www.nsttac.org. NSTTAC’s developed new annotated bibliographies on critical topics in transition planning, including Adjudicated Youth, Comprehensive Transition Programs, Mental Health and Transition Planning, and Transition Curricula. These and others are available on their website.

SAMHSA Releases Toolkit for Suicide Prevention in High Schools (2012)
Toolkit
http://www.store.samhsa.gov/shin/content//SMA12-4669/SMA12-4669.pdf
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released “Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for High Schools.” The toolkit provides strategies to help high schools, school districts, and their partners design and implement strategies to prevent suicide and promote behavioral health among their students. It includes information on screening tools, warning signs and risk factors, statistics, and parent education materials. Available in pdf (3.81 MB, 230 pp).

The American Family Assets Study (2012)
Report
http://tinyurl.com/9f5c55m
Building on 20 years of developmental assets research, Search Institute conducted a national research study to identify a set of “Family Assets” in nurturing relationships, establishing routines, maintaining expectations, adapting to challenges, and connecting to the community, that make a major difference in the lives of both children and parenting adults. The more of these Family Assets families experience, the better off family members are: more satisfied with their lives, healthier, and more engaged with the community around them. Children from families with more of these assets are more likely to learn at school and develop close relationships with others. Available in pdf (1.30 MB, 180 pp).

Universal Design for Learning: Implications and Applications in UT Knoxville FUTURE Program (2012)
Brief
http://www.thinkcollege.net/premium-publications/insight-briefs
“Universal Design for Learning: Implications and Applications in UT Knoxville FUTURE Program” is a “Think College! Insight” brief on the University of Tennessee’s experiences in using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to increase access to higher education for diverse learners, including students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD). It provides an overview of UDL, discusses how it is supported in the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, and shares strategies for using UDL in college programs for students with ID/DD

US Department of Education Parent & Family Engagement Resources (2012)
Database
http://www.ed.gov/parent-and-family-engagement
The Department of Education is has launched a new parent web page that provides resources aimed at parent and family engagement. This addition to ED’s site is a resource for those interested in learning more and getting involved in their child’s education.

Web Accessibility: Guidelines for Administrators (2012)
Report
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Technology/web_admin.html
“Web Accessibility: Guidelines for Administrators,” from Washington University, provides information on how administrators in educational institutions, libraries, companies, and other organizations can ensure that the websites their employees create and maintain are accessible to people with disabilities. Even without technical expertise themselves, administrators can guide direct their staff in developing websites accessible to everyone.

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Update from the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

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Latest Employment Opportunities Posted on NASET

Teacher

Bloomingdale, Illinois

Job Category: Teacher – Special Education

Description:

Marklund makes everyday life possible for individuals with profound disabilities by honoring their unique purpose. Those we serve are able to enjoy a full and meaningful life supported by a compassionate, nurturing environment; a strong partnership with the community; and an unmatched dedication to personal growth.

We are seeking an exceptional candidate for the position of Teacher. This position will be based out of the Day School located in Marklund Children’s Home in Bloomingdale, IL. This is a twelve (12) month teaching position.

Responsibilities include:

• Provide clear lesson plans.
• Provide appropriate teaching methods and materials.
• Manage classroom orientation.
• Evaluate students.
• Document student progress and attendance.
• Prepare students for annual testing.
• Attend IEP/IPP meetings on an ongoing basis.
• Communicate with parents, QMRP, nurse, school district and administration.
• Supervise all areas of student care.
• Manage behavior programs.
• Consult with therapist on an ongoing basis.
• Work with nursing staff to ensure medical integrity of all students.

Requirements:

Education: Must be a graduate of an accredited college and have proper and current Illinois teaching credentials.

Training and/or experience: Experience with severe/profound population. Ability to understand students unique needs and react effectively to their needs. Superior interpersonal and communication skills.

Licensure, Registration, and/or Certification: Must include LBS 1 certification. Must meet state guidelines for school accreditation.

Equipment, Machines, Tools: Computer, fax, copier, Windows, Word, Excel, Outlook.

Benefits:

Join Marklund to see what it is like to work for a facility that cares equally about its developmentally disabled residents and its remarkable employees!

Contact:

Please send resume to JNelson@marklund.org, or fax to 630-593-5481.

Website www.marklund.org

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Director, Special Education

Maple Grove, MN

Job Category: Director

Data Recognition Corporation is a privately-owned education assessment company, headquartered in Maple Grove, MN. Due to continuous growth, we are currently seeking a Director of Special Education.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop comprehensive plan to manage test accommodation needs and requirements to support DRC’s offering, especially on-line assessment tools
• Develop and manage panel of experts in key fields to support work and offering
• Provide senior-level guidance to Test Development team related to special education content
  • As assigned, oversee all steps in the item and test development process for assigned domain(s), including, but not limited to, the following: Developing assessment blueprints, item specifications, Developing assessment-specific style guides; Writing, reviewing, revising, and editing items for an assessment and/or assigned project; Developing scoring guidelines and rubrics for constructed-response and performance assessments; Developing scripts for audio; Supporting the development of test ancillaries for a given assessment or specific domain (test directions, practice tests, accommodations manuals, etc.)
  • As needed, facilitate state committee reviews, including content item and bias reviews, alignment studies, and standard-settings

• Provide support to proposal writing team
• Support Education Program Management, providing advice and expertise to client states
• Provide ongoing research on trends and changes on educational assessment and the accommodations required to support balanced assessment programs for all students; serve as internal expert on accommodations and special populations
• Represent DRC in key industry groups and organizations; drive policy agenda related to accommodations

Requirements

• MS in education or related field, PhD in education or related field preferred
• Minimum of five years of teaching experience K-12 or related experience, including knowledge of teaching “best practices” and/or related experience in his/her field of expertise
• Extensive knowledge in a specific field of special education, including curriculum and instruction and national and state-specific curriculum standards
• Experience/knowledge of issues related to large-scale assessment of students with special needs
• Experience in writing and editing test items and ancillary assessment materials
• General knowledge of test publishing industry standards
• Experience working in teams and providing support to teams
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills
• Ability to solve problems and find solutions to complex issues when writing, reviewing, and/or revising items
• Ability to adjust to changing circumstances and direction as required
• Self-directed and proactive in implementing tasks, while team building and networking to ensure adequate and timely communications with affected staff and management

Benefits

DRC offers a comprehensive benefits program that allows employees to make choices that best meet their current and future needs including Choice of medical and dental plans, flexible spending accounts, 401K savings plan, Profit Sharing, Short- and long-term disability plans, three weeks paid vacation, generous paid holiday schedule, health club reimbursement, workout facilities at select locations/locker rooms, wellness rooms, on-site Weight Watchers® program. fitness classes, on-site massage, and community service hours

Contact

Shannon Vento – Senior Director, HR, 763-268-2000, www.datarecognitioncorp.com

 

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AUTO SHOP TEACHER

Country Club Hills, IL

Job Category: Full Time

Description:

Teach kids more than automotive skills. Show them the rewards of self-motivation.

Your skills can have a tremendous impact on the lives of the students you teach—especially when the lessons include more than technical skills. Take this opportunity to help at-risk children learn about autos, and that someone truly cares. Help troubled children find a strong vehicle for the future with Country Club Hills Tech & Trade Center, an affiliate of The Menta Group, which serves emotional/behavioral/academically disabled students in the South and Southwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois.

About Country Club Hills Tech & Trade Center:

The CCH team is a caring group of educational and clinical specialists who have committed themselves to making success an option for all young people. Academic instruction is given a high priority, and in order to increase the likelihood of student success, a diverse group of professionals are employed, each with unique talents and a strong dedication to educating young people who are challenged by traditional instruction. Vocationally oriented classes and community-based job placement allow students to experience the world of work and practice the interpersonal skills that will serve them throughout their lives. CCH is a private educational facility approved by the Illinois State Board of Education. (ISBE 14-7.02). Programming is designed for special education students who are 15 to 21 years of age. This career-path high school program provides a variety of school-to-work options for special education students and is an ideal academic setting for adolescents who are preparing to become both literate and self-sufficient.

Your Opportunity:

We seek an Auto Shop Teacher for high school classes with specialized State of Illinois Certification, who can also teach special-needs students with an emphasis on work skills as a basis for a career path curriculum. The ideal candidate will be qualified to teach career paths classes with an emphasis in auto mechanics and body repair, and be willing to be trained to work with severely behavior/emotional-disordered students.

Job Requirements:

LBS1, Type 10, Type 09 and/or 34 State of Illinois Certifications encouraged to apply.
State Teaching Certification in Special Education.
Preferably high school certified.
Ability to teach in a self-contained classroom for a full teaching day with youth having behavioral, emotional, and high risk behaviors is important.
You must be 23 years of age with a valid driver license.

Benefits:

This position offers an access to medical, dental, vision plans, 403(b), sick pay, holiday pay, and personal/vacation days. The salary range is comparable for the position and area, depending upon certification and qualifications. All of our programs post their open teaching positions on our website and feature an easy-to-complete application process.

Employment is contingent upon a background check, approved driving record, employment physical and drug screen.

Contact:

Apply online at:

www.thementagroup.org/careers/apply

Fax to 708-798-9756

john.ritchey@menta.com

EOE

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Special Education Classroom Teacher Assistant

Joliet, IL

Job Category: Full Time

Description:

Special Education Teacher
Thompson Instructional Center
K-8

Special Education Services, a member of The Menta Group, offers elementary, middle, and high school programming to special education students residing in the mid-state Illinois and the Chicago metro area; and the Maricopa and Pinal County areas of Arizona. Elementary and middle school curricula emphasize real-world, community-based learning. Classrooms are designed to be active learning environments where young people have the opportunity to experience educational and behavioral success on a regular basis.

Thompson Instructional Center provides an enriched educational environment for students in grades K – 8. The bright hallways and large classrooms are ideal for active learning and the school’s curriculum promotes positive growth and development. Both regular and special education students benefit from the school’s staff of committed educators and clinicians. Educational options are flexible at Thompson, ensuring that the individual needs of each student can be addressed.

Background:

Thompson Instructional Center is a public-private partnership between Joliet Public Schools District 86 and Special Education Services.

Qualifications:

• Type LBS1/Special Education State of Illinois certified at the elementary and middle school level
• Comprehensive training, experience, and mentoring in curriculum area
• Ability to teach a self-contained classroom within all basic instructional areas
• Ability to work a regular school day and the ability to work with youth with emotional/behavioral/academic difficulties
• Employment is contingent upon a background check, employment physical and drug screen
• Bi-lingual applicants are encouraged to apply.

Benefits:

This position offers an access to medical, dental, vision plans, 403(b), sick pay, holiday pay, and personal days. The salary range is comparable for the position and area, depending upon certification and qualifications. All of our programs post their open teaching positions on our web-site and feature an easy-to-complete application process.

Contact:

Apply online:

www.thementagroup.org/careers/apply OR

E-mail: danyell.taylor-johnson@menta.com OR

Fax: (815) 774-5866; Attn.: Danyell Taylor-Johnson

EOE

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Construction Trades Teacher

Tolleson/Phoenix, AZ

Job Category: Full Time

Description:

The most important thing you’ll ever build: the confidence of at-risk children. CONSTRUCTION TRADES TEACHER Tolleson/Phoenix, AZ

Imagine the difference you can make in the lives of others by using your construction skills in a new and truly rewarding way: teaching a group of challenged kids how to become more confident in their ability to achieve their goals. That’s exactly what you’ll have the opportunity to do with Southwest Academy in Tolleson, and Southwest Education Center in Phoenix, where some very special students need your expertise, patience, and caring attitude.

About Southwest Academy in Tolleson and Southwest Education Center in Phoenix:As members of The Menta Group, each of these highly regarded facilities has a special education services school with a kindergarten-through-12th-grade therapeutic educational services program for at-risk and behavior/emotional-developmentally disabled children living in and around the metro area of Pinal and Maricopa Counties, Arizona.

Your Opportunity:

The outgoing, motivational leader we select will be passionate about sharing knowledge of the construction trade—and compassionate enough to ensure that these children succeed not only in the classroom, but in life. This individual will split instructional time between the two programs, and be responsible for the classroom instruction and hands-on application of basic carpentry, project-specific rough-and-finish, including the basics of residential house wiring, plumbing, and HVAC.

Splitting time between onsite training and field trips to job sites and/or manufacturers, and trade schools in the South & Southwestern Phoenix metro areas, this individual will be part of a team that is responsible for setting up a basic shop, maintaining equipment in safe working order, and general shop-safety instruction of students. This professional will collaborate with academic teachers to provide the educational and vocational skills required for students to achieve high school graduation. Additional responsibilities include the development of projects to practice and hone skills developed during the school year.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in industrial or emerging technologies with 240 verified hours in the field
• Certificate in a non-CTE area with 240 verified work hours
• Business and industry professional with 1000 verified hours of work in the field

Benefits:

This position offers an access to medical, dental, vision plans, 403(b), sick pay, holiday pay, and personal/vacation days. The salary range is comparable for the position and area, depending upon certification and qualifications. All of our programs post their open teaching positions on our website and feature an easy-to-complete application process.

Contact:

For more information and to apply online, visit us at: www.thementagroup.org/careers/apply

Contact:

Tolleson, AZ:

Send resume to: dawn.massani@menta.com

Fax: (623) 478-5026

OR:

Contact:

Phoenix, AZ: mitch.henderson@menta.com

Fax: (602) 248-2937

EOE

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Behavior Technician / Teaching Assistant

Nokomis, IL

Job Category: Full Time

Description:

Special Education Services (SES), an affiliate of The Menta Group, is a non-profit agency serving K-12 high-risk children in Illinois and Arizona. With its no refusal, no suspension, no expulsion policy, SES students attend school daily regardless of their behavior. A continuum of services is offered to meet the educational needs of special needs, at-risk and high-risk public school students. Small class size, intensive clinical services, and a competently trained staff of educators combine to make this a positive and dynamic place to learn. All children have a right to quality education services.

We are currently seeking qualified applicants for the position of Behavior Technician/ Teaching Assistant for Cornerstone Academy, an Alternative Education School located in Nokomis, Illinois. Successful candidates will be creative, energetic and eager to develop and implement innovative solutions to critical problems in education. This Technician will be working in an atmosphere where data-driven decision making and teamwork is the norm.

Duties of the Behavior Technician / Teaching Assistant consist of:

• Lead or co-teach a class of students with behavior/emotional/social/learning disorders.
• Provide behavior support in self-contained classroom.
• Prepare and adapt materials for use in the classroom.
• Communicate behavioral concerns of students to appropriate staff.
• Implement and maintain behavioral program policies and data.
• Attend all staff meetings and in-service training as requested.
• Maintain classroom order, safety, and materials.

Benefits:

This position offers an access to medical, dental, vision plans, 403(b), sick pay, holiday pay, and personal/vacation days. The salary range is comparable for the position and area, depending upon certification and qualifications.

Qualifications:

• State Certified Paraprofessional preferred.
• College Associates Degree/two years college classes.
• High School Diploma or GED.
• Ability to obtain CPI Certification
• At least 23 years of age.
• Previous experience working with special needs children
• Must be able to lift at least 50 lbs
• Clean driving record/must be able to drive student van

Contact:

Apply online at:

www.thementagroup.org/careers/apply OR

Fax: 217-563-7606, Attn.: Barbara Daugherty OR

E-mail: Barb.daugherty@menta.com

EOE

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New Opportunities for Therapists & Teachers!

Plainview, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens

Job Category:

Description:

Whether you are just beginning or continuing your career, All About Kids™ provides endless opportunities to meaningfully develop your professional skills within a reputable organization built on honesty and integrity.

All About Kids™ is Seeking to Hire NYS Qualified Professionals for Home/Community Based, Facility Based, & District Assignments to Provide:

Evaluations & Services for Infants and Toddlers, Preschoolers, and School Age Children throughout:

• All 5 boroughs of New York City • All of Long Island • Westchester • Orange, & • Putnam.

We Are Seeking Monolingual/Bilingual Candidates in All Language Areas To Join Our Exceptional Team.

Requirements:

Each candidate must hold the appropriate professional credentials for New York State:

THERAPISTS:

• Speech/Language Therapists (TSSLD or TSHH Required)
• CF’s-Clinical Fellow Year Candidates- (All About Kids provides Clinical Fellowship Supervisory Plans for licensure in Speech. TSSH or TSSLD Required)
• Occupational Therapist
• Physical Therapists
• NYS Licensed Psychologists
• Licensed Clinical Social Workers
• Education Vision Therapists
• Nutritionists

TEACHERS:

• ASL Teachers
• Special Education Teachers
• Special Education Teachers for ABA (will train)
• Teachers of The Deaf & Hearing Impaired
• Teachers of The Visually Impaired

New Graduates Supported with Professional Mentoring.

Opportunities for NYC DOE Employees in EI As Well As Additional Programs Outside of NYC.

All About Kids™ rates have recently been revised and are very competitive. We offer flexible schedules part-time and full-time, and strive to keep your caseload full. Candidates should be knowledgeable of the NYSDOH and CPSE/CSE standards and guidelines for evaluations and services.

Start your Career Today!

Contact:

E-Mail Resume & Areas You Are Available to Work In To:

HR@allaboutkidsny.com or Fax: 516/349-0961

All About Kids™ is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Veterans welcome.

www.allaboutkidsny.com

 

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Funding Forecast and Award Opportunities

 

Forecast of Funding Opportunities under the Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 2012-2013
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 2012-2013 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.

Forecast of Funding Opportunities under the Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 2012-2013
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 2013 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 2012 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.

FY 2012 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.

Kids In Need Foundation Teacher Grants to Support Innovative Classroom Projects
http://www.kinf.org/grants/
The Kids In Need Foundation’s, Kids In Need program offers Teacher Grants of up to $500 to provide K-12 educators with funding to provide innovative learning opportunities for their students. The awards are intended to be used to finance creative classroom projects. The number of grants awarded varies from year to year, depending on the total amount of funds requested. Typically, 300-600 grants are awarded annually. The criteria for applications emphasize innovativeness and merit, clarity of objectives, replication feasibility, suitability of evaluation methods, and cost effectiveness. All certified K-12 teachers in the United States are eligible. Deadline: September 30, 2012.

Lockheed Martin: Grants for Education
http://tinyurl.com/78jcxth
Lockheed Martin provides grants for K-16 Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education. This includes Lockheed Martin’s K-12 STEM Education Initiative, Engineers in the Classroom, as well as STEM-focused curricular and extracurricular programs that provide employee engagement opportunities in a community in which Lockheed Martin has employees or business interests. Maximum award: varies. Eligibility: 501(c)(3) organizations that deliver standards-based science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to students in K-16. Deadline: rolling.

Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Improvement Project Grants
http://www.toolboxforeducation.com/
Grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded to K-12 public schools and affiliated parent groups working to improve school facilities and encourage parent involvement and community spirit in their local schools. Funded by the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation, these awards support school improvement projects at K-12 public schools in the United States. Preferred are funding requests that have a permanent impact such as facility enhancement (both indoor and outdoor), and landscaping/cleanup projects, as well as projects that encourage parent involvement and build stronger community spirit, such as reading gardens, vegetable gardens, physical fitness areas, school landscaping projects, school nature trails, parent involvement centers, peer tutoring centers, playgrounds, and rotating student art exhibits. (Grant money cannot be used to pay for memorials, stipends, salaries, artists in residence, field trips, scholarships, or third-party funding.) Grant requests must be between $2,000 and $5,000 per school. Deadline for submitting applications for the fall 2012 grant cycle: October 12, 2012. (However, if 1,500 or more applications are received before the deadline, then the application process will close.)

MetLife/NASSP: National Principal of the Year
http://www.nassp.org/Awards-and-Recognition/Principal-of-the-Year
The MetLife/National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) National Principal of the Year honors secondary school principals who have provided high-quality learning opportunities for students and demonstrated exemplary contributions to the profession. Maximum award: $5,000. Eligibility: any principal, headmaster, or leader of a public or private middle-level or high school from the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, or the U.S. Department of State Office of Overseas Schools. Middle-level and high schools are defined as those containing some portion of grades 6 through 12; candidates must have been principals for three years or longer. Each candidate must be a principal (or headmaster) and member of NASSP and his or her state affiliate association at the time of selection as state principal of the year. For national finalists, these conditions must also be met at the time of national principal of the year interviews in August and at the national winner announcements in September. Deadline: varies by state; see website.

NASSP/Virco: Assistant Principle of the Year
http://www.nassp.org/Awards-and-Recognition/Assistant-Principal-of-the-Year
The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)/Virco, Inc., National Assistant Principal of the Year program recognizes outstanding middle-level and high school assistant principals who have demonstrated success in leadership, curriculum, and personalization. Maximum award: $5,000. Eligibility: any assistant principal or equivalent (e.g., vice principal, associate principal, or dean) of a public or private middle school or high school who has been an assistant principal at one or more middle-level or high schools for a minimum of two years and is a member of NASSP and their state affiliate association. Deadline: varies by state; see website.

National Science Teachers Association Awards for Excellence in Inquiry-Based Science Teaching
http://www.nsta.org/about/awards.aspx?lid=tnavhp#delta
The Delta Education/Frey-Neo/CPO Science Awards for Excellence in Inquiry-based Science Teaching will recognize and honor three full-time PreK-12 teachers of science who successfully use inquiry-based science to enhance teaching and learning in their classroom. Maximum award: $1,500 towards expenses to attend the NSTA National Conference, and $1,500 for the awardee. Eligibility: PreK-12 teachers of science. Deadline: November 30, 2012.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Juvenile Justice Reform and Reinvestment Demonstration Program and Evaluation of the Juvenile Justice Reform and Reinvestment Initiative
http://www.ojjdp.gov/funding/FundingList.asp
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has announced two funding opportunities: The Juvenile Justice Reform and Reinvestment Demonstration Program will provide funding for three state or local juvenile justice administering agencies to develop and implement a set of evidence-based and cost-measurement tools intended to improve outcomes for justice-involved youth while also saving money. The Evaluation of the Juvenile Justice Reform and Reinvestment Initiative will provide funding for a comprehensive process and outcome evaluation of the Juvenile Justice Reform and Reinvestment Initiative. Deadline for both: August 23, 2012.

Project Ignition Grants to be Available
http://www.sfprojectignition.com/
Car crashes are the number one cause of death for adolescents. “Project Ignition” brings together students, teachers and communities to create change and save lives. The National Youth Leadership Council® and State Farm® have announced the availability of $2,000 Project Ignition grants to public high schools to address teen driver safety through service-learning. Information on past projects and tips on how to apply are provided on the website. Deadline for applications: November 15, 2012.

Target launches $5 Million Education Initiative
https://givewith.target.com/
Target Corp. has announced a $5 million initiative to support public schools in need. Through the Give With Target campaign, Target will select a hundred schools to receive grants of $25,000 in time for the start of the 2012-13 school year. Grant recipients will be announced in August. Four schools also will receive a visit from the Bullseye Bus, Target volunteers, and Disney Channel actress Bridgit Mendler. Target invites Facebook users to vote for a school of their choice, with the company donating a $25 gift card for every twenty-five votes a school receives, up to a maximum donation of $10,000 per school. Deadline for voting: September 8, 2012.

AIAA Foundation: Grants for Excellence in Math, Science, Technology, and Engineering
https://www.aiaa.org/Secondary.aspx?id=4184
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Foundation Classroom Grants encourage excellence in educating students about math, science, technology, and engineering. Eligibility: current AIAA Educator Associate or AIAA Professional members actively engaged as K-12 classroom educators. Maximum award: $200. Deadline: rolling.

P. Buckley Moss Foundation: Grants for Incorporation of the Arts
http://www.mossfoundation.org/national-educators-awards-and-grants
The P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children’s Education makes grants for new or evolving programs that integrate the arts into educational programming. The purpose is to aid and support teachers who wish to establish an effective learning tool using the arts in teaching children who learn differently. Maximum award: $1,000. Eligibility: programs for children K-12. Deadline: September 30, 2012.

Siemens/College Board: 2010 Siemens Competition

http://www.collegeboard.com/siemens/
The Siemens Competition seeks to promote excellence by encouraging students to undertake individual or team research projects. It fosters intensive research that improves students’ understanding of the value of scientific study and informs their consideration of future careers in these disciplines. Maximum award: $100,000. Eligibility: high school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Deadline: October 1, 2012.

CVS Grants
http://info.cvscaremark.com/community/our-impact/community-grants
The CVS Caremark Community Grants Program focuses on inclusive programs and programs for children with disabilities under age 21; academic and enrichment programs at public schools; and programs that provide access to quality health care services and health education for at-risk and underserved populations of all ages. Grants of up to $5,000 go to organizations that have a CVS in the area. Application deadline: October 31, 2012.

NCTM: Improving Students’ Understanding of Geometry Grants
http://www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx?id=1324
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Improving Students’ Understanding of Geometry grant is to develop activities that will enable students to better appreciate and understand some aspect of geometry that is consistent with the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics of NCTM. The project should include applications of geometry to art, literature, music, architecture, nature, or some other relevant area, and may integrate the use of technology into the teaching of geometry. Proposals must address: geometry content, the appropriateness of the application, the link between the Geometry Standard and the project’s activities, and the anticipated impact on students’ learning. Maximum award: $4,000. Eligibility: teachers preK-8 who are NCTM members as of October 15, 2012, or teach at a school with a preK-8 NCTM school membership as of October 15, 2012. Deadline: November 9, 2012.

NCTM: Using Mathematics to Teach Music

http://www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx?id=1318
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) offers Using Mathematics to Teach Music grants to encourage the incorporation of music into the elementary school classroom to help young students learn mathematics. Any acquisition of equipment must support the proposed plan but not be the primary focus of the grant. Proposals must address: the combining of mathematics and music; the plan for improving students’ learning of mathematics; and the anticipated impact on students’ achievement. Maximum award: $3,000. Eligibility: individual classroom teachers or small groups of teachers currently teaching mathematics in grades PreK-2 level who are also (as of October 15, 2012) Full Individual or e-Members of NCTM or teach in a school with a current (as of October 15, 2012) NCTM PreK-8 school membership. Deadline: November 9, 2012.

Nestlé USA: Very Best in Youth Program

http://verybestinyouth.nestleusa.com/About/Default.aspx
The Nestlé USA Very Best in Youth Program honors young people ages 13-18 who have excelled in school and who are making their community and the world a better place. Maximum award: $1,000. Eligibility: youth ages 13 and 18 years of age who demonstrate good citizenship, a strong academic record, and can show how they have made a special contribution to their school, church, or the community. Entrants must have permission from a parent or legal guardian to submit nomination. Deadline: November 8, 2012.

Humane Society of the United States: Education Mini-Grant
http://www.humanesociety.org/parents_educators/award/humane_education_mini_grant.html
The Humane Society of the United States is accepting applications for the 2012 Humane Education Mini-Grant, to fund innovative humane education opportunities in K-12 classrooms. Maximum award: $1,000. Eligibility: all certified K-12 teachers in the U.S. Deadline: November 30, 2012.

Target Launches $5 Million Giving Competition with “Ellen DeGeneres Show”
http://ellen.warnerbros.com/schoolgiving/
Target will distribute $5 million in grants of $100,000 each to elementary and secondary schools recommended by viewers of the “Ellen DeGeneres Show,” as part of its pledge to distribute $1 billion in support of education by the end of 2015. To participate, viewers must submit through the show’s Web site the name of a school that needs help and a compelling story that explains why the school should receive a grant. From those submissions, Target will select fifty schools to receive a grant, which can be used for new books, upgraded technology, and other efforts designed to improve the school’s learning environment. In addition, two schools will be featured on the “Ellen DeGeneres Show.” No deadline for application listed.

Fund for Teachers: Grants
http://www.fundforteachers.org/about-us.php
The Fund for Teachers provides funds for direct grants to teachers to support summer learning opportunities of their own design. Maximum award: $5,000. Eligibility: teachers who work with students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12, with a minimum of three years teaching experience, full-time, spending at least 50 percent of the time in the classroom at the time grants are approved and made. Deadline: varies by state.

Open Society Foundations’ Youth Initiative Seeks Proposals to Curate Web Pages at Youthpolicy.org
http://www.youthpolicy.org/blog/2011/09/call-for-curation-proposals/
The Open Society Foundations’ Youth Initiative seeks proposals from NGOs for up to $10,000 to develop and curate thematic pages on Youthpolicy.org, an online youth portal and community. The Web site aims to consolidate knowledge and information on youth policies across the world. Potential themes for Web site pages:, Participation and Citizenship, Activism and Volunteering, Children and Youth Rights, Global Drug Policy, Community Work, Research and Knowledge, Informal Learning, Environment and Sustainability, Multiculturalism and Minorities, Justice, etc. Proposals must outline how the theme will be addressed, how content will be produced on a regular basis, how and how many contributing authors and bloggers will be involved, and how users interested in the theme will be driven to and engaged at the site. Organizations seeking funding must be registered NGOs. Grants will not be made to individuals or for-profit entities. Proposals must be submitted in English and will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Best Buy: Teach @15 Award
http://www.bestbuy-communityrelations.com/teach_awards.htm
The Teach@15 Award program improves classroom learning by helping schools (grades 7-12) meet their technology needs. A teen member (age 13-18) who is a registered member on www.at15.com can nominate his/her school to win a Teach@15 Award. Maximum award: $1,500 in the form of Best Buy Gift Cards. Eligibility: accredited, nonprofit junior or senior public, private, parochial, magnet, and charter high schools in the U.S. serving any grades 7-12. Deadline: ongoing.

NEA Foundation and Consortium for School Networking Invite Ideas for Mobile Phone Education Innovations
http://tinyurl.com/28vmvu5
The NEA Foundation’s newest C2i challenge, conducted in partnership with the Consortium for School Networking, is inviting ideas for mobile phone technology that can transform teaching and learning. The foundation will award grants of $1,000 to as many as five individuals who post the best ideas on the C2i page at the U.S. Department of Education’s Open Innovation Portal. The solutions selected will be shared by the NEA Foundation and CoSN via multiple outlets. The C2i challenge is open to public school educators, students, and others with an interest in improving public education. Proposed solutions must effectively incorporate smart phones or cell phones. Portal registrants can also review, comment, and vote on the posted solutions.

AIAA Foundation: Grants for Excellence in Math, Science, Technology and Engineering
http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=244
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Foundation Classroom Grants encourage excellence in educating students about math, science, technology, and engineering. Eligibility: current AIAA Educator Associate or AIAA Professional members actively engaged as K-12 classroom educators. Maximum award: $200. Deadline: rolling.

USGA/Alliance: Grants for the Good of the Game
http://www.accessgolf.org/grants/alliance_grants.cfm
The National Alliance for Accessible Golf (Alliance) and the United States Golf Association (USGA), believing golf should be open to everyone, support a wide variety of programs that create opportunities for individuals with disabilities to participate in the sport. They especially encourage inclusive programming – opportunities that allow participants with disabilities and participants without disabilities to learn and play the game side by side. Maximum award: $20,000. Eligibility: tax-exempt, nonprofit organizations as defined under Section 501(c)3 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code or government entities such as public schools or municipalities. Deadline: rolling.

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Book Review: Swagger: 10 Urgent Rules for Raising Boys in an Age of Failing Schools by Lisa Bloom

Abstract

It is no surprise that boys are growing up in a world that lures them in the wrong direction.  This book review evaluates Swagger:10 Urgent Rules for Raising Boys in an Age of Failing Schools written by Lisa Bloom. The paper comments on four dimensions: failing schools; a failing economy; the negative aspects of a culture promoted by the music (TV and movie) industry; and an economy of incarceration. It also discusses how parents can keep their sons on the right track. The paper effortlessly examines girls versus boy’s achievement in education. Furthermore, my thought provoking views on the subjects presented are honest, researched and boldly impassioned.

Swagger: 10 Urgent Rules for Raising Boys in an Age of Failing Schools

If you’re interested in a hard-hitting, information-packed, passionate examination of how our American culture is impacting boys in the beginning of this 21st century, Swagger: 10 Urgent Rules for Raising Boys in an Age of Failing Schools will shake you up.  Lisa Bloom is not the first person to sound this alarm.  Educators have been aware of the dismal statistics concerning the achievement of males in our school systems. This book, however, is a clarion call to all who have sons, grandsons, nephews, brothers, students, and etc.  Boys drop out of school more that girls do, they are twice as likely to be retained in a grade,  and girls are now outperforming boys at every level of school, graduating in significantly greater numbers and with better grades and test scores (Bloom, 2012).  The ramifications to American society in the next twenty to thirty years will be dire without collective intervention. Swagger: 10 Urgent Rules for Raising Boys in an Age of Failing Schools, begins with Lisa Bloom explaining why she wrote a book about boys. When asked should we be concerned about girls, she retorts, “Hell, yes, we should!”  This is not a boy or girl proposition.  Bloom has written about girls in the past.  It is the author’s attempt not to “traffic gender stereotypes”, but to “open a window into their world, supported by interviews, facts, and data, and to provide workable, boy-tested solutions.”  Her language is bold, prophetic, sensational, stern, sarcastic and sometimes over generalized. An example of an over generalization is “Little boys start to lag behind girls when they’re still in diapers, and the gap only widens with time” (Bloom, 2012).

I’m surmising that it is her successful practice as an attorney that gives her the edge: she lines up her facts and makes her case, point after powerful point.  Swagger draws in impressive research organized in four dimensions: failing schools; a failing economy; the negative aspects of a culture promoted by the music (TV and movie) industry; and an economy of incarceration.

Bloom begins the first chapter by discussing the forces aligned against boys-sub par schools, educational cuts, an unwelcoming economy, a prison industrial complex, thug culture, violence, and our own misunderstandings of who they are.  According to Bloom, “One man out of eighteen is incarcerated or on probation or on parole and new prisons are under construction as you read this, waiting to house the next generation of American boys.” She is not making allowances for criminals, but drug laws are sending non violent offenders to jail at record numbers, including juveniles. More juveniles are locked up in America than any other industrialized nation.

One of the four dimensions is Thug Culture promoted by the music industry.  Seeing fact after troubling fact, and actual lyrics in top-selling songs, I bolted out of my chair, fired up. Where is the moral and ethical responsibility of America’s corporations? If our support of free speech is unquestionable, what kind of future does America face when companies are making big bucks selling words and music that endorses violence, sexism and hatred?  This book is not about victimization. Lisa speaks to the over indulgence in video games,  media, sports, lack of reading, and thug music by our boys.  They are often times complaisant in their own demise. I am a lover of hip hop music, but some of the lyrics that our boys are drumming into their ears for hours upon hours are problematic and most parents are “blithely oblivious to the messages being delivered.”  Take a moment and listen to your son’s entertainment.  Lisa Bloom explains that, “Calling music, film, television, and Internet ‘entertainment’, really underplays its current role in young people’s lives. More accurately, our children live simultaneously in two worlds: the physical world of school, home, and what adults call “real life,” and the digital world, which to young people, is equally if not more real.” There is also a list of titles taken from the billion dollar music industry that may shock you.  In an interview with Lisa Bloom she said, this is a problem for all of us.  Rap and hip hop music are the most popular genres for boys of all classes and races, and the majority of the top selling songs celebrate violence, especially gun violence, rape, including rape of little girls, murdering gay men, and illegal drug use.  I have the lyrics in the book and they are sickening.  In video games, TV and movies most popular with boys, nearly every problem is solved with violence.  Parents must oppose these slick, flashy, seductive messages.  In the book there are suggestions for how to have these important conversations with boys.  Because the good news is that according to kids, parents are still their #1 role models.  So we must speak out loudly and often about our values.

Shifting her focus from girls and women, after her first book, Think, to boys, in this book Swagger, Lisa Bloom is stepping up as a powerful spokesperson for education and a learning culture for America, starting with our youth. Men are still doing exceedingly well at the very top:  they dominate as CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, the Supreme Court, Congress.  But few of us live at that pinnacle.  As parents, we are concerned about where our boys are right now, and where they’ll be when they finish school.  And in school and the early stages of employment, boys are being outperformed by girls at a stunning rate.  Girls dominate the top 10% of the class; boys crowd the bottom 10%.  Boys are far more likely to be medicated, disciplined, suspended or expelled.  Girls are more likely to graduate from college, and get the prime jobs in their twenties in major US cities.  And hats off to this generation of girls who has charged through the barriers their mothers knocked down for them.  Girls have this stunning success because they do more homework, have better attendance, are more likely to ask for help, and spend more time on extracurricular activities.  But we cannot allow our boys to slip off the radar.  There is nothing innately male about illiteracy or innumeracy.  At a minimum we all want our sons to have a life where he has meaningful work; he can raise a family, and make a contribution.  And many young men are slipping away from this possibility.

 Swagger provides important focus on boys. Our culture is in desperate need of focusing serious, ongoing attention on what boys need to grow into healthy and mature men. Girls and women have and are receiving the attention and support from private and government initiatives. It’s time to allocate increased resources for boys and men. It is overdue and an urgent need.

You may not agree with everything Bloom points out and concludes. But you will be greatly more informed about the impact of our culture’s priorities on America’s boys. And you will be amazed at the rich collection of suggestions and choices Bloom presents in each of the 10 rules she lists for raising boys.

I was pleased to see she had suggestions for families of different financial means, it is too easy for people of means to be unaware of the challenges faced by families at different income levels, though free activities still require time and peace of mind, something that can be so elusive when getting enough money to pay rent and buy food and clothes is a struggle. I was also interested that she named the value of getting perspective from visiting other cultures, as being important for shaping young minds and hearts. The book is packed full, no fluff.

Lisa also comments on why young men are having such a hard time finding jobs. It’s because our manufacturing base, which was once a third of our economy, is now only about 5%, and because fewer young men have college degrees than young women.  A college degree is the golden ticket to the middle class today.  Sixty per cent of new jobs require it.  Nearly every job requires strong reading, writing and communication skills – skills young women have mastered, and young men struggle with.  With the lack in education, Bloom calls America an “incarceration nation.” This is because we incarcerate more of our own people (93% of our inmates are male) than any other country on earth or in human history, and this mass imprisonment is decimating families, communities, and ultimately, all of us.  When I oppose education cuts, for example, the response is always, “Lisa, we just don’t have the money.”  But it’s a lie.  We do have the money.  We just choose to spend it on other things, for example. on the federal level, obscene levels of military spending.  On the state level, mass incarceration, to the tune of up to $50,000 per year per inmate.  More prisons are being built every day, waiting to lock up the next generation of American boys.  This is a horrific state of affairs, yet so rarely discussed in our culture.

Lisa Bloom has re-activated the discussion about what boys need to grow up well at a national level with her launch on Dr. Phil and Dr. Drew, and ongoing TV interviews. Now we have to up the ante and continue.  How about taking the conversation on raising boys to a whole other level, and start where Swagger ends, with its extra credit section, “Mentoring Boys”?  In discussing this book with an advocate for men, the point was raised that men need to be central in raising boys.  We need a book written with men, if not wholly by men, and learn about their insight, perspectives and culture as men, focused on raising boys to men. The Mankind Project is one non-profit organization that focuses on developing boys and men, asserting that to become fully mature as men, they need to be guided and challenged by men. Bloom’s top 4 tips for parents of boys are, teach your son to lose the swagger, make your home a reading mecca, eliminate the competition (TV, video games, wasted computer time) and set college expectations early and often.

I found Swagger riveting, moving and unsettling in a motivating way. Lisa Bloom referenced this quote by Frederick Douglass, “It is easier to build strong children that to repair broken men.” The statistics in the book are alarming for all families of every ethnicity.There are many entities that vie for our sons’ attention.We are quick to label males with pejorative terms;our criminal justice system’s answer is a rationing of “unprecedented punitiveness.” Our legislatures cannot find money to adequately fund schools. Our entertainment conglomerates do not care about the violent images perpetrated on our sons. I raise the alarm along with the author and concur that,” Poorly educated, trapped in a jobless economy, and bombarded by thug culture, many of our boys turn into rudderless young men-adrift and lost.”  Swagger is a thought provoking read.  Read it and weep.

 

References

Bloom, L. (2012). Swagger: 10 Urgent Rules for Raising boys in an era of failing schools, mass joblesness, and thug culture. New York: Vantage Point.

Personal Interview. Thursday book review: “swagger” by Lisa Bloom. , New York. , Retrieved from thenannytimebomb.blogspot.com/2012/06/thursday-book-review-swagger-by-lisa.html.

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Digital Literacy of the Digital Natives by Maricel T. Bustos, M.A.

Introduction

I have a habit of reading a book before going to sleep. One time,  my daughter asked me  “ Mom, why not use an e-reader?” I paused and thought about it, and I told her “ I love books because it is something that I grew up with and I am more comfortable reading a real book:”. My daughter persuaded me that an e-reader is indeed a “real book”. She modelled how to use her  e-reader. She tapped on the carousel that includes all the books that she downloaded.  She picked an informal text and then demonstrated how she can highlight some words and make some notes. She also showed me how to put the “virtual bookmark” so that she can readily access the page where she left off.  Technically, the e-reader is like a “real book” that my daughter is proficient in using and it is something I might consider in the near future.

Gutnick, et. Al. (2010) indicated that preschool and elementary children are spending between  four  to seven and a half hours a day on electronic technology. The study also specified that more than half of the children under five years of age use electronic toys.  By age eight, 70% of the children are playing video games and 67% utilize internet on a daily basis.  This data indicates that children are spending more of their  time using technology in their daily lives.  Presky (2011) coined the term “digital natives” to refer to children who were born in the early 1980’s. The digital age was characterized by the use of  digital gadgets such as cellphones, laptops, MP3 players, video games, and educational electronic toys.  And children continuously used these digital tools to communicate as well as to establish social relationships. Presky’s  digital natives, which are the students  of today, were born in an era where they have access to technological tools that makes them the “native speaker” of the language. Thus, the digital natives have a natural inquisitiveness to explore and use technology tools.  Presky also defined the term “digital immigrants” referencing persons who were not born in the digital age. While digital immigrants learned how to use digital tools, the way in which they learned was much slower compared to digital natives. Digital natives are more fluent in using technology tools since they have access and the freedom to explore, frequently since birth.  This is contrasted with digital immigrants who were more apprehensive trying new technology tools, that  were not available when they were growing up.  While there is a wide range of technological proficiency among special educators in the field, there is a large of population that are not technologically savvy. Although some special educators may exert effort to learn the tedious process of using  technology, there are times that  the digital immigrants maintain their “accent”, which is a remnant of their previous learning.  For example, a special educator printing a word document to edit it on paper instead of doing it online or printing an article online to share with friends, rather than sending the hyperlink via email.

In 2011, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released astonishing data that 40% of fourth graders were not able to read fluently nor were they able to comprehend what they were reading. One of the causal factors of this data clearly indicates a miscommunication between digital natives and digital immigrants. Students of today are digitally literate. As discussed previously, this is not the case for some educators.  A byproduct of the miscommunication leads to less motivated and engaged students. The loss of opportunity to engage  students  means less effective learning. Therefore, it is imperative that educators  are current with the technology that students are using, so that said technology can be utilized as an additional tool.

Digital Literacy and Its Opportunities

Jones et.al.  (2008) indicated that the definition of literacy had changed dramatically because of the digital age.  Literacy was previously defined as the ability to read and write. Today, however,  digital literacy means having the digital competencies to effectively explore, navigate and develop the skills needed to progress academically. For example, students use tablets to read e-books or use their laptops to complete a writing assignment.   Every school district in the United States wants their students to be literate.  Literacy is needed to have a productive life. Thus, educators must integrate technology into their curriculum.

The Digital Age Teacher Preparation Council studied the best practices for enhancing children’s learning. This council is in charge of raising the quality of education in the United States by integrating technology, particularly for children ages three through eight. The International Reading Association supports the integration of technology in instruction by  using the internet, multi-media and other methods in literacy education. They advocate and support reading development through the use of audiobooks, electronic books, online books, electronic talking books and programmed reading instruction.  There are also additional technologies that support writing development such as word processing, desktop publishing, multimedia composing, internet-based communication, internet search engines and websites that offer collaborative activities. These examples illustrate that there are vast resources and materials available to teach literacy.  Another appealing aspect of technology, is the capability of  teachers to easily differentiate instruction.

The following studies also confirmed that technology facilitates literacy learning.

Meyer and Rose (2000) indicated  the relevance of using technology to  rejuvenate reading instruction.  He opined that children are more motivated to learn,  if teachers use the medium of children growing up in the digital era. Dwyer  et.al.  (1990) studied the effect of providing some classrooms with immediate and constant access to wide variety of technology such as computers, DVD players, video cameras, and modems with a variety of software. The study demonstrated that providing access to technology changed teachers’ way of instruction and students’ ability to learn. Arroyo ( 1992) studied the use of computer programs for reinforcement and remediation. His conclusion indicated that students gained significant knowledge and improved attitudes in reading.

Digital Literacy and Its Challenges

Technological tools alone are not sufficient to facilitate literacy. Educators should have the knowledge, skills, and familiarity to purposely select and use technology based on the  developmental levels and ages of the children.

Another challenge is that digital natives possess the knowledge, understanding and application of the multimedia/technology. The real challenge for educators is how to integrate technology to teach high-level thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Just like any tool, technology is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Technology must be used in conjunction with effective teaching strategies.

Educators must attend professional development to transform them into fluent learners of technology. Much as they were born in a different era, there is no other choice, but to learn how to use technology to reach out to students who are living in the digital age.

Funding is an additional challenge to technology integration. School districts must be willing to make technology a priority for district wide implementation . A significant amount of money is needed to integrate these technological tools in the classroom.  School districts and local municipalities must be willing to prioritize technology in order to provide the capital needed for district wide implementation.

Conclusion

Digital natives live in an era surrounded by high-tech tools such as mobile phones, internet, laptops, and video games.  Many educators are considered digital immigrants. To bridge the gap between their knowledge and that of digital natives, they must be able to adapt to current technology employed by the students. Educators must make a commitment  to align themselves with the current medium that students are using in this era. When these conditions are present, the opportunity for a meaningful, engaging lesson is maximized.  

Technology has its advantages and disadvantages.  Educators must embrace and use these tools purposefully and effectively, to  further  ensure students success.

The following are some free websites that educators can easily access to that can be easily used to differentiate and individualized literacy instruction:

www.prometheanplanet.com  – free interactive whiteboard resources

www.youtube.com –  to download educational songs

http://languagearts.pppst.com/reading.html – PowerPoint Presentation for Language Arts

 

Phonemic Awareness

Beginning sounds

            http://www.professorgarfield.org/Phonemics/chickenCoop.html  Chicken Coop

            http://www.ictgames.com/phonemeFlop_v4.html   Phoneme Pop

            http://www.yourchildlearns.com/letters/letter-sounds.htm Letter Sounds

            http://pbskids.org/lions/games/stacker.html Chicken Stalker

            http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1/flash/confusable/index.htm  Letter Match

            http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/abcmatch/  ABC Match

           

Ending Sounds

            http://www.professorgarfield.org/phonics/fishing/fishing.html Fishing with Phonics

            http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/phonics/grade2_3/pg_128/final_dia.htm Ending Digraphs

http://www.kidport.com/GradeK/LanguagesArts/Workbook/LangK_MissingLetter.htm Missing letters in words

http://www.softschools.com/language_arts/phonics/games/ending_sounds.jsp Ending Sound Game

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/laac/words/dg1.shtml  Digby’s Mole End Sound Game

 

Rhyming Words

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks1/literacy/rhyming_words/play/ River Rhyming

http://roe.stclair.k12.il.us/reading1st/Games/do_they_rhyme.htm Do They Rhyme?

http://cdn.channel.aol.com/_media/ch_games/rhymebot.swf Rhyme-Bot

http://www.ictgames.com/rhymingRockets.html Rhyming Rockets

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bll/reggie/index.htm  Reggie Loves to Rhyme

Blending /Segmenting Words

http://www.bigbrownbear.co.uk/demo/count.htm  Phoneme Count

http://www.bigbrownbear.co.uk/demo/blender.htm Phoneme Blender

http://pbskids.org/lions/games/blending.html Blending Bowl

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/clusters/blender/game.shtml World Blender

http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/phonics/5_6/spacestation04/spacestation.htm Space

 Station

Manipulating  Sounds

http://www.professorgarfield.org/Phonemics/pumpkin_patch/pumpkin_patch.html Pumpkin Patch

        http://www.professorgarfield.org/Phonemics/greenhouse/greenhouse.html  Lanolin

        Greenhouse

Phonics

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/ – Words and Pictures

http://www.storyit.com/magnets/wmagshorti.htm – Word Magnets

http://www.ictgames.com/dinosaurEggs_phonics/index.html  Dinosaur Egg Phonics

            http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/phonics/grade2_3/r_vowels/r_vowels.htm R-Controlled

            Words

            http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks1literacy.html#ww Word Wheels

 

Vocabulary

http://visual.merriam-webster.com/ – Dictionary

http://www.vocabulary.co.il/ – Build vocabulary Skills

http://www.wattsenglish.com/en/english-for-kids/game/toy-detective.html Toy Detective

http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/phonics/grade2_3/rocket_words/rocket_words.htm 

Synonyms, Antonyms and Homonyms

http://www.quia.com/cb/221179.html Jeopardy Prefixes

 

Fluency

http://www.quiz-tree.com/Sight-Words_main.html – Sight Words

            Dinosaur’s High Frequency Words  High Frequency Words

            http://www.teachingheart.net/readerstheater.htm Reader’s Theatre and Scripts

            http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/dolch_store/indexstore.html Dolch Reading Books

http://www.storylineonline.net/ -on-line streaming video program featuring Screen

Actors  Guild members reading children’s books aloud

 

Comprehension

http://www.grandpatucker.com/ – Stories, poems, and songs for kids and families!

http://www.readingmatrix.com/directory/pages/ – Online interactive reading

 comprehension  resources

http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1/flash/story_4.htm – interactive story books

http://www.umass.edu/aesop/ – Aesop fable stories

http://www.funenglishgames.com/readinggames/directions.html Map Routes & Direction

Game

Writing

http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/poetry/jean_home.htm  Writing I-Spy Riddles

http://home.freeuk.net/elloughton13/setting.htm –  Story Starters

http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/poetry/karla_home.htm Poetry Writing

http://www.storiesfromtheweb.org/index.asp Stories from the Web

http://www.funenglishgames.com/readinggames/nonfiction.html Non Fiction Books

 

Bibliography

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Dwyer, D.C.,et.al. (1990) Teacher beliefs and practices. Part I:

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Meyer, A., & Rose, D. H., (2000).Learning to read in the computer age [Online]. Available:

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National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Fred Rogers Center for Early

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Presky, M (2001). “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants”. In on the Horizon, October 2001, 9 (5).

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Sadowski, M. (2206) Core knowledge for PK-3 teaching: Ten components of effective

            instruction. New York: Foundation for Child Development. Retrieved September 6, 2011

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The author would like to thank the following people for their valuable contribution in this article:

Mr. Ramon Anthony Japzon, Principal, Medfield Heights

Ms. Cynthia Bowen, Assistant Professor-Education, Notre Dame of Maryland University

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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