December 2013 – 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

• Article: Universal Design for Learning and the Transition to a More Challenging Academic Curriculum: Making it in Middle School and Beyond

• Latest Employment Opportunities Posted on NASET

• Upcoming Conferences and Events

• Funding Forecast and Award Opportunities

• Acknowledgements

• Download a PDF or XPS Version of This Issue

Update from the U.S. Department of Education

Statement of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on the 2013 NAEP Reading and Mathematics Report Card

“The 2013 NAEP report card provides encouraging but modest signs of progress in reading and math for U.S. students.

“In 2013, reading and math scores edged up nationally to new highs for fourth and eighth graders. It is particularly heartening that reading scores for eighth graders are up, after remaining relatively flat for the last decade.

“Achievement among the largest minority group in our nation’s public schools—Hispanic students—is also up since 2011. And higher-achieving students as a whole are making more progress in reading and math than in recent years.

“While progress on the NAEP continues to vary among the states, all eight states that had implemented the state-crafted Common Core State Standards at the time of the 2013 NAEP assessment showed improvement in at least one of the Reading and/or Mathematics assessments from 2009 to 2013—and none of the eight states had a decline in scores.

“Given the rapid and comprehensive changes that America’s educators are implementing in classrooms across the nation, it is to their credit that we are seeing the strongest performance in the history of the NAEP.

“Our national progress makes me optimistic that local leaders and educators are showing the way to raising standards and driving innovation in the next few years. It is encouraging to see progress in tough economic times, when so many states and local communities have struggled with significant cuts to their education budgets.

“Among states that are making progress, Tennessee, the District of Columbia, and Hawaii made noteworthy gains in eighth grade and fourth grade in reading and/or math from 2011 to 2013.

“Signs of progress on the NAEP—known as the nation’s report card—are especially compelling because they cannot be attributed to teaching to the test or testing irregularities, such as cheating.

“While fourth and eighth grade achievement in math and reading has edged upward nationally since 2011, the increases are generally modest.

“And while students in each racial group identified in the NAEP showed improvement in some areas, it is very troubling that achievement gaps between white and black students, and white and Hispanic students, failed to narrow from 2011 to 2013.

“Even with the modest increase in math and reading achievement on the 2013 NAEP, U.S. students are still well behind their peers in top-performing nations.

“If America’s students are to remain competitive in a knowledge-based economy, our public schools must greatly accelerate the rate of progress of the last four years and do more to narrow America’s large achievement gaps. It is an urgent moral and economic imperative that our schools do a better job of preparing students for today’s globally-competitive world.”

U.S. Department of Education Releases School Improvement Grant (SIG) Data Analysis

The U.S. Department of Education announced today the release of 2011-12 school and district-level state assessment data and a brief analysis of School Improvement Grant (SIG) schools. The Department’s analysis compares the average proficiency rates of SIG schools in the 2011-12 school year to rates in the year prior to receiving grants.

The SIG program is a key component of the Department’s strategy for helping states and districts turn around the nation’s lowest-performing schools. Under the Obama Administration, more than 1,500 schools have implemented comprehensive turnaround interventions aimed at drastically improving achievement. Cohort 1 schools began implementing SIG turnarounds during the 2010-11 school year and Cohort 2 schools began implementing turnarounds during the 2011-12 school year. The brief analysis that accompanies today’s announcement shows continued progress across various SIG models, school levels and locations. Despite historically difficult learning environments, SIG schools have increased proficiency rates in math and reading, demonstrating the importance of targeted investments over time.

“The progress, while incremental, indicates that local leaders and educators are leading the way to raising standards and achievement and driving innovation over the next few years,” said U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan. “To build on this success in our disadvantaged communities, we must expand the most effective practices to accelerate progress for students and prepare them for success in college and careers.”

Additional Highlights from the SIG Data release:

SIG schools are making gains – on average, proficiency rates have increased in both math and reading. Because of changes in state assessments and school structure, not all SIG schools could be compared over multiple years of data. For this reason, the analysis includes roughly half of SIG Cohort 1 schools and about two-thirds of Cohort 2 schools.

• On average, Cohort 1 schools continued to improve in the second year of receiving SIG funds
• When compared to all schools nationally, SIG Cohort 1 schools demonstrate larger increases in average proficiency rates in both math and reading, while Cohort 2 schools demonstrate larger increases in math, but similar increases in reading
• On average, Cohort 1 and 2 SIG schools show gains across all SIG models
• On average, Cohort 1 SIG schools show gains across all school levels, while Cohort 2 schools show small gains for some school levels, but not for others
• On average, Cohort 1 SIG schools show gains across all localities, while Cohort 2 schools show small gains for some localities, but remain constant for others
• On average, Cohort 1 and 2 SIG schools show larger gains in math than in reading
  • Examples from schools:
  • At Oak Hill Elementary School, in a high poverty area of Guilford County, N.C., the school day was extended by 45 minutes and the school year by 10 days to give struggling students extra one-on-one time with teachers. Kindergarten teachers conduct home visits, and other teachers touch base with parents monthly to talk about their child’s progress. These efforts, among others, worked: student performance scores in math rose from 59 percent in SY 2009-10 to 86 percent in SY2011-12. In reading, scores rose from 34 to 50 percent, and science skyrocketed from 34 percent to 85 percent. The school, ranked last among elementary schools in Guilford County three years ago, is now 28th in the district.
  • At Baltimore’s Frederick Douglass High School, the second oldest historically integrated public high school in the United States, the dropout rate was cut in half and proficiency in English language arts jumped from 41 percent to 53 percent in the first year of the grant. Scores have continued to improve at the school with nearly 90 percent Free and Reduced Lunch enrollment. The school opened a night school where students can get tutoring or take credit recovery classes and added a recording and media production studio where career and technical students can train. The school also began offering students the chance to take dual enrollment classes at nearby Baltimore City Community College.
  • Findley Elementary School in Des Moines, IA, instituted a strong leadership focus, unwavering emphasis on Iowa Core academic standards, and an intense attention to data. Math proficiency rose from 59 percent in SY 2009-10 to 67 percent in SY2011-12. During the same timeframe, Findley improved its proficiency in reading from 54 to 72 percent.
  • This release continues the department’s commitment to transparency of school-level data to better inform parents, community members and the general public about changes in schools in their communities.
  • The data being released are reported to the Department under the requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended, and are available at www.data.gov, the administration’s online site providing public access to high-value, machine-readable datasets generated by the executive branch of the federal government. New tables are being published as part of this release and may be accessed by visitinghttp://explore.data.gov or by accessing the files directly:

• School-Level Reading: https://explore.data.gov/Education/Achievement-Results-for-State-Assessments-in-Readi/6dpm-i24p?category=Education&view_name=Achievement-Results-for-State-Assessments-in-Readi
• School-level Math: https://explore.data.gov/Education/Achievement-Results-for-State-Assessments-in-Mathe/3yp3-2q8t?category=Education&view_name=Achievement-Results-for-State-Assessments-in-Mathe
• LEA Reading: https://explore.data.gov/Education/LEA-Level-Achievement-Results-for-State-Assessment/ca67-g5i2?category=Education&view_name=LEA-Level-Achievement-Results-for-State-Assessment
• LEA Math: https://explore.data.gov/Education/LEA-Level-Achievement-Results-for-State-Assessment/kebb-rste?category=Education&view_name=LEA-Level-Achievement-Results-for-State-Assessment
• The SIG analysis is available at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/sigassessmentrpt-cohort1-2.pdf

Since the SIG program began three years ago, the Department has released national- and school-level data for SIG schools and SIG leading indicator data in June 2013. In addition, the Department has released full school-level assessment data for SY 2008-9 through SY 2010-11.

U.S. Education Department Officials Visit, Learn from School Principals During ED Goes Back to School Principal Shadow Week

As part of ED Goes Back to School Principal Shadow Week, dozens of Education Department officials spent time this month learning about the work of principals by job shadowing them at school.

More than 45 principals paired up with Education officials, which gave the department an opportunity to see the successes and challenges of implementing reform efforts at the school-level.

Many staff members shadowed principals in the D.C. metro area, in addition to schools in Massachusetts, Maryland, and Virginia. In Baton Rouge, La., Acting U.S. Deputy Security of Education Jim Shelton shadowed Principal Viola Jackson as she made her rounds through Capitol Middle School, part of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System.

“This is a valuable opportunity for us to learn what principals do to improve instruction and increase student performance in schools,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “It also enables us to honor the work of our nation’s school leaders. Great principals are among the keys to America’s children getting a first-rate education. The department is thankful for the principals who opened up their schools to our entire team and provided us with this unique opportunity to learn more.”

Duncan met with Education Department employees and their principal “shadowees” to debrief with them on their principal shadowing experiences and how they may apply it to their work at the department. The Education Department is partnering in the effort with the National Association of Elementary School Principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals and New Leaders for New Schools

Statement by Secretary Duncan on American Education Week

“As American Education Week comes to a close for 2013, let’s re-dedicate ourselves to focusing every week of the year on the values — and value — of public education, the contributions of educators, and the aspirations of our nation’s students. This is an opportunity to celebrate public education and honor those who are making a difference to be sure that all of our nation’s children are ready for college and career. I applaud the National Education Association (NEA) for their efforts to celebrate and call attention to the education professionals and paraprofessionals who make such a difference every day.

“The NEA has done critical work raising awareness of the need for our country to have a professional teaching force that is ready to meet students’ learning needs on day one in the classroom. It should encourage us all to be a part of the annual celebration of American Education Week and to raise our hands ‘for student success.’

“There is nothing more important than supporting America’s schools; they do our country’s most important work.”

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Calls to Participate

To Whom it May Concern,

Your organization has been identified as having members that may potentially be interested in providing feedback on a research review related to Disruptive Behavior Disorder. This research review will be conducted by The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) Effective Health Care (EHC) Program. AHRQ is a government agency tasked with producing evidence to improve the quality of healthcare while working with partners to ensure that the evidence is understood and used.

If you or others from your organization would be interested in providing feedback during our public comment period, I would be happy to notify you of when you can do this. Receiving feedback from a variety of stakeholders allows us to inform clinical decision making in a meaningful way. Included below are links that will provide more information on the EHC Program.

I can send this information to you or others you identify, if you provide their names and emails. Additionally, I can include you in all communications with these individuals to keep you informed of the progress, if this would be helpful.

As an important stakeholder in the healthcare arena, your organization may already have helped AHRQ focus EHC Program research topics and disseminate research findings. We appreciate such efforts, and we would value your input on the new project listed above. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at Tahleah.Chappel@AHRQ.hhs.gov.

For more information on The Effective Healthcare Program, please visit:

http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/index.cfm/what-is-the-effective-health-care-program1/

To see the current topics posted for comment, please visit:

http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/index.cfm/research-available-for-comment/

Join our Email List to stay up to date with the latest information from the Effective Healthcare Program:

http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/index.cfm/join-the-email-list1/

AAIDD 138th Annual Meeting Call for Presentations
http://aaidd.org/education/annual-conference/2014-call-for-presentations#.Uoy6pIW894s
The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) seeks proposals for presentations for the AAIDD 2014 meeting, June 23-26, 2014, in Orlando, FL. The meeting theme is “Embracing Complexity: Inclusion, Participation, and Citizenship,” and will provide researchers, clinicians, practitioners, educators, policymakers, local, state and federal agencies, and advocates with cutting edge research, effective practices, and valuable information on important policy initiatives in complex times. Deadline: December 6, 2013.

Annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity Call for Proposals
http://www.pacrim.hawaii.edu/about
The Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawai‘i seeks proposals for presentations for the 30th Annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity, “Learn from Yesterday, Live for Today, Envision Tomorrow” which will be held May 19-20, 2014, in Waikiki, Hawai’i. Deadline for proposals: January 31, 2014.

George Washington University’s Transition Special Education Certificate Program
http://gsehd.gwu.edu/academics/programs/certificates/transition-special-education/overview
The George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development is inviting candidates to apply for the Spring ’14 cohort for their 12-credit Transition Special Education Certificate Program. Students who have enrolled in this program will be given priority when being considered for admission to the Master’s program and all credits earned will be easily transferred. The certificate includes four on-line courses in secondary transition. For more information about the Master’s program or applying for a tuition award, email Bridget Green at greenb@gwu.edu or Dr. Michael Ward at mjward@gwu.edu. Deadline for applications to enroll in the Certificate Program for the summer semester: December 1, 2013.

I Care By Campaign Seeks Participants
http://tinyurl.com/kja27bv
Over two million young people in the United States have an emotional or behavioral disability. Stakeholders in the educational process (families, educators, administrators, and policymakers) struggle to find effective methods to help these students succeed. The new I Care By Campaign, inspired by the film “Who Cares About Kelsey?,” provides specific, regularly updated actions that anyone can take to make a difference in the lives of youth who are struggling with emotional or behavioral challenges.

Special Education Resources

2012 Survey of States: Successes and Challenges During a Time of Change (September 2013)
Report
www.cehd.umn.edu/NCEO/OnlinePubs/StateReports/2012_survey_of_states.html
The “2012 Survey of States: Successes and Challenges During a Time of Change” report from the Institute on Community Integration’s National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) provides a snapshot of new initiatives, trends, accomplishments, and emerging issues during this period of education reform as states document the academic achievement of students with disabilities. It is the 13th survey of states conducted by NCEO.

2012 Survey of States: Successes and Challenges During a Time of Change (September 2013)
Report
www.cehd.umn.edu/NCEO/OnlinePubs/StateReports/2012_survey_of_states.html
The “2012 Survey of States: Successes and Challenges During a Time of Change” is a report from the Institute on Community Integration’s National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) that provides a snapshot of new initiatives, trends, accomplishments, and emerging issues during this important period of education reform, as states document the academic achievement of students with disabilities. It is the 13th survey of states conducted by NCEO.

Graduation Requirements for Students with Disabilities: Ensuring Meaningful Diplomas for All Students (November 2013)
Policy Brief
www.achieve.org/SpecialEducationGradReqs
Achieve and the Institute on Community Integration’s National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) have released “Graduation Requirements For Students With Disabilities: Ensuring Meaningful Diplomas For All Students,” a policy brief intended to provide guidance to state education policy leaders to support the goal of ensuring that students with disabilities leave school with meaningful diplomas by providing background on the diverse characteristics of students with disabilities and their high school and postsecondary attainment, by exploring the policy landscape across states and by providing recommendations to states about how to improve current approaches to high school graduation requirements for students with disabilities and promote the successful completion of these students with the knowledge and skills to be college and career ready.

Online Training to Improve Accommodations Decision Making (2013)
Online Tool
nceo.umn.edu/alabama/login.php
The Institute on Community Integration’s National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) has launched Online Training to Improve Accommodations Decision Making, a five-module, interactive, multi-media professional development tool with case-based video clips. Through it, educators are coached on best practices in how to select, administer, and evaluate the use of accommodations. NCEO developed the training collaboratively with the state of Alabama, but it can also be used in other states.

The “We Will Generation”: Pacer Launches Student-to-Student Bullying Prevention Program (October 2013)
Curriculum
www.pacer.org/bullying/wewillgen/
Research shows that peer support is an effective way to address bullying. On October 1, PACER launched the WE WILL Generation, a nationwide campaign and peer curriculum that provides students with the inspiration and education to take action against bullying in schools, the community, and online. The online curriculum, which is built around the concept that older students can learn to teach younger students how to respond when they see a bullying situation, is available to schools free of charge.

Dropout Prevention: Challenges and Opportunities in Rural Settings (September 2013)
Report
tinyurl.com/o9t6jve
“Dropout Prevention: Challenges and Opportunities in Rural Settings” is an ICF International white paper that examines how rural schools can confront the many challenges associated with their locale and how rural communities can leverage their numerous strengths to prevent students from dropping out of school.

Healthy Transitions: A Pathway to Employment for Youth with Chronic Health Conditions and Other Disabilities (2013)
Policy Brief
www.dol.gov/odep/pdf/2013ODEPHealthyReport.pdf
“Healthy Transitions: A Pathway to Employment for Youth with Chronic Health Conditions and Other Disabilities” is a policy brief on health care transition in 2012 commissioned by the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). ODEP frames its youth-policy work around the Guideposts for Success (Guideposts), a series of principles articulating what all youth, including those with disabilities, need to transition successfully into adulthood. One key element of the Guideposts is Connecting Activities, which emphasize access to programs, services, and activities that help youth prepare to self-manage their health care needs, pursue meaningful careers, and make informed choices in their lives. “Healthy Transitions” presents highlights from that research study. Available in pdf (582 KB, 13 pp).

Institute for Education Sciences’ Technical Working Group Summary: Researching College- and Career- Ready Standards to Improve Student Outcomes (August 2013)
Meeting Summary
ies.ed.gov/ncer/whatsnew/techworkinggroup/
The National Center for Education Research, of the Institute for Education Sciences (IES) convenes technical working groups periodically. These meetings are often meant to encourage stakeholders to discuss the state of research on a topic and/or to identify gaps in research. In August, IES worked with the National Science Foundation and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to convene a technical working group to discuss research objectives related to college- and career-ready standards in English language arts and mathematics, focusing on issues at the classroom level and on short-, medium-, and long-term research objectives. Sessions focused on math and English language arts content, implications for students with disabilities and English language learners, measuring classroom practice, and district and school-level support for implementation. This meeting summary covers all sessions of the technical working group and outlines both presentations and discussions among participants.

Meta-Analytic Review of Youth Mentoring Programs (October 2013)
Analytic Review
tinyurl.com/m9bmqy9
This Meta-Analytic Review of Youth Mentoring Programs by delinquency experts takes stock of the mentoring literature and its effects on delinquency (i.e., arrests and convictions), as well as indicators associated with delinquency (i.e., academic outcomes, aggression, drug use).

Restorative Justice: A New Approach to an Old Problem (October 2013)
Primer
tinyurl.com/ldf8jqu
Restorative justice empowers students to resolve conflicts on their own, and it is growing in practice at schools around the country. The idea is to bring students together in peer-mediated small groups to talk, ask questions and air their grievances. Districts using restorative justice have found that the programs have helped strengthen campus communities, prevent bullying, and reduce student conflicts. Suspension and expulsion rates have gone down, and students say they feel happier and safer. The website resources include a link to the program primer, “Overview from fix School Discipline.”

Trends in Employment Outcomes of Young Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Eight States 2004-2011 (June 2013)
Report
tinyurl.com/kx9oas9
“Trends in Employment Outcomes of Young Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Eight States 2004-2011” from the Institute for Community Inclusion of Boston MA summarizes the employment and economic outcomes for young adults with intellectual disability between 2004 and 2011, based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS), the Rehabilitation Services Administration 911 (RSA-911) dataset, and the National Core Indicators (NCI). Outcomes reported include educational attainment, employment status and setting, earnings, and hours worked. Available in pdf (446 KB, 25 pp).

Understanding Autism: A Guide for Secondary School Teachers (September 2013)
Manual
fpg.unc.edu/news/researchers-help-teachers-facing-spike-student-autism-rate
The University of North Carolina’s Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG), and the Organization for Autism Research (OAR), in collaboration with The Center on Secondary Education for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (CSESA) has released “Understanding Autism: A Guide for Secondary School Teachers.” This resource is a multimedia manual and hands-on resource that provides strategies for secondary educators who serve students on the autism spectrum. This manual provides research-based practices that enhance the learning opportunities for secondary students with ASD.

What Do Parent Center Transition Specialists Need to Know? (2013)
Report
www.pacer.org/tatra/pdf/What-do-Parent-Center-Transition-Specialists-Need-to-Know.pdf
“What Do Parent Center Transition Specialists Need to Know?” is a white paper prepared by the Technical Assistance on Transition and the Rehabilitation Act (TATRA) Project at PACER Center, on the knowledge areas, skills, and abilities important for professionals working with transition-focused parent information and training. Available in pdf (129 KB, 6 pp).

Yesterday’s Dropouts (2013)
Archived Documentary
breakingground.wamu.org
Graduating from high school is not enough preparation to be competitive in today’s economy. Breaking Ground’s “Yesterday’s Dropouts,” a radio documentary from DC’s WAMU radio station, shows that a GED is insufficient to get America’s 30 million high school dropouts back on track. Workforce-development efforts for high school dropouts are vitally important, as is helping the hundreds of thousands of adults who return to the classroom each year as adults.

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Update from the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

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Beth Casper and Deborah Leuchovius

The transition from elementary school to the secondary system—middle school and high school—is a traumatic time for many students and their families. Any child can have difficulty with the transition. However, students with disabilities who need accommodations or adapted curricula—even those who have had successful elementary school experiences—often have more difficulty. With an increased national focus on standards-based testing and curriculum, students with disabilities face even greater challenges ahead. A new approach to teaching and learning can help middle and secondary school teachers more effectively accommodate different learning styles. This approach, referred to as “universal design,” holds potential for easing the transition to middle school and helping all students achieve academic success in their secondary school years.

New Challenges for Middle School Students

The transition to middle school is a major leap for most students. Instead of one classroom, one teacher, and individual attention, students typically find themselves in a multi-period, multi-classroom school that feels much more impersonal. Middle schools are usually larger than elementary schools, and students must adjust to having numerous teachers each day instead of one primary classroom teacher.

In secondary school, teachers are responsible for teaching several classes each day, each with a different group of students, making it harder for them to get to know each individual. Curriculum is taught at a more rapid pace, assignments and homework are more time-consuming and difficult, and high-stakes testing puts increased pressure on students. It’s easy to understand how students can feel lost in the shuffle.

When students enter the demanding academic environments of middle school, and later high school, any lack of prerequisite skills becomes more obvious. For students with disabilities, this transition can be even more challenging. Many students receiving special education services have been included in general education classrooms in elementary school, but have not actually kept up with their peers. Though present in the same classroom as their peers, many special education students are not expected to learn the same curriculum as their peers or do not receive the individualized support they need in order to learn more challenging subject matter. As a result, many children with disabilities are not entering middle school prepared for such tasks as researching and writing longer, typed papers; listening and note-taking during hour-long lectures; remembering up to 80 facts per test; or handling the responsibility of more homework every night.

The recent focus on standards-based curriculum (box below) and testing has created a more challenging education environment for students with disabilities. Students are asked to think and inquire more critically about information, rather than just answering a teacher’s question with simple facts. Some students with disabilities may need more individualized instruction, adapted goals, or alternative assessments to meet newly established state content standards.

In general, special and general education teachers have few opportunities to collaborate with one another or learn about including students with disabilities in new standards-based curricula (Dailey, Zantal-Weiner, & Roach, 2000). Nor have content standards or secondary-level curriculum materials of academic subjects such as biology or social studies been designed with students with disabilities in mind. Most classroom curricula rely almost exclusively on printed text and are not easily accessible to students with sensory, physical, emotional, or cognitive disabilities who need alternative ways of accessing and processing information.

In addition, teacher guides developed by textbook publishers do not typically include suggestions for how to accommodate students with disabilities. Some schools and teachers provide adaptations and use assistive technologies to help students use existing materials but these adaptations can diminish the concepts and skills of the curriculum, offering a different, diminished curriculum. At the same time, standards-based assessments are now required in most states for grade promotion and graduation. All of these factors combine to make it difficult for many students with disabilities to meet higher academic standards in middle school and eventually to graduate from high school with a standard diploma.

Since the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1997, school districts have been responsible for providing access to the general education curriculum for students with disabilities. By promoting access to the general education curriculum for students with disabilities, the law aims to improve learning, increase graduation rates, and better prepare students with disabilities for postsecondary education, employment, and a fulfilling adult life. Universal design is a strategy that can help secondary school teachers teach standards-based general education curricula to students with disabilities more efficiently and effectively.

Universal Design and the Transition to Middle School

The use of universal design principles in middle school and high school settings has great potential to benefit both students and teachers. It is an approach that makes it easier for teachers to accommodate different learning styles. Alternatives are built into the curriculum instead of developed or added on by teachers after students falter. The approach allows students with a broad range of abilities to learn and succeed—without placing an extra burden on teachers to adapt or create new materials for students in each of their classes.

Universal design is a generic term describing design that is intended to “simplify life for everyone by making products, communications, and the built environment more usable by as many people as possible at little or no extra cost” (Center for Universal Design, 1997). The basic idea behind universal design is that environments and products should be designed, right from the start, to meet the needs of all users rather than just an “average” user. In architecture, universal design has become well accepted. It is now routine to include ramps, curb cuts, and automatic doors in new construction because it is more efficient to design structures that are usable by as many people as possible from the beginning instead of adapting a building for diverse users later.

The concept has also been applied in fields other than architecture. For example, television captioning was first only available to those who purchased expensive decoder boxes. Later, decoder chips were built into all televisions, making captions universally available. Although designed for individuals with hearing impairments, captioning has proved to be popular with many users such as patrons of noisy restaurants, airports, and health clubs; English language learners; parents with reading-ready children who watch TV; and couples who have a TV set in their bedrooms yet want to go to sleep at different times.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a term used by the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) to describe its work on curriculum design and access to curricula. Just as universal designs in architecture benefit all users, UDL benefits all students. The aim is to create curricula that are flexible enough to challenge the most gifted students, students struggling below grade level, and everyone in between. It does this by providing students with alternative ways to explore content, using multiple approaches at various levels of complexity. The goal is to meet each student at his or her current ability level, allowing him or her to advance to more challenging content at an individual pace. Because flexibility is built into the curriculum and the environment, UDL helps each student to participate and succeed even when a teacher is less familiar with the individual needs of each student.

Universal Design and Students with Disabilities

For students with disabilities, this approach has great potential. Students with disabilities, whether sensory, physical, emotional, or cognitive, may need alternative ways of accessing and processing information. UDL is a strategy schools can use to provide students with disabilities with access to more challenging course content; meet the legal requirements of IDEA; master state content standards; and develop the academic, study, and interpersonal skills needed to succeed in postsecondary education and employment.

How does is it work? Universally designed instructional materials and activities present students with a range of options for learning. Alternative activities allow individuals with wide differences in their abilities—to see, hear, speak, move, read, write, understand English, pay attention, organize, engage, or remember—to achieve learning goals. Information is presented to students through multiple means such as audio, video, text, speech, Braille, photographs, or images. Likewise, UDL allows students to use multiple means to express what they know through writing, speaking, drawing, or video recording.

Advances in technology have made some universal design strategies much easier to implement. Teachers have access to computers, software, assistive technology, and other tools that can adapt the curriculum to suit a child’s learning style. For example, textbooks and other reading materials can be made available in a digital format that includes audio, captions, and audio descriptions of visual images and charts.

However, UDL is not only about including technology in the classroom. During the last 20 years researchers have identified a number of effective strategies that teachers can use to help all students in their classroom. The Institute for Academic Access, for example, provides information in its online library about strategies that teachers can use to help students of diverse abilities improve important academic skills such as understanding concepts, organizing information, and detecting and correcting errors in their written work.

Straightforward teaching strategies that can make information accessible to students with learning or cognitive disabilities include summarizing big ideas, repetition, practice, explicitly stating goals, and giving explicit instructions. Teachers can remove supports as students become more proficient. Universal design also incorporates simple physical accommodations such as making sure that every student has a clear sight line to the teacher and the blackboard; that equipment used for learning should be easily adapted for left- or right-handed use; and that materials should have clearly labeled instructions with symbols as well as words.

The Future

While such techniques are neither esoteric nor difficult to implement, universal design is a new concept for many educators as well as parents. Parents may know about universal design before teachers at their child’s school. Parents know that it is hard to watch their son or daughter struggle in school when he or she is capable of learning more challenging material if given more individualized instruction. By educating teachers and staff as well as school board members and administrators about the concept of universal design, parents can help shape the future of inclusive secondary education.

Sources

Bremer, C. D., Clapper, A. T., Hitchcock, C., Hall, T., & Kachgal, M. (2002). Universal design: A strategy to support students’ access to the general education curriculum. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota, National Center on Secondary Education and Transition. Retrieved March 23, 2005, fromwww.ncset.org/premium-publications/viewdesc.asp

Center for Universal Design (1997). What is universal design? Retrieved October 12, 2004, from www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/univ_design/ud.htm

Council for Exceptional Children (1998). A curriculum every student can use: Design principles for student access. Educational Resources Information Center/Office of Special Education Programs Topical Brief. Reston, VA: Author. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED423654). Retrieved March 23, 2005, from www.cec.sped.org/osep/udesign.html

Dailey, D., Zantal-Wiener, K., & Roach, V. (2000). Reforming high school learning: The effect of the standards movement on secondary students with disabilities.Alexandria, VA: Center for Policy Research on the Impact of General and Special Education Reform. Retrieved on Apri115, 2003, fromwww.nasbe.org/Educational_Issues/Reports/reforming_hs_learning.pdf

Glatthorn, A. (1987). Curriculum renewal. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Pub. L. No. 107-110, § 115 Stat. 1425 (2002).

Latest Employment Opportunities Posted on NASET

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Funding Forecast and Award Opportunities

Forecast of Funding Opportunities under the Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 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 2014 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 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 2014 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 2013 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 2013 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.

Captain Planet Foundation Seeks Applications for K-12 Environment-Based Projects
http://captainplanetfoundation.org/apply-for-grants/
The Captain Planet Foundation is accepting applications from K-12 schools for environment-based education projects to be implemented in the spring and summer of 2014.Seed grants of up to $500 will be awarded for high-quality educational programs that enable children and youth to understand and appreciate the world through learning experiences that engage them in active, hands-on projects to improve the environment in their schools and communities. Grants are intended to serve as a catalyst to getting environment-based education into schools and to help youth and communities participate in environmental stewardship activities. Grants are generally awarded to U.S.-based schools with an annual operating budget of less than $3 million. To be eligible, schools or sponsoring agencies must be recognized as tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Deadline: January 31, 2014.

Earthwatch Institute: Fellowships
http://earthwatch.org/education/teacher-fellowships/edfelfund/
The Earthwatch Institute offers educators fully funded fellowships for hands-on learning with leading scientists doing field research and conservation on projects around the world. Maximum award: fully funded fellowship. Eligibility: elementary, middle, and high school educators and administrators of any discipline. Deadline: two weeks after educator-interest application is submitted; ultimate deadline May 1, 2014.

ING Unsung Heroes Program Invites K-12 Educators to Apply for 2014 Class Project Awards
https://unsungheroes.scholarshipamerica.org/
Each year, the ING Unsung Heroes program selects 100 educators to receive $2,000 to help fund their innovative class projects. Three of them are chosen to receive the top awards of an additional $5,000, $10,000 and $25,000. ING Unsung Heroes Awards Program is administered by Scholarship Management Services, a division of Scholarship America.

Scholarship Management Services designs and manages scholarship and tuition reimbursement programs for corporations, foundations, associations and individuals. Deadline: April 30, 2014.

Lowe’s Charitable and Education Foundation Announces 2014 Toolbox for Education Grant Program
http://www.toolboxforeducation.com/
Lowe’s Charitable and Education Foundation has announced the opening of its Spring 2014 Toolbox for Education grant cycle. The program supports projects that encourage parental involvement in local schools and build stronger community spirit. Toolbox for Education grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded in support of projects that have a permanent impact on a school community. Lowe’s will consider only grants for projects that can be completed within a year of receipt of the grant. A Toolbox grant can be used as part of a large-scale project like a playground as long as the grant is used to complete a phase of the project that can be completed within twelve months of the award. To be eligible for a grant, applicants must be a public K-12 school or nonprofit parent group associated with such a school. Parent groups that are applying (PTO, PTA, etc.) must have an independent EIN and official 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. The application process will be closed after fifteen hundred applications have been received. Deadline: February 14, 2014.

Youth Service America and Sodexo Foundation Grants for Youth-Led Hunger Service Projects
http://www.ysa.org/grants/sodexoyouth
Youth Service America and the Sodexo Foundation offer grants of up to $500 to be awarded for youth-led projects that bring together young people, families, and other community members to address childhood hunger. The grants will provide $500 for youth-led service projects that bring together young people, families, Sodexo employees, and other community members to address childhood hunger. Young people between the ages of 5 and 25 in the United States are eligible to apply. Projects will take place on or around Global Youth Service Day, April 11 to 13, 2014. Deadline for proposals: January 31, 2014.

American Association of School Librarians Invites Applications for Innovative Reading Projects
http://www.ala.org/aasl/awards/innovative
The American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of the American Library Association, is accepting applications from school librarians for the AASL Innovative Reading Grant program. A $2,500 grant will be awarded to support the planning and implementation of a unique and innovative program for children that motivates and encourages reading, especially among struggling readers. Projects should promote the importance of reading and facilitate literacy development by supporting current reading research, practice, and policy, and must: be specifically designed for children (grades K-9) in the school library setting, encourage innovative ways to motivate and involve children in reading, and demonstrate potential to impact student learning. Grant recipients may be invited to write an article that delineates their reading incentive project and demonstrate their successes, trials, and recommendations for improving so others may replicate the project. Deadline for submissions: February 1, 2014.

American Electric Power Applications for 2014-2015 PreK-12 Classroom Projects
http://www.aep.com/community/TeachersAndStudents/TeacherVisionGrants.aspx
American Electric Power (AEP) is accepting applications from preK-12 teachers for minigrants to support funding for classroom projects during the 2014-15 school year. Through the Teacher Vision grant program, AEP supports projects with an academic focus and a goal of improving student achievement. Priority will be given to projects that promote science, mathematics, technology, electrical safety, the balanced study of energy and the environment, and energy efficiency. Special consideration will be given to projects that incorporate matching funds, community resources, and interdisciplinary or team-teaching projects. Funds may not be used for stipends or meals. Grant awards range from $100-$500. Applicants must be pre-K-12 teachers in communities in the AEP service area or in communities with major AEP facilities. Deadline for submissions: February 28, 2014.

Arthur Vining Davis Foundations Seeks Proposals to Strengthen Secondary Education
http://www.avdf.org/FoundationsPrograms/SecondaryEducation.aspx
The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations offers $100,000-$200,000 grants to support a wide range of innovative professional development programs that strengthen teachers in grades 9-12 and their teaching.

For example, projects might be designed to improve professional development for in-service and pre-service teachers, strengthen teaching skills, support practical research in teacher and high school education, or encourage innovative use of technology and new techniques for presentation of classroom materials in high schools. Projects should aim to develop solutions with potential for wide application or replication by others. Requests to support well-established programs should be for initiatives with the potential to improve the program significantly. Special consideration will be given to projects in their early stages that address the concerns and problems of secondary education on a national level. In considering proposals to support high school teaching, sustained partnerships between the faculties of colleges (e.g., arts and sciences and education) and school districts, or collaborative efforts involving reform organizations, colleges/universities, and high schools are encouraged. Eligible institutions include but are not limited to public and private colleges and universities, graduate schools of education, and freestanding educational institutes. Ongoing deadlines.

Foundation for Education and Development Technology Grants for Rural Schools Program
http://www.fred.org/tech.html
The Foundation for Education and Development’s Technology Grants for Rural Schools program was created to help meet the growing need for innovative technology in the classroom. The grants strive to help public schools in rural areas bring modern computers to every classroom, connect schools to the internet, and make sure that effective and engaging software and online resources are an integral part of the school curriculum. Eligibility for FRED programs is determined by the foundation’s Donor Circle. Applicants must have a letter of nomination from a Donor Circle company and meet the basic requirements outlined in the program brochure. Tech Grants of up to $5,000 are available to public schools that are working in cooperation with their telecommunications company to enhance learning by increasing the use of technology in the classroom. Projects that are unique and focus on new programs and curriculum for technology education are encouraged. Examples of possible grant requests include but are not limited to computer-assisted learning programs; computer equipment and programs; electronic access to information; and subject-specific tools for art, reading, math, science, etc. Deadline for submissions: November 15, 2013.

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Invites Entries from Creative Teens
http://www.artandwriting.org/the-awards/
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is open for entries for 2014. The Awards are sponsored by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to recognizing the most talented teen artists and writers in the United States and Canada. Teens in grades 7-12 are invited to submit work in one of 28 categories, including film and animation, video game design, sculpture, photography, fashion design, poetry, journalism, humor, dramatic script, and science fiction. Submissions are judged regionally by the Alliance’s affiliates, and the top winning works are presented to national panels of creative leaders to determine which will receive the highest honors. Fifteen graduating high school seniors will be awarded with Portfolio Gold Medals, which include a $10,000 scholarship. Additional scholarships are made available to Portfolio Silver Medalists and through sponsored awards and stipends to summer arts programs. Students must be in grades 7-12 in a public, private, parochial, home-school, or out-of-school program in the U.S. or Canada, or in an American school abroad. Deadlines for submitting work vary by region, ranging from December 15, 2013-January 15, 2014.

William T. Grant Foundation Invites Applications for Youth Social Setting Research Projects
http://www.wtgrantfoundation.org/funding_opportunities/how_to_apply/social-settings
The William T. Grant Foundation invites applications for Youth Social Setting Research Projects. Grants ranging from $100,000 to $600,000 will be awarded to support research designed to understand and improve the everyday settings of youth between the ages of 8 and 25 in the United States. Social settings are defined as the social environments in which youth experience daily life. These include environments with clear boundaries such as classrooms, schools, and youth-serving organizations, and those with less prescribed boundaries such as neighborhoods or other settings in which youth interact with peers, family members, and other adults. Deadline for Letters of Inquiry: January 8, 2014.

Discover: Pathway to Financial Success Grant
http://www.pathwaytofinancialsuccess.org/get-a-grant
Discover is investing up to $10 million in financial education, and any high school can apply for a grant toward a financial education curriculum.

Applying schools must have implemented or be looking to implement a financial education curriculum; have a measurement tool planned or in place to assess participation in and comprehension of the financial education curriculum; and agree to share overall results of the measurement tool’s pre- and post-curriculum testing with Discover upon the program’s completion to assess what worked and what didn’t. Maximum award: varies. Eligibility: high schools in the United States. Deadline: none.

Dollar General: Beyond Words Library Disaster Relief
http://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/awards/166/apply
Dollar General, in collaboration with the American Library Association (ALA), the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the National Education Association (NEA), is sponsoring a school library disaster relief fund for public school libraries in the states served by Dollar General. The fund will provide grants to public schools whose school library program has been affected by a disaster. Grants are to replace or supplement books, media and/or library equipment in the school library setting. Maximum award: up to $15,000 to replace or supplement books, media and/or library equipment. Eligibility: public school libraries Pre K-12 located within 20 miles of a Dollar General store, distribution center or corporate office that have lost their building or incurred substantial damage or hardship due to a natural disaster (tornado, earthquake, hurricane, flood, avalanche, mudslide), fire or an act recognized by the federal government as terrorism; or have absorbed a significant number (more than 10% enrollment) of displaced/evacuee students. Deadline: none.

Fender Music Foundation: Grants
http://www.fendermusicfoundation.org/grants/?sec=info
Fender Music Foundation grants of instruments and equipment are awarded to music academies, schools, local music programs and national music programs across America, particularly in-school music classes, in which the students make music; after-school music programs that are not run by the school; and music therapy programs, in which the participants make the music. Maximum award: up to 8 instruments. Eligibility: established, ongoing and sustainable music programs in the United States, which provide music instruction for people of any age who would not otherwise have the opportunity to make music. Deadline: rolling.

AASA: National Superintendent of the Year
http://www.aasa.org/content.aspx?id=3404
The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) National Superintendent of the Year Program pays tribute to the talent and vision of the men and women who lead the nation’s public schools. Maximum award: recognition; a $10,000 scholarship to a student in the high school from which the National Superintendent of the Year graduated. Eligibility: Any superintendent, chancellor, or top leader of a school system in the United States, Canada, or international school who plans to continue in the profession. Deadline: varies by state.

Foundation for Technology and Engineering Educators Invites Applications
http://www.iteea.org/Awards/granthearlihy.htm
The Foundation for Technology and Engineering Educators, in partnership with Pitsco/Hearlihy & Company, is accepting applications for technology and engineering education programs at any grade level. Through its Excellence in Teaching Technology and Engineering grant program, the foundation will award grants of $2,000 each to K-12 technology and engineering teachers to encourage the integration of a quality technology and engineering education program within their school’s curriculum. Applicants must be teachers (elementary or secondary) who are successfully integrating technology and engineering education within their school’s curriculum. In addition, teachers must be ITEEA members and be registered for the ITEEA annual conference. Membership materials may be enclosed with the scholarship application. Deadline for applications: December 1, 2013.

Lexus and Scholastic Launch Seventh Annual Environmental Contest for Middle and High School Students
http://lexus.scholastic.com/
The Lexus Eco Challenge will award a total of $500,000 in grants and scholarships to inspire and empower middle and high school students in the United States to learn about the environment and take action to improve it. The program is designed to inspire and empower middle and high school students to learn about the environment and take action to improve it. Eligibility: middle and high school teams comprised of 5-10 students and one teacher advisor.

Deadline: Challenge One (Land/Water) – October 7, 2013; Challenge Two (Air/Climate) – November 11, 2013. The 32 finalist teams will be eligible to submit entries for Challenge Three (Final Challenge), with a deadline of January 17, 2014.

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Acknowledgements

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

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

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

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