July 2013 – Special Educator e-Journal

Table of Contents

• Update from the U.S. Department of Education

• Book Review: Parents and Professionals Partnering for Children with Disabilities: A Dance that Matters By: Grace Taylor

• 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

• Acknowledgements

• Download a PDF or XPS Version of This Issue

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Update from the U.S. Department of Education

Departments of Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services Issue Letter to Health-Related Schools Regarding Hepatitis B Discrimination

The Department of Justice, the Department of Education, and the Department of Health and Human Services sent a joint letter to the nation’s medical schools, dental schools, nursing schools, and other health-related schools regarding hepatitis B discrimination.

In the letter, the departments express concern that some health-related schools may be making enrollment decisions based on an incorrect understanding of the hepatitis B virus, resulting in discrimination.

The letter updates schools on the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the participation of students with hepatitis B in health-related schools. The letter also emphasizes the importance of CDC’s recommendations, especially as they relate to the schools’ obligation to comply with federal laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability, race, color, and national origin.

Approximately 800,000 to 1.4 million people in the United States have hepatitis B. Asians, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders make up roughly 4.5 percent of the U.S. population, but represent 50 percent of the persons with hepatitis B in the United States.

The letter cites to a March 2013 settlement agreement that the Justice Department reached with a medical school and a school of osteopathic medicine resolving allegations that the schools violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by excluding previously-accepted applicants with hepatitis B from their programs.

The updated CDC recommendations, based on the most current scientific information, dispel many myths associated with hepatitis B and provide guidance to health-related schools on managing students with the virus. The CDC also notes that since the last update of the recommendations in 1991, there have been no reports of hepatitis B transmission in the United States or other developed countries from medical or dental students to patients. Among other recommendations, the CDC recommends that chronic hepatitis B virus infection, in itself, should not preclude the study or practice of medicine, surgery, dentistry, or allied health professions.

“The Justice Department strongly urges health-related schools to review the CDC’s recommendations and to ensure that their policies and practices comply with federal nondiscrimination laws,” said Jocelyn Samuels, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department. “Applicants and students with hepatitis B should not have to face exclusion on the basis of unfounded fears and stereotypes, and the Justice Department will not tolerate it.”

“Both public health and civil rights will be promoted when medical schools rely on the most recent scientific information, not overbroad generalizations, in dealing with medical students with hepatitis B,” said Seth Galanter, Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights in the Department of Education.

Leon Rodriguez, Director of the Office for Civil Rights in the Department of Health and Human Services, agrees that health-related schools must ensure that they do not deny equal access to individuals based on discrimination, adding: “The CDC recommendations promote public health and safety while also offering guidance on the management of students with hepatitis B. Our agencies place considerable weight on this guidance in our enforcement of Federal civil rights laws.”

The Departments of Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services share responsibility for protecting the rights of students and applicants with disabilities, including hose with hepatitis B, in schools of higher education by enforcing titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. These laws prohibit covered postsecondary institutions from discriminating on the basis of disability and from refusing to make reasonable modifications to their policies, practices, or procedures when necessary to avoid discrimination on the basis of disability, unless such modifications would fundamentally alter the nature of the program or the services provided. The Departments of Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services also enforce Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance, including those of health-related schools.

Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt. Additional information about the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is available on its website at www.ed.gov/ocr/. Additional information about the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office for Civil Rights is available on its website at www.hhs.gov/ocr/.

Duncan Discusses Influence of Teacher Voice on New Flexibility Decision

Secretary Duncan announced that ED is offering states flexibility around high stakes personnel decisions and double testing—a decision greatly influenced by educators’ voices.

His decision addresses two areas. First, states will be able to ask for an extra year beyond current plans for teacher evaluation systems before data from new assessments impacts personnel decisions for educators.

Second, during next school year (2013-2014), some schools will field test new assessments. ED will work with states to avoid double-testing students. Over-testing is a very real concern, and schools participating in the field test will receive the option to administer only one assessment in 2013-2014 to any given student— either the current statewide assessment or the field test.

Secretary Duncan’s decision doesn’t come out of the blue. In fact, it was significantly influenced by discussions with teachers around the country. As full-time TAFs, teachers on temporary release from our schools to bring teacher perspective to federal policy-makers, we were literally at the table— and consistently asked to provide educator voice to the high level discussions being held.

In the interest of hearing and elevating teachers’ voices, the 12 members of our TAF team (six full-time Fellows and six part-time Classroom Fellows) traveled to 34 states over the past year and held discussions with well over 4,000 teachers. Teachers, who are the actual implementers for these reforms, are uniquely positioned to offer candid, authentic advice about how to make these urgently needed reforms work best for students.

As Arne describes in the video, we heard from teachers over and over about the unprecedented level of change and reform going on throughout the country as states transition to new standards, new assessments, and new teacher evaluation systems.

Overwhelmingly, we heard support from teachers around the country for raising standards that will ensure students can compete in the global economy. At the same time however, we also heard widespread concern that teachers need time, models, and quality professional development to teach to the new standards effectively. In states where there is a strong commitment to collaboration, teachers feel more empowered, supported, and positive about the current state of reform efforts.

From our vantage point, we believe that the Department and Secretary Duncan are committed to learning from educators. This offer of flexibility reflects the Department’s responsiveness to teachers’ voices. Whether states request the flexibility or not, we hope that we all hear the needs expressed by teachers across the country to make this significant transition sustainably, with room and support for innovation and cycles of professional learning.

Fact Sheet: Redesigning America’s High Schools

Editor’s Note: The fact sheet below highlights how the High School Redesign initiative will challenge high schools and their partners to rethink teaching and learning and put in place learning models that are rigorous, relevant, and better focused on real-world experiences.

Meeting President Obama’s goal to lead the world in college attainment by the end of this decade demands a new investment and vision to transform America’s high schools to prepare students for innovative and global economy.

While American 15-year-olds rank in the middle of the pack internationally on indicators of science, reading, and math, America’s international peers are enhancing the rigor and relevance of experiences offered to students in their middle and high school years. Many nations offer the opportunity for students to enroll in educational programs that develop knowledge and skills needed for success in college and in a competitive workforce. Today’s global economy requires new approaches to teaching and learning in America’s high schools to foster problem solving and analysis, to support creativity and collaboration, and to connect student learning directly to the real world. Students learn best when they are engaged in complex projects and tasks aligned with their interests and when they work with others through practical examples and case studies that engage them in rigorous academics and in the application of knowledge.

President Obama’s High School Redesign initiative will encourage America’s school districts and their partners to use existing federal, state and local resources to transform the high school experience for America’s youth through a whole school redesign effort. This effort will challenge high schools and their partners to rethink teaching and learning and put in place learning models that are rigorous, relevant, and better focused on real-world experiences. These reforms will incorporate personalized learning and career and college exploration and ensure that all students graduate with college-level coursework or college credit, as well as with career-related experiences or competencies.

The High School Redesign initiative will promote a rethinking of the high school learning experience, and challenge schools to:

• Redesign academic content and instructional practices to align with postsecondary education and careers and to foster deep understanding and mastery, with student-centered learning in a culture of high expectations.
• Personalize learning opportunities to support the educational needs and interests of individual students, optimize the pace of learning, and customize content and practices for students to master challenging academic content and pursue their interests.
• Provide academic and wrap-around support services for those students who need them, such as tutoring, mentoring, and comprehensive supports, so that all learners—including low-income students, English learners, and students with disabilities—can successfully graduate and transition smoothly into postsecondary learning and adulthood.
• Provide high-quality career and college exploration and counseling for students on postsecondary educational options, including education and training requirements for careers, college success skills, and financial aid options available for postsecondary education and training.
• Offer opportunities to earn postsecondary credit while still in high school through college-level coursework, such as dual enrollment, advanced placement courses, or other postsecondary learning opportunities.
• Provide career-related experiences or competencies such as organized internships or mentorships; project- or problem-based learning; real-world challenges developed in consultation with employers or service organizations; and structured work-based learning opportunities.
• Strategically use learning time in more meaningful ways, which could include effective application of technology, redesigning school calendars, and competency-based progression.
• Provide evidence-based professional development to deepen educators’ skills, support collaboration and expand a comprehensive system of student support.

Redesigned high schools will move away from the traditional notion of seat time and focus instead on the knowledge and skills needed to successfully transition from high school to college and careers. Changes to the current high school structure and experience will require collaboration and contributions from a number of partners from both the public and private sectors, including institutions of higher education, non-profits, business and industry.

The High School Redesign initiative would support competitive grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) in partnership with institutions of higher education and other entities, such as non-profits, community-based organizations, government agencies, and business or industry-related organizations to help schools apply academic concepts to real world challenges. Partnerships and projects will connect high school experiences with relevant business, community, and postsecondary partners in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, while enhancing for students living in high poverty and rural communities. Special consideration will be given to partnerships with employers that provide students at participating schools with career-related experiences or help students attain career-related credentials.

Several transformative high school designs incorporate innovative approaches to teaching and learning that lead to higher academic outcomes, greater student engagement, and future student success:

Manor New Tech High School: President Obama recently visited Manor New Tech High School outside of Austin, Texas. Manor New Tech High School is part of the New Tech Network, a network of 100 schools across 18 states that embrace nontraditional approaches to deliver positive outcomes for students using project-based and student-centered, inquiry-based learning as guiding principles. New Tech schools focus on STEM instruction and incorporate technology as a central element to teaching and learning, providing every student access to a computer and network to encourage collaborative learning. Student learning is assessed based on the mastery of academic content along with progress towards achieving skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, communications, and creativity. Evaluations and digital portfolios allow a comprehensive understanding of students’ accomplishments and provide parents and teachers guidance on how to individualize each student’s academic program.

Characteristically rooted in rich partnerships with higher education, businesses, local technology companies, and the community, Manor New Tech was founded in collaboration with the Texas High School Project, the Texas Governor’s Office, and Samsung Semi-Conductor and a $4 million through a Texas STEM grant program. These assets provide support opportunities for students at Manor New Tech schools to earn college credit, to visit laboratories and workplaces, and to engage in mentorships with businesses and community leaders. Today, 84 percent of graduates are enrolled in college—56 percent of students are first in their family to attend college.

Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH): The Pathways in Technology Early College High School, a Brooklyn-based middle and high school, was established in 2011 as a partnership between IBM, the New York City Schools, and the City University of New York’s College of Technology. In 2017, the school will graduate its first class of students who—over six years of STEM study and training—earn a joint high school diploma and associate’s degree in computer information systems and electromechanical engineering technology. P-TECH’s rigorous course of academic study was co-designed with IBM, and the company has invested $500,000 to provide software support and mentoring and internship opportunities for every P-TECH student with IBM and CUNY mentor.

Reynoldsburg High School in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, hosts four interest-based “academies” that provide hands-on learning experiences in highly personalized environments that are aligned with students’ interests. Reynoldsburg recently redesigned the high school to enable greater student choice among the BELL Academy (Business, Education, Law and Leadership); the Health Science Academy; the eSTEM (Environmental Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Academy; and the Encore (Art, Communication and Design) Academy. Mastery learning ensures students gain essential knowledge and skills and advance through personalized learning pathways. Strong partnerships with local universities, health providers, local and state government agencies and businesses enhance student learning and expand enriching opportunities. A key component to Reynoldsburg’s personalized approach is offering students and parents choices among these specialized instructional models, while maintaining equitable access to the district’s programs.

The High Tech High network of schools is an outgrowth of a highly successful school developed in 2000 in San Diego, Calif., through a partnership with civic and business leaders, including Qualcomm and the Business Roundtable. The schools employ small school sizes, openness of the physical facility, personalization through advisory, an emphasis on integrated, project-based learning and student exhibitions, and a requirement that all students complete internships and other field-work in the community. High Tech High incorporates four core approaches to their model, including: (1) personalization, through which teachers encourage students to explore their personal interests in core academic areas and to maintain a digital, on-line portfolio of their work; (2) adult-world connections, including semester-long academic internships and shadowing opportunities; (3) rigorous curriculum for all students; and (4) team teaching and planning to develop projects and schedules for every 5-70 students. Students outperform their peers in other San Diego schools on the California academic assessments, with high rates of participation in advanced STEM courses, including physics, chemistry and advanced mathematics.

Loving High School is located in a rural area of New Mexico, and between 2004 and 2009, the school boasted an average college attendance rate of 60 percent—almost double the national average among rural schools. Loving High School offers dual-credit courses (75 percent of students take advantage of this opportunity) and has gained national notice for its programs in career and technical education. The school specializes in architecture and construction and—through private and state grants—students are given hand-on experience in building a home. The school also collaborates with nearby schools via videoconferencing—another solution to the challenge of isolation that many rural schools face.

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Parents and Professionals Partnering for Children with Disabilities : A Dance that Matters

By: Grace Taylor

Abstract

The book, “Parents and Professionals Partnering for Children with Disabilities: A Dance That Matters” provides readers with guidance on how to successfully build partnerships between parents of children with disabilities and Special Education professionals. The authors creatively convey their message of collaboration by using a dance metaphor and other literary techniques throughout the book. Parents, students, and professionals will find the book useful as it offers input from the perspectives of parents and professionals. The book also serves as a workbook with reflective exercises at the end of each chapter and provides readers with additional outside resources.

Book Review

This review is based on the book, “Parents and Professionals Partnering for Children with Disabilities: A Dance That Matters” by Janice M. Fialka, Arlene K. Feldman, and Karen C. Mikus. I will begin the review with a brief summary of the book and explain its main purpose. Throughout the review I will discuss the benefits for parents and Special Education professionals will gain from reading this book. In addition, I will explain and provide examples of how the authors were successfully able to convey their message of partnership by using a dance metaphor and other literary techniques.

The purpose of this book is to provide parents of children with disabilities and Special Education professionals (teachers, counselors, social workers, administrators, staff; etc.) a valuable resource on how to build successful partnerships between the two groups. In order to convey their message of teamwork and collaboration the authors use the metaphor of dancing to break down the partnership process. Throughout the book the authors also offer perspectives from the parents’ viewpoints and the professionals’ viewpoints during various steps of the Individualized Educational Planning (IEP) process, while offering suggestions for both sides. After every section and at the end of every chapter the authors provide the readers with opportunities to reflect, review, and provide them with additional outside resources.

The book offers an informal, friendly guide for parents and professionals to form partnerships. The authors use the dance metaphor to offer step-by-step instructions for successful collaboration. For instance, the authors describe the phases of the “partnership dance,” such as colliding and campaigning, cooperating and compromising, creative partnering and collaborating. They paint of picture of the two groups nervously stumbling on the dance floor as they attempt to move past these awkward stages to a smoother partnership.

Both professionals and parents can relate to the feelings of nervousness when beginning to work with a new team and the dance metaphor appears to offer an understanding perspective.

In addition to the dance metaphor, the authors use various literary forms of expression to convey the importance of patience and understanding when collaborating. For example, after describing each phase of the “partnership dance” there are vignettes or stories of children who will be beginning or continuing their journey through the IEP process, beginning school, or moving to a new school. The stories begin from the perspective of the parent – describing his or her fears, anxieties, frustrations throughout the different stages and interactions with school personnel. Not only are these stories told from a parent’s point of view, but the book also uses the professional’s point of view to provide the reader with all perspectives and feelings involved in the planning process.  The main point the authors make by using these stories is that both parents and professionals share similar emotions and frustrations; they just want to be understood by each other and to work together for the common goal of helping the students.

As well as providing examples of the planning process, one of the authors, Janice M. Fialka, offers a personal touch to the book by occasionally sharing her own experience as her son, Micah, has special needs. She shares a poem and another personal story towards the end the book which gives readers a chance to really see the struggles parents of children with disabilities may experience.

The book also acts as a handbook by providing “reflection” boxes at the end of every section asking readers to answer short questions. For example, one box asks the reader to write down three feelings parents are experiencing and three experiences that the parents are experience at the end of a story and offer potential solutions. Another question box asks the reader to write down one thing he or she remembers from the chapter. These boxes are great tools for the readers to review the lessons of the chapter, think about two sides of a situation (parent versus professional), and critically think of solutions.

“Parents and Professional for Partnering for Children with Disabilities: A Dance That Matters,” uses creative and personable writing to help parents with children disabilities and professionals work together as a team. The authors provide readers with helpful tips, step-by-step guidance, personal testimonies, and several outside resources. Overall, the book offers a hopeful message and gives parents and professionals the tools they need for successful partnerships.

References

Fialk, J. M., Feldman, A. K., & Mikus, K. C. (2012). Parents and professionals partnering for

children with disabilities. (pp. 1-176). Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin.

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Special Education Resources

Center on Transition to Employment’s Archived Webinars on Promising Practices in Transition and on The Personnel Factor
Archived Webinar
http://tinyurl.com/ny9gmk5
The Center on Transition to Employment, administered by TransCen, Inc. and Virginia Commonwealth University, has archived two recent webinars. “Promising Practices in Transition for Predominantly Minority Youth: Results of Multi-Year, Multi-Site Study” examined personal and contextual factors contributing to employment for predominantly minority youth with high incidence disabilities. Presenters discussed the essential elements (what and why) of successful transition programs and interventions derived from this study and discussed strategies for replication and innovation of promising practices and interventions. “The Personnel Factor” was an informational webinar on new research into the characteristics of employment specialists and their implications for successful transition to paid jobs for transition-age youth. It discussed the four personal attributes that emerged from this study, and implications for recruitment, hiring, training and advancing effective employment specialists.

Diplomas at Risk: A Critical Look at the High School Graduation Rate
Report
http://www.ncld.org/disability-advocacy/where-we-stand-policies/diplomas-at-risk
“Diplomas at Risk: A Critical Look at the High School Graduation Rate,” a report from the National Center for Learning Disabilities finds that of the 2.2 million American students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), only 68% graduate with a regular high school diploma. Many schools make decisions as early as elementary school that take students off-track. The report includes a number of recommendations to reverse this trend.

Diplomas Count: Second Chances: Turning Dropouts Into Graduates
Report
http://www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2013/06/06/
The annual “Diplomas Count” report from Education Week and the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center finds that the national high school graduation rate reached 74.7% for the Class of 2010, the highest since 1973, and an increase of 7.9 percentage points since 2000. This year’s report, “Second Chances: Turning Dropouts Into Graduates,” projects that although more than 1 million students will fail to graduate from high school this year, there are 96,000 fewer dropouts compared to last year.

Eight Steps to Better IEP Meetings
Article
http://www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/iep.bollero.hearts.htm
“Eight Steps to Better IEP Meetings: Play Hearts Not Poker” is an article on tips for advocating for the best opportunities for their child in Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings by strategies including joining and sustaining relationships, focusing on the child’s needs, not the district’s resources or parents’ expectations, providing “face-saving” solutions to disagreements, keeping records of data to support plans, getting to know the school and educators; listening actively, and encouraging help from others.

Grad Nation Community Guidebook
Guidebook
http://tinyurl.com/mwk8bdm
America’s Promise has released the updated “Grad Nation Community Guidebook,” a research-based toolkit for communities working to raise graduation rates and better support children and youth from birth through college.

Grad Nation Community Guidebook
Toolkit
http://tinyurl.com/kvsgxfz
America’s Promise Alliance has released the updated Grad Nation Community Guidebook (Community Guidebook), a research-based toolkit for communities working to raise graduation rates and better support children and youth from birth through college. Created in collaboration with Civic Enterprises and the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University, the online Community Guidebook offers approaches and tools that all communities can incorporate at any stage in their work.

Impact: Feature Issue on Educating K-12 English Language Learners with Disabilities
Theme Issue
http://ici.umn.edu/products/impact/261/
The Institute on Community Integration’s “Impact: Feature Issue on Educating K-12 English Language Learners with Disabilities” is available online and in print. English language learners with disabilities are a growing part of the K-12 school population in the U.S. The available knowledge on how to effectively educate these students and measure their progress is small but increasing. Many educators and families have pressing questions, and this “Impact” offers responses to some of those questions from people around the country who are helping schools meet the needs of this growing student population.

Moving On: Federal Programs for Transition-Age Youth with Serious Mental Health Conditions
Report
http://www.bazelon.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=8Vesx_bWHBA%3d&tabid=104
“Moving On: Federal Programs for Transition-Age Youth with Serious Mental Health Conditions” is an analysis, from the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, of 57 federal programs offering resources to assist youth with serious mental health conditions in making the transition from childhood-and often, foster care-to independence. Available in pdf (464 KB, 34 pp).

NCES Releases Report on The Condition of Education 2013
Report
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2013037
The U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences’ National Center for Education Statistics has released “The Condition of Education 2013.” This report summarizes important developments and trends in education using the latest available data and includes findings on the demographics of American schools, U.S. resources for schooling, and outcomes associated with education. The report presents 42 indicators on the status and condition of education, in addition to Spotlights that look more closely at four issues of current interest.

NCWD/Youth Webinar on Individualized Learning Plans Available Online
Archived Webinar
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/webinars
On May 16, 2013, the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) and the Institute for Educational Leadership hosted a webinar on the findings from NCWD/Youth’s longitudinal research and demonstration project to determine whether and how Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs) are a promising strategy for developing college and career readiness. Presenters also recommended actions for educational leaders at the state and local levels interested in successful transitions of youth from adolescence to adulthood and shared lessons on implementing ILPs statewide for all students.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Offers New Data on Juvenile Justice
Report
http://ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/structure_process/faqs.asp
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has released the first in a series of national overviews that describe where states stand on a variety of juvenile justice issues, including how they classify status offenses, extended age of jurisdiction, and administration of community supervision and aftercare services. The overviews are available via the Juvenile Justice System, Structure, and Process section of the FAQ section of OJJDP’s Statistical Briefing Book (in the questions marked “New”). The Statistical Briefing Book provides timely and reliable answers to questions OJJDP most frequently receives from media, policymakers, and the general public.

Promise for the Future: How Federal Programs Can Improve Career Outcomes for Youth & Young Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions
Policy Report
http://labs.umassmed.edu/transitionsRTC/Resources/premium-publications/promiseforthefuture.pdf
“Promise for the Future: How Federal Programs Can Improve Career Outcomes for Youth & Young Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions” examines various federal programs that can provide assistance in meeting the educational, vocational, and basic supports needs of youth and young adults (ages 16-30) with serious mental health conditions (SMHCs). Available in pdf (1.0 MB, 33 pp).

Reforming Juvenile Justice: A Developmental Approach
Report
http://tinyurl.com/mvcyl72
National Academies Press has published “Reforming Juvenile Justice: A Developmental Approach,” the report resulting when the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) asked the National Research Council to convene a committee to conduct a study of juvenile justice reform. The goal of “Reforming Juvenile Justice: A Developmental Approach” was to review recent advances in behavioral and neuroscience research and draw out the implications of this knowledge for juvenile justice reform, to assess the new generation of reform activities occurring in the United States, and to assess the performance of OJJDP in carrying out its statutory mission as well as its potential role in supporting scientifically based reform efforts.

The Road to Equity: Expanding Advanced Placement Access and Success for African-American Students
Report
http://broadeducation.org/img/roadtoequity.pdf
“The Road to Equity: Expanding Advanced Placement (AP) Access and Success for African-American Students,” a report from the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, finds that urban school districts can improve the performance of African-American students on the College Board’s AP exams by offering a rigorous curriculum beginning in elementary school, expanding access to gifted-and-talented programs, and recruiting students with high PSAT and EXPLORE scores to enroll in AP courses. Available in pdf (1.45 MB, 15 pp).

Think College Two New Insight Briefs
Insight Briefs
http://www.thinkcollege.net/premium-publications/insight-briefs
Two new insight briefs on inclusive postsecondary education, by Think College, are available online. “Establishing Inclusive Postsecondary Education Opportunities: Tips for Effective Communication” discusses the best way, now that many colleges are offering opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities to take classes and participate in the campus community, to talk to college administrators, faculty, and staff about starting such initiatives, with tips on getting an inclusive postsecondary educational initiative started. “A Dual Enrollment Postsecondary Education Program for Students with Intellectual Disabilities: Winthrop Transition to College” discusses the Winthrop University Transition to College (WTC) program. The WTC program typically serves 8-10 high school students from two local school districts. It is an extension of the special education services offered in each district as a placement for community-based instruction (CBI).

Think College: Profiles and Promising Practices in Higher Education for Students with Intellectual Disability
Report
http://www.thinkcollege.net/premium-publications/program-profiles
Think College’s “Profiles and Promising Practices in Higher Education for Students with Intellectual Disability” is a monograph based on Think College staffs’ visits to five postsecondary education (PSE) programs, to report on the details and nuances of PSE programs serving students with intellectual disabilities. While national data derived from surveys or broad-scale evaluation efforts offer a “big picture” of what higher education is offering these students, detailed local data can give a better sense of what is really happening on the ground. The monograph describes the background and structure of these PSE programs, and identifies promising practices having a positive effect on student outcomes. Identifying these innovative/emerging practices can serve as a springboard to promote further policy, program, and resource development in order to expand postsecondary education opportunities and options for individuals with intellectual disability.

Using Data for College and Career Readiness
Report
http://www.betterhighschools.org/docs/NCEA_CollegeCareerReadiness.pdf
“Using the Right Data to Determine if High School Interventions Are Working to Prepare Students for College and Careers,” from The National High School Center, is a report designed to guide educators in collecting and analyzing student achievement data that can help determine if and how high school interventions for underprepared students are effectively preparing them for college and careers.

It reports on research on the relationship between students’ eighth-grade academic preparation gaps and their likelihood of meeting college and career readiness targets, and describes the datasets that states and school districts should create to be able to assess the benefits of interventions for students at different prior achievement levels; and concludes with guidance for school districts and high schools in using this information. Available in pdf (346 KB, 13 pp).

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Update from the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities

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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.

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.

Ruddie Memorial Youth Foundation Seeks Applications for Innovative Youth Programs
http://www.rmyf.org/content.cfm?u=grants_innovation_info
The Ruddie Memorial Youth Foundation is accepting applications from innovative programs designed to help underprivileged youth reach their full potential. Grants of $25,000 will be awarded for “new, uncommon, unconventional, or untested” youth programs aimed at identifying effective practices that lead to breakthrough results in supporting underprivileged youth. In the past, funded programs have ranged from credit union savings projects and intensive tutoring programs, to afterschool day care and art programs, to health workshops. To be eligible, organizations must be tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and serve youth in greater Baltimore, Boston, Los Angeles, Madison, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and/or Washington, DC. Deadline: July 17, 2013.

Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation Invites Applications for Music Donation Program
http://www.mhopus.org/Apply
Through its Keeping Music Alive program, the foundation will donate musical instruments to music programs that serve low-income communities and have little or no budget for musical instruments. Priority is given to programs serving the most students within a school population. Public, private, and charter schools are invited to apply; however, schools must be eligible for funds under Title 1 and/or serve a population where at least 50% of the students qualify for the National Lunch Program. Schools also must have an established instrumental music program (concert band, marching band, jazz band, and/or orchestra) that takes place during the regular school day and is at least three years old. Schools that offer Orff/classroom music only are not eligible to apply. Deadline for Pre-Qualification: August 1, 2013.

William T. Grant Foundation Invites Applications for Youth Social Setting Research Projects
http://www.wtgrantfoundation.org/funding_opportunities/research_grants/social-settings
The William T. Grant Foundation is accepting applications from organizations for research projects related to understanding how youth settings work, how they affect youth development, and how they can be improved. Grants of $100,000-$600,000 will be awarded for projects that address theory, policy, and/or practice affecting the settings of youth ages 8-25 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. To be eligible, organizations must be tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Deadline: August 2, 2013.

Open Meadows Foundation: Grants for Women and Girls
http://openmeadows.org/
The Open Meadows Foundation is a grant-making organization for projects that are led by and benefit women and girls. It funds projects that: reflect the diversity of the community served by the project in both its leadership and organization; build community power; promote racial, social, economic, and environmental justice; and have limited financial access or have encountered obstacles in their search for funding. Maximum award: $2,000. Eligibility: 501(c)3 organizations with an organizational budget no larger than $150,000. Projects must be designed and implemented by women and girls. Deadline: August 15, 2013.

P. Buckley Moss Foundation: Grants for Teachers of Children Who Learn Differently
http://www.mossfoundation.org/national-educators-grants-0
P. Buckley Moss Foundation Education Grants aid and support teachers who wish to establish an effective learning tool using the arts in teaching children with learning disabilities and other special needs. Maximum award: $1,000. Eligibility: new or evolving programs that integrate the arts into educational programming. Deadline: September 30, 2013.

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.

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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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