February 2015 – Special Educator e-Journal

Table of Contents

• Update from the U.S. Department of Education

• Parent Challenges in Navigating the Special Education System: A Review of the Literature By Alexis L. Gregory

• National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability

• Legislative Announcements, Calls to Participate and New Projects

• 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

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan Calls for Strong Education Law That Protects All Students, Ensures High-Quality Preschool, Supports Bold State and Local Innovation

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan laid out a bold vision for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) that continues a focus on the nation’s most vulnerable students.

During a speech on the 50th anniversary of the introduction of the nation’s cornerstone education law, Duncan called for scrapping the broken law known as No Child Left Behind and replacing it with a version that not only prepares children for college and careers, but also delivers on the promise of equity and real opportunity for every child – including minority students, students with disabilities, low-income students and English learners. Duncan, joined by civil rights leaders, educators, parents, students, members of Congress, clergy, non-profit community leaders and others, emphasized the critical role of ESEA in protecting the rights of all students to a quality education that will set them up for success.

“I believe we can work together – Democrats and Republicans – to move beyond the tired, prescriptive No Child Left Behind law. I believe we can replace it with a law that recognizes that schools need more support – more money – than they receive today,” Duncan said. “A law that recognizes that no family should be denied preschool for their children. A law that recognizes the hard work educators across America are doing to support and raise expectations for students, and lifts up the profession of teaching by recognizing that teachers need better preparation, better support, and more resources. A law that says that educational opportunity isn’t an option, it’s a civil right.”

In his speech, Duncan called for Congress to improve access to high-quality preschool in the law. He also announced that President Obama will include an extra $2.7 billion in his budget proposal for schools, including $1 billion for schools that serve the most vulnerable children.

Duncan also proposed new steps to reduce the burden of testing and test preparation on classroom time and to limit unnecessary testing in schools – without sacrificing annual statewide assessments that give educators and parents the information they need to help every child be successfu­­l. Duncan also pushed for more support for states and districts that pursue bold innovations and act on evidence about what works.

Duncan called for Congress to ensure that funds are distributed among schools so that all students – regardless of zip code – have access to excellent teaching and resources like technology, instructional materials and safe facilities.

Duncan said educators deserve fair, genuinely helpful systems for evaluation and professional growth that identify excellence and include measures of student learning – as part of multiple measures like classroom observations by peers and school leaders, additional professional growth opportunities, parent and student feedback, commitment to the school community and professionalism. And he called to modernize the teaching profession by amending the law to include improved preparation, support, resources and pay, while also recognizing the work of teachers and leaders in leading dramatic, transformational change.

America has seen progress for historically underserved students in recent years under a closer, more flexible federal partnership with states. High school graduation rates are at an all-time high (80 percent), dropout rates are at historical lows and more than 1 million additional black and Hispanic students have enrolled in college. Still, Duncan said, millions of children lack access to quality preschool, disadvantaged children have less access to qualified and experienced teachers and black and Hispanic students lag in access to Advanced Placement courses.

“Let me be clear: if we walk away from responsibility as a country – if we make our national education responsibilities optional – we would turn back the clock on educational progress,” Duncan said. “For the sake of our national promise and the health of our economy, every single young person should be able to look forward to a future that holds promise. And when so many states and districts have put in place the building blocks to sustain educational progress, when so many educators are working so hard to raise the bar for their students and support them in getting there, reversing course would be a terrible mistake.”

For more information, visit www.ed.gov/esea. The text and a video of the speech will be available later in the day.

U.S. Departments of Education and Justice Release Joint Guidance to Ensure English Learner Students Have Equal Access to High-Quality Education

The U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Justice (DOJ) released joint guidance reminding states, school districts and schools of their obligations under federal law to ensure that English learner students have equal access to a high-quality education and the opportunity to achieve their full academic potential.

“Four decades ago, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Lau v. Nichols that all students deserve equal access to a high-quality education regardless of their language background or how well they know English,” said ED Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon. “Today’s guidance not only reminds us of the court’s ruling, but also provides useful information for schools as they work to ensure equity for students and families with limited English proficiency.”

“The diversity of this nation is one of its greatest attributes,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta for the Civil Rights Division at DOJ. “Ensuring English learner students are supported in their education supports all of us. Today’s guidance—40 years after passage of the landmark Equal Educational Opportunities Act—will help schools meet their legal obligations to ensure all students can succeed.”

In addition to the guidance, the Departments also released additional tools and resources to help schools in serving English learner students and parents with limited English proficiency:

• A fact sheet in English and in other languages about schools’ obligations under federal law to ensure that English learner students can participate meaningfully and equally in school.
• A fact sheet in English and in other languages about schools’ obligations under federal law to communicate information to limited English proficient parents in a language they can understand.
• A toolkit to help school districts identify English learner students, prepared by the Education Department’s Office of English Language Acquisition. This is the first chapter in a series of chapters to help state education agencies and school districts meet their obligations to English learner students.

This is the first time that a single piece of guidance has addressed the array of federal laws that govern schools’ obligations to English learners. The guidance recognizes the recent milestone 40th anniversaries of Lau v. Nichols and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 (EEOA), as well as the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. The EEOA, similar to Lau, requires public schools to take appropriate action to help English learner students overcome language barriers and ensure their ability to participate equally in school.

The guidance explains schools’ obligations to:

• identify English learner students in a timely, valid and reliable manner;
• offer all English learner students an educationally sound language assistance program;
• provide qualified staff and sufficient resources for instructing English learner students;
• ensure English learner students have equitable access to school programs and activities;
• avoid unnecessary segregation of English learner students from other students;
• monitor students’ progress in learning English and doing grade-level classwork;
• remedy any academic deficits English learner students incurred while in a language assistance program;
• move students out of language assistance programs when they are proficient in English and monitor those students to ensure they were not prematurely removed;
• evaluate the effectiveness of English learner programs; and
• provide limited English proficient parents with information about school programs, services, and activities in a language they understand.

Almost 5 million students in the United States are English learners—about 9 percent of all public school students. From 2002 to 2011, the percentage of English learners in public schools increased in 40 states and the District of Columbia, and currently three out of every four public schools enroll English learner students.

The mission of the ED Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is to ensure equal access to education and promote educational excellence throughout the nation through the vigorous enforcement of civil rights. OCR is responsible for enforcing federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination by educational institutions on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, sex and age, as well as the Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act of 2001. Additional information about OCR is available here and additional resources, including previous guidance released on this topic, is available here.

The enforcement of the Equal Educational Opportunities Act and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ensure that English learner students and limited English proficient parents receive the services to which they are entitled is a top priority of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division.

Local superintendents weigh in on the guidance:

“It is critical that English learners are provided every opportunity to participate and excel in all of the educational opportunities offered by our schools. These guidelines clearly detail the type of support and services these students and their families need to ensure that they are able to receive the full benefits of public education. A quality educational program that adheres to these guidelines will ensure that English learners have the opportunity to become leaders and contributors in our communities.” — Daniel P. King, Superintendent of Schools, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD

“More than 40 percent of our students in Denver Public Schools are English language learners, and our community’s future depends in large measure on our success in providing them with the education they deserve. The guidance—which provides clarity and synthesizes ELL requirements—will be a useful resource as we continue to work to meet the needs of our English language learners.” — Tom Boasberg, Superintendent of Denver Public Schools

“The San Francisco Unified School District has a longstanding history of ensuring equal access to English Learners, as well as honoring and preserving home language and culture. Our preliminary review of this new guidance is that it reflects many of SFUSD’s current practices in support of English Learners. It can’t be said enough though that in order to implement these and other comprehensive recommended best practices, districts require adequate and appropriate resources.” — San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Richard A. Carranza

“We are pleased the department is reinforcing the importance of offering a high-quality education to English learners by providing guidance to school districts throughout the country. As educators, we have the responsibility to ensure all students have the support they need to achieve their academic potential. At AISD, we are committed to helping English learners achieve academic and linguistic proficiency through educational programs that help prepare them to graduate ready for college, career and life in a multicultural society. If we want our children to achieve their highest potential, we must build on their strengths and honor their culture and language. Complementing English with another language creates a strong educational foundation, so students may become bilingual, bi-cultural and bi-literate. Our diversity is our strength.” — Dr. Paul Cruz, Austin Independent School District interim superintendent

U.S. Education Department Announces Future Ready Regional Summits

The US Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology (OET) in partnership with the Alliance for Excellent Education and with support from the Leading Education by Advancing Digital (LEAD) Commission and a coalition of more than 36 content partners will host a series of Future Ready Regional Summits to help school district leaders improve teaching and student learning outcomes through the effective use of technology.

The summits follow a Connected to the Future convening hosted by President Obama at the White House in November that featured 115 local superintendents from across the country. The summits offer school district leaders expert support to create a digital learning plan that aligns with instructional best practices, is implemented by highly trained teachers, and leads to personalized learning experiences for all students, particularly those from traditionally under-served communities.

“These summits will highlight the critical role of district leaders in creating future-ready schools by setting a vision and creating the environment where educators and students access the tools, content and expertise necessary to thrive in a connected world,” saidRichard Culatta, director of the Department’s Office of Educational Technology. “Being ‘future-ready’ means developing the human and technological capacity needed to transform teaching and personalize learning using digital tools.”

The summits are open to district leadership teams on a first-come basis from districts where the superintendent has signed the Future Ready District Pledge. Already, more than 1,300 district superintendents nationwide have taken the pledge.

The summits are an important step to realizing the goals of the ConnectED Initiative announced by President Obama in 2013 to connect 99 percent of students to high speed internet and empower teachers with the technology they need to transform teaching and learning. The summits are expected to engage more than 1,300 district leaders nationwide. For more information on the regional summits please visit www.FutureReadySchools.org.

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By Alexis L. Gregory

Abstract

Federal law provides rights to parents of children with disabilities to be involved in their children’s education. However, parents are facing many challenges in understanding and navigating the special education system. This literature review summarizes parent challenges specifically in communication and collaboration with school personnel, the readability of procedural safeguards, the effectiveness of special education advocates, and the unmet needs of parents and families with children with disabilities. This article makes recommendations for potential solutions to these issues and concludes with the suggestion for additional research needed in these areas.

Introduction

The Individuals With Disabilities Act (IDEA) of 2004 is a federal law that enforces the rights of parents to be involved in making decisions for their children with disabilities in the special education system. However, reports by Kogan (as cited in Brown et al. 2011) have indicated that navigating the world of special education has been a difficult task for parents to take on. Parents must learn to effectively communicate and collaborate with their child’s teachers and school staff, read and understand their procedural safeguards, and find a well-trained advocate to assist them with these endeavors or discover how to advocate for themselves. This can be very overwhelming for any parent, not to mention for parents who are caring for children with disabilities. Despite these difficulties, it is important for parents to be able to navigate the special education system in order to be knowledgeable advocates for their children and to be able to influence and contribute to their child’s education.

Findings

The special education system can be so confusing, that one researcher compares it to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. In her studies, Valle (2011), has interviewed many mothers of children with learning disabilities and their descriptions of entering the special education system all share common difficulties and struggles that has left them feeling, “guilt, shame, and failure,” (Valle, 2011, p. 185.) How can parents be effectively involved in their child’s education when they are experiencing such negative emotions when attempting to participate in it? One conclusion the researcher suggests is to use different frameworks such as critical theory and disability studies in education (DSE) when researching parent experiences in special education (Valle, 2011). In doing this, researchers’ perspectives may change to instead first find why of an issue exists and then discover how to fix it.  She suggests using this perspective especially when considering issues with collaboration between parents and education professionals. This proves to be an important point to contemplate, because in a survey done by Starr & Foy (2010), numerous parents expressed dissatisfaction due to the “lack of communication and effective collaboration” between parents and school personnel in special education (Starr, 2010, p. 212). To remedy this, the researchers suggest that teachers should attempt to establish “a climate of trust” by communicating and collaborating together on a regular basis with parents regarding their child’s strengths as well as addressing areas of concern (Starr, 2010, p. 213).

Another way to improve collaboration and communication between parents and school personnel is to limit professional jargon, speak plainly, and provide translators, if needed. This may be helpful to parents, however, a far greater difficulty for them remains in the form of written communication. Federal law not only mandates parent involvement in their child’s education, but also states that they are to receive their procedural safeguards.

This document guarantees their rights to be included in any decisions involving their child’s evaluation, diagnosis, placement, services, and education and transition planning. The problem is, according to SMOG readability scores, 55% of this literature intended for parents has been scored in the reading level range of 13-16 and 39% with a score of 17 or higher (Mandic, Rudd, Hehir, & Acevedo-Garcia, 2012.) This means that 94% of procedural safeguard literature is higher than a high school reading level. Additionally, it has also been determined that 89% of parents with children with disabilities from the ages of 25-49, have high school or “limited literacy” reading skills (Mandic et al., 2012, p. 198). So, over half of the available procedural safeguards are written at a college level or higher and far more than half of the parents who are meant to read them, can only read at a high school level. This poses a major threat to parents’ abilities to not only navigate the special education system, but also in understanding their rights while doing so. Mandic et al. (2012) propose that the same techniques that are used for spoken communication with parents be utilized in written communication, as well. To uphold the law, procedural safeguards should be written plainly and in short sentences so that is easily understandable and readable without the use of professional jargon.

As alarming as the previous information is, there is the potential for an invaluable resource available to parents in the form of an advocate. Parents have the right to use advocates to help them better understand their rights in the special education system. The issue with advocates, though, is that there is no monitoring system in place to determine if their services are proving to be effective. Burke (2013) raises concerns about the best methods for training special education advocates and the lack of follow up on their services. She discusses two different advocacy training programs available, Special Education Advocacy Training (SEAT) and Volunteer Advocacy Project (VAP). The two vary in their content, format, field experience opportunities and even live versus video conferencing components. She suggests that research and program evaluations are needed to add to the literature and knowledge in this field. Advocates have the potential to be extremely useful to parents in navigating the special education system, but as of now, there is simply not enough data to determine what type of training produces the most effective results in assisting these parents.

Finally, school staff can help parents in the special education system by becoming more aware of parents’ and their families’ unmet needs. Brown et al. (2010) found that families were at a significantly higher risk for having unmet needs if their children had low or high functional independence, in comparison to families with children with moderate independence. This is because parents of children with low functional independence have overwhelming support needs in doing simple day to day tasks, and parents with children with high functional independence have a greater need because their child may not qualify for necessary services according to the eligibility criteria. The researchers suggest school staff increase their awareness of these issues in order to identify these families and better assist them in finding ways to meet their needs.

Conclusion

Many factors contribute to the difficulties parents of children with disabilities encounter when navigating the special education system. I agree with the aforementioned researchers suggestions. Researchers may need to adjust how they gather information by using differing theories and frameworks. Interviewing parents may gain better insight on their experiences and could indicate what is and is not working in the system. Additionally, because mothers have been the primary source of this information, I would suggest encouraging the inclusion of fathers in this research. Fathers may be able to provide new perspectives that may help answer essential why questions.

School staff may also need to alter their perceptions on what families and their children may need based on their functional independence levels. If teachers become more aware of identifying these families, they can better assist in meeting their needs and providing appropriate services for them and their children. I would suggest they also establish and increase effective communication and value parent input to produce a trusting and effective collaborative team. Also, during communication, I would recommend using plain language and decrease the use of professional jargon, so parents can easily understand the information that is being shared while also valuing any input they may contribute.

Finally, I would suggest further research on the resources that parents use while navigating the special education system. Specifically, a better understanding is needed on the impact that the readability of procedural safeguards has on parents and the effectiveness of special education advocacy training.

Procedural safeguards are meant to be a useful tool, but if the literature is too difficult to read or understand, it will only continue to further frustrate and hinder parents’ abilities in helping their child. I would also suggest determining readability levels for procedural safeguards written in other languages for parents whose primary language is not English. Furthermore, advocates have the potential to provide clarity to parents at an uncertain, overwhelming, and confusing time. Additional research on best practices for training advocates may increase their potential in assisting parents navigate the special education system with success. These recommendations for improving the navigability of the special education system will not only benefit and help parents, but achieve an ultimate and crucial goal, which is providing the best education to their children with disabilities.

References

Brown, H. K., Ouellette-Kuntz, H., Hunter, D., Kelley, E., Cobigo, V., & Lam, M. (2011). Beyond an autism diagnosis: Children’s functional independence and parents’ unmet needs. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41(10), 1291-1302. Retrieved from ezproxy.fiu.edu/login=http://search.proquest.com/docview/964169280?accountid=10901

Burke, M. M. (2013). Improving parental involvement: Training special education advocates. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 23(4), 225-234. Retrieved from dps.sagepub.com/content/23/4/225

Mandic, C. G., Rudd, R., Hehir, T., & Acevedo-Garcia, D. (2012). Readability of special education procedural safeguards. Journal of Special Education, 45(4), 195-203. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0022466910362774

Starr, E. M., & Foy, J. B. (2012). In parents’ voices: The education of children with autism spectrum disorders. Remedial and Special Education, 33(4), 207-216. Retrieved from ezproxy.fiu.edu/login=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1140135075?accountid=10901

Valle, J. W. (2011). Down the rabbit hole: A commentary about research on parents and special education. Learning Disability Quarterly, 34(3), 183-190. Retrieved from ezproxy.fiu.edu/login=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1018483073?accountid=10901

To access everything below in this section from NCWD, visit:

http://www.ncwd-youth.info/

U.S. DOE and DOJ Release New Guidance on Educational Needs of Youth in Correctional Facilities

On December 8, 2014, the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice released new guidance and technical assistance materials to inform the efforts of states, school districts, and juvenile justice facilities serving youth, including youth with disabilities. The package includes recommendations and federal requirements for ensuring that youth in confinement receive an education comparable to those provided in traditional public school settings.

The package includes the following components:

• Guiding Principles for Providing High-Quality Education in Juvenile Justice Secure Care Settings.
• Dear Colleague Letter on Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for Students with Disabilities in Correctional Facilities, which clarifies state and public agency obligations to provide a free, appropriate public education to eligible students with disabilities who reside in correctional facilities.
• Dear Colleague Letter on Civil Rights of Students in Juvenile Justice Residential Facilities, which stipulates that juvenile justice residential facilities receiving DOJ or ED funding must comply with the federal civil rights laws that these agencies enforce.
• Dear Colleague Letter on Access to Federal Pell Grants for Students in Juvenile Justice Residential Facilities, which provides campus financial aid professionals the eligibility requirements for youth residing in juvenile justice facilities to apply for Pell Grants.

U.S. Congress Passes ABLE Act to Permit Qualified Individuals with Disabilities to Save

On December 16, 2014, the U.S. Congress passed the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act. President Obama signed the bill into law on December 22, 2014. Currently, individuals with disabilities who depend on federal health or income benefits, such as Medicaid or SSI, are not allowed to save more than $2,000 in assets. The ABLE Act would allow individuals who acquire a significant disability before age 26 to save money for many disability-related expenses such as education, transportation, or employment without jeopardizing important health or income supports. Individuals who meet this criteria and already receive benefits under SSI and/or SSDI will be automatically eligible to establish an ABLE account. Individuals who are not currently receiving SSI or SSDI, but meet the age of disability onset requirement, could still be eligible to open an ABLE account.

Bipartisan JJDPA Reauthorization Introduced in Senate

On December 11, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2014 (S.2999) to reauthorize and improve the Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention Act of 1974 (JJDPA). The law, which was most recently reauthorized in 2002, is the only federal statute that sets out national standards for the custody and care of youth in the juvenile justice system and provides direction and support for state juvenile justice system improvements. The JJDPA also supports programs and practices that have significantly contributed to the reduction of delinquency.

The JJDPA also established the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), which supports our host organization’s Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program (RAMP). RAMP is based on NCWD/Youth foundational materials including the Guideposts for Success, 
Paving the Way to Work: A Guide to Career-Focused Mentoring for Youth with Disabilities,High School/High Tech Program Guide: A Comprehensive Transition Program Promoting Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math for Youth with Disabilities, and Making the Right Turn: A Guide About Improving Transition Outcomes for Youth Involved in the Juvenile Justice System.

Institute for Educational Leadership to Hold 2015 National Family and Community Engagement Conference

The Institute for Educational Leadership will be holding the 2015 National Family and Community Engagement Conference at The Palmer House in Chicago, Illinois on June 22- 24. This year’s conference theme is Shaping Our Future by Leading Together: Families, Schools, and Communities. Super Early Registration ends December 31, 2014 and Early Registration ends March 15, 2015.Sessions will highlight high quality family and community engagement on the following topics: Early Learning & Literacy, Student Achievement and Schooling, Community Partnerships, Teacher Leadership & Professional Development, Systemic Practice and Policy, Inclusive Education, Parent Leadership & Advocacy, and High School, College & Career Transition.

NCWD/Youth and IEL Host Community Learning Exchange: Lead On! Igniting Youth Voice, Promoting Youth Choice

In December, NCWD/Youth and our host organization, the Institute for Educational Leadership, hosted a Community Learning Exchange (CLE), bringing together community leaders, youth-serving organizations, and youth with and without disabilities. The CLE, which took place at Gallaudet University, engaged teams in reflection around the role of youth voice in their organizations and communities, while empowering young people to drive their own decision-making processes. Organizers documented the CLE experience in a video.

NCWD/Youth Releases Individualized Learning Plans Report

NCWD/Youth’s report, Use of Individualized Learning Plans: A Promising Practice for Driving College and Career Readiness Efforts – Findings and Recommendations from a Multi-Method, Multi-Study Effort, summarizes the findings and recommendations of ILP research and technical assistance activities that were completed between 2007 and 2013.

NCWD/Youth Gives Keynote Address on Individualized Learning Plans

On December 3, Dr. V. Scott Solberg, Boston University, gave a keynote address, “Individualized Career and Academic Plans: Inspiring All Youth to Reach Higher in Pursuit of Their Career and Life Goals” at the Individualized Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) Summit in Colorado. The Summit was hosted by the Colorado Department of Education in partnership with the Colorado Department of Higher Education, Colorado Community College System, the High School Graduation Initiative, and Colorado Council on High School and College Relations. Dr. Solberg is the Principal Investigator for NCWD/Youth’s initiative on individualized learning plans (ILPs). NCWD/Youth offers technical assistance to states seeking to develop or strengthen policies and practices involving individualized learning plans. Learn more about ILPs athttp://www.ncwd-youth.info/ilp.

Legislative Announcements, Calls to Participate

and New Projects

Feedback to OSEP on Proposed Approach for Including Results Data in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C Determinations Process
http://tinyurl.com/m9e8hwx
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) sought feedback on a proposed approach for including results data in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C determinations process. At the request of OSEP, the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) developed a proposal for using results-driven data for an accountability framework to review states’ performance results for children who receive early intervention services. The feedback received has been posted on OSERS’ blog.

U.S. Education Department Reaches Agreement with Youngstown State University to Ensure Equal Access to its Websites for Individuals with Disabilities
http://tinyurl.com/meg6omu
The U.S. Department of Education announced in December that its Office for Civil Rights has entered into an agreement with Youngstown State University in Ohio to ensure that the school’s websites comply with federal civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Youngstown State’s websites were not readily accessible to persons with disabilities, and the university was not fully in compliance with the regulatory requirements regarding the publication of a notice of nondiscrimination in relevant documents. The agreement ends an OCR investigation and commits the 13,000-student public institution in northeast Ohio to providing equal access to educational opportunities for students with disabilities and to ensuring that the school’s websites are accessible to persons with disabilities, including students, prospective students, employees and visitors.

U.S. Department of Education Announces 2014 National Blue Ribbon Schools 337 Schools Honored–287 public and 50 private
http://tinyurl.com/mcawtsl
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has announced the recognition of 337 schools – 287 public and 50 private– as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2014 for their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. These schools demonstrate that all students can achieve to high levels. The award affirms the hard work of students, educators, families and communities in creating safe and welcoming schools where students master challenging content. The Department invites National Blue Ribbon School nominations from the top education official in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity and the Bureau of Indian Education. The Council for American Private Education (CAPE) nominates private schools.

Disability Visibility Project
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/06/16/storycorps-disability/19443/
“DisabilityScoop” reported June 16, 2014, in an article, “StoryCorps Looks To Record Disability Experience,” that a new project, the Disability Visibility Project, has been launched as a community partnership with StoryCorps, a national nonprofit that allows everyday people to record casual, one-on-one conversations in an effort to preserve history. As the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act approaches next year, this project will encourage people within the disability community to share their stories. StoryCorps’ recording booth in San Francisco is making sessions available between July 10 and Dec. 13 specifically for members of the disability community to record their stories. Additional times are expected to be added leading up to the ADA’s 25th anniversary in July 2015.

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/07/10/congress-sheltered-eligibility/19500/
“DisabilityScoop” reported July 10, 2014, in an article, “Congress Passes Bill Limiting Sheltered Workshop Eligibility,” that a bill that would significantly limit young people with disabilities from entering sheltered workshop programs is headed to President Barack Obama’s desk. The U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve the “Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.” Included in the bill are changes to the path from school to work for those with disabilities.

The measure would prohibit individuals age 24 and younger from working jobs that pay less than the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour unless they first try vocational rehabilitation services, among other requirements. It would also require state vocational rehabilitation agencies to work with schools to provide “pre-employment transition services” to all students with disabilities and require such agencies to allocate a minimum of 15% of their federal funding to help individuals with disabilities in transition under the measure.

U.S. Department of Education’s Guidance Letter on Charter Schools’ Legal Obligations to Individuals With Disabilities
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2014/05/15/feds-warn-charters-special/19368/
The U.S. Department of Education issued a guidance letter in May 2014 outlining charter schools’ legal obligations to individuals with disabilities, regardless of whether the schools receive federal funding. Included in the letter are reminders that students with disabilities cannot be discriminated against in admissions and disciplinary actions; and that parents with disabilities must be accommodated, e.g., with sign-language interpreters or Braille materials, when communicating with the school.

Disability.gov PSAs Challenge Assumptions about People with Disabilities
https://www.disability.gov/newsroom/psa-download-center/
Disability.gov recently released public service announcements (PSAs) in support of the message that people are not defined by their disabilities. Each of the eight PSAs features one of Disability.gov’s “No Boundaries” participants. Each PSAs participant chose several words to describe him or herself to paint a broader picture of who they are. The PSAs are downloadable from the Disability.gov site.

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

Latest Employment Opportunities Posted on NASET

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Funding Forecast and Award Opportunities

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.

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.

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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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