July 2015 – Special Educator e-Journal

Table of Contents

• Update from the U.S. Department of Education

• From Present Levels to Progress Measure. By Catherine C. George Ph.D. and Sharon A. Lynch, Ph.D: Department of Language, Literacy,& Special Populations

• Establishing Effective Education Programs for Students with Autism Addressing their Parents. By Vanessa Radice: Florida International University

• Buzz from the Hub

• 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

---

U.S. Department of Education Awards $12.8 Million in Grants to Improve Services, Outcomes for Children with Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Education announced today the award of more than $12.8 million in grants to help improve services and results for students with disabilities.

“We must ensure that students with disabilities receive a world-class education and that their teachers are equipped to help them be successful,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “These grants support important projects in schools across the country to help students with disabilities reach their full academic potential.”

The Special Education-Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities/Preparation of Leadership Personnel Program will deliver $3.6 million in awards to prepare graduate students for leadership positions in special education, early intervention and related services. With many college professors and administrators in special education facing retirement in the coming years, leadership shortages are expected. Some of the funds will help train future leaders at the doctoral and postdoctoral levels to fill faculty positions in special education, early intervention and related services. Other grants will help prepare scholars to serve as supervisors of personnel providing direct services to infants and children with disabilities.

Another grant program, under the Combined Priority for Personnel Development, also will provide $9.2 million in funds to help address state-identified needs for highly qualified personnel in special education, early intervention and regular education programs that serve children with disabilities. The grants will help train educators in such areas as early childhood, low-incidence disabilities, speech/language issues, adapted physical education and transition services.

The Office of Special Education Programs is the primary source of federal funding for doctoral training in special education and early intervention.

U.S. Department of Education Approves ESEA Flexibility Renewal for 7 States, D.C.

Building on the significant progress seen in America’s schools over the last six years, the U.S. Department of Education announced today that Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, New York, West Virginia and the District of Columbia have each received multiple years of continued flexibility from provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), also known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

These states and D.C. are implementing comprehensive state-designed plans to ensure student success and a continued commitment to college- and career-readiness for every student.

“The last six years have seen dramatic progress for America’s school children. The high school dropout rate is down, and graduation rates are higher than they have ever been,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “As a result of our partnerships with state and district leaders to couple flexibility with reform, we are seeing remarkable strides and bold actions to improve student outcomes. States, districts, principals and teachers are showing incredible creativity in using different means to achieve the same goal – getting every student in America college- and career-ready.”

The Department granted flexibility and approved waivers for 42 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia from the burdens of the existing law in order to support improved achievement in schools. All of the states up for renewal have submitted or will soon submit a request to extend their flexibility, and Nebraska requested a waiver from the law for the first time ever. More renewal decisions will follow in the weeks to come.

Since this flexibility was first granted in 2012, the Department has partnered with state and district leaders to provide relief from some provisions of NCLB in exchange for taking bold actions to improve student outcomes and ensure equity for all students. Under NCLB, schools were given many ways to fail but very few opportunities to succeed.

Under flexibility plans, states continue to focus resources on comprehensive, rigorous interventions in their lowest-performing schools and supports to help the neediest students meet high expectations alongside their peers.

States have also focused on improving teacher and principal effectiveness across the country with evaluation and support systems that are used for continual improvement of instruction, provide clear, timely, and useful feedback, including feedback that identifies needs and guides professional development, and can be used to recognize and reward highly effective educators, as well as to inform important conversations about ensuring equitable access to effective educators for students from low-income families and students of color.

In March, the Department approved five state requests for ESEA flexibility – Kentucky, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina and Virginia—for an additional four years, through the 2018-2019 school year. Today’s announcement gives Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, West Virginia and the District of Columbia a three-year flexibility renewal through the 2017-18 school year, and New York a four-year renewal through the 2018-19 school year.

A strong, bipartisan reauthorization of ESEA, which has been due for Congressional action since 2007, remains the first priority for the Department. But until a new law is in place, NCLB continues to stand. This means states need a new round of waivers that provide flexibility from top-down, prescriptive provisions of the law so that they can continue implementing innovative changes that ensure all children receive a high-quality education. These renewals provide states with stability as they continue to work on preparing all students for success in college, careers and life.

State by State:

District of Columbia:

• Implementation of the ESEA flexibility waiver has supported the District’s efforts to adopt and implement new academic standards and rigorous assessments aligned to college- and career-ready expectations in English Language Arts, math and science.
• The Office of the State Superintendent of Education’s renewal request reflects an effort to provide continuing and expanded supports to meet the needs of students and educators. As a result of the District’s new State System of Support, it will be better positioned to deliver targeted professional development based on educators’ needs.

Georgia

• Georgia has aligned its differentiated recognition and accountability system with its College and Career Ready Performance Index. This means Georgia now uses its Index to identify reward, priority and focus schools, and to establish exit criteria for priority and focus schools, thus making the system more transparent and clear to educators, parents and the public.
• Flexibility has allowed the state to improve the methods it uses to identify and serve underperforming schools and to include other Title I schools not identified as priority or focus in these services. These schools also receive incentives and supports aligned to their annual Index reports and measured against performance targets.
• Georgia has supported college and career readiness by enabling middle school students taking advanced, high school level math and science courses to take the high school level end-of-course assessment early, in place of the end-of-grade assessment.

Hawaii

• The Hawaii Department of Education (HIDOE) has aligned its reform efforts and internal systems and processes to leverage progress toward outcomes. The state’s strategic plan is the guiding vision that connects the approved request for ESEA flexibility and the Race to the Top plan by focusing on six key priority strategies: Common Core State Standards (CCSS); a comprehensive system of student supports, including Response to Intervention; formative instruction and the data teams process; the Educator Effectiveness System; induction and mentoring; and academic review teams.
• HIDOE has designed a comprehensive and integrated structure to provide customized support to schools and gather feedback to improve state office performance, through the use of its Complex Area Support Teams (CAST). These teams provide individualized technical assistance to Complex Areas and schools for each of the six priority strategies. All Complex Areas that have focus and priority schools, and charter schools designated as focus and priority schools, receive additional support and oversight through a state-funded academic officer.
• HIDOE engages in a variety of activities to support full implementation of common core. These activities include support through the CCSS CAST lead; access to CCSS-aligned implementation protocols, crosswalks, curriculum frameworks, webinars and sample performance tasks for English Language Arts and math on the state’s standards toolkit website; access to additional resources through the Open Educational Resources project; and selection of statewide curriculum materials vetted by teachers and state office staff.

Kansas

• Kansas has identified the lowest-performing schools in the state and works closely with districts to ensure that effective interventions are in place to boost academic performance at each of these schools. Kansas implements yearly school-, district-, and state-level requirements in its lowest performing schools, including a comprehensive school action plan, a district needs assessment and a three-year action plan. The state’s improvement process also includes a district coordinator, a team of district- and school-level staff for ongoing monitoring and adjustments that may be necessary, and a state-level team that integrates staff from across the agency to provide ongoing support, monitoring, and critical feedback as necessary.
• All districts in Kansas are implementing a statewide teacher and principal evaluation and support system based on Kansas Education Evaluation Guidelines. Districts are implementing nuanced evaluation and support systems that include multiple qualitative and quantitative indicators, and provide a robust set of feedback to help teachers and principals improve their practice.

Missouri

• The state has placed school-based data teams made of teachers of core subjects and State Education Agency staff within all priority and focus schools. Teams develop school accountability plans and meet regularly to analyze and discuss student progress on formative assessments in English language arts and math and to share best practices.
• Another major outcome of the state’s ESEA flexibility has been the Diverse Learner Amplification Project, completed in October 2014.  Teachers for English language learners and students with disabilities, and core academic teachers from all parts of Missouri, participated in work to ensure that English language learners, students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students not only develop the academic language required to be successful in core curriculum, but also develop skills that will allow them to go on to a successful post-secondary program.

Nevada

• Nevada established an alternative school performance framework to rate approved schools that serve certain populations with high-risk factors; identify underperforming schools as turnaround schools; and provide incentives to encourage employment at schools designated as turnaround.
• Nevada established the Achievement School District within the Nevada Department of Education, which authorizes certain underperforming schools to be converted to achievement charter schools.
• Nevada adopted a statewide framework for educator evaluations, including uniform, professional educator standards and clear performance expectations.

New York:

• The state’s ESEA flexibility has allowed it to target resources and support to districts with the greatest needs rather than continuing to identify schools for improvement, corrective action and restructuring. In addition, the state has been able to share innovative best practices from Title I Reward Schools with other schools in the state. Now schools with the greatest needs are getting more direct support.
• New York has been able to focus on the equitable distribution of effective teacher talent. One major way this is being accomplished is through the Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Continuum, which is a seven-component plan designed to improve the quality, quantity and diversity of the teacher workforce.

This innovative system focuses on all areas of an educator’s professional practice, including preparation while in a college-setting, recruitment and placement, mentoring, and performance management.

West Virginia

• West Virginia has developed a program that provides continuous support for priority schools, utilizing dedicated state-level school improvement coordinators who meet weekly with school leadership teams to determine the specific needs of each school and to provide a customized approach to school improvement.
• West Virginia has implemented its Educator Evaluation System statewide, which included training approximately 1,000 teacher-leaders through the state’s Teacher Leadership Institute. The Teacher Leadership Institute focused on integrating student learning goals as integral components of instructional planning, delivery and assessment. Educators are able to receive customized professional development based on their needs as determined through self-assessments and their evaluators’ performance reviews. The new focus is on personalized support for teachers, with the goal of improving instruction and learning outcomes for all students.

In the event that Congress reauthorizes ESEA, the Department will work with states to help them transition to the new law. Duncan has called on Congress to create a bipartisan ESEA law that:

• Gives teachers and principals the resources they need, and invests in districts and states to create innovative new solutions to increase student outcomes;
• Makes real investments in high-poverty schools and districts, and in expanding high-quality preschool;
• Holds high expectations for all students, and requires that where groups of students or schools are not making progress, there will be an action plan for change;
• Identifies schools that are consistently not making progress and dedicates extra resources and support, including in the lowest-performing 5 percent of schools that are struggling year after year;
• Addresses funding inequities for schools that serve high proportions of low-income students.

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan Announces Recipients of 2015 President’s Education Awards Program

The U.S. Department of Education today announced the 2015 President’s Education Awards Program (PEAP) recipients, honoring nearly three million students from more than 30,000 public, private and military schools from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Each year K-12 students from across the country are eligible to receive individual recognition from President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for their educational excellence and academic growth in the classroom. The award includes a congratulatory letter and certificate signed by the President, the Secretary and the school principal.

“The President’s Education Award Program recognizes achievement and hard work in the classroom while encouraging students to reach even higher,” Duncan said. “It honors students who meet high standards of academic excellence, while also rewarding students who have overcome tough obstacles to their learning.”

The program has two categories that honor students graduating from elementary, middle or high schools:

• Award for Educational Excellence recognizes students’ academic success in the classroom based on grade point average or school-specific criteria and standards, such as high motivation, initiative, integrity, intellectual depth, leadership qualities, and exceptional judgment; plus high scores on nationally normed achievement or state tests or recommendations from a teacher plus one other staff member.
• Award for Outstanding Educational Achievement recognizes students’ hard work, often in the face of special obstacles to their learning. A school’s principal determines this award based on criteria developed at the school, such as showing outstanding growth, improvement, commitment, or intellectual development in particular subjects; demonstrating achievement in the arts; and demonstrating unusual commitment to learning in academics despite various obstacles.

The school’s principal is the final authority on which students receive awards and determines the number of qualifying students based on eligibility and selection requirements. There is no limit on the number of awards, as long as students meet the criteria for each award.

Since 1983, PEAP has provided individual recognition from the President and the U.S. Secretary of Education, in partnership with the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

 

United Way of Metropolitan Chicago Answers White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics “Commitments to Action” Call

United Way of Metropolitan Chicago announced today its “Commitments to Action” to the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics (Initiative) by investing $3.3 million in early childhood education as part of their Fiscal Year 2016-2017 grant cycle, with 40 percent of those resources going to schools, community centers and neighborhoods serving Hispanic families. The announcement was made at the Initiative’s 2015 Early Learning Symposium entitled, “Fulfilling America’s Future: Research, Practice, and Policy Advancing Early Childhood Education for Hispanics” in Chicago, Illinois.

“The benefits of an early childhood education are particularly powerful among children from low-income families” said Alejandra Ceja, the Initiative’s Executive director. “We thank the United Way for its commitment and recognize that it will continue to stimulate and expand quality early learning programing in Chicago.”

United Way identified early learning as a key priority as part of a 2011 organizational shift to more focused funding on key levers of change for individuals, families and neighborhoods. Children who have learning opportunities at an early age are more likely to be successful in school and in life. Early learning resources are part of a portfolio of investments which support work to increase the number of high school graduates, improve financial stability for families, and ensure access to quality healthcare for individuals as part of United Way’s Community-Impact Plan for the greater Chicago region.

“Early childhood education remains among the smartest investments we can make in our young people’s long-term success,” said United Way of Metropolitan Chicago’s President and CEO Wendy DuBoe.  “United Way is proud to build on its long-time focus on education to ensure children have the resources they need to succeed.”

According to the U.S. Department of Education’s report, A Matter of Equity: Preschool in America,of the approximately 4 million 4-year-olds in the United States, about 60 percent – or nearly 2.5 million – are not enrolled in publicly funded preschool programs, including state preschool, Head Start and programs serving children with disabilities. Latinos are the United States’ fastest growing and largest minority group, making up a quarter of 3- and 4-year-olds, yet they have the lowest preschool participation rates of any major ethnicity or race.

The Obama Administration has made significant investments in early learning through the Early Learning Challenge and the Preschool Development Grants programs. The Administration has asked Congress for an increase of $500 million for Preschool Development Grants as part of the President’s FY16 budget request in order to expand this program to serve more states. Preschool Development Grants support states’ efforts to build or enhance high-quality preschool programs to serve children in high-need communities. The $250 million awarded to 18 states will benefit more than 33,000 additional children in 200 high-need communities, where families have little or no access to affordable, high-quality preschool. Additional funding would enable the Department to provide high-quality opportunities for many more children in the 36 states that applied.

The Initiative was established in 1990 to address the educational disparities faced by the Hispanic community. In September 2015, the Initiative will celebrate its 25th anniversary, a historic milestone that will be commemorated with the leveraging of public- and private-sector commitments to action that invest in quality education programs and strategies for Hispanics

To top

Catherine C. George

Sharon A. Lynch

Department of Language, Literacy, & Special Populations

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

 

Catherine C. George, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Special Education

ccg018@shsu.edu

Sam Houston State University

Department of Language, Literacy, & Special Populations

Box 2119

Huntsville, TX 77341-2119

 

Sharon A. Lynch, Ph.D.

Professor of Special Education

lynch@shsu.edu

Sam Houston State University

Department of Language, Literacy, & Special Populations

Box 2119

Huntsville, TX 77341-2119

Abstract

The 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act included substantial changes related to Individual Education Programs. These changes require school personnel to provide students with disabilities greater access to the general curriculum. Multidisciplinary teams must implement these changes when developing and measuring a student’s IEP. This article highlights some of these changes and offers practical recommendations to assist educators in the IEP development process. Specifically, the present article provides a working guidance document for developing a quality statement of a student’s present levels of academic achievement and functional performance that leads to individualized benchmarks and goals. Additionally, the authors provide several recommendations regarding methods which can be used to measure student progress on a variety of benchmarks and goals.

FROM PRESENT LEVELS TO PROGRESS MONITORING

The 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) requires schools to provide students with disabilities greater access to the general education curriculum. This is evident in the changes to the requirements surrounding the Individual Education Program (IEP). Changes related to the IEP range from development of goals and objectives to progress measurement. IEP development has historically been based on both formal and informal evaluation data, including a student’s strengths and needs. IDEA 2004 added the requirement that schools include information related to the student’s academic achievement and functional performance. Specifically, IEP committees should consider the student’s access, involvement, and progress in the general education curriculum. The National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE, 2007), developed the following seven-step process to guide IEP committees in the development of student IEPs:

 

Step 1. Consider the grade-level content standards for the grade in which the student is enrolled or would be enrolled based on age.

Step 2. Examine classroom and student data to determine where the student is functioning in relation to the grade-level standards.

Step 3. Develop the present level of academic achievement and functional performance.

Step 4. Develop measurable annual goals aligned with grade-level academic content standards.

Step 5. Assess and report the student’s progress throughout the year.

Step 6. Identify specially designed instruction including accommodations and/or modifications needed to access and progress in the general education curriculum.

Step 7. Determine the most appropriate assessment option.

 

IDEA 2004 also changed the requirements related to benchmarks or short-term objectives (STOs) for annual goals. Benchmarks or STOs are only required for students who participate in alternate assessments based on alternate standards. Although benchmarks or STOs are not required for students who do not participate in alternate assessments, the IEP committee may decide that additional educational objectives and progress measures would be appropriate. Results from these progress measures, along with the results from state assessments and progress on annual goals, will inform the present level of academic achievement and functional performance (PLAAFP) for the next IEP. It is important that these PLAAFP statements clearly describe the student’s current performance so that the IEP committee can determine the student’s needs and what the student should be reasonably expected to accomplish in the following year. The diagram in Figure 1 shows this progression from PLAAFP statement to progress monitoring.

Figure 1. Process from PLAAFP to Progress Monitoring

Developing PLAAFPs

The PLAAFP statement as required by IDEA 2004 must address how the disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum. For preschoolers the PLAAFP statement should address how the disability affects participation in appropriate activities. Over and above the legal requirement, the effective PLAAFP presents a profile of the student that enables the team to consider the child’s abilities, along with the curriculum standards and functional needs. These three areas taken together should drive the development of the individualized goals and objectives (Lynch & Adams, 2008).

 

A quality PLAAFP statement begins with the student profile that paints a picture of the child and his or her abilities. The student profile should be based on assessment data, such as the date of the last Full and Individual Evaluation and the disability condition, as well as the level at which the child functions in grade-level curriculum (Capizzi, 2008).  For each academic area, the PLAAFP statement should tell what the student is able to do with and without supports, and describe the type of supports that the student needs for success (National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2013). For some students, particularly those with more severe disabilities, they will access the general curriculum through prerequisite skills or extended standards (Browder & Spooner, 2011). The student profile can also address how the individual responds to grade-level curriculum with modifications and accommodations. Additionally, this descriptive statement can include information such as the student’s preferred reinforcers, the child’s communication methods and ability to communicate needs, the use of assistive technology, problem behaviors and effective solutions, medical and health needs, social interactions and preferences, and relevant sociological information such as recent moves or family changes.

 

Teachers need to develop PLAAFP statements for academic and functional areas that address individual student needs. A chart for developing effective PLAAFP statements is included in Figure 2. After writing the descriptive foundation statement for the PLAAFP, the next portion addresses the student’s present level of educational performance in specific academic or functional areas, along with the source of the information.

Item	Description
According to the Full Individual Evaluation (FIE) dated <date>, <name>  is a student with <disability conditions>
According to the FIE, <Name> can read and write at the <grade> level. If student is not able to read or write this portion in not addressed, or may be addressed via language activities
<He/She> accesses <Subject> state standards through <prerequisite skills, grade level standards with accommodations, etc.>.
<Name> is able to <describe how student responds with modifications and accommodations.
When <he/she> needs help, <Describe how the student  initiates communication and asks for help>
<Name> is able to <describe how the student communicates>
<He/She> <describe social interactions and preferences>
<Describe any challenging behaviors, including what triggers the behavior and what calms him/her>
<Describe effective reinforcers in the classroom>
<Describe any medical or health needs that the student has>
<Describe any relevant sociological information such as recent moves, family changes>
<Describe parent priorities and concerns>

ACADEMIC AREA ___________________________

Based on classroom observations and assessments <list assessment sources>, <Name> can <list skills that the student can perform in the academic area along with the accommodations required for each skill>
According to <list source of data such as IEP dated 00/yy/20xx, FIE, classroom tests/observations> <Name> does not <list skills that student has not yet mastered that are important to target for instruction>

Figure 2. Working document for PLAAFP statements

 

From PLAAFP to Quality IEP Objectives

A well-constructed PLAAFP statement should lead to goals and objectives that are individualized to the child. Teachers should consider students’ needs in their environments and in the general curriculum, along with present levels of performance, in designing her goals and short-term objectives.

 

For students who take alternate assessments, both goals and STOs or benchmarks are required by IDEA 2004. Annual goals should reflect the team’s best estimate of the student’s ability to master the next logical step within a year’s time, based on the present level of performance (Capizzi, 2008). In developing ambitious yet realistic goals, the team should consider current assessment data, the present level of performance, and the time required to master current objectives (Lynch & Adams, 2006).

 

In addition to goals and objectives that are related to the general education curriculum as required by IDEA 2004, many students with significant disabilities need instruction in the areas of communication, socialization, and self-help (Koegel, & Schreibman, 2008; Ruble, McGrew, Dalrymple, & Jung, 2010). The IEP by definition is individualized and often students with disabilities have educational needs that go beyond academic instruction (Etscheidt, 2006). The ability to communicate needs, socialize with peers, feed oneself, and care for toileting needs is critical and these skills are expected in inclusive environments (Lynch & Adams, 2008).  Functional skills also are important in gaining access to vocational opportunities, employment settings, and adult living environments (Koegel, & Schreibman, 2008). The content of the IEP should be related to the individual needs of the student and the concerns of the family as indicated in the PLAAFP statement.

 

When examining the content of the IEP, there are three criteria that all goals and objectives should meet:  the “dead man” or “potato test,” the “complete stranger test”, and the “so what” test (Westling & Fox, 2014). Quality IEP goals and objectives should address active rather than passive behaviors (Downing, 1988; Westling & Fox, 2014).  An example of a “dead man” objective is, “Jarred will be positioned in a standing frame for 20 minutes per day.” Since this is teacher behavior and not dependent on student actions, it should be re-written as an active objective such as, “Jarred will hold head erect for 5 minutes while positioned in a standing frame.”

 

Objectives need to be specific and measurable, and descriptive enough to enable a complete stranger to understand what the student is supposed to do (Ruble et al., 2010; Westling & Fox, 2014).  Instead of saying, “Kenisha will interact appropriately with peers in the classroom,” the objective needs more specificity, and can be re-written as, “Kenisha will verbally initiate interactions with peers at least three times during a 30-minute period in classroom centers.” The exact content of that objective would be dependent on the skills that the team targets for Kenisha.

 

Social validity is another indicator of quality for goals and objectives (Arndt, Konrad, & Test, 2006; Westling & Fox, 2014), so goals should also pass the “so what” test.  If parents, peers, and significant others do not value the skill that is addressed on the IEP, then the mastery of the skill is not likely to generalize or improve the quality of life for the individual with disabilities.  For example, the IEP team may write a transition objective for Brian to master the steps in a task analysis to ride the local bus to his vocational training site, but if there is no bus service near Brian’s home or if his family members consider riding public transportation inappropriate for him, then the objective does little to promote Brian’s effective transition to adult employment or services. These three tests for IEP goals are summarized in Table 1.

 

Table 1. Tests for IEP Goals and Objectives

________________________________________________________________________

Test                                                                                                 Questions to ask

________________________________________________________________________

Dead Man or Potato Test	Am I measuring active or passive behavior?
Complete Stranger Test	Would a stranger understand this IEP?
“So what?” Test	Is this goal/objective socially valid?

________________________________________________________________________

 

IDEA 2004 requires that the IEP contain an explanation regarding how a student’s progress will be monitored and how often the results will be shared (e.g. report cards). Progress monitoring should occur often enough to determine if the instruction is effective or if changes should be made. Student progress should be monitored in order to check for the student’s understanding of the material and to detect changes or errors in the student’s work.

From Benchmarks to Progress Measures

Criteria for IEP goals should be referenced to the environment where they will be used (Lynch & Adams, 2008).  Some objectives need to be mastered with 100% accuracy, such as crossing the street or toileting.  Although some contend that 70% is passing and should be used for all goals and objectives, this is not referenced to the child’s needs and also constitutes a pattern of services rather than individualized services.  Additionally, students with disabilities need 80-90% mastery of academic skills in order to promote generalization (Salvia, Ysseldyke, & Bolt, 2013).  Rather than always using percentage of accuracy, some goals and objectives lend themselves better to other indicators of mastery, particularly in regard to measurable benchmarks.

Increasing Criterion.

When developing benchmark criteria that are not referenced to grades on a paper, it may be more effective to use criteria that better reflect the instructional milieu.  If training is integrated throughout the day, the team can write benchmark measures such as, “Jonna will ask for needed materials during daily classroom tasks, 4/5 consecutive opportunities.” If Jonna is not currently performing this skill at all, the team can develop benchmarks for 1/5, 2/5, and 3/5 opportunities with the target goal set for 4/5 opportunities.

Level of Prompt.

An alternative to setting benchmarks using ratio data is to document the level of prompt needed to elicit the behavior (Westling & Fox, 2014).  The level of prompts should be selected based on the individual needs of the student.  Although some students may need to begin working on a skill (such as using a spoon) with full physical prompts and then move to partial physical prompts and gestural prompts, others may begin with direct verbal prompts (use your spoon), and move to indirect verbal prompts (what do you need to do?), and finally to positional prompts (spoon in the food) or picture prompts (photo of the child eating with a spoon).

Length of Time.

Benchmarks also can be written using duration criteria (Alberto & Troutman, 2013).  Social skills such as staying seated, engaging in cooperative play, and working on independent academic tasks may show improvement by how long the student is able to engage in them.  Additionally, for students with significant physical disabilities, how long they can hold their head up, maintain lip closure, or sit erect in a wheelchair can also be measured by duration, increasing the number of minutes that the child is expected to perform the behavior.

Rate Data.

Similar to duration data and the use of increasing criteria, rate data provide an effective measure of progress for behaviors that occur during a designated period (Alberto & Troutman, 2013).  If teachers are working with a child with Autism on social conversation during direct instruction in the classroom, the team may want to measure progress during a time that the child can use this skill.  For example, the measure may be an indicator of the child initiating social conversation with peers during a 20-minute center time; the benchmark may begin with one time, then increase to two, three, or four times during a 20-minute period.  This type of data is effective when planning for generalization from a direct instruction format to a setting that enables the student to apply what he or she has learned.

Fluency Measures.

There are many tasks that students are able to perform, but unless they have mastered them fluently (Snell & Brown, 2011), they are not able to use them in the context of more complex applications.  Examples include letter-sound naming, performing basic math facts, reading words, and writing a check.  Each of these skills must be performed quickly and accurately in order to be applied in more complex tasks or used in the natural environment.  In this case, the indicators of progress on benchmarks are decreasing periods of time needed to perform the task.

Number of Steps in a Task Analysis.

Some goals and benchmarks do not lend themselves to discrete trials, but consist of a set of ordered steps in a task analysis (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007).  One way of measuring progress on such a set of skills is to develop a list of the steps required for the task, and when the student is working on the task, record which steps are performed correctly and which steps are not.  In this way, students who are progressing perform an increasing number of steps (Westling & Fox, 2014).

For example, when a student learns to put on a jacket, he or she may only be able to get the dominant arm into the jacket initially, but after instruction can put both arms in the jacket and pull it closed, but cannot yet latch the zipper or zip it.  In this case the child initially performs 1 of 5 steps correctly, but after instruction performs 3 of 5 steps; additional benchmarks can be set for 4 of 5, and 5 of 5 correct steps in the task analysis.

Generalization Across People, Places, and Materials.

Many times students, particularly those with Autism or Intellectual Disabilities, are able to perform targeted skills at the desired criterion in the classroom, but they are not able to generalize their skills (Snell & Brown, 2011).  Knowing this, IEP committees can develop goals and benchmarks to address generalization across persons, places, and materials.  For example, if the goal is for the child to drink 2 ounces of liquid from a cup, then benchmarks for generalization can be written for the child to perform this skill in several places (classroom, cafeteria, community outings), in the presence of several different persons (teacher, assistant, only peers), and with several types of materials (small and mid-sized plastic cups, paper cup).  Additionally, the proximity of the instructor sometimes affects the ability of the student to perform the skill, especially for those students with Autism. The methods that we have discussed for measuring progress are summarized in Table 2.

 

Table 2. Methods for Measuring IEP Progress

________________________________________________________________________

Methods of Measuring Progress                                 Examples of Measures

________________________________________________________________________

Increasing Criterion	1/5 opportunities, 3/5 opportunities
Level of Prompt	Physical, verbal, gestural, positional prompts
Length of Time	Increase number of minutes child will perform the task
Rate Data	Number of times the behavior occurs within a defined amount of time
Fluency Measures	Decrease the amount of time needed to perform a task
Number of Steps in a Task Analysis	Perform 1/5 steps, then 2/5 steps, and so on
Generalization	Perform task across people, places, or materials

^{_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

Summary and Conclusions

The student’s profile should include information such as how the student’s disability impacts his or her progress in the general curriculum, health information, and current academic and functional abilities. This descriptive foundation for the PLAAFP will drive the goals and objectives. Goals and objectives should be specific, active rather than passive, and have social validity. Progress should be monitored often enough to detect changes and to inform ongoing instruction. The authors have presented an example of a working document which may be used to construct a well-planned PLAAFP (Figure 1). The authors have also provided a brief explanation of seven data collection methods (Table 2) which may be used to monitor progress and to assess student mastery of concepts or skills. In additional to informing instruction, progress monitoring data should also be used be construct the PLAAFP in preparation for the student’s next annual IEP meeting.

 

Decisions regarding IEP development, implementation, and measurement are made each year at a student’s annual IEP meeting. It is critical that the decisions made in these meetings are described, recorded and communicated clearly so that educators who will be working with the student in the following year are able to provide and monitor instruction as intended. A well-planned, descriptive PLAAFP statement can be extremely helpful in initiating this process that leads to meaningful and individualized IEP goals and STOs, and accurate progress monitoring.

References

Alberto, P. A., & Troutman, A.C. (2013). Applied behavior for teachers. (9^th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Pearson Publishing.

Arndt, S.A., Konrad, M., & Test, D.W. (2006). Effects of the self-directed IEP on student participation in planning meetings. Remedial and Special Education, 27(4), 194-207.

Browder, D.M., & Spooner, F. (2011). Teaching Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities. New York, NY:  Guilford Publishing.

Capizzi, A.M. (2008). Engaging a decision-making process in writing measurable IEPs. Teaching Exceptional Children, 41(1), 18-25.

Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2007). Applied behavior analysis

(2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Publishing.

Downing, J. (1988). Active versus passive programming:  A critique of IEP objectives for students with the most severe disabilities. The Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 13(3), 197-201.

Etscheidt, S. K.  (2006). Progress monitoring: Legal issues and recommendations for IEPteams. Teaching Exceptional Children, 38(3), 56-60.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 (2004).

Koegel, R.L., & Schreibman, L. (2008). How to teach children with autism and other severe disabilities. Boise, Idaho: Idaho Training Cooperative, University of Idaho.

Lynch, S.A. & Adams. P.W. (2008). Developing standards-based individualized education program objectives for students with significant needs. Teaching Exceptional Children, 40(3), 36-39.

National Association of State Directors of Special Education: Project Forum (2007). A Seven Step Process to Creating Standards-Based IEPs. Retrieved April 2015 from www.nasdse.org

National Center for Learning Disabilities. (2013). Editorial:  What is “PLAAFP,” or “PLOP”? Retrieved January 21, 2013 from

http://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/iep-504-plan/what-is-plaafp-plop .

Ruble, L. A., McGrew, J. Dalrymple, Nancy, & Jung L.A. (2010). Examining the quality of IEPs for young children with autism. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 40 (12), 1459-1470.

Salvia, J., Ysseldyke, J.E., & Bolt, S. (2013). Assessment in Special and Inclusive Education (12^th ed). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning

Snell, M. & Brown, F. (2011). Instruction of students with severe disabilities (7^th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Pearson Publishing.

Westling, D. L. & Fox L., (2014). Teaching students with severe disabilities (5^th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Pearson Publishing.

Vanessa Radice

Florida International University

 

The school system has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the past 15 years (Starr & Foy, 2012), yet the school system has not put in place programs that cater to parents and children that fall within the large ASD spectrum. As an active special education teacher for the past 10 years, it is clear to see that these children who were diagnosed with ASD 15 years ago are in need of high school programs that: (a) cater to their needs, and (b) establish a parental involvement system especially as the child gets closer to transitioning into the real world. There is a wide range of literature that helps identify the many factors that affect students with ASD receiving an appropriate education as well as barriers that get in the way of allowing parents to become active members in their child’s educational career.

 

One can argue that many parents choose not to become involved, however this literature review will focus on the vast majority of parents who want to be involved and active advocates for their children. Specifically, it is geared for parents who try to maintain communication and volunteer in their child’s educational career, but yet feel as if they continuously run into a dead end. As perhaps best stated by Valle (2011), parents go through a rollercoaster of emotions from unsuccessful attempts to understand and help their children leading them to seek out multiple professionals who offer them a range of opinions or a race in which everyone runs in a circle with no clear winner becomes an apt metaphor for what mothers describe as their thwarted efforts to change the outcome of schooling for their children.”(pp.185) Being a parent that has a child that does not conform to the cultural script can be very much like falling into the rabbit hole that Alice, in Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland describes as being scary, confusing and overall overwhelming.

 

Establishing Programs that Cater to ASD Students

The school system needs to start off by educating itself about the special education world; which includes the understanding that no one parent chooses to become part of this world, but yet is forced into it for reasons outside of their control. It is unfortunate that individuals who have no passion or empathy for embarking in the journey of working with children with special needs often choose to stay in this field. Individuals that interact with students and families that have been impacted with ASD need to be empathetic. To better understand this term lets define it as the ability to attribute mental states to others and to respond with appropriate emotion to the other person’s state. Baron-Cohen and Wheelwright (2004) found that recognizing and reacting to others thoughts and emotions can be difficult if one is not aware or in- tuned with their own beliefs, desire, intentions, goals, and perceptions. Only when one is aware of one’s own biases can one begin to embrace and identify ways in which to better assists and interact with those parents who have been so eager to improve their involvement and become active contributors to their child’s learning environments. Therefore, increasing the amount of special education and multicultural courses or trainings that novice or experienced teacher need to complete in order to maintain their professional certificate is critical.

 

Another issue that contributes to so many teachers not implementing what is stated in the IEP and not supportive towards students, who are amongst the higher functioning ASD in high schools, are lack of time and manpower. High school is a total different beast. To start off, a child can have 6 to 8 different teachers with whom they need to build relationships with and have to adjust to. This is generally difficult, and brings challenges to students who tend to have difficulty transitioning from one setting to the next. Additionally, informing all the teachers and individuals about each child’s situation and offering support is nearly impossible. Many schools have consultation models implemented where a special educator is responsible to having brief conversations about a specific child’s situation addressing  how to accommodate or modify the curriculum based on the child’s needs.

These consultations are held monthly and sometimes coordinating when to meet proves very difficult. Realistically speaking, there should be a team in each high school whose only job is to assure that every teacher who has a student with a disability (such as ASD) is made aware of the student’s disability status and receives support and resources on daily basis. Another solution would be to only place these children in co-teaching settings where the model is collaboration instead of consultation. Here the student receives instructions from both a general education and special education teacher.

 

It is important to note that there are many pros and cons that are associated with co-teaching, that oftentimes further complicate the issue of collaboration. Specifically, many individuals have mixed feelings about the collaborative model. Based on personal experiences and literature reviews, co-teaching can be very effective and a true LRE for high functioning ASD students if implemented correctly. As Sansosti (2008) shared “general education placements are believed to offer numerous other benefits for students with ASD, including instructional continuity, expanded curricular options, enhanced skill acquisition and generalization” (pp. 75). With this said, it is important for schools to provide support and not force inclusion onto any teacher who is resistant to it. Slowly by sharing positive experiences and examples of inclusion within each learning environment, will a new generation of teachers willing to include students with disabilities emerge.

 

Establishing Parental Involvement Across all Educational Levels

There is lots of literature discussing the need to fix parents and educate them on how to raise their child, thus potentially dismissing how the context of schools pose significant barriers to parent and professional involvement. There is no set, organized system, in place for parents and educators to share in accountable talk and collaborate with one another, especially as it pertains to the secondary level. As reported by the National Assistive Technology Research Institute, the individualized educational plans (IEPs) that are created for all children who participate in the special education programs are not always implemented appropriately. This study was discussed in the IRIS Center for Training Enhancements (2010), and found that only 40% of the reviewed IEPs documented services that adhered to federal guidelines, the other 60% fell out of compliance as it pertained to services that adhered to the established policy.  Consequently, being the parent of a child who has been diagnosed with ASD can be very much like falling into the rabbit hole in Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland. With the increasing amount of families and children needing special accommodations and supports it is imperative that school systems reflect on the naturalized responses to disability and consider revamping their structural framework.

 

The general education classroom is considered the least restrictive environment (LRE) for many higher functioning students with ASD. Regardless of a child’s social and communication deficits, oftentimes if a child’s adaptive skills and intellectual functioning are within the norms he or she may be placed in the general education environment.  The general education placement can be detrimental if the teacher in the classroom has not been trained to work with children who have ASD. Depending on parental involvement and school board inclusion policies, a child may be placed in an environment that is not conducive to learning or healthy for his/her emotional state. For this reason, parents who generally know their children best, must be given the ability to communicate, educate, and support a teacher with their child’s needs. The parents can also help identify the child’s strengths to help build the areas where improvements are needed. For example, Batten, A., Corbett, C., Rosenblatt, M., Withers, L., & Yuille, R (2006) found that only 30% of parents of children with ASD in inclusive classrooms were satisfied with the level of teacher understanding about ASD. This is a clear indication that there is a gap when it comes to the communication and support between parents and teachers who are key elements in the success of children with ASD.

 

In order to better grasp a true consensus of how the parents of children with high functioning ASD feel about integrating their child in general education classes, brief interviews were conducted. A parent who has been advocating for her child to be fully mainstreamed was interviewed. Her child is currently in 10^th grade and is in the same high school he started off in as a 9^th grader. At first she was a little hesitant to discuss hers and her child’s experience at the secondary level, as it pertained to ability to communicate and participate with others from the learning environment. She expressed that although she liked the school and a few of the personnel in which she has had the pleasure of working with, overall her feeling towards her child making academic and emotional gains are poor. She has advocated for her child to be fully mainstreamed in hopes of him being able to interact with typically developing peers. Unfortunately, in the high school setting this means that the child is currently taking the majority of his classes where only a general education teacher is present in the room during whole group and independent instruction.

In the past year and a half, the IEP team decided that her child be placed in co-teaching settings for Reading and Math which tend to be core contents. For the rest of his classes there are no co-teachers available due to his schedule.

 

The parent expressed that her concern for his safety and overall educational experience is never ending. She is constantly thinking of her child and how to better help accommodate his needs and work with his teachers to give them strategies that have proven successful in the past. Overall, she reported feeling that the high school setting is not as friendly as the middle and elementary settings. She also shared that if there is one issue she hopes to overcome during her child’s high school career is being able to communicate with teachers more freely and consistently. Although she is aware that this is part of her child becoming more independent and allowing for him to begin advocating for himself, she still believes that presently her child needs for her to support him since “teachers do not comply and follow the accommodations stated in my child’s IEP”.

 

A parent who reportedly lacked involvement in the educational progress of her child with ASD was also interviewed. This was made possible since a meeting was held for her child’s evaluation follow- up, with the school psychologist. She too was not comfortable with having to share her feelings with the school system, and with how her child’s schedule was constantly changing. The reality of the situation is that her child had been experiencing bullying, which tends to be common when ASD students are integrated with both general education students as well as other exceptionalities. For this reason, the schedules have been changed in order to remove the child from students who tend to be the perpetrators. The mom’s attitude portrayed a single mother who is fed up with having to engage in the many different school matters and meetings that come with having a child with a disability. She shared that she was looking forward to her child graduating so that she would no longer have to deal with evaluations, FAPE and IEPs meetings. The sad part is that these meetings are supposed to bring peace and support to parents, through the process of providing their child with special needs a free appropriate education. This tends not to be the case with this particular parent, as well as many more that due to time constraints could not be interviewed.

 

Conclusion

“The inclusion debate and the recent growth of inclusive education have even greater significance for students with autism, which is the fastest-growing disability category in the United States” (Autism Society of America, 2003, add page number for direct quotes). Based on this phenomenon and the trends discussed, further research is needed as it pertains to developing programs that cater to students with ASD across the entire spectrum, as well as on making effective communication accessible to parents. It is imperative that the perspectives held by the teachers, IEP teams, schools and districts on what the LRE principle and inclusion philosophy constitute, can significantly impact the attitudes, processes, decisions, and goals used to guide their instructional programs. With so many mixed philosophies and approaches to integrating our children with ASD and their parents, it is necessary that as a society we team- up and develop a consistent approach to instructional planning, placement, and the related service decisions.

 

References

Autism Society of America. (2003). Advocate, 36(1). Bethesda, MD: Author.

Baron-Cohen, S., Golan, O., Wheelwright, S., Granadar, Y., & Hill, J.J. (2004) Mind Reading: The interactive guide to emotions. London, England: Jessica Kingsley. http://www.jkp.com/mindreading

Batten, A., Corbett, C., Rosenblatt, M., Withers, L., & Yuille, R. (2006). Make school make sense: Autism and education: Thereality for families today. London, UK: National Autistic Society.

Sansosti, J. M. (2008). The meaning and means of inclusion for students with autism spectrum disorders: A qualitative study of educators’ and parents’ attitudes, beliefs, and decision-making strategies. (Ph.D., University of South Florida). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, (275659716).

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. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0741932510383161

The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements. (2010). Assistive Technology: An Overview. Retrieved on [month, day, year] from http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/at/

To access everything below in this section from Buzz from the Hub, visit:

http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/buzz-may2015/

New Resources in the Hub

What’s new in the resource library? Here are 2 resources we’ve recently added.

Final rule: States must maintain their expenditures on special education.
On April 28, 2015, regulations for Part B of IDEA were amended—specifically, the requirements governing MOE (maintenance of effort). The new rule requires LEAs to spend at least as much on special education as they did the prior year, details what happens if an LEA fails to do so, spells out what the MOE will be for the year following a failure, and provides 4 clear exceptions to the requirement that LEAs maintain their fiscal support for special education. This info is important for Parent Centers to know!

AccessCollege: The Student Lounge.
Transitioning from high school to college includes two phases: (a) preparing for college, including testing, securing financial aid, and choosing your postsecondary school; and (b) succeeding in college, which requires numerous self-management skills. This new item in the hub lists many resources for students with disabilities to prepare for and to succeed in college.

_____________________________________________________________________

Spotlight on…Summer!

Soon it will be summer, and new adventures and opportunities await. How to enrich our children’s lives, prevent summer “slide,” squeeze in a vacation, and ensure safety are of great interest now. So…here are a few resources for you and the families you serve.

10 ways to prevent summer slide.
Children can lose up to 3 months of academic progress over the summer, and nobody wants that! Here are 10 things families can do to help their child avoid the summer slide.

What’s the National Summer Learning Association have to say?
Explore the NSLA’s website for great ideas and connections about camps, community initiatives, what the research has to say about summer learning, best practices in summer programs, funding, and much more.

Top 10 summer activities for kids with special needs.
Summer can be a challenging time for children with special needs and their parents. Many families face a decrease in school and therapeutic hours. This may leave parents with extra time to fill during the day. AbilityPath.org created this list of summer activities that don’t require weeks of planning, a small loan, or traveling further than the backyard.

A special needs pre-flight checklist: 16 things parents need to do before heading to the airport.
The title says it all. If you have families who are going by plane with a child who has special needs, share this checklist with them.

_____________________________________________________________________

What Do You Think of the Buzz?

CPIR would very much like to hear what you think of the monthly Buzz. Is it on target for your Parent Center? What types of resources would you like to see included? How can we craft this newsletter so that it’s useful and relevant and timely for your work with families? Please let us know via our less-than-5-minute survey.

Thank you! We’ll include this feedback in our continuation report and use it when creating future Buzzes.

______________________________________________________________________

Resources You Can Share with Families

This section of the newsletter identifies useful resources you might share with families or mention in your own news bulletins.

When (and how) to tell kids they have Asperger’s.
This resource gives parents tips on ways to talk about the diagnosis to help their child process this important information in the most empowering way.

Managing problem behavior at home.
Child Mind offers this parent guide to more confident, consistent and effective parenting when behavior is an issue.

Thinking about “doing” college online?
There are over 1,000 colleges that offer at least a Bachelor’s degree online. People can study any one of 100 different subjects without ever setting foot on campus. Some programs focus on rural students; other programs focus on commuter students. Some deliver live video feeds of an on-campus class. Others have an online environment that encourages chatting and forum interactions. This website, Bestschools.org, explores the world of online colleges and offers great tools for students and families, especially:

______________________________________________________________________

Resources Just for Parent Centers: It’s Your Summer, Too!

Is summer a time of year when Parent Center work slows down? Of course not! There’s always so much to do, learn, and know, so you can assist the families who come to you for information and training.

Hopefully, you’ll get a chance to put aside the crush of day-to-day duties and indulge in your own learning. If so, you may find these resources make for good reading and sharing.

The top 10 special education blog posts of all time!
Blogs are strange animals, aren’t they? It’s nice to have someone point to the BEST of the posts dealing with disabilities and special education. And here they are, courtesy of the Friendship Circle.

Special needs apps are great, but…which one suits this child?!
With over 1,000 apps now available to help individuals with special needs, it has become increasingly difficult to find and choose the right special needs app. The Friendship Circle App Review gives parents, educators, and others the ability to find the perfect special needs app for a given child.

For special needs advocates: A guide on reaching out to politicians.
Parent Centers are the ultimate special needs advocates. Surely this guide is for you!

_______________________________________________________________________

Missed the Webinar on Creating Infographics?

No problem! It’s archived!
If you missed our webinar on how to create infographics and it’s a topic that interests you, visit the CPIR’s Webinar Archives, where you can:

• listen to the live demonstration,
• download the guidebook we shared, and
• connect with the base template we created to showcase the 2014 activities of your Parent Center.

______________________________________________________________________

Alerts and Announcements

Sad news to share | The passing of Pat Haberbosch.
We are very sorry to share this news: On May 11th, Pat Haberbosch passed away. Pat has been the executive director of WVPTI Inc. (West Virginia Parent Training and Information) and Family to Family Health Center where she spent 25 years devoting her life to helping families of children with disabilities. You will be sorely missed, Pat.

June 2nd deadline | Submit a proposal to present at TASH’s 2015 conference.
The theme of TASH’s 2015 Annual Conference (scheduled for December 2-4 in Portland, Oregon) is “Celebrating 40 Years of Progressive Leadership.” Interested in submitting a proposal to TASH for making a presentation at the conference? Deadline’s coming up, June 2nd! Find out more at:http://tash.org/2015-cfp/

CPIR’s New Webinar Schedule.
It’s become obvious that CPIR’s schedule for the webinar series (the first Thursday of every other month) isn’t going to work out well in the coming months (e.g., July 2nd, September 3rd). So we’ve decided to change the schedule to theSECONDThursday of every other month.

We hope the new schedule works for you. (If not, please remember that the webinars are always archived, so you can catch them anytime.) The NEW webinar schedule to put on your calendar is:

July 9, 2015 | Thursday, 3 pm Eastern time
September 10, 2015 | Thursday, 3 pm Eastern time
November 12, 2015 | Thursday, 3 pm Eastern time

Topics are being determined as we speak, so stay tuned!

States Moving Forward On ABLE Accounts
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2015/03/13/states-moving-forward-able/20131/
The recent federal Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act provides a way for people with disabilities to save without risking their government benefits, and now most states are working to make the new accounts available. The ABLE Act, signed late in 2014 by President Barack Obama, lets people with disabilities open special accounts where they can save up to $100,000 without jeopardizing eligibility for Social Security and other government programs. Before the accounts can become available, however, states must put regulations in place. To date, lawmakers in more than half of states have taken steps to create the new savings vehicles, advocates say.

Autism Speaks Putting New Focus on Adults
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2015/02/03/autism-speaks-focus-adults/20019/
After prioritizing the needs of children for years, Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism advocacy organization is turning its attention to expanding housing options and supports for adults. Starting as a pilot project in three states, Florida, New Jersey and Illinois, Autism Speaks is working with locally-based disability advocacy groups and policymakers to identify legislative goals and mobilize its own network to push for expanded home and community-based services.

Obama Calls for Boost to Disability Programs
http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2015/02/03/obama-budget-disability/20023/
President Barack Obama wants Congress to halt planned cuts under sequestration and increase funding for special education and other programs for people with disabilities. The proposals come in Obama’s $4 trillion budget plan which was released 02/16/15. The budget highlights the president’s priorities for the government’s 2016 fiscal year starting Oct. 1. Included in the plan is an added $175 million in funding for special education services for school-age children with disabilities and $115 million for programs for young kids served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

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.

Ridgely, MD

Job Category: Special Education Classroom Teacher

 

Description:

Provides instruction to students with developmental disabilities in education, vocational, functional and self-help, social-emotional, and behavioral areas.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Implement the current Individual Education Plan with updates as necessary.
• Supervise children in areas assigned and according to behavioral management plans designated.
• Evaluate each assigned child’s attainment of goals as stated in the IEP.
• Submits progress and other reports as required by the school program or requested by School administrators.
• Implement strategies and provides materials and equipment as appropriate for the population served.
• Complete, in advance, and maintain lesson plans, protocol and schedules for daily planning.
• Maintain records as required by Federal and State Laws/Bylaws as well as confidentiality of records.
• Attend and participates in faculty meetings, interviews, inservice sessions, Parent conferences and other activities as required by the school calendar and/or School administration.
• Supervise and documents performance of classroom staff with follow-up on goals and outcomes of performance/coaching lessons.
• Attend annual review and other requested/required meetings for children enrolled at The Benedictine School upon request.
• Administer state testing to students as directed by School administration and submit documentation in a timely manner.

 

Requirements:

• Must have Bachelor’s degree and valid teaching certificate in Special Education meeting the Highly Qualified criteria.
• A Conditional Certificate, valid for two years, may be requested by the Educational Director for an individual with a BA/BS who does not yet meet the certification requirements for a Standard Professional certificate or Highly Qualified criteria. This individual would be required to meet the requirements for the renewal of the Conditional Certificate until a SPC or APC is obtained and to meet the criteria for Highly Qualified.

 

Benefits:

• Live and work on the beautiful Eastern Shore of Maryland.
• Enjoy a 223 day school year calendar.
• Work in a highly collaborative environment with a supportive and positive culture.

 

Contact:

Maggie Prado
Associate Director, Recruitment and Training
Submit resume via email to employment@benschool.org

Visit www.benschool.org to learn more about the history and the inspiring mission of The Benedictine School.

*******************************

Woodland Hills, CA Multiple locations, please see below

Job Category: Teacher

 

Description:

The Special Education Teacher provides individualized education programs to students. The teacher is responsible for developing, implementing and relating the daily activities of the students to the core curriculum. Through continuous collaboration with a variety of individuals and groups, including parents, district and county personnel and various agencies, the Teacher provides for the academic, social and emotional growth of each student by using a variety of instructional strategies. The Teacher continually assesses each student’s progress to maximize his or her fullest potential.

Essential Job Functions:

• Provide direct and indirect instructional support to students in a positive environment
• Employ special education strategies and techniques during instruction in combination with Applied Behavior Analysis to implement the IEPs of students
• Instruct students in academic subjects using a variety of techniques
• Teach socially acceptable behavior
• Modify the general education curriculum for students with disabilities based upon research based methodologies
• Implement the BIPs of all students according to best practices in ABA
• Provide support and direction to teaching assistants in the classroom to promote a safe environment that is conducive to learning for all students
• Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers and other professionals to develop IEPs designed to promote students’ development
• Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to teaching assistants and students
• Maintain accurate and complete student records and prepare reports on students and activities, as required by laws, district policies and administrative regulations
• Provide crisis intervention, as needed, and as individual training level permits
• Assist in collection of data for providing appropriate classroom interventions
• Maintain professional competence by participating in staff development activities, curriculum development meetings, and other professional opportunities
• Perform related work as required
• Complete advanced training in applied behavior analysis
• Special Education Teachers needed in multiple locations: Woodland Hills, CA ; Phoenix, Chandler, AZ ; Alexandria, VA ; Fresno, Los Angeles, Arcadia, Garden Grove, CA ; Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, TX ;

Requirements:

• State Licensure in Special Education for grades k-12 with Autism Endorsement or appropriate certification to teach students with Autism
• Experience teaching or student teaching special education students including the development of curriculum , modification of curriculum and the development of the IEP process
• Knowledge of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and other research based methodologies for teaching students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Ability to maintain appropriate records, work and communicate effectively with students, parents, school districts and administrators
• Physical abilities to effectively work with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders who may have behavioral challenges so that the safety of the students and staff are assured.

 

Benefits:

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Exceptional training program
• Educational Assistance Program, Master’s in Psychology program and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) preparation program, licensure internship hours
• For qualifying employees, benefits include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, flexible spending program, 401K, earned paid vacation, sick and holiday pay, educational assistance program and corporate discount programs
• 2 weeks Paid Time Off (PT0) and Paid Holiday Break Schedule
• 1 week paid sick leave
• Paid holidays
• Paid CEUs and conferences
• Discretionary signing bonus
• Discretionary shared bonus plan
• Work in conjunction with the local Clinical Manager

 

Contact:

Nilou Khosravi
n.khosravi@centerforautism.com
818-345-2345 Ext. 1024

 

*******************************

Heathsville, VA

Job Category: Special Education Teacher (Middle or High School)

 

Special Education Teacher Northumberland Middle School or Northumberland High School

Ability to work in inclusion/collaborative instructional setting

Requirements:

Virginia License with Endorsement in Special Education from VDOE

Benefits:

Salary commensurate with experience

Contact:

Dr. Holly Wargo
Assistant Superintendent of Instruction
Northumberland County Public Schools
2172 Northumberland Highway
Lottsburg, VA 22511
(804) 529-6134 Phone
(804) 529-6449

 

*******************************

Keene, New Hampshire

Job Category: Special Education Teacher

 

Description:

Fuller Elementary School, located in Keene, New Hampshire, is looking for a Special Education Teacher for the Communication Disorders Collaborative (CDC). The ideal candidate will have experience teaching students that have communication disorders, often involving social/pragmatic language weakness, along with knowledge of the special education process and writing measurable IEP goals. Many of the students present with characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Qualifications:

Must have New Hampshire certification in Special Education or be eligible to become certified. Elementary Education endorsement and/or Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities endorsement also preferred.

This is a full-time position and includes excellent benefits. A full job description is available on our website www.sau29.org.

 

To apply, visit our website at www.sau29.org and complete our on-line application. If you have any questions, please email us at hr@sau29.org, or call us at 603-357-9008.

 

******************************

New York

Job Category: Teaching

 

Earn a $125,000 salary and join a team of master teachers at The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School, recently featured on the front page of the New York Times: (http://www.tepcharter.org/nytimes.php).

TEP is a 480-student 5th through 8th grade middle school in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City.

Open Positions: Science Teacher, Social Studies Teacher, English Language Arts Teacher, Special Education Teacher, Mathematics Teacher, Physical Education Teacher & Music Teacher

Learn more and apply today athttp://www.tepcharter.org/apply.php

Also, we invite you to learn more about TEP Charter School and about teaching at the school on our Prospective Teacher Information Session: http://www.tepcharter.org/session-for-teachers.php.

Compensation:

$125,000 salary (commensurate with experience + potential annual bonus, full benefits package)

 

*******************************

Phoenix, AZ (multiple locations)

Job Category: Special Education Teacher

 

Description:

$46,000/year with 16 weeks off. Special Education Teachers needed in Arizona (Phoenix and surrounding cities). Needs are in the self-contained setting serving students with emotional disabilities (ED), Autism (A), Severe/Profound (S/P), and Intellectual Disabilities (ID). STARS is the largest school contract agency in AZ. STARS is therapist owned and operated. You will be an employee and receive full benefits (see below). With a proven track record, STARS is able to offer you an unbeatable support system and resources. STARS is hiring for the 2015-2016 school year. STARS places Special Education Teachers throughout the Phoenix, Tucson and the surrounding area public schools.

Requirements:

Certification through the AZDOE, in Special Education
Arizona Fingerprint Card through AZDPS
We will help you get the credentials needed and reimburse you for the cost.

 

Benefits:

16 weeks off, 100% Company paid Health, Dental, and Life Insurance, $1,000/year Continuing Ed Money, Paid DOE Certification Fees, Paid NASET Dues, Spanish Immersion trip, Hawaii Trip for two, 401K, 125 Plan, Direct Deposit, Evaluation tools and treatment supplies, Two company sponsored parties with professional entertainment, Company newsletter, STARS sponsored dinner meetings with national/local speakers, Yearly raises, Referral bonuses, Moving $, Birthday gifts and other appreciation throughout the year, Genuine Appreciation

YOU WILL FEEL LIKE A STAR!!!

Contact:

Brian Paulsen, COO,  Telephone: 480.221.2573 
Please email your resume to:  Jobs@StudentTherapy.com
Apply Online at StudentTherapy.com, we would love to hear from you!

 

*******************************

 

Annandale, VA

Job Category: Resource Teacher

 

Description:

The Instructional Technology Resource Teacher (ITRT) is a full time, 10-month salaried employee who will work with students, faculty, and the administration to facilitate the integration of technology into all areas of instruction at Oakwood School. Oakwood is a K-8 school for students with average to above average potential who have mild to moderate learning disabilities without significant behavioral or emotional issues.

Responsibilities:

• Integration of technology into the curriculum:
  • Collaborate with teachers to coordinate lessons that integrate the use of technology to attain curricular goals and enhance multisensory instruction
  • Directly instruct students in the use of various software, hardware, and online resources, as well as computer basics such as keyboarding and file organization).
  • Training and reinforcement of the use of technology by teachers and students:
    • Directly instruct teachers and support personnel in the use of technology resources.
    • Act as a resource to teachers by researching and suggesting specific applications and tools to enhance classroom projects and activities.
    • Keeping current on technological developments and researching new technology trends:
      • Monitor new uses or upgrades to current technologies in order to strengthen the use of existing resources.
      • Research and initiate implementation of new technologies including software, hardware, and online teaching tools.

 

Expectations:

• Collaboration:
  • Working and communicating with the entire “team” to serve students (including parents, teachers, supervisors, professionals, and therapists, etc.)
  • Modeling:
    • Working with teachers in their classes to model best practices in integrating technology into all facets of the program.
    • Vision:
      • Helping to develop and cast vision for the future and how to help our students and teachers move forward in the use of technology.

Qualifications:

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree
• Current Teacher License: Collegiate Professional Certificate minimum
• Minimum of 2 years of experience working with students who have learning disabilities
• Understanding of and ability to teach students how to use assistive technology
• Strong written and oral communication skills

 

Contact:

Dean Topodas
703-941-5788
703-941-4186(f)
oakwood@oakwoodschool.com
www.oakwoodschool.com

 

*******************************

Phoenix, AZ (multiple locations)

Job Category: Special Education Teacher

 

Description:

$46,000/year with 16 weeks off. Special Education Teachers needed in Arizona (Phoenix and surrounding cities). Needs are in the self-contained setting serving students with emotional disabilities (ED), Autism (A), Severe/Profound (S/P), and Intellectual Disabilities (ID). STARS is the largest school contract agency in AZ. STARS is therapist owned and operated. You will be an employee and receive full benefits (see below). With a proven track record, STARS is able to offer you an unbeatable support system and resources. STARS is hiring for the 2015-2016 school year. STARS places Special Education Teachers throughout the Phoenix, Tucson and the surrounding area public schools.

Requirements:

Certification through the AZDOE, in Special Education
Arizona Fingerprint Card through AZDPS
We will help you get the credentials needed and reimburse you for the cost.

 

Benefits:

16 weeks off, 100% Company paid Health, Dental, and Life Insurance, $1,000/year Continuing Ed Money, Paid DOE Certification Fees, Paid NASET Dues, Spanish Immersion trip, Hawaii Trip for two, 401K, 125 Plan, Direct Deposit, Evaluation tools and treatment supplies, Two company sponsored parties with professional entertainment, Company newsletter, STARS sponsored dinner meetings with national/local speakers, Yearly raises, Referral bonuses, Moving $, Birthday gifts and other appreciation throughout the year, Genuine Appreciation

YOU WILL FEEL LIKE A STAR!!!

Contact:

Brian Paulsen, COO,  Telephone: 480.221.2573 
Please email your resume to:  Jobs@StudentTherapy.com
Apply Online at StudentTherapy.com, we would love to hear from you!

 

*******************************

New York

Job Category: Teaching

Description:

Earn a $125,000 salary and join a team of master teachers at The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School, recently featured on the front page of the New York Times: (http://www.tepcharter.org/nytimes.php).

TEP is a 480-student 5th through 8th grade middle school in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City.

Open Positions:

• Science Teacher
• Social Studies Teacher
• English Language Arts Teacher
• Special Education Teacher
• Mathematics Teacher
• Physical Education Teacher
• Music Teacher

Learn more and apply today at: http://www.tepcharter.org/apply.php

Also, we invite you to learn more about TEP Charter School and about teaching at the school on our Live Online Information Session (link below):

http://www.tepcharter.org/info-session-for-teachers.php

 

Benefits:

$70,000 – 125,000 salary (commensurate with experience + potential annual bonus, full benefits package)

To Apply:

http://www.tepcharter.org/apply.php

*******************************

To top

---

Funding Forecast and Award Opportunities

Forecast of Funding Opportunities under the Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 2015
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 2015 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 2015 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.

Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation: Grants for Youth with Disabilities
http://www.meaf.org/how_to_apply/
The Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation Grants program is dedicated to helping young Americans with disabilities maximize their potential and fully participate in society. The foundation supports organizations and projects within its mission that have broad scope and impact and demonstrate potential for replication at other sites. A major program emphasis is inclusion: enabling young people with disabilities to have full access to educational, vocational, and recreational opportunities, and to participate alongside their non-disabled peers. Maximum award: $90,000. Eligibility: 501(c)3 organizations. Deadline for Concept Papers: June 1, 2015.

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.

To top

---

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.

---

To top

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

---

Download a PDF or XPS Version of This e-Journal

To Download a PDF file for this issue of the Special Educator e-Journal – CLICK HERE

To Download a XPS file for this issue of the Special Educator e-Journal – CLICK HERE

 

NOTE: To save on your computer – Right Click and use “Save As” or “Save Target As”.