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| IN THIS ISSUE |
| NICHCY July Highlights |
| It All Starts in Families and Communities |
| The Little Ones: Early Intervention/Early Childhood |
| Schools, K-12 |
| State and System Tools |
| Special Focus: Recreation | |
Greetings!
Independence Day greetings to all! NICHCY hopes you've had a 4th of July replete with excellent food and drink, folks who are dear to you, and great weather! Oh, and a spectacular fireworks display, too... Summer's here! We thought this might be a good time to shine a light on recreation for individuals with disabilities. You'll find a diversity of resources on the subject featured in the Special Topic section of July's News You Can Use. Throughout the other sections, we continue to identify new resources offered by the projects of OSEP's TA&D network (that stands for "technical assistance & dissemination") and from organizations beyond the network. We hope you find this information useful. As always, we welcome your feedback. Please feel free to contact us at nichcy@aed.org. Best wishes for July! Your friends at the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities | |
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NICHCY JULY HIGHLIGHTS
Last month, we took you on a mini-tour of resources on our website, working our way down the left nav. This month, let's continue the tour by strolling across the TOP nav bar-specifically, our "User Tabs"-and sampling what type of info you might find under each.
FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
Under this User Tab, families can find information that helps them raise a child with a disability (where to find services, how to cope with sibling issues, what to know about the law). Here's one of our favorites, written especially for parents who've recently found out their child has a disability, but also very useful to service providers working with families.
· You Are Not Alone
Patricia McGill Smith speaks candidly to parents about the emotions that many parents of exceptional children experience and offers a perspective for living and coping with the impact of disability upon the family.
http://www.nichcy.org/FamiliesAndCommunity/Pages/notalone.aspx
Not a parent or family member? Well, there's lots of info under Families and Community for community members, too! Are you a...child care provider? a transportation provider? an employer? Here's where you can connect with info to help children with disabilities achieve their full potential in the community. For example:
· What should child care providers know about the ADA?
http://www.nichcy.org/FamiliesAndCommunity/Pages/
resources-preschool.aspx
EARLY INTERVENTION PROVIDERS
Well, it should be pretty clear who THIS user tab is meant for! If you're involved in providing early intervention services to children with disabilities (birth through two), then splash in this puddle a while. Here are two connections you may find very useful:
· Parent Participation (notification, consent, and involvement)
All about promoting the active involvement of families in early intervention.
http://www.nichcy.org/babies/Parentparticipation/
Pages/Default.aspx
· Need to train EI staff? Looking for professional development opportunities for yourself?
http://www.nichcy.org/EarlyInterventionProviders/
Pages/EIStaffTrainingDevelopment.aspx
SCHOOLS AND ADMINISTRATORS
Teachers, principals, related services providers, LEA administrators, here's a page built with you in mind. There's a lot to choose from, so you may wish to have a thorough look yourself, but here are two for starters---one for teachers and one for administrators:
· Understanding How the Brain Learns
It's more than gray matter; it's downright fascinating: The ABCs of the Brain, What Learning Does to Your Brain, Applying Brain Research to Education, Brain Research and Disability.
http://www.nichcy.org/EducateChildren/effective/
Pages/brain101.aspx
· Staff Development
Everything from soup to nuts here: connect with the expert, best practices in coaching and mentoring, how to start a professional learning community, training for paraprofessionals, and resources a school can use in staff development across a wide variety of topics.
http://www.nichcy.org/Pages/StaffDevelopment.aspx
STATE AGENCIES
A great deal goes on at the state level that has impact down to the local level, making up-to-date info essential to have when it's time for decision making and policy setting. What are other states doing? What do the feds have to say on a given subject? What are the in's and out's of the law? Look here, you'll find quick connection to such resources as:
· Guidance from OSEP and the U.S. Department of Education
Where to find it, and on what subjects you'll find it.
http://www.nichcy.org/StateAgencies/Pages/DOEguidance.aspx
· RTI (Response to Intervention)
What it is, current models, what other states are doing, and RTI hot topics and resources.
http://www.nichcy.org/Pages/RTI.aspx
And that's our website stroll for the month! You'll find lots more info and connections under the "User Tabs" than what we've mentioned here. And we must confess, you'll find a few "Coming Soon!" notes throughout, as we build these pages.
Have a topic you'd like to see covered under one of these "User Tabs"---do tell. We'd love to hear from you on the subject. Email us at: nichcy@aed.org
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IT ALL STARTS IN FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
Public comments sought.
The American Psychological Association's (APA) Task Force on Guidelines for Assessment and Treatment of Persons with Disabilities is seeking public comments on proposed Guidelines for Assessment of and Intervention with Individuals Who Have Disabilities. The 90-day period for receipt of comments ends July 31, 2009, so if you have something to say, use APA's online comment form before the month ends.
http://forms.apa.org/pi/disability/
The state of LD, 2009.
No, we're not talking about an actual state (with a state code you've never seen before). We're talking about The State of Learning Disabilities, a new report from the National Center for Learning Disabilities on the status of children and adults with LD in the US. The report shatters common myths about LD and provides benchmark data to compare and contrast how people with LD are faring in school and work.
Making the laws of the land accessible to the people of the land.
That's the tagline at the top of OpenJurist's website. OpenJurist's mission is to give access to published court opinions without charge. It currently has over 600,000 opinions from the United States Supreme Court and United States Courts of Appeals.
http://openjurist.org/
Speaking of Court opinions...what about private school tuition reimbursement?
The Supreme Court ruled in June that "parents of special education students may seek government reimbursement for private school tuition, even if they have never received special education services in public school" (as reported in the New York Times, 6/22/09). Read about the case and the Supreme Court's ruling at:
Training modules for high school students with disabilities.
Visit the George Washington University HEATH Resource Center, click the "Module" tab at the top, and you'll find 16 modules written for high school students with disabilities preparing for transition from high school. Most titles relate to going off to college, getting along with professors, finding accommodations in that environment, and self-advocacy, but not all. There are also modules on rehabilitation services, career and technical education, and independent living (with the subtitle "Living On My Own, Away From Home, Having To Do My Laundry All Alone"). Find these (and quite a few other resources) at:
http://www.heath.gwu.edu
Graduation requirements and diploma options for students with disabilities: What families and advocates need to know.
This InfoBrief from NCLD-Youth (the National Consortium on Leadership and Disability for Youth) discusses the importance of making informed decisions about diploma options, of understanding the consequences of graduating with different types of diplomas, and the need for youth, families, and IEP teams to consider these issues early.
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/assets/info_briefs/
infobrief_issue22.pdf
Including people with disabilities in national volunteer service programs.
This list of resources, from the Corporation for National and Community Service, provides links to methods for including people with disabilities in national service programs, including accessibility assessments, mentoring, special education students as camp counselors, and many other ideas.
http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/practices/topic/152
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THE LITTLE ONES: EARLY INTERVENTION/EARLY CHILDHOOD
Interested in Head Start?
Then you might be interested in Head Start 2007 State Profiles, published in June by the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). The individual state profiles show 2007 data on programs, participants, families, and staff for Head Start programs in each state, including preschool, Early Head Start, American Indian and Alaskan Native Head Start, and Migrant or Seasonal Head Start. http://www.clasp.org/ChildCareAndEarlyEducation/
headstartdata2007.htm
Do policies for preschoolers affect the care that infants and toddlers receive?
Find out in this new policy brief from the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). The brief looks at the extent to which increasing public support for state pre-K programs has helped or hurt the provision of care for younger children. The authors provide recommendations for changes to preschool policies that would benefit infant/toddler care and avoid unintended negative consequences.
http://nieer.org/docs/index.php?DocID=268
Early learning and readiness for school.
Foster young children's early learning and readiness for school with this new interactive learning tool from ZERO TO THREE. The tool gives parents and caregivers key information about how children develop school readiness skills; includes video clips of children learning these skills through everyday interactions with their parents; and describes parent-child activities that can help children develop school readiness skills.
http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_par_sri
Early childhood inclusion: A joint policy statement of DEC and NAEYC. This joint policy statement comes from the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and represents a historic step by providing a shared national definition of inclusion.
http://www.dec-sped.org/About_DEC/
PositionConcept_Papers/Inclusion
And speaking of inclusion...how about a video?
Connect: The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge recently released a 12-minute video entitled Foundations of Inclusion Birth to Five, which includes highlights from the DEC/NAEYC Joint Position Statement on Early Childhood Inclusion (just mentioned). The video also discusses questions many teachers and families have about inclusion, such as: What is it? Is there research to support it? What are characteristics of high-quality inclusive settings?
The science of early childhood.
You may find these three briefs very interesting. They're products of the Center for the Developing Child at Harvard University:
The State of Preschool 2008.
The National Institute of Early Education Research at Rutgers (NIEER) has released the 6th edition of its annual analysis of state-funded preschool programs. This latest edition shows impressive expansion in preschool enrollment and spending.
http://nieer.org/yearbook/
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SCHOOLS, K-12
July 20-31, 2009: FCTD's Summer Institute on assistive and instructional technologies.
The Family Center on Technology and Disability (FCTD) is providing a free, two-week online summer institute, July 20-31, 2009. This year's institute has two learning strands: "Accessible Instructional Materials: NIMAS and Beyond" and "Social Media Tools." Participants can register for continuing education units.
http://www.fctd.info/show/home
Professional development: Language development for English language learners.
Intended for state and district leaders, this professional development module provides background knowledge on language development, language assessment of English language learners, academic language instruction, and vocabulary K-12. It is designed to be used as a four-hour train-the-trainer session. Other options include using the materials in the Facilitator's Guide as a study group tool with other ELL professionals or using the information and completing the activities as a self-study guide.
http://centeroninstruction.org/resources.cfm?category=ell&subcategory=&grade_start=&grade_end=
Progress monitoring tools: Which is best for your neck of the woods?
Use the Progress Monitoring Tools Chart just released by the National Center on Response to Intervention. The chart provides ratings on the technical adequacy of reading and math progress monitoring tools used within an RTI context. The chart's purpose? To help educators and families select the progress monitoring tools that best meet their individual needs.
http://www.rti4success.org/chart/progressMonitoring/
progressmonitoringtoolschart.htm
Virtual personnel prep programs for special educators.
This policy analysis introduces what's going on in virtual personnel preparation for special educators. Findings are presented from five programs for preparing special educators virtually (National University, Florida's Virtual ESE program, University of Kentucky, George Washington University, and West Virginia University).
http://projectforum.org/docs/
VirtualPersonnelPrepProgramsforSpecialEducators-SeveralApproaches.pdf
Promoting quality in preK-Grade 3 classrooms.
This issue brief from the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) highlights actions and achievements of NASBE's Early Childhood Education Network to improve early childhood education in several states.
Lexia Reading: Does it work?
Read the What Works Clearinghouse report on Lexia Reading, a computerized reading program that provides phonics instruction and gives students independent practice in basic reading skills. See how the WWC rated the research on Lexia Reading at:
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/reports/beginning_reading/lexia/
Videos of school-wide PBIS.
Easy to watch, full of info! Find out the basics of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) and how schools are providing PBIS as part of a school-wide plan to improve student behavior. PBIS.org provides this wealth of SWPBS video films in streaming and download formats.
http://www.pbis.org/swpbs_videos/default.aspx
That GAO report on seclusion and restraint...
A very disturbing report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found cases of abuse of special education students due to restraints and seclusion over the past 20 years. As the report points out, there are no federal laws restricting the use of seclusion and restraints in public and private schools; at the state level, the laws are widely divergent.
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-719T
Learning supports and small schools. This UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools brief focuses on "How do small schools provide student and learning supports and how can they do it better?" It describes the current movement toward establishing small schools, discusses the problems small schools confront in addressing barriers to learning and teaching, and offers recommendations for how small schools can enhance learning supports.
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/
learningsupportssmallschools.pdf
Educating ELLs at the high school level.
This practitioner issue brief, subtitled "A Coherent Approach to District- and School-Level Support," outlines successful strategies and recommendations for state-level policymakers, administrators, schools, and districts to use in educating ELLs in high school.
http://www.betterhighschools.org/docs/
EducatingELLsattheHSLevel_042209.pdf
Transition toolkit.
The "Life After High School Transition Tool Kit" is the winner of TATRA's new Award for Excellence in Transition. A product of New Hampshire's PTI, the toolkit is available online at:
What post-school outcome data can do for you.
The National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities, in partnership with the National Post-School Outcomes Center, has created an online guide, "Making Connections Across Indicators to Improve Post-School Outcomes: Early State Efforts." The guide provides information on six states that have begun to display, analyze, and apply data across Part B Indicators 1, 2, 13, and 14.
http://www.ndpc-sd.org/knowledge/
improve_postschool_outcomes/default.php |
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STATE & SYSTEM TOOLS
ARRA funds for start-up of state early childhood advisory councils.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will be making $100,000,000 available as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Grants will be awarded to help States develop and implement a plan established by their State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care for children from birth to school entry. The funding is for one-time startup grants to develop and implement State Advisory Council plans. Applications are due by August 1, 2010. To learn more, visit:
Info center on ARRA.
Visit Learning Point's Recovery and Reinvestment Center to find resources and tools to navigate the ARRA, including a fund finder, state-specific sheets, and much more.
http://www.learningpt.org/recovery/
Retention and attrition of local special education directors.
Hot off Project Forum's press, this analysis describes the perceptions of state directors of special education about issues related to job turn-over and retention and attrition of local special education directors. The brief also suggests strategies for addressing these issues at both the state and local education agency level. http://www.projectforum.org/docs/
RetentionandAttritionofLocalSpecEdDirectors.pdf
Does having board-certified teachers actually improve student outcomes?
The What Work Clearinghouse addresses this question with its recently released National Board Certification and Teacher Effectiveness: Evidence from a Random Assignment Experiment, which describes the results of a study that examined whether having a teacher with National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification improves student achievement.
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/publications/quickreviews/nbcert/
Accountability assessments for students with disabilities.
NCEO has revisited and updated its 2001 document on the principles and characteristics that underlie inclusive assessment and accountability systems. The new report reflects what's been learned during the past seven years. It addresses state and district K-12 academic content assessments designed for system accountability, with a specific focus on all students with disabilities, including targeted groups of students (e.g., English language learners with disabilities).
http://www.cehd.umn.edu/nceo/OnlinePubs/Synthesis70/index.htm
Financial accounting.
The 2009 edition of Financial Accounting for Local and State School Systems is now available from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Supreme Court affirms reimbursement for special education.
The Supreme Court has ruled that "parents of special education students may seek government reimbursement for private school tuition, even if they have never received special education services in public school" (as reported in the New York Times, 6/22/09). Read about the case and the Supreme Court's ruling at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/education/
23special.html?ref=education
Children in out-of-home (foster) care.
Solving the Data Puzzle: A How-To Guide on Collecting and Sharing Information to Improve Educational Outcomes for Children in Out-of-Home Care is a new resource offered by the Legal Center for Foster Care and Education. This how-to guide gives details on relevant legal and policy considerations, as well as examples from around the country, and includes checklists to guide education and child welfare agencies in collaboration. www.abanet.org/child/education/publications/solvingthedatapuzzle.pdf
What are states up to with AA-MAS?
AA-MAS stands for "Alternate Assessment Based on Modified Achievement Standards" and Project Forum has reviewed how states are implementing AA-MAS. The policy brief includes background information on alternate assessments, a listing of the federally funded projects that have supported these assessments, initial state implementation, and a discussion of issues related to the AA-MAS.
http://www.projectforum.org/
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SPECIAL FOCUS: Recreation
Recreation is this month's special topic, and it's a very big one! There are so many different activities you can pursue recreationally---reading, swimming, visiting a park, summer camps, traveling, and on and on. The sheer diversity of how any of us might enjoy leisure moments makes it impossible to do more here than connect you with resources of much more information on recreation for people with disabilities. Use the suggestions and connections these resources offer to explore what's possible for you and yours. Hope these help you find the fun in the sun.
Physical activities galore.
Be sure to visit the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD) for its wealth of info. NCPAD maintains searchable directories of organizations, programs, and facilities that provide opportunities for accessible physical activity. Fact sheets on a variety of physical activities for people with disabilities are also available.
Visit a park.
Visit the National Park Service website and find out more about local, state, and national parks and the opportunities they offer to enjoy nature, our natural resources, fresh air, and each other. There are 370 parks and 7 regional offices under the National Park Service. A listing of all national parks and facilities, including general information about their accessibility, is available at: www.nps.gov/parks.html
Try a sport.
Disabled Sports USA is the nation's largest organization providing year-round sports and recreation activities to children and adults with physical disabilities. In conjunction with its nationwide network of chapters serving people in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, Disabled Sports USA offers such activities as snow skiing, water skiing, bicycling, white water rafting, horseback riding, mountain climbing, sailing, camping, and track and field. Visit Disabled Sports USA's website for the telephone number of a local chapter near you.
www.dsusa.org/
In pursuit of art.VSA arts (formerly Very Special Arts) seeks to create a society where all people with disabilities learn through, participate in and enjoy the arts. To that end, they offer a wide range of educational programs and resources through a network of state-level programs and their website. If artistic expression interests you, check out what VSA arts has to offer.
Storytime!
Libraries are great places to find summer fun, piles of books, and connection to what's going on in the community. If reading is a difficult activity, tho, it's likely to be avoided. Have you considered books on tape, CD, or in digital formats? Listen to the story, in other words. Not only can you find books in these formats in local libraries, but you can also check out the services (and outrageous book collections) of:
- National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (http://www.loc.gov/nls), a free national library program of Braille and recorded materials for persons with visual and physical disabilities.
- Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic (http://www.rfbd.org), a national nonprofit service organization that provides educational and professional books in accessible format to people with visual impairments, learning disabilities, and other physical disabilities that prevent them from reading printed material.
How about an exchange program?
The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange provides free info and referral services related to the participation of people with disabilities in international exchange programs. Join the Clearinghouse's mailing list for info about exchange opportunities, and for sure take a look at the very helpful "tipsheets" available to help travelers with disabilities.
Get the whole family involved.
Visit Family TLC to access family activities: games, sports, crafts, music, cooking, nature and more. Find parenting tips, articles on child development and hundreds of new age-appropriate child activities each month.
http://www.familytlc.net/index.html
More family fun.
Crafts, parties, recipes, games, travel, how-to videos...yours for the exploring!
http://familyfun.go.com/
Visit the Fun-Attic.
Isn't that a great name for a website offering The Great Game List? Browse for game ideas, resources and activities for birthday parties, picnics, youth groups, summer camps, company events, educators, family life, home schooling or just for the fun of it.
http://www.funattic.com/game_list.htm
OK, that's our starter list for scaring up some recreation this summer. Now, ready, set, go! Everyone in the pool...woods...library...kitchen, whatever strikes your fancy. And may the fun be with you all the way.
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| Publication of this eNewsletter is made possible through Cooperative Agreement #H326N080003 between AED and the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) of the U.S. Department of Education . The contents do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government or by the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. | |
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Comments on our newsletter? Too long? Too short? Off-target? Right on? Suggestions for future topics? Please feel free to contact us at nichcy@aed.org. We're here to help you help children with disabilities.
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