October 2006 Special Educator E-Journal
October 2006 Special Educator e-Journal
Table of Contents
Letters to the Editor
Legal Issues Corner
Calls to Participate
Update from the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
Update on Special Education Websites and Listservs
Report from the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET)
Creating an E-Mentoring Community
Funding Forecast, Grants, Awards, and Scholarships
Upcoming Conferences, Workshops, and Events
Acknowledgements
Letters to the Editor
Last Month we asked the question, “Should students with disabilities take high stakes testing?” Many of you replied. Here are some of your responses:
All year we as special educators work with individual students and their
IEPs, making accommodations and modifying the curriculum so they can be a productive part of the general education setting. These modifications include reading passages aloud or stories on tape for those with reading difficulties to minimizing answer choices on a multiple choice test to reduce the amount of processing a child has to do. Yet, when it comes to state testing (most recently the newly created ASK5 in the state of NJ), the only accommodations we are able to make are frequent breaks and extended time! As far as extended time goes, if they don't have it in 15 minutes, what makes the State feel by extending the amount of time, they will "get it" in 30 or 40 minutes? They are taking the exact same test as their general education counterparts. I am in agreement that all students should have some form of assessment but the testing for special education students, if not modified, should have further modifications added.When the State of NJ was contacted to find out if there was an audio version of the ASK testing for those children with reading disabilities, who HAVE the comprehension skills when passages are read aloud, we were told no, not at this time. It is interesting to note that many of the students who did not score in the
Proficient Range were NOT those of the special ed population, but of the
general ed population!
PS
New Jersey
______
All year we make modifications and accommodations per a student's IEP which usually always involves reading passages aloud for those with reading difficulties, eliminating choices in a multiple choice to limit the amount available and generally walking through the test and modifying the test. When it comes to state testing, my students are forced to take the same test their regular ed counterparts are taking, with the only accommodations being frequent breaks and extended time! In years past, we have had children get sick while test taking and actually wet themselves, all because no matter how much you might tell them this test does not matter, they can see that it truly does! I believe there should be testing done for the special education population but it should be an alternative form of testing. If one is not available, then possibly extending the types of accommodations we give this population would be the answer.
I strongly believe that High Stakes testing is unfair, malicious, and unnecessary for students with mental handicaps. These students are known to have sub-average intelligence, why test them at grade level? Special educators cannot make the mental handicap go away. We can only teach them compensating strategies and as many essential academic skills as possible. Giving a 5th grade student with a mental handicap (IQ 65) a grade level standardized exam only puts undue pressure and anxiety on the student. That child will not meet grade level standards. If he did, he wouldn’t be mentally disabled, would he? I have sat with these types of children as I administered our state exam. I watched them cry in despair since they knew they couldn’t do the work. I can see giving these students below-grade level tests to determine growth in academic skills, but my state won’t allow it!
Barbara Bobo
EMH Teacher
Fruitland Park Elementary, FL
______
These are my thoughts on No Child Left Behind and the profoundly handicapped especially in the matter of assessment. I'd be interested to read about high stakes standardized tests and special needs students. Feel free to print any or all of this.
Melissa Morgan (doctoral candidate).
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Letter to the Editor-From Proctor & Gamble School Programs
Dear NASET members:
Every year Procter & Gamble creates educational materials to teach students about puberty through the Always Changing 5th Grade Puberty Education Program. We are always looking for ways to update and enhance our materials, and have discovered through research with both nurses and teachers that there may be a need for puberty information directed specifically at kids with disabilities.
As experts in this field, we thought that you would be the best source of information for providing us with suggestions on what to cover in a puberty program for special needs kids, as well as additional resources to help us in content development. We would love to find a few individuals who might be willing to serve as consultants as we look into developing these materials in more detail. If any of you have an interest in helping, we would greatly appreciate whatever time or level of commitment you could provide. Please feel free to contact me directly via phone or email with any questions or if you would like to volunteer. Thanks and I hope to hear from you soon!
Michelle Brackney
Agency Assistant Account Manager
Procter & Gamble School Programs
513.762.1704
Legal Issues Corner
Building the Legacy: IDEA 2004 Web Site (Part B)
http://idea.ed.gov/explore/home
The U.S. Department of Education has created an online “one-stop shop” for resources related to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its implementing regulations, which were released on August 3, 2006. The site will ultimately provide searchable versions of IDEA and the regulations, access to cross-referenced content from other laws (e.g., the No Child Left Behind Act, the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act), video clips, topic briefs on selected regulations, links to the Office of Special Education Programs’ Technical Assistance and Dissemination Network, and a Q&A Corner where users can submit questions.
OSERS’ New Priorities
http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/priorities.html
On August 11, 2006, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) Assistant Secretary John H. Hager announced OSERS’ new priorities. The priorities include: 1) create a culture of student achievement, 2) advance the use of evidence-based practices, 3) achieve self-sufficiency through postsecondary education and/or employment, 4) expand access to and utilization of assistive technology, 5) improve accountability for OSERS programs, and 6) strengthen management excellence.
Final regulations, anyone?
You've no doubt heard that final regulations for IDEA 2004 have been published. They're only 307 pages long--- including the comments and analysis of changes--- perfect reading for a 3-day weekend. Pick up your copy of the regs (in PDF), at:
What's the same, what's not?
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) answers this question with its Topic Briefs prepared just for the new regulations. Hook up with available briefs at:
More on comparing IDEA 2004 to IDEA 1997.
Visit NASDSE to order your copy of "The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act: Comparison of IDEA Regulations August 3, 2006 to IDEA Regulations March 12, 1999." (NASDSE is the National Association of State Directors of Special Education.) This book goes section by section through the old and the new regulations, so you'll get your money's worth--- $15 for the treasure. It won't get to you in time for the Labor Day holiday unfortunately, but you can order it today, using the order form at:
One-stop IDEA shopping!
The U.S. Department of Education is pleased to announce the launching of its dedicated Web site to provide a "one-stop shop" for resources related to IDEA 2004 and its implementing regulations. Here you will find the statute, regs, video clips on important topics, links to the toolkit we keep telling you about, a Q&A on IDEA, and more---ever more as time goes by. Visit! Bookmark! Where? Here: http://idea.ed.gov
And last but not least...
Community-based meetings on IDEA.
To provide the public with an overview of the new regulations, this fall OSERS (the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services) will be hosting a series of community-based public meetings on IDEA. Each participant will receive a copy of the regulations on CD, as well as a copy of the Tool Kit on Teaching and Assessing Students With Disabilities (also on CD). Other materials will be available in print form, including copies of the three model forms required under the reauthorization: Individualized Education Program (IEP), Notice of Procedural Safeguards, and Prior Written Notice.
You don't have to register in advance for these public meetings, you don't have to pay a dime. Registration will take place at the door. Each meeting will begin with a reception at which Assistant Secretary Hager and Director Posny will be available to meet with the attendees on an informal basis. The reception will be followed by a presentation about the regulations, which will include a taped welcome from Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, information about the regulations and the dedicated IDEA Web site (mentioned earlier in this eNews), and an opportunity to ask questions about the regulations and OSERS' implementation plans.
Any of these dates or towns strike your fancy?
Philadelphia, PA
Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2006
Seattle, WA
Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2006
Minneapolis, MN
Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2006
Dallas, TX
Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006
Denver, CO
Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2006
Sacramento, CA
Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006
For more details, visit:
http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/idea2004-schedule.html
Calls to Participate
Nominate a Service-Learning Leader for the State Farm Service-Learning Practitioner Leadership Award
The State Farm Service-Learning Practitioner Leadership Award recognizes practitioners who have equipped young people to lead and serve, both through direct work with youth and by helping other practitioners expand their service-learning skills and knowledge. Winners are selected by a committee of leaders from the service-learning field, which looks for nominees who have had a major hand in expanding and advancing the field. Nomination deadline: November 3, 2006.
Submit a Paper Proposal for Conference on Children’s Mental Health Service Systems
http://rtckids.fmhi.usf.edu/rtcconference/presenters/
The Research and Training Center for Children’s Mental Health is seeking applications to present at its 20th annual national conference, A System of Care for Children's Mental Health: Expanding the Research Base, which will be held March 4-7, 2007 in Tampa, Florida. It is interested in proposals addressing research and evaluation related to: service system development and assessment, Center for Mental Health Services programs, dissemination and implementation, policy development and implementation, treatment effectiveness, effectiveness of partnerships, educational outcomes in systems of care, effectiveness of child welfare/foster care programs, effects of financing methods, and effects of accountability strategies within systems of care. Proposal submission deadline: October 31, 2006.
Youth Ages 16-25: Apply to the National Council on Disability’s Youth Advisory Committee
http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/advisory/youth/youth.htm
The National Council on Disability’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC), a 12-member committee of youth ages 16-25, is seeking new members. Youth with all disabilities and from diverse racial and ethnic groups are encouraged to apply. Applications must consist of 1) your resume, 2) a cover letter describing what makes you a good candidate for a position of national-level leadership as a representative of youth with disabilities, and 3) a letter of recommendation from an adult (NOT your parent/guardian) familiar with your leadership and disability experiences and potential. Applications must be submitted via e-mail (to ) by September 14, 2006 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Questions? E-mail .
Update from the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
GAO Reports of Interest
All GAO reports hold something of interest to our national well-being, but within NICHCY's mandate, the two areas of primary interest as disability issues and NCLB, the No Child Left Behind Act, our nation's general education law (which is, in many ways, no less important to our children with disabilities than the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). So what's the Government Accountability Office (GAO) saying lately that you might find of interest? Might we inform you of these GAO reports, and you pick your own poison?
• Growth models: A hot approach to measuring progress?
www.gao.gov/new.items/d06661.pdf
In this report, States Face Challenges Measuring Academic Growth That Education's Initiatives May Help Address, GAO assesses the extent to which states have used growth models to measure academic achievement and the extent that these models can measure progress in achieving key NCLB goals.
• Issues in English as a second language.
www.gao.gov/new.items/d06815.pdf
In this report, Assistance from Education Could Help States Better Measure Progress of Students with Limited English Proficiency, GAO describes the extent to which ESL students are meeting both academic progress goals and what states have done to ensure the validity of academic and English language proficiency assessments.
• Helping CA youths with disabilities transition to work or postsecondary education.
www.gao.gov/new.items/d06759sp.pdf
That's the title of this GAO report, which is actually a report on a conference that GAO convened. GAO convenes conferences? Umm, didn't know that, but apparently so. In fact, to better understand how federal programs interact at the state and local levels to support transitioning youths with disabilities, on November 15, 2005, GAO convened this conference of professionals and state and local program experts who are directly involved with transitioning youths with disabilities in California. Find out what GAO found out, at the link above.
Implementing IDEA: How Are We Doing?
Marking the Progress of IDEA Implementation discusses the implications from the six-year Study of State and Local Implementation and Impact of IDEA (SLIIDEA). SLIIDEA addressed how states, districts, and schools made progress toward issues of concern identified by Congress in the 1997 amendments to IDEA. A three-volume Sourcebook has been prepared to complement the report provided at the link above. Volume I summarizes study findings for each of the Congressional topics. Volume II consists of tables that display state, district, and school-level data for each data collection year and that show changes, including trends over time, in responses to individual survey items for each Congressional topic. Volume III provides a complete description of the sampling design and analytic approach used in SLIIDEA. Where would you find these three volumes? At the link above as well, where all the reports from the project can be found.
What Are We Spending on Public Education?
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006352
NCES answers the question in this brief publication, Current Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2003-04. Data on current expenditures are provided by state for public elementary and secondary education (school year 2003-04), including average state expenditures per student.
Title I: Who's Gaining, Who's Losing?
This 11-page report by the Center on Education Policy analyzes the distribution of funds in the largest federal program of aid to elementary and secondary education, Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (also commonly known by its latest title, NCLB, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Title I funds are significant, because they are most of the federal dollars used to implement NCLB. This report discusses the Title I, Part A allocations that are available to states and school districts for use during the 2006-07 school year. Kinda important, don't you think?
SSA and Its Proposal Regs for Evaluating Immune System Disorders.
In August the SSA (the Social Security Administration) published its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for evaluating immune system disorders on August 4, 2006 (Federal Register, Volume 71 , p. 44432). Specifically, SSA says, "We are proposing to revise the medical criteria that we use to evaluate immune system disorders in both adults and children who apply for Social Security disability benefits or Supplemental Security Income payments based on disability." Care to comment on SSA's proposed revisions? Find them, read them, at:
Text-only: Click Here
PDF: Click Here
Comments must be received by October 3, 2006. Submit them as follows:
On SSA's Web site: https://s044a90.ssa.gov/apps10/erm/rules.nsf
At the link above, click on "Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Immune System Disorders" at the center top. You'll go to a summary page that also includes links to the PDF and text-only versions of the NPRM. At the far right bottom, there's a green box that says "Comment on this proposal rule." Clicking on this link will take you to a ready-made screen for commenting. Getting there sounds complicated, but it's not!
Fax: 410.966.2830.
Email:
Letter: Commissioner of Social Security, P.O. Box 17703, Baltimore, Maryland 21235-7703.
What's the Department of Education up to?
http://web99.ed.gov/GTEP/Program2.nsf
Find out in the 2006 Guide to U.S. Department of Education Programs, available at the link above. In it, you'll find a description of the DoE's programs and resources for the fiscal year 2006.
And don't forget OSEP.
OSEP is the Office of Special Education Programs, which is part of the U.S. Department of Education. The special education part, to be exact. OSEP funds NICHCY, among many other projects, including the TA&D network of projects described in the next section of this News You Can Use. Want to know more? Want to know all? Delve into the four directories NICHCY prepares for OSEP and makes available online, and you'll see how busy OSEP has been and the scope of the assistance they make available to improve educational outcomes for children with disabilities.
OSEP's Technical Assistance & Dissemination Network
The TA&D network is funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of Education, as part of its efforts to improve results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. Projects with the TA&D (and other disability-related projects funded by OSEP) are continually posting new materials and publications in their subject expertise. We'd like to spotlight a few of the most recent, in the hopes that any or all of these may bring you just the information you're looking for.