Group items tagged

School districts that want to reduce special education spending from one year to the next without restoring what was cut now have the blessing of the U.S. Department of Education. In the past, federal law was interpreted to mean that once a district set its special education budget, it could not be reduced permanently except for very specific reasons. One of those exceptions to the so-called maintenance-of-effort rule were limited to decreased expenses, such as when an experienced, highly paid special education teacher retired or a high-needs student left a district. Cutting the special education budget for other reasons meant a district was running the risk of losing its share of federal funds.

Minority students across America face harsher discipline, have less access to rigorous high school curricula, and are more often taught by lower-paid and less experienced teachers, according to the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

1.  If your child is exhibiting new behavioral problems that are interfering with their ability to access the curriculum; your school may need to implement a Behavior Support Plan to extinguish the negative or off task behavior. 2.  If your child is struggling academically in the first semester, don’t wait until second semester to address the problem.  If you have to request new assessments; keep in mind the timeline from the day you authorized the assessments.  The school has 60 days* in which to conduct the assessments and hold an IEP, so if you wait until second semester, the school year might be coming to an end; basically, your child has lost the entire year.  * Some States have different timelines so please check the timelines in your State. 3.  If your child will be attending Kindergarten, Middle School or High School the following year; you need to know all the areas of strengths and weaknesses to help them transition into the next phase of their education. 4.  If your child has been bullied in school, you need to make sure there is a safety plan implemented to protect your child from harm.  In addition, your child should know the name of the school personnel they can approach if the situation arises again; providing a safe place in the school environment. 5.  If your child’s placement is no longer working, do not wait to address this problem; otherwise, your child may lose an entire year of academics. 6.  If your child has been suspended repeatedly for behavioral problems, do not wait until the school is about to expel your child from the district.  Call an IEP to discuss changes in the Behavior Support Plan or ask for additional assessments immediately such as a Functional Behavior Assessment. 7.  If your child has been assigned an Aide that is not experienced enough to prevent your child from eloping, you need to call an IEP as soon as possible to request a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) or additionally training for the Aide.  Remember, every time your child leaves the classroom they are not being educated! 8.  If your child is experiencing depression, lack of self-worth, anxiety…etc.  You should call an IEP and request a Social/Emotional Assessment for in-school counseling.  If your child already has in-school counseling and that’s not working then you need to request an Educationally Related Mental Health Assessment to address these issues before they escalate into more serious behavior. 9.  If the services you agreed to at your child’s last IEP meeting are not working, you need to call an IEP to ask your school to increase the amount of services, or file for Due Process if you feel it’s necessary to take the matter directly to the school district. 10. If the School has not been following your child’s IEP; therefore, is out of compliance, call an IEP right away to allow the school to remedy the situation.  If they are not willing to rectify the situation then you need to either file for Due Process or file a complaint with the State Department of Education.

Click here for full information! (PDF)What:This Trainer of Paraeducator Academies (TOPA) train the trainer session is designed for experienced educators that have worked with paraprofessionals. The session will provide an overview of the essential skills needed to be an effective presenter, how to use Powerpoint presentations, and will give each participant access to online information to teach the twenty two academies. These academies provide a solid working foundation for teachers and paraprofessionals that create a common understanding of special education goals, objectives, and language. These trainings are a great way to create a team approach to meet the needs of students.When:February 1, 20122:00 pm - 4:00 pmWhere:Columbus Middle SchoolMini Computer LabContact:Monica PughPhone: (406) 322-5298Email: ssgpugh11@yahoo.com

Today, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released a new video where Department staff share personal stories and identify tools that support students experiencing bullying. In response to students suffering bullying in schools, ED has redoubled efforts to give parents, educators, and students the tools they need to stop harassment, including through the website Stopbullying.gov and civil rights enforcement.

What:The Trainer of Paraeducator Academies (TOPA) train the trainer session is designed for experienced educators that have worked with paraprofessionals. The session will provide an overview of the essential skills needed to be an effective presenter, how to use Powerpoint presentations, and will give each participant access to online information to teach the twenty two academies. These academies provide a solid working foundation for teachers and paraprofessionals that create a common understanding of special education goals, objectives, and language. These trainings are a great way to create a team approach to meet the needs of students. When:March 7, 20124:00 pm - 8:00 pmWhere:Laurel Administration Building, Board Room410 Colorado Avenue, Laurel Contact:Stephanie ZickefooseDirector YWCCSSCPhone: (406)628-7903Email: stephanie@ywccssc.k12.mt.us

Today's guest contributor is Shelly Sanchez Terrell, a teacher trainer, author and international speaker. Shelly is an experienced educator with many years in the field. She'll share with us the importance of making parents our partners in their child's educational journey.

For complete information on the Call for Proposal requirements and submission process, click here: 2010 Call for Proposals This year's conference will highlight the elements of the first TASH National Agenda: Inclusive Education Community Living Employment Human Rights People of Color The 2010 conference will focus on innovative practices to promote inclusion and reduce the disparities experienced by individuals with significant disabilities in schools, community living, and employment. The conference will also address human rights concerns and issues often faced by people of color. All people have the right to lead dignified lives where personal choices are honored and cherished. Who Should Attend? Adult Service Providers  Advocates/Self-Advocates Early Interventionists Educators/Special Educators Family Support Professionals Legal/Public Policy Parents/Family Members Professors/Researchers

The main body of this report documents gross disparities in the use of out-of-school suspension experienced by students with disabilities and those from historically disadvantaged racial, ethnic, and gender subgroups. The egregious disparities revealed in the pages that follow transform concerns about educational policy that allows frequent disciplinary removal into a profound matter of civil rights and social justice. This implicates the potentially unlawful denial of educational opportunity and resultant disparate impact on students in numerous districts across the country.

Click here to register for this event What: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 60 percent of American adults say they endured abuse and other difficult family situations as children, otherwise known as adverse childhood experiences. Those experiences can have long-term health consequences. The annual financial burden to society of childhood abuse and trauma is $103 billion, according to a 2007 Federal Economic Impact Study. The costs include annual direct costs such as hospitalization, mental health care, child welfare service, and law enforcement, as well as indirect costs such as special education, juvenile delinquency, mental health and health care, adult criminal justice system, and lost productivity. The SAMHSA 10x10 Wellness Campaign invites you to a free training teleconference titled, “The Impact of Trauma on Wellness: Implications for Comprehensive Systems Change.” This teleconference will educate diverse stakeholders about comprehensive systems change, including preventing harm and inadvertent retraumatization and ensuring that services and supports are welcoming, engaging, and culturally attuned. The goal is to help facilitate the healing process among people who have experienced trauma so that they can become fully engaged in their communities. When: Wednesday, March 30, 2011 1:00 - 2:30p.m. Mountain Presenters: Cathy Cave, Senior Program Associate, Advocates for Human Potential Roger Fallot, Ph.D., Director of Research and Evaluation, Community Connections Ann Jennings, Ph. D., Founder and Executive Director, The Anna Institute

Unfortunately, boys and girls with autism often face barriers to participating fully in youth community organizations. And so with help from respected experts in the field of autism and special education, experienced parents and caregivers, we have created Leading the Way: Autism-Friendly Youth Organizations, a guide for organizations to ensure that youth with autism have the same formative experiences through community programs that are available to their typical peers.

This resource page addresses one aspect of development that’s important not to ignore with children with or without disabilities—the development of sexuality.  There’s so much to know and consider on this subject–what sexuality is, its meaning in adolescent and adult life, and the responsibilities that go along with exploring and experiencing one’s own sexuality. 

Autism on the Seas has been in collaboration with Royal Caribbean International since 2007 in developing cruise vacation services to accommodate adults and families living with children with Special Needs, including, but not limited to, Autism, Asperger Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Tourette Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and all Cognitive, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.  These services quickly expanded to other cruise lines.   We provide Cruises with our Staff (selected from regular cruises throughout the year) that assist adults and families in accommodating the typical cruise services, as well as providing specialized Respite and Private Activities/Sessions that allow our guests the use of the ships entertainment venues in an accommodated and assisted manner. Our professional Staff (educated, experienced, background checked and sanctioned by the cruise lines) accompanies you on your cruise to provide these amazing vacation and travel experiences onboard Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Disney and Carnival Cruise Lines. We also provide a "Cruise Assistance Package" (Cruises without our Staff) on all of the major Cruise Lines to help accommodate guests who wish to cruise on their own. 

The Ohio AgrAbility Program has a mission to promote independence for people in agriculture who want to continue to farm after experiencing a disabling condition. The program’s goal is to provide education, resources, and technical assistance to those individuals and their families so they may continue to do what they love to do, farm.

When: Monday, November 15th 2010 7:00 p.m. Where: Mansfield Health Education Center at St. Vincent Healthcare 2900 12th Ave N, Ste 30W, Billings, MT What: Epilepsy is a medical condition that produces seizures affecting a variety of mental and physical functions. It’s also called a seizure disorder. When a person has two or more seizures, they are considered to have epilepsy.  A seizure happens when a brief, strong surge of electrical activity affects part or all of the brain. One in 10 adults will have a seizure sometime during their life. Seizures can last from a few seconds to a few minutes. They can have many symptoms, from convulsions and loss of consciousness to some that are not always recognized as seizures by the person experiencing them or by health care professionals: blank staring, lip smacking, or jerking movements of arms and legs.