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A new government publication aims to help schools enlist parents in promoting and sustaining health in their children.

Published by the CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), Parent Engagement: Strategies for Involving Parents in School Health covers how schools can connect with parents about health education for children, engage parents in the subject matter, and ultimately sustain ongoing interest in the mission.

The Power of the Parent Voice: Secretary Arne Duncan's Remarks at the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Leadership Mega Conference August 3, 2010 Related Resources Conference website Good morning. When President Obama s

But one thing is absolutely essential—and that's parent involvement. Parents of students with disabilities are some of the most determined advocates. Parents are key partners in policymaking and practice, pushing for greater access and better outcomes for their own and others' children. I want to applaud you for your dedication to children with disabilities—and their parents. I also want to say I wish it wasn't necessary for parents to be such fierce advocates. I understand that parents are compelled to advocate because they see that their sons and daughters aren't getting the free, appropriate public education that federal law guarantees them. President Obama and I believe that every child deserves a world-class education. When we say every child, it is not just rhetoric—we mean every child, regardless of his or her skin color, nationality, ethnicity, or ability. Over the past 37 years, with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, we've made great strides in delivering on the promise of a free, appropriate public education for children with disabilities.

I wanted to share a few of my thoughts on building trust between teachers and parents in this third and final post responding to Kanwal's question. I think I can best contribute to the discussion by highlighting what I see as the difference between parent involvement and parent engagement. Though there can be a positive result from both, I believe the most trust can be developed through engagement.

What: Please mark your calendar and join us at the 2012 Parent Involvement Conference. This year's conference will take place at the Doublewood Inn, in Fargo, ND on April 26th, 27th, & 28th (until noon).  The conference is jointly hosted by the Pathfinder Parent Center, the Department of Public Instruction, the Department of Human Services - Part C and the Anne Carlsen Center. Parents, educators, social workers, & therapists are all invited. The Anne Carlsen Center is hosting several technology speakers and keynotes. There will be a joint registration that opens right after the new year. Email dpage@nd.gov and we will send you a link when the registration is ready. Stipends will be available for parents living outside of the Fargo area through a grant from the ND State Council on DD.  Details will be available when registration opens.  If you would like to be considered as a presentor for the conference, contact cathyh@pathfinder-nd.org or call 1.800.245.5840 When: April 26 - 28, 2012 Where: Doublewood Inn 3333 13th Ave S Fargo, ND

What: Training to develop leadership and advocacy skills   Who: For parents/caregivers of youth diagnosed with mental illness willing to use their new skills to advocate for children with mental health needs beyond the needs of their own child.  When: Starts: ~3:00pm, Friday June 11th till ~3:00pm Saturday 12th  Where: Fairmont Hot Springs by Anaconda  Why: There needs to be a parent/caregiver voice in the system of care for children’s mental health. Parents/caregivers that have been through the experience of raising a child with a mental illness are the experts in what treatments and services are effective for recovery. Therefore parents/caregivers are key to improvement of the SOC for mental illness. In order to get parent/caregiver voice into the system of care, a leadership and advocacy training will empower parents by giving them the tools and skills to be involved in the SOC. 

Research overwhelmingly shows that parental involvement in a child's education improves academic performance. But there are a lot of reasons why parents keep their distance -- including cultural and class divisions. Guests discuss strategies to get parents more involved in their kids' schooling.

Parents and students with disabilities aren't as involved in the process of mapping out their goals with schools as much as they should be, although federal law intends for parents and school staff to work together on these plans, a new study finds. The study, published this month online in the Journal of Disability Policy Studies, found that participation in IEP (Individualized Education Program) meetings varied based on the type of disability a student has, their family income, and their racial or ethnic background. Parents of students who had demonstrated "challenging" behavior at school, or who had poor social skills, reported they found meetings about their IEPs or transition from high school to college or work less than satisfactory, the authors found.

In accordance with the requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA),  the state must report annually to the public on the performance of each local educational agency located in the state on the targets in the State's Performance Plan. Because baseline data and/or performance targets have not been established for all of the performance indicators, the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), has informed states that they are only required to report district performance for students with disabilities on indicators 1-5 and 8-12 this year. These performance indicators address the following: Graduation, Dropout, Assessment, Suspension/Expulsion, Least Restrictive Environment (ages 6-21), Parent Involvement, Disproportionality As A Result Of Inappropriate Identification, Child Find Timelines, and Early Childhood Transition (transition from Part C to Part B). The district's performance data is 2008-2009 data that was submitted by the district to the OPI as a part of its child count, exiting, student discipline collections and/or collected during a compliance monitoring record review. Performance data for performance indicator #8, Parent Involvement, is based on parent survey data. The Parent Involvement Survey was distributed to districts that were compliance monitored in school year 2008-2009. Districts were asked to provide a copy of the survey to all parents of IDEA-eligible students receiving special education and related services through an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The District Public Reports can be found on the OPI Web site at:  http://data.opi.mt.gov/SPEDReporting/ .

Let's keep IDEA PTA alive with renewed parent input and involvement.    The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the home of Mary Hall of PLUK, which is located at 380 Keith, which is the NW corner of Keith and Hilda in the University area.   Several of our wonderful MT CAAN members have already brainstormed some exciting ideas as to how parents can unite with enlightened educators to utilize this group as an important vehicle by which:  Parents can gain the empowerment and voice they should have in the special education process and at school, generally; We can work together systematically to achieve the kind of meaningful changes, opportunities, and supports that we want and need to see in the school environment, so that all children, regardless of diversity, get the free and appropriate education they are due by law and that they deserve by human right.

The National Center for Learning Disabilities’ RTI Action Network has developed this guide for parents and schools involved in implementing response to intervention (RTI) in the elementary grades. As schools work to implement this new approach, some confusion may arise, so parents should feel free to ask questions and raise concerns along the way.

What We'd Like You to Know and Share! Registration is open! Go to http://www.pathfinder-nd.org to view the registration form or call  1.800.245.5840 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1.800.245.5840      end_of_the_skype_highlighting  1.800.245.5840 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1.800.245.5840      end_of_the_skype_highlighting to register. Stipends are available! Ask us about a stipend for parents to cover the registration fee. We  also cover hotel costs for parents traveling more than 60 miles each way. (Funding for the stipends is provided from the ND State Council on Developmental Disabilities) Our Agenda is Exciting! Take a look at the agenda at our website. Dan Habib, Janice Fialka, Dave Anderson (Famous Dave’s Barbeque Sauce) & more. (Read about Including Samuel at http://www.businessweek.com/careers/workingparents/blog/archives/2009/09/kids_with_disab.html )

I’m 53 and the younger sister of an older brother (by two years) who had undiagnosed Asperger’s while we were growing up (1960s and 1970s). My brother and I grew up with very unaware, self-involved parents. Short story…I spent years in therapy sorting through our family dynamics and learned so much about the kind of parental support needed to raise special needs kids and neurotypical siblings in a balanced home. I’d like to share what I learned. I collaborated with my therapist and wrote a series of tips that will hopefully help parents and caregivers understand and support ASD siblings. My goal is to raise awareness of the need for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) sibling support (the often-overlooked piece of the ASD support puzzle).

While teacher satisfaction has declined to its lowest point in more than two decades, parent engagement is climbing to new heights across America, a new survey reports.

"The teachers with higher job satisfaction are likelier to report greater involvement of parents and their schools in coming together to improve the learning and success of students."

Click here to register and get more information!What:The theme of this year’s conference is “Leadership through Action and Participation.” We must all be strong advocates and willing to step up and make our voice heard through participation in policy development at the local, state, tribal and national level. Montana has become a recognized leader in Indian education in the nation and it has been because of the action taken by many MIEA members and friends of Indian education to make these positive changes.Great speakers, workshops, a student leadership strand, awards banquet and an elder’s luncheon just to mention a few. This year the parent forum on Thursday will focus on parent issues such as: the Johnson-O’Malley Program, Title VII Part A, Indian Education for All and Impact Aid. We encourage parent committees and others involved in supporting Indian parents to attend.When:April 12-15, 2012Where:Bozeman, MTBest Western Plus GranTree InnContact:Ron Juneau            406-850-9982     mieadirector@gmail.com                                Michelle Mitchell     406-833-0106     michell.mtchll@gmail.com