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Download the Save the Date here!What:About MASPA key aspect of the mission of the Montana Association of School Psychologists (MASP) is to promote the educational and mental health needs of all children and youth. The MASP Summer Institute serves educators and other professionals who work with children and youth by offering professional development opportunities that bridge the latest research findings with real-world practice. Early Bird and student discounts will be offered! (Details will appear on the website in late March or early April.) The registration fee includes all conference materials and handouts, delicious lunches on Monday and Tuesday, and delightful snacks each day. To qualify for the student discount, you must be a student actively enrolled in an accredited degree program. Electronic registration coming in late March or early April. Intended Audiences:School Psychologists, Counselors, Social Workers, Teachers (Regular and Special Education), and Administrators Credit available:OPI Renewal credits (12); Continuing Professional Development credits (12); Billings Public School Step-Up credit (1) When:June 4-5, 2012Where:Mansfield Health Education CenterBillings, MontanaContact:Rick BartschPhone: (406) 855-4277Website: http://www.masponline.us/summer-conference

MISSOULA - A new software at the University of Montana and affiliated campuses will make a big difference for students with learning disabilities this spring. The Read and Write Gold software will allow students and employees to have whatever is on the computer screen read to them out loud. The Disability Services for Students department originally wanted it for students with learning disabilities and barriers to print - but found it all UM students could benefit from the program.

Twenty-two high school students with disabilities will attend a University of Montana seminar designed to facilitate a smooth transition to college July 20-23.“Movin’ on in Montana,” a collaboration between UM’s Disability Services for Students, the Rural Institute and Montana Vocational Rehabilitation, will bring together high school students from across the state to learn about disability rights, different expectations between high school and college, and how to use academic support. The students also will meet UM students with disabilities.

When: Wednesday, October 20, 2010, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm (Mountain time) What: Tricks and Treats of Teaching Techniques for Students with ADHD Who: Sandra Rief, MA Description: Do the symptoms of ADHD get in the way of your students understanding and completing their school work? Do your students with ADHD face obstacles when it comes to staying on task for classroom assignments? Whether your students are resistant to writing or become overwhelmed with multistep math problems, Sandra Rief knows the “tricks” to help persevere past ADHD symptoms in the classroom. Her helpful “treats” involve techniques and strategies that are useful for both parents and teachers to help students with ADHD.

The NJ legislature has passed the nation's strongest anti-bullying bill of rights for students. The bill now goes to the Governor for his signature.

The Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights protects all students bullied for any reason.  The legislation maintains the language of New Jersey's existing anti-bullying law, enacted in 2002, which enumerates protection of students based on their actual or perceived race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and has clear language protecting students bullied for any other reason.  The law will continue to apply to students bullied for any reason.

Today, the Obama Administration outlined how states can get relief from provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act – or No Child Left Behind (NCLB) – in exchange for serious state-led efforts to close achievement gaps, promote rigorous accountability, and ensure that all students are on track to graduate college- and career-ready. “To help states, districts and schools that are ready to move forward with education reform, our administration will provide flexibility from the law in exchange for a real commitment to undertake change. The purpose is not to give states and districts a reprieve from accountability, but rather to unleash energy to improve our schools at the local level,” President Obama said. What this means for you:   For Teachers: A collaborative learning culture where teachers can target instruction towards the needs of students and offer a well-rounded curriculum. Fair and responsible evaluations that are based on multiple measures including peer review, principal observation, and classroom work.  For Principals: Greater flexibility to tailor solutions to the unique educational challenges of their students and recognition for progress and performance.  For Parents: Accurate and descriptive information about their children’s progress and honest accountability that recognizes and rewards success – where schools fall short – targeted and focused strategies for the students most at risk.  For Students: A system that measures student growth and critical thinking to inspire better teaching and greater student engagement across a well-rounded curriculum. For more information on how this flexibility package may affect you, read our blog post: What NCLB Flexibility Means for You

It's Time for School: Building Quality Education Programs for Students with ASD Wed, Mar 20, 2013 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PDT School Districts across the country are struggling to meet the needs of students with ASD. Budgets are tight making it is hard to think about being proactive when there are not enough dollars to even cover day-to-day operations. However, districts have found that developing quality education programs for students with autism can actually result in substantial savings. During this presentation Dr. Leaf will discuss factors that contribute to the development of classrooms that provide effective educational for students with ASD. Dr. Leaf will share what he has found to be indicators of a "good" school district, teacher and classroom. Dr. Ronald Leaf is a licensed psychologist who has over thirty-five years of experience in the field of autism; he worked with Ivar Lovaas while receiving his undergraduate and doctorate degrees at UCLA. He is co-author of: A Work in Progress; Building Quality ABA Educational Programs for Students with ASD; Sense and Nonsense in the Behavioral Treatment of Autism and Crafting Connections. Dr. Leaf has consulted nationally and internationally with families and school districts; he is Director of Autism Partnership.

The longer there is a strong distinction between general and special education, the worse it is for students who are labeled with a disability. It perpetuates the language of us and them. These two worlds need to meet and the sooner they meet, the better. I will try to make it as simple as possible. In my opinion, there are the three things that need to happen in order for our schools to become better for all learners. Back to top Making things better for all 1) Acceptance – Create environments of acceptance in the classroom. We may not all be the same, but we are all deserving of understanding and acknowledgement of our strengths. 2) Access – A curriculum that is accessible to all learners! Modifications, accommodations and assessment are the key components to giving our students with special needs access to the general curriculum. 3) High Expectations – Never assume that what we are teaching is going over our students’ heads. This sells us (as educators) and them (as learners) short. We must always presume competence of our students and give them the support that they need in order to be successful. Oh…and I forgot about the wildcard: Technology! Assistive technology is often the missing piece to getting a reliable communication system for our students; not to mention accessing the curriculum by moving beyond paper and pencil work. The farther technology advances, the more access our students will be able to have.

The U.S. Department of Education announced today that its Office for Civil Rights has reached a resolution agreement with the Memphis, Tenn., City Schools on aids and services to students with disabilities. The agreement resolves a compliance review initiated by the department to address whether the district is appropriately evaluating students with food allergies, asthma, diabetes, and other health impairments who have Individual Health Care Plans (IHCPs) to determine if the students are qualified students with a disability as defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Title II). OCR also investigated whether there was a difference in the provision of services to health impaired students on the basis of race.