Newsline

In This Issue

April 2009

Upcoming Events

1. Secondary Transition Parent Center Webinar
2. ALLIANCE Institutes

Parent Center Updates

1. Parent Center KidSmart Participants
2. Join the Parent Center Facebook and YouTube Pages!

Announcements & News

1. TA&D Project of the Month: NIMAS Development and Technical Assistance Centers
2. National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute
3. ALLIANCE Web Site

Resources

1. Toddling Toward Reading
2. Student Progress Monitoring
3. National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Web Page
4. Policy for Results
5. Alliance for Childhood Kindergarten Report

Technology

1. FCTD Monthly Online Discussion
2. Reusing Assistive Technology

Nonprofit Management

1. Recession-Proof Communications

Upcoming Events

Secondary Transition Parent Center Webinar

The ALLIANCE National PTAC will be hosting a webinar presented by Jane Falls of the National Post-School Outcomes Center and David Test of the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center on May 7 at 3 PM EDT (2 PM CDT, 1 PM MDT, Noon PDT). Look for registration information soon.

ALLIANCE Institutes

September 14-16, 2009: Technology Institute in Minneapolis, MN
September 21-23, 2009: Management Institute in Minneapolis, MN

Parent Center Updates

Parent Center KidSmart Participants

Over the past year, 21 PTIs and CPRCs participated in KidSmart, a project of IBM and PACER. This national early childhood technology project created partnerships between Parent Centers and early childhood classrooms and provided training on inclusion and assistive technology through the donation of a Young Explorer computer for the classroom. The Arkansas PTI and one of their partners were featured in the 2009 Why Parent Centers publication. Thanks to all the Parent Center participants for all their effort and dedication to this project!
http://www.pacer.org/stc/kidsmart/index.asp

Join the Parent Center Facebook and YouTube Pages!

Don’t forget that you can now connect with your Parent Center colleagues through Facebook and YouTube. Check out the new videos that have been posted or start a discussion today! If you have questions, contact kerryjo.johnson@pacer.org.

Click here to become a fan of the Parent Center Facebook page.

View the Parent Center YouTube channel. See the most recent video added by PLUK, the Montana PTI!

Announcements & News

TA&D Project of the Month: NIMAS Development and Technical Assistance Centers

The NIMAS (National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standards) Development and Technical Assistance Center is located at the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) in Wakefield, MA. The project, directed by Chuck Hitchcock, provides information about the policies, practices, and technologies related to NIMAS. One of their recent activities was surveying State Education Agency (SEA) Web sites to determine if NIMAS information was available to parents, districts, and others. Please consider adding a link to NIMAS on your Parent Center Web site.

National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute

This ninth annual conference will focus on the theme Yes We Can: New Opportunities for Young Children with Disabilities and Their Families. Participants will discuss and learn ways that American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds can be used to promote inclusive supports for young children with disabilities. The event will take place July 14-16 in Chapel Hill, NC. Register today!

ALLIANCE Web Site

Remember to check out the following resources on www.taalliance.org!

ALLIANCE Publication Catalog: Find handouts, curricula, booklets, and more!

News and Events: View a calendar of upcoming conferences around the country and a list of the newest resources and information about special education and related topics.

Resources

Toddling Toward Reading

Toddling Toward Reading is a half hour television program that is part of the Reading Rockets: Launching Young Readers series. The show features clips of parents and researchers discussing how to give young children the early literacy skills they need to succeed in school. Find out when the program will be aired on public television in your area, watch online, and access related resources on Reading Rockets’ Web site.

Student Progress Monitoring

State Tracking to Measure Student Progress Toward IEP Goals: This new publication from Project Forum describes different methods states are using to track progress toward meeting annual goals since IDEA 2004 and the elimination of the requirement for short term objectives or benchmarks.

Student Progress Monitoring Resources for Parents and Teachers: These resources from Reading Rockets explain how progress monitoring can provide data to help parents and teachers work together to make educational decisions for students.

National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Web Page

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has developed new web pages for the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. Find resources on child development, specific medical disorders and conditions, and other topics.

Policy for Results

PolicyforResults.org, operated by the Center for the Study of Social Policy, is a new Web site that helps users access the specific data and tools they need when developing strategies to impact policy for children and families.

Alliance for Childhood Kindergarten Report

Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School discusses the impact on children of a shift in focus in kindergarten classrooms from unstructured play to math and reading academic standards.

Technology

FCTD Monthly Online Discussion

The Family Center on Technology and Disability (FCTD) is hosting an online forum April 13-May 8 2009 on transition and technology. The post-high school transition process will be discussed along with how assistive technology can continue to be used as students change environments.

Reusing Assistive Technology

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services funds the Pass It On Center, a coordination center to promote the reuse of assistive technology devices that are no longer needed. Their Web site provides a map for locating reuse sites in each state.

Nonprofit Management

Recession-Proof Communications

Read tips from marketing experts on how to focus your communication efforts during an economic downturn.

Featured ALLIANCE Publications

Why Parent Centers? Why the ALLIANCE

Explains how Parent Centers serve families and how the Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers serves the nation’s 100 Parent Centers. Data on Parent Center effectiveness and contact information is included.
More >>>

Parent Centers Helping Families: Outcome Data 2007-2008

Data collected and compiled by the ALLIANCE about the numbers of people served by the nation’s Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs).
More >>>

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