Newsline

In This Issue

November 2009

Upcoming Events

• ALLIANCE Institutes
• Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention (TACSEI) and the Center on the Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) Webinar

Parent Center Updates

• National Parent Center Update: STOMP
• IN*SOURCE Online Trainings
• HUNE Staff Member Receives Award
• AZ Special Education Best Practices Bill Signed Into Law

Announcements & News

• TA&D Center of the Month: Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
• Race to the Top Application Released

Resources

• Accessibility Principles for Reading Assessments
• National Youth Summit Report
• Reading Together from Reading Rockets
• New Mediation and Resolution Sessions Guide
• Underperforming Schools and the Education of Vulnerable Children
• CELL Practice Guide: Looking at Books Together

Technology

• Extending the Life of Your Computer

Nonprofit Management

• Evaluating Advocacy Work

Upcoming Events

ALLIANCE Institutes

The ALLIANCE National Parent Technical Assistance Center will be holding topical institutes for Parent Centers January 27-29, 2010 in Crystal City, VA. The two themes will be management/leadership and children’s mental health/emotional behavior disorders. Register online by December 4!

Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention (TACSEI) and the Center on the Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) Webinar

Parent Centers are invited to attend a webinar on December 15th at 3 PM EST to learn about the resources available from the Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention (TACSEI) and the Center on the Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL). Registration information will be sent soon.

 

Parent Center Updates

National Parent Center Update: STOMP

STOMP (Specialized Training for Military Parents), located at Washington PAVE and directed by Heather Hebdon, is engaging in several new projects. They have recently provided workshops at seven different Air Force installations and will soon be providing a monthly newsletter to all Army Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) managers worldwide through a contract to work with the Army EFMP respite program. STOMP and PAVE’s 360 military family support project is also working with PTIs in New Jersey (State wide Parent Advocacy Network) and Alaska (Stone Soup Group) that were also recently awarded Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD) 360 Military Family Center grants. Learn more about STOMP at www.stompproject.org.

IN*SOURCE Online Trainings

IN*SOURCE, the Indiana PTI, has recently developed a variety of online training tools for parents. Understanding Article 7uses video and PowerPoint slides to provide information on their state special education law. Their podcast library features interviews IN*SOURCE staff have conducted with various state experts and stakeholders on topics such as charter schools and transition services. Rich Burden is IN*SOURCE’s executive director, and Dory Lawrence is the project director.

HUNE Staff Member Receives Award

Armindelis Toledo, a bilingual intake worker for Philadelphia HUNE Community Parent Resource Center in Pennsylvania, was presented with the Inspiration Award at JEVS Human Service’s Strictly Business Awards Ceremony on October 29, 2009. Armindelis (second from left in photo below) was given the award in acknowledgement of all she has done to become a leader and inspire parents of children with disabilities to overcome their difficulties. Congratulations to Armindelis! Philadelphia HUNE is directed by Luz Hernandez (second from right).

AZ Special Education Best Practices Bill Signed Into Law

On November 19th, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into law a bill on best practices in special education. The law includes new provisions on seclusion and restraints, following the Government Accountability Office report on the subject released this past year. Arizona PTI Raising Special Kids director Joyce Millard-Hoie’s son Matt was at the signing ceremony to represent Arizona’s students with disabilities and is pictured in the photo below with Gov. Brewster.

Announcements & News

TA&D Center of the Month: Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

The Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) provides technical assistance and tools to promote large scale implementation of PBIS, including the expansion of school-wide PBIS in high schools and urban settings. Their Web site features a broad array of resources relevant to researchers, administrators, educators, and families, including a beginners’ guide to school-wide PBIS.

Race to the Top Application Released

The U.S. Department of Education released the final priority and application for the Race to the Top grant competition in the Federal Register on November 18, 2009. States must submit applications by January 19, 2010 to compete for $4.35 billion in funds that will be granted to drive education reform in the Department’s four priority areas: college- and career-ready standards and assessments, building a workforce of highly effective educators, creating educational data systems to support student achievement, and turning around their lowest-performing schools.

Resources

Accessibility Principles for Reading Assessments

The National Accessible Reading Assessment Projects (NARAP) recently published a set of principles to inform state directors of assessment and special education and other groups about the best practices for creating accessible reading assessments for individuals with disabilities.

National Youth Summit Report

The Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health released a report from the 2009 Portland National Youth Summit, which took place in Portland, OR on June 22, 2009. The report includes priorities that participants decided were critical to improving mental health services for youth and young adults.

Reading Together from Reading Rockets

The Reading Together Web page from ReadingRockets.org presents ideas for parents and teachers to promote family literacy activities.

New Mediation and Resolution Sessions Guide

The Advocacy Institute partnered with the Children's Law Clinic at Duke Law School to develop a new guide for families and advocates on preparing for mediations and resolution sessions.

Underperforming Schools and the Education of Vulnerable Children

This new brief from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago examines the intersection of the lives of vulnerable children and the performance of schools they attend.

CELL Practice Guide: Looking at Books Together

This practice guide for parents, developed by the Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL), helps parents learn how they can show their toddlers the meaning behind the printed matter (pictures, letters, and words) in books. Go to the CELL Web site to download this and other practice guides and share your feedback on the products.

Technology

Extending the Life of Your Computer

Save money and the environment by learning some techniques to update your computer and keep it running longer.

Nonprofit Management

Evaluating Advocacy Work

This new tool from the Harvard Family Resource Project helps nonprofit organizations evaluate the effects of their advocacy efforts on policy-related outcomes.

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