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CASE
I wish I could do a better job of convincing folks of the amazing opportunity the CASE Hybrid conference provides for you, your staff and others who share your desire to improve education for all students! We have tried to minimize all the no factors for professional development. Really, where could you expect national level presenters for two solid days for less than $500! And you can have as many people participate as you can hold in your facility. All the equipment you need is an internet connection, an LCD projector set up, a computer, and speakers! If you want to charge, you may! You can invite different people for each of the two days! You can get the recording of the two days for less than $50 more to then use as you wish for as long as you wish. No worry about streaming or not being available in the future! Really — how much easier could we make it? And we even give you hints on how to set it up and flyers to use to promote your own event!
Don't put off tomorrow what you can do today! Registration is up and running for the 5th annual Hybrid Conference to be held Feb. 11-12! Dr. George Batsche will be leading the Thursday session: Actualizing the Practice: Identification of Students with SLD within an RtI/MTSS Framework — Accurate Eligibility and Effective Instructional Practices. Dr. Batsche will be stressing the need for multiple team members from across varying roles so be sure to sign up for a Virtual site and bring lots of cross stakeholders to the Thursday session!
Julie Weatherly, Esq. will be doing Legal Issues: Actualizing the Promise on Friday. Where could you get a full day of legal updates for your team — as many as you can get in as big of a room as you can find for the price of just one registration? This day is one you will definitely want your general education administrators to be present for and since you can do this virtually, you don't have to "send" them out of district! A good portion of her presentation will be on discipline so be sure to start planning now for all those Assistant Principals to be attending on that Friday!
The Virtual option of our Hybrid is perfect for truly effecting sustainable change on a shoe string budget. Your team can get the same training from national experts without spending the travel dollars and the out of district travel time! We have listened to your assessment of the virtual portion and we will be building in some Think-Pair-Share time and other activities to help your team maximize the time spent together! Start building the excitement for this mid-winter professional development event. When you register as a Virtual site, we will send you customizable flyers and additional hints for getting the most out of your site! The HINTS for the virtual sites are provided for your assistance in planning but when you register, we will also be sending you a WORD document that you can customize for your own flyer!
But, maybe you are already tired of the cold weather…set up your virtual site, give the responsibility to one of your up and coming leaders—great training—and sign up to head south to experience the Hybrid first hand and onsite at the lovely Beau Rivage hotel right on the water in Biloxi, Mississippi, at just $109/night! The group rate is only good through January 22 so don't delay making those reservations now! Go to the CASE website for more information and to register for either the Virtual or the onsite!
I have a ritual every Jan. 1! I take my new year calendar and fill in all the important dates — birthdays, anniversaries, vacations and of course all the CASE and CEC big events! 2016 is going to be a really big year for CASE and I don't want you to miss any of these important opportunities! The very first thing you should have on your calendar is to register for the Hybrid as I just mentioned above. But once you have done that, then make sure to mark Feb. 1 — the date CASE Night tickets go on sale for $60. This year the event will be held at Grants Farm, the home of the Budweiser Clydesdales! The next big dates are Feb. 11-12 — the 5th Annual CASE Hybrid conference — either join us in Biloxi, Mississippi, at the spectacular Beau Rivage or hold your own Virtual conference and invite as many folks as can be housed in your facility — all for one low price! Sometime towards the middle of February will be the CASE election for President Elect and Treasurer — two very important offices! Be sure to vote when you get your electronic ballot! April 13-16 is the CEC Convention in St. Louis. The annual CASE membership/Board meeting will be on April 13th starting with a full breakfast so be sure to make your arrangements to arrive in St. Louis on Tuesday! The CASE Showcase session will be on April 14th as will CASE night! July 10-14 will be the CASE/CEC Legislative Summit in Alexandria, VA. And don't forget to lock in Sept. 25-27 for the Joint CASE/NASDSE fall conference in Milwaukee, WI! So in summary, here are the dates for your 2016 calendar:
Feb 1 — CASE Night tickets on sale on the CASE website
Feb 11-12 — CASE 5th Annual Hybrid
Mid Feb — Electronic Balloting for CASE President Elect and Treasurer
April 13-16 — CEC convention, St. Louis
April 13 — CASE annual joint member/Board meeting in St. Louis
April 14 — CASE spotlight session on Legal issues and CASE Night
July 10-14 — CASE/CEC Legislative Summit
Sept 24-25 — CASE Board of Directors meeting in Milwaukee
Sept 25-27 — Joint CASE/NASDSE fall Conference
Thanks to those of you who took the Poll back on Dec. 21... The poll asked the question "what do you wish for 2016?" The number one response at 29 percent of those answering the poll was "a redefinition/reinvention of special education." We had a four-way tie for 2nd place at 14 percent: more mental health services, real MTSS buy in at the state and district level, generally more staff and good health. Sounds like some folks need to invite people to the Hybrid conference to improve their chances on the MTSS buy in! Coming in next at 7 percent was more funding and ability to lead a balanced life. Of course one great way to "balance" your life would be to have fun while doing professional development — sounds like a trip to the Beau Rivage in February for the CASE Hybrid!
I hope you all have a healthy, happy, fulfilling 2016 and all joking aside, I do hope you will join us for the amazing opportunity to impact change through the 5th Annual Hybrid CASE Conference!
Luann Purcell
Executive Director
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University of Nebraska-Lincoln
The majority of student misbehavior is successfully addressed through the use of school-wide rules and universal or secondary supports/interventions; however, some students require the use of more concentrated and intensive supports. For this population, individual behavior plans and functional assessments can prove beneficial in pinpointing and addressing the unique needs of students. Typically, a team of knowledgeable professionals is responsible for creating behavior plans based on sound behavior theory and data-based decision making. Extensive research has been conducted on individual behavior plans and functional assessment, yielding positive results. However, these results should be interpreted carefully due to the individual nature of each plan and circumstances surrounding student behavior.
Click on the following link for more information on Individual Behavior Plans & Functional Assessment: (http://go.unl.edu/iye5). Then click on the red button to download the pdf and read more. Find Strategy Briefs on over forty other topics at: http://go.unl.edu/pvrm.
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CADRE
There is a growing awareness that trauma is pervasive and that the impact of trauma is often deep and life-shaping. Whether or not it is fully recognized, educators work with survivors of trauma, including students, families and colleagues. This session will increase understanding of trauma and its impact into adulthood, as well as how a more trauma-informed approach will enhance work with families. Participants will be introduced to the essential elements of a trauma sensitive school and specific strategies for improving family engagement and effective collaboration.
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The Teacher Voice Project
From NCLB to IDEA to FERPA, we see the impact of decisions by Congress on a daily basis in our schools. Too often, the voices of teachers and administrators are absent from the table when these momentous decisions are made, though their wisdom and experience are imperative to making them work. For those who are interested in joining the policy debate at the state or federal level, a new report (Teacher Voice: The Current Landscape of Education and Policy Expert Communication) may help. Through case studies and survey results, it explores how educators and policy experts currently communicate and offers tips for teachers and administrators hoping to get more involved in policy discussions.
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U.S. Department of Education
2015 marks the 40th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. In the same year, the first center to help parents understand IDEA and how to advocate for their children with disabilities was born.
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District Administration Magazine
The new year may send familiar education challenges in new directions as administrators grapple with an uncertain testing landscape, staff shortages, the increased push for equity and constantly increasing charter competition. Experts expect education budgets in most states to remain flat in 2016. The pending reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act should uphold the current Title I formula (aiding two-thirds of U.S. states) but reduce competitive grants. The availability of standards-aligned test results and the national pushback on over-testing will drive teachers and administrators to work together to better tailor instruction to individual students this year, predicts S. Dallas Dance, superintendent of Baltimore County Public Schools.
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Education Week
For more than a decade, state legislators say they've stood on the sidelines while their education departments followed the federal government's blueprint in rolling out demanding accountability systems. So legislators let out a collective sigh of relief when President Barack Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act last month. The first new version of the nation's main K-12 law since 2002 rolls back the direct federal role in improving student outcomes and hands much of that power to governors and legislatures.
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Disability Scoop
Federal officials are demanding action after an investigation revealed that the vast majority of elementary schools in the nation's largest district are inaccessible to students with disabilities. A two-year inquiry by the office of U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara found that 83 percent of elementary schools in New York City are not "fully accessible." Moreover, in swaths of the city that serve more than 50,000 elementary school students, there is not a single school that meets accessibility requirements.
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By: Ruth Bomar
 In a recent study, researchers examined the benefits of coaching among undergraduate and graduate students with learning disabilities and/or ADHD. The researchers measured levels of self-determination, executive functioning and academic skills before and after the coaching intervention, and each student improved in all three test measures. Even though the sample size was extremely small, the interviews with the students revealed rich and detailed understanding.
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The Seattle Times
As early as first grade, dyslexic readers can have much lower reading scores and verbal IQs compared with typical readers, suggesting that earlier intervention is needed to help students from falling behind, according to study recently published in the Journal of Pediatrics. The researchers — from Yale University and the University of California, Davis — found that the gap between dyslexic and typical readers, which often shows up in elementary school, persisted into adolescence. The study found that the gap didn't increase over time, but instead was already present when students were in first grade.
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NPR
Diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are up around 30 percent compared with 20 years ago. These days, if a 2-year-old won't sit still for circle time in preschool, she's liable to be referred for evaluation, which can put her on track for early intervention and potentially a lifetime of medication. In an editorial just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics, Dimitri Christakis argues that we've got this all wrong. He's a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington and the director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Children's Hospital in Seattle. Parents, schools and doctors, he says, should completely rethink this highly medicalized framework for attention difficulties.
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ADDitude Magazine
Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can learn — often as well as many of their classmates — but when they struggle to manage their symptoms, they flounder in the classroom. One of my students, Joseph, was an active, creative 10-year-old, but before he received the appropriate ADD/ADHD treatments and ADD/ADHD school and classroom accommodations, he frequently called out in class and changed gears arbitrarily. He would gather his scattered materials and chat with his classmates when he should have been working on an assignment. It was hard for him to settle down and focus on homework or classwork. He lagged behind his peers in everything that required executive function skills.
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NPR (commentary)
Alex Hale, a contributor for NPR, writes: "It's getting harder and harder to find quality special education teachers, which is why 49 out of 50 states report shortages. Why? It's a tough sell. Even if you're up for the low pay and noisy classrooms, special education adds another challenge: crushing paperwork. This is something I understand first hand. You see, I was a special education teacher and I just couldn't hack it. Though I'm somewhat ashamed to admit it, I only lasted a year in the classroom."
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University Business
The spaces we create for people with learning disabilities can support success or guarantee failure. Three decades ago, I led a team in designing an entire college campus specifically for students with learning disabilities. Some $40 million later, we had transformed the former Windham College into Vermont's Landmark College. It was the first purpose-built environment intended to support teaching, learning and living for students with a spectrum of learning disabilities and related challenges, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder.
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MindShift
MindShift readers are often intrigued by new ideas and strategies being tried around the country, but many educators are also parents and know the huge role parents play in education. This year some of our most popular posts have focused on how parents can set their children up for success, as well as when their involvement can hinder important development. As conversations at school and at home continue about the importance of having space to learn from failure, how can parents and educators become a stronger team as they work toward the mutual goal of successful, happy kids?
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Edutopia
Over the past decade, Response to Intervention has seen widespread use in schools as an effective way to promote student learning. Originally developed to help students with learning disabilities, RTI's success has led to its use for all students at a school, not just for those with specialized needs.
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Reuters
Kids who have allergies at an early age are more likely than others to also have problems with anxiety and depression, according to a new study. As the number of allergies increase, so do internalizing behavior scores, the researchers found. Internalizing behaviors include disorders, like anxiety or depression, that develop when people keep their problems to themselves, or "internalize" them.
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