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Boston Strong...
CASE
We have all been touched by the tragedy that hit an American icon, the Boston Marathon, last Monday. CASE has a very active affiliate in Massachusetts (ASE) and our president elect is from Massachusetts. But no matter where tragedy occurs, heroes rise up. One of our CASE colleagues from the Boston area told me she was thankful schools were already closed this past week so there was at least one less area to worry about. Many things have changed over the years but to me one of the biggest changes has been the safety concerns we now have for our schools. In Jaime Vollmer's book "Schools Cannot Do It Alone," he outlines the many changes and added responsibilities society has placed on the shoulders of our schools. Certainly the school envisioned by education giants Horace Mann, John Dewey, and others didn't include the tragedies from Jonesboro Ark., shootings and all the others that have followed. Now, it is imperative for all school administrators to prepare for the horror by having established relationships with law enforcement, medical and social agency personnel; developing a thorough strategic plan and having as many preventative steps in place as possible. After the tragedy in Connecticut, CASE placed a crisis intervention resource link on our home page. Click here to go to those resources. If you know of other resources we should share with our colleagues, please send that information to me.
We are so much stronger when we stand together.
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Advocacy = student success!
CASE
If you really want to make a difference, then you need to register now for the 11th Annual CASE Legislative Leadership Seminar, July 14-17. This annual seminar will reinforce the importance of one added to a strong voice. Last year 78 CASE members from 25 different states met with their senators and representatives to discuss the issues concerning students with disabilities. We need your voice. We will be at a different hotel this year — the Hilton Alexandria Old Town — just across the street from the King Street Metro Station. For more information and links to both the hotel and seminar registration, go to the CASE website.
NCIPP Webinar: Evaluating Mentoring and Induction Programs
CASE
Presented by: National Center to Inform Policy and Practice in Special Education Professional Development (NCIPP)
This webinar provides information about evaluating mentoring and induction programs, specifically:
• Best practices for evaluating programs
• Examples of mentoring and induction evaluation
• How states and districts can get started in evaluation and useful tools
When: April 24, 1 p.m. EDT
Duration: Approximately one hour
Presenters:
Dr. Meg Kamman, NCIPP
Dr. Ann Sebald, University of Northern Colorado
Claire Sabochik and David Craven, Cherry Creek School District
John McLaughlin, Evaluator
Register Now:
Click this link to register: http://ncipp.education.ufl.edu/signupwebinar.php
Questions: Email ncipp@coe.ufl.edu
PRODUCT SHOWCASE
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System 44 Next Generation is the new foundational reading program for your most challenged readers in Grades 3–12+. System 44 Next Generation is proven to help students master the foundational reading skills required for success with the Common Core through explicit instruction in comprehension and writing and a personalized learning progression driven by technology. System 44 was developed to ensure that students with unique learning challenges have the necessary support and scaffolds to address their specific needs. Learn More.
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Information for independence: A wealth of resources are just a click away
AbleData and NARIC
AbleData and the National Rehabilitation Information Center offer the most comprehensive collection of information on almost every aspect of disability, including resources, assistive technology, research, and support organizations, and the best part is most people can access this information for free. Funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, NARIC and AbleData have served the disability and rehabilitation community for more than 35 years by providing information that is key to full participation for the disability community. Both serve people with disabilities, caregivers, researchers, educators, allied health professionals and others who provide support and services for people with disabilities.
Education is not an expense, it is an investment: Duncan testifies about Obama's education budget
CEC Policy Insider
The U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan testified before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor Health and Human Services about the president's budget proposal. He staunchly defended investment in education and urged the Senate to eliminate sequestration cuts.
More early learning challenge Race to the Top grants on the way
CEC Policy Insider
The U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced they will invest the majority of the 2013 Race to the Top funds for a second Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge competition. About $370 million will be available this year for states to develop new approaches to increase high-quality early learning opportunities and close the school readiness gap.
Apply now: US Department of Education offers 2 new awards
CEC Policy Insider
The U.S. Department of Education is now accepting applications to the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program, through the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. The purpose of these projects is to improve the effectiveness of services that advance a wide range of independent living and employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
'Learning disabilities' movement turns 50
The Washington Post
It was 50 years ago this month that the movement to help students with learning disabilities began. Jim Baucom, professor of education, Landmark College, offers an overview of how it all began and where the progress has taken the movement.
For contractor in special education, huge fees and poor care
The New York Times
C. H. Park ran a company that had begun to prosper on government contracts, but he had bigger ambitions. So he tore down his shabby headquarters on a quiet street in Flushing, Queens, and replaced it with a lavish three-story building. Then he brought in the clients: 3- and 4-year-olds with developmental disabilities. Learn the outcome for families lured by attractive surroundings and the promise of state-of-the-art therapy.
Looking for similar articles? Search here, keyword SPECIAL EDUCATION. |
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Special education programs needed, but who should pay for them?
Duluth News Tribune
We have to be able to talk about this. No, not in a way that pits families of special needs students against the families of other students, and certainly not in a way that would even suggest children with mental and physical disabilities don't deserve and aren't entitled to the same educational opportunities as any other students. That's been the law — and rightly so — since 1975. The question posed isn't whether to fund special education programs, but how.
How iPads and tablets are changing the face of special education
We are Teachers
The past three years have seen a sea change in the use of technology in special education. The introduction of the iPad, followed by numerous other tablets, has put technology into the hands of students in a way unprecedented in the years before. The tablets have succeeded so quickly in part because they are portable, intuitive to use and provide a modality of learning with an element of fun.
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'Learning disabilities' movement turns 50
The Washington Post
It was 50 years ago this month that the movement to help students with learning disabilities began. Jim Baucom, professor of education, Landmark College, offers an overview of how it all began and where the progress has taken the movement.
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When kids are afraid to tell teachers about bullying — That is a problem
TakePart
Courtney Fox, a first-grade teacher, shares why teachers must create environments where kids aren't afraid to report bullying. She writes: "When I first started teaching, I wasn't exactly sure how I should respond to tattling to get someone in trouble, or telling me information that would help another child?"
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Congress rewrites IDEA funding rule
Disability Scoop
A small change tucked inside a government spending bill this month may have big implications for special education. Lawmakers included language clarifying the penalties that states may face if they fail to adequately fund education programs for students with disabilities.
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Arizona special-needs student continues to inspire classmates
Deseret News
When Carson Jones invited Chy Johnson to sit with him and his football buddies at lunch last fall, he didn't think it was a big deal. Since that time, Johnson's story has been a source of inspiration. Johnson, 16, has microcephaly, a brain disorder. She became a target for bullies, but a phone call has led to lasting changes.
PRODUCT SHOWCASE
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Special Education students at Ridgegate Elementary School, Texas, are making gains in proficiency after using Academy of READING and Academy of MATH online intervention programs. Hear why these CASE-endorsed programs are so effective with Special Education students. View video.
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Trying an inclusive approach, school cuts back on self-contained classes
The Advocate
During the past two years, Lafayette, La., Parish School System has expanded inclusive learning opportunities for its youngest special needs children. The goal was to reduce the number of preschool-aged students in self-contained classes — meaning classes with only special needs students — and offer more options for those students to engage with nonspecial needs students. See the outcomes.
Team teaching helps students, disabled and not
WNYC
A New York principal says New York City's 9-14 programs, which increase learning time, helps bring all students to their full potential, including those with learning disabilities. A team-teaching approach has been found to be most effective with LD students.
Children with handwriting difficulties
NeuroNet Learning
Researchers have found that children with learning challenges experienced handwriting delays at a younger age. An article published in the journal Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics reported using an effective handwriting screening tool to evaluate the accuracy and speed of children's handwriting. The screening tool, Systematic Screening for Handwriting Difficulties or SOS test, was found to be a reliable method for early detection of handwriting difficulties. Early intervention may prevent secondary problems often associated with poor handwriting, such as academic underachievement and low self-esteem.
Commentary: To truly improve learning, schools should stop trying so hard
TeachThought
Wrinkles in policy arise as teachers strive to realize a vision for education that is, as things are, entirely impossible. No matter the starting literacy level, emotional intelligence, goals in life, family history, socioeconomic background, learning and thinking habits or academic ambition, the same result is expected of all students — an increasingly troublesome word stuffed full of connotation and implication: proficiency.
PRODUCT SHOWCASE
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A teaching technique for teachers of students with LD
NCLD
Special education teacher and learning disability expert Meg Randall discusses a teaching technique she uses to better serve her students, including those with LD, in the classroom.
New Web-based program tackles learning disabilities
World Bulletin
A new Web-based adaptive learning program developed by two Turkish education technology specialists is designed to address the problems children with specific learning disabilities face.
Homework strategies for children with learning disabilities
Family Education
Getting a child with LD to do homework can be tough. A lack of focus combined with distractions in his/her surroundings can lead to frustration. What tips can you offer to help parents and students tackle homework productively?
How technology is helping students with developmental disabilities
Edudemic
A typical education for students with developmental disabilities focuses on vocational training, with students learning unskilled labor positions such as basic foodservice worker or custodial positions. While it is imperative that students receive such learning opportunities, there should be an increased focus on realistic "future" options where technology skills are a requirement.
Positive, not punitive, classroom management tips
Edutopia
According to the author of "Self-Driven Learning: Teaching Strategies for Student Motivation," teachers can never have too many positive, not punitive, classroom management strategies in their toolbox.
Missed last week's issue? See which articles your colleagues read most.
Research: Small, frequent tests could help students pay attention, learn
Education News
New research is showing that the key to keeping students focused on learning material while in the classroom could be frequent tests. Cognitive psychologists, long charged with figuring out how to keep young minds from straying while learning, have hit upon an unusual solution of springing little tests and quizzes throughout the lecture — at the exact time that students are most likely to drift away from the topic in hand.
Special education teacher a finalist in 'Kelly and Michael' contest
The Journal News
A special education teacher from New Rochelle, N.Y., has been named one of five finalists in a national "top teacher" search by the "Live with Kelly and Michael" morning talk show. Ann Marie Rooney, 47, a New Rochelle teacher for 20 years, is to appear on the popular show May 1.
Learning strategies outperform IQ in predicting achievement
Scientific American
In the 1960s, the legendary psychologist Albert Bandura rejected the view that learning is passive. Instead he emphasized the importance of the active use of learning strategies. Today, Bandura's legacy lives on — and has been extended in exciting new directions.
Let CASE post your job positions
CASE
CASE will be glad to post job positions each week — Please send to Luann Purcell, executive director by Tuesday of each week for posting the next week. It should be about a paragraph in length but you can attach a PDF document that interested persons can then click through to for more information or you can provide a URL link for the same purpose. Please indicate at what date the post should be pulled not to exceed 6 weeks.
Positions
Berkshire Hills Music Academy, a private post-secondary residential school for young adults with a love of music who have learning, cognitive or developmental disabilities, is seeking a new executive director. Located in South Hadley, Mass., the academy uses a strength-based, music-infused curriculum to promote gains in self-efficacy as well as to cultivate performing arts abilities. www.berkshirehills.org
The executive director will lead the school, oversee staff and programs, and be responsible for fiscal health and fundraising. Requires experience working with individuals with disabilities, management and fundraising experience.
For more details, click here. Send cover, resume and salary history to Susan Egmont, Egmont Associates, segmont@egmontassociates.com.
Georgia Council of Administrators of Special Education (G-CASE) Executive Director
Qualifications:
The G-CASE Executive Board is seeking a proven leader with excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as a personal commitment to serving and supporting educational leaders in their service to students with disabilities.
Click here for more information.
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CASE Weekly Update
Colby Horton, Vice President of Publishing, 469.420.2601 Download media kit
Hailey Sasser, Senior Education Editor, 469.420.2630 Contribute news
Articles appearing in CASE Weekly include recent stories in the media related to Special Education and may not directly reflect the views and position of CASE. The appearance of advertising in CASE Weekly does not constitute CASE endorsement of any product, service or company or of any claims made in such advertisement.
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