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Northeast Parent Centers'
Assistance & Collaboration Team
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| Newsletter Issue 1 |
January/February, 2010 |
Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) / Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs)
Located in the states of CT-CPAC, ME-MPF, MA-FCSN, MA-Urban Pride, NH-PIC, NJ-SPAN, NJ-ASCF, NY-AFC, NY-UWS, NY-TAC, NY-RCSN, NY-Sinergia, NY-PNWNY, RI-RIPIN, and VT-VFN. |
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Greetings!
We are pleased to bring you the latest edition of the NEPACT E-Newsletter. We hope you will find the resources informative.
The NE Parent Assistance and Collaboration Team (NE-PACT), the Region 1 Technical Assistance Center, provides technical assistance to federally-funded parent centers -- Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) - located in the states of  Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. These Parent Centers are independent non-profit organizations. We also provide support to emerging parent centers and parent organizations serving families of children with or at risk of being identified as having disabilities. In addition, we work with early intervention and education agencies (local, state and federal level) seeking information regarding best practices in involving parents of children with disabilities in systems improvement.
Our goals:
--Enhance the capacity of parent centers to provide effective services to families of children with special needs and to work effectively with their states to improve special education and early intervention systems; and,
--Facilitate their connections to the larger technical assistance network that supports research-based training, including educating parents about effective practices that improve results for children with disabilities. For more information click here. |
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NE-PACT/Region 1 Parent Centers 2010 Annual Conference
May 2-4, 2010
Portland Regency Hotel
Portland, Maine
Join us at the Portland Regency in Portland, Maine for our annual NE-PACT Region 1 Parent Center conference! This hotel is in a great location in downtown Portland, within walking distance to the waterfront and many area shops and attractions. More information to come soon! | |
Au Revoir to Robin Foley
We received the following information from Rich Robison, Executive Director at the Federation for Children with Special in Massachusetts regarding the imminent departure of our good friend, Robin Foley:
"Good Afternoon all, I want you to know that Robin Foley, Director of Special Ed projects at the Federation announced today that she will be leaving her position at the Federation effective April 1, 2010. Robin told me that she is taking this action in order that she can be closer to home and to be more able to support the needs of her family. Robin has been with us as a staff member for nearly 8 years and prior to that served several years on our Board of Directors. During her tenure, Robin has built our Special Education projects into a strong and cohesive group, become a visible and effective advocate at both the national and state levels and has perfected a model of collaboration in special ed advocacy that has earned her the respect of parents and professionals across the state. Needless to say, Robin will be deeply missed. Although I know she is making the right decision for her and her family, this move will be a tremendous loss to the Federation and its partners. We wish Robin, Jack and their whole family the very best. Please let me know if you have any questions. Best to all, Rich Robison"
We know you will all join us at NE-PACT in wishing Robin success in her future endeavors. Robin is still at the Federation and can be reached at rfoley@fcsn.org. |
Early Childhood Mental Health Services: Four State Case Studies
This in-depth policy analysis provides a background of the early childhood mental health (ECMH) focus of many organizations and legal elements of why it is essential that children with disabilities be included in a comprehensive mental health system. Findings from interviews with four state early childhood staff (i.e., the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B section 619 and Part C staff) were conducted around select components of mental health: Connecticut - consultation; Michigan - preparation and professional development; Ohio - partnerships; and Illinois - finance. Findings include that a variety of staff at a mental health agency and staff for Part B, Section 619 and Part C share responsibilities related to ECMH. Data is also collected through a statewide ECMH partnership and some individual programs; however none of the states has developed a uniform or coordinated data system for ECMH. All states indicated a need for changes in Medicaid policy to accept coding from the Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders. Click here to read more. |
Implementing Developmental Screening and Referrals: Lessons Learned From a National Project
In 2006, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a policy statement on developmental surveillance and screening that included an algorithm to help pediatric practices implement the new recommendations. Recent findings from a pilot project show that although doctors screened more children for developmental delays after the policy statement was issued, they did not consistently refer children suspected of having delays to early intervention programs and had difficulty tracking the referrals they did make. Additionally, many families did not follow through with recommended referrals. To learn more, click here. |
 SpecialQuest Preschool Inclusion Series
SpecialQuest Birth-Five announces the availability of new materials supporting high quality inclusion of preschoolers (ages 3 to 5) in early care and education settings. The new Preschool Inclusion Series highlights children with disabilities participating in inclusive environments. Classroom staff, administrators, specialists, and families share their perspectives on what makes inclusion work. The target audiences are early childhood professional development providers, faculty from colleges and universities, family leaders, and policy makers.
The new series contains four video programs (English, English open-captioned, Spanish open-captioned) with training scripts and handouts (English and Spanish). Download the materials or order an individual set on DVD/CD.
For questions, please contact Sandy Tradewell, Systems Coordinator, SpecialQuest Birth-Five, at sandy.tradewell@specialquest.org or 707.849.4290. Subscribe to the SpecialQuest e-newsletter. |
Growth Models and Students with Disabilities: Report of State Interviews
This in-depth policy analysis begins with a background that briefly describes accountability requirements from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the assessments states use to meet this requirement. A comparison between the status model for determining performance levels and the growth models is given. Further, a description of three types of growth models that states in a federal pilot program use is given. A summary of the evaluation of this pilot program is provided as well. Fifteen states with approved growth models as part of their accountability system were interviewed. Findings are organized around the following topics:
- Special education staff involvement in the development of growth models;
- How students with disabilities are included in the growth models;
- Training provided on growth models;
- Reporting of growth model results; and
- Benefits and challenges of a growth model.
The document closes with a discussion of the complexity of adding a growth model to a state's accountability and assessment system; obstacles to including students who participate in alternate assessments based on alternate academic standards in a growth model; and progress in instruction and assessment for this population of students that could ease these obstacles.
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| Q&A on Providing Services to Children with Disabilities During an H1N1 Outbreak
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Website Publishes Self-Advocacy Tips for Teens
Disability.gov has published a variety of self-advocacy resources for teens that help them begin to express their needs and wants by participating in their Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. These meetings assist teens in learning ways to talk about their disability to others, setting goals, and practicing other self-advocacy skills. |
A New Report
Recognition is growing about the public health and civil rights imperative for reducing the high rate of school dropouts. However, too little policy attention is paid to enhancing equity of opportunity for those transitioning from adolescence to young adulthood by increasing enrollment and success in postsecondary education.
Previous policy and practice reports from the Center at UCLA have provided analyses indicating that reducing dropouts, increasing graduation rates, and closing the achievement gap require more than improving preK-12 instruction and enhancing school management. In doing so, those analyses clarified fundamental flaws in prevailing school improvement policies and practices for addressing barriers to learning and teaching and recommended transformative changes.
This new report extends the earlier work by analyzing postsecondary education. Given concerns about diversity and the degree to which some subgroups are underrepresented in postsecondary education, the report stresses that it is essential to use the lenses of equity of opportunity and social justice in rethinking postsecondary education policies and practices. Using these lenses, the report focuses on interventions for improving K-12 in ways that reduce dropouts and improve readiness for postsecondary education, programs for bolstering recruitment and access, and efforts to facilitate transition and retention; recommendations for a shift in policy to enhance equity of opportunity are offered. The work is particularly timely given the increasing calls for enhancing enrollment in and completion of postsecondary education programs and for ensuring inclusion of more and more students from subgroups that have been underrepresented for too long. |
US DOE Clarification Letters
Policy letters related to the education of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) dated April 1, 2009 through June 30, 2009 are now available. On January 21, 2010, the Federal Register published a list of these letters with summaries included. |
Get on Board with Race, Ethnicity, and Language!
Please view the information in the power point below provided by Wendy Jones from the National Center for Cultural Competence. The presentation was originally given in Oct. 2009. In this power point Wendy Jones describes how cultural competence requires organizations to have a defined set of values and principles, and demonstrate behaviors, attitudes, policies, and structures that enable them to work effectively cross-culturally. This includes having the capacity to:
- Value diversity
- Conduct self-assessment
- Manage the dynamics of difference
- Acquire and institutionalize cultural knowledge
- Adapt to diversity and the cultural contexts of the communities they serve
- Incorporate the above in all aspects of policy making, administration, practice, and service delivery and systematically involve consumers, key stakeholders, and communities
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 Teaching Tolerance: Into the Mainstream
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| Employment Listening Sessions
The U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Office of Disability Employment Policy(ODEP) will hold a series of six Listening Sessions across the country on disability employment. Each Listening Session is an opportunity for members of the public to provide input to senior Federal officials on their ideas for more effective ways to employ all people with disabilities, including women, Veterans and minorities with disabilities. ODEP seeks input particularly from:
- Individuals & Consumers: youth and adults with disabilities, parents and caregivers
Employers: public and private
Service Providers & Advocacy Organizations: Independent Living Centers, One-Stops, State Rehabilitation
March 3, 2010 Boston, MA - Open to residents of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands. (DOL Region I)
For more information, to register and/or to provide public comment online, click here. |
| Students With Chronic Illnesses: Guidance for Families, Schools, and Students
504 Accommodation Plans related to Health Conditions (i.e. what are the legal obligations of schools to provide health-related services and therapies? Accommodations needed for equal access)
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Assistive Technology Effective as a Special Education Intervention, Study Says
A study in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy cites a significant link between the use of assistive technology and the achievement of educational goals. |
Psychological Evaluations: What Every Parent Should Know
When a psychological evaluation is recommended, parents sometimes fear the worst. This article from the National Association of School Psychologists explains the purpose, procedures, limitations of testing, and use of results. |
| Mapping the Literacy Development of Bilingual Children
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 Who Are America's Poor Children? The Official Story
The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) has published a new fact sheet, entitled Who Are America's Poor Children? The Official Story. This fact sheet looks at the characteristics of children who are considered poor by the official standard in America and the hardships faced by these children. It also provides recommendations on what should be done about child poverty. |
On-Line Technical Assistance Materials on Early Literacy Practices for Young Children
The Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL) recently announced the availability of on-line technical assistance materials for promoting parent and practitioner use of early literacy learning practices. A number of different methods, materials, and practices that can be used to conduct training on early literacy learning are available on their Web site at CELL Technical Assistance. The materials are organized in the following different categories: CELL Model and Approach, Intervention Practices, Implementation Practices, and Research Evidence. |
New Video On Early Intervention Specialists
The National Center to Improve Recruitment and Retention of Qualified Personnel for Children with Disabilities (Personnel Improvement Center) has produced a new online video, entitled Early Intervention Specialists: Making a Difference, which describes a typical day in the life of an early interventionist and provides several real-life examples. |
The Build Initiative and Early Childhood Systems Development
The Child and Family Policy Center (CFPC) has completed its 2009 evaluation essay for the Build Initiative, an 8-state learning community supported by a broad-based group of foundations included in the Early Childhood Funders Collaborative. The essay describes the advances made in early childhood systems building within the Build states and the leadership roles both states and the national Build effor have played in promoting comprehensive approaches to early childhood. The First Seven Years: The Build Initiative and Early Childhood Systems Development, 2002 to 2009. |
The Health and Well-Being of Children: A Portrait of States and the Nation 2007
The Maternal and Child Health Bureau has published an online version of its chartbook, The Health and Well-Being of Children: A Portrait of States and the Nation 2007, which is based on data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health. The indicators present information on the health status and risk and protective factors experienced by children: on the National level, within the subpopulations who are at particular risk, and on the State level for each of the 50 States and the District of Columbia. | |
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