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September 16, 2013
Celebrating 25 Years of Excellence
Serving Missouri Families!
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Greetings!
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Did you miss an issue of the MPACT ENews? Delete it by mistake? Wish you could find a past article? Well you can! To view current and past issues of the MPACT ENews visit our website.
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5th Annual Transition Summit! |
5th Annual TRANSITION SUMMIT
October 24th, 2013
Truman State Building, Jefferson City, MO
Visit the MPACT website for information and to download the Registration Packet!
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September is National Preparedness Month
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Disasters can strike quickly and without warning making every second count during an emergency. Since 2004, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has sponsored National Preparedness Month, which encourages Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses, schools and communities. The site's toolkit includes helpful information, such as how to build an emergency supply kit, making a family game plan, staying informed before, during and after an emergency, and other preparedness resources and tips. Be ready and be safe!
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Gary Moll Memorial Scholarship Program
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The Gary Moll Memorial Scholarship program is for Missouri students with disability who are attending, or will be enrolling in, a junior college, college, university or accredited vocational school located in the state of Missouri. Proof of their enrollment is required with the completed application. Applicants can be high school seniors, or students already attending a qualifying educational institution and sponsored by a Missouri Center for Independent Living. Qualified students are strongly encouraged to submit one or two letters of recommendation with their application. Applications must be postmarked no later than October 4, 2013.
The MOSILC Executive Committee will review all applications and schedule interviews by phone or other means of communication, with up to five finalists. The MOSILC Executive Committee intends to announce the two recipients on or before the Council's quarterly meeting in Jefferson City on Friday, November 15th.
For more information and scholarship application materials contact Pat Chambers by email at pchambers@heartlandilc.org, or by phone at (573) 437-5100, extension 105.
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Commissioner's Video Message - September 2013
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Missouri Commissioner of Education Chris L. Nicastro discusses the State Board of Education's approval of the educator evaluation guidelines, student MAP scores, and school and district annual performance reports. Nicastro also addresses recent ACT results and congratulates the 2013-2014 Missouri Teacher of the Year.
View the video using YouTube or webstream. A video transcription of Commissioner Nicastro's address is also available.
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Proposed Changes to State Plan for Part C
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The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Special Education is proposing changes to the state regulations implementing Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These are the regulations that govern the First Steps Early Intervention Program for children, birth to three years, and their families. These regulations also include requirements for transition from Part C (First Steps) to Part B (Early Childhood Special Education), including services to children with summer third birthdays.
The proposed changes are available for inspection until November 12, 2013, in the Office of Special Education, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 205 Jefferson Street, Jefferson City, MO 65102 during regular office hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The proposed changes are also available on the Office of Special Education website. A chart identifying the content changes is also available.
Before adopting any proposed changes necessary to comply with Part C of the IDEA Act, the state must hold hearings for public review and comment on the proposed changes to regulations. Two public hearings on these proposed changes will be held by webinar during October 2013. The webinar dates, times, and access links are listed below:
Proposed State Plan Changes for Part C - 1st Public Hearing Thursday, October 24, 2013, 1:30 p.m.
Proposed State Plan Changes for Part C - 2nd Public Hearing Tuesday, October 29, 2013, 1:30 p.m.
Written public comments on the proposed changes in state regulations may be submitted during the webinars or through the following methods until close of business on November 12, 2013.
By mail: Office of Special Education, Attn: Pam Schroeder, P.O. Box 480, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0480
By email: Idea.Comments@dese.mo.gov, Attn: Pam Schroeder, Part C State Plan Comments
By fax: Attn: Pam Schroeder, (573) 526-4404
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| Does Your Child Receive First Steps Services? Visit MPACT's First Steps Page | |
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MPACT Parent Mentor Program
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MPACT Parent Mentors are available to offer support and guidance to parents of children with disabilities throughout the IEP process. Parent Mentors are volunteers who receive 24 hours of initial training, ongoing monthly training, and technical assistance from MPACT staff with regard to special education law, the IEP process, conflict resolution, and effective communication. Their goal is to help parents build a collaborative partnership with the school district so their child may receive an appropriate education. Click here to view the list of current MPACT Parent Mentors.
If your school district has had a MPACT Parent Mentor in attendance at an IEP meeting, please take a moment to complete a brief online survey if you have not already done so. A separate survey should be completed for each mentor who has provided services to parents in your district. These surveys assist MPACT and DESE with identifying and addressing areas of success and improvement with the Parent Mentor Program.
For more information about MPACT or if you have questions regarding the status of a Parent Mentor, please contact MPACT by telephone at (800) 743-7634 or by e-mail at info@ptimpact.org. You can also view the MPACT website at http://www.ptimpact.org.
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FREE Online Trainings offered through MPACT
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Our free online trainings will help parents to understand the special education process in the state of Missouri. You can access the MPACT online trainings listed below by going to the Training page on our website and clicking on Online Training.
- Extended School Year
- Special Education: What I Need to Know
- IDEA Transition Requirements
- Transition to Post Secondary Experiences (Part 1 & 2)
- Connecting Goals to Coordinated Activities and Services for Transition
- Transition Resources - Disability Disclosure
- Soft Skills
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Free MPACT Trainings
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MPACT trainings are provided free of charge to parents of children with disabilities. To sign up for an upcoming training, follow the links below, then click on the 'SIGNUP' button located next to the training name. Fill in your name, email address, phone number, the name of the training you wish to attend and the date it is being offered.
While registering for a training is not mandatory it does ensure that the trainer has an adequate amount of handouts. This also allows MPACT to contact you should a training need to be cancelled or rescheduled. To view a comprehensive list of all trainings provided by MPACT go to http://ptimpact.org/Training/Training.aspx.
Please be sure to double check the website training pages for any updates or changes to trainings offered.
The Art of Effective Advocacy
Special Education Mediation
Special Education: What I Need to Know - NEW!
Steps to Success: Effectively Communicating Your Child's Needs - NEW!
Steps to Success: Family Record Keeping - NEW!
Steps to Success: IDEA Part C to B - NEW!
Steps to Success: Parent Rights - NEW!
Steps to Success: Understanding the IFSP Process - NEW!
Student-Led IEPs
Understanding ADHD
Understanding the IEP Process - New Sessions Added!
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Give the Gift of Knowledge - Donate to MPACT
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MPACT welcomes donations in any amount and will acknowledge all donors in our Annual Report and on our MPACT Facebook page. Agency, organization and business donors making a contribution of $200.00 or more will be recognized by placing their name and logo on our website's donation page. Individual donations of $50.00 or more will be added to our Friends of MPACT list. Donations may be made by credit card through PayPal on our website or by sending a check to the state office: MPACT, 8301 State Line Rd., Ste. 204, Kansas City MO, 64114. Every donation will receive a receipt for tax purposes.
Please help us to continue to provide the support that families of Missouri's children with disabilities are requesting by making a donation to MPACT. MPACT is a 501(c)3 organization. All donations are tax deductible.
MPACT Donation Letter
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Question? Comments? Suggestions? Send them to info@ptimpact.org or
contact the MPACT State Office at 1-800-743-7634. |
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