The Insititute on Community Integration has released a  manual providing concrete, "how-to" strategies for supporting relationships between people with disabilities and other community members. It describes why such friendships are important to people with disabilities and why it is important to promote community belonging and membership. The manual includes specific activities to guide users in creating a plan for connecting people. This manual is designed for agency staff, but can also be used by parents, support coordinators, teachers, staff, and people with disabilities to support community relationships. 

 

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The National Center on Universal Design for Learning, has release new resources, on the intersection of UDL and the Common Core State Standards. These tools and links illustrate the important way that Common Core State Standards identify what educators need to address in their instruction while UDL guides how to design their instruction. Resources include a crosswalk on UDL and the Literacy by Design Collaborative Framework and video examples showing lessons illustratin classroom instruction addressing both the UDK guidelines and th Common Core State Standards. 

 

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Missouri Commissioner of Education Chris Nicastro discusses the hearings held in the Riverview Gardens and Normandy School Districts, a recent statewide survey that shows 70 percent of teachers are implementing the Common Core State Standards and Missouri's scores on the recent NAEP Exam. View video via YouTube or webstream .

 

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Springfield Public Schools in Missouri has trained teachers to test for and provide academic interventions. Teachers test students three times a year, and provide extra help through small-group instruction, work with math or reading specialists, or test students for services in special-, gifted- or English-language-learning programs. "There are so many different things going on but it comes back to that core instruction and that classroom teacher working with the student," said Brian Hubbard, Title I program director. 

 

Click here to read the full news story.

 

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When parents have a child or young adult with a disability or special health care need, they take on additional roles beyond typical parents. Parents become caregivers, advocates, and decision makers in all the systems their child is involved in such as education, social service, and health. But what happens as our children become young adults? How can we prepare them to take on some of those roles to better advocate for themselves if they are able? This recent blog post from  NCWD/Youth - The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability addresses these questions and shares PACER's Taking Charge -  Tips for Youth with Special Health Care Needs. 

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Transitions RTC is a national effort that aims to improve the supports for youth and young adults, ages 14 - 30, with serious mental health conditions who are trying to successfully complete their schooling and training and move into rewarding careers. Please click on this link for a for their recently released two page tip sheet on "How to Keep a Job - The Young Adult's Guide".

 

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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.

 

 

 

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.