| News for special education professionals |  |
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- Spanish-speaking parents of children with disabilities face obstacles
Navigating the special-education system presents a challenge for any parent, but advocates say it's especially so for families who speak Spanish. Seeing a need in southern Nevada, a nonprofit group, Nevada PEP, has started helping Spanish-speakers understand the information that schools are providing. They also offer parents training courses, such as tips to deal with bullying. Las Vegas Sun
(4/29)     
- N.H. school embraces inclusion of students with autism
Inclusion is the focus of a program for children with autism at Chichester Central School in New Hampshire. The school created the BEACON -- Balancing Education, Awareness, Confidence and One's-Needs -- program in December 2010 to educate students with the disorder in an inclusive environment, closer to home and at a lower cost than out-of-district placements. Concord Monitor (N.H.)
(4/27)
| Educational Leadership | | |
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- More students seek special-education licensure
Amid a crowded education job market, some school administrators in Massachusetts say more education students are seeking licensure in special education. The trend means more qualified applicants and fewer waivers for educators without specialized credentials seeking special-education positions, they say. "It speaks to the point that more people are going through the comprehensive training programs," said Betsey McKeon, special-education director for Framingham schools. Milford Daily News (Mass.)
(4/29)
| Technology Trends | | |
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- Students with disabilities conduct experiments at STEM fair
About 80 middle- and high-school students with autism and other disabilities participated in the second annual Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Fair at the Hannah More School in Reisterstown, Md. The students conducted experiments and tested scientific theories as part of the event at the school. The Sun (Baltimore)
(4/29)
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| The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
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Interested in learning more about advertising in CEC SmartBrief? Contact Joe Riddle at (202) 407-7857 or jriddle@smartbrief.com.
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| Policy News | | |
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- 4 ideas for reforming IDEA
 The 1975 Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act -- the country's primary federal special-education law -- is in need of reform, writes attorney Miriam Kurtzig Freedman, who represents public schools in cases involving special education, Section 504 and school law. Focusing on across-the-board improvements to education, eliminating diagnostic requirements as a condition for providing services and promoting collaboration rather than an adversarial relationship between parents and schools are among her suggestions. TheAtlantic.com
(4/27)
- NYC private schools are enforcing policies on enrollment dates
Parents who withdraw their children from the top private schools in New York City after school-set deadlines often find they are still expected to pay tuition for the school year. Financial concerns as well as later admission notifications for the city's gifted and talented programs are among the many reasons parents may choose to withdraw, a decision that has led to the private schools suing parents for full tuition payment. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)
(4/29)
- Education Department is critical of Va. NCLB waiver request
The U.S. Department of Education has responded to Virginia's No Child Left Behind waiver request with a series of criticisms. At issue, according to federal officials, is the Virginia's departure from the education law's focus on narrowing achievement gaps, its need for more rigorous achievement targets and the need for more accountability, among other things. The commonwealth has until today's deadline to respond. The Washington Post/Virginia Schools Insider
(4/30)
| Eye on Exceptionalities | | |
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- Researchers call for more studies on ADHD and diet
Some researchers say more studies are needed about the link between diet and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. A new review of research finds that some specialized diets show promise for moderating the symptoms of ADHD, though some studies find there is no effect. "It is crucial that bigger studies on dietary changes are conducted on children with ADHD to see how effective this is and how long the benefits last," said professor Kim Fleischer Michaelsen of the University of Copenhagen's department of human nutrition. Education Week/On Special Education blog
(4/30)
- Study: Pesticide exposure in pregnancy tied to brain abnormalities
Children with high prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos displayed structural changes in the cortex, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences' Early Edition. Using MRI scans, "we detected both enlarged and reduced volumes that were significantly different from the normal brain. This suggests the process of normal brain development has been disturbed in some way," lead researcher Virginia Rauh said. WebMD
(4/30)
| CEC Spotlight | | |
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Allisence on Reality 101: Testing breaks the classroom "norm"
Allisence returns from Denver to begin state assessments in her classroom and they haven't stopped yet. As testing breaks the class away from their normal schedule, Allisence works to balance testing and instruction. Read all about it on Reality 101, CEC's blog for new teachers.
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What Works Clearinghouse releases two reports on programs for children with disabilities
The What Works Clearinghouse has released two new reports on programs for children with disabilities that focus on developing socio-emotional, physical, language, and cognitive skills, and take a close look at the evidence of success in the milieu teaching and play-based intervention methods of preparing children with disabilities for school. Find out more and read the reports on CEC's Policy Insider blog.
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