Week in Review - October 7, 2016

NASET

WEEK IN REVIEW

National Association of Special Education Teachers

October 7, 2016                                            Vol 12 Issue # 40




Dear NASET News,

Welcome to NASET'sWEEK in REVIEW.  Here, we provide you with the latest publications from NASET to read and or download, as well as some of the most interesting articles that have happened this week in the field of special education. We hope you enjoy this publication.  Feel free to send us articles for this publication or let us know your thoughts about the WEEK in REVIEW at news@naset.org. Have a great weekend.

Sincerely,

NASET News Team

NEW THIS WEEK ON NASET

NASET Classroom Management Series October 2016

Cooperative Teaching to Benefit All Learners: What Can Educational Leaders Do to Ensure Success?

By Kristen Bonanno-Sotiropoulos


This edition of NASET's Classroom Management series was written by Kristen Bonanno-Sotiropoulos. With the ever increasing number of diverse learners entering our classrooms, it is imperative that educators are armed with the knowledge, means and resources to support achievement for all students. One powerful teaching strategy is cooperative teaching, also known as collaborative or co-teaching. Research has proven the effectiveness of having multiple educators planning together and teaching jointly. To ensure positive outcomes of cooperative teaching there are several responsibilities, characteristics, and understandings that school leaders must embrace. This paper seeks to uncover and explain how school leaders can support and grow the successfulness of cooperative teaching strategies. Read More

NASET's The Practical Teacher

Truly Experiencing Teaching and Learning for the First Time: Snails are Introduced to a Community of Learners By Patricia Mason, Ed.D.

This edition ofNASET's Practical Teacher was written by Patricia Mason, Ed.D. The purpose of this article is to report on the implementation of an inquiry approach to learning that supported the academic and emotional needs of a class of elementary school male students classified with emotional and behavioral disturbances (EBD). The students' participation in a hands-on science activity increased the understanding of the challenges faced in a self-contained class. The activity demonstrated that active learning increased interest in learning and decreased students challenging behaviors. The observations indicate that when teachers offer students active ways of learning, students with behavioral difficulties become motivated, involved, and intuitive learners.
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Latest Job Postings - Click Here

Supreme Court to Weigh FAPE Mandate

For the first time in more than three decades, the U.S. Supreme Court says it will consider how much educational benefit schools must provide students receiving services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The nation's high court said Thursday that it will hear arguments in a matter known as Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District. At issue is the IDEA's mandate that public schools provide children with disabilities a free appropriate public education, or FAPE. Read More

FDA Approves 1st 'Artificial Pancreas' for Type 1 Diabetes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved the first automated insulin delivery system -- a so-called "artificial pancreas" -- for people with type 1 diabetes. "This first-of-its-kind technology can provide people with type 1 diabetes greater freedom to live their lives without having to consistently and manually monitor baseline glucose levels and administer insulin," Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in an agency news release. The device -- Medtronic's MiniMed 670G -- is what's known as a hybrid closed-loop system. That means it monitors blood sugar and then delivers necessary background (also known as basal) insulin doses. The device will also shut off when blood sugar levels drop too low. Read More

Implicit Bias May Help Explain High Preschool Expulsion Rates for Black Children

Preschool teachers and staff show signs of implicit bias in administering discipline, but the race of the teacher plays a big role in the outcome, according to research conducted by the Yale Child Study Center. The results help explain why black students tend to be suspended at much higher rates than white students, the authors say. Researchers used sophisticated eye-tracking technology and found that preschool teachers "show a tendency to more closely observe black students, and especially boys, when challenging behaviors are expected," the authors found. Read More

High Blood Pressure Might Affect Some Kids' Thinking Ability

High blood pressure may affect the brains of some children and teens, a new study suggests. Researchers assessed the cognitive (thinking) abilities of 150 youngsters. The kids were between the ages of 10 and 18 years. Half of the kids were newly diagnosed with high blood pressure, while the other half had normal blood pressure. The researchers compared the groups and found that children with high blood pressure scored lower on tests of visual and verbal memory, processing speed and verbal skills than those without high blood pressure. But while the children with high blood pressure (hypertension) had lower scores on the tests, the differences were small. And the investigators emphasized that all of the children's scores fell within normal ranges. No children were found to be obviously impaired in thinking or memory, the researchers said. Read More

Board Certification in Special Education Available to NASET Members

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Through an agreement with The American Academy of Special Education Professionals(AASEP), NASET members now have the opportunity to achieve AASEP Board Certification in Special Education - (B.C.S.E.) at a reduced fee. AASEP Board Certification in Special Education - (B.C.S.E.) is a voluntary choice on the part of the candidate. The candidate for Board Certification wishes to demonstrate a commitment to excellence to employers, peers, administrators, other professionals, and parents. From the standpoint of the Academy, board certification will demonstrate the highest professional competency in the area of special education. Board Certification in Special Educationestablishes a much needed standard for professionals, across disciplines, who work with exceptional children.Read More

Business Gets Props for Employing Those on The Spectrum

Since it launched more than three years ago in Parkland, Fla., Rising Tide Car Wash has made a name for itself by giving job opportunities to people with autism. Now the company's story is being shared in a big way - and perhaps with a cup of Joe. Starbucks is highlighting the business in one of a series of new, feel-good videos titled, "Upstanders," available through the coffee chain's mobile app, website and its YouTube account. Read More

Smoking Fathers Increase Asthma-Risk in Future Offspring

Offspring with a father who smoked prior to conception had more than three times higher chance of early-onset asthma than children whose father had never smoked. Both a father's early smoking debut and a father's longer smoking duration before conception increased non-allergic early-onset asthma in offspring. This suggests that not only the mother's environment plays a key role in child health, but also the father's lifestyle, shows a new study including 24,000 children. Read More

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

For the first time in more than three decades, the U.S. Supreme Court says it will consider how much educational benefit schools must provide students receiving services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. What was the name of the first special education court case in 1982 that also focused on FAPE, defining an "appropriate education" and addressing "educational benefit"?

If you know the answer, email us at contactus@naset.org by 10/10/16.  We will acknowledge your correct answer in the next edition of the Week in Review

U.S. Teen Births Hit Another Record Low: CDC

Births to U.S. teens reached a record low last year, continuing a dramatic two-decade decline, federal health officials reported Wednesday. The then-historic low achieved in 2014 was surpassed in 2015, with the overall birth rate for 15- to 19-year-olds falling another 8 percent, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The current rate -- 22.3 births per 1,000 females -- represents a 64 percent falloff in teen motherhood since 1991, health officials noted. Record lows were reported for minorities and whites. Among younger teens -- girls 15 to 17 --- the birth rate has fallen 74 percent from 1991, the CDC said. Read More

Sisters Undeterred After American Girl Rejects Doll with Disability

Melissa Shang's transformation from a quiet Pennsylvania fifth grader into a national disability advocate began with a battle over a doll. Born with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a neurological disorder that causes muscular atrophy in her legs and arms, Melissa wanted to see herself in her favorite toy. Almost three years ago, when she was 10 and her sister, Eva, was 17, they started a widely shared online petition asking the maker of American Girl dolls to design one with a physical disability and feature it as Girl of the Year, with an accompanying book. Read More

Depression in Pregnancy Increases Risk of Mental Health Problems in Children

Depression in pregnancy increases the risk of behavioral and emotional problems in children, says a new review published in The Lancet Psychiatry. The authors of the review, which focused mainly on low and middle income countries, call for urgent interventions for mothers and children. Depression in pregnancy is thought to affect up to one in five women globally in the late stages of pregnancy and shortly after birth. It is characterized by low mood and feelings of hopelessness, and is brought on by a number of factors that can include life events such as bereavement, and changes in brain chemistry. Read More

How Much Video Gaming Is Too Much for Kids?

Playing video games might improve a child's motor skills, reaction time and even academic performance, but new research shows that too much gaming can be linked to social and behavioral problems. Spanish investigators found that any skill enhancements linked to gaming among those aged 7 to 11 started to max out after about eight hours of gaming a week. And those who played nine hours or more a week were more likely to have social and behavioral problems. The bottom-line: "One to nine hours per week seems to be safe, but playing more than nine hours -- one hour on weekdays and two hours on weekend days -- may be not recommended for children 7 to 11 years old," said study author Dr. Jesus Pujol. Read More

Farm Kids Get Fewer Allergies, International Study Finds

Growing up on a farm may help ward off allergies later in life, a new study suggests. The study also found that women who spend their early years on a farm typically have stronger lungs than their suburban or city-dwelling peers. Other research has suggested that exposure to germs and potential allergens in early childhood could protect people against allergies later. A team led by the University of Melbourne's Shyamali Dharmage put this "hygiene hypothesis" to the test. Dharmage is a professor in the Center for Epidemiology & Biostatistics. The team analyzed data from a survey of more than 10,000 adults in 14 countries in Europe, Scandinavia and Australia.Read More

Cystic Fibrosis: Ensuring Adequate Nutrition

People with cystic fibrosis (CF) need help to ensure they are getting correct nutrition and the right amount of enzymes. They also need constant reminders. Researchers are now developing a digital support device to promote autonomy, but are finding that this is no easy task. CF is a rare, chronic and hereditary condition. Sufferers often develop mucus in their lungs and have problems with nutrient uptake. As part of the international project 'MyCyFAPP', researchers are developing a digital system (app) designed to help CF sufferers and their next of kin to understand the disease and monitor treatment. Interviews were conducted recently among 71 people from seven European countries to obtain an overview of the needs that such an app must meet. Sufferers of different ages took part, together with parents, professionals and a variety of special interest organizations. Read More

Babies with Cleft Lip Likely to Have Normal Adulthood: Study

Cleft lip is a relatively common birth defect that can be surgically repaired, and new research suggests that parents don't have to worry about long-term health problems for these children.  But the same may not hold true for cleft palate, the Norwegian researchers said. A cleft lip occurs if the tissue that makes up the lip doesn't join completely before birth, leading to an opening in the upper lip. A cleft palate occurs when the tissue at the roof of the mouth doesn't fuse completely during pregnancy. The researchers found that babies born with cleft lip, with or without cleft palate, had no greater risk for health problems and death than those born without clefts. Read More

Scientists Track Down Possible New Treatment for Epilepsy

Increasing the concentration of specific fats in the brain could suppress epileptic seizures. This is evident from ground-breaking research carried out by the research groups of Professor Patrik Verstreken (VIB-KU Leuven) and Professor Wim Versées (VIB-Vrije Universiteit Brussel). The results of their close collaboration have been published in the leading trade journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology. Professor Patrik Verstreken specializes in brain research, focusing on synapses. These are the junctions between two nerve cells where electrical signals are transmitted. In various brain disorders -- such as Parkinson's disease -- there is impaired communication at these synapses. Read More

Congress Eyes Changes to ABLE Act, Special Needs Trusts


A handful of bills designed to make it easier for people with disabilities to save money are advancing in Congress. Two pieces of legislation updating the Achieving a Better Life Experience, or ABLE, Act got a green light from the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance this month. Under the ABLE Act, which became law in late 2014, people with disabilities can establish special accounts where they can save up to $100,000 without jeopardizing Social Security and other government benefits. Medicaid eligibility is not affected by any level of funds accrued in the accounts. Read More

Students in Bilingual Elementary School Programs Present Worse Academic Results

Bilingual education programs, in which a substantial part of the teaching is done in a language different from the mother tongue and from the language of the students' surroundings, have been fully established for years in countries such as India, Spain and the United States. In order to analyze the effects of these programs, these researchers evaluated the program that the Autonomous Community of Madrid introduced in a group of public primary schools in 2004. "We have found a negative effect on the level of competence and knowledge displayed by the students who have followed this bilingual program in those subjects that were taught in English," states one of the researchers, Jesús Carro, of the UC3M Department of Mathematics. The study, which was recently published in the journal Economic Inquiry, uses data from the test of essential knowledge administered by the Community of Madrid when students complete their elementary education. Read More

Women with Hearing Loss More Likely to Have Preterm or Low Birth Weight Babies

Hearing loss is a marginalizing and disabling condition, resulting in various adverse social and health outcomes. Babies born to women with hearing loss were significantly more likely to be premature and have low birth weight, according to a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Understanding and addressing the causes are critical to improving pregnancy outcomes among women with hearing loss, say investigators. Around one percent of people in the U.S. who are 18 to 44 years old have hearing loss of various types, severity, pattern, and age of onset. Unfortunately, many individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing can have significant health issues, while communication and language barriers, along with a general mistrust of the medical community, result in social and healthcare marginalization for many. Read More
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LATEST JOB LISTINGS POSTED ON NASET


* Special Education Teacher - We are looking for highly dedicated educators who will bring an unwavering commitment to helping children succeed. KIPP DC's teachers are responsible for delivering effective, high-quality, rigorous instruction in their content areas, producing unmatched academic results and student growth. To learn more - Click here
*Special Education Teacher - Under general supervision of the House Manager, the incumbent is responsible for teaching and supervising a class of special needs students utilizing various techniques to promote learning. Duties include planning, organizing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating class activities, developing Individualized Education Plans (IEP) and working with assigned staff, therapists and students to achieve the IEP goals and objectives. To learn more -Click here
*Assistant/Associate Prof. Special Ed/Psychology - The successful applicant will assist in the development of coursework in Applied Behavior Analysis for Board Certified Assistant Behavioral Analyst (BCaBA) and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) preparation. To learn more - Click here
*Special Services Manager - This is an exciting opportunity to support school district staff as they increase the post-secondary successes of students with disabilities through job exploration, work-based learning, post-secondary education exploration, workplace readiness training, and instruction in self-advocacy. To learn more - Click here
*Special Education Teacher - is sought by Barstow Unified School District in Barstow CA. At present there is a single job opening for a full time position for 7 hours a day 185 days per year. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. To learn more - Click here
*NYS Special Ed Certified Teacher- Catapult Learning is seeking Special Education Teachers in New York for the 2016-17 school year at locations in New York - Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and Staten Island. To learn more - Click here
*Teacher of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing (HS) - Plans and implements classroom instruction, specializing within one or more areas of curriculum, to specifically meet the educational needs of students and to encourage the best possible student educational experience. To learn more - Click here
*Special Education Coordinator - The Special Education Coordinator is passionate about supporting the students who are at-risk for academic underperformance due to emotional and/or physical challenges so that they can succeed in the school's rigorous academic program. The Special Education Coordinator holds primary responsibility for providing academic, emotional, and physical services for students who require additional support to thrive within the school's core academic program. To learn more - Click here
*Curriculum Coordinator - Is responsible for coordinating the curriculum resources (print, technology, and created) for the school in order to meet the needs of our students in accordance with the COMAR regulations set forth by the Maryland State Department of Education.  The CC serves as the school Test Coordinator for all state mandated testing (Alt-MSE, NCSC, etc).  To learn more  - Click here
*Special Education Teachers - The special education teacher will develop, implement and monitor the students' Individualized Education Programs in collaboration with parents and other IEP Team members. The teacher will promote a collaborative relationship with school staff and parents that will foster inclusionary practices. To learn more - Click here

Food For Thought..........

No act of kindness, no mater how small, is ever wasted.

Aesop

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