http://www.naset.org/ NASET News Alerts en http://www.naset.org/fileadmin/tt_news_article.gif http://www.naset.org/ NASET News Alerts TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:14:00 -0600 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2468&cHash=020c5b99ae Thirteen-pound babies may make headlines, but they aren't the norm. In fact, U.S. infants are getting smaller, according to researchers at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute's Department of Population Medicine, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School. Their findings, published in the February 2010 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, suggest that birth weights in this country have declined during the past 15 years. The study analyzed data on birth weight, maternal and neonatal characteristics, obstetric care and other trends from the National Center for Health Statistics Natality Data Sets, looking at 36,827,828 U.S. babies born at full-term between 1990 and 2005. Birth weight -- a combination of fetal growth and length of gestation -- was recorded in grams. The investigators teased out certain factors, including the mothers' age, race or ethnicity, education level, marital status and tobacco use, as well as the amount of weight the women gained during pregnancy and how early in pregnancy they received prenatal care. They also considered the women's risk of conditions like hypertension and use of obstetric procedures such as induction of labor and cesarean delivery. To read more, click here Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:14:00 -0600 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2467&cHash=86d1f907a5 The research suggests that while it is still rare to prescribe powerful psychiatric drugs to 2-year-olds, the practice is becoming more frequent. The data, compiled from 2000 to 2007, and published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, could inform testimony at the upcoming Boston-area murder trials of the parents of 4-year-old Rebecca Riley. The girl died of an overdose of mood-stabilizing medication in 2006. A Boston child psychiatrist, Kayoko Kifuji, diagnosed Riley with bipolar disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder when she was 30 months old, and placed her on several powerful drugs: Depakote, an antiseizure medication also used for bipolar disorder, and clonidine, a blood pressure medication. To read more, click here Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:45:00 -0600 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2466&cHash=ff6304dd04 Exposure to tobacco smoke may significantly increase the odds of children having a learning disability, according to a new study by a professor at Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies (NHS), a part of Georgetown University Medical Center. "Contribution of Tobacco Smoke Exposure to Learning Disabilities" appeared online Jan. 7, 2010, in the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing. "Our work suggests that children who have been exposed to pre-natal and environmental tobacco smoke are almost three times more likely to experience learning disabilities when compared with children who did not have this exposure," says lead author and environmental health expert Laura Anderko, PhD, RN, the Robert and Kathleen Scanlon Chair in Values Based Health Care at NHS. To read more, click here Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:17:00 -0600 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2465&cHash=7368a1e3c6 A study in the Jan. 1 issue of the journal Sleep found that adolescents with bedtimes that were set earlier by parents were significantly less likely to suffer from depression and to think about committing suicide, suggesting that earlier bedtimes could have a protective effect by lengthening sleep duration and increasing the likelihood of getting enough sleep. Results show that adolescents with parental set bedtimes of midnight or later were 24 percent more likely to suffer from depression (odds ratio = 1.24) and 20 percent more likely to have suicidal ideation (OR=1.20) than adolescents with parental set bedtimes of 10 p.m. or earlier. This association was appreciably attenuated by self-reported sleep duration and the perception of getting enough sleep. To read more, click here Wed, 06 Jan 2010 09:50:00 -0600 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2464&cHash=8a49e512f2 Massachussetts has one of the finest education systems in the world. Our students are not only first in the nation on measures of math and reading, but also performed better than students in every European country on a recent international assessment of math and science skills. Teachers are justifiably proud of these accomplishments. Teachers also know firsthand that significant achievement gaps remain: Minority, low-income, and special-needs students, along with English language learners, often struggle to meet education standards. There is no simple formula for eliminating the gaps, but there are strategies that can help. Teachers must be equal partners with administrators, community leaders, and state officials in figuring out solutions. Other institutions in society must also be part of the mix. The three R's alone cannot overcome the ill effects of poverty. To read more, click here Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:00:00 -0600 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2463&cHash=ca000b15ce Contrary to popular belief, some very smart, accomplished people cannot read well. This unexpected difficulty in reading in relation to intelligence, education and professional status is called dyslexia, and researchers at Yale School of Medicine and University of California Davis, have presented new data that explain how otherwise bright and intelligent people struggle to read. The study, which will be published in the January 1, 2010 issue of the journal Psychological Science, provides a validated definition of dyslexia. "For the first time, we've found empirical evidence that shows the relationship between IQ and reading over time differs for typical compared to dyslexic readers," said Sally E. Shaywitz, M.D., the Audrey G. Ratner Professor in Learning Development at Yale School of Medicine's Department of Pediatrics, and co-director of the newly formed Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity. To read more, click here Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:12:00 -0600 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2462&cHash=47e35f8394 The recent discovery of a gene associated with specific language impairment (SLI), a disorder that delays first words in children and slows their mastery of language skills throughout their school years, offers new insight into how our genes affect language development. The finding, published in the Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders is the result of a collaborative team effort headed by Mabel Rice, Ph.D., a University of Kansas professor and NIDCD-funded scientist. The gene, KIAA0319, appears to play a key role in SLI, but it also plays a supporting role in other learning disabilities such as dyslexia. The finding is important for children with SLI and their families, and it is also likely to improve the classification, diagnosis, and treatment of other language, reading, and speech disorders. SLI affects an estimated 7 percent of 5-6 year olds. Yet it is often overlooked as a diagnosis because children with SLI typically don't have severe communication problems or an obvious cause for the impairment, such as hearing loss. "These children are less likely to start talking within a normal timeframe," says Dr. Rice. "They may not begin to talk until they're three or four. And when they finally do talk, they use simpler sentence structure and their grammar may seem immature." Language impairments such as SLI also appear to increase the risk for reading deficits. To read more, click here Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:27:00 -0600 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2461&cHash=24c90bf6e8 Special educators throughout the state of California were honored on December 3, 2009, as districts around the state celebrated the Day of the Special Educator. CARS+, the California Organization for Special Educators, sponsored the day along with support from the California School Board Association (CSBA), California Teachers Association (CTA), Family Empowerment Centers, Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), and the newly formed Special Education Collaborative. On December 2, 1975, President Gerald Ford signed Public Law 94-142 which ensured a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to all students with disabilities. Not wanting to detract from the students for who this law was written, CARS+ chose December 3rd as the day to honor those educators who advocate for the rights and services that special needs students need and to make sure that they have access to FAPE. Marci Marino, a parent of a student with disabilities, commented "without the dedication of my son's special education teacher, he would not be able to succeed in school. All special educators deserve to be honored for the important work they do." This sentiment was echoed throughout the state. Activities were held at local and regional levels to celebrate the work that is done by dedicated special educators who deliver more than just curriculum to the students on their caseloads. CARS+, and other special education advocates in California, are hoping that the Day of the Special Educator will occur every year and in every state. Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:15:00 -0600 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2460&cHash=74fc004563 New York City joined a national trend in 1998 when it put the police in charge of school security. The consensus is that public schools are now safe. But juvenile justice advocates across the country are rightly worried about policies under which children are sometimes arrested and criminalized for behavior that once was dealt with by principals or guidance counselors working with a student's parents. Children who are singled out for arrest and suspension are at greater risk of dropping out and becoming permanently entangled with the criminal justice system. It is especially troubling that these children tend to be disproportionately black and Hispanic, and often have emotional problems or learning disabilities. School officials in several cities have identified overpolicing as a problem in itself. The New York City Council has taken a first cut at the problem by drafting a bill, the Student Safety Act, that would bring badly needed accountability and transparency to the issue. To read more, click here Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:21:00 -0600 http://www.naset.org/807.0.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=2459&cHash=f56b5f7c39 Creating and saving jobs while boosting investment in the future are among the top goals of the Obama administration's $787 billion economic stimulus plan. And according to a preliminary report on stimulus funding for schools by the Department of Education and the Domestic Policy Council, the stimulus plan has created jobs. State governments have created and saved at least 250,000 education jobs -- and restored nearly all their projected education budget shortfalls for fiscal years 2009 and 2010 -- according to preliminary findings releasedMonday by the White House. But some states that used the funds to fill existing budget gaps could face a crisis when the money runs out after 2010. And the Department of Education has chastised certain states for their stimulus funding programs and warned them that they risk their chances at getting other DOE grants down the road. To read more, click here Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:57:00 -0500