October 2023 - Special Educator e-Journal

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Special Education Legal Alert

By Perry A. Zirkel

© September 2023

This month’s update identifies a pair of recent court decisions that illustrate differences in adjudication of IDEA eligibility and related issues.  For related publications and earlier monthly updates, see perryzirkel.com.

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    Bullying and Youth with Disabilities and Special Health Needs
    Children with disabilities are at an increased risk of being bullied. Any number of factors—physical vulnerability, social skill challenges, or intolerant environments—may increase the risk. Bullying can include making fun of kids because of their allergies or exposing them to the things they are allergic to. What to do? Check out this article from StopBullying.gov, and its accompanying tipsheet in PDF.

    Back-to-School Checklists from Bookshare
    Bookshare is a fantastic resource for students with learning differences who need reading support. Are you a parent that needs to find your child’s schoolbooks in alternative formats? Follow these steps to ensure a smooth back-to-school experience. (Bookshare also offers an attractive poster that Parent Centers, schools, and community organizations can use to tell families about the books available and the benefits to all of registering for Bookshare’s services.)

    Small Steps for Big Vision: An Eye Health Info Tool Kit for Parents and Caregivers
    The National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness partnered with the National Head Start Association to create this online resource to provide parents and caregivers with the information, suggested actions, and assistance they need to be empowered partners in their children’s vision and eye health, and to care for their own vision and eye health. Also check out Parents Need to Know, which includes multiple articles in English and in Spanish to help parents and caregivers address children’s vision needs (e.g., 10 take home messages; Signs of vision problems in children; Vision and classroom behaviors; and 10 steps from vision screening to eye exam).

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    Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Supports to Increase Reach of Mental Health Services and Professionals in Schools

    The Biden-Harris Administration today is announcing a $2.6 million award to support mental health services and professionals in schools, further delivering on a key priority of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System will establish a national Mental Health Evaluation, Training, Research, and Innovation Center for Schools (METRICS) to increase support and offer new resources for schools nationwide on training mental health professionals and providing school-based mental health services. This award is made possible by the historic Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which President Biden signed into law on June 25, 2022. Over the next five years, BSCA will invest over $1 billion in school-based mental health programs, making substantial progress towards the President's goal, as part of his Mental Health Strategy, to double the number of school counselors, social workers, and other mental health professionals available to support students' mental health needs.  

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    U.S. Department of Education Announces 2023 Blue Ribbon Schools

    The U.S. Department of Education today recognized 353 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2023. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student groups on assessments.

    “The honorees for our 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools Award have set a national example for what it means to Raise the Bar in education,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “The leaders, educators, and staff at our National Blue Ribbon Schools continually inspire me with their dedication to fostering academic excellence and building positive school cultures that support students of all backgrounds to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. As the Biden-Harris Administration partners with states and schools to accelerate academic success and transform educational opportunity in this country, we take tremendous pride in the achievements of these schools and their commitment to empowering educators, serving students, and engaging families.”

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    U.S. Department of Education Awards Nearly $199 Million to Improve Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities Through Partnerships

    The U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) announced today it will fund 20 model demonstration projects focused on improving economic self-sufficiency for children and youth with disabilities by creating systemic approaches to enhance post-school outcomes.

    The nearly $199 million in funding for the Pathways to Partnerships innovative model demonstration project supports collaborative partnerships between state vocational rehabilitation agencies, state and local educational agencies, and federally funded centers for independent living to help individuals with disabilities seamlessly transition to life after high school, preparing them for independent living, competitive integrated employment and community integration. Pathways to Partnerships is the largest discretionary grant ever administered by RSA.

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    U.S. Department of Education Announces Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge Learning Community

    The U.S Department of Education (Department) is announcing the launch of the Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge Learning Community, a multi-state effort to make kindergarten a transformational experience at the start of each student’s formal education journey. State education agencies (SEAs) and local education agencies (LEAs) will be invited to participate in a community of practice where they can benefit from peer learning, receive technical assistance, and share best practices to transform how students experience kindergarten including the transitions into kindergarten and 1st grade.  

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    A Survey on the Perspectives of Secondary Educators Toward High-Stakes Testing

    Craig Cropsey Jr., B.A.

    Manhattanville College

    Abstract

    Standardized testing has been a controversial issue in the field of education. On record, a positive outlook of implementing this kind of system in the United States was to determine areas of weakness when comparing schools to one another (Greer, 2018). However, none were able to anticipate the written historical circumstance of the hurdles that certain populations needed to fight through to be seen and heard in education (Sonnert et al., 2020; Tefera, 2019). This survey presented to secondary educators posed to examine their opinions on the idea of standardized testing when looked at through an overall lens, the lens of an educator, and the lens of a student. The results of this survey indicated numerous trends, including that many teachers disagree that these tests were not written to engage students or connect them to their personal lives.

    Key Words: Standardized Testing, Consequences for Students with Disabilities, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Common Core State Standards (CCSS), Socioeconomic Inequality

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    Using ChatGPT to Support Students with Specific Learning Disabilities in Writing

    Lisa Thompson Sousa, PhD ATP

    Abstract

    ChatGPT-3 can be an extension of technological support in the writing process for students with specific learning disabilities that affect writing planning and organization.  Use of a graphic organizer, specifically the outline, is an option for students experiencing cognitive processing deficits that affect writing.  Generating outlines using ChatGPT-3 has the potential to deliver speed and individualization, which automates the efforts of teachers. Limitations of ChatGBT-3 in the creation of outlines could open the door to explicit teaching of pre-writing skills. 

    Keywords:  graphic organizer, specific learning disability, writing, ChatGPT, Artificial Intelligence, AI, chatbot

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      Latest Employment Opportunities Posted on NASET 

      * [2023-2024] Elementary Reading Interventionist - Like all DREAM employees, the Reading Interventionist should demonstrate a strong commitment to the mission and values of DREAM and should have substantial expertise in all areas of responsibility. Candidates must also value DREAM's comprehensive approach to education and desire to make a lasting impact in underserved communities as part of a growing organization. To learn more- Click here

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      * [2023-2024] Elementary Reading Interventionist - Like all DREAM employees, the Reading Interventionist should demonstrate a strong commitment to the mission and values of DREAM and should have substantial expertise in all areas of responsibility. Candidates must also value DREAM's comprehensive approach to education and desire to make a lasting impact in underserved communities as part of a growing organization. To learn more- Click here

      * Special Education Teacher - New Story Schools, is seeking a qualified full-time Special Education Teacher to manage all functions within their assigned classrooms, including service delivery, reporting, and management of classroom assistants and aides. To learn more- Click here

      * Special Education- Preschool, Preschool Autism (PAC), Visual Impairment Teacher - Provides and is accountable for the planning, assessment, instruction, communication, human relations, safety, and management of a classroom or assigned instructional setting. Supports FCPS mission to "inspire, enable, and empower students to meet high academic standards, lead ethical lives, and demonstrate responsible citizenship." To learn more- Click here

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      Acknowledgements

      Portions of this or previous month’s NASET’s Special Educator e-Journal were excerpted from:

      • Center for Parent Information and Resources
      • Committee on Education and the Workforce
      • FirstGov.gov-The Official U.S. Government Web Portal
      • Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals (JAASEP)
      • National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth
      • National Institute of Health
      • National Organization on Disability
      • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
      • U.S. Department of Education
      • U.S. Department of Education-The Achiever
      • U.S. Department of Education-The Education Innovator
      • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
      • U.S. Department of Labor
      • U.S. Food and Drug Administration
      • U.S. Office of Special Education

        The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) thanks all of the above for the information provided for this or prior editions of the Special Educator e-Journal

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