Week in Review - February 25, 2022


NASET

WEEK IN REVIEW

National Association of Special Education Teachers

February 25, 2022                 Vol 18 Issue #8



Dear NASET Members and Guests,

Welcome to NASET's WEEK in REVIEW.  Here, we provide you with the latest publications fromNASET 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,


WHATS NEW AT NASET

JAASEP - Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals

Winter 2022

Table of Contents

  • JAASEP Editorial Board of Reviewers
  • Structured Play Groups for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Critical Review
  • Assessing the Implementation of Differentiated Instruction Using Technology within Pre-Service Teacher Education Programs
  • Collaborative Inclusive Programs: Influences of Administrators and Teacher Leader
  • Enhancing Conversational Skills among College Students with Intellectual Disabilities within Naturalistic Settings
  • Self-Determination Strategies for Students with Disabilities from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds
  • Mapping Review of Individuals Who are Bilingual with Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Elementary Principals’ Views on the Policies and Practices of Paraeducators in Special Education
  • Child Find Activities Between Public School Personnel: Engagement, Barriers, and Experiences
  • Perceptions of the Efficacy of Classroom Management Techniques
  • Investigating the Journal Impact Factor of Special Education Journals Indexed in the Social Sciences Science Edition from Web of Science
  • Author Guidelines for Submission to JAASEP
  • Copyright and Reprint Rights of JAASEP

To Access this article - Click Here


NASET ADVOCACY - Board Certification for Advocacy in Special Education (BCASE)


Structural Brain MRI Measures Compared for Youth With, Without ADHD

Children aged 9 to 10 years with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) differ modestly from their unaffected peers in structural brain MRI measures, according to a study published online Feb. 7 in The Lancet Psychiatry. Joel Bernanke, M.D., from New York State Psychiatric Institute in New York City, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study using baseline demographic, clinical, and neuroimaging data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study, which recruited children aged 9 to 10 years between Sept. 1, 2016, and Aug. 31, 2018. Cohen's d values associated with ADHD were estimated for 79 brain measures of cortical thickness, cortical area, and subcortical volume measures. Data were included for 10,736 participants, of whom 949 met criteria for ADHD and 9,787 did not. Read More

Half of K-12 Schools Surveyed Aren’t Giving Employees Extra Paid Time Off for COVID

Many teachers and other school staff members who missed work because of COVID-19 this winter had to drain their regular allotted sick days, or worse, forgo getting paid altogether while they were stuck at home. Some had to miss 10 or more days if they were seriously ill or required by public health guidelines to quarantine. But slightly more than half of school district leaders and principals who answered a nationally representative EdWeek Research Center survey in early February said they aren’t offering workers sick time beyond what they’re typically allotted. Another 12 percent said their school or district is offering between one and five extra days. Most people affected by the virus experience health or child-care challenges for longer. Read More

Homeless Youth and Children are Wildly Undercounted, Advocates Say

Dominique Marshall moved a lot in her youth. She called many different places "home" over short periods of time when she was 17. She learned at a young age that the public school staff and liaisons she grew up around weren't adequately trained to recognize homeless students. "I wasn't identified at the school I was at and because of that I didn't qualify for many services until I went to a shelter," Marshall, 23, says. "Even then, the liaison in Philadelphia didn't really have a conversation about what was going on."  The McKinney-Vento Act requires every school district to designate a liaison that identifies homeless students to help them receive needed services. Schools have to immediately enroll children who are homeless even if they don't have the typical paperwork. The students are also given school uniforms, if they are used, and transportation services. Read More



Texans with Disabilities Fear New Restrictions on Voting

Nancy Crowther needs an aide around the clock to help her with meals and other daily household tasks. Her personal attendant of three years lives with her in Austin. Crowther, 63, would also like her attendant to help her cast a ballot in the primaries. Crowther has spinal muscular atrophy, a progressive neuromuscular disorder that makes it difficult for her to reach the touch screen at the polling booth. She also uses a wheelchair that limits her mobility around polling places. But even though Crowther says she trusts her attendant to respect her voter privacy, Texans with disabilities — and attendants who get compensation for assisting a voter — could face criminal penalties under new voting legislation. Read More

Fewer People are Finishing Teaching Programs in Tennessee, Which Could Worsen a Shortage

A new state report finds that fewer educators are graduating from in-state teaching programs — a decline that’s persisted for years. Tennessee is home to 43 teacher preparation providers. During the 2019-2020 school year, a little over 3,000 people earned a state teaching degree. Five years earlier, the number was closer to 3,700. That’s what the State Board of Education found in its annual report reviewing the quality of teacher prep programs. Dr. Amy Owen, the board’s deputy executive director of research and policy, says the findings give a sense of how many new educators are in Tennessee but not the entire picture. “The number of people completing a Tennessee ed prep provider is a really important metric, but it’s not the only way we get teachers in Tennessee,” Dr. Owen says. “It may be that we’re having fewer educators completing in-state programs, but perhaps we have more people coming from out of state.” Read More

English Learners Struggling More than Other Virtual Students

For Sabrina Ramirez, teaching is what fills her heart. "They are very capable. They can learn anything. You just have to model it. But with patience, they can learn it. They're very capable of learning anything." "I just love the kids," Ramirez explains. "I really do." But teaching during this pandemic has come with plenty of obstacles, especially for a kindergarten teacher who was forced online at the beginning of the pandemic, like so many others. "Hand gestures with the alphabet... I can still translate that from in-person to online. It's still challenging, I will not lie." Something else that's challenging? Ramirez is also teaching her students a new language. Read More

More Than 1 in 3 Children Who Started School in the Pandemic Need ‘Intensive’ Reading Help

More than 1 in 3 children in kindergarten through grade 3 have little chance of reading on grade level by the end of the school year without major and systemic interventions. That’s according to a new study by the curriculum and assessment group Amplify, based on data from more than 400,000 students in kindergarten through 5th grades who participated in the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, which Amplify administers. The research, released late Wednesday, shows that though students have begun to recover lost academic ground in the last year, big holes remain in students’ fundamental reading skills. Researchers compared students’ reading achievement from 2019 through 2022 on DIBELS, one of the most commonly used diagnostic assessments for reading. Teachers administer the DIBELS to students in person and one-on-one, and the researchers matched midyear test data from more than 1,300 schools in 37 states who participated in the test each year from 2019-20 through 2021-22. Read More



TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

This week's trivia question: According to recent research in the field of autism, women with a specific type of eating disorder before or during pregnancy have an increased chance of having a child with autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The new study drew from a large dataset: nearly 53,000 children born in Sweden between 1990 and 2012. Those who had this eating disorder during pregnancy were four times as likely to have a child with autism, compared with women who had never had an eating disorder. The odds of having a child with autism were 80 percent higher among women who had recovered from this eating disorder prior to pregnancy. What is the eating disorder?

If you know the answer to this week's trivia questions, email it to us at contactus@naset.org by February 28, 2022. If you are correct, you will be acknowledged in next week's NASET's Week in Review


Florida School District Sees Increase in Number of Students with IEPs

The Lee County School Board was provided with a very lengthy, thorough presentation on exceptional student education, which showed fluctuating numbers on the number of students who have an individual education plan. Exceptional Student Education Director Theresa Bowen said there is certain criteria to be met for meeting specialized instruction in order to have an individual education plan (IEP) for students.  They have moved past the 11,000 mark in the last 10 years of students with some form of qualifying learning disability. Pre-pandemic there were 11,485 students identified, which dropped last year to 11,083 and then increased to 11,319 in fiscal year 2022. “We continue to see an increase in the number of students coming through student enrollment with IEPs that are transferring from other states. In fact, from November through today, we have had 266 new students with IEPs come in. We are feeling that, our schools are feeling that,” Bowen said at a recent school board meeting. Read More

Multiple Sclerosis: Study with Twins Untangles Environmental and Genetic Influences

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system and the most common cause of neurological impairment in young adults. In MS, the patient's own immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord, resulting in cumulative neurological deficits such as damaged sight, sensory disturbances, motor deficits (e.g. limiting the ability to walk) as well as cognitive impairment. Although the cause of MS is still unclear, a variety of genetic risk factors and environmental influences have already been linked to the disease. Read More

Placenta May Hold Clues for Early Autism Diagnosis and Intervention

New UC Davis MIND Institute research has identified a novel human gene linked to fetal brain development and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The discovery also links the gene to the mother's early prenatal vitamin use and placental oxygen levels. In a study published Feb. 16 in Genome Biology, the researchers used genomic sequencing to find a DNA methylation signature in the placenta of newborns eventually diagnosed with autism. This signature mark was linked to early fetal neurodevelopment. "By taking an unbiased approach to investigating placental DNA methylation differences, we discovered a novel gene in a poorly mapped region of the genome associated with autism," said Janine LaSalle, lead author on the study and professor of microbiology and immunology at UC Davis Health. Read More

 



 

Lehigh University Special Education Law Symposium

Lehigh University’s virtual Special Education Law Symposium returns from June 19-24. Sessions recorded for later viewing. Twenty-eight experienced special education attorneys from across the country will present eight new “hot topics” from the very latest case law: dyslexia legal update, stay put permutations, liability for abuse of students with disabilities, navigating compensatory services and compensatory education, settlement strategies, and more with a focus upon COVID-19 implications. Legally Basic and Legally Experienced tracks. The Section 504 Coordinators Institute is an overlapping, but separable two-day (June 23-24) component intended for school district Section 504 coordinators and others interested in this increasingly important anti-discrimination statute. Dr. Perry Zirkel (PA) and Jose Martin (TX) will respectively offer (a) an in-depth comparison of Section 504 and the IDEA and (b) legal nuances for IDEA-eligible students who also present unique Section 504 factors. Kathleen Sullivan (CO) and Judith Nedell (CT) offer a full day of practical solutions to basic and thorny 504 challenges. Week-long and per day symposium options available. Balance of school and parent viewpoints. For more information, see go.lehigh.edu/spedlaw, or call (610) 758-5557. Read More

Special Education Funding Bill Brings Colorado Close to 2006 Promises

Colorado took a big step toward fulfilling an old promise on Wednesday as lawmakers tentatively approved $93 million in new special education funding. Colorado hasn’t raised reimbursement for special education students since the current system was established in 2006, and the state has never funded education for students with more significant disabilities at the amount required by law. State spending covers just a fraction of the cost of educating students with disabilities, and districts spend more than $740 million a year out of their general education budgets to make up the difference. A bipartisan bill to increase state spending received unanimous approval Wednesday from the Senate Education Committee. Read More

Parents Question Why Special Education Students are Enrolled in Online Program Plagued with Problems

DeKalb school officials enrolled hundreds of special ed students in an online study program that requires students to work almost entirely on their own. Channel 2 investigative reporter Richard Belcher broke the story in January that the district’s FLEX Academy was plagued by mismanagement during the semester that began last August. Technical and communications problems plus overcrowding were so severe that school officials repeatedly pushed back the deadline for FLEX students to submit all of their first semester work. Grades were finally posted Feb. 4 about a month after grades were posted for the rest of DeKalb’s students. Read More

Iron Deficiency in Mothers with Crohn’s Disease Could Lead to ADHD in Offspring

Mother’s with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) could increase the risk of offspring ADHD according to new research. A team, led by Nora Shero, Medical University of the Americas, identified the relationship between maternal Crohn’s disease with iron deficiency anemia and ADHD in children. Pregnant women with IBD often also have iron deficiency anemia. However, while studies have shown certain maternal autoimmune diseases are linked to ADHD in children, there has been no research showing a relationship specifically between IDA in pregnant women with IBD and ADHD in their children. “Although studies have shown an association between certain maternal autoimmune diseases and ADHD in offspring, not much is known about how maternal inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease, affect neurodevelopment in progeny,” the authors wrote. “Studies have suggested that inflammation from autoimmune disorders is the main trigger of the fetal neurodevelopment that leads to ADHD.” Read More

Study: Are People with Autism or ADHD More Likely to Die Early?

A systematic review and meta-analysis published in JAMA Pediatrics claims the mortality risk is significantly increased for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Ferrán Catalá-López, PhD, from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute in Ontario, Canada, and colleagues, conducted the review, and included data from 27 studies involving 642,260 individuals. The key question the authors were looking to answer was: Are persons with autism or ADHD at a higher risk of dying compared with the general population? Read More

'Magic Table' at Library Offers Therapeutic Play for Adults with Disabilities

Bubbles pop when touched and puppies wag their tails when you pet them on a "magic table" at the Howard Miller Public Library. There's nothing magical about the table itself, a wooden tabletop covered in whiteboard material. But the device projecting the interactive images of bubbles and puppies came all the way from the Netherlands, and the games in its system were specially-designed for people with cognitive challenges. Simple, brightly colored and engaging, the set of games exercise fine motor skills, cognitive tasks like matching and memory and — above all — they're fun. "The friends I work with have attention spans that are very short," said Brenda Monroe, activity coordinator for Compassionate Heart Ministries, an organization that serves adults and older teens with mild to moderate cognitive disabilities. "Playing with it was very calming for them, and they were really engaged for a longer period of time than I had expected they would be." Read More



JOB POSTINGS

* Elementary Special Education Teacher - Castle Rock School District #401 is excited to announce the opening of an elementary teaching positions in Special Education for the current school year. Candidates must hold the proper Washington State credentials and/or endorsement. Applicants must meet current ESSA standards for highly qualified teachers. To learn more- Click here

* Special Education Teacher - The job of CLASSROOM TEACHER is done for the purpose/s of providing support to the instructional process by serving as a teacher with specific responsibility for supervising students within the classroom and other assigned areas; developing lesson plans and delivering group and individual student instruction within established curriculum guidelines. To learn more- Click here

* [2021-2022] Reading Interventionist - The Reading Interventionist will be responsible for providing tailored support to students that are reading significantly below grade level in grades K-2 through small group instruction (3-4 students) and push-in support. This is an exciting opportunity for a seasoned educator who is passionate about ensuring all students succeed and thrive in school. To learn more- Click here

* Director of Special Services - Establishes a safe, supportive, positive and productive learning and working environment. Provides leadership in planning, developing and implementing a comprehensive instructional program for special education; supervises all special programs for students with disabilities. Develops district procedures to coordinate the identification, evaluation and placement of students into programs for students with disabilities. To learn more- Click here

* [Summer 2022] Education Specialist - Elementary - Originally founded in 1991 as Harlem RBI, DREAM has grown to annually serve more than 2,500 youth across East Harlem and the South Bronx through a network of six PreK-12, extended-day, extended-year DREAM Charter Schools and community sports-based youth development programs. Through our commitment to rigorous academics, social-emotional learning, deep family and community engagement, and health and wellness, we create lifelong learners who are equipped to fulfill their vision of success in and out of the classroom. We dream big, as well, with an aggressive five-year plan to expand to serve 3,500 students across seven schools—growing our organization's impact and leveling the playing field for all children. To learn more- Click here

* Assistant Principal - DC Public Schools’ mission is to recruit, develop, and invest in a talented, caring, and diverse team. We know that when our educators are given the tools, opportunities, and recognition to thrive, our students will thrive in school and in life. RISE - Rigorous Instruction Supports Equity - is a new program to support educators through professional development, performance-based incentive awards, and support for new teachers at our highest-need schools. At its core, RISE is about honoring our educators as professionals and providing opportunities to learn and grow within the district. To learn more- Click here

* Special Education Teacher - The Knapp School staff members believe the best educational program for our students focuses on fostering each child’s academic and personal potential through assisting them in discovering and developing their strengths and passions while preparing them for success in the larger community. Our Special Education Teachers play a critical role in this process by prioritizing each students' development and growth through strong, supportive relationships and highly individualized academic and social emotional activities each day. To learn more - Click here

* Support Specialist - The purpose of this position is to assist in the establishment and maintenance of a safe environment for all students and staff within the school through close collaboration with School Teachers, Teacher’s Aides, Social Workers and School Administration. Must be able to enact principles of trained methodologies in order to provide emotional and environmental support for students throughout the school day. To learn more - Click here

* Executive Director, GROW Associates - GROW provides services for individuals with disabilities in the greater Brockton area to plan their individual goals and supports them in achieving those goals. GROW provides a wide range of services to almost 300 people. These programs include Day Habilitation, Community- Based Day Supports, Vocational Training and Employment Services. GROW Associates' services helps adults with developmental disabilities achieve a sense of accomplishment and self-worth. To learn more- Click here

* Principal - We work with Chicago Public Schools and with school districts from the Suburban Cook County, Lake County, and the Western Suburbs to serve students who are referred based on their need for a highly structured, therapeutic school setting and individualized approach to learning.  Students who are referred by a public school district are educated at Knapp School & Yeshiva at no cost to their families. In doing so we provide both academic and social and emotional supports that are aligned with each student’s specific strengths and needs. To learn more- Click here

* Senior Director of Program Operations Aspire Living & Learning - Aspire Living & Learning is a non-profit human services agency making a meaningful difference in the lives of neurodiverse adults and children. We provide residential programs, day support, special education, and employment services in partnership with families and in collaboration with public and private health, human service, education and other government agencies. Headquartered in Vermont, our 1,200 team members serve individuals across four Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. To learn more- Click here

* Teach SPED 22-23 School Year - At New Visions for Public Schools, we work to make great public schools common in New York City. We believe that all of New York City’s students deserve public schools that make successful futures possible, especially Black, Latinx, and low-income students who have historically had inequitable access to a great public education. To learn more- Click here

* Strategist II: ID Teacher - Join Ames Community School District, where your journey matters! ACSD promotes an educational environment that is racially, ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse to broaden students' academic experience and to enrich our District. We are focused on creating and supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organizational culture and in our community. To learn more- Click here

* Integrated Services Teacher - Join Ames Community School District, where your journey matters! ACSD promotes an educational environment that is racially, ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse to broaden students' academic experience and to enrich our District. We are focused on creating and supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organizational culture and in our community. To learn more- Click here

* Strategist I Teacher - Join Ames Community School District, where your journey matters! ACSD promotes an educational environment that is racially, ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse to broaden students' academic experience and to enrich our District. We are focused on creating and supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organizational culture and in our community. To learn more- Click here

* Behavior Interventionist - Join Ames Community School District, where your journey matters! ACSD promotes an educational environment that is racially, ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse to broaden students' academic experience and to enrich our District. We are focused on creating and supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organizational culture and in our community. To learn more- Click here

* [2022-2023] 7th Grade Learning Specialist - Reporting to the Academic Dean, the Learning Specialist will be responsible for providing tailored support to students with special education needs, through integrated co-teaching, in small group settings, or a combination of both. This is an exciting opportunity for a seasoned educator who is passionate about ensuring all students succeed and thrive in school. To learn more- Click here

* [2022-2023] Middle School Learning Specialist - Reporting to the Academic Dean, the Learning Specialist will be responsible for providing tailored support to students with special education needs, through integrated co-teaching, in small group settings, or a combination of both. This is an exciting opportunity for a seasoned educator who is passionate about ensuring all students succeed and thrive in school. To learn more- Click here

* Executive Director, MARCH Inc. of Manchester (CT) - MARCH, Inc. of Manchester (MARCH) seeks a leader experienced in intellectual and developmental disabilities to position the organization for growth and sustainability by anticipating trends and changes in the developmental disabilities field in Connecticut. We are looking for an Executive Director skilled in external relations, partnership building, fundraising, and communications, balanced with being able to build its people and agency operations. To learn more- Click here

* Special Education Teacher, Institutional Settings - Dedicated and collaborative teams of educators committed to supporting teaching excellence through coaching, professional development and excellent administrative support. CES prides itself on providing robust and engaging learning opportunities to all its teachers. To learn more- Click here

* Special Education Teacher - Do you aspire to help children with diverse challenges build skills for their future? Are you ready to make a real impact in their lives? As a Special Education Teacher at Bancroft, you will draw upon a wealth of curriculum and clinical resources to design individualized student goals. To learn more- Click here

* Director of Oregon Migrant Education Service Center - The Director position for the Oregon Migrant Education Service Center (OMESC) will provide leadership for the 3rd largest migrant education  program in the nation that includes nine education service districts and nine district regional program. To learn more- Click here

* Special Education Teacher (All Specializations) - 2022-23 School Year - DCPS serves approximately 49,000 students in the nation's capital through the efforts of approximately 4,200 educators in 117 schools. As part of a comprehensive reform effort to become the preeminent urban school system in America, DCPS intends to have the highest-performing, best paid (Salary Range: $56,313 - $90,905), most satisfied, and most honored educator force in the nation and a distinctive central office staff whose work supports and drives instructional excellence and significant achievement gains for DCPS students. To learn more- Click here

* Middle School Special Education Teacher - The Halton School, an independent school for students with Asperger’s, is looking for a Middle School Special Education teacher. The teacher will provide special education instruction to students in a small multi-grade class. The teacher will utilize a variety of teaching methods to meet student’s educational needs and adapt and develop instructional materials accordingly. To learn more- Click here

* Director of McKay Academic Center (Academic Support) - The Dunham School is a PK-12, non-denominational Christian, independent school serving 785 students on one campus. The school offers fee paid tutoring, coaching, small group instruction and individual courses for students with a range of learning challenges including ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia and high functioning autism. To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Teacher - STARS is owned and operated by Occupational Therapists. You will be an employee and receive full benefits. Summers off with year-round pay and year-round appreciation. With a proven track record, STARS is able to offer you an unbeatable support system and resources. STARS is hiring for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years. STARS places Special Education Teachers throughout the Phoenix, Tucson and the surrounding area public schools. To learn more- Click here

If you are an Employer looking for excellent special education staff - Click here for more information


FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude. Oprah Winfrey

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