Week in Review - March 5, 2021

Continuing_Ed


NASET

WEEK IN REVIEW

National Association of Special Education Teachers

March 5, 2021                 Vol 17 Issue #10



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

NASET Special Educator e-Journal March 2021

Table of Contents

 

Empathy Helps Explain How Parental Support Can Prevent Teen Delinquency

A new study of nearly 4,000 school children has found that youngsters who feel they have empathic support from their parents and caregivers are verging away from a wide range of delinquent behavior, such as committing crimes. Published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Moral Education, the research, which drew on data surveying children over a four year period from when they were aged 12 to 17, also shows that those who received empathy were less likely to execute acts of serious delinquent behavior, compared to those who simply felt they had supportive parents. In addition, the new findings -- out today -- demonstrate that parents/caregivers who display greater empathy enhance their teenagers' own development of empathy, or the ability to acknowledge and understand the feelings of others.

Read More

Adults with Disabilities Receive Therapeutic Virtual Assistance Through a New Partnership

Anderson County adults with intellectual and development disabilities, are getting more therapeutic assistance, as one group faced some challenges delivering service amid the pandemic. The Rainbow Gang, a program within Anderson County’s Special Populations Recreation department, has expanded virtually. A blessing in the middle of a worldwide storm, came for participants in the day program. “And kind of what happened for us whenever the pandemic hit is, in March we went fully virtually,” said Darby Hinson, Program Coordinator, Anderson County Special Population Recreation, “The Rainbow Gang”, Day Program. Read More

https://www.wspa.com/news/top-stories/upstate-adults-with-disabilities-receive-therapeutic-virtual-assistance-through-a-new-partnership/

 

 

Despite an Incredible Year of Challenges for Schools, They Will Need to Give Standardized Tests This Year

States will need to administer annual standardized achievement exams to students this year, but they can modify or delay the tests, the U.S. Department of Education said Monday. In a letter to state education leaders, acting Assistant Education Secretary Ian Rosenblum wrote that the Biden administration will not consider "blanket waivers of assessments" this year. Under federal law, states must administer annual exams in key subjects including reading and math to students in third through eighth grade and once in high school. The results of those exams can be used to judge schools, and sometimes teachers, on their performance, and they can trigger improvement efforts. Read More

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2021/02/22/schools-must-give-standardized-tests-year-biden-administration/4550916001/

 

 

Bills to Bolster Education Plans for Students with Disabilities Teed Up for Session

Bills designed to help students with disabilities plot out their continuing education after they graduate high school are ready to move through the House and Senate. Sen. Annette Taddeo and Rep. Allison Tant‘s legislation have now both been assigned to committees ahead of the 2021 Session, which begins next week. The Democrats’ bills would revise how the state develops individual education plans (IEPs) by reaching out to parents about those plans when the student reaches 7th grade. Currently, IEP teams contact parents when students turn 14 years old. Tant, of Tallahassee, credits her developmentally delayed son’s school district’s transition program with helping him secure a job. But many parents aren’t aware of the programs schools have to offer students with disabilities, she said. Read More

https://floridapolitics.com/archives/405962-bills-to-bolster-education-plans-for-students-with-disabilities-teed-up-for-session

 

 

Even for Preschoolers, Healthier Hearts May Mean Healthier Brains

The link between heart-lung fitness and brain health may begin at an early age, new research shows. The study revealed that 4- to 6-year-olds who could walk farther during a timed test also scored higher on tests of thinking abilities and other measures of brain function. Most studies of the link between brain health and heart-lung ("cardiorespiratory") fitness have focused on older kids and adults. The new findings suggest that this link is evident even earlier in life, according to the researchers. The study included 59 preschoolers who walked as far as they could in six minutes. They were then given tests to assess their intellectual abilities and how well they could focus. Mental flexibility was also checked in 33 youngsters. Read More

https://consumer.healthday.com/b-2-23-even-for-preschoolers-healthier-hearts-may-mean-healthier-brains-2650609917.html

 

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

Closing the Professional Development Gap for K–12 Teachers

Professional development has never been more critical for educators. Last year’s rapid shift to remote learning intensified challenges for educators in the digital landscape. The transition also put existing professional development standards and practices to the test. After all, without a clear focus on building technology skills, many training programs could fall short and leave teachers ill-equipped for a more digitally driven future — especially a future in which the unexpected happens. Many experts believe that better technology training could help educators be better prepared to face sudden shifts and transitions. Recent data suggests that teachers need better professional development support and that a lack of technical training has deepened the digital divide. Read More

https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2021/02/closing-professional-development-gap-k-12-teachers

 

Memphis School Leaders are Betting Big on One Consultant to Change How Students Learn to Read. Will it Work?

Seeking a new way to boost students’ reading skills at a crucial time, Shelby County Schools officials are betting big on a different kind of program that has shown positive initial results but lacks a long-term track record. The Memphis district has proposed spending $14.5 million over five years on a leadership and teacher training company called Educational Epiphany, the brainchild of a consultant named Donyall Dickey whose work has already been piloted in the 88,000-student district. The school board is scheduled to vote on the contract Tuesday, and the outcome is uncertain. Superintendent Joris Ray has been a vocal champion of Dickey’s work, but some school board members and educators have questioned the investment and the program’s philosophies. Read More

https://tn.chalkbeat.org/2021/2/22/22296351/memphis-scs-consultant-educational-epiphany-donyall-dickey-reading

 

 

Adolescents with Depression are More Physiologically Reactive to Acute Social Media Use vs. Controls

Adolescents with depression were more physiologically reactive to acute social media use vs. controls, according to results of a prospective, cross-sectional study published in Journal of Psychiatric Research. “In this study, we sought to assess the impact of acute [social media use] on clinical symptoms and physiological markers of stress in a sample of healthy and depressed adolescents,” Reem M.A. Shafi, MBBS, of the department of psychiatry and psychology at Mayo Clinic, and colleagues wrote. “The glucocorticoid hormone cortisol is a reliable measure of an individual’s hypothalamic pituitary axis response to psychological stress, especially in cases of social-evaluative threats. [Alpha]-amylase is a surrogate biomarker of autonomic (sympathetic) nervous system activation and may increase more rapidly in response to stress than cortisol.” Read More

https://www.healio.com/news/psychiatry/20210222/depressed-adolescents-more-physiologically-reactive-to-acute-social-media-use-vs-controls

 

 

Research Finds College Students with ADHD are Likely to Experience Significant Challenges

According to a 2017 UCLA study, students with ADHD make up about 6% of the college student population and represent the most common type of disability supported by college disability offices. But are these students receiving enough academic support from their institutions? Despite ADHD being prevalent among college students, there has been little research focused on how having ADHD impacts the transition to college and ongoing academic success. Until now. New research from George DuPaul, professor of school psychology and associate dean for research in Lehigh University's College of Education, and colleagues confirms students with ADHD face consequential challenges in succeeding and completing college and predicts ways academic success can be improved. Read More

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210223110358.htm

TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to: who all knew the answer to last week's trivia question:

According to recent research at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital (see 2/12/21 edition of NASET’s Week in Review), negative perceptions of patients with disabilities are widespread among physicians -- to a degree they say is "disturbing." Those negative perceptions can have big impacts on the quality of care patients with disabilities receive. Based on the data collected, what percentage of American doctors say they believe patients with significant disabilities have a worse quality of life than people who don't have disabilities?

Answer: 82%

THE TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK WILL RETURN ON MARCH 5, 2021


Study Finds Increased COVID-19 Mortality Among Adults with Down Syndrome

A new study by an international team of researchers found that adults with Down syndrome are more likely to die from COVID-19 than the general population, supporting the need to prioritize vaccinating people with the genetic disorder. Investigators found that adults with Down syndrome were roughly three times more likely to die from COVID-19 than the general population. This increased risk was especially apparent in from fifth decade of life: A 40-year-old with Down syndrome had a similar risk of dying from COVID-19 as someone 30 years older in the general population. The study was published this week in The Lancet's EClinical Medicine. "Our results, which are based on more than 1,000 COVID-19 unique patients with Down syndrome, show that individuals with Down syndrome often have more severe symptoms at hospitalization and experience high rates of lung complications associated with increased mortality," said Anke Huels, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, and the study's first author. Read More

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210222164149.htm

 

 

Toddler Sleep Patterns Matter

Establishing a consistent sleep schedule for a toddler can be one of the most challenging aspects of child rearing, but it also may be one of the most important. Research findings from a team including Lauren Covington, an assistant professor in the University of Delaware School of Nursing, suggest that children with inconsistent sleep schedules have higher body mass index (BMI) percentiles. Their findings, published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, suggest sleep could help explain the association between household poverty and BMI. "We've known for a while that physical activity and diet quality are very strong predictors of weight and BMI," said Covington, the lead author of the article. "I think it's really highlighting that sleep may be playing a bigger role here than it's been given credit for." Read More

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210222124714.htm

 

 

Lonely Adolescents are Susceptible to Internet Addiction

Loneliness is a risk factor associated with adolescents being drawn into compulsive internet use. The risk of compulsive use has grown in the coronavirus pandemic: loneliness has become increasingly prevalent among adolescents, who spend longer and longer periods of time online. A study investigating detrimental internet use by adolescents involved a total of 1,750 Finnish study subjects, who were studied at three points in time: at 16, 17 and 18 years of age. The results have been published in the Child Development journal. Adolescents' net use is a two-edged sword: while the consequences of moderate use are positive, the effects of compulsive use can be detrimental. Compulsive use denotes, among other things, gaming addiction or the constant monitoring of likes on social media and comparisons to others. Read More

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210222124640.htm

 

 

What are the Benefits of Fish Oil for ADHD?

While there is no cure for ADHD, there are several treatment options to help manage symptoms. Usually a comprehensive approach, one that may include medication, behavioral therapy, and education, can best help. And one tool that researchers are finding may be part of that arsenal is fish oil — or more specifically the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil. Fish oil is found in fresh fish and seafood, and it is also available in supplement form. It’s made up of two main omega-3s, which are polyunsaturated fatty acids: EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Read More

https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/what-are-the-benefits-of-fish-oil-for-adhd/

 

 

Child Bullies at Higher Odds for Substance Abuse as Adults: Study

Schoolyard bullies have been making life difficult for kids for eons, often causing lasting damage to their victims. Now, new research shows these bullies can also suffer lasting consequences as they age. Bullies may be more likely to abuse drugs, alcohol and tobacco later in life, and this risk is greater for childhood bullies than those who picked on others during their adolescent years, the study found. Bullying or unwanted aggressive behavior among school-aged kids has become more pervasive in recent years, and the stakes are much higher likely due to social media. In the past, bullying was limited to school, but now bullies can harass their victims online 24/7. About 20% of students aged 12 to 18 have been bullied at school or online in the United States, according to Stopbullying.gov. Read More

https://consumer.healthday.com/2-17-childhood-bullies-at-higher-odds-for-substance-abuse-as-adults-study-2650429789.html

 

 

How the Pandemic Has Altered School Discipline — Perhaps Forever

ne Thursday this fall, a middle schooler in Florida’s Brevard Public Schools received an in-school suspension. He had ripped off another student’s face mask and blown into a peer’s face. That same day, six other students across the district were written up for not wearing their masks correctly (including one who also faked using hand sanitizer), while an elementary school student was assigned three days of “private dining” for sharing food in violation of safety guidelines. Meanwhile, an e-learning student got in trouble for filming another student during class without permission. In many ways, that Thursday was emblematic of a new age of discipline, with multiple students across the district getting written up for infractions that didn’t exist the school year before. Students removed their masks, chatted inappropriately in Zoom and failed to socially distance. Read More

https://hechingerreport.org/how-the-pandemic-has-altered-school-discipline-perhaps-forever/

 

Spina Bifida Can Be Caused By Uninherited Genetic Mutations

Genetic mutations which occur naturally during the earliest stages of an embryo's development can cause the severe birth defect spina bifida, finds a new experimental study in mice led by UCL scientists. The research, published in Nature Communications, explains for the first time how a 'mosaic mutation' -- a mutation which is not inherited from either parent (either via sperm or egg cell) but occurs randomly during cell divisions in the developing embryo -- causes spina bifida. Specifically, the scientists, based at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, found that when a mutation in the gene Vangl2 (which contains information needed to create spinal cord tissue) was present in 16% of developing spinal cord cells of mouse embryos, this was sufficient to produce spina bifida. Read More

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210219083850.htm


JOB POSTINGS


* Special Needs Tutors -  is seeking dynamic, state credentialed special needs teachers to tutor on our virtual platform teaching learners all over the world. This is a perfect second job to earn extra money from the safety of your own home.  There is no minimum hourly requirement; all you need is a computer, reliable internet, a quiet space and willingness to teach. To learn more - Click here

* SEIS Contract Administrator - The Collaborative for Educational Services (CES) is seeking an SEIS Contract Administrator to direct the SEIS contract for the benefit of children and youth residing in facilities operated by the Massachusetts Departments of Mental Health, Public Health, Youth Services, and the County Houses of Correction. CES’s mission is to develop and foster educational excellence and opportunity for all learners through collaboration and leadership. To learn more - Click here

* Elementary ICT Teacher (2021-2022) - Reporting to the Academic Dean, the Elementary ICT Teacher will be responsible for providing tailored support to students with special education needs, primarily through integrated co-teaching. 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

* Lower Elementary SPED Teacher - Reporting to the Academic Dean, the Lower Elementary SPED Teacher will be responsible for providing tailored support to students with special education needs, primarily through integrated co-teaching. This is an exciting opportunity for a seasoned educator who is passionate about ensuring all students succeed and thrive in school. Toe learn more - Click here

Private Special Education Teacher (Guanacaste, Costa Rica) - This is a part-time, live-in position working with two bright and energetic boys, ages 9 and 10, in their fourth-grade homeschool, starting ASAP. Ideal candidates will have bachelors or masters in Special Education, Applied Behavioral Analysis, Certified Behavioral Analysis or a related field. To learn more - Click here

* Intermediate School District 917 is seeking an exceptional leader to serve as Superintendent - ISD 917 is one of four intermediate school districts in Minnesota created by the Minnesota Legislature in the late 1960s. The ISD 917 School Board was organized in March 1970, and is comprised of one board member from each of the nine member school districts. Currently, member districts include Bloomington, Burnsville-Eagan-Savage, Farmington Area, Hastings, Inver Grove Heights, Lakeville Area, Randolph, South St. Paul, and West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan Area. To learn more - Click here

* [2021-2022] Middle School Science Teacher - 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

* SETSS (Special Education Teacher Support Services) Teacher - At Zeta, we pursue an unprecedented combination of high academic achievement and social-emotional development. We insist that every child receives a world-class education while fostering a love for learning. We are changing the public education landscape for all of New York City’s children, and we are uncompromising in our mission. To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Teacher - $60,000/school year (185 days), summers off with year-round pay and year round appreciation. Special Education Teachers needed in Arizona (Phoenix and surrounding cities). Needs are in the self-contained and resource settings serving students with emotional disabilities (ED), Autism (A), Severe/Profound (S/P), and Intellectual Disabilities (ID). STARS is the largest school contract agency in AZ.  You will be an employee and receive full benefits. To learn more - Click here

* Special Education Teachers - All areas - We are looking for highly motivated and skilled talent to join our team at District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). We seek individuals who are passionate about transforming the DC school system and making a significant difference in the lives of public school students, parents, principals, teachers, and central office employees. To learn more - Click here

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


FOOD FOR THOUGHT

You need to have faith in yourself. Be brave and take risks. You don’t have to have it all figured out to move forward

Roy T. Bennett

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