PLUK News feed

Wrightslaw: How I Got Extended School Year (ESY) Services After the School Said "No"

Link: Wrightslaw
When we attended our child's ESY Meeting, we were told that he did not qualify for Extended School Year services because he did not meet the "regression-recoupment criteria". We were not advised of any other criteria that may be used to determine if a child is eligible for ESY.
One of my objections was that after three-quarters of the school year, my child is finally getting where he needs to be. I was concerned that after one good quarter, he could not tolerate another 2.5 month break in his education.

Wrightslaw: Transition Planning - Setting Lifelong Goals

Link: Wrightslaw
IDEA 2004 requires Transition Services to be “results-oriented” to “facilitate the child’s movement from school to post school activities . . .” The law requires that the IEP Transition Services be in place by (before) the child’s 16th birthday.
In this article, we provide you with two checklists and some advice to help your child make a successful transition from school to employment or further education.

Free CAST Learning Tools for Teachers

Link: Universal Design for Learning
UDL Editions by CAST are classic texts from world literature presented in a flexible online interface that provides just-in-time, individualized supports for struggling readers, and added-value features that engage novice and expert readers alike.

CAST Strategy Tutor™ - A free online tool to support students and teachers doing reading and research on the Internet, ages 10 and up. Strategy Tutor helps students read, research, collect and understand information better and more efficiently. For teachers, Strategy Tutor provides a way to easily create web-based lessons embedded with research-based, highly effective learning strategy and vocabulary supports.

CAST UDL Curriculum Self-Check™ - Free online tool that helps educators build options and flexibility into each element of the curriculum (goals, methods, materials, and assessments) in order to reach and engage all students. Developed with support from the Massachusetts Department of Special Education.

CAST UDL Lesson Builder™ - Free online tool that teaches educators to customize standards-based curriculum to meet individual learning needs. Developed in cooperation with the Access Center (American Institutes for Research).

CAST UDL Book Builder™ - Free online tool enables educators to develop their own digital books to support reading instruction for children aged 3& up. Teachers create, edit, and save resource-rich texts. Terry, an animated character, guides educators as they write text, choose images, and develop scripts for the prompts, hints, and models that will help build young readers' skills.

PTA Parent: Understanding Bullying

Link: PTA Parent
Each day hundreds of thousands of children dread going to school and facing the taunts, jeers, and humiliation wrought by bullies. When we think of bullying, the easily identifiable physical and verbal harassment comes to mind, including teasing, taunting, threatening, and hitting. Relational bullying is more difficult for adults to observe and identify. Children who bully through relational means socially isolate their victims by intentionally excluding them or spreading rumors about them. Bullying, then, refers to physical or psychological intimidation that occurs repeatedly, is intended to inflict injury or discomfort on the victim, and creates an ongoing pattern of harassment and abuse.

Grand Canyon University offers Scholarships for Montana Public School Teachers - Online M.Ed programs

Link: Grand Canyon University
Grand Canyon University is pleased to extend a scholarship opportunity to Montana Public School teachers interested in earning their 1st or 2nd Masters degree or their Bachelors degree in Education 100% online. You can start school June 30th or September 1st and be eligible for the scholarship. We have approved up to $25,000 in scholarship money to be divided among the teachers teaching in the Montana schools. You must begin your degree program this Spring/Summer to be eligible. Grand Canyon University has been able to offer scholarships to hundreds of teachers in the State of Montana over the past several years. We have had all our programs reviewed by the Department of Education for Montana, and approved based upon our Regional accreditation status. Please call or email to find out how much money you will be eligible for.

Deaf Initiative in Technology (DiiT) workshops

Link: National Technical Institute for the Deaf
The Deaf Initiative in Technology (DiiT) series of workshops provides computer, graphic communication, and business-based training workshops in sign language to deaf and hard-of-hearing adults. The DiiT project is housed at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at the Rochester Institute of Technology and supported by faculty in the Information and Computing Studies department, the Arts and Imaging Studies department, and the Business Studies department.

Transitioning Youth with Mental Health Needs to Meaningful Employment and Independent Living

Link: NCW/Youth
NCWD/Youth, with funding from the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) of the U.S. Department of Labor, carried out a study on successful strategies to help youth with mental health needs transition to postsecondary education, employment, and independent lives. With a focus primarily on the role of skills development, work, and career exploration, case studies were conducted of five promising program sites, and program design features and system-level policies that appear to help youth and young adults with mental health conditions better transition into adulthood and life-long success were identified.

Wrightslaw: A Closer Look at IEPs

Link: Wrightslaw
Spring is here and the end of the school year is fast approaching. Yes, it's IEP season.
Do you understand what your role is at IEP meetings? Do you know how to request that an IEP be revised? Do you know that the IEP must include measurable goals? Do you know that the school must provide you with progress reports on a regular basis?

President Bush Signed Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act Into Law!

Link: Genetic Fairness
WASHINGTON, D.C. - May 21, 2008 - The Coalition for Genetic Fairness (http://www.geneticfairness.org/) commends President George W. Bush for signing into law today the first civil rights legislation of the new millennium, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). GINA is the first and only federal legislation that will provide protections against discrimination based on an individual's genetic information in health insurance coverage and employment settings.

Parent Surveys from Montana OPI

Each year the Montana Office of Public Instruction distributes a parent survey to a portion of parents of children receiving special education services. Surveys will be sent on May 15, 2008 to the parents of children who attend those districts to be monitored in the 2008-2009 school year. A listing of these schools can be found at www.opi.state.mt.us/PDF/SpecED/mon/SchedulebyYear.pdf

Survey results will be used by the OPI to identify state and district needs relative to parent involvement in their child's education and based on identified needs the OPI will provide technical assistance, training and support in collaboration with PLUK and other resources to assist parents and schools. Survey results will be returned to the districts involved, so long as more than 10 surveys are returned for the district. Survey results will be available to the public in a manner that ensures information is not personally identifiable.
If you have questions regarding the parent surveys, please contact Doug Doty at 444-0907 or ddoty@mt.gov.

Doug Doty, Monitoring Specialist
Division of Special Education
Montana Office of Public Instruction
406-444-0907 fax 406-444-3924
www.opi.mt.gov/speced