US report on testing accommodations
In November the US Government Accounting Office (GAO) released a report entitled "Improved Federal Enforcement Needed to Better Protect Students' Rights to Testing Accommodations" of a study it performed at the behest of representatives to the US Congress. Based on interviews with individuals with disabilities, educators, advocates, commercial testing companies, and others, the report provides brief insight into testing accommodations at the secondary and post-secondary level and recommendations for government action based on its findings. Interested readers may download a one-page summary of the report from the GAO office.
Glimpse of BlogHer discussions about disabilities
Over on Support for Special Needs Julia Roberts threw up a special report about a meeting of people attending the noted BlogHer conference who had an interest in individuals with disabilities. Ms. Robert's post is entitled "Glimpse of Commonalities". Check on it.
Full US IDEA funding proposed again
Over on On Special Education Nirvi Shah reported that Senator Tom Harkin and colleagues once again introduced a bill proposing that the US federal government pay its full (i.e., 40%) share of the costs of special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Read her post, "Bill Would Boost Federal Spending on Students with Disabilities."
Prevalence of developmental disorders
Coleen Boyle and colleagues from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau reported in Pediatrics that, although data about the prevalence of developmental disabilities in the US are scarce, results from surveys conducted during the years 1997-2008 reveal that disabilities are both common and their prevalence is changing. Some results would surprise few (e.g., boys were more frequently reported to have problems than girls), but other results might make people wonder (e.g., the prevalence of hearing disorders reportedly decreased).
Trends in the Prevalence of Developmental Disabilities in US Children, 1997–2008
OBJECTIVE: To fill gaps in crucial data needed for health and educational planning, we determined the prevalence of developmental disabilities in US children and in selected populations for a recent 12-year period.
Assistant Executive Director at CEC
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) annouced a search for an individual to serve as an assistant executive director and take responsibility for leading the team at CEC that provides professional development services. CEC's Professional Development Services Team covers a host of important activities at CEC, including the convention, continuing education (e.g., the popular "Webinars"), publications (including the journals such as Exceptional Children), and much more. CEC is seeking someone with an advanced degree and experience in special education.
This is an unusual opportunity to provide leadership in one of the leading organizations focused on special education in the world. It comes at a time when professional development services are changing rapidly and CEC can play an important role in contributing to postive progress for special educators and the children, youth, and families they serve.
Learn more about the position of Assistant Executive Director for Professional Development Services at CEC by downloading a PDF announcing the position vacancy. Learn more about CEC and it's professional development activities by visiting Professionl Development section of CEC's Web site.
Milwaukee parents allege voucher program discriminates against students with disabilities
Should students with disabilities get to use vouchers, too? Should private schools have to accept them? Some parents say some private schools aren't taking vouchers from students with disabilities and they are complaining.
Journalists reported that the parents of children with disabilities in Milwaukee (WI, US) and the American Civil Liberties Union have complained to the US Deaprtment of Justice that a Milwaukee school program permitting parents to choose schools discriminates against students with disabilities. According to the complaint, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program "discriminated against students with disabilities and segregated those students in one portion of the publicly funded educational system." The statistical basis for the argument is that 1.6% of students in the voucher-supported schools have disabilities, but nearly 20% of the students in the public schools have disabilities.
Kauffman’s ‘Science’ book recognized
Toward a Science of Education: The Battle Between Rogue and Real Science by James M. Kauffman was named the winner in the Education/Academics section of 2011 International Book Awards (IBA). JPX Media Group announced the winners and finalists of the IBA on 11 May 2011 in Los Angeles (CA, US).
In his summary of his book, Professor Kauffman wrote
Webinar on Evidence-Based Practices
Webinar: Everything You Wanted to Know About Evidence-Based Practices (and Shouldn't be Afraid to Ask)
On 8 March 2011, CEC and the Division for Research are co-hosting a webinar on evidence-based practices that DR has developed as a service to its members and to other university faculty and their graduate students. The webinar, presented by Bryan Cook, the new chair of CEC's Committee on Evidence-Based Practices, explores what evidence-based practice means for researchers, teacher educators, practitioners and administrators, and how evidence-based practices differ from other practices that claim to be research-based. As with CEC/DR's previous webinars, one registration can be used for a group, as long as the group is using one computer. All you need is an internet connection, a speaker phone, and a computer projector, and your entire group can participate in the webinar. After the webinar is over, you will receive your own copy of the webinar file, which you can keep to re-show to classes or other groups at your convenience. With the CEC member discount, each webinar registration costs only $89.00.
Click here to register online at the CEC web site.
Melvin D. Levine, 1940-2011
Dr. Melvin D. Levine, a widely known pediatrician who championed learning differences among children, died 17 February 2011 in Rougemont (NC, US) at age 71 years. Dr. Levine developed an extensive following for his views about atypical learning through his writing and lecturing while he practiced at Children's Hospital in Boston (MA, US) and the Center for Development and Learning and the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill (NC, US).
IDA funding research projects
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) announced a two-pronged effort to promote research about multisensory structured-language reading instruction. In one part of the effort, IDA seeks to raise funds from corporations, organizations, and interested individuals in support of research efforts; essentially, it seems, IDA is creating a fund that will be used to support research activities. In the other part of the effort, and a slightly surprisingly candid one, IDA is expressly calling for tests of whether multisensory structured-language reading instruction is as effective as its supporters presume that it is.
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