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September 2008
National Technical Assistance Center:
PACER Center, 8161 Normandale Boulevard, Minneapolis, MN 55437 (888) 248-0822, www.taalliance.org
Parent Center Updates
- HUNE's 10th Anniversary
- Rhode Island Parent Information Network Special Events
- Vermont Parent Center Merger
Announcements & News
- Universal Design for Learning Public Virtual Policy Forum
- National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week
- Role of Youth in Making High Schools Inclusive Teleconference
- Advocacy Institute Webinar
- TA&D Project of the Month: TACSEI
- Foreign Language & Disability Survey
- United We Ride Leadership Awards
Resources
- U.S. Department of Education Releases Universal Design Toolkit
- State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report Analysis Documents
- Dropout Prevention Practice Guide
- Maternal and Child Health Library – Online Community Services Locator
Technology
- Bookshare.org
- Don Johnston Read Out Loud Program
Fundraising
- Credit Card Processing
Parent Center Updates
HUNE's 10th Anniversary
The Philadelphia CPRC, HUNE (Hispanos Unidos Para Niņos Excepionales), is celebrating its 10th Anniversary at a fundraising gala taking place October 10th from 6-10 PM. Tracy Justesen, U.S. Department of Education Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, will be attending the event and all Parent Center staff are invited to attend and have the opportunity to speak with him. The event will include music, dancing, speakers, awards ceremony, silent auction, and food! Contact Luz Hernandez, HUNE director, with any questions.
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Rhode Island Parent Information Network Special Events
Rhode Island’s Parent Training and Information Center, the Rhode Island Parent Information Network (RIPIN), co-hosted their 5th Annual Family Fun Day on June 14th. The event was co-hosted by FirstComp Insurance and featured a barbecue lunch, ice cream, and fun family activities. Each child received a backpack with school supplies, and representatives from family organizations were available to talk about their services. On November 8th, RIPIN will hold their first Fall Fundraiser at the West Valley Inn. The event will include hors d’oeuvres, music, and a performance by the Ocean State Follies. Congratulations to RIPIN leadership and staff on these achievements! The RIPIN PTI project is directed by Cheryl Collins.
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Vermont Parent Center Merger
As of July 1, 2008, the Vermont Parent Information Center (home of the Vermont PTI) merged with Parent to Parent of Vermont to become the Vermont Family Network. Connie Curtin will remain co-director with Julie Arel of the new organization until a new executive director is found. We are pleased to welcome this newly formed organization to the parent center network!
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Announcements & News
Universal Design for Learning Public Virtual Policy Forum
Project Forum at the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) and the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) are collaborating to present a 4-week online discussion on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The event will begin with a webinar at 2 PM Eastern on October 6 and continue with “virtual” conversations focusing on barriers to UDL implementation. The ideas shared will be used to help formulate policy recommendations and action plans.
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National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week
The 3rd Annual National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week will take place October 5-11, 2008. Several Parent Centers have already signed up to be partners, and there is still time to participate by emailing bullying411@PACER.org. Check out the National Center for Bullying Prevention Web site for fun activities, lesson plans, and informational resources.
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Role of Youth in Making High Schools Inclusive Teleconference
This teleconference, taking place on October 15 from 3:30-5 ET and sponsored by the LRE Part B Community of Practice and Family Voices, will feature presentations from the Youth Leaders of Kids As Self Advocates (KASA). The youth panel will discuss why inclusion is important and what barriers they have encountered. The panel will also share effective strategies for building youth leadership to promote a more inclusive school environment. Call information will be available soon on the TA Communities Web site.
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Advocacy Institute Webinar
On October 22, 2008, the Advocacy Institute is hosting a webinar, AT, AIM, NIMAS, UDL, and More: Making It All Work for Students with Disabilities. The training will provide an overview of how technology can remove learning barriers and improve skills of students with learning disabilities. The fee for the webinar is $50.
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TA&D Project of the Month: TACSEI
The Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention (TACSEI) creates evidence-based materials and publications to assist families and service providers to improve social emotional outcomes with, or at risk for developing, development delays or disabilities. TACSEI’s technical assistance is based on several principles, including making sure resources are effective for diverse populations and involving parents and professionals in all their services. TACSEI’s Web site includes online presentations and a variety of print resources for download.
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Foreign Language & Disability Survey
The National Clearinghouse on Disability Exchange is conducting a survey of people with disabilities living in the United States about their experiences and interest in learning a foreign language. The results will be used to examine trends and identify possible reasons that high school students with disabilities lag behind their non-disabled peers in percentages taking foreign language courses.
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United We Ride Leadership Awards
The 2008 National United We Ride Community Leadership Awards on Effective Public Transit for Human Services Transportation Coordination, Planning, and Implementation will recognize up to five states, localities, communities, or organizations that have provided leadership and action toward developing and/or implementing exemplary high-quality coordinated human service transportation programs or systems. Applications are due October 31.
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Resources
U.S. Department of Education Releases Universal Design Toolkit
In 2006, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Program (OSEP) released the Tool Kit on Teaching and Assessing Students with Disabilities. This summer OSEP released an additional component to that resource, the Tool Kit on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This new Tool Kit brings together current UDL research and resources, specifically focusing on information relating to assessment and instructional practices.
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State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report Analysis Documents
The final analysis documents for the 2006-2007 Annual Performance Reports are available online on the Regional Resource and Federal Center Network Web site. These documents summarize States’ responses to the over 30 Part B and Part C Indicators, such as graduation rates, parental involvement, and least restrictive environment.
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Dropout Prevention Practice Guide
This new report from the Institute of Education Sciences provides strategies for reducing high school dropout rates through identification of at-risk students, implementing social and behavioral skills programs, and keeping students engaged in school.
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Maternal and Child Health Library – Online Community Services Locator
The Maternal and Child Health Library at Georgetown University has posted a new online directory to help families and service providers locate a variety of community, state, and national resources. Links are available for education, health, family support, child care, and other topics.
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Technology
Bookshare.org
Bookshare.org, a project of Benetech, was awarded a five-year grant from the Office of Special Education Program (OSEP) to provide free access to their library of scanned textbooks and other print materials to qualifying students with print disabilities. Schools can apply for a group account and individual subscriptions are also available.
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Don Johnston Read Out Loud Program
Don Johnston, Inc. has announced that they are releasing a whole-school licensing option for their accessible text reader program Read:OutLoud. Don Johnson is also partnering with Benetech (see above) to make a free version of its software available to students qualifying for Bookshare.org’s services. Through these programs, access to the software will greatly increase for the students who need it.
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Fundraising
Credit Card Processing
This TechSoup article describes how credit cards are processed and different methods of processing credit cards used for donations or purchases.
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Featured ALLIANCE Publications
Positive Behavioral Interventions & IDEA 2004 - Spanish
This curriculum provides information about Positive Behavioral Interventions in the context of the IDEA 2004 law. The Spanish translation was released in August 2008.
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The Time is Now: Diversity Inclusion for Parent Centers and Advocates
Examines the issues of diversity inclusion and cultural competency for Parent Centers and includes strategies for conducting outreach to diverse communities. Available in book or CD format.
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PACER's site offers many PDF files for download, which require 
