General Information

NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AUTISM TO BE HELD IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

A conference on autism, “The Road to Best Practice in Autism,” will be presented for physicians, parents and educators with national experts in the research and study of autism and autism spectrum disorders will address a variety of topics such as diagnosis and treatment, current research, communication alternatives, parents of individuals with autism and the community system, addressing behavioral concerns, and more.  This is the second annual “Promising Pathways” Conference. The conference will offer pertinent information for professionals in the medical and educational fields as well as parents and caregivers, and all those affected by and/or interested in the study of autism. Keynote presenters include Mohammad Ghaziuddin, MD, MRCPsych,  Kiely Law, M.D., M.P.H., Dr. Paul Law, Dr. Jose Martinez-Diaz, and Anne S. Holmes, M.S., C.C.C., B.C.B.A. 

New Special Education Feature

A new area dedicated to special education, The NCCTQ Connection, has gone live on the NCCTQ website. This new online space includes links to resources on the five key special education topic areas: assessment, behavior, inclusive practices, instructional strategies, and reading/literacy.

Visit: http://www.ncctq.org/connection/ to view the special education addition.

NEW PDP AT FGCU WEBSITE

The Personnel Development Partnership (PDP) at Florida Gulf Coast University has updated their website! Learn about upcoming PDP events, find information about tuition assistance programs, access past newsletters, and utilize resources on scholarships and other financial aid resources.

 
Check it out!  http://pdp.fgcu.edu/

Resiliency Strategies Can Change the Culture of Dropout Factories

Every nine seconds, another student drops out of school in America. The most recent national statistics peg the national high school graduation rate at only 69.9 percent. These sobering statistics have astonishing implications for our economy and our ability to compete globally, not to mention the daily lives of those dropouts and their communities. According to a new report, authored by Kelly Hupfeld, a research associate at the Center for Education Policy Analysis at the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, research shows that decreasing the dropout rate can only happen on a student-by-student basis. Hupfeld says that the focus must be turned to individuals, because students drop out for a myriad of personal reasons. Consequently, the best dropout prevention strategies lock on to students as individuals and engage them in school and teach the m the skills they need to cope with difficult times. Resiliency-based programs, which help students develop the skills and relationships they need to succeed inside and outside the classroom, can be incredibly effective in preventing high school dropouts. Still, there is no foolproof method to identify students who will drop out of school, as dropping out seems to be a function of multiple factors across multiple domains.

To read more of this article visit: http://scholarcentric.com/key_facts_at_risk_students_dropouts_resiliency_skills.html

CLOSE EARLY CHILDHOOD ACHIEVEMENT GAPS BY READING, STORY-TELLING

Currently, Latino children represent 21.4 percent of the early childhood population and that figure is supposed to grow by 146 percent by 2050. However, relative to the size of this population, little research exists that is focused on Latino infant and child development. One such study recently released by the Harvard Family Research Project involved an examination of the characteristics and early predictors of infant development and parenting. The study’s researchers found that family engagement for all children is vital, regardless of social, cultural or ethnic group. The study also notes that there is no difference in cognitive or motor competencies between Latino children and their white peers at nine months of age. According to results from other studies, school readiness differences are found as early as at kindergarten age between Latino and white children. This finding might help point to th e period in development when the divide occurs between the two groups. While few differences in parenting behaviors exist across ethnic groups, Latino families are less likely to read books and share stories with their children than parents from other ethnic backgrounds.

For more information visit:
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/digest/infants.html

Partners in Policymaking Resource

Free online resource to consider integrating into your own training efforts. Five Partners in Policymaking online courses offer a source of valuable information. They include:

• Partners in Time – Connects the history of people with disabilities in today’s reality.
• Partners in Education – Strategies for attaining the educational services students deserve and a detailed look at the education system.
• Making Your Case – Advocacy strategies and community organizing to create systemic change.
• Partners in Employment – Identifying personal interests and strengths and translating them into employment opportunities.
• Partners in Living – Obtaining appropriate housing and independent living services, family support, assistive technology, and self-determination.

Each course can be accessed at no charge at: www.partnersinpolicymaking.com.

Virtual Exception Student Education Online Distance Leaning

Program: Spring 2008

The following course are being sponsored by the Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Activities to assist teachers seeking endorsement in Autism, Severe and Profound Disabilities, and/or Pre-K Disabilites.

• Identification and Assessment of Individuals with Low Incidence Disabilties
• Nature of Severe and Profound Disabilities: Theory and Educational Practice
• Assessment and Methods in Early Childhood Special Education
• Typical ad Atypical Development for Young Children

To enroll in this classes students must have email and internet capabilities. Students will need to register with the participating university near them. For more information on this classes please contact Dr. Lori Massey, Director of Florida’s State Personnel Development Grant at (772) 462-7190 or at lmassey@ircc.edu.

GenevaLogic Foundation Initiatives

The GenevaLogic Foundation supports initiatives that further the innovative use of technology to improve teaching and learning, and provides programs and grants to provide educators with resources and technology products to advance education.

Maximum Award: $10,000 value

Eligibility: accredited, not-for-profit K-12 schools and community colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.

Deadline: December 28, 2007.

For more information visit: http://www.genevalogicfoundation.org/

The Young Poets Contest

The Christian Science Monitor’s 12th annual Young Poets Contest is now accepting submissions. Winners will be published in the paper in early January.

Eligibility: students attending preschool through high school.

Deadline: December 14, 2007.
Csmonitor.com – Young Poet’s

How Well Do You and Your Community Support Education?

The Give Kids Good Schools quiz on “How Much Do You and Your Community Do To Support Public Education-” asks people five questions about how involved they are in supporting public education and five questions about how involved they think their communities are. Upon completion, respondents immediately see how they and their communities compare with those of others taking the quiz. The quiz is intended for a wide audience and should provide valuable insight into the level of care a public school system receives.
The website for the quiz: http://www.givekidsgoodschools.org/main/act.cfm

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