E-News—Issue 5, Number 9

Welcome to the September issue of E-News!

E-News is designed to keep individuals informed of new developments in urban education and inclusive schooling practices in urban schools. In particular, E-News includes brief items of interest around the work of the National Institute and other organizations engaged in similar work, current research, upcoming conferences and events, new online and off-line products and resources, and other news happening in the field.

Features this month

• No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act Facts: Free resources for educators and parents
• Event: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Institute for post-secondary faculty, November 4-5
• New Resources: Topics cover racial inequity, social competence, and helping children with disabilities with mathematics
• National Institute Support Desk

No Child Left Behind Act Facts

Free newsletter on the 2001 NCLB Act

Subscribe to The Achiever, a new e-newsletter from the U.S. Department of Education and keep current with the intricacies of the NCLB Act. The September issue covers a range of topics of interest to both educators and parents: 1) it shows how one elementary school in Baltimore, Maryland is making dramatic progress as it strives to meet the demands of the new act; 2) it includes a parents' guide that provides answers to the most commonly asked questions related to the act; and 3) it provides a summary of how student achievement will be measured in grades 3-8 through annual testing in reading and mathematics. Sign up at http://www.nochildleftbehind.gov/subscribe.html.

Technology briefs for state and local No Child Left Behind planners State and local technology planners who plan to apply for funding through the "Enhancing Education with Technology Program" established by the NCLB Act now have an important free tool to help with their applications. The Northeast and Islands Regional Technology Consortium's (NEIRTEC) 60-page packet helps applicants address the 14 key criteria that must be included in all requests for funding. Technology Briefs for NCLB Planners can be obtained at no charge by visiting
http://www.neirtec.org/products/techbriefs/default.asp.

Events

Reaching and Teaching All Students

November 4-5, 2002 Wakefield, Massachusetts

This innovative two-day institute presented by the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) is specifically designed for faculty from post-secondary institutions. In this era of higher standards for all students, greater diversity in our classes, and increased focus on accountability, this Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Institute will explore ways to meet the challenge of reaching and teaching all students, specifically

• Learner differences, as related to the three neural networks(recognition,
  strategic, and affective networks)
• Barriers inherent in contemporary instructional methods and materials
  that impact student learning
• Application of UDL to course design
• Technologies that support UDL in the classroom
• Creation of accessible Web pages
• Action steps for integration of UDL into practice
• Federal mandates that impact post-secondary students

Opportunities for discussion with colleagues and hands-on activities accompany the presentations. Follow-up activities include participation in the Teaching Every Student Web site: http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/. Entry level computer skills are highly desirable, but not required. To register please call Leslie
O'Callaghan at 888-858-9994, ext. 273, send an e-mail to pd@cast.org, or register online at http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=2417.

New Resources

Racial Inequity in Special Education

Edited by Daniel J. Losen and Gary Orfield Foreword by Senator James M. Jeffords

Comissioned by the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University, this new book explores the inequities experienced by minority children in special education. It provides a review of attempts by legislators, child advocates, and education and civil rights enforcement agencies to address these inequities. Writes U.S. Representative Chaka Fattah, "The findings of Racial Inequity in Special Education indicate a trend with chilling implications for our education system. The overidentification of minority students in special education and the subsequent isolation, stigmatization, and inferior treatment they receive reconfirms the notion that education in America falls short of offering a level playing field for all. By compiling this body of valuable scholarship, Losen and Orfield have unearthed the contours of the problem as well as promising blueprints for resolving it." A table of contents, foreword, introduction, and ordering information are all available on the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Web site:
http://www.law.harvard.edu/civilrights/publications/index2.html

New ERIC/OSEP digest E626, Developing Social Competence for All Students

This digest describes the need to help students develop social competence and identifies three strategies to improve student behavior. Students displaying persistent anti-social behaviors can benefit from social skills instruction guided by functional assessment. Whole school and function-based approaches promise lasting improvements in students' social skills and facilitate learning in a safe environment. Available at http://ericec.org/digests/e626.html.

New ERIC/OSEP digest E628, Helping Students with Disabilities Participate in Standards-Based Mathematics Curriculum

This digest examines how selected researchers are informing practice in four areas: enhancing students' understanding of mathematics, teaching students mathematical problem-solving strategies, using assistive technology in instruction and assessment, and making accommodations to support student participation in state and district-wide assessments. Available at http://ericec.org/digests/e628.html.

National Institute Support Desk

Previous issues of E-News can be viewed at: niusi.obiki.org/enews.htm.

For more information about the National Institute for Urban School Improvement, please feel free to contact us.