E-News—Issue 6, Number 4

Welcome to the April 2003 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:

• Reauthorization of IDEA 2003: House and Senate reauthorization activities
• Doctoral Programs in Special Education: University of Maryland announces two new special education programs
• Event: Asthma telephone seminar (May 22)
• Web Site of the Month: The Knowledge Loom
• New Resource: "A Tale of Three Cities: "A Tale of Three Cities: Urban Perspectives on Special Education"
• National Institute Help Desk
  

News Brief

REAUTHORIZATION OF IDEA 2003

House and Senate activities on the reauthorization of IDEA The House Committee on Education and the Workforce passed its bill to reauthorize IDEA on Thursday, April 10, by a vote of 29-19. The bill, "Improving Education Results for Children with Disabilities Act (H.R. 1350)," will be taken up by the full House after the members return from their spring break on April 28th. A total of 12 amendments, plus Rep. Mike Castle's amendment substituting the entire bill, were made during the Committee mark up. The bill, and the amendments are available at http://edworkforce.house.gov/markups/108th/fc/hr1350/410main.htm.

Various groups and organizations are weighing in with their opinions on H.R. 1350. For example, the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) is calling for swift passage of the bill, while the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is strongly opposing it. While AASA was disappointed that the legislation does not contain mandatory full funding for special education, its Executive Director Paul Houston said that his organization enthusiastically supports the bill because its policy improvements "practically mirror AASA's recommendations for improved special education opportunities in public school districts." A copy of AASA's full press release is available at http://www.aasa.org/NewsManager/anmviewer.asp?a=3962&z=3.

CEC's Board of Directors and members of its Representative Assembly voted to oppose H.R. 1350 because, in their judgment, it revokes many important protections for children with disabilities and supports to professionals, and fails to provide for mandatory full-funding of IDEA. For links to CEC's recommendations and comments on the bill, visit http://www.cec.sped.org/pp/.

Additionally, the National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems has developed a side-by-side table, which compares the current law to H.R. 1350. Download the analysis from the Wrights Law Web site: http://www.wrightslaw.com/news/idea2002.htm.

In early May, Senators Chuck Hagel and Tom Harkin will be introducing a bill for mandatory full funding of IDEA. The bill will focus on full funding through an eight-year timeline with a base of $8.9 billion remaining discretionary, with mandatory increases of approximately $2 billion each year. In addition, there would be added local flexibility for districts that are deemed in compliance, as long as those districts use the available funds for activities authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The Senators have given the bill to various advocacy groups for their review and feedback. A copy of the bill is available for downloading from http://www.urbancollaborative.org/members/.

Doctoral Programs in Special Education

University of Maryland's Department of Special Education announces a new doctoral program and post-doctoral fellowships focusing on data-driven policy research involving students with disabilities.

University of Maryland's new doctoral program and the post-doctoral fellowships are designed to provide strong training in specific research methodologies and design principles in order to prepare the doctoral students and fellows to conduct large-scale research that will inform policies affecting children and youth with disabilities. Students and fellows will have the opportunity to take a variety of courses in policy and quantitative methods; attend and/or participate in seminars; gain hands-on experience in large-scale research; and interact with federal policymakers.

To learn more about the doctoral program and its application process, please visit http://www.education.umd.edu/Depts/EDSP/prospective/graduate/overviews/policy.html.

To learn more about the fellowship program and its application process, please visit http://www.education.umd.edu/news/vacancies/edspFellow.html.

Events

Improving Attendance, Improving Achievement for Students with Asthma

Thursday, May 22, 2003 12:00 noon - 1:30 p.m. EST

with panelists:

• Jack Campana, San Diego Public Schools
• Paula Carroll, Community Program Coordinator, American Lung Association
• Karen Drezner, Director of Operations, Harbor Science & Art Charter School
• Howard Taras, M.D., American Academy of Pediatrics

Too many students with asthma are missing too many days of school due to non-existent or poor case management, and the problem is especially critical for students in urban areas where asthma cases are dramatically on the rise. When students are repeatedly absent, they are deprived of learning opportunities and are at risk for faring poorly on local and statewide academic tests.

"Improving Attendance, Improving Achievement for Students with Asthma" is a national telephone seminar which is being hosted by Education Development Center, Inc., in collaboration with the ILIAD IDEA Partnership, a federally-funded project that provides support to local education administrators to implement the Individual with Disabilities Education Act.

The panelists of this event will define the problem, present model programs such as Stay Ahead of Asthma: A Survival Guide and Organizer for Parents, and discuss key factors related to planning, implementing, and evaluating effective case management programs. Participants will receive resource materials in advance of the teleconference and will be able to join an online follow-up conversation.

The teleseminar is open to the public. The cost is $75.00 per phone "station," and there is no limit to the number of people who can participate at each phone. Registration is $85.00 after May 14. For more information or to register, please visit http://main.edc.org/newsroom/press_releases/asthma.asp or call KRM Customer Service at 1.800.775.7654. If you have questions about the content of the teleconference, contact Charlene Bemis at cbemis@edc.org.

Web Site of the Month

Award-winning Web site focuses on "what works in teaching and learning"

Developed and maintained by Educational Alliance at Brown University, the Knowledge Loom - http://knowledgeloom.org/index.jsp - enables educators to become part of an active online teaching and learning community.

Visitors to the site will have the opportunity to:

• Review research that identifies best practices related to various themes
• View stories about the practices in real schools/districts
• Learn to replicate the success of these practices in your own organization
• Add your own stories, knowledge, and questions to the collections
• Participate in online events and discussions
• Discover supporting organizations and resources

Current featured topical areas include cultural relevance in teaching; early literacy; middle school math; choice-based art education; school, family, and community partnerships; and much more.

New Resource

"A Tale of Three Cities: Urban Perspectives on Special Education"

This new report from the Center on Education Policy (CEP) sheds some light on how IDEA is working in Chicago, Cleveland, and Milwaukee and which aspects of the law may need to be changed. In 2002, CEP reviewed the operations of special education programs and conducted interviews and on-site forums with the major stakeholder groups in each of these three cities. The report presents general observations about special education in the three cities, describes common concerns emerging from all three sites, and offers recommendations for revising IDEA to address these concerns. CEP notes that the most crucial issue for IDEA reauthorization is how to integrate special education with the reforms underway in general education. Download a copy from http://www.cep-dc.org/specialeducation/.

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.