E-News—Issue 7, Number 7

Welcome to the December 2004 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:

• NIUSI Update: NIUSI conducts interview with Dr. Howard Gardner and releases a new Multiple Intelligences On Point
• Events: “Our Combined Voices” (February 2-5); 2nd International Association for Positive Behavior Support Conference (March 10-12)
• New Resource: Increasing Rates of School Completion
• Web Site of the Month: National Association for the Education of African American Children with Learning Disabilities
• News Briefs: President signs IDEA reauthorization bill into law; Hager is the New Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
• National Institute Help Desk

NIUSI Update

Focus on Multiple Intelligence (MI) theory

Don’t miss “Inclusive Education: From Benevolence to Belonging”-- includes a fascinating interview with Dr. Howard Gardner on his MI theory!

Sponsored by the Clark County School District (CCSD), NIUSI, the Mandalay Resort Group, and the Nevada Partnership for Inclusive Education Development Center, this program was organized as part of the 4th Annual National Inclusive Schools Week. It was taped on December 9, 2004 and will be available on www.inclusiveschools.org through January 31, 2005 (Windows Media Player is required).

It includes a one-hour panel discussion with Dr. William Ouchi, Professor, Anderson Graduate School of Business, UCLA; Dr. Howard Gardner, Professor, Harvard University (Via Satellite); Dr. Asa Hilliard, Professor, Georgia State University; Mr. Norman Kunc, Owner, Axis Consultation & Training; and Dr. Lynne Miller, Professor, University of Southern Maine.

This panel discussion highlighted the need to ensure that all students are actively involved in learning. Internationally prominent scholars and reformers were brought to the table for a public dialogue to explore and discuss ways in which curriculum can be better constructed to meet the needs of all learners. Hundreds of CCSD teachers, administrators, community leaders, and families attended this event.

Dr. David Riley, Executive Director of the Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative and Director of Networking and Dissemination for NIUSI, conducted a follow-up interview with Dr. Gardner. The interview with Dr. Gardner focuses on his MI theory, which can help teachers to understand the importance of designing classrooms, instruction, and curricula that meet the individual needs of many kinds of students.

NIUSI’s releases new On Point, “How Multiple Intelligences Theory Can Guide Teachers’ Practices”

MI theory and strategies provide a framework and tools that can help teachers design classrooms, instruction, and curricula that meet the needs of all students. “How Multiple Intelligences Theory Can Guide Teachers’ Practices: Ensuring Success for Students with Disabilities,” a new On Point introduces MI and explores its use with all students by looking at the research on classrooms that use MI. In particular, author Edward Garcia Fierros of Villanova University focuses on the Project on Schools Using Multiple Intelligences Theory so that teachers have a robust example to draw on for their own classrooms.

Free, downloadable copies are available at http://www.inclusiveschools.org/publications/on_point.htm

Events

4th Annual Native American Training and Information Network (NATIN)

Programs and Families United for Our Children with Disabilities
January 31 - February 1, 2005 • Washington, D.C.

NATIN’s annual meeting provides opportunities for tribes and agencies to collaborate and address disabilities issues with a united voice. Keynote speakers will include Dr. Troy Justesen, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, US Department of Education and Victoria Vasquez, Deputy Under Secretary and Director, Office of Indian Education, US Department of Education.
For more information, visit http://www.nativefamilynetwork.com/NATIN.htm

Our Combined Voices: Making A Difference For Children with Disabilities
Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers
8th Annual National Conference
February 2-5, 2005 • Washington, D.C.

This national conference will provide opportunities for collaborative research-based learning experiences that support positive outcomes for children. There will be time to network with colleagues from other parent centers, Technical Assistance and Dissemination (TA & D) network representatives, and representatives from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).

The Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers is funded by OSEP to provide technical assistance to federally funded Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers.

For more information, please visit http://www.taalliance.org/conference/.

The 2nd International Association for Positive Behavior Support Conference
March 10-12, 2005 • Tampa, FL
This conference is designed to provide families, professionals, support providers, researchers and school personnel with new behavior support skills and the latest research findings in the positive behavior support field. In addition to presentations, the conference will offer skill-building workshops on school-wide behavior support, measuring outcomes, early intervention, and other practical applications. Plan to attend largest conference on positive behavior support ever assembled.
The conference will include an urban roundtable to allow researchers and implementers opportunities to network with school-wide positive behavior support projects. Drs. Wayne Sailor and Cheryl Utley, both of the University of Kansas, will co-facilitate the discussion. Dr. Utley is a Co-Principal Investigator of NIUSI.

For additional information, please visit
http://apbs.org/secondconference/confanncmnt.htm

New Resource

Essential Tools: Increasing Rates of School Completion
The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition has released a synthesis of research-based dropout prevention strategies with examples of interventions that show evidence of decreasing dropout rates and improving school completion for students with and without disabilities. Although there is not yet a solid foundation of research on dropout intervention and prevention from which to make strong conclusions, there is information that educators, administrators, and policymakers can use to help develop and implement interventions. The tool is intended to assist in producing the following outcomes:
• Increased awareness and knowledge of current theory and research on dropout prevention and intervention
• Increased awareness and knowledge of data-based interventions that show evidence of effectiveness
• Improved programming addressing dropout prevention and intervention for students with and without disabilities, resulting in increased rates of school completion

To download a free copy, visit http://www.ncset.org/publications/essentialtools/dropout/.

Web Site of the Month

National Association for the Education of African American Children with Learning Disabilities (NAEAACLD) - http://www.charityadvantage.com/aacld/HomePage.asp

NAEAACLD seeks to improve the quality of education for African American children by raising the level of awareness about learning differences and promoting an understanding among parents, educators, and others of the culturally sensitive issues facing culturally and linguistically diverse children with learning disabilities. The project's Web site features a number of important resources, such as "One Child at a Time...A Parent Handbook and Resource Directory for African American Families with Children Who Learn Differently," "Educating Kids Who Learn Differently," and "Continued Mislabeling of African American Children Requires Parental Attention."

News Brief

President Bush signs new IDEA Reauthorization Bill
On December 3, President Bush signed the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) reauthorization bill into law. At the foundation of the bill are the findings of the President Bush’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education, which in 2002 called for special education reform based on paperwork reduction, early intervention, parental choice, and academic results for students. H.R. 1350 is designed to improve results for students with disabilities by shifting the focus away from compliance with duplicative, burdensome, and confusing rules, and placing a renewed emphasis on ensuring children with disabilities are actually learning. The bill aims to improve educational results for students with disabilities by:
• Making special education stronger for students and parents
• Ensuring school safety and reasonable discipline
• Reducing unnecessary lawsuits and litigation
• Supporting teachers and schools
• Reforming special education funding, and building on historic funding increases
A complete copy of the bill is available online at http://thomas.loc.gov and type in HR 1350.

Senate Confirms John Hager as the New Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
The U.S. Senate confirmed President Bush's nominee John H. Hager of Virginia to be the Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the Department of Education. Mr. Hager recently served as Assistant to the Governor for Homeland Security in Virginia as well as Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Mr. Hager earned his bachelor's degree from Purdue University and his master's degree in business administration from Harvard University. Prior to entering politics, Hager held executive positions with American Tobacco Company.