E-News—Issue 8, Number 2

Welcome to the February 2005 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:

• Publication Highlight: Keeping the Faith & Climbing One Mountain at a Time
• Events: CAST Institutes on UDL (various dates); Improving Reading and Writing in the Content Areas online workshop (March 14-May 2); Understanding the Needs of Southeast Asian Americans and Refugees (April 21-23); Educational Opportunities for Hispanic Students (April 22-24); Achieving AYP for Students with Disabilities (July 11-15)
• Resources: Preventing Disproportionate Representation; Echoes of Brown
• NIUSI Support Desk

Publication Highlight

NIUSI releases Keeping the Faith & Climbing One Mountain at a Time: Reflections of Two Mothers on their Children's Educational Journeys

This new On Point from NIUSI tells the stories of Hilda Sramek and Evelyne Milorin, two mothers who both have faced numerous challenges in seeking an appropriate education for their children who have disabilities. Hilda and Evelyne chronicle their children's lives from their first experiences in school to adulthood. For both families, it has been a continuous struggle for inclusion. Their experiences will resonate with far too many families who still have to fight to have their children supported in inclusive schools and communities. Hilda and Evelyne willingly share their stories to encourage other families to "keep the faith" and "climb one mountain at a time."
Free, downloadable copies of this On Point are available at http://www.inclusiveschools.org/publications/on_point.htm

Events

CAST Institutes on Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Various dates in 2005 • Wakefield, MA

CAST is offering a variety of two- and three-day institutes on topics such as UDL and struggling readers, UDL and literacy for English Language Learners, what the brain tells us about learning differences, and many others.

The institutes have a maximum of 24 participants, which allows for small group work, hands-on technology, individualized support, and direct application to participants' practice. All institutes are held at CAST, which is located in a suburb of Boston.

For more information, visit here.

Improving Reading and Writing in the Content Areas
March 14-May 2, 2005 • Online workshop

This six-session, online workshop will give teachers the tools they need to integrate literacy strategies into content learning to help raise student achievement. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to locate web-based tools, strategies, and lessons that foster literacy skills in all content areas. They will also have developed a preliminary lesson plan incorporating these tools and strategies. Graduate credit is available through Antioch University.

For more information or to register, visit http://www.literacymatters.org/pdonline/courses.htm

25th Annual Conference of the National Association for the Education and Advancement of Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese Americans (NAFEA)
"30 Years of Transformation: Understanding the Needs of Southeast Asian Americans and Refugees"
April 21-23, 2005 * Seattle, Washington

This year's conference theme will focus on issues, challenges, and opportunities facing Southeast Asian Americans today and the importance of providing the necessary training and information to those whose leadership will influence policy makers, educators, and service providers working with the Southeast Asian population. Parents and students will discuss the barriers they face within the community and schools to reach their full potential. Proposals for workshops, panel discussions, and paper presentations are being solicited on all topics regarding education, community development, and health and social services.

For more information, please visit http://www.searac.org/nafea.html. Please direct questions to Phouang Sixiengmay-Hamilton at 360-725-6152 or phamilton@ospi.wednet.edu or Rithy Uong at rithyuong@lkh.lowell.k2.ma.us.

Northwest Conference on Celebrating Educational Opportunities for Hispanic Students
April 22-24, 2005 • Boise, Idaho

The conference, co-sponsored by the school board associations of Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada, is designed to present innovative programs and strategies that strengthen the education of Hispanic/Latino students—strategies that can be applied across a variety of student groups. By showcasing successful models, the conference aims to assist school districts in developing their own programs to support educational opportunities for Hispanic/Latino students as well as the entire student population.

The conference will emphasize the governance and policy role of school board members in implementing such programs. It will also provide valuable information for superintendents and district-level staff responsible for the education of English language learners, migrant students, Hispanic/Latino students, and other diverse student populations.

For more information, please visit http://www.idsba.org/Events/index.html#2005%20Northwest%20Conference or
contact contact Clifford Green at 208-854-1476 or cliff@idsa.org.

Harvard Summer Institute, Critical Issues in Urban Special Education
" Achieving AYP for Students with Disabilities"
July 11-15, 2005 • Cambridge, MA

This year's Institute on Critical Issues in Special Education will focus on what schools and districts can do to improve learning outcomes for students with disabilities, thereby increasing scores on standardized assessments and positively impacting state performance requirements. The institute will examine a number of research-based organizational, instructional, and resource allocation strategies for improving outcomes, and look at how these strategies have been successfully used by schools and districts.

Faculty will include Thomas Hehir, Professor of Practice and Director of the School Leadership Program, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Jeffrey Howard, President, The Efficacy Institute; Nonie Lesaux, Assistant Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Diana Pullin, Professor of Education Law and Public Policy, Boston College; David Riley, Institute Co-Chair and Executive Director, Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative; George Sugai, Professor, Educational and Community Support, University of Oregon and Co-Director of the National Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports; and John Verre, Institute Co-Chair; Director of Compass Consulting, Boston, MA.

For more information, visit http://www.gse.harvard.edu/ppe/k12/index.html

Resources

Preventing Disproportionate Representation: Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Prereferral Interventions
Disproportionate representation of students from diverse socio-cultural and linguistic backgrounds in special education has been a persistent concern in the field for more than 30 years. In spite of continued efforts by educators and researchers to identify contributing factors and develop solutions, student enrollments in special education range from over- to under-representation, depending on the disability category and the specific racial/ethnic group, social class, culture, and language of the students. Although examining rates of representation can alert educators to the existence of a problem, a key question in dealing with disproportionality in special education is, "Are we identifying and serving the 'right' students?"

This new practitioner brief from NIUSI’s partner, the National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt), focuses on four key elements of culturally and linguistically responsive prereferral intervention for diverse students. These elements are: 1) preventing school underachievement and failure, 2) early intervention for struggling learners, 3) diagnostic/prescriptive teaching, and 4) availability of general education problem-solving support systems.

Downloadable copies of this practitioner brief may be obtained from NCCRESt's Web site: http://www.nccrest.org/publications.html

Echoes of Brown: Youth Documenting and Performing the Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education
Whether you are studying the history of Brown or discussing issues of diversity and racial equality, this multi-media resource is an invaluable teaching tool. Echoes of Brown, which includes a DVD, book, and teaching resources, features a performance by a diverse ensemble of youth from suburban and urban schools who speak to the victories and continuing struggles for justice and democracy in public schools. The program weaves youth spoken word and dance with rich video interviews with "elders," including Arthur Kinoy (1921-2003), Sonia Sanchez, Judge Jack Weinstein, Roscoe Brown, Esther Lee, Thea and Bailey Jackson, and Adam Green.

For more information or to view a video clip, please visit http://store.tcpress.com/0807745162.shtml

Culturally Responsive Parental Involvement: Concrete Understandings and Basic Strategies

This booklet, produced under an American Association of Colleges for Teacher Preparation-MetLife Foundation Project at Hofstra University, explains that strong parental involvement in a child's education is essential to the success of both the child and the school. It explores culturally biased beliefs many educators have toward their students and students' families, examining a variety of ways in which educators and parents can work together to benefit students. The authors describe key assumptions, examine common misconceptions, and recommend steps for initiating culturally responsive parental involvement.

To download a free copy, please visit http://www.aacte.org/Publications/default.htm

NIUSI Support Desk

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