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Navigating Excellence - Parent Center Assistance & Collaboration Team
Region A E-News |
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Inspirational Quote
"The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written." ~Melody Beattie
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Message from Diana & Michele
 We hope you all had time for some respite and relaxation as 2020 came to a close. Now, as we embark on a new year we hope it is filled with new opportunities and new possibilities to make your book a bestseller. As always, the NE-PACT Team is here to support you in any way we can, so don't hesitate to contact us!
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Featuring...
PNWNY: The Parent Network of Western New York will be having their "What's Next? Transition Through the Years - Mini-Conference" on Saturday, January 30th from 9:00am - 11:30am. The keynote will be given by Dr. Stephen Turkovich followed by breakout sessions based on the age of your child, ranging from birth to 5, 5-12, and 13 and older. Read more here.
Starbridge: Starbridge will be having a webinar on "Supporting IEP Learning During COVID - Middle and High School Focus" taking place on February 6th from 3-5 p.m. Whether students are learning at school, home, or a hybrid option, we want to help them continue to learn. For students who have IEPs, there are ways to translate those into supportive plans that can be used in any setting. Starbridge is pleased to host Shelley Moore, inclusion expert and international speaker, for two interactive online sessions! Read more here.
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Upcoming Events/Dates to Remember
Region A Drop-In Call: The next Region A Drop-In Call will take place on Tuesday, February 2nd at 10:00am - 12:00pm. Our regular calls take place on the first Tuesday of every month. Check your calendar invite for additional details. Join the call. Please let us know no later than Friday, January 29th, if you have any agenda items.
State Performance Plans/Annual Performance Reports (SPPs/APRs) Webinar on Wednesday, February 3rd at 4 p.m. The webinar will focus on requirements for stakeholder engagement in State Performance Plans/Annual Performance Reports (SPPs/APRs), with a particular emphasis on new requirements strengthening the role of families and family organizations, and timelines for implementing the requirements. The webinar will also include a discussion of how parent centers can support states and families in responding to these requirements. Register here.
Program Performance Measures Webinar on Friday, February 5, 2:00pm ET. Chosen centers will be notified soon of their selection. The webinar will go over the results of last year's collection and explain the process for this year. The webinar will be recorded and housed on the Parent Center Hub. Register here.
COVID-19 Drop-In Calls: The next call will be on Tuesday, February 16, 10:00am - 11:15am. On these calls we will discuss what is happening in your state/territory/community, address any new developments, and identify any help you need that we can provide. Check your calendar invite for additional details. Join the call.
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Non-Profit Management Resources
13 Employee Performance Review Tips that Actually Improve Performance: The employee performance review has received a lot of criticism in recent years... Most employees believe performance reviews are not effective at driving performance. There's still a place for the annual performance review. But success-driven organizations know it must be part of a bigger performance conversation strategy. Check out the 13 tips.
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Family-Centered Services Resources
Effective Practice in Providing Family Support: Making It Real for Families of Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities: Check out this guide by California Early Start that addresses family-centered care, family support, and family empowerment.
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Youth-Centered Services Resources
Youth-Centered Design Toolkit: The Youth-Centered Design Toolkit provides tools and techniques to include child and youth voices in the development of meaningful programming that reflects the real needs of today's youth. Toolkits enable and inspire action. This one has been co-created with the children and youth of Canada to help everyone using it design better organizations, services and programs that help children and youth. Definitely relevant to us in the US! Check it out.
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Staff Development Resources
Tele-Teaching Practice Guides: Practice guides for tele-teaching for educators and families. English and Spanish translations on behavior, low intensity strategies, and overall guidance for engaging with children with disabilities in virtual learning spaces.
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Absenteeism
Attendance Policy During the COVID-19 Pandemic: COVID-19 has laid bare and deepened the lack of equal educational opportunity, particularly for Black, Hispanic, Native American and students living in low-income communities. Read more.
New Federal Study Finds that Text Messages to Parents Can Reduce Chronic School Absences in Elementary School: Chronic absenteeism from school is a widespread challenge in education that is associated with far-reaching consequences for students of all ages, including lower test scores and higher incidences of dropping out. A new federally funded report from AIR suggests that texting parents may be an effective way to reduce chronic absence in elementary school. The study tested a messaging strategy that started with basic messages, and then "adapted" to provide additional intensified messaging for families whose children had more absences. Learn more. |
Bi-lingual/LEP
Frequently Asked Questions: The US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights has an FAQ on the rights of students and their parents to be free of national origin discrimination, which includes discrimination on the basis of language/limited English proficiency. Access the FAQs. |
Bullying
Bullying and Trauma: Bullying can have lasting impacts on everyone involved: the person being bullied; bystanders who witness the bullying; and the person who bullies others. In fact, bullying is considered an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE). ACEs are potentially traumatic events that can have negative, lasting effects on a person's development, the way they interact with others, and how they perform in school. Research has shown that children reporting more ACEs may be more likely to exhibit bullying behavior. Read more.
Dear Colleague Letter on bullying (Oct. 21, 2014). U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, Building on OSERS's 2013 guidance, this guidance explains that the bullying of a student with a disability on any basis can similarly result in a denial of FAPE under Section 504 that must be remedied; it also reiterates schools' obligations to address conduct that may constitute a disability based harassment violation and explains that a school must also remedy the denial of FAPE resulting from disability-based harassment. Following an overview of the federal protections for students with disabilities in schools, the guidance elaborates on the elements of a disability-based harassment violation and a FAPE violation, discusses how OCR generally analyzes complaints involving bullying of students with disabilities on each of these bases, and then concludes with a series of hypothetical examples that illustrate varying circumstances when conduct may constitute both a disability-based harassment violation and FAPE violation, a FAPE violation, or neither. Read the Dear Colleague Letter. |
Child Welfare
National Child Abuse Prevention Resource Guide 2020 is designed to help individuals and organizations in every community strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect. The Resource Guide focuses on protective factors that build on family strengths to foster healthy child and youth development. It can be used along with the Protective Factors in Practice scenarios and the activity calendars to implement prevention strategies in your community. Find chapters related to child abuse and neglect prevention-including working with families and community partnerships-and tip sheets for caregivers. |
Choice/Charter Schools/Voucher Programs
U.S. Education Department Releases Guidance on Education of Children with Disabilities Attending Public Virtual Schools, AUGUST 11, 2016: Dear Colleague Letter to states to ensure students with disabilities attending public virtual schools are getting the special education and supports that they deserve and is their right. The guidance focuses on specific requirements in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for public virtual schools.
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Cultural Competence
Cultural Competence or Cultural Humility: Moving Beyond the Debate: The authors of this intriguing piece note that in their personal lives and in their work with communities, professionals, and students in public health and health care, they see substantial complementarity and synergy between the concepts and practice of cultural humility and cultural competence. They briefly describe the continuing controversy over the merits of the two concepts and make the case for embracing a both/and approach as critical to our thinking, practice, and lives in communities and societies that are increasingly diverse among multiple dimensions. Read it.
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Data
 K-12 Disparity Facts and Statistics: College degrees are regarded as a primary vehicle for reducing poverty and closing the wealth gaps between people of color and whites. Yet the disparities that exist in our schools that are preparing students for college are alarming. See for yourself. Read these statistics and the full reports from which they come. |
Discipline & Positive Behavior Supports
Discipline and COVID: The coronavirus pandemic is causing Americans to rethink a host of issues. Perhaps the spotlight that has recently shone on school discipline during virtual learning will lead practitioners and policymakers to reevaluate suspension and expulsion policies with a particular focus on how punitive discipline impacts our youngest learners in pre-K and the early elementary grades. Read School Discipline in the Age of COVID-19.
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Dispute Resolution
Early Intervention Dispute Resolution Family Guide Videos: Companion videos for CADRE's IDEA Early Intervention Dispute Resolution Family Guides, these videos can be used to further explain the dispute resolution processes as dictated in the mediation, written state complaints, and due process family guides. Access them here.
National DR Data Summary: The purpose of this summary is to provide an historical look at dispute resolution data and to assist with the identification of trends and changes in the use of the IDEA dispute resolution processes over time. Access it here.
State Part B DR Data Summaries: CADRE reviews and analyzes the IDEA dispute resolution data that state educational agencies annually report to OSEP. Access these summaries.
Trends in Dispute Resolution under IDEA: This one page CADRE document details recent trends in the use of dispute resolution procedures to resolve special education disagreements.
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Dropout Prevention
Virtual Learning in a Time of School Disruption by Raymond McNulty - President, National Dropout Prevention Center. Check out this video.
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Early Childhood/Early Intervention
Child Development & Screening: This newly updated webpage features resources and tools focused on child development and developmental and behavioral screening. They have information on how to work with families to make sure children receive screenings early and activities to promote young children's development. There are also resources on services within the community that support young children and their families. Check it out.
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Education Reform/ESSA
 English Language Learners Distance Learning for ELLs Guide from Colorin Colorado: This guide shares ideas on how to get started with distance learning for English language learners, tools that can increase language production, and lessons learned about communicating with multilingual families during COVID-19. Check out this guide. |
Equity
The Violent History of White Supremacy Is Rarely Taught in Schools. It Should Be: Searing images from this month's mostly white insurrection in Washington, D.C. - including a hangman's noose on the Capitol grounds and the Confederate flag carries inside the U.S. Capitol-harken back to another era when both were tools and symbols of white supremacy across the country. Check it out.
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Foster Care
Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs in Foster Care: A new issue brief from Child Trends examines the prevalence of children and youth with special health needs in the foster care system. CYSHCN comprise about 24 percent of the foster care population. The brief provides an overview of the literature on CYSHCN and their experiences in foster care, an explanation of the study findings, and a brief discussion of practice and policy implications. Read the brief.
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Health
Importance of School Health Services and How School Nurses Help: The needs for school health services are immense. The benefits of school health service systems range from its quick responsiveness to health issues to the equity it provides its benefactors and the effectiveness of the programs it oversees. Under concrete health system objectives, evidence suggests, school health services have the potential to perform well. This piece explores the benefits of school health services and the role of nurses in this structure. Read this piece. |
IDEA/Special Education
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: Intervention IDEAS for Infants, Toddlers, Children, and Youth Topical Brief. Read the brief. |
Immigrant Issues
NILC and NILC Immigrant Justice Fund Statement on Immigration Executive Orders Issued by Newly Inaugurated President Biden: Upon the inauguration of Joe Biden as 46th president of the United States and the subsequent issuing of executive orders and announcement of proposed legislation addressing immigration policy, Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) and the NILC Immigrant Justice Fund, issued an important statement. Read more. |
Inclusion
Universal Design for Learning: The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials has shared this recorded webinar on accessibility and Universal Design for Learning during COVID, Putting Universal Design for Learning into Practice. View the recording and materials. |
Juvenile Delinquency/Juvenile Justice
Youth and Family Engagement Crucial in Local Youth Decarceration Efforts - Juvenile Justice Information Exchange: This piece addresses the importance of addressing structural racism and collaboration with families and youth with focus on decarceration efforts. Read it here. |
LGBTQ
 Human Rights Campaign: The 117th Will Prioritize LGBTQ Equality: On January 3, the 117th United States Congress swears in its new members, which boasts a pro-equality majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and record number of women and LGBTQ people elected. In response to the first convening of the 117th Congress, Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David issued the following statement. Read more here. |
Mental Health
Seasonal Affective Disorder, How it can affect kids, and how parents can help: As we all hunker down for a uniquely challenging winter, it's no surprise that lots of children and teenagers are having a tough time coping. Short tempers, bad moods, low energy - parents are seeing it all, even from kids who are ordinarily cheerful. Learn more.
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Military Families & Youth
Joining Forces: Jill Biden names a director of Joining Forces, an initiative she and Michelle Obama created in the previous administration, which is the first step in her promise to revive this program. Read more.
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Native American
NCAI (National Congress of American Indians): The 2021 Executive Council Winter Session will take place on February 21 - 25, 2021, and the NCAI staff will work over the next few weeks to provide the public and advocates with more information about how to register for and sponsor the event. They will share an agenda soon so that tribal leaders, administrators, policymakers, and our partners can prepare for meaningful conversations around Indian Country's top priorities. Read more here.
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| Parent/Family Engagement (and Youth!)
Strategies for Involving Parents in School Health: This publication defines and describes parent engagement and identifies specific strategies and actions that schools can take to increase parent engagement in schools' health promotion activities. The audiences for this publication include school administrators, teachers, support staff, parents, and others interested in promoting parent engagement. Read the guide.
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| Poverty
President Biden to Increase Federal Food Benefits among Executive Actions Aimed at Stabilizing U.S. Economy: President Biden plans to significantly increase federal food assistance for millions of hungry families among executive actions intended to stabilize the deterioration of the economy weighed down by the raging coronavirus pandemic. Biden is asking the Department of Agriculture to allow states to increase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits - commonly known as food stamps - and to increase by 15 percent benefits awarded through a school meals program for low-income students started during the pandemic, according to Biden administration officials. That could give a family of three children more than $100 in extra benefits every two months, officials said. Read more here.
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| Remote Learning/School Reopening
Returning to School: Mitigation and Mental Health Strategies: On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), Office of Safe and Supportive Schools (OSSS), the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) hosted a presentation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on how to optimize mitigation strategies and mental health to facilitate a safe return to schools in the new year. The presentation included 1) user-friendly tools and information for schools to inform the selection and implementation of COVID-19 mitigation strategies; and 2) information about how to support and promote mental health for students and school staff, both in-person and virtually. Check out the presentation.
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Social-Emotional Learning
Making Space: Teaching After Trauma: Teachers sometimes feel a need to change their lesson plans when traumatic events occur, but that may not be the best strategy. Read more.
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Technology
5 Things You Need to Know About the Modern Learner: The evolution of digital technology has created a new world of learning and, as a result, the expectations and needs of today's learners has changed. Only by understanding the needs of modern learners will you be able to help them succeed. Here are five things you need to know about the modern learner.
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Transition to Adult Life/Youth
5 Ways to Give Students Virtual Work-Based Experiences: With a little creativity, those who support students with disabilities can help ensure they gain work experience, even while learning remotely. Check it out.
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Trauma & Toxic Stress
Adverse Childhood Experiences are Different than Child Trauma: Legislators, caregivers, and the media increasingly recognize that childhood adversity poses risks to individual health and well-being. The original Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Study has helped raise public awareness about this critical public health issue. However, as the use of ACEs questionnaires for identifying potentially harmful childhood experiences has gained popularity, it is important to understand how ACEs differ from other commonly used terms, including childhood adversity, trauma, and toxic stress. Read more.
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ABOUT THE REGION A PARENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER
The Navigating Excellence-Parent Assistance and Collaboration Team (NE-PACT), the Region A Technical Assistance Center, provides technical assistance to federally-funded parent centers -- Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) and Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRCs) -  located in the states of CT-AFCAMP, CT-CPAC, DC-AJE, DE-PIC, MD-PPMD, ME-MPF, MA-FCSN, NH-PIC, NJ-SPAN, NJ-ASCF, NY-AFC, NY-CIDA, NY-LIAC, NY-UWS, NY-Starbridge, NY-INCLUDEnyc, NY-Sinergia, NY-PNWNY, PA-HUNE, PA- ME, PA-PEAL, PR-APNI, RI-RIPIN, VI-DRVI and VT-VFN. These Parent Centers are independent non-profit organizations. We also provide support to emerging parent centers and parent organizations serving families of children with or at risk of being identified as having disabilities. In addition, we work with early intervention and education agencies (local, state and federal level) seeking information regarding best practices in involving parents of children with disabilities in systems improvement.
The center activities are specifically designed to:
- Enhance the capacity of parent centers to provide effective services to families of children with special needs and to work effectively with their states to improve special education and early intervention systems; and,
- Facilitate their connections to the larger technical assistance network that supports research-based training, including educating parents about effective practices that improve results for children with disabilities. For more information click here.
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