CT YAB GAB, a Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center (CPAC) Youth Advisory Board (YAB) podcast, is Recruiting! The podcast highlights essential topics like advocacy and disability issues, talks with incredible guests, and educates, entertains, informs, and inspires. Michael Scanlon, Youth Coordinator at CPAC, is hosting an open call for youth and young adults, professionals, or anyone interested in sharing their personal overcoming adversity story on the podcast; reach out to him here at mscanlon@cpacinc.org. Listen to the podcast here.

Region A August Drop-In Call: The next Drop-in call will take place on Tuesday, August 1st, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, ET. Our featured technical assistance presenter will be Lise Fox from the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI). Lise will share resources, materials, and discuss strategies to support families who have concerns about their child's social, emotional, and behavioral development and the use of positive and effective interventions. Join the Drop-in call.

Miniseries on Supporting Students’ Social, Emotional, Behavioral, and Academic Well-Being and Success: This miniseries, which is part of the Lessons from the Field Webinar Series, is designed to enhance state and local implementation of the Guiding Principles for Creating Safe, Inclusive, Supportive, and Fair School Climates to ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn in environments that are safe, inclusive, supportive, and fair. It will include five events aligned with the Guiding Principles and recently released fact sheets. Check out the first webinar on August 9th, 3:00 pm. Check out the CPIR calendar for this and other great webinars. Click here to register

Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR): Check out the Hub Central events calendar for more webinar and events.

Ten Traits that Make Nonprofits Great: Check out this infographic on ten traits that make nonprofits great.

Six Shifts Needed to Reinvest in Families: The Search Institute has created this infographic on how to shift our work with families.

What is Positive Youth Development? Positive youth development engages youth with their families, communities, and governments to empower them to reach their full potential. PYD approaches build skills, assets, and competencies; foster healthy relationships; strengthen the environment; and transform systems. Find out more on the PYD guidelines here.

Free Online Training for Child Welfare Staff: The Child Welfare Information Gateway has a resource list of free online training for child welfare staff, many of which are also relevant to Parent Center staff, including a workshop on implicit racial bias, and the ProSolutions Training focused on the child and family protective factors. Learn more.

16 million US students are chronically absent — twice as many since the pandemic: In Philadelphia, chronic absenteeism rose 93% in district schools. Read more about it here.

Improving Assessments for English Learners: Advice from Experts: How effective are traditional assessments in measuring what multilingual learners know in a given subject if they are limited to testing in English while they are still learning that language? That topic was discussed in a recent webinar on multilingual learner engagement from the nonprofit Center for Applied Linguistics. Expert speakers offered advice on what it would take to rethink how English learners’ academic progress is measured at both the systemic level and classroom level, and what else can be done if assessments themselves can’t change overnight. Read more here.

Bullying Prevention for Parents of High School Students: The biggest cases of bullying can happen in high school. This website provides tips to help parents talk to their child about bullying, understand cyberbullying, recognize the warning signs and what to do if your child is being bullied or if they are a bully. The information is provided in English, Spanish, Chinese and Korean.

National survey of child welfare agency expenditures: This survey asked questions similar to those from previous survey iterations to facilitate the analysis of trends, but also added several new questions. For example, states were asked how they use third party income sources like Social Security payments to offset costs, and about the early impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act (Family First Act). Check out the report and data here.

Toolkit to Support Home Visiting Services for Caregivers with Learning Differences: Researchers are doing a lot of work in home visiting right now to understand “what works” best for which families and under what circumstances. One group of families that has received little attention are those in which a parent or caregiver has an intellectual disability or other learning difference. Learn more.

Data Literacy for the Data-Phobic: 7 Things for Beginners to Know:   Check out this resource on data literacy including what is data literacy, why it’s important, 7 things for beginners to know, and simple templates to build data literacy.

We need “Zero Tolerance” for Laws that Push Children Out of School: If zero tolerance policies instituted in schools during the 1980’s worked , we wouldn’t have discipline issues and we would have fewer criminal legal system issues today. While phrases like “zero tolerance” sound like the school is addressing the issue of discipline, it doesn’t address the cause of the behavior. It doesn’t explain the context of the behavior. It doesn’t repair or make it better for the target. Most importantly, it does not teach students the behaviors we want them to engage in to be a part of the school community and our local community. This approach simply isolates the wrongdoer and often causes permanent harm that will ripple throughout their life. Read more here.

Engaging Underserved Families in Cultural & Linguistic Competence DR Self-assessment: This companion guide to the “Cultural and Linguistic Competence Assessment for Dispute Resolution Systems” supports the engagement of families in the assessment process, especially those from underserved populations who may be less likely to use dispute resolution options due to language, access, or socio-economic barriers. Read more.

How to Prevent Students from Dropping Out: When high school and college students leave school without diplomas or degrees, it becomes harder for them to earn substantial salaries, live healthful lives and open doors of opportunity. While dropout rates among some student populations fell over the last decade, every year, millions of learners don't finish their programs of study. The following guide examines why students drop out, what can be done to support them and where helpful resources can be found. Check it out here.

Breadth of 3 Child Outcomes: Do you know about child and family outcomes? The three child outcomes, measured by early intervention and early childhood special education systems, encompass functional skills and behaviors that are meaningful for a child’s participation in everyday routines. They cut across developmental domains to represent the integrated nature of how children develop, learn, and thrive. The breadth of these outcomes provides a framework for describing and consistently measuring children’s functional skills and behaviors across settings and situations. Check out more here and don’t forget to share the pdf.

‘Education’s Long COVID’: New Data Shows Recovery Stalled for Most Students: Pandemic recovery has essentially stalled for most of the nation’s students, new data shows, and upper elementary and middle school students actually lost ground this year in reading and math. On average, students need four more months in school to catch up to pre-pandemic levels, according to the results from NWEA, a K-12 assessment provider. This fall’s ninth graders need far more — roughly a full extra school year. Learn more.

An Equity Audit?: Is it in your Future: This resource, created by MAEC (Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium, Inc.), offers six suggestions on how to run a successful equity audit. You’ll learn key aspects of what to pay attention to and where to go if you need help. Although there are no guarantees, if you follow these suggestions, you’re more likely to obtain useful information. The six suggestions come from their knowledge of, and experience in, examining equity in a variety of systems.

Working as a Part of the Foster Care Team: When foster parents build strong, clear communication and teamwork with the child’s caseworker(s), they can effectively advocate for the child’s best interest. This kind of collaboration between the foster parents and child welfare staff can help to give the child security and continuity to his personal story. Read more here.

Community mental health services are available to help grandparents tend to their emotional health needs — the challenge is encouraging them to seek help. Nationwide, 2.7 million grandparents are raising grandchildren and according to census figures, about one-fifth have incomes below the poverty line. In addition, many of these grandparents live on a fixed income and manage chronic illnesses or a disability. The Need for Mental Health Support for Caregiving Grandparents | Next Avenue.

Medicaid Renewal Public Service Announcements: The Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) collaborated with a community-based organization, El Centro, to create these brief video resources in English and Spanish to provide a background for consumers on the Medicaid renewals happening right now and where to get help. Download them and add your own logo at the end of the video.

School supplies vital to a student's academic readiness:  Having a backpack full of school supplies on the first day of school may seem routine to many of us, but the unfortunate reality is that it can be a major hurdle for low-income families. Even as inflation has cooled moderately, the price of school supplies has risen dramatically in recent years. For students and their families living in homeless shelters, these costs often mean they can’t afford to be prepared for school. Read more.

Educating Dyslexic Students Starts With Educating Teachers About Dyslexia: Robin Zikmund is the mother of a rising 9th grader with dyslexia, ADHD, and dysgraphia. She is the founder of the Decoding Dyslexia Idaho chapter and a dyslexia advocate for the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education, an organization dedicated to providing effective structured literacy professional development for all teachers. Read her journey here.

How to Spot A Fake Lawyer: “Fraudsters” who are not trained in immigration law are approaching immigrants with legal advice. When immigrants engage with these bad actors, it can cause legal status delays and higher costs. Check out this resource from the Immigration Legal Services for Afghan Arrivals.

7 Key Features of Quality Inclusion: How many are in Place in your school? Check out these 7 tips adapted from The Preschool Inclusion Toolbox: How to Build and Lead a High-Quality Program, by Erin E. Barton, Ph.D.

SIU researcher’s team advocates for new assessment, treatment approach for juvenile sex offenders: The School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences has created a new research-based assessment for juvenile sex offenders, which they say is more accurate, effective and beneficial for the young offenders and society as a whole than current systems. And since 95-97% of juveniles won’t reoffend, the team recommends treatment over incarceration. Read more here.

What’s This? Personal Pronouns: Many people include their pronouns in their email signatures or introductions. You might be wondering why. Most importantly, it is a quick and easy way to vocalize inclusion and support, celebrate and affirm our transgender and non-binary colleagues. It can be a conversation starter that allows us to educate new and potential allies about gender identity, gender expression, and the gender spectrum. Read more on the impact of personal pronouns here.

Less than 1% of U.S. therapists are Native American. One Texas group is working to fill the gaps: Native Americans in the United States experience higher rates of mental health issues than their white counterparts. The goal of mental health first aid, said University of North Texas associate professor Syeda Jesmin, is to equip people with the tools they need to de-escalate a mental health crisis and connect the person in crisis with support services. The training helps explain the signs and symptoms of panic attacks, for example, in an approachable way rather than a clinical one. Read more.

Advocates Say More Change is Needed after Pentagon Releases New Exceptional Family Member Plan: This plan connects military families with necessary resources for kids and adults who have special needs when they're stationed at a new base. It varies wildly from service to service and base to base. Late last week, the Department of Defense released its own program in an effort to have more uniform standards for all branches. Advocates say, "It's a step in the right direction, but there's a lot that needs to be done". Read more here.

Everything in Nature Goes in Curves and Circles: During the June Native American Training of Trainers and the Convening, attention was given to the oft-asked question: How do Native Americans think about disability? The Native trainers pointed out that, from the earliest times and up to the present in many tribal communities, the concept of disability didn’t and doesn’t exist. Most tribal languages don’t have a word that means disabled. What is more important is that a person lived a good life and made a contribution to the community. The attached article reminds that the Native American definition of a good life is one lived in balance mentally, physically and spiritually. Their spiritual beliefs created a culture that was and remains disability inclusive. Enjoy the attached 6-page article: “Everything in Nature goes in curves and circles”: Native American Concepts of Disability.

Full, Equal and Equitable Partnerships with Families: Learn about Connecticut’s definition and framework for family engagement.

Children with Disabilities and Poverty: Learn about the increased prevalence of poverty among children with disabilities based on US Census data.

How did the Class of 2023 Fare? Across the country, members of the class of COVID are graduating: students who started high school before the pandemic, then spent the end of their freshman year and subsequent years navigating a new reality. And it was a very difficult path. According to many studies there has been considerable learning loss for K-12 students throughout the pandemic. And a recent study from researchers at Harvard and Stanford shows that the pandemic exacerbated existing inequalities. Read about it here.

Q&A: Sen. Chris Murphy on why he sees momentum for ending restraint and seclusion in schools: Nationally, students are restrained and secluded more than 2,000 times each day, on average, with Black students and those with autism and other developmental disabilities disproportionately affected. For years, Sen. Chris Murphy has introduced federal legislation that would limit the use of restraint and seclusion in schools, and for years the proposals have fallen far short of passage. When he introduced the latest version of the Keeping All Students Safe Act this spring, he had several new cosponsors, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, who leads the Senate committee overseeing education. Read the Connecticut Insider’s Q&A with Sen. Murphy here

New Study: Schools Prioritizing Social-Emotional Learning See Strong Academic Benefits: A recent study out of the University of Chicago showed high schools that prioritized social- emotional development had double the positive long-term impact on students as compared to those that focused solely on improving test scores. Researchers determined school’s effectiveness based upon its impact on students’ social-emotional development, test scores and behaviors. They concluded that the most effective schools provide a welcoming environment for students, an experience that shapes their later years. Check out the study here.

CITES - Family Engagement Literature Review: The Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems (CITES) has developed a framework that empowers school districts to create and sustain inclusive technology systems that serve all students, including students with disabilities who require assistive technology or accessible educational materials. This framework centers family engagement and was developed in partnership with multiple districts across the country. As part of the development of the framework, essential family engagement strategies were identified. The CITES Family Engagement Literature Review provides a glimpse into what current research shows as best practice. Learn more.

National disability information hotline that connects people to local community resources supporting independent living: Launched in 2021 to help people with disabilities access COVID-19 vaccinations, DIAL also provides information about essential services such as transportation, housing support, disability rights, and more.

The Unequal Toll of Toxic Stress: How the Mental Burdens of Bias, Trauma and Family Hardship Impact Girls and Women: There is a pervasive lack of sensitivity to the ways in which girls of color signal emotional distress - a widespread failure on the part of adults that results in too many girls falling through the cracks at school. Learn more.