Navigating Excellence - Parent Center Assistance & Collaboration Team
Region A E-News
In This Issue
Featuring...
Upcoming Events/Dates to Remember
Non-Profit Management Resources
Family-Centered Services Resources
Youth-Centered Services Resources
Absenteeism
Bi-lingual/LEP
Bullying
Child Welfare
Choice/Charter Schools/Virtual Schools/Voucher Programs
Cultural Competence
Data
Discipline & Positive Behavior Supports
Dispute Resolution
Dropout Prevention
Early Childhood/Early Intervention
Equity
Foster Care
Health
Homelessness
IDEA/Special Education
Immigrant
Inclusion
Juvenile Delinquency/Juvenile Justice
LGBTQ
Mental Health
Military Families & Youth
Native American
Poverty
Social-Emotional Learning
Technology
Transition to Adult Life/Youth
Trauma & Toxic Stress
Quick Links
Inspirational Quote

"A father is neither an anchor to hold us back nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way." - Unknown
Message from Carolyn & Diana

Congratulations to all the PTIs who got your applications in! (It will be your turn next year, CPRCS!)  We're thrilled to announce that the two collaborative Region A RSA Regional Parent Center applications were also submitted!  Thanks to all of you who submitted your signed commitment agreements and projected data.  We have a strong application that will continue to provide a community of practice across our entire region.  And now we wait...and in the meantime, Happy (belated) Father's Day to all the Parent Center dads in Region A.  As Parent Centers, like fathers in the quote from Unknown, it is our job neither to hold parents and youth back nor to take them where they want to go, but to provide the information, resources, support, and, yes, love, to help show them how to get wherever they want to go.  Thank you for being so generous with your time, energy and love, and for making our job as the Regional Parent TA Center such a joy!  We also want to wish everyone a meaningful July 4th holiday in advance.  May this July 4th represent a time when our nation begins to finally address the longstanding impacts of slavery and anti-Black racism that has led to inequities in education, health, housing, employment, poverty, civic engagement, and every system in our country.  If you want to be stirred, listen to Ossie Davis' rendition of Frederick Douglass' "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"
Featuring...

ASCF:   Check out the article on "5 Ways to Lift your Mood during the Coronavirus Pandemic".  Read more here.
Upcoming Events/Dates to Remember

Monthly Drop In Call:   The next NE-PACT Drop In Call will take place on Tuesday, July 7, 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 Monday, July 1 if you have any agenda items.
 
COVID-19 Drop-In Calls:   The next call will be on Tuesday, July 22, 10:00am - 12:00pm.  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 support.  Check your calendar invite for additional details.  Join the call
 
NE-PACT Forums:   We're going virtual!  Our 2-day in person meetings will be replaced by virtual meetings on the following dates.  All sessions are on Tuesdays from 10:00am - 11:15am.  More to come!
  • NE-PACT:  Session 1 - July 14th | Session 2 - July 28th | Session 3 - August 11th | Session 4 - August 25th
National Parent Center VIRTUAL Capacity-Building Conference:  The National Parent Center conference will take place virtually!  While you will not get the chance to network in person with your Parent Center peers from around the country, you will be able to participate in a plethora of workshops that will be presented by Parent Center staff, Technical Assistance and Dissemination Centers, and others with great information to share.  The virtual conference will take place on September 22nd, September 29th, and October 6th, from 2:00pm-5:00pm ET.  More information to come soon!

Native American Special Education Conference:  This conference is scheduled to take place on March 22-24, 2021, at Marriott Albuquerque in Albuquerque, NM.  Read more.

Other Events:   Don't forget to check out the CPIR Calendar of Events .
Non-Profit Management Resources 

Going Forward: Best Practices and Considerations for Non-Profit Reopening:   As we continue to hear about spikes in COVID-19 in states that are reopening, take some time to read this guide from the Center for Non-Profits of NJ including readiness essentials, human resources considerations, board governance, and communications and public relations, among other topics.
Family-Centered Services Resources

Family Capacity-Building Checklist:  This checklist includes practices for engaging parents and other caregivers in using family capacity-building practices to strengthen parenting confidence and competence.  The family capacity-building practices are used by a practitioner to promote a parent's understanding and use of everyday activities and routines as sources of child learning opportunities. While this checklist was developed for use by early childhood professionals, many of the activities in the checklist are relevant to our role as Parent Centers.  Take a look.
Youth-Centered Services Resources

Youth Development and Leadership Resources from ODEP:   The Office of Disability Employment Policy has a web page of resources including information on the Youth Action Council on Transition, YouthACT National Online Dialogue Final Report, Cultivating Leadership: Mentoring Youth with Disabilities; and related topics.  Check out the resources.
Absenteeism

Six Causes and Solutions for Chronic Absenteeism:   The National Association of Elementary School Principals summarizes key causes and solutions for chronic absenteeism.
Bi-lingual/LEP

Stephen Krashen's Seven Tips for Teaching Language During Covid-19:   In a recent conversation, Krashen discussed how teachers and parents can harness the opportunity to teach language-including heritage languages-during remote learning.  Learn more.
Bullying

8 Reasons Why Teens Bully Others: Why do teens bully other teens?  Understanding why bullies target specific kids requires moving past the usual assumptions.  Those assumptions include believing that all bullies are loners or lack of self-esteem.  The reasons behind bullying can run the gamut from lack of impulse control and anger management issues to revenge and a longing to fit in.  This brief article provides an overview of the top eight reasons why kids bully others.
Child Welfare

Resources for Parents Separated from their Children or Facing Family Crisis , RISE Magazine May 2020
"We know that if you're visiting your children in foster care only by video or phone because of the pandemic, you are suffering.  We hope this tip sheet and resources on coping with virtual visits, self-advocating, and taking care of yourself can help you stay strong during this tough time."

The Risk of Hidden Foster Care During COVID-19 , American Bar Association June 1, 2020.   The pandemic has resulted in significant challenges for our systems, but it cannot be used as a justification for separating families without due process.  Check it out.
Choice/Charter Schools/Virtual Schools/Voucher Programs

How Can Parents Tell if a Charter School Can Serve their Child with Disabilities?   Check out these 7 points from the National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools.
Cultural Competence

Continuum on Becoming an Anti-Racist Multi-Cultural Organization:   How do organizations move from seeing racial and cultural differences as deficits, to seeing them as assets?  From being an exclusionary organization to being an inclusive one?  Check out this one-page chart.
Data

Using Data to Understand and Improve Your Program:   One approach to program improvement is to use data to help you learn about your program, identify areas for improvement, and set goals.  Potential sources of data include your management information system, observations of your program, and feedback from staff members.  Another source of data for program improvement is impact evaluations that compare the experiences and outcomes of program participants with those of similar populations who do not participate.  Data can help to answer questions about whom you are serving, what the content of each service is, and how many services participants receive.  What you learn may help you identify an improvement strategy to apply to your program.  Then you can monitor changes and continue reviewing data to learn about how the strategy is working.  Access useful resources from the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation of the Administration on Children and Families, US DHHS.
Discipline & Positive Behavior Supports

Teaching After Coronavirus: 7 Things Educators and Students Will Need When Schools Reopen:  When schools are able to welcome students back, students will be looking to their teachers for guidance on how to return to once familiar learning contexts and situations.  Do school routines return to what they were before the news of COVID-19 in our communities, or do they establish new routines and environments?  The answer likely lies somewhere in the middle.  Teachers should strike a balance between providing structured opportunities for academic and social-emotional learning (SEL), while also providing a warm, supportive classroom environment.  This includes allowing for deviations from the schedule when it's clear children need time and space to reconnect with each other and the classroom setting.  Read more about the 7 things.
Dispute Resolution

It Takes a Village to Teach a Child: Building Bridges Between Schools and Parents:   Disagreements and conflict are inevitable when it comes to parents, teachers and school administrators.  Often disagreement comes from a good place - from both parties CARING.  Constructive discussions are the goal. For both parents and teachers, often the biggest impact when it comes to conflict isn't how the ultimate decision turns out, but HOW the process of resolution plays out.  Badly conducted conversations erode trust on both sides, so it's essential that both parties try to remain constructive and focused on the issues, even when emotions run high.  Each conflict or disagreement will either strengthen the bonds between teacher and parent, making further discussions about the welfare of the child easier, or it will do the opposite, and place teacher and parent on opposite sides, making it MORE difficult to care for the needs of the child.  Explore their many tips.
Dropout Prevention

Dropout Prevention in the Time of COVID-19:   Students on the path toward dropping out of high school often exhibit signals that they are at risk well before they stop engaging in school.  As school closures due to COVID-19 separate students from structured routines and educational supports, the number of disengaged students may continue to grow.  Educators should be aware of and look for signs of disengagement and act to maximize engagement and supports for at-risk students during COVID-19 closures.  While all this is especially challenging to educators working remotely, Preventing Dropout in Secondary Schools, a report published by the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education provides recommendations for educators that we have adapted for the circumstances of the COVID crisis.  Access the report and recommendations.
Early Childhood/Early Intervention

Coaching for Early Childhood Practice Change:  The Early Childhood TA Center's Learning Lab on Coaching for Practice Change provides a remote learning opportunity to explore how coaching can be supported by states and used within programs to improve implementation of evidence-based practices.  The Learning Lab provides information, resources, implementation approaches, and thoughtful discussions with experts and colleagues.  This resource is valuable for Parent Centers as  you advocate for effective EI and preschool special education practices and also for yourself as you consider how to improve your Parent Center activities and outcomes.  Check it out.
Equity

Black Lives Matter at School:  Access resources on teaching and organizing to ensure that Black lives matter at school at the National Education Association's EdJustice site.
Foster Care

Inside Voices:   The April-June issue of Represent, a magazine written by youth in foster care, features articles about social isolation, foster care, remote learning, dealing with loss and tips to stay sane.  Check it out.
Health

Health in Schools:   The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools at George Washington University contains a wealth of resources on advancing school-connected strategies for children's health and school success.  Sections include School-Community Partnerships, Vulnerable Populations, and Sustainability.  Browse to your heart's content.
Homelessness

Homeless Children and Youth in the Every Student Succeeds Act:   The Schoolhouse Connection has a two page concise overview of the McKinney Vento Act in the context of ESSA.
IDEA/Special Education

Virtual Meetings- Strategies and Tips , Webinars and Handouts, CADRE.   Tipsheet Collection CPIR. 
Immigrant 

Civil Rights Coalition Applauds DACA Ruling, But Congress Must Permanently Protect Dreamers:   We must continue to follow the lead of Dreamers and other advocates fighting for a lasting solution that protects DACA recipients and their families.  Whether it is the more than 25,000 Dreamers who are health care workers keeping us safe during the pandemic, or the Dreamers marching in solidarity for justice to protest anti-Black racism, DACA recipients are here to stay.  Read more here.
Inclusion

The Case for Inclusive Education: Sabrina's Story:  Check out this blog at Think Inclusive all about how Sabrina accessed inclusive education and what it has meant to her and her family.
Juvenile Delinquency/Juvenile Justice

Youth Confinement: The Whole Pie 2019:  On any given day, over 48,000 youth in the United States are confined to facilities away from home as a result of juvenile justice or criminal justice involvement.  Most are held in restrictive, correctional-style facilities, and thousands are held without even having had a trial.  But even these high figures represent astonishing progress: Since 2000, the number of youth in confinement has fallen by 60%, a trend that shows no sign of slowing down.  What explains these remarkable changes?  How are the juvenile justice and adult criminal justice systems different, and how are they similar?  Perhaps most importantly, can those working to reduce the number of adults behind bars learn any lessons from the progress made in reducing youth confinement?  This report answers these questions, beginning with a snapshot of how many justice-involved youth are confined, where they are held, under what conditions, and for what offenses.  It offers a starting point for people new to the issue to consider the ways that the problems of the criminal justice system are mirrored in the juvenile system: racial disparities, punitive conditions, pretrial detention, and overcriminalization.  Get the facts.
LGBTQ

The Human Rights Campaign and 100+ LGBTQ Organizations Release Letter Condemning Racial Violence:  On May 29th, the Human Rights Campaign released a letter, joined by prominent LGBTQ and civil rights organizations, condemning racism, racial violence and police brutality while calling for action to combat these scourges.  The letter is signed by 100+ leaders of the nation's most prominent LGBTQ and civil rights organizations.  Read more here.

OK2BME Online Youth Group:  OK2BME, a set of free, supportive services for LGBTQ2+ identified children, teens and their families, has decided to move our usual youth group online.  We will be meeting from 6:00pm-7:30pm on Tuesday evenings.  Read more here.
Mental Health

How Anxiety Leads to Disruptive Behavior:  Child Mind Institute, Kids who seem oppositional are often severely anxious.  Learn more.

Ending Racism Is A Mental Health Imperative:   Racism is a mental health issue.  It undergirds the trauma so many people have experienced from sources too numerous to mention.  And trauma paints a direct line to mental illnesses, all of which we need to take seriously.  Learn more
Military Families & Youth

New DOD report from the GAO:  Military families with incapacitated adult children must provide medical and financial information to DOD to prove the child's dependency.  These families may lose healthcare benefits if their dependency applications are denied.  GAO found that DOD's policy doesn't give the military services enough information to make consistent decisions.  For example, there isn't much guidance on financial determinations, so each military service uses its own formula to calculate eligible expenses in dependency applications.  Read more here.

Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children:  The Department of Defense, in collaboration with the National Center for Interstate Compacts and the Council of State Governments has developed an interstate compact that addresses the educational transition issues of children of military families.  Currently all 50 States and the District of Columbia participate in the interstate compact that provides a uniform policy platform for resolving the challenges experienced by military children.  It is estimated that the average military family moves three times or more often than the average non-military family.  These frequent moves can cause children to miss out on extracurricular activities and to face challenges in meeting graduation requirements.  The Compact is intended to ensure that the children of military families are afforded the same opportunities for educational success as other children and are not penalized or delayed in achieving their educational goals by inflexible administrative and bureaucratic practices.  States participating in the Compact would work to coordinate graduation requirements, transfer of records and course placement and other administrative policies.  Access the toolkit and other resources here.
Native American

Discrimination in America: Experiences and Views of Native Americans:  Discrimination is a prominent and critically important matter in American life and throughout American history.  While many surveys have explored Americans' beliefs about discrimination, this survey asks people about their own personal experiences with discrimination.  Overall, Native Americans report substantial and significant personal experiences of discrimination, across many areas of life.  In the context of institutional forms of discrimination, roughly three in ten Native Americans say they have been personally discriminated against because they are Native when being paid equally or considered for promotions (33%), when applying for jobs (31%), and when interacting with the police (29%).  Additionally, about a third of Native Americans believe they or someone in their family have been unfairly stopped or treated by the police (32%) or unfairly treated by the courts (32%) because they are Native American.  In the context of individual forms of discrimination, more than one-third of Native Americans say they have personally experienced racial or ethnic slurs (35%) and people making insensitive or offensive comments about their race or ethnicity (39%).  Similarly, more than one-third of Native Americans report they or a family member have experienced violence (38%) or threats or non-sexual harassment (34%) because they are Native American.  Nearly a quarter (23%) report that they or a family member have experienced sexual harassment.  This report looks at Native American living on and off reservations.  Read more.
Parent/Family Engagement (and Youth!)

Welcoming Black Families: What Schools Can Learn from Churches:   Educational Leadership features this article on how churches can be both models of hospitality and valuable community partners with schools that are striving to ensure that Black students' families feel safe and welcome.  Read the piece
Poverty

The Concentration of Poverty in American Schools:   Students of color in the largest 100 cities in the United States are much more likely to attend schools where most of their peers are poor or low-income. Read this sobering article with the facts and their impact from The Atlantic.
Social-Emotional Learning

Discrimination: What It Is and How to Cope:   Discrimination is a public health issue.  According to the 2015 Stress in America Survey, people who say they have faced discrimination rate their stress levels higher, on average, than those who say they have not experienced discrimination.  That's true across racial and ethnic groups.  Chronic stress can lead to a wide variety of physical and mental health problems. Indeed, perceived discrimination has been linked to issues including anxiety, depression, obesity, high blood pressure and substance abuse.  Discrimination can be damaging even if you haven't been the target of overt acts of bias.  Regardless of your personal experiences, it can be stressful just being a member of a group that is often discriminated against, such as racial minorities or individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT).  The anticipation of discrimination creates its own chronic stress.  People might even avoid situations where they expect they could be treated poorly, possibly missing out on educational and job opportunities.  This article from the American Psychological Association provides some tips for helping people, including students, deal with the social-emotional impact of discrimination.  Read more.
Technology

Making Video-conferencing Sessions Fun:  Deviating from a script or slideshow is a signal to all that what's going on is a human encounter, albeit heavily intermediated.  Meetings are more mutual when meeting leaders are seen as more warm and direct.  Learn more.
Transition to Adult Life/Youth

Transition to Adult LIfe for Students Who Are Black and Have Disabilities: What Do We Know and What Do We Need to Know ?   Although there is considerable research that has identified effective strategies to support the transition from school to adult life for young adults with disabilities, post-school outcomes for culturally linguistically or economically diverse (CLED) students with disabilities, particularly students who are Black and have disabilities, remain abysmal.  This article reviews the literature on transition practices for students who are Black and have disabilities to determine what is known about their unique challenges, as well as what can be done to improve their postschool outcomes.  Read the article.

Barriers and Supports to Post-Secondary Transition: Case Studies of African-American Students with Disabilities:  Upon exiting high school, some African American students with disabilities experience difficulty accessing disability support services and appropriate accommodations.  Many of these difficulties in access can be traced to high school transition planning as the source.  To understand the underlying transitional barriers and sources of support, case studies were developed to examine the experiences of African American students with disabilities as they secured accommodations from disability services.  The following themes resulting from the data were evident within the student portraits: (a) students believed deficit-ideologies undermined attempts at self-determination; (b) students emphasized the importance of adequate information prior to transition; and (c) students often refused to access services due to competing cultural identities.  The theoretical frameworks of social and cultural capital were used to explore the transitional experiences of postsecondary African American students with disabilities.  Download the research for free.
Trauma & Toxic Stress

Addressing Race and Trauma in the Classroom:   This resource for educators from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) is intended to help educators understand how they might address the interplay of race and trauma and its effects on students in the classroom.  After defining key terms, the guide outlines recommendations for educators and offers a list of supplemental resources. This guide is intended as a complement to two existing NCTSN resources-Position Statement on Racial Injustice and Trauma and Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators-and it should be implemented in accordance with individual school policies and procedures.  Read more
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) - NEPACT Logolocated in the states of CT-AFCAMP CT-CPAC , DC-AJEDE-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.