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Navigating Excellence - Parent Center Assistance & Collaboration Team
Region A E-News
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Inspirational Quote
"Life throws challenges, but with patience and resilience you can convert every challenge into a new opportunity to grow." ~Amit Ray
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Message from Carolyn & Diana
As we all seek ways to address the challenges thrust upon us by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is our collective courage and compassion that will help us to continue to move forward successfully. The NE-PACT Team applauds you for the incredible strength and resilience you've shown in these most trying times as you continue to meet the needs of families and your communities. Remember that we are here to provide you with the support and resources you need to continue to lead.
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Featuring...
United We Stand of NY:
What is Remote Learning?
School administration and personnel will be contacting families to figure out a way that all students can get live instruction. When we say "
all students"
that "
all" includes students with disabilities. The Department of Education Chancellor has stated they are working on figuring out a way to provide the services mandated on each student's IEP remotely. The DOE has what can be done at home while they figure out a way to support students with disabilities. Read more.
Long Island Advocacy Center:
Evaluations:
Districts may continue to do evaluations remotely when appropriate. Each district is working on a protocol. Current New York State guidance states, consistent with US ED policy, that "evaluations and reevaluations, including bilingual evaluations, that do not require face-to-face assessments or observations may take place while schools are closed, if the parent consents. If an evaluation of a student with a disability requires a face-to-face meeting or observation, the evaluation would need to be delayed until school reopens." Read more.
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Upcoming Events/Dates to Remember
Families and Educators Supporting Learning at Home: The National Association for the Education of Young Children is presenting a webinar on Thursday, April 30 from 3-4 pm ET to share strategies and resources to help early childhood educators and diverse families of young children build great relationships that support young children.
Register here.
Monthly Drop In Call: The next Region A Drop In Call will take place on
Tuesday, May 5 , 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, May 1 if you have any agenda items.
COVID-19 Drop-In Calls
: The next call will be on
Tuesday, May 19, 10:00am - 12:00pm. On these calls we will discuss what is happening in your state, address any new developments, and identify any help you need that we can support. Check your calendar invite for additional details.
Join the call.
Trauma-Informed, Resilience-Oriented Leadership During a Pandemic Webinar
, May 11, 2020, 6:00 pm ET. Moving towards a trauma-informed and resilient organization involves intentional and equitable approaches to systemic and organizational change. This webinar includes focusing on the well-being of all the adults within a system so that they can bring their whole, human selves to the important work they do to care for others. Join Pacific Southwest MHTTC for a webinar on systems and agency leadership approaches that embrace trauma-informed care. This session will help leaders to understand the fundamentals of leading their organization towards becoming more trauma-informed and resilience-oriented. The content will blend brain science, principles for building a safe environment, and promising practices for trauma-informed systems.
Click here to register.
REACH & 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 10:00 am - 11:15 am. More to come!
- REACH: Session 1 - June 9th | Session 2 - June 23rd | Session 3 - June 30th
- NE-PACT: Session 1 - July 14th | Session 2 - July 28th | Session 3 - August 11th | Session 4 - August 25th
National Parent Center Capacity Building Conference & REACH for Transition
: Save the date! The National Parent Center Capacity Building Conference is planned for Denver, Colorado on September 16-17; the REACH for Transition forum is planned for September 15. More info to come soon regarding whether the conference will be held in person or virtually. Stay tuned!
CADRE Conference:
Save the date! Planting Seeds: Growing an Inclusive and Informed Community, October 28-30, Denver, CO.
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Non-Profit Management Resources
BoardEffect: COVID-19 is impacting the way organizations of all types operate and modern governance is needed more now than ever. Small nonprofits are especially vulnerable in times such as these, when necessary resources and funding may not be as reliable, and they may need to abruptly shift how they stay connected, hold meetings, and collaborate. In order to support the nonprofit sector during this troubling time, BoardEffect will provide free licenses to small nonprofits, including 501(c)(3) organizations with operating budgets up to USD $5M through this crisis period.
Learn more
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Technology Resources
Simply Said: Understanding Accessibility in Digital Learning Materials:
The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials and PACER Center have developed a brief video in easy-to-understand language that provides an overview of accessibility features to look for in digital learning materials. Check it out.
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Staff Development Resources
 Employee Development During the COVID-19 Crisis: The 70-20-10 model was first published by Morgan McCall and his colleagues at the Center for Creative Leadership over 30 years ago. After studying successful executives, McCall and his fellow researchers discovered that 70% of what we know and what we know how to do stems from actual on-the-job experience. 20% comes from other people (coaching and mentoring). The remainiing 10% comes from classroom learning. So even though we currently can't send people to (face-to-face) classrooms, 90% of our development should come from other methods anyway. Click here to take a look at what 70-20-10 development can look like during this crisis period.
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| Family-Centered Services Resources
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Youth-Centered Services Resources
Khan Academy:
Resources to keep learning for preschool through 12th grade.
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Absenteeism
As School Moves On-Line, Many Students Stay Logged Out:
Chronic absenteeism is a problem in American education during the best of times, but now, with the vast majority of the nation's school buildings closed and lessons being conducted remotely, more students than ever are missing class - not logging on, not checking in or not completing assignments. The absence rate appears particularly high in schools with many low-income students, whose access to home computers and internet connections can be spotty. Some teachers report that fewer than half of their students are regularly participating. Read more (you can get a free subscription to read the full article).
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Bi-lingual/LEP
Supporting multilingual students' learning in a time of school closures: Every human learns. We learn language, learn how to navigate the world around us, how to build relationships, how to feed ourselves, and myriad other skills. When it comes to school closures or extended student absences, what will students continue to learn? Read more.
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Bullying
Cyberbullying May Increase During COVID-19 Pandemic: During the COVID-19 pandemic, with adolescents likely to use digital platforms even more for personal or educational purposes, there could be a concurrent increase in cyberbullying, with victims being less likely or even unable to get help. This article provides tips on how to prevent and address cyberbullying during a time of school closures and remote learning.
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Child Welfare
Coronavirus Parenting: Managing Stress and Frustration:
Parents everywhere are losing their temper and yelling at their kids. Read and share these tips on maintaining cool under stress.
Single Parenting During the Coronavirus Crisis: The coronavirus crisis is tough on all families. But for single parents, having to suddenly manage kids whose schools and playgrounds are closed and whose caregivers can no longer come to work can be especially overwhelming. There's no magic bullet that will make living through this crisis easy. But the Child Mind Institute has put together some advice from experts to help support single parents during this difficult time. In particular, the tips focus on reaching out to find help (which is crucial to mental health), balancing work and time with the kids (which can feel impossible) and handling difficult behavior (which is to be expected). Read more.
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Choice/Charter Schools/Virtual Schools/Voucher Programs
National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools:
COVID-19 and students with disabilities information page. Read the article.
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Cultural Competence
Cross-cultural communication during a health crisis
: The COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable among us. This includes the elderly and those with underlying health conditions. It also includes communities of color, immigrant communities, low-income workers, and the prison population. Learn more and to download the Cultural Competency and COVID-19 Infographic.
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Data
National Survey Tracks Impact of Coronavirus on Schools
:
The EdWeek Research Center, the research arm of Education Week, is conducting twice-monthly national surveys of teachers and district leaders to help the K-12 system navigate these unprecedented times. The surveys provide an evolving view of how schools are addressing challenges around communication, equity, attendance, and academic performance as well as the eventual reopening of school buildings. Find out what's happening.
What is the likely impact of remote learning:
What does data on student performance in virtual schools prior to COVID-19 tell us about the likely impact of remote learning now? In a series of research briefs released in May of 2019,, the nonprofit National Education Policy Center (NEPC) challenges the idea that online learning programs can be as effective as traditional schools in delivering individualized instruction to students. And it shows that, for all the flexibility they offer, such programs often come at a cost to student performance. Read more.
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Discipline & Positive Behavior Supports
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Dropout Prevention
How to Keep Potential Dropout Students on Track to Graduate:
COVID-19 cannot become a factor that accelerates student dropout rates. Sharing critical strategies for addressing the needs of existing and emerging potential dropout students. Check it out.
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Early Childhood/Early Intervention
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Equity
Ten Equity Implications of the Coronavirus COVID-19 Outbreak in the United States: A widely impactful public health crisis is upon us. The tentacles of its impact are many and pervasive, from social, to economic, to environmental implications. As a civil rights organization and as stewards of human rights, the NAACP is lifting its voices to demand the policies and practices that will preserve the wellbeing of all. Check it out.
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Foster Care
The Coronavirus Leaves Children in Foster Care with Nowhere to Go: The foster care system, built on frequent movements of children from one home to another and regular in-person supervision, has been especially wracked with confusion and dread by the coronavirus crisis. Afraid of bringing the coronavirus into their homes, some foster parents are refusing to accept any new children. And most visits between birth parents and their children in care have been suspended or switched to phone calls at a time when their children need in-person love and reassurance more than ever.
Read more about the situation.
Making the Most of Virtual Visits in a Time of Separation and Anxiety: The most recent issue of RISE Magazine, the magazine for families of children in care, focuses on resources for parents separated from their children or facing family crises during this difficult time. Read the articles and watch the video.
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Grandparents as Caregivers
COVID-19 Manage Anxiety and Stress: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Coping with stress will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger.
Read more.
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Health
Medicaid FLexibilities during COVID-19:
Many students with disabilities receive related services that are paid for by Medicaid. This memo from the US Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services provides information on flexibilities in Medicaid.
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Homelessness
COVID-19 and Homelessness Resources: As COVID-19 disrupts education, services and life across the country, children and youth experiencing homelessness are exceptionally vulnerable. This web page from the School House Connection offers resources to help meet their needs.
Check it out.
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IDEA
NCSI Resources on COVID-19: The National Center on Systemic Improvement's most recent
newsletter focuses on the activities they have taken to support state Part B systems during the COVID-19 crisis.
Public Participation Flexibilities: Because of the exigent circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic that have resulted in school and program closures and State-imposed restrictions on public gatherings, the Department of Education has highlighted flexibilities with regard to hearings for meeting the IDEA public participation requirements. Two Topic Briefs address permissible flexibilities with regard to public requirements at 34 C.F.R. 300.165 (Part B) and 34 C.F.R. 303.208 and in section 441(b)(7) of GEPA (20 U.S.C. 1232d(b)(7) (Part C). OSEP recognizes that the 60-day public participation period has, or will soon, expire for Part B and Part C programs but are sharing these Topic Briefs with the hope that the flexibilities described may be helpful now or in the event of future circumstances.
Supplemental Fact Sheet Serving Children with Disabilities during COVID-19 national emergency (March 21, 2020): "Federal disability law allows for flexibility in determining how to meet the individual needs of students with disabilities. The determination of how FAPE is to be provided may need to be different in this time of unprecedented national emergency. FAPE may be provided consistent with the need to protect the health and safety of students with disabilities and those individuals providing special education and related services to students. Where . . . there has been an inevitable delay in providing services - or even making decisions about how to provide services - IEP teams (as noted in the March 12, 2020 guidance) must make an individualized determination whether and to what extent compensatory services may be needed when schools resume normal operations."
Read more at U.S. Department of Education Releases Webinar, Fact Sheet for Protecting Students' Civil Right During COVID-19 Response.
Ensuring Web accessibility for students with disabilities for schools utilizing online learning during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak webinar (7 minutes) OCR at U.S. ED March 18, 2020. This resource combined with Fact Sheet: Addressing the Risk of COVID-19 in Schools While Protecting the Civil Rights of Students OCR at U.S. ED (March 16, 2020) will assist education leaders in making distance learning accessible to students with disabilities and in preventing discrimination. OCR at U.S. ED March 18, 2020. For the announcement and discussion
click here.
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Immigrant
Who Is Disproportionately Affected by the Coronavirus? Immigrants: From the farmworkers who harvest our food, to the dedicated people who care for our loved ones, to the countless hardworking people who fulfill so many other essential roles, immigrants contribute significantly to our society in meaningful ways and pay billions of dollars in federal taxes every year.
Read more.
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Inclusion
COPAA Fact Sheet: Check out this
COPAA Fact Sheet to help families of children with disabilities understand what rights they have during extended school closures.
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Juvenile Delinquency/Juvenile Justice
COVID-19 and the Juvenile Justice System: The National Council on Crime and Delinquency has put together a webpage of information and resources on this issue.
Check it out.
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LGBTQ
Virginia Values Act Signed Into Law-Extending Long-Delayed, Critical Protections to LGBTQ Virginians: On April 11, VA Governor Ralph Northam signed into law the Virginia Values Act that extends existing state non-discrimination protections in public employment, housing and credit to Virginians on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and several other characteristics.
Read more.
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Mental Health
National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health website:
The COVID-19 pandemic is placing additional stress on everyone, including parents, youth and children. A new resource page that lists free, national hotlines and helplines to address the following areas of Mental Health Treatment and Support: Crisis and Suicide Risk, Substance Use, Child Abuse or Neglect, Domestic/Family Violence, Access to Food, and Parenting is available. Check it out.
Training and Technical Assistance Related to COVID-19:
SAMHSA is committed to providing regular training and technical assistance (TTA) on matters related to the mental and substance use disorder field as they deal with COVID-19. These TA programs are delivering great resources during this time. View the updated available TTA resources to assist with the current situation.
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Military Families & Youth
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Parent/Family Engagement (and Youth!)
Family-School Engagement in the Time of Coronavirus:
The Coronavirus pandemic is a challenge unlike any that we have faced in our lifetime. With our schools closed, there are new pressures on schools and educators to meet the learning needs of students virtually. Families and caregivers are also under pressure to transition quickly into their new full-time roles as homeschoolers while juggling everything else on their plates. Virtual home visits are an effective strategy to engage with families. Find out more.
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| Poverty
The Shift to Online Learning Could Worsen Educational Inequality:
From the digital divide, to the space divide, low income students are at even greater risk today. Find out more.
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Social-Emotional Learning
Social -Emotional Learning Should be Priority During COVID-19 Crisis:
Many educators are keenly and understandably focused on "getting the academics right" with online learning. With their classrooms, student relationships and support systems upended by the school closures, social-emotional learning may not be a priority. Learn more.
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Transition to Adult Life/Youth
Providing Transition Services for Students with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Outbreak: To support state and local education and other service providers, as well as students and families who are challenged by the current health concerns, closings, and restrictions associated with COVID-19, the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT) has organized a Transition Resources During COVID-19 Outbreak page focused on services and supports to students and youth of transition age and their families. Check it out.
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Trauma & Toxic Stress
The COVID-19 Crisis is a Trauma Pandemic in the Making: When the dust settles from this crisis, almost everyone will be impacted. The impact from the stress and grief people have experienced in a short period of time will impact us long after this pandemic has ended. Read more.
COVID-19 Pandemic Response Resources: The Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress has put together fact sheets and resources to support the health and well-being of communities impacted by COVID-19.
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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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