November 23, 2021 | Issue (View newsletter as webpage)

Important News

Compensatory Services Related to COVID-19: Parent Survey Results

The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) gathered information from parents about students with disabilities and their experiences with compensatory services related to COVID-19. COPAA received a total of 254 responses representing 36 states and 206 school districts.

Federal and State guidance about compensatory services may not be resulting in the desired outcomes.

Parents who responded to the survey reported that:

86% of students experienced learning losses, regression or slower than expected progress towards learning goals
Very few students (18%) with disabilities are benefiting from compensatory services related to COVID

COPAA suggests that parents who have concerns should ask for a copy of the school district's policy on compensatory services related to COVID.

Read the full report, including additional recommendations for families, States and school districts here

Resources

How to Have a Productive IEP Meeting on Compensatory Education Webinar

Volunteer Lawyers for Justice is offering this training for parents and caregivers of children with disabilities.

Presenter: Jessica Weinberg, Esq.

Dates and Times:

Thursday, December 9 at 7:00 p.m.

Monday, December 13 at 10:00 a.m.

7th Annual Youth Services Conference Registration Flyer image and link

Join our partners Dec 2-3, 2021 for this informative conference. SPAN is presenting one workshop on each day - Education and Health Care Rights in the Child Protection and Juvenile Justice Systems!

Updated Toolkit: Children and COVID-19 Vaccines

As of November 18, almost 6.8 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. This week nearly 142,000 child COVID cases were added, an increase of 32% from 2 weeks ago. Click here to see state by state data

Parents have a lot of questions about the recent news that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is now recommended for children age 5-11. Many parents are still undecided about vaccinating their children, but are motivated by messages about health and community

The Public Health Communications Collaborative's Toolkit includes sample graphics and social media posts.

Download Complete Toolkit here

Download "Talking to Parents about the COVID-19 Vaccines for Children" and

"Answers to Tough Questions" here

New Jersey Inclusive Higher Education Collaborative

SPAN partners with New Jersey colleges that offer inclusive opportunities for young adults with intellectual disabilities. Learn more about the programs in the Collaborative:

Bergen Community College - Turning Point

Career & Community Studies - The College of NJ

Georgian Court University - Transition & Career Studies

Download the SPAN flyer here

SPAN New Jersey Inclusive Higher Education Collaborative Flyer

Upcoming Events

See what's happening this month

SPAN offers a variety of learning opportunities for families and the professionals who work with them. Check out our Event Calendar for details and registration links.

Upcoming Events include:

And more!

decorative "Time to Learn" graphic image

Get Involved: Advocates for Change in Juvenile Justice

“Innovation happens in communities, and one way innovation spreads is when once-local organizations bring new models and ways of thinking to other places”

Nate Balis, director of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Juvenile Justice Strategy Group

Learn about organizations that are exploring alternative visions for how our country responds to youth misbehavior. These organizations advocate for more effective responses when young people violate the law.

The goals are to:

Keep more young people away from the formal juvenile justice system
Support youth who do enter the system with opportunities and connections related to:
personal growth
positive behavior change
long-term success
Make youth justice better and more equitable, especially for the Black, Latino and Indigenous young people who are consistently overrepresented

Connect with organizations doing this work

Share your SPAN testimonial story! CLICK HERE

SPAN Parent Advocacy Network | spanadvocacy.org

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