Parent Center Updates

LINKS Mat-Su Parent Resource Center’s Online Library

New Directors at Texas PTI

Announcements & News

TA&D Center of the Month: National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality

2012 National Transition Conference

New Section 504/ADAAA Guidance from U.S. Department of Education

Resources

The Family’s Role in Youth Transition Planning

GAO Report Released on Testing Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Family Guide on Integrated Care

“Growing Ideas” Tips Sheets and Resources

Updated ADA Checklist

Technology

Computer Buying Tips for Nonprofits

Nonprofit Management

Accounting Procedures Manual Template    

NTEN Change Journal: Documenting Outcomes and Impact

Parent Center Updates

LINKS Mat-Su Parent Resource Center’s Online Library

LINKS Mat-Su Parent Resource Center, a Community Parent Resource Center in Wasilla, AK, maintains an online library of their books available for checkout. Users can search the library, browse titles, and reserve items. Learn more about this and all LINKS Mat Su’s projects at http://linksprc.org/. LINKS is directed by Eric Wade.

New Directors at Texas PTI

Partners Resource Network (PRN), the recipient of the three Parent Training and Information Center (PTI) grants for Texas, is pleased to announce the appointment of two new project directors as of January 2012: Julissa Purro is the new director of the TEAM Project (Texas region 2) and Melissa Knott is the new director of the PEN Project (Texas region 3).  They both bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience working with parents and professionals within the fields of education and disability related issues.  Both women have previously held other positions with the Texas PTIs. More>>>

Announcements & News

TA&D Center of the Month: National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality

Funded by both the Office of Special Education Programs and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality is a comprehensive content center focused on strengthening teacher quality to ensure the availability of highly qualified teachers to serve students with special needs. More>>>

2012 National Transition Conference

The 2012 National Transition Conference will be held May 30-June 1, 2012 at the Marriot Wardman Park in Washington, DC. The conference is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and will bring together youth, families, educators, vocational rehabilitation professionals, researchers, government officials, service providers, and others to share innovative ideas and learn about current best practices in the field to support the transition from school to adult life for youth with disabilities. More>>>

New Section 504/ADAAA Guidance from U.S. Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights recently released new guidance clarifying the responsibility of school districts to evaluate students for disability, provide a free appropriate public education to students with disabilities, and provide procedural safeguards for identification, evaluation, and educational placement. The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), which became effective January 1, 2009, expanded the definition of disability, and this broadened meaning must be used when evaluating students for Section 504 services eligibility. More>>>

Resources

The Family’s Role in Youth Transition Planning

Read this latest post in a series of blogs on transition planning from the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth). This entry, written by Sean Roy of PACER Center, outlines the importance of family support as youth prepare to leave high school for adult lives in the community. More>>>

GAO Report Released on Testing Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently researched the accommodations requested and granted for people with disabilities taking standardized tests, such as those required for higher education applications or professional certifications. The report, Higher Education and Disability: Improved Federal Enforcement Needed to Better Protect Students' Rights to Testing Accommodations, summarizes challenges faced by individuals and testing agencies in receiving and granting accommodations and how applicable disability laws are enforced. More>>>

Family Guide on Integrated Care

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has published a new booklet describing the concept of integrated care and treating children’s physical and mental health conditions in a more coordinated manner. Family Guide on Integrated Care describes integrated care’s benefits and how families can advocate for it with their own children and on a more systemic level. More>>>

“Growing Ideas” Tips Sheets and Resources

This updated free collection of materials from the University of Maine’s Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies provide parents, professionals, and others with current information on early childhood topics under three main headings of Foundations of Inclusive Early Care and Education, Social-Emotional Development, and Program Planning and Administration. A wide range of toolkits and resources are available for each topic. More>>>

Updated ADA Checklist

Developed by the New England ADA Center, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal outlines accessibility requirements for publication accommodations (goods and services by businesses and nonprofit organizations). This updated list is based on the 2012 ADA Standards for Accessible Design and focuses on the four priorities of approach and entrance, access to goods and services, toilet rooms, and additional access. New to the checklist is accessibility requirements for recreational accommodations such as amusement rides and sports and fitness facilities. The checklists are accessible and can also be downloaded. More>>>

Technology

Computer Buying Tips for Nonprofits

This article from TechSoup.org lists seven questions to consider buying new computers – such as whether to consider buying used equipment and what minimum standards to look for. More>>>

Nonprofit Management

Accounting Procedures Manual Template                           

This template, developed by the California Association for Nonprofits, contains sample procedures for division of responsibilities, cash receipts and disbursements, account reconciliation, and other important financial transactions and recordkeeping. The template was designed for organizations with three people involved in financial processes – executive director, operations/finance director, and bookkeeper. The template is in Word and areas where customization is encouraged are highlighted. More>>>

NTEN Change Journal: Documenting Outcomes and Impact

The Nonprofit Technology Network’s (NTEN) most recent Change journal for nonprofit leaders features stories on managing constituent data, reporting on program impact, managing change within an organization, and articles on other related topics. More>>>