June 2011
Upcoming Events
2011 OSEP Leadership Mega Conference
Exemplary Practices In Stakeholder Involvement: A CADRE Webinar
Parent Center Updates
OCECD Multicultural Coordinator Receives Award Nomination
SPAN Publishes Parent Center Guide to Deaf-Blindness
New Publication: Evidence-Based Practices At School
Announcements & News
TA&D Center of the Month: Monarch Center
President Obama Meets Olmstead Champion
Annual Report to Congress on IDEA
Resources
CONNECT Launches Free Web-Based Module on Assistive Technology Interventions
State Strategies to Support Young Children’s Mental Health
National Council of Nonprofits
Technology
TechSoup’s Mobile 101
Upcoming Events
2011 OSEP Leadership Mega Conference
Register today for the 2011 OSEP Leadership Mega Conference, a training event for Parent Centers, state education agency staff, and lead agency staff to come together to learn and share perspectives. The National Parent Technical Assistance Center will cover the cost of airfare for one director or designee per federally funded Parent Center booked by July 1. Contact kerryjo.johnson@pacer.org with any questions. More>>>
Exemplary Practices In Stakeholder Involvement: A CADRE Webinar
Nissan Bar-Lev, Director of CESA 7, Jan Serak, Co-Director of WI FACETS, JoAnne Blades, Program Manager Oklahoma SERC, and Sharon House, Executive Director of Oklahoma Parents Center, will join Marshall Peter, Director of CADRE, to share exemplary practices in stakeholder engagement in dispute resolution. This webinar on July 13 at 3 PM EDT will illuminate how these states have incorporated meaningful stakeholder involvement and the benefits to their state systems and participants. More>>>
Parent Center Updates
OCECD Multicultural Coordinator Receives Award Nomination
Marbella Caceres, multicultural coordinator for Ohio’s PTI the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD), was recently nominated for a Jefferson Award for her public service. She co-founded the Ohio Association of Latino Parents of Children With Special Needs and recently organized a successful community event. Congratulations Marbella! OCECD is co-directed by Margaret Burley and Lee Ann Derugen. More>>>
SPAN Publishes Parent Center Guide to Deaf-Blindness
The Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN), New Jersey’s Parent Training and Information Center and the Region 1 Parent Technical Assistance Center recently collaborated with the Perkins School for the Blind to publish Parent Center Guide to Deaf-Blindness: Educational Service Guidelines. The document provides information on helping families with issues unique to this population of students related to the special education evaluation and IEP development and implementation process. More>>>
New Publication: Evidence-Based Practices At School
The National Parent Technical Assistance Center in collaboration with the Regional Parent Technical Assistance Centers recently published a new handout, Evidence-Based Practices at School: A Guide for Parents. This short handout is available online or contact the NPTAC for additional copies. More>>>
Announcements & News
TA&D Center of the Month: Monarch Center
The Monarch Center is the National Outreach and Technical Assistance Center on Discretionary Awards for Minority Institutions. Its purpose is to support special education and related service faculty from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority Institutions of Higher Education (MIHEs). The Monarch Center provides technical assistance through workshops, seminars, phone conferences, individual mentoring, and follow-along coaching. More>>>
President Obama Meets Olmstead Champion
President Obama recently met with Lois Curtis, one of the plaintiffs in the Olmstead case that affirmed the rights of individuals with disabilities to live independently in community settings. The case resulted celebrated its 11th anniversary. The lead attorney in the case, Sue Jamieson, wrote a blog entry about the event that is posted on the White House’s website. More>>>
Annual Report to Congress on IDEA
The U.S. Department of Education recently released the 29th Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 2007. The three volumes include data on the students being served under IDEA, state-level profiles, and trends in postsecondary outcomes and other areas. More>>>
Resources
State Strategies to Support Young Children’s Mental Health
The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) recently developed a report describing state strategies for creating strong systems of support for young children’s mental health. Specific examples are provided and the report also includes a strategic planning on progress monitoring tool that can be used by state planners. More>>>
CONNECT Launches Free Web-Based Module on Assistive Technology Interventions
A new CONNECT Module on assistive technology interventions is now available. The module includes an example of how a child care provider, speech therapist, and parent work together help a 2-year-old communicate and participate in everyday activities using assistive technology. CONNECT Modules are free online modules that include high quality videos, handouts and activities based on real life, practice-focused dilemmas. CONNECT: The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge is a TA&D Center that supports early childhood professionals in making evidence-based decisions. More>>>
National Council of Nonprofits
The National Council of Nonprofits provides a variety of resources including information on management, helpful e-newsletters, and links to find the nonprofit association in your own state. More>>>
Technology
TechSoup’s Mobile 101
Nonprofits are increasingly using mobile technology as part of their outreach and program services. This two-part series from TechSoup provides an overview of mobile terminology and trends in advice. It also offers suggestions for helping nonprofits determine if it’s the appropriate time to begin a mobile campaign. More>>>
The Parent Center Network site offers many PDF files for download, which require 