Publications The US Department of Education hopes to bring forth the information needed to improve the education and outcomes of students with disabilities with this In-Brief Policy Analysis from the National Association of State Directors of Special Education. This document synthesizes three reports in order to describe classroom contexts and instruction, highlight student outcomes, discuss challenges faced in providing services for youths with disabilities, and propose possible policy next-steps according to the data.
To download a PDF of National Longitudinal Transition Study-2: A Synthesis of Three NLTS2 Reports on Going to School, Youth Achievements and Services and Supports (9 pages), click here.
IEP State Policies Now Available
The National Association of State Directors of Special Education has released an In-Depth Policy Analysis on Individualized Education Programs (IEP's) that finally shares new approaches to IEP's within the field. The analysis defines and describes "standards-based IEPs," and hopes to encourage the continued sharing of policy changes within states.
To download a PDF of Standards-Based IEPs: Implementation in Selected States (35 pages), click here.
Social and Economic Reform Goes Hand-in-Hand with School Reform
Richard Rothstein, Research Associate at the Economic Policy Institute, proposes that schools may not be fully to blame for the achievement gap. He identifies six areas of social and economic reform that could help narrow the gap, among them planning to create mixed-income housing to increase positive peer influences for poor children, providing summer experiences for lower class children that equal those of middle class children, and assuring high-quality pre-school for low-income students so that they enter school with the tools needed to have an equal opportunity in school.
To read Rothstein's paper, Reforms That Could Help Narrow the Achievement Gap, click here.
Call for Complete Renovation of Higher Education
A draft of the Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education calls for a renovation of the student financial aid system and better cost controls by colleges and universities in order to improve all aspects of higher education. The Commission, led by Charles Miller, also said that many graduates are not entering the workforce with the skills they need to succeed.
For more on this report, click here.
New Assistive Technology Planner Available in August
This August, the Council for Exceptional Children will unveil a new Assistive Technology Planner, From IEP Consideration to Classroom Implementation, that includes a user's guide, an implementation planning tool, and individual planners for teachers, administrators, and families. This practical reference guide may change the lives of students who need Assistive Technology. This product was created by the National Assistive Technology Research Institute (NATRI) under an OSEP grant and will be sold through CEC and it's Technology and Media Division (TAM).
For more information or to purchase the Assistive Technology Planner please call CEC at 1-888-CEC-SPED (232-7733).
