LD Links (LD News: November 2006)

New Policy Brief Highlights the Benefits of Early Literacy Programs
A new policy brief, Early Literacy: Policy and Practice in the Preschool Years, pulls together the wide amount of information on the benefits of paying close attention to early literacy -- from improved academic achievement to reduced grade retention -- and offers researched-based recommendations for furthering this trend.

To download a PDF of this brief (12 pages), click here.

Study Offers Help for Choosing Child Care Options
The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has released a report discussing the results of a study on how families and different features of child care link to the intellectual, social, and emotional development and health of children. Among the findings, researchers report that children in non-maternal child care environments have better language and cognitive development than those in lower quality care settings.

To download a PDF of the full report (52 pages), click here.

What Pre-K-3 Teachers Should Know and Do
The Foundation for Child Development (FCD) has focused its 2006 Annual Report on a discussion with a group of educators on what pre-K through third grade teachers should know and be able to do. 

To download a PDF of Bridging Two Worlds: PK-3 Teachers as Architects of Children's Learning, part of FCD's Annual Report (32 pages), click here.

How NCLB and IDEA Work Together to Help Students with Disabilities
Due to the intersection between the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDA), the National Center on Educational Outcomes has developed a report that discusses the ways in which the two laws work together to improve academic achievement of students with disabilities. 

To download a PDF of the full report (23 pages), click here.

Experts Define Student Success
The National Postsecondary Education Cooperative has commissioned a series of papers from varying expert viewpoints addressing the definition of student success. The papers urge future research on the topic and offer recommendations for improving policy and practice in postsecondary education. 

To read the papers, click here.

Test Accommodation Research Summarized
The National Center on Educational Outcomes has released a report summarizing research studies on test accommodations according to purpose, type of assessment, content area, type of accommodation, type of disability, and more. 

To read the report, click here.

Online Guide Now Available for Improving Assessment Accessibility
A new manual from the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) describes ten steps that states can take to improve assessment accessibility and includes an online tutorial with links to other useful NCEO reports.

To view the guide, click here.

Helping Educators Make Informed Decisions
The What Works Clearinghouse has released two new intervention reports to help educators make informed decisions on English Language Learning and Elementary School Math. 

To read the report on English Language Learning, click here. To read the report on Elementary School Math, click here.

Free Online Courses for Parents and Self-Advocates
Partners in Policymaking now offers free online courses on topics including the history of people with disabilities from ancient times through today, special education options in school systems, the legislative process and communicating with public officials, and career planning for people with disabilities.

For more information, click here.

Electronic Texts Useful for Students with Disabilities
Electronic texts are useful tools for students with learning disabilities as they can be altered to meet their needs. Schwab Learning offers an article exploring these options, as well as a list of resources where electronic literature is available. 

For more information, click here.

For another article from Schwab Learning discussing how you can best utilize your current computer software for students with disabilities, click here.

Webinar to Be Held on Moving Forward with Technology
The Center for Implementing Technology in Education (CITEd) provides a variety of resources for teachers, administrators, and professional development coordinators of students with disabilities. CITEd will host the second of their free Webinar series, Moving Forward with Technology on December 7.

For more information, click here.