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(2021, February) | Useful for sharing with PTAs, families, community organizations involved in educational issues, and school leadership staff. COVID-19 Handbook, Volume 1: Strategies for Safely Reopening Elementary and Secondary Schools comes from the U.S. Department of Education. The 26-page handbook begins with a summary of CDC’s operational strategies and steps for safe school reopening. […]
(2021, February) | Useful to Parent Centers in keeping up to date with how technology is currently being used in education. Every year Education Week publishes an annual report on educational technology. These reports can help Parent Centers, schools, and families learn more about the various technologies in use to support teaching and learning, and […]
(2020, November 11) | Useful to: All those concerned and involved with the history and present-day well-being of Native Americans. Take 2 minutes to listen to this moving story told by Ali Velshi on the Rachel Maddow Show on Veteran’s Day, 2020, which begins with the story of the military service of Marcella LeBeau, a […]
(2020, October) | Useful to Parent Centers and other dissemination and technical assistance centers when writing for individuals with disabilities. How do you make writing accessible? We know how to replace steps with ramps. We know how to widen doorways and make restrooms larger for wheelchair users. We can accommodate Deaf people with Sign Language […]
(2020) | Useful to educators, Parent Centers, and families of children with disabilities concerned with equity in education, especially in African American communities This guide to equity in remote learning emerges from the ongoing webinar series Advancing Equity in an Era of Crisis, a collaborative effort of several professional organizations in California (e.g., California […]
Of the 24 million children under age 6 in the United States, about 5% (1.2 million) have a diagnosed disability that makes them eligible for services under IDEA. Yet the proportion of children participating in early intervention and early childhood special education varies, with children in certain racial and ethnic groups having differential access to IDEA services. The article examines the impact that COVID-19 has had on families with young children with disabilities, including loss of in-person therapy and gaps in health insurance for children with unemployed parents. The article concludes with 7 examples of action steps that ECE decision makers can take to support a strong return to services and ensure that young children with disabilities receive support for their development and learning.
The right to participate in meetings related to their child is one of the most important and powerful of parent rights. Parents have the right to participate in meetings with respect to the:
their child’s identification,
their child’s evaluation,
their child’s educational placement, and
provision of FAPE (free appropriate public education) to their child.
(2020, June 22) | Useful to Parent Centers, state education agencies, state lead agencies, and Part B and Part C programs regarding dispute resolution On June 22, 2020, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education issued two question-and-answer guidances on dispute resolution in Parts B and C during […]
Children, youth, and families living in under-resourced communities nationwide are especially vulnerable to the immediate and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and may need different and/or more robust provision of services. At the same time, community-based direct service providers may struggle to know how best to support families while adhering to social distancing mandates.
This tip sheet from Child Trends offers strategies to help administrators and supervisors support front-line staff who work with clients remotely, specifically regarding three key areas where administrators are likely to experience the greatest challenges: logistics, policies and procedures, and communication. Read more about, and access, the tip sheet here.
Most parents in the United States depend on child care to maintain an often-fragile balance between work and family life. Although a shortage of affordable, high-quality care is an issue for all families, it disproportionately affects families of children with disabilities. This 26-page report from the Center for American Progress examines families’ child care experiences when they have children ages 0 to 5 with disabilities.
The study identified many significant obstacles that parents of young children with disabilities face when trying to find child care. Key findings are reported, including how parents managed their individual challenges, patching together help as well as making significant changes to their jobs to provide care. Following these analyses, the report discusses three specific policy solutions. Read more about the contents of the report and access it here.