AWAREness

March 2011

This newsletter contains links to PDF files which require Adobe Acrobat Reader. 

To download Acrobat Reader, click here. 

Providing parents of children with disabilities with information, training, assistance, and support

1021 Delaware Avenue

Palm Harbor, FL  34683

1-888-61-AWARE

www.CFLparents.org

May your day be touched
by a bit of Irish luck,
brightened by a song in your heart,
and warmed by the smiles
of the people you love.

In This Issue

Race to the Top

Use of Seclusion and Restraint.

Manifestation Determination Guide

ESEA Reauthorization

Florida School Digital by 2015?

Blindsided

Parent Teacher Conferences

IEP’s and Bullying

Barriers Still Remain

Talking to Your Teenager About Learning Difficulties

Parent Involvement in Online Learning

CFPC Calendar of Events

Race

to the Top

One of Florida’s Race to the Top initiatives is that all participating districts will implement a Local Instructional Improvement System (LIIS) that will “provide teachers, principals, and administrators with the information and resources they need to inform and improve their instructional practices, decision-making and overall effectiveness” (Race to the Top Application).  To assist the districts in defining an LIIS, the Florida Department of Education is publishing minimum standards of an LIIS.  They were developed in collaboration with one of Florida’s Race to the Top Implementation Committees representing a variety of stakeholders throughout the state.

Click here to access the minimum standards, a synopsis of the standards, and the history of the LIIS Minimum Standards process.

The 2010 Florida Legislature passed House Bill 1073, creating section 1003.573, Florida Statutes,

Use of Seclusion and Restraint on Students with Disabilities.

The statute establishes documentation, reporting, and monitoring requirements for the use of seclusion and restraint on students with disabilities. This document focuses on questions frequently asked by parents of students with disabilities.

Click here for more.

Handling a Manifestation Determination Review (MDR) 

When a child with a disability engages in behavior or breaks a code of conduct and the school proposes to remove the child, the school must hold a hearing to determine if the child’s behavior was caused by his disability. This hearing, a Manifestation Determination Review (MDR), is a process to review all relevant information and the relationship between the child’s disability and the behavior.

Click here for the complete guide.

Education Reform

ESEA Reauthorization: A Blueprint for Reform

The Obama administration's blueprint for revising the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) challenges the nation to embrace education standards that would put America on a path to

 Learn how the blueprint empowers educators.

See how it compares to No Child Left Behind.  (This link brings you to a Power Point presentation.)

Could Florida Schools Go All-digital By 2015?

Education committees in both houses of Florida's state legislature are holding hearings today on a plan that would have the state's classrooms go all-digital by 2015. "Digital is here. We can choose to ignore it, or we can choose to embrace it," one legislator said. The five-year plan would have schools begin phasing in digital content for high-school students and then to all grades. Some legislators have expressed concerns about the costs, as well as access to technology for low-income and rural students. St. Petersburg Times (Fla.) (2/17)

Blindsided!

Parent-teacher conferences. Are you prepared for what you might hear?

When our son Tim was in second grade, my husband and I happily trotted off to meet with his teacher in October. We were confident that we’d hear the usual stuff we’d heard since preschool: “He’s a delightful kid. He’s smart, articulate, funny, and kind.” We were not in the least worried about him, and we loved this opportunity to revel in his successes.

Click here to read more.

Should Social Skills Be Part of IEPs to Help Prevent Bullying?

Strategies to improve the social integration of students with disabilities should be part of Individualized Education Programs as a way to prevent bullying, a new report advises. The report was compiled by the California-based disability advocacy group AbilityPath, which has launched a nationwide "Disable Bullying" campaign -- in collaboration with Best Buddies International and the Special Olympics -- to combat the bullying of students with special needs.

Click here for more.

Waiting Lists, Fragmented Services Among Developmental Disability Barriers

Nearly 50 years after the federal government established a national infrastructure for developmental disability services, life for those with such conditions is markedly improved, according to a government report , but many hurdles remain.

Click for more.

Talking With Your Teenager About

Learning Difficulties

An expert offers advice on fostering ongoing,

positive dialogue with your teenager about her learning problems and how they impact her life.

Adolescence can be a trying time for you and your teenager, especially if she has learning problems. At an age when kids are often least willing to talk with their parents, it's probably most important to keep the lines of communication open and operating. Conversing with your teenager about her learning difficulties can be particularly challenging - and valuable.

Click here for more.

Parental Involvement Seen as Crucial to Success of Online Learning

Full-time online learning requires a high level of parental involvement, prompting some to ask whether e-learning inherently excludes students whose parents cannot make such a commitment. Advocates of online learning say accommodations can be made for students, but they admit that those with involved parents are most likely to succeed.

Click for more.

"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the things you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Mark Twain