2007 NATTAP Conference Online Registration Now Available
The Network of Autism Training and Technical Assistance Programs (NATTAP), and the Autism Society of America (ASA) present the First Annual International NATTAP Conference hosted by the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI) in Columbus, Ohio. The 2007 NATTAP Conference is scheduled for September 26-28, 2007, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC). The conference will feature a variety of topics including IDEA, NCLB, Assessment, Autism, Transition, and many others. The NCRRC will have a booth at the event. You can view more information and pre-register online by clicking here or download the promotional flyer here.
New IDEA 2004 PowerPoint Presentations Now Available Online
The U.S. Department of Education has 8 PowerPoint presentations on their website pertaining to IDEA ’04. The topics include: (1) Discipline, (2) Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT), (3) IDEA Part B Regulations Overview, (4) IEP Team Changes/ Evaluation and Re-evaluation, (5) Monitoring, TA and Enforcement, (6) NIMAS, (7) Procedural Safeguards, (8) RTI/EIS. These documents can be viewed by clicking here.
Posted on: Wednesday, March 14, 2007
NCRRC Monthly Early Childhood Conference Call
The NCRRC will be hosting its monthly early childhood conference call on Tuesday, February 20, 2007 at 10 a.m. CDT. Virginia Buysse and Pam Winton, from the Franklin Porter Graham Child Development Institute, will be presenting information on evidence-based practices and the new National Professional Development Center on Inclusion. To join the call, please dial 1-866-393-8073 access code *2830894* (include the asterisks). The Powerpoint presentation can be downloaded by clicking here.
Posted on: Wednesday, February 14, 2007
NSTTAC Announces Literature Review from the What Works Transition Research Synthesis Project
National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) is pleased to announce the posting of the literature review from the What Works Transition Research Synthesis Project on Teaching Functional Life Skills to Youth with Disabilities. An Executive Summary, the Full Text, and Research to Practice Lesson Plan Starters are all available on the NSTTAC website. The Research to Practice Lesson Plan Starters are based on nine "best-evidence" studies and can be found here. The nine "best-evidence" studies are on the following topics: (1) "One More Than" technique for purchasing items, (2) Savings account, bill paying, and money order skills, (3) Housekeeping and janitorial skills, (4) Meal planning and nutrition, (5) Purchasing skills (stores with aisles), (6) Cleaning appliances and doing laundry, (7) Grocery aisle signs and locating items, (8) Bowling and pinball, and (9) Orienting to the environment to reduce stereotypic behaviors.
Posted on: Monday, January 29, 2007
NLTS2 Data Now Available for Wave 1 and 2
Data for waves 1 and 2 of the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2) are now available on CD-ROM in both SPSS and SAS formats. Information about obtaining this restricted-use data which requires a restricted-use data license is available on the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Documentation and a data dictionary are included on the CD-ROM.
Posted on: Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Access Center Shares Online Resources and Training Modules
The Access Center hosted a meeting from January 9-11, 2007, in Washington, DC, to provide an overview of their online resources and training modules to TA&D Network and Comprehensive Center Staff. The training modules and materials include topics such as differentiated instruction, co-teaching/collaboration, and content-specific information for teaching math, science, and reading. These resources are currently available on the AIR website. Click here to access the materials.
Posted on: Wednesday, January 17, 2007
NCRRC to Host Comprehensive Center Meeting: Collaborating to Assist Region 4 States
The NCRRC will be hosting a meeting February 21-22, 2007 with the five Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) regional Comprehensive Centers that serve the states in Region 4. The meeting will be a dialogue about regional technical assistance collaboration between the six centers. The purpose of the meeting will be to assess needs for the collaborative development of knowledge, skills, and leadership within the region, and to identify opportunities for partnerships in delivering desired technical assistance services to the states in Region 4.
Posted on: Friday, January 12, 2007
Indicator 14 State Profile Database Online
The National Post-School Outcomes (PSO) Center has a state profile database that includes information that addresses data requirements for the SPP/APR to OSEP Indicator #14. The state profiles include a description of how each state currently collects and uses post-school outcome data, state contacts, links to related state materials (e.g. Web sites, survey instruments, reports), and much more. Use the link above to go to their website on state profiles.
Posted on: Friday, January 12, 2007
National Dropout Prevention Center Reports on SPP Data
The National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) has created two reports on an analysis of State Performance Plan Data for Indicator 1 (Graduation) and Indicator 2 (Dropout) of the IDEA ’04 Act. To access the report for Indicator 1, click here. For indicator 2, click here.
Posted on: Friday, January 12, 2007
NCRRC Launches Regional SPP Directory
The North Central Regional Resource Center (NCRRC) recently launched a regional State Performance Plan (SPP) Directory web site. This Directory functions as a virtual workspace. It is designed to serve as a Community of Practice Sharing and Work Space in which States in Region 4 are able to be in contact with each other relative to specific indicators. Users can search for contact information of state personnel responsible for each indicator in the SPP for each state in Region 4. Users can also post specific tools, strategies, and documents developed for the various indicators to the Directory. In addition to searching and posting information, users can create, edit, and save documents on the Directory. This allows multiple users to work on a document collaboratively from remote sites. The Directory has three main components: Contacts, Documents Library, and Discussion. Each is divided into two categories; Part B and Part C. The Part C section of each is still in development. The Contacts Section and the Documents Library Section allow the user to filter by indicator. The Documents Library will also allow the user to filter by indicator and within each indicator the user can filter by state. The Discussion Section allows users to post comments and questions relative to the indicators and general SPP items. For more information about the SPP Directory and how to access it, contact Maureen Hawes at
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Posted on: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
SPP Indicator 13 FAQ Now Available Online
The National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC) recently made available online the OSEP approved SPP Indicator 13 FAQ. This document is based on questions from the field and the NSTTAC indicator 13 checklist. Click on the preceding link to open the document.
Posted on: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
New IDEA 2004 Video Clips Available Online
Now available on the one-stop-shop OSEP’s IDEA web site is a series of short video clips from the webcast, Building the Legacy: IDEA 2004, on the Part B final regulations hosted by the U.S. Department of Education on November 16, 2006. The video clips are designed to make the regulations easier to navigate. The topics covered are highly qualified teachers, procedural safeguards, IEPs, and private schools. To view the video clips, click here.
Posted on: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
New Publication Highlights Charter High Schools Closing Achievement Gaps
On December 11, 2006 the U.S. Department of Education released a new publication showcasing eight charter high schools that are using innovative methods to help close the achievement gap between low-income, minority, and special need students and their peers. This new publication, Charter High Schools Closing the Achievement Gap, is part of the Department’s Office of Innovation and Improvement’s (OII) Innovation in Education book series that was commissioned in 2004 to report on how schools and districts across the country have put NCLB to work. Previous issues have highlighted public school choice, supplemental educational services, alternative teacher certification, school leadership, and magnet schools. This issue focuses on schools that are bringing a new awareness to the challenge of raising the achievement of traditionally underserved student populations at the secondary level. Click on the first link to go to the report. Click on the second link to learn more about the Innovation in Education series.
Posted on: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
New Publication on Higher Performing High Schools
The latest report from the National High School Center, Report on Higher Performing High Schools, examines high schools with high academic standards and low failure rates, to draw attention to their methods used. This report is primarily tailored for state-level leaders. It highlights methods and strategies used by staff at the schools as well as ways to support initiatives in other schools. A free PDF version is available at the above link.
Posted on: Monday, December 4, 2006
New Practice Guide on How to Improve Data Quality
The National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) recently released a new practice guide, A Few Steps to Better Data, in response to the difficulties many states reported in working with their dropout and graduation data while developing their Annual Performance Reports (APRs) and State Performance Plans (SPPs). This practice guide identifies several factors that cause difficulties with states data and suggests some practical solutions. It also discusses strategies states can use to improve the quality of their dropout data and get the most from those data. The guide is intended for state education agency personnel, including special education directors, data managers, and program developers. This publication is available in PDF format. Click on the link above to download a free copy.
Posted on: Monday, December 4, 2006
New Report Raises Concerns about the Agenda for the No Child Left Behind Act’s Congressional Reauthorization Hearings
The Center for Mental Health at UCLA recently released a report, Legislation in Need of Improvement: Reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act to Better Address Barriers to Learning, which analyzes preliminary hearings and related reports and proposals with a focus on whether the reauthorization process is likely to include a substantive discussion of what is needed to enable all children to have an equal opportunity to succeed at school. The analysis finds that there has been no major discussion of the need for a systematic focus on learning supports to address barriers to learning and teaching. Given this, the report cautions that this matter is unlikely to be on the agenda in upcoming Congressional hearings unless remarkable efforts are made between now and then. Click on the link above to download a copy of the report.
Posted on: Monday, December 4, 2006
New Publication on IDEA Regulations 2004
A new publication released by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) makes side-by-side comparison of major issues of the IDEA 1997 and 2004 regulations is now available. This Side-by-Side brief provides a comprehensive analysis of how the changes will impact students and teachers. CEC members can download a free copy of the brief here. The report is available for purchase by non-members. Non-members can preview the report here.
Posted on: Monday, December 4, 2006
NCRRC LEA DataKit Regional Review
The LEA DataKit is scheduled for completion by the end of December 2006. In order to gain regional input, the NCRRC will be hosting a review session with invited participants from interested states in Region 4 on November 9-10, 2006 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The invited reviewers will be asked to review the DataKit content and training framework and provide feedback to NCRRC staff. Upon publication of the LEA DataKit, a “train-the-trainer” model will be used so that it can be implemented for LEAs within Region 4 states. Following training, the staff of the NCRRC will be available to assist individual states with adoption or adaptation to address specific state needs. If you would like more information regarding the LEA DataKit, please contact
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Posted on: Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Highlights from PBIS Conference
Ann Bailey attended the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) conference on Secondary and Tertiary Interventions in Chicago IL on October 12-13, 2006. Many state teams from Region 4 were in attendance. Presentations were given on a multitude of topics including: interagency collaborations; functional behavioral assessments; working with schools, districts, and states; social skills training; and preschool programming. The conference agenda and all conference presentation materials can be found on the PBIS website at the above link.
Posted on: Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Foundations to the Indiana Academic Standards for Young Children from Birth to Age 5
The Indiana State Department of Education recently released a document entitled Foundations to the Indiana Academic Standards for Young Children from Birth to Age 5. While created for Indiana-specific experiences and policies, the document is based on national research and findings across all content areas and domains. Teachers, parents, and other caregivers will find this useful. To access the document, click the link above.
Posted on: Tuesday, October 31, 2006
John Hager Visits University of Minnesota
John Hager, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS), visited the University of Minnesota on October 4, 2006 to attend a meeting led by the Research Institute on Monitoring Progress (RIPM). RIPM was funded by Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to develop a system of progress monitoring to evaluate effects of individualized instruction on access to and progress within the general education curriculum. Assistant Secretary Hager listened to presentations by RIPM staff about its research as well as solicited ideas about how such centers as the North Central Regional Resource Center (NCRRC) could work collaboratively to provide technical assistance and information dissemination activities to support RIPM’s work regionally. The Assistant Secretary expressed interest in promoting progress monitoring strategies as well as approaches to Responsiveness to Intervention (RtI) and early intervening services.
Posted on: Tuesday, October 10, 2006
NCRRC Submits Leadership Proposal to OSEP
In an effort to increase the availability of local directors of special education, the NCRRC, along with the University of Minnesota’s Department of Educational Policy and Administration (EdPA), submitted a Preparation of Leadership Personnel proposal to the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). It is anticipated that this proposal, Preparation of Highly Qualified Leaders in Special Education Administration: An Integrated Academic and Field Experience Training Model, will provide academic, licensure, and field experience opportunities to 20 master’s and Ph.D. graduate students seeking licensure as leaders in the field of special education administration over a four-year period. Support will be provided in the form of fellowships. The model consists of three core training components, Leadership Development, Administrative Licensure, and Field Experience. The role of the NCRRC in this effort will be to provide project fellows with “real world” experiential opportunities in Region 4 states either by working on issues of interest to states or by job shadowing with local and state directors of special education. For more information you can review the abstract, available by clicking here. If funded, the NCRRC will contact states for their ideas about experiential learning opportunities that may be available.
Posted on: Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Council for Exceptional Children hosts IDEA 2004 Workshops
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is planning a series of workshops on the IDEA 2004 regulations titled, Understanding the IDEA 2004 Regulations: CEC Workshops. Spanning nine cities nationwide from October 31 to December 7, these one-on-one workshops are tailored to help general and special education personnel work with children with disabilities. The workshops cover a broad range of topics including highly qualified teachers, disproportionality, response-to-intervention, early intervention, and many more. The cost for CEC members is $250 and $350 for non-CEC members. Registration due two weeks before the workshop you wish to attend. More information is available at the above link.
Posted on: Tuesday, October 10, 2006
New School Improvement Manual
The Comprehensive School Reform Quality Center (CSRQ), funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, has released a new school improvement manual, Seeing Improvement: A Guide to Visiting Schools that Use Effective Whole School Improvement Models and Promising Practices, which provides suggestions on how to select possible school reform models and then conduct school visits to evaluate such programs in order to inform policy decisions. This manual was developed by the CSRQ, in collaboration with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). It includes a rationale for and information on selecting evidence-based approaches for school improvement, as well as detailed guidance on conducting school visits. The appendices include checklists and sample materials to assist with school visits. For more information, click on the link above.
