July Newsletter

IDEA and Literacy Webinar
On June 15th, the Access Center hosted a webinar with Dr. Cathi Christo. Thanks to the 150 people who joined us for this timely and lively discussion!  If you were unable to participate, you can access information on our website including a full recording of the presentation, the PowerPoint slides, and pertinent literacy links.

Working Together: Teacher-Paraeducator Collaboration
The purpose of this brief is to promote collaboration between teachers and paraeducators by identifying the elements of collaboration, delineating classroom roles, and providing a tool to improve efficiency and communication in the classroom. 

Peer Tutoring for Math
This application to the Access Center’s Strategies Chart focuses on the efficacy of employing peer tutoring strategies to reinforce math facts, computational skills, and math concepts. Specific examples of how to implement this strategy in the classroom are provided.

The Access Center’s North Central TA Liaison coordinated a meeting in Columbus, OH for the inaugural event of the Big 8 Community of Practice on June 24th. Cross-disciplinary teams --  including both general and special educators -- from these large urban districts focused their energies on the theme, “Embedding a Culturally Responsive System Within the Integrated Model of Supports.” Presenters from Indiana University and Southwest Ohio Special Education Regional Resource Center disseminated information about culturally responsive practices, shared concrete examples of successful district work in Indiana, and highlighted the Ohio Integrated Systems Model for Academic and Behavior Support. This fledgling Community -- with collaboration among the districts, the OH Department of Education, and the Access Center -- provides a forum for districts to inquire, dialogue, discover, and share ideas and beliefs about their shared passion of improving access for all students.

Special Education Resources on the Internet (SERI)
This is a collection of Internet-accessible information resources of interest to those involved in the fields related to Special Education. This collection exists in order to make on-line Special Education resources more easily and readily available in one location.

Tutoring Services
Interested in learning more about tutoring services and the Supplemental Educational Services (SES) provision of NCLB?  The Supplemental Educational Services Quality (SESQ) Center, funded by the Education Department’s Office of Innovation and Improvement (Oll), provides free on-line materials.

ED Releases Proposed IDEA Regulations
The U.S. Department of Education issued its proposed regulations for IDEA 2004 on June 21st.  Comments on the proposed regs must be received by September 5, 2005. 

ED Issues Guidance on Supplemental Services
The U.S. Department of Education has issued guidance that further clarifies the roles of states and districts in implementing supplemental educational services under No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

ED Extends Highly Qualified Target for Paraprofessionals
The U.S. Department of Education has extended the NCLB deadline under which paraprofessionals must show competency to the end of the 2005-2006 school year, at the time the corresponding requirements for teachers takes effect.