Education Issues
Some of the linked documents below are in PDF format and require that you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer in order to view them. Click here to download a free copy of Adobe Reader.)
Instruction for All - AFTMA SPED Taskforce:
Recommended Websites:
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
Clearinghouse of research-based information on effective educational practices, IDEA resources, etc., in Spanish and English. User friendly for all teachers, parents, service providers. Includes A-Z list of topics, teacher tips, etc. Great for quick general descriptions of disabilities, regulations, all topics related to students with disabilities.
School mental health resources for clinicians, educators, administrators, parents/caregivers, families, and students.
The Access Center—Improving Outcomes for All Students k-8
Resources focus on core content areas and science—as well as on learning strategies to provide students with disabilities access to rigorous academic content. Features series of free professional development modules, available on CD and information briefs on such topics as teaching and learning strategies, media and materials, supports and accommodations, universal design for learning, differentiated instruction, and collaborative teaching.
www.k8accesscenter.org/index.php
Scientific evidence source with interactive feature to help you create your own customized list of interventions at all levels of instruction, as well as downloadable practice guides for ELL students.
United States Department of Education
General information on IDEA and NCLB.
One-stop shop for resources related to IDEA and its implementing regulations.
Massachusetts Department of Education
General information on Massachusetts special education regulations
Newsletter published by the Massachusetts Department of Education that provides Massachusetts educators with the information, advice, and support to teach the Massachusetts learning standards to students with significant disabilities, and to conduct the MCAS Alternate Assessment.
National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals
Provides information about training and other information related to paraprofessionals.
Organizations
National Association of School Psychologists www.nasponline.org
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association www.asha.org
The American Occupational Therapy Association www.aota.org
National Parent Center www.pacer.org
National Research Center on Learning Disabilities www.nrcld.org
National partnership of multiple stakeholders http://www.ideapartnership.org
Complaints Related to IDEA ‘04
Report your experience to the AFT. They want to hear your stories.
http://leadernet.aft.org/surveymaker/take/survey.cfm?id=855586ae-c26e-4392-c2fc-5f01eee117f0
By telling your stories to AFT, they can use them in testimony before congress and to other interested parties.
Changes Made by the IDEA Reauthorization to the "Highly Qualified" Requirements for Special Education Teachers
Congress recently reauthorized IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Act). This bill included changes to the "highly qualified" requirements for SPED teachers.
Read more about those changes . . .
Expanded Learning Time Planning Grants
I wanted to let you know about a new state initiative to enable districts and teachers to work together to redesign their schedules in order to better reach student, school and district educational goals.
Read more about this initiative . . .
Mass Partners Release AYP Report
On June 23rd MassPartners for Public Schools released their report Facing Reality - What Happens When Good Schools Are Labeled "Failures"?
Read the entire 44 page report.
Important Report on “No Child Left Behind”
MassPartners for Public Schools has also released an important report citing the shortcomings and flaws in the No Child Left Behind Act. I strongly encourage all union leaders to read this 19 page report and share it with their membership and policy makers in their community.
Read and/or download the report entitled,“A Call to Action: Don't Shortchange Children.”
(This PDF file is large so please be patient with the download.)
MassPartners For Public Schools
MassPartners For Public Schools, a coalition of seven statewide education associations including AFT Massachusetts (formerly named the Massachusetts Federation of Teachers), has released a report: Teaching Matters: Strengthening Teacher Evaluation in Massachusetts (PDF).
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
On January 8, 2002, the Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was signed into law. This law authorizes the majority of federal K-12 education programs and will remain in effect from FY 2002 to FY 2007. View a detailed summary of the ESEA prepared by the AFT (PDF).
AFT Massachusetts Makes Push for Literacy
The AFT Massachusetts will work with locals to develop literacy initiatives to increase student achievement. These initiatives will build on extensive research on how children learn to read. Copies of the AFT publication Teaching Reading IS Rocket Science is available on-line from the AFT.
Underperforming Schools
The Department of Education has published its School and District Accountability System (PDF).