CenterPoint: The Newsletter of The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies

LEARNS: Multifaceted Work Keeps Children & Youth Team Hopping

This year, work for members of the Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies’ Children and Youth Team has been multifaceted-providing a variety of professional development opportunities; disseminating information and resources; serving on committees; and providing technical assistance in schools throughout the Maine. These activities are made possible with funding for LEARNS through a partnership agreement between the Maine Department of Education and The University of Maine.

Professional development is one of the areas that keep our team members on the road! Our staff provided guest lectures in University classes with topics of importance, such as assessment, behavior, and disability-specific issues. The team continued to collaborate with the Maine Department of Education, the Child Welfare Training Institute, and the Maine Parent Federation in a workshop series supporting surrogate and foster families in navigating the complex world of special education. The workshop, Teambuilding II: Guiding the Way to Effective Parent Intervention, was presented in Portland and Bangor, covering advocacy, IDEA provisions, development of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs).

As some of you may be aware, alternate assessment for the Maine Education Assessment (MEA) is available for students with significant disabilities who cannot take the MEA through regular administration, or through the use of accommodations. The Children and Youth Team continues to work in partnership with the Maine Department of Education staff, providing Alternate Assessment Training to educators statewide. Over 1199 educators have participated in this professional development series, which includes training in developing alternate assessment portfolios for the local assessment system.

Over 580 alternate assessment portfolios were submitted and scored in Portland and Orono, in May 2005. One of the best staff development opportunities is scoring these portfolios! As part of our technical assistance for the alternate assessment, our staff provides input through serving on three committees related to development and training in assessment: the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), the Maine Comprehensive Assessment System (MECAS), Alternate Assessment Advisory Committee and the Alternate Assessment Work Collaborative.

Our staff presented at a variety of professional meetings this spring, including the Maine Association for Middle Level Education Annual Conference, TASH, and Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities. As in previous years, the Center helped sponsor the Maine Support Network 2005 Winter Retreat held in February. Several Center staff were on hand during the retreat to provide professional development sessions with topics such as Life Maps as transition and health planning tools; melding of brain research and positive behavior strategies; and literacy development for students with significant cognitive disabilities, an overview of our current research project Literacy by Design.

Literacy by Design is a three-year research project funded through the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). This project, a collaboration between the Center for Applied Technology (CAST, Inc.) and the Center, is investigating the effects of universally designed, technology-supported, literacy instruction on the reading development, achievement, and access to the general curriculum on students with significant cognitive disabilities. The results of this study will be available for dissemination in the coming months. It has been wonderful working with local schools, students, parents, and educators to study the effects of this technology and to investigate the barriers to literacy development for students with significant disabilities.

Another portion of our work in the coming months includes reviewing and making recommendations for revisions to The Guide to Special Education in Maine-A Team Approach. This valuable document has been a resource to parents and educators for several years, however due to changing times the guide needs updating to ensure alignment with new legislation and to provide more complete integration of early childhood information. We are excited to be doing this work with the collaboration of members from Child Development Services (CDS), Project PEDS (Parents Educating Doctors and Students), Disability Rights Center (DRC), Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities (MADSEC), Learning Disabilities Association (LDA), Maine Parent Federation (MPF), Maine Transition Network (MTN), Southern Maine Parent Awareness (SMPA), and the Maine Surrogate Parent Program. A revised, yet familiar, Guide to Special Education in Maine-A Team Approach is planned for publication next year in printed and CD formats, and as an on-line resource.

The impact of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is being felt around the nation, including Maine. The Center’s Children and Youth Team has been working diligently to assure that students with disabilities continue to be represented at the table in discussions that will impact their future outcomes and opportunities to access, progress, and succeed in the general curriculum. It is no longer sufficient for students to have access to a classroom or age appropriate peers. Students also must have opportunities to access and be supported in the content of the general classroom.

A significant aspect of this team's work involves providing professional development and technical assistance to local schools and districts to help facilitate access to high-quality education for children with disabilities. Assistance is provided on-site to schools and districts to design effective, evidence-based policies and practices, to meet the needs of all students. This year in particular, the team has provided technical assistance for overall school improvement, to advance access for students with disabilities to the general curriculum through enhancements in philosophy, instruction, and assessment practices.

Technical assistance that involves individual students continues to be an ongoing part of our work. This technical assistance includes on-site observation, review of records, interviews with parents and teachers, and often a written report of recommendations. In the past, this service was provided at no cost to the schools. Unfortunately, due to the changing fiscal climate, state funding for this service is ending. In the coming months, it will be necessary for the Center to begin charging a fee for this type of technical assistance and professional development. More information about this change will be available in the near future.

— Betsy Enright

CENTERPOINT: The Newsletter of The University of Maine
Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies,
Maine’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
Education, Research, and Service


In This Issue Spring 2005 • Volume 1 • Issue 1 Early Learning Opportunities Support Quality and Access Director’s Corner Daring to Dream Awards New EC Resource In memoriam: Marcia Lovell LEARNS: Work Keeps Team Hopping IDS Curriculum Changes Dissemination Team Leads Web Accessibility Collaboration Brings Speaker to Maine Center Sponsors Exhibit Venue for VSA arts Center Hosts Visiting Fulbright Scholar UMaine Students Lead EC Conference 10 Students Graduate TOP Program Healthy & Ready to Work: Engaging Youth in Their Future Standards for All Model: Personalizing Elementary Education Selected Presentations & Publications CenterPoint Home	Center Home \| UMaine Home \| CenterPoint Home LEARNS: Multifaceted Work Keeps Children & Youth Team Hopping This year, work for members of the Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies’ Children and Youth Team has been multifaceted-providing a variety of professional development opportunities; disseminating information and resources; serving on committees; and providing technical assistance in schools throughout the Maine. These activities are made possible with funding for LEARNS through a partnership agreement between the Maine Department of Education and The University of Maine. Professional development is one of the areas that keep our team members on the road! Our staff provided guest lectures in University classes with topics of importance, such as assessment, behavior, and disability-specific issues. The team continued to collaborate with the Maine Department of Education, the Child Welfare Training Institute, and the Maine Parent Federation in a workshop series supporting surrogate and foster families in navigating the complex world of special education. The workshop, Teambuilding II: Guiding the Way to Effective Parent Intervention, was presented in Portland and Bangor, covering advocacy, IDEA provisions, development of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), and Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs). As some of you may be aware, alternate assessment for the Maine Education Assessment (MEA) is available for students with significant disabilities who cannot take the MEA through regular administration, or through the use of accommodations. The Children and Youth Team continues to work in partnership with the Maine Department of Education staff, providing Alternate Assessment Training to educators statewide. Over 1199 educators have participated in this professional development series, which includes training in developing alternate assessment portfolios for the local assessment system. Over 580 alternate assessment portfolios were submitted and scored in Portland and Orono, in May 2005. One of the best staff development opportunities is scoring these portfolios! As part of our technical assistance for the alternate assessment, our staff provides input through serving on three committees related to development and training in assessment: the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), the Maine Comprehensive Assessment System (MECAS), Alternate Assessment Advisory Committee and the Alternate Assessment Work Collaborative. Our staff presented at a variety of professional meetings this spring, including the Maine Association for Middle Level Education Annual Conference, TASH, and Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities. As in previous years, the Center helped sponsor the Maine Support Network 2005 Winter Retreat held in February. Several Center staff were on hand during the retreat to provide professional development sessions with topics such as Life Maps as transition and health planning tools; melding of brain research and positive behavior strategies; and literacy development for students with significant cognitive disabilities, an overview of our current research project Literacy by Design. Literacy by Design is a three-year research project funded through the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). This project, a collaboration between the Center for Applied Technology (CAST, Inc.) and the Center, is investigating the effects of universally designed, technology-supported, literacy instruction on the reading development, achievement, and access to the general curriculum on students with significant cognitive disabilities. The results of this study will be available for dissemination in the coming months. It has been wonderful working with local schools, students, parents, and educators to study the effects of this technology and to investigate the barriers to literacy development for students with significant disabilities. Another portion of our work in the coming months includes reviewing and making recommendations for revisions to The Guide to Special Education in Maine-A Team Approach. This valuable document has been a resource to parents and educators for several years, however due to changing times the guide needs updating to ensure alignment with new legislation and to provide more complete integration of early childhood information. We are excited to be doing this work with the collaboration of members from Child Development Services (CDS), Project PEDS (Parents Educating Doctors and Students), Disability Rights Center (DRC), Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities (MADSEC), Learning Disabilities Association (LDA), Maine Parent Federation (MPF), Maine Transition Network (MTN), Southern Maine Parent Awareness (SMPA), and the Maine Surrogate Parent Program. A revised, yet familiar, Guide to Special Education in Maine-A Team Approach is planned for publication next year in printed and CD formats, and as an on-line resource. The impact of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is being felt around the nation, including Maine. The Center’s Children and Youth Team has been working diligently to assure that students with disabilities continue to be represented at the table in discussions that will impact their future outcomes and opportunities to access, progress, and succeed in the general curriculum. It is no longer sufficient for students to have access to a classroom or age appropriate peers. Students also must have opportunities to access and be supported in the content of the general classroom. A significant aspect of this team's work involves providing professional development and technical assistance to local schools and districts to help facilitate access to high-quality education for children with disabilities. Assistance is provided on-site to schools and districts to design effective, evidence-based policies and practices, to meet the needs of all students. This year in particular, the team has provided technical assistance for overall school improvement, to advance access for students with disabilities to the general curriculum through enhancements in philosophy, instruction, and assessment practices. Technical assistance that involves individual students continues to be an ongoing part of our work. This technical assistance includes on-site observation, review of records, interviews with parents and teachers, and often a written report of recommendations. In the past, this service was provided at no cost to the schools. Unfortunately, due to the changing fiscal climate, state funding for this service is ending. In the coming months, it will be necessary for the Center to begin charging a fee for this type of technical assistance and professional development. More information about this change will be available in the near future. — Betsy Enright

CENTERPOINT: The Newsletter of The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies, Maine’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service

In This Issue

LEARNS: Multifaceted Work Keeps Children & Youth Team Hopping