FACTS Online
The newsletter of LEARNS
Fostering
Achievement,
Creating Community,
Together for All Our Students
Volume 5, Spring 2002
Welcome to FACTS Online, the web based newsletter of
LEARNS, Maine’s Statewide Systems Change
Initiative for Inclusive Education, a collaborative effort of the Maine Department of
Education and The University of Maine’s Center for Community Inclusion
and Disability Studies, Maine’s
University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research &
Service. LEARNS provides technical assistance, support and information
on inclusive educational practice in schools and early care environments.
You may remember having received our FACTS newsletter in your mailbox at
school over the last few years. This year, FACTS has a new electronic look. We hope you
find this issue useful and welcome your comments and feedback at:
ccidsmail@umit.maine.edu.
Index of Articles
Qualities and beliefs held by restructured, inclusive schools are seen in
Fried and Jorgensen's 1998 book, Equity and excellence: Finding common ground between
inclusive education and school reform.
The Maine Department of Education (MDOE) has been actively involved in
supporting school systems throughout the State in developing Comprehensive Assessment
Systems that measure student progress toward the achievement of Maine’s Learning
Results. One strategy that has been utilized is the collection of student work through
assessment portfolios.
Federal and state legislation requires that all students be included in
state and district wide assessments. Here we provide Alternate Assessment resources
available on-line and via e-mail.
The Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies is pleased to announce that the
Inclusive Education Coordinator has been filled.
Here you can find information about a new CED Report: Preschool
for All: Investing in a Productive and Just Society, and a new National Center for Early Development and Learning report on the Transition to Kindergarten.
The concept of Universal Design for Learning can bring us beyond expanded
access to physical spaces to meaningful participation in curriculum, instruction and
assessment and, ultimately, learning in the classroom.
Q & A's on Augmentative and Alternative
Communication by Rosemary Crossley provides an excellent overview of issues and strategies
for providing communication supports to children and adults with severe communication
impairments.
Deciding whether or not to allow children to
remain in childcare due to mild illness is sometimes difficult. When it comes to health
and safety, parents and childcare providers want what is best for children in out-of-home
care. When making a decision or developing a policy it is important to know or be able to
find current health and safety information, communicate with parents and staff, and keep
accurate records. There are many resources, listed in this article, to help you formulate
a health policy on this topic.
The information in this article, which appeared in the Summer 2001 issue
of NHSA's Children and Families magazine, may be useful in supporting children and their
families as we deal with on-going violence in our nation's communities and new threats of
violence from beyond our borders.
CCI, in collaboration with the Maine Departments of Behavioral and
Developmental Services and Labor, is completing the Maine Employment Curriculum, a
comprehensive "train the trainers" guide for those who support individuals with
disabilities to acquire and maintain integrated employment. Check here for job coach
information and leadership training opportunities.
The Principals' Project, a three-year Office of Special Education
Programs, U.S. Department of Education funded research project, has completed its work,
and found that successful inclusive schools have strong involvement and leadership at the
principal level. Find updates and resources from this project here.
Surrogate Parents are needed to represent children in Special Education
programming.
Are you a person with a disability or a parent of a child with
disabilities receiving long term care services in Maine? Have you ever wanted to tell
someone what you think good quality services are or how to improve those you are
receiving? Here's your chance to tell someone and earn some $cash!
Links to our favorite on-line inclusive education resources
in classroom and program strategies, research, health and safety, school age child care,
and more!
We are pleased to announce that the YOUTHSPEAK curriculum is now available
on CD, a product of the recently completed Maine Adolescent Transition Partnership (MATP).
The 2002 International TASH conference will be held in Boston on December
11-14, 2002.
Feedback / Sign Up
Tell us what you think. We'd love your
feedback on this issue. Also, if you'd like to receive notice of the
next issue by e-mail, send your e-mail address to us. Write to us:
ccidsmail@umit.maine.edu |
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This is an official publication of The University of
Maine
A member of the University of Maine System
Updated:
01/11/2007
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