BETTER SUPPORT FOR YOUNG CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Government is making substantial new investment of $19.5 million over the next three years to provide more, and better support for pre-schoolers and infants with special education needs. The extra funding and support for young children with special education needs is a component of the new Special Education 2000 package. Other details of the package were released in November.

“More children will get more funding to pay for the assistance and support they need to get the best possible start to their learning.”The extra assistance for pre-school children will increase the average level of support per child by a third,” the Ministers said. The new funding increases the average amount of funding per child by 33 percent. It means that more than 12,000 children will be able to receive special education services.

The funding will provide for:

·      Specialist support for parents, whanau and early childhood educators.
·      Direct work with children to help them learn and support them at early childhood centres.

“Children will get better access to specialist and other support services whether they are at home or in an early childhood education setting “There will be increased one-on-one support for those children who need assistance so they can attend an early childhood education setting. This will help the child learn and take care of their personal needs.” The extra funding will help children with high and moderate needs. Currently funding pays for a range of services for children with disabilities, speech-language problems, behaviour and learning problems, or who are deaf or hearing or vision impaired.  

The Ministers said that helping these children at the earliest time has substantial long term benefits. It vastly improves their education opportunities, and reduces their dependency on more extensive services later in life. “This is an area where we need more research.  We need to find out more about the best level and mix of services in this age group to make sure the youngsters get the most benefit.  This funding will provide the additional support and assistance while more work will be done on this
issue.” The Ministers said details of the new proposal would be sent to early childhood education and special education providers,  and other sector groups over coming weeks.

 

Filed Under: Special Education Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Being bilingual ‘protects brain’

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Being fluent in two languages may help to keep the brain sharper for longer, a study suggests. Researchers from York University in Canada carried out tests on 104 people between the ages of 30 and 88. They found that those who were fluent in two languages rather than just one were sharper mentally. Writing in the journal of Psychology and Ageing, they said being bilingual may protect against mental decline in old age. Previous studies have shown that keeping the brain active can protect against senile dementia.

Education in general can bestow benefits on cognitive function in later life Professor Clive Ballard, Alzheimer’s Society Research has shown that people who play musical instruments, dance or read regularly may be less likely to develop the condition. Other activities like doing crosswords or playing board games may also help.

Language skills

This latest study appears to back up the theory that language skills also have a protective effect. Dr Ellen Bialystok and colleagues at York University assessed the cognitive skills of all those involved in the study using a variety of widely recognised tests. They tested their vocabulary skills, their non-verbal reasoning ability and their reaction time. Half of the volunteers came from Canada and spoke only English. The other half came from India and were fluent in both English and Tamil. The volunteers had similar backgrounds in the sense that they were all educated to degree level and were all middle class.

The researchers found that the people who were fluent in English and Tamil responded faster than those who were fluent in just English. This applied to all age groups. The researchers also found that the bilingual volunteers were much less likely to suffer from the mental decline associated with old age. “The bilinguals were more efficient at all ages tested and showed a slower rate of decline for some processes with aging,” they said. “It appears…that bilingualism helps to offset age-related losses.”

The UK’s Alzheimer’s Society welcomed the study. “These findings, that early development of second language may improve a specific aspect of cognitive function in later life, are very interesting,” said Professor Clive Ballard, its director of research. “It is a possibility that the acquisition of a second language in early childhood may influence the process of the development of neuronal circuits.

“However, the results of this particular study need to be interpreted cautiously as they were comparing groups of individual of different nationalities, educated in different systems. “It is also well recognised that education in general can bestow benefits on cognitive function in later life.”

 

Filed Under: Early education Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

ARTICLE: Does High Teacher Pay = High Achievement? A Study Says No!

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A new, in-depth report takes a look at how states spend education money and finds that the most cost-effective ways of increasing student achievement are by reducing pupil-teacher ratios, providing more prekindergarten programs, and providing teachers with discretionary classroom resources — not by raising teacher pay.For states that want more bangs for their education buck, a recently released report advises, raising teachers’ salaries generally isn’t the most cost-effective way of raising student achievement. The authors speculate that the traditional compensation system rewards both high- and low-quality teachers.

According to the study, spending money on lowering pupil-teacher ratios in the lower grades, providing widely available prekindergarten programs, and providing teachers with discretionary resources for the classroom are better uses of education dollars, particularly in states with disproportionately high numbers of minority and disadvantaged children. The 271-page study, Improving Student Achievement: What NAEP Test Scores Tell Us, based its findings on U.S. Department of Education’s National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) tests given between 1990 and 1996.

                    SMALL CLASSES AND PRE-K IMPORTANT

“When we started our study, there was uncertainty whether education reform was actually working,” said David Grissmer, lead researcher of the study and senior management scientist at RAND. RAND, a nonprofit institution headquartered in Santa Monica, California, conducts research and analysis to help improve public policy. “The main message of the report is that public education is reformable and reform efforts have made a difference. We looked at the education investment: Does teacher salary
and experience make a difference, especially for disadvantaged students?”

U.S. Education Secretary Richard W. Riley said the report highlights the areas the Clinton administration has focused on to improve education. “The factors that this report point out as making a difference in higher achievement scores — smaller class sizes, early childhood education, and improved teaching resources — are the priorities that this administration and the U.S. Department of Education have been emphasizing for the past eight years,” Riley said in a written statement.

                    MORE FEDERAL SUPPORT NEEDED

Grissmer and his colleagues found that it’s not where the kids live in a state that puts them at a disadvantage but which state the children live in. Grissmer, Ann Flanagan, Jennifer Kawata, and Stephanie Williamson examined the test results of 2,500 fourth- and eighth-grade students from 44 states. More federal funding is needed, Grissmer told Education world. “Some states are limited in what they can spend. Certainly our study would support the expansion of Title I spending,” he said. “This is a federal problem.” Title I is a federally funded program that provides additional funds to schools with low-income students.

States with the highest student math scores — North Carolina, Texas, Michigan, Indiana, and Maryland — posted gains nearly twice the national average. High-performing states were compared with low-performing states that were demographically similar. For example, Texas and California are close demographically but had very different test results. Texas outscored California in reading and math by 11 percentage points. The report attributes lower pupil-teacher ratios, more prekindergarten, and better teaching resources as the primary reasons Texas students performed so much better than California students did. The researchers also found that teacher turnover in California probably had a significant effect on student achievement.

State policies involving standards, assessment, and accountability implemented during the late 1980s and early 1990s also made a difference. Students in both Texas and North Carolina showed significant improvement in math, the researchers wrote. The researchers warn policymakers not to take credit for the gains or put blame on current policymakers in states that did not post gains. Achievement results reflect policies and practices from the early 1980s through 1995, they wrote. The researchers also advise that the full effects of reform policies take a long time to be realized and may not be reflected even in these scores. They point out that education researchers and development specialists have not tested policies and practices that could guide policymakers and educators toward more effective practices.

Sandra Feldman, president of the American Federation of Teachers, agrees with the report that Texas is reaping the benefits of investments made many years ago. “We know what works, and we know good schools don’t come on the cheap,” Feldman said in a written statement. “California, which fared poorly in the report, is an example of what happens when you take away investment from public schools,” Feldman added. “California’s public schools once were a source of great pride — before they were starved of resources. Today, the state is finally investing again in sensible, targeted reforms, such as reducing class size in the early grades, and the schools are improving.”

The RAND report advises that policymakers need more research in order to make sound decisions about improving student achievement. “Without a critical mass of high-quality research, policymakers lack the key process required to improve education systematically,” the report stated. “Without good research and development, progress in education or any other area will be slow, uncertain, and inefficient.”

 

Filed Under: Childhood Education Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Address by Deputy Prime Minister to Early Childhood Education Council Annual Conference

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

This is not the time to give you a post-mortem on the Taranaki-King Country by-election.  That’s already been done by the so called “experts” in the media. We have learned some lessons from the by-election, and we are now focused on the future, with a commitment to continuing to deliver on our promises to the people of New Zealand. Next Thursday will see the delivery of the second Budget of this historic Coalition Government. Obviously no details can be given except it will be a big and exciting Budget – a Budget For The Times, and one geared to take us into the 21st Century.

We will tackle head-on the significant issues facing our society.  Issues like moing from dependence on the State to independence.  The Budget recognises that no-one wants to be permanently dependent on the State. For that reason the Budget will commit more money where it will have the biggest effect – more for Health, more for Education, more for Police and more to support the Coalition Government’s employment strategy.

There is good news for the economy and the business community, which will prove many of our critics wrong once again.  Critics like the Employers Federation which has criticised the Government for lacking vision, leadership and direction. They have claimed we have inhibited business growth, knowing full well that the Government has been actively working on lowering taxes, reforming employment and welfare, reducing compliance costs, reforming ACC and reducing bureaucracy.

The figures in the Budget will show that we have maintained a stable ship in a sea of uncertainty.  We have weathered the Asian storm well and we will prove the forecasters wrong. In short, the Budget will reinforce our message that New Zealand First, and the Coalition Government, is delivering on its promises and that includes early childhood education, but back to that in a minute. First, here’s a few of the things we’ve delivered since we formed the Government back in December 1996.

q    Low inflation.
q    A lower exchange rate to help farmers and exporters.
q    $1.752 billion dollars extra for public health over three years.
q    Free doctor

?s visits and prescriptions for children under six years
old.
q    $1.25 billion dollars extra for education over three years.
q    $55 million extra for early childhood education.
q    Pay parity for primary teachers.
q    Abolition of the superannuation surtax.
q    Removal of income & asset testing for senior citizens.
q    250+ extra police and 250 more to come.
q    Minimum wage increased to $7.00 with second increase to come.
q    Community wage and employment reforms.

That is a great record of achievements that would NOT have happened without New Zealand First, and we are going to build on these things in the Budget. Now back to early childhood education.  This is an area which we are committed to developing because our young children are our greatest resource. We intend to give our children a running start in life, by nurturing their education and health in the early years, as these are critical to their long-term success. Research shows quality education in the early years impacts on a child’s success at school, at university, in the work force and in society. As the late American clergyman Hosea Ballou (1771-1852) once said, “Education commences at the mother’s knee, and every word spoken within the hearing of little children tends towards the formation of character.”

It’s important that we lay down the right foundation for our children to build on.  It’s no good building a house on sand. That is why we have committed $872 million to early childhood education over three years, $55 million more than in the previous three years.  And that’s why we have introduced free doctors visits for children under six. Healthy bodies have, in turn, a healthy regard to the rigours of learning.

We know the formative years of a child’s life are vital to their future success. Take a walk through Paremoremo Prison and you will see what happens to children whose health and education needs are neglected.  You’ll find most prisoners share the common problems of hearing deficiency and illiteracy.

As a boy growing up in a country village in the far North I remember seeing other children at school with yellow gunk weeping from their ears because of untreated infections.  That is the kind of problem we are addressing now through our policies on health and early childhood education giving our children a running start in life. Some of the money we got for education will be used to buy more resources for special education for under sixes, and some will be used to develop new education centres and the teaching skills needed to run them properly, which is the type of work that most of you here are involved in.

Earlier this week New Zealand First MP and Associate Education Minister Brian Donnelly launched the Early Childhood Development Strategic Plan, which has the slogan “Right From The Start.” One of the main goals of that plan is to ensure a high level of quality in early childhood education and parenting. This will be achieved through various programmes such as “The Strengthening Families Strategy” which aims to break inter-generational cycles of poverty within families.

By co-ordinating better access to Health, Welfare and Education services, we can alleviate some pressure on families and help them to create a positive environment for their children. Strong families will result in less unemployment, less crime and a more cohesive society. The Awhina Matua parent education programme is another initiative aimed at promoting stronger families and parent involvement in educating children. Under this programme, a project worker works with families who have no access to early childhood education services by setting up parent groups and introducing them to mutual support networks  such as the local iwi, marae groups, the Maori Women?s Welfare League, early childhood services, community health workers and schools.

Awhina Matua is carried out in communities and brings together parents of similar backgrounds and needs.  When the group being helped becomes self-sustaining the project worker withdraws. The Code of Social Responsibility is another Government initiative aimed at strengthening our families. The Code is about addressing the cycle of poverty and abuse that affects many New Zealand families. We can no longer turn away from child abuse and crimes against children, in some spineless hand wringing disavowal of the facts. That’s why we have devised a Code that challenges us to face up to these realities and to promote the values that this country was founded on. Values like fairness and freedom to pursue a better life for ourselves and our children.

That’s what the code is about families with limited incomes aspiring for the same things for their children that all parents do regardless of race and socio-economic status. That is not only the basics like clothing on their backs, food on the table and a roof over their heads, but also a good education, future prosperity and personal happiness. We all want those things for our children and we freely acknowledge that for some families those things come easier than others.  Greater personal and financial sacrifice are demanded by some families to make these dreams a reality for their children.

Another initiative we have begun is the Family Start Service.  This initiative is one of the single most important initiatives undertaken so far by the Coalition Government. Under this programme Health, Education and Welfare agencies work together, sharing expertise and networks for the benefit of individual families. The Early Childhood Development Unit is also involved in the programme to ensure a focus on the well being of the child. Government has also turned its attention to increasing the participation rates of under represented groups such as Maori and Pacific Islanders in early childhood education.

Last year, the Early Childhood Development Unit established 16 playgroups for Maori in the Waikato and further playgroups were established for Arabic, Ethiopian and Korean ethic groups. Many of you here today will be interested in the Government’s commitment to continuous improvement and quality staff in early childhood education. We are reviewing the licensing points system for early childhood services. Currently the system is very complex and difficult to work. We are getting rid of some of the anomalies to make requirements for qualifications fairer.  Once the points system has been sorted out, we can move on to looking at ways to make those regimes better as well. Then there is PAFT, Parents as First Teachers, which is co-ordinated by the Early Childhood Education Unit.

PAFT is based on the belief that parents are their children?s first and most important teachers.  The programme helps parents to participate more effectively in their children?s educational development. These are just some of the many initiatives the Government is pursuing to nurture our children and these initiatives reflect the need to balance the objectives of access and quality in early childhood education. While we have provided the money and the platform for future development for early childhood education, we rely heavily on the commitment of professionals like you. It’s important that you as owners, managers and teachers in childhood education centres, do not underestimate the importance of your work in shaping the hearts and minds of future generations. In the words of William A. Ward: “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher
inspires.”

 

Filed Under: Early education Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

State-by-State Comparison

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

A review of compulsory attendance laws across the nation shows that requiring young children to attend school may be largely unnecessary. Only nine states require attendance of 5 year olds, and seven of those nine allow exemptions for parents to withhold their children from school until age 6. The other 41 states allow parents to wait until their children are 6, 7, or even 8 years old before beginning formal education.13

During the 2001 legislative session, nine states attempted to lower the school entrance age. Five of these bills would have lowered the age of entrance to 5. The District of Columbia even contemplated a bill which would have required a child to be enrolled in some type of school setting if the child turns 3 on or before December 31. Thus, even some 2 year olds would be subject to DC’s compulsory attendance law.

In any case, testimony in the 1998 Connecticut hearings estimated that only 3-9% of the state’s eligible children were kept out of kindergarten by their parents.14 It seems unnecessary for a state to spend so much time and money compelling attendance on what arguably may only be 3% of the state’s 5 and 6 year olds.

This is especially true when considered in the light of the results from recent National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) tests administered to school children in all 50 states. Scores of children from states that have low compulsory attendance ages (5-6) did not score any higher than children from the other states, and in some subjects their average was actually lower.15 The NAEP scores demonstrate that no real academic results have come from a lowered compulsory age, and therefore the higher cost of early education is not justified.

 

 

Filed Under: Early education Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Research

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Speaking as an adoptive parent, I have asked particular teachers and my kids schools, to be sensitive to some issues regarding my children as adoptees.  As an example my oldest son has no baby photos or any other photo or item from his childhood prior to age approx. 10.  We don’t know what age 5 of our kids were when they learned to walk, lost their first teeth, and learned to speak.  There are big gaps or no information whatsoever regarding their babyhood and infancy.  I have asked teachers to bear this in mind so we do not again face situations where one of my kids may be the only child in the class who is unable to bring in a baby photo when the class is studying child development, or is unable to complete an assignment on biology and heredity as he cannot trace hair and eye colour through his family.  As their teachers were aware and sensitive to some of these things, they altered assignments so that my kids did not need to feel different to their peers.

Adoption in the United States is on the risenational estimates indicate that 1 million children live with adoptive parents (Stolley, 1993). As the number of adopted children in classrooms continues to rise each year, early childhood programs must begin to educate teachers about adoption issues. Adoption awareness will help teachers support young children who are trying to understand, and adjust to, their adoptive status.

Celebrating individuality, fostering self-esteem, and developing self-confidence in the world beyond the family are socioemotional goals that receive top priority in high-quality early childhood programs. Multicultural materials are provided in many classrooms, and activities are planned to heighten childrens awareness and sensitivity to all families (Derman-Sparks, 1989). Amidst the attention given to recognizing the value and uniqueness of each family represented in an early childhood class, teachers will want to consider the special needs of children who have been adopted. Careful curriculum planning combined with adoption awareness, genuine concern, and sensitivity will insure a positive early education experience for these children. This Digest provides suggestions for teachers who may have children in their classroom who were adopted.

Select Curriculum Activities and Materials That Represent Diverse Families Teachers can help young children develop an awareness of and appreciation for the many kinds of family structures in todays society. Because adoptive families are becoming more prevalent, it would be appropriate to represent them in class discussions and activities. Specifically in cases of transracial and international adoptions, teachers can strive to provide curriculum materials and experiences that “celebrate diversity, complexity, and the interrelatedness of cultures” (Wardle, 1990, p. 46) by including images of families whose
members do not necessarily share similar physical or other characteristics.

The overall emphasis can be placed on the “belongingness” definition of a family, rather than on the circumstances surrounding a particular childs birth. Children might enjoy compiling photographs to make books about their individual families, or they may be interested in cutting pictures from magazines to make a family collage or bulletin board. Either activity could be used as an introduction or summary for thematic experiences planned to help children understand the many kinds of families and ways families are formed.

Teachers can be sensitive to adopted childrens feelings in the selection and planning of family-themed activities. “Family related assignments stimulate thought about who we are and where we come from, bring our feelings about our families to the surface, help us to look at our families from a different perspective, and make our families more visible to others” (Edwards & Sodhi, 1992, p. 13). For children who have been adopted, this reflection may result in confusion, raise questions that cannot be answered, and underline differences between these children and their peers. For example, a teachers request for newborn photographs needed as part of a bulletin board display would be inappropriate, and perhaps disheartening, for a child who was adopted at the age of 2 years.

Reconsider “Adopt-a” Projects The phrase “adopt-a” is frequently used to preface the name given to specific projects within classrooms, schools, or communities. It is difficult for adoptive parents to explain adoption to their child when his class is involved in an adopt-a-whale or an adopt-a-road program. The obvious reason for the phrase being problematic is the manner in which it devalues the concept of adoption and adoptive parenthood; in the above examples, adoption is considered a temporary commitment dependent upon annual monetary renewal or trash removal. “Adopt-a” programs may result in “adopt-a-confusion” (Johnson, n.d.). Because young children are not abstract thinkers, they may struggle with the task of sorting out the differences between adoption of people and adoption of animals or other objects. Teachers do not need to eliminate these types of commercial projects or sponsorships, but they might want to consider a more appropriate name.

Listen Carefully to Childrens Questions
Childrens questions can help teachers gain an accurate understanding of what the child wants to know. If a childs question deals with the concept of origin, the teacher should not assume that the child is asking about adoption; the child who asks “Where did I come from?” may simply be looking for an answer to give his friend who has said “I was born in Chicago.” In such cases, an appropriate response to the childs question might be “What do you mean?” This response gives the child an opportunity to clarify his question and identify exactly what information is needed as an answer. Similarly, a question such as “Do I have two mommies?” could be given a reflective response such as “Is that what you think?you have two mommies?” This type of response opens the door for dialogue that may give the teacher insight into the childs evolving understanding of adoption.

Preschoolers and kindergarteners who were adopted as infants or toddlers rarely display any adoption-related adjustment problems; they have little understanding of reproduction and, therefore, cannot really understand what adoption means (Smith, 1993). Through sensitive discussions and simple, honest explanations, however, teachers can help children understand that (a) every baby grows inside a womans body, and (b) after a baby is born, he may live with the woman who gave birth to him, or he may live with other parents (Melina, 1989a). Emphasis should be placed on helping children develop an understanding of adoption as a way families are formed and an inclusive concept of “family” that refers to people who care about each other independent of their biological parentage.

Avoid Bias toward Adopted Children
Some adoptive parents are reluctant to share information about their childs origin with classroom teachers; they are concerned that teachers may not understand the confidential nature of the information and may treat their child differently from other children in the classroom who have not been adopted. They may further believe that teachers may start looking for problems because the child is part of a nontraditional family (Melina, 1989b). Teachers, like many other people, may react to societal stigmas and stereotypes of adoptedness that paint a less than accurate portrait of an adopted child.

Generally, teachers make a conscious effort to treat all children equally. Specifically, they should maintain consistent academic and behavioral expectations that are independent of a childs adoptive status. Teachers may especially want to examine the degree of leniency used in situations involving an adopted child, because research suggests that teachers are more lenient with a preschool child who has been adopted (Kessler, 1987).

Consider Using Bibliotherapy
Although a number of books for young children deal with the topic of traditional adoption, not all of these stories portray the same process. Teachers need to carefully select adoption books that not only relate a contemporary story but also parallel a particular childs adoption history. For example, The Chosen Baby (Wasson, 1977) describes a couple who easily adopts a baby boy, and later a baby girl, through the services of an adoption agency. Although this delightful story is classic in its charming explanation of the
adoption process, it does not describe the means by which many, if not most, adoptive families are formed today. However, it may be difficult, if not impossible, to find books that do fit a particular childs adoptive situation; a published book about a single woman adopting an infant through a notice in the newspaper would be a rare find indeed. In this and similar less common situations, making a book or a scrapbook might be suggested as a way for parents to relate their childs adoption story. In fact, the best storybook to use in talking to a child about adoption is one made by the adoptive parents themselvesa loving, sensitive, factual description of their child and their adoption experience just the way it really happened (Melina, 1989b).

Conclusion
The familial landscape of our nation is ever changing. No longer can early educators assume that all children in the same classroom share a common traditional family structure. “The reality is that children living in non-traditional families now represent the majority in the classroom. Their undeniable presence challenges our traditional definition of family and demands that we create a more sensitive and inclusive environment that supports children regardless of their family configuration”

 

Filed Under: Research Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Proposed Research for FMS and CFS ??

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Has the NIH research come up with the number of people who have contracted CFS or FM or both?  Also how many are on disability due to these diseases? It seems to me that number of those afflicted would be very high.  In terms that gov’t officials and corporation leaders can understand, that is a LOT OF MONEY in sick day wages, sick benefits used and lost production; and there is the cost of gov’t support for the disabled in the way of income, housing, food and medical.  I think the need is obvious to increase research for these diseases.  I really enjoy writing my officials.  One in particular is such a jerk when it comes to health care, the environment, education, etc.  If he weren’t so young and fairly good-looking, he would never have been elected.

There was one bit of encouraging news in the NIH grant.  Drs. Staud and Vierck received the first clinical research award on FMS from the Nationnal Institutes of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS).  As recently as 1997, NINDS was complaining that FMS was “not their problem”, meaning there were no neurological abnormalities in FMS so why should any of “their” funding have to support research into it?  

I was discussing this with my neurologist (who treats me for migraines, not fibro) last week, and he said that the neurologists just don’t want the illness.  They either don’t believe it’s real, or they believe it is, but know how hard it is to treat since there has been very little research.  My doctor said that someday, someone will find the neurological/immunological/rheumatological connection, and the FMS field will be full of neurologists because from the other side of the desk, it’s a fascinating illness.  Remember that MS is an autoimmune disease, but once it was proven to involve the brain neurologists pretty much took over from the rheumatologists.  My neuro sees a similar thing happening with fibro, including decent funding that diseases like MS get, but only after someone finds a connection to the brain that NINDS and the practicing/researching neurologists can’t ignore.  Rheumatologists will still be involved in treatment (trigger point injections, PT stuff, etc), but fibro will be thought of as a mostly neurological illness.  I think he’s right and I’ve already written my representatives to complain about the skimpy funding.

 

Filed Under: Research Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Phyllis Schlafly: The Policy Behind The Controversy

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

You’ve got to hand it to the National Education Association. The association’s press people and spin artists know how to manipulate the news. The NEA got widespread national publicity by announcing on Independence Day that it was withdrawing its controversial proposed “New B” resolution regarding “Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Education.” Parents concluded they could relax in the assurance that their darlings would not be exploited with such teaching in the schools.

But not so fast. It was all smoke and mirrors. The 10,000 delegates assembled in this year’s annual convention in Los Angeles quietly adopted at least 10 separate resolutions that add up to substantially the same subject matter as the withdrawn New B. This episode began when it leaked out that the NEA planned to adopt an in-your-face resolution demanding that the gay rights agenda be incorporated into everything from school curricula to teacher hiring. For the first time, there was revolt in the ranks of the NEA’s 2.3 million teachers, and the Oklahoma affiliate publicly opposed it.

Tennessee delegates asked for a vote on New Business Item 59 that read: “The NEA shall hold its affiliates harmless, for a period of five years, for any loss of dues revenue related to loss of membership beginning with the 2001-2002 membership year if Resolution New B is passed.” These delegates explained the rationale behind this item: “A significant number of NEA affiliates experienced membership losses related to (last year’s) passage of Resolution B-9. Most of them have not recovered their losses,” and we “believe that we will experience an equal or greater loss of membership if Resolution New B is passed.”

So, the NEA leadership decided to make a public announcement that the new controversial New B would not be brought to a vote. However, NEA President Bob Chase assured the delegates that “in no way is NEA backing away from dealing with the important issues raised by the proposed Resolution. Far from backing away from these issues, this task force will expand the scope of the inquiry.” Chase’s promise was confirmed when the NEA convention went ahead and passed a dozen resolutions, mostly repeats from previous years, affirming practically every point covered in the withdrawn New B.

Resolution B-7 calls for “acceptance” of “diversity,” which is defined to include “sexual orientation.” It also calls for “observances, programs, and curricula that accurately portray and recognize the roles, contributions, cultures, and history of these diverse groups and individuals.” B-9 calls for “plans, activities, and programs” that “increase respect” and “acceptance” toward “gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered people.” The resolution demands an end to “stereotyping” based on “sexual orientation.”

B-9 also calls for extending this policy to “curricula, textbooks, resource and instructional materials, activities, etc.” It demands that we “integrate” into all curricula a portrayal of the roles of “groups who have been underrepresented historically.” B-38 demands that we recognize different “family structures.” This includes recognizing “domestic partners.” B-40 and C-22 call for “comprehensive” education programs about HIV /AIDS “as an integral part of the school curriculum.” Integrating subject matter in the curriculum means concealing it so that parents cannot exempt their children from the class.

C-27 calls on the schools to “provide counseling services and programs” for “students who are struggling with their sexual/gender orientation.” D-8 calls for hiring policies and practices that “include provisions for the recruitment of a diverse teaching staff.” Nobody is fooled by this euphemism. E-5 demands that “educational materials and activities should accurately portray cultural diversity.” There’s that word “diversity” again.

F-1 puts the NEA on record in support of “affirmative action plans and procedures that encourage active recruitment and employment of men in underrepresented education categories in order to overcome past discrimination.” This resolution includes “sexual orientation” among other factors. I-10 states that the NEA is committed to the achievement of a “totally integrated society.” This includes eliminating all “barriers” based on “sexual orientation.”

I-38 redundantly demands the “elimination of discrimination” based on “sexual orientation.” I-42 deplores hate-motivated violence based on sexual orientation. Other resolutions among the dozens that were passed at the 2001 Convention in Los Angeles reaffirmed all the radical policies the NEA has endorsed in the past. They reveal the NEA’s paranoid opposition to school choice, homeschooling and parental supervision of sex education.

Many were shocked this year when the District of Columbia City Council proposed lowering the compulsory school age to age 3. We shouldn’t have been shocked: the NEA convention delegates re-adopted resolution B-1 calling for “programs in the public schools for children from birth through age eight.”

 

Filed Under: Academics Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Outcome of House Vote on IDEA cuts

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The House voted on the Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations bill for FY 1996 and it passed 219 – 208.  There were no amendements from the floor, so all cuts to IDEA in special education research and teacher training remained.  The Senate taks up the issue when it returns from August recess.

To reiterate, this bill does not cut from IDEA funding to States to support special education services, but eliminates all funded research in areas like early childhood and severe and profound disabilities. Many of the leading researchers in this area rely on these funds as their primary source of funding to conduct research and develop programs.   Here are some of the currently funded programs that would be cut: An Analysis of the Effectiveness of Staffing Patterns for Young Children Attending Natural Group Environments for Early Intervention (Dr. Mary Beth Bruder, Univ. of Conn) the project will expand current knowledge and practice in the effects of receiving early childhood intervention in natural group environements.

Efficacy of Early Intervention:  Long Term Effects (Dr. Carl Dunst, Western Carolina Center): project will produce a database on the effectiveness of early intervention. Differential Characteristics and Effects of Family-Oriented Approaches to Early Intervention (Dr. Jackqueline Epstein, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) Examine the best ways to approach family-oriented early intervention services.

Prenatal Cocaine Exposure and Social Development of Young Children (Dr. Scott McConnel, Univ of Minnesota).  Examine effective strategies for education of children exposed to cocain in utero. Investigations of Early Motor Procedures (Dr. Gerald Mahoney, Kent State).  Investigates the relative effectiveness of two motor intervention approaches (NDT and Peabody Developmental Motor program) fo children with Down Syndrome and children with cerebral palsy. Proactive schooling:  Preventing Dropout in Highest Risk Adolescents (Dr. Katherine Larson).  Examining procedures to prevent dropout among Hispanic students in the LA area.

Transition to adulthood for students with developmental disabilities: The role of Siblings (Dr. Russell Gersten, Eugene Oregon)  examine ways that siblings influence educational outcomes. And, I would be less than forthcoming if I did not confess that one of our very own projects will be cut: Is there a causal relationship between self-determination and positive adult outcomes for youth with mental retardation?  A follow-up study part of the work we are doing in self-determination for youth with mental retardation.

I give you these to provide a sense of the types of research that is impacted.  I don’t think I have to illustrate the difficulty in recruiting and retaining good teachers in special education if the personnel training funding disappears. Nothing is more effective than a family member telling his or her Senator that these cuts are impact their son or daughter.  It puts a face to those budget cuts.  The Senate takes their appropriations bill up in Septemeber.  Contact them at their home office during the recess and let them know that these cuts represent a failure on their part to support the nations responsibility to educate all students.

 

Filed Under: Childhood Education Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

JOB OPENING – RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN VERMONT

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

JOB DESCRIPTION

Title:  Research Assistant Professor – Early Childhood Special Education. The University Affiliated Program of Vermont, University of Vermont

Qualifications: Background in early childhood special education.Three years work experience with young children with disabilities and their families in inclusive early childhood settings.  Focus upon community-based, integrated service delivery to families of children birth through five.  Experience teaching graduate courses, superving students, working with public school administrators and teachers and related community service agencies, particularly experience providing training and consultation, is highly desirable.  Ph.D. preferred.

Responsibilities: Teaching graduate courses, supervising student teachers, advising students, collaborating with the Childcare Division of the Agency of Social and Rehabilitative Services, coordinating off-campus training activities and other grant related activities.  To work with other project staff as part of the Early Childhood Team in the development, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of model practices in early childhood special education/early intervention.  Responsibilities to these projects will include the development, validation, and dissemination of model instruments, materials, and guidelines; provide training and technical assistance to early childhood programs and related agency personnel; collecting and analyzing evaluation data; and disseminating project findings through written and oral presentations.

 

Filed Under: Career Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts