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Current Issue
September 2008

  • Announcements: New projects, legislative alerts, calls to participate, and more
  • The Resource Zone: NCSET and other national resources, including publications, videos, pocket guides, and more.
  • What's Happening: Upcoming NCSET and other national events.
  • Get Wired!: Web sites and listservs.
  • Funding Forecast: Federal and other grant opportunities, as well as funding resources.


Announcements

The latest news and information from around the country.


New Projects

 

Online Directory for Finding Community Services for Children and Families Maternal and Child Health Library
http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_community.html
The Maternal and Child Health Library has released a new edition of the Community Services Locator, an online directory service providers and families can use to find health, mental health, family support, parenting, child care, and other services in their communities. Topics include education and special needs, health and wellness, mental health and well-being, family support, parenting, child care and early childhood education, and financial support.

 

The Inclusive Schools Network: Connecting Families, Schools and Communities throughout the World
http://www.inclusiveschools.org/
The Inclusive Schools Network (ISN) is a web-based resource for families, schools, and communities that promotes inclusive educational practices. ISN’s mission is “to encourage, embolden, and empower people to design and implement effective inclusive schools, by sharing insights and best practices and by providing opportunities for connection.” ISN provides year-round opportunities for families and educators to network and build their knowledge of inclusive education. This resource grew out of Inclusive Schools Week™, an internationally-recognized annual event sponsored by Education Development Center, Inc.


View Past New Projects...

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Calls to Participate

 

Presenters Sought for National Conference on Juvenile Justice
http://www.ncjfcj.org/content/view/1150/347/
The National Conference on Juvenile Justice will be held in Orlando, Florida, March 11-14, 2009. Sponsored by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, in conjunction with the National District Attorneys Association, the conference will provide presenters with a forum to address a multidisciplinary audience of professionals working in America’s juvenile and family courts. Visit their Web site to submit a presentation proposal online or download a submission form.


View Past Calls to Participate...

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The Resource Zone


Other National Resources

 

Employer Perspectives on High School Diploma Options for Adolescents With Disabilities  (June 2008)
Article
http://dps.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/19/1/5
This article from the Journal of Disability Policy Studies discusses a study of employers’ attitudes toward hiring people with disabilities who have earned different types of high school diplomas: (a) standard diplomas; (b) occupational diplomas; (c) certificates of completion, attendance, or achievement; and (d) General Educational Development diplomas (GEDs).

 

Engaging Youth in Community Change  (2008) PDF document
Report
http://www.aecf.org/~/media/PublicationFiles/YT3622H004.pdf
Youth programs and organizations have developed a variety of approaches for including young people in decision-making processes that affect them, their peers, and their communities. Despite these efforts, little is known about these approaches. The Annie E. Casey Foundation funded the Finance Project to produce a report by Aracelis Gray and Cheryl D. Hayes on the state of knowledge on financing and sustaining youth engagement programs. Available in pdf (76 pages, 4.4 MB).

 

Exploring an Alternative Approach to Juvenile Justice  (2008)
Report
http://www.chapinhall.org/article_abstract.aspx?ar=1473
Chapin Hall research fellow Jeffrey Butts provides an overview of the current juvenile justice system and offers suggestions for a new model using a positive youth development approach. This paper was published by the Youth Transition Funders Group as part of its “Beyond the Tunnel Problem: Addressing Cross-Cutting Issues that Impact Vulnerable Youth” series.

 

Improving Access to Health Coverage for Transitional Youth  (August 2008)
Report/Webinar
http://www.hcbs.org/moreInfo.php/nb/doc/2323
The National Academy of State Health Policy produced this report and webinar to help states provide Medicaid and SCHIP coverage to youth involved with or exiting foster care and juvenile justice systems. The report focuses on simplifying enrollment, enhancing retention through transitions, and integrating services with partners. The webinar slides summarize the report findings and highlight programs in New Mexico and Washington that focus on the juvenile justice system and youths released from incarceration.

 

New Century High Schools Initiative  (August 2008)
Report
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/reports/dropout/new_century/
The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) intervention report on the New Century High Schools Initiative provides information on this program that is designed to improve large, underperforming high schools by transforming them into small schools with links to community organizations. The schools choose a curriculum that has a theme or career focus, such as engineering, health science, or theater, and then each school partners with a community organization that can participate in curriculum development, school management, after-school activities, or other operational aspects of the school.

 

Parent and Family Involvement in Education, 2006-07 School Year  (August 2008) PDF document
Report
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2008/2008050.pdf
This report, released by the National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences, presents initial findings from the Parent and Family Involvement in Education Survey of the National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES). The NHES data were collected from January to May of 2007 through interviews with parents of students in kindergarten through grade 12. Available in pdf (57 pages, 532 KB).

 

Public School Graduates and Dropouts from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06  (August 2008)
Report
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2008353
This report from the National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences presents the number of high school graduates, the Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate (AFGR), and dropout data for grades 9 through 12 for public schools in school year 2005-06. The counts of graduates, dropouts, and enrollments by grade (which are the denominators for the graduation and dropout rates) are from the Common Core of Data (CCD) nonfiscal surveys of public elementary/secondary education. Available in pdf (30 pages, 208 KB).

 

Resources for Responding to and Coping with Hurricane Related Events  (2008)
Resource
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/hurricane.htm
As natural disasters affect communities and their schools “Resources for Responding to and Coping with Hurricane Related Events” from the School Mental Health Project/Center for Mental Health in Schools, UCLA Department of Psychology, provides easily assessable guides for anticipating the reactions of students and families and how schools can play a role in recovery.


View Past Other National Resources...

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What's Happening


Other National Events

  

Promising Practices for Engaging People with ALL Abilities in National Service
Web-based Event
September 9, 2008
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM   (Eastern)
http://nationalserviceresources.org/resources/calendar?action=detailed&event_id=3072
The National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP) Fellows Program aims to increase and enhance the disability and national service field’s understanding and capacity to develop and implement strategies to allow citizens with disabilities to fully participate in service and volunteerism. The current Fellows are: Laura Lacey with the Brooke Point High School and Michael Bray with the Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI). To register, e-mail nsip@umb.edu by Thursday, September 4, and include contact information and any request for CART transcription.

 

National Conference on Disability Inclusion and National Service
Conference
October 16, 2008 - October 18, 2008
Washington, DC
http://www.serviceandinclusion.org/index.php?page=front_conf
Hosted by the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston in collaboration with the Association of University Centers for Excellence, this conference will explore the changing dynamics of the disability community, and what must be done to ensure that positive and necessary changes occur within both the national service and disability communities.

 

PEN Annual Conference: Legacy, Focus, and Impact
Conference
November 16, 2008 - November 18, 2008
San Francisco, CA
http://publiceducation.org/annualconference/agenda.html
Public Education Network (PEN) will hold its 2008 annual conference in the city where local education funds got their start 25 years ago. The conference will examine the legacy of Local Education Funds (LEFs), the focus of their work, and the impact their work has had on public education. LEF members and others will come together to recognize the historic contributions of LEFs to education reform, and to look to the future of the field.

 

National Center for Technology Innovation: 2008 Technology Innovators Conference: Thriving in a Global Marketplace
Conference
November 20, 2008 - November 21, 2008
Washington, DC
http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/index.php/events-main-page/2008conference/
The National Center for Technology Innovation invites technology innovators, researchers, practitioners, instructional and assistive technology vendors, philanthropists, policymakers, OSEP projects, and the media to the Technology Innovators Conference. Thriving in a Global Marketplace explores the marketplace of ideas, highlighting the critical role that technology plays in transforming the educational experience for all students.

View Past Other National Events...

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Get Wired!


Web Sites

 

Back-to-School Open House at EdWeek.org
http://www.edweek.org/ew/index.html
The Back-to-School Open House at EdWeek.org provides free access from September 1 through September 7 to everything premium subscribers see daily. The Open House is a great opportunity for you to dive into areas and issues in K-12 education you care deeply about, and catch up on them while it’s free.

 

Career/Technical Education Statistics
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/ctes/
The Institute of Education Sciences National Center for Education Statistics has updated the Career/Technical Education Statistics Web site and its tables on career/technical education (CTE) at three levels: (1) secondary/high school CTE, (2) postsecondary/college career education, and (3) adult education for work. These tables are updated periodically to incorporate new CTE-related topics and data from new surveys. In this update, 36 tables were added to the secondary/high school tables, covering the topic of high school student participation in CTE, and 15 new tables were added to the postsecondary/college tables, replacing tables on current postsecondary career education offerings and credentials with tables on trends in offerings and credentials.

 

DisabilityInfo Web site Enhanced
www.disabilityinfo.gov
DisabilityInfo, a collaborative product among twenty-two federal agencies, has comprehensive information on cross-cutting issue areas including employment, benefits, housing, transportation, health care, education, civil rights and technology. The site has been enhanced and updated including: over 2,000 new links to state-level resources; increased information about programs and services on the State and Local Resources Map; access to the quarterly newsletter; and answers to frequently asked questions about the DisabilityInfo Web site.

 

National Consortium for Health Systems Development Web site
http://www.nchsd.org/index.asp
The National Consortium for Health Systems Development (NCHSD) is a technical assistance partnership providing flexible, state-tailored technical assistance to states developing comprehensive health and employment service systems for people with disabilities who want to work. Serving people with disabilities, providers, state agencies, research institutes, advocates and businesses, NCHSD is a project of Health & Disability Advocates.


View Past Web Sites...

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Listservs

 

Next Generation Youth Work Coalition Bulletin 8
http://www.nextgencoalition.org/?q=node/37
This e-Newsletter offers information on developments in the youth work profession, including information on how the Frameworks Institute, Corporate Voices for Working Families, National After-School Association, and the University of Minnesota are advancing external communications, policy, and higher education for the youth work profession; new coursework being offered in New York; a youth worker's perspective from Vermont; a new Next Gen Toolkit for conducting workforce surveys; and more.


View Past Listservs...

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Funding Forecast


Federal Grant Opportunities

 

Forecast of Funding Opportunities under the Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 2008
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/find/edlite-forecast.html
This document lists virtually all programs and competitions under which the U.S. Department of Education has invited or expects to invite applications for new awards for fiscal year 2008 and provides actual or estimated deadlines for the transmittal of applications under these programs. The lists are in the form of charts organized according to the Department’s principal program offices and include programs and competitions previously announced as well as those to be announced at a later date.

 

FY 2007-2008 Discretionary Grant Application Packages
http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html
This site, from the Department of Education, provides information on grant competitions that are currently open.


View Past Federal Grant Opportunities...

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Additional Funding and Award Opportunities

 

Nestle Very Best in Youth Program to Honor Young People
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/rfp_item.jhtml?id=216700014
Awards of $500, plus $1,000 given to the charity of his or her choice, will be awarded to young people between the ages of 13 and 18 who have excelled academically and are making a difference in their communities. The young people, selected from nominations from volunteers, parents, and teachers, will be featured in a special publication and honored at a black-tie ceremony in Los Angeles in July 2009. Applicants must be legal residents of the United States or its territories. Deadline: November 20, 2008

 

Pay It Forward Foundation Offers Mini-Grants for Youth
http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15014740/payitforward
Pay It Forward Mini-Grants are designed to fund one-time-only service-oriented projects identified by youth as activities they would like to perform to benefit their school, neighborhood, or greater community. Projects must contain a “pay it forward” focus: that is, they must be based on the concept of one person doing a favor for others, who in turn do favors for others, with the results growing exponentially. Mini-grants of up to $500 are available. Because funding is limited, projects requesting smaller amounts will be given priority. Deadline: September 15, 2008

 

Student Volunteers Invited to Apply for Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15014741/prudential
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, sponsored by Prudential Financial and administered by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, are designed to honor middle and high school students for volunteer community service. Eligible applicants include U.S. students in grades 5-12 who have engaged in a volunteer activity that occurred at least partly during the twelve months prior to the date of application. Local honorees are selected in November, and from these two state honorees are chosen in each state and the District of Columbia, and from these ten national honorees are selected and announced at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in May 2009. State Honorees receive an award of $1,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, DC, for national recognition events. National Honorees receive an additional award of $5,000. Deadline: October 31, 2008

 

Surdna Foundation Invites High School Arts Teachers to Apply for Fellowships
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/rfp_item.jhtml?id=221500020
Eligible applicants this year include teachers working in specialized public arts high schools and arts-focused magnet and charter high schools; grants of up to $5,500 in support of artistic growth will be provided, with a complementary grant of $1,500 provided to each Fellow's school for post-fellowship activities. Deadline: November 14, 2008 (Letters of Intent)


View Past Additional Funding and Award Opportunities...

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Scholarships and Awards

 

American Association of People with Disabilities Invites Applications for Paul G. Hearne Leadership Award
http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15014742/aapdawards
In 2009, the American Association of People with Disabilities will once again recognize individuals personifying leadership, advocacy, and dedication to and for the disability community at large, with the Paul G. Hearne Leadership Award. Three individuals who are emerging as leaders in the cross-disability civil rights movement will each receive $10,000 to help them continue their progress as leaders and further connect their work with the national grassroots of AAPD. They will also have an opportunity to meet and network with national disability leaders at the AAPD Leadership Gala in Washington, D.C. in March 2009. U.S. residents with any type of disability and of any age are eligible to apply. Deadline: September 30, 2008


View Past Scholarships and Awards...

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End of Issue


Excerpting E-News
You are welcome to copy and paste portions of this E-News issue into your own e-mail newsletter; however, please credit the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition E-News and link to http://www.ncset.org/enews as follows: “Excerpted from NCSET E-News, an electronic newsletter of the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET), available online at http://www.ncset.org/enews. NCSET is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.”

Contributing to E-News
If you have information on new products, resources, funding opportunities, and conferences or training events and want to contribute these to a future E-News issue, please e-mail the information to ncset@umn.edu or see Suggest an Item for E-News for more information.

Purpose of the Listserv
E-News features resources, activities, products, and funding information from around the country. E-News is dedicated to assisting youth, parents, educators, service providers, and administrators to stay connected and informed about secondary education and transition issues.

To Subscribe or Unsubscribe
To subscribe go to http://www.ncset.org/enews/. To unsubscribe (or remove yourself) from this list, please go to http://www.ncset.org/enews/unsubscribe.asp.

E-News Disclaimer
The National Center on Secondary Education and Transition disseminates E-News to enhance public access to information about secondary education and transition activities. Our intention is to provide resources that are current and accurate. Although every attempt is made to ensure the accuracy of this information, we can make no guarantees. We will, of course, make every effort to correct errors brought to our attention. E-News was supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, (Cooperative Agreement No. H326J000005). However, the opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of the U. S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, or any of the six partners of the National Center on Secondary Education and Transition, and no official endorsement should be inferred. Note: There are no copyright restrictions on this document. However, please credit the source and support of federal funds when copying all or part of this material.

 


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