Presentations/Distinguished Content Sessions

Thursday, September 18
11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Standards, Assessments and Accountability: Implications of NCLB and IDEA Reauthorization

Moderator: Marlene Simon-Burroughs, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education

Students with disabilities are expected to participate in the standards-based educational reforms encompassed in the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act . This session highlights the standards, assessments, and accountability requirements of those Acts, and their implications for all students with disabilities.

Presenters:

• Martha Thurlow, University of Minnesota
  Students with Disabilities & No Child Left Behind (PPT)

• Martha Brooks, Delaware Department of Education

See also Implications of NCLB and IDEA Reauthorization Highlighted in Session Notes

Having it All: Aligning Transition and Standards-Based Education

Moderator: Michael Slade, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education

Implementing transition services within a standards-based education framework presents a huge conceptual and practical challenge for educators, many who see the principles and goals as mutually exclusive. However, it is important to understand that IDEA 1997 emphasized both transition services and access to the general education curriculum. This dual emphasis places expectations on state and local education agencies to create practical solutions for aligning the systems. This session expands the dialogue about these issues and the belief that we can design education based on both common standards and the right of students with disabilities to individualized and appropriate education and transition planning.

Presenters:

• Carol Kochhar-Bryant, George Washington University
  Aligning Transition and SBE: Beyond Square Pegs & Round Holes (PPT)

• Diane Bassett, Northern Colorado University

• David Sienko, Rhode Island Department of Education

Aligning Services to Improve Systems Accountability and Individual Outcomes

Moderator: Sharon Sewell, National Association of Workforce Boards

A myriad of systems are designed to meet the education, employment, and development needs of youth. Many of these systems are targeted toward a specific population and have eligibility requirements. This phenomenon leads to fragmented systems -- communities with different systems that provide different eligibility requirements to different categorical groups. This session shares how stakeholders can break down 'silos' and collaborate to achieve higher levels of accountability and outcomes.

Presenters:

• J.D. Hoye, Keep the Change, Inc.

Helping Youth and Families Make Informed Choices about Postsecondary Education

Moderator: Mark Gross, President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities

In order for youth and their families to make informed choices about postsecondary education, states and local school districts must implement strategies to better educate them about various postsecondary options and available resources. Cultural competence and diversity are critical considerations when educating young people and families. Ideas for incorporating these strategies are shared.

Presenters:

• Megan Conway, University of Hawaii
  Transitioning from Secondary School to Postsecondary School: What Youth and Families Need to Know (PPT)

• Richard Robison, Federation for Children with Special Needs

• Sue Swenson, The Arc of the United States

Youth Development: State of the Nation Around Disability

Moderator: Curtis Richards, Institute for Educational Leadership

Fostering youth development has become an increasingly more important focus for state and local programs. Research, policy, and practices around the emerging youth development system are highlighted. Findings are shared from national projects focusing on the development of youth that discuss the importance of and the challenges for including youth with disabilities in this initiative.

Presenters:

• Glenda Partee, American Youth Policy Forum

• Bonnie Politz, Academy for Educational Development
  Building a Youth Development Infrastructure (PPT)

• Betsy Valnes, National Council on Disability-Youth Advisory Council

Improving Employment Outcomes: Validated Models and Practices

Moderator: Richard Luecking, TransCen, Inc.

The success of work-based experiences, and ultimately job performance, for youth with disabilities are contingent on available, informed, and willing employers. This session highlights perspectives of experienced employers concerning the expectations of young workers, recruitment and retention of youth with disabilities in the workplace, and recommendations to educators and workforce development professionals as they prepare youth for employment.

Presenters:

• Mark Donovan, Marriott Foundation

• Katherine McCary, U.S. Business Leadership Network

• J. Erin Riehle, Cincinnati Children's Hospital

• Jennifer Sheehy, U.S. Department of Education

Thursday September 18
4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

NCLB: Implications for State Education Agencies and School Improvement

Moderator: Melodie Johnson, Rehabilitation Services Administration, U.S. Department of Education

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has placed new accountability requirements on state and local education agencies. This session presents the opportunities and challenges for youth with disabilities under NCLB, from the perspective of a superintendent of a major public school system and recent research identifying schools that are improving outcomes for these youth.

Presenters:

• Margaret McLaughlin, University of Maryland
  Students with Disabilities & No Child Left Behind (PPT)

• Jerry Weast, Montgomery County Schools
  No Child Left Behind (PPT)

Improving Graduation Rates through Dropout Prevention Strategies that Work

Moderator: Alan Fjellheim, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education

Preventing dropout and improving the rate of school completion is a critical and immediate national goal. This session presents effective comprehensive dropout prevention programs and practices from evidence- based research on youth with disabilities. School completion research, policy, and practices organized and synthesized by the What Works Clearinghouse are shared in this session.

Presenters:

• Olatokumbo (Toks) Fashola, John Hopkins University

• Cammy Lehr, University of Minnesota (see Session Notes)
  Improving Graduation Rates Through Dropout Prevention Strategies that Work (PPT)

• Chad Nye, University of Central Florida

See also Experts Focus on Dropout Prevention Intervention Research in Session Notes

The ABC's to Designing and Implementing State and Local Postschool Outcome Systems

Moderator: Bonnie Jones, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education

Increased importance is being placed on assisting youth with disabilities achieve results. National studies report that youth with disabilities face numerous challenges in accessing postsecondary education, employment, and community living. States and local school districts are recognizing the need to gather pertinent data on postschool outcomes in order to design and implement more effective transition programs and services. The session introduces the basics to designing and implementing postschool outcomes systems at the state and local levels.

Presenters:

• Susan Hasazi, University of Vermont

• Doris Jamison, New York Department of Education
  Supporting Post-School Success: The New York State Post School Indicators Longitudinal Study (PPT)

• Cinda Johnson, University of Washington
  Using Postschool Data for Program Improvement (PPT)

• Jane Storms, Western Regional Resource Center

Creating Postsecondary Opportunities for ALL Youth: Models and Practices

Moderator: Robert Stodden, University of Hawaii

There has been a swell of research and practice on postsecondary options for students with intellectual and significant disabilities. This session provides information about specific models of practice and strategies that assist students with intellectual and significant disabilities to prepare for, access, and participate in postsecondary education. Implications of these practices for special education administrators, teachers, and guidance personnel are shared.

Presenters:

• Barbara Guy, Iowa Department of Education

• Debra Hart, University of Massachusetts-Boston
  Creating Postsecondary Education Opportunities for All Youth: Models and Practices (PPT)

• Stephanie Lee, U.S. Department of Education

• Teresa Whelley, University of Hawaii
  Creating Postsecondary Opportunities for All Youth: Models and Practices

Improving Interagency Collaboration through Communities of Practice

Moderator: David R. Johnson, University of Minnesota

The Communities of Practice strategy has been successfully used in business/industry and recently introduced to the education field as one way to support systems planning improvement. In fact, this strategy is currently being used to share information and promote networking among state and local education programs. Researchers and practitioners share their perspectives on achieving interagency collaboration using this innovative approach.

Presenters:

• Joanne Cashman, National Association of State Directors of Special Education
  Communities of Practice: The Human Side of Implementation (PPT)

• Judy Shanley, The American Institutes for Research; Pennsylvania Interagency Team
  Improving Results for Students with Disabilities Through Communities of Practice (PPT)

Connecting to and Helping Build a Workforce Development System

Moderator: Joan Wills, Institute for Educational Leadership

With the passage of the Workforce Investment Act, new opportunities exist for youth with disabilities to access services for improved employment outcomes. This session shares current research and strategies on how state and local communities bring stakeholders together to achieve a single workforce development system. The support services and accommodations youth with disabilities may need to succeed in competitive employment are revealed.

Presenters:

• Donna Brown, New Jersey Vocational Rehabilitation

• William Kiernan, University of Massachusetts-Boston

• Irene Lynn, Institute for Educational Leadership