Fw: Students who are gifted offer science lessons to younger peers

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May 7, 2010

News for special education professionals

Curriculum & Instruction

Students who are gifted offer science lessons to younger peersA group of eighth-grade students in one Illinois district's gifted program demonstrated scientific concepts to fourth- through sixth-graders to help excite the younger students about science. Teachers assert the program also benefited the older students, who were tasked with ideas for their presentations and had to learn the material well enough to teach it to others. Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, Ill.) (5/6)

Self-contained classroom eases transition for those with special needsThere is just one self-contained special-education classroom in the Ithaca, N.Y., school district, and the district plans to phase it out next month as part of a move toward full inclusion for students with special needs. But special-education teacher says her class helps prepare K-2 students from schools across the district to succeed in mainstream classrooms. "We create the same type of environment you'd see in a regular classroom, but more highly structured," she says. The Ithaca Journal (N.Y.) (5/6)

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Educational Leadership

Teacher bill passes legislative committee with AFT supportA state House committee in Colorado approved a controversial teacher-reform bill that has unions divided over whether to support the changes, which will link students' academic performance to teacher evaluations. The Colorado Education Association opposes the bill, which it says undermines the teaching profession, but the American Federation of Teachers, which has a small chapter in Colorado, endorsed the bill after lawmakers incorporated amendments and modifications suggested by its teachers. The Denver Post (5/7) , The Denver Post/Colorado Classroom blog (5/6)

Arizona district is keeping paraprofessionals amid budget woesThe schools chief in sdale, Ariz., says his district will not eliminate the jobs of its special-education aides, despite the district's budget concerns and a neighboring district's proposal to cut paraprofessionals. The Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (5/5)

Other News

Blog: Summer offers many opportunities for gifted-education learningEducation Week/Unwrapping the Gifted blog (5/4)

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Technology Trends

Florida district sees success with online tutoring after schoolOne Florida middle school is offering its students free, online tutoring sessions with their teachers four days a week after school. Educators say the online program encourages participation among students who do not typically ask questions in a classroom setting. Parents say the program eliminates transportation issues associated with on-campus tutoring sessions. Officials hope to expand the program countywide if they can secure enough funding. Florida Today (Melbourne) (5/6)

Other News

Online tool helps employers understand disability lawsDisability Scoop (5/5)

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Policy News

First-round Race to the Top winners receive poor grades on academicsA study by Harvard University researchers gives Tennessee and Delaware -- the only two states that won first-round federal Race to the Top grants -- poor marks for their academic standards after comparing them with national benchmarks, Strauss writes in this blog post. The report comes just after a group's analysis suggested that the two states may have been chosen according to criteria that did not adhere to a rigorous scientific process, Strauss writes. The

Washington Post/The Answer Sheet blog (5/6)

Federal government sues Arkansas over disability servicesThe federal government filed suit against the state of Arkansas over policies it says violate the Americans with Disabilities Act by forcing people with disabilities into institutions instead of community-based residences. "Arkansas illegally segregates hundreds of individuals in institutions across the state and places hundreds more at risk of needless institutionalization," Assistant Attorney General said. Google/The Associated Press (5/6)

Mo. lawmakers advance latest version of autism-insurance billMissouri's Senate on Thursday approved a bill that would require some insurers to cover up to $45,000 a year for applied behavioral analysis, a treatment for children with autism, through age 18. The bill represents the latest in a series of legislative proposals to mandate coverage for children with autism, and it is headed to the state House, which has until May 14 to decide whether to approve it and send it to the governor. Bloomberg Businessweek/The Associated Press (5/6)

Eye on Exceptionalities

Canadian mother of triplets with cerebral palsy forms foundationA set of triplets born prematurely and each diagnosed with cerebral palsy inspired their mother to launch a foundation to support research on children's neurological disorders. Dana Florence, of Toronto, is enlisting the help of prominent stem-cell researcher Freda at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, to work with her foundation, Three To Be, which aims to develop new treatments for children with neurological diseases. The Toronto Star (5/5)

Fla. students with special needs are set to perform at Carnegie HallA group of students with special needs from a Florida school will be part of an upcoming instrumental musical performance at New York City's Carnegie Hall. The students, who have autism, Down syndrome and other special needs, benefit from music education, their teacher says. "Music gives them the opportunity to transcend their disability through creative expression," he says. The High Springs Herald (Fla.) (5/7)

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CEC Spotlight

Join us for a special international conference on inclusion "Embracing Inclusive Approaches for Children and Youth with Special Education Needs," to be held from July 11 to 14 in Riga, Latvia, will bring together practitioners, researchers, policymakers and nongovernmental organizations from around the globe to discuss the current state of educating children and youth with special needs. The preliminary program is now available. Don't miss this opportunity to explore special education through an international lens. Register now -- advance rates good until June 18.

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