New Website Makes Data Priority

The U.S. Department of Education today launched a new website that provides convenient and transparent access to key national and state education data, highlighting the progress being made across the country in every level of the education system and encouraging communities to engage in a conversation about their schools. The United States Education Dashboard, available at http://dashboard.ed.gov, presents important indicators of whether the country is making progress toward the President's goal – that, by 2020, the United States will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

February is College Application and Financial Aid Month

EVERY STUDENT must have a real chance to reach his or her lifelong aspirations – to be competitive in tomorrow’s fast-paced and expanding global economy. Throughout America, over the past decade, there has been a growing movement among educators, national employers, and top business professionals to further focus the nation’s high school curriculum on college preparation and career development.

This February, for the first time, our state will celebrate Alabama College Application and Financial Aid Month – a new annual event developed by the Alabama Department of Education’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) Section, to celebrate the importance of “lifelong student achievement.” This celebration will also highlight the importance of the “college and career readiness” concept, which focuses on creating a seamless transition between students leaving high school, entering college, and moving into the workforce.

According to current research, the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that approximately 90 percent of the nation’s upcoming 21st Century careers will require employees to have postsecondary education experience. Ultimately, being college and career ready means that high school graduates have the English, science, and mathematics skills needed to succeed in postsecondary learning and the real world of work.

To celebrate Alabama College Application and Financial Aid Month, special activities, official resolution and proclamation ceremonies, and other events have been planned statewide. Attending college today means much more than just pursuing a traditional four- year degree. Being college-ready means students are prepared for the entire postsecondary experience – ready to earn all types of postsecondary credentials, including associates’ and bachelor’s degrees, professional licenses, special certificates, and, ultimately, a master’s and doctoral degrees.

Reprinted from Alabama Education News, Vol. 34. No. 4. January/February 2011. for more information or to read back issues, check out the Alabama Department of Education at www.alsde.edu

Social Media for Family Engagement

The research is pretty conclusive. Family engagement leads to positive outcomes for students. So how do we get there? The foundation of effective family engagement starts with relationships. Families and schools should have a relationship and feel like they are part of a strong community that supports their kids. The relationship begins with schools having a culture that honors and respects the contributions of all families.

Once parents have connected with the schools the work is not over. We know that the type of family engagement that has the most significant impact on student achievement is the type that takes place at home. Parents and other caregivers do not ever need to step foot in a school building to give students the educational benefits that result from family engagement. Families just need to understand the role they can play. That is where social media can help you accomplish your goals.

Many parents have access to technology. In fact, with the advent of smart phones and affordable hardware, the technology gap is shrinking rapidly. So, how can you take advantage of the Internet to increase family engagement? Did you know that there are over 500 million active users on Facebook and over 50% of them check the site on any given day? Consider having a couple of workshops for families in your school computer lab and show them how to connect to your class Facebook page. Did you know that over 77% of all Internet users read blogs? Introduce them to blogging and then show them how to read your blogs and post comments or questions. There are over 300,000 new Twitter users set up each day and 37% use their phone to tweet. Consider setting up a classroom Twitter page and then tweeting homework assignments or strategies for parents to help with homework.

Most families are already active on the web. Give them the content that will connect them to your classroom to keep them engaged in their children’s learning. If you are interested in additional resources, Google it!

Building Reading Habits

Most children learn how to read, but not all children acquire the habit of reading. Parents play a large role in helping their children develop good reading habits. The following tips may be helpful to you:

Talk with your children about reading. Ask your children to tell you about books and stories they have read. Tell your children about your own reading. Make reading the topic of family discussions.

Visit the library with your children. Visits to the library can be a great family activity. Enjoy browsing with your children. Be sure your children know how to use a library card.

Make time for family reading. Family life can be very busy, leaving little time for reading. Make reading a family activity by occasionally setting aside 30 minutes or more for everyone to read. Turn off the television. Let each family member select his or her own reading material. Enjoy quiet time reading together.

Give books as gifts to your children. Books make wonderful gifts for birthdays and other special occasions.

Read aloud with your children. Children are never too old to read aloud. Parents often read to their children when the children are small. When children first learn to read, they read aloud to their parents. But when children get older, they often stop reading aloud with their parents. Keep alive the enjoyable activity of reading aloud. Share favorite passages with your children.

Use the newspaper as a tool for encouraging the habit of reading. Talk about the newspaper with your children. Show young children the different sections in the newspaper. Clip articles and share them with your children. Encourage your children to clip articles to share with the family.

Encourage children to read to prepare for family activities. Before a family vacation, outing, or special event, ask your children to read about the location or activity and to report the information to the family.

From Solid Foundation, © Copyright 2008, Academic Development Institute

Alabama Receiving More Than $58 Million for Turnaround Schools

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that Alabama will receive more than $58 million to turn around its persistently lowest achieving schools through the School Improvement Grants (SIG) program. These funds are part of the $3.5 billion that will be made available to states this spring from money set aside in the 2009 budget and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

"When a school continues to perform in the bottom five percent of the state and isn't showing signs of growth or has graduation rates below 60 percent, something dramatic needs to be done," said Duncan. "Turning around our worst performing schools is difficult for everyone but it is critical that we show the courage to do the right thing by kids."

The $58,052,413 made available to Alabama is being distributed by formula to the state and will then be competed out by the state to school districts. In order for a school district to apply for these funds, it must have a state-identified "persistently lowest achieving" or a Tier III school -- a school that has failed to meet annual yearly progress for two years and is not identified as a persistently lowest achieving school.

However, Tier III schools can only receive funds once all of the state's persistently lowest achieving schools have received funds. Alabama's application, which includes its list of persistently lowest achieving schools, as defined by the state, can be found here: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/summary/index.html.

School districts will apply to the state for the funds this spring. When school districts apply, they must indicate that they will implement one of the following four models in their persistently lowest achieving schools:

• TURNAROUND MODEL: Replace the principal, screen existing school staff, and rehire no more than half the teachers; adopt a new governance structure; and improve the school through curriculum reform, professional development, extending learning time, and other strategies.
• RESTART MODEL: Convert a school or close it and re-open it as a charter school or under an education management organization.
• SCHOOL CLOSURE: Close the school and send the students to higher-achieving schools in the district.
• TRANSFORMATION MODEL: Replace the principal and improve the school through comprehensive curriculum reform, professional development, extending learning time, and other strategies.

Once schools receive SIG funds, they will be able to begin to spend them immediately to turn around schools this fall. States may apply to the Education Department for a waiver to allow them to spend funds over a three-year period. An additional $545,633,000 has been provided for SIG in 2010 and will be awarded to states to fund additional schools in the 2011-12 school year. The department has also made a request for an additional $900 million for the program in the 2011 budget.

The article above is from a press release issued by the U. S. Department of Education on April 21, 2010.

Article from the Public Education Network Weekly Newsblast

As part of his sweeping healthcare overhaul, President Obama has made the federal government primary lender to students, the Associated Press reports. A final set of tweaks to the healthcare bill created an opening for the far-reaching legislation, the largest rewrite of federal college assistance programs in four decades. About half of undergraduates receive federal student aid, and nearly 8.5 million students attend college with the help of Pell Grants. Under the measure, private banks will no longer get fees for acting as middlemen in federal student loans, and the government will use the savings to boost Pell Grants and make it easier for loan repayment. In addition, some borrowers could see lower interest rates and easier approvals. The president has promoted the changes as a way to make college more affordable for students, with a debt load more manageable after graduation. "This reform of the federal student loan programs will save taxpayers $68 billion over the next decade," Mr. Obama said in his weekly address. "And with this legislation, we're putting that money to use achieving a goal I set for America: By the end of this decade, we will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world."

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/mar/30/obama-to-sign-student-loan-legislation-in-virginia/

Blueprint Missing Key Ingredient

President Obama introduced his blueprint on education recently, and now that health care reform is behind us, it will likely begin to move forward. The Blueprint focuses on five key elements: college and career ready students, great teachers and leaders in every school, equity and opportunity for all students, raising the bar and rewarding excellence, and promoting innovation and continuous improvement.

While these are great goals, the devil is in the details. It is striking that in spite of recent research there is no mention of family engagement. Research tells us family engagement has a ton of protective factors and results in students who are better behaved, attend school more regularly, are more likely to enroll in higher level classes, and get better grades and test scores. Nobody believes that family engagement is the only factor that will ensure a student's success. As Dr. Karen Mapp points out when she likens education to baking a cake, good instruction is the flour, but family engagement is the baking soda.

In the past, schools have struggled with how to engage families in ways that will benefit students. We have certainly come a long way since parents were expected to bake brownies or make copies in the office, but we have a long way to go. For many years Federal legislation has required that families participate in meaningful ways in schools that receive Title I funding. Looking at the monitoring reports for almost every state shows schools still don't understand the best way to do this. Parent Information and Resource Centers (PIRCs) have evolved into a technical assistance office within each state to help schools understand what the most effective type of family engagement looks like and how to achieve it in their schools.

The fact that the proposed blueprint contains no language around family engagement and eliminates the PIRCs altogether is troubling. If we truly want to have students who leave school college and career ready, the research tells us family engagement is a key factor. History tells us its hard work and schools need help in getting it done.

Failing Schools Say They Need More Parent Involvement

This article from Central Coast News appeared on March 8, 2010. Special Thanks to NYS PIRC for posting it initially.

Greenfield, Calif- Laura Zavala started teaching first grade at Greenfield Elementary 5 years ago. She's frustrated the school is seen as consistently under achieving, We are trying our best and I can see it in my class I can see the growth. You know when the kids come in they are at a particular level and when they leave I see so much growth and it's frustrating when I see the scores are not there," said Zavala.

Zavala told Central Coast News she needs more programs to help get her students on track. She also said more parents need to get involved, "They don't speak English or they work. They work from like five in the morning to six o'clock at night so when they get home they are tired and some of the kids are with a baby sitter and in the after school programs, so they don't talk to their parents as much," said Zavala.

Zavala believes if the students are really going to succeed the parents need the tools to help, "It's very important to read to write to do their work at home and we need to involve them. We need to teach the parents how to teach their kids," said Zavala.

Greenfield Union School Districts Superintendent Elida Garza says she thinks her schools can overcome the language barrier and get back on track with the states education requirements, "My parents did not have a formal education but they instilled in us the value of an education. The value that if you work hard and study hard it is what's going to break that cycle of poverty," said Garza.

Social Networks

This week I have been spending some time with the fantastic staff of the Indiana PIRC. This trip was a perfect opportunity for us to share our resources and skills in ways that will help us all to grow and provide better services.

The Indiana PIRC has long been admired for their parent leadership Academies. They have worked hard for years to develop an outstanding model that leads to increasing student success through effective parent engagement. Anyone involved with the Alabama PIRC Academy for Parent Leadership and Engagement knows that we have been using the IN PIRC materials for years. This week, they have introduced us to their revised materials so that we can update the ones we are currently using. Additionally, they shared information about Books on Board (BOB, an early literacy program they developed) and the Path to College. You can find information about their fantastic programs at www.fscp.org

While I was here, I helped them get more connected to families, schools, and other organizations by working with them to develop a social networking plan. You can now find the Indiana PIRC on Twitter (@inpirc) Facebook (Indiana PIRC) and blogging at Posterous (http://indianapirc.posterous.com/) Why would they bother joining the social networking bandwagon? Maybe this video will explain...

Social Networking Video

Preparing for College: The New Streamlined FAFSA

Everyone who has children interested in attending college is interested in financial aid! Its never too early to start planning for paying for your children's college education. One important tool that parents need to use is the FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA was designed to be used to determine how much money a family is expected to be able to contribute towards college expenses. The results of the FAFSA can determine the amount of money in student grants, work study and loans. (Scholarships must be applied for separately.)

The good news is that the process has been streamlined. In the past, the form was extremely complex, difficult to complete, and frustrating because the smallest errors could cause problems with aid or significant delays. Now, the US Department of Education has provided instant estimates of the Pell Grant and student loan eligibility so students and their families don't have to wait weeks for the notification. Also, the web-based form now has skip logic so that students and their families never see questions that are not relevant to their own application. Also, tax information is available directly from the IRS.

Every parent wants their children to grow up and live happy and productive lives. The ability to go to college is something that many parents struggle to afford. Streamlining the process to receive financial aid helps all families access the resources they need to help their children reach their fullest potential.

For more information on the FAFSA, go to www.fafsa.ed.gov

Creating a Solid Foundation

Have you heard of Solid Foundation? Solid Foundation is a comprehensive parent engagement program developed by Academic Development Institute. Solid Foundation is a Evidence based program that helps: strengthen family-school connections; engage parents in children's learning; and improve student academic and social learning.

AL PIRC provides the free Path 1 web based process that guides a team through 10 efficient & effective steps to: assess the school community's strengths and areas for improvement; develop a two-year plan; and implement the plan with abundant resources. Over a dozen schools statewide in Alabama have begun using the Solid Foundation model. Great revisions of policies have been created to specifically meet the needs of parents & schools. Effective educational activites have been implemented to increase students performance on tests and report card grades. In addition, schools have established first time or restored true collaborative partnerships with families to help Alabama students compete across the world. To get your school involved or to learn more about this wonderful program please contact William Jones at 334-567-2252. Let's "GET SOLID"!

Family Friendly Walk Through

Last week, the staff of the Alabama PIRC were trained on how to conduct Family Friendly Walk Throughs. The project, developed originally by the Arizona PIRC has been used successfully to help schools identify ways they can work with families to create a stronger learning environment for students. The research on family engagement has found that schools need to be the first to reach out to families and invite them to participate in their children's education. However, often schools have unintentionally created barriers to effective family engagement. Having a Family Friendly Walk Through helps the school understand how inviting it appears to the local community.

As a part of the walk through, the PIRC staff assess the school: customer service, school environment, school website, community partnerships, documents, and school to home communication. The walk through consists of a physical tour of the campus, surveys of parents and teachers, an interview with the principal, document reviews and website reviews. Once the assessment is complete, PIRC staff convert the data collected to a report, which is provided to the school as a reference tool for the purpose of creating a stronger learning environment. The report contains areas that were identified as either strengths, emerging practices, or areas for improvement along with specific research based recommendations for improvement.

If you are in a Title I school and you are interested in having a Family Friendly Walk Through, contact the Alabama PIRC today!

What is Public School Choice?

Under the No Child Left Behind Act, parents of children attending Title I schools that are not meeting state academic standards and are identified for improvement may be able to move their children to other public schools that are meeting the standards. This option gives parents the chance to ensure that their children are attending a school that is performing well, while, at the same time, allowing school officials to make improvements in their children’s neighborhood schools. Public School Choice is also an option for parents in the event their child is attending a school that is “persistently dangerous,” or the child has been the victim of a violent crime while on school grounds.

How can I find out if my child’s school has been identified as needing improvement? Yearly school report cards distributed through your child’s school contain detailed information on school performance and district academic performance including whether or not a school has been identified for school improvement. School districts are required to notify parents no later than the first day of school that follows the year the school was identified as needing improvement. This notification must also inform parents that their child is eligible to attend another public school, should identify two or more designated schools that parents may choose, and describe the performance and overall quality of those schools.

What can I do if my school or district does not offer school choice, when my child is eligible? Schools and districts receiving Title I funds must provide public school choice for eligible students as described above. If they do not, parents are encouraged to contact the Alabama Department of Education. (www.alsde.edu)

Does public school choice only include schools in the district where my child is enrolled? Usually. However, there may be situations where children in Title I schools have options to transfer outside their own district. For instance, a school district may enter into a cooperative agreement with another district. This may be necessary when all of the schools in a district have been identified as needing improvement.

Is transportation available for my child if we exercise our right to attend another school designated for choice? Yes, transportation services are available. Priority is given to the lowest achieving children from low- income families in schools required to provide choice.

Can I choose to keep my child in a school that is eligible for school choice? Yes. While the district must offer public school choice, this is an option for parents, not a requirement.

What can I do as a parent if I decide to keep my child at a school that has been identified for improvement?

• Help your child at home by setting high goals, reading together, and monitoring homework
• Make sure that your voice is heard at school
• Make sure the school’s improvement plan focuses on areas where the school is not doing well
• Get a copy of your school’s parent involvement policy from the principal, parent liaison or head of your school’s parent group
• Make sure your school has a school-parent compact that was developed with and approved by parents

For more information about Public School Choice or other issues related to your child’s education, please feel free to contact the Alabama Parent Information and Resource Center. The Alabama PIRC is a clearinghouse with training and information for parents, teachers and administrators with lots of information about educational laws and how effective family engagement can be used to raise student achievement. Contact our office at 334-567-2252 or see our website www.alabamaparentcenter.com.

Preparing Teachers to Work With Families

Recently, Secretary Duncan released a call for colleges of education to improve the way they prepare educators to teach students. Secretary Duncan noted that we will need to "hire up to 200,000 first-time teachers annually over the next five years." In his press release, he pointed out that currently colleges of education are not doing an adequate job of preparing teachers for "the realities of the 21st century classroom." Secreatry Duncan calls for the universities preparing our future teachers to "ensure that new teachers master the content of the subjects they’ll teach and they will have well-supported field-based experiences embedded throughout their preparation programs. Their ultimate goal should be to create a generation of teachers who are focused on improving student achievement and ready to deliver on that goal."

I commend Secretary Duncan for taking a bold stand for children by calling out the universities that leave our teachers unprepared. However, I believe he forgot the most important missing link, family engagement. Most colleges of education do not offer future teachers any preparation at all to work with families and engage them in their children's learning. We have more research on family engagement than ever before and the results only confirm what we already know. When families are engaged in their children's education students perform better, have fewer behavior problems, and graduate on time. What we also know is that the most effective type of family engagement is what happens in the home. To truly improve the educational outcomes of our students, Secretary Duncan should call on our colleges of education to better prepare teachers to work with families and give them the help that they need to be more engaged in their children's education.

For more information on Secretary Duncan's remarks, read them at www.ed.gov

A Letter from Michelle Obama

This is a busy time of year in the Obama household. Like so many parents all across this country, I watch with a mixture of pride and anxiety as my daughters stuff their backpacks, kiss me goodbye, and move ahead in another school year without so much as a backwards glance.

My girls are now making new friends, tackling challenging new subjects, and moving closer to becoming the strong, confident women I know they can be. But when I see them come home, bursting with excitement about something they have learned or someone they have met, I can't help but think that some of the most influential people in my daughters' lives won't be the ones they socialize with on the playground or read about in the pages of a book—they will be the people who stand up every day in front of their classrooms.

We all remember the impact a special teacher had on us—a teacher who refused to let us fall through the cracks; who pushed us and believed in us when we doubted ourselves; who sparked in us a lifelong curiosity and passion for learning. Decades later, we remember the way they made us feel and the things they inspired us to do—how they challenged us and changed our lives. So it's not surprising that studies show that the single most important factor affecting students' achievement is the caliber of their teachers. And when we think about the qualities that make an outstanding teacher—boundless energy and endless patience; vision and a sense of purpose; the creativity to help us see the world in a different way; commitment to helping us discover and fulfill our potential—we realize: These are also the qualities of a great leader.

Today, more than ever before, we need precisely this kind of leadership in our classrooms. As the president has frequently said, in a 21st-century global economy where jobs can be shipped to any place with an Internet connection and children here in America will be competing with children around the world for the same jobs, a good education is no longer just one road to opportunity—it is the only road. And good teachers aren't just critical for the success of our students. They are the key to the success of our economy.

But the reality is that with each passing year, we are losing more and more of our most experienced teachers. More than half of our nation's teachers and principals are baby boomers. And in the next four years, as many as one third of America's 3.2 million teachers could retire. The U.S. Department of Education projects that by 2014, just five short years from now, our nation's schools will hire as many as 1 million new teachers. And the challenge to our schools is not just an overall teacher shortage but a shortage of good teachers in the schools where they are most essential: high-need schools that face some of the most daunting obstacles but have students with so much potential. We also have a shortage of teachers in subjects like math and science that we know will be critical to our children's future.

Today, we need a new generation of leaders to take their place in our nation's schools. We need passionate, talented, committed men and women to step up and devote themselves to preparing our students to succeed in this new century.

We need universities to double down on their efforts to prepare teachers and to improve and expand effective alternative routes to certify teachers. We need to encourage more experienced professionals to consider teaching as the next chapter in their careers. And we need to treat teachers like the professionals they are by providing good salaries and high-quality professional development opportunities. We need parents to do their part as well to match that leadership in the classroom with leadership at home. We need to set limits and turn off the TV. We need to put away those video games and make sure that homework gets done. We need to reinforce the example that's being set and the lessons being taught at school and make sure that learning continues at home.

And we need government to support significant efforts to recruit and retain teachers and to reward high-performing teachers. Along those lines, President Obama is already investing more than $3 billion to turn around struggling schools. And he has proposed a nationwide Teacher Recruitment Program to attract more people to the profession, especially in high-need schools. I look forward to being involved with this program and encouraging people across America to put their leadership skills to work in our nation's schools.

Much work lies ahead, and it won't be easy. But I am confident that with a new generation of outstanding leaders in our classrooms, we can make a lasting difference in the lives of our young people and a lasting impact on the life of this nation.

This letter to the Editor was published in US News & World Report on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 http://www.usnews.com/articles/opinion/2009/10/15/michelle-obama-teachers-are-key-to-a-successful-economy.html

Go Outside and Play!

Connecting to Nature Formal Partnership Established Among National, State, and Local Park Organizations Looking for a way to improve your child’s mental and physical health? Look no further than your nearest park or natural area. “Numerous studies conclude that time spent in outdoor settings decreases stress, inspires creativity, promotes social development, and encourages physical fitness,” said National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis. “A new partnership among the National Park Service, the National Association of State Park Directors, and the National Recreation and Park Association was recently formed to develop and promote programs and policies in parks and other areas that connect children with nature.” The partnership’s website, www.nps.gov/ChildrenInNature/BestPractices, contains a searchable database of approximately 450 outdoor activities compiled from hundreds of national, state, and local parks and program offices. “This easy-to-use website contains an extensive list of programs about a wide variety of subjects including archeology, art, prairies, pioneers, critters, and camping,” said Joe Elton, President of the National Association of State Park Directors. “Nature is an amazing classroom, and these creative programs make it fun for children to learn about and connect with the world around them.” “The way children understand and experience their natural world has changed radically over the past several decades,” said Lois Finkelman, chair of the National Recreation and Park Association Board of Trustees. “Our three groups will work together to expand recreational opportunities and natural resource education for children and families. In addition, we hope to engage other federal, state, local, tribal, and non-government partners in the effort.” Leaders of the three conservation organizations signed a partnership declaration which contains an action plan to increase public awareness of local and national natural resources. Contact Information Kathy Kupper | 202-208-6843 *This post is a press release from the National Park Service.

Schools as Community Hubs

October is Parent Visitation Month in Alabama. Parents are encouraged to visit the schools and schools are encouraged to let parents visit. That’s great, but wouldn’t it be nice if every month were Parent Visitation Month.

One of the visions that Education Secretary Arnie Duncan has laid out is the concept of schools acting as community hubs by becoming full service community schools. These schools would be open in the evenings and on weekends and welcome families and community members. The schools would have community computer labs where adult education classes could be taught. They would have social workers and provide access to a full range of social services.

Some communities have already started creating full service community schools and the results they are finding are very positive. For youth, the benefits include improved grades and behavior as well as better attendance. Youth tend to have an increased sense of attachment and responsibility to the community. They have improved personal or family situations with less abuse or neglect and an increase sense of school connectedness with increased access to physical and mental health services.

The school benefits from serving the community as well. The teachers are able to spend more time on class preparation and with students. There is improved teacher attendance and communication between families, schools, and teachers. Schools also receive greater resources due to more community partnerships.

The community benefits from an increased use of school facilities. There is an increase in community pride and citizens and students engage in more school and community service. Communities also see improved adult literacy, improved security and safety surrounding the school and improved outcomes for the basic needs of its citizens.

The benefit to families when schools are full service is also important. Families have an increased confidence in their role as their child’s teacher. They have a stronger sense of responsibility for their children’s education. Finally, when the school is more accessible and provides a full range of services, families have a greater attendance at all school and community functions.

Schools cannot do it alone, but they can become centers for collaboration with an other agencies committed to providing every student with the conditions that support learning. Open year-round and with extended hours, full-service community schools work with community agencies to provide on-site social, physical, mental, vision, and dental health care; after-school activities; service-learning projects; and adult education.

National Disability Employment Month

Did you know that October is National Disability Employment Month? To celebrate the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) is highlighting projects and initiatives funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) and the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitative Research (NIDRR) that improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities, including transition-aged youth.

All month, OSERS will feature innovative, employment-based projects and individual success stories on http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/deam-2009/index.html.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month dates to 1945 when Congress passed Public Law 176, designating the first week in October as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” The name of the month was changed by Congress in 1988.

The Alabama PIRC is proud to be housed in the same agency as the Alabama Network for Children with Disabilities. Our sister project is similar to our PIRC in that it provides training and information to families of children with disabilities. If you have a child with a disability please contact our office if you have any questions or concerns about their education or any other transition issues.

September 17 is National Constitution Day

Did you know that September 17 is National Constitution Day and Citizenship Day? Its is the one day a year that the Federal government requires educational institutions who receive Federal funds to teach children about the U.S. Constitution.

The U. S. Department of Education maintains a Web site for finding teaching resources across the Federal government. It is called FREE and can be found at:http://free.ed.gov/subjects.cfm?subject_id=19

Constitution Resources
Meet the delegates who gathered in Philadelphia in May 1787 to rewrite the Articles of Confederation. Learn what issues they faced. Discover the sources that inspired them. Read the essays printed in New York City papers urging ratification of the delegates' proposal. Explore a 200-year timeline showing the impact of the Constitution on our history. Search the Constitution, and see explanations of 300 topics.

Teachers looking for additional resources can also visit The National History Education Clearinghouse (NHEC) Web site at www.teachinghistory.org. The NHEC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The NHEC homepage features special, highlighted information on teaching resources for Constitution Day.

In addition, teachers can go to the National Archives and Records Administration's Web site, www.archives.gov.

Celebrate Constitution Day
Read the Constitution in its original form and in a transcript. View Webcasts of Senator Byrd's remarks and discussions on federalism and checks and balances.

The Constitution of the United States
View high resolution scans of the original, signed Constitution. Obtain a transcript. Read an essay about the Constitutional Convention. Learn dozens of fascinating facts about the Constitution. Learn about each of the signers of the Constitution.

Observing Constitution Day: The Signers of the Constitution
Find out about the delegates who signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787.

Observing Constitution Day: The Constitution Game
Explore, in this simulation, how the members of the Constitutional Convention might have felt as they gathered in Philadelphia's Independence Hall and began the task of writing the Constitution.

Teaching With Documents: The Ratification of the Constitution
Uncover the issues involved in the creation and ratification of the Constitution and the new government it established.

Learning Math Early May Make a Difference

Many adults admit that they find math challenging. In fact, many of us have a hard time doing simple math like calculating miles per gallon. In today's world, math is a critical part of making financial decisions like determining if you can afford that extra car note or how much you can pay on a mortgage. Its more important than ever that our kids learn how to do math well. Parents can play a huge role in helping their kids learn math early, even if they don't think they are good at math themselves!

A recent article by Eleanor Chute of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette provides some strategies for parents working with their kids at home. The most important strategy Chute mentions is to make learning math fun. Parents can start when their children are as young as two years old with learning about shapes and numbers. Parents also need to check their own attitudes at the door. They should avoid telling children that they don't like math or aren't very good at it and instead focus on fun math activities like puzzles and games they can do together. Learning math skills through play at an early age can make a difference in how well kids do math later in life.

For more information read the entire article from Elanor Chute in the August 30, 2009 Pittsburgh Post Gazette at http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09242/994281-298.stm#ixzz0PxkNuETd