DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 475 752 EC 309 604

AUTHOR Autin, Diana

TITLE Project SPAN: The Statewide Parent Advocacy Network of NewJersey. Final Report.

SPONS AGENCY Special Education Programs (ED/OSERS), Washington, DC.PUB DATE 2002-09-30NOTE 104p.; Prepared by the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network of

New Jersey, Inc. (SPAN). Cover title varies.CONTRACT H029M970020PUB TYPE Reports Descriptive (141)

EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF01/PC05 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS *Advocacy; Behavior Disorders; Community Programs;

*Disabilities; Early Childhood Education; ElementarySecondary Education; Emotional Disturbances; *OutreachPrograms; *Parent Education; *Parent Participation; ParentRights; Special Health Problems; Staff Development; TechnicalAssistance

IDENTIFIERS *New Jersey

ABSTRACT

This final report describes activities and accomplishments ofa federally supported 5-year New Jersey project, the Statewide ParentAdvocacy Network (SPAN). Project SPAN provides information, training,technical assistance, leadership development and support to families ofchildren with special emotional/behavioral or health needs and/ordisabilities. The project's special commitment is to children with thegreatest need due to disability, poverty, discrimination based on race, sexor language, or other special needs. Project SPAN provides telephone and in-person individual advocacy and technical assistance designed to help familiesresolve education problems with parent-to-parent support and parent andprofessional development on educational rights, advocacy, and collaborationskills. The organization develops information. brochures, fact sheets,information packets, manuals and a quarterly newsletter. The paper reportsthat SPAN has met or exceeded its projections foi' objectives concerning: (1)

training and presentations; (2) technical assistance; (3) collaborativeactivities; (4) publication and dissemination of written materials; (5) staffdevelopment; and (6) parent empowerment. Examples of specific achievementinclude community resource centers; collaborative staff development; theCommunity Education Project; the Multilingual Center Project; the MedicalStudent Education Project; and providing family perspectives to policymakers.Project evaluation has been positive. Attached materials include samplebrochures, a sample newsletter, a conference agenda, and an annual report.(DB)

Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document.

kr,NN

U.S. Department of EducationFINAL GRANT PERFORMANCE REPORT

Cover Sheet

1. PR/ Award No.: H029M70020-98-99-00-01-02

2. Project Title: Project SPAN

3. Recipient Name and Address:

The Statewide Parent Advocacy Network of New Jersey, Inc. (SPAN)35 Halsey StreetNewark, NJ 07102

4. Contact Person:

Name Debra Fernandez

Title: Director, Parent Training and Information Center

Telephone #: 973-642-8100 x 117

Fax #: 973-642-8080

E-mail Address: spanAspanni.org Website: www.spannj.org

5. Performance Reporting Period:

June 1, 1997 September 30, 2002*

6. Budget Period

June 1, 1997 September 30, 2002*

7. Authorized Representative:

Name: Debra Fernandez

Signatur

Title: Director, PTI*

Date: January 10, 2003

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOffice I Educational Research and Improvement

EDUldATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER (ERIC)

This document has been reproduced asreceived from the person or organizationoriginating it.

Minor changes have been made toimprove reproduction quality.

Points of view or opinions stated in thisdocument do not necessarily representofficial OERI position or policy.

EST COPY AVAILA C

STATEWIDE PARENT ADVOCACY NETWORK, INC.(SPAN)

II. Project Summary

Project SPAN provides information, training, technical assistance, leadership development andsupport to families seeking to secure appropriate educational and health services for their childrenwith special emotional/behavioral or health needs and/or disabilities. Project SPAN seeks tobridge barriers to parent-professional collaboration; student academic and social growth;cooperation and understanding between general and special education parents, and bilingual andEnglish-speaking parents; and effective education in urban and rural areas. Project SPAN'sspecial commitment is to those children with the greatest need due to disability, poverty,discrimination based on race, sex or language, or other special needs. Project SPAN's multi-faceted program is carried out by a bilingual, multiracial staff of parents, several who havedisabilities, who have children with and without disabilities. Project SPAN provides telephoneand in-person individual advocacy and technical assistance to assist families to resolve educationproblems; parent-to-parent support; parent and professional development on educational rightsand advocacy and collaboration skills; informational brochures, fact sheets, information packets,manuals and a quarterly newsletter, The Bridge; and research and administrative negotiation toaddress systemic barriers.

SPAN has met or exceeded projections for trainings and presentations; technical assistance;collaborative activities; publication and dissemination of written materials and our newsletter;staff development for our own staff and for teachers and other professionals; and ensuring that thevoice of parents is included in policy decisions about children with disabilities.

HI. Project Status

Objective 1: Trainings and Presentations and Meetings

Throughout the 5 years of the grant, from June 1, 1997 September 30, 2002, SPAN hasconducted over 1,500 trainings. These trainings have included 105 county-based Basic Rights(21 each year to fulfill grant requirements); an additional 300 conducted upon request, Transitionto Preschool/Inclusive Preschool/Child Care and the ADA/504, and Transition to Adult Life,IDEA/State Code, IEP, Family Voices, LRE/Inclusion (introduction to inclusion; building aninclusive IEP, positive behavior supports in the inclusive classroom, and inclusionimplementation), Parent-to-Parent Overview, Positive Behavior Supports/Discipline, Section 504,Parent-Professional Collaboration and SPAN Awareness, Helping Your Child Succeed in School(for parents of students at risk of inappropriate referral to special education) in urban districts;Conflict Resolution/Due Process, Parent Involvement and Parents Engaged in PublicPolicy/Systems Advocacy (two-part training), School Reform/Effective Schools, the Parents'Role in Monitoring, Enforcement and Corrective Action, Solution Circles & Social Probiem-Solving, and MAPS/Path Processes. Multi-session workshop series include Parent LeadershipDevelopment Institute (8 sessions), Strengthening Families (12 sessions), Strengthening Multi-Ethnic Families and Communities (14 sessions), APEX (4 sessions, for Latino families), theRight Question Project (2 sessions), Parents Engaged in Public Policy (2 sessions), Map toInclusive Child Care (6-8 sessions), and Early Intervention Procedural Safeguards (2 sessions).See Objective 11 for Catholic Family and Community Services Multilingual Center workshops.

Key trainings of interest include "train the trainer" series for our comprehensive Map to InclusiveChild Care modules for early intervention personnel, as well as the entire workshop series for all

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child care centers in many Abbott districts; Child Care and the ADA/504 for several child careand after-school care conferences, including the School-Age Child Care Statewide Conference;presentations on "The Parents' Role in Monitoring, Enforcement & Compliance' at the nationalAlliance conference; presentations on "Building a Parent Movement for Effective Schools" atboth the northeast regional and national Alliance conferences, "Building Inclusive Schools for AllChildren" at the New Jersey State PTA convention; workshops on multiple intelligences andlearning styles and collaboration at several annual NJEA conventions (for a total of 300teachers); training on New IDEA/New State Code for all 75+ teachers and supervisors of the NewJersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired; trainings on procedural safeguards forearly intervention mediators, impartial hearing panelists, service coordinators, and serviceproviders; trainings on assistive technology and transition, at the statewide UCP AssistiveTechnology Conference; an all-day presentation on inclusion for the New Jersey DevelopmentalDisabilities Council Partners in Policymaking participants, and workshops on inclusion for theMiddlesex Educational Service Commission, a series on family-professional collaboration andcultural competence fro student teachers at Kean University (SPAN's co- executive directortaught the summer course on Families in Special Education); presentations on Special Educationand School Reform to 50 urban educators and parents at the Abbott Convocation, 10 parents andeducators at Prevent Child Abuse's Parent Involvement Conference, and 45 parents and educatorsat the International Dyslexia Association-New Jersey Chapter's annual conference; a hands-on-training on Parents Engaged in Public Policy for 50 community-based child serving agencies incollaboration with the New Jersey Center for Non-Profits; three Parents Engaged in Public Policyworkshop series for parents of children with special emotional needs through a collaboration withthe New Jersey Parents' Caucus; and a conference for National African-American ParentInvolvement Day in collabOration with the East Orange Public Schools, where all the workshopswere conducted by SPAN staff .

In addition, SPAN has conducted intensive, comprehensive trainings (eight three-hour or six four-hour sessions) on parent and student rights, best practices, and school reform for well over 2,000parents in New Jersey's 30 high poverty Abbott districts. This comprehensive training includes2 sessions of particular interest to parents of children with special needs, and brings togetherparents of children with and withoutdisabilities to identify areas of common concern and developstrategies to improve schools for all children. Dozens of parent graduates are serving on SchoolManagement Teams, District Parent Advisory Councils (special education, bilingual, and Title I),working with other community-based organizations, and providing support, training, andtechnical assistance to other families. (Six of SPAN's full-time staff are also graduates of theParent Leadership Development Institute).

SPAN has videotaped many of our trainings, including Section 504/Idea, Positive BehavioralSupports/Discipline, IEP, Inclusion, Conflict Resolution /Due Process (including a due processhearing roleplay!), and the SPAN Resource Parent Training series consisting of approximately 25hours of comprehensive, intensive training on all educational issues, with a special emphasis onspecial education. The training video sets have been disseminated to our Community ResourceCenters and regional satellite offices.

SPAN has also conducted intensive, comprehensive trainings (eight three-hour or six four-hoursessions) on parent and student rights, best practices, and school reform for 15 groups of parentsin East Orange, for a total of approximately 600 parents trained. Six of these parents worked forSPAN as leadership interns, gaining intensive leadership experience, working with othercommunity-based organizations, and providing support, training, and technical assistance to otherfamilies. SPAN also met with Superintendents in several other urban districts to bring thecomprehensive training series to parents in those districts, and was awarded a parent involvement

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grant from the Jersey City Public Schools, enabling SPAN to conduct both the Parent LeadershipDevelopment Institute and the SPAN Resource Parent training series in Jersey City. SPAN wasalso awarded a four year Goals 2000 grant that provided the funding to conduct thecomprehensive training in all 30 of the State's poorest urban Abbott districts.

SPAN conducted over 50 Parent-to-Parent orientations for over 400 support parents (six hourfacilitations) who are now serving as parent mentors for other parents of children withdisabilities, developmental delays, and special health or emotional needs. 220 matches have beenmade, for a total of 880 contacts (4 contacts per match).

SPAN also disseminated information to over 64,430 families and professionals at conferences ofother organizations.

Objective 2. NJ Foster. Parents Association

SPAN has continued to provide assistance to the NJ Foster Parents Association and individualfoster families on education issues throughout the 5- year grant. SPAN provided information forfoster families on medical care for children who are medically-fragile through our Family Voicesproject. SPAN developed a video training on Positive Behavior Supports for Children withChallenging Behaviors that has been disseminated statewide through the NJ Foster ParentsAssociation. SPAN developed materials regarding surrogate parents and rights of foster parents,which was disseminated to foster parents, state DYFS workers, local and county educationagencies, and early intervention programs, and provided information on developingindividualiied health plans for children Withspecial h6alth care needs in schOol. SPAN alsoworked with Regional Early Intervention Collaboratives to develop guidelines for earlyintervention service coordinators and service providers regarding issues affecting foster childrenin early intervention. Finally, SPAN has conducted trainings for comprehensive trainings forsurrogate parents and foster parents in several districts throughout the state.

Objective 3. Annual Conference

SPAN has held a conference for each year of the grant. A significant number of urban districts(Newark, East Orange, Paterson, Passaic, Trenton, Elizabeth, Jersey City, and Vineland) andHead Start programs sponsored special education and Title I parents to attend and providedtransportation. Approximately half of the total participants of the conferenceswere from urbandistricts. Each conference offered multiple strands: Special Education, Parents as Leaders,School Reform, Health, Early Childhood, Parent-to-Parent, Title I, Transition to Adult Life andSchool-to-Work. Workshops were offered in English and Spanish with translation available, asneeded. The last year of the grant, the SPAN conference was held for 2 days, which significantlyincreased the attendance of professionals and parents, enabling teachers to earn CEU's. Theconferences also represented opportunities for parents of children with and without disabilities tocome together to learn about school reform and effective schools, positive behavioral supportsand public policy, and other issues of joint concern. Over 1,650 parents and professionals haveattended these conferences.

Objective 4. Technical Assistance

Telephone technical assistance through our hotline was provided by paid SPAN staff and trainedSPAN Resource Parent volunteers to 143,503 families and professionals. SPAN staff and SPANResource Parents have also conducted 15,750 in-person contacts for information, technicalassistance and support at IEP meetings, school or home visits, mediation or due process hearings,

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hospital visits, parent support groups, on-site technical assistance to support the inclusion ofchildren with disabilities at child care centers, and IEP reviews through our CommunityEducation Project, our Southern satellite office, our Community Resource Centers, theMultilingual Center, Special Child Health Services Family Resource Parents, Welfare and HumanRights Monitoring Project, Family Voices and our Inclusive Child Care project. Over 26,054home visits have been conducted through our Parents As Teachers program to either urbanfamilies or rural migrant families. In addition, over 68,375 families have received information,technical assistance and support through SPAN's website and the websites of our CommunityResource Centers. 12,795 families received assistance in response to e-mail requests.

Objective S. Community Resource Centers

SPAN has maintained our existing Community Resource Centers covering the followingcounties: Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cumberland, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon,Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and Union. Two new sites (both housedin community-based centers) provide additional support and a place where parents can meet withResource Parents and take advantage of the numerous resources available (printed informationand videos). Each site represents collaboration with a school district or community-basedorganizations and agencies including 3 school districts, 2 county ARCs, 3 Aspira offices, NJParent Advocacy, Training and Help, Center for Stronger Families, a Montessori school,Association for Special Children and Families, Catholic Family and Community Services, andJewish Family Services. Each Resource Parent and Center has received a biweekly update fromthe SPAN office, including information about new legal developments, research on best practicesfor children with special needs, action alerts, information on upcoming conferences andworkshops and resource materials.

Each year, SPAN has conducted 12 Resource Parent training series (of six sessions each) for atleast 10-15 parents (and several professionals). Over 600 parents are now trained SRPs. SPANResource Parents assist parents with telephone and in-person technical assistance, sponsor andconduct trainings, and engage in other activities, including facilitating focus groups and publicforums for district self-assessments, attending and speaking at School Board meetings, testifyingbefore the State Board of Education, serving on PTAs, Special Education Parent AdvisoryCouncils, School Management Teams, Title I Parent Advisory Councils, and disability andcommunity agency Boards and committees.

Objective 6. Newsletter

During the 5 years of this project, SPAN has published and disseminated ,18 issues of ournewsletter, The Bridge, to our mailing list of over 10,000 parents and professionals. (Thenewsletter mailing list grew by over 20% during the grant period). Each issue of The Bridgefeatures articles and updates (in Englishand Spanish ) on SPAN projects and activities, educationand health issues and development, and other relevant issues (such as welfare reform; tips forparents and professionals, developing an effective parent advocacy group; book reviews;recreation, etc.).The Bridge also features artwork created by kids with and without disabilities.SPAN also published a total of 32 issues of Family Voices newsletter for families of childrenwith special health care needs (mailing list of over 1,600 families), and a total of 8 Parent-to-Parent newsletters in English and Spanish (mailing list of over 1,300 families). Eight issues ofInclusion Insights and two issues of Transition News, collaborations with the New Jersey StateDepartment of Education written by SPAN staff, have been disseminated to SPAN's mailing list(10,000) as well as every school district and charter school in the state (mailing list of over10,650).

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Objective 7. Publications andMedia Coverage

SPAN has updated the Basic Rights manual twice over the last 5 years. The first revision,completed in the 1999-2000 grant year, incorporated the federal IDEA regulations andcorresponding state code changes. The Basic Rights manual was updated again in the 2000-2001grant year to incorporate additional state code changes. The manual, as well as 40 other SPANpublications, was also translated into Spanish. The Basic Rights manual and other SPAN materialsare available on our website free of charge to families. Many new materials were developed overthe last five years. New materials include "Building a Parent Movement for Effective Schools,""Building Inclusive Schools for All Children," Parent Procedural Safeguards under IDEA and theState Code," "Parents' Role in Monitoring, Enforcement and Corrective Action," "Guide to FamilyInvolvement in Monitoring and Self-Assessment," "Social Problem-Solving," "MAPS and PATHPlanning Processes," "and "Solution Circles," among others. In addition, the Parents Engaged inEducation Reform (PEER) Project of the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Healthreprinted SPAN's information packet on effective school-wide discipline practices, anddisseminated it to every Parent Training and Information Center.

Overall, the project has disseminated more than 10,000 Basic Rights manuals and approximately1,300,000 fact sheets, information packets and other brochureS, in response to requests for technicalassistance and at meetings, trainings and conferences. SPAN materials have also been disseminatedat state, regional and local conferences, including:

New Jersey Education Association Annual Convention and "Good Ideas" Mini-ConferencesSelf-Help Clearinghouse conferencesFamily Support Awareness DayBuddy Walk (Parents of Exceptional Children & National Down Syndrome Society)County and local health and community fairs and disability awareness forumsCounty Transition to Adult Life Consortia & Workforce Incentive Board EducationCommitteesTitle I Parent Coordinators' Statewide ConferenceTitle I Region H ConferenceASPIRA's Statewide ConferenceAbilities ExpoBrain Injury Association's Annual ConferenceSpina Bifida Associations Annual ConferenceNew Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children Statewide ConferenceHead Start Disability Coordinators' Annual ConferenceNew Jersey Disability Council Annual Statewide Disabilities ConventionPublic Education Institute's bimonthly forums for teachers, administrators, parents andadvocatesCenter for Nonprofits Legislature ConferenceGovernor's Conference on WomenABC-Black Christian Educators' ConferenceNewark Public Schools Conference on Whole School ReformWhole School Reform in Urban Districts ConvocationNew Jersey Head Start Regional Conference and Newark Citywide ConferenceNew Jersey Parent Coordinators Statewide ConferenceEssex County Health Fair Family DayNew Jersey KidCare ForumEast Orange Public Schools Community Resource Fair

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New Jersey Equity and Standards ConferenceInternational Dyslexia Association-New Jersey Parent Involvement ConferenceMap to Inclusive Child Care SummitSchool-Age Child Care Annual Statewide ConferenceAnnual In-service Day for NJ Commission for the Blind and Visually ImpairedNJ Coalition for Inclusive Education Annual Meeting and workshopsNJ Developmental Disabilities Council Partners in PolicymakingCoalition of Infant and Toddler Educators Annual ConferencePrevent Child Abuse-New Jersey Parent Involvement ConferenceNJS PTA Annual ConferenceUnified Child Care Agency conferences in 6 counties"Teach for America" Conference/SeminarHome Health Assembly of New Jersey Winter Membership ForumJersey City Transition FairCherry Hill Conference for Parents of Children with Special NeedsAnnual Down Syndrome ConferenceSSI Alliance Legislative DaySchool Fear-School Peace Regional Conference @ New York UniversityParents' Anonymous Statewide ConferenceUCP Assistive Technology Conference

SPAN Materials have also been disseminated at the following national conferences:

The Alliance National and Regional conferencesNational Parent Network on Disabilities IDEA Implementation & Enforcement ConferenceUS Department of Health and Human Services Region II ConferenceNational Title I Parent ConferenceNational Coalition of Advocates for Children's Annual ConferenceUS Department of Education's Improving America's Schools Act ConferenceNational Coalition of Education Activists' National ConferenceInstitute for Child Health ConferenceNational African-American Parent Involvement Day Annual ConferenceNational Coalition of Education Activists' Annual ConferenceSAMSHA National Conference on "Parenting IS Prevention"US DOE Reading Conference

SPAN publications have been distributed to:

Superintendents of 63 urban districtsNew Jersey Black Issues ConventionNew Jersey Conference of Urban LeaguesNew Jersey Junior LeagueGovernor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug AbuseTri-County People's Corporation (Newark)Seton Hall University Center for Social Justice and Rutgers Law Clinic and Non-ProfitManagement ScholarsCommunity Health Law ProjectPrograms for ParentsParent Education Network of NewarkUnified Vailsburg Service Organization of Newark

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Special Child Health Services Case Management Units (providing service coordination forearly intervention and case management for children ages 3-21 with disabilities or specialhealth care needs)Organizations in the New Jersey Developmental Disabilities Council Resources GuideNew Jersey Legislative Committee on ChildrenJoint Legislative Committee on ChildrenSuccess by SixInstitute for Education PolicyPrevent Child Abuse-New Jersey Resource CenterCommunity Outreach, INC.New Jersey Association of Child Care Resource and Referral AgenciesUMDNJ's Autism Prevalence StudyThe ARC of New Jersey

SPAN materials were also disseminated through partnership with organizations such as the NewJersey Foster Parents Association; DD Council Education Subcommittee; United Way; New JerseyCongress of PTAs and County PTA Councils; New Jersey Title I Parent Coordinators, theAssociation for Children of New Jersey; Prevent Child Abuse-NJ (New Jersey's previous Goals2000 grantee), the Education Law Center, the Urban Parents Educational Institute, the Jersey City,East Orange and Newark PTA/PTSOs, Title I Advisory Councils, and Special Education Parents'Councils, and ASPIRA-NJ. A "First Contact" informational brochure was sent to over 90,000families and professionals featuring information on SPAN.

SPAN materials were disseminated through our Community Resource Centers, including throughour two CRC websites, which had a total of more than 56,800 contacts. SPAN is also featured inseveral county Community Access Resource databases. Information about SPAN's Family Voiceschapter was featured on the websites of the world Council on Disability, Exceptional Parent,national Family Voices, and National Family Caregivers.

Magazine articles about SPAN include several articles about SPAN projects in several issues ofFamilies magazine (a magazine of the Developmental Disabilities Council); a special issue ofPeople with Disabilities magazine, focusing entirely on special education and featuring severalarticles by SPAN staff or about SPAN projects and activities; The Beacon, the newspaper of theCatholic Diocese of Paterson, featured several articles on SPAN's Multilingual Center, includingone on the special Mass; Exceptional Parent magazine, which featured several articles on or bySPAN staff; and Sesame Street magazine.

Newspapers covering SPAN or SPAN positions on policy issues include the Trenton Times, theStar Ledger, the Bergen Record, the Atlantic City Press, the Asbury Park Press, the Courier Post,the Jersey Journal, the Home News Tribune; the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Associated Press, andKnight Rider News Services, among others. Articles covered issues such as the federal monitoringvisit to New Jersey in February 2002, updates about the status of the monitoring, and the parentforums; the importance of and strategies for parent involvement; Family Voices services; theGovernor's Proclamation honoring Family Caregiver Month (secured by Family Voices at SPANstaff); parent involvement in school reform; special education funding; and KidCare. SPAN wasasked by the Star Ledger to collaborate with their education reporter on a series of articles onspecial education, and in addition, to write a monthly column on education for the paper.

Television and radio appearances included discussions of the challenges of raising children withspecial needs; the impact of managed care on families with children with special needs; SPANservices; the State Special Education Code changes; and parent leadership, parent involvement, and

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school reform in urban districts. Several Parent Leadership Development Institute interns appearedon Newark cable television with the district superintendent on the show, "On Line with Education."

Other outreach included:

Continuing dissemination of information about Family Voices and SPAN through the NewJersey Academy of Pediatrics and to 300+ organizationsContinuing dissemination of information about SPAN, Family Voices, and New JerseyParent to Parent through the 21 county-based Special Child Health Services servicecoordination and case management unitsPress releases when we opened our regional and Community Resource Centers to familiesto celebrate the 25th Anniversary of IDEABiweekly mailings to 55 SPAN staff and approximately 50 Resource Parents, includingupdates on education research, legislative and regulatory proposals, and other informationof interest.Dissemination of action alerts on the State Special Education Code; the Standards andAssessment Code; Abbott regulations revisions on early childhood, parent involvement,school management teams, and whole school reform; proposed early childhood curriculumstandards and frameworks; special education funding; and the Children's System of Careinitiative implementation to our membership, Parents Engaged in Public Policy network,Parent Leadership Development Institute graduates, SPAN Resource Parents, MultilingualCenter support group network, county-based Special Child Health Services CaseManagement Units, disability specific organizations, and other agencies serving families ofchildren with special needs (over 2,000 individuals and agencies).

Objective 8. Collaboration with SCHSProject CARE/Staff Development Opportunities

SPAN conducted a total of 18 joint statewide staff meetings/professional developmentopportunities. Inservices were conducted on education issues/whole school reform in urbandistricts, with a special emphasis on early childhood, lead poisoning and prevention. Staffparticipated in revising and updating SPAN's strategic plan; during another meeting , staffidentified the priority areas for focus in the last 2 years of the grant and identified revisions to theOSERS project for reapplication in 2 years. SPAN has sponsored the attendance of OSERS andSCHS staff at conferences and Medicaid managed care; SSI; Parent-to-Parent support; FamilyVoices; school reform; National African-American Parent Involvement Day; ADD/ADIID; autism;the national and regional TA Alliance; SAMSHA conference on developing systems of care forchildren with mental health needs; social-emotional intelligence and learning; family support;positive behavioral supports; Solution Circles; forums sponsored by the Public Education Institute;the Institute for Education and Social Policy at NYU), the Annenberg Institute, the ImprovingAmerica's Schools conference; Standards & Assessment sponsored by the New Jersey CityUniversity, and the New Jersey State Department of Education, among others.

Train-the-trainer sessions were held for OSERS, SCHS, and other project staff on Inclusion;Positive Behavioral Supports and Discipline; IEP; Monitoring, Enforcement, and Accountability;Section 504; IDEA and the new State Special Education Code; Special Education and SchoolReform; Transition to Adult Life; and Title I services; Conflict Resolution, and Parent-ProfessionalCollaboration. Also, Strengthening Multi-Ethnic Families and Communities; the Right QuestionProject; Solution Circles; Social Problem-Solving; and MAPS and PATH planning processes train-the-trainer sessions were conducted. In addition, OSERS and SCHS project directors andcoordinators participated in an all-day Enlightened Leadership conference to improve leadershipand collaborative skills.

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Objective 10. Community Education Project

SPAN's Community Education Project continues to serve low-income families ofcolor in the urbancommunities of Essex County and surrounding urban areas. CEP was directed by Newark resident,Nicole Harper, for the first four years of the grant and then was succeeded by Zoie Barnett in thefinal year (and continuing under the new grant). Ms.Barnett is a long time East Orange resident.She started a special education parent advisory group in East Orange, and is also on the Title IParent Advisory Council. Ms. Barnett developed a districtwide parents' council that brings togetherall the district's parent leaders. She organized 30 parents to file a complaint investigation with theNew Jersey Department ofEducation regarding noncompliance in East Orange. She is a member ofthe Board of the New Jersey Parents' Caucus for Children's Mental Health, an affiliate of theNational Association of Families for Children's Mental Health and is involved in the Childrens'Initiative/Children's System of Care for children with mental/emotional disabilities. Zoie has beentrained intensively on Positive Behavioral Supports and provides technical assistance aroundpositive behavior support plans. She is assisted by Geraldine Moore, also a resident of Newark,who is a graduate of the Newark Parent Leadership Development Institute.

Our Community Education project has been expanded by the development of our Parent LeadershipDevelopment Institutes, which are provided in each of the 30 Abbott districts throughout NewJersey. Several graduates have volunteered their time to support SPAN staffthroughout the 5 yearsof the grant.

In addition, intensive support has been provided to early childhood centers throughout the state instrategie's to include children with special needs, and to fathilies with yoUng children in Abbottdistricts through our Parents As Teachers program.

The Community Education Project has conducted 75 trainings formore than 1,425 parents andprofessionals; provided telephone technical assistance to 2,556 parents and professionals; andassisted over 500 parents directly through attendance at IEP and other meetings.

The Community Education Project has also convened opportunities for special education parents tomeet with their superintendents in Newark and East Orange to present their concerns. Incollaboration with the Newark PAC and the Newark Public Schools, SPAN presented a series oftrainings (Basic Rights, IEP, and Inclusion) at five locations throughout the district to families andprofessionals. The series of trainings were repeated several more times during the course of thegrant.

During the five year grant, CEP staff met with and provided information to numerous community-based groups, service providers, and public officials, including:

Staff at each of Newark's and East Orange's elementary, middle and high schoolsCatholic Family ServicesThe Leaguers Head Start (Newark and Irvington)Newark Board of Education Parent Coordinator, & Pre-K CoordinatorNewark Preschool Council; Mt. Sinai Head Start; Mt. Carmel Guild PreschoolSt. Michael's Medical Center; Newark-Beth Israel Medical Center; Children's Hospital(Newark)CHADD of Essex CountyNewark Emergency Services 4th Annual ConferenceNewark South Asian Women's Domestic Violence CommitteeNew Community Home Healthcare Program

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Prevent Child Abuse-NJSeton Hall University, Essex County College; NJ Institute of TechnologySalvation Army of East Orange & Newark Salvation Army Grandparents' GroupFoundation Health Corporation/Work First Advisory ProgramNewark Good Starts ProgramNJ Citizen Action-Lead Poisoning Prevention ProjectEast Orange School District Parent Fair; East Orange School District personnelNewark Child Study Team members and Guidance and Attendance CounselorsBank Street College of Education Project New Beginnings (Newark)Aspen Group; University Behavioral Health Care (Children with behavioral issues)CPC of Essex & West Hudson CountiesStaff of Congressman Donald Payne and State Senator Ronald RiceUniversity of Medicine & Dentistry ofNew Jersey-Newark Campus, among others.

Objective 11. Multilingual Center Project

SPAN's Multilingual Center Project, a collaboration with Catholic Family and CommunityServices of Paterson, has conducted trainings/forums for over 4,780 parents and professionals:provided telephone technical assistance to 13,670 parents and professionals; and assisted over 1,600parents directly through attendance at IEP meetings and home visits. Workshops included:

Basic RightsFocus group for families of children with special emotional needsFocus group on Bright Futures for families of children with special healthcare needsParental Rights in Special EducationInclusionGuardianship and Estate PlanningOpening Doors/Abriendo Puertas (a video presentation)Changes to IDEA . .

Defining Advocacy and your Role in Public Policy MakingStrategies for Effective Participation in Public PolicyPositive Behavioral Supports and Techniques to Use at HomeAn Informal Chat Session for Parents of Children with Disabilities (to share experiences)How to Reduce AIDS in Infants.

The Multilingual Center opened a new Parent Center, "A Parent's Place/El Club de los Padres,"modeled on the parent center sponsored by the Federation for Children with Special Needs inBoston. They solicited funds from local service organizations and private donors to cover the costof new furnishings and renovations of a beautiful old convent.

The Director of the Multilingual Center, who also serves on the Board of SPAN, is a member of theGoverning Board of New Jersey Protection and Advocacy and the University Affiliated ProgramConsumer Advisory Board. She also served on the Monitoring Self-Assessment SteeringCommittee for the Paterson School District, and organized a group of 9 Latino families who wereinterviewed when the State monitors came to Paterson. The staff of the Multilingual Centercontinue to build alliances with many organizations, including the Paterson Education Fund, thePassaic County Sheriffs Office and Legal Aid Office, the Paterson Police Department, earlychildhood centers, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center Mental Health and other clinics, thePassaic County Board of Social Services, the Education Law Center, the Association for Childrenof New Jersey, and whole school reform model developers.

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The Multilingual Center has also convened opportunities for special education parents to meet withthe new State-appointed superintendent of Paterson Public Schools, in collaboration with thePaterson School District's Department of Special Services.

The Multilingual Center continues to collaborate with several churches that are involved in amigrant and immigrant ministry. They have worked with many migrant and immigrant familieswho are experiencing difficulties with health and school issues, including the refusal of severaldistricts to allow their children to register. They have also established a networking relationshipwith the Paterson Housing Authority, receiving referrals from the Housing Authority of familieswho need assistance with their children's education and health.

The Multilingual Center also coordinated, for each year of the grant, a "Christmas Mass" ofinclusion for children and adults with disabilities with approximately 2,300 participants.

In addition, the Multilingual Center provides a summer day camp program offering recreationalactivities, three days a week, for children without extended school year services, and respite. Thecamp served a total of 60 children in five years. The Multilingual Center has conducted extensiveoutreach to community-based organizations and institutions serving Spanish-speaking families,including schools, social service agencies, churches, hospitals, doctors, and other professionals. TheMultilingual Center sent information on their services to radio and cable TV stations, and wasfeatured on WHAI-TV 43. The Center has continued to expand its bilingual resources library, inaddition to videotaping Spanish language trainings. Staff from the Multilingual Center haspresented at SPAN's annual conference

The Passaic County Family Court office routinely refers families to the Multilingual Center forsupport. The Center offers intensive support to Spanish-speaking families of children with specialneeds, including referral and assistance on survival issues (food, clothing, rent assistance, utilitybills, vitamins, medications, transportation to medical appointments, Medicaid, Food Stamps,Welfare, immigration issues, etc.).

The Multilingual Center organizes Christmas Celebrations where the children and adults with andwithout disabilities participate in a Holiday Pageant, allowing their gifts and talents to be seen bythe wider community. Over 600 people participated in each celebration. In the last year of thegrant, the Multilingual Center also sponsored a "Mass for Peace," which honored SPAN'sExecutive Co-Director, Diana Autin, as a symbol of peace for her work on behalf of children andfamilies.

The Center also sponsored 36 athletes to participate in the regional and state Special Olympics.The Multilingual Center staffprovided the opportunity for two months ofpractice for the entiregroup, as well as supervision and support for 14-20 athletes to go to Trenton. Parents working at theMultilingual Center raised funds to pay for an overnight stay at a local hotel for 20 young adultswith disabilities.

The Multilingual Center assisted dozens of Latino families to file a complaint with the USDepartment of Education, Office of Civil Rights, against the Paterson Public Schools fordiscriminatory practices in bilingual education.

12

13

The Multilingual Center translated materials for SPAN and also translated the invitation for thefederal monitoring visit into Spanish for the New Jersey State Department ofEducation.

Objective 12. More intensive support and tailored information for underserved communities

As noted above, SPAN's Community Education Project and Multilingual Center Project staffattended meetings with families; made phone calls, wrote letters and provided linkages to otherservices for families; provided referral assistance to underserved families; and assisted in thedevelopment of targeted information for underserved families, in English and Spanish. In addition,SPAN adapted its training programs for underserved families, to ensure that families understood theinformation presented. For example, our Basic Rights training was presented over several sessionsfor families who participated in our Community Education and Multilingual Center projects

Objective 13. UAP Collaboration

SPAN has continued its collaboration with the University Affiliated Program ofNew Jersey (UAP)on the Early Invention Procedural Safeguards Project, providing "refresher training to mediatorsand hearing officer panelists, and two-day trainings to new service coordinators and serviceproviders. Approximately 1,500 people have participated in trainings on the system requirements ofearly intervention, procedural safeguards, and conflict resolution mechanisms to date.

SPAN has continued to collaborate with the UAP on the New Jersey Coalition for InclusiveEducation. SPAN and the UAP are both represented on the Coalition's Board ofDirectors, andhave conducted trainings and disseminated information on inclusion for the Coalition. TheCoalition offered a series of trainings on Solution Circles, Social Problem-Solving, and the Mapsand PATH planning processes; Inclusive IEP Forums; and Inclusion Focus Groups. Each workshopor forum was provided at four regional locations.

SPAN Resource parents continued to host third year medical students in their pediatric rotation atNew Jersey's state medical school in collaborative project with the UAP, the Medical StudentEducation Project, featured below.

The UAP is a subcontractor on SPAN's Map to Inclusive Child Care training, information andtechnical assistance grant from the New Jersey Department ofHuman Services Division of FamilyDevelopment. Karen Melzer ofthe UAP is a trainer and on-site inclusion implementationconsultant for the project. She disseminated information on this project at her workshops with earlychildhood and special education directors of the 30 Abbott districts, which all must offer universalearly childhood education to all 3 and 4 year olds under a New Jersey Supreme Court decision.

Finally, SPAN's Co-Executive Director (Diana Autin) and PTI Director (Debra Fernande) continueto serve on the UAP's Consumer Advisory Council.

Objective 14. Expand In-Service Development Activities

SPAN conducted numerous professional development workshops, including:

National Association for the Education of Young Children-New Jersey State Conferences,on inclusion and child care, and numerous child care referral and resource agencyconferences on child care, as well as the statewide conference for after-school child careNew Jersey Education Association's Annual Convention (on Multiple Intelligences, andCollaborating with Parents on School Management Teams)

13

14

Pre-service presentations to colleges, including Kean University, The College of NewJersey (formerly Trenton State), Georgian Court College, the Universityof Medicine andDentistry of New Jersey, Seton Hall University School of Education, among othersEarly Intervention trainings for service coordinators and service providersTrainings for Head Start staff in urban districts on parent-professional collaboration, thenew IDEA/new State Code, and inclusive child care laws and strategiesChildren's Specialized Hospital, Newark-Beth Israel, St Michael's Medical Center, etc.Kean University Forum on Core Curriculum Content Standards (keynote on impact onspecial education students)Teaching Kean University's "Families in Special Education" course in the summer of 1999Special Child Health Services Case managers on impact of managed care on families ofchildren with special health care needs; Parent-to-Parent services; Map to Inclusive ChildCare project, and Family Resource Associate servicesNew IDEA/State Code, to all teachers and supervisors of the New Jersey Commission forthe Blind and Visually ImpairedA series of workshops with principals on including parents as partners in the education oftheir children, and in school improvement activities, including school management teamsSpecial Education and School Reform to urban superintendents, directors of specialservices, teachers and parents, at the Abbott Convocation, teachers, Child Study Teammembers, and parents at the International Dyslexia Association New Jersey chapterannual conference, teachers and Child Study team members at Prevent Child Abuse-NewJersey's annual conference, and to general and special educators at a Middlesex CountyEducational Services Commission professional development session on inclusionInclusive child care laws and implementation strategies, to more than 2,000 child careproviders, child study team members, and parents, in all of New Jersey's 21 counties,through workshops and on-site technical assistance visitsNew Jersey's Institute of Technology's Project SMART (Math and science teachers): ChildStudy Team members & counselors; parents; teachersTraining for NJ CART/DYFS/Youth Services Commission/Juvenile Justice Commissionmembers (positive behavioral supports)Advocacy Institute development of training modules on public policy advocacyEducation advocacy: Section 504 & IDEA, Legal Services of New YorkMontessori program Morris CountyFamily Resource AssociatesThe ARC of Atlantic CountyThe ARC of Hunterdon CountyAccessing Community Resources: Developing Creative Solutions with Families (a paneldiscussion sponsored by the UAP of New JerseyNational Lawyers' Guild 60th Anniversary Convention (a panel discussion organized bySPAN for lawyers on School Reform: Does "All" Mean "All?":How School reformExcludes Children of Color, Children with Special Needs, Poor Children, and Language-Minority Children and Families)Parents and Professionals Conference: Working Together for the Special Child, sponsoredby the Association for Special Children and Families and the Center for Family Resources,SPAN's Passaic County Community Resource CenterDDC Inclusion Framework and Curriculum ProjectsNew Jersey Education Association Convention (Section 504)Guarini Center for Governmental Affairs Conference, "A Generation at Risk: Children andthe Future of our Nation" (St.Peter's College, Jersey City).Prevent Child Abuse-New Jersey's Technical Assistance Program (trainings forprofessionals on resources available for families of children with special needs)

14

15

School districts and professionals are able to receive continuing professional education credits byattending SPAN workshops, as SPAN is registered as an approved professional developmentprovider.

Objective 15. Medical Student Education Project

SPAN and the UAP continued collaboration for the duration of the grant on the Medical StudentEducation/Family-Centered Care Project, where all third year medical students participate in aday-long program on developmental disabilities, including an evening visit with the family. Duringthe five-year grant, over 225 medical students have visited with 80 SPAN Resource Parents.

Objective M. Provide family perspective on task forces, to policymakers, etc.

SPAN staff and Resource Parents continued to provide the family perspective on task forces,committees, and to elected and administrative policymakers. SPAN also worked in collaborationwith other advocacy and community-based organizations on issues affecting children with specialneeds. SPAN maintained and expanded projects that increased the capacity of families to becomeeffective advocates for their children, including Family Voices/Bright Futures-NJ (designed toprovide information to families, professionals and policymakers on issues affecting children withspecial health care needs); NJ Statewide Parent-to-Parent (providing orientations to experiencedparent mentors and matching them with parents facing the stresses of raising a child with adisability or special health care needs); Parent Leadership Development Institute (offeringknowledge and skill development in key areas of effective leadership and educational improvementfor Title I, special education, school core team, and PTA parents in all 30 of the Abbott Districts);Parents Engaged in Public Policy (training parents to be effective policy advocates at the national,state and local policy levels); and the New Jersey Parents Caucus for Children's Mental Health.Examples of public policy and collaborative activities included:

Meeting with the US DOE OCR to discuss concerns about New Jersey special educationIDEA Implementation meeting, NJ DOE OSEP & US DOE OSEPSpeaking with monitors from the US Department of Education OSERS to discussconcerns about New Jersey special education, organizing hundreds of parents to attend theregional forums with the monitors, and participating on the Department of Health's EarlyIntervention Self-Assessment Steering Committee and Quality Assurance Work Group, andthe Department of Education's Self-Assessment Steering Committee and Self-ImprovementPlan/State Improvement Grant subcommitteeData discussions/meetings with US DOE Discipline Task Force & US DOE OCRTestimony in a fiscal equity litigation hearing before the Special Master, on the impact ofthe Comissioner's proposed urban district funding on special education studentsEducation Law Center's Framework Retreat and Parent Conference on Urban SchoolReformParticipating in focus groups on early childhood technical assistance at the Alliancenational conferenceChildren & Family Initiative-Steering Committee and Parents' Caucus (a collaborationwith the Association for Children ofNew Jersey, the Mental Health Association, andSPAN); SPAN staff participation on the statewide implementation committee (ongoing)that is overseeing the implementation of the new Children's Initiative, based on our tenprinciples, that will revamp the children's mental health system, and provide morecoordination, collaboration, culturally competent, and family friendly mental healthservices to children across agencies

15

16

Promise the Children (impact of welfare reform on families and children)Public Education Institute Roundtable discussionsParticipation on the New Jersey State Department of Education's Committee to revise theParents' Rights in Special Education booklet and in the development of a parent guideParticipation of SPAN staff on the New Jersey Department of Education's SpecialEducation Advisory Committee and the Early Intervention State Interagency CoordinatingCouncilMembership on the Governing Board of New Jersey Protection and AdvocacyMembership on the Consumer Advisory Board of the University-Affiliated Program of NJParticipation on the New Jersey State Department of Education's Comprehensive Systemof Personnel Development CommitteeParents Engaged in Public Policy, generating thousands of comments, letters andtestimonials on the proposed changes to the NJ State special education code and thestandards and assessment code, and providing information to families on new proposalsCollaborative project with the New Jersey Department of Education to research and write abiennial newsletter on inclusion for districts and parents, and a biennial newsletter ontransition to adult lifeCoalition for Special Education Funding Reform (in collaboration with the DD CouncilEducation Committee, the ARC of New Jersey, United Cerebral Palsy, and COSAC,among others, working to ensure a placement-neutral funding formula and sufficientfunding for special education)Participation on the State Department of Education and Jersey City University's PlanningCommittee for a statewide conference on core curriculum content standards.Participation in planning for the State's conference on equity and cultural diversityParticipation on numerous County and district Disability CommitteesParticipation on Developmental Disabilities Council Education Committee and chairing theEnforcement and Accountability workgroupRepresentation of SPAN staffand Resource parents on the Advisory Committee and focusgroups of the New Jersey Developmental Disabilities' Council project to research InclusiveEducation Teacher PreparationParticipation on the Governance and Accountability, and Family-ProfessionalCollaboration workgroups of the DDC Education SubcommitteeParticipation on Workforce Incentive Board Education Committee and Transition ConsortiaParticipation in Concerned African-American ParentsParticipation on numerous district special education and Title I committees and PTACouncilsCommunity Health Project Advisory Committee and Managed Care Training Task ForceParticipation on New Jersey Citizen Action's Health Care Alliance, working on issues ofmedicaid managed care, ombudsman legislation for managed care for persons withdisabilities, KidCare (New Jersey's Chip program)United Way Project Leadership InstituteNew Jersey Department of Human Services' Map to Inclusive Child Care AdvisoryCommittee (4 SPAN staffserve on this committee, including one of our Co-ExecutiveDirectors; our southern OSERS coordinator and southern Parent-to-Parent RegionalAssociate; our Family Voices-NJ co-coordinator; and our Family Resource Specialist at theMorris County Special Child Health Services Case management unit)Participation on the New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education's BoardParticipation on advisory committees or conducting training for collaborative groups ofdistricts and higher education institutions on inclusive education, family involvement, andschool reform

17 16

Membership in National Parent Network on Disabilities and National Coalition ofAdvocates for StudentsSPAN testimony before the New Jersey Board of Education; Joint Legislative Committeeon Public Schools; Legislative Committee on Children; Appropriations Committees; NewJersey Department of Health-Maternal and Child Health Services; and New JerseyDepartment of Human ServicesParticipation on the Exceptional Parent Magazine Advisory Editorial BoardMembership on the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans' Association Managed Care Network, SSIAlliance, Medicaid Alliance, Medicaid Workgroup for People with Disabilities, FamilySupport Center Advisory Board, Family Support Awareness Day Planning Committee, andTitle V Dissemination CommitteeMembership on the Board of the New Jersey Association of Partners in EducationCollaborative project with the New Jersey Department of Education to develop,disseminate and analyze parent surveys on special education compliance and qualityParticipation of SPAN's Executive Director on the New Jersey Department of Education'stask force to revise their monitoring systemAnnenberg Institute for School Reform Conference on Public EngagementParticipation on Developmental Disabilities Council Education Committee and InclusionConsensus-Building Process, including the second annual Summit on Inclusion, chairingthe Community Awareness and Access to Inclusion Workgroup, which has developed anintroductory inclusion awareness training module that was presented in every county andevery urban district (SPAN's Executive Director conducted two Train the Trainer forworkgroup members) and chairing the Enforcement and Accountability workgroupPrevent Child Abuse-NeW Jersey Goals 2000 Advisory Committee until we received thegrant in October, 1999New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services' Early Intervention Stakeholders'Task Force, which has been awarded the Department 's Health collaboration award, andfollow-up committees including the Service Delivery workgroup, the Autism Task Force,and the Quality Assurance WorkgroupNew Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services' and Department of Education'sTransition to PreschoolMembership on Nation Public Education Network's National Parent Involvement inEducation Advisory PanelChairperson of the State Interagency Coordinating Council, and continuing membership onthat councilParticipation and sponsorship of the national Family Voices study of families and managedcare, and follow-up interviews with managed care providersParticipation as a Contributor to the "Defining Medical Necessity" report of the USDepartment of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration,Maternal and Child Health Bureau

The family perspective has also been presented through media outlets, including numerousnewspaper interviews and articles on issues such as school reform, funding for urban districts,funding for special education, inclusion, changes to the state special education code, parentinvolvement, health issues affecting children with special needs, family support, and other issues.

SPAN staff and Resource Parents have represented the parent perspective at meetings with over50,000 people over the past five years; over 3,000 SPAN staff and Resource Parents have testifiedat State Board of Education meetings, legislative hearings, and other public policy forums.

18 17

Honors and Awards

SPAN staff received the following honors and awards:

Selection by the Advocacy Institute to chair the Regional Selection Committee for theLeadership for a Changing World Fellowship (Co-Executive Director Diana Autin)Continued participation on National Advocacy Advisory Panel of the Advocacy Institute(Co-Executive Director Diana Autin)Selection as a Fellow for the Next Generation of Leadership Program of the RockefellerFoundation (Co-Executive Director Diana Autin)Nomination as a Fellow for the Leadership for a Changing World program of the FordFoundation (Co-Executive Director Debra Jennings)Selected to serve on the SICC and DD Council, the State EI and Education MonitoringSteering Committee.Certificates of Appreciation were received from the New Jersey Head Start Association andQuality Improvement Center at New York University and Title I parents, as well as Childand Family Resources and the International Dyslexia Association-NJ Chapter. One staffperson was honored with the Advocacy Award from the East Orange Unified PTA Council.

The SPAN website also has been the recipient of the Freedom of Thought award.

Evaluation

As outlined in the project proposal, SPAN disseminates and analyzes evaluation sheets for trainingsconducted by SPAN staff and Resource Parents. In addition, SPANdisseminates an evaluationsurvey whenever we send parents material in response to requests for technical assistance.Responses from both the training evaluation forms and the evaluation surveys received areoverwhelmingly positive, with every respondent indicating that SPAN's trainings, technicalassistance and materials have proved extremely beneficial. Annually, SPAN hires a consultant tofollow up with parents who have participated in trainings and/or received technical assistance.Finally, SPAN's Evaluation Committee and the Board of Trustees discussed project progressduring our quarterly Board of Trustees meetings, and then concluded its final discussion at theAnnual Meeting.

IV. Budget Information

See attached Budget Summary, describing expenditures in each area and providing an overallexplanation of any deviations from the project budget.

19 18

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Und

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How

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scho

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If yo

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ffere

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in y

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entir

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sch

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SP

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Thi

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scip

line

appr

oach

es, r

ites

of p

assa

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omm

unity

invo

lvem

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om-

hine

d as

veh

icle

s to

fos

ter

high

self

-est

eem

, sel

f-di

scip

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soci

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urne

ybe

gins

with

the

firs

t ste

p.

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engt

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amili

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cien

tific

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pro

ven

beha

vior

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d pr

even

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inte

rven

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prog

ram

that

aim

s to

incr

ease

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mun

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est

ablis

h an

d po

sitiv

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enfo

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fam

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ules

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reas

efa

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flic

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red

uce

the

risk

of

child

ren

cont

inui

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e cy

cle

of v

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nce

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subs

tanc

e ab

use.

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s pr

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mha

s be

en e

spec

ially

eff

ectiv

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r su

bsta

nce-

abus

ing

pare

nts

and

thei

r ch

ildre

n.

PA

RE

NT

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TA

FF

DE

VE

LOP

ME

NT

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2 ho

ur s

egm

ents

)

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flict

Res

olut

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clos

ely

exam

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beh

avio

rs

whi

ch m

ay le

ad to

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fron

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rs m

etho

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ger,

aggr

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tres

s an

d re

solv

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conf

lict.

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atin

gP

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choo

lE

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pare

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educ

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sun

ders

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fact

ors

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con

trib

ute

to p

ositi

ve s

choo

l

envi

ronm

ents

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ateg

ies

for

eval

uatin

g an

d im

prov

ing

scho

ol c

limat

e ar

edi

scus

sed,

and

exa

mpl

esof

the

impa

ct o

f

thos

e st

rate

gies

are

pro

vide

d.

is

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ectiv

eco

mm

unic

atio

nbr

ings

fam

ilies

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ther

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ctiv

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isci

plin

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ract

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prov

ides

par

ents

with

tool

s fo

r ef

fect

ive,

con

sist

ent d

isci

-

plin

e at

hom

e.

"Thi

s pr

ogra

m h

as ta

ught

me

a lo

t of

thin

gs o

n ho

w to

go

abou

t

teac

hing

my

child

ren

resp

onsi

bilit

ies,

how

to d

eal

thei

r be

havi

or,

and

to b

e m

ore

open

with

them

."

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sban

d an

d fa

ther

of

thre

e, a

ll gr

adua

tes

of th

eSt

reng

then

ing

Fam

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Pro

gram

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ss o

f 20

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OR

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leas

e ch

eck

all t

hat a

pply

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Yes

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ant t

o pa

rtic

ipat

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Ple

Ver

lting

vio

lenc

ean

d im

prov

ing

educ

atio

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my

com

mun

ity.

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ke to

par

ticip

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in th

e fo

llow

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p:S

tren

gthe

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thni

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amili

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Com

mun

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rogr

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inte

rest

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follo

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ctic

es fo

r F

amili

es

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ur o

rgan

izat

ion

is in

tere

sted

in p

artic

ipat

ing

inth

isV

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vent

ion

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ativ

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dfo

llow

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ostin

g w

orks

hops

at o

ur lo

catio

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pons

orin

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hops

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pare

nts

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ff tr

aini

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wor

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isse

min

atin

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atio

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rtne

r in

this

spe

cial

initi

ativ

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all f

or d

etai

ls.

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ase

desc

ribe

how

par

ticip

atin

g in

thes

e w

orks

hops

can

enha

nce

your

org

aniz

atio

nor

hom

e en

viro

nmen

t

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se s

ervi

ces

will

ena

ble

me

to a

ttend

wor

ksho

ps:

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nspo

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Chi

ld C

are

(num

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of c

hild

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)

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nsla

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ther

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cess

ibili

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tc):

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mos

t ava

ilabl

e to

atte

nd w

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hops

at t

his

time:

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ning

sA

ftern

oons

Eve

ning

sW

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nds

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eA

ddre

ss

Pho

ne Vio

lenc

e P

reve

ntio

n C

oord

inat

ors

Nor

ther

n R

egio

nS

outh

ern

Reg

ion

Sh'c

orah

Yeh

udah

Bev

erly

Bow

ser

c/o

SP

AN

c/o

YW

CA

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alse

y S

tree

t, 4t

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loor

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over

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ark,

NJ

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302

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113

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LPF

UL

TIP

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EV

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Whe

n de

alin

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onfli

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irst i

dent

ify th

e pr

oble

m;

then

atta

ck it

, nor

the

pers

on.

Kno

w th

at y

ou h

ave

optio

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cho

ose

from

in r

esol

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the

prob

lem

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ntify

them

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Fin

d a

reso

l:44,

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a t a

ll th

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invo

lved

agr

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pon

and

are

com

fort

abIe

Vith

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Don

't be

afr

airr

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k fo

r he

lp.

In m

anag

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ange

r, m

ake

sure

to a

llow

tim

e fo

r yo

urse

lf.

Do

som

ethi

ng y

ou is

Cjo

y bu

t hav

en't

done

in a

long

tim

e.

deep

ly S

e

med

itate

.

Tho

t bat

h or

rea

d.

Ta

wal

k, e

xerc

ise

or d

ance

.

Sin

g, w

rite,

pla

y an

inst

rum

ent,

crea

te.

Con

side

r yo

ur b

less

ings

.

Vol

unte

er y

our

time

to h

elp

som

eone

els

e.

Nev

er s

hake

a b

aby,

it c

an c

ause

ser

ious

inju

ries.

Mod

el th

e be

havi

or y

ou'd

like

to s

ee in

you

r ch

ild.

Rew

ard

your

chi

ld's

res

pect

ful b

ehav

ior

with

kin

d w

ords

, agi

ft or

a fa

mily

out

ing.

Tal

k w

ith y

our

child

abo

ut y

our

pers

onal

exp

erie

nces

and

how

you

ove

rcam

e ob

stac

les.

Wor

k on

not

yel

ling,

insu

lting

, cur

sing

or

calli

ng y

our

child

nam

es.

Enc

oura

ge y

our

child

's a

mbi

tions

& ta

lent

s.

Invo

lve

your

chi

ld in

mak

ing

a fe

w fa

mily

rul

es a

nd th

eco

nseq

uenc

es fo

r vi

olat

ing

them

.

Con

vers

e w

ith y

our

child

.

List

en to

you

r ch

ild. SP

AN

Mis

sion

To

empo

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fam

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and

info

rm a

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oshe

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indi

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med

inth

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alth

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ntrib

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mnu

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evel

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a ne

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gent

car

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ttent

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need

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ithin

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genc

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our

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the

HM

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icai

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exem

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you

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easi

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s to

Med

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d se

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bet

ter

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mee

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ffyou

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near

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genc

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om. C

heck

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next

day.

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MO

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etw

ork

prov

ider

dire

ctor

y.

You

wor

k w

ith a

sta

te-c

ontr

acte

d H

ealth

Ben

efits

Coo

rdin

ator

(H

BC

) to

iden

tify

and

enro

ll in

the

best

pla

nfo

ryou

r ch

ild a

mon

g th

e 5

HM

O c

hoic

es.

Fam

ilies

of M

idd

spec

ial h

ealth

car

e ne

eds

and/

or.d

isat

ilik

ties

mus

t sel

ed fi

ir th

eir

child

One

of 5

HM

Os

that

hav

e: c

ontr

acte

d w

ith th

eSte

teof

N'e

w/e

rsey

to p

rovi

de M

edic

aid

Man

aged

,C

are

serv

ices

: If t

hey

don'

t; th

eir

child

t.V

ill:

even

tual

ly b

e as

sign

ed to

one

of t

he H

MO

s

Onc

eyou

r ch

ild is

sig

ned

up w

ith a

n H

MO

:sr

You

rec

eive

an

card

, a m

embe

r ha

ndbo

ok,

and

a pr

ovid

er d

ire C

ory

from

the

HM

O (

and

may

be a

sepa

rate

pre

scrip

tion

card

)Y

ou s

elec

t a P

rimar

y C

are

Pro

vide

r (P

CP

) fr

om th

at p

lan'

spr

ovid

er li

st. I

fyou

don

't, th

e H

MO

ass

igns

one

toyo

u.T

he H

MO

ass

igns

a C

are

Man

ager

(us

ually

a n

urse

or

soda

l wor

ker)

toyo

ur c

hild

.

You

mus

t get

a r

efer

ral f

rom

jour

chi

ld's

PC

P fo

r m

ost n

on-

emer

genc

y se

rvic

es (

spec

ialis

t vis

its, l

ab, h

ospi

tal,

equi

p-t`

,)m

ent,

ther

apie

s) b

efor

e yo

ur c

hild

rec

eive

s th

ose

serv

ices

.O

ther

wis

e, th

e H

MO

can

ref

use

to p

ay fo

r th

e se

rvic

es.

Som

e se

rvic

es m

ust b

e pr

e-ap

prov

ed a

t the

HM

O, a

pro

cess

calle

d po

or a

utho

rizat

ion,

whi

ch is

initi

ated

byy

our

PC

P

Toy

;Ls°

dro

oSe:

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iialY

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epen

tistIP

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ou d

on tn

eeda

ref

erra

l frO

rri

lfyou

, as

a pr

uden

t lay

pers

on, d

erid

e th

atyo

ur c

hild

has

an

aner

genc

y m

edic

al c

ondi

tion,

the

HM

O p

ays

for

trea

tmen

t of

emer

genc

ies

with

out n

eed

for

a re

ferr

al o

r pr

e-ap

prov

al. J

ust

call

911

or g

o to

the

near

est e

mer

genc

y ro

om. B

ut d

o no

t use

the

emer

genc

y ro

om fo

r an

y ro

utin

e ca

m it

won

't be

pai

d fo

r.

child

can

bes

aeen

ed a

t the

em

erge

ncy

room

!'rlfy

ou th

inky

oUt c

hild

has

an

emer

genc

y`.

aren

t sur

e an

d C

an't

read

iyou

r P

CP

, ybi

r

at n

o co

st,to

ou

eVer

lif h

e is

nl tr

eate

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Med

icai

d M

anag

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are

Cal

l the

HB

C to

enr

oll i

n an

HM

O

Rea

dyou

r H

MO

Mem

ber

Han

dboo

k

Sel

ect a

nd w

ork

with

your

PC

P

Get

ref

erra

ls fo

r ot

her

serv

ices

Wor

k w

ithyo

ur C

are

Man

ager

Use

net

wor

k pr

ovid

ers

Use

em

erge

ncy

room

s on

ly fo

r em

erge

ncie

s

FAM

ILY

VO

ICE

Ssp

eaki

ng o

n be

half

of c

hild

ren

with

spe

cial

hea

lth c

are

need

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Fam

ily V

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s of

New

Jer

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ass

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for

qual

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ben

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ew J

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new

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icai

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ogra

m, N

ew J

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y C

are

2000

+, a

lso

know

n as

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aid

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aged

Car

e,"

rew

ires

mos

t Med

icai

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elig

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child

ren

with

spe

cial

nee

ds to

rec

eive

thei

r he

alth

car

efr

omm

anag

ed c

are

orga

niza

tions

.

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aged

car

e is

a c

ompr

ehen

sive

app

road

i to

prov

idin

g an

dpa

ying

for

hig

i- Q

ualit

y he

alth

car

e se

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om r

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e to

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genc

yw

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ed s

yste

m in

a c

ost-

effe

ctiv

em

anne

r. T

he h

ealth

pla

ns th

at p

rovi

de th

e B

enef

its P

acka

gefo

r th

e M

edic

aid

man

aged

car

e sy

stem

in N

ew J

erse

y ar

eca

lled

Hea

lth M

aint

enan

ce O

rgan

izat

ions

(H

MO

s).

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rflie

-tal

k al

iark

ledi

iiild

man

aged

"th

re,,i

iiini

.:,,

:r

ifO

fam

iliar

wor

ds m

ay c

ome

up.

1.1.

Se

the

"Im

Por

tant

Ter

ms"

bro

chur

e th

at c

omes

with

your

fact

, she

ets`

toT

ook

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high

light

ed w

ords

" 1-

;. T

his

will

-hel

p yo

u le

arn

how

to s

peak

,the

larig

Uag

e".O

f man

aged

car

e.:

.-

Are

the

doct

ors

I wan

t for

my

child

in th

e H

MO

?A

sk y

our

doct

or, t

he H

MO

's m

embe

r se

rvic

es, o

rth

e H

BC

.

Is th

e ho

spita

l I u

se in

the

HM

O p

rovi

der

net-

wor

k?

Doe

s th

e H

MO

pro

vide

ser

vice

s in

con

veni

ent

loca

tions

for

me

-- n

ot ju

st th

e P

CP

, but

als

oph

arm

acy,

labo

rato

ry, m

edic

al e

quip

men

t, an

dsp

ecia

lists

?

I.If

my

child

nee

ds a

spe

cial

ty c

linic

for

a pa

r-tic

ular

dis

abili

ty (

like

spin

al c

ord

inju

ry o

rce

rebr

al p

alsy

), is

the

spec

ialty

clin

ic in

the

HM

O n

etw

ork?

2. O

r w

ill th

e H

MO

be

will

ing

to r

efer

my

child

outs

ide

the

netw

ork

to th

is c

linic

?

Is a

net

wor

k ph

arm

acy

acce

ssib

le to

me?

Is m

ycu

rren

t pha

rmac

y in

the

HM

O's

net

wor

k?

Wha

t den

tal s

ervi

ces

are

prov

ided

, and

are

they

conv

enie

nt/a

cces

sibl

e to

my

child

?

Are

my

curr

ent d

urab

le m

edic

al e

quip

men

t sup

-pl

iers

in th

e H

MO

's n

etw

ork?

If n

ot, h

ow w

ill w

ege

t DM

E w

e al

read

y ow

n m

aint

aine

d th

roug

h th

eH

MO

? (A

sk to

talk

to a

car

e m

anag

er.)

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), D

o 24

-hou

r ho

tline

s an

d m

embe

r se

rvic

es h

ave

00T

DD

or

phon

e re

lay

serv

ices

?

Are

ther

e pr

ovid

ers

who

spe

ak m

y la

ngua

ge?

Wha

t are

the

prov

isio

ns fo

r in

terp

rete

rs?

Wha

t are

the

prov

isio

ns fo

r si

gn-la

ngua

ge in

ter-

pret

ers?

Doe

s th

e H

MO

hav

e ad

ditio

nal b

enef

its th

at a

repa

rtic

ular

ly a

ttrac

tive

for

my

child

?

1

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ay:c

hang

efiM

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l the

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hang

es. 1

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n'rt

ake,

45 d

ays

inor

ore

to m

ake

the

switc

h:

Bef

ore

you

star

t, re

ad th

e m

ater

ials

you

rec

eive

from

Med

icai

d in

the

mai

l.T

hey

com

pare

the

diffe

rent

HM

Os,

as

wel

l as

cons

umer

sat

isfa

ctio

n w

ith th

e di

ffer-

ent H

MO

s.

Incl

udey

our

child

- to

the

best

of h

is o

r he

r ab

ility

inth

e se

lect

ion

proc

ess.

Thi

s ca

n be

a g

reat

opp

ortu

nity

to h

elpy

our

child

lear

n so

me

basi

c se

lf-ad

voca

cy s

kills

.

Get

mem

ber

hand

book

s fr

om e

ach

HM

O s

o th

at y

ouca

n co

mpa

re th

e H

MO

s in

det

ail.

The

num

bers

to c

all

are

liste

d on

the

Fam

ily V

oice

s R

esou

rce

List

.It

can

take

man

y w

eeks

and

som

e fo

llow

-up

calls

to r

ecei

veth

ese

hand

book

s, s

o st

art a

s so

on a

s po

ssib

le.

You

can

cal

l mem

ber

serv

ices

at t

he d

iffer

ent H

MO

s to

ask

ques

tions

. An

HM

O c

are

man

ager

or

your

cou

nty

case

man

ager

may

als

o be

abl

e to

ans

wer

som

e of

your

ques

tions

.

Alw

ays

keep

a r

ecor

d of

all

phon

e ca

lls a

nd c

orre

spon

-de

nce.

Mak

e co

pies

of l

ette

rs y

ou s

end

and

keep

them

on fi

le.

Kee

p a

logb

ook"

nex

t to

your

tele

phon

e, a

ndre

cord

the

date

, the

nam

e of

the

pers

on y

ou ta

lked

to,

thei

r re

spon

ses

toyo

ur q

uest

ions

.

Be

pers

iste

nt in

see

king

ans

wer

s, a

nd tr

y to

rem

ain

polit

e as

you

seek

info

rmat

ion.

The

se ta

ctic

s w

ill s

erve

you

and

your

chi

ld w

ell.

The

1-1

13C

can

als

o m

ake

hom

e vi

sits

. - 'H

ome.

: vis

itsar

e es

eci

ally

use

ful i

fyO

uref

iild

has

com

plex

nee

ds!

efO

te C

hoos

ing

P

ou M

aj.W

ant

Doe

s th

e pr

ovid

er h

ave

expe

rienc

e w

orki

ng w

ithfa

mili

es o

f chi

ldre

n w

ith s

peci

al h

ealth

car

ene

eds?

Has

he/

she

wor

ked

with

chi

ldre

n w

ith m

y ch

ild's

disa

bilit

y or

spe

cial

nee

ds b

efor

e?

Who

will

see

my

child

whe

n th

e P

CP

is n

otav

aila

ble?

Is th

e pr

ovid

er's

offi

ce lo

cate

d cl

ose

to m

yho

me?

Are

the

offic

e an

d ex

am r

oom

s ea

sily

acc

essi

ble

or a

re th

ere

barr

iers

for

my

child

and

me?

Doe

s th

is p

rovi

der

spea

k m

y la

ngua

ge o

r si

gn?

Rea

d yo

ur m

embe

r ha

ndbo

ok c

aref

ully

.It

will

answ

er m

any

ofyo

ur q

uest

ions

.

Iden

ti5f i

mpo

rtan

t peo

ple

and

phon

e nu

mbe

rs to

call,

and

kee

p th

ese

post

ed n

ext t

oyou

r ph

one.

mem

ber

serv

ices

24-h

our

hotli

ne fo

r qu

estio

ns

your

PC

P

your

car

e m

anag

er

Be

sure

you

lear

n ho

w to

rea

ch h

elp

afte

r ho

urs!

Con

tinue

to k

eep

reco

rds

of a

ll co

ntac

ts w

ithyo

ur P

CP

, car

e m

anag

er, a

nd o

ther

s so

you

can

follo

w u

p ef

fect

ivel

y, o

r so

you

kno

w th

e pe

ople

you

rely

on

are

follo

win

g up

ony

our

issu

es.

Ifan

y pr

oble

ms

com

e up

, you

can

use

thes

ere

cord

s as

doc

umen

tatio

n of

wha

t you

've

done

to tr

y to

res

olve

them

.

You

-mal

chan

ge P

CP

.s,if

you

are

not s

atis

fied

with

you

r fir

st=

sel

ectio

n:-

Tal

k to

your

-HM

Os

mem

ber

serv

ices

,. or

cal

l you

r.C

areM

anag

er fo

rinfo

rmat

iorr

,

List

all

the

peop

le w

ho p

rovi

de s

ervi

ces

toyo

urch

ild. C

onsu

lt w

ithyo

ur c

urre

nt p

rovi

ders

or

the

HB

C to

det

erm

ine

whi

ch H

MO

(s)

Pro

vide

rN

etw

orks

they

are

in. C

hoos

e th

e H

MO

with

the

larg

est n

umbe

r of

your

cur

rent

pro

vide

rs, o

r w

ithth

e cu

rren

t pro

vide

r(s)

who

are

mos

t im

port

ant

toyo

u an

d yo

ur c

hild

.

IP A

sk q

uest

ions

abo

ut th

e di

ffere

nt p

lans

, and

choo

se th

e pl

an th

at m

eets

mos

t ofy

our

requ

ire-

men

ts.

IP T

alk

to fa

mily

and

frie

nds,

esp

ecia

lly o

nes

with

sim

ilar

heal

th c

are

need

s, a

bout

thei

r ex

perie

nces

with

mak

ing

choi

ces

in m

anag

ed c

are.

11,

Kee

p re

cord

s of

who

you

spea

k w

ith a

nd w

hen,

and

answ

ers

prov

ided

.

The

Fam

11y

Voi

ces

Res

ourc

e Li

stpr

ovid

es::

help

ful :

-con

tac8

Can

ans

kier

yoU

r gU

estio

ns.,

HM

Os

are

enco

urag

ed to

invi

te y

our

curr

ent

prov

ider

s to

join

thei

r pr

ovid

er n

etw

ork

if th

ey n

otm

embe

rs. A

sk m

embe

r se

rvic

es a

t any

HM

Oyo

u ar

ein

tere

sted

in a

bout

this

pos

sibi

lity.

The

fam

ily o

f a c

hild

with

com

plex

spe

cial

hea

lth c

are

need

s w

ho h

as a

n ou

tsta

ndin

g sy

stem

of p

rovi

ders

who

do

not b

elon

g to

any

of t

he M

edic

aid

HM

O n

et-

wor

ks m

ay r

eque

st a

n ex

empt

ion

to M

edic

aid

Man

aged

Car

e. A

sk th

e H

BC

how

to d

o th

is.

(you

' thi

nk y

our

child

has

an

Tie

r,ge

ng,b

ut a

ren'

Usu

re,a

nd;c

an't

reac

h.yo

ur P

CP

; you

r ch

ild c

an b

e sc

reen

ed'

at th

e em

erge

ncy

room

at n

o-co

St.t

Oyo

uev

en if

he

isn

t tre

ated

ther

e..

Cal

l the

HB

C to

enr

oll i

n an

HM

O

Rea

d yo

ur H

MO

Mem

ber

Han

dboo

k

Sel

ect a

nd w

ork

with

you

r P

CP

11 G

et r

efer

rals

for

othe

r se

rvic

es11

1W

ork

with

your

Car

e M

anag

er

Use

net

wor

k pr

ovid

ers

Use

em

erge

ncy

room

s on

ly fo

r em

erge

ncie

s

Prov

ider

Iss

ues

Dis

tanc

e fr

om h

ome

Acc

essi

bilit

y

IP L

angu

age

spok

en o

r in

terp

rete

r av

aila

bilit

y

Sig

n la

ngua

ge

Offi

ce h

ours

IP A

cces

s to

spe

cial

ty s

ervi

ces

111

Con

veni

ence

of l

ab, p

harm

acy,

equ

ipm

ent

Tra

nspo

rtat

ion

avai

labi

lity

IP M

embe

r ho

spita

ls

FAM

ILY

woi

cE

sS

kon

htor

te,

wth

ghe

alth

car

e ne

eds

Fam

ily V

oice

s of

New

Jer

sey

Sta

tew

ide

Par

ent A

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NE

W /E

R.4

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Whe

n yo

u en

ter

the

Med

icai

d M

anag

ed C

are

syst

em in

New

Jer

sey,

you

will

nee

d to

mak

e tw

o im

port

ant d

ecis

ions

:

I. W

hich

of t

he 5

Hea

lth M

aint

enan

ce O

rgan

izat

ion

(HM

O)

plan

s of

fere

d un

der

Med

icai

d- M

anag

edC

are

is th

e be

st o

ne fo

ryou

r ch

ild?

2. In

the

HM

Oyo

u ch

oose

, who

is th

e be

st P

rimar

yC

are

Pro

vide

r (P

CP

) fo

r yo

ur c

hild

?

New

Jer

sey

Car

e 20

00+

, the

sta

te M

edic

aid

Man

aged

Car

e P

rogr

am, w

ill m

ail y

ou in

form

atio

n ab

out e

ach

HM

O to

hel

p yo

u ch

oose

am

ong

them

or

you

can

requ

est t

his

info

rmat

ion.

Rea

d th

ese

book

lets

car

eful

ly.

A g

ood

reso

urce

for

ques

tions

abo

ut e

nrol

lmen

t is

the

Hea

lth B

enef

its C

oord

inat

or (

HB

C).

The

HB

C a

lso

proc

esse

s H

MO

enr

ollm

ent a

nd tr

ansf

ers,

and

can

hel

pyo

u re

ques

t an

exem

ptio

n to

Med

icai

d m

anag

ed c

are.

Cal

l 1-8

00-7

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n'tit

italk

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i40;

101:

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F`na

nage

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me

wor

ds m

ay -

com

e up

Use

the

Impo

rtan

tT

erm

s br

ochu

re th

at c

omes

with

jiour

fact

she

ets

tow

ill h

elp,

:kan

lear

nho

wsp

eak

the

lang

tiage

". o

f man

aied

care

:!,

You

r P

CP

-

VV

ork

with

your

PC

P to

mee

tyou

r ch

ild's

bas

ic h

ealth

nee

ds. Y

our

PC

P c

oord

inat

es a

ll m

edic

al c

are,

indu

ding

rou

tine

ptys

ical

s,pr

even

tive

heal

th s

ervi

ces,

ref

erra

ls a

nd s

tand

ing

refe

rral

s to

spe

-ci

alis

ts, a

nd h

ospi

tal v

isits

. He

or s

he ta

kes

care

of p

rior

auth

or-

izat

ion

for

som

e se

rvic

es w

ith th

e H

MO

, and

can

hdp

you

with

or p

repa

ring

for

Med

icai

d F

air

Hea

rings

whe

nyou

r H

MO

ies

or li

mits

ser

vice

s. B

e su

re to

kee

pyou

r P

CP

info

rmed

of

cont

acts

you

hav

e w

ith o

ther

hea

lth c

are

prov

ider

s, a

nd a

lway

sco

ntac

t you

r P

CP

with

in 2

4 ho

urs

whe

n yo

ur c

hild

has

had

an

emer

genc

y ro

om v

isit

AO

I 4

1

0.i. Y

our

Car

e M

anag

er

Wor

k w

ith y

our

child

's c

are

man

ager

to c

oord

inat

e al

l you

rch

ild's

ser

vice

s an

d ne

eds.

The

car

e m

anag

er w

ill h

elpy

ou a

nd

your

chi

ldes

tabl

ish

goal

s, d

evel

op a

com

preh

ensi

ve a

nd p

er-

sona

lized

Indi

vidu

al H

ealth

Car

e P

lan

(IH

CP

) to

mee

t you

rch

ild's

nee

ds, h

elp

with

ref

erra

ls o

r sp

ecia

l tra

nspo

rtat

ion

need

syou

r ch

ild m

ay h

ave,

and

coo

rdin

ate

med

ical

car

e w

ith

othe

r se

rvic

es. A

lthou

gh y

our

care

man

ager

sho

uld

cally

oush

orty

afte

ryou

sig

n up

with

you

r H

MO

, you

don

't ne

ed to

wai

t for

the

call.

Cal

l HM

O m

embe

r se

rvic

es a

nd te

ll th

emyo

uw

ant t

o 4.

with

_mu

care

man

ager

. Tha

t way

, you

can

get

a ba

sic

star

ted

befo

re a

ny n

eeds

aris

e.

CA

D

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Sta

te r

egul

atio

ns r

equi

re th

at c

are

man

ager

s' e

duca

tion

and

expe

rienc

e w

ith p

eopl

e w

ith s

peci

al h

ealth

car

e ne

eds

inae

ase

with

the

com

plex

iry o

f clie

nt n

eeds

, soy

our

child

's c

are

man

-

ager

will

pro

babl

y be

one

ofy

our

best

res

ourc

es fo

r in

form

a-tio

n an

d tr

oubl

esho

otin

g.

Rea

d yo

ur 'm

embe

r ha

nd-t

book

to u

nder

stan

d ho

w a

ndco

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to g

et A

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our

child

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ntitl

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med

icak

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ssar

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t no

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u ar

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our

child

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atio

ns a

reno

t iny

our

HM

O's

form

ular

y, s

eeyo

ur c

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man

ager

to r

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ve

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prob

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s.

If yo

u ha

ve a

pro

blem

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a p

rovi

der,

- se

e yo

ur c

are

man

ager

, you

r P

CP

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e a

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rca

re m

anag

er o

ryou

r P

CP

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lY

our

HM

O's

mem

ber

serv

ices

Ifyou

r H

MO

doe

s no

ta

;m

eet y

our

child

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eeds

, cal

l

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lead

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use

of a

noth

er, o

r

cham

pion

s an

othe

r pe

rson

's n

eeds

.B

uild

ing

good

pro

vide

rre

latio

ns is

an

impo

rtan

t way

you

advo

cate

fory

our

child

.

Bec

ause

you

know

your

chi

ld's

and

you

r fa

miy

s ne

eds

bette

rth

an a

nyon

e,yo

u m

ay b

e th

e be

st a

thoc

ate

fory

our

child

. You

can

also

enc

oura

geyo

ur c

hild

to a

dvoc

ate

for

him

self.

One

way

he c

an le

arn

advo

cacy

ski

lls is

by

obse

rvin

gyou

, but

als

o !p

ro-

vide

opp

ortu

nitie

s fo

r hi

m to

spe

ak fo

r an

d ad

voca

te fo

r hi

m-

self

with

pro

vide

rs to

wha

teve

r ed

ent h

e ca

n.

Whe

n yo

u ad

voca

te e

ffect

ivel

yfo

r yo

br o

wn

child

's n

eeds

lou

may

end

up

chan

ging

a w

hole

:sys

tem

tobe

tter

mee

t oth

erch

itdre

n's

and

fam

ilies

spe

cial

nee

ds.;

Whe

nyou

adv

ocat

e ef

fect

ivel

y fo

r,al

l chI

ldre

A:W

itksp

ecia

l nee

ds, y

ou'm

ay e

nd u

p m

akin

g sy

stem

s w

ork

bette

r fo

ryou

r ch

ild a

nd fa

mity

.',,,

To

Be

a B

ette

rA

dvoc

ate

Gat

her

info

rmat

ion.

Ask

Que

stio

ns.

Kno

wyo

ur r

ight

s.

Kee

p or

gani

zed

reco

rds.

Tru

st th

at y

ou m

ay s

ee th

ings

pro

fess

iona

ls c

an't

sinc

eyo

u're

with

your

chi

ld m

ost o

f the

tim

e.

Be

open

to le

arni

ng n

ew th

ings

fiD

M p

rovi

ders

.

Enl

ist a

llies

. One

pow

erfu

l way

to a

dvoc

ate

fory

our

child

is to

see

k su

ppor

t fro

m o

ther

peo

ple

Oth

er fa

mili

es o

f chi

ldre

n w

ith s

peci

al n

eeds

can

sha

reth

eir

expe

rienc

es a

nd w

hat t

hey

have

foun

d he

lpfu

l.S

ee th

e F

amily

Voi

ces

Res

ourc

e Li

st.

You

r P

CP

, spe

cial

ist p

hysi

cian

, and

your

car

e m

anag

erca

n ad

voca

te w

ith y

ou o

r fo

r yo

u (o

n yo

ur r

eque

st)

with

your

HM

O to

mee

tyou

r ch

ild's

nee

ds.

An

atto

rney

or

othe

r ad

voca

te w

ill g

o w

ithyo

u fo

r an

yki

nd o

f for

mal

hea

ring.

Che

ck th

e F

amily

Voi

ces

Res

ourc

e Li

st to

loca

te s

uppo

rt o

r fr

ee le

gal s

ervi

ces.

And

opp

ortu

nitie

s to

hel

p ch

ange

Fge

rns:

Vol

unte

er to

join

or

serv

e as

a c

onsu

ltant

toyo

ur H

MO

cons

umer

adv

isor

y bo

ard

Offe

r to

par

ticip

ate

in S

tate

age

ncy

cons

umer

adv

iso-

ryou

ps w

orki

ng to

dev

elop

and

impr

ove

polic

ies

and

regu

latio

ns th

at b

enef

it pe

ople

with

spe

cial

nee

dsin

Med

icai

d m

anag

ed c

are.

Som

e N

I Sta

te a

genc

ies

are

liste

d on

the

Fam

ily V

oice

s R

esou

rce

List

.

Writ

e or

pho

ne y

our

loca

l, st

ate

or n

atio

nal o

ffici

als

and

ask

dam

to s

uppo

rt la

ss a

nd r

egul

atio

ns th

atsa

fegu

ard

Med

icai

d fo

r ch

ildre

n w

ith s

peci

al n

eeds

and

thei

r fa

mili

es. W

hen

the

offic

ials

do,

cal

l or

mai

lth

em w

ith a

"th

anky

ou."

Bei

ng a

n.ad

voca

te fo

ryou

rëh

ild m

eans

, doi

ng w

hat

nece

sSa-

Vo.

..mak

e su

re y

our

ichi

ld g

ets

wha

t he.

OtA

e.ne

eds,

and

that

your

fam

ily,g

etS

wha

t it

/ nee

ds-t

o ca

re fo

r yo

ur c

hild

.

You

sho

uld

aped

hig

h Q

ualit

y of

car

e an

d re

spon

sibi

lity

from

your

pro

vide

rs, a

nd th

çy s

houl

d be

abl

e to

eq:

led

resp

onsi

-bi

lity

fror

nyou

, as

wel

l

It he

lpsy

our

prov

ider

s w

heny

ou:

* gv

e th

em a

ll th

e in

form

atio

n th

ey n

eed

in o

rder

to g

ive

your

chi

ld th

e be

st c

are;

*as

k Q

uest

ions

whe

nyou

do

not u

nder

stan

d;*

1ion

esty

exp

ress

your

con

cern

s; a

nd*

give

em th

e sa

me

resp

edyo

u ex

pect

from

them

.

Whe

nyou

est

ablis

h op

en r

elat

ions

hips

with

you

r pc

p, c

are

man

ager

, and

spe

cial

ists

,you

lay

a fo

unda

tion

for

nego

tiatin

gw

ith th

em a

nd e

vent

ual

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ing

stro

ng w

orki

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artn

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tter

if th

ey ta

ke n

otes

. Ify

ou a

re o

neof

thes

e pe

ople

, be

sure

to h

ave

a pe

nal a

nd p

aper

with

you

whe

nyou

vis

it or

talk

with

your

chi

ld's

pro

vide

rs. I

t may

als

ohe

lp to

hav

e an

othe

r ad

ult w

ith y

ou d

urin

g an

y st

ress

ful

mee

ting

with

a p

rovi

der

so th

at th

is p

erso

n ca

n la

ter

help

you

dari5

f wha

t was

sai

d at

the

mee

ting.

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p a

reco

rd b

ook

in w

hich

you

not

e al

l pho

ne c

onta

cts

with

any

ofy

our

prov

ider

s: w

hoyo

u ta

lked

to, t

he d

ate,

the

answ

asyo

u re

ceiv

ed, t

he r

esol

utio

n of

your

pro

blem

(if

any)

,an

d w

heny

ou c

an e

xpec

t a c

all-b

ack

or n

eed

to c

all b

ack.

Kee

p a

file

of a

ll w

ritte

n co

mm

unic

atio

ns w

ithyo

ur p

rovi

ders

or H

MO

and

cop

ies

of a

ny le

tters

you

send

to th

em. T

his

kind

of r

ecor

d-ke

epin

g ca

n be

hel

pful

if m

isun

ders

tand

ings

aris

e.

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om d

issa

tisfie

dclie

nts

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ur c

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rovi

der

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g_W

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ou,m

ake

calls

,

with

need

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d e

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ser

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vide

rs.

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get t

he b

est M

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aged

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e se

rvic

es fo

ryou

r ch

ildth

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h yo

ur H

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ance

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aniz

atio

n (H

MO

), it

help

s to

est

ablis

h go

od w

orki

ng r

elat

ions

hips

with

your

mos

tce

ntra

l pro

vide

rs,y

our

PC

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ndyo

ur C

are

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ager

.

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d pr

ovid

er r

elat

ions

hips

(lik

e an

y go

od r

elat

ions

hips

)re

wire

tim

e, e

ffort

, and

pat

ienc

e on

bot

h si

des;

bui

ldin

g th

ese

rela

tions

hips

can

pay

off

fory

ou a

ndyo

ur c

hild

asy

ou n

ego-

tiate

you

r w

ay th

roug

h M

edic

aid

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s of

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Jer

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ME

DIC

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MA

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D'A

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FOR

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thkE

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SP

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-

-

the

Mis

sion

of

the

Stat

ewid

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rent

Adv

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etw

ork

is to

em

pow

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mili

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form

and

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d ot

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inte

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heal

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of c

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ll ch

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com

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and

cont

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mem

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of o

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uniti

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nd s

ocie

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SP

AN

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rem

ost c

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to c

hild

ren

with

the

grea

test

nee

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abili

ty; p

over

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disc

rimin

atio

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sed

on r

ace.

sex

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lang

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umst

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Em

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rt

best

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on

fam

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the

pow

er is

ther

eby

right

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we

reco

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rst

reng

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ugh

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dvoc

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we

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for

chan

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-

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151"

11,

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--

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--

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SPA

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and

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NJ

Dep

artm

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lth a

nd S

enio

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ervi

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Spe

cial

Chi

ld a

nd A

dult

Hea

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ervi

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NJ

Dep

artm

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an S

ervi

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Sch

uman

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und

of N

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U.S

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dvoc

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our

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ue o

ur s

ervi

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to fa

mili

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nd p

rofe

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Thr

ough

out t

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tate

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By

beco

min

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mem

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of S

PA

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u w

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llow

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Thr

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are

duce

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dis

coun

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like

to b

ecom

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mem

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ofSP

AN

.P

leas

e en

roll

me

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mem

ber

in th

e fo

llow

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cate

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vidu

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$50

Fam

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$100

Frie

nd o

f SP

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$150

Pro

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Cor

pora

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Exe

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plea

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am

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crip

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Y$2

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our

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issu

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sub

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The

Brid

gebu

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m fi

nanc

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una

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fford

the

subs

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cons

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me

for

a S

pons

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scrip

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fam

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mou

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mak

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pay

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PA

N, I

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Organization

(ifapplicable)

Address

City

State

Zip

Phone

Business

Phone

County

E-m

ail

Please

return

this

Mem

bership

Application

and

payment

to:

SP

AN

35

Halsey

Street,

tith

Floor

New

ark,

NJ

07102

Attn:

Maria

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incr

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the

qual

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f ea

rly

care

and

edu

catio

nfo

r ch

ildre

n w

ith s

peci

al n

eeds

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incr

ease

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num

ber

of c

hild

car

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offe

r in

clus

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child

car

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aw

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info

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pani

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abou

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incl

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earl

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sour

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ew J

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earl

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choo

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sulta

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supp

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sch

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prog

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incl

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gch

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peci

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can

also

hel

p yo

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rve

child

ren

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MO

RE

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erse

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ld C

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ther

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sup

port

the

incl

usio

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chi

l-dr

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spe

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nee

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hild

car

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ry c

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Jer

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a U

nifi

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whi

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atio

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out c

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car

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how

chi

ldre

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his

wor

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pos

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esta

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orks

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atio

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aren

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usio

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appe

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wor

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indi

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bilit

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adap

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iviti

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mee

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nee

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l chi

ldre

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ovid

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New

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amili

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naw

are

of th

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law

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how

to e

ffec

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clud

e ch

ildre

nw

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peci

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thin

k...

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child

car

e pr

ovid

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New

Jer

sey

serv

ed 1

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chi

ldre

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sabi

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LL o

f the

cla

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ddle

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abili

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ew J

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ulpa

rtic

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set

tings

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thei

rty

pica

l pee

rs.

Do

you

incl

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child

ren

with

dis

abili

ties

in y

our

child

car

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tting

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ou m

ay q

ualif

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r th

eE

duca

tor

of th

e M

onth

awar

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nora

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apro

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The

mis

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rent

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ocac

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etw

ork

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em

pow

er f

amili

es a

nd in

form

and

invo

lve

prof

essi

onal

s an

d ot

her

indi

vidu

als

inte

rest

ed in

the

heal

thy

deve

lopm

ent a

nd e

duca

tiona

l rig

hts

ofch

ildre

n. T

hrou

gh th

is c

olla

bora

tion,

all

child

ren

will

bec

ome

fully

par

ticip

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d co

ntri

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gm

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f ou

r co

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uniti

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chi

ldre

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isab

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erty

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scri

min

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sed

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ace,

sex

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lang

uage

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ogra

phic

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Res

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RESOURCE LISTNew Jersey Inclusive Child Care Project

Provides free workshops and free on-site consultation to childcare centers, family child care providers, and school-age child

care programsContact: Susan Merrill Guider1-800-654-7726 x 108www.spannj.org

Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN)Provides information, training, technical assistance, andsupport to families, professionals, and others regardingeducational rights and health of children

1-800-654-7726

NJ Resource & Referral Agencies(also known as Unified Child Care Agencies)

Provides information about child care programs and servicesavailable at a local level

1-800-332-9CARE

Special Child Health ServicesProvides information for families with children with specialhealth care needs birth to 21

(609) 777-7778

NJ Department of Health & Senior Services -Early Intervention System

Provides services for infants and toddlers (from birth to 3)who have developmental delays or disabilities as well assupport for their families

Contact: Terry L. Harrison(609) 777-7734 Fax: (609) 292-0296

New Jersey Department of EducationOffice of Special Education Programs

Contact: Barbara Tkach, Preschool Coordinator(609) 984-4950

Learning Resource Centers (LRC) of theNew Jersey Department of Education

Provides workshops, instructional materials, consultation andtechnical assistance to parents and professionals for a nominalmembership fee

LRC North: Paquita Roberts (973) 631-6349LRC Central: Sue Leonard (732) 441-0460LRC South: Claire Punda (856) 582-7000 x155

(continued on back)

A rn

RESOURCE LIST(continued)

New Jersey Inclusive Child Care Project

Office of Early Care & EducationNew Jersey Department of Human ServicesOffice of Early Care & EducationContact: Jane Voorhees (609) 292-8444

New Jersey School-Age Child Care CoalitionProvides training and technical assistance to support out ofschool time programs on inclusion issues

Contact: Jessica Plauta (973) 597-1050www.njsacc.org

New Jersey Head Start AssociationContact: Audrey Fletcher(609) 771-8401 Fax: (609) 771-8405

Quality Improvement Center for DisabilitiesNew York University School Of EducationContact: Rose Annussek1-800-533-1498 Fax: (212) 995-4562

University-Affiliated Program of NJ (UAP)Provides training, information and support for people withdisabilities and supporting agencies

Contact: Karen Melzer(732) 235-9309 Fax: (732) 235-9330

Family Support Center of New JerseyProvides one-stop shopping approach to individuals andfamilies about programs, service providers, and communitysupports

1-800- FSC-NJ10

Healthy Child Care New Jersey ProjectProvides child care health consultation concerning health andsafety issues in child care settings

Contact: Judith Hall (609) 292-5666

Administration for Children and FamiliesChild Care Bureau: Inclusion Technical Assistance

Contact: Souvonia Taylor (212) 264-2667

Child Care Law Center22 Second Street, 5th FloorSan Francisco, CA 94105(415) 495-5498

United Cerebral Palsy Association of NJProvides resources relating to education, employment, assistivetechnology, advocacy, housing, the ADA, and other concernsfor people with all types of disabilities

1-888-322-1918 TTY: (609) 392-7044P1

4

Fall 2002

Newsletter of the

Statewide Parent Advocacy Network,Inc.

IDEA Reauthorization41gT°__ We Can't Afford To Sit This one out

Page 6

Making Connectionsfor Student SuccessSPAN Annual ConferenceMarch 14-15, 2003Page 4

aD r1.1 ..

President's Commissiort''Issues Report on

Special Educatien, !Page 8,

Justin Dart, Jr.Disability Rights HeroAugust 29, 1930 - June 2v2, 2002

I call for solidarity among all who love justice, all who love life,to create a revolution that will empower every single human beingto gAtiorm his or her life to gDAem the society andto be fully paxtu.ettie of life quality for self and for all '

Empowered Families: Educated, Engaged, Effective.

Statewide Parent Advocacy Network,Inc.Empowered Families: Educated, Engaged, Effective.

Tel: (800) 650 -5PAN (7726)(973) 602-8100

Fax: (973) 6112-8080

35 Halsey Street, '4th FloorNewark, New Jersey 07102

Diana MT K AutinDebra JenningsSPAN Executive Co-Directors

Lauren Agoratus tg,Beverly BowserProject Coordinators, Family Voices / Bright Futures

Zoie BarnettProject Coordinator, Community Education Project

Mafia CordeProject Coordinator, NJ Statewide Parent to Parent

Penny DragonettiProject Coordinator, Community Resource CentersNorthern Training Specialist

Debra FernandezProject Director, Parent Training and Information Center

Sue MerrillProject Coordinator, NJ Inclusive Child Care Project

TonyaProject Director, NJ Parent Information Resource Center

Lisa HermannWebsite Coordinator

Alice HunnicuttProject Coordinator, Transition to Adult Life

Shirley JohnsonProject Coordinator, Essex Family WRAP

Rose KardashianDirector, Catholic Family & Community ServicesMultilingual Center

Peg KinsellProject Coordinator, Community Resource CentersSouthern Training Specialist

Patricia ParaskevacosProject Coordinator, Project CARE

Mike SangiovanniInformation & Materials CoordinatorEditor, The Bridge

Sh'corah YehudahProject Coordinator, Violence Prevention Initiative

E-mail: span@spanrkj .orgWebsite: wwwspamj .org

In theNews

In This IssueIDEA Reauthorization: We Can't Afford to Sit This One Out

President's Commission Issues Report on Special Education

SPAN Executive Director Receives Service Award

Justin Dart: An Obituary

Violence Prevention Resource Guide for Parents

Title I Schools in Need of Improvement

Intradistrict School Choice

Special SPAN Conference 2003 / Exhibitor Application

What'sHappening

at SPAN

HelpingHand

Extra

Parent Training and Information Center (PTI)

New Jersey Inclusive Child Care Project Conference 2002

Parents as Teachers

Transition to Adult Life Project

Parents Place / Club de Padres

Preventing and Resolving Parent-Teacher Differences

Parents Can Play a Part in Raising Teacher Quality

Grandparents Need to Know How to Help

Communication: Key to Successful Collaboration BetweenSchools and Mental Health

Questions Parents Ask About Schools

Las Preguntas Que Hacen Los Padres Sobre La Escuela

What Should Parents Know About Schools asCommunity Learning Centers?

Resource Center

Kids' Corner

Membership Application

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8

9

10

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12

13

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14

16

17

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The BridgeThe Bridge is a publication of the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network, Inc. (SPAN).

The mission of the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network is to empower families and inform andinvolve professionals and other individuals interested in the healthy development and education

rights of children. Through this collaboration, all children will become fully participating andcontributing members of our communities and society.

SPAN's foremost commitment is to children with the greatest need due to disability; poverty;discrimination based on race, sex, or language; geographic location; or other special circumstances.

SPAN's multi-faceted program is carried out by a bilingual, multi-racial staff of parents of childrenwith and without disabilities.

The Bridge Fall 2002 Page 2

BEST COPYAVAILABLE 4.9`

wide Poi2g6+ Qe°COG

I

Welcome back, Diana! After justover a year's sabbatical, SPAN'sExecutive Director-on-Leave,

Diana Autin, came back to us in September,refreshed, renewed, revitalized and ready toreturn to the ever-present challenges and re-wards of seeking to achieve quality educationand health services for ALL children in NewJersey. This is not to say that Diana was onrespite during this year. As a fellow of theRockefeller Foundation's New Generation ofLeadership, Diana had an opportunity toshare the leadership and commitment thathave been important to the development ofSPAN with leaders from around the world.Her work induded looking behind the hypeof the voucher system in Milwaukee, examin-ing economic development challenges in Mex-ico and exploring issues of racial and culturaldiversity in Miami. She is currently collabo-rating with other NGL Fellows from aroundthe U.S. on a joint project to provide leader-ship development to immigrant families,youth, and grassroots activists seeking to en-hance community and economic developmentfor low-income families.

Diana and Debra Jennings (previously ActingExecutive Director) will serve as ExecutiveCo-Directors of SPAN. Diana will focus onSPAN's programs and projects involved ininformation, training and policy advocacyactivities for families with children with spe-cial education and/or health needs, includingFamily WRAP (Wisdom, Resources and Par-ent to Parent Support for families with chil-dren with special health care needs), theTraining and Information Center for Familieswith Children with Special Needs, the Transi-tion to Adult Life and Inclusive Child Careprojects. Debra's areas of focus are SPAN'sinvolvement in programs and projects to in-form and engage parents in improvingschools, violence prevention, achieving betteracademic outcomes for all children and part-nering with educators and administrators toattain these goals. The programs in this areaindude the Parent Information and ResourceCenter, the START (Statewide Technical As-sistance and Resources Team of the NJ Officeof Special Programs) initiative, Parents asTeachers°, Strengthening Families and Com-munities violence prevention programs andour work with families of migrant workers.

With the transition to new leadership in ourstate, both in the legislative and executivebranches of our government, and with thereauthorization of IDEA at the federal level,there are numerous areas that need the voices,

concerns and insights of families to be in-cluded in order for changes in policy to posi-tively impact our children. Bills for the reau-thorization of the Individuals with DisabilitiesEducation Act (IDEA) are being drafted asyou are reading these words. It is anticipatedthat the house and senate will move quicklyafter the elections to get a new law in place.Early indicators are that too many of thechanges to IDEA will focus on the cries ofschools and administrators to reduce the"paperwork" at the expense of the educationalrights of children with disabilities and theirfamilies. Keep abreast of the movement onIDEA and how you can make a difference bychecking our website, www.spannj.org, andjoining our action alert network

Many state and local committees say that theywant to include families in policymaking andSPAN wants to hold them to these statements.Some of the areas where family voices areneeded indude:

1. In his Education Summit, the Governoroutlined his commitment to improvingparent involvement in education. Oneof his initiatives is to ensure there are nobarriers and that teachers and administra-tors improve the capacity of schools tobetter involve families in their children'seducation.

2. Abbott Implementation II. A number ofcommittees, workgroups, and subcom-mittees are looking at every aspect of theimplementation of the Abbott v. Burkedecision on funding for schools in so-called "special needs" districts. Thesecommittees are reviewing every aspectinduding early childhood education,school based management, school plan-ning, budgeting, whole school reformmodels, needs assessment, staff develop-ment, accountability and how to measureprogress. Parents and caregivers areneeded to comment on proposals andensure that the barriers that have hin-dered the progress of these districts.

3. Implementation of the Children's Systemof Care Initiative for Children with Spe-cial Emotional Needs has been delayedby budget reductions for this program.However, planning for programs in addi-tional counties as well as evaluating andimproving implementation in the currentcounties continues. Family members areneeded to serve on and to monitor state-level committees, as well as for the localboards of family support organization

and care management organizations thatplan the services for children.

4. It may not be widely publicized in yourcommunity, but your local school dis-tricts are participating in continuous im-provement monitoring and self-assessment activities to address specialeducation in your district. This processrequires the participation of families andstudents.

5. If your child attends one of New Jersey's300 schools categorized as "in need ofimprovement" under the No Child LeftBehind Act, you should know about therequirements for parents to be involvedin planning programs and services toprovide extra help for students, puttingtogether compacts or agreements as tohow everyone in the school community(teachers, administrators, aides, parents/caregivers, students, custodial staff eve-ryone) will be involved in improvingstudent performance, and in helping par-ents to obtain the skills and knowledgeneeded to work with their children andthe school.

Each of you can be a part of making a differ-ence. Contact SPAN, if you are interested instate level participation or if you are having ahard time identifying what is going on in yourlocal school community. If you don't thinkthat you have the skills or knowledge to par-ticipate and contribute, contact SPAN to takeadvantage of one of our many Parent/Caregiver Leadership Development activities.Let's all get Back to School!

&LAP Lftirt- autw-Diana MTK Autin, Esq.SPAN Executive Co-Director

Debra JenningsSPAN Executive Co-Director

The Bridge Fall 200Q

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The Bridge Fall aooa

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President Bush has created the President'sCommission on Excellence in Special Edu-cation to study federal, state and local spe-cial education programs. [The commission,chaired by former Governor Terry Branstad,delivered recommendations to the presidentthis past spring].

Mr. Branstad was recently quoted as stating,"In our state, nearly 60 percent of the budgetgoes for education. And what we find is peopleare willing to invest in quality education butthey're also fiscally conservative. They want tosee results. They want to see achievement forthe dollars they put in. I think the federalgovernment in its mandates in the area ofspecial ed has driven up costs needlessly. Ithink that needs to be reviewed. I want to seeevery child have an opportunity to learn. Allspecial ed children do have a right to an edu-cation, but to spend tens of thousands of dollarson kids that really are not going to be able tosupport themselves or be able to really learn agreat deal at the expense of the general educa-tion of the rest of the students is not fair. Andso that has to be addressed. A lot of people areafraid of it, of being, you know, accused ofbeing insensitive or whatever. I was in SiouxCity Iowa, yesterday, and I heard a Teacherof the Year, Nancy Mounts, who had been aTeacher of the Year and the superintendentthere about how their school is being squeezedbecause of the federal mandates in the area ofspecial ed and how there needs to be moreflexibility and latitude given to local schooldistricts in that area."

Parents, advocates, and educators - we havea lot of work to do! We can't predict whatrecommendations the former governor'scommittee will make, though the tone andmessage in his statements indicate thatparents and advocates everywhere are goingto have to work especially hard to guaranteethat basic tenets of the original law remainintact.

Stay informed. Watch the PIC website foralerts and let your elected officials knowhow important IDEA is. Everyone must getinvolved if we are going to maintain thecurrent IDEA protections for children withdisabilities and they parents. If specialeducation is important to you, you reallycan't afford to sit this one out.

The Bridge

IDEA ReauthorizationThe Individuals with Disabilities Educa-tion Act (IDEA) is the Federal law whichrequires that every child with a disabilitywho is eligible for special education receivea free appropriate public education in theleast restrictive environment. In NewHampshire, our state special education law,RSA 186-C, and regulations, The NHRules for the Education of Children withDisabilities, are based on IDEA.

It seems only yesterday that the IDEAamendments of 1997 were signed into law.Now, here we are four years later and reau-thorization is once again looming. Reau-thorization occurs almost every five yearsand is a process that Congress uses to takea look at a specific piece of legislation tosee if changes need to be made. Anychanges in IDEA, whether they are positiveor negative changes, may impact specialeducation for children. It is critical thateach of us takes the responsibility to advo-cate for our children by getting involved inthe reauthorization of IDEA.

The current IDEA was signed into law onJune 4, 1997 after two years of debate,hearings, meetings between administrationand Congressional staff and input fromparents, disability organizations and educa-tion groups representing teachers, princi-pals, and state/local school board members.It contained the most significant changesto the law since its enactment in 1975.

During its next session, Congress will onceagain take on the reauthorization of theIDEA. Already, national policy makers aresaying that the IDEA is "due for a majoroverhaul." While we do not know all thatthis means, various groups are making theirlists which include these and other issues:

Discipline of students with disabilitiesand giving school administrators thesame authority to suspend/expel stu-dents with disabilities as they nowhave for students without disabilities.

This could mean a push for givingschool administrators suspension/expulsion decision-making authoritythat would bypass the IEP team.

Cessation of educational services whenstudents with disabilities are sus-pended/expelled.

Correcting over-representation andmisclassification of minority studentsin special education.

Addressing the continuing increase inthe number of students being labeledLD and ADD, and finding ways todetermine if these students really havea disability, or if they have just notbeen taught well.

Improvements in professional train-ings, recruitment and retention.

Use of research-based strategies in de-termining a child's disability, for help-ing children learn to read, and earlyidentification of disabilities in chil-dren to avoid special education place-ment, where possible.

Reducing access to attorney's fee reim-bursements when parents prevail indue process hearings or court, strongermediation to resolve disagreementsbetween schools and parents and lim-iting the issues upon which a dueprocess hearing can be requested.

Using research-based strategies to en-sure successful placements in the leastrestrictive environment.

Fully funding the IDEA.

Those of us who were around for the 1997reauthorization remember the hard-foughtbattle to protect even the most basic IDEAguarantees. In spite of the battle, or maybebecause of it, the basic protections re-mained in place, and many good protec-tions were induded. There is every indica-tion that the upcoming reauthorizationwill require even more intense advocacy, ifall that embodies the free appropriate pub-

Fall 2002

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lic education for children with disabilities isto be preserved.

However, throughout the last reauthoriza-tion, Congressional members and U.S. De-partment of Education officials repeatedlyreported that they did not hear from parentson important issues, induding least restric-tive environment, identification, independ-ent educational evaluation, private schoolplacement and services, attorney fees anddiscipline of students with disabilities.

It is [time] for parents to become informed,to begin [to add] their concerns and sugges-tions to the discussion and to discuss theirissues with Congress. Once the work ofreauthorization begins, parents will want tostay informed and active, so that their voicesare heard.

How can parents keep up with what is hap-pening in Congress? Where can parents goto fmd out about the changes that are beingsuggested, considered or debated? How canparents be sure that their ideas and concernsare heard? The following are just a few websites that may serve as important sources ofinformation about current events, discus-sions and ways to have input into the deci-sions Congressional members will be mak-ing about the reauthorization of the IDEA.

Center for Law and Educationwww.cleweb.org

National Parent Network on Disabilitieswww.npnd.org

The Action Starts Herewww.tash.org

Learning Disabilities Associationwww.Idanadorg

Council for Childrenwith Behavioral Disorders

www.ccbd.net

Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Programwww.ackp.net

The ARC of the United Stateswww.thearc.org

United Cerebral Palsywww.utp.org

National Education Associationwww.nea.org

American Federation of Teacherswww.afi.org

Disability RightsEducation and Defense Fund

www.dredf org

Special Education Action Committeehome.hiwaay.neti-seachsv

STFamilies and Schools Together

Work for ChildrenA partnership between

New JerseyEducation AssociationP.O. Box 1211, Trenton, NJ 08607-1211

Phone: 609-599-4561 Fax: 609-392-6321

Black Ministers'Council of New Jersey

336 Oakwood Avenue, Orange, NJ 07050Phone: 973-678-1217 Fax: 973-678-1293

ALERT!PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT BILL POISEDTO MOVE THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE

A coalition of concerned parents, school employees and members of the clergy alongwith members of the Legislature, have worked on a bi -partisan basis to introduce

legislation which would allow parents and guardians of children with special needs totake paid leave time to attend meetings, conferences, functions and events at their

child's school.

S-126/A-831 would provide up to 24 hours of paid family leave time during any 12-month periodfor a parent or guardian of a child with special needs in a public school. Special needs are definedbroadly under the bill and include not only children with disabilities, but any child who has "specific

academic needs or disciplinary concerns, including but not limited to, behavior problems, socialproblems, problems with tardiness or lateness and health-related concerns." This paid leave

would be for the purpose of allowing the parent or guardian to attend any school-related confer-ence, meeting event or function

which is requested or required by theschool administration, teacher orother professional staff member.Both public and private employers

with 50 or more employees would fall

under the provisions of this bill.

This legislation would allow parent(s)or guardian(s) of a child with specialneeds, to be involved in their child's

progress in school as well as de-velop a better working relationshipwith his or her teachers and otherschool staff. The importance of

communication between parents andteachers, relative to the progress of

their children, especially childrenwith special needs, cannot be

underestimated. This is a benefitthat can't be counted in dollars; it

can be the key to your child's suc-cess, not only in school, but in all

future endeavors.

ToDo:Contact your legislator(s)with a message of supportfor S-Q6/A-83l.

Spread the word about 5-Q6/A-8.31 to other parentsand guardians and mem-bers of your organizationand ask them to contacttheir legislators in support ofthese bills.

Stay tuned for more infor-mation as these bills movethrough the Legislature.

The Bridge Fall 2002

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parents, advocates, and others concernedabout the education of children withdisabilities are reviewing New ERA: Re-

vitalizing Special Education for Children andtheir Families, a report of the President's Com-mission on Excellence in Special Education.

The report is expected to affect the reauthoriza-tion of the Individuals with Disabilities Educa-tion Act (IDEA). Released July 9, it containsthe 19-member commission's recommenda-tions for special education.

"While parents across the nation appreciate thetime and attention given by the members ofthe Commission to this effort and acknowledgesome positive themes and recommendationsdirected toward improving educational out-comes for children with disabilities, we, none-theless, have some significant concerns," saidmembers of the National Coalition of ParentCenters, an advocacy group that representsparents' interests and is funded by private con-tributions.

Coalition members continued, 'We, as parents,know what IDEA requires and want to ensurethat it continues to require that students withdisabilities

participate fully in the state accountabilitysystem,

receive a free appropriate public education(FAPE) - meaning that they must be pro-vided the opportunity to learn what allother nondisabled students are expected toknow and be able to do so while participat-ing in the general curriculum, and

be educated in the regular education class-room to the maximum extent appropriate."

Coalition members focused on eight areas ofthe report. They are:

Short-term objectivesThe report recommended eliminating short-termobjectives.

The coalition said that short-term objectives, orbenchmarks, provide periodic checks to helpmeasure progress of special education studentsover the course of the school year. If IDEAleaves out short-term objectives, there will beno way for individualized education program(IEP) teams to measure progress made towardreaching the annual goals. Removing short-term objectives would reduce schools' account-ability.

Three-year evaluationsThe report suggested doing away with three-yearevaluations.

The coalition said that the purpose of a three-year evaluation is to reexamine a child's eligibil-ity and to ensure that a child's disability-relatededucational needs are being properly addressed.Short assessments are not as thorough asevaluations and will not give as accurate a pic-ture of a student's overall needs, the coalitionsaid. They are concerned that if services areprematurely discontinued, students can regressand fall. Three-year evaluations help preventover-identification of children by identifyingthose who no longer need specialized instruc-tion to address their disability-related needs.

Folding eligibility categoriesThe President's commission recommended folding13 categories into three.

The coalition said such action would likelyresult in many students not having their indi-vidual needs recognized or met. It is also likelyto result in more unqualified teachers provid-ing services to children with certain disabilities.

Waiving paperworkThe commission suggested that 10 states be al-lowed to submit proposals to reduce IDEA paper-work and that states be allowed a waiver offal-eral paperwork requirements for a time, withfindings reported to Secy of Education Rod Paige.

Members of the coalition said that monitoring,through documentation, holds schools ac-countable in providing appropriate educationfor individual children with disabilities. Thedocumentation also indicates whether the ser-vices provided by taxpayers are used effectively.Waivers may result in states and schools notbeing accountable, the coalition said.

Redirecting IDEA funds to studentswithout disabilitiesThe commission proposed diverting special educa-tion finds to general education in some situations.

The coalition pointed out that nearly everyoneagrees that the federal government does notprovide sufficient funding to implement IDEAeffectively now. Allowing IDEA funds to beused in serving children who don't have dis-abilities will make things worse, it said. Ac-countability is needed in general education toensure that all students have their needs met.

Creating vouchersThe commission proposes that IDEA should allowstate use offederal special education funds to al-low students with disabilities to attend schools oraccess services of their families' choosing.

Vouchers may create a false hope for familiesbecause it is not likely that the vouchers wouldbe in an amount needed to effectively serve thechild. IDEA funds only a small portion of thecosts to educate children with disabilities.Moving children and the accompanying specialeducation funding out of public schools willweaken the public school system that makesavailable FAPE for all children while failing toguarantee FAPE for those children usingvouchers, said parents and advocates in theparent coalition.

Dispute resolutionThe commission recommends binding arbitrationas a way to resolve difference between parents andschools.

Parents and advocates said they appreciate thecommission's recommendation to create waysto solve problems without litigation and addedthat efforts such as conciliation, mediation, andfacilitated IEPs are effective alternatives. Theyadded, however, that binding arbitration doesnot appear to be a positive alternative, becausefamilies would give up all rights to appeal adecision.

National grant review panelsThe commission proposed systemic changes in theway special education is delivered and evaluatedand placed an emphasis on research.

The coalition responded, "While we agree withefforts to promote best practices based onsound research, the commission's proposal inthis area will eliminate the active participationof many parents in the grant review process.Since parents are the child's primary teacherand research indicates that active parent in-volvement benefits children in school, we areconcerned about why parental input in thegrant review process is viewed as negative.

"Parents and persons with disabilities are oftenin the best position to understand how propos-als will directly impact children with disabilitiesand their families. They should be included inthe OSEP grant review process," said the coali-tion.

The Bridge Fall 200.2

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Diana Autin, SPAN's Executive Co-Director, received the 2002Distinguished Service Award from

the New Jersey Speech-Language HearingAssociation this past May. This award is givenannually to recognize contributions that furtherthe profession and the interests of those servedby the profession.

Dr. Barbara Glazewski, professor at KeanUniversity and former president of NJSHA,nominated Ms. Autin for this prestigiousaward. In her introduction to Ms. Autin at theAwards Ceremony, Ms. Glazewski summarizedthe contributions that led to her award:

"The Distinguished Service Award is presented toDiana MTKAutin, Esq. As Executive Directorof the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network ofNew Jersey, she has dedicated her career toadvocating for students' rights in the schools.Diana is an attorney and the parent ofa specialneeds child. She has used her expertise as anattorney to help other parents advocate forappropriate educational programs for theirchildren.

Diana has collaborated with NJSHA over theyears to aid in its mission to advocate for childrenwith speech-language-hearing disorders. She hasmade several presentations at NJSHAconventions, including an advocacy trainingpresentation, and participated as a presenter inNJSHA's all-day advocacy track at the May 2001convention. She serves on numerous committeeson national state, and local levels, ranging fromthe Steering Committee of the National Coalitionof Advocates for Students, the Governor'sCommission on Early Childhood the AdvisoryCommittee on the Abbott Early Childhood Study,and Co-President of the Council of PTAs inMontclair. She has also been a member of theDevelopmental Disabilities Council and is afrequent presenter of testimony regarding specialeducation issues to the New Jersey Board ofEducation.

She has been my personal mentor in the area ofinclusion, motivating me to provide speech servicesin inclusive settings in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Sheis the conscience of education in New Jersey, andtruly deserves this award. NJSHA is proud toaward the Distinguished Service Award to DianaMTKAutin, Esq.

In receiving her award, Diana acknowledgedthe work of all SPAN staff, and of the membersof NJSHA, in supporting families and children:

"I know that this award reflects not only my ownwork but also the work of all my colleagues andfriends at the Statewide Parent Advocacy Net-work. At SPAN, our primary focus is Empow-ered Educated Engaged and Effective Familiesbecause as families we are critical to ensuring thatour children receive the services and support theyneed.

But as families we can't do it alone; we need thesupport of profissionals interested in ensuring

SPANExecutive

Co-DirectorReceives

DistinguishedService Award

healt development and quality education forour children. The leadership and members of theNew Jersey Speech-Language-HearingAssociationhave been strong partners with SPAN in advocat-ing for the rights of children.

Five years ago, Barbara Glazewski and I devel-oped a guide for joint public policy advocacy byconsumers an d professionals. This guide has beenused to train parents and professionals not onlyhere in New Jersey but nationally as well. InNew Jersey alone, over 800 parents and profes-sionals have participated in this training and noware part ofa strong and effective public policyadvocacy network.

SPAN and NJSHA also collaborated in the Coa-lition of Advocates for Children with SpecialNeeds, helping to shape revisions to the state spe-cial education code. We have worked together onthe New Jersey Developmental Disabilities Coun-cil Education Committee, and on the InclusiveEducation Summit and the Inclusive EducationInstitute that grew out of that Summit. SueGoldman has written excellent articles for parentsthat have been included in SPAN'S newsletter,The Bri4e. Our collaboration has strengthenedall our efforts on behalf of children in this state."

Other awards presented at the ceremony in-dude the Marni Reisberg Scholarship Awards,Distinguished Clinical Awards, Program of theYear Awards, the Appreciation Award, andHonors of the Association, as well as Achieverof the Year Awards for people with speech-language-hearing disabilities. Maria McDer-mott received the Achiever of the Year Awardfor Education:

`Maria McDermott is being recognized as one ofNJSHA's speech achievers of the year. Maria is avivacious 13-year old who has learned to copewith and fitnction within the realm of markedauditory processing deficits. These deficits have inturn impacted Maria's expressive and receptivelanguage abilities, thus providing Maria the dailychallenge of growingup learning and living witha communication impairment. In spite of hercommunication difficulties, she has become agifted artist and participates in many extracur-ricular activities. For over 5 years Maria hasspent countless hours working to increase her com-munication skills, successfully completing various

I

timely and challenging programs... and still findstime to pursue dance, art, horseback riding, and amyriad host of other activities. As Maria devel-oped into a teenager, it would be expected that herpriorities would shift to her social life, but hertime working on communication skills has re-mained a continued commitment, and she hasreaped the rewards, both socially and academi-cally.

Maria has shown a mature understanding of herown deficits and appreciates the help that she isreceiving. She consistently demonstrates hardwork, dedication, and a perseverance that isremarkable. Maria's successes are also a producto the unconditional love and nurturing provided

her mother, father, two brothers, andgrandmother, all of whom acknowledge her needsin a positive manner. They do not providecrutches or bandages when difficulties arise, butprovide Maria with strategies and constantsupport that ultimately helps further her progress.

It is Maria's personal hallmark of motivation,commitment, and ultimate success in all her en-deavors, whether it is tutoring and therapy ies-sions, drawing classes, or dance, that qualifies herto be the Speech Achiever of the Year-Education."

Maria gave a brief but heartwarming and inspi-rational acceptance speech:

"Thank you for your award. Thank you for allyour hard work with children who need help.When I was little, I felt shy because I didn't knowhow to talk. I didn't fiel smart. I felt stupid fornot saying anything. I didn't understand whatthe other children were saying. I was afraid totalk to children I didn't know, because I wouldmix up words.

Now I understand people and talk to them. Iunderstand my teachers much better. My tutor,Margaret Forsyth, has worked with me for veyears. She has helped me to speak and u r-stand. To her, and to you, for all your studentswho can't say it yet, thank you!"

The Bridge Fall 2002

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Justin DartAn ObituaryExcerpted from a June 22, 2002 article by Fred Fay & Fred Pelka, written at Justin Dart's request.

justin Dart, Jr., a leader of the interna-tional disability rights movement and arenowned human rights activist, died at

his home in Washington D.C. He waswidely recognized as "the father of theAmericans with Disabilities Act" and "thegodfather of the disability rights movement."

Dart was a leader in the disability rightsmovement for three decades, and an advo-cate for the rights of women, people of color,and gays and lesbians. The recipient of fivepresidential appointments and numeroushonors, including the Hubert HumphreyAward of the Leadership Conference onCivil Rights, Dart was on the podium on theWhite House lawn when President GeorgeH. Bush signed the ADA into law in July1990. Dart was also a highly successfulentrepreneur, using his personal wealth tofurther his human rights agenda by gener-ously contributing to organizations, candi-dates, and individuals, becoming what hecalled "a little PAC for empowerment."

Until the end, Dart remained dedicated tohis vision of a "revolution of empower-ment." This would be, he said, "a revolutionthat confronts and eliminates obsoletethoughts and systems, that focuses the fullpower of science and free-enterprise democ-racy on the systematic empowerment ofevery person to live his or her God-givenpotential." Dart never hesitated to empha-size the assistance he received from thoseworking with him, most especially his wife ofmore than thirty years, Yoshiko Saji. "Sheis," he often said, "quite simply the mostmagnificent human being I have ever met."

Time and again Dart stressed that hisachievements were only possible with thehelp of hundreds of activists, colleagues, andfriends. "There is nothing I have achieved,and no addiction I have overcome, withoutthe love and support of specific individualswho reached out to empower me... There isnothing I have accomplished without reach-ing out to empower others." Dart protestedthe fact that he and only three other disabil-

ity activists were on the podium when Presi-dent Bush signed the ADA, believing that"hundreds of others should have been thereas well."

After receiving the Presidential Medal ofFreedom, Dart sent out replicas of the awardto hundreds of disability rights activistsacross the country, writing that, "this awardbelongs to you."

Dart is best known for his work in passingthe Americans withDisabilities Act. In1988, he was appointed, along with parents'advocate Elizabeth Boggs, to chair the Con-gressional Task Force on the Rights andEmpowerment of Americans with Disabili-ties. The Darts toured the country at theirown expense, visiting every state, PuertoRico, Guam, and the District of Columbia,holding public forums attended by morethan 30,000 people. Everywhere he went,Dart touted the ADA as "the civil rights actof the future." Dart also met extensivelywith members of Congress and staff, as wellas President Bush, Vice President Quayle,and members of the Cabinet. At one point,seeing Dart at a White House reception,President Bush introduced him as "the ADAman." The ADA was signed into law onJuly 26, 1990, an anniversary that is ce. le-

11

1.1ar'1111°---11111,

'I

brated each year by "disability pride" eventsall across the country.

After passage of the ADA, Dart threw hisenergy into the fight for universal healthcare, again campaigning across the country,and often speaking from the same podium asPresident and Mrs. Clinton. With the defeatof universal health care, Dart was among thefirst to identify the coming backlash againstdisability rights. He resigned all his posi-tions to become "a full-time citizen soldier inthe trenches of justice." With the conserva-tive Republican victory in Congress in 1994,followed by calls to amend or even repeal theADA and the Individuals with DisabilitiesEducation Act, Dart and disability rightsadvocates Becky Ogle and Frederick Fayfounded Justice for All, what Dart called "aSWAT team" to beat back these attacks.Again, Dart was tireless - traveling, speaking,testifying, holding conference calls, presidingover meetings, calling the media on its dis-tortions of the ADA, and flooding the coun-try with American flag stickers that said,-"ADA, IDEA, America Wins." Both lawswere saved.

Toward the end of his life, Dart was hard atwork on a political manifesto that wouldoutline his vision of "the revolution of em-powerment." In its conclusion, he urged his"Beloved colleagues in struggle, listen to theheart of this old soldier. Our lives, ourchildren's lives, the quality of the lives ofbillions in future generations hangs in thebalance. I cry out to you from the depths ofmy being. Humanity needs you! Lead!Lead! Lead the revolution of empower-ment!"

The Bridge Fall 2002

ESTCPPY;AVAILABLE 57Page 10

_WEh_lloppenvjut-5pAN

Violence Prevention Resource Guide for Parents:A Summary

The information contained in this summary is taken from the Middle Years chapter of the Violence Prevention Resource Guide for Parents by Peggy Patten andAnne S. Robertson (Champaign, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education, 2001).

Perhaps it is not surprising that the linkbetween doing poorly in school andengaging in other risky behaviors is welldocumented. It is also not surprisingthat children who do well in school andare connected to school through schoolactivities such as music, sports, or clubsare less likely to become involved inrisky activities such as substance abuse,crime, or violence. As parents, you have

critical influence over your child's schoolsuccess in several important areas.

Those areas include:

Connectedness. Encourage yourchild's attachment to parents, guardi-ans, grandparents, teachers, or men-tors who will support lasting relation-ships and friendships.

Competency. Help your child de-

Violence Prevention InitiativeMore and more evidence appears each day that shows the interconnection of different forms of violence:

Violence againstthe Self

drugs/alcohol,depression/suicide

Violence against Violence againstthe Family the Community

domestic violence, juvenile delinquency, crime,child abuse gangs

In addition, the inabilities to manage emotions, express feelings, and resolve conflict have been shown tobe related to violence against others.

Parent education/training has received national recognition as a critical violence prevention strategy.That is why the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN) has introduced its

Violence Prevention Initiative,providing training, support and information for schools and community groups in the Abbott districts.

These parenting programs help to reduce youth violence and behaviors such as alcohol and drug usethat increase the likelihood of violence in the following ways:

(a) By helping parents communicate more effectively with their children, including verbal and nonverbalcommunication, and thus build stronger family bonds

(b) By helping parents help their children make good choices and avoid bad ones. Too often parents feelthat merely by prohibiting a particular behavior their child will conform, even without having the skillsto avoid those behaviors.

(c) By helping parents be more competent in dealing with their children in a variety of arenas; from rule-setting and imposition of effective consequences to working with education, health and other profes-sionals to support their children's education and healthy development.

These impacts on parents result in increased child self-esteem, self-discipline, social competency skills,

and capacity to avoid pressures to engage in substance abuse and violence.

StatewideParentAdvocacyNetwork

For more information, please contact

Sh'corah Yehudah

(973) 642-8100 x113

vpc@spannj.org

The Bridge Fall 2002

58

velop academic and social skills, in-cluding the ability to solve problemsand make age-appropriate, independ-ent decisions.

Aspirations. Support your child'sability to set goals for a successfulfuture and develop strategies forachieving those goals.

Effective schools. Help your child tofind a supportive, safe learning envi-ronment that challenges all studentsto do well and that supports them intheir efforts to do so.

Parents play an important role on theirchild's teaching team. Making time toattend parent teacher conferences andschool activities is one part of that role.Being available to help if the teachershave a concern about your child's pro-gress also shows that you care. It helpsto make time to talk to the teacher ifyou have questions or are worried abouthow your child is doing. While someteachers may hesitate to intervene unlessa child is lagging two or more gradelevels behind other students in the class,the evidence suggests that early interven-tion is critical. The further behind astudent falls in his or her school work,the more likely it is that he or she willfail and will develop a sense of hopeless-ness. Seek out the teacher and discusswhat you can do before your child'sacademic problems become overwhelm-ing.

One way that parents can help teachersidentify problems early is by sharingtheir concerns and being open aboutrelevant parts of their child's history.Parents can also take the lead and re-quest an assessment if they are con-cerned that their child might have alearning disability. When parents,teachers, and school staff work together,most difficulties can be resolved andstrategies can be developed that will helpthe child have a successful school experi-ence.

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r_lo C1PPenm°Today, increasingly loud voices, many be-longing to parents and policymakers, aredemanding more from our nation's publicschool and expecting more from our publicschool students. In response, education isfocusing on helping all children reach highstandards of learning.

Despite this renewed focus, some schoolsface serious and systemic challenges thatundermine the teaching and learning processand students are failing to meet even mini-mum standards of achievement.

Acting under the provisions of a new federalTide I law, the New Jersey Department ofEducation has identified schools in need ofimprovement. The New Jersey schools wereidentified through a process linking aca-demic skills with student performance onstandardized tests. Schools identified asneeding improvement must develop im-provement plans showing the programs andstrategies to be adopted to improve teachingand learning. And parents should be partici-pants in the plan's development which mustalso provide their staffs with professionaldevelopment to improve their skills.

If your child is enrolled in a school that hasbeen identified as a school in need of im-provement, you will be notified once the2002-2003 school year begins. Schools willalso have to provide parents of students inschools designated as in need of improve-ment for two years with the opportunity totransfer to another school in the district thatis not identified for improvement. Thisprocess is known as School Choice.

School ChoiceOpen EnrollmentSome districts offer open enrollment acrossall of the schools of the district that serve thesame grades. This is the optimum choicedesign, allowing parents to select the schoolthat they would like their child to attend.Magnet schools exemplify this open enroll-ment option. Such a policy meets full choicerequirements.

Limited Choice OpportunitiesSome districts may be only able to offerchoice on a limited basis. The schools firstenroll children from the local surroundingneighborhood, and then have a limitednumber of dass spaces available for otherchildren from other neighborhoods. Whenchoices are limited, procedures for offeringchoice in a fair, non-discriminatory fashion

Title I Schoolsin Need of Improvement

must be laid out. Under Tide I, it is sug-gested that low-performing students fromlow-performing schools be offered the firstopportunity to fill these limited spaces. Insome instances, lotteries provide an impartialprocess for responding to transfer or choicerequests.

TransportationDistricts must provide transportation re-quired for a student to exercise public schoolchoice under school improvement, correctiveaction, restructuring, or interdistrict choiceoffered as part of corrective action for aschool.

Schools Lacking Capacity

In some instances, a district may lack thecapacity to offer choice. A clear example is adistrict with only one school or one schoolserving a grade level. Other factors thatdemonstrate lack of capacity include:

Districts that cannot offer the optionto transfer to a higher performingschool because all schools within thedistrict serving a grade level haveperformed the same, e.g. they are allidentified as in need of improvement.In such an instance there is no viablechoice option;Districts cannot offer choice withoutexceeding state established dass sizelimitations, e.g. the school that wouldbe a choice option school is at full classsize capacity.

When districts lack capacity to offer intradis-trict choice, they should advise parents ofstate interdistrict choice options. The In-terdistrict Public School Choice Program(School Choice Program) is a five-year pilotprogram designed to increase educationalopportunities for New Jersey students andtheir families by providing students with theoption of attending a public school outsidetheir district of residence without cost totheir parents. Under the School ChoiceProgram, interested New Jersey school dis-tricts apply to become choice districts, thatis, districts that designate specific open seatsinto which they will accept non-residentstudents at the expense of the state.

The options under Interdistrict choice are:

The Bridge

Charter schools orChoice schools

If a school has been identified as in need ofimprovement for three years, the schoolmust arrange for supplemental services to beprovided to students.

(See the following page for more information.)

Supplemental Services

As part of President Bush's No Child LeftBehind law, when a disadvantaged child isattending a low performing school, federalfunds can be used to provide "supplementalservices" for that child.

What are "supplemental services"?The term "supplemental services" refers toextra help provided to students in reading,language arts and math. This extra help canbe provided before or after school, or onweekends.

How will I know if my child is eligiblefor supplemental services?If your family is classified as low-income byyour school district and your child's schoolis designated as needing improvement forthe second year, then your child is eligible.

How do I choose a good program?The law requires that "supplemental educa-tional,service" providers adhere to high-quality, research-based instruction. Yourschool district is required to give you infor-mation about every available program inyour areaincluding information about theproviders, their qualifications and theireffectiveness. District officials will help youselect a provider, if you request their guid-ance.

How does my provider get paid?In most cases your school district will payfor the supplemental services directly. Onceyou select a program or tutor, you will meetwith the provider and district staff. You willall set specific academic goals for your child,how these goals will be measured, and whenthey will be achieved. Contact your princi-pal to find out how it works.

Fall x002 Page l2

Me&wide ACVX,c3W M2V0A

Intradistrict School ChoiceA Q&A on Options for Children Enrolled in Title I Schools in Need of Improvement

wunastate.njus/njded/news/0603tidel_a2htm

What is Title I?Title I is a federally funded program thatprovides additional education resources andservices for schools that serve low-incomechildren.

What does it mean to be a school inneed of improvement?Schools in need of improvement are thosethat have not met the state's performancestandards on state tests and have not madewhat is determined to be adequate yearlyprogress (AYP) toward meeting state stan-dards in either language arts/literacy ormathematics.

What must a school do if it has notmade adequate yearly progress?Schools failing to make adequate yearlyprogress must do the following:

Develop a plan to improve schoolperformance. This plan could call fornew teaching strategies, more teachertraining and/or other strategies de-signed to boost student performance;Offer intensive professional develop-ment and training to prepare teachersto use new teaching strategies and skillsaimed at improving student perform-ance; andOffer intradistrict school choice thatgives parents the opportunity to trans-fer their child to another school that ishigher performing within the district.

Is there anything else these schools-should do?It is strongly su:ested that the school inviteparents to help them in two ways:

To provide input to school personnelas they identify ways to change theirschool programs and perhaps schooloperations, andTo join as partners with the school insupporting their child's learning.

How can I help support my childand his/her learning?What is important to parents becomes im-portant to children. Parents can show their

children that education is important byasking what they learned and what happenedin school each day and by asking if they haveany homework and requesting to see it. Bydoing these simple things, you can supportyour child's education. Additionally, readingwith young children and helping with home-work can support their learning.

What are the choices I have if I wantto move my child?The Title I law calls for intradistrict choice,which means you may request to transferyour child from his/her low-performingschool to another school within the district.

What if my school district says theylack capacity to offer choice?Many districts do lack capacity. New Jerseyis the most densely populated state in thecountry. This is reflected in the high enroll-ments and overcrowding in some schools.Unfortunately, many schools and districtswill not be able to offer intradistrict choices.

What can I do if my school lackscapacity and can't offer intradistrictchoice?

New Jersey is a "choice" state that offersinterdistrict options in some areas. Thesechoices include charter schools and choiceschools. To find out where charter andchoice schools are located and how to applyfor enrollment in them, you may call (609)984-7306 or go to the New Jersey Depart-ment of Education's Web site at www.state.nj.us/education, then click on school choiceor charter schools.

What other opportunities for choiceare there if there is not a publiccharter or choice school in my area?Other than public school choices, you can _

still choose to enroll your child in a nonpub-lic school. Nevertheless, if you choose thisoption, the responsibility for tuition pay-ment remains solely with the parent, sincethis is not a free public school choice. Addi-tionally, some parents choose to home-school their children.

How can I find out what choices myschool district offers?Schools have only recently been notified oftheir status. Many are still reviewing dataand deciding what steps they need to take tocomply with these new accountability re-quirements. At this time, therefore, you mayneed to wait before you receive more infor-mation from your school. Call your schoolprincipal for further information regardinglocal plans.

For more information, please contact the followingParent Information Resource Centers:

Newark& surrounding area

Geraldine Moore (800) 654-7726 x118

Jersey City& surrounding area

Elaine Cueto (800) 654-7726

Elizabeth& surrounding area

Linda Olive (908) 436-5475

Plainfield& surrounding area

Patricia Lovelace (908) 731-4360

Paterson& surrounding area

Rose Kardashian (973) 523-8404 x41

TrentonAudrey Gastrin (609) 394-5900

VinelandNoemi Santiago (856) 794-6700 x2130

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The school year is in high gear and hope-fully, all of our children's Individual Educa-tion Programs (IEPs) and 504 service plansare working well, with all of the appropriatesupports and services in place (and actuallytaking place)! As Director of SPAN's ParentTraining and Information Center (P11) forFamilies of Children with Special EducationNeeds and the parent of an adolescent withautism, I am intimately involved in andacutely aware of the challenges that familiesface with each successive school year. ThePTI project at SPAN is a federally fundedgrant under the Individuals with DisabilitiesEducation Act (IDEA) and every state has asimilar center. The purpose of this project isto educate families about the special educa-tion laws and support them in their efforts toobtain a free, appropriate public educationfor their children with special needs. SPANoffers support and information by providingtelephone technical assistance. Trainings areconducted throughout the state in special

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Individual Advocacy and Empowermenteducation law and advocacy. A variety ofprinted materials are available free or for.asmall fee and in some very limited instances,SPAN staff may accompany some parents toschool meetings. These limitations are set bythe requirements of the PTI grant. There isalso the fact that SPAN is a statewide organi-zation and the PTI staff cannot respond toall requests for in-person support. Theintent of this grant is to provide informationand assistance to families, enabling them tobecome effective self- advocates. Parentsneed to be proactive in educating themselvesby learning about the special education lawsat the federal, state and local level. Knowl-edge is empowering. Using that knowledgeand learning how to navigate the specialeducation maze is critical to the quality ofyour child's education.

We all know that there is strength in num-bers. However, it takes just one person totake the initiative and go forward with thebelief that they can make a difference. Oth-ers will follow and want to become involved.

The Individuals with Disabilities EducationAct (IDEA) is up for reauthorization. Everyfive years Congress has the job of revisitingthis law and amending it. Unfortunately,

many times these amendments are detrimen-tal to children and youth with disabilitiesand threaten the rights that disability organi-zations, have long fought for. It is up to us tocontinue the fight and be vigilant in thecoming months to protect all the compo-nents of IDEA intended to provide ourchildren with as good an education as theirnon-disabled peers. Take a proactive role inthis reauthorization (see page 6). Stay tunedfor action alerts from SPAN and informationthat will be posted on our website andthrough mailings. Following is a story thatyou may have read, about an old man and aboy and starfish. A friend of mine made meaware of it and ever since, I've "adopted" thestory and the starfish symbol as a way ofremembering and promoting its message,which is a message of hope, optimism anddetermination. The knowledge that evenone person can really make a difference inthe life of an individual is truly empowering!

This article is dedicated to the memory ofJustin Dart who made individual advocacyhis mission in life. He was instrumental inthe passage of the American with DisabilitiesAct. His influence and presence in thedisability community will be greatly missed.

THE STARFISH STORYEvery day, an old man walked the beach with a, pail,

picking up starfish that had been washed in by the tideand throwing them back into the sea.

One day a young boy stopped the old man and asked,"Why do you throw the starfish back? It doesn't matter.They will only wash up on the shore again tomorrow."

The old man picked a starfish out of his pail,threw it as far as he could into the sea, and replied,

"It mattered to this one."

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The Bridge Fall 2002

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Community Resource CentersOur Community Resource Centers arestaffed by trained volunteer parents whooffer their time to assist other parents inneed of information and support on behalfof their children with special needs. Weall know how difficult it can be and howdesperate we can feel as we attempt tonegotiate the "special education maze."SPAN Resource Parents have the opportu-nity to truly make a difference and lightenthe burden for many other parents.

This year we plan to establish CommunityResource Centers in the following coun-ties: Camden, Cumberland, Essex, Mer-cer, Ocean, Salem, Middlesex, Somerset,Hudson, Morris and Warren Counties. If

you live in one of these counties and thinkyou might be interested in becoming aSPAN Resource Parent to support a centerin your area, please call or e-mail me fordetails.

The following "Ten Commandments"were written by Jill Simmons, a SPANResource Parent affiliated with the EssexCounty Resource Center. In addition tobeing a resource parent, Jill has recentlybecome president of GRASE (Glen RidgeAssociation for Special Education). Jill'spassion and understanding of advocacyand collaboration will serve her well in hernew position. Congratulations, Jill!

As parents of children with special needs, I believe we bear certain responsibilities in this journeyof our children's lives, the shouldering of which make it possibli to be collaborative instead of

combative. I view these responsibilities as:

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1. Understand fully and be able to communicate the complexities of mychild's disability;

2. Celebrate, rejoice in, and be able to communicate my child's strengthsand abilities;

3. Understand as fully as possible the special education laws and codes forthe State of New Jersey and our nation at large;

4. Understand the responsibilities of the school, the responsibilities of ourfamily, and how they complement and support each other;

5. Have the courage and grace to say thank you to all those who touch mychild's life;

6. Have the courage to say with grace and tact "this is not working for mychild" and offer solutions;

7. Make the time to forge new relationships each September and continueto nurture them throughout the school year;

B. Be willing to let my child stumble in the struggle to meet new chal-lenges;

9. Advocate for my whole child, letting his strengths drive his program aswell as his disabilities, even when it means moving out of the "safetyzone;

10. Look to the future with an open mind, trusting that if we challenge andsupport in balanced proportions, my child will go places none of uscould predict or plan for today.

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The Bridge Fall 2ooa

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It is with great joy that I take you alongon a brief look back at the New JerseyIndusive Child Care Project Conference2002 this past spring. For my staff andfor everyone with the vision of indusionwho took part in the day, it was a successin many ways. After months of planning,the project's efforts seemed to have paidoff: the conference was an enjoyable andinformative day for all.

Almost 200 child care providers andothers came out to the event at the Holi-day Inn in Somerset, New Jersey. Theyparticipated in a variety of workshops andenjoyed lunch with others sharing thevision of indusion from across the state.

Ron McGuckin was our keynote speaker,presenting in an entertaining and infor-mative style about the legal issues thatproviders can encounter.

The day's workshops included: Success in

Autism: A Parent's View,Developing Sensory Integra-tion Through Ordinary Activ-ity, Observing and Recording,Making Inclusion Happen,Working with Children withADHD in Inclusive EarlyChildhood Settings, Puppets inthe Classroom: EffectiveTeaching Tools, Meeting theNeeds of Diverse Learners,and Day Care Accessibilityunder the New Jersey LawAgainst Discrimination.

All of the topic areas seemed popularwith the participants and the workshopswere well attended. In fact, one work-shop entitled Challenging Behaviors poseda true challenge to those 99 who chose to

attend, as the room only accommo-dated 80!

Child care providers and others were

Care ro

all inspired by the sig-nificant turnout and theinformative, applicableworkshops. Visitorsraved about the materi-als, the speakers and theconnections they hadmade with others intheir field.

If you think that you oranyone you know mightbenefit from next year'sconference, or the re-sources we at the New

Jersey Inclusive Child Care Project canprovide, please let us know. You can findmore information on the project onSPAN's website at www.spannj.org or bycalling us directly at (800) 654-7726x108.

As director of the New Jersey InclusiveChild Care Project, I am very pleasedwith the results of the conference andproud of the project's success. My staffand I look forward to planning our nextconference to be held on May 10, 2003.We hope to see you there!

Best wishes,

Sue Merrill

New Jersey Inclusive Child Care ProjectSue Merrill, Project Director

35 Halsey Street, 4th FI, Newark, NJ 07102Toll free in NJ: (800) 654-SPAN (7726) x108

E-mail: childcare@spannj.orgWebsite: www.spannj.org

the Bridge Fall 2002

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ParentsAsTeachersRobin Solh Project Coordinator

The Parents As Teachers program is strengtheningthe knowledge, skills and abilities of the parents ofsixty migrant families in Bridgeton. Parents and

their infants and toddlers have the opportunity to participatein one of the most successfiil early childhood programs,Parents As Teachers (PAT).

This voluntary program, free to any expectant parent orthose with a child from newborn to three, provides parentswith the information and support they need to give theirchild the best possible start in life. PAT is based on thephilosophy that parents are the most influential teachers..

Parents As Teachers programs include personal visits byprofessionally trained child development specialist, freedevelopmental screenings, group meetings and a variety ofchild rearing topics, and finding a variety of other resourcesbeyond the scope of the PAT program. The goal is to helpparents learn new ways to foster growth, curiosity, and socialskills.

The Statewide Parent Advocacy Network, Inc. is collaborat-ing with Tri-County Action Agency and Rural Opportuni-ties, Inc. to deliver the PAT program. There is a need forsocial service agencies to work with the growing Mexicancommunity in Cumberland County, New Jersey, says Tri-County's communication director.

Rural Opportunities provides services for farmworkers, low-income families and economically depressed communities inSouthern New Jersey. The Statewide Parent AdvocacyNetwork provides training and supervision for Parents AsTeichers representatives of these agencies. We are excitedabout this successful collaboration!

Parents As TeachersRobin Soil, Program Coordinator

c/o NJPIRC140 East Hanover Street, Room 302/306

Trenton, Nj 08608

Phone (609) 394-5900Fax (609) 394-6553

E -mail robin.soll@spannj.org

Transition toAdult Life

What is transition?Transition is the process that prepares students for adult lifeafter high school. Starting at age 14 (by the day your childturns 14) there needs to be a statement of transition serviceneeds. This is the long-range educational plan that ensuresstudents take the appropriate classes in high school. It pre-

pares them either for college or for the world of work, depend-ing on the interests and wishes of the student and his/her

parents.

There must be a transition statement (long range goal) in theIEP, based on the student's preference, and it must take into

consideration the student's needs and desires.' In other words,the IEP should now focus on what your child wants in adult life.Starting at age 16, or younger if appropriate, there needs to be

a statement of needed transition services.

This is a much broader plan and includes areas of instruction,employment, community experiences, post-school adult living,related services, and if appropriate, daily living skills and func-tional vocational evaluation. At least one year prior to turning18, the IEP must address that your son or daughter will reachthe age of majority and begin making IEP decisions for him/

herself.

Transition is based onlong-range outcomes,

not annual goals.It is critical to start with transition planning at the beginning ofthe IEP when a student is 14 or older. Transition should be-

come the strategy that guides the rest of the IEP. Students arerequired to be invited to their IEP meeting if transition will be

discussed.

Transition to Adult Life ProjectStatewide Parent Advocacy Network

Alice Hunnicutt(800) 654-SPAN x103

transition@spannj.orgwww.spannj.org

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ppenkig 01-5-pA-N

reriA place where parents learn

about their children's education

26 De Grasse StreetPaterson, NJ 07505

Parents are their children's first andbest teachers. They play a powerful

role in making sure their childrenreceive a quality education.

Our workshops give parents andfamilies an opportunity to learn more

about raising and educating theirchildren with and without disabilities:

Parents' Rights Under IDEA(Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act)

The IEP Process

Parents Are Powerful:Promoting Family Involvement

in Education

Section 504 of theRehabilitation Act

Extended School Year Services

How to be Heard and Understood

Preschool Programs & Inclusion

Transition Planning and the IEP

Challenging Behavior:Understanding

Functional Behavioral Assessment

Organizing Parent Support GroupsPaterson Parents United or Special

Parents of Special Education

Call us for a schedule of workshops!

(973) 523-8404

Rose Kardashian, M.S., Directorext. 41

Zina Seaborn,Parent Resource Specialist

ext. 48

Hilda Maldonado, Resource Parentext. 47

Parents are the most importantinfluence in their children's lives.

In partnership withStatewide Parent

Advocacy NetworkWorking with

Department of Special ServicesPaterson Public Schools

Hello! My name is Gloria Oquendo. My daughter,Estefania, is seven years old. She was born with-out any hearing. Estefania was implanted with acochlear implant in her right ear at the age of threein our native country, Colombia, South America.

My family arrived in the United States from Colom-bia in July 2000. In September of that year I regis-tered Estefania in kindergarten, since she was fiveyears old. We live in Paterson. After having Este-fania evaluated, the child study team determinedthat Dale Avenue School had the most appropriateprogram for Estefahia. Since I was new to thissystem, I decided to try out the program. Estefaniaspent her first year in theUnited States in a regularkindergarten class with afew hours a week of in-class monitoring by aperson who had somebasic knowledge ofcochlear implants. At theend of the school year, Ifelt that Estefania had notmade the progress I hadhoped for. The childstudy team said that wasthe only program theyhad available to Estefania and recommended thatshe remain in the same class with the same fewhours a week of hearing and speech support.

I learned from a friend that Catholic Family & Com-munity Services had a center called Parents Place/Club de Padres, where I could talk to a specialistabout IDEA. I was so thankful that everyone therespoke Spanish and English and that there wereparents of children with disabilities with whom Icould talk: I was given the law, and told whatoptions I had. .I chose to ask for an evaluation witha specialist in cochlear implants. The ParentPlace/Club de Padres provided me with an advo-cate who served also as a translator for Estefania'sand my visit with Dr. Machito, a cochlear implantspecialist at Overlook Hospital. It was through myencounter with Dr. Machito that I learned about aclass dedicated to closely monitoring cochlearimplant children. I learned that children who areimplanted need to learn how to distinguish soundsand a specialist has to constantly evaluate whatthey are hearing. The day in a class dedicated toteaching children with cochlear implants is filledwith many hours of "charting" what each child is

learning. I also learned that the room needs to befully sound proof so as to cancel out any extrasounds. That meant having special drapes andrugs that are placed in the class to absorb extem-poraneous sounds.

When I requested that school, the child study teamdid not agree with me. My advocate from TheParents Place/Club de Padres accompanied me tomy second IEP meeting where I made requestagain and they flatly said no. I said, "All I want isfor Estefania to learn the most possible. She can'tdo that in this program." They said, "We feel this isan appropriate program for her."

My advocate gave me more options. I chose toexercise my rights for due process. My advocatereferred my case to the Educational Law Centerbecause she said that I would need to have anexpert opinion and perhaps the ELC could help mewith that. I met with David, an attorney from ELC inDecember of 2001. He agreed to represent me inmy hearing against the Paterson Public Schools

and he spoke Spanish!He explained the legalprocess to me, step bystep. We worked longand hard to reclaim mydaughter's rights sothat she would benefitfrom a "thorough andefficient education"which meant proper.cochlear implantlistening monitoring.

In spite of all the .

obstacles along the way, I can safely say that thestruggle was worthwhile. With the ongoing assis-tance of both the Parents Place/Club de Padresand the Educational Law Center, my daughter isnow in a program specifically designed to helpchildren with cochlear implants. She attendedsummer classes there and has made markedprogress already. She is looking forward to hernew school year.

My husband and my daughter Laura have alwaysinspired me with their love and dedication to Este-fania. That support is what has always inspired meto strive to set high expectations for Estefania. I amcertain that my daughter Estefania will continue toimprove and progress in her academics and lifeskills now that the path chosen for her is the rightone.

I would like to thank everyone who extended theirhand to help me on this journey, step by step. I

would like to tell all the parents who are readingthis... trust your instincts. Follow your dreams foryour children and find people like that ones I foundto help get you there.

CS MULTI-LINGUAL CENTER CATHOLIC FAMILY & COMMUNITY SERVICES

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Ho la! Mi nombre es Gloria0quendo. Mi hija,Estefania tiene siete anos de edad. Ella nadasorda. A los tres anos de edad Estefania tuvo unacirugia de implante "cochlear" en el oido derecho,en su tierra natal de Colombia.

Mi familia y yo Ilegamos a los Estados Unidos enJulio del 2000. En septiembre de es ano matriculea Estefania en el jardin de ninos a los cinco anos.Vivimos en Paterson..Despues de evaluarla, elpersonal del equipo de educacion especial paraninos decidi6 que la escuela de Dale Avenue era lamas apropiada para Estefania. Yo era nueva alsistema, decide a tentar el programa. Estefaniaduro su primer ano en los Estados. Unidos en unaclase regular en el-jardin-de ninos-con-unas horasla semana in una clase donde fue supervisada por

. persOnas_que tenian un conocimiento con implan-tes de cochlear. Al fin del ano ye que Estefania noaVanzo como yo esperaba. El personal del pro-grama especial para ninos dijeron que este era elunico programa que tenian para Estefania y re-comendaron que continuara en la misma clase conlas mismas horas a la semana de apoy6 en au-dicion y lenguaje.

Me informe de un amigo sobre la agencia CatholicFamily & Community Services tenia un centroIlamado Parents Place/ Club de Padres, dondepuedo it y hablar con un especialista.sobre IDEA.Estaba muy agradecida que todos alli hablabanespatiol y ingles, y habia padres con ninos condesabilidades, con los que yo pueda hablar. Medieron las leyes, y mis opciones. Decidi pedir unaevaluacion con un especialista en implantes decochlear. El Parents Place/ Club de Padres meapunto una persona para que me asistiera y tra-ducira a Estefania y a mi a la,cita con Dr. JenniferMarchitto, una especialista de implantes de co-chlear, en el hospital Overlook. Era el encuentrocon la doctora Jennifer Marchitto, que aprende dela escuela dedicada a la supervision de ninos conimplantes de cochlear. Aprende que ninos conimplantes necesitan aprender como distinguir.sonidos y un especialista tiene que evaluar con-stantemente lo que estan oyendo. Un dia de clasededicada a ensefiar a ninos con implantes decochlear, esta Ileno de muchas horas de "planear"que cads nifio esta aprendiendo. Tambien aprendeque el salon necesita que impedir sonidos paracanceler cualquier otro sonido. Eso significo quetenian que tener cortinas y alfombra especiales inla clase para absorber sonidos improvisados.

Cuando solicite esa escuela, el personal del pro-

ntsgrama especial para ninos no estuvode acuerdo con migo. Mi asistente deParents Place/ Club de Padres, me acompano a misegunda junta de IEP donde soliste otra vez y ellosdijeron que no. Yo dije, "Todo lo que quiero esqueEstefania aprenda todo lo posible. Ella no puedeen este programa.". Ellos dijeron, "Nosotros sentkmos que este es un programa apropiado para ella."

Mi asistente me dio mas opciOnes y me explicaronlas leyes en una manera que yo comprendi bien

---mis-derechos. -Escogi a mis derechos de-pedircon en el corte. Ella me.refirio mi caso a la Educa-tional Law Center por.que ella me dijo que teniaque tener una opiniOn de un expert° y alt, mejorELC pueda ayudarme con eso. Me senti conDavid, un abogado de ELC in diciembre del 2001.El estuvo,de acuerdo para representar me ante elDistrito de Paterson, y el equipo de la escuela, yhablo espanol. El me explico el proceso de lasleyes, past, a paso. Trabajamos largo y duro parareclamar los derechos de mi hija para que ellatuviera los beneficios de una educaci6n eficiente, .

esto signific6 una instrucion apropiada para implan-tes de cochlear.

Aunque hubo muchos obstaculos durante elcamino, puedo decir que todo mi sacrificio vali6 lapena. Con la asistencia de Parents Place/ Club dePadres y la Educational Law Center, mi hija ahoraesta en un programa especificamente designandoal la ayuda de ninos con implantes de cochlear.Ella atiende escuela de verano y a hecho progreso.Esta esperando a un nuevo ano de escuela.

Mi esposo e hija Laura siempre me han inspiradocon su amor y dedicaciOn a Estefania. Esa in-spiracion es lo que siempre me ha esforzado aestablecer esperanzas para Estefania. Estoysegura que mi hija Estefania continuara a mejorar yprogresar en su academia y en la vida por el cursoque escoge para ella, que es el mejor.

Me gustaria agradeser a todos quien extendieronsu mano para ayudarme en este Camino, paso apaso. Me gustaria decirles a todos los padres queestan leyendo esto...confia en su instinto. Siga sussuelios para sus hijos y encuentre personas comolas que encontre yo para ayudarle a Ilegar alli.

MULTI-LINGUAL CENTER CATHOLIC FAMILY & COMMUNITY SERVICES

Macde ipaditot

El sitio donde los padres puedenaprender sobre la educacioin de sus

ninos

26 DeGrasse StreetPaterson, NJ 07505

Nosotros sabemos que los padresson los primeros y-mejores pro-fesores, y que juegan el rol mas

poderoso para asegurarse que sesninos reciban un educacion calidad.

Los Derechos De los Padres BajoIDEA (El Acta de Educacion pars

Individuos con Desabilidades)

El Proceso del IEP

Padres Ustedes Son PoderososPromoviendo el Envolvimiento de las

familias en la Educacion

Secci6n 504 delActa Rehabilitadad

Servicios de Extension deAiio Escolar

Como ser Eschuchadoy Entendido

La Inclusion y losPrograma Preescolares

Los Planes de Transici6n y el IEP

Comportamiento Desafiante:Entendiendo el funcionamiento de las

evaluaciones

Organizando Grupos deApoyo Para Padres

Padres de Paterson Unidos o PadresEspeciales de Nino Especiales

Llamenos para los horarios de lostalleres!

(973) 523-8404

Rose Kardashian, M.S., Directorext. 41

Zina Seaborn,Parent Resource Specialist

ext. 48

Hilda Maldonado, Resource Parentext. 47

Padres ustedes son la influencia masimportant° en la vida de sus ninos.

En colaboraci6n con laCadena de Padres Defensores a to

Largo del Estado

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21-5M(PandPreventing and Resolving

Parent-Teacher Differencesparents and teachers share responsibil-ity for creating a working relation-ship that fosters children's learning.

This digest examines the cultural context forparent-teacher relationships, suggests somegeneral strategies for creating a dimate inwhich misunderstandings and disagreementsbetween parents and teachers can be mini-mized through communication, and dis-cusses some general principles for parentsand teachers in dealing with misunderstand-ings or disagreements as they arise.

The Cultural Context for Parent-Teacher RelationshipsIt is important for teachers and parents toremember that they know the child in differ-ent contexts, and that each may be unawareof what the child is like in the other context.It is also useful to keep in mind generallythat different people often have distinct butdisparate perspectives on the same issue.

For many parents, a fundamental part of theparenting role is to be their child's strongestadvocate with the teacher and the school(Katz, 1995). Other parents, however, maybe reluctant to express their concerns becauseof cultural beliefs' related to the authoritativeposition of the teacher. Others may havedifficulty talking with teachers as a result ofmemories of their own school years, or theymay be unsure of how to express their con-cerns to teachers. A few parents may fearthat questions or criticism will put theirchild at a disadvantage in school.

Many parents may be surprised to learn thatteachers, especially new teachers, are some-times equally anxious about encounters withparents. Most teachers receive very littletraining in fostering parent-teacher relation-ships, but with the growing understanding ofthe importance of parent involvement, theymay worry about doing everything they canto encourage parents to feel welcome(Greenwood & Hickman, 199,1).

Avoiding Conflicts between Par-ents and Teachers throughOpen, Ongoing Communication

The foundation for good parent-teacherrelationships is frequent and open communi-cation. Both teachers and parents share theresponsibility for creating such a foundation.There are several strategies teachers can useto establish a climate conducive to opencommunication. Teachers can:

Let Parents Know How andWhen They Can Contact theSchool and the Teacher.As early in the school year as possible, teach-ers can explain that: (1) they can be reached-at specific times or in specific ways; (2) theycan be contacted directly as questions orconcerns arise; and (3) they have given a lotof thought to their teaching philosophy, dassrules, and expectations. In addition topersonal interaction, teachers often usenewsletters or letters home to provide thisinformation to parents, perhaps including aphone number and, if available, an electronicmail address by which they can be contacted(Barnett, 1995). Some teachers encouragetwo-way communication by including innewsletters or letters home a short surveyabout children's interests or parents' hopesor expectations for the school year.

Practice an Open-Door, Open-Mind Policy.Teachers can invite parents to visit the dassat any time that is convenient to the parent.When they visit, parents can monitor theirchild's perceptions of a situation and see forthem selves what the teacher is trying to

achieve with his or her students.

Elicit Expressions of Parents'Concerns and Interests inPreparation for Parent-TeacherConferences.Some schools organize parent-teacher meet-ings to discuss their goals early in the schoolyear. On these occasions, teachers can askparents to share their main concerns andgoals for their child. Brief questionnairesand interest surveys also provide good basesfor meaningful discussions in parent-teacherconferences (Nielsen & Finkelstein, 1993).

Involve Parents in ClassroomActivities.Teachers can let parents know how they canbe helpful and solicit parents' assistance withspecific activities. The more involved par-ents are in what goes on in the classroom,the more likely they are to understand theteacher's goals and practices.

Parents also have an important role to playin fostering open communication betweenthemselves and teachers. They can:

Introduce Themselves.At the beginning of the school year, parentscan contact teachers and let them knowwhen they can be reached most easily, day-time or evening, to discuss their child'sclassroom experience, and how they wouldprefer to be contacted (telephone, email,letter, etc.).

Be Involved in Classroom andSchool Activities at WhateverLevel Work and Family Respon-sibilities Allow.If parents cannot volunteer or go on fieldtrips, they can let the teacher know that theyare interested in helping in other ways with a

special display or some activity that can bedone on an occasional weekend, for example.

(Continued on page 21)

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They can let the teacher know that they haveskills that they would be willing to shareeven if they are not sure how they can beuseful in the dassroom. Or, they can let theteacher know that special circumstances (anextremely ill parent, or an especially de-manding job, for example) prevent themfrom being formally involved, but that theyare always interested in how their child isdoing and would welcome communicationsabout their child on a regular basis, not justwhen there's a problem.

Initiate Regular Contact.Parents need not wait for the teacher to callthem; they can contact the teacher at timesthe teacher has indicated are convenient.

Whin Parents and TeachersDisagree: Strategies_ for Teach-

-ers and ParentsOn those inevitable occasions when parentsand teachers disagree about curriculum,assignments, peer relationships, homework,or teaching approaches, a pattern of opencommunication can be invaluable for resolv-ing differences (Willis, 1995). But dealingwith direct disagreements also requires re-spect and discretion by both parents andteachers. In times of disagreement, teachersshould:

Know the School Policy for Ad-dressing Parent-Teacher Dis-agreements.It is a good idea for teachers to check schooland district policies for handling conflicts ordisagreements with parents and to follow theprocedures outlined in the policies.

Use Discretion about When andWhere Children and their Fami-lies are Discussed.It is important to resist the frequent tempta-tions to discuss individual children and theirfamilies in inappropriate public and socialsituations or to discuss particular childrenwith the parents of other children. Confi-dentiality contributes to maintaining trustbetween parents and teachers.

Parents' discussions of disagreements withteachers need to be based on knowing thefacts. Parents can:

Talk Directly with the Teacherabout the Problem.The best approach is to address complaintsat first directly to the teacher, either in per-son or by telephone, and then to otherschool personnel in the order specified byschool policy. Sometimes the teacher isunaware of the child's difficulty or percep-tion of a situation. Sometimes a child mis-understands a teacher's intentions, or theteacher is unaware of the child's confusionabout a rule or an assignment. It is impor-tant to check the facts directly with theteacher before drawing conclusions or allo-cating blame. Direct contact is necessary todefine the problem accurately and to developan agreement about how best to_proceed.- -

Avoid Criticizing Teachers inFront of _Children:Criticizing teachers and schools in front ofchildren may confuse them. Even veryyoung children can pick up disdain or frus-tration that parents express about theirchildren's school experiences. In the case ofthe youngest children, it is not unusual forthem to attribute heroic qualities to theirteachers. Some even think that the teacherlives at school and thinks of no one butthem. Eventually such naivete is outgrown,but overheard criticism is-likely to be confus-ing in the early years and may put a child ina bind over divided loyalties. Besides causingconfusion and conflict, criticizing the teacherin front of the child does nothing to addressthe problem. In the case of older children,such criticism may foster arrogance, defiance,and rudeness toward teachers. Children'srespect for authority figures is generally ashared goal in most cultures (Katz 1996).

Choose an Appropriate Timeand Place to Discuss the Dis-agreement.Parents should keep in mind that the end ofthe day, when both teachers and parents aretired, is probably not the best time for adiscussion involving strong feelings. If anextended discussion is needed, make anappointment with the teacher.

As children grow older, they are generallyaware when their parents are upset about theteacher or a school-related problem. Asparents discuss these incidents with theirchildren, they are modeling ways to expressfrustration with the problems of life in group

settings. As children observe and then prac-tice these skills, the coping skills become"tools" in a child's "psychological pocket" tobe used in future life experiences.

ConclusionTeachers and parents share responsibility forthe education and socialization of children.Preventing and resolving the differences thatmay arise between parents, teachers, andchildren with constructive communication,respect, grace, and good humor can helpmake school a pleasant place.

References

Barnett, Marion Fox. (1995). STRENGTHENINGPARTNERSHIPS-MC REACHING OUT TO FAMI-LIES. Paper presented at the National Council ofTeachers of English Annual Spring Conference,-Min-neapolis; MN; March 16-18. ED 388 412.

Dozier, Kalia. (1996). My Teacher Hates Me. WORK-ING MOTHER 19(9): 46-48.

Greenwood, Gordon E, and Catherine W. Hickman.(1991). Research and Practice in Parent InvolVement:Implications for Teacher Education. ELEMENTARYSCHOOL JOURNAL 91(3): 279-88. El 429 060.

Katz, Lilian G. (1995). Mothering and Teaching.Significant Distinctions. In Lilian G. Katz, TALKSWITH TEACHERS OF YOUNG CHILDREN: ACOLLECTION. Norwood, NJ: Abler. ED 380 232.

Katz, Lilian G. (1996). Building Resilience: HelpingYour Child Cope with Frustrations at School. IN-STRUCTOR 106(3): 95-98

Nielsen, Lynne E., and Judith M. Finkelstein. (1993). ANew Approach to Parent Conferences. TEACHINGPRE K-8 24(1): 90-92. EJ 469 327.

Willis, Scott. (1995). When Parents Object to Class-room Practice. EDUCATION UPDATE 37(1): 1, 6, 8.

References identified with an ED (ERIC document) orEJ (ERIC journal) number are cited in the ERICdatabase. Most documents are available in ERICmicrofiche collections at more than 900 locationsworldwide and can be ordered through EDRS: (800)443-ERIC. Journal artides are available from theoriginal journal, interlibrary loan services, or articlereproduction dearinghouses such as: UMI (800) 732-0616; or ISI (800)523-1850.

This publication was prepared with funding from theOffice of Educational Research and Improvement,USDOE, under OERI contract no. RR93002007. Theopinions expressed in this report do not necessarilyreflect the positions or policies of OERI or the Depart-ment of Education. ERIC digest are in the publicdomain and may be freely reproduced and disseminated.

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Patton,

PET@Bilki ©52 P_EW E PETR rriDreuig U@E@h®T Che]

&pied Pcoacleffazasiiftswithff otokaffifYilyakenpin.org/pnews/2001/pnewanatoa 1.01d httni)

One of the few points of universal agreementin education is that having highly qualifiedteaching matters. But recent demands forbetter-qualified teachers are coming at a timeof severe teacher shortages and increasingnumbers of students.

One thing will not change: the role of par-

ents in supporting both new and experiencedteachers. Just as parent involvement helpschildren succeed in school, it can also helpteachers be more successful in the dassroom.

Some award-winning first-year teachersattributed some of their success to parentswho:

Grandparents Need toKnow How to Help

Reprinted from Early Childhood Connection, Spring 2002, newsletter ofPACER Center, 8161 Normandale Boulevard Minneapolis, MN 55437-1044952-838-9000 * 952-838-0190 (TTY) * pacer@pacer.org * www.pacerorg

Parents may wish to share or adapt thesetips for grandparents who want to help.

Offer support, but don'thover. By doing so, your child willknow you trust their decisions about medi-cation, therapy, education, etc.

Provide support in practicalways. Open communication is impor-tant. Ask what you can do to help. Youcan attend doctors' appointments for moralsupport and an extra set of ears and notes,or babysit to allow your children to relaxone evening a week. Even if you live faraway, you can help by locating therapists inyour grandchild's city and fording usefulbooks or other information.

Offer opinions only if asked.Some parents might be sensitive aboutsuggestions for raising their child. Try tounderstand that raising a child with adisability is difficult and give advice onlywhen your child asks for it. "Sometimesmy parents say things that sound as if theythink we aren't doing things right," said amother. "For example, my child has diffi-culty eating. But my mother has said, 'Shedoes just fine when she's with me.' Thatmight have been Mom trying to reassureme, but that's not how I heard it."

Find out what you need toknow about the disability. Ifyou become informed about a child'sdisability, it indicates that you really wantto be involved. However, follow the leadof your children; they have gathered plentyof information and have the informationthey need to raise their child. Before youoffer new information, wait until they ask.

Accept your grandchild ashe or she is. Treat the child with adisability as you would any grandchild.Acknowledge the disability, but recognizethe talents and abilities of your grandchild.

Give yourself time to grieve.Many grandparents say their grief is magni-fied because they watch their child grievingalso. Let yourself grieve and take care ofyourself during difficult times.

Enjoy your grandchild. If youenjoy reading to your grandchild, sit on thecouch and read a book - even if the doctorsays the child can't hear. Rock your grand-child in your favorite rocking chair. Bringpictures of your grandchild to your friends.Spend time together - you will quicklylearn all of the talents and abilities yourgrandchild has and the important place youhave in his or her life.

showed support for learning at home;

communicated positive feedback abouta teacher's influence or performance;

welcomed new teachers;

volunteered to help in the classroom;

supported fair discipline measures thatteachers imposed;

did not assume the worst about first-.

year teachers;

made sure that children did theirhomework;

offered their workplaces for field trips,When appropriate;

talked to a teacher directly about aproblem; and

became active partners in education.

Parents can also work to promote teaching asa profession and to ensure that their schoolshire well-trained teachers.

See how your state teaching standardsmeasure up. See www.hewittco.com/nasdtetionline_.1.html for state-by-stateinformation.

Start a future teachers dub. Workwith middle school and high schooladministrators and teachers to start alocal chapter of Future Educators ofAmerica (www.pdkintl.org /studser /sfea.htm).

Encourage your local schools to estab--lish partnerships with nearby schools ofeducation. Teacher input to universityfaculty keeps education schools focusedon the day-to-day issues that teachersface.

Given the projections about the number ofnew teachers needed in our nation's class -rooms in the next few years, parents willhave ample opportunity to forge partnershipswith new teachers, with schools, and withcommunity groups to help ensure that allchildren have access to effective. classroomteachers.

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Communication:The Key to Successful Collaboration

Between Schools & Mental HealthWritten by Tina Deibler, an emotional support teacher in the Cumberland Valley School District, Cumberland County, PA.

In my position as an itinerant emo-tional support teacher in the publiceducation system, I have had the

opportunity to collaborate with a variety ofmental health staff persons and agencies onbehalf of children with mental health

-- needs. Most of my experiences have been---positive, although some collaborativeefforts have not been successful.

I believe that the key to successful collab-oration between the school and mentalhealth agencies is open communication.Team members must constantly exchangeinformation. It is also important to re-member that, next to the parents, theeducational system has the child for themost hours on any given day.

Open communication can happen indifferent ways between the educationalteam, the family and all the outside agen-cies and staff who are involved with indi-vidual children:

Clear documentation of all of the expec-tations for a student in the educational

environment. This documentation canhelp with developing the child's educa-tion plan, ease transitions, and help thechild to be more successful.

Educational materials and informa-tion about a child's disability. Thisinformation can be shared duringIndividualized Education Plan (IEP)meetings and CASSP (Child andAdolescent Service System Program)meetings.

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Collection and sharing of data about achild, so that an appropriate IEP canbe developed. .

One of my most successful cases of col-laboration and communication involved.Sarah, who needed treatmentand

the Cordero court settlement for students__Who did not have an appropriate.educa-_tional placement. The school distil:asupplied a teacher and a dassroom aide,while the mental health agency provideda case manager, behavioral specialist, andtherapeutic staff support worker. Inaddition, there were advocates, lawyersand multiple administrators involved.Team meetings often included morethan 20 people.

For me as an educator, it was hard tohave so many adult professionals in myclassroom, but everyone was there to playa specific role and to support Sarah.Team members all supported each otherand gave suggestions; with so manypeople involved, many strategies wereavailable. Someone not involved on adaily basis was usually available to visitthe dass and provide insight or shareobservations. Although eventually Sarahwent to a residential placement, our teamsuccessfully enabled her to stay at homeand in a regular education setting for anextended time. If the team members hadnot openly communicated with each

other, the outcome for Sarahwould have been even less

successful.

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Questions .Parents Ask About SchoOlsExcerpted from Questions Parents Ask About Schools, U.S. Department of Education

On Preparing for a Career

What can I do to help my child move successfully from school to collegeor work?

Start talking to your children at an early age about careers and the kind of education he or she will need to reach his orhergoals. Expose your children to many different careers through contacts with teachers, friends, employers, and career counselors.Encourage your child to attend career and college fairs. Attend as many of these events as you can with your child. Most futurejobs require not only a high school diploma, but 1-4 years of community college, 4 years of college, and/or specialty training.Take your child to work if you can.Ask the high school counselor about programs that combine study at school with work or classesat the technical college to prepare students for well-paying jobs (sometimes these programs arecalled Tech-Prep, School-to-Career, or School-to-Work).Make sure your child is enrolled in the high school courses needed for admission to college or tosecure a well-paying job.Make sure your child takes the tests, starting not later than 9th grade, that many colleges reviewas part of the admissions process. Students who take these tests more than once usually improvetheir scores.Encourage your child to be involved in activities such as organized after-school programs, com-munity service, academic dubs, technology or vocational dubs, the school newspaper, dramaand music programs, art, and athletics.Relate your child's interests to a variety of career choices.

What high school courses should my child take to get into college?A college education builds on the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier years. Parents should plan with their children, startingnot later that 7th or 8th grade, to make sure they can complete all the appropriate middle and high school courses needed forcollege admission, beginning with plans to take algebra in the 8th grade.

Students usually have more difficulty with college courses if they haven't taken courses to prepare themin high school.

Academic requirements differ among colleges, but the admissions requirements listed below are typicalof four-year colleges:

4 years of English (grammar and composition, American literature, English literature, world literature)3 to 4 years of mathematics (algebra I and II, geometry, trigonometry, pre-calculus, calculus)2 to 3 years of history and geography3 to 4 years of laboratory science (biology, chemistry, physics)2 to 3 years of foreign language1 year of the visual and performing arts1 to 3 years of appropriate electives (computer science)

These questions and answers were prepared by staff from Parent Information and Resource Centers across the United States, funded by the U.S. Department of Education.Survey results are from a survey sponsored by the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education, the U.S. Department of Education, and the GTE Foundation, conductedby the

National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago as well as "Fathers' Involvement in Their Children's Schools," a survey by the National Center firEducation Statistics.

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Las Preguntas Que Hacen Los Padres Sobre La EscuelaU.S. Department of Education (excerpt)

Al Prepararse Para una CarreraQue pueden hacer los'padres para ayudar a los hijos-a realizarcon exito la transicion de Ia escuela a la universidad o al trabajo?

Comience a hablar con sus hijos acerca de las cameras y del tipo de educaci6n que.necesitarart para lograrsus objetivos desde una edad temprana. Exponga a su hijo a las distintas carreras poniendolo en contactocon mae.stras, amigos, empleadores y consejeros vocacionales.Aliente a su hijo a que asista a ferias de redutamiento de empleadores y de universidades. Arista a todaylas actividades de este tipo que pueda con su hijo. La mayorfa de los futuros trabajos requerira no solo un diploma de escuela secundariaSinn" a-4-ancis-de-universidad comunitaria; 4 arios-de universidad y/o capacitacion-especial:-Si puede, lleve a su hijo al lugar en donde trabaja.

Pregunte al consejero de la escuela secundaria acerca de programas que combinen el estudio en la escuela con el trabajo o acerca declases en una universidad tecnica que preparen a los estudiantes para trabajos que pagan bien (estos programas reciben a veces el nornbrede preparatorias tecnicas (Tech-Prep), escuela a carrera (School-to-Career) o escuela a trabajo (School-to-Work).Compruebe que su hijo se haya inscrito en los cursos de escuela secundaria que necesita pars ser admitido a la universidad o para conse-guir un trabajo que gaga bien.Compruebe que su hijo haya realiiado las pruebas (que confienzan a mas tardar a partir del 9no, grado) que muchas de las universidadessolicitan como parte del proceso de admisi6n. Los estudiantes que hacen estas pruebas mar de una vez, en general mejoran la calificaci6nobtenida.Aliente a su hijo a que participe en actividades tales como programas organizados despues del dia escolar, el servicio comunitario, losclubes academicos, los clubes tecnologicos o vocacionales, el peri6dico de la escuela, los programas de teatro, mtisica, arte y adeticos.Relacione los intereses de su hijo con una variedad de posfbflidades de carreras.

En que clases de Ia escuela secundaria debe inscribirsemi hijo para poder ir a Ia.universidad?

La educaci6n de la universidad se basa en el conocimiento y las aptitudes adquiridos durante los altos anteriores. Los padres debencomenzar a planificar la educaci6n junto con sus hijos antes del Imo. u 8vo. grado. Si lo hacen, podran estar seguros de completar todoslos cursos de la escuela media y superior que necesitan para ser admitidos en la universidad, comenzando con el algebra en el 8vo. grado.En general, los estudiantes que no se inscriben en los cursos de preparacion en la escuela superior, tienen Inas dificultades en la universi-dad.Los requisitos academicos dependen de la universidad pero los requisitos de admision enumerados acontinuacifin son los habituales de las universidades de cuatro altos:

4 altos de idioma ingles (grarnatica y composici6n, literatura norteamericana, literatura inglesa,literature mondial)3 a 4 altos de matematicas (Algebra I, II; geometria, trigonometrfa, introduccian al calculo, calculo)2 a 3 altos de historia y geograffa3 a 4 altos de ciencias de laboratorio (biologia, qurinica, fisica)2 a 3 altos de un idioma extranjero1 alto de artes visuales y de actuacion1 a 3 altos de materias electivas adecuadas (ciencia de la computaci6n)

Estar preguntas y respuestas fieeron preparadas por el personal de los Centros de recursos y de infirmacion para padres, fine:kelps por el Departamento de Educacionde EE.UU. en todo elpais. Los resultados de las encuestas provienen de encuesta auspiciada por la Asociacion para la Participacion de la Familia en la Educacion (Partnership for Family Involvement in

Education), el Departamento de Educacion de EE.UU (U.S Department of Education) y la Fundacion GTE (GTE Foundation) y fiteron realizados par el Centro de InvestigaciondeOpinion National (National Opinion Research Center) de La Universidad de Chicago. La Participacion de los Padres en la Escuela de sus Hijos (Fathers' Involvement inTheir Children's

Schools), una encuesta iealizada por el Centro Nacional de Estadisticas sabre Educacion (National Center fir Education Statistics).

The Bridge Fall 2002

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;NB TH d

What Should Parents Know AboutSchools As Community Learning Centers?Peggy Patton, adapted from a November/December 2001 online Parent News article (http://npin.org/pnews/2001/pnew1101/int1101d.html)

Chances are that, when you were growing up,your school's clubs, sports, and social activitiesplayed an important role in your life and in thelife of your community. Today, in addition tohosting traditional student clubs and activities,many schools are open from morning to nighthosting daycare, pre-kindergarten, adult, andsenior learning programs as well as community -wide educational, health, sociah cultural,religious, and recreational services and events.Schools used for these purposes can be referred toas community learning centers. (Other ways ofexpressing this concept include "MI-serviceschools, "shared facilities, and "schools ascenters of community. ') [The fillowing] ex-plains the benefits and challenges of communitylearning centers, lists some examples of specificschool-community alliances, offers suggestionsfor promoting school-community partnerships,and provides sources for more information.

What Are the Benefits?

Students, parents; and the entire communitycan benefit from a community learningcenter. Serving a broad spectrum of thecommunity brings a better return on thecommunity's investment in its school facili-ties and generates a wide range of citizen andbusiness support for school financing.School-community alliances take a great dealof planning, cooperation, and flexibility onbehalf of everyone involved, but they canresult in enhanced learning, strengthenedcommunity ties, and reduced facility costs.

Community Use of Schools: Facility DesignPerspectives (Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc.,1995) provides numerous examples ofschools that have accommodated communityuse. The following testimonials are fromsome of the people involved with theseschools:

"The more people use our schools, the morethey associate with us, identify with us, anduse our services and facilities, the betterchance we have for enlisting the commu-nity's support when we need it." Dr. CDouglas Parks, Superintendent of the Ap-

takisic-Tripp Community Consolidated SchoolDistrict No. 102 in Buffalo Grove, Illinois.

"Wilson Middle School will be heavily usedby our community. We-knew we wanted tobe able to accommodate a lot of use, so wehad two main objectives: organize the func-tions so that the academic wing can be closedoff and people can easily come and go in thepublic spaces; and make sure the spaces areeasy to maintain, durable, and can becleaned up quickly." Bill Reiter, Director ofFacilities and Operations for Muncie Commu-nity Schools in Muncie, Indiana.

"The older community members like to havea place to get together and talk that is safe.The school is a safe place. So they gather atthe school and chat and have all sorts ofsocial activities." Dr. Betty J Davis, AssistantSuperintendent for Curriculum and Manage-ment of the Pontiac School District in Pontiac,Michigan.

"Our school is the cultural center for ourvillage - a museum, a library, and a placewhere our children can learn about their

heritage.... Community use really helpswith increasing support for our facilities.Our curriculum is based on communitysharing and involvement." Sam Towarak,Assistant Superintendent of the Bering StraitSchool Distriit in Unalakleet, Alaska.

What Are the Challenges?

Most challenges are associated with increasedbuilding use. Because school spaces will beshared more often, territorial and otherissues must be managed skillfully. More stafftime is needed for planning, scheduling, andsupervision. Liability, parking, and schoolsafety issues have to be addressed. Cleaningand maintenance are more costly, and wearand tear on buildings and equipment in-creases. But the same problems presentthemselves daily in schools now, so theseissues are nothing new. The cost of addingeach new activity is usually quite low andsometimes can be recovered through userfees.

Some community members may not agreethat school facilities should be used by pri-vate groups and organizations. This problemis best addressed by instituting dear and fairpolicies and user fees developed openly andwith the community's input.

What Are Some Examples ofSchool-Community Alliances?

School districts are forming alliances withpublic libraries, social service offices, com-munity recreation departments, corporatetraining facilities, and similar entities to puttheir activities under the same roof withschools. Some districts have taken schoolactivities out of the school building alto-gether and distributed them among special-ized "learning environments" within thecommunity with excellent results. Thefamous Zoo School outside of Minneapolis,Minnesota, for instance, is actually located inthe state zoo.

The following are examples of specific

the Bridge

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school-community alliances:

Public libraries and public schools. Wis-consin has implemented a program in somecommunities whereby school and publiclibrary resources are housed in the samebuilding, and services are provided by thesame staff.

Social service agencies and public schools.The Children's Aid Society in New YorkCity has implemented a community schoolmodel by using the school building to linkparents and children to comprehensive socialservices, including afterschool care, dentalservices, and mental health counseling.

Recreation departments and public schools.The, school system in Clayton, Missouri, andthe city of Clayton combined plans and -

- resources to upgrade the high school athleticfacility. The high school now has a newathletic facility_that the city can use as a newcommunity center. In St. Paul, Minnesota,a charter school shares space with a cityrecreation building that was formerly usedprimarily after school and on weekends.

Universities and public schools. GeorgeWashington University in Washington, DC,gives students at the School Without WallsHigh School access to its library and to 100university classes per year to supplement thepublic school's offerings. In return, theuniversity uses the school's building forevening classes. In Arizona, two charterschools share space with a community col-lege, thus allowing students to take bothhigh school and college classes.

Businesses and public schools. In the Bir-mingham Public School System in Michi-gan, an underused high school was trans-formed into a combination 1,000-studenthigh school and a corporate training andconference center. This has provided thebusiness community with an asset and thehigh school students with access to state-of-the-art technology. In other cities, busi-nesses have provided onsite space for use bylocal schools.

What Can I Do To PromoteCommunity Use of My Child'sSchool?

If you have an idea about a new use for yourchild's school or for an innovative alliancebetween your child's school and anotherorganization, talk to school and community

leaders. Your idea could be anything fromusing school facilities for an afterschool careprogram to building a new auditorium forjoint school and community use or evenstarting a school in a zoo!

Implementing your idea can involve a fewhours of work or years of fund-raising. Thefollowing are some specific steps you cantake to promote community use of yourchild's school:

Meet with legislators, city and county offi-cials, and other elected leaders to requesttheir support in promoting the use of localschools as community learning centers.

Serve on an advisory or building committee,or pass along rurideasto_members of the-

- conunittee:

Attend public hearings.

Seek opportunities to encourage communityuse of your child's school. For example, youcan speak at meetings or other communitygathering places and provide examples ofsuccessful community learning centers.

Participate in community forums, planningworkshops, and design sessions for newschools.

Publish articles on community use of schoolsin your community's newsletters.

Where Can I GetMore Information?

The following organizations offerinformation on the topic of using schools ascommunity learning centers:

National Center forCommunity Education

1017 Avon Street * Flint, MI 48503'Toll Free: 800-811-1105Ph: 810-238-0463 * Fax: 810-238-9211E-mail: ncce@nccenet.orgWeb: www.nccenet.org

National CommunityEducation Association

3929 Old Lee Highway, #91-AFairfax, VA 22042Ph: 703-359-8973 * Fax: 703-359-0972E-mail: ncea@ncea.comWeb: www.ncea.com

U.S. Department of Education 21stCentury Community Learning Centers

400 Maryland Avenue, SWWashington, DC 20202-6175

Ph: 202-260-0919 * Fax: 202-260-3420E-mail: 21stCCLC@ed.govWeb: www.ed.gov/21stccic

Sources

References identified with ED are documentsabstracted in the ERIC database. They are avail-able in microfiche collections at more than 900locations or in paper copy and, in some cases,electronically from the ERIC Document Repro-duction Service at 1-800-443-ERIC (3742). Call1-800-LET-ERIC (538-3742) for more details.

Burk, S. 1999. Funding Sources for CommunityEducation and Schools. Fairfax, VA: NationalCommunity Education Association. To order:www ncea com/pubs_products

Calfee, C., F. Wittwer, and M. Meredith. 1998.Building a Full-Service School: A Step-by-StepGuide. Sari-Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ED 425 535.To order: www.JosseyBass.com

Decker, L. E., and M. R Boo. 1996. CommunitySchools: Linking Home, School, and Community.Fairfax, VA: National Community EducationAssociation. http://eric-web.tc.columbia.edu/community/community_schools

Dryfoo's, J. G. 1994. Full - Service Schools: ARevolution in Health and Social Services for Chil-dren, Youth, and Families. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ED 371 053. To order: www.JosseyBass.com

Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc. 1995. Commu-nity Use of Schools: Facility Design Perspectives.

Celina, OH: Author. ED 417 578. To order:www.netwalk.coml -filacol/market/pub.html

National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities.2000. NCEF Hot Topics: Community Use ofSchools. Washington, DC: Author. www.edfacilities.orglir/community_use.tfin

Parson, S. 1999. Transforming Schools Into Com-munity Learning Centers. Fairfax, VA: NationalCommunity Education Association. To order:www.ncea.com/pubs_products

Ringers, J., Jr., and L. E. Decker. 1995. SchoolCommunity Centers: Guidelines for InteragencyPlanners. Fairfax, VA: National CommunityEducation Association. ED 382 805. To order:www.ncea.com/pubs_products

U.S. Department of Education. 2000. Schools AsCenters of Community: A Citizens' Guide firPlanning and Design. Washington, DC: Author.www.ed.gov/inits/constructionktty-centers.html

U.S. Department of Education. 1997. KeepingSchools Open As Community Learning Centers:Extending Learning in a Safe, Drug-Free Environ-ment Before and After School. Washington, DC:Author. ED 409 659. www.ed.gov/pubs/Learn Centers

The Bridge Fall 2002

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Page 27

CAIrsey Care 2000+

CAR

In a process that has already started, all Medicaid recipients in New Jersey will bephased into enrollment in state-contracted managed health care plans on a

county -by -county basis.

Family'Voices of New Jersey at SPAN thanks to a grant from the Center fir HealthCare Strategies, has developed fact sheets to help you understand

Medicaid anaged

il iTh7 FREE fact sheets include://

I (Choosing ProvidersWhat's

il

ihhai'sC overed? What's Not?

/Provider/Relations and AdvocaCyIIpispute Resolution

elfare, Ocial Security/, and MedicaidResource List

Important Terms

ind our fact sheets on the SPAN website!

www.spannj.orgor contact

Lauren Agoratus & Beverly BowserFamily Voices at New Jersey

(800) 372 -6510

Using Medicaid Managed Care1r Calla state-contracted Health Benefits Coordinator toll free

at 1-800-701-0710 (77Y: 1- 800 - 701 -0720) to select andenroll in one of 5 state-contracted Medicaid health planscalled health maintenance organizations (HMOs).Read your HMO Member Handbook car-04Select and work with a Primary Care Provider in yourHMO.Get referrals from yoUr Primary Care Provider fir all special-ists and other services.

Work with the Care Manager assigned by your HMO tocoordinate your child's needs and solve problems: .

Use only the providers in your HMO's Provider Network.Consult HMO member services or your HMO ProviderDirectory to find out who are network providers.Use emergency rooms only for true emergencies, not anyroutine care.Call your Primary Care Provider for all routine care, orurgent care during office hours.Call your HMO's 24-hour toll free number for urgent prob-lems after office hours.

Call HMO member services with routine or billing questions.

Receive "excluded" or "carve-out" services outside the HMOon a fee-fir-service basis these services are still paid for byMedicaid.In an emetgeniy, call 911 or go to the nearest emergencyroom!

LEARNING RESOURCE CENTER PROJECTJoint. Training Activities for EducatorS and Parents .

.The Learning Resource Center' Project is providing regional joint training activities for educators and parents.

These training activities are intended to:

Enhance program development for students with disabilitiesProvide critical information regarding federal and state, special education requirements

Relate instruction for students with disabilities to the NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards ,

Foster parent-educator collaboration in the delivery of special education programs and services

The Learning Resource Centers (LRCs) are supported through the New Jersey State Departthent of Education,Office of Special Education Programs, and are funded through I.D,E.A. Part B Funds and section 619 Pre-School Funds.

You may contact your regional Learning Resource Center for information regarding workshop registration.

LRC-N, East Orange973-414-4495

LRC-NS, Morris Plains973-292-5894

LRC-C, Aberdeen732-441-0061

LRC-S, Sewell856-582-7000

Collaboration in theSpecial Education Process

Nov 12, 20027:00 - 9:00 PM

Dec 3, 20027:00 - 9:00 PM

Oct 24, 20027:00 - 9:00 PM

Nov 20, 20027:00 - 9:00 PM

A Positive Approach toManaging Challenging Behavior

Dec 12, 20027:00 - 9:00 PM

Feb 6, 20037:00 - 9:00 PM

Nov 14, 20027:00 - 9:00 PM

Oct 29, 20027:00 - 9:00 PM

The Learning Resource Centers are registered New Jersey Professional Development Providers.

The Bridge Fall 2002

BE T COPY AVAILABLE 75Page28

ED A

atewide arena dvocac

G 0

,

The ABC's of Parent Involvementin Education: Preparing Your Child for a

Lifetime of SuccessParenting Coalition International

202-530-0849www.parentingcoalition.org

This book is a compilation of tips, stories, poems and essaysfrom parents and parenting professionalS:" It includes activi-

ties, resources, and contact information.

Parents Assuring Student Success(PASS)

National Education Service (1993)800-733-6786

Describes a program in Indiana that successfully motivatedand involved low-income families in their children's education.

Engaging Families & Communities:Pathways to Educational Success

National Community Education Association703-359-8973

www.ncea.comThis book highlights the best ideas and models for creating and

maintaining family and community involvement.

Family Involvement inChildren's Education:

Successful Local Approaches,An Idea Book

U.S. Government Printing Office,Superintendent of Documents

Mail Stop: SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-9328This book is issued by the US Department of Education. It is

designed for school administrators, teachers, policymakers andparents to help families become more active participants in

their children's education. This book is based on case studiesof 20 successful programs around the country.

Internet Resources forParents and Professionals

Federal Resources ofEducational Excellence (FREE)A group of 30 Federal agencies have made hundreds offeder-ally supported education resources available at this web site,enriching the Internet as a tool for teaching and learning.www.ed.gov/free

Communities in SchoolsWorks to keep at-risk students in school through mobilizingcommunity resources to partner with schools, especially inmentoring and tutoring programs. Write: 277 South Wash-ington Street, Suite 210, Alexandria, VA 22314, e-mail: padil-laa@cisnet.org.www.cisnet.org

Partnership for Family Involvementin Education (PFIE)(800) USA-LEARNThe mission of PFIE is to increase opportunities for familiesto be more involved in their children's learning at school andat home and to use family/school/community partnerships tostrengthen schools and improve student achievement. Write:400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202.

http://pfie.ed.gov

Institute for Responsive Education(617) 373-2595IRE promotes family and community involvement in educationwith a special emphasis on issues of educational equity.Write: 50 Nightingale Hall, Northeastern University, Boston,MA 02115www.responsiveeducation.org

National Alliance of Business -Center for Excellence in Education(202) 289-2595The Alliance promotes and supports business involvement ineducation restructuringbringing business, government, edu-cation and community organizations together in efforts to fos-ter educational change. Write: 1201 New York Avenue, NW,Washington, DC 20005.www.nab.com

The Bridge Fall 2002

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Page 29

.

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SPAN MembershipSPAN serves the communities of New Jersey free of charge.

However, we need your support to. continue our services to families and professionals throughout the state.

I By becoming a member of SPAN you will receive the following:

Three issues of The Bridge throughout the year, PLUS our "Back to School" issue

Reserved seating at our annual conference at a reduced rate

Training materials at a 20% discount

I To become a member of SPAN, or to subscribe to The Bridge, please fill out the membership_ application below

__ISPAN Membership

YES! I would like to become a member of SPAN.Please enroll me as a member -in- the- following-category:

$35 Individual Membership $150 Professional / Organization'

$50 Family Membership $250 Corporate Member

I $100 Friend of SPAN $500 Executive Benefactor

Other

The Bridge Subscription

$25 4 issues of The Bridge

Subscription to The Bridge includes three issues throughout the year PLUSan additional "Back to School' issue.

I would like to subscribe to The Bridge, but I amfinancially unable to afford the subscription fee.Please consider me for a Sponsored Subscription.

$25 I would like to sponsor a subscription to I do not wish to have my name and mailingThe Bridge for a family unable to afford it. information made available to other groups

or organizations.

I SPAN, 35 Halsey Street, 4th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102, Attn: Maria Rodriguez

The Bridge

Total Amount Enclosed Please make checks payable to SPAN, Inc. (Do not send cash)

Name:

Address:

City:

Home Phone:

E-mail:

State: Zip Code:

Business Phone:

County:

Please return this membership application and payment to:

Fall 2002

3ESTCOPY AVAILABLE78

Page 31

7VIYOUr CalelldarMaking Connections for Student Success: SPAN Conference 2003

March 14-15, 2003 - SAVE THE DATE!

Learning Resource Center ProjectThe Learning Resource Centers are offering the workshops Collaboration in the Special Educa-tion Process and A Positive Approach to Managing Challenging Behavior. See page 28 fordates, locations, and more information.

Support for Families & StudentsNov 5 10 am -12 pm New Brunswick Library: Patricia Lovelace (908) 731-4360 x5098

Special Education & School ReformNov 5 10 -11:30 am Elizabeth: Linda Olive (973) 642-8100 x115

ADHDNov 7 7:00 - 9:30 pm Union Res Ctr, Union: Barbara Walcheski (908) 686-6644 x12

Best Practices in Transition ServicesNov 12 6:45 - 8:45 pm Monmouth Cty Library, Manalapan: Judy Livny (732) 792-0594

IEP WorkshopsNov 14 7:00 - 9:00 pm Roselle Park Middle School: Tracy Maccia (908) 241-3944

Nov 21 7:00 - 9:30 pm School One, Scotch Plains: Claire Okell (908) 654-9533

School Climate, Facilities & A Systematic Approach to DisciplineNov 19 10 am - 12 pm New Brunswick Library: Patricia Lovelace (908) 731-4360 x5098

Family Resource DayNov 19 10 am - 12 pm Jardine Academy, Cranford: Martha Goz (908) 653-9333 x205

Positive Behavioral Supports / DisciplineNov 20 10 am 2:30 pm SPAN, 35 Halsey Street, 2nd Floor Conference Room, Newark

Penny Dragonetti (973) 642-8100 x102

Parent Professional Collaboration! Conflict ResolutionNov 22 10 am 2:30 pm SPAN, 35 Halsey Street, 2nd Floor Conference Room, Newark

Penny Dragonetti (973) 642-8100 x102

How is My School District Doing?Nov 26 10 am 12 pm New Brunswick Library: Patricia Lovelace (908) 731-4360 x5098

Communication & ProfessionalismDec 11 6:45 8:45 pm Monmouth Cty Library, Manalapan: Judy Livny (732) 792-0594

Resources Available to ParentsJan 14 6:45 - 8:45 pm Monmouth Cty Library, Manalapan: Judy Livny (732) 792-0594

The LawBasic Rights

Dec 5 7:30 - 9:30 pm Indian Flds Elem School, Dayton: Victoria Gartlant (732) 274-1606

Dec 9 7:00 - 9:00 pm Galloway Twp Historical Room: D. Bieniakowski (609) 965-1335

Jan 27 7:00 9:00 pm Reynolds Mid School, Hamilton Sq: Bev Bowser (609) 393-4077

Federal Laws & Programs for Student AchievementNov 12 10 am - 12 pm New Brunswick Library: Patricia Lovelace (908) 731-4360 x5098

Basic Rights I IDEA 1504Nov 12 10 am - 2:30 pm United Way, 303 Washington St, 2nd Fir Conf Room, Newark

Penny Dragonetti (973) 642-8100 x102

IEP I LRE I InclusionNov 15 10 am - 2:30 pm SPAN, 35 Halsey Street, 2nd Floor Conference Room, Newark

Penny Dragonetti (973) 642-8100 x102

Violence Prevention WorkshopsFor info and registration, please call Sh'corah Yehudah at (973) 642-8100 x113.Effective Discipline Practices for Families

Nov 19 8:30 - 10:15 am Lincoln School, Newark

Creating Positive School Environments (Bilingual)Nov 21 8:30 - 9:30 am Abraham Lincoln School, Elizabeth

The Violence Prevention Project facilitates two extensive trainings: Strengthening Families Pro-gram and Strengthening Multi-Ethnic Families & Communities. Please contact Sh'corah Yehu-dah at (973) 642-8100 x113 for the workshop series schedule.

The Parent's Role in Teaching and LearningParent Involvement in Creating Effective Schools

Nov 20 5:00 pm Tiny Love Day Care Center, Irvington: Damita Lucas (973) 373-3992

School Reform & StandardsDec 18 5:00 pm Tiny Love Day Care Center, Irvington: Damita Lucas (973) 373-3992

Staff Development & AssessmentsJan 15 5:00 pm Tiny Love Day Care Center, Irvington: Damita Lucas (973) 373-3992

Find all SPAN workshops, trainingsand events at www.spannj.org

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Bright Futures / Maternal & Child Health Bureau ofU.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Center for Health Care Strategies

Developmental Disabilities Council of New Jersey

Family Voices

Healthcare Foundation

IOLTA Fund of the New Jersey Bar Association

Mercer County Division for Youth

New Jersey Department of Education

New Jersey Department of Health & Senior Services,Special Child & Adult Health Services

New Jersey Department of Human Services

Schumann Fund of New Jersey

U.S. Department of EducationOffice of Elementary and Secondary Education Programs

U.S. Department of EducationOffice of Special Education Programs

BEST COPY AVAILABLE 81.

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REGM'RA1ONUGH SREAKFAS-Lobby8:30 9:00 AM

OPENING SEM°Ballroom9:00 9:30 AM

WelcomeDe pum goEmzmv, suque Conference Co-ChairRemarksDebum gemmEmoso ZaZal citing Executive DirectorKeynote AddressliEcIEMe Tnsaliom, EPuesEcEent9 New jersey Education Association

Introduction of Guest Speakereaum, gemmEmsz

Special Guest SpeakerMom. WEIILIELami 1. IiiEbreoa,Stale off Raw 1102'Sey Cosrmnissioner of Education

Commissioner of Education

Hon. WilliamLibrera

will be giving remarks at9:30 am on Friday, March 8th

ORNIING SESSIONSee workshop schedule for locations9:45 AM- 11:15 ANi

LUNCHBallroom11:30 PM- 12:30 PM

EARLY ArERKOSee workshop schedule for locations12:30 PM 2:00 PM

SESSION

M1110-AF'ERHOON SIESSWSee workshop schedule for locations2:15 - 3:45 PM

BEST COPY AVAILABLE83

PROFESSIONALDEVELOPMENT

CREDITSPAN NJ is a registered provider with theState of New Jersey. Programs offered atthis conference are eligible for Professional

Development Credit. Participants mayqualify for up to 5 hours of continuingeducation units for each day of the

conference.

PLEASE BE PUNCTUAL!To qualify for Professional Development

Credit, participants must arrive within thefirst 10 minutes of the presentation and

remain until its conclusion.

Keynote9:00 A 9:30 AM

tk)

lisEeseg Mcaugmtn©Et

With her election to the presi-dency of the 172,000-memberNew Jersey Education Associa-tion in May 2001, Edithe Fulton

leads the organization for the second timein her 35-year career in public education.

An admired and respected educationleader, Ms. Fulton is known as a strong ad-vocate for education employees and theirstudents.

She returns to the NJEA presidency as theorganization launches a new initiative: Ex-panding the Scope of Advocacy for GreatPublic Schools. She will be NJEA's primaryspokesperson on a wide range of issues,ranging from legislation to permit educatorsto negotiate over professional concerns toreducing class size in the elementarygrades.

Ms. Fulton serves as NJEA president from1981 to 1985, after serving as the associa-tion's secretary-treasurer and vice-president. She has just completes a four-year term as NJEA vice president, after fouryears as secretary-treasurer.

For the past four years, she has served ashost of "Classroom Close-Up, New Jersey,"NJEA's Emmy Award Winning weekly TVshow airing on NJN, and featuring stories oninnovative public school programs andcurrent issues facing New Jersey educators.

During her first term as NJEA president, Ms.Fulton articulated NJEA members' viewsduring the emergence of state and nationaleducation reform movements. During thattime, she served on the Governor's Commis-

84

esidentssociation

sion on Alternative Certification and theGovernor's Master Teacher Commission.

As a teacher and member of her local asso-ciation, she has been a strong advocate forher members and their students. Her col-leagues have elected her to numerousleadership positions, including the presi-dency of the Lakehurst Education Associa-tion and the Ocean County Education As-sociation.

Ms. Fulton has twice been elected to theBoard of Directors of the National EducationAssociation, and is serving her 30th con-secutive year as an NJEA delegate to theNEA Representative Assembly.

She began her career in 1966 as a fourth-grade teacher at Lakehurst ElementarySchool, and has been on leave from herteaching position while serving as an NJEAofficer.

A trained musician and performing artist,Ms. Fulton combined those talents in hercapacity as a fourth-grade teacher and aK-8 teacher of performing arts in Lakehurst,in a program that encompassed art, poetry,illustration, public speaking, and debating.

She served on the Council of New JerseyAffairs at Princeton University's WoodrowWilson School, and has been active in awide range of community activities with herchurch, hospital auxiliary, and UNICEF.

Ms. Fulton is married to Herb Smith, a retiredteacher, and lives in Toms River. She hasthree sons, two daughters-in-law, and fourgranddaughters.

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

The Abbott Reguiations: Auditoriumimplications for School improvementRobert Broderick, Field Representative for Leadership Training, NJEATonya Hall, SPAN Project Coordinator, New Jersey Parent Information Resource Center (NJPIRC)The Abbott regulations are supposed to govern how Abbott districts operate. Hear an overview of these regulations and howyou can work with them to help shape your child's educational experience. There will be a question and answer period and a

time for sharing experiences across district lines.

Strategies for Successful inciusion: E I F

Adaptations & ModificationsDan Caste 'grant, NJEA Professional Development ConsultantThis hands-on workshop allows participants to discover an array of activities, methods and adaptive strategies for teachingall students in an inclusive setting. Ideal for general and special education teachers and paraprofessionals.

Special Kids are Gifted, Tod Ballroom ADiana Autin, Director, Statewide Parent Advocacy NetworkLearn more about the various ways in which children learn and communicate their understanding of the world. Use chil-dren's strengths to support weaker areas of learning and help them make a positive contribution to the classroom.

Bully-Proofing the ClassrooLisa Daly, do Barbara T. Sprechman, Prevention FirstLearn how to prevent bullying by heightening students' self-esteem, pride, security, and confidence within the classroom.Strategies will be provided which school staff can use to enable students to identify their feelings/emotions, perceptions, andneeds as part of learning how to accept and respect others. Participants will gain tools for creating a comfortable, secureschool environment where students can relax, be themselves, and open up to appropriate educational and social experi-

ences.

CID

Parents and Professionals: Partners Together Ballro m BDeborah Conway, Associate Director, Professional Development & Instructional Issues, NJEAPenny Dragonetti, SPAN Northern Training CoordinatorSchools work best when families, school staff and communities work as partners. Partnerships take work and trust. Thisworkshop focuses on collaborative teaming, communication, and advocacy, and is specifically designed for both parents andeducators. Strategies for building trusting relationships and creating successful plans will be shared.

The Transition - Communication Connection:All About Aug entative CommunicationSuzanne Montagna, CCC-SLP, Speech Language Pathologist, Emerson Jr/Sr. High SchoolPatricia Paraskevacos, SPAN Project Coordinator, Project CAREKimberly Bridle, CCC-SLP, ATP, Assistive Technology Specialist, Bergen County Special ServicesExamine and discuss a model for providing effective communication alternatives to verbal/nonverbal students at the transi-tion age of 14 and above. This workshop specifically focuses on considering augmentative communication systems as asupport or backup for traditional oral communication and looks at teambuilding, peer support, and integration strategies from

the perspective of a parent, a speech-language pathologist, and an assistive technology specialist.

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M©=c) (Dm VW®EamlicD7

Basic Legai Rights of °DEA and Section 504: AuditoriumContrast and ComparePenny Dragonetti, SPAN Northern Training CoordinatorThis workshop focuses on the right to services and accommodations for students with disabilities and specialhealth/emotional needs who may be eligible for services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act or IDEA. Theworkshop describes the similarities and differences between these two federal laws.

Functionai Behavior Assessments Baiiroomand the inclusive ClassroomChris Devaney, Building Futures Project, Division of Developmental DisabilitiesCliff VonSternberg, Building Futures Project, Division of Developmental DisabilitiesIn order to effectively address challenging behavior, team members need to understand why behaviors occur,even after numerous intervention efforts have been attempted. This can be accomplished by conducting a thcr-ough functional assessment. This workshop will demonstrate to participants on how to properly conduct a furc-tional Behavioral Assessment in order to have a full understanding of why a behavior is occurring.

Violence: its impact and impiications Ballroom BJudith Lockard, Institute for Family Services, Inc.Taking a global look at violence: how it shapes societies, how its impact affects us morally, socially, emotionally,sexually, culturally and spiritually; its implication in various cultures and how that impacts on all humanity.

Parents' Perspectives C IMalia Corde, SPAN Project Coordinator, Parent to ParentPatricia Paraskevacos, SPAN Project Coordinator, Project CARENina Serebransky, Southern Regional Associate, NJ Statewide Parent to ParentThis workshop will give parents and professionals the chance to hear from parents "who have been there" andhow they have dealt with the joys and struggles of raising a child with special needs. You will be able to a*questions and gain valuable information and resources.

Getting On Board: Reac Out to Community Partners E I FDeborah Conway, Associate Director, Professional Development & Instructional Issues, NJEADiscover strategies for organizing elements of the community to become active participating stakeholders whostep up to the plate to assume shared responsibility for the education of all children.

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Mi2:15 P

-Afternoon or- 3:45 PM

PsThe IEP: The Living Docu ent FaDlroom APeg Kinsell, SPAN Southern Training CoordinatorRoberta Wohle, Office of Special Education Programs, New Jersey Department of EducationFamilies and educators are introduced their roles in developing and implementing an effective Individualized EducationalProgram. Step by step, the facilitators will take you through the process and demonstrate how collaborative teamwork equals

results for children.

Division of Vocational Rehabilitation: C I D

From the IEP to the IPEAlice Hunnicutt, SPAN Project Coordinator, Transition to Adult LifeThe Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) entitles students with disabilities to receive the transition services nec-essary to ensure successful linkages upon graduation. A critical link for students in transition is with the Division of VocationalRehabilitation Services. (DVRS). DVRS provides support necessary to achieve employment for persons with disabilities. Twoyears prior to graduation a counselor from DVRS can open a case for a student in transition. The student's Individual Educa-tion Program employment goals should be included in the DVRS Individual Plan for Employment. This workshop will showparticipants a systematic approach to incorporate goals and objectives related to career from the student's IEP into the IPE.

Making A Difference: Effective Advocacy E I FPart I: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance: Preparing for AdvocacyDiana Autin, Statewide Parent Advocacy NetworkParents and professionals can work together to change the policies and practices that affect our children.This three-part workshop provides the information and tools you need to be an effective grassroots public policy advocate.In this program we answer: What is "advocacy?" How does change happen? How can you be a more effective advocate forchange? What is the role of a vision, mission, and strategic plan in public policy advocacy? This workshop introduces you tothe change process and gives you tools and helpful hints on how to prepare your public policy "action plan."

Positive Behavior Supports AuditoriumChris Devaney, Building Futures Project, Division of Developmental DisabilitiesCliff VonStemberg, Building Futures Project, Division of Developmental DisabilitiesOne of the greatest challenges facing educators in inclusive settings is knowing how to work with students who exhibit chal-lenging behavior. One of the most effective strategies to address this is through school-based teams working collaboratively,to assess, problem solve, design and implement positive behavior support plans. This workshop will present a proactiveapproach to understanding the functions and conditions affecting challenging behavior. Participants will learn best practicestrategies to conduct a functional assessment and how to use this information to collaboratively design an intervention planthat provides positive supports and teach students alternative skills and/or coping strategies.

Anger Management Ballroom BSam Hull, Bridgeton Public SchoolsThis workshop is designed to help educators and parents maintain self-control and maximize healthy communications evenwhen provoked or irritated. Discover strategies and techniques to defuse conflict and handle confrontations in a non-harmfulmanner.

Starting Your Own Study GroupC.R. Williams, Caldwell Public SchoolsLearn a collaborative approach to professional development supported by the New Jersey Network for Educational Renewal.Hear about sharing innovative efforts and ideas through an electronic journal and doing classroom research.

BIESTCYVY AVAII ARI P 87

®

New Jersey Education Association180 West State St., P.O. Box 1211, Trenton, NJ 08607-1211

(609) 599-4561

fax: (609) 599-1201www.njea.org

Danny Adlerman47 Stoneham Place, Metuchen, NJ 08840

(732) 548-1779e-mail: bookkids@aol.com

www.dannyandkim.comwww.author-illustr-source.com/danandkimadlerman.htm

AXA AdvisorsMichael Feldenzer, Financial Consultant

750 Route 73, Suite 207, Marlton, NJ 08053(856) 751-2688

fax: (856) 751-3309e-mail: michael.feldenzer@axa-advisors.com

www.axaonline.com

Elizabeth M. Boggs Center onDevelopmental Disabilities I UMDNJ

Robyn Risley, Communications335 George St., P.O. Box 2688, New Brunswick, NJ 08809

(732) 235-9310fax: (732) 235-9330

e-mail: risleyre@umdnj.eduhttp://rwjms.umdnj.edu/boggscenter

Douglass OutreachMarlene Brown, Assistant Division Director

30 Gibbons Circle, New Brunswick, NJ 08901(732) 932-3902

fax: (732) 932-4469e-mail: cricardo@rci.rutgers.edu

www.rci.rutgers.edu/dddc

Family Support Center

Family VoicesLauren Agoratus & Beverly Bowser, Project Coordinators

do Statewide Parent Advocacy Network35 Halsey Street, 4th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102

(800) 654-7726Lauren: (609) 584-5779

e-mail: familyvoices@spannj.orgwww.spannj.org/family_voices.htm

Family v, APPatricia Paraskevacos, Project Coordinator

do Statewide Parent Advocacy Network35 Halsey Street, 4th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102

(800) 654-7726Patricia: (973) 523-6778 x19e-mail: paraskevac@aol.com

www.spannj.org

NJ Dept. of Health & Senior ServicesSpecial Child, Adult &

Early Intervention ServicesGloria Jones-Grant, Director

P. 0. Box 360, Trenton, NJ 08625-0360(609) 984-0755

gjonesgrant@doh.state.nj.uswww.state.nj.us/health/fhs/schome.htm

New Jersey DevelopmentalDisabilities Council

Monique Wilson, Statewide Family Support CoordinatorP.O. Box 700, Trenton, NJ 08625

(609) 341-3112fax: (609) 292-7114

e-mail: monique.wilson@njddc.orgwww.njddc.org

Statewide Parent Advocacy Network35 Halsey Street, 4th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102

(800) 654-7726fax: (973) 642-8080

e-mail: span@spannj.orgwww.spannj.org

U.S. Department of EducationOffice of Special Education Programs

400 Maryland Ave., S.W., Washington, DC 20202(202) 205-5507

www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/

A Vision in Motion Speakers ureauJay Gittleson, President

380 Washington Avenue, Rutherford, NJ 07070(201) 939-1088

e-mail: jay@visioninmotion.comwww.avisioninmotion.com

8 8 BESTCOPYAVAILABLE

AlendaMarch 9, 2002

ct)

REGISTRATIONUGHT BREAKFASTLobby8:30 9:00 AM

OPENING SESSIONBallroom9:00 9:30 AM

WelcomePatti Ciccone, SPAN Conference Co-Chafe.RemarksDebra jenzu gs, SPAN Acting Executiwe aftrectozeKeynote Addressfennifer McKeown, Young Adult, Student, an

MORNING SESSIONSee workshop schedule for locations9:45 AM - 11:15 AM

LUNCHBallroom11:30 PM - 12:30 PM

EARLY AFTER OON SESSIONSee workshop schedule for locations12:30 PM - 2:00 PM

MID-AFTERNO N SESSIONSee workshop schedule for locations2:15 PM 3:45 PM

BEST COPY AVAILABLE 89

SeEff @hvocate

PROFESSZDEVELOP ENT

CHEDr72SPAN NJ is a registered provider withthe State of New Jersey. Programs

offered at this conference are eligible forProfessional Development Credit.Participants may qualify for up to 5

hours of continuing aucat:on unitsfor each day of the conference.

PLEASE /MEPUNCITATM

To qualify for Professional DevelopmentCredit, participants must Veulf8 vfk]ntea first 10 minutes of n2 presenta-tion artd rerna:n until concus:on.

16c#,7tegfit,

"EEEcanaCeEi90 760e© r113Ee Rgnas MDds gomaznixasmity

A student shares the journey of her life in thecommunity and her dreams and apirations for the future.

ennifer is a second year senior at Washington TownshipHigh School in Washington Township, Gloucester County,New Jersey. She is currently a part time employee atHome Depot in Turnersville, New Jersey.

Jennifer's favorite recreational activities include singing anddancing in local community theater productions.

In the past three years, Jennifer has presented at many local,state, and national conferences in New Jersey, Pennsylvania,and Florida to parent groups, agencies, school districts, andstudents on the topics of /self determination and a valued pa-ticipating life in the community.

DO BEST COPY AVAILABLE

sThe 1EP: The Living Document AuditoriumPeg Kinsell, SPAN Southern Training CoordinatorRoberta Wohle, Office of Special Education Programs, New Jersey Department of EducationFamilies and educators are introduced their roles in developing and implementing an effective Individualized EducationalProgram. Step by step, the facilitators will take you through the process and demonstrate how collaborative teamwork

equals results for children.

If Abbott is the Law, here's he Money? Ballroom AIrene Sterling, Executive Director, Paterson Education FundParticipants will receive an update on the fiscal realities of Abbott funding. Learn more about ongoing legal actions andwhat we may expect with the new governor regarding moving forward with the Supreme Court's ruling on parity in

educational opportunities for all children.

Creating Kids ith Compasshlwi:Taking he "Dis" Out of DisabilityPaul Stuart Wichansky, A Vision in Motion Speakers BureauFor twenty-one years, Paul has been visiting New Jersey schools to discuss the perspectives and realities of growing upwith his cerebral palsy. By sharing his experiences with humor, while encouraging students to ask questions that would helppositively shape their understanding of people with disabilities, Paul tries to instill the hope, energy, and inspiration thatstudents need to achieve their own goals and dreams in life. A highly effective and polished speaker, Paul is presently amember of A Vision in Motion, a speakers bureau of motivators who have overcome tremendous adversities to inspire and

positively shape the lives of children and teens.

Ballroom B

None of Us is as Smart as An of Us:Developing Ttur Own Mutual Aid Self-Help GroupEd Madera, Director, NJ Self-Help Group ClearinghouseWill describe the "nuts and bolts" of joining with others to start and run a parent support group that meets your needs andthose of your members. Will touch on ways to develop an online support group if your child has a rare disorder for which

there is no existing mutual support network.

Making ifference: Effective AdvocacyPart II: Democracy is Not a Spectator Sport: Introduction to Advocacy StrategiesDiana Autin, Statewide Parent Advocacy NetworkParents and professionals can work together to change the policies and practices that affect our children.This three-part workshop provides the information and tools you need to be an effective grassroots public policy advocate.This introductory, hands-on workshop is for parents and professionals who have little or no experience participating in

public policy advocacy. If you've never visited a legislator or testified before a state agency, this is the workshop for you!Learn how to reach legislative, executive, and regulatory policymakers with your written and in-person thoughts and ideas.Workshop participants will plan and carry out a role-play of a group visit to a legislator.

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Ea twIED,cDiomric) if

12:30 PM - 2 PRiE

Special Education Update AuditoriuBarbara Gantwerk, Director, Office of Special Education Programs, New Jersey Department of Education

10 Steps a Drug-Free ChildConnie SchmidtParents and educators are the frontline defense for keeping children drug free. Learn the important messages to impart toyoung people and the signs to look for.

E

Violence: Its Impact and implications Ballroom ADiane K. Jordan, MA, LPC, Institute for Family Services, Inc.Taking a global look at violence: how it shapes societies, how its impact affects us morally, socially, emotionally, sexually,culturally and spiritually; its implication in various cultures and how that impacts on all humanity.

We Are Not "Oncluding" Anyone -

They Are !ready ThereMary Sullivan, Assistant Principal, Director of Child Study, Franklin Township Elementary SchoolCindy Hudock, RN, Franklin Township Elementary SchoolMafia Corde, SPAN Project Coordinator, Parent to ParentThe Franklin Township School district's philosophy is that all students can and, in most instances, should be educatedamong their peers within the general education environment. A snapshot of one of our students should provide evidencethat our philosophy is not only educationally and morally right for children, but that it does indeed work for them.

Families, Comiisunities and Schools Together BaHroRev. A. B. Frazier, Pastor, Second Baptist Church and Community Development CenterHazel Russell, Community Relations Specialist, NJ Department of LaborJ. Augustus Jones, Educator, Burlington City Public SchoolsOlivia Baxter, Educator, Burlington City Public SchoolsHear more about how collaboration can effect positive change. Schools are finding that parents and community agenciesare great partners for raising student achievement. Learn about programs that can help you find support for improvementsto your school and your neighborhoods.

*m B

Making A Difference: Effective AdvocacyPart III: Advanced Advocacy: Making a Real DifferenceDiana Autin, Statewide Parent Advocacy NetworkParents and professionals can work together to change the policies and practices that affect our children.This three-part workshop provides the information and tools you need to be an effective grassroots public policy advocate.This hands-on workshop is for parents and professionals who have dabbled a little in policy advocacy or for those whohave completed Part II of the training series. If you've written some letters, met once or a few times with a legislator, orparticipated on a task force or committee reviewing public policy, this is the workshop for you! Learn how to expand yourinfluence through grassroots, media, and coalition advocacy. Spread the word and the work!

92 BEST COPY AVAILABLE

0AaTmEivcDEDAKVIEDg a2:15 Pr ZiE - 2:CS MaiE

Basic Lega0 'Rights of IDEA an. Section 504:Contrast and ComparePenny Dragonetti, SPAN's Resource Center CoordinatorThis workshop focuses on the right to services and accommodations for students with disabilities and specialhealth/emotional needs who may be eligible for services under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act or IDEA.The workshop describes the similarities and differences between these two federal laws.

Auditorium

Making Onciusion HappenPaula Leib, Esq., President, NJ Coalition for Inclusive EducationLearn more about the legal aspects of inclusion with an emphasis on what parents need b know.

BaHroom A

New Jersey's C lildren's System of Cave initiativeLea Phelps, Monmouth County Family Support OrganizationSue DiBennedetto, Monmouth County Family Support OrganizationFor just over a year, parents and care managers have been implementing a new system which coordinatesservices for children with special emotional and/or behavior needs. Come and hear the progress in these firstmonths and find out when these services will be coming to your county.

Bu011y-Proofing: BaOlroom

How to Fl e p Your ChM ResoOve ConflictJudy Linscott, LCSW, CPS, do Barbara T. Sprechman, Prevention FirstParents will learn the ABC's of bullying behavior: its origins, its impact on the actor and the victim; how to recog-nize warning signs; and how to constructively resolve conflicts and seek alternative solutions with youngsters.

A Couples' Pane DiscussionThis workshop will give couples an opportunity to speak with other couples who are raising a ctild with specialneeds. These couples come from various backgrounds and have children with various special needs. Hear firsthand from them how raising a child with special needs has impacted their marriages and how they have kepttheir marriages strong through the ups and downs of daily life.

Managed Care for C withSpecial Keallth Care Needs and their FamiliesCathie Sims, BSN, MPH, Researcher, Family Voices of NJ at SPANThis workshop will introduce you to New Jersey Care 2000+, the new Medicaid managed health care system forNew Jersey residents. Topics include: what services are covered; useful terminology; selecting a plan and aprovider; working with providers; advocating for your child; appeals; and resources. Principles discussed may

be useful for anyone interacting with an HMO for the first time.

BEST COPY AVAILABLE93

Diana AutinExecutive Director,

Statewide Parent Advocacy Network35 Halsey Street, 4th Floor

Newark, NJ 07102(800) 654-7726

fax (973) 642-8080diana.autin@spannj.org

www.spannj.org

Olivia BaxterParent Liaison,

Burlington City Public SchoolsBurlington, NJ

Kimberly Bridle,CCC-SLP, ATP

Assistive Technology SpecialistBergen County Special Services

Educational Technology DepartmentE. 64 Midland AvenueParamus, NJ 07652

(201) 265-6300kimbri@bergen.org

Robert BroderickField Representative for

Leadership TrainingNew Jersey Education Association180 West State St., P.O. Box 1211

Trenton, NJ 08607-1211(609) 599-4561 x 2248

Dan Caste !grantNJEA Professional Dvlpmt Consultant

do NJEAPO Box 1211

Trenton, NJ 08607(609) 599 4561 x 2260

Deborah ConwayAssociate Director,

Professional Development &Instructional Issues

New Jersey Education Association180 West State St., P.O. Box 1211

Trenton, NJ 08607-1211(609) 599-4561 x 2269

fax (609) 599-1201dconway@njea.org

www.njea.org

CordeSPAN Project Coordinator,

Parent to Parent3 Adrienne CourtAsbury, NJ 08802

(908) 537-7550maliac@aol.com

Lisa Dalydo Barbara T. Sprechman

Prevention First1806 Highway 35

Oakhurst, NJ 07755www.preventionfirst.org

Chris DevaneyBuilding Futures Project

Division of Developmental Disabilities40 N. White Horse PikeHammonton, NJ 08037

(609) 567-8076OCShark@aol.com

Sue DiBennedetto

Penny DragoriettiSPAN Northern Training Coordinator

33 South Fullerton AvenueMontclair, NJ 07042(973) 509 9777 x121fax (973) 509-9888

e-mail pdragonetti@spannj.org

Rev. A. B. FrazierPastor, Second Baptist Church

& Community Development CenterPaulsboro, NJ 08066

(856) 488-8184

Edithe FultonPresident,

New Jersey Education Association180 West State St., P.O. Box 1211

Trenton, NJ 08607-1211(609) 599-4561

fax (609) 599-1201

www.njea.org

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Barbara GantwerkDirector,

Office of Special Education ProgramsNew Jersey Department of Education

P.O. Box 500Trenton, NJ 08625-0500

Tonya S. HallSPAN Project Director,

New Jersey Parent InformationResource Centers (NJPIRC)

Statewide Parent Advocacy Network35 Halsey Street, 4th Floor

Newark, NJ 07102(800) 654-7726 x114fax (973) 642-8080

e-mail goals2000@spannj.orgwww.spannj.org

Cindy Hudock, RNFranklin Township Elementary School

52 Asbury-Broadway RoadWashington, NJ 07882

(908) 689-7270

Sam HullCoordinator,

Adult Education ProgramsBridgeton Public Schools

Bridgeton, NJ

Alice HunnicuttSPAN Project Coordinator,

Transition to Adult LifeStatewide Parent Advocacy Network

35 Halsey Street, 4th FloorNewark, NJ 07102

(800) 654-7726 x103fax (973) 642-8080

e-mail transition@spannj.orgwww.spannj.org

J. Augustus JonesEducator,

Burlington City Public SchoolsBurlington, NJ

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

Diane K. Jordan,MA, LPC

Institute for Family Services, Inc.3 Clyde Road, Suite 101

Somerset, NJ 08873(732) 873-1663/0744fax (732) 873-2926

Peg KinsellSPAN Southern Training Coordinator

(609) 893-5177pkinsell@spannj.org

Paula Leib, Esq.President,

NJ Coalition for Inclusive EducationP.O. Box 186

East Brunswick, NJ 08816(732) 613-0400

fax (732) 390-3319NJCIE@comcast.net

or paulaslieb@aol.com

illiam L. Librera, Ed.D.Commissioner,

Department of Education100 River View Plaza

P.O. Box 500Trenton, NJ 08625-0500

(609) 292-4469fax (609) 777-4099

www.state.nj.us/education

Judy Linscott,LCS\,,, CPS

c/o Barbara T. SprechmanPrevention First1806 Highway 35

Oakhurst, NJ 07755bsprechman@preventionfirst.net

Judith LockardInstitute for Family Services, Inc.

3 Clyde Road, Suite 101Somerset, NJ 08873(732) 873-1663/0744fax (732) 873-2926

Ed MaderaDirector,

NJ Self-Help Group ClearinghouseSt. Clare's Hospital

Denville, NJ 07834-2995(800) 367-6274

ed@selfhelpgroups.orgwww.njgroups.org

Jennifer McKeowndo Joanne McKeown

Statewide Parent Advocacy Network(800) 654-7726

ta.south@spannj.org

Suzanne Montagna,CCC-SLP

Speech Language Pathologist,Emerson Jr./Sr. High School

92 Sturbridge CircleWayne, New Jersey 07475

(973) 633-8635

Patricia ParaskevacosSPAN Project Coordinator,

Project CARE167 Terrace Avenue

North Haledon, NJ 07508(973) 523-6778

paraskevac @aol.com

Lea Phelps

bagel RussellCoordinator,

Community/Business PartnershipsNJ Department of Labor

Warren St.Trenton, NJ

Connie Schmidt

Nina SerebranskySouthern Regional AssociateNJ Statewide Parent to Parent

27 Hallo DriveSewell, NJ 08080(856) 589-3549

the4ss @voicenet.com

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Cathie Sims, ISSN, MPHResearcher,

Family Voices of NJ at SPAN276 Dodds Lane

Princeton, NJ 08540

(609) 688-1001

simsc@mindspring.com

Irene SterlingExecutive Director,

Paterson Education Fund22 Mill Street

Paterson, NJ 07501

(973) 881-8914isterling@paterson-education.org

Mary SullivanAssistant Principal

Director of Child StudyFranklin Twp Elementary School

52 Asbury-Broadway RoadWashington, NJ 07882

(908) 689-1505

Cliff VonSternbergBuilding Futures Project

Division of DevelopmentalDisabilities

40 N. White Horse PikeHammonton, NJ 08037

(609) 567-8076CVonsternb@aol.com

Paul Stuart ochansIcyA Vision in Motion Speakers Bureau

380 Washington AvenueRutherford, NJ 07070

www.avisioninmotion.com

C.R. WilliamsCaldwell Public Schools

Caldwell, NJ

Roberta ohleOffice of Special Ed Programs

New Jersey Department of EducationP.O. Box 500

Trenton, NJ 08625-0500

www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/

ANNUAL REPORT

ActivitiesJuly 1, 2001 - June 30, 2002

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STATEWIDE PARENT ADVOCACY NETWORKJULY 1, 2001 JUNE 30, 2002

Mission

The mission of the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN) is to empower families andinform and involve professionals and other individuals interested in the healthy development andeducation rights of children. Through this collaboration, all children will become fullyparticipating and contributing members of our communities and society. SPAN's foremostcommitment is to children with the greatest need due to disability; poverty; discrimination basedon race, sex, or language; geographic location; or other special circumstances.

SPAN Activities

SPAN works toward our mission by providing information, training, technical assistance,support, leadership development, and public policy advocacy on education, health and humanservices issues affecting children ages birth to 21. SPAN's multi-faceted program is carried outby a bilingual, multiracial staff of 55 parents throughout New Jersey.

Individual Advocacy and Technical Assistance

SPAN staff and Resource Parents assist over 60,000 families, students, and professionals eachyear in resolving education and health-related issues free of charge.

Parent and Proje.ssional Development

SPAN conducts extensive workshops on educational rights and advocacy, collaboration, andleadership skills for 42,500 parents, educators, community-based organizations, and otherprofessionals annually. We also publish and disseminate materials to over 100,000 parents,professionals and advocates for children and youth each year. Our website, www.spannj.org, isvisited by over 20,000 families annually.

Research, Administrative Negotiation, and Litigation

In conjunction with other advocacy organizations, SPAN conducts action-oriented research onissues identified by our work. Our research and reports are the basis of reform-directednegotiations with public officials. When negotiations are not successful, SPAN collaborates withother advocacy organizations in litigation to promote systemic change to improve servicedelivery for thousands of children in public schools, such as litigation on fiscal equity for urbanschools, and improvements in special education regulations and standards.

Overview

Since 1987, the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN) has worked in partnership withNew Jersey's most impoverished and vulnerable families to secure quality and equal publiceducation and health services for all children, from infancy to age 21. SPAN works on behalf of

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children who are at greatest risk for discrimination and/or academic failure due to poverty, race,ethnicity, disability, special health or emotional needs, immigrant status or limited Englishproficiency, involvement in the child welfare or juvenile justice system, homelessness, or otherspecial circumstances.

In the last three years, SPAN has moved to the forefront of educational advocacy, training andpolicy in New Jersey. SPAN has more than doubled in size, to its current complement of 55 full-and part-time staff, doubled in operating budget, opened six additional offices throughout NewJersey, and substantially expanded program activities. SPAN's leadership has been honored byreceipt of the Rockefeller Foundation "Next Generation of Leadership" Fellowship for 2001-2002, as well as the 2002 Distinguished Service Award from the New Jersey Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

SPAN is New .Jersey's Parent Information & Resource Center, operating the Parent LeadershipDevelopment Institute; Parents as Teachers (PAT) programs in Abbott districts and with migrantworkers; and the Violence Prevention/Strengthening Families program. SPAN is also the ParentTraining and Information Center for families of children with special needs. SPAN houses NewJersey Statewide Parent to Parent and Family Voices, and is a chapter of the Federation ofFamilies for Children's Mental Health. SPAN partners with the New Jersey State Department ofEducation on the State Improvement Grant, operating the Statewide Technical AssistanceResource Team Project (START). SPAN also partners with the New Jersey Department ofHealth and Senior Services on Family WRAP (Wisdom, Resources, Advocacy, and Parent-to-Parent Support). SPAN is a member of the National Coalition of Advocates for Students, theNational Parent Network on Disabilities, the National Coalition of Education Activists, theNational Black Child Development Institute, Communities Can!, Family Support America,Bright Futures for Families, and the Coalition for Essential Schools. SPAN also serves as theCenter of Expertise on School Reform for the National Technical Assistance Alliance for ParentCenters.

Information, Training, Technical Assistance and Support

During the past year, SPAN staff, Resource Parents and Support Parents have conducted over1,000 workshops for more than 42,500 families and professionals. Telephone technical assistancehas been provided to over 53,000 families and 7,700 professionals, and there have been over6,380 in-person contacts for information, technical assistance, and support. Over 1,500 familieswere directly served by our Parents as Teachers project (85% minority; 93% low-income; 41%limited English proficient); each family received an average of 1.5 home visits a month for atotal of 26,000 home visits. SPAN staff have had over 15,000 meeting contacts on policycommittees and task forces.SPAN materials were disseminated to over 20,000 parents and 6,000 professionalsat conferences,and over 27,000 parents received information through SPAN's website and the website of two ofour Community Resource Centers. SPAN has disseminated over 205,000 information packets,brochures, manuals, newsletters, and other written materials. 77 medical students and 32families have participated in the Medical Student Education Project.

Impact of our Work

Telephone and written surveys indicate that SPAN's services and support are having positiveimpacts on children and families:

Telephone Technical Assistance

96% of families felt that the telephone technical assistance they received was helpful;85% felt more confident as a result of the telephone technical assistance received;70% said that the information helped them to secure services for their child;75% felt that they would not have been able to receive assistance without SPAN; andOver 90% of families responding to SPAN's mail-in technical assistance survey felt that theinformation they received was timely, accurate, useful, and presented with a positive attitude.

Training

95% of training participants indicated that the training information was useful;90% felt more confident as a result of participating in the workshop;90% said that they were more effective or more involved since the workshop;70% said their child had received more appropriate services because of workshopinformation (another 15% were still awaiting results); andOver 90% of training evaluations were rated "excellent" or "very good;"

Parents As Teachers

Families receiving Parents As Teachers (PAT) services reported that they were:

More confident in their parenting skills and knowledge;More knowledgeable about their child's development and therefore more able to provideopportunities at home to support growth and development;Are reading to their children more often;Are more involved in their child's schooling; andHave greatly benefited from the group meetings and the referrals they receive from theirFamily Outreach Worker.

Family Outreach Workers report that:

Children involved in the PAT program are significantly more advanced (after participation)than comparison children in language, problem-solving, and other cognitive abilities andsocial development;Families involved in the PAT program are more confident in their ability to support childdevelopment and more able to provide high quality infant and toddler care;The adaptability of the PAT program allowed them to provide services for all families;The pre- and post-training sessions were a great source of support and provided an excellentforum to voice concerns.

Last year, the State Department of Human Services agreed to train all Family Outreach Workersin every Abbott district in the Parents As Teachers model.

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SPAN Conferences: The two-day Annual SPAN Conference, a partnership with the New JerseyState Department of Education and the New Jersey Education Association, was very successful,with over 300 participants. The overall conference evaluation score was 4.5 out of a possible 5points, and most evaluations were extremely positive. This was SPAN's largest conference ever,and reflected a significant increase in attendance by professionals and payment by districts forparents to attend. SPAN's New Jersey Inclusive Child Care conference was also very successful,attracting 200 child care providers. Evaluations were extremely positive.

Public Policy Issues: SPAN is continuing to be very active on a multitude of public policyissues, with successful outcomes. We disseminated .informational Action Alerts on:

Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and proposed disciplinerevisions to IDEA;Changes to the U.S. Department of Education's monitoring of states;Implementation of the statewide coordination component of the children's system of careinitiative for children with mental health needs, and implications of President Bush's budgetproposals for mental health services for children;Increased special education funding in New Jersey for children with "extraordinary needs"and proposed revisions to the State special education code;Implementation of the universal early childhood mandate in New Jersey's poorest urbandistricts.

In addition, SPAN staff continue to serve on numerous committees working to impact publicpolicy, including:

New Jersey Association of Partners in Education, Public Education Institute Roundtahles,State Department of Education Abbott Governance Advisory Committee, State Department ofEducation Conference Planning Committee on core curriculum content standards, StateConference on equity and cultural diversity planning committee, Regional and nationalconsortia on minority achievement, Newark Whole School Reform Oversight Committee, andother committees and task forces focusing on making school reform and the Abbott decisionwork for children.

NJ Developmental Disabilities Council Education Subcommittee and the NJ Coalition forInclusive Education, working to foster inclusion, improve teacher pre-service and in-servicepreparation, and increase accountability and enforcement. SPAN staff are active on theAccountability Workgroup of the DDC Education Subcommittee, analyzing monitoringreports and complaint investigations, and being interviewed by print and broadcast reportersand editors.

Family Voices-NI @ SPAN, Exceptional Parent Magazine Advisory Editorial Board, EasternParalyzed Veterans' Associations Managed Care Network, SSI Alliance, Medicaid Alliance,Medicaid Workgroup for People with Disabilities, Community Health Law Project "To YourHealth" Advisory Committee, Title V Dissemination Committee, American Academy ofPediatrics-NI Chapter Committee on Children with Disabilities, Mainstreaming MedicalCare Conference Advisory Committee, NI Citizen Action Health Coalition, Promise theChildren Network, and other committees and task forces focusing on ensuring quality health

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care and health coverage for children (and families). Our Family Voices Co-Coordinatortestified on the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant Application.

NJ Department of Health Early Intervention Quality Assurance Committee, an outgrowth ofthe Stakeholders' and Service Delivery Task Forces, working to improve the earlyintervention monitoring and accountability system.

Children and Family Initiative, Parents' Caucus Board, Implementation AdvisoryCommittee, and Boards' of county Family Support Organizations, working to ensure that theDepartment of Human Services' Children's System of Care Initiative provides the supportand services that families and children with mental health needs require, in the community,culturally competent, and family-directed. SPAN management and staff are represented onthe Parents' Caucus Board and the State Implementation Advisory Committee, as well aslocal Family Support Organization Boards. SPAN staff also participated in legislative visitswhen in Washington, D.C. at the National Mental Health Association Conference as part ofthe New Jersey delegation.

Map to Inclusive Child Care Team, working with the Departments of Education and HumanServices to ensure the inclusion of children with disabilities in typical'early childhood andafter-school care settings, especially (though not exclusively) in the Abbott and EarlyChildhood Program Aid districts. SPAN was represented on the Governor's EarlyChildhood Commission, the Department of Education's Early Childhood CurriculumFrameworks' Advisory Committee, and the Department of Human Services' External AbbottImplementation Advisory Committee. SPAN continues to participate on the Early Care andEducation Coalition and the Early Childhood Standards and Professional Development TaskForce at Kean Univedity.

State Rehabilitation Council (chaired by SPAN 's Transition to Adult Life Director),Workforce Incentive Board Education Committees, and Transition Consortia, to increase andenhance options for youth with disabilities.

NJ State Department of Education Self Assessment Steering Committee and SelfImprovement Plan Subcommittee, developing the state improvement plan and stateimprovement grant application. SPAN is now funded under the state's Self-ImprovementPlan to develop and strengthen local parent support groups; assist school districts to workmore effectively with families in policy and program improvement; facilitate family-professional workshops; conduct trainings for families on New Jersey's Core CurriculumContent Standards and Early Literacy; provide families with access to "real-time" responsesto their technical assistance questions on our website and host on-line chats; and offerscholarships to families for SPAN's conferences.

Conclusion

During this very productive year, SPAN continued to work to assure that every child in NewJersey has access to a quality public school education and the health and support services theyneed to succeed. We look forward to the next year to further expand our programs and services

and address continuing and new critical education, health and human services issues impactingNew Jersey's children and families.

SPAN TASK FORCE/COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION/MEMBERSHIP

National

Alliance for Parent Centers Center of Expertise on School ReformFamilies USAFamily Support AmericaFamily Voices (Chapter)Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health (Chapter)National Coalition of Advocates for Students (Coalition Board)National Coalition of Education ActivistsNational Network of Partnership SchoolsNational Parent Network on DisabilitiesParent-to-Parent (Chapter)Partners for Family Involvement in EducationUS Department of Education Focused Monitoring Work Group

Statewide

American Academy of Pediatrics-Committee on Children with Disabilities.Black Issues ConventionBullying/Harassment Work Group (NJ Taskforce on Child Abuse & Neglect, ViolenceInstitute of NJ, Anti-Defamation League, Rutgers Law Center)Center for the Prevention of Violence Youth Consultation ServiceCoalition for Early Care and EducationNJ Alliance for Crime Victims with Developmental DisabilitiesNJ Alternate Proficiency Assessment Advisory CommitteeNJ Association of Partners in Education (Board of Directors)NJ Citizen Action Health Care CoalitionNJ Coalition for Inclusive Education (At-Large Member, Board)NJ DepartmentNJ DepartmentNJ DepartmentNJ DepartmentNJ DepartmentNJ DepartmentNJ DepartmentNJ DepartmentNJ DepartmentNJ DepartmentCommitteeNJ Department

of Education Special Education Self-Assessment Steering Committeeof Education State Improvement Plan Management Teamof Education Abbott Early Childhood Task Forceof Education Abbott School Governance Task Forceof Education Measuring Student Achievement Task Forceof Education 21' Century Community Learning Centers Advisory Committeeof Health Early Intervention Monitoring Groupof Health Early Intervention Self-Assessment Steering Committeeof Health Early Intervention Stakeholders' Task Forceof Human Services Children's System of Care Implementation Advisory

of Human Services Children's System of Care Ad Hoc Education Committee

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NJ Department of Human Services Map to Inclusive Child Care TeamNJ Developmental Disabilities Council Education SubcommitteeNJ Developmental Disabilities Council Enforcement & Accountability WorkgroupNJ Statewide Systemic Initiatives Urban SummitNJ Parents' Caucus (Board of Directors)NJ Promise the Children Network (Steering Committee)NJ Rehabilitation Committee (Chair)NJ Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC)NJ Special Education PractitionersNJ SSI CoalitionNJ State Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC)Pathways to a Better Trained WorkforceProject LeadershipTeacher Quality Enhancement ConsortiumUniversity Center of Excellence (Boggs Center) Consumer Advisory CouncilViolence Institute of New Jersey

SPAN Collaborating Agencies

Disability & Special Health Care IssuesAmerican Academy of Pediatrics-Children w/ Disabilities Comm.Arc of New JerseyAssociation for Children of New JerseyAssociation for Special Children and FamiliesBecoming Education and Motivated About Education (BEAM)Boggs Center-University-Affiliated Program of New JerseyBrain Injury AssociationCatholic Family & Community ServicesCHADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)Coalition for Special Education Funding ReformCommission for the BlindCommunity Health Law ProjectConsortium for Citizens with DisabilitiesCouncil for Exceptional ChildrenDevelopmental Disabilities Council Education CommitteeDown Syndrome Support GroupEducation Law CenterEpilepsy FoundationFamilies Finding HopeFamily Link Early Intervention CollaborativeFamily Resource AssociatesFamily Support CenterFamily Support CoalitionFamily Support Organization of Burlington CountyFamily Support Organization of Monmouth CountyFamily Support Organization of Union CountyFamily Support Planning CouncilsFamily VoicesFederation of Families for Children's Mental HealthHelpful Hands Early Intervention CollaborativeLearning Disabilities AssociationLearning Resource CentersMap to Inclusive Child Care TeamMainstreaming Medical CareMid-Jersey CARES for Special Children Early Intervention Collab.National Parent Network on DisabilitiesNEC*TASNewark Coalition for Lead-Free ChildrenNJ Alliance for the Mentally IIINJ Coalition for Advancement of Rehabilitation TechnologyNJ Coalition for Inclusive EducationNJ Citizen Action Health Care CoalitionNJ Mental Health AssociationNJ Parents Caucus for Children with Special Emotional Needs PromiseNJ Protection and AdvocacyNJ Special OlympicsSelf-Help ClearinghouseSouthern Regional Early Intervention CollaborativeSpina Bifida AssociationTechnology Assistance Resources Program (TARP)Tourette Syndrome AssociationUnited Cerebral Palsy Associations of New Jersey

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School Reform/Urban EducationAdvocacy InstituteASPIRA- NJ & NationalAssociation for Children of New JerseyBlack Education Summit Planning Comm.Black Issues ConventionCatholic CharitiesCatholic Family & Community ServicesCenter for Law & EducationChildren's Defense FundCitizens for Better SchoolsCoalition for Essential SchoolsComm. Of Advocates for Newark ChildrenCommunities Can!Concerned African-American ParentsEarly Care & Education CoalitionEducation, Information & Resources CenterEducation Law CenterEducation TrustFamily Support AmericaHead Start AssociationHispanic Development CorporationHispanic Executive DirectorsImproving Minority Achievement Collab.La RazaLeadership for a Changing WorldNational Black Child Development InstituteNational Coali. Of Advocates for StudentsNational Coalition of Education ActivistsNAACPNat'l. Asso. For Education of Yg. ChildrenNewark Community Development NetworkNJ Association of Partners in EducationNJ Education AssociationNJ Empowerment Summit Diversity Comm.NJ Institute for Social JusticeNJ Professional Standards for Child CareNext Generation of LeadershipParents As TeachersPaterson Education FundPrevent Child Abuse-America & NJPrograms for ParentsProject GradProject Leadership (Newark & United Way)the Children NetworkPublic Education InstitutePublic Education NetworkRight Question ProjectSocial-Emotional Learning CollaborativeTeach for AmericaUnified Child Care Agencies (18)Unified Vailsburg Services OrganizationUrban League