A new report written by Jessica Butler and published by The Autism National Committee entitled, “How Safe Is The Schoolhouse?
An Analysis of State Seclusion and Restraint Laws and Policies” offers extensive information from 51 states on the use of seclusion and restraint in schools. The report examines the current state laws regarding seclusion/restraint, analyzes the effect the national Congressional efforts have had on state law, and explores particular state requirements which provide important protections against restraint and seclusion. Read the full report: How Safe is the Schoolhouse? An Analysis of State Seclusion and Restraint Laws and Policies

As of November 1, 2011, 184 schools in Connecticut that failed to meet Adequate Yearly Progress were required to have councils in place.   The advisory councils look at schoolwide student achievement data and can advise principals on school policies and needs.  The councils do operate under some restrictions.  They cannot review individual student test scores, discuss individual student issues, supervise staff or enter into any contracts.  Some councils still have vacancies for parent members. Check with your child’s school to see if there are vacancies or if you want to know the meeting schedule. All meetings are open to the public.

Click here to learn more about school governance councils

The Connecticut State Department of Education’s (CSDE) model state complaint form and its model due process hearing request form have been revised. On the revised forms, you will see an asterisk (*) which identifies any information on these forms that is in addition to the information required under the regulations. Any information with an asterisk is optional information. Any information without an asterisk is required information under the regulations. These forms continue to be “model” forms in that the public is not required to use these forms to file a state complaint or a due process hearing request. View the updated forms here>>

Pearson, the nation’s leading publishing company of assessment materials is looking for exceptional children, ages two and half through seven and half, to help develop the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence – Forth Edition. Participants will be asked to perform tasks including block arrangement, pattern recognition, relational concepts, word definitions, word comparisons, and many other tasks. Parents will also be asked to complete a home environment questionnaire that will allow us to identify environmental factors associated with exceptionalities. Compensation will be provided. Click here for more information: Pearson Assessment Information

On December 16, 2011, Chairman Tom Harkin introduced the Keeping All Students Safe Act. This bill would promote the development of effective intervention and prevention practices that do not impose restraints and seclusion; protect all students from physical or mental abuse, aversive behavioral interventions that compromise health and safety, and any restraint imposed for purposes of coercion, discipline or convenience, or as a substitute for appropriate educational or positive behavioral interventions and supports. Importantly the bill also works to ensure the safety of all students and school personnel and promote positive school culture and climate. Read more about the bill on the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates’ website.

The Education Department’s office for civil rights is trying to make good on a pledge to aggressively combat discrimination, in all forms, in the nation’s schools.  Read more about their efforts in “Civil Rights Office Expands Its Reach Into Schools.”

This year’s Youth Leadership Forum for Students will Disabilities will be held July 23 through July 26, 2012 at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. The program focuses on enhancing community leadership skills and will provide a concentrated educational and motivational experience for students selected through a formal, competitive application process. The forum is open to current high school sophomores and juniors with disabilities. The application deadline is February 17, 2012. Click here for more information and to access the application. For more information, contact Karen Halliday at karenh1203@aol.com or 860-918-2862 or Kathleen Kabara at 860-424-5068 or kathleen@ctylp.org.

Has mental illness touched your life? VOICES: The Art of Children, Adolescents and Young Adults Touched by Mental Illness is putting out a call for art to CT residents ages 8 through 21 for an exhibit that will be displayed in the Legislative Office Building in Hartford from April 2nd through the 13th. Voices is looking for a photograph, collage, painting, drawing, poem, short story or any other form of visual or written expression that shows how mental illness has touched your life. Submissions will be accepted until January 13th. For more information, visit www.ctvsa.org or contact Ann Nelson at 203-927-1541 or familyresearch@namict.org.

On December 1, 2011, the U.S. Department of Education announced new regulations to safeguard student privacy while giving states the flexibility to share school data that can be helpful in judging the effectiveness of government investments in education.

“Data are a powerful tool needed to improve the state of education in this country,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “At the same time, the benefits of using student data must always be balanced with the need to protect students’ privacy rights and ensure their information is protected.”

The regulations will strengthen the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) by protecting the safety of student information, increasing the Department’s ability to hold those who misuse or abuse student data accountable and ensuring our taxpayer funds are invested wisely and effectively.

In the past, uncertainty about where state sunshine laws left off and where FERPA picked up created confusion for institutions about when and with whom student information could and should be shared. Schools need the flexibility to pursue routine uses of information without getting prior consent while allowing them to prevent those who may misuse or abuse student information from accessing it. The new regulations allow schools to do just that.

The new regulations will also help the Department of Education more effectively hold those who misuse or abuse student information accountable for violating FERPA. When FERPA was first conceived in the 1970s, it only applied to institutions with students in attendance—like high schools and colleges. Since then, a growing number of institutions and entities without students in attendance—like student lenders for example—have access to student records that should be protected by FERPA, but aren’t. The December 1st announcement fixes that gap in student protection.

The changes will also help policymakers determine if state and federally funded education programs are adequately preparing children for success in the next stage of life, whether that is in kindergarten or the workforce. States will be able to determine which early childhood programs prepare kids for kindergarten. High school administrators will now be able to tell how their graduates did in college. And states will be able to enter into research agreements on behalf of their districts to determine how best to use limited education funding during tough economic times.

The announcement comes on the heels of several efforts undertaken by the Obama Administration to ensure that private student data is protected. These include the appointment of Kathleen Styles as the Department’s Chief Privacy Officer, the establishment of a Privacy Technical Assistance Center, and the publication of guidance documents on best practices for protecting confidential information about students.

Click here to view the full regulation
Additional information is available at: www.ed.gov/fpco.

If an application is based on disability, the deadline is extended to 90 days. Delays in the processing of these applications and redeterminations can result in significant hardship for families with children. If you know someone who has ongoing medical needs and has been waiting past the deadline for DSS to act on a Medicaid or HUSKY application, or has been cut off of Medicaid despite providing required information for a redetermination, please contact Sheldon Toubman, New Haven legal Assistance Association, at 203-946-4811 extension 148 or stoubman@nhlegal.org for assistance. For more information, read the November 2011 CABHN Fever newsletter.