In-School Suspension Bill to Go Into Effect January 1, 2009
Beginning January 1, 2009, a law will go into effect that requires that only students deemed too dangerous or disruptive be suspended at home. The law also doubles the maximum period of in-school suspension from five consecutive school days to ten.
The January 1, 2009 implementation date will come six-months later than its first proposed start date of July 1, 2008.
To view the Act in it's entirety, please visit the Connecticut General Assembly's website and search for House Bill 5826.
New Bureau Chief of the CT Bureau of Special Education Receives Award
Anne Louise Thompson, who became the new Chief of the Connecticut Bureau of Special Education in February, received LRP's 3rd Annual JoLeta Reynolds Service to Special Education Award on May 6, 2008 at a luncheon ceremony at LRP's National Institute in Charlotte, NC. Thompson's instrumental role in implementing and maintaining statewide LRE goals and objectives earned her the award which recognizes a professional who demonstrates dedication, excellence and integrity in serving children with disabilities and their families.
In an article published by LRP, Thompson says, "Some teachers and administrators, even some parents, feel that you can't do something unless you believe in it. I have found that by changing some people's behavior, that may change their attitude."
"For example, teachers and administrators may not think certain children can be educated in their home school, let alone in a general ed classroom," Thompson said. "But if they are told they must include these children in their classrooms and curriculum, and then are shown how to do so, those assumptions can change."
"While you might not believe it, you need to put it into practice," Thompson said she told people about placing students with intellectual disabilities into general education classrooms.
"Later, those people would say, 'I was told I would have to teach these children in my classroom, in our school, so I did, and now, I would never go back to the way it used to be,'" Thompson said. "I hear these stories all the time."
Please click here to view the article in its entirety.
CT State Department of Education Conducting Parent Survey on Special Education Services
The Connecticut State Department of Education has begun conducting its annual CT Special Education Parent Survey to study parents' and students' experiences during the past 12 months of receiving special education services. This year, thirty one school districts have been chosen to participate. Parents in those districts who have been chosen to participate will receive the survey in the mail in mid to late May.
Information from this statewide survey will be used to monitor progress in improving special education services in Connecticut. All responses are kept strictly confidential. Only an independent evaluator will have direct access to this information. In all reports, responses will be combined and there will be no identification of individuals. District-identifying information will only be issued to report, as mandated by the U.S. Department of Education, whether the Parent Survey response properly represents the demographics of the state as a whole.
If you have received the survey, you are greatly encouraged to participate as it is critical to the improvement of opportunities and outcomes for Connecticut's students with disabilities. Completed surveys should be returned, in the stamped envelope provided, to SERC at 25 Industrial Park Road in Middletown, CT 06457 by June 6, 2008. If you have any questions about the survey or need help completing the survey, please contact CPAC at 800-445-2722 or by email at cpac@cpacinc.org. All services are free for parents and all information is kept confidential.
