HOW NEW POLICY GUIDANCE, PREVENT/RESPOND TO INTERFERING BEHAVIOR, NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES! (2240 hits)
For Immediate Release From Early Learning!
The Department issued new policy guidance on state general supervision responsibilities for Part B and Part C under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) https://sites.ed.gov/idea/idea-files/guida... The guidance and Dear Colleague letter https://sites.ed.gov/idea/idea-files/dear-... provide states with information to support the implementation of a comprehensive interagency system of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families.
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Resources to Prevent and Respond to Interfering Behavior
As part of the prioritization in reducing exclusionary discipline and supporting the implementation of evidence-based practices that focus on prevention, intervention and behavioral strategies, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services’ (OSERS https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ose... Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ose... released a database (https://osepideasthatwork.org/federal-resources-stakeholders/topical-issues/positive-supports-behavior-and-discipline?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=) with over 200 resources related to exclusionary discipline, including resources that describe systems, practices https://osepideasthatwork.org/sites/defaul... and data that early childhood and school programs can use to prevent and respond to interfering behavior. Schools and early childhood programs can use the resources to support children with disabilities and address disparities in the use of exclusionary discipline. Additionally, OSEP released a final Discipline Discussion blog that outlines five actions people can take to reduce exclusionary discipline: https://sites.ed.gov/idea/osep-director-re...
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Accessible Technology
The Office of Educational Technology (OET https://tech.ed.gov/accessibility/?utm_con... is partnering with OSEP to host a webinar on Aug. 29 for educators https://ed-gov.zoomgov.com/webinar/registe... families, and caregivers to highlight free, low-cost, and evidence-based accessible educational technology tools. ED-funded STEMIE (https://stemie.fpg.unc.edu/resources-landing-page?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=) will share their resources to help families and other caregivers learn why STEM concepts are important and what children are learning. The recording of the webinar will be available on OET's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGQx9U6QJZ... and OET’s Website.
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NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES!
National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (Assistance Listing Number 84.326S).
This priority is to establish and operate a National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports and enhance the capacity of state and local education agencies to implement positive and safe school environments. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/...
Applications are due Aug. 31.
Technical Assistance on State Data Collection––National Technical Assistance Center to Improve State Capacity to Collect, Report, Analyze, and Use Accurate IDEA Data to Address Significant Disproportionality (Assistance Listing Number 84.373E).
The purpose of this priority is to fund a center whose role is to promote equity by improving state capacity to accurately collect, report, analyze, and use section 618 data to address issues of significant disproportionality. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/...
Using Longitudinal Data to Support State Education Policymaking (Assistance Listing Number 84.305S).
Under this competition https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/... NCER will only consider applications that address State educational agencies' use of their state’s education longitudinal data systems to identify and reduce opportunity and achievement gaps for learners from prekindergarten through adult education.
Applications are due Aug. 17.
Transformative Research in the Education Sciences (Assistance Listing Number 84.305T).
This IES competition seeks to support innovative and unconventional research that has the potential to make dramatic advances toward solving seemingly intractable problems and challenges in the education field and accelerate the pace of conducting education research to facilitate major breakthroughs. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/...
Under this competition, NCSER will consider applications that address a Research and Development Center on the K-12 Special Education Teacher Workforce. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/...
Applications are due Jan. 11, 2024.
Valerie C. Williams Director, Office of Special Education Programs Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
Jamila Smith Director, Innovation and Early Learning Programs Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
