Disability Rights Center of the USVI (DRCVI): Following on the heels of their inspirational and informational Parent Center Showcase earlier this month, Diana had the pleasure of doing an in-person site visit to USVI and meeting with several of the key partners featured in the Showcase, including the Director of the USVI Family to Family Health Information Center (Yvonne Pederson), the St. Thomas/St. John District Program Manager of Social-Emotional Learning for the USVI Department of Education (DeShawn Williams), and Juan Christian , the Marketing Director and organization of the Community Connectedness events for the Tutu Park Mall where the DRCVI participates in many fairs and community events focused on ensuring that families know about the resources available to support them and their children. Kishma Francis, USVI PTI Director, and Staff Attorney, and Shammi Carr, Advocate, are also featured.

Maine Parent Federation (MPF): Check out the MPF's Vision Board, a new tool to help see into the future. There is an interactive video to showcase steps and invite creativity when downloading. Find it here.

Vermont Family Network (VFN): Puppets in Education, a program of VFN, teaches children how to keep themselves safe and healthy and to appreciate each other’s differences. They do this through educational programs for children and adults that utilize life-sized puppets who model effective leadership and problem-solving skills and demonstrate respect, compassion and inclusion in a diverse community. Get more details here!!

Region A Drop-In Call: The next Drop-in call will take place on Tuesday, April 2nd, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm, ET. Our featured technical assistance presenter will be Joann Cashman from the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE). NASDSE’s work on authentic engagement initiated through the IDEA Partnership, and in partnership with the CPIR, continues through its work with State Personnel Development Grants (SPDG) and in supporting OSEP’s grants in educator preparation. In this session, Joanne will update us on NASDSE’s new and existing initiatives. Join the Drop-in call.

NE-PACT Region A Continuation Report Webinar: Join us for this webinar walking through the continuation report on Thursday, April 4th,⋅9:30 – 10:30 am. Join Zoom Meeting.

Supporting Illinois Brothers and Sisters (S.I.B.S.): To learn more about (SIBS), join this one hour webinar on Thursday, April 11, 2024, 7:30 PM. They will cover: Why we support siblings across the lifespan, What are Sibshops and how they help siblings, and you will also hear from a sibling. Register here!!

Transition Discoveries: Your Voice. Your Story. Your Future: Join us on Monday, April 15th at 2:00 pm ET, for an interactive and conversational training session by Transition Discoveries, a non-profit dedicated to guiding youth, families, and communities through transition in post-secondary education, everyday life, and beyond! Discover the unique approach that makes Transition Discoveries stand out, based upon the mantra Your Voice. Your Story. Your Future. Register here in English and en Español!! ASL will be offered as well.

Providing Appropriate Individual Assistance and Avoiding the Unauthorized Practice of Law: Parent Centers often provide information to families and youth/young adults about their legal rights and obligations. How can Parent Centers fulfill this critical role without running afoul of their state’s Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL) rules? This workshop provides an overview of the principles of UPL and appropriate individual assistance and tools and tips to stay on the correct side of the UPL line! Join is on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, 2:00 pm ET. Register here!!

CPIR Calendar: Don’t forget to check out the HUB Central Events calendar at the Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) for more webinars and events. Also contact Myriam Alizo, malizo@spanadvocacy.org to add your Parent Center event to the CPIR calendar.

What are the Best Ways to Manage a Non-Profit Team: Learn some best practices to manage your nonprofit team, such as communication, empowerment, alignment, and more. Check it out.

Engaging Families as Partners in Decision-Making: Child and youth service systems share commonalities in their family engagement principles and practices such as shared decision-making, collaboration, partnership, two-way communication, meaningful roles, mutual respect and acknowledgement of family expertise. Find out more.

Six Key Principles for Effective Youth Services: The Local Government Association in London has a visio for effective youth services that are relevant to us in the US. Learn more.

52 Free Development Opportunities for Nonprofit Staff: The Bridgespan Group offers free professional development opportunities for nonprofit staff on a range of relevant topics. Check it out.

What is chronic absenteeism, and how does it impact student learning? Students experiencing absenteeism are at risk of falling behind academically or even dropping out, which could lead to less earning potential as adults. Read more here.

The English Learner Family Toolkit: This Family Toolkit was created to help families choose education services that meet their child’s needs. U.S. educators, elementary and secondary school teachers, principals, and other school staff can also share the toolkit as a resource for English learners and their families. Check it out here.

School says teen football players put peanuts in allergic boy’s locker — but says it’s not bullying: The mom of a high school football player says his teammates put peanuts inside his locker after learning he has a severe allergy. The school says it happened, but it wasn't bullying; the mom says she wants more accountability. Read the details here.

Leaving Your Child Home Alone: Before leaving a child or youth home alone, parents and other caregivers must be confident the child or youth has the necessary skills and maturity to handle staying home alone safely. This factsheet from, Child Welfare Information Gateway 2023, offers guidance to help parents and other caregivers make this important decision. Check it out.

Charter School Accountability: Read this resource from the National Education Association about the importance of holding public charter schools accountable to serve children with disabilities.

(Re)Defining Person-Centered Planning in Mental Health Systems: “Person-centered” is a buzzword in mental health service systems, and it is common for service plans to be called “person-centered.” However, it is unclear whether people are truly directing their planning process and choosing services and supports that really matter to them – and the supports they don’t want. While person-centered planning is intended to support people to live self-determined lives, it can also be used inappropriately to compel and coerce people into services they don’t want. Hosted by the National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems (NCAPPS), this webinar convened members of the Massachusetts-based Council Against Institutional and Psychiatric Abuse (CAIPA) to explore what person-centered planning should – and shouldn’t – look like. Webinar recording and materials here.

The Different Types of Data in Education: A Complete Guide: As the field of education continues to evolve, it’s become increasingly clear that data plays a vital role in shaping how we approach instruction. But not all data is created equal. Without a comprehensive understanding of the different types of data in education, you could end up missing crucial pieces of information that might be putting your students—and school—at a disadvantage. This blog post explores some of the most common types of educational data—and what they can tell you about student performance. By the end of this blog post, you’ll have a strong grip on which types of data in education you should be analyzing to drive success in your organization. Check it out here.

Avoiding the Talk: A Closer Look at Educator Influence on Racial Disparities in School Discipline: Newly released CRDC data showcases a troubling reality; racial disparities when it comes to school discipline. Click here to read the details.

Engaging Underserved Families in the Cultural & Linguistic Competence DR System Assessment Process: This companion guide to the Cultural and Linguistic Competence Dispute Resolution System Self-assessment Tool was created to support the engagement of families in the assessment process, especially those from underserved populations who may be less likely to use dispute resolution options due to language, access, or socio-economic barriers. Check it out here.

Family and student resources: There is no one single answer, or silver bullet, to keeping students in school. The National Dropout Prevention Center has developed Fifteen Effective Strategies that help combat the dropout rate. Family involvement with the school and their children is vital. Check it out here.

Welcome to the Early Childhood Corner: This Parent Center Hub resource page spotlights resources for families offered by the 5 Early Childhood Centers funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education. Sources you can turn to for information about infants and young children with disabilities.

Medicaid Funding for School-Based Services: This resource helps families to access the Medicaid funds provided to schools annually to increase access to quality physical, mental, and behavioral health services for eligible students. These funds pay for services to students with disabilities served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and students from low-income families enrolled in Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) programs. Currently, only 16 States are maximizing available Medicaid funding by allowing for the reimbursement of school-based services provided to more than just students with disabilities under IDEA who are Medicaid-enrolled. All other States have the opportunity to amend their State plans to include school-based services for all students who are Medicaid-enrolled. Check it out here.

Spotlight on Supporting Students With Disabilities: Resources for Equity in Special Education: The National Center for Systemic Improvement designed the two resources highlighted in this Spotlight to support state education agency leaders in identifying and addressing long-standing systemic inequities that have resulted in disparities and achievement gaps for students with disabilities. Read them both here.

Adoption Assistance for Children Adopted From Foster Care: This factsheet for families describes how adoption assistance in the form of subsidies may help make adoption possible for families who are considering adopting a child from foster care. The factsheet explores how to secure financial assistance and adoption tax credits and how to use a State's fair hearings process to challenge decisions related to such assistance. It also includes information on deferring adoption assistance and suggests helpful resources.

2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers: This guide was developed jointly by the Advisory Councils established by the RAISE Family Caregiving Act and the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act, with extensive input from family caregivers, the people they support and other stakeholders. The Strategy includes nearly 500 actions that can be adopted at every level of government and across the public and private sectors to ensure that family caregivers—who provide the overwhelming majority of long-term care in the United States—have the resources they need to maintain their own health, well-being, and financial security while providing crucial support for others. Check it out here.

What is Health Equity? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a landing page about health equity, what it is, and strategies to achieve it. Find out more here.

Infant and Toddler Homelessness: This report is a comprehensive look at homelessness among infants and toddlers, and is the first state-by-state collection of data on infant and toddler homelessness. This report analyzes federal and other available data to estimate how many infants and toddlers experienced homelessness in 2021, both nationally and in each state, and what enrollment looked like for age-eligible early childhood development programs during the 2021-2022 program year. Infant and Toddler Homelessness Across 50 States: 2021-2022 - SchoolHouse Connection.

General Supervision Guidance Videos and Descriptions: Last summer, OSEP released updated Guidance on State General Supervision Responsibilities under Parts B and C of the IDEA and an accompanying Dear Colleague Letter. OSEP now has two videos to accompany the guidance. One addresses improving results for infants, toddlers and children with disabilities by ensuring IDEA compliance and the other addresses how states can leverage technical assistance centers to support strong general supervision systems. 

New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities Cultural and Linguistic Competence Modules: The following two modules were created by Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence for the Improving Diversity, Equity, Cultural Competency, and Linguistic Responsiveness at New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities Project, led by SPAN Parent Advocacy Network. The modules offer relatable language to describe key terms and relevant examples to increase understanding. Check it out here.

Inclusive Education: Download Maine Parent Federation’s definition of Inclusion. Great handout to share with families and educators!!

Juvenile Diversion in lieu of arrest: Many jurisdictions have taken steps in the past five to 10 years to expand diversion opportunities for youth by creating new laws, programs, or pathways to increase the use of diversion. Protect and Redirect: America’s Growing Movement to Divert Youth Out of the Justice System – The Sentencing Project.

Freedom of Assembly and Association: The Global State of LGBTIQ Organizing: LGBTIQ organizing is the right to register, regardless of identity. The 2023 Report from Outright International examines its importance because it helps people access essential documents and protects them from bad treatment. Pushing governments and community-based organizations to ensure everyone's rights are respected and protected. Read more here.

How can I explore findings on school-based depression prevention programs with the HEDCO Institute’s interactive tool? Education leaders continue to wrestle with how best to support students with mental health challenges, particularly depression, one of the most common mental health challenges facing students today.  HEDCO Institute at the University of Oregon summarizes what they found in their review of the literature and then introduces our new interactive data tool. This tool will help you explore the research studies in the literature and how their findings may be relevant to your school community and the students you support. Check it out here.

Celebrating the Resilience of Military Children: Life in the U.S. Armed Forces can be challenging, especially for the youngest members of the nation's military community: the 1.6 million children of service members. From constant change and uncertainty, to being uprooted every few years and finding their place in a new school with each new location, to their service member parents deploying suddenly for months, or even years at a time, these realities of military life can take a toll. Read more here.

Watch artist Marie Watt explore the story of Turtle Island | West to East (youtube.com): In honor of Native American women during Women’s History Month 2024, we’re pleased to share a video from the National Gallery of Art. It features New York Seneca artist Marie Watt, a current resident of Northwest Oregon, who offers her artistic interpretations of the origin stories of tribes on two coasts. Enjoy this illuminating and charming 15-minute video.

Family Engagement Toolkit: The Trying Together Family Engagement Toolkit supports caregivers in bolstering family engagement practice through connecting and building trust. Learn more.

The Reality of Poverty: The Cost of Poverty Experience is a 2.5 hour simulation that explores the lived experience of poverty firsthand through the eyes of real families. The experiential nature of this training helps organizations and communities more deeply understand the human and systemic impacts of poverty. For years, many top down or well-intentioned approaches to poverty have left out the wisdom and leadership of those closest to the challenges. Created with the input of individuals with personal experience in poverty, COPE sheds light on these challenges and catalyzes meaningful dialogue and action. This experience challenges participants to rethink poverty, respond effectively, and partner with those affected for change. Have this experience here.

Montclair Schools use of Restraint and Seclusion Under Investigation: The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is investigating allegations that the Montclair School district discriminated on the basis of race and disability. This complaint dates back to 2022. Read the details here.

What it takes to lead a school where students love themselves and succeed academically: Across the country, many schools that understand the value of teaching students self-love — which The American Psychological Association defines as a “regard for and interest in one's own being or contentment” — are incorporating social-emotional learning (SEL) into curricula due to the positive effects it has on student contentment, including boosting self-esteem, self-efficacy and perseverance. Read more here.

​​The latest trends in user accessibility: The secret to knowing how to speak to all audiences resides in accessibility. Customizing media, messages, and language are key to capturing and retaining a large supporter base. Exploring trends in user accessibility, direct from the UK, Charity Digital unpacks the concepts and tech behind growing your audience base. Learn more here.

Classroom converted into simulated apartment to build life skills: The simulated apartment at the high school in Upper Nazareth Township is designed to provide a realistic and engaging environment where students can gain practical experience in essential daily living skills, according to the school district. Through evidence-based practices, hands-on activities and real-world applications, about 25 students this school year will work to develop competencies in many areas. Read more here.

Five Ways Trauma and Poverty Affect Childhood Development: Check out this Forbes Magazine piece.