Recently the US Department of Education released its findings related to the Civil Rights Investigation of Virtual Charter Schools in Ohio. Stemming from an Office of Civil Rights complaint filed in 2011, the Resolution confirms that students with disabilities enrolled in Virtual Schools are entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). “Online education environments… read more
Leah Wood and Alicia Saunders, UNC Charlotte Undoubtedly, everyone invested in special education, personally or professionally, is affected by the changes in policy that have led to the adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS; http://www.corestandards.org). As a field, we now have a collective agenda: the interpretation and implementation of the CCSS for all… read more
Letter from the Editor There has been a great deal of buzz about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Rightfully so, the introduction of a common set of standards sets the stage for a new day in education…or does it? Standards or norms can be helpful and provide focus. But, it is important to keep… read more
Letter from the Executive Director As the nation rolls out the high academic standards called for in the Common Core, it is important to pause and consider the other half of the “pyramid” – are kids getting the necessary supports to manage their own behavior? As TASH members, this question immediately brings to mind Positive… read more
Letter from the Board President With this issue of Connections, TASH once again undertakes one of it primary missions: to educate its members and other interested individuals with cutting-edge information relevant to the lives of people with significant disabilities. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were developed under the leadership of National Governors Association Center… read more
We at TASH talk about EQUITY frequently. Often we mean equity of access; to services, to supports, to opportunities, etc. But we also mean equity of accountability; holding school districts, states, and agencies responsible equally for the outcomes of the individuals they support. The Department of Education has recently indicated its intent to remove the… read more
In July, the SWIFT Center gathered with 250 colleagues from around the country to launch the first SWIFT Professional Learning Institute (PLI). Participants included representatives from nearly all of the 64 schools, 16 school districts, and 5 states selected to receive technical assistance to implement the SWIFT model. Teams spent time exploring the SWIFT Framework… read more
During the week of July 22-26 hundreds of educators will convene on Washington DC for the inaugural Professional Learning Institute (PLI) hosted by the SWIFT Center. Teams from each of the 5 SWIFT states—made of up school, district, and state department representatives—will gather for the week-long Institute. The PLI will be the first in-depth look… read more
As a partner with the SWIFT Center, TASH congratulates SWIFT on completing the state selection to implement the education initiative called SWIFT (School-wide Integrated Framework for Transformation). Maryland, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oregon and Vermont were selected based on a rigorous set of criteria that included multiple sources of data. New Hampshire and Vermont will be… read more
TASH congratulates the six schools named as Knowledge Development Center sites in the SWIFT Center. These six schools—chosen from 35 nominated schools—will serve as models of best practice in inclusive school-wide transformation and become part of the SWIFT Center. Read the announcement from the University of Kansas for more information. TASH is a partner with… read more
