Intersection:
Navigating the Road to Work
Volume 5, Number 5
December 2008
Welcome to Intersection: Navigating the Road to Work, the electronic newsletter of the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth). The newsletter and the NCWD/Youth website offer information to improve programs and services for all youth and especially youth with disabilities.
IMPORTANT: In order to ensure the delivery of our publication to your inbox, please add our e-mail address, intersection@ncwd-youth.info, to your address book and/or whitelist.
Youth with emotional disturbances comprise over 47.4 percent of students with disabilities in secure care, while within public schools they account for only about eight percent of students with disabilities. Students with Learning Disabilities are also overrepresented in the juvenile justice system and account for 38.6 percent of students with disabilities in these settings. This Guide provides professionals with well-researched and documented facts, offers evidence-based research, highlights promising practices, and provides the Guideposts for Success for Youth Involved in the Juvenile Corrections System, in addition to pointing out areas requiring further attention by policymakers and identifying promising practices.
This Guide adds to the overall work that can be found on NCWD/Youth’s website which includes the National Association of State Directors of Special Education’s publication Tools for Promoting Educational Success and Reducing Delinquency and the National Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk toolkit Meeting the Educational Needs of Youth Exposed to the Juvenile Justice System.
A recent report from the National Governor’s Association tracks the progress states are making toward adopting a common formula for calculating the high school graduation rate that they all committed to in 2005. The report finds that sixteen states currently use the common formula and 38 states will be using it by 2010.
National Organization on Disability Invites Entries for Accessible America Award Program
The National Organization on Disability’s Accessible America Award program is a $25,000 award competition open to all cities and town across the United States. The program seeks to recognize and promote replication of exemplary practices that communities use to facilitate the comprehensive involvement of citizens with disabilities in community life. Award applications are due by December 31, 2008.
Partnership for Public Service and U.S. Office of Personnel Management Program
Call to Serve is a joint effort to educate a new generation about the importance of a strong civil service, help re-establish links between federal agencies and campuses, and provide students with information about federal jobs.
More information about Call to Serve can be found on their website.
Partner’s Highlight
U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy Releases New Publications
In their constant effort to assist employers, parents of children with disabilities, and young people with disabilities, ODEP has released three new publications:
Recruiting Young People with Disabilities: A Hiring Strategy with Bottom Line Benefits
Tips on How Parents Can Put Their Children with Disabilities on the Path to Future Employment
Soft Skills: The Competitive Edge
The National Consortium on Leadership and Disability for Youth (NCLD) is proud to release its new Individualized Mentoring Plan. Mentoring is recognized as one of the most important strategies for assisting youth in making a positive transition into adulthood. This resource provides both the mentee and the mentor an understanding of what mentoring is and also provides an in-depth questionnaire to facilitate the creation of the plan.
The Center on Education and Work Launches Afternoon Tea Series
The Afternoon Tea conversation series is coordinated by The Center on Education and Work at the University of Wisconsin. The purpose is to provide an engaging forum for learning about contemporary career and workforce development issues from dynamic national and international scholars. Scholars will speak about their research, theoretical ideas, publications, and/or considerations for practice on a variety of career-related topics.
For further information and to participate in the series contact Jennifer Lindwall at jjlindwa@wisc.edu.
Important Information
If you know of others who might be interested in the newsletter and the work of NCWD/Youth, they can sign up online. All comments, inquiries, and suggestions for transition related resources and tools should be sent to newsletter@ncwd-youth.info.
This document was developed by the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth, funded by a grant/contract/cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (Number #OD-16519-07-75-4-11). The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Department of Labor. Nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply the endorsement by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Note: There are no copyright restrictions on this document. However, please credit the source and support of Federal funds when copying all or part of this document.
