AUDIO CONFERENCE ON YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES

The National Conference of State Legislatures, a partner in the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth), is holding a web-assisted audio conference on "Youth with Disabilities: The State of Transition" on April 27, 2005, 2 p.m.- 3 p.m. EST. Participation is free and open to all, although it is especially designed to give legislators, legislative staff, and other interested persons the opportunity to learn about and discuss problems and solutions related to education issues that affect youth with disabilities. The session will provide an overview of key federal and state legislation and their relationship to transition success.

David L. Shreve, Senior Committee Director – Education, National Conference of State Legislatures, Washington, D.C. and David R. Johnson, Ph.D. Professor and Director, National Center on Secondary Education and Transition and Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnesota will present on the audio conference

To register, go to http://www.ncsl.org/public/registration/regform.cfm?mtg=2511. To obtain more information about this event, please visit http://www.ncsl.org/programs/employ/webcast-youthed.htm.

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDES STILL AVAILABLE

NCWD/Youth is offering a series of Quick Reference Guides that provide resources on critical topics for administrators, youth service practitioners, and policymakers. The topics include: Workplace success; Youth development and youth leadership for all youth; Assessment; Hidden Disabilities; and Benefits Planning for Youth with Disabilities. The packet of guides can be downloaded and/or hard copies can be ordered using our publications request form online at http://www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/quick_Reference_Guides/index.html.

IDEA Public Meeting Schedule

The U.S. Department of Education will hold a series of public meetings to seek comments and suggestions about proposed regulations to implement programs under the recently amended IDEA. The public meetings will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the following dates and locations.

• Monday, June 6, 2005 in San Antonio, TX
• Friday, June 17, 2005 in Nashville, TN
• Wednesday, June 22, 2005 in Sacramento, CA
• Friday, June 24, 2005 in Las Vegas, NV
• Monday, June 27, 2005 in New York, NY
• Wednesday, June 29, 2005 in Chicago, IL
• Tuesday, July 12, 2005 in Washington, DC

Specific location information will be published in the Federal Register.

ED DEPT. CHANGES TO NCLB

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced states will have additional alternatives and flexibility in implementing the No Child Left Behind Law. States will be allowed to use modified assessments for their students with persistent academic disabilities who need more time and instruction to make substantial progress toward grade-level achievement. These scores will be limited to 2 percent of all students for accountability purposes. This is a separate policy from the current regulation that allows up to 1 percent of all students being tested (those with the most significant cognitive disabilities) to take an alternate assessment.

The Department of Education also announced that it was directing an additional $14 million in immediate support for these students and that the Department would provide states with a comprehensive tool kit to help them identify and assess students with disabilities.

NCD LISTSERV

The National Council on Disability (NCD) has launched a new disability listserv that will provide critical information on issues affecting people with disabilities, including a monthly newsletter known as the NCD Bulletin, news releases, legislative updates, and other newsworthy items.

To subscribe to the NCD’s listserv,

• send the following command SUBSCRIBE NCD-NEWS-L (FIRSTNAME LASTNAME) to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.ACCESS.GPO.GOV or
• go to http://listserv.access.gpo.gov/ and click on "Online mailing list archives," then select "NCD-NEWS-L" and complete the short subscription form.

NCD is an independent federal agency making recommendations to the President and Congress to enhance the lives of people with disabilities and their families.

2005 NATIONAL TRANSITION CONFERENCE:

“From Roots to Wings” is a first-time conference to bring together the key players in transitioning youth from school to work or to post-secondary education or training. The event will be held at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC on June 16 – 17, 2005. It is co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration and the Council on State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation. For information, visit http://www.dtiassociates.com/rsatransitions.