Bridges4Kids News Digest

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National News	*top*
FL Educators Split on Fast-track Plan Kimberly Miller, Palm Beach Post, June 23, 2004 http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/local_news/epaper/m1a_eTEACHER_0623.html Florida teacher certification is now a $500 click away. Online test lets would-be teachers get certified without taking teaching courses in college. FL Stephen Jeffers v. School Board WrightsLaw, June 23, 2004 http://www.wrightslaw.com/bks/dpvid/video.htm Stephen Jeffers v. School Board is a two-hour documentary that takes you through a special education due process hearing, from initial preparation to testimony by the final witness. You see exciting direct examination, dramatic cross-examination, arguments between counsel and objections to hearsay and leading questions. Education Arcade MIT Technology, June 23, 2004 http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/atwood0604.asp MIT researchers are creating academically driven computer games that rival commercial products and make learning fun. It’s early afternoon on a Sunday at Boston’s Museum of Science. Brittle winter light floods the lower lobby of the Green Wing, where about a dozen young students are huddled in teams, peering at Pocket PCs, their parents listening nearby. Education Ruling to be Appealed Tiffany Lankes, Herald Tribune, June 22, 2004 http://bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/HeraldTribune6-22-04.html#top The School Board is appealing an order to provide special education to a student with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, arguing that it could open such services to thousands of other students with ADHD. Tragic Teen Suicides Inspire Idea That Invites More USA Today, June 21, 2004 http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20040621/6303264s.htm In heart-wrenching testimony before federal drug regulators last February, parent after parent related how their teens had committed suicide after taking prescription antidepressants. Bush Plans to Screen Whole U.S. Population for Mental Illness Jeanne Lenzer, British Medical Journal, June 19, 2004 http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/328/7454/1458 A sweeping mental health initiative will be unveiled by President George W Bush in July. The plan promises to integrate mentally ill patients fully into the community by providing "services in the community, rather than institutions," according to a March 2004 progress report entitled New Freedom Initiative. While some praise the plan's goals, others say it protects the profits of drug companies at the expense of the public. EDC Offers Teachers a Guide Through High School E-Science Education Development Center, Inc., 2004 http://cse.edc.org/products/selectingcomputerbased "Hands-on" science is becoming "hands-on-the-computer" science. To support teachers in that role Education Development Center of Newton MA, with support from NEC Foundation of America and National Science Foundation, has produced a guide for teachers: "Selecting Computer-Based High School Science Curricula." The guide is for teachers trying to decide whether to use a particular curriculum that comes in digital form. The guide questions them about the e-curriculum they are considering: what learning is likely to occur, the teaching requirements, the equity of access and benefit, and the dollars-and-cents feasibility. The tool tells them why they should ask those questions. It gives them sample answers written by teachers who use the tool. It also profiles 14 e-curricula available to classrooms electronically. bridges4kids Featured Website: Read 180 http://teacher.scholastic.com/read180/ A comprehensive literacy program producing impressive reading gains for adolescents. In Cities, a Battle to Improve Teenage Literacy (PDF) Tamar Lewin, New York Times, April 14, 2004 http://teacher.scholastic.com/read180/research/pdf/NT_Times_0414.pdf Early results are impressive. More than two-thirds of the 10th graders in the program last semester had higher reading scores after four months -- and 24 percent jumped two or more grade levels. Reading is Fundamental to Academic Turnaround Austin Bell, Kansas City Star, June 24, 2004 http://www.educationnews.org/reading-is-fundamental-to-academ.htm It's not easy being a kid. Especially one diagnosed with a learning disability in an age of crowded classrooms and schools grappling with tight budgets. NY Higher 'Degree' of High School Kids Seek GED Carl Campanile, New York Post, June 21, 2004 http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/26088.htm The number of Big Apple students under 21 who have enrolled in alternative high-school GED programs has skyrocketed 40 percent, a new state report shows. PA Camden Class Gladly Lets Boys be Boys Together Melanie Burney, Philadelphia Inquirer, June 22, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/PhillyInquirer6-22-04.html#top In the beginning, most sixth graders in Ben White's class were appalled at the prospect: a class without girls. But, for the last year, they have adjusted to spending most of the school day at Hatch Middle School in Camden's Parkside section with only passing interaction with the opposite sex. The Ganas Factor: PTA Convention Speaker Charles Garcia Says Passion Is the Key to Transforming Education EducationNews.org, June 21, 2004 http://www.educationnews.org/ganas-factor.htm The author, entrepreneur, and speaker says that if parents and teachers can get excited about learning, kids will get excited too. He offers five tips for lighting and feeding that fire. Value of Teacher Incentives Questioned Todd Silberman, News Observer, June 21, 2004 http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1356053p-7479431c.html Nearly 1,400 North Carolina teachers each were paid as much as $1,800 extra last year to work in schools hampered by poverty or lagging student achievement. The additional pay was an enticement for math, science and special-education teachers to join or stay in those hard-pressed schools. State education and political leaders are now questioning whether the money helped do either and, more broadly, whether incentives alone can remedy teacher shortages. FL Academy's Tactics Worry Some Parents Eric Pera, The Ledger, June 21, 2004 http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040621/NEWS/406210382/1039 Live Oak Academy is by many accounts a model program housing 60 girls whose crimes deem them to be a moderate threat to the community. Book Release: Learning After School: A Step-By-Step Guide to Providing an Academic Safety Net and Promoting Student Initiative EducationNews.org, June 2004 http://www.educationnews.org/learning-after-school.htm Asked why after-school programs were so important, former Education Secretary Richard W. Riley replied “children’s minds don’t close down at 3 PM and neither should their schools.” Now, a new book, Learning After School, offers a step-by-step guide for schools to maximize student learning by harnessing after-school time. Process Makes Swallowing Bitter Pills a Bit Easier Joe Kraus, Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, June 22, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/Times-Leader6-22-04.htm Victoria Dunbar used to have her hands full making sure that her two children, both diagnosed with autism, took all of the medicines their doctors prescribed for them. Then she discovered that some local pharmacies can make those medicines with flavors and textures that her children are happy to take. Kerry Campaign Names Becky Ogle as Senior Advisor of Disability Issues CEC Legislative Update, June 11, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/CEC6-11-04.html#top On June 4, John Kerry for President announced Rebecca "Becky" Ogle as the senior advisor on disability issues. Ogle will be charged with advising the Kerry campaign on all issues related to disability and disability outreach. Ogle, a seasoned 15-year veteran of presidential campaigns and Democratic Conventions, has been a senior disability advisor to the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton-Gore Administration. D.C. Holders of Vouchers Go Shopping for Schools Jay Mathews, Washington Post, June 23, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/WashPost6-23-04b.html#top More than 500 families in the District's school voucher program packed a Monday night school fair staffed by representatives of 44 D.C. private schools. Bad Scores, Good Company Jay Mathews, Washington Post, June 23, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/WashPost6-23-04.html#top Many analysts say there often is a disconnect between good lives and good scores. CA On GED Exam, the Dropout Had an Answer for Everything Duke Helfand, L.A. Times, June 20, 2004 http://www.latimes.com/news/education/la-me-ged20jun20,1,7391807.story?coll=la-news-learning Zach Olkewicz posted a rare perfect score after leaving school to care for his ailing father last year. He joins the 14 million people who have taken the General Educational Development test since it was introduced in 1942 for U.S. servicemen returning from World War II who wanted to go directly to college without heading back to high school. [Free registration/login required.] Position Paper on IDEA Reauthorization National Committee of Parents and Advocates Organized to Protect IDEA, June 21, 2004 http://www.educationnews.org/position-paper-on-the-reauthoriz.htm The National Committee of Parents and Advocates Organized to Protect IDEA represents millions of citizens who have come together to protect the educational guarantee required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The undersigned national, state and local organizations are united in opposition to the House and Senate bills that amend and reauthorize IDEA. Both of these bills weaken the rights and protections necessary to ensure that students with disabilities are not left behind. More Information on OSERS Nominee, John Hager CEC Update, June 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/CEC6-04.html#top As reported in an earlier CEC Update, President Bush has nominated former Virginia Lt. Gov. John H. Hager to be assistant secretary of education for special education & rehabilitative services (OSERS). Following is some additional information about Hager. Teach For America Study Reports Some Gains, But Obscures Failed Teaching Policies in Urban Schools South East Center for Teaching Quality, 2004 http://www.teachingquality.org/resources/html/TFA_Report.htm A recently released study indicates that students of Teach for America (TFA) teachers matched students of a comparison group of novice and veteran colleagues from the same schools in reading and performed slightly better in math. While the study's authors viewed the results as evidence of TFA success and concluded that, "the success of TFA teachers is not dependent on their having extensive exposure to teacher practice or training," their findings illustrate the failed teaching policies that plague our nation's urban schools. The student achievement of both TFA teachers and the control group was abysmal, with students making extremely limited gains. They Won’t Go Hungry Tonight David Oliver Relin, Parade Magazine, June 6, 2004 http://archive.parade.com/2004/0606/606_wont_hungry.html In her living room, Rosa Maria Molina looks at her husband, Moises, and his calloused hands. Then she looks at her ambitious children and cries. She knows that the cycle shackling her family to poverty is being broken, and she’s thinking that the world in the framed picture on her wall—that bright world of dreams—is within her children’s reach. “I’m so happy,” is all she can say between sobs. "So happy." UT School Nutrition Targeted Jennifer Toomer-Cook, Deseret Morning News, June 22, 2004 http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595072149,00.html Heber Valley students still could get pop and candy at school, but it could be slim pickings under a revised nutrition policy proposal. Meanwhile, other districts are looking at what's for sale in student vending machines. Granite is urging schools to cut back on junk food. And Jordan and Nebo are studying nutrition in schools, which could lead to treat restrictions or other rules. PA No More Fizzy Sodas in Schools Philly.com, June 22, 2004 Starting next week, city students won't have Coke or Pepsi to cool off with at school. The school district's soda ban takes effect July 1. Approved in February, the policy prohibits the sale of all carbonated soft drinks to students. Only 100 percent fruit juice, water, milk and flavored milk will be sold to students in cafeterias and from vending machines. Students in grades 9 through 12, however, will still be able to buy electrolyte-replacement sports drinks from machines near sports facilities. WI Special Education Rules May Change Amy Hetzner, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 18, 2004 http://www.jsonline.com/news/wauk/jun04/237842.asp Special education students suffer discrimination under the state's open enrollment system because of the way districts calculate the cost of educating them, the Wisconsin attorney general's office says.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB)	*top*
Teachers' Unions Seize Opportunity to Provide Supplemental Services Linda Jacobson, Education Week, June 16, 2004 http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=40Union.h23 The Rochester Teachers Association in New York and the Toledo Federation of Teachers in Ohio have both become approved supplemental-service providers in their states and are working with their districts to tutor children from low-income families and those who are struggling academically. [Free login/registration required.] NY First-time School Parent Coordinators Making the Grade Carl Campanile, New York Post, June 23, 2004 http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/23585.htm A whopping 96 percent of the city's rookie parent coordinators received satisfactory or excellent ratings on their first annual report cards from principals, preliminary returns obtained by The Post show. The job evaluations showed that the coordinators met or exceeded expectations in helping their school improve relations with parents to help boost student performance.
Parenting/Parental Involvement	*top*
Bridges4Kids/Early On Review: My First Day at Preschool (DVD/VHS) Jackie Igafo-Te'o and Jenna Katona (age 4), Bridges4Kids/EarlyOn, June 21, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/MyFirstDay6-21-04.htm My First Day at Preschool plays out Buddy's first day linearly. As Papa Bear drives Buddy to school, Buddy is vocal about his apprehension. Papa Bear assures him that his day will be full of fun, learning and new friends. By the time school is over, Buddy cannot wait to come back the next day to see his new friends and to learn and play! bridges4kids Featured Website: National Women's Health Information Center http://www.4woman.gov This website and toll-free call center were created to provide FREE, reliable health information for women everywhere. Browse our database for great resources or take a look through our Special Sections on topic areas like breastfeeding, heart disease, disabilities and pregnancy.
Early On/Early Intervention	*top*
Helping Kids Take Early Steps Judy Stanford, The Advertiser, June 17, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/Advertiser6-17-04.htm When Logan Guidry was 8 months old, his parents knew something was wrong. “He wasn’t sitting. He wasn’t rolling over. He wasn’t doing the normal 6-month stuff. The neurologists aren’t sure why,” said his mother, Daphnie Guidry. Logan soon began a regimen of physical and occupational therapy, paid for in part by the family’s medical insurance, but a year later, he hadn’t progressed as far as she had hoped. Early Intervention Helps Kids With Autism HealthDayNews, June 12, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/HealthDayNews6-12-04.htm Early intervention reduces the impact of autism, says a University of Michigan expert on the disorder. Children encouraged to speak at an early age can make real progress against the condition, said Catherine Lord, director of the university's Autism and Communication and Disorders Center, which has been conducting a longitudinal study of children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). Bridges4Kids/Early On Review: The Giant Encyclopedia of Kindergarten Activities Jackie Igafo-Te'o, Bridges4Kids/EarlyOn, June 21, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/GryphonHouse6-21-04.htm Kindergarten children will delight in these 600 activities written just for them! In a nationwide contest, teachers submitted their favorite activities and the best of the best are included in this giant resource. This compilation has everything from language and science activities to art, music and movement, and learning centers. You'll find everything you need to keep your kindergarten classes engaged and learning for years to come.
Michigan News	*top*
Granholm Signs Cigarette Tax Hike Bill MIRS, June 24, 2004 Gov. Jennifer Granholm this afternoon signed the bill that raises the state's tax on cigarettes by 75 cents per pack, making the state tax the second highest in the nation. Granholm signed the bill after the Senate concurred in a minor House change this morning and the House quickly enrolled the bill shortly thereafter. The bill signing alleviates one major hurdle in the budget negotiation process for Fiscal Year 2005 and with the bill taking effect July 1, helps solve a 2004 Medicaid budget problem. Senate Panel Moves First ISD Bills Gongwer News Service, June 24, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/News6-24-04.html#top Intermediate school district board members could be recalled, local school boards would have to review the proposed budgets for their ISDs and administrators would have to bid out construction projects under legislation reported Thursday from the Senate Education Committee. House May Allow 4 Counties to Dissolve ISDs Gongwer News Service, June 24, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/News6-24-04.html#2 Voters in four counties would hold votes in June 2005 on whether to eliminate their intermediate school district and turn over its operations to local school districts under a bill that the House will consider next week. Michigan Adoption Bills Win House Committee Approval Gongwer News Service, June 24, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/News6-24-04.html#3 A package of bills revamping the Michigan's adoption procedures was Thursday generally given good marks for intent in striving to avoid a recurrence of a bungled process last year that saw two sisters caught between conflicting adoption orders by two different courts. But as the bills won unanimous approval by a House committee, they were faulted by some for potentially delaying adoptions of children who are wards of the state. Detroit Population Still in Top 10, but Falling Gongwer News Service, June 24, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/News6-24-04.html#4 Six of Michigan's largest population centers rank in the top 200 in the nation, with Detroit No. 10; but according to a U.S. Census report released Thursday, people continue to leave the city and others. What's Behind The ISD Amendment? MIRS, June 24, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/News6-24-04.html#5 Today, House Republicans passed an amendment to SB 0599 that requires the boards of the state's largest Intermediate School Districts (ISDs) to ask voters in Genesee, Kent, Macomb and Oakland next June whether their ISDs should be dissolved. Pass, Fail, Struggle: Whatever the MEAP Scores, Education Isn't Easy at Farwell Middle School Chastity Pratt, Detroit Free Press, June 21, 2004 http://www.freep.com/news/education/farwel21_20040621.htm The MEAP tests were over and now real work could begin. I wanted the students I taught at Farwell Middle School to work on some engaging writing for a change. So we started a lesson inspired by Louis Carney, a former English teacher at Detroit's Cody High whose students aced the MEAP. Schools Making AYP For One Year Jeremy Hughes, Chief Academic Officer, Michigan Department of Education, on June 18, 2004. http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/MDE6-18-04.html#top Preliminary calculations indicate that a number of schools that were implementing some phase of NCLB consequences, because of not making adequate yearly progress (AYP) in the past, have just made AYP on the 2004 EducationYES! report cards. Schools That Did Not Make AYP Jeremy Hughes, Chief Academic Officer, Michigan Department of Education, on June 18, 2004. http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/MDE6-18-04.html#2 Schools that are in Phase 3 (Corrective Action) and Phase 4 (Development of Restructuring Plan) are reminded that NCLB - Section 1116(b)(8)(C) - requires that a school district: * Provide prompt notice to parents and teachers of the need for corrective action or restructuring planning, and * Provide parents and teachers an "adequate opportunity" to: 1. Comment before taking any action, and 2. Participate in developing any plan. This is a reminder to schools that did not make adequate yearly progress (AYP) on the 2004 preliminary school EducationYES! report cards that were just issued. Bridges4Kids Featured Resource (Jackson County): Community Respite Center, Inc. http://www.communityrespite.com A not-for-profit respite/day care and child care program, located in Jackson, Michigan. Community Respite works with the local Early On and serves children with special needs through Summer Camp, Respite, and 24-hour day care. We partner with Children's Special Health Care, LifeWays, the ISD, and multiple partners that support infants. Highland Park Schools Seeing Some Rewards Cecil Angel, Detroit Free Press, June 21, 2004 http://www.freep.com/news/education/high21_20040621.htm In a single year, Highland Park Community High School has been transformed. This month, 130 graduates in a class of 139 crossed the stage at the Masonic Temple, a milestone for the struggling district, which saw only 86 students earn diplomas in 2003. At the heart of the changes is Theresa Saunders, the district's superintendent hired in August 2003. Among the keys to success at schools Saunders said, is to give freedom to principals to study their own problems and suggest their own solutions. SFA Analysis on Proposal A: Taxpayers Win, Schools Lose Gongwer News Service, June 22, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/News6-22-04.html#2 In the now more than 10 years since Proposal A was adopted by voters, Michigan property taxpayers are paying less, but most school districts are also getting less in revenues than they might have had if schools in the state were still primarily paid for through property taxes, concludes an analysis of the school financing system by the Senate Fiscal Agency. Next Round of ISD Bills Still Under Negotiation Gongwer News Service, June 22, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/News6-22-04.html#3 Bills that would require additional audits of intermediate school districts and that would provide criminal penalties for misusing special education and vocational education funds are still under negotiation but could yet see movement, Rep. Brian Palmer (R-Romeo), chair of the House Education Committee, said Tuesday. Granholm Forms Panel to Study Higher Ed System Gongwer News Service, June 22, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/News6-22-04.html#4 Vowing to scrutinize the most basic elements of the state's higher education system, Governor Jennifer Granholm on Tuesday officially created a new commission that she has charged with finding ways to double the number of higher education graduates in the state. Supreme Court Justices Suggest Juvenile Code Changes Gongwer News Service, June 22, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/News6-22-04.html#5 In an effort to avoid heavy federal penalties to state trial courts, Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Maura Corrigan and Justice Elizabeth Weaver offered proposed technical amendments to the state's juvenile code concerning foster childcare at two committee meetings Tuesday. One revision would include the parent of the biological father as a child's relative in cases where the child does not have a legal father. The revision would be consistent with the definition used by the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Act, making the grandparent eligible to receive aid if he or she is caring for and living with the child. For Oakland Schools Chief, Trial or No Trial? Teresa Mask, Detroit Free Press, June 23, 2004 http://www.freep.com/news/education/ois23_20040623.htm James Redmond was a man with a vision nearly 10 years ago when he was hired from Oregon to lead the Oakland Intermediate School District. Under his leadership, OIS thrived, becoming one of the most high-profile regional educational service agencies in the state and a leader in technology.
Disability News	*top*
Mind-boggling Therapy Kim Crawford, Flint Journal, June 21, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/FlintJournal6-21-04.html#top The little boy's greeting came as a shock to Bradley Habermehl. "He smiled, looked me in the eye and said, 'Hello, Dr. Habermehl, how are you today?' " the Genesee Township optometrist says. That may seem like no big deal except the boy, Eric Callahan, diagnosed as having mild-to-moderate autism, hadn't looked people in the eye and said hello before. This was a child who had flapped his arms, walked on his tiptoes and had terrible tantrums - a boy who didn't like interacting with others and who wasn't very verbal. But those behaviors were now gone; Eric was a different child. Her Passion: Care For Disabled Greg Krupa, Detroit News, June 20, 2004 http://www.detnews.com/2004/metro/0406/20/b03-188991.htm As she waited for her newborn child to be brought to the nursery, Sylvia Kloc saw that all of the other mothers had their babies already. She knew something must be wrong. Some months later, when a doctor said her infant son, Steven, had Down syndrome and encouraged her to put him in an institution, Kloc said she knew there was a better way. Discerning Difference Between Teen Angst, Depression Lebanon Daily News, June 19, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/LDN6-19-04.html#top I received a phone call this week from an employer wanting to help a teen employee who she suspected was struggling with clinical depression and may have attempted suicide. Compounding the teen's mental health problems were parents who appeared to lack accurate information and understanding about this most serious problem, teen depression. MO Springfield to Get Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Clinic Kathleen O'Dell, Springfield News-Leader, June 22, 2004 http://springfield.news-leader.com/health/thisweek/0622-Springfiel-117027.html The "problem child" in elementary school is getting early, better therapy these days, thanks to increased awareness of conditions such as attention-deficit disorder. But the true diagnosis for unusual behavior may go overlooked, because medical schools spend little time on the topic: fetal alcohol syndrome. Subcommittee on Health Unanimously Passes Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) to Simplify and Mandate Food Allergen Labeling by 2006 Food Allergy Initiative, June 15, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/FAI6-15-04.html#top The Food Allergy Initiative celebrates a major milestone in its public policy program and applauds the House Subcommittee on Health for unanimously passing the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, the bill originally authored by U.S. Representatives Nita Lowey and James Greenwood and U.S. Senators Edward Kennedy and Judd Gregg. The bill requires food manufacturers to clearly state if a product contains the eight major food allergens that are responsible for over 90% of all allergic reactions which are: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, and soy. Celiac: Is Wheat Making You Sick? KSAT, May 26, 2004 http://www.ksat.com/dietandfitness/3343550/detail.html A very common disease is starting to get some much-needed attention -- celiac disease, also known as wheat-gluten intolerance, which is a digestive disorder. Millions of people have it, but don't know it, in part because they are reluctant to talk about certain health issues -- bowel functions ranking near the top. Celiac Disease: Symptoms, Diagnosis Richmond Times-Dispatch, Wednesday, May 19, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/6-04/RichmondTimes5-19-04.html#top Celiac disease, also referred to as gluten sensitive enteropathy, gluten intolerance or celiac sprue, is hereditary. The digestive disease, triggered by wheat, rye and barley, damages the intestines and interferes with nutrient absorption.
Upcoming National Events	*top*
These are NEW calendar listings that have been added this week. To view a complete calendar of National events, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Conferences.html. TASH TECHS All-Day Special Sessions WHEN: Times and Dates of Tech Sessions: November 17, 2004 from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm and November 20, 2004 from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm WHERE: Reno Hilton, Reno, Nevada DESCRIPTION: TASH Techs are intensive, practical, full-day, sessions. The majority of Techs are held as pre-conference sessions, however there are Techs on Saturday as well. Registration is in additional to the full conference fee. For more information on available sessions, visit http://www.tash.org/2004reno/program/techs.htm. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit http://www.tash.org/2004reno/registration/index.htm for registration and cost information. TASH International Conference 2004 "Blazing The Trail" WHEN: November 17-20, 2004 (November 17 is pre-conference) WHERE: Reno Hilton in Reno, Nevada DESCRIPTION: The TASH Conference is the largest and most progressive international conference, known for pioneering strategies and blazing trails towards inclusive lives for people with disabilities and their families. It seeks to focus on model, innovative, and effective strategies for achieving full inclusion of all people with disabilities. This invigorating conference brings together some of the best hearts and minds in the disability movement with several hundred presenters and features over 300 breakout sessions, exhibits, roundtable discussions, poster sessions and much more, jam-packed with info. It provides a forum for individuals with disabilities, families, researchers, administrators, policymakers, educators, scholars, and others to create dialogue and action for social and systems reform. This is a wonderful opportunity to attend a conference with over 2500 other people from around the world (15 nations last time) which showcases national and local achievement and brings a global perspective to the community on issues of importance in the lives of people with disabilities and their families. For renewing the spirit, lifting the heart, and challenging the mind. Some of the more than 40 topics at the TASH Conference focus on the following themes: Building Partnerships & Relationships, Communication, Inclusive Education Across the Lifespan, Transition, Community Living & Employment, Diversity, Values, Equality, Advocacy & Ethics, and Quality of Life. TASH is an international advocacy association of people with disabilities, their family members, other advocates, and people who work in the disability field. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information and call for papers visit http://www.tash.org/2004reno/.
Upcoming Michigan Events	*top*
These are NEW calendar listings that have been added this week. To view a complete calendar of Michigan events, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Conferences.html. Respite Care in Washtenaw County SPONSORS: The Just Us Club and the Friends of the Developmentally Disabled WHEN: June 29, 2004 from 7-9 p.m. WHERE: High Point School Cafeteria, 1735 S. Wagner Rd., Ann Arbor, MI DESCRIPTION: Doug Cunningham from the Jackson Lifespan Respite Center will give a presentation on how to create a respite support program that is affordable for families and provides the highest quality care for anyone of any age with any type of disability. We will also discuss: Building a Respite Coalition in Washtenaw County, Maintaining and improving respite care already available, and Creating a Lifespan Respite Center for Washtenaw County. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information contact Jill Barker at (734) 996-5561 or jillrbarker@sbcglobal.net. Summer Horseback Riding Camps - Ride 4 Fun WHEN: Choose a session: June 29 - July 2 Session A; July 13 - 16 Session B; August 3 - 6 Session C WHERE: 8957 Austin Road, Saline, Michigan DESCRIPTION: For children ages 7 - 14 years old (please specify any special needs when registering). Meet the animals at Ride4Fun - the horses, the llamas, the goat, the chickens, the dogs - pet, play with and feed them all! Learn stable management and safety, grooming and saddling Horseback riding lessons — English & Western, for first-timers to advanced We have both indoor and outdoor arenas, so we will ride rain or shine! COST: $200 per child per session/scholarships may be available. Maximum of 8 children per session - register early - space is limited. Payment required in advance. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call Deb Hauser or Neel Sheth at (734)944-6651 or send email to ride4pt@aol.com. Michigan Social Studies Task Force Hearings WHEN/WHERE: Schedule of Hearings for the Social Studies Task Force: 1) July 9, 9:00 - 11:30 am @ Wayne RESA, Room 223, 2nd Floor Simmons Education Building 2) July 9, 1:30 - 4:00 pm @ Saginaw ISD 3) July 22, 1:00 - 3:30 pm @ Kent ISD 4) July 23, 9:30am - 12:00 pm @ Lenawee ISD 5) July 26, 1:00 - 3:30 pm @ Charlevoix-Emmet ISD 6) July 27, 1:00 - 3:30 pm @ Marquette-Alger RESA Description: The recently appointed Michigan Board of Education Social Studies Task Force, co-chaired by State Representative Doug Hart, will be holding six hearings throughout the state during the month of July. The goal of these hearings is to obtain the field observations of teachers and other individuals pertinent to the Social Studies MEAP and its possible improvement; compare the Social Studies MEAP with MEAP science and reading performance over the course of the last several years; and discuss the problems and successes that have been consistent with the Social Studies MEAP. For more details on the sessions, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Conferences.html#3. FOR MORE INFORMATION: To provide input, or for more information, please contact Rep.Hart via email at dist073@house.mi.gov, via phone at 888 414 3684, or come and provide testimony at one of the upcoming hearings. Michigan ASCD Professional Development Event “Using Data to Improve Student Achievement” WHEN: September 21-22, 2004 WHERE: Dearborn, MI DESCRIPTION: CEUs will be available. Topics to be presented by best selling author and nationally known expert, Dr. Deborah Wahlstrom, include The Basics of Data, Outcome Data, Demographic Data, Process Data, School Team Strategy Cards, Linking Data to Interventions, Tying Everything Together in a School Plan, Monitoring Results Along the Way, and Communicating Results to Others. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For details about the event, visit www.michiganascd.org.
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Bridges4Kids NewsDigest Staff Bridges4Kids Chief Executive Officer and Bridges4Kids News Digest Editor Deborah Canja deb@bridges4kids.org Bridges4Kids Director of Information Technology & Information Systems Jackie Igafo-Te'o jackie@bridges4kids.org Bridges4Kids Resource Assistant Bella Djordjevski news@bridges4kids.org