Most Clicked CEC SmartBrief Stories
1. Maryland won't ease standards for students with special needs
CEC SmartBrief | Sep 02, 2008
Maryland students eligible for a modified standardized test will be held to the same standards as those without disabilities under a new policy approved by the Maryland State Board of Education last week. Advocates called for the decision although only about one-tenth of modified test-takers passed last year. Sun (Baltimore), The (free registration) (08/27)
2. Vermont district aims to give students with special needs life skills
CEC SmartBrief | Sep 03, 2008
The Rutland, Vt., school district is mapping out a five-year plan to for a life-skills learning laboratory designed to help students with special needs learn essential living skills, such as cooking. The state is expected to reimburse the district for just over half its costs. Boston Globe, The (09/02)
3. Universities aim to help teens with behavioral disorders
CEC SmartBrief | Sep 05, 2008
Researchers at seven U.S. universities will use a $9.6 million federal grant to develop more effective methods for both teachers and parents to help students with emotional or behavioral disabilities. Just 35% of teens with emotional disabilities graduated from high school in 2002, the lowest rate of any group with disabilities, according to 2006 U.S. Education Department data. Education Week (premium article access compliments of Edweek.org) (09/03)
4. Scientists review autism history, research
CEC SmartBrief | Sep 04, 2008
Researchers who discovered the first autism genes reviewed their discovery at a recent European conference and outlined new studies including one that indicates a link between children with certain circadian rhythms and autism. ScienceDaily (09/03)
5. Should students choose between college-prep and vocational tracks?
CEC SmartBrief | Sep 03, 2008
Proponents of vocational education like California high school teacher Chris Peters say a radical overhaul could make U.S. secondary schools more effective. High schoolers should spend their first two years meeting basic standards, supporters say, then if they pass subject exams, they could choose between a college-prep track or a variety of community college vocational programs. Washington Post, The (09/01)
6. Two Scottsdale-area schools to serve those with learning disabilities
CEC SmartBrief | Sep 04, 2008
Totem Learning Center and Day School has decided to offer full-time education class for those with special needs, while Lexis Preparatory is looking to open next year to serve children who "learn differently." Sandi Mahan, executive director of the Totem Learning Center and Day School, said the school decided to switch to full time to meet a need. East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Ariz.) (09/01)
7. Researchers find no autism risk tied to measles vaccine
CEC SmartBrief | Sep 04, 2008
An international team of researchers who studied children with and without autism who have gastrointestinal disorders found no proof that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine triggered bowel disease and made the patients more susceptible to autism. The study came as measles cases in the U.S. increase, driven by children who remain unvaccinated because of a hypothesis that the MMR vaccine could cause autism. WebMD (09/03) Washington Post, The (09/03)
8. School's closure upsets parents of children with special needs
CEC SmartBrief | Sep 02, 2008
A Texas middle school where about one in four students have special needs is scheduled to close, angering some parents. They fear their children will lose ground as they adjust to new buildings and teachers. News 8 Austin (Texas) (08/27)
9. Republican VP pick supports educational funding, NCLB flexibility
CEC SmartBrief | Sep 02, 2008
First-term Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin, tapped by Sen. John McCain as his vice-presidential candidate, is popular among the Alaska teachers union for supporting a law that overhauled the state's education funding and increased aid for rural districts and students with special needs, a union official said. Palin, who also supports greater NCLB flexibility, spoke during her campaign in favor of school-choice measures and teaching creationism alongside evolution. Education Week (premium article access compliments of Edweek.org) (08/29)
10. New PBS show aims to teach science basics to preschoolers
CEC SmartBrief | Sep 03, 2008
New York Times, The (08/31)
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