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At Wrightslaw, our goals are to help you gain the information and skills you need navigate the confusing world of special education.
Highlights:
How to know if your child is making progress; what is your bell curve
IQ; 9 myths about testing; why parents should get an evaluation by an
independent evaluator; Stephen Jeffers v. School Board - coming
soon; Wrightslaw programs in IN, CT, VA, OK; how to find out if your child's
teacher is highly qualified; online course about bullying & school
aggression.
Wrightslaw
is ranked #1 in education
law, special
education law, and special
education advocacy. (2003 Alexa rankings)
1. Is Your Child Making Progress? How Do You Know?
You
need to know your child's present levels of functioning in academic areas.
Where is your child functioning in reading? Spelling? Written language?
Math? What
do standard scores, percentile ranks, subtest scores, and age and grade
equivalents mean?
You need to learn about tests
and measurements so you can track your child's progress or lack of
progress. If you do not learn tests and measurements, you will not
be an equal participant in planning your child's special education.
Read Tests
and Measurements for the Parent, Educator, Advocate & Attorney.
To learn how to apply these principles to your child's test scores, do
the homework assignments in Chapters 10 and 11 of From
Emotions to Advocacy. (on sale, $10 off)
2. What is Your Bell Curve IQ?
In What is Your Bell Curve IQ?, we give you a quiz and a plan to help you master this information - and have some fun.
3. 9 Myths About Testing
How many of these statements are true?
* Testing
interferes with teaching and learning.
* Testing promotes "teaching to the test."
* Testing does not measure what a student knows.
* Testing discriminates against different styles of test-takers.
* Testing hurts the poor and people of color.
* Testing increases dropout rates
* Testing creates physical and emotional illness in children.
Parents and teachers must learn why tests are essential to measuring progress and learning. Read 9 Myths about Testing - and the Realities!
Learn more
about tests, evaluations,
assessments, and high-stakes tests
4. Why Parents Should Get a Comprehensive Evaluation by an Independent Evaluator
Some
school psychologists were so angry by our advice that they unsubscribed
from the newsletter! But other school psychologists said: "I'm
glad you stood by your advice. I would not object to a parent getting
an evaluation because . . ."
To learn why we gave this advice - and stand by it - read Why
Parents Should Get a Comprehensive Evaluation by an Independent Evaluator.
Read a warning
from a psychologist about the dangers of blind trust.
5. Stephen Jeffers v. School Board - DVD Release Date - Coming Soon!
Watch your email box for a special offer on Surviving Due Process: When Parents and the School Board Disagree.
6. Wrightslaw Special Ed Legal Advocacy Programs in IN, CT, VA, OK
"The Wrightslaw Special Education Law Seminar in Michigan was a tremendously rewarding experience and will forever change our practice." - Bryan I. Eder, Esq., Chudnof & Eder, PLC
Pete and Pam Wright will do special education legal and advocacy programs in four regions of the country this Fall.
Midwest: Indianapolis, IN (September 17)
Northeast: Hartford, CT (September 21-22)
Mid-Atlantic: Virginia Beach, VA (November 12-13)
South Central: Oklahoma City, OK (December 4) FREE to Oklahoma parents & educational caregivers
Wrightslaw
legal advocacy programs focus on four areas: special education law, rights
and responsibilities; tests
and measurements to measure progress & regression; SMART IEPs; and
advocacy tactics & strategies. Participants
will receive two books, Wrightslaw:
Special Education Law and Wrightslaw:
From Emotions to Advocacy, as part of their registration (Value:
$59.90).
If
you are interested in bringing Pete and Pam Wright to your community,
please read FAQs about
Seminars. (We are scheduling programs for Fall 2005 and 2006.)
7. Is Your Child's Teacher Highly Qualified?
If your child attends a school that receives Title I funds, you have a right to know the qualifications of your child's teachers. At the beginning of each school year, districts that receive Title I funds must notify parents they may request information about the qualifications of their child's teachers. At a minimum, you have a right to know --
* If the teacher is certified or licensed to teach the grade levels and subjects s/he is teaching
* If the teacher's certification or licensure was waived under an emergency or provisional status
* the teacher's college major and any graduate degree or certification
* If the child received services from a paraprofessional, the qualifications of that paraprofessional.
If you were
not notified of your right to request this information, write a letter
on your own. This letter
to request information about a teacher's qualifications is one of
15 sample letters in Wrightslaw:
No Child Left Behind - you can use it as a template.
Title I School? To
find out if your child attends a Title I school, go to the
National Center for Education Statistics website and Search
for Public Schools. Type your school, state, county or district, then
click "Search." When the list of schools appears, click your
school. The school page will tell you if it is a "Title I School."
How
Will NCLB Affect You? Learn about reading,
tutoring and supplemental educational services, school choice, high-stakes
tests & retention, students with disabilities.
No
Child Left Behind Seminars
Sue Heath,
co-author of Wrightslaw:
No Child Left Behind, is providing training on No
Child Left Behind. Sue also writes about creative advocacy strategies
in her column, Doing
Your Homework, which appears in The
Special Ed Advocate Newsletter and on Wrightslaw.com.
Learn more
8. Need CEUs? Take an Online Course on Bullying & School Aggression
A free online tutorial about school-based bullying is available for school personnel The tutorial, The ABCs of Bullying: Addressing, Blocking, and Curbing School Aggression, from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention offers CEU's to social workers, counselors, health educators, and contact hours to school personnel.
Learn more about The ABCs of Bullying.
The
Special Ed Advocate is a free online newsletter about special education
legal and advocacy issues, cases, and tactics and strategies. Subscribers
receive "alerts" about new cases, events, and special offers
on Wrightslaw books.
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Contact Info
Pete and
Pam Wright
Wrightslaw & The Special Ed Advocate
P. O. Box 1008
Deltaville, VA 23043
Website: https://www.wrightslaw.com
Email: newsletter@wrightslaw.com
