Children & Youth Action Network
(CAN) Reports

		(CAN) Reports 15 February 2010 14 November 2008 15 February 2008 17 September 2007 28 June 2007 17 March 2007 6 December 2006 20 October 2006 14 August 2006 8 June 2006 30 March 2006 23 January 2006 11 October 2005 30 August 2005 10 August 2005 28 June 2005 10 June 2005 2 May 2005 14 March 2005 10 January 2005 3 December 2004 22 November 2004 22 October 2004 30 September 2004 29 July 2004 24 May 2004 31 March 2004 12 January 2004 29 December 2003 10 December 2003 7 November 2003 13 October 2003 16 September 2003 18 August 2003 2 July 2003 25 June 2003

Judy B. Engelhard, CAN Coordinator for the Division for Learning Disabilities, provides brief reports for TeachingLD.org so that visitors can keep informed about important developments in policies affecting students with learning disabilities and their teachers. TeachingLD.org is pleased to offer this page as a place for people concerned with learning disabilities to keep up to date.

30 March 2006

DLD provides input to CEC for Comments on NCLB 2 Percent Assessment Option

Susan Osborne, immediate past president of DLD provided input to CEC during the development of comments on proposed regulations that amend Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) by providing states with more flexibility regarding the assessment of students with disabilities. The proposed regulations allow another 2% of students with disabilities to participate in modified assessments based on modified achievement standards. The 75 day public comment period ended February 28, 2006.

Late last year, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced the release of proposed regulations that will allow for greater flexibility in assessing students with disabilities under No Child Left Behind. Spellings outlined the criteria states may use in administering modified assessments for those students with disabilities who fall short of reaching grade-level standards even with high quality education, and are who are not included in the 1 percent group of students who have the most severe cognitive disabilities. Spellings noted that only 2 percent of students with disabilities may be eligible for modified assessments.

CEC submitted comments to the Department of Education supporting the Department for strengths contained within the proposed regulations and provided recommendations for areas of concern. In developing its comments, CEC solicited input from all of its members and leadership, and incorporated that feedback into its final document.

Highlighted topics contained in CEC's recommendations, include:

• Out-of-Grade-Level Instruction/Assessments
• Subgroup sizes
• Multiple testing for AYP purposes
• Using the scores of former students enrolled in special education
• Much more

A PDF of CEC's comments is available here.

ALEXA POSNY NAMED DIRECTOR OF OSEP
Alexa Posny was appointed director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education effective April 17, 2006. Since 2001, Posny has served as the deputy commissioner of education in the Kansas State Department of Education.