eNEWS | subscribe to eNEWS
From: nccrest@cudenver.edu
Date: 10/01/03

*************************************************************
NCCRESt News, the electronic newsletter of the
National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems

Volume 1, Number 4 September 2003
*************************************************************

Welcome to NCCRESt News, the monthly electronic newsletter of the National
Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt). NCCRESt
News keeps you informed of the work of this project and other news and
information related to reducing the disproportionate representation of
culturally and linguistically diverse students in special education. Each
issue features resources, research, events, and examples of educational
practices that facilitate the learning and development of all children.

"...there is no seeing without looking, no hearing without listening, and
both looking and listening are shaped by expectancy, stance, and
intention." --Jerome Bruner

IN THIS ISSUE:

==> NCCRESt Update: NCCRESt's Forum on Disproportionality (Oct. 20-21);
principal investigators' publishing and presentation activities
==> Events: CGCS (Oct. 22-26), AUCD (Nov. 9-12), NCTE (Nov. 20-25)
==> Culturally Responsive Resource: www.teachingtolerance.org
==> NCCRESt Support Desk

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
PLEASE SHARE NCCRESt NEWS WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

NCCRESt UPDATE

==> Register today!
NCCRESt's Forum on Disproportionality
October 20-21, 2003 * Denver, CO

There is still time to register for NCCRESt's Forum on Disproportionality,
which is open to representatives in states located in the Great Lakes,
Mountain Plains, and Western regions of the country. The two-day program
is designed to help participants 1) raise their awareness of the issue of
disproportionality, and 2) develop potential solutions to this problem.

Presenters will include: Rene Galindo, Ellie Valdez Honeyman, Janette
Klingner, Elizabeth Kozleski, Ginger Kwan, Michael Simmons, Cheryl Utley,
Rhonda Williams, and Shelley Zion

The intended audience for this forum are state departments of education,
Regional Resource Centers, and parent and advocacy groups in the following
regions and states:

* Great Lakes: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin

* Mountain Plains: Arizona, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Colorado,
Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah,
and Wyoming

* Western: Alaska, American Samoa, California, Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Hawaii,
Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of
Palau, and Washington

NCCRESt will also hold a resource fair, where products and information
related to reducing the disproportionate representation of culturally and
linguistically diverse students in special education will be available.
Projects and organizations that have materials to share with our audience
are encouraged to contact Shelley Zion (shelley.zion@cudenver.edu or
303-556-3990) for more information.

For additional details about the forum, please download an agenda and a
registration form from http://www.nccrest.org/events.html#forum.

==> NCCRESt's principal investigators' publishing and presentation
activities

* Dr. Janette Klingner, Co-Principal Investigator contributed a chapter to
the International Reading Association's new book Promising Practices for
Urban Reading Instruction, a collection of research-based articles framed
around the IRA's position statement "Making a Difference Means Making It
Different: Honoring Children's Rights to Excellent Reading Instruction."
The volume by Pamela A. Mason and Jeanne Shay Schumm (Editors) includes 10
"literacy rights" of every child and outlines what children need to become
competent readers and writers.

Dr. Klingner wrote the introduction associated with right 5: "Children
have a right to reading assessment that identifies their strengths as well
as their needs and involves them in making decisions about their own
learning." The book is available from
http://marketplace.reading.org/products/tnt_products.cfm?Subsystem=ORD&primary_id=518&product_class=IRABOOK&action=Long
.

* NCCRESt was a proud sponsor of the 1st Annual Fiesta Educativa Special
Education Institute, which took place on June 12. Dr. Klingner presented
NCCRESt's conceptual framework for reducing the disproportionate
representation of culturally and linguistically diverse students in
special education, and discussed the importance of culturally responsive
early literacy instruction. For more information about Fiesta Educativa,
visit http://www.fiestaeducativa.org

* Principal Investigator Dr. Alfredo Artiles and his colleagues Stanley
Trent, Kimberly Fitchett-Bazemore, Linda McDaniel, and Araminta
Coleman-Sorrell will be presented the "2002 Teacher Education and Special
Education Annual Publication Award" at the Council for Exceptional
Children's Teacher Education Division (TED) upcoming annual conference.
The article, "Addressing Theory, Ethics, Power, and Privilege in Inclusion
Research and Practice," appeared in the Winter 2002 edition of Teacher
Education and Special Education Journal. The conference, "The Heart of a
Teacher: Pathways to Success," takes place on November 11-16 in Biloxi,
Mississippi. For more information about the journal, visit
http://www.tese.org/. For more information about TED, visit
http://www.tedcec.org.

* Dr. Artiles is co-authoring a new parent brief, "Addressing Minority
Student Overrepresentation in Special Education" with Dr. Beth Harry of
the University of Miami. The brief asks parents to consider whether
culturally and linguistically diverse students make up a majority of those
children and youth in special education programs at their children's
schools. The article explains the problem of overrepresentation in special
education and ways it can be addressed. The brief will soon be published
on the Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice's Web site:
http://cecp.air.org/. CECP kindly granted NCCRESt permission to reprint
this important piece on http://www.nccrest.org, where it will be posted as
soon as it is available.

* "General Guidelines for Monitoring Minority Overrepresentation in
Special Education" is another publication of interest that was recently
posted on NCCRESt's Web site:
http://www.nccrest.org/recommended_readings.html. Authors Drs. Artiles and
Robert Rueda explain five strategies administrators can employ to monitor
and proactively address the problem of overrepresentation. This useful
guide originally appeared in the March-April 2002, CASE Newsletter; CASE
graciously granted NCCRESt reprint permission.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EVENTS
 
==> Council of Great City School's (CGCS) 47th Annual Conference
"Every Child, Every School"
October 22-26, 2003 * Chicago, IL

The CGCS's annual conference will address several critical issues
associated with improving the educational opportunities of culturally and
linguistically diverse children and youth. The following are examples of
the concurrent sessions listed in the preliminary agenda:
* "Innovative Dual Language Programs in Urban Schools"
* "Strategic Approaches to Support Achievement of Students with Special
Needs"
* "Are We Really Reducing the Achievement Gap in Urban Schools?"
* "The Impact of Financial Hardship on Student Achievement"

For more information, visit http://www.cgcs.org/.

==> Association of University Centers on Disabilities' (AUCD) Annual
Meeting and Conference
"Strength in Diversity"
November 9-12, 2003 * Bethesda, MD

This year's annual meeting and conference will offer an opportunities to
engage in a dialogue that embraces and values the diversity of AUCD
network. The conference features an opening plenary session from Dr.
Harold Hodgkinson, Director, Center for Demographic Policy, Demographics
and Diversity; opportunities to hear family members and people with
disabilities discuss the diverse accomplishments and future potential of
AUCD's centers and programs; opportunities to participate in more than 35
sessions on cutting-edge disability issues; and much more.

For more information, visit
http://www.aucd.org/meetings/2003_AM/conference_main_page.htm.

 
==> National Council of Teachers of English Annual Conference
"Partners in Learning"
November 20-25, 2003 * San Francisco, CA

The conference theme, "Partners in Learning," recognizes that many
individuals in and beyond schools contribute to students' and teachers'
lifelong learning. New, mid-career, and experienced teachers of all grade
levels will find many offerings that address their needs and interests.
For example, sessions will focus on teaching English Language Learners,
writing at all levels of instruction and across school systems,
multicultural literature, and the most recent research on the effective
teaching of the English language arts. For more information, visit
http://www.ncte.org/profdev/conv.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE RESOURCE

==> Teaching Tolerance Web site: http://www.tolerance.org

Teaching Tolerance is a Web project of the Southern Poverty Law Center,
which calls teachers, parents, and students to action in dismantling
bigotry and creating communities that value diversity. This awarding
winning site includes a "Dig Deeper" section that asks you to test
yourself for hidden biases; 101 simple ideas for promoting equity and
diversity; a guide for parents on discussing tough issues with their
children; and much more.

Teaching Tolerance is currently highlighting an exciting, national event
for teens who want to break through social boundaries at their schools. On
November 18, students are encouraged to participate in "Mix it Up at
Lunch," break out of their "comfort zones," and sit "somewhere new, with
someone new."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NCCRESt SUPPORT DESK

If you have comments or questions about NCCRESt News, or have information
you would like us to distribute to the list, please
email nccrest@cudenver.edu.
If you were sent NCCRESt News indirectly, you may subscribe to future
issues free of charge by following the directions at:
http://www.nccrest.org/newsletter.asp.
Or, follow the directions below:
Create an email message to: majordomo@mail.edc.org
Leave the subject line blank
In the body of the message, type: subscribe nccrest
Send the message.

Archives of NCCRESt News are available at
http://www.edc.org/hypermail/nccrest/
For more information about NCCRESt, please contact:
Shelley Zion, Project Coordinator
National Center for Culturally Responsive
Educational Systems (NCCRESt)
1380 Lawrence Street, Suite 625
Denver, CO 80204
Phone: 303-556-3990
Fax: 303-556-6141
Email: shelley.zion@cudenver.edu
Web: www.nccrest.org
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
NCCRESt is a technical assistance center funded by
the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education.
Project Officer: Grace Zamora Duràn. Award No. H326E020003.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------