For Immediate Release From White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans!
The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans (WHIEEAA), housed at the U.S. Department of Education (ED), held a virtual roundtable titled Reimagining Opportunities for African American Students with Disabilities on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. EDT. WHIEEAA established the African American Education (AfAmEd) Connector Roundtable Series in June 2020 to address gaps and opportunities for African Americans students and families, and to highlight programs, policies, and practices that accelerate the learning and development of Black students of all ages. The topic for this roundtable commemorated the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In doing so, WHIEEAA highlighted the importance of meaningfully supporting African American students with disabilities for academic success. This discussion, moderated by newly appointed executive director Terris Todd, enabled participants to have access to information, resources, and best and promising practices from ED, other federal agencies, and the field.
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The White House, the Department, and other federal agencies are continually releasing and updating information to support schools, educators, families, and students regarding COVID-19. In addition to the links below, please visit the recently revamped
https://www.ed.gov/coronavirus for the latest education-related information and address questions for the Department to COVID-19@ed.gov.
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Supporting Individuals with Disabilities'
As required by law, the Department issued annual determinations on states’ implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (fact sheet)(https://www2.ed.gov/fund/data/report/idea/ideafactsheet-determinations-2020.pdf?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=
). Each state was evaluated on key indicators under Part B (ages 3 through 21) and Part C (infants through age 2) and placed in one of four categories: meets requirements, needs assistance, needs intervention, and needs substantial intervention. Most states fell into the first two groups. A total of 21 states met requirements for Part B, and 25 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico met requirements for Part C. Determinations are part of the Department’s ongoing effort to improve education for the nation’s more than 7.5 million children and youth with disabilities. (Note: Determination letters were sent to states and will be posted online (https://osep.grads360.org/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=#report/apr/publicView
) later this month.
Additionally, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) released its third “OSEP Fast Facts” (https://sites.ed.gov/idea/osep-fast-facts/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=
) on infants and toddlers with disabilities (https://sites.ed.gov/idea/osep-fast-facts-infants-and-toddlers-with-disabilities-20/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=).
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OSEP Webinar: Resources and Practices to Support Back to School and Continuity of Learning During COVID-19 for Children with Disabilities
OSEP is hosting the third and final installment of its webinar series (https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/667290716511504656?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=
) on continuity of learning during COVID-19 on Aug. 4 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. ET. The webinar will present strategies and considerations for conducting instruction in remote, on-site, and hybrid education settings and highlight exemplar resources and practices for teachers, leaders, and other providers to support students with disabilities from preschool through grade 12. OSEP Director Laurie VanderPloeg will facilitate the discussion, which will include a panelist question and answer session.
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Call to Action:
Education Leaders Must Confront and Address Racial Discrimination
On June 26, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos along with Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kenneth L. Marcus issued a call to action to education leaders to confront and address racial discrimination. July 2 marked the 56th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI). The call to action states, “As education leaders, you must confront and address race discrimination in your schools. We encourage you to speak up for equal treatment, promptly address discrimination, and work proactively to promote educational excellence for all students in our schools. … Creating a safe and inclusive learning environment is a key step towards making equality more powerful and permanent for all Americans.”
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will continue to vigorously enforce Title VI to ensure that no student is discriminated against based on their race, color, or national origin. For additional information on OCR’s increased activity enforcing Title VI, see OCR’s latest annual report. For more information on OCR, please email OPEN@ed.gov, call 800-421-3481, or visit
www.ed.gov/ocr.
Posted By: agnes levine
Monday, August 3rd 2020 at 2:26PM
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