Additional Resources

Use the following links to obtain further information, as described. Disclaimer of Endorsement

Supported by VESID

New York Higher Education Support Center (HESC) for Systems Change is an initiative of the Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) within the State Education Department. The HESC is committed to two goals: to develop and sustain high quality inclusive teacher preparation programs and to engage in and support the professional development efforts of selected schools in the seven regions of New York State.

The Metropolitan Center for Urban Education at NYU has a contract with VESID to develop, implement, and assess the provision of comprehensive technical assistance and professional development to New York State School districts that are addressing issues of disproportionality.

United States Department of Education (USDOE)

Postsecondary Transitioning Resources for Students with Disabilities - The U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, has posted two letters to provide information about the legal rights of students with disabilities as they transition from high school to postsecondary education institutions.

The U.S. Department of Education provides information on the national educational priorities, major new 1999 initiatives, and the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education.

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Service (OSERS) provides information about the function of OSERS, IDEA amendments, and projects developed by the U.S. Department of Education.

For assistance related to civil rights (including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act) , you may contact the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) headquarters office in Washington D.C. or the OCR enforcement office serving your state or territory.

No Child Left Behind - A Parent's Guide is a publication developed by the USDOE that summarizes NCLB, answers questions about the law, and tells what it means for parents.

The Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) has been established by the Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education to give schools capacity-building information and technical assistance for identifying, adapting, and sustaining effective school-wide disciplinary practices.

CADRE, The National Center On Dispute Resolution , is funded by the United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. CADRE supports parents, educators and administrators to benefit from the full continuum of dispute resolution options that can prevent and resolve conflict and ultimately lead to informed partnerships that focus on results for children and youth. The CADRE web site includes frequently asked questions about the mediation process.

Educating Our Children Together: A Sourcebook for Effective Family-School-Community Partnerships (616 KB) was developed jointly by the Consortium for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) and the NYS Education Department/VESID. It was compiled as a resource for educators to use to build effective school-family-community involvement.

Identifying and Treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Resource for School and Home is a publication from United States Department of Education.

Learning To Read/Reading To Learn Campaign - Helping Children with Learning Disabilities to Succeed provides information based on research results that shed light on the skills and understandings about literacy which children must acquire in order to learn to read.

IDEA Practices is a site which was developed as part of the IDEA Partnerships projects funded by the United States Department of Education in an effort to address parents, service providers, administrators and policy makers regarding the recent amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The Regional Resource and Federal Centers (RRFC) Network is made up of the six Regional Resource Centers for Special Education (RRC) and the Federal Resource Center (FRC). The six RRCs and the FRC are funded by the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to assist state education agencies in the systemic improvement of education programs, practices, and policies that affect children and youth with disabilities. These centers offer consultation, information services, technical assistance, training, and product development.

Special Connections helps connect teachers to strategies that help students with special needs successfully access the general education curriculum.

DisabilityInfo.gov provides quick and easy access to comprehensive information about disability programs, services, laws and benefits. You can begin your search by visiting any of the nine subject areas at the top of this page. To find disability resources in your state just click on the Find State and Local Resources map located in each of these subject areas.

Other State Offices/Agencies

Information for parents and school administrators relating to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is available on the internet from the Office of Elementary, Middle, Secondary, and Continuing Education.

Learn about New York State's implementation of the federal requirements for teachers and paraprofessionals in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) from the Office of Higher Education.

The Office of State Review was created in July, 1990 to assist the New York State Review Officers in reviewing the decisions of impartial hearing officers concerning the identification, evaluation, program or placement of children who have, or are suspected of having, an educational disability. This web site as a service to parents, boards of education, attorneys and other interested parties. Either the child's parents or the board of education may appeal to the State Review Officer from an impartial hearing officer's decision.

The New York State Department of Health provides general health information for consumers, providers, and researchers. Find out how to get New York State vital records information, notices of public health forums, and links to other health-related sites.

TheNew York Recommended Childhood Vaccination includes schedules for children birth to age twelve endorsed by New York State and New York City's Departments of Health.

Associations/Organizations - National

Project Forum at the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDE) and the National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) developed a guidance document titled "Homeless and Special Education Administrative Collaboration: Recommendations" which describes the unique challenges that administrators face as they support implementation of services for children with disabilities who are homeless and provides strategies to improve the coordination and provision of services to these students.

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues.

Accommodations Manual: How to Select, Administer, and Evaluate Use of Accommodations for Instruction and Assessment of Students with Disabilities developed by CCSSO presents a five-step process for Individualized Educational Program (IEP) teams, 504 plan committees, general and special education teachers, administrators, and district level assessment staff to use in the selection, administration, and evaluation of the effectiveness of the use of instructional and assessment accommodations by students with disabilities. The guidance in the manual pertains to students with disabilities who participate in large-scale assessments and the instruction they receive. Reference to current State-specific policies about the participation of students with disabilities in New York State assessments.
Evidence-based Programs in Reading and Mathematics - A list of resources related to evidence-based programs in reading and math compiled by CCSSO.

The Early Childhood Outcome (ECO) Center seeks to promote the development and implementation of child and family outcome measures for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with disabilities. These measures can be used in local, state, and national accountability systems.

The Federal Interagency Coordinating Council (FICC) assures that all children ages zero to eight with or at risk for developing disabilities and their families benefit from an integrated system of services and supports that is family centered, community based, and culturally competent.

The National Center for Education Statistics is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data that are related to education in the United States and other nations. Find information on the Nation's Report Card which assesses the academic performance of fourth, eighth, and twelfth graders in a range of subjects. Text in Spanish is available at this Website.

The America Reads Challeng provides an overview of the national campaign that challenges every American to help all of our children learn to read, including those with disabilities and limited English proficiency. This Website provides information on getting involved with the America Reads Challenge, training opportunities, 1999 Nation's Report Card on Reading, Reading Excellence Program, research on reading, and publications.

Private Associations/Organizations - Statewide

The Brain Injury Association of New York State (BIANYS) is a statewide organization providing assistance to families of children who have a brain injury.

Parent Associations/Organizations - National

The National Parent Information Network (NPIN) is a project sponsored by the ERIC Clearinghouses on Elementary and Early Childhood Education and Urban Education. The purpose of NPIN is to provide information to parents and those who work with parents and to foster the exchange of parenting materials. This Website includes parent news, parent list serves, and articles on family life, child development, and parenting from birth through early adolescence.

The National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education (NCPIE) is dedicated to developing effective family/school partnerships in schools throughout America. NCPIE's mission is to advocate the involvement of parents and families in their children's education and to foster relationships between home, school, and community that can enhance the education of all our nation's young people. This Website provides guidelines for developing effective family/school partnerships in schools throughout America, special activities, and a catalog of publications from NCPIE members.

Parent Associations/Organizations - State-level

The New York State PTA has more than 385,000 members statewide in over 1500 local units and councils in 16 districts. Members include parents, teachers, and other child advocates. This Website includes information on the New York State and National PTA convention, local and national PTA news, and legislative news.

Putnam Family Support and Advocacy, Inc. offers support, information, and referrals to families whose children are at risk and serves as a bridge to professional services in the community.

Parent Resources

No Child Left Behind - A Parent's Guide is a publication developed by the USDOE that summarizes NCLB, answers questions about the law, and tells what it means for parents.

The Early Childhood Direction Centers (ECDCs) provide information about programs and services for young children, ages birth through five, who have physical, mental, or emotional disabilities and help families obtain services for their children.

Parent Education Resources includes information on helping parents prepare their children for Kindergarten. This web site also includes other helpful links for parents.

The Family Advocates Partnership for Education is a new project which aims to inform and educate families and advocates about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 and promising practices. This Website includes a newsletter, topics related to IDEA, promising practices for educating children, culturally diverse material, and links to OSEP sponsored Websites. This Website also provides information in Spanish.

University of Virginia Curry School of Education Office of Special Education Parent Information Resources includes additional links to resources for parents of students with disabilities.

Resources for Children with Special Needs , a New York City-wide not-for-profit organization provides information, training, FAQ page, and advocacy for parents and professionals each year.

Disclaimer of Endorsement

The documents posted on this server contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for the user's convenience. The New York State Education Department does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to particular items in hypertext is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered, on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.

Last Updated: October 28, 2009

Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities