2013 Region 5 Parent Technical Assistance Centers Meeting

May 29-31, 2013 Topeka, Kansas Welcome!

Thank you for joining us in Topeka, Kansas for these three days of fun, exploring, and learning! This year we are especially excited about our Brown v. the Board of Education: Separate is Not Equal Day on May 29! And, as always, we look forward to learning with you and experiencing the outstanding line up of speakers and sessions in 2013! Please let the Region 5 PTAC Team know if you have any questions!

Kansas State Capitol

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Topeka, Kansas
7:00-8:00 am 8:15 am 8:30 am 9:00 10:15 am Registration Check-In: River Room Meet in Lobby of the Capitol Plaza Hotel DEPART on Bus for Brown v. the Board of Education Full-Day Tour

Brown v. the Board of Education Historic Site

Stop #1: The Historic Ritchie House: A Safe House on The Underground Railroad Note: Our group will be met by volunteers and will divide into 3 groups. DEPART on Bus for Brown v. the Board of Education National Historic Site Stop #2: Brown v. The Board of Education National Historic Site: Race and the American Creed, Education, Justice, Legacy, Expressions, and Reflections Note: Our group will be met by rangers and will divide into 2 groups. Lunch and Facilitated Discussion Note: Group can eat in the Program Room or in the outdoor picnic area. Group Photo: Meet in Outdoor Picnic Area at Brown v. Board DEPART on Bus for the Kansas State Capitol Stop #3: The Kansas State Capitol Note: Our group will be met by guides and will divide into 3 groups. DEPART on foot for the Jayhawk Corner Caf (2.5 blocks from Capitol) Note: Jayhawk Caf Address: 700 SW Jackson St., Topeka, KS 66603 Jayhawk Corner Caf: Culmination with Special Performance of York, Black Explorer of the Lewis and Clark Expedition from Hasan Davis

10:15 am 10:30 am 12:30 pm

12:30 1:15 pm 1:15 1:30 pm 2:00 pm 2:15-3:30 pm

3:30 4:00 pm 4:00 6:00 pm

Experience the greatest expedition ever commissioned by a President of the United States through the eyes of its most unique member, York. York grew to manhood enslaved to William Clark. But, when they embarked on President Jeffersons Historic Mission of discovery, he exchanged his chains for a rifle and respect that only hard work can earn when your life is on the line every day. What happens to a man who has learned that he is much more than a slave when he returns to a "civilization that sees him as nothing more? This is a story of triumph, tragedy, heroism, and hardship. It is one of our nation's greatest moments set against the backdrop of our nation's darkest days, a powerful story that speaks to the indomitable nature of the human spirit.

6:00 6:30 pm

Shuttles Back to the Capitol Plaza Hotel Note: Your patience is appreciated as we run these shuttle trips.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

General Meeting Begins
7:00 am - 5:30 pm Technology Lab Open Room: River

7:00 - 8:00 am

Early Bird Session The Early Bird Gets the Tech Supp TA! Room: Bison Facilitated by Barbara Buswell, Jacey Tramutt, and Roger Holt, Members of the Region 5 Technical Assistance Team, Colorado and Montana You could sleep in, but this session is an opportunity for you to get some oneon-one in-person super duper TA for your technology planning process! If you'd like some help with your logic models, culture shifting, defining technology priorities, business process mapping, or drafting any part of your plan, this is the time to ask! No need to bring paper! Just post your work on the Tech S'upp site, and we can look at it online during the session.

8:00 - 8:15 am

Break

8:15 9:00 am

General Session Room: Shawnee A Welcome and Introductions: Barbara Buswell, Director, Region 5 Parent Technical Assistance Center, PEAK Parent Center, Colorado Connie Zienkewicz, Executive Director, Families Together, Wichita, Kansas Lesli Girard, Program Director, Families Together, Topeka, Kansas Brad Neuenswander, Deputy Commissioner, Division of Learning Services, Kansas State Department of Education, Kansas Carmen Sanchez, Education Program Specialist, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Continued
9:00 - 10:00 am General Session Continues with Keynote Presentation: Away From No Way: Strategies for Success Beyond Challenges Room: Shawnee A Presented by Hasan Davis, Commissioner, Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice, Paint Lick, Kentucky In this Keynote, Hasan will share a few of the challenges and victories of his own journey and focus on the strategies his champions employed to keep him encouraged to continue fighting when things seemed most hopeless. Participants will walk away with a sense of the important role that child champions play in helping our children conquer their personal challenges, and new strategies for support! 10:00 - 10:15 am Break

10:15 11:45 am

Breakout Sessions (2) 1. Equity Centers: It's All in the Cards: A Parenting Extravaganza! Room: Bison Presented by Tonnie Martinez, National Origins Coordinator and Charles Rankin, Director, Midwest Equity Assistance Center, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas Come and learn about the services, materials, and resources available from the Midwest Equity Assistance Center (MEAC) and develop ideas for how Equity Centers and Parent Centers can work together to enhance and complement each other's mission and work! In this highly interactive format, the audience will choose the order of activities and information presented. Session Takeaways: Participants will learn about How the MEAC can best serve parent organizations. The types of materials and resources the MEAC library has for loan. Upcoming conferences and speakers that stakeholders might benefit from.

2. Strategies that Parent Centers Can Utilize to Forward Systems Change in Their States Room: Shawnee A Presented by Peggy Kinsell, Director of Institutional Policy, Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN), Newark, New Jersey Participants of this interactive session will discuss and strategize ways Parent Centers can be active participants in systems change both on the state and federal level. Come learn about the importance of parent leadership and strategies for participating, engaging, and educating while not lobbying? (Continued next page)

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Continued
10:15 11:45 am (Continued) Strategies Parent Centers Can Utilize to Forward Systems Change in Their States Session Takeaways: Participants will learn about Working with traditional and non-traditional partners. Sharing information with those that need it and ways to get the information there. Networking, skill-building staff, and parent leadership.

11:45 am 12:15 pm

Lunch with Video and Activity Room: Shawnee A Video Room: Shawnee A Keynote: Collaboration for Professional Development: Kansas Technical Assistance System Network (TASN) Room: Shawnee A Presented by Crystal Davis, TASN Coordinator, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kansas, with Lesli Girard & Zuleika Reynoso, Families Together, Topeka, Kansas

12:15 12:30 pm

12:30 1:30 pm

1:30 1:45

Break

Apps, and 4G, and Surfing, OH MY! We want to hear from YOU!
If everyone attending this meeting from your Parent Center completes their online evaluation by no later than Noon MDT on Friday, June 7, then your center could win a brand new Samsung Galaxy Tablet! The 2nd Prize for 100% evaluation completion will be a handy Flip Video Camera! We will send you a link to the evaluationall you need to do is complete it to activate your Centers chance to win!
*Please note that the purpose of this offer is to build Parent Centers capacity and is thus only available to participants from Region 5 Parent Centers. BUT, we still want everyones feedback so please complete your online evaluation! Smart, responsive and intuitive. Thats the Android platform. The lightweight, 7.0 Galaxy Tab 2 is truly designed for life on the go. With the dual-core processor, running on Verizons super-fast 4G LTE network, youll have enough multitasking power to check email, surf the web and download a movie, all while playing a game. And at only 7.63 inches tall, it will fit anywhere even in a pocket.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Continued
1:45 - 3:15 pm Breakout Sessions (2) 1. The Unauthorized Practice of Law: Tapping Into the Positive Power of Family Support while Protecting the Parent Center Room: Shawnee A Remote Presentation from Courtney Salzer, Co-Director, Region 4 Parent Technical Assistance Center, WI FACETS, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Parent centers serve a vital role in providing families with access to and understanding of federal and state special education laws. The milliondollar question is how to effectively provide assistance to families without crossing into the realm of legal services and/or legal advice. This session will explore the concept of the Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL), including state specific information on the topic. Participants will also be provided with practical and easy strategies for ensuring that the support your center provides to families does not violate the tenets of the Unauthorized Practice of Law. (Note: It will be optimal for participants to sit in groups so they are able to dialogue with one another during the case study portion of the workshop.) Session Takeaways: Participants will: Have an increased awareness regarding the significance of the unauthorized practice (UPL) among non-attorney parent/family advocates. Understand what it means to "provide legal advice" versus "provide information and support." Gain a toolkit of practical strategies to help them support families without engaging in UPL.

2. Biting into the Core: Common Core State Standards Room: Bison Presented by Shonda Anderson, Project Coordinator, Kansas Technical Assistance System Network, Lawrence, Kansas In this session, an overview of the Common Core State Standards will be provided along with specific information on implications for instruction and assessment for students with disabilities. Session Takeaways: In this presentation, participants will: 3:15 3:30 pm Sink their teeth into the new Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts. Get a taste of how instruction and assessments for students with disabilities is informed by these new standards. Consider a recipe for supporting these standards at home. Break

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Continued
3:30 - 5:00 pm Rotating Hot Topic Sessions (3) 30 Minutes Each! Note: Participants will rotate through all three of the following 30-minute sessions. We hope you enjoy accessing all of these great sessions. A. ESEA Flexibility Waivers What Should I Know? Room: Bison Presented by Carol Massanari, Director, Mountain Plains Regional Resource Center, Tucson, Arizona With the implementation of NCLB, we became familiar with AYP and the requirement for accountability for ALL students, including those who were often excluded from reporting. However, NCLB (now re-named ESEA) was not perfect, and the Education Department in an effort to address some of the imperfection has allowed states to submit a flexibility waiver. What does this mean? Will states still be accountable for ALL students? What do I need to know in order to understand the flexibility waiver in my state? Session Takeaways: Participants will Gain an overview of the primary purposes of the flexibility waiver. Learn some ideas of what to look for in the waiver proposal. Find out about available resources for getting more information.

3 Sessions! Rotate To Each One! 30 Minutes Each!

B. Students with Disabilities in Online Learning: Increasing Equity through Collaborative Research Room: Shawnee A Presented by Diana Greer, Assistant Research Professor, Center for Online Learning, Lawrence, Kansas The Center on Online Learning and Students with Disabilities is a multiorganization, OSEP-funded research center tasked with investigating online learning as it affects students with disabilities. It is our belief that research-based improvements to online learning will dramatically improve its effectiveness for students with disabilities. This presentation will introduce our Center to the Region 5 Parent Centers. We will share our research, mission, and goals along with initial results from national surveys, focus groups, and case studies. Final discussion will focus on the formation of potential partnerships. It is our goal that this presentation will act as a foundation for future conversations between our project and your Parent Center! Were listening and want to know what information you need regarding students with disabilities and online learning. Session Takeaways: Participants will Learn about the goals and objectives of the Center. Learn about initial findings from national studies and other Center research initiatives. Develop an understanding of the future areas of investigation and potential ways the Center can collaborate with members of the Parent Center Network in future research. (Continued next page)

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Continued

3:30 - 5:00 pm

Rotating Hot Topic Sessions (3 of 3) C. The New SWIFT Center: Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation Room: Shawnee B&C Presented by Nikki Wolf, Assistant Research Professor, University of Kansas: SWIFT Center, Lawrence, Kansas SWIFT is a national center focused on providing academic and behavioral support for all students, including those with the most extensive needs. In this session, participants will learn about the systemic approach the new SWIFT center is employing to create systems change in states, districts, and schools to support all students in accessing an appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. Session Takeaways: Participants will Gain a general understanding of the SWIFT project and projected outcomes. Develop an understanding of how SWIFT partners with the whole school community in ways that positively transform the learning outcomes for all students. Help SWIFT identify barriers and solution to more easily assist in partnership building between families and schools.

5:00 pm

End of Thursdays Agenda

Your Input Matters!

Complete your online meeting evaluation! Come-on, everyones doing itand, if everyone at your Center does it in time, your Center could win a Flip Video Cameraor a Samsung Galaxy Tablet! Dont delay, evaluate right away! We will email you a link to the online evaluation each day, and again after the meeting!
*Please note that the purpose of this offer is to build Parent Centers capacity, and is thus only available to participants from Region 5 Parent Centers. BUT, we still want everyones feedback so please complete your online evaluation!

Friday, May 31, 2013

General Meeting Continues
7:30 am 2:00 pm Technology Lab Open Room: River

7:15 - 8:15 am 8:15 8:30 am

Directors Meeting (Private) Room: Bison Break

8:30 9:45 am

General Session Room: Shawnee A Video Keynote Presentation: Brothers and Sisters: Life, Love, Lessons, and Leadership Like branches on a tree we grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one. Each of our lives will always be a special part of the other." ~ Anonymous In this fun keynote session, a panel of brothers and sisters who have siblings with disabilities will share some of their experiences and the wisdom they have gained as a result of growing up with a sibling who has a disability. They will share how they are different, how they were impacted, lessons they have learned, and much more! There will be time for Q&A at the end so feel free to ask questions! Facilitated by Darla Nelson-Metzger, a sister who also works at Families Together in Topeka, Kansas, featuring this awesome panel of brothers and sisters: Bridget Cannon-Hale, Omaha, Nebraska JP Holley, Minneapolis, Minnesota Allison Young, Lawrence and Topeka, Kansas Bronwen Buswell, Colorado Springs, Colorado

9:45 10:00 am

Break

Friday, May 31, 2013

Continued
10:00 11:30 am Breakout Sessions (2) 1. Dissemination: Build-a-Plan to Get the Word Out Room: Shawnee A Presented by Kori Hamilton, Writer/Editor, National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY), Washington, D.C. This will be an online demonstration of NICHCYs brand new Build a Plan Tool for dissemination. Participants will have an opportunity to build their own plan and should bring their own portable device (e.g. laptop, iPad, or tablet). Participants will need to have a log-in to my.tadnet.org and should contact Kori Hamilton (kohamilton@fhi360.org) ahead of time to obtain log-in information. Session Takeaways: Participants will Clearly identify audiences for dissemination. Learn many strategies for reaching various audiences. Discover ways to use partners to reach more people.

2. Part C From Regulations to Inclusive Practice Room: Bison Presented by Sarah Mulligan, Early Childhood Consultant, Missoula, Montana This session will highlight key changes in the new Part C regulations and address three practical implementation pieces: natural environments, parental consent, and transition. The presenter will use family stories to illustrate the reality of Part C services for infants, toddlers, and families. In addition to sharing resources on Part C, the presenter will challenge participants to consider how inclusion drives services for young children with disabilities. Session Takeaways: Participants in this session will: Gain access to current resources on IDEA Part C regulations. Understand three key aspects of the new regulations: natural environments, parental consent, and transition. Be able to define inclusion and identify its role in services for babies and toddlers.

11:30 am 12:15 pm

Lunch with Video and Activity Room: Shawnee A

Friday, May 31, 2013

Continued

12:15 12:45 pm

General Session Room: Shawnee A Families Together App Showcase! Presented by Rachel Banning, Families Together, Kansas In 2012, Families Together created the iCareING Notebook app for iPhones and iPads, designed to help families with children who have special health care needs to organize and manage important medical, educational, and behavioral needs documentation, at their fingertips!

12:45 2:00 pm

General Session Continues with Closing Keynote Presentation: Debunking Separate but Equal: What Lessons We Can Learn from the Post-Brown Civil Rights Movement: Brown and Olmstead Room: Shawnee A Presented by Michael Bailey, Father, and President, National Disability Rights Network, Portland, Oregon

2:00 pm

Close of Meeting

The Road to Justice Continues

Thank you for joining us in Topeka and exploring this city and its rich, important history! We hope these days inform and inspire your work as you create a map for the future. Region 5 extends our sincerest thanks to the staff of Families Together for their hospitality, help in planning sessions, and being such great ambassadors of everything Kansas!

Notes:

Rememberif everyone attending from your Center completes the online evaluation by Friday, June 7 your Center could win a 4G Samsung Galaxy Tablet OR a Flip Video Camera! Just do it!