Technology Teacher 04/28/2016

• Accommodations and Modification

  - Accommodations are changes in how a student accesses information and demonstrates learning. - Modifications are changes in what a student is expected to learn. The changes are made to provide a student with opportunities to participate meaningfully and productively along with other students in classroom and school learning experiences -Accommodations can include changes in the following: • presentation of a lesson • instructional strategies • student response format and procedures • time/scheduling • environment • equipment • assignment structure-paper/pencil work -Modifications include changes in the following: • instructional level • content/curriculum • performance criteria • assignment structure-paper/pencil work -Layer 0 No Changes All students do the same assignments. No changes in grading criteria. It is the same for everyone. - Layer 1 Minimal Classroom Changes All students do basically the same assignments, except some receive additional support or reinforcement. (minimal accommodations) No changes in grading criteria. It is the same for everyone. - Layer 2 Classroom Changes All students learn the same basic content, except with changes in how it is learned or tested. (complex accommodations) Grading criteria may vary slightly. - Layer 3 Some Changes to Curriculum Some students do reduced or similar assignments, but at a less frustrating level. (accommodations and modifications) Grading criteria may be based on individual goals and class participation. - Layer 4 Significant Changes to Curriculum Students do a smaller part of the general curriculum. (significant accommodations and modifications) Grading criteria is based on individual goals and class participation. - Layer 4 Significant Changes to Curriculum Students do a smaller part of the general curriculum. (significant accommodations and modifications) Grading criteria is based on individual goals and class participation. - Layer 5 Significant Changes to Curriculum Students do alternate activities relating to the general curriculum. (significant accommodations and modifications) Grading criteria is based on individual goals and class participation -The majority of our special education students can be successful and master much of the general education curriculum with Layer 2 or 3 accommodations. - Environment – Adapt the classroom environment so it makes learning possible for ALL students - Always keep the Closed Captioning option ON when showing videos or TV segments so that all students can listen to and read the information -Content Instruction – Accommodations in instruction and changes in instructional strategies can enhance learning for the entire class -Give at-risk students a very basic introduction to the subject immediately before starting the lesson for the whole class. Ask questions and direct discussions to elicit prior knowledge from the at-risk students - Continue to repeat and rephrase the major point(s) of the unit or lesson. -Demonstrate how to use graphic organizers and then provide them so students learn how to categorize and organize information. Assignment Structure-Paper/Pencil Work - Making workbooks, worksheets or other written assignments accessible to all students can be a challenge - color coding pages, notes, and handouts • using white out on parts of paper or to eliminate some multiple-choice answers - Content Instruction • Reduce the variety of tasks (The class is practicing mixed addition and subtraction facts with flashcards; two students have addition only cards.) -Eliminate less critical information and facts from a copy of your notes (or those of a capable peer) using white out tape. Give it to struggling students to use as a study guide. - not modified (number 1) to most modified (number 5). 1. Open-ended question strategies (Usually not modified) 2. Visual organization strategies 3. Closed procedure strategies 4. Choice strategies 5. Yes/No strategies (Too modified for most students) They allow students to practice answering questions in a systematic format. Math –There are 5 blue birds in a cage. There are 5 times as many green birds in another cage. How many green birds are there? 5 blue birds X 5 = ______ green birds Teachers who already have multiple-choice tests/work developed for the class can narrow the number of choices to two or three for students with significant learning challenges. - Yes/No strategies are not appropriate for most special needs students. They should only be used in extreme situations when it has been determined that all other strategies are too difficult for the student. - Divide the class into two groups if another adult is present to help • Teacher, paraprofessional or adult volunteer reads to student • Partner students so they can read aloud to each other • Provide a note-taking format BEFORE beginning reading to guide comprehension • Highlight key words and concepts • Help student re-read key ideas and highlighted content • Simplify complex text by rewording (break a complex sentence into several short sentences) Substitute one-page summaries or study guides that identify key terms and ideas instead of the whole reading assignment • Use Closed Captioning for all TV/video viewing so students see words and speech connected. • Put main ideas on note cards and help students organize them Require a minimal amount of writing per day-gradually increase the expectations (Be prepared to start with very little!) • Allow student to bring a picture from home to write about • Allow lists and simple sentences-help student to gradually become more complex • Allow students to dictate ideas to teacher, paraprofessional or volunteer Avoid corrections in the mechanical aspects in early stages of writing concentrate on idea development • Teach and require the use of graphic organizers/outlines/mapping skills to help students learn to visualize the parts of the paragraph/essay/story Allow multiple formats for presentations, including some that don’t include writing • Allow reduced sources and modified format when writing research papers • Allow disabled students to work together to generate one report • Allow students to dictate stories, reports, etc. to volunteers/peers Most classroom behavior issues are the result of years of frustration, failure and the instinctive desire of “wanting to fit in with your peers” It is important to get the respect of everyone in the classroom by giving it. • Take time to get to know all students. • Have a sense of humor, for your own sake and your students Don’t take behavior situations personally. Don’t show emotion or get drawn into conflict. • Be sure classroom rules are posted and reviewed regularly so everyone understands them. Don’t assume the special needs students know the rules. Remind them regularly. Don’t be sarcastic. Sarcasm cuts very deeply. Remember that comprehension and attention are usually issues. Get used to giving directions multiple times and in multiple ways. Most students are not trying to deliberately annoy their teachers by not understanding the directions. THEY REALLY DON’T GET IT. Develop a discrete hand signal to use with the student to indicate their need to modify behavior. • For a student with frequent behavior issues, ask the IEP team to develop a behavior plan (can be done at any time of year, not just at the annual IEP meeting.) -Special educators should communicate with general educators PRIOR to the start of the school year. Special ed. teachers can share a summary of the IEP information, as well as the unique qualities and learning styles of the students - General education teachers should assume ownership of the special needs students in their classroom - Special educators should partner with general education teachers to help implement modifications and accommodations. • Provide direction/help to modify assignments and tests/assist in reading assignments and tests/help implement behavioral supports • Be available, helpful, and supportive of the general education teachers When special education staff are helping to make accommodations and modifications to the curriculum for general education teachers, it is considerate to provide the materials needed (tests, assignments and answer keys) well in advance of due dates. Special educators and general educators should respect each other’s additional responsibilities and help each other in any way possible. Modifications and accommodations are EVERYONE’S responsibility and they are REQUIRED as outlined in federal and state LAW (Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 1997, Reauthorization of IDEA 2004 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973-Section 504)

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Technology Teacher 04/25/2016

• untitled

  -Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a national law that protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disability -Section 504 protects qualified individuals with disabilities. Under this law, individuals with disabilities are defined as persons with a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities - qualified individuals with disabilities are persons who, with reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the job for which they have applied or have been hired to perform - Reasonable accommodation means an employer is required to take reasonable steps to accommodate your disability unless it would cause the employer undue hardship.

• Module 8

  -According to the original legislation (i.e. EHC), the goals of this law included (U.S. Department of Education, 2007): [T]o assure that all children with disabilities have available to them… a free appropriate public education which emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs; to assure that the rights of children with disabilities and their parents… are protected; to assist States and localities to provide for the education of all children with disabilities; to assess and assure the effectiveness of efforts to educate all children with disabilities. -Two important principles came from this law:  All children are entitled to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE).  Handicapped students should be educated in the least restrictive environment (LRE). - availability of an ideal program and an appropriate program. Quite understandably, parents want the ideal program, but the school district might be reluctant to spend the additional money for this and opt for the lower-cost appropriate program. -There is a continuum of “restrictions” that can be implemented into a student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) to provide an appropriate education for the student. -Special assistance, e.g., an educational paraprofessional  Special classes, e.g., a resource room to support the education the student receives in the regular education classroom  Specialists to provide related services, i.e. services that are necessary for students to benefit from the education they are receiving (e.g., speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, or the services of a reading specialist)  Segregated classes, i.e. classes for all or part of the day for students with similar needs  Educational programs and services in a different setting, e.g., out-ofdistrict day placements or out-of-district boarding placements. Students would attend a different school either within their school district or even outside of their school district, depending on educational needs -Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a federal law that protects students and other individuals from discrimination based on their disabilities. -Section 504 also applies to people in their employment and other aspects of their lives.  IDEA is a law that provides monetary grants for educational agencies, whereas Section 504 is an anti-discrimination law.  Section 504 also extends these guarantees beyond the classroom to cocurricular and other school programs. Teachers who fail to implement required accommodations can be held legally liable. -Schools and/or districts that do not meet the targets for two consecutive years are labeled schools/districts in need of improvement (SINI/DINI). - Educational philosophies such as mainstreaming or full-inclusion have also changed the role of regular educators.

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Technology Teacher 04/24/2016

• Archived: 25 Year History of the IDEA

  • Congress enacted the Education for All Handicapped Children  Act (Public Law 94-142), in 1975, to support states and  localities in protecting the rights of, meeting the individual needs  of, and improving the results for Hector and other infants, toddlers,  children, and youth with disabilities and their families.
  • ublic Law 94-142, significant  progress has been made toward meeting major national goals for  developing and implementing effective programs and services for early  intervention, special education, and related services. Before IDEA,  many children like Hector were denied access to education and  opportunities to learn.

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Technology Teacher 04/21/2016

• Does Suspending Students from School Work? | TIME.com

  • Giving students what amounts to a free day or two off doesn’t actually feel like punishment for most kids, especially those who may already be hostile towards school to begin with
  • the student then misses school work, his or her grades will decline, further increasing the student’s detachment from the academic environment
  • ome schools have implemented either in-school suspension or Saturday suspension (effectively a Saturday detention) so that students are not rewarded by being excused from school and won’t miss out on schoolwork.
  • it’s understandably tempting to want to eject some students to preserve the educational opportunities for others.
  • Academic failure is a significant predictor of later occupational and legal problems as an adult.

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Technology Teacher 04/20/2016

• Module 7 overview

  - School behavior policies address a variety of topics related to student behavior - Others assign points or “demerits” to specific behaviors and consequences. Still others will give a range of consequences that may be assigned based on the circumstances of the offense - restorative justice. This concept attempts to have students provide restitution when they have violated behavior standards - Other schools have adopted or developed discipline plans based on peer review. The idea behind these plans is that the determination of responsibility and the assignment of consequences for unacceptable behavior will be better accepted and mean more to a student when coming from peers rather than adults - District policies related to student behavior or discipline are usually part of a much larger compilation of policies that govern all aspects of the school district. - In NH, the suspension and expulsion of public school students is governed by state laws called Revised Statutes Annotated (RSAs). The specific RSA governing the suspension and expulsion of students in NH is RSA 193:13 -Reasons a student can be suspended and/or expelled  Who can suspend and/or expel a student  Appeal process available to students who have been suspended and/or expelled  Certain special circumstances of suspension and/or expulsion, e.g., possession of a gun on school property and reinstatement from an expulsion - Suspension is a term used to describe the short-term exclusion of a student from school for disciplinary reasons - Suspensions can be administered by the superintendent, or someone (most often the principal and/or assistant principal) designated in writing by the superintendent - The RSA is silent regarding the right of a student to appeal a suspension of less than 10 days. This gives the local superintendent and school board the option of hearing such appeals or refusing to hear them. - Expulsion is a term used to describe a long-term exclusion of a student from school -A student who has been suspended in one school cannot transfer to another school to avoid the suspension, but it is “subject to modification by the superintendent of the school district in which the pupil seeks to enroll” -They deny students of a right guaranteed under the NH Constitution. They should be used with great discretion and only under the most serious circumstances.

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Technology Teacher 04/13/2016

• untitled

  -School personnel must report and/or investigate all incidents of bullying and take appropriate action whether they personally observe incidents or learn of them by some other means. Reporting, investigation and action must occur even if the victim does not file a formal complaint or does not express overt disapproval of the incident. Adult non-intervention establishes a climate of fear, reinforces students’ beliefs that bullying is “normal” and must be tolerated, and enables the bullying behavior. Furthermore, non-intervention may expose the school district to potential liability. STAFF RESPONSE PROTOCOL INTERVENE - Staff members must intervene immediately or as quickly as reasonably possible to address bullying behavior. a) Identify bullying behaviors. Focus on the behavior not the person. Refer to the classroom or school rules. b) Stop the behavior. Get in between target(s) and perpetrator(s) if safe to do so. Resist the temptation to dismiss the bullying as normal (“boys will be boys” and “girls will be girls”) behavior for that age. c) Conference with the student(s) SEPARATELY. INVESTIGATE – All reports of bullying incidents should be recorded and investigated in a timely fashion – within 24 hours (when possible) of receiving initial report. All reports of bullying should be addressed by any District employee to whom bullying is reported or who observes actions that appear to constitute bullying. All staff should receive training to recognize what constitutes bullying under the statutory definition. Interview student(s) exhibiting bullying behavior and the target/victim(s) separately to avoid further victimization of the target. (a) Engage the target/victim first: (i) Focus on his/her safety. (ii) Reassure him/her that the bullying behavior will not be tolerated and that all possible steps will be taken to prevent a reoccurrence. (iii)Ask what happened and how he/she feels about it. (iv)It is generally best to advise the student to walk away/ignore the behavior, use humor to dismiss it, tell the bully to stop and/or seek help from an adult. It is not advisable to suggest the victim stand up to the bully or fight back. (v) Involve the victim in a peer support group, or cooperative learning group or offer counseling if needed. (vi)Ask student to log any future bully/victim situations for the purpose of providing documentation. For the perpetrator: (i) Have the student identify the problem using an I statement. If they are unable to admit to a problem, say “I’ve been hearing that…” or “I have observed you…” (ii) Ask questions and gather information. Praise honesty. (iii)Ask “What was wrong with what you did?” (iv)Ask “What problem were you trying to solve?” (not “Why did you do it?”) (v) Ask “Next time you have that problem, how will you solve it?” (vi)Remind the student of the school rules and policies, expectations for behavior and his/her personal responsibility for the learning environment. (vii) Utilize remediation measures and consequences according to the Bullying Matrix. If a student reports bullying behavior to a staff member, do not dismiss it as tattling, particularly if the student reporting is trying to keep another student safe. Thank the student who made the report! REPORT - All bullying incidents should be reported to the Coordinator using the Bullying Incident Report Form. a) Repeated or severe incidents should be promptly referred to school administration. b) All information concerning complaints or incidents of bullying should be treated confidentially at all times. When talking with parents, teachers and administrators cannot name the other students involved and cannot indicate disciplinary measures utilized. c) Inform the parents of the bully and the victim of the behavior as quickly as possible. A call home the same day is preferable, followed by an appointment at school with the parents if necessary. Early intervention is most effective before patterns of behavior are established. Invite the parents to collaborate on a solution. Do not bring the parents of the victim and the bully together. REMEDIATION AND CONSEQUENCES - It is the responsibility of the adult staff to use violations of the school rules as opportunities to help students improve their social and emotional skills, accept personal responsibility for their learning environment, and understand consequences for poor choices and behaviors. A clear distinction exists between remediation and consequences. a) Remediation, intended to counter or “remedy” a behavioral mistake, can be an effective prevention practice. Remediation measures are intended to correct the problem behavior, prevent a reoccurrence, protect and provide support for the victim and take corrective action for documented systemic problems related to bullying and harassment. Remediation measures allow the student an opportunity to reflect on behaviors, learn pro-social skills and make amends to those affected. b) Consequences, tend to be punitive in nature and should be used only when appropriate and almost always in conjunction with remediation measures.

• NH's Anti-Bullying Law - Bully Free New Hampshire

  • New Hampshire's new anti-bulling law was signed on June 15, 2010 by Governor Lynch
  • All pupils have the right to attend public schools, including chartered public schools, that are safe, secure and peaceful environments.
  • legislature's highest priorities must be to protect our children from physical, emotional, and psychological violence by addressing the harm caused by bullying and cyberbullying in our public schools.
  • Bullying in schools has historically included actions shown to be motivated by a pupil's actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry or ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, physical, mental, emotional, or learning disability, gender, gender identity and expression, obesity, or other distinguishing personal characteristics, or based on association with any person identified in any of the above categories.
  • It is the intent of the legislature to protect our children from physical, emotional or psychological violence by dealing with bullying, harassment, intimidation, and cyberbullying of any kind in our public schools, for all of the historical reasons set forth in this section, and to prevent the creation of a hostile educational environment.
  • The purpose of this chapter is to protect all children from bullying and cyberbullying, and no other legislative purpose is intended, nor should any other intent  be construed from the enactment of this chapter.
  • "Bullying" means a single significant incident or pattern of incidents involving a written, verbal, or electronic communication, or a physical act or gesture, or any combination thereof, directed at another pupil which:
  •  (1.)  Physically harm a pupil or damage the pupil's property;
                                        (2.)  Cause emotional distress to a pupil;
                                        (3.)  Interfere with a pupil's educational environment; or
                                        (4.)  Creates a hostile educational environment; or
                                        (5.)  Substantially disrupt the orderly operation of the school.
    
  • "Bullying" shall include actions motivated by an imbalance of power based on a pupil's actual or perceived personal characteristics, behaviors, or beliefs, or motivated by the pupils association with another person and based on the other person's characteristics, behaviors, or beliefs.
  • "Cyberbullying" means conduct defined in paragraph I of this section undertaken through the use of electronic devices.
  • "Electronic device" including, but not limited to, telephones, cellular phones, computers, pages, electronic mail, instant messages, text messaging, and websites.
  • "Perpetrator" means a pupil who engages in bullying or cyberbullying.
  • " School Property"  means all real property and all physical plant and equipment used for school  purposes, including public or private school buses or vans.
  • "Victim" means a pupil against whom bullying or cyberbullying has been perpetrated.
  • Bullying or cyberbullying shall occur when an action or communication as defined in RSA 193-F:3
                           (a.)  Occurs on, or is delivered to, school property, or a school-sponsored activity or event on or off school property; or
                           (b.)  Occurs off of school property or outside of a school-sponsored activity or event, if the conduct interferes with a pupil's educational opportunities or substantially disrupts the orderly operations of the school or school-sponsored activity or event. 
  • A procedure for reporting bullying or cyberbullying that identifies all persons to whom a pupil or another person may report bullying or cyberbullying.
  • A procedure outlining the internal reporting requirements within the school or school district or chartered public school.
          (h.) A procedure for notification, within 48 hours of the report, to the parent or guardian of a victim of bullying, harassment, intimidation, or cyberbullying and the parents or guardians of the perpetrator or the bullying, harassment, intimidation, or cyberbullying. 
  • A written procedure for investigation of reports, to be initiated within 5 school days of the reported incident, indentifying either the principal or the principal's designee as the person responsible for the investigation and the manner in which the results of the investigation shall be for the investigation and documentation or reports for up to an additonal 7 school days, if necessary.  The superintendent or superintendent's designee shall notify in writing all parties involved of the granting of an extension.
  • A requirement that the principal or designee report all substantiated incidents of bullying or cyberbullying to the superintendent or designee.

• National Youth Rights Association » Searches and Seizures in Public Schools

  • The Fourth Amendment to the constitution protects United States citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures
  • While it is apparent to me that the Fourth Amendment should be no less applicable in schools than in the general society these essential Constitutional protections have been under fire in recent years and many rights have been taken away from students.
  • The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution states, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
  • so one should naturally assume that persons under 18 should be afforded the same protections as anyone over 18
  • The largest and first assault on the rights of students to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures occurred in the case of New Jersey v. T.L.O.
  • After being brought to the principal’s office one of the girls, T.L.O., denied that she had been smoking
  • “It is now beyond dispute that “the Federal Constitution, by virtue of the Fourteenth Amendment, prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures by state officers.”
  • Fourteenth Amendment protects the rights of students against encroachment by public school officials.” he further stated that “In carrying out searches and other disciplinary functions pursuant to such policies, school officials act as representatives of the State, not merely as surrogates for the parents, and they cannot claim the parents’ immunity from the strictures of the Fourth Amendment.”
  • I would place greater emphasis, however, on the special characteristics of elementary and secondary schools that make it unnecessary to afford students the same constitutional protections granted adults and juveniles in a nonschool setting.”
  • the opinion of the court established a “reasonableness” approach to search and seizure rather than a “probable cause” approach as outlined in the constitution.
  • such wordings as: “reasonable grounds for suspecting that the search will turn up evidence”, “reasonably related to the objectives of the search”, “reasonably related in scope” clearly the court has created a new way to apply this law based on no precedent or prior interpretations
  • New Jersey v. T.L.O. decision. In the case of Vernonia School District 47J v. Acton the court approved of random drug testing of athletic students based on no suspicion or “reasonableness” at all.
  • Fourth Amendment that provides for warrants and probable cause isn’t needed in all situations, and then proclaims public schools as a situation where probable cause and warrants are never needed
  • Verona School District 47J v. Acton involve a school policy of requiring random urine tests by athletes for drugs
  • Because of the broad suspicionless nature of this search it has very negative implications to the Constitution and to the promise of the Fourth Amendment in public schools and in society at large
  • lower expectation of privacy in regards to athletics.
  • The expectation of privacy regarding one’s blood would be equivalent to the contents of a safe hidden and locked inside one’s house
  • While this expectation of privacy is something to be respected it can still be violated by an individual suspicious of guilt accompanied by a probable cause and a search warrant.

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Technology Teacher 04/11/2016

• Oyez

  • The Spectrum, the school-sponsored newspaper of Hazelwood East High School, was written and edited by students. In May 1983, Robert E. Reynolds, the school principal, received the pages proofs for the May 13 issue. Reynolds found two of the articles in the issue to be inappropriate, and ordered that the pages on which the articles appeared be withheld from publication.
  • No. In a 5-to-3 decision, the Court held that the First Amendment did not require schools to affirmatively promote particular types of student speech
  • The Court held that schools must be able to set high standards for student speech disseminated under their auspices, and that schools retained the right to refuse to sponsor speech that was "inconsistent with 'the shared values of a civilized social order.'" Educators did not offend the First Amendment by exercising editorial control over the content of student speech so long as their actions were "reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns." The actions of principal Reynolds, the Court held, met this test.

• A principal yanked a drug article from a student newspaper, so it ran online - The Washington Post

  • A principal yanked a drug article from a student newspaper, so it ran online
  • Principal Clarence Burton III deemed the article too mature for the Falconer’s teen readership and yanked it from publication in March
  • he wrote that he was concerned that students would “be exposed to a new and dangerous drug without adult guidance.”
  • School administrators are allowed to preview student work and can censor school-sponsored student publications in many cases, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Hazelwood decision in 1988.
  • “I just felt like, in the end of the day, if there’s one student in that school who is encouraged to use the drug . . . I would have to live with that, and that’s not something I want to live with,” Jeck said.
  • “There’s obviously a difference between exposing people to information and exposing them to a drug,” he said. “They didn’t enclose drugs in the publication.”
  • But he still said that the Web — and the extraordinary amount of bad information students have access to because of it — does not mean administrators should stop oversight of student publications.

• Should Principals Have The Right To Censor School Publications? - tribunedigital-sunsentinel

  • Should Principals Have The Right To Censor School Publications?
  • Three types of expression can be punished under current U.S. law: obscenity, libel (false, damaging and malicious statements), and statements that incite people to participate in illegal actions.
  • high school principals are given the right to censor all high school publications.
  • principals censor articles that are not necessarily illegal but are possibly offensive to students or faculty members
  • A high school paper is not a forum for discussing these issues. Students who wish to express these beliefs can either write articles for an out-of-school paper or start their own newspaper.

• Search and seizure, due process, and public schools

  • occasional misdeeds by youngsters or employees cause districts to investigate violations and mete out punishment.
  • The situations in which school officials can conduct a search, what level of suspicion is necessary to legally justify it, when contraband can be seized, and what process must precede any consequences are all subject to the U. S. Constitution and the special protections it extends.
  • The Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause is triggered as the follow-up step, commanding that school officials who plan to discipline a student or employee must first provide the alleged wrongdoer with two rights:
  • The Fourth Amendment prohibits “unreasonable” searches and seizures.
  • • Specific information about the charges and the evidence behind it.
       
     
    •  
      A chance to tell his or her side of the story.
  • “notice and an opportunity to be heard.”
  • concerned with privacy and making sure that government entities, such as public schools, do not get overzealous in investigating violations.
  • On school grounds or when students are within school district care—like a field trip—the standard is “reasonable suspicion” and no warrant is necessary.
  • The key case, decided by the U. S. Supreme Court in 1985, was New Jersey v. T.L.O. In that case, an assistant principal opened and searched a purse after a student was accused of violating the school’s no-smoking policy.
  • concluded that school officials acted within the Constitution and did not need a warrant because they had reasonable grounds for suspecting that a search would turn up a violation of school rules.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Technology Teacher 04/07/2016

• English as a second language program expected to increase in Nashua | New Hampshire

  • School officials are expecting more students to participate in the district’s English Language Learners program next year, prompting a request to hire an additional teacher.
  • “The reality is, this is the fastest-growing segment of the population within American schools today,”
  • There are about 745 students in the district learning English as a second language, with most of them speaking Spanish as their primary language
  • there are 22 ELL teachers in the program, in addition to several paraeducators

• Adults in New Hampshire - Religion in America: U.S. Religious Data, Demographics and Statistics | Pew Research Center

  • Non-Christian Faiths  5% 
  • Christian  59% 
  • Unaffiliated (religious "nones")   36% 

• NH 2009 - 2010

  American Indian or Alaskan Native Asian or Pacific Islander Hispanic Black, Non-Hispanic White, Non-Hispanic Multi-Race Total District Name Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number State Total* 44 0.4 886 7.3 2,089 17.2 445 3.7 8,572 70.5 127 1.0 12,163 -Manchester 77 0.5 674 4.3 2,113 13.4 1,277 8.1 10,861 69.0 730 4.6 15,732 -Nashua 44 0.4 886 7.3 2,089 17.2 445 3.7 8,572 70.5 127 1.0 12,163

• NH 2001 - 2002

  - Manchester American Indian 75 %0.4 Asian 413 %2.4 Hispanic 1,330 %7.6 Black Non Hispanic 667 %3.8 White Non Hispanic 14,953 %85.7 Total 17,438-Nashua American Indian 44 %0.3 Asian 525 %3.9 Hispanic 1,448 %10.8 Black Non Hispanic 378 %2.8 White Non Hispanic 11,024 %82.2 Total 13,419- Sanborn Regional 2 0.1 4 0.2 13 0.7 11 0.6 1,787 98.3 1,817

• Module 5 Overview

  Types of DiversityCharacteristic DefinitionFamily structure Refers to the configuration of a student'sfamily (e.g., blended family, nuclear family)Economic diversity Refers to the economic status (i.e. incomelevel) of a student's familyEducationaldiversityRefers to the level of education of thestudent's family and the support andencouragement the family provides foreducational attainment by their child(ren)Social diversity Refers to students from different socialclasses (e.g., working class/"blue collar",professional/"white collar")Political diversity Refers to the political ideology of a studentand the student's family (e.g.,conservative/Republican, liberal/Democrat, ora political background that is somewherebetween those two perspectives)Intellectual diversity Refers to the degree to which a student andthe student's family value learning andintellectual curiosity; can also refer to thefunctional intellectual level of a student and/orthe student's parentsDiversity of sexualorientationRefers to a student's sexual orientation aswell as the sexual orientation of the student'sparents; can also refer to the attitude and acceptance that a student and the student'sparents have towards people with sexualorientations different from their own.Diversity of physicalabilityRefers to the physical abilities and/ordisabilities of a student and the student'sparents-Multiculturalism can refer to people who have diverse backgrounds based on differentnational or regional heritages- New Hampshire between 2001 and 2010,- Look for the changes that have taken place in theschool enrollments of Manchester and Nashua, New Hampshire-specifically the changes in the percentage of students listed as White, Native American,Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and Black in both school years. - This data shows how the number of students from all the listed groups increased (except for the White and the Native American students) over the nine-year period.-The increasing diversity of students' religious affiliations requires thateducators be more aware of and sympathetic to the unique traditions of each of thesereligions- If a school allowed a chess club for its students, it could not prohibit areligiously oriented club.- The courts have ruled that if the local school is available forthe use of non-school, community-based organizations, then it must also be madeavailable to religious organizations.- In the landmark case Tinker v. Des Moines, the U.S. SupremeCourt stated, "students do not shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speechand expression at the schoolhouse gate."- FERPA is a federal law that went intoeffect in 1974. This law allows the following:o Right for students and parents to inspect educational recordso Requires schools (in most cases) to obtain written permission before releasinga student's educational recordso Identifies who has the right to a review a student's educational recordso Allows schools to release certain "directory information" (e.g., name, address,telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance with prior notification but not prior permission), as long as studentsand parents have been given the opportunity to "opt out" of such release ofinformation

• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

  • Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
  • The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.
  • FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records
  • Parents or eligible students have the right to inspect and review the student's education records maintained by the school.
  • Schools are not required to provide copies of records unless, for reasons such as great distance, it is impossible for parents or eligible students to review the records.
  • Parents or eligible students have the right to request that a school correct records which they believe to be inaccurate or misleading.
  • If the school decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student then has the right to a formal hearing.
  • Generally, schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record

  • FERPA allows schools to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions (34 CFR § 99.31):

     
    • School officials with legitimate educational interest;
       
    • Other schools to which a student is transferring;
       
    • Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes;
       
    • Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student;
       
    • Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school;
       
    • Accrediting organizations;
       
    • To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena;
       
    • Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies; and
       
    • State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law.
  • Schools may disclose, without consent, "directory" information such as a student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance.
  • Schools must notify parents and eligible students annually of their rights under FERPA

• Gwinnett teacher asks Muslim student if she has a bomb | www.ajc.com

  • Muslim student upset after Gwinnett teacher asks if she has a bomb
  • who wears the hijab, was in class when a teacher stopped her and asked what she had in her bookbag.
  • The unidentified teacher responded by asking her if she had a bomb in her bag.
  • The teacher said she knew her joke went too far, especially because of “the things happening in the world right now,” said the daughter.
  • “It was very disrespectful,” the teen said. ” I came there to learn… At the end of the day I will still get my A or B and leave her class.”
  • “We are from Africa, we are Muslims, we live in America,” he said. “I didn’t teach my children to hate people or to think they are better than other people. I don’t want nobody to treat them like that.”
  • “The remark was not appropriate, but based on their conversation and investigation,” school officials don’t believe it was made with “ill intent,” Roach said.
  • The teacher was trying to get the students to put away their backpacks quickly and made the remark to the student that was basically, what do you have in there, a bomb?
  • Donald Trump, who is seeking the GOP nomination for president, has also talked about a ban on Muslims entering the United States.
  • “Obviously a teacher and a student should have a unique kind of relationship…It’s very disturbing to see.”

• Teacher asks 13-year-old Muslim student if she has a bomb | New York Post

  • Teacher asks 13-year-old Muslim student if she has a bomb
  • The father of a Muslim middle school student says a teacher asked his daughter if she was carrying a bomb in her backpack.
  • Abdirizak Aden said the teacher at Shiloh Middle School in Gwinnett County, Georgia, stopped his 13-year-old daughter, who wears a hijab, and asked if she had a bomb.
  • said the teacher’s comment was inappropriate and the school’s principal has apologized to the family.
  • comment came as the teacher was telling students to put away their backpacks and school officials don’t believe it was made with ill intent.

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