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FYI Newsletter June 13, 2011

QUICK SCAN::

• Linking Student Achievement and Teacher Performance Appraisals – Lessons Learned from Implementation
• Audio Conference on Reasonable Accommodation and ADA
• Mank Participates on Employment Panel at AAIDD Annual Conference
• Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services Seeks Input on 2011-2012 Priorities
• 2011 Summer Camps and Programs in Indiana
• IN-APSE Conference
• Library Corner

UPCOMING



LINKING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND TEACHER PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS – LESSONS LEARNED FROM IMPLEMENTATION: Indiana has just passed legislation that will link teacher performance and student achievement to merit pay. The legislation allows for districts to create their own evaluation process.  Join us for this timely seminar to examine the steps taken by the Evanston/Skokie (IL) School District 65 to develop and implement a professional appraisal system that links teacher ratings and merit pay to student achievement. Learn what can be done when the district and education stakeholders (teachers, principals and administrators) are part of the development - from conception to implementation.


To register, visit https://www.ciesc.org/EventRegistration/Register.aspx?EventID=457. This event is sponsored by the Central Indiana Educational Service Center, the Institute’s Center on Education and Lifelong Learning, and Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis.



AUDIO CONFERENCE ON REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION AND ADA: Did you know that the provision of workplace accommodations to jobseekers and employees with disabilities has been viewed as an essential component of hiring and retention? Research indicates that there is a reluctance on the part of jobseekers and employees with disabilities to request accommodations, and resistance by employers to provide them. Are you interested in knowing why? 


This month's audio conference will look at some of the factors that influence the request and provision of reasonable accommodations from the perspective of employees and employers. The presenters will provide specific strategies and recommendations that employees, employers, disability advocates and others can use to improve the process and resolution of reasonable accommodation requests.

Audio conference locations include Bloomington, Gary, Indianapolis, Terre Haute, Versailles, Vincennes, and West Lafayette. Visit http://www.adaindiana.org/audio  for more specific information about these locations. For more Information, contact Matt Norris at (812) 855-6508, or email adainfo@indiana.edu. The Indiana ADA Audio Conference program is sponsored by ADA-Indiana, Great Lakes ADA Center, and the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities.
 
COMINGS AND GOINGS



MANK PARTICIPATES ON EMPLOYMENT PANEL  AT AAIDD ANNUAL CONFERENCE: Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota was the site for the American Associate on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Annual Conference, Inclusive Communities: Pathways to Realizing the Vision, held June 6-9, 2011.

The Institute’s Director, David Mank, was part of a panel session designed to engage experts in employment in frank discussions of lessons learned in developing employment models for people with developmental disabilities. Predictions on what the future of employment may look like were also addressed.

The panel was moderated by Laura Owens, Ph.D., the Association of Persons in Supported Employment (APSE), William Kiernan, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, Boston, and Paul Wehman, Ph.D., Virginia Commonwealth University.   

ACROSS INDIANA



INDIANA PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY SERVICES (IPAS) SEEKS INPUT ON 2011-2012 PRIORITIES: Based on program mandates and authority, Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services Commission (IPAS) is permitted to provide a wide range of advocacy services to a statewide population of individuals with disabilities and their families. As the needs of individuals with disabilities far exceed the services that can be provided, the IPAS Commission has the responsibility to establish the priorities for the agency. On an annual basis the IPAS Commission, with advice from its Mental Illness Advisory Council, establishes the priorities and objectives for all of the programs administered by IPAS.

Priorities and objectives are established in order to focus resources on those areas where IPAS’ advocacy efforts and case selection may have the greatest impact, focusing mainly on reducing abuse and neglect.

Because of your knowledge and/or leadership in the disability rights area, IPAS is particularly interested in obtaining your views as to how the organization might best spend its resources for the 2011-2012 fiscal year.

Take a few minutes to review those portions of IPAS’ priorities which may be of interest to you and let them know you think they are on target, or if there are other disability rights issues which you believe to be of importance. To review the proposed priorities and objectives, visit http://www.in.gov/ipas/files/Proposed_POs_for_website_2011-12.pdf.
 
IPAS works to protect and promote the rights of individuals with disabilities through empowerment and advocacy to assist people –especially the most vulnerable populations – by  increasing independence, productivity, integration, and inclusion of those with disabilities and their families. IPAS provides advocacy services (e.g., monitoring), but is not an emergency or enforcement agency.

Send your comments and suggestions regarding the proposed priorities and objectives to Karen Pedevilla by June 24. For more information, contact Karen at 1-800-622-4845, ext. 232, or e-mail kpedevilla@ipas.IN.gov.



2011 SUMMER CAMPS AND PROGRAMS IN INDIANA: The Institute’s Indiana Resource Center for Autism has updated a comprehensive directory of summer camps and programs for persons with disabilities. The Indiana Resource Center for Autism does not endorse any particular activity or organization on this list. Parents are advised to investigate these summer opportunities to determine the appropriateness of each. Visit http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php?pageId=32/ to access the directory listing.



IN-APSE CONFERENCE: Mark your calendars for December 7-8, 2011 and plan to attend the 21st Annual Indiana Association of Persons in Supported Employment (IN-APSE) Conference. The conference will be held at the Indianapolis Marriott East. Pre-register today by contacting Andrea Green via e-mail at andrea.green9993@gmail.com.

LIBRARY CORNER

NEW ITEMS: The following new materials may be borrowed by Indiana residents from the Center for Disability Information and Referral at the Institute. To check out materials, contact the library at 1-800-437-7924, send e-mail to cedir@indiana.edu, or visit us at 2853 East Tenth Street in Bloomington.

Ryan, D. J. (2011). Job search handbook for people with disabilities. Indianapolis, IN: JIST Works. (Call Number: 50.4 .R9)

Goodley, D. (2011). Disability studies: An interdisciplinary introduction. Los Angeles, CA: Sage. (Call Number: 40 .G6)

Wertz, F. J. (2011). Five ways of doing qualitative analysis: Phenomenological psychology, grounded theory, discourse analysis, narrative research, and intuitive inquiry. New York: Guilford Press. (Call number: 16 .W4)

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