Federation Workshops and Schedule

Basic Rights in Special Education: This workshop provides families with an introduction to their rights and responsibilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Massachusetts Special Education Law and No Child Left Behind (NCLB). It is designed to help parents learn how to be effective partners with their child’s school to decide the child’s eligibility for special education, and to plan, make decisions and monitor their child’s progress in school. Workshop materials are also available in Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese. Federation staff suggest that you attend this workshop first in order to better understand our other workshops. School districts typically pay for a Basic Rights workshop except for qualifying MassPAC member districts who receive it free of charge.

Derechos Básicos en Educación (Spanish): Esta taller le informa a los padres de familia sobre sus derechos y responsabilidades bajo la Ley para la Educación de Individuos con Discapacidades (IDEA - por sus siglas en Ingles) y la Ley de Educación Especial de Massachussets. Está diseñado para guiar a los padres de familia a aprender como trabajar efectivamente con la escuela, como decidir si el niño es elegible para recibir educación especial, como planear, como tomar decisiones y hacerle un seguimiento al progreso educativo de su niño. Los materiales del taller están disponibles en Español, Portugués y Ciñese.Los empleados de la Federación que UD. asiste este taller primero para que tenga una mejor comprensión de la información proporcionada en nuestros otros talleres.

Direitos Básicos na Educação Especial (Portuguese): Esta palestra fornece as fámilias uma introdução de seus direitos e responsabilidades abaixo da Lei para Educação de Invíduos Deficientes (IDEA) e lei de Educação Especial de Massachusetts. A palestra é designada para ajudar os pais a aprender como ser auxiliadores mais efetivos com a escola para decider a elegibidade da criança para uma educação especial, planejamento, decisões e para monitorar o progresso educacional de suas crianças.O funcionários na Federação sugere que você assista a esta palestra primeiro para ter uma melhor compreensão das informações fornecidas em outras de nossas palestras.

Celebrate Yourself! Self-Determination and Successful Students: This workshop is designed to be presented to individuals with special needs and their parents. Discussion emphasizes understanding your own learning styles; sharing with others how you learn best; recognizing and embracing your talents, abilities, and strengths; and developing self determination and self advocacy skills. This workshop is generally conducted after school or on early release days when students are available to attend.

Creating a Vision: This is a participatory workshop during which parents are guided to transform their hopes and dreams into a written vision for their child’s future. Handouts assist participants in breaking down their visions into skill categories. The group will engage in discussion about how these skills can be integrated into their child’s IEP development. This workshop topic has no grant funding. It can be scheduled as a “for fee” workshop only.

Effective Communication and the IEP: This workshop offers communication skill building and conflict resolution for parents in their roles as IEP Team members. This workshop topic has no grant funding. It can be scheduled as a “for fee” workshop only. MassPAC member districts receive a two-thirds discount.

An IEP for My Child: Every child with a disability who receives special education services must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). This workshop takes parents step-by-step through IEP development, including how to articulate a vision, using evaluations to write measurable goals, and measuring their child’s progress. This workshop is also available in Spanish and Portuguese.

Un IEP para Mi Niño (Spanish): Todo niño/a con una incapacidad o’ discapacidad y que recibe servicios de educación especial, debe tener un Plan Educativo Individualizado (PEI) (IEP). Este taller le presentara? a los padres, los diferentes pasos a seguir en el desarrollo de un PEI (IEP). Incluirá la importancia de articular la visión, usando evaluaciones para poder escribir metas anuales que se puedan medir o? ver, como también el poder de cuál ha sido el progreso del niño/a, en la escuela a través de los servicios ofrecidos.

Um IEP para Minha Criança (Portuguese): Nesta palestra os pais aprenderão como ler um IEP. Toda criança com deficiência, que seja atendida pelos serviços de educação especial, deve ser contemplada com um Programa de Educação Individualizado. Esta palestra orienta os pais passo-a-passo no desenvolvimento da IEP, inclusive na maneira como visualizar ou articular uma Visão, utilizando avaliações para estabelecer metas anuais que sejam mensuráveis com uma metodologia própria que defina como medir o progresso de seu filho/sua filha.

MCAS – Access and Achievement for Students with Disabilities: The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) is a tool to measure progress in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks or general curriculum. This workshop will help parents understand how their children with disabilities can participate in MCAS in a meaningful way to demonstrate what they have learned. Discussion will include standard and non-standard accommodations and alternate assessments. This workshop topic has limited grant funding; quotas for the 2009/2010 school year have been fulfilled. For the remainder of the school year, MCAS can be scheduled as a “for fee” workshop only.

Suspension & Discipline in Special Education: This workshop explains discipline rules, due process and procedural safeguards required under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Learn how to recognize and assess the function of school behaviors and how to proactively approach behavior management in a way that can yield positive results. Understand the role of school discipline codes and suspension/expulsion policies.

Transition 101 – High School to Adulthood: This workshop addresses effective use of the IEP and the Massachusetts Transition Planning Form for students who are ages 14 – 22. Individualized, person centered planning of curriculum and supports throughout high school leads to better post high school outcomes and opportunities in education, training, and/or employment for students with disabilities. Discussion includes age of majority, self determination and self advocacy, life skill development and preparing students to pursue as independent an adult life as possible. This workshop can be presented in Spanish.

Turning Three Essentials: This workshop provides information for parents about the process of transitioning a child from Early Intervention to publicly funded preschool. Discussion includes the required Early Intervention transition planning steps, eligibility for special education, the TEAM process and the parent’s role in planning, making decisions and monitoring progress for their child. This workshop is also available in Spanish

Llegando a los Tres (Spanish): Este taller les enseña a los padres la diferencia entre Intervención Temprana y preescolar para los niños con discapacidades con fondos públicos. La discusión incluye la elegibilidad para la educación especial, los pasos de tomar una decisión con el equipo, y el role de los padres en la transición al preescolar.

Understanding My Child’s Learning Style: The different ways people take in and generate information can greatly affect how and whether they succeed in school and in life. This workshop will delve into different learning styles and show how they can be understood and harnessed to achieve success in many different environments, including the classroom.

504 Plans:This workshop will explain new 504 Plan eligibility criteria under Federal Civil Rights law and explore the protections provided for students with disabilities. Key differences between an IEP and a 504 Plan will be discussed, as well as standard and non-standard accommodations that can be used in the classroom and for assessment. This workshop topic has no grant funding. It can be scheduled as a “for fee” workshop only.

To Attend a Workshop:
Federation workshops are free and open to the public.
Please register using the form below. Federation staff will notify you in case of any date, time, or location change in your workshop selection.


February 2010
2/2 Amesbury, Basic Rights, Amesbury Middle School Library, 220 Main Street, 7-9pm
2/2 Milford, Basic Rights, Stacy Middle School, 66 School St, 7-9pm
2/3 Danvers, Basic Rights, Holten Richmond Middle School, 55 Conant Street, 7-9pm
2/3 Longmeadow, MCAS, Longmeadow High School, School Committe Room, 127 Grassy Gutter Road, 7-9pm
2/8 Dedham, 504 Plans, Endicott Estate, 656 East Street, 6:45-8:45pm
2/8 Needham, Effective Communication in the IEP, Broadmeadow School, 120 Broadmeadow Road, 7-9pm
2/9 Hopkinton, Basic Rights, Hopkinton Middle School, 88 Hayden Rowe (Rt 85), 7-9pm
2/9 Tyngsboro, Basic Rights, Innovation Academy Charter School, 72 Tyng Road, 6:30-8:30pm
2/9 Waltham, Basic Rights in English and Basic Rights in Spanish,
(two presentation rooms) Waltham High School, 617 Lexington Street, 7-9pm
2/10 Acton, Transition 101; High School to Adulthood, R.J. Grey Jr. High School library, 16 Charter Road, 7-9pm
2/10 Andover, MCAS, location TBA, 7-9pm
2/23 Boylston, An IEP for my Child, Tahanto Regional High School, 101 Main Street, 7-9pm
2/25 Wilmington, Transition 101, Wilmington High School, library, 159 Church Street, 7-9pm

March 2010
3/2 Groton, MCAS, location tbd. 7-9pm
3/4 Grafton, Effective Communication in the IEP, Grafton Elementary School, 105 Millbury St, 7-9pm
3/8 Barnstable, Basic Rights, Barnstable H. S., Rm. 1202, 744 West Main Street, 6:30-8:30pm
3/9 Acton, Basic Rights, Parker Damon Building, 11 Charter Road, 7-9pm
3/10 Waltham, Transition 101; High School to Adulthood, Wayside Youth & Family Support Network, 118 Central Street, 7-9pm
3/10 Worcester, Suspensions & Discipline in Special Education, Worcester Technical H.S., One Skyline Drive, 6:30-8:30pm
3/11 Monson, Transition 101; High School to Adulthood, Quarry Hill Community School, library, 43 Margaret Street, 6-8pm
3/15 Burlington, An IEP for my Child, Burlington High School, school committee room, 123 Cambridge Street, 7-9pm
3/16 Amesbury, An IEP for my Child, Amesbury Middle School library, 220 Main Street, 7-9pm
3/16 Leominster, An IEP for my Child, Leominster H.S. media center, 122 Granite Street, 6:30-8:30pm
3/16 Waltham, Turning Three, Thom Charles River E.I. Program, 411 Waverly Oaks Road, 7-9pm
3/23 Maynard, An IEP for my Child, Maynard Public Library, Roosevelt Rm, 77 Nason Street, 7-9pm
3/25 Arlington, An IEP for my Child, Brackett Elementary School, music room, 66 Eastern Avenue, 7-9pm

April 2010
4/7 Danvers, Transition 101, Holten Richmond Middle School, 55 Conant Street, 7-9pm
4/12 Canton, Basic Rights, Canton H.S. room 138, 900 Washington Street, 7-9pm
4/14 Chelmsford, Transition 101; High School to Adulthood, The Paul Center, 39 Concord Road, 7-9pm
4/14 Springfield, Basic Rights en Espanol, SCAN 360 office, 11 Wilbraham Road, 10:30am-12:30pm
4/27 Amesbury, Suspension & Discipline in Special Education, Amesbury Middle School, library, 200 Main Street, 7-9pm
4/28 Holden, Understanding my Child's Learning Style, David Hill School, 80 Jamieson Road, 7-9pm

May 2010
5/6 Andover, Turning Three, Professional Center for Child Development, 32 Osgood St, 7-9pm
5/10 Swampscott, Basic Rights, Swampscott High School, 200 Essex Street, 7-9pm


[register now]
REGISTRATION

You may register for workshops by either calling the Federation at 617-236-7210 or in Massachusetts toll-free at 800-331-0688.

OR

if you would like to register electronically, please fill out the form below (you can now register for up to 3 workshops at once) or send an email including your name, address and telephone number along with the information about the specific workshop for which you are registering. We will verify your registration and provide you with contact information at that time. Send your email to: register@fcsn.org

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