The College of Human Resources and Education's Diversity Task Force invites all pre-service and in-service teachers, students, university faculty and staff, as well as interested community members to the HR&E Diversity Task Force Forum: The Evolving Meaning of Special Education. The event will take place on October 19, 2006 at 7:00 p.m. in Durrett Hall at the Erickson Alumni Center.

The forum continues the HR&E Diversity Task Force’s theme: “Broadening Diversity toward Inclusion: A Climate for Reform.” It is the second event covering the theme. The first event, offered in April 2006, by Dr. Lynn Boyer and others focused on “The Landscape of Special Education in Today’s School.”

The keynote speaker of the Fall forum, Dr. Margaret J. McLaughlin, is a Professor in the Department of Special Education and Associate Director of the Institute for the Study of Exceptional Children and Youth at the University of Maryland. Her research interests are in the field of special education policy and she has conducted a number of national studies related to students with disabilities and standards, assessment and accountability reforms. She has written extensively about how students with disabilities access standards based curriculum and is the Co-Principal Investigator of a major national research center, the Educational Policy Reform Research Institute (EPRRI), which has produced several leading research reports related to students with disabilities and educational accountability Her presentation will provide information about the challenges of integrating students with disabilities into the current system of high standards and accountability.

Program Schedule for
October 19, 2006:

She directs the doctoral program in Special Education Policy Leadership Development. This program trains personnel to assume key leadership roles in the public and private sectors and become policy makers at the state and national level. She also directs a doctoral and post doctoral program in using large-scale data to conduct policy research. Dr. McLaughlin's research includes investigation of the impact of education reform in students with disabilities and special education programs. Dr. McLaughlin is also involved in conducting several policy research efforts as well as assisting districts in developing and evaluating new programs.

Suggested Reading List:

Malmgren, K.,McLaughlin, M.J., & Nolet, V. (2005). Accounting for the performance of students with disabilities on statewide assessments. Journal of Special Education, 39(2), pp.86-96.

Idol, L. (2006). Toward Inclusion of Special Education Students in General Education: A Program Evaluation of Eight Schools. Remedial and Special Education, 27(2), pp. 77-94.

EPRRI - Issue Brief Six:
Opportunities and Challenges: Perspectives on NCLBA from Special Education Directors in Urban School Districts (April 2004)

EPRRI - Topical Review Four:
Emerging State-Level Themes: Strengths and Stressors in Educational Accountability Reform (May 2005)

Web Links:

Dr. Margaret J. McLaughlin, University of Maryland web page with Selected Publications and more…

www.education.umd.edu/EDSP/Faculty/bios/mclaughlin.html

Educational Policy Reform Research Institute (EPRRI) web page with more readings

www.eprri.org

Up-coming Events

Fall 2006: The Early Childhood Education and Elementary Programs in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction/Literacy Studies presents “An International Look at Second Language Learning in Early Childhood Education” September 25, at 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Book reading: The book we have chosen to read this year is Gary Howard’s We Can’t Teach What We Don’t Know. Details will be forthcoming.

Spring 2007: the HR&E Diversity Task Force offers a two day seminar about  “Culturally Relevant Pedagogy” for all pre-service and in-service teachers, students, university faculty and staff, as well as interested community members.