LEARNING-FOCUSED Meets ARRA Requirements
Denise Burson
Oct 19, 2009
The text below (beginning with "Projects and Activities") is from the following U.S. federal government site outlining use of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds http://www.recovery.gov/?q=content/p...rogram_id=7575. Learning-Focused qualifies under the stipulations of the highlighted paragraph.
ARRA funds also carry a stipulation that they must be used for capacity building and sustainability. By training trainers within districts and using Learning-Focused Professional Development Solutions and other available resources for follow-up (as per the National Staff Development Council standards), Learning-Focused meets the ARRA requirements.
Kinds and Scope of Program Activities
Funds provided to States and LEAs under the program must be used to help provide special education and related services to children with disabilities. States and LEAs must also use federal funds to locate, identify, and evaluate children to determine if they are eligible for special education and related services. In a limited number of situations, services may be provided to non-disabled students as a prevention effort. For example, LEAs may use a portion of their Federal funds to provide early intervening services (EIS) for children who have not been identified as needing special education or related services, but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment. With these services it may be found that these children will not ultimately require special education or that their special education needs may be reduced.
The following are examples of specific projects grantees might consider to achieve the objectives of the ARRA:
•Obtain state-of-the art assistive technology devices and provide training in their use to enhance access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities. (The Learning-Focused Toolbox is a tool for sharing of teacher developed units and lessons with other teachers, students, administrators and parents.)
• Provide intensive district-wide professional development for special education and regular education teachers that focuses on scaling-up, through replication, proven and innovative evidence-based school-wide strategies in reading, math, writing and science, and positive behavioral supports to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.
• Develop or expand the capacity to collect and use data to improve teaching and learning.
• Expand the availability and range of inclusive placement options for preschoolers with disabilities by developing the capacity of public and private preschool programs to serve these children.
• Hire transition coordinators to work with employers in the community to develop job placements for youths with disabilities.
Learning-Focused is committed to providing remarkable experiences and exceeding expectations. Using our models and resources, schools are provided framework, strategies, instructional methods, and leadership processes to organize and connect the techniques, and research that are most effective for raising achievement. If you want to see achievement gains, then the Learning-Focused Schools Model and exemplary practice solutions will make the difference!
