Recycle Your AT
Over many years, the OSERS has supported research in assistive technology, as well as making assistive technology (AT) more available to people with disabilities. More recently, OSERS has supported a number of activities to encourage and support AT reuse under the Assistive Technology Act. OSERS is now taking the lead on a national level to promote and encourage AT reuse through its sponsorship of a national conference on this issue, as well as through grants to state agencies, non-profit organizations and other entities to support AT reuse. OSERS has also developed a new pamphlet, entitled Recycle Yout AT, outlining these activities.
(December 11, 2006)

2005 Annual Review Reports of Each State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency Now Available Online.
In order to provide state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies, disability advocates, VR consumers and service providers, and other VR stakeholders with information on the performance of the federal/state VR program, OSERS' Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) has published the Annual Review Reports for fiscal year 2005 for each of the 80 state VR agencies. Published online through the Department of Education's Management Information System, these reports contains the following information about each state VR agency:

• State goals and priorities.
• Individuals in the VR program.
• Program outcomes.
• Agency staffing patterns.
• Financial data.
• Compliance with standards and indicators.
• State policies and procedures and also guidance materials that were issued by the agency.
• Activities conducted by the State Rehabilitation Council or Independent Commission.
• Status of appeals.

The reports are written in non-technical language for the general public and contain two appendixes that include statutory and regulatory definitions and reporting requirements and a guide for technical users on how to find the source data for the tables in this report. The information in the reports is based on data submitted to RSA by the state VR agencies as of November 21, 2006.
(November 22, 2006)

OSERS Hosting a Series of Community-based Public Meetings on the IDEA 2004 Regulations.
On Aug. 14, 2006, the Part B Final Regulations implementing the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) were published in the Federal Register. To provide the public with an overview of the regulations, OSERS will be hosting a series of community-based public meetings. These public meetings will serve two major purposes. First, the meetings will provide the public with an opportunity to learn about the major concepts and principle changes in the new regulations. Second, the meetings will serve as a mechanism for the public to learn about and obtain some of the many resources and supports available from OSERS to assist in the implementation of these regulations.
(October 4, 2006)

OSERS Announces its New Priorities
OSERS Assistant Secretary John H. Hager announced OSERS' new priorities. Please read them at www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/priorities.html.
(August 11, 2006)

Twenty-Sixth Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Now Available Online
The 2004 Annual Report to Congress has two volumes. Volume 1 focuses on the children and students being served under IDEA and provides profiles of individual states' special education environment. Volume 2 of the report contains the state-reported data tables. The report can be accessed at www.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/osep/2004/.
(August 7, 2006)

Secretary Spellings Announces New Special Education Regulations
U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today announced the new regulations for Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The final regulations will further the President's goal that no child, including America's many students with special needs, is left behind. By aligning the regulations with the No Child Left Behind Act, there is a new focus on ensuring that students with disabilities do not suffer the neglect of low expectations.
(August 3, 2006)

"A National Dialogue on the State of Disability: ADA Town Hall Meeting"
Assistant Secretary John H. Hager is pleased to announce that, in celebration of the 16th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the National Council on Disability (NCD) and its federal partners will host "A National Dialogue on the State of Disability: ADA Town Hall Meeting."
(July 24, 2006)

OSERS Announces its Long-Term Goals
OSERS Assistant Secretary John H. Hager announced OSERS' new long-term goals. Please read them at www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/goals.html
(July 14, 2006)

Tool Kit on Teaching and Assessing Students With Disabilities
The Tool Kit on Teaching and Assessing Students With Disabilities represents a collaborative effort between the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) to assist states in raising the achievement of all students with disabilities. Our initial audiences for this Tool Kit are those in state-level leadership positions. This Tool Kit includes a set of papers titled Including Students With Disabilities in Large-Scale Assessments, with an executive summary and a glossary of terms, written by experts in large-scale assessments and the education of students with disabilities. The Tool Kit also includes 14 technical assistance documents developed by OSERS' grantees. To facilitate broad dissemination of these materials, we are launching a Web site, accessible through www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/reports.html, which includes the materials in this binder.
(April 25, 2006)

NIDRR Long-Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2005 Through 2009
NIDRR's latest Long-Range Plan, the guiding document for NIDRR-supported research, was published in the Federal Register on February 15, 2006. The plan reflects consideration of comments on the draft plan from members of the public, including people with disabilities, their families and advocates, and researchers and service providers. The final plan emphasizes five "domains" as areas for expanded research efforts through 2009 in support of people with disabilities: employment; participation and community living; health and function; technology for access and function; and disability demographics. The NIDRR Long-Range Plan is also available in Adobe PDF format:
PDF (13 MB).
(February 15, 2006)

NIDRR Consolidates Fiscal Year 2006 Grant Competitions
As described in its Long-Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2005 Through 2009, NIDRR is changing the way it manages grant competitions. Until now, individual NIDRR grants were announced throughout the year. NIDRR is now moving toward a single annual announcement and fixed competition schedule. This will have the advantage of providing more time to potential grantees to better plan their application efforts, streamlining NIDRR's work with reviewers, and making the grant award processes at NIDRR more efficient. Thus, for fiscal year 2006, NIDRR has issued a combined notice that references almost all of its grants for the year. The combined notice proposes priorities NIDRR intends to use for fiscal year 2006 competitions for Disability Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP), Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTC), and Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERC).

The combined notice was published in the Federal Register on Feb. 7, 2006, and can be accessed at www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/proprule/2006-1/020706d.html. The notice invites members of the public to submit comments on these proposed priorities so that their comments may be considered in the development of the final priorities. Complete information about the priorities, including a table cross-referencing areas of the long-range plan with funding mechanisms, and links to available application packages are accessible at www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/nidrr/priority-matrix.html. Comments on the proposed priorities are due no later than March 9, 2006 to Donna.Nangle@ed.gov. Those sending comments should clearly identify which priority or priorities the comments are addressing.
(February 15, 2006)

Resources for Assessing Students with Disabilities
Find helpful information, including information for parents on the proposed two percent regulation (see the presentation on "IDEA and NCLB Working Together") by clicking here.
(February 14, 2006)

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