Related Web Sites

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) <http://www.cec.sped.org/>
CEC is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. CEC advocates for appropriate governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides continual professional development, advocates for newly and historically underserved individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice.

Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk <http://www.csos.jhu.edu/crespar/>
The mission of the Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed At Risk (CRESPAR) is to conduct research, development, evaluation, and dissemination needed to transform schooling for students placed at-risk.

Education Commission of the States (ECS)<http://www.ecs.org/>
The Education Commission of the States facilitates the exchange of information, ideas and experiences among state policymakers and education leaders to improve education. This site offers information about what’s going on throughout the country on a host of current hot issues in education, such as school-to-work policies and programs, various efforts to improve student achievement, school governance, charter schools, finance and a number of topics related to the cost and quality of higher education.

IDEA 1997 <http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/Policy/IDEA/>
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the law that guarantees all children with disabilities access to a free and appropriate public education. The IDEA 97 homepage has new and in depth information regarding IDEA 97.

International Association of Learning Alternatives (IALA) <http://www.learningalternatives.net/>
IALA strives to lead, promote and support innovative learning experiences. Their Web site has information on conferences offering professional growth, technical support and dissemination of best practices and resources. IALA also has a listserv where participants can communicate with each other.

Mathematica Policy Research Inc. <http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/>
Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. is known for its high-quality, objective research to support decisions about our nation’s most pressing social policy problems. The firm has conducted some of the most important studies of health care, welfare, education, employment, nutrition, and early childhood policies and programs in the United States.

Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs (MAAP) <http://www.maapmn.org/>
The Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs (MAAP) was organized by a small group of educators in alternative education in the early 80’s. Currently 800 members from over 300 Alternative learning centers & Alternative programs in Minnesota, surrounding states and Canada comprise the membership. The purpose of the organization is to meet the needs of students, parents, teachers, administrators and the general public through a professional organization dedicated to the improvement of alternative education and program options.

Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning <http://education.state.mn.us>
Electronic gateway to information and resources provided by the Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning, including workshop and grant information, graduation standards, district information career information, and programs and publications.

National Association of Secondary School Principal (NASSP) <http://www.principals.org/s_nassp/index.asp/>
The NASSP is a professional organization serving education leaders in middle and high schools, including administrators, teachers, students and others. It is also the parent organization of the National Honor Society and the National Association of Student Councils.

National Association of State Directors of Education (NASDSE) <http://www.nasdse.org>
NASDSE is dedicated to supporting state agency staff carry out their mission of ensuring a quality education for students with disabilities. NASDSE provides support to states through training, technical assistance documents, research, policy development, and partnering with other organizations.

National Dropout Prevention Center <http://www.dropoutprevention.org/>
This site provides information about service learning in general, as well as provides links to helpful information. Comprehensive and up-to-date information about the critical issue of K-12 youth in at risk situations, strategies, and in solutions designed to keep youth in school.

National Institute on the Education of At-Risk Students <http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/At-Risk/index.html>
The At-Risk Institute supports a range of research and development activities designed to improve the education of students at risk of educational failure because of limited English proficiency, poverty, race, geographic location, or economic disadvantage.

National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) <http://www.nyec.org/>
The National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) is a nonpartisan national organization dedicated to promoting policies and initiatives that help youth succeed in becoming lifelong learners, productive workers and self-sufficient citizens. NYEC has several projects that they support. There Education Initiatives projects works to improve educational services for vulnerable youth through the development of tools, resources and networks. This project has produced the "Criteria and Self-Assessment Tool for Alternative Education".

Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) <http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/>
OSEP’s mission focuses on the free appropriate public education of children and youth with disabilities from birth through age 21. OSEP’s major responsibilities involve administering the provisions and programs of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Oklahoma Technical Assistance Center (OTAC) <http://www.csdcotac.org/otacmain.htm>
The Oklahoma Technical Assistance Center (OTAC) serves Oklahoma school districts by providing information and assistance concerning programs for students at risk of dropping out of school. OTAC assists school districts with the development, implementation, and refinement of programs funded under the High Challenge Grant program, the Alternative Education Grant program, the Alterantive Acadmies program, and the Statewide Alternative program.

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports <http://www.pbis.org>
The Center has been established by the Office of Special Education Programs, United States Department of Education to give schools capacity-building information and technical assistance for identifying, adapting, and sustaining effective school-wide disciplinary practices.

U.S. Department of Education <http://www.ed.gov/>
Homepage for the U.S. Department of Education which includes Secretary Initiatives, Programs and Services, Publications and Products, Links to Other Sites, and Pick o’ the Month” – three educational resources that the Department highlights each month.

University of Maine: The Institute for the Study of Students At Risk <http://www.umaine.edu/issar/>
The Institute for the Study of Students At Risk provides demographics, statistics and essential information about the needs and services for children, adolescents and families at risk. It provides both practitioners and policy makers with essential information regarding appropriate services for children and youth with special needs as well as for those considered to be "at risk".

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