Education and Science Research

Are you the parent of a child with a disability, who will be getting
an Independent Education Evaluation (IEE), for your child? Have you
been told by special education personnel, that the evaluator may not
observe your child in the classroom? This article will discuss the rules
about independent evaluators observing your child in their current
placement.

When school districts conduct evaluations, they usually include an
observation of the child with a disability, in their classroom. This
is one reason, that it is important for independent evaluators to
observe the child in their classroom, as part of an IEE. Another
reason is because special education personnel will challenge any IEE,
where the evaluator has not observed the child in their placement.

Even though school personnel will challenge a parent’s IEE, for lack
of evaluator observation, they often tell parents that their evaluator
is prohibited from observing the child in their classroom.

Some special education personnel blame HIPPA and Ferpa, for the

prohibition, but this is not true. There is nothing in HIPAA, that
prohibits a parent’s evaluator from observing the child in the classroom.

In the court case: JH vs. Henrico County School Board 395 F. 3d. 185
(2005), the court found that an expert needs to observe a child in the
classroom. It would derive from the weight the Court gave to actual
observation of the child in the classroom.

Also in an Office of Special Education Program (OSEP) letter to Mamas,
they confirmed the right to observe, when the district used
observations as part of the evaluation process and referred parents to
state and local policies on observation.

In the Supreme Court Case ******** vs. Weast the justices emphasized
that parents should have equal power to school districts, thus
supporting the right to observe. The court also said that “IDEA thus
ensures parental access to an expert who can evaluate all the
materials that the school must make available, and who can give an
independent opinion.”

Courts in the past, have stated that little weight should be given to
parent’s witnesses, who have not observed in the classroom, and
greater weight be given to school district witnesses because they have
extensively observed the child. This is why it is frustrating, when
special education personnel, refuse to allow parents independent
evaluators to observe the child.

If your school district is refusing to allow your independent
evaluator to observe your child in school, send them a letter. Ask for
a written response as to why they are refusing. Take this response,
and file a state complaint, with your state board of education. The state
complaint could state, that your rights and your child’s rights are being

violated, by the school districts prohibition of your independent evaluator
observation.

You can stand up to special education personnel, that tell you lies
and deceptions. Independent evaluators must observe the child in their
current placement, to make the evaluation acceptable to the school
district. This is especially true if you are considering filing for a
due process hearing. If you file, and the school district refuses your
evaluator access to your child’s placement, ask the hearing officer
to make a ruling that will allow your evaluator to observe. Good luck!

To learn important lessons for all parents and educators, we interview today Eric Jensen, a former middle school teacher and former adjunct professor for several universities including the University of California, San Diego. Mr. Jensen co-founded the Learning Brain Expo, a conference for educators, and has written 21 books on the brain and learning. His most recent book, Enriching the Brain: How to Maximize Every Learner’s Potential (Jossey-Bass, 2006), is highly recommended for educators and parents alike.

Alvaro Fernandez (AF): Eric, thank you for your time. Can you explain the role that you and your organization play?

Eric Jensen (EJ): We act as translators between the neuroscience and education fields, helping to build a Brain-Based Education movement. We launched the first conference that attempted to bridge these two worlds in 1998. The goal of the conference, called Learning Expo, was for teachers to speak to scientists, and, equally important, for scientists to speak to educators.

Critics say that neuroscience research can add little to educational practices. What we say is that, whereas it is true that much needs to be clarified, there are already clear implications from brain research that educators should be aware of. For example, four important elements that are often neglected by educators, given the obsessive focus on academic scores, are nutrition, physical exercise, stress management, and overall mental enrichment.

AF: Since 1998? How would you characterize the progress so far?

EJ: The good news is that today many educators, more than ever, are learning about how the brain works. There is a growing number of academic programs such as Harvard’s masters program in Mind, Brain, and Education, and peer-reviewed journals such as the Mind, Brain and Education Journal.

Still, there are clear areas for improvement. Too many staff developers are weak on the science. I see too many books saying “brain” in the title that are not grounded in any brain research. Something I always recommend when shopping for books is to check the References section, making sure the book references specific studies in credible journals from 2000 on.

AF: Now, those are mostly awareness-related initiatives. What, if any, are the implications in daily teaching and learning in schools?

EJ: You are right, this is still an emerging field. A number of private, independent, forward-thinking public schools and charter schools are implementing specific initiatives, mostly around brain-based teaching strategies, nutrition and exercise. But these are tougher for some public schools, which have limited resources and flexibility. to implement. We also see an growing number of enlightened parents learning about the principles we discuss and applying them at home.

AF: Have you seen any impact at the policy level? specifically, what do you think about the current debate about the merits or demerits of No Child Left Behind?

EJ: I agree with the move towards accountability. Now, the question is, accountability for what? for creating narrow, specific test scores? or for helping nourish better human beings. I have seen very little policy activity in the US; some in Asian countries such as Singapore and China, that are evaluating how to refine the curriculum for 5-10 year olds. In the US, there was a major push for music enrichment programs, that was somehow misguided, in the late 90s. The problem is that, whereas it is clear that enrichment has an impact, it is tough to measure specifically what type of enrichment, since much of the benefit develops over time. The short term “stock-market” mentality that measures student growth over a few weeks or months has to be tempered by long-term measures, too.

For example, it seems clear that there are important skills that can be trained, that make for a better and more successful human being – such as the ability to defer gratification, sequencing, emotional intelligence, improved working memory, vocabulary, and processing skills. However, the type of assessments used today to measure schools’ performance don’t focus on these. We would need broader assessments to allow educators to focus on those important long-term skills, beyond the immediate pressures.

A specific area going from bad to worse is the level of stress in the system, and the lack of resources and knowledge to regulate it.

AF: You mention processing skills, as well as other cognitive skills. In your recent column you highlight Scientific Learning’s computer program that can train auditory processing. What’s your view on the role of computer-based programs?

EJ: It is encouraging to see programs based on extensive research, such as Scientific Learning’s. I appreciate the value of such programs to tailor individualized interventions to the needs of specific kids. So I believe these programs present a huge potential.

Now, we must not confuse what is just one narrow tool with a whole enrichment program. Brain-based education also must take into account other important factors such as nutrition, physical exercise, the arts, stress management, social interactions…

Copyright (c) 2008 SharpBrains

You will find that there are many types and programs of meditation in the yoga that are now popular around the globe. They have come from the many experiences, science research, and studies that have been done. You may see the results that come from the experience with yoga while others are aggravated by it. When you take the time to learn yoga meditation the right way by going back to its roots, you will be among the professionals that are on the right track and will give yourself the opportunity to get all r=the right advantages and goals that come with it.

Meditation in yoga is a way for you to control the mind and the senses by concentrating on the energy inside the body. It can be said that when you are in control of the mind, you are doing something that is very hard because the mind is always moving and very easy to disturb. From childbirth, the mind is filled with ego, pride, lust, and human desires and a person is bothered by these and other stresses. When you learn to make the mind calm and to get some of the energy that is in the body, you have reached one of the goals of meditation in yoga. You are able to accomplish this if you are willing to move along with the basic philosophies that are involved in meditation in yoga that are listed below.

1. To do yoga, you should have a private place and be able to go along with the sitting poses in the right way. You should be able to focus on your mind and clean your heart by using the mind, senses, and movement.

2. You should be able to keep your neck, body, and head straight and in an up and down pattern. You should hold a stare that will focus on the tip of your nose. The mind will need to be free from upset, fear, and any human desire as this will allow you to meditate on the energy inside you and to come to fine the real you that is in sync with the universe.

3. You need to maintain total control over the body, mind, and movement. Making your mind steady ill be the goal of your life by ridding the thoughts of material things.

4. You will not need to worry about becoming a yogi. It does not matter if you are thin or fat, lazy or insomniac. You will be able to control your eating, sleeping, laziness, and work habits.

5. When you are in complete meditation, you are in a trance. This means that your mind is clear from all thoughts and is in total yoga. You will be able to be in complete oneness with your body and be able to see yourself for who you truly are instead of all the junk that surrounds you. You will be able to find joy and happiness by using the senses of the mind instead of the human ones. You will never move away from the truth and will find that once you are in touch with the truth will want to learn more. When you are in this plane, you will not be moved from it even when you are facing bad things. You will be very free from all sadness and pain that comes from living in the material world.

Meditation in yoga is not that easy. You will need to be ready in a physical way and in a mental way. The goal of the meditation for yoga is not mainly focused on the body but it is separating the mind from the material things in life.

The Education Tax Refund The Education Tax Refund (‘ETR’) was announced in the 08-09 federal budget. Under the ETR, families can claim up to a 50% tax refund for eligible education expenses for their children, for up to:

$750 for each child in primary school, and $1,500 for each child in secondary school

These amounts equate to a maximum tax offset of $375 and $750 respectively. It is a good idea to be aware of this scheme, as parents can now claim for allowable expenses related to their children’s education. Some common allowable expenses include: laptops, desktop computers, education software, school textbooks, trade tools etc. So be sure to keep those receipts, as every dollar spent (up to the limits above) could be worth up to a 50c tax refund for your family.

Eligibility The ETR is available to families receiving the Family Tax Benefit Part A (FTB Part A). The FTB Part A is a separate existing tax benefit which is given by the Family Assistance Office as fortnightly payments to families that meet the Income Test. We won’t go into all the rules regarding qualifying for the FTB Part A, but basically families that have a total family income of less than a certain threshold will receive this tax benefit. In the 08-09 year, this limit was $98,514 (for families with under 18 dependants) or $99,962 for families with some dependants over 18. Add $3,796 to the respective limit for each additional child. So basically if your family income was less than this limit, you would be eligible for the FTB Part A, and hence the ETR (whether you currently receive the FTB is irrelevant, your family just needs to be eligible for it).

Additionally, for the purposes of the ETR, any income in the form of youth allowance, disability support or ABSTUDY (there are a few others) do not count to this limit. So if your family income falls under the threshold for the FTB Part A but for those payments in respect of your child, you’re still eligible for the ETR.

Allowable expenses

Generally, all expenses that (in the words of the federal government) “support a child during school and improve quality of education” are allowable. For example:

Laptops & home computers and associated costs (including repair and running costs of computer equipment and lease costs), home Internet connection and printers and paper Education software School textbooks and material (including prescribed textbooks, associated learning materials, study guides and stationery) Prescribed trade tools

The list above is not exhaustive, but give you an idea of what are allowable expenses.

Notice that all school textbooks and materials are allowable. For example, you or your child may have purchased HSC textbooks, or prescribed texts for HSC English – claim those! Your family internet connection is also claimable. Just remember to keep your receipts. If you buy claimable goods second hand from private sellers, request a receipt (a simple note noting the goods / service, the price and date will suffice).

However, tuition costs (such as payments to Dux College or other HSC tuition colleges) and school fees are not allowable expenses. Nor are non-education related software such as computer games, or hardware used for such purposes, obviously.

How to claim

The ETR is claimed when parents complete their annual tax return. For those using the e-Tax software, there will be a section for the ETR. Just remember to keep those receipts!

The hardest part of a science fair project may very likely be getting started. Once you have an idea in mind it is easy to formulate what experiments and research you will need to do. Until you chose a topic you do not have anything to aim toward. The science fair project is typically designed as an educational tool. This article is not designed to hand you an idea for a project. My goal is that these ideas will point you in the right direction or even give inspiration for another related idea. The three descriptions here will give you an outline, not a project; it is your job to expand on a project idea.

Idea number one: The effect of gravity on plant growth. The main focus of this idea is to see if gravity has an effect on how plants grow. Some answers will only be found through research, specifically on ‘auxin’ and ‘geotropism’. Here are two experiments that you can perform to test how plants grow in relation to gravity. Fold a paper towel down to 1.5 to 2 inch strip. Moisten the folder paper towel with water and place pinto beans spaced out on the strip. Roll up the strip of paper towel with beans and tape it to a piece of cardboard. Be sure to draw an arrow on the cardboard pointing up and put it inside a gallon zipper style baggie. Place the board in a vertical position, like against a window. Over time make note of which direction the stems and roots grow. Ask questions like, “How did the roots know to grow down?” Another experiment that can be used is to simply plant pinto beans in two different aluminum pans with potting soil. Leave on pan on a flat surface while elevating one end of the other pan. This will cause your second ‘garden’ to be on a slope or angle. As the beans grow, note the angle of the stems to the soil.

Idea number two: How is water transported through plants? The main focus of this idea is to see how water travels through a plants roots and stems. Some research key words will be ‘xylem tubes’ and ‘sap’. This basic experiment is easy but can be elaborated on. Get a bunch of celery (one bundle) from you local grocer. Be sure to select two stalks from close to the center of the bunch. After cutting off the bottom evenly with the help of an adult, place one in a cup of water (clear plastic cups may work best) and another in a cup of water turned red with food coloring. After 24 hours, dry off and observe the celery stalks. You may want to use a magnifying glass or have an adult cut a section of the stalk so you can view the cut ends. After you test the celery try using a while carnation in the same test. Another more elaborate variation is to take a white carnation and have an adult cut the stem long ways from the bottom to half way up the stem. Place one of the halves in a cup with water died red and the other half in a cup with water died blue. This will help you determine if xylem tubes are connect together or remain separate from each other.

Idea number three: How can seeds break apart rocks? The main focus of this idea is to see if the growth of plant seeds actually pushes apart a solid object. Research key words for this idea are ‘weathering’ and ‘physical weathering.’ In the experiment for this idea, you will need to fill two small disposable cups half full with plaster. (Note: be sure to not rinse plaster covered tools and bowls in a sink, as it will clog the drains.) In one you will place pinto beans into the plaster leaving half above the surface and half below the surface. The cup without pinto beans will be your ‘control’. Moisten a paper towel for each cup (not dripping) and place into the cups so that the towel is snug against the surface of the plaster. After one week remove the paper towels and begin the observation process.

These three science fair project ideas may give you a good place to start on your project. Please be sure to research each idea extensively and even create your own variations of the experiments. More ideas will follow in future articles.