January 31, 2011
Scholarship and Career Awards: Lighthouse International
Lighthouse International is now accepting applications for its 2011 Scholarship and Career Awards program. These scholarships reward academic excellence, recognize accomplishments and help students who are blind or partially sighted pursue their academic and career goals. Please visit www.lighthouse.org/sca to complete the online application.
There are three scholarship award categories, and each carries a $10,000 award.
College-bound Award: for high school seniors or recent high school graduates who will attend college in the upcoming school year.
Undergraduate Award: for college students in their freshman, sophomore, junior or senior year.
Graduate Award: for first or second year masters level students or college seniors who will pursue a graduate level education.
Candidates may apply at any time immediately, prior to, or during their course of study. A total of six scholarships will be awarded across these three categories.
Applicant Criteria
We are pleased to announce that the 2011 Scholarship and Career Awards are open to students in all 50 states and any US territories. Students interested in applying for a scholarship must meet the following criteria:
- Applicants must be legally blind (i.e., have a best corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye, and/or a visual field of less than 20 degrees in the better eye).
- Scholarships are based on academic and personal achievements. Therefore, candidates are not required to demonstrate financial need.
- Applicants must be US citizens, and reside in the United States or a US territory.
- Applicants must attend an accredited college or university in one of the 50 states, District of Columbia or a US territory.
- Proof of citizenship will be required of all award recipients.
- Previous SCA recipients and current Lighthouse employees and members of their immediate families are ineligible.
The application and all requested documentation must be submitted online no later than Sunday, March 13, 2011.
If you have any questions regarding the Scholarship and Career Awards program, please contact Danielle Penabad at 212-821-9225 or email her at dpenabad@lighthouse.org.
The Lighthouse Store is your source for helpful, vision-friendly products! Shop their NEW online store at http://shop.lighthouse.org
U.S. Dept of Education, Office of Special Education Programs issues memo regarding evaluations
Following confusion around Response to Intervention (RTI) and evaluation and reports to the U.S. Dept. of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) that local school districts might be using RTI strategies to delay or deny evaluation for students suspected of having a disability, OSEP’s Director, Dr. Melody Musgrove, sent a memo to state directors of special education on January 21, 2011. The memo aims to clarify the use of RTI (many times referred to as the Tier Process or TST Process in Mississippi) within the evaluation system and asks states to examine their procedures and practices to ensure school districts that are implementing RTI are doing so appropriately and are not using RTI to delay or deny timely evaluations and services to students suspected of having a disability.
Key wording to note from the memo:
“If the LEA [local school district] does not suspect that the child has a disability, and denies the request for an initial evaluation, the LEA must provide written notice to parents explaining why the public agency refuses to conduct an initial evaluation and the information that was used as the basis for this decision. The parent can challenge this decision by requesting a due process hearing or filing a State complaint to resolve the dispute regarding the child’s need for an evaluation.”
You may view the memo by clicking the link below
We hope this information is useful to you. As always, please contact us if we can be of assistance.
2 Old River Place, Suite A, Jackson, MS 39202
www.mspti.org
1-800-721-7255
January 28, 2011
MSCCD Executive Director sworn in to FEMA NAC
In Washington, D.C. on January, 25, 2011, Mary Troupe, MSCCD executive director was sworn in as an appointed member of FEMA National Advisory Committee by FEMA Administrator Greg Fugate.
Charge for the FEMA Advisory Committee (NAC)
The NAC shall advise the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on all aspects of emergency management. The National Advisory Council shall incorporate State, local and tribal government and private sector input in the development and revision of the national preparedness goal, the national preparedness system, the National Incident Management System, the National Response Plan and other related plans and strategies.
