eNotes
October 28, 2016In this Issue:
- Guidance on Parental Rights and Early Childhood Confidentiality under the IDEA Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs - October 26, 2016
- Policy Statement on Media and Young Minds Source: Pediatrics - Vol. 138, No. 5, November 2016
- New Journal Issue Examines the Effectiveness of Pre-K Education Source: The Future of Children - Fall 2016
- Policy Statement on Safe Infant Sleeping Environments Source: Pediatrics - Vol. 138, No. 5, November 2016
- Questions of Access and Equity: Suspension and Expulsion in PreK Source: National Institute for Early Education Research - October 26, 2016
- Preparedness for Zika Virus Disease - New York City, 2016 Source: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report - Vol. 65, No. 42, October 28, 2016
1. Guidance on Parental Rights and Early Childhood Confidentiality under the IDEA
The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has published the following new guidance related to educational records, parental rights, and early childhood confidentiality requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
- Understanding the Confidentiality Requirements Applicable to IDEA Early Childhood Programs: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (October 2016) - This FAQ is meant to assist early childhood programs under the IDEA address privacy and confidentiality questions. It can be used in conjunction with the 2014 side-by-side guide of the IDEA and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Confidentiality Provisions.
- Letter to Kashyap (September 23, 2016) - This policy letter addresses the question of whether the right to examine education records afforded by the IDEA is limited only to parents of children who already have been deemed eligible for special education services, or if the right also extends to children with suspected disabilities.
2. Policy Statement on Media and Young Minds
A new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Media and Young Minds, addresses the influence of media on the health and development of children from 0 to 5 years of age, a time of critical brain development, building secure relationships, and establishing health behaviors. It reviews the existing literature on variety of traditional and new technologies, their potential for educational benefit, and related health concerns for young children aged 0 to 5 years. The statement also highlights areas in which pediatric providers can offer guidance to families in managing the content and time limits of their children’s media use. It emphasizes the importance of parents interacting with their children during media use and the importance of not displacing other developmentally healthy activities -- sleep, exercise, play, reading aloud, and social interaction.
3. New Journal Issue Examines the Effectiveness of Pre-K Education
On October 26, 2016, Princeton University and the Brookings Institution hosted an event, Trouble in the Land of Early Childhood Education, to announce the release of the Fall 2016 issue of The Future of Children, entitled Starting Early: Education from Prekindergarten to Third Grade. The Future of Children is a journal that promotes effective, evidence-based policies and programs for children. This issue examines the effectiveness of pre-K education. At the event, journal co-editor Jeanne Brooks-Gunn presented an overview of the volume and Ron Haskins of Brookings discussed a controversy caused by the results of a study of pre-K in Tennessee. A panel of experts discussed the implications of these results for preschool policy and research. Visit the website to watch the video or listen to the audio of the event.
4. Policy Statement on Safe Infant Sleeping Environments
The American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its Policy Statement on creating a safe sleep environment for infants that can reduce the risk of all sleep-related infant deaths. Some of the recommendations include: supine positioning, the use of a firm sleep surface, room-sharing without bed-sharing, and the avoidance of soft bedding and overheating. The strength of evidence for each recommendation is included and the rationale for these recommendations is discussed in detail in the accompanying Technical report
See also, Federal agencies express support for updated safe infant sleep recommendations
5. Questions of Access and Equity: Suspension and Expulsion in PreK
Barriers to equitable access to quality prekindergarten have been correlated to demographic indicators of poverty and race. Recent data also indicate that children with challenging behaviors may face additional barriers due to disciplinary practices. Read more in this new blog post from the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) - Questions of Access and Equity: Suspension and Expulsion in PreK (October 26, 2016).
6. Preparedness for Zika Virus Disease - New York City, 2016
A new paper from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preparedness for Zika Virus Disease - New York City, 2016, reports that the rapid spread of Zika virus has had a direct effect on the U.S. health care delivery system. As of September 21, 2016, a total of 715 cases of laboratory-confirmed Zika virus disease had been diagnosed in New York state, representing the highest number of reported cases in any state to date. This underscores the importance of health care systems preparing to care for patients with possible Zika virus disease and the need for providers to educate patients, especially pregnant women, about avoiding infection with Zika virus. Zika virus infection during pregnancy can lead to adverse birth outcomes such as microcephaly, defects of the eye, hearing deficits, and impaired growth.