Our next CPD Legacy Story is by Vivian Hou,  a graduate student majoring in Special Education at USU. She currently works as a General Graduate Assistant for the Interdisciplinary Training Division at the  CPD.

Vivian Hou

My name is Fangjuan Hou, or Vivian, as I am called in Utah where I have lived for the past, almost four years. I now claim Logan as my second hometown.  However, I did not even know there was a place called Logan on the planet until I tried to book my tickets from Qingdao, China to Utah three years and nine months ago.

Pursuing a higher education had been my dream for years, and Dr. Judith M. Holt, the Director of Interdisciplinary Training Division at the Center for Persons with Disabilities, was the person who made it come true.

In 2006, I received admission letters from a couple of graduate schools in the United States, but none of them would provide financial aid.  It was not possible for me to study abroad without financial assistance.  I tried to communicate again with the schools, asking for financial aid, but was turned down.  It was late June, and I was almost giving up hope when I received an email from Dr. Forbush, a former professor in the Special Education and Rehabilitation Department at USU, who took the trouble to help me with my admission issues.  He told me that Dr. Holt would provide me a graduate assistantship position at the Center for Persons with Disabilities at Utah State University.  I was thrilled!  If I was lucky enough to get a visa, I would fulfill my dream of furthering my education.  Yes, I did get my visa!

Although I was so tired because of the13 hour flight, and my days and nights were turned upside down, I still remember the first day I met Dr. Holt, a kind lady who welcomed me with a broad smile.  She introduced me to a few colleagues and helped me to figure out whom to contact at the university to start my schooling and my work situation.  When Dr. Holt knew my computer was on the way and I had not yet checked into my apartment, she arranged a computer and work station for my immediate use to help me cope with entering a whole new world, which needed the Internet to accomplish most of the work.

I could not possibly get through my master’s program without the support from Dr. Holt, who has helped me tremendously over these years.  She was aware of the struggle I was having, making little progress on my studies or my work, and she did not miss any chances to cheer me up and encourage me to move on.  She sent me to conferences that broadened my mind, and she provided me with multiple opportunities to work with a variety of projects, through which I have gained valuable experiences, which enriched my knowledge as well as benefited my studies.

CPD is like a family to me.  Many people here have helped me and have made a great impact on my life in different ways.  I started to work with Kay Hansen shortly after I came to the CPD, and from her I learned how to work professionally and the importance of being precise with my work.  Kay treated me like a mother would treat a daughter, sharing tips of taking care of a car, introducing me to the best dentist, celebrating memorable dates for me, and advising me on my schooling.  Becky Keeley, a co-worker, and I became good friends through working closely together.  She invites me to her house to watch Chinese movies and she always remembers my birthday.  Stan Clelland provided me with unlimited helps and he was extremely generous with his knowledge, energy and time.  I can’t name all of those who have helped me here, however, I truly appreciate every single smile and greeting I have had.  I am grateful that I have been part of the CPD, which really has made a difference in my life.

By Traci Archuleta

My name is Traci Archuleta and I am the new Grassroots Advocacy Partnership (GAP) regional organizer for northern Utah, covering Rich, Cache and Box Elder counties.  I am really excited to get to know all of you and help in your participation within the disability community.  I am also the Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator for OPTIONS for Independence, the independent living center for these three counties.  I work out of the Logan branch.

GAP is a grassroots effort organized  across Utah to inform the disability community on critical statewide issues surrounding individuals with disabilities and to promote input from the disability community to ensure that disability viewpoints are considered by policymakers as policy and funding decisions are made.

The GAP effort in northern Utah is just beginning. The second GAP meeting will be this coming Thursday, August 12^th from 6-7 pm at OPTIONS at 1095 N. Main in Logan.  This meeting is going to be about self-advocacy, why it is important and what we can do to make our efforts more effective. 

Also, GAP is creating a booklet to give to Senator Hatch this month at a reception held on Thursday, August 19^th.  GAP and OPTIONS would love to include your pictures and personal stories of how the ADA has opened up opportunities and improved the quality of life for either you or a family member.  Some ideas would be in the areas of employment, transportation, accessibility, voting, right to live in the community, etc.  We want to focus on the positive things that have happened in the last 20 years, thanks to the passing of the ADA. 

Please call (435-753-5353 ext/106) or email me if you have any questions.  The deadline for the letters and pictures is August 13^th so that it can be prepared before the reception.  You can send them to me at tarchuleta@optionsind.org

Dr. Linda Goetze, principle researcher for K-3 Plus study

One of the largest grants in Aggie history has just been awarded to economist Linda Goetze, principle researcher for the USU-based, $20-million “New Mexico K-3 Plus Extended School Year Validation Study.”

The research project looks at summer schools’ impact on low-income children and is funded through the Investing in Innovation (i3) program, a school reform effort that was created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

According to an article in Sunday’s Logan Herald Journal, the i3 program is planning to hand out $650 million to 49 projects.  Out of 1,700 applications, Goetze’s grant is the only one awarded in Utah.

Based at schools in four New Mexico areas, the K-3 Plus study will track 2,280 kindergartners to see how they respond to a minimum of 25 additional class days attended during the summer.  The students will learn reading, math, social skills, arts and physical education and have access to free breakfast and lunch.  Teacher training and parent involvement are also part of the project.

Goetze and her colleagues plan to follow the children for five years to determine if the expected skill gains are cost effective.  Goetze told the Herald Journal, “The evidence is that investing in education earlier is better because of brain  development.  Early learning can affect your whole school career.”

Dr. Goetze is delighted to receive the K-3 Plus grant.   “ I am very happy because I love this program.  It has great potential to help kids.  That’s what makes me excited to go to work every day.”

For more information on this project, contact Dr. Goetze at linda.goetze@usu.edu.

Barstow

By Sachin Pavithran

As soon as Barstow and I met, I knew we were meant for each other.  We’ve been together now for almost seven years and I can’t imagine my life without him.

Barstow is my trained guide dog who helps me get where I need to go.  I trust him to steer me around any obstacles in my path, and he trusts me to treat him well and not place him in danger.

I used to use a white cane, but due to the limited skills I had in using a cane, I thought a guide dog would be a better option for me. I found out about the Guide Dogs for the Blind Program in San Rafael, California and looked into it.

At the school, they breed and raise hundreds of puppies to be trained as guide dogs.  When the puppies are 8 weeks old, they are sent to the “puppy raisers” who are 4-H members or just families who love dogs.  The dogs go through a year of training with their puppy raisers who give them basic dog obedience training, potty training, and expose them to a variety of different environments so they are comfortable any where they go.  You may have seen guide dogs in training who wear green jackets when they are out in the community.

When the dogs are ready for more training, they return to the school and professional trainers take over.  They teach them basic commands, like forward, left, right, halt, sit down, heel.  When the dogs are inside a building, they can be told to “find first door” which will lead them outside.  When they are outside a building they can be told to “find a door” and they will go to the first door they see that will lead inside.  They are trained to stop when they come to a curb.

Barstow at work with Sachin and his wife, Margaret.

To get started in the program, you send in an application and they send someone out to your residence to do an evaluation to see if you have the right criteria for needing a guide dog. They find out your lifestyle, your work environment, if you are a fast or slow walker.  They take all that into consideration and then they try to make the best match with the personalities of the dogs they have ready.

Before I could get Barstow, I had to travel to California to live at the school and go through training with him for four weeks.  The first three days I had to practice with people imitating being the dogs.  On the third day, I was taken to a room and introduced to Barstow.  It was instant love.

After that, he was with me 24/7. That first night, I woke up and his head was lying on the bed staring at me.  It freaked me out!  But after that, we found out we were a great match.  My greatest challenge with Barstow was learning to put my trust in him that he knows what he is doing.  On the fourth week of training, they dropped Barstow and I off in downtown San Francisco and let us find our own way back to the school.  That was a challenge but we finally made it back in one piece.

All of this training is free for the user.  The cost is covered by private donations and major fund raisers. The program covers the training, the cost of the air flights, bringing the dog home, giving him annual checkups and paying for all of his veterinarian expenses for life.

Barstow runs on the beach with a friend.

We keep in touch with the family that raised Barstow.  They send him gifts, and when I travel and can’t take him with me, we take Barstow to them, and he gets to be with the other dogs he grew up with.  When my family goes on vacation, he gets to go on his own vacation and have fun at the ocean with them and be a regular dog.

When Barstow has his harness on, he knows he is working.  It is fine to pet him, but it is not good to get him excited.  When he is home and his harness comes off, he is “off duty” and is treated just like any other dog.  My little girl likes him a lot… “Bah-so” was her first word…but it took Barstow a few months to get comfortable with her.  When she was born, he was relegated to the basement and she took over his room. But, now they are good friends.

Barstow has become a great part of my life and my family’s life.  On August 29^th he will be 9 years old.  Happy Birthday, Barstow!

(Sachin works at the CPD as a program coordinator)

The annual Utah Institute on Special Education Law is hosted by the CPD's Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education center.

UPDATED 8/5/2010

So what’s happening in Washington, DC regarding special education?

A lot of disagreement and stalling, said Nancy Reder, who delivered the keynote address at the annual Utah Institute on Special Education Law. The conference, hosted by the Utah State Office of Education and the CPD’s Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education Center, happened earlier this week. Reder spoke to a crowd that packed the ballroom at the Eccles Conference Center in Ogden.

Any bills that require funding are hotly contested in Congress, she said. Some lawmakers are concerned about the budget, some believe the United States Government spent all it could afford on the stimulus package, some think the stimulus didn’t go far enough, but the deadlock continues, especially in the Senate. Still, a bill designed to save jobs in education and other public workers looks like it may pass despite a filibuster and protracted debate. The Associated Press reports that the measure passed the Senate and that House lawmakers will return to vote on it next week. UPDATE: the bill passed the Senate. Education Week offers a more indepth look.

As for other issues, the summer break is about to begin and elections are coming up—two events that are likely to slow or halt any progress on the Hill. Still, here are some issues to watch:

•    Though the education budget for 2011 has not passed, the Obama administration is still working on a preliminary budget for 2012—and it calls for a 5 percent across-the-board budget cut.

•    The Common Core State Standards is an attempt to make expectations consistent throughout the United States. The initiative was coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. So far participation is voluntary, and 27 states and the District of Columbia have signed on. Utah is not currently participating.

•    The Elementary and Secondary Education Act–ESEA (the fore-runner of the No Child Left Behind Act) is up for reauthorization–and again, the process will likely go on for several months or even years.

•    Reder outlined several areas where general and special education could be better aligned. For example, post-school outcome data is collected under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act but not under the ESEA, making it hard to determine how kids are actually doing after they finish school.

•    Standards that evaluate teachers based on their students’ performance are troubling to Reder, who asked what this means for special education teachers—especially those with small class sizes. “Your numbers are kind of skewed when you only have six students.”

More than 750 people attended the conference.