Multi-Year grant awarded to support and grow parent advocacy in African American communities nationwide

 

Columbus, OH (BlackNews.com) — With the intent of creating a movement for change that results in an improved and socially just quality of education for African American children with learning differences, the National Association for the Education of African American Children with Learning Disabilities (AACLD) was recently awarded a grant by the Oak Foundation to conduct advocacy trainings for African American parent leaders in 20 locations throughout the United States.

The categories of education for which African American children traditionally are referred have been a controversial issue since the 1960’s. While the number of children and youth nationwide receiving special education services during the 2009-2010 school year was approximately 6.5 million (13 percent of the public school enrollment), African American children account for more than one million of the students receiving special education services.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, African Americans make up approximately 16.6% of public school enrollment. Yet, information derived from the Data Accountability Center funded by the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs shows that the representation of African Americans in the high incidence categories has continued to hover around 31% for Mental Retardation (recently renamed Intellectual Disability), 28% for Emotional Disturbance, and 21% for Specific Learning Disability.

The main objective of this Oak Foundation funded project, Empowering Parents for African American Student Achievement, is to fully develop the AACLD’s Parent Leadership Institute, increasing the number of individuals who (1) have demonstrated leadership ability and are committed to bettering the lives of children who are misunderstood, mislabeled, and underrepresented in the fight for educational rights and (2) are willing to train other parents to be effective advocates. Grant activities will include increasing access to tools and resources, educating communities about the culturally sensitive issues facing minority students with learning differences, and supporting parents in their efforts to achieve the desired educational outcomes for their children.

“We say we want parent involvement in our schools but we provide little opportunity to do more than attend a parent conference or provide food for a bake sale. At the same time, parents are often criticized for doing less than it seems they should,” said Nancy Tidwell, Founder & President of the AACLD. “Parents need information to help their children succeed in school. This project will start a movement of parents that are not solely dependent upon the school system for their children’s success but will allow them to discover how to work with schools in order to achieve academic success based on learning style.”

As part of this new initiative, the AACLD has partnered with CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder) to adapt their Parent-to-Parent training program for delivery in the African American community and the PACER Center (Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights), which serves as the U.S. Department of Education’s technical assistance provider to Parent Training and Information Centers (PTIs) throughout the country, to help develop an efficient and effective service delivery model.

As a result, 20 African American master teachers will gain the expertise and skill to prepare children for educational success, 900 African American parent leaders will receive the teacher training via face-to-face sessions, and another 240 African American parent leaders will receive the teacher training via online sessions. Accordingly, a united voice on issues relevant to the African American community will be shaped and the quality of education in this country is expected to improve through AACLD continued networking.

The National Medical Association (the largest organization representing African American physicians and their patients), the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Lloyd C. Elam Mental Health Center at Meharry Medical College, and the Association of Black Psychologists, along with other professionals in the field, have agreed to assist the AACLD in the development and delivery of a culturally sensitive training curriculum.

States initially targeted for conducting the trainings include: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Specific locations have not yet been identified.

For more information, contact Nancy R. Tidwell, AACLD Founder & President, at (614) 237-6021 or ntidwell@aacld.org.

About AACLD

The AACLD (www.aacld.org) was organized on the Martin Luther King Holiday in 2000 to increase awareness in African American communities nationwide about learning differences and to promote parent advocacy. It links information and resources provided by an established network of individuals and organizations experienced in minority research and special education with parents, educators, and others responsible for providing an appropriate education for students, specifically African American, although any new programs and practices implemented to benefit one child will ultimately benefit all children.

About The Oak Foundation

The Oak Foundation (www.oakfnd.org) was formally established in 1998 in Geneva, Switzerland. Its resources are committed to address issues of global, social and environmental concern, particularly those that have a major impact on the lives of the disadvantaged. Since its establishment, the Oak Foundation has made over 2,100 grants to not-for-profit organizations across the globe. While its headquarters remain in Geneva, the Foundation has a presence in seven other countries, including Belize, Bulgaria, Denmark, Ethiopia, the UK, the US, and Zimbabwe.