A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

by R. J. Beadles, Jr., Research Director, Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind

Now is no time to think of what you do not have.
Think of what you can do with what there is. -Ernest Hemingway

This issue of Howe's Now provides a plethora of articles and items of interest to those in the field of visual impairments and blindness. As administrators and educators we are constantly faced with issues that impact and influence our educational processes. Educational legislation (both federal and state) has at times made us truly understand the intent of Hemingway's quote. Under the new interpretation of IDEA, assessment of students with disabilities has taken on a whole new meaning. Many states are still struggling to create alternative assessment systems for special education students and to figure out which students should be tested using those alternatives.

Assessment, or should I say appropriate assessment, is one of the more important concerns facing educators of students with disabilities. Erin and Pugh (1999, eds.) of the newly published Educational Service Guidelines for the Blind and Visually Impaired dedicated an entire chapter to assessment. This issue of Howe's Now will present several thought- provoking articles regarding assessment and the appropriate educational placement of students with visual impairments.

Phil Hatlen, in his "Presidential Message," conveys a little history in the evolution of assessment and accountability. In another article, "Placement: The Natural Outcome of the IEP," Phil describes the role of the residential schools from the viewpoint of the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. I have included a short brief on the final regulations of IDEA provided by the U.S. Department of Education regarding district and state-wide assessments. I have also listed several assessment-related websites that might prove to be useful resources. Another item I think will be of interest to you is a list of COSB schools including the administrator's name and email address.

Joan Chase, who has been working in the field of visual impairments for years untold, wrote an article that identifies factors that need to be considered in assessing students with visual impairments. "Dilemmas Posed by Statewide Educational Testing Programs When Professionals Serve Visually Impaired Learners" clearly points out the various issues surrounding standardized testing of students with visual impairments. Stuart Wittenstein's "Open Letter to COSB Members" carries a strong message in terms of participation in professional organizations. His article provides testimony from several COSB members who espouse the need for professionals to be active members in the Council of Exceptional Children (CEC) and the Division of Visual Impairment and Blindness.

Dave Farrell, again, has done an excellent job of providing a compilation of short school articles in this issue's "COSB Clips." Yvonne Howze provides us with her final article of the four-part series on leadership. Yvonne's article discusses the use of focus groups as an applied research tool. Using focus groups is an excellent forum for establishing leadership direction and ideas.

Dan Oates with the West Virginia School for the Blind is coordinating the "Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students" (SCI-VIS). SCI-VIS 2000 is looking for participants for this year's camp. He also shares information regarding a new space camp for adults with visual impairments. Providing food for thought as we look to be more creative in our extended day and educational programming, Paula Penrod shares with us an article on the "Braille Carnival" that was held at the Kentucky School for the Blind

Starting this issue, you will notice a significant change in the cover of our newsletter. I have been toying with the idea of a more "catchy"' cover, and having been associated with Very Special Arts for Persons with Disabilities in the past, I thought our newsletter might provide a forum through which we could showcase some of our students' talents. I would like to encourage you to have your art teachers submit one to two works (8.5"x11" or smaller so it can be scanned) for future issues. Also, please provide a short bio about the student, including the student's age and disability. Once the artwork has been scanned, it will be returned to the teacher/school. In addition to making Howe's Now more colorful, I look forward to sharing some excellent artwork .

I want to thank all the authors and contributors to this issue. A special thanks goes out to Valorie Cooper for her journalistic and editorial assistance. The next issue of Howe's Now will be coming out in the early September. I hope those of you in the K-12 educational settings have a long and wonderful summer...Take care, and until the next school year...Bob

Volume 6, No. 2, April 2000 Contents

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