Directory of Best School Websites

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Directory of Best School Websites
Best School District Sites | Best PAC Site | Best PTA Site | Build Your Own Site

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This Directory of Best School Websites list the winners of our Best School Website Contest. These sites provide sample forms, worksheets, and useful information about special education. Newsletter subscribers sent us their favorite sites. We gave awards in three categories:

• Best School District Sites
  
• Best Sped PAC Site
• Best PTA Site
  
  
  We plan to sponsor another Best School Website Contest in 2002. Learn how you can build a great school site.
  

Best School District Sites

#1. Cooperative Education Service Agency Number 7, Green Bay, WI

Several people recommended the CESA-7 site. The site is well designed, easy-to-navigate, and filled with useful information from the staff of Cooperative Education Agency Number 7.

You may want to begin at the Parents Are Partners Information Center. This page includes a Parent / Adult Student Satisfaction Survey.

Here are a few highlights from this site:

Special Education in Plain Language

Results of Parent Satisfaction Survey

Articles

To learn about IEPs, assessment, ESY, discipline, and more, read the memoranda from the special ed director to his staff:

Writing IEP Annual Goals
Making IEP Goals Measurable
Writing Transition Statements in the IEP
Extended School Year
Inclusion Strategies for Teachers

The site includes the forms used by the district including: IEP Forms, Functional Behavior Assessment (3 pages, pdf), Behavior Intervention Plan (2 pages, pdf)

IEP Checklists

We suggest that you download and use these checklists when you prepare for your next IEP meeting.

Present Levels of Performance Checklist
Annual Goals Checklist
Short-term Objectives & Benchmarks Checklist
IEP Monitoring & Review Checklist

When we contacted special education director Nissan Bar-Lev, he gave us permission to use articles and IEP checklists on our websites. We are taking him up on his offer.

#2. Sevier County, Sevierville, TN

The Sevier County Special Education site has hundreds of informational links for parents, teachers, activities, lesson development links, and caseload support. The site includes a comprehensive list of local, state, and federal forms.

The site has information for parents. Webmaster Jeff Romanczuk organized information by topic, from ADHD and accommodations to Section 504 and vision impairments. When you make a request of your school district, it is useful to have the forms used by the district. This site has a list of forms about IEPs, Section 504, discipline, assessment, etc.

#3. Mahwah Township Public Schools, NJ

The Mahwah Township site is more difficult to navigate but has good sample letters that you can tailor to your circumstances. Scroll down and click "Child Study Team" to get special ed info)

• To Request an Evaluation
  
• To Request an IEP Meeting
  
• To Request an Independent Educational Evaluation
  
• To Discuss Problems; Communication Breakdown
  
• To Give Positive Feedback

Best PAC Site

Concord Special Education Parent Advisory Committee.

Concord Sped PAC has built a fantastic site for parents! The Mission Statement captures this essence of this site:

• We can help you become an effective advocate for your child.
• You don't have to do this alone.

Webmaster Melody Orfei has organized information into several logical categories:

Testing & Evaluations
Signs of trouble
Reasons to Evaluate
Types of Evaluations
List of evaluators recommended by other parents
Sample letters to request a school evaluation and independent evaluation

Questions to Ask Private Evaluator

IEPs

What is an IEP?
Reviewing Your Child's IEP
Measurable IEP Goals
Extended School Year
Functional Behavior Assessments & Behavior Management Plans
Section 504 Plans

Parent Education
Parent Toolkit
Recommended Articles
Problem Resolution
FAQs

Special Ed Methods

Professional Help
Evaluators
Therapists
Tutors
Advocates & Educational Consultants
Independent Educational Consultants

Organizations
Local Parent Support
Disabilities Organizations
Massachusetts Organizations
Mass. PAC site

Best PTA Site

Mountain Road Elementary PTA, GA

The Mountain Road Elementary PTA site includes links to special events; disability organizations; resources; assessment accommodations; behavior plans and assessments; advocacy information; conferences; interesting facts.

How You Can Build a Great School Website

If you want your school district, SPED PAC, or PTA to build a site that provides useful, reliable information, use these sites as your models.

Make your pitch - and offer to help!