Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Study Group UP Service Description Parent University
Study Group UP Service Description Parent University
ONLY One: Service Name of Service: Parent University Organization: Urban PRIDE
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1. Describe
the
important
problem
or
critical
issue
the
product
or
service
is
designed
to
solve.
Empowering families by contributing to their increased knowledge and understanding of educational programs and effective educational strategies is at the heart of the direct support, training and capacity building services offered by Urban PRIDE. Urban PRIDE will develop the leadership capacity of families by implementing the Neighborhood Peer Parent Consultant program in collaboration with the Boston Public Schools Parent University. Through this program, cohorts of up to15 parents each year will receive intensive training to serve a peer parent advocates. For years one and two, Boston Public Schools will provide a stipend to NPPC graduates who complete the program. Upon completion of the program, NPPCs agree to accept referrals from Urban PRIDE to provide TA and direct advocacy for families of children with disabilities in the neighborhoods where they live at no coast to those families. Through the NPPC program, up to 50 additional families will receive direct support from parents who also have children or family members with disabilities in the Boston Public Schools.
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2. Describe
the
extent
to
which
the
product
or
service
matches
the
problem
or
issue
facing
the
audiences
for
your
product
or
the
recipients
of
your
service.
The NPPC Project through Parent University meets the needs of service recipients in that the requests for the types of direct support provided by Urban PRIDE far outstrips our ability to provide that support. Providing peer support and advocacy to underserved families who require direct support improves access to underserved families, and builds the capacity of service providers to better support families they are working with who have children receiving special education services.
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3. Describe
the
extent
to
which
the
content
of
the
product
or
service
is
applicable
to
diverse
populations
within
the
audiences
for
your
product
or
the
recipients
of
your
service.
The NPPC/Parent University project as a product is particularly applicable to meet the needs of a highly diverse and underserved population of families confronting multiple challenges. Urban PRIDE provides free standing community based training for families and professionals in accessible community locations and many families take advantage of this service. For some families however, navigating the maze of the special education system is simply overwhelming. Whether the issue is related to the parents struggle with literacy, lack of social/emotional and family supports in the community, native language, or their own disableling conditions, for some families the ability to access what we have to offer is largely determined by the support we can provide to facilitate action.
Quality
of
this
Product
.
Quality
is
defined
as
the
degree
to
which
a
product
or
service
is
consistent
with
current
research
or
policy.
This
product
or
service
is
Policy-Based
Depending
upon
your
response
above,
respond
accordingly,
below:
For
a
policy-based
product
or
service:
Q
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1. Describe
the
underlying
policy
basis
for
this
product
or
service.
Almost 35 years of research and experience has demonstrated that the education of children with disabilities can be made more effective by strengthening the ability of parents to participate fully in the education of their children at school and at home (section 601(c)(5)(B) of IDEA). Urban PRIDE is a federally funded Community Parent Resource Centers (CPRC's) specifically designed to meet the specific needs of parents who experience significant isolation from available sources of information and support in the City of Boston. 90% of the parents served by Urban PRIDE include low-income parents, parents of limited English proficient children, parents who are racial minorities and parents with disabilities.
Q
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3.
Describe
the
steps
you
took
to
assure
the
consistency
of
your
interpretation
of
this
policy
with
OSEPs
interpretation.
The founder and Executive Director of Urban PRIDE has written proposals that have been consistently funded, in part, based upon consistent alignment with OSEPs interpretation of IDEA and has attended presentations and TA activities over the 11 years of the project related to the identified needs of traditionally underserved families and has conducted such presentations.
Usefulness
of
the
Product
or
Service.
Usefulness
is
defined
as
the
degree
to
which
a
product
or
service
can
be
readily
and
successfully
used
by
consumers.
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1. Describe
how
easy
it
is
to
understand
the
content
of
the
product
or
the
service
rendered
and
how
that
understanding
can
be
used
to
address
the
identified
problem
or
need.
The special education laws are highly complex. One of the most important strategies for ensuring the product can be used to address the identified need is to take more time to present that content. (One of the most frequent responses to the evaluation question what would you change about this workshop? Is more time) We also use a broader variety of training strategies to present the curriculum, including the use of case studies, role plays, inventories, film, and hands on activities and clinics. Strategies such as these can be used more effectively in a 3.5-hour training over several weeks or months.
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2. Describe
how
likely
it
is
the
product
or
service
will
be
used
by
the
audiences
for
your
product
or
the
recipients
of
your
service
to
achieve
the
benefit
intended.
First, the intended benefit of this product is to ensure that underserved families have information that is useful to them when they need it. Providing extensive training and ongoing coaching and support to NPPCs exponentially extends the reach of our project by (potentially) doubling the numbers of families that can access project services. (Over time) Second, partnering with professionals such as those involved in working with high-need families such as the Childrens Behavioral Health Initiative and (CBHI) homeless families and children builds the capacity of the community address the needs of very high need families and their children disabilities. This simply cannot be accomplished with the small staff and limited resources of a CPRC. Third, the approach taken deliberately builds a more comprehensive network of support in the community for families. These things, taken together render the product as highly likely to achieve the intended benefit of the training.
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3. Describe
how
likely
it
is
the
product
or
service
will
be
used
in
more
than
one
setting
successfully
over
and
over
again
to
achieve
the
intended
benefit.
The product is assured to have impact and to be used across several settings multiple times, including in schools, (through parent advisory councils) through community service providers, high risk youth networks, foster care services, homeless service providers among others as each of these groups is/has been represented by parents and/or professionals attending the training series. Urban PRIDE has been asked to conduct the series for child and family serving organizations but lack of funds to support this effort present a barrier.
Format
Choose
the
format
in
which
you
are
submitting
your
product
and
service
supporting
materials:
___
URL.
Write
complete
Web
address
here:
Footnotes