Achievement in Dropout Prevention and Excellence (APEX) is a collaborative dropout prevention initiative of the Institute on Disability and the New Hampshire Department of Education, including 6 high schools that receive technical training and support to build positive behavior support and intensive school-to-career services for youth who are at risk of dropping our of high school. Collaborators include the NH Center on Effective Behavioral Interventions and Supports (NH CEBIS), the NH Parent Information Center, and Strafford Learning Center. The project also includes statewide training and support in secondary transition best practices and a Summer Institute for high school teams.

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The Institute on Disability is partnering with the New Hampshire Department of Education (Bureaus of Accountability and Special Education) to improve the New Hampshire Statewide Assessment System as part of the multi-year project, Gaining Access to What Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities Know.

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I Am Norm is an initiative designed by young people to promote the acceptance, respect, and full inclusion of youth with disabilities in schools and communities. Their work is driven by a Youth Inclusion Taskforce and supported by a coalition of youth-serving partner organizations.

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Dan Habib's award-winning documentary film Including Samuel examines the educational and social inclusion of youth with disabilities. The film is built on the Habib family's efforts to include Samuel, 10, in all facets of their lives, a journey that transforms each of them. Including Samuel also features four other families with varied inclusion experiences, plus interviews with teachers, parents, students, and disability rights experts.

For more information:

IOD Project Website

Including Samuel Website

The National Inclusive Education Initiative (NIEI) is focused on improving educational services and outcomes for students with autism and related disabilities through efforts in the areas of leadership development, personnel preparation, professional development, model demonstration, clinical evaluation services, and research and policy. This project is supported by the Fund for the Improvement of Education and is administered by the U.S. Department of Education.

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The New Hampshire Children's Mental Health Competencies project is designed to assist New Hampshire’s community mental health center children’s directors, family organizations, and the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a set of core competencies for direct service staffs in the children’s programs.

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Through the courses, leaders emerge who have a clear vision, knowledge about state-of-the-art supports for individuals with disabilities, and skills necessary for advocating with service providers. They know how to use the legislative process to achieve change, and how to organize communities to support inclusion. The Leadership Series enhances the ability of people and families to change laws, persuade schools and businesses to include individuals with disabilities, and educate communities about the importance of welcoming and including every member.

For more information:

IOD Project Website

NH Leadership Website

NH RESPONDS is a project of the NH Department of Education, the Institute on Disability and the NH Center on Effective Behavioral Interventions and Supports (NH CEBIS), designed to reform and improve pre-service personnel preparation and in-service professional development systems in the Response to Intervention model. The project seeks to improve the knowledge and skills of general and special education teachers, early intervention personnel, related services personnel, paraprofessionals and administrators in designing, delivering and evaluating scientifically-based practices in the areas of Response to Intervention systems, including Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and literacy instruction, as well as transition supports for students with emotional/behavioral disorders in high schools.

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The RENEW II Capacity Building project provides training to staff members in the children’s programs in seven community mental health centers across the state to provide the RENEW (Rehabilitation for Empowerment, Natural Supports, Education, and Work) secondary transition model to 85 youth with emotional and behavioral disorders. The project includes training, coaching, mentoring and systems support services to the participating mental health centers and staff.

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StatsRRTC: The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics aims to improve knowledge about and access to existing data, and generate the knowledge needed to improve future disability data collection and dissemination. It is our goal to foster evidence-based decision making by people with disabilities and their families, advocates, policymakers, program administrators, service providers, and researchers by making data widely available and accessible.

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How can students with complex emotional/behavioral challenges be successfully included in regular education classes? The documentary film Who Cares About Kelsey? will explore the multifaceted answer to this question and the role PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) plays in improving academic outcomes and school climate for all students.

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Youth Empowerment Services (YES) is a three-year initiative designed to develop and promote leadership and self-advocacy skills to help young people prepare for their future.

For more information:

IOD project website

YES website