Transcript AIM Center Advisory 1

January 25, 2010
Monday (day 1)
AIM CENTER ADVISORY
COMMITTEE MEETING
National Center on AIM at CAST Inc. | 40 Harvard Mills Square, Suite 3 | Wakefield, MA 01880-3233
VOICE: (781) 245-2212 | TTY: (781) 245-9320 | FAX: (781) 245-5212 | Web: http:aim.cast.org
Welcome and Introductions
• Meeting Overview and Purpose, Chuck Hitchcock
• Meeting Resources, Chuck
• Handouts
• Print
• Braille
• Digital (emailed and on thumbdrives)
• PowerPoint Slides (will be posted to the AIM Center website)
• CART (will be posted as is and as a summary document)
• iLink Participation with VOIP audio (via sound system)
• Brief Introductions, Committee Members
• Meeting Agenda, Chuck
• Role of the Advisory Committee (Charter), Chuck
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Purpose of the Advisory Committee
• The AIM Center Advisory Committee (AIM Committee) will
maintain, advance and support the timely provision of
instructional materials in accessible formats to students who
require them.
• This includes providing support for:
• the required adoption of the NIMAS standard at the state level;
• increasing the use of the NIMAC by publishers and by accessible media
producers as a key source for creating specialized formats for qualifying
students; and
• encouraging the development of robust sources of accessible instructional
materials for non-qualifying students.
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Committee Activities (charter)
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Help facilitate State level Implementation of the NIMAS Standard.
Help facilitate State and Local Education Agency coordination with the NIMAC.
Help to evaluate efficient, effective and replicable NIMAS conversion and distribution solutions.
Explore copyright issues and FERPA-compliant approaches for tracking student usage of NIMASderived materials.
Support the development and implementation of solutions for the provision of accessible core
instructional materials for non-Chafee students.
Identify technical assistance and training needs regarding NIMAS implementation, especially the use of
alternate format materials in the classroom.
Support and participate in activities designed to improve coordination between the AIM Center and
other OSEP supported national technical assistance and dissemination centers.
Support K–12 publisher and conversion house understanding of NIMAS and help to build the capacity
to develop or contract for the creation of NIMAS file sets.
Provide linkages and communication among and between organizations that develop, provide and/or
use NIMAS file sets to support qualified students with print disabilities.
The AIM Center Advisory Committee shall work closely with the NIMAS Board responsible for
maintaining and improving the NIMAS technical standard.
Support the AIM Center gather, organize and disseminate information about how State and Local
Education Agencies are acquiring and distributing specialized formats to students with print disabilities.
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Update from OSEP
• Michael Slade
• Project Officer, AIM & NIMAS Centers
• Education Program Specialist, Office of
Special Education Programs (OSEP), US
Department of Education
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And now
for something
really special …………….
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Overview of the New AIM Center
• Goals, Objectives & Planned Activities, Chuck
• Technical Assistance Plan, Joy Zabala
• Director of TA, National Center on Accessible
Instructional Materials (NCAIM), CAST
• Dissemination Plan, Chuck
• New National Center for AIM Website, Chuck
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AIM Center Goals, Objectives & Activities
• Overall Goal: Provide TA to SEAs, LEAs, and other stakeholders
to:
• Improve the implementation of NIMAS; and
• Develop and implement unified distribution systems in SEAs that will
improve the timely delivery of high-quality AIM to all children with disabilities
who need instructional materials in accessible formats.
• Objectives: Implement a program of:
• Knowledge Development
• Technical Assistance and Dissemination
• Leadership and Coordinated Activities
• Refer to the AIM Basics document for details
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Knowledge Development
General Activities
• Identify and document current approaches
used by SEAs and LEAs, where appropriate, for
developing and implementing efficient, unified
distribution systems for the delivery of AIM.
• Describe, in detail, the necessary components
of efficient, unified distribution systems for the
delivery of AIM in a timely manner.
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Technical Assistance & Dissemination
General Activities
• Work directly with SEAs to ensure that distribution
systems are high-quality and deliver AIM in a timely
manner.
• Provide a continuum of general Technical Assistance
and Dissemination activities to assist SEAs.
• Prepare and disseminate reports, documents, practice
guides, and other materials.
• Develop and maintain a website.
Joy will have more on the TA plan shortly.
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Leadership and Coordinated Activities 1 of 2
General Activities
• Compile and share data on the implementation of NIMAS.
• Establish and maintain an advisory committee to review the
activities and outcomes of the Center and provide programmatic
support and advice.
• Communicate and collaborate with currently funded OSEP
projects including the NIMAC; Bookshare; RFB&D; the NIMAS
Center; and the Technical Assistance Coordination Center.
• Communicate and collaborate with postsecondary groups to help
facilitate efforts between K-12 and postsecondary AIM distribution
systems, as appropriate.
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Leadership and Coordinated Activities 2 of 2
General Activities
• Participate in, organize, or facilitate communities of practice.
• Coordinate with the National Dissemination Center for Individuals
with Disabilities to develop an efficient and high-quality
dissemination strategy.
• Contribute updated information on the Center’s services to
OSEP’s Technical Assistance and Dissemination Matrix.
• Conduct formative and summative evaluations of the Center that
are aligned with the evaluation plan.
• Joy Zabala and Brad Rose will provide an overview later this
afternoon.
• Maintain ongoing communications with OSEP.
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Planned Products 1 of 2
• Prepare the reports referenced within the Reporting Requirements
Section of the cooperative agreement beginning on that exceed
the required annual continuation performance reports and the final
report to include:
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NIMAS Implementation Annual Summary Report
Status of State AIM Systems Summary Report (end of 1st project year)
Unified Distribution System Components Report (end of 2nd project year)
Formative Evaluation Report (annually)
Summative Evaluation Report (end of each project year)
• Knowledge Development Summary Reports and Briefs including:
• Update the NIMAS Policy Brief for State Directors
• Update the NIMAS/NIMAC FAQ with OSEP
• Update the Recommended Contract/Purchase Order Language
• SEA Policy and Practice Web Survey
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Planned Products 2 of 2
• National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials Website (AIM
& NIMAS - unified)
• Communication Briefs to Support SEA and LEA Implementation
• Self-Assessment Tools for SEAs and LEAs
• K-12 and Higher Ed Synergies Summary Report
• AIM Directions: The Future of Textbooks and Accessible
Instructional Materials Report
• ATIA Subcontractor: Assistive Technology for AIM Brief
• AFB Subcontractor: Status of Technologies for Producing Braille,
Large Print and Tactile Graphics from NIMAS filesets Brief
• OTHER Suggestions?
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AIM Center Partners and Consultants
• Project Partners
• AFB will provide technical assistance to the Center to support the training of
conversion organizations around NIMAS including those dealing with Braille
transcription, large print, and tactile graphics.
• ATIA will provide information and technical assistance on the integration of
NIMAS with AT products.
• The PACER Center will collaborate with the AIM Center to develop
information resources for families to increase the awareness of accessible
materials for students with print disabilities.
• Key Project Consultants
• Brad Rose, Independent Evaluator
• Diana Carl, AIM and NIMAS Implementation
• Jessica M. Brodey, Implementation Policies Consultant
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AIM Center Personnel
David H. Rose, (.10 FTE) Principal Investigator
Chuck Hitchcock, (1.0 FTE) Project Director
Joy Zabala, (.80 FTE) Director of Technical Assistance
Skip Stahl, (.20 FTE) Technical Assistance Advisor
Todd Rose,(.20 FTE) will specialize in students with print-based LD
Richard Jackson, (.10 FTE), specializing in how blind/low vision students
needs are addressed through NIMAS
Valerie Hendricks, (.50 FTE), will specialize in technical assistance regarding
file conversion issues and website development
Janet Gronneberg, (.50 FTE), dissemination and communications
Jenna Wasson Gravel, (.20 FTE), developing and delivering AIM information
products and evaluating effectiveness
Ge Vue, (.20 FTE) will work to build a knowledge network and communities
of practice, implementing social media tools
Lisa Spitz, (.25 FTE) will support website development (with Brielle).
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Technical Assistance Plan
• Director of Technical Assistance: Joy Zabala
• Coordination with the National TA&D Center
• OSEP supported
• Located at AED, Washington, DC
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Dissemination Plan
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Implementation by Janet Groneberg
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Coordination with the National Dissemination Center
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Communications and Development Associate, CAST
OSEP supported and located at AED, Washington, DC
A few ideas in the planning phase / under discussion
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Monthly email newsblast (with metrics)
• For AIM and NIMAS Centers
• Sources: Federal, SEA, LEA, Partners, Publishers, AMPs, etc.
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Social Media – Ge organizing the infrastructure (NING and/or Facebook, Twitter,
Forums
Brochures, Fact Sheets, Policy Briefs, etc.
Listservs (maintain and develop as needed)
Publications (Ed Week, Teacher Mag, CEC, Federation for Children with Special
Needs, PACER Center, etc.
Events
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National Conference / Seminars / Pre-Conference Meeting / Virtual & Face to Face
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New National Center on AIM Website
• Combined assets of the AIM Center, NIMAS Center and
the AIM Consortium
• New design and new content organization
• Plan to leave current site up for a while
• http://nimas.cast.org
• with notice on home
• later with redirects to new site
• Visit the new website:
• http://aim.cast.org
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A Family Advocacy Perspective
• Rich Robinson
• Executive Director, Federation for Children with Special
Needs (FCSN)
• Laura Kaloi
• Public Policy Director, National Center for Learning
Disabilities (NCLD)
• Suggested topics
• Accessible instructional materials
• Policies needed to ensure timely delivery
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BREAK
15 minutes
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Hot AIM and NIMAS Related Topics/Issues
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Review list from last year then update the list, categorize and prioritize
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Quality of XML
Current Status ??
Market model slow to develop
1. No longer an issue
Eligibility/qualification of student populations
2. Improvement noted
Diversity of implementation, policy and practice
3. Larger issue now
4. Much larger issue now
Need for LEA awareness, knowledge, resources
Large-scale implementation
Tactile graphics/images
Helping teachers match hardware, software, and alternate-format outputs
Braille transcriber training
Economic issues
Administrative leadership
Including general education counterparts
Importance of collaboration/cooperation
Authorized Users/policy change - 1
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NASDSE & the State Special Education
Administrator Perspective
• Bill East, Executive Director
• Executive Director, National Association of State
Directors of Special Education (NASDSE)
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AIM Center Evaluation Plan
• Joy Zabala and Brad Rose
• Internal and External Program Evaluators
• Presentation of plan
• Feedback and discussion
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Suggested Approaches for Goal 1
• Knowledge Development
• Refer to AIM Basics document
• Group Discussion
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Adjourn
• Closing comments
• Plan for Tuesday
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