Advisory Board for Exceptional Children to Host Two-Day Meeting September 21-22, UIOs Encouraged To Attend

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The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) announced that the Advisory Board for Exceptional Children (the Advisory Board) will hold a two-day meeting, in-person and online, on Thursday, September 21, 2023, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and Friday, September 22, 2023, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT. The purpose of the meeting is to meet the mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) for Indian children with disabilities.

The National Council of Urban Indian Health encourages urban Indian organization (UIO) leaders to attend and participate. The Advisory Board was established under the Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2004 (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.) to advise the Secretary of the Interior, through the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, on the needs of Indian children with disabilities.

All Advisory Board activities will be conducted in-person and online. The onsite meeting location will be at the Crystal City Marriott, 1999 Richmond Highway, Arlington, Virginia. To attend the two-day meeting remotely, please register using this link: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItf-2prTkjHQm8iBckGVMexfylXaLrHlo. Once registered, attendees can attend both meeting events. The meeting is open to the public in its entirety.

The following agenda items will be for the meeting on September 21- 22, 2023. The reports are regarding special education topics.

  • Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). How can OSEP more directly support the BIE’s work in providing special education services that result in positive outcomes for children with disabilities across the BIE school system?
  • Office of the Secretary of the Interior. As the Secretary of the Interior, how do you ensure that all American Indian and Alaska Native children receive an equitable education?
  • BIE-Office of the Director. Provide updates on rural school internet access and include any challenges and potential resolves to the issues from BIE.
  • BIE Human Resources Office. During board meetings we consistently hear from Bureau Operated School (BOS) administrators that delays in the hiring process cost schools qualified hires. Can greater responsibility be provided to local school hiring authorities?
  • BIE Division of Performance and Accountability, (DPA)/BIE Special Education Program. Provide an update on IDEA, ESSA, and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommendations report.
  • Associate Deputy Director (ADD), Regions for Bureau Operated Schools (BOS), Navajo Schools (BOS & TCS) and Tribally Controlled Schools (TCS)/Special Education Programs: What services do you provide for BIE funded schools? Provide an update on the 2022–2023 school year. Discuss the successes, challenges, ongoing goals, and other items that would be pertinent to the Advisory Board.
  • On Thursday, September 21, two 15-minute sessions will be provided, 11:00 a.m. EDT and 2:00 p.m. EDT. Public comments can be provided via webinar or telephone conference call.
  • On Friday, September 22, 2023, two 15-minute sessions will be provided, 9:30 a.m. EDT and 12:15 p.m. EDT. Public comments can be provided during the meeting or telephone conference call.

Public comments can be emailed to the DFO at Jennifer.davis@bie.edu; or faxed to (602) 265–0293 Attention: Jennifer Davis, DFO; or mailed or hand delivered to the Bureau of Indian Education, Attention: Jennifer Davis, DFO, 2600 N Central Ave., 12th Floor, Suite 250, Phoenix, AZ 85004.

To make requests in advance for sign language interpreter services, assistive listening devices, or other reasonable accommodations, please contact Jennifer Davis at least seven (7) business days prior to the meeting to give the Department of the Interior sufficient time to process your request. All reasonable accommodation requests are managed on a case-by-case basis.

More information, please use this link: Federal Register :: Advisory Board of Exceptional Children.

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Opportunity for AI/AN Representation on 2030 Census Advisory Committee

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The Census Bureau is seeking nominations of members representing stakeholder organizations, groups, interests, and viewpoints to the 2030 Census Advisory Committee (“the Committee”). Through the Committee, the Census Bureau can engage with diverse voices as it prepares for the next census and seeks external perspectives on its plans to address census undercounts, communicate with different communities, and collect census information in an easy and efficient way. Nominations for membership on the Committee must be received no later than September 20, 2023, and should be emailed to Census.2030.Advisory.Committee@census.gov with the subject line “2030 Census Advisory Committee Nomination.” This is a unique opportunity for historically underrepresented populations, including urban American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations, to improve Census representation. Individuals, groups, and/or organizations may submit nominations on behalf of candidates interested in joining the Committee.

Nominations

Individuals, groups, and/or organizations may submit nominations on behalf of candidates. The diverse membership of the Committee assures perspectives and expertise reflecting the breadth of the Committee’s responsibilities, and, where possible, the Census Bureau will also consider the ethnic, racial, and gender diversity and various abilities of the United States population.

NCUIH and the Census

NCUIH has reported on and advocated for census equity to represent urban AI/AN populations accurately. The previous 2020 U.S. Decennial Census continued these inaccuracies, undercounting (AI/AN) peoples. After the 2020 Census, the U.S. Census Bureau conducted a Post-Enumeration Survey to evaluate the accuracy of the census and estimate over- or undercount by state and demographic group. The report found that in 2020, there was a statistically significant undercount of AI/AN people. Undercounting jeopardizes the health of AI/AN people as well as future budget calculations in Indian Country.

Additionally, as recently reported by NCUIH, the undercounting of AI/AN people went underreported. The urban AI/AN community demands greater representation in the general population and decisionmakers’ viewpoints. This is especially pertinent in urban AI/AN communities as more than 70% of AI/AN people now live in urban areas. The 2030 Census Advisory Committee is an important opportunity for urban AI/AN representatives and UIO (Urban Indian Organization) leaders to serve on the Committee and impact Census reform.

For further information, click here or contact Shana J. Banks, Chief, Advisory Committee Branch, Office of Program, Performance and Stakeholder Integration (PPSI), Census Bureau, at Shana.J.Banks@census.gov.

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