Tim Davis quoted in Education Week regarding access of students with disabilities to sports

Our very own Dr. Tim Davis, CAPE was featured in an Education Week piece regarding access of students with disabilities to sports. Click here to read more about the importance of focusing on student abilities and not their disabilities.

School staff members often lack training and experience in how to adapt physical education classes for students with disabilities—and the quality of services is reduced as a result, says Timothy Davis, an assistant professor of physical education at the State University of New York at Cortland and the chairman of the Adapted Physical Education National Standards, a project established by a professional group to create standards and a certification program for the profession.

Only 13 states suggest additional training for physical educators to teach adapted physical education, according to Mr. Davis. Most states do not require any additional certification.
Teachers in an undergraduate program for physical education are often required to take one three-credit course in adapted physical education in the last year of the program, he notes. “By the time they get interested in adapted physical education, they are done and they are out student-teaching,” Mr. Davis says. “Then because they have had the one course, they get a job in a district teaching adapted physical education.

“The lack of standards for hiring highly qualified teachers is a huge frustration,” he says, “that perpetuates the lack of service, the lack of quality, and ultimately has a tremendous impact on the quality of life of students with disabilities.”
About 1,700 teachers in the United States are nationally certified in adapted physical education through his group, Mr. Davis says.

A Level Playing Field from Education Week on Vimeo.

Because of a lack of training, physical education teachers often feel uncomfortable attending individualized-education-program, or IEP, meetings for students with disabilities—and the absence of those educators troubles him.

“Even if we are not invited to the meeting, we have to knock on the door. It’s your student, in your class,” Mr. Davis says. “If the physical education teacher is not at the meeting, somebody else makes the idea for placement. Somebody else is writing the goals and objectives for physical education. We need to be there; we need the representation.”
Sometimes an attitude shift can make a big difference, he says, in how to teach sports to students with disabilities.

“You focus on ability and not disability,” Mr. Davis says. “Focus on what a kid can do, and you can make it work. If you say, ‘He can’t run, he can’t throw,’ I cringe. Tell me what he can do, and now we can start teaching.”

Dr. Tim Davis receives Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Outreach Award

Dr. Timothy D. Davis, also received the Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Outreach Award at the President's annual award ceremony, Cortland Excels.

Dr. Davis was responsible for securing funding and programming for the “Homer CSD/SUNY Cortland Graduate Student Partnership” worth $15,000.

The Homer Central School District (HCSD) and the Adapted Physical Education faculty within the Department of Physical Education have created a partnership to improve the quality of Adapted Physical Education services currently provided to children with disabilities. Tim Davis and Mike Carboine, Athletic Director for HCSD, outlined the guidelines for a long-term partnership designed to enhance the access and adaptive physical education programming opportunities for children with disabilities throughout the Homer school district. The HCSD will support a part-time Adapted Physical Education graduate student in exchange for 20 hours per week of direct service working with children. The responsibilities of the graduate student are to teach the majority of HCSD’s adaptive students four hours per day in either the elementary, intermediate or junior high schools. The graduate student is responsible for the planning and teaching of daily lesson plans specific to each individual student, along with coordinating and updating any IEP plans for students with the office of Special Education for Homer Schools. The “win/win” scenario provides financial support while graduate students receive valuable public school experience. Past public school partnerships in Adapted Physical Education have been created with Marathon Schools, DeRuyter Schools and the Fransizka Racker Centers. The creative designs and outreach for school partnerships exemplifies why SUNY Cortland’s Adapted Physical Education program was recognized in April of 2008 by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAPHERD) for The Program of the Year Award, which is the highest honor for adapted physical education programs as recognized by AAPHERD. The school partnerships are an extension of the APE commitment to promote and assure integrity for individuals with disabilities throughout central New York.

Cortland PE Connection in MD

Staying in contact with fellow alumni is so important for your professional careers especially when it comes to staying on top of the great things you accomplish. Remember that no one can build or promote outstanding PE programs for you. You will have to be your best JAG (Judge, Advocate, and General).

This online article highlights PE alumni Julie Provino (2006), Laura Barrett, Don Cleveland, Chris Acosta, Pat Colgan, and Elise Moscati. Thanks to Pat Colgan for forwarded this article from the Laurel Leader in Maryland. Keep the tips coming! Pat is currently teaching APE and coaching in the Prince Georges County Public Schools.

Provino new Laurel softball coach

By David Driver

ddriver@patuxent.com

Posted 12/04/08

Prep notebook

Call it the Cortland Connection. The new varsity softball coach at Laurel High is Julie Provino, who graduated from the State University of New York-Cortland.

Her assistant this spring will be Don Cleveland, another Cortland graduate. Provino replaces Chris Acosta, who also went to Cortland and was the Spartan coach for one year.

And Laura Barrett, who just completed her first season as the Laurel High girls soccer coach, is another product of the Division III school in upstate New York. Provino heard about the opening from Laurel baseball coach Bryan Harris, who went to Ithaca, an athletic rival of Cortland.

Provino, who attended high school at Mount Mercy Academy in Buffalo, was the junior varsity softball coach in 2008 at High Point High in Beltsville, where she was also the assistant cross country coach last fall.

"I want to build a more competitive program," Provino said. "There is more to softball than hitting and fielding the ball."

Provino recalls playing against the Laurel High junior varsity team last year and said the programs at High Point and Laurel are similar. She was named the Laurel head coach in late November and met recently with most of the players.

The Columbia resident said 24 players have expressed interest in playing softball this spring at Laurel. "That is a good number," said Provino.

Provino began playing softball when she was 5 and played on travel teams in western New York for several years. She played center field as a college freshman as Cortland advanced to the Division III World Series.

Provino then stopped playing softball to focus on academics: She graduated in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in physical education and is slated to receive her master's degree from Cortland this month. She teaches physical education at an elementary school in Lanham.

The New Yorker said it is not a coincidence so many Cortland graduates have landed teaching and coaching jobs in Prince George's County. Other Cortland grads with ties to High Point include Pat Colgan, who coaches both girls soccer and wrestling, and Elise Moscati, the first-year girls basketball coach.

Provino applied for the Laurel softball job when it opened prior to the 2008 season. The post went to Acosta, who recently moved out of the area after coaching at Laurel High.

APE Recieves Program Recognition Award

The SUNY Cortland Adapted Physical Education (APE) Program received the Program Recognition Award at the 2008 AAHPERD Convention. The Award was presented to our faculty (Diane Craft, John Foley, Tim Davis, Luis Columna) in April 2008 from the Adapted Physical Activity Council (APAC) of the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (AAPAR). Given in recognition of significant contributions to the promotion of physical activity to individuals with disabilities, our APE program was one of only two nationally recognized programs this year. Congratulations to all our faculty, staff, students, and community members that make our outstanding outreach programs possible.