Building the Plane While Flying It How 4 States are Building Cross-sector Professional Development Systems that Support Inclusion Camille Catlett, NPDCI Jennie Couture, Georgia Pam Deardorff, Oregon LeAnne Lorenzo, Pennsylvania

What’s it Like?

The NPDCI Journey NPDCI is working to help states achieve an integrated professional development system that supports high quality inclusion for preschool children.

Core Values of NPDCI Collaboration with diverse partners at national, organizational and state levels Integrated or cross-sector early childhood professional development to support inclusion

Silo Approach to PD Early Childhood PD Higher Ed Part C/619 PD PD PD Head Start PD

Limited Partnership Approach to PD Early Childhood Higher Ed Public Schools PD PD PD Head Start PD

Cross-Sector Approach to PD Early Childhood Collaborative PD Initiatives Higher Ed Public School Collaboration: a commitment to work together to address a problem and achieve a goal that could not be accomplished by the organizations working individually (Mattessich et al., 2004) Head Start

Core PD Components: WHO Policies WHO Characteristics of learners and contexts Political Climate Resources Organizational Structures

Who Administrators and policy makers who influence or control decisions and resources related to professional development and inclusion Knowledge mediators – faculty, trainers, technical assistance providers, mentors, coaches, supervisors – who support the learning and performance of other adults Personnel who touch the lives of young children with disabilities and their families. Includes colleagues across disciplines (early childhood, early intervention), agencies (child care, Head Start, PreK) and settings (home, school, community)

WHAT Core Components of PD Policies Content of professional development Political Climate Resources Organizational Structures

WHAT guides the content of PD? Knowledge, skills and dispositions related to serving young children with and without disabilities and their families National guidance State guidance

HOW Core Components of PD Policies Approaches to professional development Political Climate Resources Organizational Structures

HOW is professional development provided? Traditional methods Preservice and inservice Promising strategies Action research Consultation Coaching Mentoring Lesson study Communities of practice

What does WWH look like in your state? Who are the learners who benefit from PD? What guides the content of PD? How is PD provided?

Overview of Oregon Early Childhood Inclusion Collaborative (OECIC) Summer 2007: Oregon Applies and gets accepted as a NPDCI state July 2007: Expanding Opportunities subgroup meets in N. Carolina November 2007: Oregon Mini Summit is held December 2007: Oregon Early Childhood Inclusion Collaborative is formed, plan is in place, funding is identified in the state to support professional development efforts

Overview of OECIC Vision: PD Vision: Early Childhood Educators have access to coordinated cross-sector professional development that supports inclusion. Overall Vision: Increase in the percentage of young children with disabilities, birth to five, receiving services and supports in inclusive community based placements in each region of Oregon.

Oregon Definition of Inclusion Inclusion, as a value, supports the right of all children, regardless of abilities, to participate actively in natural settings within their communities. Natural settings are those in which the child would spend time had he or she not had a disability. (Adopted from the DEC Position Statement on Inclusion by the Oregon’s Early Childhood Inclusion Collaborative Steering Committee on March 28, 2008)

Some key considerations for how OECIC is defining Inclusion: Settings within their community. Where they would spend time if he or she had not had a disability. Where their educational and related services are provided.

Resources State Regional and County Teams Oregon Department of Education Inclusive Child Care Program Partnerships for Inclusive Child Care and Education Regional and County Teams Strategic action plans

Activities/Outcomes Systems Service Delivery Coordinate and Evaluate Professional Development Policies Service Delivery Training and TA Teaching Research Assistance to Child Care and Education Providers (TRAC)

High Staff-Child Ratio Individualization Related Services Age Appropriate Inclusion High Staff-Child Ratio Individualization Related Services Concrete and Relevant Experiences Transition Planning Small Groups Collaborative IEP Process Orientated Assessment Monitoring Child Progress Environmentally Based Curriculum Family Centered Services Planning for a Broad Developmental Range

Georgia’s Vision An integrated, statewide early childhood professional development system that supports high quality, culturally and linguistically responsive inclusion for all children with disabilities and their families.

Georgia’s Priorities An integrated system of professional development A clear vision and consistent messaging Integrated systems Family partnerships Evaluation, tracking and accountability

Pennsylvania’s Vision To create and sustain opportunities for all of Pennsylvania’s youngest children to benefit from high quality inclusive early childhood programs through approaches that unify and recognize the important contributions of partners.

GOALS Develop the design and structure for a cross-sector early childhood professional development system Develop a regional cross-sector professional development system to support increased opportunities for high quality inclusion Increase the emphasis on children with disabilities and inclusion in early childhood preservice education

Creating the Structure State focus on Early Childhood Office of Child Development and Early Learning Continuous Quality Improvement Professional Development State Focus: Within the last 5 years PA has gone through some very important changes at the state level – more has happened in the field of early childhood in this time than I have seen in my 23 years in the system. This is great but entails a lot of change and confusion. Taken a while to create the structure, create a movement for funding and support and begin to move toward getting everyone on the same page. OCDEL: All programs within the Department of Public Welfare and the Pennsylvania Department of Education that supported young children B-5 were moved into a newly created and dually funded Office of Child Development and Early Learning. This included Head Start, Child Care, all PreK programs, Early Intervention B-3 and 3-5… Continuous Quality Improvement: Within this office the structure has been defined for creating quality early learning environments. The state has been divided into 6 Regional Keys through which support and funding for programs is funneled. Focus on continuous program enhancement through the STARS system in combination with a Career Lattice for continued professional development that leads to a credential. The Bureau of Early Learning is in charge of most of this. The Bureau of Early Intervention Services is also within OCDEL. Initially their work was focused on combining the Part C and 619 programs into one B-5 system. This involved creating one form that is now used as the IFSP/IEP. The monitoring system within both of these programs was changed. Verification is done with each B-5 funded system once every two years using the same forms.

State focus on Early Childhood OCDEL State focus on Early Childhood Four Bureaus functioning independently within one Office. Bureau of Certification Services Bureau of Early Intervention Services Bureau of Early Learning Services Bureau of Subsidized Child Care Services OCDEL: All programs within the Department of Public Welfare and the Pennsylvania Department of Education that supported young children B-5 were moved into a newly created and dually funded Office of Child Development and Early Learning. This included Head Start, Child Care, all PreK programs, Early Intervention B-3 and 3-5… Continuous Quality Improvement: Within this office the structure has been defined for creating quality early learning environments. The state has been divided into 6 Regional Keys through which support and funding for programs is funneled. Focus on continuous program enhancement through the STARS system in combination with a Career Lattice for continued professional development that leads to a credential. The Bureau of Early Learning is in charge of most of this. The Bureau of Early Intervention Services is also within OCDEL. Initially their work was focused on combining the Part C and 619 programs into one B-5 system. This involved creating one form that is now used as the IFSP/IEP. The monitoring system within both of these programs was changed. Verification is done with each B-5 funded system once every two years using the same forms.

Developing the Concept Professional Development Practitioners and Directors Professional Development Instructors Within the last 5 years PA has gone through some very important changes at the state level OCDEL: Movement of all programs within the Department of Public Welfare and the Pennsylvania Department of Education that supported young children B-5 were moved into a newly created and dually funded Office of Child Development and Early Learning. Within this office the structure has been defined for creating quality early learning environments.

Developing the Concept Professional Development: Practitioners and Directors Career Lattice Pennsylvania’s Quality Assurance System (PQAS) Career Lattice – focus on moving toward early childhood credentials Take work experience and translate into credits. Incentives, scholarships, STARS standard requirements. PQAS – application system to certify that a person or entity is qualified to provide professional development for practitioners and/or directors

Developing the Concept Professional Development: Professional Development Instructors No formal system to provide PD!!! PQAS instructors Higher Education faculty

A Professional Development Structure Advisory Council Professional Development Instructors Higher Education OCDEL began creating this structure and pulled together many stakeholders: 2-year and 4-year faculty; state PD agencies – PaTTAN/EITA, Intermediate Units, contracted PDI. Created a steering committee to work on this. NPDCI grant afforded support for the creation of this PD structure.

A Professional Development Structure Professional Development Instructors Higher Education Institute – Diversity Monthly Webinars – PD and TA providers Early Childhood Summit OCDEL began creating this structure and pulled together many stakeholders: 2-year and 4-year faculty; state PD agencies – PaTTAN/EITA, Intermediate Units, contracted PDI. Created a steering committee to work on this. NPDCI grant afforded support for the creation of this PD structure. Supported the Higher Education Institute on Diversity Track in Early Childhood Summit for Cadres.

A Professional Development Structure ????????????? Continue to do PD as we have done: Face to Face with some follow-up OR Try something new OCDEL began creating this structure and pulled together many stakeholders: 2-year and 4-year faculty; state PD agencies – PaTTAN/EITA, Intermediate Units, contracted PDI. Created a steering committee to work on this. NPDCI grant afforded support for the creation of this PD structure. Supported the Higher Education Institute on Diversity Track in Early Childhood Summit for Cadres.

A Professional Development Structure Professional Development Cadres Cadres will in essence be creating communities of practice. People will participate in PD for Instructors together, developing relationships and through the lens of inclusion so that they continue to view their work through that lens. Initial track at EC Summit Monthly PD opportunities – face to face; webinars; phone conference calls…

A Professional Development Structure Begin with the lens of Inclusion Continue through other lenses until we are looking at each child and providing the supports and services they need to be successful in life. Cadres will in essence be creating communities of practice. People will participate in PD for Instructors together, developing relationships and through the lens of inclusion so that they continue to view their work through that lens. Initial track at ECSummit Monthly PD opportunities – face to face; webinars; phone conference calls…

Minnesota’s Vision All people who work with young children in Minnesota will possess the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will promote the successful inclusion of young children with disabilities.

Minnesota’s Goals Develop mechanisms for using three frameworks (Core Competencies, Early Learning Guidelines for Birth to Three, and Early Learning Standards for preschool period) to support PD across all sectors. Develop regional cross-sector cadres of knowledge mediators to support PD and inclusion. Build the capacity for faculty (associate, bachelors, graduate) at institutions of higher education to increase the emphasis on inclusive practices in preservice education.

Building Cross-Sector PD Approaches in Your State STEP 1 - Set the Stage Identify an individual to coordinate the process Engage cross-sector leaders to work together Create a profile of state resources related to PD Identify the potential benefits STEP 2 - Discuss core components: Who, what, how STEP 3 - Discuss key contexts and supports for PD: Organizational structures, access and outreach, policies, resources, and evaluation

Building Cross-Sector PD Approaches in Your State STEP 4 – Clarify your vision STEP 5 – Identify goals for attaining your vision STEP 6 – Develop your plan STEP 7 – Evaluate your progress

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THANK YOU!!! For additional information contact Camille Catlett (919) 966-6635 catlett@mail.fpg.unc.edu NPDCI http://community.fpg.unc.edu/npdci