Family Partnerships in EI: Two States’ Collaborations with Higher Ed

2019 OSEP Leadership Conference OSEP Disclaimer 2019 OSEP Leadership Conference DISCLAIMER: The contents of this presentation were developed by the presenters for the 2019 OSEP Leadership Conference. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1221e-3 and 3474)

Nebraska Team South Dakota Team Session Participants University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Lisa Knoche, Chris Marvin, Sue Bainter Nebraska Department of Education - Amy Bunnell, Julie Doctor, Cole Johnson South Dakota Team South Dakota Department of Education - Sarah Carter, Vicki Linn Session Participants Name, State, Role

Today, you will... Be introduced to an evidence-based parent engagement approach intended to enhance skills for supporting family partnership and the adult (parent)-child relationship; Learn about opportunities and challenges in implementing this approach within service delivery systems for infants/toddlers with disabilities in two Midwestern states; Discuss your state needs for promoting family collaborations.

What is Getting Ready?

Goal of Getting Ready Intervention Promoting children’s learning and development by strengthening relationships and building competencies among families and professionals.

Targeted Outcomes of Getting Ready Intervention Enhancement of children’s early development; Promotion of positive, constructive parent-professional partnerships and parent competencies; Development of supportive parent-child relationships.

Past Getting Ready Projects Outcome #1: Enhance Child Development Children demonstrated enhanced social- emotional skills and reduced levels of anxiety and withdrawal. Children had greater gains in early reading scores, writing scores, and language use.

Social-Emotional Skills Attachment Initiative Children in Getting Ready intervention group showed greater gains in ATTACHMENT with other adults and INITIATIVE than children who did not participate in Getting Ready. Social-Emotional Skills Anxiety/Withdrawal Children in Getting Ready intervention group showed greater decreases in ANXIETY/WITHDRAWAL than children who did not participate in Getting Ready.

Early Language and Literacy Children in Getting Ready intervention group showed greater gains in EARLY READING and LANGUAGE USE than children who did not participate in Getting Ready. Language Use Early Language and Literacy Early Reading

Past Getting Ready Projects Outcome #2: Promote Constructive Parent-Professional Partnerships Results show that professionals worked constructively with parents to strengthen children’s learning and parent-child relationships – rated by parents and professionals.

Past Getting Ready Projects Outcome #3: Develop Supportive Parent-Child Relationships Parental warmth and sensitivity Support for a child’s emerging autonomy Active and meaningful participation in learning and literacy

Parents who participated in Getting Ready interventions demonstrated: More high-quality, warm and sensitive interactions with their children. More skills for supporting their children’s autonomy by being sensitive to the types of goals they set for their children. More fitting supports for their children’s learning, including appropriate teaching behaviors, verbal interactions and responsiveness. More appropriate guidance and directives for their children that were well-matched to the children’s developmental level, interest and needs.

What does this Getting Ready approach look like in practice? Video Source: NDE Part C Home Visits

Nebraska Early Development Network

Nebraska’s Early Intervention System Co-Lead Administration Nebraska Departments of Education, Office of Special Education & Health and Human Services, Division of Medicaid and Long-term Care Birth Mandate State – most EI services provided by school districts within a Planning Region Team structure (29 PRT’s) EI Services Coordination – 22 agencies contracted by DHHS – Dedicated model

SSIP: Routines Based Early Intervention 3 Improvement Strategies:

SD Department of Education (LEA) 450+ Direct Service Providers 7 Regional Contracts 26 Service Coordinators

Geographical Considerations

Emphasis on Family Engagement Evaluation and Assessment Routines-Based Interview IFSP Functional Outcomes Service Delivery Routines-Based Home Visiting

The key to improving child outcomes is to enhance family engagement by: Building positive goal oriented parent / professional partnerships. Identifying family priorities, strengths, and needs. Co-determining functional IFSP outcomes that are meaningful to families. Conducting routines-based home visits to encourage parent/child interaction during and between home visits.

Utilizing an evidence-based model with fidelity is a process not an event.

Why coaching is important…

Nebraska’s “Getting Ready” Model Focus on enhancing competence and confidence for all participants: Professionals Parents Children Parents’ active involvement in goal setting, planning, nurturing their child’s develop during every day routines suited to their natural environment: Capitalizes on repeated, naturally occurring, opportunities for parents and children to practice and celebrate little steps toward their goals. Broadens parents’ views of themselves and their child, which leads to a “shift” in beliefs, engagement, and actions. Positively contributes to family relationships based on trust and support that endure over time. Empowers parents to contribute to their child’s developmental trajectory as an observer, planner, teacher, learner, decision maker, and advocate. Enhances parents’ ability to establish collaborative relationships with professionals. All of which contribute to progressive positive influences on children’s development.

Parent-Professional Partnerships

8 Getting Ready Strategies Process to GUIDE Collaborative Interactions

Advancing Parent-Professional Partnerships Using Getting Ready Strategies Strengthening Parent-Professional Relationships Building Parent Competencies &

Getting Ready Strategies for: Strengthening Parent-Professional Relationships Communicate Openly and Clearly Encourage Parent-Child Interaction Affirm Parent Competencies Make Mutual/Joint Decisions

Getting Ready Strategies for: Building Parent Competencies cm 6-28-16 Getting Ready Strategies for: Building Parent Competencies Focus Parent’s Attention on Child Strengths Share Developmental Information and Resources Use Observations and Data from Parents and Professionals Model and/or Suggest

The GUIDE Process for Home Visits

Collaborative Interactions A structure for engaging in quality home visits that: Integrate IFSP outcomes based on the RBI. Incorporate parent-child interaction; Embed Getting Ready strategies. GUIDE: A Guide for Interactions between Families and Professionals in Structured Contacts

What is GUIDE? A process that: Guides professional-parent interaction during scheduled visits. Offers many opportunities for professionals to intentionally use the Getting Ready strategies. Structures time for planned parent-child interactions.

GUIDE Process Opening: Establish/Re-Establish the Partnership Main Agenda Strategy, Routine, Skill selection/revision if necessary Let’s Try It! Develop Home Visit Plan Closing: Reflection and Review

8 Getting Ready Strategies + GUIDE = Facilitate children’s learning and development. Support a dynamic parent-child relationship. Promote a strong professional-parent partnership.

Application in two states…

Nebraska Who We Are

Nebraska and its Population Two-thirds live in urban cities - on the eastern side of the state. 90% of Nebraska’s cities have less than 3,000 people. Omaha and Lincoln are the only two cities with a population over 60,000. For every square mile of Nebraskan territory, there is an average of 24 people. 16th largest state in the US in terms of size. 43rd ranked state in terms of population density.

Application in Nebraska Initial Implementation Support: 1) Training for EI Regions All EI providers in school districts All Services Coordinators within the contracted SC agency for the Region *must achieve 80% or better on GR Implementation checklist 2) Individual coaching sessions based on videotaped home visits Ongoing Implementation strategies: Annual Fidelity Checks

Application/Adaptations for Nebraska Implemented with Pilots 3 EI Regions in 2017 4 EI Regions in 2018 Scale-up statewide in 2019+ for the remaining 22 EI Regions Fit and relevance for Services Coordinators (Dedicated model) Development of Implementation Checklist & Procedures, and Guide for EI Providers and for Services Coordinators

Implementation Supports - Nebraska

Implementation Supports - Nebraska

SD Department of Education (LEA) 7 Regional Contracts 26 Service Coordinators 450+ Direct Service Providers

Bright Beginnings PD experiences includes a combination of: Face-to-face seminars, Online interactive training, and Coaching provided by trained professional development coaches. Earn 45 contact hours or 1 graduate credit from USF This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

Developing Professional Learning Communities Vicki BT3 PD Master Coach 1 2 Coach 1 Coach 2 Coach 4 Coach 7 8 9 10 Triad 10 Triad 1 Triad 2 Triad 3 Triad 4 Triad 5 Triad 6 Triad 7 Triad 8 Triad 9 Master Coach 3 Master Coach 4 Master Coach 5 Coach 3 Coach 5 Coach 6

Lessons Learned Promoting change is a process, not an event.

Discussion How is your state currently supporting professional/provider collaboration with families through the use of EBPs? What have been the challenges your state has faced through implementation of strategies for promoting collaboration with families? What supports does your state need to implement EBP’s that support effective collaboration with families in EI?

For More Information Contact: Lisa Knoche, PhD, Research Associate Professor, University of Nebraska – Lincoln, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families & Schools lknoche2@unl.edu Amy Bunnell, Early Childhood Special Education Specialist, Nebraska Department of Education, Early Development Network amy.bunnell@nebraska.gov Sarah Carter, Part C Coordinator, South Dakota Department of Education, Birth to Three sarah.carter@state.sd.us

2019 OSEP Leadership Conference OSEP Disclaimer 2019 OSEP Leadership Conference DISCLAIMER: The contents of this presentation were developed by the presenters for the 2019 OSEP Leadership Conference. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1221e-3 and 3474)