Embedding Inclusion into North Carolina’s Child Care System National Inclusion Institute 2015

Introductions Susan Butler-Staub NC Child Care Resource & Referral Council, Child Care Resources Inc. Jennifer Johnson Division of Child Development and Early Education Cindy Broadway Child Care Resources Inc. Ashley Reid Child Care Resources Inc. Cassia Simms-Smith Partners for Children and Families Jennifer Bolz Craven Smart Start

Session Format  Interest and Involvement of the Division of Child Development and Early Education  Background of the Child Care Resource and Referral and CONNECT Partnership  Overview of the Professional Development Process & Foundations of Inclusion Curriculum  Panel Discussion  Questions from Audience 2015 National Inclusion Institute

Interest and Involvement of the Division of Child Development and Early Education  Inclusion is one of the 9 approved areas of focus for required annual training  DCDEE funds training on inclusion and working with children with special needs and their families through the CCR&R system 2015 National Inclusion Institute

Interest and Involvement of the Division of Child Development and Early Education Moving to a coordinated approach:  Standardizing the inclusion training offered through the CCR&R system  Incentivizing and rewarding inclusive practices in the QRIS 2015 National Inclusion Institute

Interest and Involvement of the Division of Child Development and Early Education Inclusion is a foundational element the model of the QRIS that we are testing in our upcoming Validation Study  At level 1, programs will create an inclusion plan that specifies their philosophy on inclusion, and the steps they would take to ensure that children/families of all abilities have access to the program and support to participate fully in the life of the program/classroom and meet their full potential 2015 National Inclusion Institute

Interest and Involvement of the Division of Child Development and Early Education  Also at level 1, all teachers counted in ratio must complete the CCR&R training on inclusion  At higher levels of the system, we would expect to see increasing levels of implementation of the inclusion plan, including teacher PD and even involvement of families in setting individualized learning and development goals 2015 National Inclusion Institute

Background of the Child Care Resource and Referral and CONNECT Partnership  Goal: Develop 2-hour training module for use by CCR&R professional development staff to provide consistent inclusion content state-wide.  Built on basic components of CONNECT modules.  Aim: To help participants -  Define Inclusion in Early Childhood Education settings  Identify who the players are  Understand the laws and policies impacting services  Share research that defines best practice  Identify state and local resources 2015 National Inclusion Institute

Using Adult Education Principles to Provide Professional Development for the Foundations of Inclusion

CONNECT

Source: Flickr – Twisted Shadows Component 2: Build Your Knowledge Three Components  Component 1:  Watch the Foundations of Inclusion video Component 3: (“I Have This Child…”) Activity

CONNECT PD Sequence (.6 CEUs) Pre- workshop activities Workshop Post- workshop activities

CONNECT You will be able to:  Understand the technical and content components of the Foundations of Inclusion training curriculum;  Apply principles of adult learning;  Develop a PD plan for delivering the Foundations of Inclusion training curriculum;  Implement and evaluate your PD plan; and  Use evaluation information to make improvements. Objectives for PD Sequence

CONNECT  Connected with program standards, curricula, and assessments  Focused on specific instructional strategies rather than general content  Sustained over time and of considerable duration  Infused with active learning opportunities, guided practice and corrective feedback Sources: Snyder, Hemmeter, & McLanglin,2012; Wei et al., 2009; Winton, 2010; Zaslow, et al., 2010 Research Evidence about Effective PD/TA Approaches

CONNECT  Collaborative Exchange  Critical Reflection  Voluntary Participation Highlighted Adult Learning Principles

CONNECT

NOW AVAILABLE: CONNECT Online Course – Foundations of Inclusion Take this first CONNECT online course FREE! Registration for all other 7 self-paced courses will open end May 2015 at a low cost. Learn More and Join the Mailing List: About CONNECT Online Courses:  Available online 24/7  Self-Paced and Self-Guided  CEU Offered (except for FREE Foundations of Inclusion course)  Low Cost (except for FREE Foundations of Inclusion course)  Complement CONNECT Modules  Standards and Evidence-Based

Panel Discussion