2011 OSEP Leadership Mega Conference Collaboration to Achieve Success from Cradle to Career 2.0 Building State and Community Capacity for Inclusion Pam Winton Kathy Whaley Janna Gregory Sandy Wilberger Katy McCullough Early Childhood and Part C Data Managers Concurrent 122-E

National Context: Emphasis on Cross-Sector Systems Building Early Learning and Development Health Family Leadership and Support Comprehensive services that promote children’s physical, developmental, and mental health Nurturing relationships, safe environments, and enriching experiences that foster learning and development Resources, experiences, and relationships that strengthen families, engage them as leaders, and enhance their capacity to support children’s well being Thriving Children and Families Early Childhood Systems Working Group 2011 Values and Principles

Themes Shared Across Indicators OCC – CCDF State Plan, 2011 OSEP – State Performance Plan (SPP) Annual Performance Report ( APR) Indicators for Part C (early intervention) and 619 of Part B (preschool) of IDEA Cross-sector Alignment The program quality standards are aligned across different early childhood programs Indicator 2 (Part C) Percent of infants and toddlers with IFSPs who primarily receive early intervention services in the home or community-based setting Indicator 6 (Part B) Percent of children aged 3 through 5 with IEPs attending a regular early childhood program and receiving the majority of special education and related services in the regular early childhood program Meeting Learning and Development Needs of all Children The program quality standards acknowledge the needs of all children Indicator 3 (Part C) and Indicator 7 (Part B) Percent of infants, toddlers with IFSPs and preschoolers aged 3 through 5 with IEPs who demonstrate improved: a) positive social-emotional skills; b) acquisition and use of knowledge and skills; and c) use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs Family Engagement The program quality standards promote family engagement Indicator 4 (Part C) Percent of families who report that early intervention services have helped the family: a) know their rights; b) effectively communicate their children’s need; and c) help their children develop and learn. Indicator 8 (Part B) Percent of parents who report that schools facilitated parent involvement Health and Development Screenings The program standards require screenings, developmental assessments and referrals to intervention services Indicator 5 (Part C) Percent of infants and toddlers birth to 3 with IFSPs compared to national data Analysis of Shared Program Standards across Office of Child Care (OCC) and US DOE, OSEP

Integrating Fiefdoms of Early Childhood is Critical

To Support Inclusion… …we (OSEP funded projects, services and programs) need tools and strategies to be “at the table” in meaningful roles

Early Childhood Inclusion: A Joint Position Statement of DEC and NAEYC Defining Inclusion

7 Expanding Opportunities: An Interagency Inclusion Initiative

Over Arching Goal Enhance and improve interagency coordination among the agencies providing early care and education services and supports to young children with disabilities and their families 8

 Office of Special Education  Office of Child Care (formerly Child Care Bureau)  Office of Head Start (formerly Head Start Bureau)  Administration on Developmental Disabilities 9 Federal Interagency Leadership

Status 24 States since 2005! Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin 10

Team Composition & Partners  Parents, Parent Training and Information & Family Support  Head Start Collaboration Projects  State Pre-K  Developmental Disability Programs  University Centers for Excellence/Higher Ed  Preschool Special Education, Part B  Early Intervention, Part C  Child Care Administration  Special Projects, Other Programs and/or Agencies 11

Local Input on Teams  Composition of state team membership and workgroups  Stakeholder input opportunities  Feedback loops and evaluation 12

13 State Systems Change and Planning Process 1. CHALLENGES: Understanding where we are 2. DESIRED IMPACTS: Deciding where we want to go 3. STRATEGIES: Planning how to get there 4. EVALUATION & BENCHMARKS: Knowing if we are getting there

 State Infrastructure: policy, funding, support and collaboration at the state level  Personnel Development: higher education and state’s capacity for training & TA across the state  Community Infrastructure: policy, funding, support and collaboration at community and local agency level  Service Provider/Practice: provider knowledge and skills  Children/family: what children and families know, feel and are able to do Levels of the Service System 14

15 Building Capacity: Focus of State Plans  Interagency Coordination and Communication  Infusing a focus on inclusion in other plans and initiatives  Public Awareness across Agencies & the Public  Professional Development and Technical Assistance

Building Capacity: Focus of State Plans  Policy, Procedures, Regulations and Guidance  Resource Development  Family Information and Support  Funding Strategies  Building Community Partnerships 16

17 Link:

Need for Cross-Sector Agreement on PD Definitions “Professional development is facilitated teaching and learning experiences that are transactional and designed to support the acquisition of professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions as well as the application of this knowledge in practice…”

Cross-Sector PD is Hot Topic  PD focus in federal initiatives that promote early childhood systems-building (e.g., Race to The Top - Early Learning Challenge Program)  Systems building efforts are “most likely to direct the funds toward projects to create and implement professional development systems and longitudinal data systems – priorities both for states and the federal government.” (p. 6, Stakowski, 2009)

20 Multiple Early Childhood Initiatives with PD Components IDEA SPP APR

Definition (continued) The key components of professional development include: a)characteristics and contexts of the learners (i.e., the “who”); b)content (i.e., the “what” of professional development); and c)organization and facilitation of learning experiences (i.e., the “how”). Contributions

National Professional Development Center on Inclusion. (2011). The big picture planning guide: Building cross-sector professional development systems in early childhood, 2nd ed. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina, FPG Child Development Institute, Author. Putting it All Together …

Focus on the Quality of Professional Development within Systems Context

“Awareness” across sectors is NOT ENOUGH… Need critical and candid assessment of…  PD gaps and duplications  PD resources  Evaluation strategies  Linkages with other PD initiatives (e.g., training registries, QRIS) … BUT how??

Part 1: WWH – Learners Who are the major funding agencies for early childhood PD? To whom does this agency provide PD? What is the content of the PD? How is the PD delivered? Is this PD integrated with quality initiatives & infrastructure supports? Part 2: WWH – PD Providers Who are the PD providers? Who provides support & resources to the PD providers? What is content of the PD for PD providers? How is it delivered? Link to infrastructure? Cross-sector PD Discussion Tool: Who, What and How Planning Matrix

“Big Black Box”- The PD Providers  Who are they?  What PD do they provide to whom?  How do they provide the PD?  What supports do they have?  Who collects and tracks information about them?  Is this a cross-sector effort?  What are links with training registries?

Virginia

Early Childhood PD Summit  Goal – inform the leadership team of what is needed statewide and regionally to create and support a comprehensive PD network  Attendees – local representatives of the VCPD membership

Maine’s Expanding Inclusive Opportunities Initiative

Maine’s EIO Collaborative Partners

Maine EIO Goals Goal 1- Develop a tool kit that provides a self-assessment framework for community programs to use for examining inclusive practices. Goal 2- To access an accurate, cross state agency data system. Goal 3- Develop strategies and approaches for increased child behavioral health services to early childhood programs. Goal 4- Develop a coordinated cross sector personnel development and TA system. Goal 5- Provide information, support and resources to families about inclusion

Maine Early Care and Education Training Calendar Highlights – Collaborative – Searchable – Statewide – Targets all childhood professionals – Range of material

Sample Findings Training Name: ECH 336 Development of Mathematical Concepts in Young Children Start Date: 09/16/2011 End Date: 12/10/2011 Contact Hours: Sponsor: University of Maine Farmington Town: Fairfield Click here for more informationUniversity of Maine Farmington Click here for more information Training Name: Foundations in Health, Wellness and Safety Start Date: 08/15/2011 End Date: 09/23/2011 Contact Hours: Sponsor: Child Care Connections Town: online Click here for more informationChild Care Connections Click here for more information

Early Childhood Settings Inclusion Toolkit Inclusion Toolkit Resources Maine Resources ME Professional Dev Resources ME Program Dev Resources National Resources and Links Address the questions What is Inclusion? What Does Inclusion Look Like? What is Universal Design? Where Can I Go for Help and Info? The Toolkit provides basic information about inclusion and quality early childhood practices that welcome all children.

Resources See handout for Web links and Resources

Q & A  What questions do you have?  Ideas about next steps for how you can begin to build capacity for inclusion?