Opportunities, Initiatives and Key Resources: Building Intentional Inclusive Opportunities Debbie Cate

 Define inclusion challenges and determine improvement resources and strategies  Discuss 618 and SPP/APR LEA Educational Environments data to determine areas of strength and need  Develop LEA next step plans for intentional inclusion Objectives

Inclusion Panel Discussion Preschool Inclusion Facts Nevada and National Data Inclusion Challenges District Plans Resources Our Afternoon Dr. Lauren Barton Dr. Barbara Smith

Children who start preschool in segregated settings are more likely to remain in segregated settings

Inclusion Fact Sheet

The Facts  Inclusion benefits all children  Children can be effectively educated in inclusive programs using specialized instruction  Families of all children generally have positive views of inclusion  Inclusion is not more expensive  Children do not need to be “ready” 7 & 91

Facts The Facts  Research is clear: it’s effective  IDEA is clear: it’s preferred  The profession is clear: DEC/NAEYC position statement  Departments of Ed and HHS new inclusion statement, suspension policy & DOE Playbook for Becoming an Early Learning Community

Effective Components of Inclusion Intentional, sufficient, and supported interactions between peers with and without disabilities Specialized, individualized supports Family involvement Integrated, interdisciplinary services and collaborative teaming Focus on critical sociological outcomes Effective, ongoing professional development Ongoing program evaluation 36

High Quality Intentional Inclusion & Making Child Level Decisions Our Focus

National Landscape - Draft Indicator 6A: Percent of children with IEPs attending a (RECP) and receiving the majority of services in the program Each bar represents a state or territory, 618 data, Dec % 44%

Each bar represents a state or territory, 618 data Dec 1, 2013 National Landscape - Draft Indicator 6B: Percent of children with IEPs attending a special education program 5 states 0%

Preschool Inclusion Survey Inclusion preferred Many children in separate settings Inclusion – more than 50% typically developing children 2014 survey to 619 Coordinators - send to others Challenges and solutions

Attitudes & Beliefs Fiscal & contracting Approval of non-public school setting Curricula/methods Transportation Personnel qualifications Conflicting policies Program quality Overall Challenges

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Lack of Communication and collaboration Lack of awareness and understanding “ Someone will lose” beliefs Staff preparedness Turf issues Lack of respect Other Attitudes and Beliefs

Policy and Procedure Challenges Ensuring quality (standards, curricula, practices) in inclusive settings Ensuring personnel meet standards and are effective Fiscal policies/procedures (contracting; funding streams) Transportation policies/procedures

Resource Challenges  Community programs full; no available slots  L ack of resources for transportation for typically developing children  Lack of resources for itinerate services

Solutions 50

A/B: Build Awareness/Support Educate local administrators Provide user-friendly materials on benefits & laws Provide models of high quality inclusion where teachers, parents and administrators can visit Provide opportunities for practitioners, administrators and families to explore concerns, benefits and possible solutions

A/B: Collaborate Establish trans-disciplinary teams Establish interagency inclusion team Provide awareness materials and opportunities for administrators Provide joint PD for district and community personnel Ensure support to community programs for ECSE and behavior support Build culture of collaborative problem solving

Policy/Procedure Solutions/Strategies Ensure state funded pre-k, at-risk & Title I programs are inclusive Require co-teaching (EC & ECSE) practica for certification Provide training and coaching to community programs & itinerate ECSE services Provide state training and T/A to district and community EC programs Create MOU’s and contracts with community programs that address quality

Policy/Procedure Solutions/Strategies Provide paras to community sites Create tuition based access to district EC programs for nondisabled children Reimburse parents for transportation Create a state-level inclusion team for “barrier busting” that responds to local concerns State dissemination to districts of creative ways to provide inclusion; examples; incentives Braid funding streams

Resource Solutions/Strategies Inclusive services do not cost more than segregated Braid resources Collaborate Redistribute (itinerate/consultative vs. segregated) Public awareness of the benefits=$$

Solutions 52 60

Inclusion Plan

National Initiatives and Opportunities in Support of Inclusion  Federal Public Awareness Campaign & Joint DOE HHS Position Paper on Inclusion  DEC Special Initiative on Inclusion  DEC Recommended Practices  RTT-ELC and Pre-School Development Grants  Joint Position Paper on PS Expulsion

Resources ECTA Inclusion Topic page NC Early Learning Network DEC Joint Inclusion Statement – Connect Modules Results Matter

Making Child Level Decisions

Included Quality Standards Specialized Instruction & Supports Embedded into standards used in the classroom High Quality Early Childhood Programs

The contents of this presentation were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, #H373Y However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officers: Richelle Davis and Meredith Miceli