Considerations for Implementing Inclusive Preschool Programs

1. Considerations for Implementing Inclusive Preschool Programs Vivian James, Ph. D & Bobbie Rowland, Ph. D

2. Objectives of Workshop • Identify overall process and goals for developing an Inclusive Preschool Program: • Planning Phase • Implementation Phase • Evaluation Phase • Continuous Program Improvement Phase

3. Collaboration of Stakeholders • More at Four Program • Head Start Program • Exceptional Children Preschool Program • Title I Pre-Kindergarten Program • Even Start Program • Nonpublic Preschool/Childcare Programs

5. Where Should Administrators Start? • Program Development, Evaluation & Improvement • Teacher Development, Evaluation & Improvement

6. A Dynamic Model for Educational Program Improvement PLAN (Program &Curriculum & Assessment) DO (Implementation & Instruction & Staff Training) ACT (Plan of Action & Improvement) STUDY (Program Evaluation & Child Assessment) Center for Gifted Education – School of Education – The College of William and Mary

7. Planning Phase • Administrative Planning • Strategic Planning • Interagency Agreement • Program Planning

8. Administrative Planning • Relationship building amongst administrators. • Crosswalk different program regulations and laws. • Identify highest standard from each program and comply across program. • Adopt an attitude of shared “ownership” of all children

9. Strategic Planning • Joint philosophy & mission statement: • Program goals & objectives • Definition of inclusion • Commitment to families • Establish parameters for classroom configurations and staffing patterns.

10. Clarify Roles & Responsibilities • Program Administrators • Classroom, Itinerant, and Related Service Staff • Other staff as appropriate

11. Interagency Agreement • Set parameters for application & enrollment process • Set parameters for financial responsibilities • Set parameters for mutually agreed upon classroom configurations & staffing

13. Program Planning: Key Factors • Select key classroom curriculum & child assessment instruments. • Develop model support system for children and teachers in inclusive classes. • Develop professional development program.

14. Curriculum & Child Assessment • High fidelity implementation of research based curriculum. • High quality teacher-child interactions. • Meaningful child assessment which is tied to planning process.

15. Support Systems in Inclusive Classrooms • B-K licensed teacher can act as the primary case manager for a child’s IEP. • Requires intentional planning for on-going support and professional development.

16. Key Factors to Consider • Teacher experience level. • Teacher knowledge of disabilities. • Teacher openness to including children with disabilities. • Need for structured system for support and training

17. Support Systems in Inclusive Classrooms • Regularly Scheduled Team Meetings • Classroom Consultants • Identify parameters for Itinerant Direct Services • Identify, develop capacity for, and facilitate embedded and integrated therapy • Regularly Scheduled Team Meetings • Classroom Consultants • Identify parameters for Itinerant Direct Services • Identify, develop capacity for, and facilitate embedded and integrated therapy • Regularly Scheduled Team Meetings • Classroom Consultants • Identify parameters for Itinerant Direct Services • Identify, develop capacity for, and facilitate embedded and integrated therapy • Regularly Scheduled Team Meetings • Classroom Consultants • Identify parameters for Itinerant Direct Services • Identify, develop capacity for, and facilitate embedded and integrated therapy • Regularly Scheduled Team Meetings • Classroom Consultants • Identify parameters for Itinerant Direct Services • Identify, develop capacity for, and facilitate embedded and integrated therapy • Regularly Scheduled Team Meetings • Classroom Consultants • Identify parameters for Itinerant Direct Services • Identify, develop capacity for, and facilitate embedded and integrated therapy • Regularly Scheduled Team Meetings • Classroom Consultants • Identify parameters for Itinerant Direct Services • Identify, develop capacity for, and facilitate embedded and integrated therapy • Regularly Scheduled Team Meetings • Classroom Consultants • Identify parameters for Itinerant Direct Services • Identify, develop capacity for, and facilitate embedded and integrated therapy

18. Support Team Meetings • Monthly team meetings for classroom, itinerant teachers and related service providers. • Develop agendas which include: • Individual case studies & problems • Brainstorming for solutions • Timelines for implementing suggestions • Method of reporting back to the team

19. Coaches/Consultants • Regularly scheduled observations and meetings with classroom teacher • Formalize way to documents visits • Assist with: • Training- IEP writing • Meeting- LEA meetings • Families – communicating with families

20. Classroom Teacher StrategiesActivity Based Intervention • Child-directed transactional approach • To develop functional skills • Routine activities, • Planned activities, • Child-initiated activities

21. Activity Based Intervention • Embeds intervention goals in: • Routine activities, • Planned activities, • Child-initiated activities

22. Embedded & Integrated Therapy • When therapy and specialized instruction occur in the classroom with other children usually present, and in the context of ongoing routines and activities. • Specialized providers model how to implement goals in classroom.

23. Administrative SupportEmbedded Therapy • Plan for scheduled collaboration/consultation time between related service providers & classroom staff. • Ensure training for related service providers. • Formalize process for documentation of efforts.

24. Professional Development Program • General Program Requirements. • Inclusion Program Needs. • Support System Staff Needs. • Collective Needs of Teaching Staff: Trends from Assessment of Teacher Performance.

25. General Program Requirements • High quality implementation of researched-based classroom curriculum. • Authentic, on-going assessment processes. • Foundations, Early Learning Standards and Early Childhood Development.

26. Inclusion Program Needs • Activity Based Intervention • Disability Specific Training • Positive Behavior Support

27. Support System Staff Needs • Embedded & Integrated Therapy Training. • Coaching/Consultation Skills Training. • Disability/Therapy Specific Training.

28. Individual Staff Development Process • Performance Appraisal Ratings • Self-assessments • Coaching observations • Independent Growth Plans

29. Study & Evaluation of Program • Identify trends from the individual Teacher Performance Assessments to establish program level staff development goals. • Identify trends from individual Child Assessments to establish program level staff development & continuous improvement program plan.

30. Models for Measuring Child Outcomes for Program Evaluation Head Start must report child outcomes tied to program evaluation; program specific measures. Exceptional Children Program required to document child outcomes; state wide measurement process tied to authentic, on-going assessment measures. • Adopted the Child Outcome Summary Form measurement model

31. Program, Teacher & Child Outcome Assessments Guide program development Guide continued professional development Guide focus of a Continuous Improvement Plan for the Program from one year to the next. ACT: Continuous Improvement

32. A Dynamic Model for Educational Program Improvement PLAN (Program &Curriculum & Assessment) DO (Implementation & Instruction & Staff Training) ACT (Plan of Action & Improvement) STUDY (Program Evaluation & Child Assessment) Center for Gifted Education – School of Education – The College of William and Mary

33. Teacher Performance Assessment Process • ECERS and ITERS- minimum • Need to Assess Teachers: • Knowledge: a responsive environment. • Knowledge: child growth & development. • Knowledge & application: authentic, on-going child assessment. • Knowledge & ability to foster: child self regulation.

34. Historical Overview:Pre-K & Ktg. Teacher Performance Appraisal Instrument 1950’s through the 1980’s • Public and Private efforts to establish appropriate criteria for evaluating teachers of young children. • 1953 – NC Kindergarten Association founded. • 1969 – NC Public Kindergartens opened, pilot project offered full day, school day long classrooms. • 1974 – NC Kindergarten Association becomes NCAEYC.

35. Historical Overview • 1985 - NC TPAI for K-12 teachers was developed. • 1985 - NAEYC established a national, voluntary accreditation system to set professional standards for early childhood education programs, and to help families identify high-quality programs (NAEYC, 1985). • 1986 - Plaza Road pilot PreK project in CMS started with Title I funding

36. PreK/K Task Force for Program Development • 1988 – Taskforce began. • The Task Force began to define “ Developmentally Appropriate” Programs. • Members included: • Early Childhood teachers • Principals and supervisors • University, College, and Community College faculty • DPI personnel.

37. More Taskforce Accomplishments • Synthesized a list of competencies necessary for teachers of young children. • Revised the 1985 NC TPAI for K-12 teachers to be appropriate for Early Educators - EC TPAI. • 1989 - Broader statewide implementation of the pilot PreK Title I project.

38. Historical Overview: • 1992 - NC ASCD Report - “A Call for Leadership” was published. • 1992 - B-K License (Guidelines and Competencies) received State approval. • 1994 - B-K Higher Education Consortium was formed. • 1997 - “NC Guide for the Early Years”was published.

39. Historical Overview: • 1997 - Revision of the EC TPAI by B-K Higher Education Consortium to be more inclusive (children with and without disabilities and other special needs). • 2000 - TPAI for K-12 teachers revised (TPAI-R) to reflect current research and standards in teaching. • 2000 - School Readiness in North Carolina – Strategies for Defining, Measuring, and Promoting Success for All Children – Report of the Ready forSchool Goal Team was approved by the NC State Board of Education and published.

40. Historical Overview: • 2000 - NC School Readiness Assessment • 2000 - NC Star Rated License System for Child Care and Family Child Care Homes was initiated. • 2001 - North Carolina’s Kindergartens and Schools Technical Reportpublished.

41. Historical Overview: • 2001 North Carolina Birth-through-Kindergarten Standards were developed and approved. • The standards included the following: • A revision of the 1992 B-K License Guidelines and Competencies. • An outline for the process of licensure. • A definition of successful teaching performance.

42. Historical Overview:Where Have We Come From? • 2004 - Pilot Study to Validate the EC TPAI (now PKKTPAI). • 2005 - Early Learning Standardsfor North Carolina Preschoolers and Strategies for Guiding Their Success (“Foundations”) approved and published. • 2006 - PKKTPAI approved by NC State Board of Education.

43. Program & Teacher Assessment:The Latest News • 2007 - PKKTPAI statewide training begins to support TLU • 2007 – State Board of Education (SBE) adopts NC New Professional Teaching Standards and a new evaluation system • 2008 – SBE convenes teacher education panels to revise all teacher education standards, including B-K

44. PKK TPAI Major Functions • Major Function 1: Facilitates Growth Development and Learning • Major Function 2: Provides Developmentally Appropriate Learning Environment • Major Function 3: Fosters Self-Regulation in Children • Major Function 4: Implements Developmentally Appropriate Assessment Strategies • Major Function 5: Effectively Communicates & Participates within the Educational Environment

45. PKK TPAI Information for Programs • Research based instrument • Holistic rating system • Assesses pre-k teaching practices • Allow for teacher self assessment • Identifies areas of best practices • Informs the IGP development

46. Model for Teacher Evaluation & Development Process • TLU team model using the PKK TPAI • Teacher conducts self assessment • Evaluator measures teacher progress • Administrator acts as a team member • Mentor gives guidance through the independent growth plan process

47. Model for Teacher Evaluation • Results of this model indicates: • Teachers increased professionalism • More developmentally appropriate practices • Facilitated sharing of ideas • Better prepared teachers for the evaluation process

48. A Dynamic Model for Teacher Improvement PLAN (Pre-service and Professional Development Training) DO ( Implementation of Curricula, Child Assessment, Inclusion Practices in the Classroom) ACT (Plan of Action: Independent Growth Plan) STUDY (Self-Assessment, Teacher Assessment, Child Assessments)