IL Early Childhood Diversity Initiative

1. IL Early Childhood Diversity Initiative Early Learning Council October 21, 2013

2. BUILD training & technical assistance grant October 2011 • IL Leadership Team: IDHS, ISBE & Gateways • Proposal included QRS standards review assistance & learning table • Broadened the QRS focus to be more comprehensive • In tandem with RTTT & QRIS re-development Project History & Process

3. 1st stakeholders’ meeting February 2012: small; state agencies, Head Start, City of Chicago & BUILD project advisors, Aisha Raye & Luisiana Melendez • 2nd stakeholder meeting July 2012: much larger; advocates, funders, key program organizations, ELC Committee Chairs, PDAC & Latino Policy Forum Project History & Process

4. Guiding Principles document drafted from notes & comments of both meetings • Shared twice with July meeting attendees by end 2012 • Shared with IAT April 2013 & ELC Exec Committee October 2013 Project History & Process

5. Multicultural Principles for Head Start Programs Serving Children Ages Birth to Five (original & revisited/updated) • Early Childhood Systems Working Group system frames & elements • BUILD/Coffman System Framework Evaluation & Theory of Change Theoretical Starting Points

6. Diversity (Culturally &) Developmentally Appropriate Practices (BUILD)

7. Comprehensive health services that meet children’s vision, hearing, nutrition, behavioral, and oral health as well as medical health needs. Early care and education opportunities in nurturing environments where children can learn what they need to succeed in school and life. Early Learning Health, Mental Health and Nutrition Family Support Early identification, assessment and appropriate services for children with special health care needs, disabilities, or developmental delays Special Needs/ Early Intervention Economic and parenting supports to ensure children have nurturing and stable relationships with caring adults. State EC System: Devd. by Early Childhood Systems Working Group

8. Governance to set policy direction for the comprehensive system Provider / practitioner support to offer technical assistance and promote professional development Standards reflect effective practices, programs, & practitioners and are aligned across the system Families SupportedandChildren Thriving Monitoring to track program performance and results based on standards Research & development includes cross-system data, planning, analysis, and evaluation Communications to inform families, providers, and the public Financing sufficient to assure comprehensive quality services based on standards Core Elements of EC System: Devd. by Early Childhood Systems Working Group

9. CONTEXT Successfully building a political context leads to resources that CONNECTIONS Create better linkages between components COMPONENTS Establish effective programs and services INFRA-STRUCTURE Create supports that enable programs to operate effectively SCALE The system can produce broad impacts for system beneficiaries Evaluation and Self-Assessment Framework From “A Framework for Evaluating Systems Initiatives”, Julia Coffman www.buildinitiative.org

10. CONTEXT COMPONENTS CONNECTIONS INFRASTRUCTURE SCALE • Activities: • Improving the political contextso it produces the policy and funding changes needed to create and sustainthe system • Outcomes: • Recognition of system need • Policy changes • Political will • Public Engagement • Activities: • Establishing high-performance programs and services within the system that produce results for system beneficiaries • Outcomes: • New or expanded programs • Improved program quality • Activities: • Creating strong effective linkages across system components that improve results for system beneficiaries • Outcomes: • Shared goals, standards • Cross-system training • Referrals/follow-ups • Activities: • Developing the supports systems need to function effectively and with quality • Outcomes: • Cross-system governance • Leveraged use of funding • Mechanisms for two-way communication • Activities: • Ensuring a comprehensive system is available to as many people as possible so it produces broad and inclusive results • Outcomes: • System spread, depth, sustainability • Shifts in system ownership Theory of Change Menu for Systems Initiatives From “A Framework for Evaluating Systems Initiatives”, Julia Coffman www.buildinitiative.org

11. Vision: In Illinois, we share a collective vision that each and every child will have early childhood experiences that promote healthy development that respects, promotes, and builds on their racial, ethnic, and other family backgrounds and experiences. Illinois Guiding Principles for Cultural & Linguistic Responsiveness

12. Every individual is rooted in culture. • The cultural groups within communities & families are the primary sources for culturally relevant programming. • Culturally relevant & diverse programming requires learning accurate information about the culture of different groups & discarding stereotypes. • Addressing cultural relevance in making curriculum choices is a necessary developmentally appropriate practice. We Believe

13. Every individual has the right to maintain his or her own identity while acquiring the skills required to function in our diverse society. • Effective programs for children who speak languages other than English require continued development of the 1st language while the acquisition of English is facilitated. • Culturally relevant programming requires staff who both reflect & are responsive to the community and families served. We Believe

14. Multicultural programming for children enables children to develop awareness of, respect for, and appreciation of individual cultural differences. • Culturally relevant & diverse programming examines & challenges institutional & personal biases. • Culturally relevant & diverse programming & practices are incorporated in all systems & services and are beneficial to all adults & children. We Believe

15. Early childhood professionals who understand that developing a child’s first language supports the acquisition of a second language. • Early childhood classrooms that embrace and include a rich range of diversity, allowing all to learn from it, and enhancing all children’s learning and development. • Teacher preparation programs that incorporate the individual and unique needs of each child and families and the experiences they bring to the classroom. We Are Committed to

16. Culturally responsive and diverse programming that incorporates all types of diversity, including but not limited to: gender, culture, language, ethnicity, ability, race and economic status. • Policy interpretation that reinforces families and communities as children’s first teachers. • Diverse state and local organizations and agencies that are meaningfully responsive to each and every child and family they serve. We Are Committed to

17. Enable professionals to incorporate the authentic language & culture of the children & families they serve. • Increase professional development opportunities & resources addressing all types of diversity, including understanding stereotypes & biases. • Increase all types of diversity content in teacher preparation programs. We Will Act to

18. Increase & enhance teacher preparation practicum experiences in diverse settings. • Promote practices in classrooms & programs that incorporate & address the diverse needs of children. • Use an “all types of diversity” lens whenever we develop & implement policy, staff our agencies/organizations & evaluate our programming, systems & services. We Will Act to

19. Next Steps • Adopt & distribute the document • Embrace in all of our organizations • Share with staff and add your own “We Will Act to” statements • Training • Other Ideas Illinois Guiding Principles for Cultural & Linguistic Responsiveness

20. For they are all our children. And we will all profit by, or pay for, whatever they become. --James Baldwin