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Abby Cohen , JD

State-level Strategies by Prekindergarten Programs to Increase Options for High-quality Inclusion: Understanding the Context. Abby Cohen , JD NCCIC Technical Assistance Specialist for Administration for Children and Families Region IX

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Abby Cohen , JD

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  1. State-level Strategies by PrekindergartenPrograms to Increase Options forHigh-quality Inclusion:Understanding the Context Abby Cohen, JD NCCIC Technical Assistance Specialist for Administration for Children and Families Region IX National Early Childhood Technical Assistance CenterInclusion Institute May 2010

  2. Agenda • Background • Current landscape • What is inclusion? • Supporting inclusion in public prekindergarten: What makes a difference? • Resources 2

  3. Background and Current Landscape 3

  4. Background • Increased knowledge about benefits of high-quality prekindergarten has fueled growth • Major breakthrough in expansion occurred in the last 10 years or so as there came to be support for a mixed-delivery system (public and private) meeting generally uniform standards

  5. Current Landscape:Public Prekindergarten • More than 70% of 4-year-old children attend public or private programs the year prior to kindergarten • State-funded prekindergarten, including those receiving special education, enrolls approximately 30% of the population of 4-year-old children (12 States have no program) • When Head Start is added, enrollment in these programs is approximately 40% of 4-year-old children • About one-third of children receiving publicly funded prekindergarten receive it in private settings Source: Barnett, W. S., Epstein, D. J., Friedman, A. H., Sansanelli, R. A., & Hustedt, J. T. (2009). The state of preschool 2009: State preschool yearbook. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from http://nieer.org/yearbook/

  6. Public Prekindergarten for 4-year-old Children:Top Serving States • OK serves 71% in state-funded prekindergarten; ALL 4-year-old children in special education are served in the State prekindergarten program • FL serves 67% in state-funded prekindergarten; up to 68% when special education is included • GA serves 53% in state-funded prekindergarten; up to 54% when special education is included Source: Barnett, W. S., Epstein, D. J., Friedman, A. H., Sansanelli, R. A., & Hustedt, J. T. (2009). The state of preschool 2009: State preschool yearbook. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from http://nieer.org/yearbook/

  7. Current Landscape:3-year-old Children • 7% are in publicly funded prekindergarten • 7% are in Head Start • 47% of all 3-year-old children are in preschool when public and private programs are combined Source: Barnett, W. S., Epstein, D. J., Friedman, A. H., Sansanelli, R. A., & Hustedt, J. T. (2009). The state of preschool 2009: State preschool yearbook. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from http://nieer.org/yearbook/

  8. Public Prekindergarten for 3-year-old Children:Top Serving States • IL serves 21% in State prekindergarten; up to 22% when special education is included • VT serves 17% in State prekindergarten; up to 23% when special education is included • NJ serves 17% in State prekindergarten; up to 21% when special education is included Source: Barnett, W. S., Epstein, D. J., Friedman, A. H., Sansanelli, R. A., & Hustedt, J. T. (2009). The state of preschool 2009: State preschool yearbook. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from http://nieer.org/yearbook/

  9. Current Landscape:Public Prekindergarten • In the 2008-2009 year, more than 1.2 million children attended state-funded prekindergarten • 38 States have programs; 32 of these programs have an income requirement • Three States are open to all: FL, GA, and OK • More 3- and 4-year-old children are in state-funded prekindergarten than in Head Start Source: Barnett, W. S., Epstein, D. J., Friedman, A. H., Sansanelli, R. A., & Hustedt, J. T. (2009). The state of preschool 2009: State preschool yearbook. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from http://nieer.org/yearbook/

  10. Current Landscape:Public Prekindergarten, con. • 10 States have full-day programs; 10 States have part-day programs; 31 determined locally • 40 programs operate during the academic year; 11 are determined locally Source: Barnett, W. S., Epstein, D. J., Friedman, A. H., Sansanelli, R. A., & Hustedt, J. T. (2009). The state of preschool 2009: State preschool yearbook. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from http://nieer.org/yearbook/

  11. Current Landscape:Public Prekindergarten, con. • The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) has identified 10 quality benchmarks • There is wide variation among States in meeting these (NC, AL, and Nonpublic School Early Childhood Development Program in LA meet all 10); 9 States meet 9 • Spending varies widely from $10,989 per child in NJ to less than $2,000 in ME and SC • According to NIEER, only 16 States spend enough to deliver a program that could meet all the benchmarks Source: Barnett, W. S., Epstein, D. J., Friedman, A. H., Sansanelli, R. A., & Hustedt, J. T. (2009). The state of preschool 2009: State preschool yearbook. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from http://nieer.org/yearbook/

  12. What Is Inclusion? • Not really defined by law, though children with disabilities cannot be discriminated against, and if eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, preschoolers are to be provided with a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE) • In Head Start, the law requires that a minimum of 10% of those served be children with disabilities

  13. Joint Position Statement:DEC and NAEYC • The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) developed a joint position statement about early childhood inclusion, which states the following: • “Early childhood inclusion embodies the values, policies and practices that support the right of every young infant and young child and his or her family, regardless of ability, to participate in a broad range of activities and contexts as full members of families, communities and society.” Source: Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children, & the National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2008). Early childhood inclusion: A joint position statement of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Field review: October 28- December 15, 2008. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from www.dec-sped.org/uploads/docs/about_dec/position_concept_papers/Position%20Statement%20on%20EC%20Inclusion_Field%20review%2011_08.pdf

  14. Position Statement: DEC and NAEYC, con. “The desired results of inclusive experiences for children with disabilities and their families include a sense of belonging and membership, positive social relationships and friendships, and development and learning to reach their full potential.” Source: Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children, & the National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2008). Early childhood inclusion: A joint position statement of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Field review: October 28- December 15, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2009, from www.dec-sped.org/uploads/docs/about_dec/position_concept_papers/Position%20Statement%20on%20EC%20Inclusion_Field%20review%2011_08.pdf

  15. Joint Position Statement: DEC and NAEYC, con. “The defining features of inclusion that can be used to identify high quality early childhood programs and services include (1) access, (2) participation, and (3) supports.” Source: Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children, & the National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2008). Early childhood inclusion: A joint position statement of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Field review: October 28- December 15, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2009, from www.dec-sped.org/uploads/docs/about_dec/position_concept_papers/Position%20Statement%20on%20EC%20Inclusion_Field%20review%2011_08.pdf

  16. What Benefits Can Prekindergarten Offer to Meet LRE? • Like K-12, prekindergarten offers a “regular” educational placement with a general curriculum and, typically, early learning standards • When children are identified through screening, as is often the case, they can remain in the program

  17. What Benefits Can Prekindergarten Offer to Meet LRE?, con. • Higher staff qualifications than is typical for child care licensing • Usually more structured and available opportunities for professional development • Better ratios than those that may exist in child care licensing • Some form of assessment typically required

  18. Potential Concerns? • Targeted as opposed to universal programs may not be LRE; programs targeted to “at risk of school failure” rather than simply low income may not be seen as a “regular class” (See La Grange v. Illinois State Bd. Of Ed, 184 F.3d 912, 1999)

  19. Potential Concerns?, con. • Majority of state-funded prekindergarten programs only serve 4-year-old children, which may create discontinuities for children • Programs may be of lesser quality than anticipated • Publicly funded programs may not be sufficiently coordinated with preschool special education

  20. Supporting Inclusion in Public Prekindergarten: What Makes a Difference? 20

  21. What Makes a Difference? • Is there an official policy supporting inclusion? • Is there outreach to the community about the availability of inclusive services through the program? • Is there a system in place that consistently provides teacher training and support? Source: Education Law Center. (2010, February). Including children with disabilities in state pre-k programs. Pre-K Policy Brief Series. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from www.edlawcenter.org/ELCPublic/Publications/PDF/PreKPolicyBrief_InclusionChildrenWithDisabilities.pdf

  22. What Makes a Difference?, con. • Are there mechanisms in place for the blending and/or braiding of diverse resources? • Are there ongoing mechanisms for communication and coordination among partners? • Are there supports for developing and sustaining accessible facilities and adaptive modifications? Source: Education Law Center. (2010, February). Including children with disabilities in state pre-k programs. Pre-K Policy Brief Series. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from www.edlawcenter.org/ELCPublic/Publications/PDF/PreKPolicyBrief_InclusionChildrenWithDisabilities.pdf

  23. What Makes a Difference?, con. • Do the curricula and guidelines used promote inclusive practices? • Does monitoring/evaluation include a focus on if, and how well, inclusion is occurring? Source: Education Law Center. (2010, February). Including children with disabilities in state pre-k programs. Pre-K Policy Brief Series. Retrieved May 12, 2010, from www.edlawcenter.org/ELCPublic/Publications/PDF/PreKPolicyBrief_InclusionChildrenWithDisabilities.pdf

  24. Resources • Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning, www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel/ • DEC, Council for Exceptional Children, www.dec-sped.org • Education Law Center,www.edlawcenter.org • See especially Including Children With Disabilities in State Pre-K Programs at http://www.edlawcenter.org/ELCPublic/Publications/PDF/PreKPolicyBrief_InclusionChildrenWithDisabilities.pdf 24

  25. Resources, con. • National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, www.nectac.org • NIEER, www.nieer.org • See especially The State of Preschool 2009 at http://nieer.org/yearbook/ 25

  26. Resources, con. • National Professional Development Center on Inclusion, http://community.fpg.unc.edu/npdci • Pre-K Now,www.preknow.org 26

  27. Resources, con. • SpecialQuest, www.specialquest.org • See Inclusion Planning Checklist: Center-based Early Care and Education Programs (especially for programs) at www.specialquest.org/sqtm/supp/inc_plan_chklist_center.pdf

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