DEC RECOMMENDED PRACTICES ARE HERE! NOW…HOW CAN WE ENSURE THEY ARE USED? Pam Winton, DEC Recommended Practice Commissioner Carol Trivette, DEC Board Member Presentation at 15 th National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute May 13, 2015

LEARNER OBJECTIVES Learn about the newly revised DEC Recommended Practices and understand how they are uniquely suited for active implementation Learn about a draft plan for dissemination and product development Generate ideas for ensuring dissemination and product development to support the implementation of the practices across all ECE sectors and roles

2014 DEC RECOMMENDED PRACTICES: DEVELOPMENT Since 2011, a 13 member Recommended Practices Commission appointed by DEC has been working with the support of the ECTA Center to guide the revisions process. The goal of the Recommended Practices is to inform and improve the quality of services provided to young children with or at risk of disabilities or delays and their families.

DEC PRACTICE PARAMETERS Population focus: Practitioners and leaders who work with young children, birth-5 (through kindergarten), who have or are at risk for developmental delays and disabilities; not limited to those eligible for IDEA services (e.g. children with severe challenging behavior) Practices build on, but do not duplicate, standards for typical early childhood settings (e.g. NAEYC DAP)

MORE PARAMETERS Practices are observable Practices are written in active voice Practices are not disability specific Practices can be delivered in all settings including natural/inclusive environments

HOW DEVELOPED: ITERATIVE CYCLES RP Commission Framework, Parameters, Definitions ECTA Support Topic Work Groups: Develop practices and nominate evidence. Commission reviews practices and evidence nominated. Provides feedback. Topic Work Groups: Revise practices and nominated evidence. Ongoing revisions and updates Ongoing evidence validation.

THE PRACTICES: 8 TOPIC AREAS Leadership Assessment Environment Family Instruction Interaction Teaming and Collaboration Transition

PRACTICES DOCUMENT

WHERE YOU CAN FIND THEM

WHAT MAKES 2014 DEC RECOMMENDED PRACTICES UNIQUELY SUITED TO IMPLEMENTATION (WITH THANKS TO NIRN AND M. VAN DYKE’S INCLUSION INSTITUTE SESSION TODAY)

Interaction: Sensitive and responsive interactional practices. They represent a critical set of strategies for fostering children’s social-emotional competence, communication, cognitive development, problem- solving, autonomy, and persistence.. Practices Have Definitions in Introduction

INTERACTION INT1. Practitioners promote the child’s social- emotional development by observing, interpreting, and responding contingently to the range of the child’s emotional expressions INT2. Practitioners promote the child’s social development by encouraging the child to initiate or sustain positive interactions with other children and adults during routines and activities through modeling, teaching, feedback, and/or other types of guided support. Operational Definitions in Specific Practices

Multiple Practices Provide Additional Specificity INT3. Practitioners promote the child’s communication development by observing, interpreting, responding contingently, and providing natural consequences for the child's verbal and non- verbal communication and by using language to label and expand on the child’s requests, needs, preferences, or interests. INT4. Practitioners promote the child’s cognitive development by observing, interpreting, and responding intentionally to the child's exploration, play, and social activity by joining in and expanding on the child's focus, actions, and intent. INT5. Practitioners promote the child’s problem-solving behavior by observing, interpreting, and scaffolding in response to the child’s growing level of autonomy and self-regulation

Examples Encourage Broad Application & Provide More Specificity INTERACTION INT1. Practitioners promote the child’s social-emotional development by observing, interpreting, and responding contingently to the range of the child’s emotional expressions. Examples: A home visitor models positive interactions for the parents by commenting on what a great helper the child is when he joins her in gathering up the toys they have been using. An early interventionist is responsive to the child’s initiations by “reading” and interpreting her nonverbal cues, anticipating her desires and waiting for her to give a clear signal of that desire, and then following her lead in play. An early childhood teacher smiles frequently at children, shows genuine pleasure to be in the company of children, and shows authentic approval of each child’s accomplishments

WE NEED YOUR HELP OUR GOAL: To ensure that all ECE sectors & roles know about and implement DEC RP now

DEC DISSEMINATION & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PLAN DRAFT A draft product development and dissemination plan has been developed by a DEC ad hoc group New DEC ad hoc group will continue to develop (Using YOUR ideas) and implement the plan WE invite you to be ambassadors and implementers of the plan

CONSIDERING TARGET AUDIENCE Sectors: Preschool Disabilities/Special Education; Part C; Head Start; Early Head Start; Infant Toddler/Home Visiting; Public Pre-K; Child Care; Family Support; Mental Health, others Roles: Practitioners; Administrators; Faculty and PD Providers (e.g., coaches); Researchers; Family members; others

CONSIDERING LEVEL OF IMPACT DESIRED FOR TARGET AUDIENCE Awareness level Knowledge/Understanding level Skills/Implementation (with fidelity) level

Fixsen, D. L., Naoom, S. F., Blase, K. A., Friedman, R. M. & Wallace, F. (2005). Implementation Research: A Synthesis of the Literature. Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, The National Implementation Research Network (FMHI Publication #231). Implementation Research: A Synthesis of the Literature Considering Implementation Science (Van Dyke presentation today)

RESEARCH TO PRACTICE GAP RESEARCH PRACTICE GAP IMPLEMENTATION – Implementation gap We don’t use innovations with fidelity We don’t build capacity to sustain innovations We don’t scale innovations to provide benefits to citizens and society Research to Practice Gap (NIRN)

INTERVENTIONS Well defined, effective interventions that are teachable, learnable, doable, and readily assessable STAGES Developmental implementation guidance DRIVERS Critical program and organizational supports that are needed to implement and scale-up effective practices TEAMS The group that guides and manages the implementation and scale-up process IMPROVEMENT CYCLES The processes that support teams and organizations efficiently to solve problems and get better MAKING IT HAPPEN Interventions Stages Drivers Improvement Cycles Teams ©Copyright Dean Fixsen and Karen Blase Active Implementation Frameworks (NIRN)

SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY Divide into sector-related groups of 6-8 people:  Preschool special education  Early intervention  Early care & education (Head Start, EHS, child care, pre-k) Identify a note-taker and facilitator Briefly introduce yourself and your role (practitioner, administrator, PD provider, family member) within your sector

SHARE YOUR PERSPECTIVE AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF YOUR SECTOR AND ROLE  How relevant are the DEC RP for your sector and your role?  What specific dissemination strategies and products would enhance your awareness and knowledge of the practices? Be as specific as you can (e.g., article in xx,yy,zz newsletter)  What products and PD strategies would affect your ability to implement the practices with fidelity?  What can you do to be an ambassador of the DEC RP? Think about the “Drivers” of implementation (e.g., leadership, organization, and personnel)

REFERENCES 2014 DEC Recommended Practices Fixsen, D., Blase, K., Metz, A., & Van Dyke, M. (2013). Statewide implementation of evidence- based programs. Exceptional Children (Special Issue), 79(2),

THANK YOU