1. Building Systems of Support in Early Childhood Education 2016 OSEP VIRTUAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE FEBRUARY 2, 2016

2. Introduction  Live Session Focus:  Highlights from the Utah Preschool 619 experience related to Inclusion, Family Engagement, and Implementation of DEC Recommended Practices  Betsy Sutherland, Section 619 Coordinator in Utah  Debbie Ballard, Jordan School District in Utah  Video Sessions Content:  High-quality Inclusion; Family Engagement; Suspension/Expulsion; DEC Recommended Practices

3. Introduction Format/Features for the Live Session:  Participants in listen-only mode  Polls will be presented to participants  Use the chat box throughout to share ideas, reactions, ask one another questions  Use the ‘question’ box to send questions to the Utah presenters

4. Inclusion Efforts: Poll and Chat  Poll 1: Has the federal policy statement on inclusion inspired any new efforts in your state related to increasing the inclusion of infants, toddlers, and preschool children with disabilities in high- quality early childhood programs? (Yes/No)  Chat: Share examples of the efforts underway in your program related to inclusion of young children with disabilities in high-quality EC programs.

5. Building Systems of Support: Inclusive Environments  The Policy Statement on Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs from the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services  A desire to increase preschool students educated in inclusive environments statewide in response to Policy Statement and research  Work by individual districts  Increasing numbers of typical peers in district preschools  Increasing availability of Title I preschools, including SWD  Adding preschool SWD to high school EC programs  Enrolling SWD in private preschools

6. Building Systems of Support: Inclusive Environments  Two day workshop provided by USOE on Preschool Inclusion  Facilitated by Barbara Smith  District programs worked in teams to develop a plan to increase inclusive environments  Use of the ‘Preschool Inclusion Toolbox’; purchased books for districts to use in furthering collaboration on preschool inclusion in their individual districts  Follow up webinars and LEA training sessions

7. DEC Recommended Practices: Poll and Chat  Poll 2: How familiar are you with the revised DEC Recommended Practices? (Not at All, A little, Somewhat, Very)  Poll 3: Are you involved in any state or local planning around how to support implementation of the DEC Recommended Practices? (Yes/No)  Chat: Share any exciting work going on in your program related to the Recommended Practices.

8. Building Systems of Support: Implementing the DEC Recommended Practices  Support from the ECTA Center for The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Project: Reaching Potentials through the Recommended Practices (RP2)  State Leadership Team  Representatives from USOE, local LEA, IHEs, Office of Child Care (private providers and Head Start), Professional Development Network, YMCA  Developed master plan for implementation of DEC RPs related to engagement, also focus on inclusion  Implementation Science basis for scale up and sustainability of program  Districts  Internal coach funded by the district  External coach provided by USOE  Committed administrators and teachers; attendance at PD events

9. Building Systems of Support: Implementing the DEC Recommended Practices  Focus on Engagement  Student Engagement  Peer-to-peer interactions  Embedding Instruction  Higher level thinking skills  Using data to drive instruction  Family Engagement  Weekly phone calls  Literacy night, Writing night, Carnival  Information on increasing positive behavior in the home  SLPs provide training to individual families, in addition to student therapy

10. Building Systems of Support: Implementing the DEC Recommended Practices  Team Meetings  Discuss teaching strategies  Data  Coaching  Research

11. Building Systems of Support: Implementing the DEC Recommended Practices  Scale Up and Sustainability  In LEAs  Continued support from Utah State Office of Education for two years ◦External coaching ◦Professional development  Internal coaching provided to increasing number of teachers  Using data to drive instruction  State-wide  Continued support from ECTA Center for two years  Under direction of the State Leadership Team  Commitment of funds and personnel from Utah State Office of Education ◦Special Education ◦Title 1

12. 2016 OSEP Virtual Leadership Conference: Early Childhood Session Thank You! ~Christina Kasprzak, ECTA Center ~Debbie Ballard, Jordan School District, Utah ~Betsy Sutherland, Utah State Office of Education