Considerations for Implementing Inclusive Preschool Programs

Vivian James, Ph. D

& Bobbie Rowland, Ph. D

Objectives of Workshop

• Identify overall process and goals for developing an Inclusive Preschool Program:

– Planning Phase– Implementation Phase– Evaluation Phase– Continuous Program Improvement Phase

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

Where Should Administrators Start?

• Program Development, Evaluation & Improvement

• Teacher Development, Evaluation & Improvement

PLAN(Program &Curriculum & Assessment)

DO(Implementation & Instruction

& Staff Training)

STUDY(Program Evaluation & Child

Assessment)

ACT(Plan of Action &

Improvement)

A Dynamic Model for Educational Program Improvement

Center for Gifted Education – School of Education – The College of William and Mary

Planning Phase

• Administrative Planning

• Strategic Planning

• Interagency Agreement

• Program Planning

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

Strategic Planning

• Joint philosophy & mission statement:– Program goals & objectives– Definition of inclusion– Commitment to families

• Establish parameters for classroom configurations and staffing patterns.

Clarify Roles & Responsibilities

• Program Administrators

• Classroom, Itinerant, and Related Service Staff

• Other staff as appropriate

Interagency Agreement

• Set parameters for application & enrollment process

• Set parameters for financial responsibilities

• Set parameters for mutually agreed upon classroom configurations & staffing

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.

Curriculum & Child Assessment

• High fidelity implementation of research based curriculum.

• High quality teacher-child interactions.

• Meaningful child assessment which is tied to planning process.

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.

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

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

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

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

Classroom Teacher StrategiesActivity Based Intervention

• Child-directed transactional approach

• To develop functional skills– Routine activities,– Planned activities,– Child-initiated activities

Activity Based Intervention

• Embeds intervention goals in:

– Routine activities,– Planned activities,– Child-initiated activities

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.

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.

Professional Development Program

• General Program Requirements.

• Inclusion Program Needs.

• Support System Staff Needs.

• Collective Needs of Teaching Staff: Trends from Assessment of Teacher Performance.

General Program Requirements

• High quality implementation of researched-based classroom curriculum.

• Authentic, on-going assessment processes.

• Foundations, Early Learning Standards and Early Childhood Development.

Inclusion Program Needs

• Activity Based Intervention

• Disability Specific Training

• Positive Behavior Support

Support System Staff Needs

• Embedded & Integrated Therapy Training.

• Coaching/Consultation Skills Training.

• Disability/Therapy Specific Training.

Individual Staff Development Process

• Performance Appraisal Ratings

• Self-assessments

• Coaching observations

• Independent Growth Plans

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.

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

ACT: Continuous Improvement

• 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.

PLAN(Program &Curriculum & Assessment)

DO(Implementation & Instruction

& Staff Training)

STUDY(Program Evaluation & Child

Assessment)

ACT(Plan of Action &

Improvement)

A Dynamic Model for Educational Program Improvement

Center for Gifted Education – School of Education – The College of William and Mary

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.

Historical Overview:Pre-K & Ktg. Teacher Performance

Appraisal Instrument1950’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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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 forReport of the Ready for School Goal TeamSchool Goal Team was approved by the NC State Board of Education and published.

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 Report published.published.

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.

Historical Overview:Where Have We Come From?

• 2004 - Pilot Study to Validate the EC TPAI (now PKKTPAI).

• 2005 - Early Learning Standards for North Carolina Preschoolers and Strategies for Guiding Their Success (“Foundations”) approved and published.

• 2006 - PKKTPAI approved by NC State Board of Education.

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

PKK TPAI Major FunctionsPKK 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

PKK TPAI PKK TPAI Information for ProgramsInformation 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

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

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

PLAN(Pre-service and Professional Development

Training)

DO( Implementation of Curricula, Child

Assessment, Inclusion Practices in the Classroom)

STUDY(Self-Assessment, Teacher

Assessment, Child Assessments)

ACT(Plan of Action: Independent

Growth Plan)

A Dynamic Model for Teacher Improvement