Division for Early Childhood 2024 Conference: Full Schedule

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8:00am CDT

EI/ECSE Personnel Recruitment & Retention Synthesis of Innovative Practices - Poster 11

Thursday September 19, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT

This session will present strategies and practices that can be implemented to attract, prepare, and retain an adequate number and diverse group of state and local EI/ECSE personnel. These strategies will aim to reinforce the quality and racial and ethnic diversity of the workforce and the successful inclusion of children with disabilities across various settings.

Speakers

Ted Burke

Consultant, ECTA

Paula Grubbs

Technical Assistance Specialist, ECTA Center at UNC

Thursday September 19, 2024 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Grand Ballroom A (Exhibits) - 1st fl

Policy

Age 0-5
Audience 1 Administrators
Audience 2 Faculty
Content Level Introductory

9:15am CDT

The Odd Couple: Partnering With States to Build Capacity & Increase Equity

Thursday September 19, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT

Burgundy - 1st fl

This session offers insight into the challenges and nuances of partnering with states on early education policy initiatives. It delves into the iterative nature of research-practice partnerships, highlighting challenges, breakthroughs, and shared learning. Participants learn strategies for navigating power dynamics, building mutual trust, and centering community voice.

Speakers

Allison Kimble-Cusano

Research Specialist, Institute for Child Success

Dr. Allison Kimble-Cusano (she/her) is a Research Specialist in the Impact & Practice program area of the Institute for Child Success. She is responsible for promoting equity-focused professional empowerment of early childhood professionals, systems-level research, evaluation and... Read More →

Thursday September 19, 2024 9:15am - 10:15am CDT
Burgundy - 1st fl

Policy

Age 0-5
Audience 1 Researchers
Audience 2 Faculty
Content Level Intermediate

10:30am CDT

Ableism in Early Childhood: Policy Implications for Our Field

Thursday September 19, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT

GrandSalon 9 - 1st fl

The Joint Inclusion Policy Statement shows that we have not been able to move the needle on inclusion in early childhood. Is ableism at work here? Let's explore this together! We will consider alternatives to the notion of disability and how a new way of thinking can impact our programs, policies, and practices. Together we can confront ableism in ECE and find solutions.

Speakers

Jani Kozlowski

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Every Child Can Fly: An Early Childhood Educator's Guide to Inclusion: https://www.gryphonhouse.com/books/details/every-child-can-fly-an-early-childhood-educators-guide-to-inclusion

Jennifer Fung

Inclusion Lead, National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning

Dr. Jennifer Fung is an educator, trainer, consultant, and researcher who has dedicated her career to ensuring that all young children, especially those with disabilities, have a strong start to their educational journeys. Jennifer is a senior content specialist at Cultivate Learning... Read More →

Allyson Dean

DEC ableism session slides 9 12 24 pdf

Thursday September 19, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am CDT
GrandSalon 9 - 1st fl

Policy

Age 0-5
Audience 1 Administrators
Audience 2 Practitioners
Content Level Intermediate

1:00pm CDT

Connecting the Dots! Collaborating as a Cross-Sector State Leadership Team

Thursday September 19, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT

GrandSalon 24 - 1st fl

Join this session to learn tools and strategies to support the capacity of cross-sector state leadership teams to implement an early childhood multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) to improve the social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes of young children with, and at risk for developmental disabilities or delays.

Speakers

Beth Vorhaus

Education Consultant, Vanderbilt

Ashley MacNish

Educational Consultant, Vanderbilt University

Kerri Wikel

Program Director, Team for Early Childhood Solutions (TECS)

DEC 2024 Connecting the Dots Collaborating as a Cross Sector State Leadership Team pdf

Spectrum of Community Engagement to Ownership pdf

Cross sector SLT Collaboration activity docx

Thursday September 19, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
GrandSalon 24 - 1st fl

Policy

Age 0-5
Audience 1 Administrators
Content Level Intermediate

2:15pm CDT

Building Sustainable Solutions to EI Workforce Challenges in Illinois

Thursday September 19, 2024 2:15pm - 3:15pm CDT

GrandSalon 12 - 1st fl

This session will delve into Illinois's comprehensive approach to tackling its workforce challenges. The discussion panel will consist of advocates, technical experts, and state leaders. Strategies include engaging with practitioners and families, conducting research and data analysis, creating a cost model for EI services, and establishing public-private partnerships.

Speakers

Abby McCartney

Senior Director, Early Care and Education, Afton Partners

Zareen Kamal

Policy Specialist, Start Early

Ted Burke

Consultant, ECTA

Benny Delgado

DEC conference presentation on EI in IL Sept 2024 pdf

Thursday September 19, 2024 2:15pm - 3:15pm CDT
GrandSalon 12 - 1st fl

Policy

Age 0-3
Audience 1 Administrators
Audience 2 Practitioners
Content Level Intermediate

2:15pm CDT

Rural vs Urban Barriers to Accessing Inclusive Preschool Opportunities

Thursday September 19, 2024 2:15pm - 3:15pm CDT

Eglinton Winton - 2nd fl

Access and equity issues to inclusive educational settings are present in both urban and rural settings. In this presentation we will compare barriers impacting access to inclusive educational opportunities in rural vs. urban settings. Through this comparison we will highlight common practices that work across settings as well as unique approaches for each set of needs.

Speakers

Cori More

Jennifer Buchter

professor, Eatern Illinois University

Paula Kerchenski

Assistant Professor, Utah Tech University

Thursday September 19, 2024 2:15pm - 3:15pm CDT
Eglinton Winton - 2nd fl

Policy

Age 3-5
Audience 1 Administrators
Audience 2 Practitioners
Content Level Introductory

3:30pm CDT

Connecting Awareness to Action: Nationwide Findings and Policy Solutions

Thursday September 19, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT

GrandSalon 3 - 1st fl

We will present findings from roundtables of local, state, and federal stakeholders about EI/ECSE and kindergarten for children with disabilities. Themes include dual-identified students, family engagement, workforce, and connecting awareness to action. We will invite attendees to reflect on findings and share solutions to strengthen our recommendations to policymakers.

Speakers

Carrie Gillispie

Senior Policy Analyst, New America

Nicole Hsu

Policy Analyst, New America

Thursday September 19, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT
GrandSalon 3 - 1st fl

Policy

Age 0-5
Audience 1 Administrators
Audience 2 Practitioners
Content Level Introductory

3:30pm CDT

Effective Cost Modeling and Rate Setting in Early Intervention (Part C)

Thursday September 19, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT

Burgundy - 1st fl

This session will focus on cost modeling methodology to determine the true cost of providing evidence-based and equitable early intervention (Part C) services and the development reimbursement rates that support the recruitment and retention of qualified EI professionals. State examples will highlight the use of advisory groups and lead agency engagement.

Speakers

Andy Gomm

Consultant - Early Intervention, Public Consulting Group (PCG)

Andy has worked in the early intervention / early care and education field for over 30 years. Since receiving a master's in social work from the University of East London he has worked with children with Autism and their families in New York, and coordinating early intervention and... Read More →

Zane Wyrick

Associate Manager, Public Consulting Group LLC

Zane Wyrick, MBA, PMP, is an Associate Manager based in PCG's Nashville, TN office. He has been working in public-sector early intervention and child care cost studies, rate setting, and technology for ten years. He has conducted extensive financial analyses in the early childhood... Read More →

Leah Davidson

Part C Coordinator, NM ECECD

I have been working in Part C in New Mexico since December of 2020. I started my career in Early Intervention in January of 2009 in Virginia, where I worked until 2019 when my family and I relocated to New Mexico. Please feel free to talk to me about what it is like to have experienced... Read More →

DEC 2024 EI Rate Setting Public Consulting Group pdf

Thursday September 19, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT
Burgundy - 1st fl

Policy

Age 0-3
Audience 1 Administrators
Audience 2 Researchers
Content Level Intermediate

3:30pm CDT

Using a Mental Health Framework to Support Retention in a State EI System

Thursday September 19, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT

GrandSalon 21 - 1st fl

The past several years has seen unprecedented increases in both referrals to early intervention, and the complexity of children and families being served, leading to high staff turnover.

Presenters will review their experience using the Surgeon General’s Five Essentials for Workplace Mental Health & Well-Being as a framework for state-level staff retention efforts.

Speakers

Laurie Thomas

ESIT Service Delivery & Technical Assistance Manager, WA DCYF

Laurie Thomas has worked in the field of early intervention for more than 30 years. She completed her undergraduate work at Western Washington University, where she was selected as the Outstanding Graduate in Special Education. She has her Masters degree in Early Childhood Special... Read More →

Molly Stryker

Iris Dunaway

Technical Assistance Specialist, Washington State Early Support for Infants and Toddlers

Thursday September 19, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm CDT
GrandSalon 21 - 1st fl

Policy

Age 0-3
Audience 1 Administrators
Audience 2 Practitioners
Content Level Intermediate