Division for Early Childhood 2024 Conference

*Included in the price of the conference*

This workshop has three strands with each designed for individuals in different professional roles: (a) strand 1 – institute of higher education (IHE) faculty, (b) strand 2 – professional development providers, and (c) strand 3 – Parts C and B619 coordinators and other state level administrators.

Strand 1: IHE Faculty
This strand is intended for IHE faculty who are developing or revising initial early Intervention/early childhood special education preparation programs. The focus will be on an approach to program design that will be useful to programs desiring to align with the most current international EI/ECSE standards, recommended practices, and high leverage practices. Strategies and resources for program development and assessment will be shared. Application of these strategies and resources to participants’ respective programs will occur in small groups. The workshop will culminate with a panel of faculty from different types of IHEs discussing how they have used the Standards to develop and/or revise their preservice program. Although this workshop is not specifically designed to provide preparation for the SPA Program Report or CEC Accreditation processes, it will provide programs with valuable tools and strategies that will be useful for those processes.

Strand 2: Professional Development Providers
This strand is intended for individuals who as part of a state system or individually provide professional development for early interventionists and early childhood special educators (birth through grade three). The focus will be on the EI/ECSE Standards as the framework for professional development to ensure that EI/ECSE professionals have the knowledge and skills to provide effective services for children with developmental delays and disabilities and their families. Strategies and resources for embedding the EI/ECSE Standards into professional development content and using the EI/ECSE Standards with the DEC Recommended Practices (RPs) and CEC High Leverage Practices (HLPs)will be shared. Application of these strategies and resources to participants’ respective professional development systems/programs will occur in small groups. The workshop will culminate with a panel discussing how the Standards, RPs, and HLPs have been embedded into their professional development system/content.

Strand 3: Parts C and B619 Coordinators, Other State Level Administrators
This strand is intended for individuals who are in state level administrative roles in EI/ECSE and/or early childhood education (ECE).The focus will be on the role of the EI/ECSE Standards in a state early childhood system and how to align the EI/ECSE Standards with system level work. Strategies and resources for aligning components of the state system (e.g., preservice, inservice, evaluation) with the EI/ECSE Standards will be shared. Application of these strategies and resources to participants’ respective state systems will occur in small groups. The workshop will culminate with a panel discussing how their states have applied the Standards in their comprehensive system of personnel development.