eNotes
March 4, 2016In this Issue:
- Proposed Rule Promoting Equity in the IDEA - Comment Period Now Open Source: U.S. Department of Education - March 2, 2016
- Effectiveness of Early Childhood Education Programs on Reducing Behavior Problems Source: Journal of School Psychology - March 1, 2016
- Coming of Age: Review of Federal Early Childhood Policy 2000-2015 Source: BUILD Initiative - March 3, 2016
- Quality Rating and Improvement Systems: Stakeholder Theories of Change and Models of Practice Source: BUILD initiative - March 3, 2016
- Laying a Solid Floor: What's Important to Know about the NIEER Pre-K Benchmarks Source: New America Foundation - February 12, 2016
1. Proposed Rule Promoting Equity in the IDEA - Comment Period Now Open
The proposed rule that would amend regulations under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was published in the Federal Register on March 2, 2016. Comments are being accepted until May 16, 2016 (click on the green box that says "Submit a Formal Comment" at the top of the page). With the goal of promoting equity in the IDEA, the regulations would:
- establish a standard methodology States must use to determine whether significant disproportionality based on race and ethnicity is occurring in the State and in its local educational agencies (LEAs);
- clarify that States must address significant disproportionality in the incidence, duration, and type of disciplinary actions, including suspensions and expulsions, using the same statutory remedies required to address significant disproportionality in the identification and placement of children with disabilities;
- clarify requirements for the review and revision of policies, practices, and procedures when significant disproportionality is found; and,
- require that LEAs identify and address the factors contributing to significant disproportionality as part of comprehensive coordinated early intervening services (comprehensive CEIS) and allow such services for children from age 3 through grade 12, with and without disabilities.
2. Effectiveness of Early Childhood Education Programs on Reducing Behavior Problems
The following article was recently awarded Article of the Year for 2015 by the National Association of School Psychologists. It is being made freely available online by Elsevier until April 22, 2016:
This meta-analysis (N = 31) examined the effectiveness of early childhood education programs on reducing externalizing behavior problems (EBPs). Programs with no clear focus on social and emotional development (level 1 programs) did not significantly reduce EBPs. Programs with a clear, but broad focus on social emotional development (level 2 programs) demonstrated a modest decrease in EBPs, and programs that intensely targeted social and emotional development (level 3 programs) were associated with an even more significant reduction in EBPs. The most promising effects came from level 3 programs that focused on child social skills training.
3. Coming of Age: Review of Federal Early Childhood Policy 2000-2015
BUILD has released the prologue to their E-Book, Rising to the Challenge: Building Effective Systems for Young Children and Families. This E-Book shares experiences and learnings from initial implementation of the Early Learning Challenge efforts and highlights state experiences, trends and reflections resulting from this work. The newly released prologue, Coming of Age: Review of Federal Early Childhood Policy 2000-2015 by Joan Lombardi, Jessica F. Harding, Marcia Connors and Allison Friedman-Krauss, summarizes the evolution of federal early childhood policy in the United States from 2000 through 2015 and shares some of the lessons learned.
4. Quality Rating and Improvement Systems: Stakeholder Theories of Change and Models of Practice
The BUILD initiative has published a new report, Quality Rating and Improvement Systems: Stakeholder Theories of Change and Models of Practice - Study Report, Expert Panel Reflections and Recommendations: March 2015 - June 2015 (2016), which examines the variations in Quality Improvement and Rating Systems (QRIS) that exist across the states today. The findings reveal mismatches between stated goals and the pathways followed to attain those goals. They also underscore the need for further work on QRIS model refinement, communications, and financing options. The authors share recommendations for next steps in QRIS development.
5. Laying a Solid Floor: What's Important to Know about the NIEER Pre-K Benchmarks
The data collected by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) are often cited by state leaders when they describe their Pre-Kindergarten programs. The New America Foundation recently asked Steve Barnett, Board of Governors Professor and Director of NIEER, to explain what the benchmarks in NIEER's State of Preschool reports mean and how they should be used. See Laying a Solid Floor: What's Important to Know about the NIEER Pre-K Benchmarks (February 12, 2016) to learn more.