eNotes
October 12, 2018In this Issue:
- Rethinking Special Education and Rehabilitative Services: OSERS Announces New Framework Source: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)
- Assessment Resources Source: Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children
- Evidence-Based Programs for Young Children with Social and Emotional Learning Difficulties Source: School Mental Health
- Poverty Rate Rising Among America's Youngest Children...Particularly Infants of Color (Blog) Source: Child Trends
1. Rethinking Special Education and Rehabilitative Services: OSERS Announces New Framework
Last month (September 2018), OSERS announced its new framework that prioritizes its focus and mission to improve early childhood, educational, and employment outcomes and upgrade expectations for all individuals and families with disabilities, including their communities, nationwide. "Change policies and practices that put the needs of a system over the needs of the individual" is one of several recommendations included in the new framework.
2. Assessment Resources
The latest edition of DEC's Resources within Reason (September 2018) is a compiled list of assessment resources based on DEC's recommended practices for early care practitioners. The list includes links to checklists, guides, learning modules, and other information that address considerations for best practices when using assessment tools for screening young children and their families for services and measuring outcomes.
For similar topics, visit the Resources within Reason archives at http://www.dec-sped.org/resources-within-reason.
3. Evidence-Based Programs for Young Children with Social and Emotional Learning Difficulties
In a recent article by Mary Louise Hemmeter and Maureen A. Conroy in School Mental Health (September 2018, Volume 10, Issue 3), the authors state that expelling children from preschool settings means removing them from the very settings that "they are likely to learn the social-emotional skills that will help them be successful in school and life." After studying multiple social-emotional intervention practices for young children, they found that the most effective practices for improving outcomes involve supporting implementation with fidelity. This happens when practices offer teachers ongoing coaching and performance feedback. The most effective practices are also those designed to expect that young children will exhibit problem behavior, because they have not yet mastered the skills necessary for engaging appropriately with others.
4. Poverty Rate Rising Among America's Youngest Children...Particularly Infants of Color (Blog)
According to Child Trends' recent blog entry (September 2018), there was a significant increase in infants living in poverty between 2016 and 2017, especially for Black and Hispanic infants. After analyzing Census data, the authors further explain that the way to reduce the negative implications of poverty is to identify policy and practices that support equity in children's development.