eNotes
May 6, 2021Updates from the ECTA Center
Preschool During the Pandemic: Watch all 16 episodes!
The Preschool During the Pandemic series, developed by Larry Edelman, is now complete. The 16 five to 17-minute episodes in the series illustrate how early education and early childhood special education have successfully supported preschoolers and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each episode includes a facilitator guide that provides prompts to consider when viewing, reflection questions, activities, and supplemental resources.
Episode 15: An Unexpected Gift: Family Engagement and Coaching in Virtual Preschool and Beyond features preschool teacher Rebecca Vitelli. She describes how increased family engagement and coaching have become silver linings during the pandemic. Episode 16: Through a Mother's Eyes: A Year of Preschool During the Pandemic highlights Elizabeth Sharp who shares how she has supported her five sons' education during the pandemic, specifically her four-year old twins who have Individualized Education Programs.
Part C Infant and Toddler Program Federal Appropriations and National Child Count 1987-2020
This chart from the Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center shows the federal appropriations allocated for the Part C program, the number of children served per IDEA 618 annual Child Count data, and the federal dollars allocated per child each year from federal fiscal year (FFY) 1987 through FFY 2020. Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) helps ensure that all eligible infants and toddlers with disabilities, aged birth to 2, and their families receive early intervention services.
Section 619 Preschool Program Federal Appropriations and National Child Count 1977-2020
Developed by the ECTA Center, this chart displays the federal appropriations allocated for Part B Section 619, the number of children served, and the federal dollars allocated per child each year. It covers FFY 1977 through FFY 2020. Part B, Section 619 of the IDEA helps ensure that all eligible preschool children with disabilities, aged 3 to 5 years, receive special education and related services.
ECTA Staffer Receives UNC-CH 2021 Diversity Award
Betsy Ayankoya, Associate Director of the ECTA Center and Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for the FPG Child Development Institute is among the recipients of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's 13th annual Diversity Awards. The award recognizes individuals and groups who have given their time and effort to further diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University and in the surrounding community. In her praise for Ayankoya's receiving the honor, Aysenil Belger, director of FPG said, "Long before academia turned its attention to issues of diversity, Betsy Ayankoya was leading programs addressing critical issues around educational inequity, barriers to inclusion, and systemic racism impacting child development- and her amazing body of work is being celebrated by the University."
News from the Field
State of Babies Yearbook: 2021
A major theme of the State of Babies Yearbook: 2021 is the call for national action to establish bold, durable policies that address deep-seated inequities and ensure all babies have the ingredients to thrive. The Yearbook bridges the gap between science and policy with national and state-by-state data on the well-being of America's babies. The 2021 edition takes an in-depth look into the experience of the nation's babies and their families and substantial disparities and inequities in their experiences when examined by race/ethnicity, income, and geographic setting. As the country continues to face the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers and advocates can use the data from the Yearbook to identify and advance policies that produce the near-term support and long-term stability that babies and families need.
NIEER The State of Preschool Yearbook 2020
The 18th edition of The State of Preschool, the National Institute for Early Education Research's (NIEER) report on its annual survey of state preschool policies, includes information for every state on child enrollment, funding, staffing, and quality standards. It also includes information about where children are served, preschool program operating schedules, and other program features. The main survey largely reflects a pre-COVID-19 preschool landscape. A special report this year highlights the substantial impacts the pandemic has had on state-funded preschool enrollment, funding, and quality standards. Policymakers can use this information to help preschools rebound from the negative impacts of the pandemic and to support future cohorts of preschoolers and the children who missed learning opportunities in the last year.
Virtual Coaching to Support Early Care and Education Programs during COVID-19
This two-part series of briefs gives an overview of the process and lessons learned during the transition from in-person to virtual coaching for the Detroit Early Learning Coaching Initiative (DELCI). This brief, the first in the series, presents an overview of DELCI, including a summary of the coaching model, the process of adapting it to a virtual format during COVID-19, and initial experiences with virtual coaching implementation. The second brief in the series will describe how virtual coaching was implemented over time, including lessons learned.
New Video on Governance from the PDG B-5 TA Center
How Governance Influences State Early Childhood Systems, a new video released by the National Center for Preschool Development Grants Birth Through Five (PDG B-5 TA Center) helps state and territory agency staff understand the role of governance in improving the early childhood (EC) system.
The video shares lessons learned and insights of three experienced state EC administrators. Their common goal is to create greater efficiency, accountability, and access to programs for all children, particularly vulnerable children, and families. Presenters include Amy Jacobs, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning; Steven Hicks, Assistant State Superintendent of the Division of Early Childhood, Maryland State Department of Education; and Susan Gale Perry, Chief Deputy Secretary at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Each state leader responds to the following issues:
- What Matters Most About Their State's Governance Structure for Early Childhood Programs.
- How the Governance Structure Helps State Leaders Influence Early Childhood Policy.
- Essential Strategies for Effective Early Childhood Systems.
Project SALUTE
The National Center on Deaf-Blindness offers numerous resources on how to use touch effectively. Project Successful Adaptations for Learning to Use Touch Effectively (SALUTE) includes 13 free information sheets on tactile learning strategies, articles, and a book on tactile learning strategies for children who are deaf-blind or blind with additional disabilities. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education to California State University, Northridge, the model demonstration project offers relevant and practical information.