eNotes
December 13, 2022Updates from the ECTA Center
AFIRM Module Available: Reinforcement for Toddlers
Reinforcement for Toddlers is the focus of a newly launched module by the Autism Focused Intervention Resources and Modules (AFIRM). Reinforcement occurs when caregivers promote a toddler’s target skills/behaviors by providing an arranged consequence that occurs immediately after the toddler displays the target skill/behavior. This AFIRM module, developed in partnership with the Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center, takes approximately two to three hours to complete.
Strengthening Collaboration between IDEA Agencies and Head Start Programs
An upcoming webinar, Strengthening Collaboration between IDEA Agencies and Head Start Programs, will explore strategies and resources that foster collaboration across programs and services and promote inclusion in early care and education. Highlighted will be two recently released documents: Guidance on Creating an Effective Memorandum of Understanding to Support High-Quality Inclusive Early Childhood Systems, and the Dear Colleague Letter on IDEA Services in Head Start. The webinar will be December 15, 2022, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST, and is sponsored by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), Office of Head Start (OHS), ECTA, and the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching and Learning (NCECDTL).
FFY 2020 Child Outcomes Data Highlights
In an online presentation FFY 2020 Child Outcomes Data Highlights, ECTA and the Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems (DaSy) staff discuss the national performance data for IDEA State Performance Plan(SPP)/Annual Performance Report (APR) Indicator 3 for the Part C infant and toddler programs and Indicator 7 for the Part B, Section 619 preschool programs. Viewers will learn about findings from an analysis of the Part C and Part B child outcomes indicators; where to find more information about the analysis; and where to find resources to use the outcomes data at the state and local levels. The child outcomes data presented were data that states collected from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 and was reported in 2022. The presentation also includes national data, state variations in performance, and technical assistance resources.
News from the Field
Working Together to Support All Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities
The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS) will host a webinar, "Working Together to Support All Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities", December 14, 4:00 PM EST. The webinar will highlight how federal and state agencies, local programs, and families can work together to support the growth and development of infants and toddlers with disabilities. Presenters will share new materials that highlight a vision for serving all infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities, and provide strategies and resources on implementing an equitable and comprehensive system that identifies, locates, and evaluates these infants and toddlers.
Challenges in Early Care and Education
Challenges in Early Care and Education include a shortage of qualified educators, low pay, and a decline in educators' mental health and well-being is the focus of an EdSurge interview with Zahava Berman, director of the Ginsburg Solomon Schechter Early Childhood Center in Skokie, Illinois. Said Berman, "I also worry about the whole sector, because I know that what we’re going through in Skokie is what program directors and early childhood educators all over the country are experiencing. It’s not just, 'What will become of my program? Will it survive long-term?' It’s also, 'What will become of the early childhood field when there are no teachers left? Will the field survive?'"
SPP/APR Indicator Analysis Booklets Available
Part B and Part C FFY 2020 State Performance Plan (SPP)/Annual Performance Report (APR) Indicator Analysis Booklets are available. The National Technical Assistance Center on Transition: the Collaborative (NTACT:C), the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO), IDEA Data Center (IDC), National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI), ECTA, and the Center for Parent Information and Resources (CIPR) analyzed the data for Part B. It summarizes findings for 60 agencies. The Part C analysis was prepared by ECTA, DaSy, and the Consortium for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE), and is based on data from FFY 2020 APRs for 56 states.