eNotes
January 10, 2023Updates from the ECTA Center
Fact Sheet: Advancing Racial Equity in Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education
The science is clear that the first years of children’s lives set the foundation for healthy development. Fact Sheet: Advancing Racial Equity in Early Intervention and Preschool Special Education provides key information and supporting evidence about racial disparities and inequities for young children with a disability, and considerations for state and local leaders seeking to advance equity for all children with disabilities and their families. It also includes research on school-age children with disabilities and on school-age workforce knowing there are insights and lessons for the early years. The UNC Equity Research Action Coalition and the Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center created the document in partnership with the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). It is a collaborative effort across researchers, TA providers, and state early intervention and early childhood special education leaders.
National-State Family Data State Approaches Graph Creator 2020-21 (FFY 2020)
States can use the National-State Family Data State Approaches Graph Creator 2020-21 (FFY 2020) to compare their Part C SPP/APR indicator 4 family outcomes data to national data. They can compare data in three sub-indicator areas as well as compare subgroups among states that use the same survey and scoring approach for the: family outcome survey (FOS) with recommended scoring, FOS-Revised with recommended scoring, and the National Center for Special Education Accountability Monitoring (NCSEAM) survey with Rasch scoring. States that use other surveys or scoring can graph their data using the comparison to national data. National data in the calculator are for FFY 2020, submitted by states in February 2022.
Additions to Modules on State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report
SPP/APR Checklists and Tips have been added to these modules to support states in their annual preparation of their State Performance Plans/Annual Performance Reports (SPPs/APRs). Checklists are organized by indicator and the fields as they appear in the SPP/APR submission platform. This format helps states determine if all required fields have been completed. Tips help ensure all relevant instructions are addressed for each indicator. For Part B, preschool indicators B-6, B-7, B-12, and B-17 (if the State-identified Measurable Result (SiMR) is an outcome) are included.
News from the Field
State Personnel Development Grant Application Available for Fiscal Year 2023 Competition
The 84.323A State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) Notice Inviting Applications and application package is available for the fiscal year 2023 competition. The application deadline is March 6, 2023. There is a competitive preference priority in the SPDG 84.323A notices to further the development of Part C comprehensive systems of personnel development. The state educational agency (SEA), which is the only eligible applicant, can earn three points if they sufficiently describe how they will partner with the Part C State lead agency to engage in the activities described in Section 635(a)(8) and (9) of IDEA. A pre-recorded informational webinar for potential applicants includes critical features of the notice and provides recommendations for writing an application. Links to key resources are provided in the Presentation File. Contact Jennifer Coffey (Jennifer.Coffey@ed.gov) with questions.
Biden-Harris Administration Promotes Access to Early Intervention Services
This blog post, Biden-Harris Administration Promotes Access to Early Intervention Services, highlights work by the Department of Education to ensure that every child who needs individualized and high-quality early intervention services receives them as early as possible. This means calling on Congress to double funding for these services and promoting informational guides that highlight innovative and effective strategies to identify and serve all children eligible for these services.
The State(s) of Head Start and Early Head Start: Looking at Equity
The State(s) of Head Start and Early Head Start: Looking at Equity focuses on equity of access to Head Start in the 2020-21 program year. It answers questions such as: Are some children more (or less) likely to enroll in Head Start or Early Head Start? Does enrollment vary by children’s race or ethnicity or by geographic location within and across states? For children enrolled in Head Start or Early Head Start, are there differences in funding per child or the quality of their experiences? And finally, how has the COVID-19 pandemic affected enrollment in Head Start and Early Head Start?
Technical Assistance Resources for Part C Eligibility
These Technical Assistance Resources for Part C Eligibility from the Office of Special Education Program (OSEP) provides a series of Implementation Technical Assistance Guides that identify strategies and highlight resources and best practices that ensure families have equitable access to IDEA Part C services. The guides, available in English and Spanish, are for IDEA Part C coordinators, state and local early childhood program administrators, early childhood and health providers, families, policymakers, and any individuals or organizations committed to improving outcomes for infants and toddlers with disabilities. Current guides available include:
- Vision and Guiding Principles;
- Outreach and Family Engagement; and
- Monitoring, Screening, and Referral.
Additinal guides will be added on an ongoing basis.