“…even the smallest actions are steps in the right direction.” Author Unknown Embarking on the journey of building high-quality inclusive early childhood programs can be daunting for school division leaders. While the Training and Technical Assistance Center at ODU offers technical assistance to school divisions in the region, the process of implementing these changes can… Read More Improving Early Childhood Inclusion: A Month-by-Month Action Plan for ECSE Leaders
New Social-Emotional Learning Resources for the Summer Countdown
As the end of the school year approaches, there continue to be valuable opportunities to help children develop important problem-solving and self-regulation skills. Fortunately, many resources and additions to the TTAC ODU library are now available to help educators make the most of these teachable moments. Use this homestretch to promote learning and skill-building for… Read More New Social-Emotional Learning Resources for the Summer Countdown
Three Ways ECSE Leaders Can Improve Data Quality
In the tech world, the phrase “garbage in, garbage out,” is the idea that the quality of output is always determined by the quality of input (Market Business News, 2023). If data is entered incorrectly into a system, the output is unreliable. An example of “garbage” input would be an early childhood special education (ECSE) teacher entering… Read More Three Ways ECSE Leaders Can Improve Data Quality
Small Tweaks to Move Inclusive Mountains in Preschool
Regardless of your position in the decision making hierarchy or efforts to improve inclusion to-date, building the momentum necessary for change can begin with you. Collectively, from the top-down and bottom-up, small tweaks create the enabling context to move Virginia’s preschool inclusion needle in the right direction. The Inclusion Opportunity Jump to: The Placed vs… Read More Small Tweaks to Move Inclusive Mountains in Preschool
Does Your Early Childhood Program Have the Foundation to Implement Inclusive Practices?
As Virginia continues to build a unified early childhood system, additional opportunities exist for children with disabilities to attend regular early childhood classrooms. When building inclusive classrooms, Early Childhood (EC) and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) practitioners must combine efforts to provide access, participation, and support to all children. In this context, “support” refers to the system-level… Read More Does Your Early Childhood Program Have the Foundation to Implement Inclusive Practices?
Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center
At the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center, the Office of Head Start provides a Series of Simulations for effectively engaging families from the start. The series explores the practice of everyday strategies to develop Positive Goal-Oriented Relationships with a family. These relationships are key to our work with children and families, including the journey… Read More Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center
Five Questions to Develop Meaningful IEPs in ECSE
Developing meaningful and high quality IEPs for young children with disabilities requires teams collect data from multiple sources as authentically as possible (using familiar environments, people, and materials). In summarizing this data and developing annual goals, teams should consider how each area of need or skill deficit identified impacts the child’s progress in the general… Read More Five Questions to Develop Meaningful IEPs in ECSE