Resources
- Evidence-Based Practices - The resources provided here are supported by research and evidence. Topics include assessment, child development, curriculum & instruction, family involvement, inclusion, and transition.
- State/Federal Organizations - This page provides national and state level initiatives and organizations relevant to early childhood special education.
Showing Results 101 - 150 of 277
Description: Learn about the practice of embedded interventions to help children participate in a variety of early learning opportunities and environments promoting high quality inclusion.
Description: This module will help you: Describe assistive technology interventions to promote children’s access to and participation in inclusive settings. Use a decision-making process to help integrate various sources of evidence and determine whether assistive technology interventions are appropriate for use within a specific context.
Description: Embedded Instruction for Early Learning is based on a recommended instructional practice for preschoolers with or at risk for learning challenges. In embedded instruction, teachers, families, and other caregivers learn how to provide developmentally appropriate, intentional instruction to advance children’s engagement and learning as part of their everyday activities, routines, and transitions.
Description: Develop your expertise on leveraging Embedded Learning Opportunities (ELOs) to support young children's individual goals, with the resources in this training package.
Description: Practice-Based Coaching (PBC) is a professional development strategy that uses a cyclical coaching process. It supports the use of effective, evidence-based teaching practices that lead to positive outcomes for all children. Learn to use PBC practices to ensure the full and effective participation of children with disabilities or suspected delays. Find out how coaches can support specific inclusive practices in their work with teachers, home visitors, and other education staff. Explore ways...
Description: Practice-Based Coaching requires program-level planning and systematic implementation. In a case study, an implementation team from the Community Partnership for Child Development (CPCD) program in Colorado Springs, CO attended a Practice-Based Coaching Implementation Academy. In this video, CPCD staff share how their program is planning for and implementing PBC. Program stakeholders also discuss their roles in and views of the coaching activities.
Description: Practice-Based Coaching (PBC) supports education staff to use effective teaching practices in context. Learn about the basics of PBC and its research basis as a professional development strategy. Find out how PBC connects to the Head Start Program Performance Standards.
Description: This module, a DEC-recommended resource, offers information on how to set up effective inclusive early childhood classroom environments for young children. It also provides details about the interrelated physical, social, and temporal components of those environments, as well as adaptations to help teachers meet the needs of children with disabilities (est. completion time: 1 hour).
Description: Evidence-Based Practices, a three part series, from IRIS Center: Evidence-Based Practices (Part 1): Identifying and Selecting a Practice or Program discusses the importance of identifying and selecting evidence-based practices (est. completion time: 1.5 hours). Evidence-Based Practices (Part 2): Implementing a Practice or Program with Fidelity discusses implementing an evidence-based practice or program with fidelity (est. completion time: 1 hour). Evidence-Based Practices (Part 3):...
Description: From the ECLKC site: It is important to create a supportive environment for all learners, including children with developmental disabilities or suspected delays. To do so requires adapting practices and environments to ensure that all children from birth to age 5 feel valued and included in your program. In this webinar, explore how to support education staff in implementing effective, evidence-based teaching practices and creating inclusive environments where every child feels safe and has a...
Description: Early CHOICES and the Early Intervention Training Program at the University of Illinois recently launched a new series called Understanding Inclusion. The Understanding Inclusion series contains 6 topics that explore key ideas about inclusion in early childhood. Developed for families with family input, it is just as meaningful and useful for practitioners working with families who have children from birth to 5. In each module topic, a topic guide is available for reflecting and applying what...
Description: This article provides information on the importance of inclusion and how the Pyramid Model might be used in statewide initiatives to increase the use of inclusive practices. Page 4 includes resources and tools related to inclusion.
Description: This page provides resources and materials that include web-based learning opportunities and evidence-based instructional strategies. The goal of the center is to increase the competence, confidence and effectiveness of personnel in Head Start programs to include children with disabilities.
Description: The Advancing Effective Interactions and Instruction (AEII) initiative is all about helping education leaders make data-driven decisions that support teachers and provide high-quality learning experiences for children in Virginia’s early childhood classrooms.
Description: These documents support inclusion in early childhood by demonstrating the benefits to various groups, including children with disabilities, children without disabilities, families, direct service staff, and adminstrators.
Description: UDL offers a framework that integrates what we know about the learning brain to inform the design of environments that support all learners. Discover the connections between UDL and the brain in this article.
Description: This article provides a brief overview of evidence-based UDL practices, with a specific focus on the use of engagement strategies for young children.
Description: This page contains previous years, as well as the most recent data, on Indicator 6: Least Restrictive Environment. It is updated on an annual basis.
Description: This clearly written article provides a great introduction to what UDL is and how it works. It can be a good way to start learning about UDL for teachers and families.
Description: The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure...
Description: Laura Taylor has been teaching Kindergarten for ages. When she first learned about UDL, she was skeptical that it was anything different than good teaching. Once she dug in, though, she realized she could reach her students in ways she never had before. Listen to the examples of how UDL enabled her to engage her students in new ways and to offer them choices for showing what they know and can do.
Description: This chapter from the DEC Recommended Practices Monograph on Environments describes how to promote access and participation by using universal design strategies and making individualized modifications.
Description: This document is Virginia's new set of comprehensive early learning and development standards for young children, birth to age five. The new standards focus on five Areas of Development: Approaches to Play and Learning; Social and Emotional Development; Communication, Language, and Literacy Development; Health and Physical Development and Cognitive Development. All birth to five programs are expected to implement the new standards by Fall 2021.
Description: The STEMIE Center recently released three videos on why inclusion is important. Below is the three part series links and the corresponding description. For access to the transcript, watch the video through YouTube.
Description: This instructional document provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding Indicator 6. It is designed to assist Local Education Agency personnel in accurately collecting and reporting Indicator 6 data. Please utilize the Indicator 6 Decision Tree as you determine the child’s educational environment. Also, read Instructions for Preschool Environments for additional information.
Description: Virginia Indicator 6 Data December 1, 2019 Indicator 6: Early Childhood Placement* Indicator 6: Early Childhood Environment for Children with IEPs Target A – Regular early childhood program and receiving the majority of special education and related services in the regular education childhood program; Target B – Separate special education class, separate school, or residential facility State Target for FFY 2018: Target A: Greater or equal to 35% Target B: Less than or equal to 17%...
Description: This instructional document provides definitions to key vocabulary as well as steps for determining the accurate educational environment classification using the Indicator 6 Decision Tree. Also, read Questions and Answers for Preschool Environments for additional information
Description: From the Virginia Department of Education, this webpage is dedicated to the transition from Early Intervention (Part C) to Early Childhood Special Education (Part B): Smooth transitions from Early Intervention to Early Childhood Special Education are important. Families, children, sending and receiving programs all need to share information and support each other. Transition activities need to be timely to assure access to appropriate services for the child. The transition should also be smooth...
Description: The instructions for Indicator 12 are linked on the VDOE site below.
Description: This tool, developed by the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, provides an application for determining the accurate educational environment classification. Click on “Virginia” to use the customized tool aligned with Virginia’s data reporting format. To begin, click on "Decision Tree" in the tool bar. To practice using the tool or to train others, click on Scenarios on the tool bar and then click on Scenario on the dropdown menu in the middle of the screen.
Description: A comprehensive online module has been developed jointly by the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) and the Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems (DaSY) to support those who provide instruction or related services to infants, toddlers and preschoolers with disabilities. The module provides key information about the COS process, and the practices that contribute to consistent and meaningful COS decision-making. The course can be used by an individual or can be used to...
Description: The Child Outcomes Summary Process: Procedures Specific to Virginia webinar provides guidance from the Virginia Department of Education to school divisions to complete the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) process, a team process for summarizing information related to a child’s progress on each of the three child outcome areas for Indicator 7 (i.e. the percentage of preschool children with Individualized Education Programs who demonstrate improved a) positive social-emotional skills, b)...
Description: In addition to the Virginia resources, the ECTA website provides many resources to help with delivery of professional development on the COS process. A Guide to the COS Process Training and Technical Assistance Resource - This document provides an overview of many of the resources available on the ECTA Outcomes webpage that can support local, regional or state training and technical assistance on child outcomes. COS Training Resources - The ECTA website provides...
Description: This Video: Child Outcomes Step by Step provided by ECTA Center provides an overview of the three child outcomes adopted by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and reported on by all state preschool special education (Part B/619) programs as part of their Annual Performance Report (APR). The video can be used for professional development and training.
Description: Frequently Asked Questions on ECTA Center site - This link summarizes many questions frequently asked about the child and family outcomes measurement process and provides brief answers. Topics include: Outcomes and Federal Reporting, Child Outcomes, Family Outcomes, Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Process, Crosswalks, Family Outcomes Survey, and Acronyms.
Description: Outcome Measurement - Self Directed Learning. This page provides mini training sessions on a variety of child and family outcomes related topics. Each session is a short, stand-alone piece suitable for self-paced online learning. The videos for "why collect outcome data" and "integrating the outcomes into the IFSP and IEP" can also be found on this page.
Description: IDEA requires states to report state-level and division-level indicator data on the performance of students with disabilities. Indicator 7: Preschool Outcomes focuses on the improved performance of preschool children with disabilities. Specifically, states are required to report the percent of children with IEPs who demonstrate improved a) positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships); b) acquisition and use of knowledge and skills (including early language/...
Description: States and local programs are making child and family outcomes measurement more efficient and more effective by integrating those processes with IFSP and IEP development and implementation. The ECTA Center works to support states that are making changes to their systems and materials to integrate these two processes. Resources include a presentation provides an overview to the IFSP-IEP integration processes, an interactive guide, flowcharts, and activities..
Description: This site was developed by the National Parent Technical Assistance Center at PACER in collaboration with the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) and provides a family friendly overview of the Child Outcomes
Description: The Indicator 6 Decision Tree from Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is designed to assist with reporting each child’s educational environment. This document provides the steps for determining the accurate educational environment classification.
Description: A series of online modules that include information on early childhood development as it relates to the different child outcome statements that are the focus of the Office of Special Education Programs' (OSEP) accountability reporting requirements for state Part C Early Intervention and Part B/619 Early Childhood Special Education programs serving young children with disabilities.
Description: Child Outcome Summary Process Discussion Prompts-This document provides information and questions regarding the three outcome areas: a.) Positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships), b.) Acquisition and use of knowledge and skills (including early language/ communication and early literacy), and c.) Use of appropriate behaviors to meet needs.
Description: This document provides technical assistance related to the transition from Part C to Part B and includes essential regulations as well as information regarding reporting Indicator 12. The flowchart provides an overivew of the transition from Part C to Part B.
Description: This document from the Virgina Department of Education provides a list of negotiable and nonnegotiable components (regulated versus local determination) related to the transition from Part C to Part B.
Description: This resource is designed to help division level personnel increase the fidelity of the COS process. Guidance for Reviewing Completed Child Outcomes Summary Forms for Quality Assurance from ECTA Center - This link provides guidance on how to check the completeness and accuracy of a COS form. The guidance includes checks to see whether users understand the three outcomes and the 7-point rating scale, how to document the rating, and whether the documentation supports the rating.
Description: This resource is designed to help division level personnel increase the fidelity of the COS process. Child Outcomes Summary Team Collaboration Toolkit is designed to assist states and programs in improving the COS team collaboration. Built around a checklist of quality practices, the COS-TC is a toolkit that provides a mechanism for those who implement, supervise, or train on the COS process to identify, observe, and assess recommended team collaboration practices in COS implementation. It...
Description: This open house provides information on Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC), Computer Access Assistive Technology, Early Childhood/Play Assistive Technology, Literacy Assistive Technology, Low-Tech Assistive Technology, Math Assistive Technology, Organization Assistive Technology, and Sensory Assistive Technology.
Description: Featuring: Erin Saxon, Education Specialist, TTAC ODU—Narrator, Jessica Braun, CCC-SLP, Alicia McCarthy and Anna Ashleson, Co-Teachers As many educators expand their knowledge and skills in providing virtual instruction, this webinar highlights some high-tech options for those looking to level up their implementation of instruction that engages younger students. Three educators from Norfolk Public Schools have worked to expand not just their skills, but creativity in providing virtual...
Description: It's been said that "necessity is the mother of invention". When the pandemic struck last year, practitioners in early education and early childhood special education, and parents came together to support young children and their families through remote service delivery. This multi-part video series, developed by Larry Edelman, features preschool staff and families from five states and illustrates their working together to use technology to make the virtual learning experience exciting,...
Description: This article provides the most practical and relevant takeaways from trusted sources on the topic of tele-intervention that can be used during a variety of sessions (i.e. phone or live/recorded video). While many resources target early intervention providers, the strategies are appropriate and applicable to young children through age five.