Illinois’ Award of Excellence for

Inclusion of Children with Special Needs

National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute

Chapel Hill, NC (May 12-14, 2015)

State Context

Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Governor’s Office of Early Childhood Development (OECD)Development (OECD)

ExceleRate Illinois (cross-agency initiative to ExceleRate Illinois (cross-agency initiative to focus on quality – Illinois’ QRIS)focus on quality – Illinois’ QRIS)

Race to the Top (major focus on ExceleRate Race to the Top (major focus on ExceleRate Illinois)Illinois)

Expansion Grant (enhanced focus on Awards of Expansion Grant (enhanced focus on Awards of Excellence as a part of ExceleRate Illinois)Excellence as a part of ExceleRate Illinois)

Who this AoE is for …

ALL early childhood programs that are “GOLD” ALL early childhood programs that are “GOLD” & INCLUDE children with special needs& INCLUDE children with special needs

School and community-based preschool School and community-based preschool programs (ISBE, Preschool for All, Prevention programs (ISBE, Preschool for All, Prevention Initiative)Initiative)

Licensed child care centersLicensed child care centers

Head Start & Early Head StartHead Start & Early Head Start

Building on what is already in ExceleRate Illinois

ExceleRate ALREADY supports inclusion in several ExceleRate ALREADY supports inclusion in several waysways

At the GOLD level ... At the GOLD level ...

Programs must screen all children and refer if neededPrograms must screen all children and refer if needed

Programs must have MOUs (Memoranda of Programs must have MOUs (Memoranda of Understanding) with CFCs (Child & Family Understanding) with CFCs (Child & Family Connections) and at least one LEA (Local Education Connections) and at least one LEA (Local Education Agency)Agency)

Staff must complete training on children with Staff must complete training on children with disabilitiesdisabilities

Why we need it …

Expectations for the

Award of Excellence in Inclusion

Self-assessment and Portfolio

Development

Foundation – DEC/NAEYC

Guiding Principles for Inclusion

What the AoE application process does …

Identifies Identifies Standards and Guidelines Standards and Guidelines for for high-quality programs and classroomshigh-quality programs and classrooms

Provides a process of Provides a process of Self-StudySelf-Study that that goes hand-in-hand with developing a goes hand-in-hand with developing a PortfolioPortfolio

Offers Offers SupportsSupports for programs as they for programs as they engage in self-study and portfolio engage in self-study and portfolio developmentdevelopment

Three levels of self-assessment

1st Level of Self-Assessment:The Five Standards

Standard 1 – Commitment to principles of full Standard 1 – Commitment to principles of full inclusioninclusion

Standard 2 – Achieve 85% of items on Illinois Standard 2 – Achieve 85% of items on Illinois Inclusion Guidelines ChecklistInclusion Guidelines Checklist

Standard 3 – Administrator completes training Standard 3 – Administrator completes training related to self-assessment and portfolio related to self-assessment and portfolio developmentdevelopment

Standard 4 – Administrator training on inclusive Standard 4 – Administrator training on inclusive early childhood systemsearly childhood systems

Standard 5 – Staff training on self-assessment using Standard 5 – Staff training on self-assessment using the ICP and on inclusive practicesthe ICP and on inclusive practices

2nd Level of Self-Assessment: The Illinois Inclusion Guidelines Checklist (IIGC)

Illinois Inclusion Guidelines ChecklistIllinois Inclusion Guidelines Checklist

21 items21 items

Matched to “Areas” in ExceleRate IllinoisMatched to “Areas” in ExceleRate Illinois

Describes program-level practices that go beyond Describes program-level practices that go beyond what is already in ExceleRate Illinoiswhat is already in ExceleRate Illinois

Provides framework for self-assessment at program Provides framework for self-assessment at program levellevel

Provides framework for developing Program Provides framework for developing Program Portfolio, with evidence for each itemPortfolio, with evidence for each item

Example: Types of Evidence in Portfolio

Item 1 on IIGC (accessible learning Item 1 on IIGC (accessible learning environments) environments)

Photographs of children in accessible environmentsPhotographs of children in accessible environments

Descriptions of how environments have been Descriptions of how environments have been modifiedmodified

Lesson plans showing modifications for specific Lesson plans showing modifications for specific children with special needschildren with special needs

Scores on specific, relevant assessment items from Scores on specific, relevant assessment items from external, state evaluators (such as ECERS)external, state evaluators (such as ECERS)

3rd Level of Self-Assessment: The Inclusive Classroom Profile (ICP)

• 12-item classroom observation instrument12-item classroom observation instrument

• Describes classroom practices that indicate high Describes classroom practices that indicate high quality Access, Participation, and Supports, in quality Access, Participation, and Supports, in relation to individual children with special needsrelation to individual children with special needs

• Provides framework for self-assessment and Provides framework for self-assessment and improvement in each individual classroomimprovement in each individual classroom

• Addresses Item 21 of the IIGAddresses Item 21 of the IIG

Example from ICP: Adult Guidance of Children’s Play (Item 3)

Supports for Accomplishing Award of Excellence

Ongoing support from Award of Excellence Ongoing support from Award of Excellence coordinator and coachescoordinator and coaches

Training for application processTraining for application process

Introductory webinar for administratorsIntroductory webinar for administrators

Full-day face-to-face training for administratorsFull-day face-to-face training for administrators

Webinar for classroom staff on using ICP for self-Webinar for classroom staff on using ICP for self-assessmentassessment

Linkages to other training and technical assistanceLinkages to other training and technical assistance

STEPS in the Application Process

A brief walk through the process

Supports Route to Application for an Award of Excellence in Inclusion

• Submit Self-Study Portfolio to Submit Self-Study Portfolio to State Advisory PanelState Advisory Panel

• Meet minimum criteria: Gold + serving children in inclusive environmentsMeet minimum criteria: Gold + serving children in inclusive environments• Complete self-assessment on Prerequisites Application Complete self-assessment on Prerequisites Application

• Join Supports CohortJoin Supports Cohort• Initiate Self-Study Portfolio (Standards, IIGC, ICP)Initiate Self-Study Portfolio (Standards, IIGC, ICP)

Connect with AoE & Inclusion Coach

• Complete Supports Cohort ActivitiesComplete Supports Cohort Activities• Complete Program Self-Study Portfolio Complete Program Self-Study Portfolio

• Submit Prerequisite Application to OECD Submit Prerequisite Application to OECD (evidence related to Standards)(evidence related to Standards)

Why would a program apply for this Award?

Validate the program’s beliefs about inclusion and Validate the program’s beliefs about inclusion and validate and improve its inclusive practicesvalidate and improve its inclusive practices

Demonstrate to families and to the community a high Demonstrate to families and to the community a high level of commitment to children with special needs and level of commitment to children with special needs and their familiestheir families

Provide families with information that will improve their Provide families with information that will improve their access to, and knowledge of, high quality programsaccess to, and knowledge of, high quality programs

Be recognized by the state and community as a Be recognized by the state and community as a program that is providing high quality services for program that is providing high quality services for children with special needschildren with special needs

Highlights

PartnershipsPartnerships

Special Education Subcommittee of Early Learning Special Education Subcommittee of Early Learning CouncilCouncil

Illinois Council on Developmental DisabilitiesIllinois Council on Developmental Disabilities

Illinois Network of CCR&Rs (Gateways to Opportunity)Illinois Network of CCR&Rs (Gateways to Opportunity)

Statewide training resources – StarNet, Project ChoicesStatewide training resources – StarNet, Project Choices

Other Awards of ExcellenceOther Awards of Excellence

Putting systems in place for application processPutting systems in place for application process

11stst Cohort Completed Cohort Completed

Challenges

As 1As 1stst Award of Excellence to become Award of Excellence to become operationaloperational

Learning alongside the applicantsLearning alongside the applicants

As Award of Excellence in InclusionAs Award of Excellence in Inclusion

Different definitions of inclusion in different Different definitions of inclusion in different types of programstypes of programs

Avenues for recruiting across different types of Avenues for recruiting across different types of programsprograms

Where to from here?

New cohortsNew cohorts

More types of programs – recruiting, vetting, More types of programs – recruiting, vetting, supporting newly Gold (child care, Head Start)supporting newly Gold (child care, Head Start)

Partnerships – sustainability of modelPartnerships – sustainability of model – – recruiting, vetting, training, supportingrecruiting, vetting, training, supporting

Evaluating our processEvaluating our process

Additional avenues for participatingAdditional avenues for participating

Supports Route to Improving Inclusive Practices

COMPLETE 1COMPLETE 1stst ROUND OF SELF-ANALYSIS ROUND OF SELF-ANALYSIS•Complete initial self-assessment using characteristics of Complete initial self-assessment using characteristics of high-quality inclusive environments (Standards, IIGC, ICP)high-quality inclusive environments (Standards, IIGC, ICP)

DEVELOP ACTIVITY PLANDEVELOP ACTIVITY PLAN• Goals for program, classrooms, individualsGoals for program, classrooms, individuals• Activities including training, t.a., coachingActivities including training, t.a., coaching

Connect with AoE& Inclusion Coach

IMPLEMENT ACTIVITY PLANIMPLEMENT ACTIVITY PLAN

COMPLETE 2COMPLETE 2NDND ROUND OF SELF-ANALYSIS ROUND OF SELF-ANALYSIS

For More Information …

• WebsitesWebsites

• www.excelerateillinoisproviders.com/overview2/awards-of-excellence/inclusion-of-children-with-special-needs

• www.aoeinclusion.com (under construction but (under construction but close)close)

• Presenters:Presenters:

• Jeanette McCollum, jmccollu@illinois.edu (training, Jeanette McCollum, jmccollu@illinois.edu (training, general questions)general questions)

• Donna Nylander, donna.nylander@illinois.gov (general Donna Nylander, donna.nylander@illinois.gov (general questions)questions)