Inclusive Early Childhood Special Education Programs

1
Inclusive Early Childhood Special Education
Programs

• Kathy McKay, Director of Special Services
• Susan Arko, ECSE Coordinator

5/6/2004
2
Why ECSE Inclusion?

• Are parents satisfied with segregated and
  self-contained ECSE classrooms as the only
  option?
• Are teachers of 3-5 yr. olds satisfied with
  segregated and self-contained ECSE classrooms?
• Do teachers of B-2 yr. olds primarily or only
  provide services in the home?
• Does the District provide a continuum of
  placements for ECSE a continuum with capacity?

3
Continuum of Alternative Placements

• The continuummust include
• regular classes,
• special classes,
• special schools,
• home instruction,
• and instruction in hospitals and institutions
• provisions for supplementary services to be
  provided in conjunction with regular class
  placements. 34 CFR 300.551(b)

4
Instructional Settings(Natural Least
Restrictive Environments)

• Young children receive services in the
  environments they would be in if they didnt have
  a disability.
• Home
• Child Care
• Head Start
• Early Childhood Family Education
• School Readiness
• Other community programs/locations

5
Inclusion (OSEP Priority 4)

• 90 of children with disabilities will be
  educated in general education classes for more
  than 80 of the school day.
• B-3 Instructional settings 12 or 13
• 3-5 Instructional setting 1

6
Inclusion Status (12/01/02)

• CURRENT STATUS
• 30 of 3 yr.-K, are in Setting 1 (general ed.)
• 50 are in Setting 2 (self-contained ECSE
  classroom)
• 78 of B-2 are served in natural environments
• PRIORITY children B-Kdg receive
• services in the settings they would have
  participated in if they had no disabilities.

7
Inclusion - District Level

• District staff understand and appropriately use
  MARSS codes for ages B-2 and 3-5.
• Data demonstrates that a continuum of placements
  is used.
• Adequate capacity exists within placement
  options.
• Multiple placements are used with
• discretion (Setting 4).

8
District Example Shakopee
9
Provision of Services

• Individually determined.
• Progress data used to validate decisions.
• End-of-year membership data demonstrates
  individualization.
• Intervention is embedded into home or classroom
  routines.
• Pullout is rarely used.
• Trans-disciplinary model used when appropriate.
• Primary provider.

10
Shakopee ECSE Inclusive Options
11
ECSE Funding

• Federal Revenue (12/1/98 child count)
• Part B Flow-Through 472.74
• Personnel Dvlp 3-21 20
• Part B Section 619 467.47
• Pre-K Personnel Dvlp 15
• Federal Part C flows to the IEIC 1,600 per
  eligible child (based on 12/1/02 child count).
• are to be used for child find, IFSP
  facilitation, service coordination, services
  where no other funding source exists including
  respite care
• Third Party Revenue

12
ECSE Funding

• State Special Education Aid
• 68 of salaries of essential personnel
• 47 of the cost of supplies/ equipment
• 52 of contracted instruction/ placement in
  excess of general education revenue
• Based on expenditures in 2nd prior yr.
• General Education Revenue
• 1.25 x formula allowance (4,601) x .28 (or more)
  1,610 for 03-04
• .28 for up to 231 hours of service
• Approx 6.97 for each additional hour of IFSP/IEP
  service

13
Shakopee ECSE Funding

• ECSE Teacher and 1 or more program
  paraprofessional (dependent on individual student
  needs) assigned to each Head Start and Community
  Preschool (Stepping Stones) Program.
• Head Start programs provide a teacher and a
  paraprofessional.
• Community Education (Stepping Stones Preschool)
  provides a teacher.

14
Shakopee ECSE Funding

• No tuition paid by the school district for the 8
  slots in each Head Start Stepping Stones
  Program (Community Education Preschool).
• Head Start Community Education provide
  significant dollars for instructional and
  non-instructional supplies.
• Parents pay for lunches for students included in
  the Head Start Program. ECSE pays for breakfast
  snacks.
• Programs arrange for shared training
  opportunities and share the expenses.

15
Initial Program Start-up

• Initially, Spring of 2001, the ECSE Coordinator
  shared the inclusive model and shared the
  specific job descriptions with ECSE, Head Start
  Community Education staff.
• Extensive training on teaming, 2001-2002.
• Lisa Backer, ECSE Specialist, MDE, met with staff
  during Year 1, 2001-2002, to discuss inclusion
  program philosophies and to allow ECSE staff to
  vent concerns.

16
Ongoing Hurdles/Hiring

• Re-training training on team work is provided
  every year. (i.e. LEAP training done this year
  inclusive model for Autism, but good for ECSE)
• Regular reminding about the proven successes of
  inclusion.
• Interviews for staff to work in any of the
  inclusive programs (ECSE, Community Education,
  Head Start) include questions on experience and
  ability to team teach.

17
Successful Inclusive ECSE Programs

• Every child is a FULL MEMBER of the classroom
  community.
• Every child receives QUALITY SERVICES that
  support participation and enhance development.
• Each team members EXPERTISE PROBLEM SOLVING
  capacity is ENHANCED.
• Each team member FEELS GOOD about the PROCESS,
  their RELATIONSHIPS, and the OUTCOMES.
• Ongoing ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.

18
Recommended Practices

• Goals are child-directed, naturalistic, highly
  functional
• Actively initiating engaging with materials,
  objects, activities, and others.
• Follow childs lead, capitalize on child
  interests.
• Reading responding to environmental cues.
• Social interactions relationships
  communications with others
• Data collection strategies determined proactively
• Work Sampling used by all EC programs.
• Family-Centered -- ask What do you, the
  parent, want for your child?