About_DEC/Whats_NewSat, 18 May 2013 03:14:42 GMTCopyright 2013. All rights reserved.Pyron Technologies SuiteFin CMSFri, 17 May 2013 21:19:13 GMT“What’s Happening in Washington” Join us for a webinar with Tracie Dickson and Jennifer Simpson, OSEP early childhood staff. They will share important updates and news concerning public policy related to meeting the needs of young children, including young children with disabilities and their families. This special webinar is offered to doctoral students who are members of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) OR to students whose faculty advisor is a DEC member (member numbers will be required for registration). Date: Thursday, May 30, 2013 Time: 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. (EST) How to register:Click Here Sponsored by DECIDE: DEC’s Consortium for Doctoral Excellence DECIDE is a collaborative group of higher education faculty members whose institutions prepare doctoral students for careers in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education. To learn more about DECIDE, please contact Dr. Laurie Dinnebeil at laurie.dinnebeil@utoledo.edu or 419.530.4118.http://dec-sped.org/About_DEC/Whats_New?id=209Sat, 18 May 2013 03:13:42 GMTThe DEC Executive Board is pleased to announce DEC’s new Executive Director, Leah Weiner, Ed.D. Leah brings a unique combination of experience, knowledge, and interests that position her well to lead DEC’s ongoing evolution into a vibrant, thriving membership organization. She blends knowledge of and expertise in organizational leadership with a passion for children with disabilities and their families. As Executive Director of a nonprofit recreational program for children with disabilities, she successfully recruited over 2000 volunteers. Leah also brings fundraising experience as a Development Director for a nonprofit, developmental disability organization and for a major hospital. She spearheaded an advocacy training program related to education and disability. Leah has a strong commitment to equal access, particularly for children with disabilities living in poverty. Leah holds a doctorate in Organizational Leadership and Development and a Masters in Public Administration from Pepperdine University. She also has academic teaching experience in the area of Nonprofit Management. Leah has administered small and large organizational budgets, organized educational conferences, launched a national membership program, and created public relations and marketing campaigns. She is well-versed in capitalizing on social media to meet organizational objectives and in generating revenue through a variety of fund raising mechanisms. Leah’s education and experiences are well aligned with the unique needs of membership organizations such as DEC. Leah brings great energy and a vision for moving DEC towards its mission of promoting policies and advancing evidence-based practices to support the optimal development of young children with special needs and their families. Leah’s official start date is July 1, 2013. http://dec-sped.org/About_DEC/Whats_New?id=210Fri, 10 May 2013 15:59:29 GMTEarly Childhood Development: Investing in Our Children and Our Future June 4, 2013, 1:30pm - 4:00pm EST You are invited to attend (live or online) the 19th Annual Health Equity Research Webcast – Early Childhood Development: Investing in Our Children and Our Future - June 4, 2013, 1:30pm - 4:00pm (EST), presented by the University of North Carolina (UNC) Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, Minority Health Project, the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, the UNC American Indian Center, and the Carolina Latina/o Collaborative. Speakers include: Yvette Sanchez Fuentes, Director, Office of Head Start, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services Portia R. Kennel, Senior Vice President, Program Innovation, Ounce of Prevention Fund and Executive Director, Educare Learning Network Sarah L. (Hicks) Kastelic, Deputy Director, National Indian Child Welfare Association Moderator: Khari M. Garvin, Director, NC Head Start-State Collaboration Office, Office of Early Learning The event is FREE. Register online today! http://dec-sped.org/About_DEC/Whats_New?id=203Fri, 10 May 2013 16:08:03 GMTThe Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center, a new national center funded by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs is announcing a national call seeking state partners, including state departments of education and teacher and leader preparation programs, to work collaboratively to promote, support and reinforce teacher and leader effectiveness across the career continuum and ensure that students with disabilities achieve college and career readiness in inclusive settings. States have the opportunity to apply for CEEDAR’s intensive technical assistance for up to five years. Through the CEEDAR Center, states will have opportunities to create strategic partnerships among State Education Agencies (SEA) and Institutes of Higher Education (IHE) to support teacher and leader education faculty and administrators, researchers, state policymakers and school-based professionals, for the purpose of building and sustaining an aligned, coherent and systemic approach to personnel preparation. The Chief State School Officer or designee must submit an online application in conjunction with SEAs and IHEs. Click here for more information http://dec-sped.org/About_DEC/Whats_New?id=204Fri, 10 May 2013 16:19:01 GMTDiscover how DEC's evidence-based resources can be used in professional and policy development. Participate in discussions and activities to learn how to use these resources to support the inclusion of and individually appropriate services for young children with disabilities and their families. Promoting inclusive practices: Using research and practical resources from DEC in professional and policy development June 11, 2013 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM Presenters: Camille Catlett, Amy Santos, and Micki Ostrosky Click here for more information about the NAEYC Professional Development Institute http://dec-sped.org/About_DEC/Whats_New?id=205Fri, 10 May 2013 21:01:51 GMTRegistration for the 2013 Conference is now open! Join us October 16-18, 2013 in San Francisco, California. Register now to save with the Early Bird Registration Rates. You won’t want to miss this chance to come to one of the most beautiful and diverse cities in the world and catch up on what’s happening in our field, network with old colleagues and meet new ones, and continue your professional growth.http://dec-sped.org/About_DEC/Whats_New?id=206Sat, 11 May 2013 01:05:55 GMTFollow the progress of the DEC Recommended Practices Commission as they lead the work in updating and revising DECs Recommended Practices. The DEC Recommended Practices were developed to provide guidance on practices related to better outcomes for young children with disabilities, their families, and the personnel who serve them. However, as the field continues to evolve and new research emerges about how best to serve children with disabilities, it is important that the Recommended Practices are revisited and revised to remain current and relevant. Starting in 2012, DEC created a Recommended Practices Commission which was tasked with updating and revising the Recommended Practices. In addition, the Commission was asked to develop an process by which the Recommended Practices will continue to be updated. While the Commission serves as the entity that leads this process, the Recommended Practices are driven by the needs of the children and those who serve them. Therefore, it is critical that there is ongoing input, guidance, and feedback from the field. This website is a platform used to share information related to the revisions of the practices, gather stakeholder input, and engage DEC members and key leaders in the field. Click here today to learn what's new with the work on updating DEC's Recommended Practices. http://dec-sped.org/About_DEC/Whats_New?id=207Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:50:18 GMTThe U.S. Department of Education is looking for comments on a proposed package for the State Performance plan (SPP) and Annual Performance Report (APR). The proposed package includes plans for a new quality indicator for Part B and one for Part C. Indicators for Part B and for Part C are included as well as instructions; explanation and rationale; directed questions; and supporting statements. Part C: http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=ED-2013-ICCD-0048 Part B: http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=ED-2013-ICCD-0047 Comments are due on June 14, 2013 and can be submitted electronically through Regulations.govhttp://dec-sped.org/About_DEC/Whats_New?id=201Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:04:54 GMTDEC members are invited to join our colleagues at the National Women's Law Center and show support for President Obama's early learning initiative. The plan is stunning! 1. Gather 10,000 letters of support for President Obama's bold early learning initiative. 2. Deliver letters to the White House & take lots of photos. 3. Promote photos from the delivery to press and social media — showing strong public support for President Obama's Plan. Join the early childhood community as we show our appreciation forthis ambitious initiative.We need to gather as many letters as possible. If you are a parent or work with children, handwritten thank-you artwork would be a great addition! All notes and artwork must be received by NWLC (11 Dupont Circle, NW, #800, Washington, DC 20036) by May 2. If you have any questions, please email the National Women's Law Centerat info@nwlc.org. http://dec-sped.org/About_DEC/Whats_New?id=202Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:30:47 GMTSomeone you work with? A person who has inspired you? That special individual who demonstrates what early intervention/early childhood special education is all about? The Division for Early Childhood hopes that you will nominate individuals to receive one of our2013 awards. Each year DEC honors individuals who are making a difference in the lives of young children and their families.Awards arepresented atDEC's International Conference on Young Children with Special Needs andTheir Families.We arepleased to honor individuals who have dedicated their lives to improving outcomes for young children with disabilities and their families. Laurie Dinnebeil is the 2013 Awards Committee Chairperson. To learn more about nominating someone for an award, click here.http://dec-sped.org/About_DEC/Whats_New?id=199Thu, 04 Apr 2013 17:15:54 GMTEach year the IDEA Infant and Toddler Coordinators Association (ITCA) presents awards to deserving families who have been strong advocates for Part C and have made valuable contributions to the Part C system at the state and/or national levels. The awards will be presented at the ITCA Annual Meeting in July during the OSEP Leadership Conference in Washington DC. The deadline for submissions is May 24. Download Nomination Form. http://dec-sped.org/About_DEC/Whats_New?id=197Fri, 01 Feb 2013 04:49:28 GMTDid you miss the session at the 2012 DEC Conference on "GettingPublished in Young Exceptional Children"?If so, you are in luck! You can now watch the sessions held at the DEC Conference in October 2012 related to "Publishing in YEC" and "Reviewing Manuscripts for YEC" in DEC's YouTube channel. Click on the links above to watch the videos. Feel free to write in your comments, questions, or ideas!http://dec-sped.org/About_DEC/Whats_New?id=188Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:55:18 GMTAnnual Federal Policy Update, presented by Sharon Walsh - DEC Governmental Relations Consultant. Click here to view this presentation.http://dec-sped.org/About_DEC/Whats_New?id=166Wed, 16 May 2012 18:03:20 GMTToday, the U.S. Department of Education issued a publication that outlines principles for educators, parents and other stakeholders to consider when developing or refining policies and procedures to support positive behavioral interventions and avoid the use of restraint and seclusion. The goal of this resource document is to help ensure that schools are safe and healthy environments where all students can learn, develop and participate in instructional programs that promote high levels of academic achievement. For the full story and access to the document, click here.http://dec-sped.org/About_DEC/Whats_New?id=152Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:44:31 GMTDepartment Announces New Effort to Strengthen Accountability for Students with Disabilities Moving from Compliance-Focused Approach to One Driven by Results March 2, 2012 Contact: Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov Today, the Department of Education announced new steps to help close the achievement gap for students with disabilities by moving away from a one-size-fits-all, compliance-focused approach to a more balanced system that looks at how well students are being educated in addition to continued efforts to protect their rights. While the Department has effectively ensured access to educational resources for students with disabilities, not enough attention has been paid to educational outcomes, which have not sufficiently improved. This is partly due to the fact that federal policy has focused more on procedural requirements and not enough on critical indicators like increasing academic performance or graduation rates for students with disabilities. "For too long we've been a compliance-driven bureaucracy when it comes to educating students with disabilities," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "We have to expect the very best from our students—and tell the truth about student performance—so that we can give all students the supports and services they need. The best way to do that is by focusing on results," Duncan said. Throughout the coming year, the Department will work closely with stakeholders to develop and implement a new review system that takes a more balanced, results-driven approach to assessing how states are educating students with disabilities and better targets monitoring to where it's needed most. Since the current process of conducting on-site state compliance reviews has not focused enough on improving student outcomes, the Department will not be carrying out the visits scheduled for the 2012-13 school year to allow it time to develop a new and more effective system. However, the Department will continue to review annual performance reports as well as monitor state supervision systems. For more information about the work of the Department's Office of Special Education Programs, see http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/index.html http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/department-announces-new-effort-strengthen-accountability-students-disabilities http://dec-sped.org/About_DEC/Whats_New?id=142Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:31:32 GMTClick here to visit DEC's Facebook page and connect with students, colleagues, and other organizations in Early Childhood. People are saying things like this: "Excited for the conference!!! It is an great way to meet new people, connect with old friends and learn new things in practice and research!!!" And this: "Registered...looking forward to catching up with colleagues and the entire conference experience in general. It is a fantastic way to network as well as to gain new insights and perspectives from the field."http://dec-sped.org/About_DEC/Whats_New?id=83