April 5, 2018

Full and Equitable Participation Information and Input Session

Participants: Ben Allen,Julie Cadwallader-Staub, Lori Cassidy,Wendy Cunningham, Ann Dillenbeck, Leslie Freedman, Eddie Gale, Laura Greenwood, Diana Langston, Debbie Lesure, Katie McCarthy, Holly Moriglioni, Janet Murray, Andrea Racek, Melissa Riegel-Garrett, Kate Rogers, Jackie Sprague, and Natalie Whitfield

Question 1 -What needs to be explicit in the Vermont early childhood suspension-expulsion policy?

  • Draw from existing definitions in creating the definitions for this policy (PreK, Head Start, Child Care regulations and guidance)
  • Provide definitions for suspension, expulsion,inclusion, and exclusionary practices
  • Consider Children’s Integrated Services Specialized Child Care policies and recommendations re expulsion and suspension
  • Who are the children/students?
  • Who are the providers – public/private?
  • What type of care is involved (e.g., child care, after care, PreK, etc.)?
  • Include definitions of “soft” or “disguised” suspension and exclusionary practices
  • Address implicit bias and disproportionality
  • Establish purpose: eliminate suspension and expulsion
  • Incorporate information about federal civil rights laws/SPED laws, education funding streams, CCFAP (child care financial assistance program), appeal process, licensing complaint line
  • [Unlike the sample NC policy], clarify the settings to which the policy will apply. Also clarify how it will apply to publicly and privately funded programs.
  • Include consideration of the many disguises for expulsion (e.g., soft expulsion when parents are counselled out)
  • Explicitly include Early MTSS, CSEFEL, Pyramid Model, communication with family, mental health specialists, etc.
  • Get Early MTSS into STARS
  • Will this be an explicit mandate?
  • Include VT Guiding Principles for Inclusion
  • Define “10 hours” in PK partnerships
  • Include Head Start, Early Head Start.
  • Does a licensed child care center that is NOT a partner (ACT 166) required to report suspension/expulsion?

*How can we align with established systems (AOE/Head Start/School Districts)?

*Policies and paperwork for systems

*CIRS (Sepd Director reports)

  • How can the policy be presented as building capacity so centers don’t feel that their program would be perceived negatively?
  • Use explicit and intentional language like “should consider” “recommend” “will adopt”
  • Use language that explicitly promotes positive, evidence-based practices (e.g., “promoting the full participation of each and every child” instead of negative outcomes (e.g., suspension, expulsion)

Documentation (prevention in program): child who receives support in one setting is successful and also attends another setting-policy about support following the child. Admission policies, prevent exclusion from the start.

Individualized planning

Seeking consultation “research based”

Seeking additional resources

Honoring IEP and IFSP

Question 2 How can the guidance be used to support full and equitable participation?

WHO are the audiences to which this policy will be relevant? (NOTE: This is a terrific list to which to disseminate information about the policy when it is available.)

Public schools

Public/private partnerships

Home-based and center-based child care

SPCC

Afterschool

Head Start/Early Head Start

CIS

Child care

Licensors

Superintendents

Principals

School boards

Parents and families

Regional BBF

Coordinators

VAEYC/DEC

Teacher Unions

Preservice

IHE programs and students

Practicum field placements

Health professionals and programs

Mental health professionals and programs

VDH

DMH

DCF

Pediatricians

Parent Advocacy Programs

Maternal Child Health (MCH)

VCSEA

VICC

School districts

Infant-K

Community advocates

Family supports

Vermont Family Network

Visiting Nurses Association (VNA)

ReachUp

21C Coordinators

Private providers, including family providers

System-building groups (e.g., STARS committee, PreK interagency, etc.)

Superintendents Association

Home visitors

Social workers

Vermont Birth-5

WHAT needs to be put in place for the policy to be fully implemented and effective?

  • How do you enable and support?
  • How do you enforce/hold accountable?
  • Establish a timeline (include wide-range of stakeholders)
  • Developmentally appropriate for age range
  • PD about child development and knowing each child
  • Structures and supports for changing adult behavior.
  • Money and professional development (research based, to a set of standards, ongoing sustainability plan)
  • Coaching
  • Monitoring of training (receipt of knowledge)
  • Video training (a la VT licensing video?) added to? In addition to?
  • Clear and informative materials TOOLBOX
  • Documents online and hard copies
  • A handbook and a one pager
  • Videos, clear timelines, modules, clarity of where information lives
  • Keep it simple and clear
  • Survey what people need (phone outreach survey monkey, feedback on drafts)
  • Get buy-in
  • Target cultural change-suspension/expulsion is and adult behavior/adults set the tone.

How could the policy be used?

  • FREE statewide training-ongoing Higher Ed trainings
  • Course alignment
  • Professional development through coaching and mentoring, intentional and wise spread dissemination, starting point network.
  • Trainings, coaching, monitoring, “Who you gonna call?”
  • Defining terms that are unknown or “fuzzy,” evidence practices, using language for each specific audience

Question 3: What else is needed to reduce the suspension and expulsion of young children?

  • Keep the child in mind
  • Emphasize the consequences of expelling and suspending children in early childhood settings. Long term harm.
  • Incorporate consideration of culture in the discussion about suspension and expulsion
  • Make a list or inventory of who is going out to visit programs and use them as the structure that we already have that go directly to teachers and providers in their settings.
  • People in the classrooms don’t feel that they are going to be put in a negative light. Help people understand that importance of the data instead of straying people away from reporting.
  • Coaching method for teachers who need support.
  • We need research and real stories demonstrating the impact of suspension and expulsion.
  • Remember
  • It’s about the adults.
  • Coaching/training – positive approaches
  • See Walter Gilliam – suspension and expulsion rates; he followed up with a practice based coaching model and achieved great and positive changes
  • VT Early MTSS data supports efforts over the last eleven years that can be achieved through coaching