GSRP Early Childhood Specialist (ECS) Meeting

Wednesday, June 1, 2016 Oakland Schools / 9 AM – 11 AM

AGENDA

  1. Introductions/ Norms
  1. PD
  2. Distinction between (2) Streams of Training:(see handout)
  3. Stream 1- Foundational HighScopeCurriculum Training (Wheel Diagram)

Oakland Schools has specific requirements for GSRP foundational curriculum training to strengthen fidelity of implementation of the curriculum. For foundational curriculum training, Oakland Schools (OS) requires comprehensive, systematic curriculum training for GSRP program staff as outlined in the OS Early Learning Professional Learning Wheel.A certified Trainer of Trainer (TOT) must deliver foundational training.

Stream 2-Early Childhood Professional Learning (Triangle Diagram)

  1. MDE requires professional development including curriculum training for every GSRP program staff. Professional development can be from multiple sources (for example the HighScope conference and the regional resource center). Curriculum training can meet professional development requirements.

Circle figure is mandatory and will be a focus next year. Is there guidance from OS to use funds toward PD? Yes- this is a good place to partner with Tammy. . . .to help prioritize spending and offer guidance. Chris will help ECSs next year with this guidance (PD planning for teachers). You should encourage all teachers to keep their training certificates on file. ECSs do not have to pay to come to OS sponsored training.

  1. Newest PD Booklet for Summer (see handout)

Notice that there are some fall/winter trainings also included in this resource (sneak preview). ECSs should be aware that some teachers may not have this resource and can share if needed.

  1. PQA
  2. Form A baseline / end of year that is 3.25 or lower

Mary Pirkola shared her insight on working with classrooms- all of the programs were open to support. The focus was strength-based and helped resurrect the struggles they were experiencing.

  1. Reliability recertification – keep track of your renewal date
  2. Hard Copies of data-turn in to us (leave in the cart- Gerri will continue to have the cartby her cube). ECSs can have the hard materials back in the fall if needed.All digital items should be deletedIf you want anything digitally saved, email it to Gerri and she will file it for you.
  1. Resources
  2. ECS Webinar

You will be able to access all webinars and associated resources at Select GSRP, Trainings/Webinars. Registration for future webinars will also be available on this page.(see handouts)

  1. Return checked out materials (recorders, iPads, etc.)by June 30th
  2. Remind teachers to return items from the library as well(You can return for teachers)
  1. Office matters / Contractor needs
  2. New visitor badging system-must pre-register
  3. Other contract info will be shared by Joan(There are still a lot of “I don’t knows” but we are keeping ECSs best interest in mind).
  4. Audit
  5. Nothing from the state as of 5/20
  6. School year of 2021 will be the next time we are visited
  7. Compliance plans signatures needed-Tammy(ECSs should be aware of compliance plans when helping teachers plan their PD for the year)
  8. GSRP Food Issues and Quantity requirements
  9. New CACFP Guidelines-Tammy (see handout)
  10. You can use this to score the PQA
  11. Every program must follow this as of October 2017
  12. Licensing requires that CACFP guidelines are followed

There is greater focus on limiting the amount of sugar. (*unflavored whole milk). Concentration on the training around these changes first- implementation expected by 10/2017. Let Chris know if there are any programs that have partnered with food service staff around providing more nutritious meals and it worked out well- they will be considered to provide a PD session at our OS Election Day Training.

  1. Data
  2. Data Meetings/Local Advisory Meetings-Krista and Tammy
  3. Updated Data Analysis cycle (see handout)
  4. This has 3 changes from 15-16:
  5. Initial orientation prior to the start of school to support parents
  6. Optional mid-year parent advisory meeting to support the continuation of parent advisory work
  7. The end of year data analysis meeting comes before the end of year parent advisory meeting
  8. Feedback on recent meetings

Relook at COR dates and how to use COR data for EOY Data Meetings- once the program ends, it is difficult to get parents/teachers to come back to participate in a data meeting. Guidance is needed around “intermediate” rather than “long-term” goals (and mini-action steps that can be completed in the interim). Add tasks for after the data meetings to the “persons responsible” table (i.e. who is responsible for the actions and for monitoring the action steps?). Provide direction to directors/programs and how to seek input and then invite representation at the data meetings when there are multiple site locations (while still keeping the live data meeting composition at a minimum “6-8 persons”). Clarification on what types of policies programs can identify as needing (based on a data discussion) and examples of what programs can develop (outside of what is mandated). Use “guidance” instead of “policy” terminology for greater flexibility on approval processes.

  1. Is there a need for any final data reports from Krista? (School for the Mind and Body and Walled Lake). Already have Lamphere, Berkley, Holly, and Clarenceville on the list . . . reminder on PEACE
  1. Oakland Schools Program Quality Goals
  2. Updates:
  3. Goal 1-OS GSRP will support programs with structuring parent advisory groups where parents have input in decision-making.
  4. Training on Guidance for Programs(coming beginning in August)8/1; 8/3; 8/24 (9:00-12:30)
  5. Goal 2-GSRP will strengthen teachers understanding and implementation of HighScope’s conflict resolution approach to help improve children’s social and emotional skills.
  6. Adding a one-day Level 2 to the CR training
  7. Goal 3- OS-GSRP will promote school and family communication to better understand the cultural and linguistic needs of children and, in turn, sensitively individualize:(Chris and Mary are working on a parents as partners training)

(a) the learning environment (i.e. diversity-related materials); and

(b) interactions/activities across the daily routine (i.e. support for non-English speakers).

  1. Supporting administrators on how to properly identify DLLs (support is coming)
  2. Administrators have a child file resource where they can identify the child’s home language
  3. Learning Environment checklist (see handout)
  1. GSRP PQA EOY summary report (Krista) (seehandout)

Data represents 202 OS GSRP classrooms. Can be used as a backdrop to individual classrooms. Discussion around adequacy of program funding- documenting this accurately. Chris will likely add a component to the Form B training about gathering evidence beyond the “interview” as well as what common documents to explore for evidence on the PQA. Discussion around scoring item IV-E (use of child observation measure). Clarification needed around scoring at a level 5 when determining when teams are “using” a child observation measure- does this mean at 75% completion or just using it even sporadically but at least 2 times a year.?

  1. Celebration at Lydia’s
  2. Possible date is June 23

Send out a meeting wizard:

13th

14th

15th

16th

  1. Questions from the group
  2. Ingrid’s handouts
  3. Valuable information on scoring the PQA using evidence
  1. Today’s PD is
  2. Celebration and Reflection/ Setting Goals for Yourself as an ECS
  1. Future meeting dates and PD topic
  2. Next year’s dates (see handout)