ECTA Center

OSEP Fast Facts: Children Receiving Services Under IDEA in the Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States explores IDEA Section 618 data. This issue takes a closer look at data on children served in Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. Here are the highlights: - There has been more than a 20% decrease in the number of school-aged students with disabilities and a more than a 51% decrease in the number of early childhood students with disabilities in the Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States from School Year (SY) 2015-16 to SY 2022-23. - The American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, the Northern Marianas Islands, Puerto Rico and the Republic of the Marshall Islands serve more students inside the regular classroom 80% or more of the day, compared to the United States, Outlying Areas, and Freely Associated States overall. The Federated States of Micronesia, Puerto Rico and the Republic of Palau have larger percentages of students with disabilities dropping out than the United States, Outlying Areas, and Freely Associated States overall. - With the exception of Guam, all the other Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States have a lower percentage of certified teachers or qualified paraprofessionals serving children or students with disabilities than the United States, Outlying Areas, and Freely Associated States overall. - There has been more than a 30% decrease in the number of infants and toddlers, ages 0-2, served under IDEA, Part C, in the Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States between 2015 and 2022. https://lnkd.in/ePC5P9F5

ECTA Center eNotes for October 18, 2024 are available. In this issue: - Webinar Recordings Available on Safeguarding Privacy and Preparing Your APR - NASLEE Recruiting State Leaders for Cohort - Inform Education and Training for Providers of Young Children - Accessible Educational Materials and Assistive Technologies in Early Childhood Education: What, Why, and How - GAO Report on Child Care Accessibility Recommends Coordination - Early Childhood Workforce Index 2024 Available - An Early Start to Self-Regulation: Evaluating the Effects of an Early Childhood Self-Regulation Intervention on Educator Beliefs, Knowledge, and Practice https://lnkd.in/g_nmEGVF

ECTA Center eNotes for September 12, 2024 are available. In this issue: - Long-Time ECTA Director to Retire - Ensuring Access and Positive Outcomes for All Young Children: Using Data to Understand and Eliminate the Use of Exclusionary Discipline Practices - Part C Infant and Toddler Program Federal Appropriations and National Child Count 1987-2023 - Part B, Section 619 Preschool Program Federal Appropriations and National Child Count 1977-2023 - Biden-Harris Administration Awards Over $558 Million to Improve Maternal Health, including $440 Million to Support Pregnant and New Moms, Infants, and Children through Voluntary Home Visiting Programs Proven to Improve Maternal and Child Health, Child Development, and School Readiness - A Practical Guide for State Teams to Increase Inclusion in Early Childhood Programs - The Long-Lasting Benefits of Prekindergarten Education on Autistic Children's Working Memory Development https://lnkd.in/enDqT4TF

3 PM EDT TODAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2024 -- Interagency Partnerships So All Infants And Toddlers With Disabilities Get The Services They Need To Thrive --- Please join U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs Director Valerie Williams for the webinar Interagency Partnerships So All Infants And Toddlers With Disabilities Get The Services They Need To Thrive. The webinar will highlight how federal, state, and local agencies work together to support infants and toddlers with disabilities’ growth and development. Representatives from federal agencies will highlight the importance of interagency collaboration between the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part C early intervention program and other federal programs serving infants and toddlers and their families. Representatives from state agencies representing the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program and the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention program will share how they have developed partnerships and collaborated to support equitable and comprehensive systems that identify, locate, evaluate, and serve infants and toddlers with delays and disabilities and their families. https://lnkd.in/e9rN69wV

ECTA Center eNotes for August 19, 2024 are available. In this issue: - Joint Dear Colleague Letter on Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) and Part C Programs - Fact Sheet: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Actions to Keep Children and Families Safely Together and Supported - Late Bedtimes and Not Enough Sleep Can Harm Developing Brains - and Poorer Kids are More at Risk https://lnkd.in/e5ZxxH_3

This Joint Dear Colleague Letter on Early Hearing Detection and Intervention and Part C Programs (Aug. 5, 2024) was developed by offices within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S Department of Education (ED) to support increased collaboration between State Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C early intervention programs. The letter: - Highlights the requirements and expectations in federal law that support collaboration between EHDI and IDEA Part C programs. - Emphasizes the importance of data-sharing to support ongoing collaboration between EHDI and IDEA Part C programs to coordinate child find activities, refer children from EHDI to IDEA Part C programs, support timely service delivery, and monitor children’s outcomes. - Provides technical assistance resources to support States in this collaborative work. You can read the full text of the letter on the IDEA website: https://lnkd.in/eUQZAaBQ

ECTA Center eNotes for July 18, 2024 are available. In this issue: - Join the Early Childhood Personnel Solutions Learning Community - A Journey to More Inclusive Classrooms: ECTA's Partnership with Illinois - The Youngest Pandemic Children Are Now in School, and Struggling - Doctoral Dissertation Takes Deep Dive into Dolly Parton's Imagination Library - Collaborative Care Could Help Reduce Disparities in Mental Health Treatment https://lnkd.in/eMwMt-fg

OSEP Fast Facts: Children Identified With Autism (Updated March 2024) Includes: - Percentage of Students with Disabilities Identified with Autism - Disciplinary Removals - Percentage of Students with Disabilities by Gender - Percentage of Students with Disabilities Exiting School - Number of Students with Disabilities by Race and Ethnicity - Percentage of Students with Disabilities by Educational Environment - Percentage of Students with Disabilities by English Language Proficiency https://lnkd.in/eRap3D-e

ECTA Center eNotes for June 17, 2024 are available. In this issue: - Distributed Leadership at ECTA - Equity- and Inclusion-Focused Leadership: Attitudes and Actions - US HRSA allocates $15m to improve maternal health in rural areas - Occupational Therapy Telehealth Toolkit and Infographic - Promoting Mental Health and Well-being in Early Childhood - Green Spaces May Improve Kids' Mental Health https://lnkd.in/exHfChr9

In case you missed this: While personnel shortages negatively impact all young children and their families, there is a disproportionate impact on young children from historically marginalized and underserved communities, including communities of color, those experiencing poverty, and those with disabilities. To address the national crisis of recruiting and retaining teachers serving young children with disabilities, the Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center released a compilation of strategies from across the country for attracting, preparing, and retaining staff who support young children and their families. Learn more: https://go.unc.edu/b7C5R #TeacherRetention #Education #Disabilities