Chester County Intermediate Unit’s Post

✨ Insights and invaluable discussions at the SEND Conference! 🌟 On May 1st, teachers, SENDCos, educators, leaders, and professionals gathered at the ExCeL London for the Schools and Academies Show, alongside the co-located SEND Conference. 🔑 Key themes that resonated throughout the event included: ✍ Training for Staff: The importance of providing good, meaningful training for staff was emphasised, highlighting its direct impact on student success and wellbeing. 👨👩👧👦Relationships: Understanding the significance of working closely with families and parents/carers was another crucial point of discussion. Collaboration and communication between educators and families are fundamental for student development and progress. Research shows that the best SEND outcomes are from teacher-student relationships. 🔜An emerging theme that gained significant traction was the importance of child development and preparing students for adulthood. 🌱Nurturing Approach: There was a notable shift towards adopting a nurturing approach to children and young people. I completely agree with the philosophy of nurtureuk and Arti Sharma in focusing on child development from an early age, the importance of social, emotional mental health in school. Psychological safety ensures that our classrooms are a safe base. 💗 Dr Anita Devi FRSA CL (GGA) with #TeamADL highlighted that child development must be a focus in education. Staff must be modelling oracy and preparing children and young people for adulthood through conversations and demonstration in life skills. These discussions reiterated the importance of nurturing students, and embedding life skills education and preparation for adulthood in all students' learning journeys, irrespective of SEND. As someone who has taught and lead in SEND colleges and schools, I've long believed in these approaches. Nurturing students and building relationships improve academic outcomes by way of providing a safe space for students. And life skills are the foundation upon which students build their futures, and it's crucial to impress their importance from early years onwards. 🌟The Schools and Academies Show & SEND Conference provided an excellent platform for sharing knowledge, insights, and best practices, ensuring that every student receives the support and education they need to thrive. #education #SEND #schoolsandacademiesshow #SENDconference The Schools & Academies Show iAM Compliant

Early childhood experiences, both inside and outside the classroom, are crucial to the long-term trajectory of children’s lives. But how can educators, administrators, service providers, and policymakers create effective and supportive programs and policies that leverage this powerful window into children’s development for maximum impact? For two decades, MDRC has worked with practitioners and other researchers to develop and study innovations in early childhood education and in other programs, like home visiting, to improve young children’s chances of success. In our latest 50th-anniversary impact case, read more about our collaborations with partners in child care, preschool and Head Start, home visiting, and community-based programs. #mdrc #mdrc50 #education #HeadStart #ECE #preschool #homevisiting #innovation

📣 More evidence about the effectiveness of #CommunitySchools 🎓 The UCLA Center for Community Schooling published a new blog post highlighting the impact of the $4.1 billion California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP), which is working to establish, strengthen, and expand community schools for communities with demonstrated need. 💡 Key Insights from the The Opportunity Institute, which conducted the analysis of the first round of CCSPP applicants. Integrated Student Supports: 78% of schools identified integrated student supports and services as part of their community schools plan, with significant expansions in partnerships and training. Examples included health, mental health, tutoring, nutritional services, and multi-tiered systems of support. Positive School Climates: 86% of schools are committed to creating positive, welcoming, and safe learning environments. Specifically, schools focused on implementing positive behavioral supports, restorative practices, and social-emotional skill development. Community-Based Learning: 40% of CCSPP grantees incorporated community-based learning as a part of their year plan or needs and assets assessment. And 1/3 included expanded partnerships or expanded capacity to offer similar learning opportunties to students. This analysis looked at approximately 450 schools included in the first two rounds of CCSPP grants. I am looking forward to seeing more from these grantees and the next cohort of grantees to be announced later in May 2024. 🔗 Read the full blog post here: https://lnkd.in/ej6ET7bm #CommunitySchools #CCSPP #EducationTransformation #EquityInEducation #CaliforniaEducation

#Specialeducation funding deserves more attention. There's a lot of well-placed priority and progress across many facets of #educationpolicy, but that's one area we would love to see receive more spotlight and solution-finding. Especially given that more students need services, and the costs of those services have increased. https://lnkd.in/gcr6d3NR As practitioners, we need to honor special education funding as part of the whole rather than an approach that treats it as a standalone initiative competing for resources. Who are you learning from? Some of the experts we look to include Tammy Kolbe, Center for Learner Equity (Lauren Morando Rhim, Jennifer Coco), and Sarah Sandelius.

#ParentEngagement #EducationMatters #StudentSuccess #SchoolCommunity #ParentInvolvement #EducationStrategies #SupportLearning #FamilyEngagement #InclusiveEducation #VolunteerInSchools #ParentEducation #CommunicationInEducation #HomeLearning #FosteringSuccess #CommunityPartnerships #EmpowerParents Engaging Parents in Children's Education: Strategies for Success(Part 2) 👉 Encourage Home Learning Activities Schools can provide resources and guidelines for home-based educational activities, encouraging parents to engage with their children's learning. The Center for Public Education found that students who engage in regular educational activities at home perform significantly better in reading and math assessments. 👉 Build Strong School-Community Partnerships Collaboration between schools and community organizations can enhance resources and support for families. Partnering with local businesses, libraries, and nonprofits to offer enriching programs can further engage parents. The Final Verdict Engaging parents in education is a multi-faceted endeavor that requires commitment and creativity from schools. By establishing clear communication, offering educational opportunities, and creating a welcoming environment, schools can foster meaningful parental involvement that supports student success. The positive impact of engaged parents underscores the necessity of integrating these strategies into educational systems worldwide.

#EducationSciencesMDPI open access article: “Moving toward Inclusive Practices for Children and Families: A Preschool’s Journey” by Victoria Damjanovic and Elyse Ledford. Full #openaccess article: https://lnkd.in/gvYZ8SFG #Education #MDPI #EducationSciences

This past school year, our nation’s schools welcomed tens of thousands of recent immigrants. Many of our schools have begun to create a smooth transition for these students and their families. As Bliss Broyard wrote a few days ago in The New York Times: “Schools are an essential lifeline for migrant children: They clothe them, feed them twice a day and keep them safe, in addition to educating them. They’re also a way of grounding the children and their families in the community when everything else – the language, the city, the culture, the people – is brand new.” Moving into this new school year, I believe it’s vital that our schools learn how to forge stronger connections with immigrant families.To build these bridges more effectively, we have to be intentional. My award-winning book, On The Same Team, showcases Families and Educators Together (FET) teams, which propel the implementation of strong school-family partnership practices that spark mutual learning between immigrant families and school staff. Families and Educators Together is centered around a team comprised of underrepresented family members, educators, and school leaders that meet monthly to engage in candid dialogue and team-building activities that forge trust, spark mutual learning, and lead to collaborative action. It’s a family-centered and low-cost approach to creating more equitable and inclusive schools. #students #Newcomers #teachers #family #familia #schools Solution Tree Edutopia - George Lucas Educational Foundation Welcoming America TalkingPoints National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) AASA, The School Superintendents Association Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning NAFSCE (National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement) Institute For Educational Leadership Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) Communities In Schools of New Mexico ASCD https://lnkd.in/gANbM-sw

Featured #PacRim2024 Presentation Who are twice-exceptional students? Dr. Hye-Jin Park & Dr. Lisa Galloway BEAM Project / Ka Pilina Noʻeau Beam Ka Pilina No'eau Wednesday, February 28th, 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM, HST Hawai'i Convention Center, 306B --- Neurodiversity 25-minute Presentation National Association of Gifted Children estimates that approximately 6% of special education students could also be gifted, just as 6% of the total student population is gifted students. However, only 2.8% of students enrolled in gifted and talented programs are students with disabilities nationwide, and only 1.1% of students in gifted education have disabilities in Hawaii (U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 2017-18). It is apparent that twice-exceptional students are under-identified and under-served, so it necessitates awareness training of these students’ characteristics for more inclusive and equitable education. To address the need, we have developed training courses with the U.S. Department of Education funding, which serve educators. Our materials specifically attend to neurodivergent students having potential for high achievement. In this presentation, participants will be introduced to the concept of twice-exceptionality and understand how neurodiversity and giftedness intersect. Then, participants will learn about the characteristics and needs of twice-exceptional students and how to serve twice-exceptional students at school. --- Learning Objectivs: 1. Understand a concept of twice-exceptionality 2. Understand how neurodiversity and giftedness resulting intersect 3. Understand characteristics and needs of twice-exceptional students 4. Understand how twice-exceptional students can be better served at school #TwiceExceptionality #neurodivergent #students #GiftedStudents https://lnkd.in/gSXQjx9b

Hear from our Executive Director Vito J. Borrello about engaging families in education. “It’s not primarily about a newsletter, it’s not primarily about ice cream socials or even parent-teacher conferences, but the act of developing relational trust with families in ways that can support a partnership to the benefit the child.” Check out the Education Week story on 5 Ways to Get Parents More Involved in Schools. #FamilyEngagement https://lnkd.in/e3Y-dEdy

Every movement for educational equity needs to center the voices of dedicated educators on the frontlines. These professionals are essential advocates for their students. Unfortunately, many educators, especially educators of color, face barriers that limit their ability to lead and grow. Providing them with the necessary resources and support can transform their capacity to advocate for students. The EdTrust’s “Communications for Fierce Advocacy” series equips educators of color with the skills to elevate their advocacy efforts. Educators can drive change in their communities by refining their narratives, staying informed on education issues, and engaging with decision-makers. The fight for educational equity demands amplifying the voices of those closest to the pain. Teachers must be empowered with the tools to influence policy and enact change, ensuring every student's experience is valued and supported. #EducationEquity #TeacherAdvocacy #EmpowerEducators