eceap reminders & links – november 2019 · lisa hall is dcyf eceap’s first early learning...
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ECEAP REMINDERS & LINKS – November 2019
ECEAP REMINDERS & LINKS – NOVEMBER 2019
ECEAP REMINDERS & LINKS – November 2019
The Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) is Washington’s pre-kindergarten program that prepares 3- and 4-year-old children from low-income families for success in school and life.
Contents (Ctrl + click to follow the link) Updates ................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Welcome New ECEAP Staff ................................................................................................................................................. 1 Early Learning Facilities Grant Guidelines ........................................................................................................................... 1 ELMS News .......................................................................................................................................................................... 2 ECEAP Steering Committee ................................................................................................................................................. 2 Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program ........................................................................................................................... 2 Teaching Strategies GOLD® ................................................................................................................................................. 2 ECEAP Eligibility for Children Exiting Infant and Toddler Programs .................................................................................... 2
DCYF Training Opportunities and Events ................................................................................................................................ 3
Lead Learn Excel .................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Families Moving Forward .................................................................................................................................................... 3
Other Training Opportunities .................................................................................................................................................. 3
SAVE THE DATE: Pre-K Inclusion Collaboration Team Annual Convening .......................................................................... 3 Haring Center Individualization Internships ....................................................................................................................... 4 Early Achievers Coaching Framework Training ................................................................................................................... 4 Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-3 (ECERS-3) Deep Dive Training ...................................................................... 4 ECERS-3 Reliability Initial Observation Training .................................................................................................................. 4 Cultivate Learning Coach Online Community of Practice ................................................................................................... 4
Resources ................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Equity .................................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Early Childhood Education .................................................................................................................................................. 5 Health .................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Important Dates November 15: Finalize fall checkpoint in GOLD® by Teaching Strategies
November 30: First Mobility Mentoring® assessment due
Questions? Email questions about newsletter topics to [email protected] or your Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Specialist.
For additional information about the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) or the Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF), please visit our Contractor webpages.
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ECEAP REMINDERS & LINKS – November 2019
Updates Welcome New ECEAP Staff
Please join us in welcoming two new DCYF ECEAP staff members: Michelle Johnson is DCYF ECEAP’s first Tribal Specialist. Michelle began her role on October 16 and she is based in Anacortes. She brings exceptional tribal knowledge and expertise to this important role. Her professional experience includes tribal program consulting and elementary school-based social work. She has held multiple positions within her tribe, the Samish Indian Nation, including Head Start teacher and case manager, language preservation and revitalization project manager and Samish Social Services Director. As Social Services Director, she provided Indian Child Welfare, independent living, kinship care, juvenile justice and victims of crime services as well as case management for tribal members. Michelle holds a Master of Social Work, a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development and Psychology and an Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education. In her free time, she enjoys Coast Salish weaving, tribal cultural activities, spending time with family and participating in the tribal canoe journey each summer.
Lisa Hall is DCYF ECEAP’s first Early Learning Facilities (ELF) Specialist. Lisa began her new role on October 1 and she is based in Spokane. Her role involves supporting providers in establishing or expanding facilities for early learning classrooms. This work is connected to the Department of Commerce’s ELF grant and loan program. Lisa brings 15 years of experience to this position working as a child care licensor in eastern Washington. In this role, she assisted providers in the successful construction of six new child care facilities and the renovation of many existing facilities. Prior to becoming a child care licensor, Lisa worked as a general contractor for 20 years throughout the Pacific Northwest and Canada. This position required extensive expertise in interpreting building plans and specifications, participating in bidding, budgeting and project management. As a general contractor, she built strong working relationships with property owners, architects, engineers, regulatory agencies, stakeholders and subcontractors. Lisa holds a master’s degree in counselor education and a bachelor of science in child development. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and her dogs and cats.
Early Learning Facilities Grant Guidelines
The Early Learning Facilities (ELF) grant is a collaboration between the Department of Commerce and DCYF. All grant applications must be submitted electronically through ZoomGrants to the Department of Commerce no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, December 2.
The ELF grant enables ECEAP contractors and childcare providers to expand, remodel, purchase or construct early learning facilities and classrooms. Eligible organizations are:
Family home child care homes
Child care centers
Developers of housing or community facilities
Community and technical colleges
Educational service districts
Local governments
Federally recognized tribes in Washington
Religious affiliated entities
School districts serving kindergarten through 12th-grade students have a different grant track. Applications for school districts will be available during the spring of 2020. Please email questions to [email protected].
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ECEAP REMINDERS & LINKS – November 2019
ELMS News
DCYF released changes to the Early Learning Management System (ELMS) on October 24, including:
The Waiting List now correctly displays previous enrollment in Head Start, EHS or ESIT.
The Enrollment Maintenance report now displays a “Total” row, totaling information for all classes at the top and bottom of the report.
The following reports now include the children who are 2-year-olds on August 31: o Monitoring Dashboard Report o Child Demographics Report o Enrollment Count Report
The Site List - ECEAP report now displays your staff training on dual language learners.
On Child Search, the “Has Follow-up Alerts” filter works again.
ELMS has a new Monitoring tab available to some contractor-level staff. We’ve released enrollment information there. More features will be added in the coming months.
For assistance, email [email protected].
ECEAP Steering Committee
This Steering Committee is a group of eight ECEAP directors who represent their region, advocates, ECEAP family members, tribal and community partners. This group provides input to DCYF on policy, procedures and more. The group is also a sounding board and resource for other ECEAP directors. Monthly conference calls begin in November. These calls replace the ECEAP director monthly check-in calls. Learn more about ECEAP Steering Committee Goals and see the current volunteers and the contractors they represent on the ECEAP Steering Committee Roster.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
Each year, teachers and public servants apply for the Department of Education’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. This program is intended to forgive remaining federal student loan debt after 10 years of qualifying payments. Governor Inslee recently shared a message about news reports indicating the U. S. Department of Education has denied 99 percent of applications for loan forgiveness under this program. Washingtonians who have experienced trouble with public service loan forgiveness, including denial of loan forgiveness, difficulty getting information from your student loan servicer or problems enrolling in the program are welcome to submit a complaint to the Washington State Attorney General’s Office.
ECEAP Eligibility for Children Exiting Infant and Toddler Programs
The 2019 Legislature changed ECEAP eligibility so that children who were in ESIT or Early Head Start are eligible to start ECEAP mid-year on or after their third birthday if space is available. These children and families are eligible up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) without an additional risk factor, above 200 percent of FPL with another risk factor or with an Individual Education Plan (IEP). The ELMS will manage these eligibility requirements that are slightly different than those for older children.
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ECEAP REMINDERS & LINKS – November 2019
Teaching Strategies GOLD®
Fall Checkpoint Teachers must finalize the Fall Checkpoint ratings in GOLD® by November 15 for each child who attended class for a minimum of three weeks prior to the checkpoint (October 25). Ensure ratings are done before exiting children in ELMS because this causes their record to automatically archive in GOLD®.
Teaching Strategies GOLD® Assistance
Free GOLD® webinars about Fall Checkpoints are available for teachers and administrators. Use your GOLD® account to access these and other webinars.
For simple issues, such as logins and general teacher questions, call the dedicated GOLD® phone line for ECEAP at 844-854-4653.
Email [email protected] with GOLD® issues or requests for additional portfolios. Include details such as ELMS child IDs, teacher names and class names. You may include [email protected] as an email recipient for additional support.
DCYF Training Opportunities and Events Lead Learn Excel
DCYF and the Ounce of Prevention Fund continue to partner in the implementation of Lead Learn Excel (LLE). This program supports continuous quality improvement in early childhood education settings. To learn more watch an informational webinar about LLE. Cohort 2 is based in Spokane and runs from October 2019 through June 2020.
Please complete this brief application if you are interested in participating with Cohort 3 in Olympia beginning January 2020. Applications for this cohort are accepted based on availability until December 15.
Families Moving Forward
Families Moving Forward parenting curriculum helps parents of preschoolers understand their importance in strengthening their child's executive function skills (e.g. working memory, self-regulation, mental flexibly, etc.). Research shows that this critical stage in brain development can be supported in a range of ways by parents. This is a train-the-trainer model workshop. Participants will gain knowledge and receive materials to teach this six-week parenting course.
November 13, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Yakima.
Other Training Opportunities SAVE THE DATE: Pre-K Inclusion Collaboration Team Annual Convening
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and DCYF are convening the second annual volunteer Pre-K Inclusion Collaboration Team (PICT) meeting. This team will assist in the initial development, promotion and implementation of a new Washington State Pre-K Inclusion Policy. Companion resources will also be developed for a Pre-K Inclusion Toolkit. For more information, contact Michael Snow at [email protected].
Western Washington: December 6 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Puget Sound ESD, 800 Oakesdale Ave. SW, Renton, WA 98057
Eastern Washington: December 9 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Northeast Washington ESD 101, Panorama/Bi-County Room, 4202 S. Regal, Spokane, WA 99223
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ECEAP REMINDERS & LINKS – November 2019
Haring Center Individualization Internships
This two-day internship at the University of Washington’s Haring Center is a unique training opportunity for Early Achievers Coaches. The internship focuses on content related to individualization and inclusion of children with different learning and behavioral needs into early learning and care settings. Internships are available January through June 2020. There is no charge to register for this internship. Travel, lodging and per diem costs will be reimbursed.
Partnering with Families
Family-Centered Coaching is a set of strategies that help human service organizations reinvent how they partner with families experiencing poverty. This approach is rooted in an understanding of the institutional forces that prevent families from moving forward. Family-Centered Coaching equips staff with the mindset, tools and skills to work holistically toward financial wellness. Learn more through the Prosperity Agenda training about meeting families where they are.
Early Achievers Coaching Framework Training
Coaches are introduced to the Early Achievers (EA) Coaching Model in this two-day training that highlights guiding principles and the foundations of Practice-Based Coaching. Training participants learn to use specific tools and apply tailored strategies as EA coaches of early childhood educators. Participants are responsible to arrange their own travel, accommodations and meals. November 6-7, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in Vancouver.
Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-3 (ECERS-3) Deep Dive Training
This training will provide a closer look at each item in the ECERS-3 tool. This training is the required pre-requisite for coaches who want to strengthen reliability with the ECERS-3 tool. November 8, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in Vancouver.
ECERS-3 Reliability Initial Observation Training
This training is intended for EA coaches from ECEAP who are seeking reliability in the tool. Coaches must have completed an ECERS-3 Deep Dive Training from UW Cultivate Learning to attend this training. Participants are responsible to arrange their own travel, accommodations and meals. November 19-21, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in Vancouver. Email [email protected] to register.
Cultivate Learning Coach Online Community of Practice
The new series of Webinar Communities of Practice (WCP) for EA coaches and other relationship-based professional development specialists began on September 23. Webinars are the fourth Monday of each month from 3–4:30 p.m. Recorded webinars are available through Coaching Companion. Upcoming webinars are on November 25 and December 16. For more information, email West Keller at [email protected].
Resources Equity
Severe Underestimation of the Racial Wealth Gap in the United States A new article in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science highlights the drastic underestimation by most Americans of racial economic inequality, especially the racial wealth gap. A research team from Yale University examined the extent to which people underestimate the degree of this inequality and the results are alarming. Read the Forbes summary article Five Charts That Will Change The Way You Think About Racial Inequality.
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ECEAP REMINDERS & LINKS – November 2019
American Indian History in K–12 Curricula Historian and Yale University professor Ned Blackhawk explains why it is vital to understand the enslavement of Indigenous peoples as a central part of American history. Professor Blackhawk is a member of the Te-Moak Tribe of the Western Shoshone and he has worked at Yale to build the university’s Native American Cultural Center. He also serves as a faculty coordinator for the Yale Group for the Study of Native America.
How to Work with the Bias in Your Brain Researcher Jennifer Eberhardt’s new book Biased combines storytelling and the science of implicit bias to uncover the roots of bias and the ways to combat its effects on society.
Early Childhood Education
Job Opportunity at Washington STEM
Washington STEM is hiring a senior program officer (SPO) to advance education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for Washington youth. The SPO’s primary responsibility is expanding innovative STEM education statewide with a focus on early learning for children ages eight and under. Find more information about Washington STEM here.
Serve and Return Interactions Young children develop in an environment of relationships. Responsive interactions between children and the people who care for them — also known as serve and return interactions — help children grow and reach their full potential. Harvard University's guide explains what serve and return interactions are, why they're crucial for a child's development and how to participate in them.
School Office of Head Start’s Upcoming Events Visit the Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center to explore and register for upcoming training and technical assistance events.
Health
Washington Health Benefit Exchange 2020 Open Enrollment Washington Health Benefit Exchange announced the locations of 11 full-service enrollment centers available to assist those signing up for health and dental coverage through Washington Healthplanfinder. Open enrollment begins November 1.
Measles, Mumps, Rubella Immunization for Staff and Volunteers DCYF and the Department of Health are collaborating with selected pharmacies across the state to ensure that uninsured early learning staff and volunteers have free access to the MMR vaccine. Read about participating pharmacies, exemption law change FAQs and related DCYF updates. For additional information, please email [email protected] or [email protected].