This report summarizes themes that emerged from six listening sessions held in April 2022 with Black and Latine Pre-K teachers, directors, and technical assistance providers. The purpose of the listening sessions was to understand participants' perceptions of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS-3) and to gauge the extent to which…

This document provides a list of recommended existing resources for state Part C and Part B 619 staff and technical assistance (TA) providers to utilize to support evaluation planning for program improvement efforts (including the State Systemic Improvement Plan, SSIP). There are many resources available related to evaluation and evaluation…

About 13 percent of children aged 3 through 21 enrolled in public schools received special education services in school year 2015-16, and about 3 percent of children from birth through age 2 received special education services. Concerns about the difficulties identifying and evaluating children for special education have been raised by the media,…

The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC) Technical Assistance (TA) Model for Long-Term Systems Change (LTSC) is grounded in conceptual frameworks in the literature on systems change and systems thinking. The NECTAC conceptual framework uses a logic model approach to change developed specifically for states' infant and…

As part of the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), states are "required to ensure that highly qualified personnel are recruited, hired, trained and retained to provide special education and related services to children with disabilities" [Section 612(a)(14)(D)]. The purpose of this document…

Technical assistance (TA) has long been a standard, overarching strategy for assisting, states, agencies, family members, and practitioners with building capacity for service and system change initiatives. But, what is meant by the term "technical assistance"? What is known about the technical assistance strategies that are likely to…

Research indicates that state pre-k programs with higher teacher qualification requirements improve children's school readiness so states get the most out of their investment in early education. This 2010 report, authored by Marisa Bueno, Linda Darling-Hammond and Danielle Gonzales, reviewed research on training for pre-k teachers and concluded…

This paper provides an overview of U.S. Department of Education programs authorized and funded under federal law. It includes information as well on the laboratories, centers, and other facilities funded by the Department that provide important resources for education. Each entry, which gives a brief overview of a program or resource, is listed…

Informed Parent Consent is one of the important parent rights in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004). IDEA is the federal special education law. When your child receives special education services, there are times when the school must obtain your written permission before acting. More details are presented in this paper.…

The Kentucky Early Childhood Transition Project (KECTP) was funded in 1992 by the Kentucky Department of Education and later expanded with support from the Kentucky Early Intervention System, to provide training and technical assistance to local communities in the state of Kentucky on effective transitions. KECTP was an outgrowth of Project STEPS,…

Since mid-1999, a bold initiative has been underway in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, to improve the well-being of the youngest members of the greater Cleveland community. A community-wide initiative targeting children from birth through age five and their families was launched in July 1999, and in the following 5 years demonstrated substantial success in…

Since mid-1999, a bold initiative has been underway in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, to improve the well-being of the youngest members of the greater Cleveland community. A community-wide initiative targeting children from birth through age five and their families was launched in July 1999, and in the following 5 years demonstrated substantial success…