#INspirEDearly
January 2020, Volume 11
Happy New Year
IDOE’s Early Learning Staff wishes you and those closest to you a great and successful new year! We look forward to continuing to support early childhood educators and schools in Indiana!
Welcome
Please feel free to share this newsletter with your network and colleagues!
New Resources from IDOE
Early Learning Foundations Guidance Online Tool
Opportunity: Early Learning Foundations Guidance
Participation Requirements:
- Degree in Early Childhood, Child Development, or related field, or at least five years of experience working in an Early Childhood Education Program.
- Willingness to commit to joining meetings virtually or in-person (scheduled based on the majority of the group's availability) once per month from February - May 2020.
- Willingness to provide thoughts and suggestions on how to improve and expand the tool.
- Willingness to review and provide comments on documents via Google Docs or other technology outside of workgroup meetings.
If this is something you are interested in, please send an email along with your resume to Early Learning Specialist, Krystal Robinson, at krobinson2@doe.in.gov.
Opportunity: Community of Practice for Indiana Administrators
Funding Opportunity: Quality Counts Indiana Charter School Program Grant
Did you know that the Quality Counts Charter School Program Grant can be used to open or expand a pre-k program, as long as one K-12 grade is included within the charter school? The Indiana Department of Education is pleased to announce the release of the Cohort Four Charter School Program Request for Proposals. Please click here and navigate to the Cohort Four drop-down menu for materials.
Applications are due July 31, 2020 at 12:30 p.m.
Are You Eligible to Become an On My Way Pre-K Provider?
Check out this resource to determine if you meet the current requirements. Providers from all counties became eligible to apply on July 1. Pre-K Coordinators or School Administrators can contact Pre-K Expansion Specialist, Sarah Parks-Reese, for additional support.
ISPROUT Updates
The ISPROUT webpage and FAQ document were updated over the winter break.
Do you have new students? Remember students are to be assessed with ISPROUT within six weeks of their enrollment. If you have questions regarding when students should be assessed, please review the ISPROUT FAQ or contact Felecia Jordan (fjordan1@doe.in.gov). If you work with 5 year old students with IEPs and have not been trained on administering ISPROUT, please contact your district or coop trainer. You will want to be prepared for the exit assessment. If you need training assistance you can register on the ISPROUT website or contact Felecia Jordan.
Are you looking for a tool to monitor student progress and don’t have students with an IEP? You can request information regarding adding ISPROUT to your program. Here is the link to the informational webinar. Click here to register to be included on the distribution of additional information regarding cost and training opportunities.
From Our Partners
Funding Opportunity: ISDH Indiana Lactation Spaces Grant
The purpose of the Indiana Lactation Spaces grant is to provide Early Childcare and Education (ECE) settings, exclusively for licensed centers and registered ministries, with funds to improve breastfeeding access to support employees and nursing mothers. The goal with this funding stream is to create or improve comfortable spaces through which breastfeeding can be made more attainable, desirable, and normalized.
Funding requests should demonstrate the ability to promote health in the workplace, and already have a desired location to create or enhance a lactation space. This grant will fund initiatives from March 1st, 2020 to September 30th, 2020. The application is due February 3rd, 2020 by 5PM. If you have any questions, please direct them to Penelope Friday at prfriday@isdh.in.gov. For more information, please see the ISDH Grants and Resources Page.
SPARK Learning Lab
As the new statewide technical assistance (TA) provider for Indiana early childhood education programs, SPARK Learning Lab is dedicated to advancing the quality of Indiana programs. SPARK Learning Lab will do this through a unique blend of utilizing their sophisticated, self-guided assessment tool and tiered-level coaching resources based on the needs and services for each individual early childhood education program.
Stay in the know on all things SPARK! They are on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You're also invited to sign up for their newsletter to be the first to hear any updates and news.
One (of many) exciting features for SPARK are the Regional Advisory Councils. Representatives have been selected in each service delivery area to provide feedback on our technical assistance approach. You can view the meeting minutes from last quarter and stay tuned for upcoming meetings next month!
CDA Renewal Amnesty
The T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship facilitated by Indiana AEYC will also support qualifying individuals in their renewals. More information about the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship and information on how to apply can be found here.
Study Participation Opportunity: Indiana University
There is a significant body of research connecting high family expectations for older children with disabilities with positive outcomes such as employment, post-secondary education, and independent living, but there is very little research on expectations in families of young children with disabilities.
Foundations Guidance in Action
Foundation Topic: SC3.1 - Demonstrate awareness of life
Powerful Practice: "Bring natural materials into the environment that are safe for children to examine."
This is a picture of one section of the Science Center in a classroom at Golden Bear Preschool in Shelbyville, Indiana. This center features a number of exploratory tools and natural materials for children to engage with!
Want to share a way that you've been implementing a strategy from the Foundations Guidance with colleagues? Submit your pictures along with the Foundation and strategy to Early Learning Specialist, Krystal Robinson!
Spotlight From the Field
Kelly Duncan
Kelly Duncan grew up in the small town of Salem in Southern Indiana with her parents and two older siblings. She watched her mother, Pam, who was and still is a first-grade teacher give so much to her students and knew that was the path she wanted to follow.
Kelly holds a Bachelor's Degree from Purdue University in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. She then received her Master's Degree from Ball State University in Deaf Education and Early Childhood Special Education. She has worked with Warsaw Community Schools since 2001 as a Preschool Special Education Teacher. She appreciates the opportunity to work with a great team including the evaluation team, preschool teachers, speech/language pathologists, school psychologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and a mental health therapist to help meet the needs of students in the Warsaw community.
Kelly's colleague says of her:
"Kelly Duncan is a true teacher leader in our district. She provides leadership to our preschool team, but also to the general education preschool teachers in our community. Parents value Kelly's leadership and guidance as families begin their school journey with their child with a disability. Kelly has been instrumental in helping to build the preschool program at Warsaw Community Schools to what it is today! She continues to serve her students with enthusiasm each day and is always looking for ways to improve our inclusionary practices!"
Thank you for everything you do for young children and their families, Kelly!
Nominate Your Colleague!
Resources We Love
Ready DLL Mobile App
The Family Connection of St. Joseph County
of the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County) has a list of resources created that may be helpful to early educators and programs including printable resources for your classroom!
Professional Development
New PD through the Preschool Development Grant
With the support of the Indiana Preschool Development Grant (PDG), Early Learning Indiana created asynchronous, online training modules designed for mid-career and experienced early childhood professionals. For more information, see this link!
Second Annual Educating the Whole Child Summit
Registration for Indiana's Second Annual Educating the Whole Child Summit is live and can be found here. Please note that if you are having one person register a group of people for your district, they will have to submit separate registrations by leaving and re-entering registration.
Highlights from just a few of the keynote speakers:
Blocks of rooms have been secured at the Marriott East for $129/night. For your planning purposes, please know each day will begin with breakfast/registration beginning at 7:30.
Day 1, February 19, will begin with a speaker at 9:00 a.m. and Day 2, February 20, will begin at 8:30 a.m. Both days will end at 4:00 p.m.
Questions should be directed to Kristine Eaton at kbeaton@iu.edu.
Wednesday, Feb 19, 2020, 09:00 AM
Indianapolis Marriott East, East 21st Street, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Engage With Us
Sarah Parks-Reese
Email: sparksreese1@doe.in.gov
Website: www.doe.in.gov/earlylearning
Location: 115 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Phone: 317-234-5719
Twitter: @sarahlee218
Krystal Robinson
Email: krobinson2@doe.in.gov
Website: www.doe.in.gov/earlylearning
Location: 115 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Phone: 317-232-0510