IEP Goal Areas

At our state network meeting on Friday, we were asked to use the Preschool Iowa Early Learning Standards  to crosswalk the appropriate IEP goal domains.  This activity was in preparation for some of the IEP changes that will be occurring next year.  It should help clarify that the IELS for Social Emotional development aligns with the Behavior Goal Domain, while the Academic Goal Domain addresses Reading, Writing and Math.  Sounds like there will be drop down menus to make sure we link the goal to the general curriculum and identify accurate standards and benchmarks.  More coming on this in the fall...

Response to Intervention: Assessment Work Group Early Childhood

You may get questions from district preschool teachers or building reps about a survey that will be launched very soon.  The survey will be sent to Early Childhood Special Education, Statewide Voluntary Preschools and Shared Vision Programs in our districts. The survey will be asking about EARLY LITERACY assessments that are administered to children (ages 3-5) for the purpose of UNIVERSAL SCREENING and PROGRESS MONITORING. 

Recommended tools and more information about the Response to Intervention at the preschool level will follow. 

Department meetings for 2012-13

I have scheduled our department meetings for next year, simply because the meeting rooms fill up so fast in Pocahontas.  Here are the dates:

Monday, Aug. 27
Monday, Oct. 15
Friday, Dec. 7
Friday, Jan. 18
Friday, Mar. 15
Monday, May 13

The agency is also considering/planning some joint department professional development on technology.  Save the following dates: 
Friday, Sept. 21
Friday, Nov. 9
Friday, Feb. 15
Friday, April 5. 

Thus the reason a dept. meeting isn't scheduled in those months.  It is likely that you'd choose 2 of the 4 days for technology learning, final plans are in process.

Early ACCESS service coordinator

You have probably noticed the job posting for 2 FTE Early ACCESS service coordinators! This is exciting news...

Carrie Calhoon was hired this year as an EA service coordinator and it has went very well! She is now serving 30 families and has had time to really focus on family needs and priorities and has done a great job learning the paperwork as well.

Please be open minded about the possibilities that can happen with these added positions. I know our administration is being very supportive of the importance of early childhood. Their thinking is a service coordinator position frees up our ECSE staff to do just what they were hired to do "teach" and improve outcomes for children.

ECO training and Trauma Mental Health training

Several people were interested in attending training this summer, others would like the information but were not able to make the training dates work in their schedule. Here is a list of those attending so that you will be able to get the information.

June 12 - 2nd Annual Psychological Trauma & Juvenile Justice: Impact on Mind, Body, Behavior and Communtiy -Current Research and Practice Trends
Attending: Nicole, Cheryl, Melissa, Lynn Beisch, Randi, Gale and myself

June 13 - ECO NECTAC training
Attending: Nicole, Lynn Beisch, Randi, Gale and myself ( Becky Coffelt?)

Perhaps we can talk about possible car pooling and motels at our dept. meeting. Did I miss anyone?

PBIS training

I've attached a chart with the PBIS modules that have been offered. Will you please complete that information and return to me by Friday, April 13. If you have not attended training and are interested in a certain module, please let me know.