Assessing Quality

Inclusion: What Next?

Elena Soukakou

Alicia Westbrook

Amy Grattan

Michelle Ogorek

ICP Updates

Topical Discussions

Mississippi Highlights

Who is in the Room?

Utilizing the Inclusive

Classroom Profile

Mississippi

Early Childhood

Inclusion Center

Supporting Quality Inclusion in

Early Learning Centers

The overarching goal of the Mississippi Early Childhood

Inclusion Center (MECIC) is to meet the needs of early

childhood educators, families, and young children with

disabilities by providing high quality early childhood

inclusion.

• Training

• Technical Assistance

• Family Support

Measuring Quality

• Pre and Post ICP Assessments

• Credential Programs

• MECIC Preschool Credential

• Universal Design for Learning

• DEC Recommended Practices

• DEC/NAEYC Joint Position Statement

• MECIC Infant and Toddler Credential

• DEC Recommended Practices

• DEC/NAEYC Joint Position Statement

• Trainings, Self Directed Learning Assignments, On-site Mentoring, Individualized Plan of Action, Roundtable Discussions = 40-hour credential program

Overall ICP Growth for Three Cohorts (N=83)

Pre-Test Post-Test

Item Mean Std.Error Mean Std. Error

1. Adaptations of space and materials** 4.93 1.67 5.89 1.30

2. Adult involvement in peer interactions**

3.14 1.41 4.19 1.44

3. Adult guidance of freechoice activities** 3.36 1.32 4.14 1.42

4. Conflict Resolution NA NA NA NA

5. Membership** 3.19 1.56 5.0 1.31

6. Relationships between adults and

children**

3.39 1.48 4.17 1.58

7. Support for communication** 2.87 .947 3.69 1.44

8. Adaptations of group activities** 3.72 1.58 4.72 1.62

9. Transitions between activities** 2.23 1.33 3.78 1.88

10. Feedback** 3.08 1.24 4.11 1.46

11. Family-professional partnership** 1.60 1.33 2.46 1.76

12. Monitoring children’s learning* 2.17 1.15 2.46 1.20

Total Score** 3.08 .88 4.03 .90

Note. *=statistical significance at <.05; **=statistical significance at .000

ICP Data

The Story…

Post ICP Scores for 2

Cohorts

• Items 3 & 6 were not significant

• Items 11 & 12 were only

marginally significant

• Updated the credential:

•Re-organized

•Intentional about teaching

specific strategies

•Enhanced Individualized Plan of

Action

Post ICP Scores for 3

Cohorts

• All items significant

• Areas for continued improvement

•Intentional with material support

•Intentional in teaching strategies

for transitions

•Enhanced self-directed learning

assignment and increased

mentoring to promote facilitating

social-communication

Program Planning • Expanded Trainings

• 4-hour professional development

• 2-hour training + 2-hour on-site mentoring

• Expands training into practice

• Promoting a sense of belonging in preschool settings through social interactions

• Facilitating meaningful interactions with all children

• Supporting directors of inclusive learning centers

• Continued Research

• Assess the quality of inclusion practices of centers serving children with disabilities who also receive a child care subsidy

ICP UPDATES

Uses Updates Quality Assessment Single, Pre- post assessments

Continuous Quality

Improvement

Using the ICP to guide effective PD

Research Reliability & Usability of the ICP Training

System; Review of evidence based inclusive

practices; validity of the ICP measure;

usefulness and impact of PD on inclusive

practice.

Training Programs ICP Reliability Training

ICP Train of Trainers

ICP Recertification

ICP Professional Learning

Next Steps

•Research, research and more research

•Capacity Building

•Develop the ICP Training System and PD supports

• National Calls

• Resource Folder

• Trainer Support

Working Together

Thoughts / Ideas / Questions

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