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QRIS 2019: Breakout Sessions

Tuesday, June 25

8:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Pre-Conference Sessions

The pre-conference sessions below required advance registration. Only those already registered for these sessions will be admitted.

105. The Asian Slant: Racial Equity and Early Childhood (Advanced registration required.) A panel of presenters from different states will focus on persons of Asian descent in the United States in general and early child services specifically as it addresses racial equity in three areas: level setting, Asian demographics, and early childhood services and the workforce pipeline. Each panelist will emphasize the dearth of disaggregated data on and understanding of Asian communities across the country, which encourages misperceptions of the Asian population that perpetuate racial social exclusion and stifle intellectual innovations that can overcome data collection and analysis challenges. Presenters: Sumon Chin, Asian Child Care Resource and Referral, Chinese-American Planning Council, Inc.; Marsha Shigeyo Hawley, Ounce of Prevention; Joaniko Kohchi, Adelphi University; Maki Park, Migration Policy Institute Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability; Leadership development Location: Salon 3 106. Meeting Design and Facilitation: MAGIC Skill Building (Advanced registration required.) Meetings....can't live with them, can't live without them! Do you lead meetings with staff, community members, work groups, committee or board members? Do you need to gather input from stakeholders, help groups think through their plans, or want others join in an effort? If so, learn a framework called MAGIC to help you think about, design, and create agendas, inquiries, and processes to successfully engage others. Discover ways to prompt multiple voices, align ideas, and foster agreements with ease. Presenters: Maggie McGlynn, McGlynn Leadership Stakeholder engagement and communications; Leadership development Location: Salon 9 107. Making QRIS Work for the Workforce (Advanced registration required.) Early educators’ skills, knowledge, and well-being are inseparable from the quality of children’s early learning experiences. Thus, solutions that bolster educator preparation, working conditions, and compensation are critical to quality improvement. Discuss the role of QRIS with regard to the status of the workforce and the possibilities and limitations of what QRIS as a system can do to advance these interrelated areas and equity among early educators.

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Presenters: Lea Austin, Center for the Study of Child Care Employment; Bethany Edwards, Center for the Study of Child Care Employment; Caitlin McLean, Center for the Study of Child Care Employment; Marisa Schlieber, Center for the Study of Child Care Employment Workforce/professional development/training; Policy and advocacy Location: Salon 6 108. Using Transformational Coaching to Facilitate and Promote Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) for Early Learning Professionals and Programs (Advanced registration required.) Participants will explore the GROOMER Framework for Change™ model. This systematic and intentional model can be used both with individuals and at a system/program level to facilitate intentional change and promote continuous quality improvement (CQI). Participants will learn the seven GROOMER™ components to effectively facilitate reflection, problem-solving, and documentation to create lasting changes that improve program services and individual practices, and increase positive outcomes for children and families. Presenters: Constant Hine and Robin Levy, Horizons In Learning Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Leadership development Location: Salon 7 109. The Honeycomb and Beyond: Learning to See with a Systems Perspective and Developing Systems to Sustain Quality (Advanced registration required.) Like honeycombs, organizations are complex systems that operate within a larger social system. Without a clear understanding of systems-thinking, we are at a disadvantage and less likely to develop and sustain quality practices over time. Through a simulated game, participants will gain an understanding about the systems that exist within their organization and the interconnectedness of their organization to a larger system. The result will be a new way of thinking that will lead to greater efficiencies. Presenters: Jill Bella and Melissa Casteel, McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at NLU Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Cross-system systems building Location: Salon 4 110. Effective Coaching Tools: Explore the Coaching Competencies Rubric and the Coaching Companion (Advanced registration required.) Cultivate Learning has developed two important tools to support the impact and reach of coaching across systems and settings. Part One of this session will include a demonstration of the Coaching Companion platform and a panel discussion on how it is being used to improve teaching and coaching practices in Washington, Oregon, and California. Part Two of this session will provide an overview of the Coaching Competencies Rubric which was developed to support the assessment and drive the ongoing professional development of coaches, with additional application to higher education contexts. Participants will explore the tool with video examples and analysis and participate in a discussion of the process of collaboratively developing the rubric with coaches and educators. Opportunities to practice using both tools during the session will be provided. Presenters: Soleil Boyd and Leslie Janes, Cultivate Learning Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Workforce/professional development/training Location: Salon 10 111. Early Education Essentials: Illustration of the Organizational Mindsets, Practices, and Processes of Programs Poised for Improvement (Advanced registration required.) Groundbreaking early education research illustrates strong organizational environments and how they empower leaders, teachers, and families to aspire to and realize higher-quality practices and better outcomes for young children. In this session, we’ll review the Early Education Essentials framework and surveys; use leader, staff, and parent voices to

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illustrate strong and weak conditions; and observe video of leaders and staff working side-by-side to create positive, incremental change using survey data and rapid-cycle improvement tools. Presenters: Rebecca Berlin, Maribel Centeno, and Debra Pacchiano, The Ounce of Prevention Fund Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Data Location: Salon 15 112. What’s New in QRIS Research and Evaluation? (Advanced registration required.) This pre-conference session will highlight new research related to QRIS, quality improvement, and system implementation. Presenters will share findings, discuss policy implications, and engage in discussion with participants. Presenters: Sarah Daily, Kelly Maxwell, Brenda Miranda, and Kathryn Tout, Child Trends; Randy Hudgins, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning; Lynda Rhodes, Minnesota Department of Human Services Evaluation and Research; Data Location: Salon 12 113. QRIS 101: An Introduction to Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (Advanced registration required.) This interactive, introductory session is for anyone interested in learning more about QRIS including new state leaders, implementation partners, Head Start grantees and staff, and others. Discussion will focus on emerging research and trends; standards and frameworks; and implementation considerations like monitoring and supporting diverse populations. Opportunities will be offered to connect at different points of the conference to share information, ask questions, and make connections. Presenters: Char Goodreau and Pattie Ryan, National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance QRIS 101 and Revisioning; Cross-system systems building Location: Salon 21 114. Digging Deeper into Family Engagement: Continuing and Extending the Discussions from 2018 Join us as we dive deeper into the topic of family engagement in early care and education classrooms and systems. This session will extend discussions that started in 2018 and provide an opportunity for a more concentrated focus on the innovations that states are implementing, the research that points to promising practices, and the questions and ideas that emerge from our group discussions. Bring your expertise and questions and help us explore this topic together. Presenters: Kim Alleyne, National Center on Parent, Family and Community Engagment; Beth Barrett, Indiana Office of Early Childhood and Out of School Learning; Anita Harvey-Dixon and Mallary Swartz, Ounce of Prevention Fund; Iheoma Iruka, HighScope; Katrina Montaño-White, New Mexico Office of Child Development; Mary Lee Porterfield, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Manica Ramos, ChildTrends Family engagement/family voice; Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability Location: Salon 16 115. State Innovations: Expanding Reach, Impact, and Equity Through Higher Education and State PD System Partnerships (Advanced registration required.) Join the EarlyEdU Alliance as we take a deep dive with state and higher education leaders to find out how they are creating new pathways that align PD with Higher Education and articulate courses across institutions. We will discuss the work Utah, Nebraska, and Massachusetts are doing within and beyond QRIS to increase access to high-quality competency-based courses and relevant degrees for Family Child Care providers, Head Start teachers, tribal students, and rural and first-generation college students. Presenters: Anne Douglass, UMass Boston; Katie Emerson-Hoss and Sarah Perez Hamilton, EarlyEdU Alliance at University of Washington Workforce/professional development/training; Cross-system systems building Location: Salon 13

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116. How to Make Sure the Most Vulnerable Children and Families Benefit from High-Quality Early Childhood Services (Advanced registration required.) The most vulnerable children and families, including those who experience maltreatment, homelessness, and disabilities, face eligibility and access barriers to high-quality ECE programs. This session will: 1) increase participants’ understanding of these populations and the laws and policies designed to protect and prioritize them; 2) provide practical strategies in, resources on, and implementation examples of how to ensure inclusive quality standards and improvement efforts. Significant time to discuss specific challenges and opportunities in participants’ states and communities will be provided. Presenters: Karen Berman and Carie Bires, Ounce of Prevention Fund; Marquinta Thomas, Illinois Action for Children Vulnerable Populations; Cross-system systems building Location: Salon 18 117. Don't Shoot the Messengers - Make Them Effective! (Advanced registration required.) Every interaction that others have with your QRIS is an opportunity to convert them or risk losing them (maybe forever!). Yet many QRIS interactions—how coaches engage providers, how providers talk to families, how advocates convince policymakers—are out of your control. Or are they? Take control of your QRIS communications by crafting the right messages for your audiences and identifying the tools your ambassadors need to be effective. In this collaborative workshop, we’ll put theory into practice so you walk away with a clear game plan for your QRIS communications. Presenters: Laura Bowen and Brittany Hall, VIVA Strategy; Kevin Dieterle, First 5 LA Stakeholder engagement and communications Location: Salon 19 118. Executive Function: Foundation for Success (Advanced registration required.) This interactive session will highlight the latest research on executive function, the brain-based skills of attention and self-control. Executive function is a strong predictor of both academic learning and social-emotional development. It can be measured reliably and validly as young as age 2, and improved in high-quality early childhood education settings. Data and examples from over 7,000 diverse, low-income students will be discussed to demonstrate how executive function can be part of the equation in QRIS. Presenters: Stephanie Carlson, University of Minnesota; Jolene Johnson, University of Nebraska Medical Center Evaluation and Research; Infants and Toddlers Location: Salon 22

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Tuesday, June 25 3:30 – 5:00 PM

Breakout Sessions

201. Evidence-Based Workforce Development System to Improve Teachers' Practices and Ensure Program Quality: Examining the Virtual Lab School Model Explore the Virtual Lab School (VLS), a publicly available resource developed for and successfully used in US military childcare. The VLS offers a comprehensive PD system that targets multiple roles within ECE programs (infant-toddler caregivers, preschool teachers, family childcare providers, coaches, and directors), providing a systemic approach to program quality structured around the coaching partnership. Examine the resources within the VLS that help providers promote children's self and cultural understanding, partner with families, and support language diversity within their programs. Presenters: Marsha Basloe, Child Care Services Association; Cynthia Buettner, Sarah Lang, and Jovanna Owens, Virtual Lab School, Ohio State University Workforce/professional development/training; Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance Location: Salon 3 202. Using a Two Generational Approach: How Miami-Dade County Designed an Equitable Quality Improvement System (QIS). Young children in low-income neighborhoods in Miami-Dade County have limited access to high-quality early learning programs. This presentation focuses on Miami-Dade County's Quality Improvement System redesign. The new system offers an equitable approach to access high-quality early learning programs. Key components of the system and results from the first year of implementation will be shared. Participants are asked to provide feedback on important questions and variables to consider as we plan an evaluation for the newly designed system. This session made possible through the generous support of the WELS Foundation. Presenters: Fiorella Altare-Christie, Early Learning Coalition MIami-Dade/Monroe; Zafreen Jaffrey and Rachel Spector, The Children's Trust Community-based approaches; Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability Location: Salon 4 203. The Positive Power of Peer Pressure: Lessons Learned from Georgia's Peer Support Network Georgia's Peer Support Network (PSN) provides professional development opportunities for child care providers through peer learning. Participants will examine how the PSN is utilized to build QRIS capacity, develop instructional leaders, and promote access to high-quality child care. We will take a deep dive into how director-led networking events contribute to the success of early childhood professionals and guide continuous quality improvement efforts. Results from our internal evaluation will highlight the challenges and benefits of the PSN. This session made possible through the generous support of Branagh Information Group. Presenters: Randy Hudgins and Rachael Lee, Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Leadership development Location: Salon 6 204. Beyond Your Early Childhood Community: Aligning with City, County, and State Governments Early childhood systems are impacted by local, regional, state, and federal policies and practices. These policies and practices contribute to the environment in which children grow up and shape our systems. City, county, and state leaders, along with local early childhood professionals and stakeholders, are connecting programs, services, and funding

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to improve policies and practices. In this session participants will hear from local, county, and state representatives about how they are aligning with local efforts, the successes, challenges, and opportunities. Presenters: Melanie Bronfin, Louisiana Policy Institute for Children; Rashida Brown, National Association of Counties; Nancy Lim, National League of Cities Policy and advocacy; Cross-system systems building Location: Salon 7 205. Advancing Early Childhood Equity in a Red State Learn how to develop an early childhood equity strategy to influence statewide policy that considers your state's political climate, tells a compelling story through disaggregated data and strategic communications, and engages local communities in the equity dialogue. Presenters: Lynanne Gutierrez and Shannon Jones, Groundwork Ohio Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability; Policy and advocacy Location: Salon 9 206. A New CQI Approach to Improve Family Child Care Quality: Erikson Institute Pilot Family Child Care Quality Improvement Collaborative Identifying effective continuous quality improvement strategies for family child care in QRISs has been challenging. This session will focus on Erikson Institute’s Pilot Family Child Care QI Collaborative’s experience with an innovative CQI approach which engages nine teams of staffed family child care networks across the country in a shared effort to improve family child care providers’ support for toddlers in mixed-age groups through frequent technical assistance and peer support. Presenters: Andrea Adrian, Family Child Care Provider Capital District Child Care Coordinating Council; Juliet Bromer, Erikson Institute; Robin Brooks, Bethel Child Care Services, Inc.; Toni Porter, Early Care and Education Consulting; Lidia Saavedra, Children's Council of San Francisco Family Child Care Quality Network Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Infants and toddlers Location: Salon 10 207. Improving Teacher-Child Interactions Across Sectors in Louisiana – State, Local, and Research Insights into the Drivers of Improvement A QRIS aims to support improvement in the quality of children’s early childhood education experiences. But driving improvement in key features of quality, such as the effectiveness of teacher-child interactions, across sectors and at large scale, presents numerous challenges. In this session state and local leaders in Louisiana, in partnerships with university researchers, will present findings on drivers of improvements in teacher-child interactions (as measured by the CLASS) across child care, Head Start, and school-based programs over three years. This session made possible through the generous support of Teachstone.

Presenters: Daphna Bassok and University of Virginia; Nasha Patel, Louisiana Department of Education; Cindy Rushing, Rapides Parish Schools Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Evaluation and research Location: Salon 12 208. Practitioner Powered Continuous Improvement: Systems Change from the Bottom Up and Inside Out While state QRIS approaches typically focus on improvement practice, policy, or procedures at the program level, they can also be embraced and impacted on the ground by infusing practitioner co-design and reflective practice. This session will include an in-depth look at how to infuse quality efforts with practitioner voice and choice for quality improvement from the bottom up and inside out. Piloted, concrete examples and reflective practice strategies/processes using principles of human-centered design for making changes to existing practices/systems will be discussed. This session made possible through the generous support of Mosaic Network.

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Presenters: Drew Giles, Educare California at Silicon Valley; Chris Sciarrino and Sheetal Singh, The Early Learning Lab; Melinda Waller, Santa Clara County Office of Education Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Cross-system systems building Location: Salon 13 209. Going to the Source: Local Voices Driving Family Engagement Maryland, Pennsylvania, and School Readiness Consulting will share successes and lessons learned from meaningfully partnering with families, early childhood professionals, and other local leaders to advance statewide family engagement efforts. Each presenter will describe ways in which the diversity of voices from local communities has informed the ongoing improvement of his or her family engagement approaches. Participants will have opportunities to share their past experiences, stories, and future plans to lift up local perspectives as drivers to authentically partnering with families. Presenters: Lindsey Allard Agnamba, School Readiness Consulting; Sarah Holland, Pennsylvania's Office of Child Development and Early Learning; Cynthia La Marca Lessner, Maryland State Department of Education Family engagement/family voice; Community-based approaches Location: Salon 15 210. Using QRIS Data to Better Serve Children and Families: Examples from States that Link QRIS and Program-Level Data Questions regarding access, quality, and racial equity loom large in the early care and education field. To answer these questions and make policy decisions, states need access to comprehensive data about the availability and quality of ECE programs. In this session, the ECDC and state leaders will facilitate discussions about how states link and use program-level data to answer key policy questions. Participants will leave this session with strategies and resources they can implement in their states. This session made possible through the generous support of Public Consulting Group.

Presenters: Carlise King and Victoria Perkins, Child Trends; Kathryn Pergande, Wisconsin Department of Children and Families; Alejandra Rebolledo Rea, New Mexico Early Childhood Services; Joellyn Whitehead, Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies Data; Cross-system systems building Location: Salon 16 211. Using QRIS to Promote Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity and Potentially Raise Providers' ERS/CLASS Scores This session will provide guidance to state child care administrators and T/TA coaches who wish to strengthen nutrition and physical activity best practices and advance health equity in ECE through QRIS standards, cross-systems collaboration, and common QRIS assessment tools such as CLASS and ECERS/ITERS/FCCERS. Developed Crosswalks linking CLASS and ECERS/ITERS/FCCERS scales seemingly unrelated to movement and mealtimes with mealtime and physical activity practices will be shared along with experiences in Washington State piloting these Crosswalks with QRIS coaches and providers. Presenters: Victoria Bradford, University of Washington Center for Public Health Nutrition; Diane Craft, SUNY Cortland; Blanca Garza, Childcare Aware of Eastern Washington; Nora Geary, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Cross-sector systems building; Workforce/professional development/training Location: Salon 18 212. A Giant Equation That Doesn't Add Up: The Struggle to Find and Afford Infant-and-Toddler Child Care Infant-and-toddler child care is increasingly unaffordable and unavailable. In this session the Center for American Progress will share data from its infant-toddler-specific child care deserts and true cost-of-quality analyses which help

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articulate the problem that many working families are facing. We will hear from two states about how they have used this data to inform their policy development and how it can be used to make the case for increased public investment. Presenters: Simon Workman, Center for American Progress Infants and toddlers; Data Location: Salon 19 213. Engaging Multi-Site Child Care Administrators at the System Level There are more than 7,000 children enrolled in multi-site child care programs in the state of Washington. This represents more than 10% of all licensed child care. These programs face unique challenges that may influence their participation in QRIS. In this session we will discuss a collaboration between Child Care Aware of Washington and KinderCare Education that improved communication and contributed to full participation. Participants will leave with strategies for engaging multi-site providers in their own communities. Presenters: Sandy Maldonado and Marianna Ross, Child Care Aware of Washington; Susan Southerton and Judy Werkheiser, Kinder Care Education Cross-sector systems building; Stakeholder engagement and communications Location: Salon 21 214. Curing the Shameful Epidemic: How Better Language and Literacy Ecosystems Can Advance Equity Nationwide The nation faces a literacy crisis. Advances in brain science over the past two decades have given us a much deeper understanding of how brains are constructed across the continuum, including in regard to how the capacity to read is acquired, from the third trimester in utero through third grade. However, too much of that science has been ignored, resulting not only in a full-blown public health epidemic, but in an inequitable society. In Georgia, we have made great progress in providing a solution, scaling effective intervention in partnership with state government and its QRIS. Presenters: Cori Cain, Rollins Center for Language and Literacy; Melissa Cole, Savannah Technical College; Comer Yates, Atlanta Speech School Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability; Continuous Quality Improvement and Technical Assistance Location: Salon 22 215. Hearing All Voices: Ensuring Active Stakeholder Engagement During QRIS Revision Stakeholder engagement and communication are crucial to effective QRIS implementation. As states, regions, and territories evaluate and revise their QRIS models, it is essential to consider a variety of stakeholder perspectives in addition to a research-based approach. This session includes perspectives from two states discussing the process of engaging stakeholders in their respective QRIS revisions, including a focus on equity and culturally responsive strategies. We will discuss benefits and lessons learned. Presenters: John Fisher-Klein, Delaware's Office of Early Learning; Becky Mercatoris, Pennsylvania's Office of Child Development and Early Learning; Lola Rooney, Early Learning Consultant; Kristy Sheffler, University of Delaware Stakeholder engagement and communications; QRIS 101 and revisioning Location: Salon 24 216. Taking on the Challenge of Change: 12 Years Later, Are We Ready...or Not? In 2007, we asked: "What defines and bounds early care and education as a field of practice?" This still unanswered question has resulted in others increasingly defining the future of early childhood education (ECE). The time is long overdue for examining ECE's defining choices. Join this energizing discussion about unifying and advancing ECE as a field of practice. You will be given tools for exercising leadership so ECE can shift its developmental trajectory, fulfill its potential, and satisfy its obligations to children, families, and society. This session made possible through the generous support of AdvancED. Presenters: Stacie Goffin, Goffin Strategy Group; Valora Washington, Council for Professional Recognition Cross-system systems building; Workforce/professional development/training

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Location: Churchill A1 217. State Indicators of High-Quality Inclusion: Building an Infrastructure to Support Inclusion What should state agencies and federally funded programs do to facilitate inclusive policies and practices by programs in local communities? This session describes an early childhood cross-sector national initiative exploring strategies to address this question. The initiative has identified state-level indicators of inclusion for an effective early care and education system state-level infrastructure. Discussions will include strategies for using the state-level indicators and the identification of potential indicators for local program leaders. Presenters: Harriet Dichter, Child Care State Capacity Building Center (SCBC); Krista Scott, Child Care Aware of America; Kathy Whaley, Early Childhood Systems TA Center (ECTA) Inclusion; Cross-sector systems building Location: Marlborough A 218. Leading for Indigenous Children and Communities: A Conversation with Native American Leaders on Tribal Sovereignty, Equity, and Early Childhood Quality Native American tribal leadership, communities, and families continue to develop and design early childhood programs and services that reflect their deep understanding of indigenous child development, culture, and language and effective authentic support of families. This session examines critical issues embedded in equity, including history, tribal sovereignty, agency of communities, culture, and language. It is designed to expand participants’ understanding of strategies for developing tribal-state leader collaboration and consultation on critical issues relevant to Native American children, families, and communities. Presenters: Candida Hunter, First Things First; Lisa Ojibwa, Infant Toddler Specialist Network-State Capacity Building Center; Patina Park, Mnicoujou Lakota-Cheyenne River and Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center; Aisha Ray, BUILD Initiative Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability; Community-based Approaches Location: Marlborough B 219. Leading for Change: Cultivating Leadership at Multiple Levels in ECE The voices of early educators and systems leaders are critical to quality improvement. Engage in a creative dialogue that expands our thinking about what is possible in ECE, and what it means to lead. Examine your own agency to enact change and explore strategies for developing inclusive and entrepreneurial leadership for ourselves and our work with early educators. Identify strategies for cultivating the leadership needed to ensure an ECE system that is equitable for children, their families, and early educators. Presenters: Lea Austin, Center for the Study of Child Care Employment; Anne Douglass, Institute for Early Education Leadership and Innovation Leadership Development; Workforce/professional development/training Location: Royal 220. Disparate Access: Continued Challenges and New Opportunities to Promote Equitable Access to Quality Child Care Every family, no matter its race, ethnicity, income, or zip code, deserves access to quality child care and early education. This session will highlight CLASP analysis demonstrating major disparities in access to CCDBG-funded child care by race and ethnicity. Panelists will discuss the state policy decisions that may be contributing to racial disparities and variability in access from state to state. Representatives from Illinois and Washington will share how they are advancing racial equity in early childhood programs in their states. Presenters: Rachael Brown-Kendall, Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families; Stephanie Schmit and Rebecca Ullrich, CLASP; Choua Vue, Illinois Action for Children

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Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability; Data Location: Magazine 221. Child Care Licensing: A Key to Quality Child care licensing is an important part of the early care and education system and critical in supporting quality improvement. This session will provide an in-depth look at child care licensing across the United States. Panelists will present findings from the 2017 Child Care Licensing Study (a national study of child care licensing policies, practices, and facility requirements), share a framework for how licensing can support quality, and offer a perspective from a state licensing agency. This session made possible through the generous support of TCC Software Solutions. Presenters: Pattie Ryan, National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance; Kelly Maxwell, Child Trends Cross-system systems building; Policy and advocacy Location: Fulton 222. Family Child Care-Focused Professional Learning: Countering Today's Center-Normative Culture to Achieve Symmetry of Perspective The field of early learning tends to view the profession from a center-centric lens, causing many family child care (FCC) professionals to question the practicality and applicability of professional learning designed from this perspective within the FCC context. Join three panelists as they share their approach to supporting FCC through the professional development they design. Discover how their respective organizations engage with providers so services meet FCC providers' unique needs and participate in discourse on supporting license-exempt care applying cross-systems/sector collaboration. Presenters: Sherry Cleary and Angelica Velazquez, New York City Early Childhood Professional Development Institute; Denise Dowell, Civil Service Employees Union; Tiffany Lee, ParentChild+ Family Child Care Initiative Workforce/professional development/training; Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability Location: Prince of Wales 223. Prioritizing Race Equity and Parent Leadership in Early Childhood Systems Hear about the efforts of The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), together with local EC system leaders, to develop parent leadership via a Parent Leader Network (PLN). Topics will include barriers parents often face in partnering with EC system leaders to promote their children’s healthy development; recently published tools and resources to advance parent leadership at the local and state levels; and the PLN’s work to ensure parents are valued as experts and seen as powerful leaders. Presenters: Cailin O'Connor and Erin Robinson, Center for the Study of Social Policy; Lisa Melara and Deena Smitherman, Boston EC-LINC Community Family engagement/family voice; Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability Location: Jackson 224. Building a Next Generation Professional Development System Learn about disruptive new innovations in building the skills of the diverse early childhood workforce that are deeply focused on equity, dramatically improving the quality of early learning programs at scale statewide, building teacher skills, improving child outcomes, and providing meaningful on-ramps to credentialing and degrees. Participants will be invited to help inform the next generation of the system design and participate in provocative conversations about how to use high-tech and high-touch tools to transform the workforce. Presenters: Raquel Diaz, Valerie Mendez-Farinas, Alex Prinstein, and Abby Thorman University of Florida Workforce/professional development/training; Cross-sector systems building Location: Churchill A2

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Wednesday, June 26 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Breakout Sessions

318. Equitable Opportunity: Authentic Engagement and Early Childhood Systems Development Do you know children, families, programs or services not benefiting from the current design and implementation of state programs and services? What have you done, or might you do, to increase access to opportunity? This interactive two-part session will apply concepts and strategies to identity and connect with those furthest from opportunity, supporting the development of equitable and effective early childhood programs, services, and systems. Participants will gain an understanding of key elements of leadership and strategies for effective engagement and collaboration. Presenters: Sherri Killins Stewart, Aisha Ray, and Michelle Stover Wright, BUILD Initiative Family engagement/family voice; Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability Location: Marlborough B 8:00 – 10:00 AM

Breakout Sessions and Consultations

301. Certified Coaching and Beyond: A Fellowship Approach to Building Internal Leadership Capacity in Early Childhood Programs In this interactive session, certified coaches and Lastinger PD specialists will share field experiences and artifacts to highlight a unique public-private partnership in Hillsborough County, Florida that aims to support directors as change agents who can sustain continuous quality improvement in an early childhood system beyond the life of a specific initiative. Structured protocols and engaging activities will be offered for participants to network, reflect, and create plans for strengthening coach leadership and developing directors’ capacity in their own contexts. Presenters: Valerie Ibarra Mendez and Alexandra Prinstein, Lastinger Center for Learning, University of Florida; Nathalie Laguela, Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County, Florida Leadership development; Workforce/professional development/training Location: Salon 9 302. Data Informed Decision-Making in East St. Louis In this interactive session representatives from the Greater East St. Louis Early Learning Partnership, including parents/families,will discuss their systems alignment and early childhood program systems-change work. The session will focus on the Partnership's recent use of mapped Early Development Instrument data to engage with partners and will involve engaging attendees in discussions of mapped data from East St. Louis and sharing stories of successes, challenges, and lessons learned from incorporating this process into their community systems work. Presenters: Gloria Hicks, Parents United for Change; Janice Moenster, Children's Home and Aid; Sydney Stigge-Kaufman, East St. Louis School District 189; Jaclyn Vasquez, Erikson Cross-sector systems building; Vulnerable populations Location: Salon 3 303. Meeting the Needs of Latino and DLL Children: The Importance of Home Languages Children who are dual language learners (DLLs) are a rapidly growing part of the U.S. population. Historically, DLLs have been misunderstood and, frequently, children and families have been urged to minimize or to give up their home language. This session will review and discuss the large body of research evidence on DLLs and how systems and services

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can be informed in ways that support children's achievement. Data from teacher focus groups conducted by UnidosUS in seven states in 2018 will be included. Presenters: Robert Stechuk, UnidosUS Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability; Policy and advocacy Location: Salon 18 304. More than a Score: Aligning QRIS with Strength-Based Professional Development Effective QRIS is more than merely achieving a quality rating score. The national push is to invest more heavily in improvement rather than ratings. The question we hope to answer in this session is: How can providers engage in ongoing improvements without a clear understanding of what quality looks like in practice? Join us to learn and analyze a new innovative coaching framework that emphasizes strength-based professional development using the Environment Rating Scales. Presenters: Melissa Cole, Child Care Resource and Referral of Southeast Georgia; Ann Hentschel, Branagh Group; Nicole Johnson and Jennifer Sanders, Green Bay Early Childhood Center Workforce/professional development/training; Continuous Quality Improvement and Technical Assistance Location: Salon 6 305. Picking Up The Pieces: Preparing, Supporting, and Restoring Marginalized Communities Before and After Disaster Strikes. Poverty is both a cause and a consequence of disaster risk, whether human-made or natural, and the complex processes that increase disaster risk are grounded in inequality. Extensive research over the past 30 years has demonstrated that low-income communities are particularly vulnerable to disasters and these are disproportionately communities of color. Learn the barriers faced as vulnerable communities anticipate, cope with, and recover from the impact of disaster along with policy implications and solutions for equitable change. Presenters: Lidia Clarke, Pamela Hollingsworth, and Anabel Espinosa, Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe; Andrew Roszak, Institute For Child Preparedness; Sarah Thompson, Save the Children US Policy and advocacy; Vulnerable populations Location: Salon 10 306. Shift Happens: Tools and Strategies for Addressing NAEYC’s New Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators The new NAEYC standards require shifts in how professionals are prepared to address adversity, foster socioemotional development, and work with dual language learners. Professional development programs at all levels will also be required to provide explicit attention to inclusion, diversity, and equity. This session will provide a free, evidence-based model and extensive free resources to assist faculty members, instructors, and professional development programs in making these shifts in terms of what they know, what they teach, and how they teach. Presenters: Camille Catlett, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute-University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Florianna Thompson, Wake Technical Community College Workforce/professional development/training; Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability Location: Salon 16 307. Starting Systems Change: Lessons Learned from Alabama and the Northern Mariana Islands Join us for a “101” on systems thinking and Appreciative Inquiry (AI), processes used for systems change, and to hear about Alabama and Northern Mariana Island’s experiences. Alabama has the nation’s highest Hispanic population growth and has made significant investments in ECE, yet children who are DLL are underserved. AI is being used to bring leaders together. CNMI is using systems thinking to consider the change they want to make from a broader perspective.

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Presenters: Maribel Loste, Northern Mariana Islands CCDF; Kim Means, State Capacity Building Center; Pilar Torres, Fathum Learning Solutions Leadership development; Cross-sector systems building Location: Salon 19 308. Time to Ignite (or Reignite) your SPARK as a Leader! Leadership is energizing...and can be exhausting! Feeling the need for a new mindset, wishing you could bring out the best in yourself and others, or wondering how to better manage your energy to make it through the challenging times ahead? Learn a leadership framework called SPARK, take time to reflect on choices you can make right now, and engage in meaningful dialogue with your colleagues to consider helpful practices. Take time for you, yes you, to renew and refresh! Presenters: Maggie McGlynn, McGlynn Leadership Leadership development; Workforce/professional development/training Location: Salon 7 309. Unlocking the Secrets of Innovative Online Facilitation to Create Impact for Early Learning Teachers: The Lastinger Instructor Credential Certification Program During this interactive session, participants will examine the fundamentals of the Lastinger Instructor Credential certification program through a course participant lens, and effective virtual learning and instruction in these spaces. Through reflective, structured dialogue and practice protocols that can be used in online professional development to facilitate deep learning, develop trust, and create community-building among peers, presenters and participants will provide insights into lessons learned, commonalities of context, and identify viable structures for building local capacity in their context. Presenters: Katie Romero and Tina Sykes, Southwest Human Development; Tiffany Taylor-Jones and Ron Viafore, University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning Workforce/professional development/training; Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance Location: Salon 22 310. Using QRIS to Improve Access, Quality, and Equity in the Denver Preschool Program This session explores the passage of a sales tax to create the Denver Preschool Program (DPP), which is undergirded by Colorado's QRIS. Participants will examine how the DPP uses the QRIS to increase program quality at scale and to improve families' access to quality programs. Participants will discuss political messages used to pass the DPP, the results of a longitudinal evaluation, and how this research is being used to develop university partnerships to strengthen the quality of programs for dual language learners. Presenters: Ellen Braun, Denver Preschool Program; Cristina Gillanders and Diana Schaack, University of Colorado Denver Financing; Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability Location: Salon 13 311. How QRIS Systems Use the CDA to Expand Reach, Enhance Impact, and Advance Equity for Early Childhood Educators For 35 years the Council and its signature Child Development Associate credentials have played a pivotal role in advancing the field of early childhood education for infant-toddler, preschool, family-child-care and home-visitor educators. This session illustrates how three states systemically use the CDA to expand reach, enhance impact, and advance equity. Participants in this session describe why and how they support their workforce and systems development using CDA and their strategies and funding resources to do so.

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Presenters: Todd Barnhouse, Ohio Child Care Resouce and Referral Association; Ola Friday, Massachusetts Associate Commissioner for Workforce Development; Dianna Wallace, Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children; Valora Washington, Council for Professional Recognition Workforce/professional development/training; Policy and advocacy Location: Salon 15 312. A Review of Research and State-Level Practices to Support Family Engagement in Home-Based Child Care Settings Highlighting the most recent research on family engagement (FE), as well as state and home-based child care (HBCC) perspectives, this lively session provides opportunities to learn about FE best practices, and state and HBCC perspectives regarding the integration of research findings into HBCC’s day-to-day work. Opportunities to discuss challenges related to communication, community partnerships, and resource allocation within the FE sections of QRIS will be provided. Presenters: Yolanda Dean, Kreative Kids Daycare; Chrishana M. Lloyd and Manica F. Ramos, Child Trends; Brandi Thacker, Brazelton Touch Point Centers Stakeholder engagement and communications; Family engagement/family voice Location: Salon 12 313. Using Community of Practice Protocols to Advance Peer Learning Across Multiple Sectors This session will explore the use of Communities of Practice (CoP) as a powerful, cost-effective quality improvement tool. A panel will share examples of CoP implementation with various sectors such as family child care, private centers, and embedded coaches. Participants will then take a deeper dive into CoP implementation through a guided CoP experience. Learn how to use protocols to ensure equity of voice and participation, and to scaffold emerging leaders in a self- driven, evolving CoP model. Presenters: Chris Becerra and Krista Murphy, Orange County Department of Education; Heather Hernandez, First 5 Riverside; Rebecca Jarquin, WestEd; Dalenna Ruelas Hughes, First 5 Santa Clara County Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Leadership development Location: Salon 24 314. Diversity-Informed Tenets for Work with Infants, Children, and Families: Invitation to a Try a Framework and Take a Journey Principles of diversity, inclusion, and equity are difficult to uphold within a society where certain groups and relationships are recognized and revered, while others are discounted or denigrated. The Diversity-Informed Tenets for Work with Infants, Children, and Families offers shared language, vision, and a call-to-action framed within principles and practices of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This session invites participants on a journey toward realizing just and equitable services for the young children and families we serve. Presenters: Nucha Isarowong, Erikson Institute; Carmen Rosa Noroña, Child Witness to Violence Project, Boston Medical Center; Alison Steier, Southwest Human Development; Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability; Workforce/professional development/training Location: Salon 4 315. Work Environments: Their Impact On Equity and Practice Amoung Teaching Staff and Strategies for Improvement The SEQUAL survey brings teachers' voices into quality improvement efforts by documenting their assessments of their work environments. This session will present recent findings and address how inequities in work environments influence program quality, teacher well-being, and practice across communities around the country. This session will also identify inequities related to participation in quality improvement systems, race and ethnicity, job title, wages, and other related characteristics. Examples of technical assistance strategies to help communities use study findings will be included. Presenters: Aline Hankey and Marisa Schlieber, Center for the Study of Child Care Employment; George Philipp, Early Childhood Education Consultant

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Data; Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance Location: Salon 21 316. Creating a Culture of Continuous Learning in ECE Programs This session describes a method of quality improvement currently being piloted in ECE programs that is aimed at promoting sustained changes in practice by addressing factors and relationship dynamics that contribute to positive organizational culture. This session will be interactive and offer opportunities for participants to apply key lessons to their own quality improvement work and to identify opportunities for and challenges to taking the model to scale in QRIS. Presenters: Anne Douglass, UMass Boston; Kathryn Tout, Child Trends Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Data Location: Churchill A1 317. It’s a Balancing Act – Making Sure Your Administrative and Legislative Advocacy are Aligned Join advocates and administrators from Illinois and Louisiana for an interactive conversation and lessons learned about the importance of aligning administrative and legislative advocacy to improve outcomes for young children. Illinois will share strategies related to its success in significantly increasing state education funding for early childhood programming while simultaneously improving the design and implementation of these very offerings. Louisiana will share inside/outside advocacy strategies for creating advisory bodies through statute that changed the public/private dynamic. Presenters: Karen Berman and Jonathan Doster, Ounce of Prevention Fund; Melanie Bronfin, Louisiana Policy Institute for Children; Jenna Conway, Governor's Office/Virginia Department of Education; Carisa Hurley, Illinois State Board of Education Policy and advocacy; Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance Location: Prince of Wales 319. Trauma-Informed Care to Support Vulnerable Children Many of our youngest children are being subjected to trauma - from the effect of current immigration policies to that of many other adverse childhood experiences. This trauma often leads to challenging behaviors and removal from care settings. Please join us as we explore an overview to the trauma our young children all too often are experiencing and the promising initiatives that are helping providers combat the effects of this trauma. Presenters: Mayra Acevedo, Partnership for Community Action; Nicola Edge, University of Arkansas; Melissa Sutton, Arkansas State University; Rebecca Ullrich, CLASP Vulnerable populations; Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability Location: Marlborough A 320. No Small Matter – Exploring the Country’s “Most Overlooked Powerful Force for Good” No Small Matter is the first feature documentary to explore the most overlooked, underestimated, and powerful force for good in America today: early childhood education. Join Writer-Co-Director Greg Jacobs and a panel of early childhood experts for a screening of selected clips from the film and a discussion of how compelling stories of real children, families, and teachers can be used to motivate community action and policy change. Presenters: Greg Jacobs, Siskel/Jacobs Productions; Cristina Pacione-Zayas, Erikson Institute Policy and advocacy; Stakeholder engagement and communications Location: Royal

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321. Moving From Participation to a Culture of Improvement Every Day Come to this session to hear about CQI experiences in three states – District of Columbia, Montana, and New Mexico. Explore how these states are using data and measurement to more meaningfully monitor and assess progress, incorporating intentional and reflective practice, refining continuous quality improvement planning, and improving technical assistance/coaching, to dig deeper in supporting practitioners to improve their practice. How can we understand progress in CQI? Hear what these state leaders are learning from their experiences and share your ideas. Presenters: Sarah Adams and Rhonda Schwenke, Montana STARS to Quality; Kathryn Kigera and Bonnie Mackintosh, DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education; Debi Mathias, BUILD Initiative; Katrina Montaño-White, New Mexico Office of Child Development Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Data Location: Fulton 322. Keys to Achieving Quality through Community Coalitions Are you interested in learning how state departments have supported and sustained community coalitions over many years and, at the same time, achieved quality outcomes? This session will be an interactive discussion with representatives from Iowa, South Carolina, and North Carolina as they share lessons learned on the importance of leadership, state-level support, staffing, financing, and accountability. Attendees will be encouraged to share their experiences with regard to these topics and brainstorm ideas to make community coalitions even more effective. Presenters: Trinisha Dean, Smart Start of Mecklenburg County; Barbara Manoski, Spartanburg County First Steps; Georgia Mjartan, South Carolina First Steps; Karen Ponder, BUILD Initiative; Shanell Wagler, Early Childhood Iowa Community-based approaches; Stakeholder engagement and communications Location: Magazine 323. Continuing the Conversation: ECE Workforce Pipeline and Pathways Join us for a deeper dive into strategies and programs to support the engagement and growth of a diverse and well-qualified workforce. How do you put the principles discussed in the plenary into practice? Bring your questions and share issues you are facing in your state. Presenters: Joya Chavarin, YMCA of the East Bay; Catherine Main, University of Illinois; Sonia Pruneda-Hernandez, Montgomery College Workforce/professional development/traininge. Location: Jackson

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Wednesday, June 26 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Breakout Sessions and Consultations

401. A New Approach for Preparing Child Care Teachers - Louisiana's Early Childhood Ancillary Certificate Come learn about Louisiana's unique approach to supporting professional preparation for Louisiana's childcare workforce. Beginning July 1, 2019, all lead teachers in Louisiana will have a credential requirement for the first time. This requirement, which was put into policy five years ago, has been implemented through collaboration with community networks, child care employees, and teacher preparation programs, resulting in a statewide marketplace of quality preparation programs. This session will feature a discussion with Louisiana's preparation programs and state education officials. Presenters: Nasha Patel, Louisiana Department of Education; Panelists representing Early Childhood Ancillary Certificate Programs Workforce/professional development/training; Policy and advocacy Location: Salon 3 402. Kindergarten Transition: Strategies to Support and Engage Children, Families, and Teachers in the Transition to Kindergarten High-quality early childhood education is critical to a child's strong start in life, but what happens when children leave childcare and transition into grade school? This is typically an exciting time for children and families, but may also prove to be daunting for both. We will discuss challenges encountered in a highly diverse, urban district, and consider approaches to successful kindergarten transition at the systemic and school level beneficial for QRIS teams, childcare administrators, state leaders, and other key stakeholders. Presenters: Doria Mitchell, School District of Philadelphia Community-based approaches; Cross-sector systems building Location: Salon 4 403. The Power of Regional Collaboration and Innovation in Northern California: Working Together to Grow and Sustain the QRIS This session will highlight examples of local innovation and how to build collaborative relationships to enhance QRIS system-building efforts across 14 rural, urban, and suburban counties within California’s Region 3 Training and Technical Assistance Hub. Presenters will share examples of how to build efficient QRIS systems, leveraging resources, and building cross-system partnerships to improve quality across the continuum of care settings including centers, family child care homes, and family, friend, and neighbor caregivers. This session made possible through the generous support of First 5 California.

Presenters: Elizabeth Blakemore and Denise Gale, El Dorado County Office of Education; Sheila Kruse, First 5 Tuolumne; Alli Robin, Placer County Office of Education; Ramee Serwanga, Sacramento County Office of Education Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Location: Salon 6 404. Building a Movement for High-Quality, Affordable Early Care and Learning Let's Grow Kids is building a movement for high-quality, affordable child care for all Vermont families (and working to achieve our vision by 2025!). Our work includes mobilizing community members, cultivating legislative champions, leveraging philanthropy, engaging business and health care leaders, working with early educators, and more. In this

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session, we will discuss what it takes to build a movement, what has (and has not) worked for us, and explore how to develop a plan for change-making in your own community. Presenters: Emily Blistein, Jen Horwitz, Janet McLaughlin, and Hannah Reid, Let's Grow Kids Policy and advocacy; Community-based approaches Location: Salon 7 405. Building HOPE through Equity: A Tribal Child Care and State Partnership to Support Quality Early Learning and Care The Tribal Child Care Association of California (TCCAC) and the California Department of Education will share their efforts to address the inequities for tribal programs in California and to build the capacity of local communities and better support tribal child care. This includes participation in Project HOPE and supporting the ongoing work of TCCAC in the implementation of its own Quality Improvement System as well as leading its own region in California’s Quality Rating and Improvement System, Quality Counts California. Presenters: Kim Nall, Colusa Indian Community Council and TCCAC; Sarah Neville-Morgan and Stephanie Myers, California Department of Education Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability; Cross-sector systems building Location: Salon 9 406. eLearning Community of Practice: Sharing Lessons Learned and Promising Practices in Online Professional Development for Early Childhood Systems Many states and regions are utilizing eLearning as part of their QRIS to advance the credentials and knowledge of their early childhood workforce. eLearning can be a cost-effective strategy to disseminate high-quality content, ensure training hours and credentials are met, and serve hard-to-reach populations. Explore the many considerations and lessons learned in the effective use of eLearning for early childhood systems. Hear from several state QRIS leaders. Share challenges and gather recommendations for advancing YOUR state's eLearning system. This session made possible through the generous support of Zero to Three.

Presenters: Nikki Darling-Kuri, Zero to Three; Kim DeMars and Gillian Gansler, Quality Assist, Inc.; Kara Lehnhardt, WRMA, Inc.; Pilar Torres, Fathum, Inc. Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Workforce/professional development/training Location: Salon 10 407. Hear My Voice! Achieving Sustainable Change and Equity Through a Culturally Responsive Coaching Framework Participants will learn a science-based approach that creates sustainable change through equitable coaching. Currently, many coaching systems are based on compliance with certain measures of quality. However, in order to create long-term impact, a transformative model is necessary. Participants will have the opportunity for self-reflection and learn strategies that help enhance equity and create sustainable long-term change through coaching. This interactive session will also foster relationships amongst participants to continue supporting their work on creating equitable coaching systems. Presenters: Erika Flores, ChildrenFlow; Jill McFarren-Aviles, McFarren Aviles and Associates Workforce/professional development/training; Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability Location: Salon 12 408. The New FCCERS-3: Introduction and Use in State QRIS The new 3rd edition of the Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale (FCCERS-3) has just been released. This session will provide information to those using it in state QRIS efforts. A brief introduction to the FCCERS-3 and field test results in three states will be followed by a panel discussion by officials from each state. Ample time will be provided for discussion regarding the instrument itself and its use in diverse settings with diverse populations.

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Presenters: Richard Clifford, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (Emeritus), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Jessica Deang, University of Washington; Denise Jenson, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning; Sue VanderLoop, Supporting Families Together Association (Wisconsin) Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; QRIS 101 and revisioning Location: Salon 13 409. Cross-Sector Data to Support CQI and Promote Equity in Family Engagement, School Readiness, and Beyond - The New Lean Approach Family engagement and school readiness are key strategic components for improving quality in programs serving young children and their families. Learn how Louisiana Head Start and California Region 2’s Siskiyou County implemented a new lean approach for continuous quality improvement (Lean CQI) to highlight the equity gap and identify areas of program quality improvement. We will also discuss the importance of using data from this approach for sustainability and how to leverage holistic community-wide support for your programs. Presenters: Karen Pautz, First 5 Siskiyou; Prashant Rajvaidya, Mosaic Network; Kahree Wahid, Louisiana Head Start Association Cross-sector systems building; Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance Location: Salon 15 410. Mecklenburg County, NC: Locally Financed Innovation for Children from Birth to Five Tied to QRIS Mecklenburg County, NC is in the process of implementing a birth-5 initiative to expand access to early childhood education. The County has embarked on a 5-point plan, including voluntary, universal public pre-K and strategies to strengthen the ECE workforce. All components are tied to QRIS. Locally financed, the first year involved 33 classrooms of "MECK Pre-K" that opened in the fall of 2018. Brainstorm how your community can start a locally financed initiative and let our lessons learned inspire you! Presenters: Cindy Cisneros, Committee for Economic Development (CED) of The Conference Board; Tameika Leslie, Mecklenburg County Manager's Office; Grace Reef, Early Learning Policy Group, LLC Community-based approaches; Workforce/professional development/training Location: Salon 16 411. Reaching Infants and Toddlers in Underserved Communities This interactive session will highlight how First 5 California and its partners have dedicated resources to quality improvement in setting types serving our most vulnerable population of children. Participants will learn how 10 of California's most geographically and economically diverse counties leveraged funds to expand their vision so every informal care provider has the information, materials, and resources needed to ensure children in their care are safe, healthy, and learning-ready. Presenters: Teresa Dawson-Roberts, Placer County Office of Education; Erin Dubey and Kristin Torres, First 5 California Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Infants and toddlers Location: Salon 18 412. Using your Quality Framework/QRIS to Strengthen Infant-Toddler Workforce Recruitment, Retention, and Career Pathways How are you using the energy of your QRIS/Quality frameworks to recruit, retain, and support a quality infant-toddler workforce in its meaningful career advancement? Participants will explore their peers' and states' successful strategies for using QRIS/Quality frameworks to address the critical shortage of infant/toddler caregivers. Participants will have the ability to analyze state strategies, examples, and ideas for how to strengthen the infant/toddler workforce and will have the ability to examine how to maintain infant/toddler workforce retention, recruiting, and career advancement.

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Presenters: Michelle Adkins and Donna Ruhland, National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning; April Westermann, State Capacity Building Center Infants and toddlers; Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance Location: Salon 19 413. Sustaining the Child Care Ecosystem: Integrating and Leveraging Systems Join leaders from three Office of Child Care and Office of Head Start national technical assistance centers for a conversation about how you can coordinate your assets, from infant/toddler to school-age child care services, to meet your quality initiative goals. This conversation will focus on stakeholder engagement, and cross-system and sector building, and will provide state examples of effective integration and leveraging of state systems to improve comprehensive child care services. Presenters: Katari Coleman, National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment; Mary Beth Phillips, State Capacity Building Center; Pattie Ryan, National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance Stakeholder engagement and communications; Cross-sector systems building Location: Salon 21 414. Engaging and Supporting Quality Improvement in Programs with Different Strengths and Needs Tailoring outreach approaches and technical assistance strategies to “meet programs where they are” is a critical component of providing effective and equitable quality improvement supports. Yet, processes for adapting strategies and implementing them consistently are challenging to embed across a state system. This session explores possible tools and processes for use in a state QRIS to engage programs in quality improvement, assess their capacity, and deliver services that are appropriate to programs’ strengths and needs. Presenters: Members of the state work group on Quality Improvement sponsored by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation and managed by Child Trends Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Evaluation and research Location: Salon 22 415. Moving from Coblaboration to Collaboration: Using Communities of Practice to Build QRIS Leaders, Strengthen Partnerships, and Tackle Complex Problems Managing a statewide, equitable QRIS requires collective action. Communities of Practice (CoPs) are unfolding across California as a tool for bringing together cross-sector local, regional, and state QRIS leaders and building their skills to facilitate authentic conversations, collaboratively tackle complex systems issues, and maximize collective impact. Participants will experience CoP protocols as they learn about the role and evolution of CoPs in California's QRIS system, and discover their power in strengthening collaboration and inclusive decision-making to achieve common goals. Presenters: Raquel Diaz, University of Florida; Matthew Rector, Santa Barbara County Education Office; Debra Silverman, First 5 California Leadership development; Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance Location: Salon 24 416. Leveraging Housing and Early Childhood Programs to Support Families Experiencing Homelessness This panel of representatives from the housing and early childhood systems will present an overview of cross-system initiatives currently underway in Connecticut and Georgia that bring together housing and early childhood programs to support families experiencing homelessness. Presenters will also provide information on family homelessness and the housing system, share lessons learned, and facilitate discussion about strategies for developing housing-early-childhood collaborations in their own communities. Attendees will participate in an activity to identify action steps and ongoing supports.

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Presenters: Carie Bires, Ounce of Prevention Fund; Helen Lavin McAlinden, Homeworks Project; Allison Setterlind, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning; Nancy Zimmerman, Project Community Connections, Inc. Cross-system systems building; Vulnerable populations Location: Churchill A1 417. Tools, Tools, and More Tools to Help You Drive the Work in Groups to Get the Results You Want Much of the work done in QRIS is done collaboratively by committees and teams. The “committee” is where real production can happen, where innovative ideas can be conceived and tested, and where we experience most of our work. But it’s also where interpersonal issues and unclear group goals can hinder our productivity and cause friction. Join us to learn: 1) effective meeting design; 2) how to use conversations to develop convergence; and 3) how to normalize accountability in a group. Presenters: Sangree M. Froelicher, Kim McClennahan Means, and Desiree Reddick-Head, State Capacity Building Center Leadership development; Cross-sector systems building Location: Prince of Wales 419. Using Racial Equity to Inform Leadership Through Communities of Practice and Evaluation: Perspectives from All Levels Colorado (Denver), Illinois, Washington (Seattle), and their partner, School Readiness Consulting, will discuss the use of a racial equity framework to inform Communities of Practice and evaluation approaches. Presenters will describe ways in which racial equity has informed the ongoing improvement of their implementation and evaluation approaches. They also will share lessons and experiences, and participants will have opportunities to discuss themes and lessons as others work to establish both programmatic and evaluative approaches. Presenters: Monica Liang Aguirre, City of Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning; Pamela Harris, Mile High Early Learning; Thelma Wong, School Readiness Consulting; Julia Zhu, Illinois Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability; Evaluation and research Location: Jackson 420. How to Know When Your Caseloads Are Too Big: Using Data to Inform and Manage QRIS Coach Caseloads This session will explore approaches for managing coach caseloads at the state and local levels. Minnesota and Washington will share their states' coach-caseload calculators, their methods for using QRIS participation data to assess the need for more coaches, and considerations for managing workloads of coaches serving culturally and linguistically diverse providers. Come ready to share methods your state is using to manage coach caseloads, and learn what you need to know to build a caseload calculator of your own. Presenters: Jennifer Barshack, Minnesota Department of Human Services; Char Goodreau, National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance; Marianna Ross, Child Care Aware of Washington; Candace Yates, Think Small Data; Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance Location: Royal 421. Connecting Early Learning and Youth Development Quality Systems: The Push for Cross-Sector Work This session focuses on Washington State’s process of creating a developmentally sound quality system for school-age/youth that connects to Early Achievers. Hear how we built a system that leverages both funding and infrastructure to expand the quality reach to more children and families. Also hear how a cross-sector approach among early learning, youth development, and K-12 resulted in stronger partnerships and a robust system that continues the quality movement as children transition to school-age settings. Presenters: Nicole Rose, Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families; Juliet Taylor, Cultivate Learning at University of Washington

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Cross-sector systems building; Evaluation and research Location: Magazine 422. From All to Each and Every: Building a Consistent, Statewide Emphasis on Full Participation and Equity After a statewide validation process, Vermont rolled out a set of guiding principles for the full and equitable participation of each and every child and family. This session will share free resources, tools, and strategies that are being used to move the Vermont Guiding Principles from paper to practice. Examples will highlight how the guiding principles are being used in grant proposals, QRIS revisions, professional development, planning, and daily practice. Presenters: Amy Bolger, Vermont Agency of Human Services; Camille Catlett, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina; Melissa Riegel-Garrett, Vermont Agency of Human Services Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability; Inclusion Location: Fulton 423. A Tale of Two Systems: A Reflection on Leveraging Universal Pre-K and QRIS Supports in Philadelphia and Denver This session is an opportunity to learn about collaboration across Universal Pre-K and QRIS systems in varied delivery models for shared outcomes. Facilitated by the National Institute for Early Education Research, representatives from Denver and Philadelphia will review strategies for leveraging resources in coordinating services and considerations for further capacity building. The presentation will allow participants to reflect on opportunities for duplication or innovation in the context of their roles and consider building systems equity in community-based delivery. Presenters: Ellen Frede, National Institute for Early Education Research; MaryKay Mahar, Public Health Management Corporation; Chris Miller, Denver Preschool Program; Alexandra Patterson-Miles, Public Health Management Corporation Community-based approaches; Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability Location: Marlborough A 424. The Hope Starts Here Initiative: How 18,000 Community Stakeholders Came Together to Develop Detroit’s Early Childhood Framework This session will provide an overview of Detroit’s Hope Starts Here community engagement initiative and the Community Framework for Brighter Futures. After a year of implementation, panelists will discuss the progress that has been made with the Framework’s imperatives and policy priorities, barriers to implementation, and next steps. Participants will engage in a conversation about the important role that communities play in putting federal and state early childhood programs to work in a coordinated way at the local level. Presenters: Jeffrey Capizzano, Policy Equity Group; Wendy Jackson, The Kresge Foundation; Eileen Storer Smith, W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community-based approaches; Stakeholder engagement and communications Location: Churchill A2

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Wednesday, June 26 12:00 – 1:30 PM

Role alike/hot-topic sessions & Lunch

701. Inclusion Role-Alike: Supporting Early Childhood Inclusion in QRIS This role-alike session will provide an opportunity for individuals in roles that support early childhood inclusion in QRIS to reflect, network, and share resources. Session facilitators from multiple early childhood sectors in Idaho, South Carolina, Illinois, and North Carolina will facilitate an open discussion of progress over the last year, new innovations, and resources that support inclusion in QRIS. Opportunities for on-going collaboration among participants will be discussed. Presenters: Melissa A. Crist, University of Idaho-Center on Disabilities and Human Development; Heather Googe, South Carolina Child Care Inclusion Collaborative; Pam Reising Rechner, Early Choices; Kathy Whaley, ECTA Inclusion; Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance Location: Eglinton Winton 702. Indigenous Professionals in Early Childhood as Emerging Leaders This role-alike session will be an opportunity for conversation about a topic on the minds of participants. The intended audience for a role-alike session is people with similar roles. There is no presentation, just a set of reflective questions offered by a facilitator to frame the topic and jump-start the conversation. The real content comes from peer-to-peer interaction. Presenters: Lisa Ojibway, Child Care State Capacity Building Center (SCBC) Infant Toddler Specialist Network; Liaison with the National Center on Tribal Early Childhood Development (NCTECD) Leadership development; Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability Location: Prince of Wales 703. Capturing and Using Suspension and Expulsion Data for Continuous Quality Improvement Join us for a conversation amongst early care and learning leaders and QRIS administrators on capturing and using drivers and rates of suspension and expulsion in our early care and learning programs to inform continuous quality improvement efforts. Participants will have a chance to discuss what data to capture, how to best capture the data, and how to use suspension and expulsion data for improvement. Presenters: Christina Hulquist, State of Alaska Child Care Program; Meghan Johnson, Thread; Erin Kinavey, Raviant LLC Data; Vulnerable populations Location: Churchill A2 704. Life as a QRIS Coordinator This discussion is for participants in all phases of QRIS implementation. Participants will be sharing and discussing their lessons learned in and challenges and successes with QRIS while also building relationships with their peers. Presenters: Michelle Snively-Gonzalez and Emily Wengrovius, Colorado Office of Early Childhood Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Evaluation and research Location: Marlborough B 705. Systems-Level Shared Services Community of Practice for State and County Leaders This Community of Practice for state and county leaders focuses on strategies, policies, and resources that support the successful implementation of shared services at the systems level. Learn how state and county leaders establish and

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sustain partnerships across neighboring states and jurisdictions to build and support their QRIS, early childhood, and cross-sector health, family, and human services systems. Share how your state or county reduces costs and duplication of effort through systems-level partnerships (e.g., trainings, technology, onsite visits). Presenters: Teresa Doria and Alan Guttman IDEALS Institute-Johns Hopkins University Cross-sector systems building; Cross-system systems building Location: Churchill A1 706. Supporting the Unique Role of an Assessor If you are responsible for conducting high-stake assessments or overseeing a team of assessors, this session is for you! Let’s gather and share ideas about how to best onboard and support assessors. The work of an assessor often has a direct impact on the integrity of QRIS initiatives. What lessons can we learn from one another on our path to assure a high level of accuracy and consistency in the assessment process? Presenters: Angela Blankenship, Arkansas State University Childhood Services; Melissa Casteel, McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership; Ann Hentschel, Branagh Group QRIS 101 and revisioning; Data Location: Marlborough A 707. QRIS Dos Mil Veinte: Should Sessions in Spanish be Provided? Native Spanish speakers make up a large and pivotal portion of the early childhood workforce in the United States. Training sessions and materials should be made available to them in their native language so they can give their full attention to content, rather than translating information. Please join this conversation as we explore the possibility of including sessions in Spanish in the QRIS 2020 program. Presenters: Danielle Fuentes Johnson, BUILD Initiative; Yvette Sanchez-Fuentes, Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County Location: Chequers 708. Small Changes, Big Impact: Including LGBTQ+ Children, Families, and Stakeholders in Early Education Systems Building In this session, learn from your colleagues and share strategies for creating inclusive systems. From using inclusive language to reviewing hiring processes to revising state-level forms, small changes really can have can have a big impact! Join us and become inspired to make changes in your state that include LGBTQ+ children, families, and stakeholders in your systems-building work. Presenters: Becky Millard, Northern Lights at Community College of Vermont; Amy Whitehead-Pleaux, Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care Location: Cambridge

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Wednesday, June 26 3:15 – 4:15 PM

Hot-Topic/Short-Take Sessions

501. Before Carrots and Sticks: Preparing and Empowering Teachers and Directors with Authentic Choices to Strengthen Quality Improvement Outcomes This short-take session will invite out-of-the box thinking about how we can inspire and empower early childhood staff to create and participate in an authentic, sustained, and robust culture of Continuous Quality Improvement. Lessons from three Change Thinkers (Howard Gardner, (Leading Change); Heath brothers (Switch) and David Rock (SCARF) challenge us to think about how we can ensure that more early childhood staff (not just the ones who are effective already) are prepared to participate in QRIS strategies like coaching and technical assistance. Presenters: Paulette Stephens, RAPHA Consulting Group, LLC; Kate Thegen, Red Broom Company Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Workforce/professional development/training Location: Salon 4 502. Coaching and Competence: Exploring How Coaching Competencies Are Being Used in the Field to Support Cultural Competence and Equity Join us in an interactive World Café to develop a shared understanding across systems, stakeholders, and states of answers to the following questions: How are coaching competencies being formulated to support cultural competence? How are they being used to support equity in quality improvement systems? How are improved teaching practices being captured? All responses will be"harvested" during the session and shared with participants afterwards. Presenters: Soleil Boyd, Cultivate Learning-University of Washington; Katie Emerson-Hoss and Leslie Janes, EarlyEdU Alliance-University of Washington Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability; Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance Location: Salon 3 503. Coaching the Coaches: A Model Approach for Managing and Supporting Technical Assistants Utilization of technical assistance specialists (TAs, aka coaches/mentors/ECE specialists), is prevalent throughout QRIS support programs. TAs typically have education, training, and experience in working with young children; however, not all TAs have the skills needed to make meaningful, lasting transfers of knowledge or successfully complete the administrative/reporting part of the job. Come join us for a short-take discussion about your most challenging TA situations as we learn from each other about how to support our TAs. Presenters: Lisa Belliston, LaToya Ford, and Ellaine B. Miller, Quality Care for Children Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Leadership development Location: Salon 7 504. How Should We Teach MATH for Children Birth Through 5? Math teaching is one of the major stumbling blocks in the majority of US early childhood programs. Teaching math is often done inappropriately and does not benefit children in the long term. After a brief introduction to the ECERS-3 and ITERS-3 math item requirements, a time for questions/answers to clarify will take place in this short-take session. Then, small groups will develop ideas for how to help teachers to teach math in a developmentally appropriate manner. Ideas will be shared with the whole group. Presenters: Debby Cryer and Cathy Riley, Environment Rating Scales Institute Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Workforce/professional development/training

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Location: Salon 6 505. It's Complicated: Creating Cost Models that Account for the Real-World Diversity of Programs Early learning programs are very diverse in ways that matter a lot for the cost of the services they provide: big vs. small, multi-site vs stand-alone, urban vs rural, part of public schools vs. privately operated, etc. Cost modeling is critical for developing effective and sufficient financing systems for early learning, but usually focuses on "typical" programs. Join our hot topic discussion about how to account for these many variables as we develop cost models that can effectively support a diverse system. Presenters: Theresa Hawley, Illinois Action for Children Financing; Cross-sector systems building Location: Salon 10 506. Keeping It Real, Keeping it Relevant, Life after RTT-ELC: How a Statewide QRIS Can Prevent Stagnation Six years into our QRIS, Georgia faces the challenge of ensuring our system remains relevant and responsive. Results from our external validation study helped us to explore how relevant our system is to all users who operate within it. If you are new to QRIS or have the grandparent system and are looking to revitalize, join us in this short-take session as we seek answers to three key questions designed to prevent the stagnation of a QRIS. Presenters: Denise Jenson, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning QRIS 101 and revisioning; Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance Location: Salon 12 507. Progressing from Who's at the Table to Creating a New Table: Advancing Equity through Authentic Family and Community Engagement Is equity a buzz word or lived value? You are invited to a stimulating conversation about the disconnect between what we know and believe about equity and what we actually do. This hot topic discussion will empower participants to engage in honest discovery by sharing ideas, listening to differing views, and entertaining new understandings. By addressing this disconnect, participants will leave with strategies and ideas for effectively linking authentic family and community engagement with advancing equity, thus moving closer to equitable outcomes. Presenters: Grace Araya, Ruby Flores, and Vanessa Lee, Illinois Action for Children Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability; Family engagement/family voice Location: Salon 15 508. Social-Emotional Supports for the Asian Cultural Context The early childhood field recognizes the importance of providing social-emotional supports in a culturally appropriate way. However, doing so for a group as diverse as the growing population of children and families of Asian descent in the U.S. presents inherent challenges that often do not receive intentional consideration. This hot topic session will focus on the current needs of Asian families at the community level and promising practices to promote the social-emotional well-being of these families, particularly those who are immigrants and refugees. Presenters: Nucha Isarowong, Erikson Institute; Ynah Parker, Ounce of Prevention Fund; Linda Wang, HANA Early Childhood Center; Julia Zhu, Illinois Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability; Vulnerable populations Location: Salon 13 509. Considerations in Measuring Quality in Early Childhood Education Settings This hot topic discussion will offer participants an opportunity to discuss issues in measuring quality in early care and education settings. The session will begin with an overview of key considerations, followed by a facilitated discussion about measurement issues that is driven by participant questions and comments.

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Presenters: Kelly Maxwell, Child Trends Evaluation and Research; Data Location: Salon 19 510. Family Child Care Participation in QRIS: Successes and Challenges Nationally, the number of licensed family child care providers is declining. Addressing this issue will be critical for families who rely on family child care. This short-take session will highlight current work in Georgia in an effort to understand trends and consider policy implications that may be influencing the decline. We will also discuss findings from a scan of 156 family child care networks across the country which offer promising strategies for retaining family child care providers and engaging them in quality improvement initiatives. Presenters: Amy Blasberg, Child Trends; Juliet Bromer, Erikson Institute; Randy Hudgins, Bright from the Start-Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning; Toni Porter, Early Care and Education Consulting Evaluation and research; Cross-sector systems building Location: Salon 18 511. Engaging Employers in Early Care and Learning Systems Change From HR Practices to Public Policy Employers can play a critical role in the success of a state or community's early care and learning system. Join us for this short-take session to explore how Let's Grow Kids is strategically engaging with business coalitions, like the Vermont Business Roundtable, and employers of all sizes in Vermont to increase business investment in early care and learning through HR pilots, direct investment, and systems-transformation work. Discuss opportunities for business engagement in your own community. Presenters: Emily Blistein, Let's Grow Kids; Lisa Ventriss, Vermont Business Roundtable Financing; Community-based approaches Location: Salon 22 513. Calling All Leaders in Support of School-Age Programs: Ways to Build Coaching Systems for Programs Serving Ages 5-13 Coaching is an important strategy for advancing quality. Join with other state system leaders to explore ways to build cross-sector coaching systems that support afterschool and summer programs funded by CCDF, 21st CCLC, or youth development organizations. Our hot topic conversation will build on the strengths of the early childhood TA System and talk about creating a system responsive to the unique needs of school-age programs. Bring your ideas, resources, and challenges in preparing and funding a school-age coaching system. Presenters: Katari Coleman, Susan O'Connor, and Kathy Schleyer, National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment Cross-sector systems building; Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability Location: Salon 16 514. Listening to What the Diverse Voices of Families are Asking for in Family Engagement Policy, Practice, Research, and Advocacy We are looking for policy makers, practitioners, researchers, and advocates to discuss how they have moved beyond Wednesday 6pm meetings with families to better address the question: "How do we ensure that the voices of those being served in ECE are being heard as we develop and improve policy, practice, research, and advocacy?" The hot topic discussion will include a short description of how we developed the Parent Survey for Early Education Essentials and then will move into a shared discussion format. Presenters: Rebecca Berlin and Debra Pacchiano, Ounce of Prevention Fund Family engagement/family voice; Stakeholder engagement and communications Location: Prince of Wales

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515. Systems of Support: Welcoming Children in Immigrant Families in Early Childhood Systems Children in immigrant families live in every community, in every state, all over the country—and it is the early childhood field’s responsibility to ensure that systems and programs are prepared to meet their needs. This short-take session will provide an overview of and engage participants in conversation about existing barriers for immigrant families in the early childhood system, what providers need to better support immigrant families, and solutions that can be advanced through changes in administrative policy and practice. Presenters: Choua Vue, Illinois Action for Children; Rebecca Ullrich, CLASP Vulnerable populations; Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability Location: Salon 9 516. Encouraging Participation in the Assessment Ratings within a State QRIS The North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project initiated a project to better understand non-engagement by programs in the assessment process across the state's QRIS. The results of the project will be shared and participants will be invited into a hot topic discussion about how to promote participation in all aspects of QRIS. We will discuss our findings and encourage discussion and ideas from different state systems. We will learn from others what has been successful in encouraging participation of diverse programs. Presenters: Megan Porter and Marilyn Thompson, North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project Stakeholder engagement and communications; Evaluation and research Location: Jackson 517. Infant/Toddler and Preschool State Credentials: What Have We Learned and Where Do We Go From Here? What does the national landscape of early childhood credentials look like? How are these credentials changing and why? Join us for a lively hot topic conversation of the data and trends found in the State/Territory Infant/Toddler and Preschool Credential Overviews. Learn about the modifications being made to state credentials and the factors influencing those changes. Talk with us about your state’s credential development and implementation processes and what you would do differently if you had it to do all over again. Presenters: Michelle Adkins and Donna Ruhland, National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning (NCECDTL) Workforce/professional development/training; Infants and toddlers Location: Salon 24 518. Leveraging CDA to Develop Inclusive ECE Workforce and Career Ladders For 35 years the Council and its signature Child Development Associate credentials have played a pivotal role in advancing the field of ECE for infant/toddler, preschool, family child care and home visitor educators. This session illustrates how some states systemically leverage the CDA to support the ECE workforce development and building career ladders. The session will also feature updates on the latest happenings at the Council that impact ECE professionals including new credentials and expansion of the CDA internationally. This session made possible through the generous support of Kaplan Early Learning.

Presenters: Abena Ocran-Jackson and Tre Maxie, Council for Professional Recognition Workforce/professional development/training Location: Churchill A1 519. Coordinating a Multi-System Approach to Increase Quality in Rural Northern California Family Child Care Homes In this short-take session, gain a full understanding of the essential components of trust and respect that California utilized when building quality early learning and care programs in family child care homes through the Early Head Start Child Care Partnership grant and access to QRIS services. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear about the unique challenges and successes from both the EHS-CC Partnership grantee and family child care provider perspectives.

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Presenters: Nicole Hall and Kimberly Lister, California Department of Education Infant Toddler Office; Family Childcare Provider, Changing Tides Family Services Humboldt County California Cross-sector systems building; Infants and toddlers Location: Marlborough B 520. Transformational Leadership: Inspiring, Motivating and Catalyzing Systems-Level Change The required transformation of systems to better serve children and families calls for transformative leadership. Transformative leaders inspire stakeholders throughout the change process and challenge them to take greater ownership for their work and greater collective responsibility for the systems they are changing. This energetic and engaging hot topic session will cover the practice of transformative leadership as it applies to leaders of organizations, partnerships, and movements whose charge it is to catalyze community-level improvements and lasting systems change. Presenters: Nicole Tanner, VIVA Strategy Leadership development; Stakeholder engagement and communications Location: Fulton 522. Galvanizing Your State to Achieve Measurable Whole-Child Targets: North Carolina’s Early Childhood Action Plan Building momentum and shared action for whole-child, cross-systems change takes focused leadership, an inside/outside government coalition, and broad stakeholder engagement and ownership. Explore how North Carolina leveraged gubernatorial leadership, bipartisan support, and existing public/private efforts to create an ambitious state Early Childhood Action Plan with measurable 2025 targets that uses data to drive change and addresses racial disparities head on. Share your ideas about how you have operationalized a strategic plan to achieve success. Presenters: Susan Perry-Manning, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Policy and advocacy; Cross-sector systems building Location: Marlborough A 523. The Inside Scoop on Quality Initiatives: How Do We Move to a Coherent Approach? States have a great deal of responsibility when selecting the initiatives, activities, tools and projects they will support within the QRIS. How is it supportive of the Theory of Change and vision? How is effectiveness measured? How are new initiatives strategically selected? What gap does the initiative fill? Will it be scalable or targeted? How is an initiative stopped or replaced? What are examples of successful state initiatives? What does it cost to support a new initiative? Engage with colleagues in a thought-provoking conversation. Presenters: Debi Mathias, BUILD Initiative Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance Location: Magazine 524. State of Babies Yearbook: 2019 Interested in learning how you can use the State of Babies Yearbook: 2019 to create change for infants, toddlers, and their families in your state? Join us to explore the State of Babies Yearbook: 2019 and learn how you can use it and other resources to support your work. Presenters: Katrina Coburn, Zero To Three Policy and advocacy; Infants and toddlers Location: Churchill A2

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Thursday, June 27 8:30 – 10:00 AM

Breakout Sessions and Consultation Sessions

601. Got Coaches? Want Equity? Let's Talk! As agents of change, coaches have the opportunity to influence and disrupt individual practices and institutional policies that sustain pervasive inequality. For this reason, the Lastinger Center has invested in coaches' development and created a rigorous certification program that validates and enhances their skills. This responsive approach offers coaches a road map where equity is prioritized during every stage of the quality improvement process. Join us as we model how to create powerful conditions for growth designed to advance change. Presenters: Valerie Ibarra Mendez and Alexandra Prinstein, UF Lastinger Center for Learning Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability; Workforce/professional development/training Location: Salon 3 602. What's Quality Got to Do With It? Subsidy and quality can work together to improve early learning programs and acknowledge the needs of children. Participants will hear how the subsidy programs in states are educating families about quality and are accepting and paying providers based on their level of quality. Various strategies will be discussed, such as contracting to increase quality and access. Hear from states that are using some of these strategies. Come ready to share your strategies, learn, and ask your questions! Presenters: Mary Beth Jackson, Tasha Owen-Green, and Gladys Wilson, National Center on Subsidy Innovation and Accountability Cross-sector Systems Building; Financing Location: Salon 4 603. The Promise and Protection of Federal Investments for High-Quality Child Care: State Progress and Next Steps with CCDBG This session explores policies states have implemented using the federal increase in CCDBG, how those dollars have impacted children, and next steps in advocating for continued and increased federal investments. Staff from national organizations will talk about the lessons learned across states, and state advocates and administrators will share how they incorporated a racial equity lens to better reach and respond to underserved communities and support providers working in those communities through their child care assistance and quality improvement systems. Presenters: Christine Johnson-Staub, CLASP; Karen Schulman, NWLC; Denise Tanata, Children's Advocacy Alliance Nevada; Patricia Tennen, Kentucky Youth Advocates Policy and advocacy Location: Salon 6 604. Leveraging QRIS to Support Whole-Child Curriculum and Assessment By examining challenges and opportunities to address whole-child curriculum and bridge the curriculum and assessment divide, states will be better positioned to leverage QRIS to support the implementation of whole-child curriculum and kindergarten transition practices. This session will discuss the role of curricular continuity and fidelity, professional development, district partnerships, and strategies to address challenges associated with the cost of quality during the implementation of research-based curriculum and assessment. Presenters: Vincent Costanza, Teaching Strategies

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Policy and advocacy; Workforce/professional development/training Location: Salon 7 605. Strengthening the "I" in QRIS: Helping Program Leaders Develop Cultures of Improvement Continuous Quality Improvement requires a site-level culture of improvement, not just a checklist or annual plan. This session will describe eight ways program leaders (directors, principals, coordinators) are creating cultures of caring, reflection, and improvement, even in programs with limited funding. Presenters will suggest ways that QRIS-related services can support these strategies. Participants are invited to share their own experiences and insights to advance this thinking. Presenters: Tom Layman and Cynthia Tate, Illinois Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development; Toni Porter, Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Leadership development Location: Salon 9 606. Creating Pathways to Build Inclusion and Equity in Iowa through Pyramid Model Implementation By embedding training, coaching, and implementation practices into the state’s QRIS, Iowa has incentivized inclusion and equity as key quality variables. These efforts in settings that include child care centers, family child care, state-funded preschools, and Head Start have been put in place to reduce challenging behavior of children and to increase high-quality inclusion for children with and without disabilities. This session will provide participants with an understanding of the Pyramid Model components and processes essential for implementation of practices that increase access to, participation in, and supports for children with disabilities in public school and child care settings. State, program, and classroom implementation examples will be provided. Presenters: Alissa Rauch, University of Denver-Positive Early Learning Experiences Center; Tom Rendon, Iowa Head Start Collaboration Office; Angela Van Polen, Iowa Department of Education Inclusion Location: Salon 10 607. Innovative Professional Development: Leveraging Technology to Reach Diverse and Rural Communities Come hear about innovative approaches to raise quality and professionalize the field through what we call Professional Development Edutainment! In this session, you'll learn about Meaningful Makeover, Circle Time Magazine, and the STEAM Trunk Math Study. These three approaches bring together research and practice in an effort to provide effective and practical takeaways educators can implement in their classrooms right away. Presenters: Jamie Phillips-Jimenez, Virginia Tse, and Dawn Williams, UW Cultivate Learning Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability Location: Salon 12 608. Language Revitalization and he Cognitive Linguistic Superpower of Babies Language revitalization is critically important to many native nations. Infants and toddlers are rarely included in language immersion efforts, yet they have the cognitive-linguistic superpower to quickly become fluent in any language in the world. This session will provide an overview of language revitalization efforts across diverse indigenous communities, the cognitive-linguistic benefits, research, and brain imaging studies on infant/toddler language acquisition. Successes, challenges, strategies, and resources will be shared with emphasis on expanding efforts to include infants and toddlers. Presenters: Lisa Ojibway, Child Care State Capacity Building Center (SCBC) Infant Toddler Specialist Network Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability; Infants and toddlers Location: Salon 13

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609. Leveraging Investments Toward an Aligned and Comprehensive QRIS - San Diego's Quality Journey San Diego County's QRIS has integrated federal, state, local, and private funding and partnerships over time to move toward one aligned and comprehensive system, to provide a platform for engaging all early care and education providers through a model of public/private partnership, including self-supported participation by providers. Presenters will share diverse perspectives - from administration, coaching, and providers - and facilitate an interactive discussion of strategies for aligning and expanding early learning improvement efforts through QRIS. Presenters: Jeanna Bruce and Shelby Gomez, YMCA Childcare Resource Service; Blanca Silva, San Diego County Office of Education Cross-sector systems building; Community-based approaches Location: Salon 15 610. How Strength-Based Language Changes the Data Conversation This workshop will explore how data is used in the early childhood policy-making process with special attention to identifying data points that illuminate structural and institutional barriers for achieving racial equity. Participants will learn to avoid language that subconsciously dehumanizes individuals or populations or views them through a lens of perceived deficit when using data to make an argument for the support of early care and education. Presenters: Cristina Pacione-Zayas and Penny Smith, Erikson Institute Data; Policy and advocacy Location: Salon 16 611. Overcoming Barriers to Serving Healthy Food in Early Childhood Settings: Innovative Cross-Sector Strategies that Promote Child Nutrition The session will feature an interactive discussion on state- and local-level policy strategies being used to overcome structural barriers to serving nutritious food in ECE settings. State policymakers, food organizations, and CCR&R staff from Georgia and North Carolina will discuss promoting child nutrition through farm-to-early care and education models. Presenters will discuss their work on leveraging policies, developing strategic partnerships, and advancing food equity while offering concrete tips and tools for attendees looking to create similar models in their states. Presenters: Jeffrey Capizzano, Policy Equity Group, LLC; Reynaldo Green, Quality Care for Children; Denise Jenson, Bright From The Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning; Caroline Stover, Center for Environmental Farming Systems Cross-system systems building; Stakeholder engagement and communications Location: Salon 18 612. Early Childhood Education: A Public-Private Partnership Success Story Over the last five years, education, advocacy, government and philanthropy have worked collaboratively to prioritize early childhood in Louisiana. Recently, the New Orleans City Council has allocated 1.5 million dollars for child care seats and infrastructure, doubling its original investment. As the state of Louisiana implements community governance pilots that increase local authority, panelists will share their journey to build local support and funding for early childhood, and their vision for the future. Presenters: Melanie Bronfin, Louisiana Policy Institute for Children; Emmy DaCosta Gomez-O'Dwyer, Louisiana Department of Education; Dana Henry, Urban League; Deirdre Johnson-Burel, W.K. Kellogg Foundation; Hamilton Simons-Jones, ResourceFull Consulting, LLC; Emily Wolff, Office of Youth and Families, City of New Orleans Financing; Policy and advocacy Location: Salon 19

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613. Maximizing Partnership Opportunities Between QRIS and Workforce Registries: Strategies and Lessons from Three State Teams Join leaders from three statewide workforce registries and QRIS to hear about how their strategic partnerships have been beneficial in planning, implementation, and revisioning of QRIS. We will illustrate how workforce registries can expand the reach of QRIS by offloading the work of tracking staff qualifications/professional development; how they can enhance impact by providing valuable data for planning, outreach, and evaluation; and how they can advance equity through the use of data and tools to identify areas of need. Presenters: Nikki Darling-Kuria, Zero to Three; Kelly Smith, OCCRRA/Ohio Professional Registry; Joellyn Whitehead, INCCRRA/Gateways to Opportunity Registry QRIS 101 and revisioning; Data Location: Salon 21 614. Fiscal Mapping to Support Quality Improvement Efforts in States This session aims to help state leaders identify funding sources, the administering organization, services, goals, and population served. The fiscal mapping guides stakeholders to answer questions related to policies and regulations, investment levels, and whether investments are successfully targeted at the most vulnerable and at-risk children and families. This process increases knowledge of funding to support decision-makers on how to leverage funding, where to focus efforts to address gaps and where there are possibilities for increasing efficiencies in administration. Presenters: Elizabeth Groginsky and Bonnie Mackintosh, Office of the State Superintendent for Education District of Columbia; Jeanna Capito, BUILD Initiative Financing; Cross-system systems building Location: Salon 22 615. Developing an Effective Crisis Communication and PR Strategy Learn how to effectively plan for and manage a crisis situation while maintaining your organization's credibility. Pair these proactive public relations strategies with a solid marketing plan, and you'll spend your time focusing on what matters most-- expanding your reach, enhancing your impact, and advancing equity. Presenters: Shannon Ensor, Tonya Satchell, Brian Siatowski, and Stephanie Turnbach, JHU IDEALS Institute Stakeholder engagement and communications Location: Salon 24 616. Supporting Children and Families Together: Advancing Two-Generation ("2Gen") Approaches through a National, State, and Local Lens A robust body of research has demonstrated that the challenges, success, and well-being of children and their caregivers are interrelated. Explore how innovative Two-Generation "2Gen" approaches lift up family voice in creating policies or programs that are responsive to the strengths and needs of the entire family. Participants will explore how 2Gen approaches are being advanced at the national, state, and local level and will leave equipped with tools that will serve to advance 2Gen innovation in their community. Presenters: Rebekah Dorman and Alyssa Swiatek, Cuyahoga County Office of Early Childhood; Donna Johnson, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning; Lori Severens, Ascend at the Aspen Institute Cross-system systems building; Vulnerable populations Location: Churchill A1 617. Equity and Isolation: Measuring and Overcoming Language Isolation in Infant-and-Toddler Child Care Classrooms Innovative talk pedometer technology reveals that in some settings more than a third of children younger than age three experience four or fewer conversational turns with a teacher per hour, effectively spending almost all day in isolation. Despite evidence that early interactive talk is highly predictive of future development and learning, there is

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often a weak relationship between conversational turns and QRIS ratings. Session participants will review sample feedback reports and discuss the implications of talk measurement on QRIS systems. Presenters: Jennie Couture, GA Dept of Early Care and Learning; Stephen Hannon, LENA; Cindy Jurie, Early Learning Coalition of Orange County; Wande Okunoren-Meadows, Little Ones Child Care Center Infants and toddlers; Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability Location: Prince of Wales 618. When Data Perpetuates Inequities: ‘Interpreting’ the Asian American Experience As the early childhood field continues to unpack the impacts of racism and oppression on young children, often data analysis about racial/ethnic groups is used as a preferred means to understanding the ‘experiences’ of each racial/ethnic group. In this session we will discuss how racial equity conversations generally fall short of being inclusive of all races and the ways that data and racial stereotypes impede a meaningful conversation on racial equity that includes Asian American communities. Presenters: Marsha Hawley, Ounce of Prevention; Nucha Isarowong, Erikson Institute; Choua Vue, Illinois Action for Children; Julia Zhu, Illinois Governor's Office of Early Childhood Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability; Leadership development Location: Marlborough A 619. Supporting Equity and Cultural Sensitivity with the CLASS Across Teachstone and with all organizations using the CLASS, we share a commitment to equitable learning for all adults and children, with specific examples from our organizational work, product and service development, and client and external affairs. We will share our explorations in understanding how using the CLASS for assessment and professional development can work in parallel with community-developed cultural and indigenous language revitalization efforts. Presenters: Jessica Barnes-Najor, Michigan State University; Yvette Sanchez Fuentes, Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County; Amy Stephens Cubbage and Manda Klein, Teachstone Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability; Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance Location: Marlborough B 620. A Coaching Approach to Advance Equity in Early Childhood Education Best practices for coaches to support coachees with strategies for working with diverse populations to ensure each child has equitable access to a 21st century education. This session provides opportunities to interact, reflect, and discuss approaches relevant to participants own communities. After this session, participants will have a deeper understanding of how to help early care and education programs build upon the cultural assets of every child and family for lifelong success. Presenters: Jena Kubiak, Dezerie Martinez and Eunice Munro, San Diego County Office of Education Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Equity and diversity of race, culture, language, and ability Location: Royal 621. Power to the Profession: Leveraging QRIS Systems Power to the Profession is focused on equitably advancing an effective, diverse, and well-compensated early childhood education profession across states and settings. As Power to the Profession turns toward implementing a unifying framework for the profession with a policy agenda that includes significant investments at the state and federal levels, what are the implications for QRIS alignment in states? How can we advance a policy agenda that takes QRIS into account while also reimagining how we support early childhood educators? Presenters: Marica Cox Mitchell, Bainum Family Foundation; Rhian Evans Allvin, NAEYC; Lynette Fraga, Child Care Aware of America; Susan Perry-Manning, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services

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Policy and advocacy; Cross-sector systems building Location: Magazine 622. Building Toward Improved Outcomes for Babies and their Families: The National Collaborative for Infants and Toddlers The National Collaborative for Infants and Toddlers (NCIT) is a partnership among national organizations, 29 communities, and 15 states focused on building comprehensive systems that can support children prenatally through age three. This session will highlight examples from communities and states working toward integrated approaches with a focus on equity. Presenters will share the Prenatal-to-Three Outcomes Framework which includes indicators that can be used to track progress in system-building, policy and programs, and child and family outcomes. Presenters: Kathrine Stohr, Pritzker Family Foundation; Kathryn Tout, Child Trends; PCI Fellows Infants and toddlers; Cross-system systems building Location: Fulton 623. Quality Improvement in Family Engagement: Using the Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework In this short-take session, participants will learn about how state and local entities are using CSSP’s Strengthening Families approach in their quality improvement efforts with regard to family engagement in early care and education. The Strengthening Families Self-Assessments for Center-Based ECE and Family Child Care Programs are valuable tools for driving quality improvement. Hear how several states and local QRISs are putting them to use, including how the Strengthening Families Evaluation Portal can enhance those efforts. Presenters: Cailin O'Connor, Center for the Study of Social Policy; Prashant Rajvaidya, Mosaic Network Continuous quality improvement and technical assistance; Family engagement/family voice Location: Jackson 624. Cross Walking Early Childhood and Child Welfare: New Opportunities to Support Young Children and Families Nationally, 49% of all children entering foster care are under age 6, with states hovering in the same range. A major new federal law is designed to lower that figure by keeping children safely with their families, reducing and healing the trauma that harms development. This interactive session will provide an overview of the new Family First Act, describing how it directs resources toward home visiting and other family strengthening supports, and lifts up opportunities to leverage it as a game changer. Presenters: Marlo Nash, Saint Francis Ministries Vulnerable populations; Cross-system systems building Location: Churchill A2