Of Interest to All
Upcoming Webinar - Quality Matters (Part 2): Virginia’s Unified Quality Measurement & Improvement System Proposal Overview - March 19
VDOE is excited to provide an update on the development of the new uniform quality measurement and improvement system. This webinar will build on the content provided in the first Quality Matters webinar held in the fall. During this webinar, VDOE will be providing an overview of the proposal for Virginia's new unified quality measurement and improvement system, which is a key component of VDOE's efforts to build a unified early childhood system. Anyone interested in learning about the proposal for the unified measurement and improvement system is welcome to attend. (This webinar will also be recorded for those not able to attend the live session).
- Quality Matters (Part 2): Virginia’s Unified Quality Measurement & Improvement System Proposal Overview
- Friday, March 19 at 12pm
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Register for Quality Matters (Part 2)
Early Childhood Advisory Committee (ECAC) Meeting on March 24
The ECAC will meet virtually on Wednesday, March 24 from 2-5 PM. The meeting agenda, materials, and link to the livestream will be available on the ECAC website the week before the meeting. Public comment may be submitted via email to earlychildhood@doe.virginia.gov by Monday, March 22.
Early Learning and Development Standards to be Reviewed by Board of Education on March 18
Virginia’s Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDs), Birth to Five Learning Guidelines are slated for final review by the Board of Education at this month’s business meeting on March 18. This public meeting will be livestreamed on the VDOE YouTube Channel.
The nearly finalized draft, which includes more explicit and inclusive language emphasizing the equivalency of early childhood care to education and the nuances of infant and toddler development, will be posted as an agenda item on the Virginia Board of Education webpage. The approved, creatively designed and fully accessible publication is anticipated to be publicly released in April, in conjunction with an introductory webinar. Look for more details about this upcoming event, other introductory training and resources in forthcoming newsletter updates.
Reminder: All programs are expected to fully implement the new standards by the start of the 2021-2022 school year.
Early Childhood Resources Equity Audit
The VDOE Offices of Early Childhood and Equity and Community Engagement, in partnership with the University of Virginia, Center for the Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (UVA-CASTL), are beginning the work of auditing early childhood resources in use through the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP) and Advancing Effective Interactions and Instruction (AEII) grant. Read Associate Director of Early Childhood Learning, Dr. Tamilah Richardson’s blog on addressing equity in early learning for details about current efforts and plans for the immediate future. We look forward to partnering with you in this very important work of making equity visible!
New Monthly Resources Available on the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Resource Hub
Have you had a chance to sign up for the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Resource Hub? Developed by researchers at the University of Virginia, the ECE Resource Hub provides teachers free resources for supporting students’ social and emotional needs. This collection of high-quality resources is organized around a topic of the month, relating to the following areas:
COVID-19 Adaptations | Trauma Informed Practices | Equity and Inclusion | Family Connections | Books and Activities
This month’s focus topic is Supporting Peer Relationships, a great follow up to February’s focus on Supporting Children’s Behavior. Check out the ECE Resource Hub today and build your capacity to better foster children’s social-emotional skills.
Cups and Conversations Focus Shifts to Coordinated Enrollment and Community Partnerships - Date Change
The VDOE will continue to lead discussions about increasing access to high-quality early childhood programs during the next Cups and Conversations. This month, colleagues from the Alexandria PDG B5 community network shared how they are coordinating their enrollment efforts. Special thanks to Michele Smith Howard, Executive Director, Smart Beginnings Alexandria; Jane Richardson, Citywide Early Childhood Programs Coordinator, Alexandria City Public Schools; Dr. Tammy Mann, President and CEO, The Campagna Center and Betel Yosef, Registrar, Alexandria City Public Schools for sharing such helpful insight and information.
Resources Shared on March 3:
The Albemarle Bright Stars (VPI), Board of Supervisors and local DSS partnership will be spotlighted during the next Cups and Conversations meeting on Wednesday, April 14 at 3:30 p.m. This date change (originally April 7) has been made in recognition of spring breaks for local divisions. All registered participants will receive an updated calendar invite via an email reminder. Registration for new participants is required.
Early Childhood Coordinators Collaborative Meeting
The upcoming Early Childhood Coordinators Collaborative Spring Meeting will be held virtually and hosted by the Virginia Department of Education. The meeting is scheduled for April 21, 2021, 9:00 am- 12:00 pm, all school division and program leaders who act as Administrators or Coordinators for Head Start, ECSE, and VPI are invited to attend (Please ensure that at least two members of your preschool team are in attendance).
Registration links for the meeting will be coming soon for participants to register online. All virtual meeting resources will be forwarded prior to the meeting, and the sessions will be recorded to allow for shared access with your school division teams.
New Series on Supporting Language Development and Multilingual/English Learners Coming in Fall 2021: Preview Sessions Planned for April and May
To support a focus on language development within the early childhood years, VDOE’s Early Childhood and English Learner Instruction Programs are collaborating to provide interested early childhood caregivers and educators with a monthly webinar series, beginning Fall 2021, that will focus on exploring best practices and key resources to support language and literacy development for multilingual students from birth until age 5.
Two preview sessions will take place this spring: April 28th and May 26th from 3:30-4:30 p.m. For Session 1, participants will learn about early language development standards available in English and Spanish via WIDA™; a tool for assessing and monitoring language; and guidance on how to engage in conversations that focus on students' linguistic assets, progress, and needs with families and other early childhood professionals. Register once to attend any or all of the sessions.
- Supporting Language Development for ELs in Early Childhood
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Session 1: April 28 at 3:30pm, Session 2: May 26 at 3:30pm
- Register to attend (Corrected Link)
For VPI
New and Sustained Strategies for Expanding Access to Quality Early Learning: Planning for 2021-22
Governor Northam has continued to indicate the importance of expanded quality early childhood experiences through his proposed amended 2020-2022 budget. As outlined in Superintendent's Memo #048-21, the Governor’s budget restores funding for expanded VPI programming and strategies, including increased VPI rate per slot and additional focus on three-year-olds, and sustaining enhancement programs from 2020-2021. School divisions are strongly encouraged to review the approaches outlined in this memo and begin planning for expanded VPI programs in 2021-2022.
Increasing School Readiness by Increasing Access to Preschool in Your Community - Webinar Series
The VDOE is hosting a three-part webinar series focused on proposed changes to VPI for 2021-2022 and how best to utilize current and proposed enhancements to VPI (e.g., Pilot for 3s, Community Provider Add-on, Local Criteria Waiver, Redistribution of Unfilled Slots, Inclusion of Students with Disabilities). It’s not too early to start planning for increasing your community’s access to quality preschool in 2021-2022. Part III of the webinar series will be held on March 24 at 1 p.m.
- Increasing School Readiness by Increasing Access to Preschool in Your Community: Part III
- March 24 at 1pm
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Register to attend
Resources from Part II:
FAQ on Increasing School Readiness by Increasing Access to Preschool in Your Community
The VDOE has updated an Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document with answers related to VPI sustained strategies for expanding access through VPI expansions and enhancements. Topics include the following:
- VPI Pilot for 3-Year-Olds
- Community Provider Add-On Funds
- VPI Seat Reallocation - Requesting Additional Slots for 4-Year-Olds
- Inclusion of Students with Disabilities
- Ongoing Enrollment of VPI Students Fall 2021
- Possibility of Enrolling Eligible 5-Year-Olds in VPI
- Expanded CLASS Observations and Professional Development
Weekly Office Hours for VPI Expansions and Enhancements
Weekly Offices Hours will be held every Thursday through May 13 (alternating weeks at 11 am or 2 pm; March 18 at 2 pm, March 25 at 11 am, etc). Office of Early Childhood staff will be available to answer questions about VPI expansions and enhancements and to help VPI and ECSE Coordinators plan for preschool for 2021-2022. Registration is required once to attend any or all of the weekly office hours.
- Weekly Office Hours for VPI Expansions and Enhancements
- Recurring weekly on Thursdays through May 13
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Register to attend
VPI Applications for 2021-2022
The Spring VPI Application for 2021-2022 due on May 15. The application is scheduled to open in VODE’s Single Sign-on for Web Systems portal (SSWS) in April. A Superintendent’s Memo will be posted announcing availability later this spring. This application will include both the projected number of 4-year-old slots the division plans to fill for 2021-2022 and the VPI Pilot for 3-Year-Olds application. In order to prepare in advance for completion of these applications, the Content of Spring 2021 VPI Applications for 2021-2022 is now available for review on the VPI website.
2021 VPI Coordinator Planning Calendar
The 2021 VPI Coordinator Planning Calendar is a newly developed resource to assist VPI Coordinators with planning to accomplish tasks related to recruitment/enrollment, grant management, monitoring, assessments, curriculum, professional development, and CLASS observations. As the year progresses, the VDOE will update the calendar.
For ECSE
Tuition Support Opportunity for Provisionally Licensed Early Childhood Special Education Teachers
Radford University and the University of Lynchburg are in a consortium which offers all the courses needed to fulfill an Early Childhood Special Education provisional license or the add-on endorsement. A student can also take additional courses to earn a Master’s Degree in Special Education: Early Childhood. The VDOE has awarded this consortium a grant to provide some tuition support for these courses. All of the courses are taught online and available to students across the state who wish to achieve licensure in ECSE. For more information about the ECSE Consortium grant program, visit Radford University ECSE Consortium Grant Information or University of Lynchburg ECSE Consortium Grant Information. You may also contact Sharon Gilbert at Radford University or Deanna Cash at Lynchburg University.
Online Webinar: Considerations for a Smooth and Timely Transition from Part C to Part B - May 19
Want to know more about the Transition from Early Intervention (Part C) to Early Childhood Special Education (Part B)? Plan to attend the online webinar presented by Dawn Hendricks (Early Childhood Special Education Coordinator, VDOE) and Sarah Moore (Monitoring Consultant, Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services). Topics will include an overview of the regulations, what can be decided locally, what makes a child eligible for each program, as well as recommendations for how the two systems can collaborate to support families. Staff from both Part C and Part B are encouraged to attend.
- Considerations for a Smooth and Timely Transition from Part C to Part B (Online Live Webinar)
- May 19th at 1pm
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Register to attend
Save the Date: VIRTUAL Creating Connections to Shining Stars 2021
The Creating Connections to Shining Stars Conference (CCSS) is a collaborative effort between Virginia's Part C, Early Intervention and Part B, Early Childhood Special Education programs. The conference will focus on promoting and supporting the implementation of evidence-based practices in inclusive settings for infants, toddlers, and young children with disabilities. The CCSS Conference was originally scheduled for July 2021 in Roanoke, Virginia. The full conference has been tentatively moved to July 2022. There will be a virtual one day conference on July 15, 2021. Please save the date! Robin McWilliam will provide a keynote presentation and breakout sessions will follow. More information will be available soon.
Act Early ECHO: 8-Part Learning Series
Act Early Environmental Influences on Child and Health Outcomes (ECHO) provides information and resources about current and emerging knowledge and evidence-based promising practices about the four phases of early identification: family-engaged developmental monitoring, developmental screening, referrals for needed supports and services, and receipt of needed services. The Act Early ECHO is targeted to reach early childhood professionals and families in Ohio, Wyoming, and Virginia to encourage cross-state collaborations and resource sharing. The Act Early ECHO is providing an 8-part learning series that will focus on the early identification process, including sessions on using "Learn the Signs. Act Early" materials, resilience frameworks, lessons learned through COVID-19, and cultural considerations.
- Act Early ECHO 8-Part Learning Series
- Sessions begin Friday, March 12, 3pm EST and will be held bi-weekly through June 18th.
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Register to attend
See Me, Hear Me, Touch Me, Read Me: Adapting Books
The Literacy Bill of Rights states that all persons, regardless of the extent or severity of their disabilities, have a basic right to use print. Using the principles of Universal Design for Learning it is possible to facilitate meaningful participation in reading activities by altering access, content, and materials as well as providing communication supports. Positive language learning experiences result when all have access to books. This webinar, designed to introduce participants to a series of webshops offered through TTAC Online, explores ways to adapt books and create rich thematic units incorporating literacy and learning. Join us as we will provide you with an overview of the whys and hows of adapting books, free online resources for composing electronic versions or print-based book adaptations, and ways of creating book kits that expand upon adapted books using a thematic approach.
For Head Start
New Director of OHS
The Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Head Start (OHS) announced the newly appointed Director Dr. Bernadine Futrell, who is a former Head Start student, Virginia early childhood educator, and recently transitioned from a Senior Director role with National Head Start Association. To find out more about Dr. Futrell, check out her brief bio shared by OHS.
Putting COVID-19 Funds to Work
This year many early care and education programs have experienced unprecedented events associated with
the COVID-19 pandemic. Educators have continued to be flexible and pivot to ensure that services were not
disrupted for children and families through innovative practices and coordinated efforts. In response to the
pandemic demands the Office of Head Start is launching an opportunity for Head Start
grantee agencies to share illustrations from the field that will be collected to utilize as a resource for remote
and virtual service delivery, in-person service delivery, staff supports, food and nutrition services, family
engagement and support.
Early Head Start and Head Start programs can submit their creative ideas that have been implemented
when allocating supplemental grant funding to prevent, prepare, and respond to COVID-19.
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