DEC Recommended Practices are Here!

Kathleen Hebbeler, ECTA Center & SRI InternationalJudy Swett, ECTA Center at PACER Center

Session Objectives

• Share the newly revised DEC Recommended Practices

• Discuss the framework and parameters that guided the development

• Discuss strategies for using the practices

Updating the Recommended Practices

• Over the past 18 months, a 13 member Recommended Practices Commission appointed by DEC has been working with the support of the ECTA Center to guide the revisions process.

• The goal of the Recommended Practices is to

inform and improve the quality of services provided to young children with or at risk of disabilities or delays and their families.

WHAT: Revision and Validation of Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Recommended Practices

• Use systematic processes to revise the practices and increase their implementation and widespread use in collaboration with ECTA

• Narrow existing list of 240 practices and revise practice statements as appropriate• Set of explicit parameters and criteria

HOW: Framework, Parameters, and Key Working Definitions

Parameters

• Population: young children, birth-5 (through kindergarten), who have or are at risk for developmental delays and disabilities; not limited to those eligible for IDEA services (e.g. children with severe challenging behavior)• Practices represent the “essential”, “biggest bang”

or highest leverage/impact practices• Practices represent the breadth of the topic

More Parameters

• Practices are observable• Practices are written in active voice• Practices are not disability specific• Practices can be delivered in all settings

including natural/inclusive environments• Practices should build on, but not duplicate,

standards for typical early childhood settings (e.g. DAP)

Practice, practitioner, research-based practices• Topic Areas• Leadership• Assessment• Environment• Family• Instruction• Interaction• Teaming and Collaboration• Transition

HOW: Iterative Cycles

RP Commission Framework, Parameters, Definitions

ECTA Support

Topic Work Groups:Develop

practices and nominate evidence.

Commission reviews

practices and evidence

nominated. Provides

feedback.

Topic Work Groups: Revise practices and

nominated evidence.

Ongoing evidence

validation.

Nominating and Validating Evidence

• Topic groups nominated evidence in support of revised practices

• Commission, validation subgroup, and gap analysis group used systematic processes to validate that nominated evidence supported the revised practices

Practices Document

Where you can find them• http://www.decrecpractices.org/• http://www.dec-sped.org/recommendedpractices

How might you use them now?

•What would enhance your knowledge about and use of the revised practices?

•What kind of technical assistance would you like to see from the ECTA Center to support implementing the practices in your state?

•What kinds of products would be most helpful to you and enhance application?

What Are Your Questions?

Thank you!