Birth to 6 EVENTS

A BULLETIN FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SERVING YOUNG CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND THEIR FAMILIES

Issue 51 - November 2005

Statewide Early Childhood Initiatives

Welcome Readers:

This might be the most eclectic edition of Birth to 6 EVENTS you’ve read in a couple of years. In the transition of recruiting and mentoring a new editor for Birth to 6 EVENTS, I am pleased to have a turn at editing this newsletter again. Arianna Keil, who joined the staff of WPDP last month, will become our new editor, replacing Lisa Pugh who has taken a new position with CESA 2 (page 17). Given my involvement with many statewide, Birth to 6 activities, this issue will focus on highlighting a number of statewide initiatives and foreshadowing many exciting opportunities coming up later this fall and early winter. I’m using this opportunity as returning editor to write about a topic that is near and dear to me, the preparation of our workforce. I’ve chosen the topic of preparation for the changing population demographics to integrate and reflect upon information I’ve been gathering for a while.

This issue will also review two statewide system initiatives, the Early Childhood Comprehensive System, which provides a broad framework for early childhood, and Strengthening Families which brings new depth to our early childhood perspectives. We will also highlight Wisconsin’s newly evolving birth to age 6 accountability system, and learning opportunities and experiences related to social emotional development. We hope you find something in this issue that will help you connect what you do everyday with these statewide developments.

Share Your Events

Now you can share a special version of Birth to 6 EVENTS with the families you serve. We have created a template for a simple newsletter that you can modify and distribute to parents. Consider adding your own logo and information to our basic content and letterhead. Please let us know how you use it. You’ll find the on-line version here: www.waisman.wisc.edu/birthto3/events.php Please share your copy of Birth to 6 EVENTS by forwarding the electronic version or making copies of the issue. We welcome your feedback – keil@waisman.wisc.edu . The direct link to this issue is www.waisman.wisc.edu/birthto3/NovEVENTS.PDF If you would like to receive automatic e-mail updates on Birth to 3 issues, including a link to the most recent copy of this newsletter, send a blank e-mail to b3etnsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

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2000 photo of Sophia receiving services from Occupational Therapist Karen Bartlett, formerly of Jefferson County Birth to 3.

Included in the on-line issue of EVENTS:

• WI ECCS
  
• Strengthening Families
  
• Social Emotional Dev
  
• Accountability Systems
  
• Accountability Video Conference
  
• Diversity
  
• County Highlights
  
• Fundamentals of Service Coordination
  
• Personnel Highlights
  
• Events & Calendar
  
• Resources
  
• Job Postings
  

Wisconsin Early Childhood Comprehensive System

For further information:
Susan Harvey, MSW, ECCS Coordinator
WI Dept of Health and Family Services
Division of Public Health
harvest@dhfs.state.wi.us

Strengthening Families Through Early Care and Education

The CSSP website contains a host of materials from self-assessment and implementation guides for programs to updates on strategies being pursued by pilot states. For more information visit www.cssp.org

Protective Factors

With support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Center for the Study of Social Policy spent two years researching and identifying five protective factors that prevent child abuse and neglect. These are:

For adults:

• Parental resilience
• Social connections
• Knowledge of parenting and child development
• Concrete support in times of need

For children:

• Healthy social and emotional development

A number of tools are available for those who want to learn more about the protective factors approach.

• A literature review
• A self-assessment tool for early childhood professionals

MENTAL HEALTH

Social Emotional Development Video Course

• Wisconsin Initiative for Infant Mental Health – September Electronic Newsletter (www.wiimh.org/newsletter.htm)
  Through this site you can learn about Zero to Three Press Affiliates and access numerous resources and supports in the infant and early childhood mental health field.
  To subscribe, go to: http://wiimh.org/mailman/listinfo/wiimhnewsletter_wiimh.org or contact Julie Bark at 608.442.0360 or Julie.infantmh@tds.net
• University of Minnesota, http://education.umn.edu/cedd/coursesandtrainings/courses/imh.htm
  Introduction to Infant Mental Health (online course) October 16 to December 16, 2005
  Designed for professionals from education, health and mental health interested in an introduction to the field of infant mental health and intervention with infants, toddlers, and their parents.
  Addressing the Needs of Young Children Who Engage in Challenging Behavior (online course) October 24 to December 16, 2005
• Additional books suggested by Carol Noddings Eichinger:
  Tracing the Roots of Violence by Robin Karr-Morse and Meredith Wiley Firestorms in the Brain: An Inside Look at Violent Behavior by Dr. Daniel Amen

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Jacob, International Adoptee

Accountability: Measuring Early Childhood Functional Outcomes

Dr. Sam Meisels from the Erikson Institute will open the conversation on November 10th by providing information about appropriate use of assessment tools, recommended assessment strategies for young children, and guidance for policy makers in creating statewide systems. Regional sites will work through a facilitator to reflect on Dr. Meisels’ comments and to suggest their list of principles. The lists from each of the eight sites will be compiled to create the draft of guiding principles that will be disseminated for further comment. During the video conference, participants will also learn more about the IDEA requirements and their impact on all early childhood programs. Registration and additional information is available at www.collaboratingpartners.com.

Additional accountability systems information is available through:

• The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (www.nectac.org/default.asp)
• The Early Childhood Outcomes Center (www.the-eco-center.org)

Accountability Video Conference

Are We Prepared for the Growing Diversity of Wisconsin’s Population?

For more information about the National Center for Cultural Competence, visit: http://gucchd.georgetown.edu/nccc/index.html

Birth to 3 Workforce Survey - Summary Findings for Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Items

Survey Item	How Ready?	University/College Preparation	On the Job Experience?
Utilize culturally and disability appropriate evaluation/assessment processes.	18% - I could teach or coach someone 39% - I can do this work independently 31% - I need occasional support, guidance, or coaching	11% - Learned applied skill independently 30% - Gained some skills 27% - Gained awareness 21% - No exposure	36% - Learned/applied skill independently 41% - Gained some skills 14% - Gained awareness 2% - No exposure
Work with families from diverse cultural/ethnic backgrounds.	20% - I could teach or coach someone 39% - I can do this work independently 35% - I need occasional support, guidance, or coaching	13% - Learned applied skill independently 23% - Gained some skills 45% - Gained awareness 14% - No exposure	41% - Learned/applied skill independently 38% - Gained some skills 15% - Gained awareness 1% - No exposure
Work with linguistically diverse English language learners.	9% - I could teach or coach someone 21% - I can do this work independently 44% - I need occasional support, guidance, or coaching	7% - Learned applied skill independently 14% - Gained some skills 34% - Gained awareness 34% - No exposure	24% - Learned/applied skill independently 34% - Gained some skills 24% - Gained awareness
Work with interpreters.	14% - I could teach or coach someone 37% - I can do this work independently 23% - I need occasional support, guidance, or coaching	5% - Learned applied skill independently 8% - Gained some skills 21% - Gained awareness 50% - No exposure	32% - Learned/applied skill independently 25% - Gained some skills 15% - Gained awareness

Survey Findings

These findings suggest that many providers have acquired the knowledge and skills to perform the cultural and linguistic diversity practices addressed in the survey items on the job, with about one third of the workforce identifying a need for occasional, support, guidance or coaching to carry out these practices (see bolded responses in the table). The findings also show that many providers reported they gained awareness during their university preparation programs, but many had limited exposure to the practices.

I have two thoughts about the implications of these findings. One underscores the importance of on the job training and technical assistance to support early intervention teams in acquiring knowledge, skills and mentoring to respond to the unique diversity that each family brings to a program. This supports the idea of nurturing our workplaces as our learning communities. My other thought supports the infusion of cultural and linguistic competence throughout university and college training programs. While all campuses have requirements for equity and diversity training, as indicated by the awareness levels, not all students graduate with the depth of practical experiences that may be needed in the workplace.

Innovative Higher Education Practices

We have been fortunate in Wisconsin to have had funding from the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs over the years to support innovative early intervention/early childhood personnel preparation training programs. Currently, there are two programs that are coming to an end this academic year, and one newly funded program that will begin in January 2006. We have found that our graduates are highly sought after in the job market because of the relevant experiences they have had during their preservice training.

UW-Madison For the past eight years, I have had the privilege to direct the Interdisciplinary Training Program in Early Childhood Ages Birth to 8 (ID TRAIN), through the Waisman Center, for the UW-Madison Campus. With my colleagues, Amy Fruchtman, Program Coordinator, and Lynn Havemann, Beth Swedeen, Julie Gamradt, Bobbi Johnson, Alejandra Reyes, and Belinda Velazquez, we have trained students from nine different departments (Physical Therapy, Communicative Disorders (speech-language, audiology), Occupational Therapy/Occupational Therapy Assistant, Social Work, School Psychology, Early Childhood Education, Human Development and Family Studies, and Special Education). This program received the Wisconsin Division for Early Childhood Collaborative Team Award in 2000.

The curriculum has emphasized family-centered practices, inter-professional teaming, service coordination, natural environments/inclusion, augmentative and alternative communication and cultural competence. We learned in developing the content that these topics are minimally addressed or absent from departmental training requirements. While cultural competence is integrated throughout the program, two program components have directly immersed students in diverse cultural experiences. Throughout the academic year, each student is matched with a family mentor who helps them learn about family life from the inside out, encouraging them to set aside their professional roles. Many students have been matched with families whose racial, cultural or ethnic background is different from their own. Those who studied Spanish and spoke at least a little Spanish could be paired with Spanish speaking families.

Another unique immersion experience has been a summer cultural immersion experience during which students spend three weeks in community settings throughout the state with families of diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, many of whom also were of lower socioeconomic status. For example, students worked with Russian refugees, homeless families, families who moved to Madison from the Southside of Chicago, Hispanic families largely from Mexico, and Native American families. In preparation for this experience students participated in a series of activities throughout the academic year, plus a 2- day orientation focused on helping them explore and discover their own cultural perspectives and how their own values and experiences may influence their immersion in another cultural environment. Follow-up sessions allowed students the opportunity to share their experiences with each other and learn from one another. The student comments, highlighted on page 13, suggest the powerful impact the experience had on students who participated.

Student Comments: What Was the Impact of Your Cultural Immersion Experience?

• Great life changing, soul-searching experience that changed [my perspective on my work and my place in it].
• Whether [I loved or hated every minute, I learned from both reactions].
• [I had] the opportunity to actually talk to people from other cultures about their experiences.
• The experience offered [me] new insights into different cultures [and] life experiences and [brought me increased] awareness to specific issues in society that it is important to be sensitive to.
• I am more aware of family involvement. I will reframe [my thinking] to put myself in [others’] shoes [and consider] what else is going on in their lives.
• I experienced [a closeness] with the people I was placed with and [valued] the conversations that we were able to have among each other.
• [I learned from] going into communities and homes and seeing [families’] lives firsthand.
• In addition to increased Spanish abilities, I think I will be a lot better at building rapport with [members of Hispanic communities] in the future.
• I have learned new ways/techniques to interact with a wide range of personalities that will help me [provide physical therapy].
• I will know how cultures can differ and know "what questions to ask" to find out about these differences.
• I am more aware of the homeless population and the challenges they face. I will be able to discuss resources available and refer them to services that are needed.

MCH-LEND

UW-Madison, Waisman Center, has another interdisciplinary training program which is funded by the Maternal and Child Health (US Dept. of Health and Human Services). The MCH-LEND program is for graduate students (MS and PhD) from eleven health, education and social services disciplines who are training to become the next generation of leaders to work with children ages birth to twenty-one with disabilities and their families. The curriculum of this program also emphasizes cultural competence and includes many of the same program components and activities described in the early childhood preservice preparation programs.

For more information visit: www.waisman.wisc.edu/mchlend/

UW- Milwaukee

The other program, Diverse Urban Interdisciplinary Teams (DUIT), which has been implemented through the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee was recently highlighted in the Summer 2005 issue of Young Exceptional Children. Faculty for the program include: Mary McLean, PhD (Principal Investigator, Early Childhood Special Education), Paula Rhyner, PhD (Communication Sciences and Disorders), Kris Barnekow, PhD (Occupational Therapy), Ann Hains, PhD (Early Childhood Special Education), Bonnie Kennedy, PhD (Occupational Therapy), and Vicky Johnson BA (Family Coordinator).

The DUIT priority has been to offer an interdisciplinary experience to support interactions among students from different departments who may not otherwise have opportunities to learn together. The program has several features that naturally infuse cross-cultural competence into the interdisciplinary seminars, coursework, and field experiences throughout the program. Similar to ID Train, the project employs a family coordinator who matches each student with a family mentor who has a young child with disabilities. The aim has been to match students with families whose racial/ethnic background differed from the students’ backgrounds. As the family coordinator is from a diverse background, connections to diverse communities in urban Milwaukee have been enhanced. This has included the recruitment and provision of ongoing support to minority families from diverse ethnic, racial, cultural and linguistic backgrounds for involvement in the family mentor program, seminar series and the interdisciplinary course.

During the seminar series, students read literature such as the The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures, by A. Fadiman, to stimulate discussions about cultural and ethnic perspectives on disabilities and the implications for their practice. These guided discussions took place during face-to-face meetings and interactive, online dialog. Lastly, students’ early childhood fieldwork experiences have been in settings serving children with disabilities and their families from the diverse populations who reside in the urban Milwaukee area. Many of these program features will be carried into the new program, Project EI/EC PREP.

New University Preparation Program for Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education Teachers

The Exceptional Education Department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is pleased to announce receipt of funding for a personnel preparation grant from the U.S. Department of Education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Project EI/EC PREP, "Preparation and Retention of Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education Personnel for High-Poverty, Linguistically Diverse Communities" will begin funding as of January 1, 2006. The focus of this project is to increase the quantity and quality of Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education teachers prepared to serve young children with disabilities and their families who are living in poverty environments. The grant will emphasize improvement in the quality of preparation students receive in working with children living in poverty, children who are English Language Learners, and children with particular needs in the area of social-emotional development.

Interested students may obtain an application on-line at http://www.soe.uwm.edu/html/welcome/Departments/Exceptional_Education/Early_Intervention___Early_Childhood_Preparation_Program or may contact Drs. Mary McLean (mmclean@uwm.edu), Ann Hains (annhains@uwm.edu) or Yaoying Xu (xu@uwm.edu) in the Department of Exceptional Education for information.

Early Childhood Statewide University Courses 2006 Offerings Included

Visit this site to learn about online and face-to-face university courses that will offered through Wisconsin colleges and universities Winterim, Winter, Spring and Summer semesters 2006. These courses are open to practicing professionals who work with young children with disabilities and their families who are interested in taking courses and earning credit. http://www.waisman.wisc.edu/SIG/

COUNTY HIGHLIGHTS

New, innovative ideas that result in better service to families, cost savings and efficiency are continuing to be developed by Wisconsin counties. Often, these great ideas go unrecognized and are not shared among colleagues. In Birth to 6 EVENTS, we would like to introduce a regular feature – County Highlights – to accomplish this purpose. Please consider submitting your own ideas to benefit others in the Birth to 3 field by e-mailing Arianna Keil at keil@waisman.wisc.edu.

Nominated by Karen Williams – Birth to 3 RESource, Northern Region
submitted by Sue Chapman, Director Achievement Center EIP, Inc.

Portage County Birth to Three Program services are provided by the Achievement Center Early Intervention Program. The team at the Achievement Center is currently serving two children with significant hearing loss and is interested in enhancing communication within the entire team (audiologists, physicians, public schools, child care) to provide the best possible services to the child and family.

child is receiving a cochlear implant so we were especially looking to educate ourselves in this area. Part of the plan also is to introduce our families to the Wisconsin Educational Services Program for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Outreach, most specifically the Deaf Mentor and Guide-by-Your-Side Programs. These outcomes were selected to further our knowledge in this area of service provision for families we are currently serving as well as families in the future.

h our Wisconsin Sound Beginnings mini-grant dollars we were able to join the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing as well as purchase the updated Ski Hi Curriculum; various books and videos for parents and staff; the Cottage Acquisition Scales for Listening, Language and Speech; and the Learn to Talk Around the Clock, a professional’s early intervention toolbox for use with families of children who are deaf and hard of hearing, birth to three. We are pleased to have been selected to be part of this project and are looking forward to increasing our skills in serving families in Portage County.

Sue Chapman can be reached at: aceip@coredcs.com.

Nominated by Karen Williams – Birth to 3 RESource, Northern Region
Submitted by Ginny Schlub, Langlade County Birth to 3 Program Coordinator

We used the Sound Beginnings mini-grant funds to purchase materials to put together ten learning kits for use within the county by parents and providers. Our mission was to encourage adult-child interaction in whichever method of communication the user was most comfortable. It was not our intent to promote one language system of communication for all children, therefore we referred parents and providers to our reference library for more information on other systems of communication. The kits also included information about other systems of communication.

Betsy Gruszynski, Elcho Child Care Center, was instrumental in helping write the grant and will be housing several of the kits in the northern part of the county for access by parents and professionals in that area. She can be reached at: bgruszynski@elcho.k12.wi.us. Wendy DeNamur, a parent of a child with a hearing impairment, was another significant participant.

Wendy can be reached at wdenamur@langmemhosp.org

Ginny Schlub can be reached at: gschlub@norcen.org

Fundamentals of Service Coordination for the Wisconsin Birth to 3 Program

Attention Birth to 3 Program Coordinators and Supervisors! Here are the resources you have been waiting for to assist you in:

• Planning and organizing your orientation and mentoring for new service coordinators
• Supporting your veteran, experienced service coordinators.

This wonderful new service coordination resource is now available at: http://waisman.wisc.edu/birthto3/FSC.html

A special thank you to Lisa Pugh for completing the Fundamentals of Service Coordination for the Wisconsin Birth to 3 Program before moving onto her parent facilitator role with CESA 2. Thanks also to Linda Wetzel for her initial development work the year before. Linda is now working as an occupational therapist with the Waukesha County Birth to 3 Program.

Personnel Highlights

Hello everyone! By now, you may be aware that I am no longer with WPDP and the state Birth to 3 Program. I am currently working part-time from my home to support parents on special education issues as a CESA #2 Parent Education Consultant and a volunteer with Wisconsin FACETS. This flexibility allows me to focus on raising my children and managing my daughter’s needs, in particular. I am also excited to be working more closely with families! Please consider referring parents to me for support. I plan to continue writing a regular parent education newsletter and am committed to sharing all the great Birth to 6 information I have acquired over these past several years. You may contact me at lpugh@cesa2.k12.wi.us or 608-290-1933.

Arianna Keil Joins WPDP Staff

We are pleased to announce that Arianna Keil has accepted a position with the Waisman Center to join the WPDP team, filling the position vacated by Lisa Pugh. Arianna was trained as a physician, and comes to the Waisman Center with experience in technical writing and college-level teaching. She and her husband are parents to two delightful 6-year old children. Their daughter Sophia received Birth to 3 services for delays due to visual impairment, and their son Jacob was adopted from Kazakhstan. She is pleased to join the Early Intervention team and looks forward to contributing to their meaningful work. You may contact her at keil@waisman.wisc.edu or 608- 890-0144.

Sherry Kimball – New Birth to Six Services Coordinator for WESPHDHH

Sherry Kimball is the new Birth to Six Services Coordinator for the Wisconsin Educational Services Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (WESPH-DHH) a position formerly held by Sally-Ann Anderson. WESP-DHH is a statewide outreach program supporting families, B-3 programs and schools in providing best practices services for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. WESP-DHH can offer a wide array of services, free of charge, for those looking for support in this area. Some of the services offered include: student assessment, consultation with families, programs and schools, inservices and trainings, and support in locating available resources. More information can be found at: www.wesp-dhh.wi.gov Sherry is also the coordinator of the Guide By Your Side Program, a parent-to-parent match program that links families of newly identified children who are deaf or hard of hearing with parents of older children who are deaf or hard of hearing. This program also provides services to children of deaf or hard of hearing parents as well as bilingual families (Spanish speaking). www.wesp-dhh.wi.gov/guide.htm

Sherry has a Master’s Degree in Deaf Education from Gallaudet University. She has been involved in the field of deaf education for the past fifteen years. Sherry has worked with a variety of children of different ages in a variety of settings. For the past eight years, she has been an early interventionist in the Bridges for Families Program in Madison, WI. Sherry has provided trainings, workshops and in-services throughout the state relating to family-centered services and best practices regarding deaf and hard of hearing children, as well as children with developmental delays and children with other diagnoses. She has also been actively involved in planning and supporting Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) and Early Detection and Hearing Intervention (EDHI) services in Wisconsin. Sherry can be contacted at: 608-266-7032 (v/tty) or sherry.kimball@wesp-dhh.wi.gov

Events & Calendar

• WI Birth to 3 Program: Guidelines for Eligibility
  November 17, 2005, 9:00
  (registration), 9:30-3:00
  Seven-site video conference sponsored by WPDP, Birth to 3 RESource, CESA 5, WDHFS Birth to 3 Program
  More information at: www.waisman.wisc.edu/birthto3/WHATSNEW.HTML
  Contact: Lynn Sankey at 608- 263-5022 or sankey@waisman.wisc.edu
• WI Birth to 3 Program: Fiscal Event for Leaders
  February 2006
  The conference will be held in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, with possible ICC meeting and evening reception to be held the evening before the main event
• Orientation to Best Practices in the Birth to 3 Program
  March 2006: NE Region (likely Appleton)
  May 2006: Western Region (CESA 10)
• WI Birth to 3 Program: The Individual Family Service Plan and Process
  Spring 2006
  Five-site regional video conference focusing on IFSP developments

Other Training Opportunities:

• Accountability Video Conference
  Thursday, November 10, 2005
  This conference will be held at various sites throughout the state. Registration and additional information at www.collaboratingpartners.com
• Advancing Early Childhood Professional Development: 9th Annual Intersecting Interests Conference
  Friday, November 11, 2005 (9am to 4pm)
  The Annual Event for University and College faculty to gather with others interested in professional development to explore matters related to a more coordinated professional development system in the state. Mini Grants will be announced. The conference will be held in Madison, WI at the Sheraton Madison Hotel (www.sheraton.com/madison)
  Conference contact: Julia Herwig at 608-265-9423 or herwig@waisman.wisc.edu
  Registration contact: Erica Case at 608-442-6879 or case@whsaonline.org
• Wisconsin Head Start Association Annual Training Conference
  "Strong Children, Strong Families, Strong Communities"
  February 13-15, 2006
  This conference will be held in Wisconsin Dells, WI at the Kalahari Resort Conference Center.
  Registration information pending. Please refer to www.whsaonline.org/events.htm for updates.
• Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards Training for Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards is taking place throughout Wisconsin for educators, child care providers and families who want to continue to improve the quality of early education and care for children ages three through the completion of kindergarten.
  www.collaboratingpartners.com/training.htm
• Strongest Links Conference
  January 13, 2006
  Madison, WI
• Preserving Early Childhood Conference
  A leadership forum to promote collaborative approaches for all young children in Wisconsin. Guest speaker Peter Block, Co-facilitated with Patrick Dolan.
  March 7-8, 2006
  Specific location TBD, Eau Claire, WI
• JoLyn Beeman Conference
  Friday, March 31, 2006
  This conference will be held in Tomah, WI at the Cranberry County Lodge. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek. author of Einstein Never Used Flash Cards, will be presenting. A copy of the book will be given to each participant. There will be a book signing and reception the evening before the lecture with the author. Registration materials pending.
  Contacts:
  mjoslin@cesa10.k12.wi.us or gtylka@cesa4.k12.wi.us

Link to Waisman Center Community Training Calendar
http://www.waisman.wisc.edu/cte/

The Wisconsin Training Network (T-Net) is a collaboration between Child Care Information Center and The Registry.
http://www.t-net.org/

Resources

• Quality Educator Interactive (QEI)
  http://qei.wisconsin.edu/
  This new site is for any Wisconsin PK-12 teacher, administrator, pupil services professional or pre-service teacher who’s interested in creating, editing, and sharing their professional development plan in a collaborative statewide environment. The site contains forms and databases needed to fulfill PI34 requirements, including comprehensive lists of professional development opportunities. This collaborative interactive site resulted from partnerships with the University of Wisconsin-Extension Outreach and E-Learning Division, Wisconsin Education Association Council, Association of WI School Administrators, and Professional Development Academy. Our early childhood professional development partners are working with the QEI to include early childhood as a topic for professional development listings.
• Wisconsin Quality Educator Initiative: RESOURCES PI34 Teacher Training and Professional Development Re-design
  The Vision for an Aligned Early Childhood Professional Development Approach
  This document addresses the implications PI34 will have on the early childhood education and care workforce. The document also defines specific strategies to achieve priorities identified for individual early childhood programs (e.g. Head Start, Birth to 3, Early Childhood Special Education, Child Care). Visit http://www.collaboratingpartners.com/ProfDev.htm for the complete document and many useful references and resources.
• Orientation to Mentoring, For Early Childhood/ Special Education & Care Professionals
  Fall Session: October10-December 12, 2005
  Spring Session: February 20-April 24, 2006
  This 3 credit online course or non-credit online training is designed for professional educators wanting to learn more about mentoring beginning teachers. Developed through CESA 8 and Viterbo College, it is a self-paced course within the context of a schedule.
  Course contact: Nancy Pfankuch at 902-893-9592 or npfankuch@wi.rr.com
  Registration contact: Jessica Kaczmarek at 920-855- 2114 (ext. 241) or jkaczmarek@cesa8.k12.wi.us through CESA 8 and Viterbo College

WI Department of Public Instruction PI 34 Site: http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/tepdl/whatsnew.html.

Includes PI34 rules, frequently asked questions, and Professional Development Planning tools.

JOB POSTINGS

Bridges for Families in Madison, WI (Dane County Birth to 3) is looking for SLPs, OTs, Educators, and a Director for its program. Interested parties may contact Co-director Pam Stoika at pstoika@icc-wi.org.

Penfield Children’s Center in Milwaukee, WI (Milwaukee County Birth to 3) is looking for a Director of Special Education. Interested parties may contact Rya Novitovic, at 414-345-6330 or ryanovitovic@penfieldchildren.org.

Wisconsin Personnel Development Project
Editors: Linda Tuchman and Arianna Keil - WPDP
Contributors: Lynn Havemann - WPDP, SIG
Julia Herwig - Waisman Center, CESA 5, SIG
Sherry Kimball - WESPH-DHH
Mary Peters - DPI, Early Childhood
Susan Abbey - DHFS, Birth to 3 Program
Karen Williams - RESource Northern Region
Desktop Publishing: Cheri Sanders, Media Specialist - WPDP
Director: Linda Tuchman

EVENTS is published three times each year by the Wisconsin Birth to 3 Personnel Development Project with funding from the Wisconsin Birth to 3 Program, Department of Health and Family Services, and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. WPDP, housed at the Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, is funded by the Birth to 3 Program to address the need for well qualified early intervention service providers in the state. WPDP offers a wide range of educational opportunities for parents, service providers from all disciplines, and program managers/administrators, through a multifaceted program. Activities include statewide and regional in-service workshops, Parents as Leaders (PALS), a video lending library, technical assistance, the Birth to 3 Training and Technical Assistance website, and materials development and dissemination.

For additional information, call 608-890-0144, 1-800-532-3321, or email keil@waisman.wisc.edu

Deadline for submissions to next EVENTS: December 19, 2005.

WPDP website: www.waisman.wisc.edu/birthto3/