In this issue...
PennAEYC News
PennAEYC On-Line
Upcoming Activities
State Budget Update
DPW News
Federal Public Policy News
Dept of Ed News
NAEYC News
Leadership Opportunity
Chapter News
Professional Development Opportunities
Survey Invitation
Your Membership Status

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Newsletter
August 2010
 
Our vision is that every child in Pennsylvania has the equal opportunity to be a successful, responsible, and productive member of society as a result of early childhood experiences.
 

 

Greetings!
 
 

This week the largest voter education and registration effort of its kind ever launched in Pennsylvania - First Steps Pennsylvania - and PennAEYC is a proud member!  

 

The goal of First Steps PA is to make early childhood education a priority issue for gubernatorial candidates and the next state administration.

 

It is a statewide non-partisan campaign supported by a broad-based coalition from around the Commonwealth committed to raising the visibility of high-quality early childhood education during the 2010 gubernatorial election and partnering with the next administration to continue to build Pennsylvania's high-quality early learning system.

 

The coalition includes more than 1,200 members representing approximately 22,000 professional staff who provide service each day to more than 200,000 children across the state. More than 300,000 parents are relying on them each day to assure their children are well cared for and have the opportunity to learn, grow and develop.

 

You may recall e-mails sent out over the past two weeks encouraging you and your organization to become a part of this effort.  If you have not signed on to the campaign, it is not too late.  Go to www.firststepspa.org and fill in a simple form to show your support. 

 

Don't forget - 63 days until the election and only 34 more days to register to VOTE!

 

We want our message to be loud and clear.......our children, each and every one of them, deserve the best possible start in life and we will stand for nothing less. 

 

 Jodi Askins,  Executive Director

quilt blockPennAEYC News
Early Childhood Fellowship Program
 
A cohort of 12 to 16 providers in the field of early care and education from around the state will participate in this year-long leadership program, which is designed to educate, connect, and support emerging leaders working to effect positive change in the field of early childhood.  Next year's cohort is being formed now.  Click here for the 2010-2011 program application. 
PennAEYC On-Line
 
What's New at www.pennaeyc.org: 
 
 
quilt block Upcoming Activities
 
To submit an event, email
[email protected].   
  
October 2:  Bucks County AEYC Conference;
"Creativity . . . the Colors of Childhood;" Bucks County Community College; www.bcaeyc.org
 
October 13 - 15:  Early Childhood Summit at the Penn Stater. 
For more information visit www.earlychildhoodsummit.org
 
November 13 - 14:  PennAEYC annual board retreat at the Penn Stater

The Child Care Health Advocate course is a 15 session, 3 credit hour online college credit activity for directors and lead teachers offered by Northampton Community College. Since 2007, this NCC has taught this course with ongoing collaboration between Northampton Community College and the PA Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.  This course continues to receive accolades from all the enrolled students because it not only offers a unique opportunity for directors and lead
teachers to acquire academic credit applicable toward undergraduate and graduate degrees, but also to immediately improve the performance of their programs. The mentored course assignments involve implementation of nationally recommended best practice in the student's work setting and access to national resources. For more information, see the flyer on the Northampton Community College website.

 
 State Budget Update  

What happened with FMAP (Federal Medicaid Matching Assistance Program) funding and do we finally have a balanced budget? 

In early August, the U.S. Congress passed a $16.1 billion extension in Medicaid funding (FMAP) for states. Pennsylvania will receive $600 million, which is $250 million short of the $850 million that is included in the current state budget.

To address the $250 million shortfall, Governor Rendell announced a plan including:
1.9% cuts across the board in discretionary appropriations (expected to total $198 million, including a $50 million cut in basic education funding)
1.9% cut to the Legislature (totaling $6 million)
1.9% cut to the courts (totaling $5 million)
1.9% cut to independent elected offices (totaling $3 million)

In addition, the plan to cover the gap includes $70 million in new revenue from a natural gas severance tax.  According to the 2010-11 budget, the General Assembly has until October 1 to pass this severance tax which would go into effect on January 1.

SO, this budget is still not a done deal and if the severance tax is not passed, more cuts will be needed to balance it.  Those cuts could very well include K-12 and early education.  
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OCDEL will use federal grant to bolster home visiting programs

A new federal grant will strengthen Pennsylvania's work to improve the health and developmental outcomes of at-risk children through quality home visiting programs.

The Office of Child Development and Early Learning, or OCDEL, will use more than $2 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to build on Pennsylvania's existing home visitation efforts and find ways to reduce gaps in services and obstacles to family participation.  OCDEL is conducting a needs assessment to identify geographic areas that have either gaps in home visitation services or high numbers of at-risk residents. Subsequent local assessments will help OCDEL identify and address specific barriers to service in those identified areas and create or expand evidence-based home visiting programs tailored to local needs.

For more information about home visitation programs visit the Department of Public Welfare's Web site at www.dpw.state.pa.us.


 
quilt blockFederal Public Policy News 
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius Announce Formation of Interagency Policy Board on Early Learning
 
On August 3, 2010, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius announced the formation of the Early Learning Interagency Policy Boardto improve the quality of early learning programs and outcomes for young children; increase the coordination of research, technical assistance and data systems; and advance the effectiveness of the early learning workforce among the major federally funded early learning programs across the two departments.
 
"This marks an important step in our effort to help eliminate silos at the federal level," said Secretary Duncan. "We want to ensure that collaboration at the federal level mirrors the integration you're striving to achieve at the state and local levels."
"Providing strong support for this country's children during their earliest years is one of the most important investments we can make," said Secretary Sebelius. "This effort will rely on strong federal partnerships, integrated policy development, and continued innovation from our partners in the Early Learning field." 
quilt blockPA Department of Education News

Early Childhood Executive Leadership Institute, Various Dates & Locations

In the first-ever statewide leadership development program for both early learning professionals in community-based settings and K-12 administrators, the Pennsylvania Department of Education is inviting education leaders from across Pennsylvania to participate in the Early Childhood Executive Leadership Institute (ECELI).  This five-day training course, developed by the National Institute for School Leadership (NISL) with the Office of Child Development and Early Learning for Pennsylvania's Inspired Leaders  (PIL) program, is focused on implementing new strategies to build seamless education experiences for young children in their communities.  The ECELI Institute is a vehicle for bringing together leaders from both the K-12 and early-childhood sectors and serves as a model to other states that are working to bring more coherence to services for young children.

"Early-childhood directors and elementary principals do not work in two separate worlds," said NISL President and CEO Robert C. Hughes. "When directors and principals collaborate, they will be even more effective at meeting the needs of young children in their communities, making sure that the gains children make in preschool will continue through the early grades and beyond."

The Institute is offered at no cost, other than a participant's travel expenses, in each of the 8 PIL regions of Pennsylvania and is open to:

Child Care STAR 3 and 4 provider Directors, Assistant Directors, Pre-K Coordinators; Head Start Directors, Assistant Directors, and  Education Coordinators that supervise teaching staff;

Licensed Nursery School Directors, Assistant Directors, and Pre-K Coordinator that supervise teaching staff, that are operating PA Pre-K Counts classrooms;

Intermediate Unit, Early Intervention Supervisors, Preschool Supervisors, Early Childhood Education Coordinators,, and Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Coordinators;

Preschool Early Intervention Supervisors in School Districts that have a MAWA

School leaders from the k-12 public school districts and Intermediate Units (IU)
 

The Institute provides PQAS hours for community based early childhood leaders and Act 48 credits for those with teaching certificates they want to maintain as active, and Act 45 credits needed by superintendents, principals, IU Directors, and their assistants or others who hold certificates in these areas.

Other training opportunities allow principals and directors of early learning programs brief opportunities to learn about each other. But the ECELI is a departure from that approach, instead allowing leaders from these different sectors to learn and grow together as a cohort over time and to implement strategies that will benefit young children whether they are in preschool, a family child-care center, or 1st grade.

Eligible leaders in community-based early childhood education programs are urged to take advantage of this opportunity by going to the PIL website to register as soon as possible since some of the Institutes offered have already started and others are filling up quickly.  The Institute can only accommodate a limited number of participants.  At the website there is also the map of PA showing the 8 PIL regions.  Please click on the one most convenient for additional details.  The application must be submitted by mailing to the appropriate Regional Site Coordinator for PIL or sending to that person electronically. For additional details, please see the PIL website.

quilt block NAEYC News 

"Back-to-School" Basics

Children, parents and caregivers are often bombarded with information about school readiness, family support and transitioning. Where does one look? The Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children (PennAEYC) with the guidance of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has reaffirmed its position.

A commitment to promoting universal school readiness requires: giving all children access to the opportunities that promote school success; recognizing and supporting children's individual differences, and establishing reasonable and appropriate expectations for what children should be able to do when they enter school.

We have to remember that school readiness, in the broadest sense, is about children, families, early environments, schools and communities. NAEYC sites research from Maxwell and Clifford which notes "Children are not innately 'ready' or 'not ready' for school. Their skills and development are strongly influenced by their families and through their interactions with other people and environments before coming to school."

For both parent and teacher there are many steps that can be taken to ensure that the child is welcomed and parental suggestion is appreciated. This two-way street approach can cultivate good relationships with families and help prevent hard times in the long run. A few simple tasks can help keep communication clear. 1. be an active listener, 2. show empathy 3.showcase the positive and 4. admit to not knowing an answer, but be willing to follow up. Communications strategies can help build positive relationships with with families and instructional staff. It won't alleviate every issue but will help strengthen the bonds that tie parents, educators and children together.

As children grow, develop and mature the investments and commitments have to grow, develop and mature with them from the parents and the educators. To learn more about school readiness, family support and transition you can visit the following sites for additional resources: www.pennaeyc.org and click on the NAEYC link or go directly to www.naeyc.org/positionstatements.

Teachers, Caregivers and Administrators
Check out these NAEYC Resources...... 

11 Tips to Welcome Children and Families to Your Program
Use these tips to help ease transitions during back to school time and all year-round and to get a new year off to a great start.
Read more � 

Cultivating Good Relationships with Families Can Make Hard Times Easier!
From the Young Children column Rocking and Rolling: Supporting Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families, which offers fresh ideas all year long.
Read more � 

Where We Stand on School Readiness
Is your program ready for the children and families you're about to meet?
Read more
quilt block Leadership Opportunity 
"Expand the Brand" Communications Leadership Cohort
 
"Expand the Brand"  It is extremely important that early learning programs and staff can communicate clearly and effectively to families, community leaders, legislators and members of the media regarding the value of quality early education. Public awareness and support remains a critical factor in order to secure necessary resources each year to maintain early learning opportunities to children.
 
In order to boost awareness of early learning programs and services, OCDEL and the PA Key are recruiting early childhood education professionals to participate in the first Communications Leadership Cohort. The cohort will consist of approximately 50 early childhood education professionals who will act as spokespersons on early education programs and services, particularly informing families, media, and community leaders about the benefits of quality early education as a key component of school readiness.
 
Members of the Communications Leadership Cohort will participate in nine professional development (PD) modules (PQAS hours and Act 48 credits) focused on communications, media relations, and messaging (December 2010 - December 2011) and complete real-world community outreach assignments. After completing the coursework, cohort members will continue community outreach and education activities, and become mentors to other early childhood teachers and staff to help them become spokespersons on the benefits of quality early education to children.
 
Applications for the "Expand the Brand" Communications Leadership Cohort will be accepted through September 17, 2010.
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Pittsburgh AEYC Partners with CMU's CREATE LAB to Collect "Stories" with New Technology
PAEYC is embarking on an incredible journey with Carnegie Mellon University's CREATE LAB (Community Robotics, Education and Technology Empowerment). This special project titled "HEAR ME" is a community-based initiative that is creating a culture of speaking with and listening to our children in Southwestern Pennsylvania. 
HEAR ME combines new technologies with traditional media to create a dynamic system that allows children of all ages and backgrounds document and share their personal narratives in different story forms with other kids and adults across the region. The project will launch in Fall 2010 and continue through Summer 2011 throughout Southwestern PA, including Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Fayette, Washington, Westmoreland and surrounding counties. More than 75 school districts, 50 non-profit organizations including the Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children (PAEYC) and 2,000 educators will collaborate with over 25,000 children to collect, organize, share and respond to stories.   
Stories will be disseminated in 300 - 500 locations across the region through various media: print, audio, video and custom-built story-collecting and sharing devices created through the Create Lab at CMU. 
PAEYC has been charged with identifying 75 centers as story collection sites. Why does this matter? Children want to be heard - by adults, by other children, by the individuals and organizations that make decisions about their lives. When people listen, children recognize that others care about their opinions and experiences. PAEYC will be launching a series of professional development sessions to focus on the use of technology for story-collection, story-telling as a form of creative expression, experimental learning and story-telling and personal narrative as a learning tool.  
Not only will these stories hold value as collected pieces of information, but with the dissemination process outlined in the CREATE LAB's work-plan, they will be heard in hundreds of locations around the region: listening posts in schools, hospital waiting rooms, posters in bus shelters, print media in restaurants and local businesses even voicemail and text messaging systems. What is more impressive is that these stories will be accessible from an archived catalogue housed in a "Tell-a-port" - an online story hub which will serve as a repository for all stories collected.  For more information about the CREATE Lab projects, visit http://CommunityRobotics.org.
 
 
From our at-large area:  Bradford County's Learning Early Network program is thrilled with the positive evaluation of our work with Head Start Children and the arts. 
 
Bucks AEYC Conference Oct 2nd
Creativity . . . the Colors of Childhood" is the theme for the  22nd Annual Early Childhood Conference  in Bucks County this fall.  Co-sponsored by the Bucks County AEYC and Bucks County Community College, the event is set for Saturday, October 2nd at Bucks County Community College.
Participants will be encouraged to look at all learning experiences - especially those that are inherent in play - with a heightened perspective on enhancing creativity and critical thinking in young children.  In addition to a keynote by Peg Szczurek "Invite Creativity!" 35 workshops will be offered.
quilt blockProfessional Development 
PennAEYC Professional Development Opportunities Are Expanding
 
Learning truly is everywhere. Professional development opportunities are happening with the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children at the Early Childhood Summit Oct. 13 -15, 2010 at the Penn Stater Conference Center HotelState College, PA.
 
PennAEYC has put together an outstanding list of sessions during the Friday, October 15, 2010 component of the conference. Included in that day will be an accreditation tract that will feature:
1. Accreditation: Overview of the new NAEYC System will discuss Accreditation Standards, Classroom and Program Portfolios, Documentation and Sources of Evidence for NAEYC Accreditation. Be sure to bring your questions for instructor Rachelle Rozycki-Duffy
 
2. The INs and Outs of NAEYC Classroom and Program Portfolios will give an overview of both Classroom and Program Portfolios. Participants will learn what goes into developing these portfolios and as well as tips and tricks for making the development process easier. There will be examples of each. Participants will also have an opportunity to ask questions specific of instructor Rachelle Rozycki-Duffy to their own programs. 
 
3. NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct "Guiding the Work of Early Care and Education Professionals with PAEYC Executive Director Michelle Figlar will provide early care and education practitioners and directors with information on the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, discussion opportunities on how the code guides our work, and strategies for using the code in everyday practice. 
 
4. NAEYC Updates- Developmentally Appropriate Practices Working With Infants and Toddlers is one of three sessions included in a track on Developmentally Appropriate Practice. It is focused specifically on working with infants and toddlers. Participants will learn the most current information from NAEYCs New 3rd edition of Developmentally Appropriate Practices, from Birth through Age 8 and how to apply that information in day-to-day classroom operations and interactions with infants and toddlers.
 
5. Rediscover DAP - Developmentally Appropriate Practice Past to the Present is one of three sessions included in a track on Developmentally Appropriate Practice. It is focused specifically on discussing the history, progression and evolution of individualized programming. Participants will learn the most current information from NAEYCs New 3rd edition of Developmentally Appropriate Practices, from Birth through Age 8.
 
6. Engaging School Board in Early Education: Taking Away the Fear. This session will help you take the next step in advocacy with PennAEYC and learn how to reach your local school board members to gain their support of early education in your community. This session will help you learn more about school districts that support early learning programs and develop strategies to engage others.
 
7. How to Help Your Staff Understand Developmentally Appropriate Practice is part of a Developmentally Appropriate Track - Using the NAEYC's New 3rd edition of Developmentally Appropriate Practices, from Birth through Age 8 participants will gain an understanding of how to work with their classroom staff to better understand developmentally appropriate practice and how it translates into their day-to-day activities and interactions.
Additional professional development will be coming soon in the Southcentral and Northwest Regional Keys. Stay tuned with PennAEYC for special opportunities including PennAEYC DAP and advocacy sessions.
 Survey Invitation

Dear State-Level AEYC Members: 

You are invited to participate in a research project being conducted by Dr. Shelly Counsell and Dr. Mike Lester of Idaho State University.  Your participation in this project is entirely voluntary.  This survey is intended to investigate the current trends and practice concerning young children's access to daily outdoor play and recess (Pre-K through 3rd grade). Participating attendees at the Eastern Idaho AEYC Conference in Pocatello, ID completed a pilot survey in March 2009.  Participating attendees at the Iowa AEYC Play Symposium in Des Moines, IA also completed the pilot study in May 2009.  Based on the emergent themes, patterns, trends, and insights gained, the pilot survey has been revised for nationwide distribution.  We are asking you to complete all sections of the survey (assigning a scaled response and written comments for each statement) as accurately and completely as possible.  Be sure to indicate the state in which you reside.  Your participation will be kept confidential; your name or other identifiers will not be used.  Data gathered from this survey will be destroyed at the end of the project (approximately one year from now); until then it will be stored on a password-protected computer in a locked faculty office at Idaho State University. Information and insights gathered from this survey will be used to guide and inform educators, administrators, parents, and legislators nationwide regarding the current trends concerning young children's access to outdoor play and recess and what this means for local, state, and national policy and subsequent practice. 

To maximize participation in the survey needed to accurately depict the trends in outdoor play and recess nationwide, we are extending the timeline for state-level members to respond to December 31, 2010.

Thank you for taking advantage of this unique opportunity to voice your views and share your valuable insights, experiences, and beliefs regarding the current trends in outdoor play and recess in early childhood education today. Your efforts on children's behalf are greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the researchers:  Shelly Counsell, Ed.D, [email protected] (282-5311) or Michael Lester, Ed.D, [email protected] (282-4563). 

To access the online survey, go to: http://ed.isu.edu/noprs/ 
Disclaimer:  PennAEYC provides a forum for discussion of major issues and ideas in our field. We hope to provoke thought and promote professional growth.
The views expressed or implied are not necessarily those of the Association. Acceptance of advertising, announcements, and postings does not represent PennAEYC's endorsement of any product or service, nor is PennAEYC responsible for representations made by advertisers.
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Your Membership Status
 
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If you are a PennAEYC member, your membership information is as follows:
 
Member ID #:    
 Member category:    
Expiration Date:    
Local Chapter/s:    
 
To become a member or renew your membership, go to www.naeyc.org/membership or call NAEYC at 1-800-424-2460.