Many children enter the special education system as preschoolers, making it an ideal time to analyze and strengthen early childhood program and services.
ECA uses a mixed method data collection process to evaluate current early childhood special education systems and service delivery by…
- Examining assessment tools and eligibility processes
- Analyzing IEP development and implementation of functional goals
- Assessing placement in the least restrictive environments
Using the latest research and guidance from the Departments of ED and HHS, and OSEP Child Outcomes; ECA has helped school districts with…
- Continued quality improvement efforts for preschool classrooms with emphasis on supporting children with disabilities through enhanced access, participation, and supports
- Reducing the amount of time children spend in substantially separate programs and pull out services
The expertise ECA brings to this process…
Linda Warren has a doctorate in Early Childhood and Special Education with a secondary focus on Educational Research. She has experience as a pupil personnel services director and a special education teacher. She taught in the Special Education Department at the University of Hawaii and Wheelock College. Other districts have benefited from her evaluations and recommendations.
Ann Ramminger was part of the UW Madison Waisman Center, a Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. She has coordinated statewide special education efforts and grants. Ann also has experience in developing collaborative relationships with community partners.
Staff Presentation at SRCD’s 2021 Biennial Meeting
One of ECA’s own had the opportunity to present at SRCD’s Biennial conference. An overview of that presentation is below. What do Caregivers Bring to the Table? A Qualitative Exploration of Caregiver Characteristics and Experiences Across Ecological Contexts Nicole...
Connecting the Dots – Using Data as the Foundation for School Improvement
Recently, ECA launched its Data and Evidence-Informed Practices series with a virtual professional learning event entitled Connecting the Dots: Using Data as the Foundation for School Improvement. The primary objectives were to: Introduce a process for understanding...
Households of young children with disabilities are not getting the support they need during the COVID-19 epidemic
Over 1.9 million children under age five have a disability, nearly 8% of all children in this age group. According to the national Early Childhood Rapid Assessment of Pandemic Impact on Development (RAPID) family survey launched by the Center For Translation of...
ECA Announces a New Partnership with Torsh TALENT
ECA’s new partnership with Torsh TALENT, a platform that combines observation, evaluation tools, and professional learning into one robust package enables our Team to leverage technology and to reshape early childhood special education program evaluations. As a result...
Identifying And Using Data To Promote Evidence Informed Practice
Evidence-Informed Practice is an approach that argues that policy and practice should be justified in term of sound evidence about their likely effects. Currently, the term evidence-informed practice is used with two different meanings. One meaning is associated with...
Why Program Performance Evaluations?
Program Performance Evaluations (PPE) are foundational to the development and implementation of Birth to Five Strategic (PDGB-5) planning efforts. The intention is to use PPE to support implementation of PDG B-5 strategic plans and data-based decision-making while...
ECA Meeting with Connecticut’s Office of Early Childhood (OEC) TA Professionals
On April 21st, ECA and its partner RMC Research introduced current TA professionals working with Connecticut's Early Childhood Professionals to a newly designed Technical Assistance Quality Assurance Framework. High-quality TA is designed and delivered in a way that...
Reshaping Program Evaluations in Settings Serving Children with Disabilities
The COVID 19 Pandemic has significantly impacted the delivery of programs and services for all children, especially children with disabilities. Moreover, it has impacted our ability to thoroughly monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of programs in meeting children’s...
Quality Improvement-Early Childhood Special Ed Program Evaluation
Using the latest research and guidance from the Departments of ED and HHS, and OSEP Child Outcomes; ECA has helped school districts with continued quality improvement efforts for preschool classrooms with emphasis on supporting children with disabilities through enhanced access…
Preschool Development Birth-5 Grantees Announced
Congratulations Preschool Development Grant (PDG) Birth-5 grantees! The work you are embarking on is important—far too many young children do not have access to high quality, affordable early education. Your strategic plan along with strong partnerships will impact...