Collaborating for Success: Creating Inclusive Learning Environments in Preschools

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Collaborating for Success Creating Inclusive
Learning Environments in Preschools

• Presented by
• Valerie Andrews, Paul Ohm Eleanor Droegemeier
• 6th Annual Early Childhood Inclusion Institute
• July 2006

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Inclusion in Arizona
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Data

• Approximately 21,637 preschoolers are served in
  the state of Arizona

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Data

• 11,169 typically developing preschoolers
• are served in Arizona
• Early Childhood Block Grant
• Family Literacy
• Migrant Education
• Community Education Programs
• Tuition students

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Data

• Approximately 12,956 special needs
• preschoolers are served in Arizona
• FY06

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Data

• Other Preschool Programs considered for LRE
  options are
• Head Start
• Community Education Programs
• Tuition students

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LRE Statistics

• Of Arizonas 3-5 year olds 47 of were served in
  settings with typically developing peers
• SPP Goal 60 by 2010
• Data collection

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Initiatives

• Expanding Opportunities Early Childhood
  Inclusion Coalition
• National Individualizing Preschool Inclusion
  Project (NIPIP)

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Initiatives

• Count Me In Manual (specific to Arizona
  companion to An Administrators Guide to
  Preschool Inclusion).
• Partnership with Arizona Council of Exceptional
  Children Division of Early Childhood (CEC-DEC)

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Initiatives

• Providing technical assistance to districts to
  combine programs and funds between Early
  Childhood Special Education, Early Childhood
  Block Grants, State Family Literacy Migrant
  Education Even Start

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Initiatives

• Embedded questions in Preschool Grant
  Applications to collect LRE information from
  districts increase awareness
• Focused Monitoring
• Worksheet

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Needs

• Reaching Superintendents and School
• Boards
• To increase awareness of LRE and explain benefits
• Obtain budget support for systems change

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Barriers

• No Universal PK
• State funding for programs for typically
  developing preschoolers has not increased for the
  past 5 years.
• Number of preschoolers eligible for special
  education services has increased 33 since 2000.

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Barriers

• Arizona school construction funding formula does
  not allocate dollars for preschool classrooms for
  preschoolers.
• Department of Health Services Licensure

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SUCCESS STORY

• Tucson Unified School District
• Paul Ohm
• Eleanor Droegemeier