National%20Parent%20Leadership%20Development%20Project%20for%20ICCs%20and%20the%20A.P.P.L.E.%20Project

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National Parent Leadership Development Project
for ICCs and the A.P.P.L.E. Project

• Models of Parent Leadership Development

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2005 OSEP National Early Childhood
ConferenceFebruary 6, 2005, Washington, DC

• Presented by
• Richard Robison and
• Barbara Popper
• Project Co-Directors at the
• Federation for Children with Special Needs,
  Boston, MA

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Purpose of ICC Project

• Provide leadership support for parents serving on
  state Interagency Coordinating Councils
• Develop a cadre of parents prepared for
  involvement with professionals at the program and
  policy levels

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Goal One

• Prepare parents for effective participation at
  the program and policy levels
• 14 state teams participated in Leadership
  Institutes during the first project (2000 to
  2002)
• 4 states participated in 2003 Georgia, North
  Carolina, Tennessee and Iowa
• 6 states participated in 2004 Florida, Idaho,
  Indiana, Kansas, Rhode Island and Vermont

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Institute Modules

• The Leadership Institute incorporates three
  training modules
• True Colors (Cassie Johnston)
• Reciprocal Outreach and Conflict Resolution
  (Roberto Chene)
• Facilitated Conversation Method (Kathleen Osta)

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Additional Features of the Leadership Institute

• Facilitators add context of history of the parent
  movement and offer techniques for parents to pace
  their involvement
• Participants share family stories to provide
  personal context for leadership training
• Families explore how to appropriately become
  involved in policy level discussions

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Goal Two

• Ensure and support the replication of the
  leadership training and the implementation of the
  state teams action plans through technical
  assistance
• Replication is determined by state teams and
  their early intervention programs based on need,
  resources, and ingenuity.
• Outcomes publicized by the project.
• Turnover in state parent involvement means
  constant recruiting and nurturing of new parents.

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Goal Three

• Establish collaborative relationships to support
  Leadership Institutes and replication efforts
• Attend meetings, conferences, FICC meetings
• Remain available to Part C Directors
• Promote Leadership Institutes to parents directly
• Use all forums to keep parent issues on the
  agenda

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Goal Four

• Facilitate networking and linkages among ICC
  parents nationally.
• Listserv (ICCParent)
• Website (www.iccparent.org)
• Leadership Notes, our project newsletter (English
  and Spanish versions)
• Resource database
• Survey of programs regarding parent involvement
  and leadership, parent issues, stipends, career
  development, etc.

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Project Results and Evaluation

• Evaluations indicate that the Institute has met
  the needs and expectations of the participants.
• In 2003 and 2004, 90 of participants rated the
  Institute as either very good or excellent in
  terms of its usefulness to state ICC planning and
  to personal leadership development.

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Project Results and Evaluation

• Pre- and Post-Assessments of how well teams
  worked together
• 2003

Rating Pre-Assessment Post-Assessment
Very Well 21.4 52.4
Well 28.5 33.3
Not Well 50.0 14.3
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Project Results and Evaluation

• Pre- and Post-Assessments of how well teams
  worked together (cont.)
• 2004

Rating Pre-Assessment Post-Assessment
Very Well 21 73
Well 50 27
Not Well 14 0
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Project Results and Evaluation

• Significant accomplishments
• Our team has created a powerful vehicle which
  will provide a forum for accomplishing tasks
  weve identified to strengthen services to
  families.
• This event brought our state team togetherWe
  are much more focused and have taken
  responsibility for our ICC.
• Our team developed a parent involvement
  strategy.
• I learned more about myself.

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Project Results and Evaluation

• Focused Conversation Method
• Participants in 2003 listed 62 ways in which they
  could use the method in their personal and
  professional lives, for facilitation or conflict
  mediation.
• In 2004, participants listed 73 ways.

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Project Results and Evaluation

• True Colors
• 2003 90 of participants report enhanced ability
  to identify different leadership styles 100
  felt that True Colors would improve their
  communication style
• 2004 100 of participants report they are better
  able to identify their own and others leadership
  styles, and that True Colors will improve their
  communication style.

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Project Results and Evaluation

• Reciprocal Outreach
• 2003 and 2004 90 of participants indicated an
  improved understanding of how differences are
  socially structured
• Participants committed to
• Reaching out to unknown groups
• Becoming more thoughtful, open, and analytical
• Sharing the burdens and responsibilities of
  conflict resolution

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Project Results and Evaluation

• Over 90 of participants in 2003 and 2004
  indicated that the Institute would be useful in
  their
• Outreach efforts
• Leadership roles
• Family life
• Community life

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Developing the A.P.P.L.E. Project

• Responding to the request for a research project
  on increasing parent/professional collaboration
• Using lessons learned and a workable model
• Applying the model to a new population

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A.P.P.L.E. Project Features

• Targeting public school parent advisory councils
  (mandatory in Massachusetts School Districts) in
  our state
• Applying ICC model, recognizing the challenges
• Working with a research partner at the University
  of Massachusetts

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A.P.P.L.E. Project Features

• Current faculty participating with usno change
  in staffing
• Modifying content for the new population of
  families, children in public school programs
• Expect to have more direct contact after
  Institute with teams

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Parents as Allies

• Parents as potential partnerstraining together,
  working together, setting the agenda
• Parents as policy advocates, helping determine
  the future of early intervention

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Parents as Allies

• Parents can help forge partnerships with programs
  
• Parents can participate in discussions about who
  provides services, what is needed, gaps, and
  service coordination
• Outreach can be done by parents

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Parents as Allies

• Parent Leadership Developmenta process involving
  state commitment and family interest.
• Support Parent Leaders as they learn their roles,
  develop their strengths, and receive support for
  their efforts
• Strengthen the efforts of state teams to
  accomplish their state goals for parent
  leadership development.

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What Can Parent Leaders Accomplish?

• Keep the focus on kids and families
• Seek input from all families served
• Represent Early Intervention to the public
• Tell their stories to make EI real to others
• Keep it real for those not directly involved with
  childrens needs

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Issues Parents Face

• What does it mean to be visible?
• What are the risks personally?
• What are the possible positive outcomes?
• When is the right time, or wrong time to be
  active?
• How do you plan to measure success?

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Involve Families In Policy

• Include families in all aspects of plans
  developed
• Provide feedback to families on impact they have
  had
• Promote input into other state programs and
  agencies (often required)
• Track satisfaction