FPG eNews October 2009

• National Gifted Education Advocates Pay Tribute to James Gallagher’s Work and Leadership
• Arc of North Carolina Honors Sandy Steele for Inclusion Efforts
• FPG Community to Celebrate Joanne Roberts’ Life and Work at October 30 Symposium
• Save the Date! 10th Annual National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute

• New Online Module Preview Available - CONNECT to Host Webinar November 12

• FPG experts will be presenting at meetings around the world. Visit the FPG presentations web page for a complete list of upcoming presentations.
• Visit the FPG projects web page for the latest news on FPG projects.

On November 6, 2009, the Conceptual Foundations Network and the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) will pay tribute to James J. Gallagher at a special session focusing on his research, work and thought leadership. Gallagher is senior scientist emeritus at FPG Child Development Institute and served as FPG’s director from 1970 to 1987. The session, “A Dialogue with James Gallagher,” will be held during the NAGC annual convention, and will showcase Gallagher’s career as a celebrated professor, scholar, theorist, and advocate in the field of gifted education. The discussion will be videotaped as part of the “Portraits in Gifted Education” series, showcasing notable gifted advocates, researchers, and leaders in order to preserve their legacy for future generations. For more information about the event, please visit http://www.nagc.org/index2.aspx?id=5192

Sandy Steele of FPG and The Drew Steele Foundation were named recipients of the 2009 Inclusive Community Award presented by the Arc of North Carolina. The award recognizes an organization in North Carolina that is building connections in the community to support and serve people with and without disabilities in an inclusive setting. Sandy is a Regional Inclusion Specialist with Partnerships for Inclusion at FPG, and the Foundation is named for her son, Drew, who has Down syndrome. Sandy is actively involved in local and state efforts to enhance the lives of persons with disabilities.

FPG, the UNC Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, and the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities will host a tribute to Joanne Roberts, who passed away suddenly in November of 2009. The Joanne E. Roberts Tribute Symposium, a day of scholarly presentations and personal remembrances, will be held on October 30 at the Carolina Club. Dr. Roberts was a Senior Scientist at FPG, Professor of Speech and Hearing Sciences, and a Research Professor of Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her work focused on the language development of children with disabilities, specifically children with Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome. Her research on the speech and language development of children with fragile X syndrome set a new standard for rigor and quality, and provided important new insights for parents and professionals. Registration for the deadline closes on October 1. For more information, contact Sarah Henderson at (919) 966-1703, or henderss@mail.fpg.unc.edu

The 10th Annual National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute will be held May 17-19, 2010, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For the past decade, the Inclusion Institute has been the “don’t miss” event where the many sectors that serve young children, especially children with disabilities, come together to learn and problem solve. Registration information will be available in early 2010. You can view many of the Institute’s 2009 presentations online at http://www.nectac.org/~meetings/InclusionMtg2009/mtgagenda.asp

Project CONNECT is working with the early childhood community to create a series of web-based modules and resources that focus on and respond to challenges faced by those working with young children with disabilities and their families. You can preview “Embedded Interventions,” the first in the series, through November 30th, 2009. The modules will be offered nationally online at no charge for use by instructors and learners beginning in Summer 2010. The preview is an abbreviated version of the module, designed to give instructors a quick glimpse of content and resources available for learners. On November 12, CONNECT will host a webinar to demonstrate the modules and resources being developed. Information on early release to faculty via a Spring 2010 pilot will also be provided.

Preview module and register for webinar

Read Blog About Module 1 Preview

• Arc of North Carolina Honors Sandy Steele for Inclusion Efforts
• FPG Community to Celebrate Joanne Roberts’ Life and Work at October 30 Symposium
• Save the Date! 10th Annual National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute
• New Online Module Preview Available - CONNECT to Host Webinar November 12

• Preparing Early Childhood Teachers for Multicultural Classrooms
• FPG Announces Findings from First Recognition and Response/RTI Study for Younger Children

• FPG Child Care Center Welcomes New Director
• International Scholars Join FPG’s Recognition & Response Project
• FPG Director Receives NCSER Postdoctoral Training Grant

• FPG Leads Groundbreaking Work on Early Childhood Inclusion
• FPG Co-Sponsors Minority Videoconference
• New Book Profiles Early Education in Six Countries
• FPG Releases New Video on Early Childhood Inclusion

• FPG Team Assumes SRCD Editorship
• FPG-Led Sessions at NAEYC Professional Development Institute, June 2009
• Taking Evidence-Based Practice to Scale
• Workshops on Qualitative Research Methodologies, June 2009

• Register for Ninth Annual Inclusion Institute - July 14-16
• Burchinal on National Academy of Science Panel
• Lessons Learned about Enhancing Professional Development on Inclusion
• More at Four Program Continues to Boost Pre-kindergarten Students’ Skills
• Burchinal Publishes Article on Research Methodology
• New Inclusion Resource Examines Program Quality and Professional Development

• Kern Honored by American Music Therapy Association
• Catlett Honored for Contributions to Ability Awareness
• Vernon-Feagans Appointed to National Panel on Language and Learning
• Accuracy of Children’s Memories
• Dec. 15th Deadline to Provide Feedback on DRAFT Early Childhood Inclusion Statement
• What Do We Mean by Professional Development?

• FPG Mourns the Passing of a Colleague
• Making Friends: Assisting Children’s Early Relationships
• Provide Feedback on DRAFT Early Childhood Inclusion Statement
• Personnel Certification and Specialized Service Providers for ASD
• Early Childhood Inclusion and the Evidence-Based Practice Movement
• 2008 Inclusion Institute Presentations Now Online

• FPG Families Featured in RWJF Video and Report
• New NECTAC Leadership Appointed
• Two National Projects Move to FPG
• NPDCI to Selects Four More State Partners
• After Abuse: Early Intervention Services for Infants and Toddlers
• Research on Disparities in Autism Diagnosis Wins Gallagher Award
• New Podcast Answers Basic Question about Inclusion
• Collection of Resources Available on Using Music to Encourage Learning
• Take a Video Tour of Model Child Care Program
• Have Your Say: How do you Define Approaches to Professional Development?

• Study to Continue Ground-Breaking Abecedarian Work
• Minority Segregation and Reading Study to Expand with New Grant
• FPG Contributes to Newly Launched TriangleMom2Mom.com
• Talking to Children; Why Some Mothers Do It More
• Songbook Supports Inclusion in Outdoor Play; Podcast Also Available

• Register for Webinar on Recognition and Response
• Register for Eighth Annual Inclusion Institute
• FPG to Study Rhode Island BrightStars
• Study Links Money Spent on Regular Instruction to Student Achievement

• Gloria Harbin Gave Keynote Address at CRIEI 2008
• Register for Webinar to Discuss Professional Development Definition and Framework
• Partner with NPDCI to Better Prepare Early Childhood Personnel for Inclusion
• Technology Stereotypes Broken When Children’s Health Involved
• Collaborate Online about Professional Development on Inclusion
• New Book Examines Culture and Childhood
• Promoting Positive Outcomes for Children with Disabilities: Recommendations for Curriculum, Assessment and Program Evaluation

• Capitol Hill Hosts Briefing on Learning Difficulties in Preschoolers
• Center to Showcase New Approach to Professional Development
• FPG Child Care Director Honored as Employee of the Year
• Study of Rural Life Launches Second Phase; Featured on Radio Program
• Preschoolers Benefit from Mental Health Screening
• Fragile X and Speech and Language Skills
• New Podcast Available

• FPG Launches Online Discussion of Issues Raised in Wall Street Journal Article on Inclusion
• NPDCI to Host Two Webinars
• New Book Provides Practical Approaches to Early Childhood Professional Development
• New Book Spotlights Speech & Language Issues Related to Down Syndrome and Fragile X
• New Resource to Promote Social Competence of Young Children

• FPG Responds to Wall Street Journal Article on Inclusion
• NPDCI to Host Two Webinars
• Save the Date; Inclusion Institute Slated for July 2008
• New Issue of Early Developments Focuses on Achievement Gap
• New Podcast Available: Rejecting the Stereotype: Project U~STARS Assumes “At-Potential”

• FPG Seeking to Hire NECTAC Director (Closed)
• FPG Child Care Program Earns National NAEYC Accreditation
• FPG Partnership to Develop State-Wide Training Plans To Support Early Childhood Inclusion
• FPG to Evaluate Eastern Kentucky School Readiness Effort (Project CLICK)
• Crossing the Language Divide
• New Study to Examine How Child Care Can Meet Needs of Latino Families
• New Research Synthesis on Early Childhood Inclusion Available

• Former FPG Director Honored as International Leader in Gifted Education
• FPG and UNC’s School of Education Create Joint Early Childhood Position
• Four School Districts Awarded Grants to Tackle Achievement Gap
• Caregiver Well-Being Affects Academic Achievement
• FPG Podcast Now Available on iTunes
• New Book Called “Most Thorough and Up-to-date Volume Available” on Developmental Disabilities

• FPG Mourns the Loss of National Leader and Colleague
• FPG Project Featured in Documentary
• FirstSchool Op-ed Published in Chapel Hill News
• Improving Early Reading Skills for Children in Poverty
• Seventh Annual Inclusion Institute to be Held July 31

• FPG Awarded $8 Million for Autism Research and Professional Development
• FPG Fellow Testified at National Summit on America's Children
• NPDCI Selects State Partners
• FPG Staff to Lead 11 Sessions at NAEYC Professional Development Institute
• High-quality Child Care for Low-income Children Offsets Risk of Later Depression
• Using Music to Improve Learning for Children with Autism
• New Issue of Early Developments Available

• FPG Staff to Lead Seven Sessions at Smart Start Conference
• FPG Senior Scientist Featured on PBS Webcast
• Poverty and Early Childhood Intervention
• Are Children with Disabilities Accepted by their Peers?
• FPG Announces Seventh Annual Inclusion Institute

• Education Week Publishes Commentary on Reform by Dr. Gallagher
• Frances Campbell Honored as Distinguished Alumni
• FPG Hosts Ukraine Delegation
• Grace Wright Honored as Yoplait Champion for Making Extraordinary Strides in the Fight Against Breast Cancer
• FPG Teacher Receives Child Care Provider Award
• Relationship of English-Only to Young Children’s Social and Language Skills
• FPG Announces Seventh Annual Inclusion Institute
• FPG Child Care Program to Host Local Early Childhood Inclusion Program
• Institute to Help Preservice Educators Prepare Students to Work with Diverse Children

• FPG Director Recognized for Special Education Work
• FPG Scientist to Provide Diversity Expertise to National Parenting Group
• Quality of Childcare Program May Affect Language Development
• Music Therapy Engages Children with Autism in Outdoor Play
• Increasing Number of Children with Special Needs in NC Child Care

• FPG Scientist Completes Fellowship in Japan
• Documentary Film Crew Comes to FPG
• Syndee Kraus Appointed to National Review Panel
• Preparing Culturally Competent Early Childhood Teachers
• Why Young Children Enter Early Intervention Services
• Institute to Help Preservice Educators Prepare Students to Work with Diverse Children

• Doctoral Student Receives James J. Gallagher Dissertation Award; FPG Employees Also Recognized
• Families need more than quality education from Pre-K programs
• Music Improves Morning Transitions for Children with Autism
• Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Programs in the United States
• New Book on Evidence-Based Practice

• Camille Catlett Honored by the Division of Early Childhood
• FPG Employee Receives NC State Employees Award
• U.S. Department of Education Awards $15 Million Grant for NECTAC
• FirstSchool leaders develop specialized M.Ed. program focused on preparation of culturally responsive practitioners
• FPG Senior Scientist Provides Guidance to Officials in Ireland
• Evidence-Based Practice Empowers Early Childhood Professionals and Families
• Lack of Consensus on How to Evaluate Programs for Preschool Children with Disabilities Leaves States Floundering
• Fathers Play Significant Role in Language Development of Young Children
• National Professional Development Center on Inclusion Launches Website
• New Website on Recognition and Response, an Early Intervening System for Young Children
• News Service Related to Policy Development and Research on Young Children with Disabilities

• Dr. Samuel L. Odom appointed new director of FPG Child Development Institute
• FPG Fellow receives $6.2 million grant to study achievement gap in minority boys
• FPG Child Development Institute awarded $2.5 million federal grant
• Early Childhood Teachers Often Ill Prepared to Care for Children with Disabilities
• Recognition and Response, Early Intervening System for Young Children At Risk for Learning Disabilities
• Listserv announces early childhood products available at little or no cost