About NPDCI

Work Groups

NPDCI has organized Work Groups to oversee activities and work simultaneously on different objectives. Each Work Group is led by one or more Co-Principal Investigators, and focuses on a particular set of activities.

Evaluation Work Group

NDPCI Staff Members: Virginia Buysse (lead), Pam Winton , Wanda Weaver, Debra Skinner

The Evaluation Work Group designs, implements and analyzes all NPDCI evaluation efforts.

Year One Activities:

  • Develop, validate, obtain approval for, and test a state needs assessment, protocols for qualitative interviews, templates for conducting document reviews of state professional development plans and portfolios, and assessment of changes on State Annual Plans.

Year Two Activities

  • Administer State Needs Assessment Survey in targeted states.
  • Develop measure for use in validating various products.
  • Conduct interviews with participants from targeted states.
  • Gather State PD Plans, State Portfolios, State Annual Plans.
  • Analyze data from State Needs Assessment, state PD plans, portfolios, and State Annual Plans, and product validation.

 

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Inclusion Resources Work Group

NDPCI Staff Members: Virginia Buysse, Camille Catlett, Pam Winton

The Inclusion Resources Work Group develops and disseminates practical, high-quality resources to assist all states and territories to increase the number of high quality personnel serving preschoolers with disabilities and their families in inclusive settings. NPDCI resources will be designed to support diverse audiences in diverse professional development contexts.

Activities:

  • Develop and maintain a website that includes relevant information and documents in a format that meets government or industry-recognized standards for accessibility.
  • Develop lexicon for the NPDCI, including definitions for key terms.
  • Coordinate the preparation, production and dissemination of all NPDCI reports, documents, syntheses, and training and professional development materials.
  • Oversee the development of eleven new resources, including:
    • Identification of the critical elements of a statewide cross–agency professional development plan.
    • Definition of Inclusion
    • Definition of Professional Development
    • Fact sheet on inclusion research
    • Framework and guidance for aligning information on outcomes for young children with disabilities and their families and related measures.
    • A synthesis of research on teaching and intervention practices that support child and family outcomes related to inclusion.
    • Core competencies for high quality practitioners working in inclusive settings.
    • Core competencies related to knowledge mediators (i.e., specialists, consultants, trainers and faculty who help mediate the transfer and application of knowledge to personnel and students).
    • Summarize and describe research-based professional development activities, strategies and models related to inclusion.
    • State Portfolio framework. (joint effort with Evaluation Work Group)
    • Synthesis of instructional resources for supporting professional development for inclusion.
  • Coordinate the establishment and use of a National Cadre of training experts and consultants.
  • Share resources for knowledge mediators.

 

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National Impact Work Group

NPDCI Staff Members: Shelley deFosset, Pam Winton

The National Impact Work Group plans and facilitates meetings and communication with federal agencies, the National Advisory Board, 619 Coordinators, and other early childhood national and federal organizations to ensure our national impact.

Activities:

  • Maintain communication, collaboration and linkages with early childhood technical assistance providers including those funded by OSEP, the Office of Head Start, the Child Care Bureau and organizations including DEC, NAEYC, CCSSO, Pre K Now, State EC Specialists, NGA and others.
  • Establish and utilize the National Advisory Board.
  • Maintain ongoing communication and solicit feedback from stakeholder groups such as Section 619 Coordinators, State EC Specialists, Child Care Administrators and Head Start Disabilities Specialists by conducting conference calls and small group discussions at naturally occurring events.
  • Identify and implement strategies for sharing information about all aspects of the project with a diverse national audience of teachers, parents, administrators, trainers, faculty and consultants, including information on products and tools, through a variety of means (e.g., website, national meetings, etc).

 

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Outcomes Work Group

Staff Members: Beth Rous (member of the NPDCI Leadership Team) will lead the effort with support from NPDCI staff

Members: Virginia Buysse, Shelley deFosset and Pam Winton

Charge:

  • To identify major dimensions and/or outcomes related to preschool inclusion, including measurement processes for use at the national, state and/or local level.
  • To identify a process/framework for use by states to align preschool inclusion outcomes with practitioner and program practices and professional development opportunities to support those practices at the state and/or local level. 

Quality of Inclusive Programs Work Group

NPDCI Staff Members: Virginia Buysse, Shelley deFosset, Heidi Hollingsworth, Tracey West and Pam Winton
Partners and Consultants: Lori Connors-Tadros, Rena Hallam, Kathy Hebbler, Mary Louise Hemmeter, Marilou Hyson, Sam Odom, Patricia Snyder, Mark Wolery, Marty Zaslow

Charge

  • To identify the key dimensions of quality inclusive programs and measurement systems that relate to the key dimensions and share that information with states in ways they can use to improve quality.

 

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State Professional Development Work Group

NDPCI Staff Members: Camille Catlett (lead), Shelley deFosset, Pam Winton

The State Professional Development Work Group plans and facilitates activities related to building and supporting promising professional development activities to increase the number of highly qualified personnel in inclusive preschool settings.

Activities:

  • Identify project partners who can help support the work of the NPDCI in a given state.
  • Support the identification of a State Cross-Agency Council in each participating state. The Council will include, at a minimum: State and local early childhood program administrators (including part B Section 619 coordinators, child care administrators, and Head Start State Collaboration Offices, local early care and education providers, early childhood teacher trainers (colleges, universities, and community colleges) and state technical assistance providers.
  • Assist each State Cross-Agency Council in creating a plan to ensure the provision of ongoing professional development to support the development of preschool personnel, settings and services serving young children with disabilities.
  • Support the identification of the cross-agency knowledge mediators (i.e., specialists, consultants, trainers and faculty who help mediate the transfer and application of knowledge to personnel and students) who will be part of the State Network in each participating state.
  • Work with states to plan meetings, communication and other activities that support the State Network’s evolution and ability to be effective.
  • Coordinate a two-day institute for the State Network on policies, resources and practices that can support inclusion.
  • Connect State Networks with national resources.

 

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State Recruitment Work Group

NPDCI Staff Members: Camille Catlett (lead), Shelley deFosset, Pam Winton

The State Recruitment Work Group collaborates with OSEP, the Child Care Bureau and the Office of Head Start to design and implement a fair and equitable selection process for identifying eight states with a strong need for, and commitment to, developing State Networks for improving inclusive preschool professional development opportunities.

Activities:

  • Facilitate the rationale, process and criteria for choosing the eight participating states, organized in two cohorts. This process involves consultation with the Office of Special Education Programs, Child Care Bureau, Office of Head Start, and other federal programs serving young children.
  • Coordinate approaches to recruiting states.
  • Facilitate the identification of a liaison to NPDCI for each participating state.

 

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NPDCI Site Updated May, 2008

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

FPG Child Development Institute  | CB#8185 | Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8185

Information 919.843.5418