Attachment F: Study Awareness

Attachment F Examples of Study Awareness Activities

Study of Disability Services Coordinators and Inclusion in Head Start

Attachment F Examples Study Awareness Activities

Table 1 List of Examples of Study Awareness Activities

Flyers- Overview of Study

Blurb for Newsletters

Draft Social Media Plan

The items in this attachment provide examples for study awareness documentation that will be shared through OPRE, OHS, and other project partners’ media channels. Each of these examples is expected to be edited and adapted for the audience and updated with current status of the project. The goals for these activities is to increase awareness of the study and interest in the results.

Study of Disability Services

Coordinators and Inclusion in Head Start

Overview: This study will provide a national picture of the Disability Services Coordinators (DSC) workforce for Early Head Start (EHS) and Head Start (HS), including American Indian/Alaska Native (Region XI) and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) (Region XII) grantees. It will also explore DSC practices and policies for working with staff, families, children, and the community. This effort will explore how EHS/HS serves children with disabilities and their families and will seek to understand how EHS/HS collaborates with services in the community, including health providers, Local Education Agencies (LEAs), and early intervention services.

Study Goals:

To identify how children with disabilities and their families are served by EHS/HS, including through recruitment and selection; throughout screening and ongoing assessment; evaluation; and the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), and Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process and implementation.

To identify how EHS/HS programs engage in capacity building with families and provide supportive services to families as they understand and advocate for their children with potential or identified disabilities, delays, or other issues, such as early childhood mental health concerns or chronic health impairments.

Any Questions?

The project team is led by NORC at the University of Chicago, in partnership with SRI International and consultant Amanda Schwartz. The PI is Michael López (Lopez- Michael@norc.org) and the PD is Shannon TenBroeck (TenBroeck-Shannon@norc.org). The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) points of contact is Laura Hoard (Laura.Hoard@acf.hhs.gov), Krystal Bichay-Awadalla (krystal.awadalla@acf.hhs.gov), Allie Walker (Allison.Walker@acf.hhs.gov), and Wendy DeCourcey (Wendy.DeCourcey@acf.hhs.gov).

Study of Disability Services Coordinators and Inclusion in Head Start

Overview: This study will provide a national picture of the Disability Services Coordinators (DSC) workforce for Early Head Start (EHS) and Head Start (HS), including American Indian/Alaska Native (Region XI) and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) (Region XII) grantees. It will also explore DSC practices and policies for working with staff, families, children, and the community. This effort will explore how EHS/HS serves children with disabilities and their families and will seek to understand how EHS/HS collaborates with services in the community, including health providers, Local Education Agencies (LEAs), and early intervention services.

STUDY GOALS:

_#1 To describe the characteristics and work of DSCs and related staff in EHS/HS programs.

To identify how children with disabilities and their families are served by EHS/HS, including

#2

through recruitment and selection; throughout screening and ongoing assessment; evaluation; and the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), and Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process and implementation.

#3

To identify how EHS/HS programs engage in capacity building with families and provide supportive services to families as they understand and advocate for their children with potential or identified disabilities, delays, or other issues, such as early childhood mental health concerns or chronic health impairments.

#4

To identify what EHS/HS programs do when services are not available and/or when children do not meet Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) eligibility requirements.

#5

To identify how EHS/HS programs engage with services in the community, including LEAs, IDEA Parts B and C providers, early intervention services, mental health providers, and community programs.

#6

To identify the training teachers receive as well as how they individualize practice and work to fully integrate children with disabilities into the classroom; and to identify how EHS/HS programs work with children with disabilities and their families on transitions to HS or kindergarten.

ANY QUESTIONS?

The project team is led by NORC at the University of Chicago, in partnership with SRI International and consultant Amanda

Schwartz. The PI is Michael López (Lopez-Michael@norc.org) and the PD is Shannon TenBroeck (TenBroeck-Shannon@norc.org). The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) points of contact is Laura Hoard (Laura.Hoard@acf.hhs.gov), Krystal Bichay-Awadalla (krystal.awadalla@acf.hhs.gov), Allie Walker (Allison.Walker@acf.hhs.gov), and Wendy DeCourcey (Wendy.DeCourcey@acf.hhs.gov).

Study of Disability Services Coordinators and Inclusion in Head Start

Overview

This study will provide a national picture of the Disability Services Coordinators (DSC) workforce for Early Head Start (EHS) and Head Start (HS), including American Indian/Alaska Native (Region XI) and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) (Region XII) grantees. It will also explore DSC practices and policies for working with staff, families, children, and the community. This effort will explore how EHS/HS serves children with disabilities and their families and will seek to understand how EHS/HS collaborates with services in the community, including health providers, Local Education Agencies (LEAs), and early intervention services.

Questions?

The project team is led by NORC at the University of Chicago, in partnership with SRI International and consultant Amanda Schwartz. The PI is Michael López (Lopez-Michael@norc.org) and the PD is Shannon TenBroeck (TenBroeck-Shannon@norc.org). The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) points of contact is Laura Hoard (Laura.Hoard@acf.hhs.gov), Krystal Bichay-Awadalla (krystal.awadalla@acf.hhs.gov), Allie Walker (Allison.Walker@acf.hhs.gov), and Wendy DeCourcey (Wendy.DeCourcey@acf.hhs.gov).

Study goals

1. To describe the characteristics and work of DSCs and related staff in EHS/HS programs.

2. To identify how children with disabilities and their families are served by EHS/HS, including through recruitment and selection; throughout screening and ongoing assessment; evaluation; and the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), and Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process and implementation.

3. To identify how EHS/HS programs engage in capacity building with families and provide supportive services to families as they understand and advocate for their children with potential or identified disabilities, delays, or other issues, such as early childhood mental health concerns or chronic health impairments.

4. To identify what EHS/HS programs do when services are not available and/or when children do not meet Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) eligibility requirements.

5. To identify how EHS/HS programs engage with services in the community, including LEAs, IDEA Parts B and C providers, early intervention services, mental health providers, and community programs.

6. To identify the training teachers receive as well as how they individualize practice and work to fully integrate children with disabilities into the classroom; and to identify how EHS/HS programs work with children with disabilities and their families on transitions to HS or kindergarten.

Study of Disability Services

Coordinators and Inclusion in Head Start

OVERVIEW

This study will provide a national picture of the Disability Services Coordinators (DSC) workforce for Early Head Start (EHS) and Head Start (HS), including American Indian/Alaska Native (Region XI) and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) (Region XII) grantees. It will also explore DSC practices and policies for working with staff, families, children, and the community. This effort will explore how EHS/HS serves children with disabilities and their families and will seek to understand how EHS/HS collaborates with services in the community, including health providers, Local Education Agencies (LEAs), and early intervention services.

To describe the characteristics and work of DSCs and related staff in EHS/HS programs.

STUDY GOALS

To identify how children with disabilities and their families are served by EHS/HS, including through recruitment and selection; throughout screening and ongoing assessment; evaluation; and the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), and Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process and implementation.

To identify how EHS/HS programs engage in capacity building with families and provide supportive services to families as they understand and advocate for their children with potential or identified disabilities, delays, or other issues, such as early childhood mental health concerns or chronic health impairments.

To identify what EHS/HS programs do when services are not available and/or when children do not meet Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) eligibility requirements.

To identify how EHS/HS programs engage with services in the community, including LEAs, IDEA Parts B and C providers, early intervention services, mental health providers, and community programs.

To identify the training teachers receive as well as how they individualize practice and work to fully integrate children with disabilities into the classroom and;

To identify how EHS/HS programs work with children with disabilities and their families on transitions to HS or kindergarten.

The project team is led by NORC at the University of Chicago, in partnership with SRI International and consultant Amanda Schwartz. The PI is Michael López (Lopez-Michael@norc.org) and the PD is Shannon TenBroeck (TenBroeck-Shannon@norc.org). The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) points of contact is Laura Hoard (Laura.Hoard@acf.hhs.gov), Krystal Bichay- Awadalla (krystal.awadalla@acf.hhs.gov), Allie Walker (Allison.Walker@acf.hhs.gov), and Wendy DeCourcey (Wendy.DeCourcey@acf.hhs.gov).

QUESTIONS?

EXAMPLE NEWSLETTER BLURB: DSC STUDY

This draft newsletter blurb will be edited depending on the expected audience for the document and the current status of the project. This content, or similar, would not be released until the full study plan has received OMB approval.

The Study of Disability Services Coordinators and Inclusion in Head Start has just begun. The study will provide a nationally-representative picture of the Early Head Start (EHS) and Head Start (HS) Disability Services Coordinator (DSC) workforce, filling a gap in knowledge about the characteristics of DSCs, their roles and responsibilities, and how they collaborate to fulfill these duties. Specifically, the study will provide ACF with a unique opportunity to better understand, support, and improve EHS/HS policies and practices for delivering disability services. This information will inform the design and provision of training and technical assistance and guidance at the national and regional level. The study is supported by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, of the Administration for Children and Families. The research team is led by NORC, of the University of Chicago. If you have questions about the study, please contact the study team [STUDY TEAM EMAIL].

EXAMPLE SOCIAL MEDIA PLAN: DSC STUDY

This draft social media content could be edited, depending on the audience and the status of the study. This content, or similar, would not be released until the full study plan has received OMB approval.

Twitter: Check out the New! Disability Services Coordinator study, from ACF [link to study page]. The study will be the first to explore Head Start/Early Head Start disabilities services.

Facebook: The Study of Disability Services Coordinators and Inclusion in Head Start will fill a gap by providing the first national and regional look at Head Start and Early Head Start implementation of disabilities services coordinators’ roles and responsibilities. This effort will provide information to strengthen policy and practice for families with young children with disabilities or suspected disabilities.

Linked In: See the measures for the newly initiated Study of Disability Services Coordinators and Inclusion in Head Start/Early Head Start. [Link to webpage]. This study explores the variation in program’s disabilities services, the collaborations with community partners, professional development for staff, communication approaches with families and internal efforts to improve practice and individualization for children with disabilities or suspected disabilities. The results will inform national, regional and local services for these children who may benefit most from early education.