Early Learning Newsletter | October 2023 | Welcome Fall!

This edition of Early Learning includes a range of early childhood resources to share

The U.S. Department of Education's Early Learning Newsletter   Welcome Fall! October 2023 Forwarded this email? Click here to subscribe. In This Issue: From the Directors Early Learning Updates Leaders in the Department Out and About This Month's Recommended Resources Voices From the Field Webinars and Conferences Funding Opportunities Connect With Us Online! From the Directors Hello, Early Learning Leaders! Fall is officially here! A new season means new activities and routines. We join you in welcoming opportunities to explore and learn. In this edition, we have included recent updates from the Department of Education (ED) as well as resources to support families, educators and those training to enter the field. New funding announcements are also included. Enjoy reading the rest of the newsletter and exploring updates and resources to support our youngest learners and their teachers, caregivers, and families. Thank you for reading "Early Learning"! Valerie C. Williams  Director, Office of Special Education Programs Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Jamila Smith Director, Innovation and Early Learning Programs Office of Elementary and Secondary Education   Early Learning Updates Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge Learning Community To support efforts for a transformational kindergarten year, ED released a Dear Colleague Letter launching a multistate community of practice: Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge Learning Community. States can learn more about the learning community and indicate their interest in participating by completing an online form prior to the Oct. 6. Administration Announces New Actions to Accelerate Learning and Improve Student Achievement The Biden-Harris Administration announced new actions to accelerate learning and improve student achievement. These actions are part of the Department's efforts to transform education and bring families, educators, and communities together to advance education equity and excellence. OSEP Director Williams Releases Final Discipline Discussions Blog Series Valerie C. Williams, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) director, released her final Discipline Discussions blog series, which includes five actions people can take to reduce exclusionary discipline. She also announced the launch of a database with more than 200 resources about reducing exclusionary discipline. OSEP Announces Funding for 138 Awards OSEP announced $35 million in funding for 138 awards, including one national technical assistance center, which will support preparation, ongoing professional learning and leadership development for personnel. The awards will increase the number of well-prepared, diverse and effective personnel serving children with disabilities, including early intervention practitioners; teachers; related services providers; administrators leading early intervention programs, schools, or local and state agencies; and university faculty who are preparing future generations of personnel to serve children with disabilities. IES Awards Two Early Learning Programs and Policies Research Projects ED's Institute of Education Sciences' (IES') National Center for Special Education Research recently awarded two Early Learning Programs and Policies research projects. Dr. Trina Spencer and her colleagues will develop an implementation support for the use of multitiered systems of support in early childhood programs. Dr. Mary Louise Hemmeter and the research team will conduct an efficacy evaluation study of a system of supports for implementing the Pyramid Model for Promoting Social-Emotional Competence programwide. ED Games Expo 2023 The U.S. Department of Education held its 9th annual ED Games Expo, Sept. 19-22. The annual event showcased game-changing education technology (EdTech) created through more than 50 programs, including those presented as part of the Special Education & Technology Showcase.   Leaders in the Department Out and About Swati Adarkar Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Early Learning Swati Adarkar will be presenting on Oct. 12 at the National Association of State Leaders in Early Education 2023 Roundtable.   This Month's Recommended Resources Designing Learning Experiences for All The ED-funded IRIS Center, in collaboration with CAST, released an update to a module: "Universal Design for Learning: Designing Learning Experiences That Engage and Challenge All Students." The module examines the universal design for learning (UDL) framework and discusses how educators and providers can apply UDL to design learning experiences that are flexible enough to challenge and engage all children. The self-paced module can be embedded in personnel preparation courses and professional development activities, and learners can earn a free professional development certificate of completion. Reducing Chronic Absences Even among our youngest learners, chronic absenteeism is a nationwide problem. IES developed a toolkit, and their Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest developed a handout to support the use of text messaging for parents and caregivers to reduce chronic absenteeism. Family Support Resources The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families has developed a guide for families to highlight federal benefits and services to help families meet child care, health care, mental health, nutrition, housing, and financial needs. The document is also available in Spanish and Mandarin. Self-Care Strategies for Early Care and Education Professionals Self-care is important at home and work. HHS's Office of Head Start's National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching and Learning has a recording of their webinar "Time for You: Self-Care Strategies". As part of the Teacher Time series, the webinar highlights strategies to support overall well-being and create positive learning environments.   Voices From the Field Supporting Children and Families For our Voices From the Field interview, we spoke with Toni Whitaker, MD, a professor, director and ambassador to Tennessee for CDC's Learn the Signs. Act Early. Program. She shares how her work supports children and families. Webinars and Conferences The Role of Educator Preparation Programs in Teacher Apprenticeship Programs The ED-funded Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform center in collaboration with the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders and American Institutes for Research are hosting a webinar on Oct. 11, at 2 p.m. ET, to expand upon the report "Take a Seat at the Table: The Role of Educator Preparation Programs in Teacher Apprenticeship Programs." Engaging Environments for Infants and Toddlers Play is how infants and toddlers learn to relate to their world. HHS's Office of Head Start's National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching and Learning is hosting a webinar on Oct. 5, at 3 p.m. ET, to discuss strategies for engaging infants and toddlers in play to support nurturing and responsive environments. English and Spanish captioning will be provided. Equity From the Start The HHS-funded Center of Excellence for Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation is hosting a virtual conference on Nov. 6-8. Session topics include implementing infant and early childhood mental health consultation, promoting justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion for infants, children, families, and the workforce.   Funding Opportunities Special Education Research and Development Center Program IES' National Center for Special Education Research released a funding announcement for its fiscal year 2024 Special Education Research and Development Center Program (84.324C). The purpose of this grant is to establish a new Teacher Workforce Center to provide national leadership on issues affecting the special education teacher workforce. Application package available on Sep. 21. Letters of intent (optional but encouraged) due Oct. 12. Application deadline is Jan. 11, 2024.   Connect With Us Online! Check out the Early Learning newsletter archive.   Be sure to follow us on Twitter — @Ed_Sped_Rehab — and tell your friends.   Check out more early learning stories, including "Voices From the Field" posts, on OSERS Blog.   Thank you for reading the Early Learning newsletter! Click here to subscribe.   If you have questions or comments, please send them to EarlyLearning@ed.gov. This newsletter may reference and contain links to external sources. The opinions expressed in these sources do not reflect the views, positions, or policies of the U.S. Department of Education, nor should their inclusion be considered an endorsement of any private organization.  Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. 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