April 28, 2017
April showers bring May flowers... and IEP meetings, and Part C to B transitions, and end of semester grading, and new RFP’s to respond to, and …. WOW! I know it is a busy time for all of you. The impact you make daily is so incredibly important. I hope you are delivered May flowers by the truckload! 

Spotlight on Councils
This month’s spotlight is on the Personnel Preparation Council. This Council is led by Chairperson, Vicki Stayton. Vicki and the members of the Council are very active in support of DEC’s “personnel competencies” and related efforts. Over the last several months, the Council has been busy as lead for the revision of the Personnel Preparation Position Statement. In addition, the Council works collaboratively with DEC’s Professional Development Special Interest Group (PD SIG), the CEC Knowledge and Skills Subcommittee (KSS), and the NAEYC Professional Standards Staff. Examples of these collaborations include input into the revised CEC/DEC Early Childhood/Early Intervention Specialty Set as well as a crosswalk of CEC/DEC/NAEYC standards scheduled to be released as a final product in June 2018. To learn more about the work of the Personnel Council, click here
We are grateful for the work that Vicki and the entire Personnel Preparation Council offer to DEC. Thank you. 

Resource Highlight 
Check out the first DEC Toolkit! The Challenging Behavior Toolkit includes FIVE learning decks and YEC Monograph #15: Addressing Young Children’s Challenging Behavior. Check out the offer here. 

NEWS
DEC has revised its position statement on
Identification of and Intervention with Challenging Behavior. Please click here to provide general feedback, questions, and comments about the position statement. 

Feedback is due on May 19. We look forward to your input. The final position statement will be unveiled at the 2017 DEC Conference in Portland, Oregon! On behalf of DEC, I know we extend our gratitude to the development team for this important work! The team is led by Kathleen Artman Meeker, Angel Fettig, and Jessica Hardy.

The 2017 Awards Nominations are open! Each year, DEC recognizes members who excel in our field with prestigious awards. Please consider nominating a valued DEC member to receive a 2017 DEC Award to honor and celebrate their contributions. Remember that we rise when we lift others. Please nominate a deserving DEC member! View the Awards Program or Complete a Nomination Here. Thank you Jennifer Kilgo for your work as Chair of the 2017 DEC Awards Committee.

Call for Manuscripts: DEC will publish its 17th monograph in the Young Exceptional Children Monograph Series in 2018 concentrating on maltreatment, trauma, poverty, and toxic stress. Read More

Be sure to attend the Research to Practice SIG Webinar: What’s the Deal with Mixed Methods Research? Find more information about this free webinar here.

Who do you know that would make an excellent Board Member? DEC Executive Board Nominations are open until May 15, 2017. Complete your nomination packet here.

A big “Thank You” to everyone who joined us at CEC 2017! The DEC reception, co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Subdivision of the Division for Early Childhood, included over 200 DEC members and friends. What a great turn out! Fantastic connections and conversations!

Volunteer Spotlight 
This month I would like to say thank you to our Council Members! The Councils offer work to DEC that is truly priceless. The work of DEC depends on the work of these dedicated DEC members. The Councils function as necessary and significant arm of the DEC Executive Office. DEC Councils are officially recognized bodies of DEC members that are supported by the DEC Executive Office and reflect the formal positions of the Division for Early Childhood and participate in developing, maintaining, and evolving strategies and initiatives that are critical and center to supporting DEC’s mission and beliefs. The Council Chairs and Council Members serve the purpose of providing strategic direction and proposed recommendations for DEC’s policy and advocacy efforts. Please go to the individual Council pages to learn the names of these members who give many hours each month to the work of DEC and say, “Thank You” the next time you see them. 

Policy and Advocacy Update
The DEC Policy website now has a repository of past and significant Advocacy Letters written or signed onto by the organization. The page includes letters sent to Congress, government agencies, and cabinet members. DEC’s Priority Recommendations to the Trump Administration and the 115th Congress, delivered directly to new Secretary DeVos, can be found here.

Conference Countdown!
158 days until DEC Takes Portland
! Watch your email and social media for updates on all things conference! The Division for Early Childhood’s 33rd Annual International Conference on Young Children with Special Needs and Their Families is not to be missed! Be on the lookout for keynote information coming soon! Another exciting addition to this year’s conference will be post conference field trips in Portland with DEC EB and EO members and your new and old friends! Watch for information but for now just plan to stay through October 7!

Wishing you well! 

Peggy Kemp

Executive Director

Division for Early Childhood

The Challenging Behavior Resource Toolkit

In advance of the new Position Statement on Challenging Behavior, DEC Presents  The Challenging Behavior Resource Toolkit.

This toolkit includes 5 Learning Deck webinars and 1 Young Exceptional Children Monograph No. 15: Addressing Young Children's Challenging Behavior. 

Click below to learn more.
Blended Practices for Teaching Young Children in Inclusive Settings, Second Edition

Ideal for early childhood educators working with children from ages 2 to 5, this comprehensive text provides explicit guidance on developing a successful curriculum framework, working effectively with families and other team members, tailoring instruction to each child's individual needs, and embedding learning opportunities that address all children's goals.
Connect with Us