Several Smart Start Conference presenters provided their handouts to share on the Smart Start website. Sessions are arranged by topic.
Healthy Options for Preschoolers. Early Learning Ventures (ELV) promotes and expands access to healthy meals and snacks for children ages birth to five enrolled in a child care center or family child care home that participates in an ELV Alliance. Community-based partnerships are comprised of small child care provider affiliates working together to deliver services in a more streamlined and efficient way. The Alliances provide an operational infrastructure for these providers to work collaboratively and realize savings in time and costs that can then be used to improve the quality of services.
Early Learning Ventures Alliances
Healthy Options for Preschoolers
Infants and Toddlers with or at Risk for ASD: Early Identification and Evidence-based Practices. Early identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in young children is a priority of many national agencies and organizations. Research indicates that intervention provided before age three has a much greater impact than intervention provided after age five. This lecture style researched-based session will focus on early indicators and evidence-based practices for young children with ASD.
Infants and Toddlers with or at Risk for ASD Early Identification and Evidence-based Practices
Nuestros Niños: Promoting School Readiness of Dual Language Learners. Early educators across the nation are experiencing an increase in the enrollment of dual language learners (DLLs). An overview of the Nuestros Niños, a researched-based model which includes institutes, consultation and professional learning communities will be provided. Participants will learn about school readiness teaching strategies, how language and learning develops, and view data from a recent study by the project.
Nuestros Niños PowerPoint
Subsidy: Tough Times, Tight Money. DSS and Smart Start – The Whole Picture. Join this fun, interactive session about subsidized care and discover how important it is to have all the facts needed for effective collaboration and informed decision-making. Learning scenarios will include an exercise based on real issues and circumstances which address current issues related to subsidy. Participants will take away great ideas for developing a memorandum of understanding.
Session Agenda
Memorandum of Understanding Worksheet
Scenarios for Conference Presentation
Supporting Program Quality Improvement through NAEYC Accreditation Facilitation Projects. Accreditation is the gold standard of best practices for early education programs. In this participatory session participants will study with NAEYC’s recent publication, Best Practices of Accreditation Facilitation Projects, A Framework for Program Quality Improvement Using NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria. The presenters will share proven strategies and methods for building program quality.
Accreditation Resources
Accreditation Facilitation Projects PowerPoint
The Art and Science of Technical Assistance: How Data Informs and Guides Practice. Technical assistance (TA) providers must have the ability to provide appropriate supports/ resources at the appropriate time to help program staff sustain best practices and positive learning outcomes. This session will examine how WELS, a data management system, is used to guide and sustain organizational changes. Discussion will explore the importance of using data and the unique characteristics of TA, and implications for developing a TA system.
The Art and Science of Technical Assistance How Data Informs and Guides Practice
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Advancing the Health and Safety of Children in Child Care: National and State Perspectives. Panelists will offer a brief review of the history of the child care health consultants (CCHCs) network and discuss the positive impact of CCHCs in the lives of young children in child care. During this session a panel of experts will share research data on child maltreatment and childhood obesity. Panelists will also share their county’s long running oral hygiene program.
Health and Safety Workshop Presentation
Childhood Obesity Prevention: Profiles of Three North Carolina Approaches. This session will provide an overview of three NC programs: The Healthy House, where healthy lifestyle choices are modeled in a real-life setting; Healthy Futures Starting in the Kitchen, teaching child care cooks nutrition and healthy food preparation; and Growing Healthy Kids, which involves community gardens with plots of land given to predominantly Spanish-speaking families, cooking classes and on-site technical assistance as well as research and evaluation.
Childhood Obesity Prevention Profiles of Three North Carolina Approaches
Healthy and Ready: Assessing Children’s Health Status upon Public School Entry. A panel of community leaders from the Durham Kindergarten Health Assessment Advisory Group will share a variety of collaborative community building strategies that improve community awareness about preventive care for young children. Attendees will learn about the important role of the Kindergarten Health Assessment form as a tool for community engagement and systems development.
Childhood Obesity Prevention Profiles of Three North Carolina Approaches
Healthy and Ready to Learn: Enrolling Children in Health Insurance. Staying healthy is a challenge for the uninsured child and poor health affects a child’s ability to learn. In this session the presenter will discuss Healthy and Ready to Learn, a federally-funded program under the CHIPRA legislation with the goal of promoting health insurance enrollment to the uninsured. Participants will discuss collaborative models, health care reform, and determining insurance eligibility.
Healthy and Ready to Learn Presentation
Young Mental Health: The Community Collaborative Approach. There are times that the social and emotional health needs of infants and young children go unmet. As a result practitioners across the country are forming local collaborative entities to explore the emerging field of infant mental health. In this session, panelists will discuss and field questions about four infant mental health collaboratives in North Carolina.
Community Collaborative Approach Presentation
Mental Health Resources
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Early Childhood & Community School Linkages: Improving Policies, Practices and Results for Children, Families, Schools and Communities. Come listen and learn in this highly interactive workshop about the efforts of three communities in New Mexico, Oregon and Oklahoma implementing the Early Childhood Community School Linkages Project. This innovative project emphasizes family and community engagement, school readiness, alignment between early childhood programs and the early grades, and strengthening community partnerships.
Early Childhood & Community School Linkages Improving Policies, Practices and Results for Children, Families, Schools and Communities
Evidence-based Work as a Lever for Systems Building: Pragmatic or Provocative? Learn how evidence-based practices act as a principal driving influence in systems building. During this hands-on session Smart Beginning coordinators will describe how the Evidenced based Directory, a technical assistance tool, influences accountability, funding, and statewide measurement of outcomes. Participants will have the opportunity to analyze their own use of evidence-based standards and challenges.
Evidence Based Presentation
Fund for Infants and Toddlers (FIAT): Douglas County KS Child Care Financial Aid System for Working Families. Smart Start Kansas has successfully integrated the Kansas Quality Rating and Improvement System (KQRIS) into a unique financial aid program that builds on existing child care subsidies for families with infants and toddlers living between 186% and 300% of the federal poverty level. In this session discussion will center on how this model can be adapted to other states and localities.
Fund for Infants and Toddlers (FIAT) Douglas County KS Child Care Financial Aid System for Working Families
Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Systems: State Innovations for Change. This workshop presents lessons learned from a Commonwealth Fund supported study of four states working to develop Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) systems of care for children age zero to five and their families. Following the presentation participants will engage in small group discussion about the various stages of development of IECHs in their respective states.
Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Systems State Innovations for Change Presentation
Key Components of a Successful Early Childhood Home Visitation System: A Self-Assessment Tool for States. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that home visitation can be an effective method of delivering family support and child development services. ZERO TO THREE recently created a tool that identifies eight components of state home visiting systems. Representatives from two states will share their experiences using the tool.
Home Visiting PowerPoint
Home Visiting Community Planning Tool
Home Visiting Tool
Ohio Ready School Initiative: The Why, The What, The How, The WOW! This session will focus on the results of a two-year project called The Ohio Ready School Initiative. Representatives will share lessons learned about the initiative which aims to develop enduring ties between early childhood educators and public school districts that will lead to cohesive educational programs. Participants will walk away with a structural model of implementation, assessments and activities.
Ohio Read School PowerPoint
Ohio’s Ready Schools Framework
Lessons and Findings
Is Your School a Ready School?
ORS Indicator Matrix
ORS Self-Assessment Surveys
ORS Nine Step Process
Activities Competencies.
Leadership Action Plan
Transition Action Plan
Supportive Environments Action Plan
Standards and Instruction Action Plan
Diversity Action Plan
Home, School, Community Connections Action Plan
Adult Learning Action Plan
Anderson Data Worksheet: Kindergarten
Anderson Data Worksheet: Pre-K
Anderson Data Worksheet: Grades 1-2
Ready2: The Power to Connect Ready Schools & Ready Communities. Building on Ready Schools and Ready Community efforts, the Ready2 Initiative helps community leaders, parents, early care providers and schools create successful learning opportunities for young children. Following lively discussion, participants will gain knowledge about the Ready2 process, lessons learned, and steps involved in weaving school and community relationships together for greater child success.
Ready2 PowerPoint
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Families of Children with Autism: What Educational Professionals Should Know. Working with individuals with autism can be rewarding and challenging. This session will focus on establishing collaborative relationships with families. Interactive dialogue between the presenter and attendees will address the emotions and thoughts of families after a loved one is diagnosed with autism.
Familes of Children with Autism Presentation
HUG Your Baby: A Program to Help Parents Understand the Language of a Newborn. Misunderstanding newborn behavior interferes with the developing parent-child relationship, undermining their confidence, decreasing breastfeeding success and reducing early parent-child attachment. This presentation draws on education, rhetorical, child development and medical literature to introduce HUG Your Baby. This program is an innovative and family friendly approach to help parents understand a newborn’s “Zones” and when a baby “sends out an ‘SOS’.”
HUG Your Baby Presentation
Keeping Media in Mind. Today’s children are growing up in a media saturated environment. In this workshop, participants will explore the research, impact and presence of media in the daily lives of families and children. Participants will gain a new perspective when looking at media, toys, and games, and leave with an informational toolkit full of ideas and activities to help decrease screen time.
Smart Start Media Presenation
Parents as Teachers: Supporting Families for Child Success in School. Parents as Teachers is an evidence-based Family Support and Parent Education program designed to meet the needs of parents of young children through home visits, group meetings, health/ developmental screenings, and connecting families to resources in the community. Through discussion and presentation participants will gain an understanding of the PAT model, and how to implement the model with fidelity.
2011 PAT Essential Requirements
PAT Evidence-based Fact Sheet
PAT Presentation
Raising A Reader in North Carolina. Learn how the excitement about Raising A Reader has grown from four original sites in 2008 to 21 existing sites today. What are the components that are causing parents, child care providers, families and whole communities to embrace this early literacy activity? The enthusiasm is contagious and children, families and child care providers are joining in the fun.
Raising A Reader Presentation
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Authentic Leadership. Your capacity to lead and influence people is grounded in your own self knowledge and authenticity. Explore leadership styles and strategies in this engaging and introspective approach to being the authentic leader you are from the inside out.
Authentic Leadership Presentation
Change Management Leadership. Gain insight into your own attitude towards change and learn how to influence others to accept continual change as a part of life.
Change Leadership Presentatin
Change Equation
Group Analysis
How to Reduce Stress, Survive and Thrive with Humor. Come to this entertaining, upbeat presentation and learn how to reduce stress and add more joy to your life! Emily Ballance, MEd, LPC will show you how humor connects people, improves relationships and empowers you and the people around you. There’ll be laughter, prizes and surprises! You’ll leave with a smile and lots of suggestions to help you lighten up.
Humor and Stress Handout
How’s My Leading? Practice engaging others using a program planning exercise and test your leadership skills in a collaborative problem solving exercise, where broader engagement and participation can help achieve better outcomes. For board members, administrators and professionals who lead or participate in collaborative problem solving and decision making.
How’s My Leading Presentation
Planning and Decision Making
Leading in Turbulent Times. As the nonprofit sector continues to feel the impact of a turbulent economy, it is critical that organizations look to their boards for leadership and stability. Boards need financial acumen, strategic thinking, and strong communication skills to help their organizations remain viable. This dynamic workshop addresses the critical activities that your board can undertake now as your organization faces financial turmoil.
Leading in Turbulent Times Presentation
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Child Care Assistance Policies and Their Impact on School Readiness. Although approximately two million low-income children receive child care assistance, it isn’t enough to provide coverage for every eligible child. This lecture-style session will describe states’ current child care assistance policies based on The National Women’s Law Center’s most recent report and how the subsidy system is connected to children entering school ready to succeed.
Child Care Assistance and School Readiness Presentation
Engaging Business Leaders for Advocacy, Policy and Public Engagement. Business leaders across the country are leading the charge to ensure high-quality workers, critical thinkers and engaged leaders. Learn the lessons from VA and other states where advocates have successfully engaged the business community to advance policy and build political will for investments in early childhood. Learn strategies for engaging business leaders and sustaining their involvement, effective message framing to gain support, and the latest evidence for the economic benefits of investments in children.
Sara Watson Presentation
Scott Hippert Presentation
Engaging Your Community: Proven Tools for Dynamic Community Conversations. Community organizations need a community. But as issues become more complex, leaders sometimes find themselves with less time to talk with their community. Practice applying proven tools for engaging communities and learn the right questions to ask in preparing a successful engagement plan. Designed for board members, administrators and professionals who are responsible for or participate in community engagement.
Community Conversation Scenario
Engaging Your Community
Community Planning Worksheet
Faith in Our Future: Mobilizing the Faith Community to Embrace Early Childhood as a Community Priority. Overview of the development of a community initiative targeting the faith community to become aware of early childhood issues and to make young children a priority. Attendees will learn about the history of the initiative and learn how it has engaged multiple partners and key stakeholders, identified strategies to inform the faith community, and developed resources targeted to identified needs.
Faith In Our Future Mobilizing The Faith Community To Embrace Early Childhood As A Community Priority Presentation
Governing from Good to Great: Policy Advocacy for the Greater Good. Policy issues, including early care and education, are based on a set of values that frame how we talk about policy problems, choices and solutions. Learn how to facilitate conversations and craft policy solutions that serve the larger community interest. This session is designed for board members, administrators and professionals who craft/advocate specific policy solutions, or participate in policy discussions.
Policy Advocacy for the Greater Good
Policy Case – Child Care
Looking Ahead at the Agenda for Early Childhood Policy and Programs: Trends, Context, and Where We Go From Here. The current state of the economy, new laws such as health reform, and other demographic and political shifts have changed the context of early childhood policies and programs that impact children and families. During this participatory session participants will engage in conversation about the opportunities and challenges that recent trends create for young children and their families.
Looking Ahead Presentation
School Readiness: What, So What, Now What? School readiness is definitely a ‘hot topic’. But what does it really mean? Many factors impact a child’s being ready for school and schools being ready for children. This session will explore school readiness in a conversational format, drawing on resources from the US and other nations, with emphasis on turning the rhetoric of school readiness into effective policy.
School Readiness Resources 2011
School Readiness Presentation
Steering the Barge of Local Parent Coalitions in the Development of an Effective Statewide Advocacy Campaign. This interactive session will provide participants with information, tools and resources regarding how Michigan planfully designed a 9,000 member statewide parent advocacy coalition. Templates and guides will be provided that have led to success and may be replicated. These efforts contributed to sustained funding during difficult economic times.
Steering the Barge Presentation
Pre-Star Power Worksheet _3_
Parents Becoming Leaders Chart (updated-2011-2-21)
Organizing an Early Childhood Bus Tour
Bus Tour Script
ECIC Candidate Interviewing Protocol
The Federal Early Childhood Policy Landscape. This session will include an open discussion with participants on current federal legislative policy issues such as potential reauthorizations of key programs, including the Child Care and Development Block Grant and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Participants will discuss the status of the Early Challenge Fund and how the federal budget affects child care and early learning programs.
What’s Happening in Washington Presentation
Working with Military Families: Department of Defense Child Care Initiatives. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about collaboration efforts between federal, state and local professionals who serve military families and to dialogue with military personnel about the challenges facing military families.
Working with Military Families Presentation
Young Children and Health Reform: What Will It Take To Seize the Opportunities for Early Childhood Development? Presenters will identify the opportunities health reform offers for young children’s development (including ways to help parents and other adults involved in their care). Drawing on the research early childhood policy-makers and practitioners will learn how to participate in decisions about health implementation going on in states.
Young Children and Health Reform Presentation
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Closing the Achievement Gap: Promising Returns from Educare, A State of the Art Head Start Program. This session will describe a state of the art Head Start Program, Educare, being implemented in 12 sites across the country providing a full-day, year-round program for children at risk. Data from the program show children from high risk backgrounds who attend the program from an early age enter school with skills at the national average.
Closing the Achievement Gap Presentation
From Research to Practice: Using Assessments to Show How Parents Grow. Come learn about an observational parenting assessment tool that documents evidence of effective parenting services and guides individualized lesson planning for families. The Child and Family Resource Center, Henderson County, Parents as Teachers program partners with the Keys to Interactive Parenting Scale (KIPS) developers to share their experiences from research to practice, and engage in lively discussion with workshop participants.
From Research to Practice Presentation
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Intentionality: Local Partnership Management Strategies for Empowering Direct Service Providers and Maximizing Community-level Impacts. Learn about various strategies and tools that one local Smart Start partnership management team is utilizing with Direct Service Providers to take their local efforts to a new level. Participants will brainstorm, network, and share methods that promote intentional planning.
Vision & Mission Statement 2011
Service Communications Agreement Template
FY2012 Funding Application Template
FY2012 Application Agreements Signature Sheet Template
FSR Part 5 Planning and Spending Tracking Tool SAMPLE
DSP SS Budget Narrative 2011-12 Sample
Grants to Participants Template
Using Data and Evaluation Practices to Improve Early Childhood Programs. Evaluation brings value and quality to early childhood programs. This interactive session will describe how program staff can use evaluation data to strengthen program planning, demonstrate outcomes, and build consensus when working across sectors in workforce development. Participants will learn practical applications of evaluation, importance of a feedback loop, and integration of evaluation and evidence-based decision-making for programs.
Evaluation PowerPoint
Project Summary
Annotated Bibliography
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