Community of Practice & Workgroups

This month’s conversation will be facilitated by a panel of experienced SPDG evaluators exploring how to set meaningful measures for student outcomes that go beyond state test scores. Topics will include formative assessments of academic skills, student engagement and attitudes, and improvements in social-emotional and behavioral health and well-being. You’ll come away with fresh ideas and practical strategies for measuring outcomes that are more proximal to your interventions.

This session provided an overview of the federal requirements and best practices guiding the transition from IDEA Part C early intervention services to IDEA Part B. Sharon Lunn, ECTA, and Michelle Lewis, DaSy, shared key responsibilities for Part C and Part B programs, highlighted state experiences and challenges, and introduced tools, resources, and technical assistance to support effective transitions.

This session, presented by Dr. Maegan Rides At The Door, Director of the National Native Children’s Trauma Center, explores trauma-informed healing for Native children, families, and communities.

Our focus was on measuring family engagement. Special guests from New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Wyoming projects (FY 2024 SPDGs) shared their plans for family engagement and how they intend to measure their impact.

This session will focus on "How states are obtaining student outcome data & drilling down to the student level."

Here are links to some of the resources that were shared:

Integrated Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Website

This session focused on how to craft messages that not only inform but also engage and drive action. We discussed and explored best practices for audience engagement, message clarity, and effective outreach strategies.

Key Take Aways:

1. Introductions and Share Out:
   • Attendees introduced themselves and shared experiences demonstrating the value of family partnerships.
2. Key Focus Areas:
   • Embedding family engagement into professional development for educators.

1. ECTA State Recruitment and Retention Strategies Database: Ted Burke introduced ECTA’s State Recruitment and Retention Strategies Database, which includes over 120 strategies across six areas such as financial incentives, Advancement opportunities, and grow-your-own initiatives.