DEC actively collaborates with other groups and associations on current initiatives, work groups, and committees. Below are a few examples of recent activities:
Convention Program Committee (CEC)
Evidence-Based Pilot (CEC)
Feedback on Position Statement on Response to Intervention (CEC)
Liaison Breakfast at Conference (NAEYC)
Input into the development new strategic plans (CEC)
Submitted proposals to create a special needs strand (SECA) RTI Summit (NASDSE)
Leadership Institute (CEC)
Representative Assembly meetings & online discussions (CEC)
Interdivisional Caucus meetings (CEC)
Joint Position Statement on Inclusion (NAEYC)
Wingspread Early Childhood Research Conference to develop a plan for launching the Office of Applied Research (NAEYC)
IDEA Partnership project (NASDSE)
Set up a Hotline for Help station to answer questions and provide resources related to children with disabilities (SECA)
DEC is a partner organization of
the Center for Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) and
the Technical Assistance Center on Social and Emotional Intervention (TACSEI).
Special Announcement
DEC to Support Work on
Response to Intervention (RTI) Position Statement
In a matter of a few short years, Response to Intervention (RTI) has become a familiar phrase in the early childhood field. Because RTI is an emerging practice, it is critical that the early childhood field has a reliable
source of information as programs begin to define and implement these practices.
The Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC) will be working with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Head Start Association to address
these and other important questions in a jointly developed position statement on RTI in early childhood. Financial support for the process will be provided through a generous grant from the Emily Hall Tremaine
Foundation. The National Professional Development Center on Inclusion (NPDCI) will contribute staff time and resources to facilitate the development joint position statement. A similar collaborative model was
recently used by DEC, NAEYC, and NPDCI to develop Early Childhood Inclusion: A Joint Position Statement of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Initial steps for this project will involve convening a panel of national experts to discuss the parameters for the development of a position statement on RTI (e.g., defining features, content specificity). This will
be followed by input from a joint DEC-NAEYC-NHSA work group and the governing boards of all three organizations. A final step will be the national validation of the joint position statement.
For additional information about this work, contact
Camille Catlett
National Professional Development Center on Inclusion
(919) 966-6635
catlett@mail.fpg.unc.edu