B-3 Continuity Community of Practice

Preschool Expansion and Preschool For All Expansion (PFAE) programs are invited to gather on Tuesday, February 26, 2019, for a Birth-to-Third Grade networking event. The Birth-to-Third Grade (B-3) Continuity Project is hosting this event in Normal. Preschool administrators and program’s family support specialist are encouraged to attend this event together.

The event will deliver insight to birth-to-third grade alignment strategies, provide expansion updates, and include an opportunity to network with others across the state working on a birth-to-third grade continuum. Participants will be some of the first to see the release of the upcoming report, Birth-to-Third Grade Continuity Project: Looking Back Moving Forward, Reflecting on the First Four Years. Communities that have been a part of the Preschool Development Grant – Preschool Expansion will share lessons learned in B-3 alignment and specifically in family engagement.

B-3 networking event

Tuesday, February 26, 2019
9 a.m.–3:15 p.m.
Radisson Hotel and Conference Center Bloomington-Normal
8 Traders Circle, Normal, IL 61761

Target audience: Preschool Administrators and Family Support Specialists

Agenda

• 8:30–9:00 a.m. Registration
• 9:00–9:20 a.m. Connecting with those like you: Who’s here and B-3 goals
• 9:20-10:15 a.m. General Session: B-3 report findings and panel discussion
  • Hear from four of the original Preschool Expansion communities about their successes and challenges in birth-to-third grade continuity work.
  • U-46, Stamp Preschool-Kindergarten Transition Plan
  • West Chicago, Community School Intake Form
• 10:15–11:30 a.m. General Session: Supporting intersections between families and the classroom
  • Pat Chamberlain and Julie Kallenbach will share about culturally responsive classroom practices and engaging families in the classroom.
• 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Lunch on your own
• 12:30–1:30 p.m. Family Engagement Panel
  • Three communities from across the state will share about establishing their family support specialists and building partnerships within their communities.
• 1:30–1:45 p.m. Break
• 1:45–3:15 p.m. Breakout sessions: Hot topics and networking
  • Administrators will hear state updates, get information about the recently released KIDS Crosswalks, review family engagement frameworks, and have time to network around B-3 Strategies. Come prepared with questions about some of the challenges you are encountering around implementation of B-3 alignment work.
  • Family Support Specialists: Strengthening Partnerships with Families
    • Dr. Tweety Yates will lead a time of learning and networking. Addressing questions about how are we truly engaging families? We don’t want our families to feel like “guests” in our programs – we want them to feel like true partners. Using the Pyramid Model as an example, information and resources will be shared for strengthening partnerships with families as we work together to promote children’s social emotional development. Get ready to network and share your ideas to strengthen our partnerships with families!
• 3:15 p.m. Closing

Questions can be directed to Ashley Long at amlong3@IllinoisState.edu.

Presenter Information

Pat Chamberlain

Pat Chamberlain works as a consultant with school districts and agencies on issues related to optimizing the educational opportunities for young culturally and linguistically diverse children and their families. She has worked in a variety of capacities including as a bilingual teacher, a professional development specialist, a bilingual special education supervisor, a director of Early Learners program, and in Higher Education. One of her most recent project has been working with the Illinois Governor’s Office of Early Childhood as the Director of the Award for Excellence Project for Linguistically and Culturally Responsive practices.

Julie Kallenbach

Julie Kallenbach, Ed.D, facilitates projects in Early Childhood (Birth to Third Grade). Focus and research interests are developmentally appropriate practice, play-based learning, authentic assessment, birth to third grade continuity, and project management to support positive outcomes for children and teachers. Her work roles have included presenter for NAEYC, the Center for the Study of Education Policy at ISU, Birth to Third Continuity Project, Implementation Consultant and Coach for ISBE on the KIDS project, Director of Early Learning Initiatives in Elgin School District U-46, principal, special education supervisor, diagnostician and teacher.

Dr. Tweety Yates

Tweety Yates, Ph.D., is retired from the University of Illinois, but continues to work on grant projects at U of I and Vanderbilt University. Her work has primarily focused on social emotional development, early literacy and parent-child interaction. Tweety has provided professional development on topics related to infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their families for over thirty years. Her past work experience was as a teacher, home visitor and parent-child group facilitator. She is a Past-President of the Division of Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), a member of the Pyramid Consortium Model Faculty and part of the Leadership team for the Illinois Pyramid Initiative.

This event is hosted by the B-3 Continuity Project.