Program for Inclusive Early Care and Education

Exciting New P.I.E.C.E. Program

The ELC of Pinellas offers two opportunities for providers to become proficient in the use of Positive Behavior Supports and other ideas current in the field of social emotional development through twenty hours of training and biweekly coaching. We remain committed to the original goal of promoting inclusive environments for every child in Pinellas County, thus promoting school readiness for all children. Through the focus on social-emotional education and the mentorship of our teachers and directors, schools are better prepared to meet the various needs of today's child. We plan to have two cohorts this year: one will begin in January and the second in July. The twenty hours of training and coaching will be spread over a five month period.

If interested in our new P.I.E.C.E. Program or have questions, please contact Brett Engisch at 727-548-1439 ext. 247, or Jennifer Bragdon at ext. 248. Our first session is full, but we are taking requests for the July session. You may also email us at bengisch@elcpinellas.net or jbragdon@elcpinellas.net. We look forward to hearing from you!

History

The Program for Inclusive Early Care and Education (P.I.E.C.E.) was a grant awarded by the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council (FDDC) in response to the escalating number of preschool expulsions. A preschooler is 18 times more likely to be expelled than children in K-12 and often these expulsions are the result of challenging behaviors. The FDDC supports children with disabilities and their families by providing programs that offer training and mentorship for teachers to facilitate an inclusive learning environment in preschools. P.I.E.C.E. was established in thirteen schools in Pinellas County. They strive to provide for children with special needs or challenging behavior in a nurturing educational setting. The P.I.E.C.E. Grant provided twenty four hours of intensive education and supportive coaching sessions. P.I.E.C.E. training includes education in Positive Behavior Supports, Recognition and Response and Beyond Differences and Diagnosis: Celebration of Inclusion for All Children by Dr. Pam Phelps. Teachers and Directors were instructed through videos, role plays and interactive planning sessions and given materials to support the ideas/strategies. Teachers became more skillful meeting children's individual needs and reducing challenging behaviors in their inclusive classrooms.

In the past two years, the program has expanded to ten other coalition sites throughout the state. Representatives from these ten coalitions, typically inclusions specialists, came to Pinellas County to receive the twenty four hours of training required by the model. Some coaching visits were made by the project director; however, it was the local representative who made regular supportive visits and carried out the training for their respective sites in counties throughout Florida. Presently there are 27 schools around the state implementing the model and committed to being an inclusive environment for all children. The fifth year of the grant is continuing under the leadership of Dr. Lisa Fox of the University of South Florida.

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