Implications at the Practice Level

At the practice level and under the direction of school district special education directors and early intervention program administrators, another suggested strategy is to initiate collaborative planning sessions focusing on early learning standards, assessment, and curriculum.

A focal point for such collaborations could be the PA Early Learning Standards for Early Childhood which exist both for kindergarten and pre-K programs (Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning, 2009). Providing both district and EI staff with a common ground for discussing early learning standards and reviewing how the curriculum content of both programs addresses these would provide a starting point for aligning curriculum and standards between preschool settings and kindergarten programs. Using the Early Learning Standards as a reference point, EI providers and school district staff may examine curricula from both programs as a basis to support curriculum alignment and to address possible gaps in instruction. Such practices would also provide opportunities for preschool staff and kindergarten personnel to develop a common language for teaching practices, curriculum, and assessment.

Use of technology can likewise be integrated easily into a district’s transition process. In an outreach effort to families and students prior to school starting, narrated videos of a school day

kindergarten teacher greeting students, conducting reading and math lessons, or structuring play opportunities can be made by school personnel and provided to parents of incoming students.

Personalized audio tapes may also be created, welcoming students by name to kindergarten classrooms that might not have had prior opportunities to visit the program.

In addition, such collaborative focus groups may investigate transition practices considering both the kinds of strategies implemented and the frequency of implementation. Joint discussions would allow participants an opportunity to view transition practices from the perspective of one another. Understanding the relationship of transition to school adjustment and the relationship of adjustment to engagement in learning may be an outcome of such discussions.

This recommendation is supported by the research of LoCasale-Crouch et al. (2008), which indicates that a pre-kindergarten teacher’s use of transition practices are associated with student adjustment in early kindergarten. Understanding the benefits to an effective transition process, in turn, provides more learning opportunities and enhances the quality of the process. The increased use of transition practices by both preschool and school staff has the potential to contribute to quicker adjustments to the new program, and perhaps prevent adjustment problems, which interfere with learning.

Another implication at the practice level would be increasing family involvement via increased communication. Originating from policies defining the role of parents in the transition process, family involvement can be increased by initiating contact with them early in the transition process through collaboration with early intervention providers and school district staff.

Contacting families early in a child’s final year of preschool services allows a bond to develop over the course of the year rather than initiating such contacts at a much later point. Reaching out to families, reaching back to non-respondents, and reaching with intensity is a strategy based in

the research of Bohan-Baker & Little (2002). Developing family relationships on the part of school district staff can enhance not only the transition of early intervention students but also improve their potential for higher academic achievement.

Partnerships between health and human service agencies are one vehicle to be considered when looking towards increasing family involvement. In Allegheny County, once such

partnership between the United Way and the Allegheny Intermediate Unit supports such transition efforts. Grants are available to public school districts to support connecting with parents of transitioning students while children with identified disabilities are still early in their final year of preschool services. Increasing the capacity of initiatives such as this one in addition to publicizing information on the significance of transition is another way to develop awareness in families of their role in the process. Rather than considering transition as a single event occurring between the early intervention settings and kindergarten, the transition should be thought of as an on-going process that has the potential to improve opportunities to develop and continue family relationships while supporting preschool students with identified needs as part of the effort. Improving family involvement is a practice that can be implemented readily at the local school district level.

Another practice recommendation with potential for swift implementation at the school district level would be to survey parents of early intervention students as to their perceptions on the process. Feedback would allow for improvements in meeting the needs of district families and their children.

In addition to parent input, school districts may consider the identification of a parent advocate who has had personal experience with the early intervention transition process. On a voluntary basis, parents of incoming early intervention students may be given a parent advocate’s

contact information, enabling them provide information and advice on navigating the transition process. From a personal perspective, a parent advocate can provide information about what happens and when it happens as children move to school-age programs. This individual may also provide support for families during meetings with both preschool providers and school district staff. The intent of instituting such a practice would be to help families develop familiarity with the new system they will be navigating from the perspective of another individual who has experienced it. Such familiarity may lead to more confidence with the process and thus incur a higher level of family involvement.