Oregon Inclusion Initiative
Early Learning System Initiative
Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families
The Oregon Inclusion Initiative was developed to implement and improve access to high-quality professional learning opportunities, coaching, and training to ensure early care and education providers have the comprehensive supports needed to fully include all children in their programs.
About
Download a one-page introduction to the Inclusion Initiative:
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Background
The Oregon Inclusion Initiative was created through an agreement between Oregon State University and Oregon Department of Education’s Oregon Early Childhood Inclusion.
The Oregon Inclusion Initiative is a part of the Oregon Early Childhood Inclusion (OECI) effort.
The Oregon Inclusion Initiative is housed alongside ELSI within the Oregon State University Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families. While our work aligns in values and vision, the Inclusion Initiative is funded separately from ELSI through a grant from the Oregon Department of Education and focuses on advancing Pyramid Model practices and the ECTA Inclusion Indicators across communities.
Purpose
To scale up, sustain, and coordinate evidence-based professional development and coaching efforts by supporting high-quality inclusion at the state and local levels.
Ensure early care and education providers have the comprehensive supports and dialog needed to fully include all children in their programs, with acknowledgement and focus on addressing systemic inequities in access to services, particularly among children who identify as BIPOC, and/or experience disability.
Implement evidence-based practices that have demonstrated positive child outcomes.
Goals
Build on current high-quality inclusion and implementation efforts.
Provide access to high quality workshops, coaching, and professional development to early learning system partners at the community level and the early learning workforce.
Develop a framework of support to implement the Pyramid Model and the National Indicators of High Quality Inclusion in Oregon early care and education environments to build upon the ongoing efforts of the Early Learning System Initiative (ELSI). The ultimate goal is to contribute to the creation of an inclusive, culturally responsive, and identity affirming early care and education workforce that can support children, families and community members who care for young children.
Trainings
Refer to the inclusion initiative implementation support training calendar for upcoming training opportunities.
Team
Dominic Paz
Implementation Manager
I want to build an early care system that welcomes all families. Contact me for Pyramid Model and inclusion professional learning and collaboration and the ELSI BILPOC Community of Practice.
Mackenzie Weintraub
Inclusion Initiative Training Outreach Coordinator
I’m passionate about building communities where each young child is celebrated and supported. Contact me for Pyramid Model Trainings, community-wide implementation, and PIDS.
Chad Lahr
Inclusion Initiative Training Outreach Coordinator
I believe in inclusive early childhood education and supporting educators. Contact me for Early Childhood Inclusion Indicator training and Community Inclusion Team support.
Sindy Abzun
Training Outreach Coordinator
I strive to support and practice research-based and evidence-based inclusive approaches to provide educators, children, and families with strategies to support the healthy development of child and family systems. Contact me if you are interested in Pyramid Model and Inclusion Indicator implementation support as a Community or Program-wide.
Tess Wood
Inclusion Initiative Team Coordinator
I aspire to be a bridge connecting children & families with what they need. Contact me for general questions, coordination, and collaboration.
Bridget Hatfield, Ph.D. (PI)
Associate Professor
Bridget’s work examines ways in which teacher-child relationships and classroom quality are associated with children’s activity in the stress response system and their behavior.
Megan McClelland, Ph.D. (Co-PI)
Katherine E. Smith Healthy Children and Families Professor, Hallie E. Ford Center Endowed Director
Megan's research is broadly focused on optimizing children's development, especially as it relates to social and cognitive development and school success. She is interested in the importance of children's self-regulation, executive function, and social competence for success in preschool, elementary school, and throughout the life-span.
Sam Logan, Ph.D. (Co-I)
Associate Professor
Sam's research agenda focuses on the health and wellbeing of typically developing children and children with disabilities, with recent work emphasizing the role of independent mobility in the development of language, cognition, play interactions, and motor behaviors of children diagnosed with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, Down syndrome, and other significant physical and cognitive diagnoses. His research is interdisciplinary in nature, bridging the fields of Kinesiology, Psychology and Pediatric Rehabilitation.
Will Massey, Ph.D. (Co-I)
Associate Professor
Will’s line of research focuses on the intersection of play, physical activity, and child development. His current line of research is dedicated to understanding how recess quality impacts healthy development in elementary school-aged children.
Tammy Winfield, MS
Project Coordinator
Contact Tammy for invoice or contract questions and general inquires.
Nazli Ozkocan
Graduate fellow
Ines de Pierola de Lucio
Graduate Fellow
Rebekah Benkart
Graduate fellow
Jean Stouffer
Graduate Fellow
Resources
- Oregon Pyramid Model Implementation
- In 2015, Oregon decided to include Pyramid Model in its efforts to improve social, emotional, and approaches to learning outcomes for young children experiencing disability.
- Oregon Early Childhood Inclusion Dashboard
- Pyramid Model and Inclusion Resources and Translations
- 2023 Oregon Training Guide for the NCPMI Pyramid Modules
- Inclusion Indicators
- Pyramid Model
- The Pyramid Model is a multi-tiered system of support framework for promoting young children’s healthy social and emotional development.
- Inclusive Partners
- Resources for Early Learning Providers
- Resources for Families
Current Activities
Mapping Early Learning Quality Improvement Resources for ECE workforce
The Inclusion team is currently working on mapping resources related to Early Learning Quality Improvement training, technical assistance, consultation and coaching efforts across Oregon.
Have questions about this?
Email us at [email protected]