I TELLAI, The Bridge Guam CEDDERS Newsletter Volume 13, Issue 4 September 9, 2011 In this issue: Pacific VIP Completes Summer Classes.......................1-2 PACIFIC PROJECT: Journey to Common Core ...........3-5 Advisory Council Elects New Officers...........................6-7 Consortia Strategies Presented.....................................7 Guam CEDDERS: Sharing is Caring in Palau..............8 Guam CEDDERS Present at Chuuk Ed. Symposium..8 FSM Special Education Assessment Training..............9 Networking at OSEP Mega Conference.......................9 Middle Schools Kick-Off Year with PBIS......................10-11 Family Support Project Continues Outreach................12 Don Johnston, Inc. Site Visit.........................................12 Guam EHDI Pilots Tele-Audiology on Guam...............13 New Guam Early Learning Council..............................14 Project Tinituhon SMT Develop Plans.........................15 GMH Receives Guam Early Learning Guidelines.......15 Train-the-Trainer: Implementing the GELG................16 Quality Practices in Early Intervention .......................17 Transition Training Workshop Announcement...........18 Tri-Agency Continues Newsletter Collaboration.........19 Self-Advocacy Training Announcement.....................19 Calendar of Upcoming Events....................................20 Pacific VIP Completes Summer Classes The Pacific Vision Instruction Project (Pacific VIP) officially started the summer semester on June 1 with online courses, followed by two weeks of site-based instructional support at the University of Guam, June 27 – July 9. All 20 Pacific VIP scholarship recipients participated in the intensive schedule of practical skills and instructional seminars held at the Jesus & Eugenia Leon Guerrero Building and conducted by visiting UMASS Boston faculty members. The scholars, representing the Pacific Islands of American Samoa (5); Federated States of Micronesia - Pohnpei (3), Kosrae (1), Chuuk (3); Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (2); and Guam (6), participated in the second on-site component of this four-year training program. The summer program curriculum consisted, in part, of an Orientation & Mobility (O&M) and Independent Living course taught by Robert McCulley, M.Ed., Laura Bozeman, Ph.D., Paula Kosior, and Darick Wright, MA. O&M examines the functional implications of vision loss on primary activities of daily living, with a significant emphasis on basic methodologies. The scholars participated in 40 hours of experiential learning related to O&M. In addition, scholars received instruction in Braille I, a course which supports the knowledge and content related to teaching reading and writing of contracted Braille. Instructors Wendy L. Buckley, M. Ed., Ed.S., and Sandy Smith, M.Ed. C.A.E.S, taught participants to read Braille visually and to write literary Braille using both a Perkins Braille Writer, computer, and a slate and stylus. Topics included teaching techniques for reading readiness, tracking, tactile discrimination, reading methods, reading problems, and remediation. Students were also provided a visit to the Talking Book Library on Guam. Through the hard work and cooperation of the Pacific communities, this project is right on target! Photos with captions: The 20 Pacific VIP Scholars with UMassBoston faculty and Guam CEDDERS Pacific VIP staff take time for a group photo at the beginning of the two-week required on-site course/lab work held at the University of Guam in June/July. Front row (sitting): UMassBoston faculty Paula Kosior, Sandy Smith, Robert McCulley, Wendy Buckley, and Darick Wright, with Connie Guerrero, Guam CEDDERS Pacific VIP faculty and June De Leon (standing), Guam CEDDERS Associate Director and Pacific VIP Project Director. On-Site UMassBoston faculty not shown: Laura Bozeman, Ph.D. Chelsea Phillip, Pacific VIP Scholar from Chuuk State, unwraps her early Christmas gift from the project. Each Pacific VIP Scholar received a laptop with accessories to assist them with their coursework in addition to all required texts and a Perkins Brailler. With guidance from UMassBoston faculty Paula Kosior (Bottom of stairs, second from left), Pacific VIP Scholars demonstrate teaching a student who is blind to maneuver through unfamiliar places, especially stairways. Laura Bozeman Ph.D. (right), UMass Boston faculty, instructs Jason Reiong (left), a Pacific VIP Scholar from Chuuk, on the use of a cane as he walks up stairs while taking on the role of a person who is blind or has a vision impairment. Aimina Talley (right), Pacific VIP Scholar from Kosrae State, FSM, demonstrates the use of appropriate guidance techniques for students who are blind with UMassBoston faculty Robert McCulley. Page 3-5 PACIFIC PROJECT: Journey to Common Core State Standards The PACIFIC Project, in collaboration with the National Center and State Collaborative (NCSC) Project, brought together the Pacific Assessment Consortium (PAC6) Leadership Assessment Teams and School Teams to examine the implications of incorporating “college and career ready” standards into the curriculum, instruction, and assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities requiring an alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS). The three-day regional training event took place July 14-16, at the Westin Resort Guam with 75 team members from the six Pacific entities. Ellen Forte, Ph.D., from edCount, LLC, Michael Burdge and Jean Clayton, from Keystone Alternate Assessment, and Mary Spencer, Ph.D., from the University of Guam, presented with Guam CEDDERS PACIFIC Project staff on a range of topics that included: College and Career Readiness (CCR) for students with significant cognitive disabilities; assessing comparability of current entity selected standards with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for CCR; the importance of communication instruction within the context of the CCSS and learning progressions; the five effective practices; local media development; and developing an entity-specific transition-transformation plan for identifying specific next steps for technical support from the PACIFIC Project and NCSC. Dr. Forte presented on the NCSC Project, reviewing the goals and objectives and Work Groups, specifically highlighting Work Group 3-Professional Development. This Work Group focuses on defining the purpose of professional development communities of practice and their roles and responsibilities in building the validity evaluation up front as an integral part of the assessment design. Mr. Burdge and Ms. Clayton provided an overview of college and career readiness, discussing the components in a comprehensive definition of college readiness for typical high school students. They then asked, “What does college and career readiness mean for students with significant cognitive disabilities?” giving the participants an opportunity to discuss the options available to their students in their entities and identifying possible changes to their system to ensure ALL students leave school with skills they need to enter postsecondary schools or the workforce. Guam CEDDERS staff Connie Guerrero and June Quitugua provided an overview of the Common Core State Standards and introduced a comparability working tool that allowed the entities to “crosswalk” their content standards and benchmarks with the Common Core State Standards. This activity provided the entities with “degrees of match” between the student learning expectations that corresponded to a common core standard, assessing both breadth and depth of content contained within their student learning expectations and the common core standard to determine the degree of match. As a result of the activity, participants noted that their entity standards were not as challenging or rigorous as the CCSS, and that more discussions within their departments are needed. As a follow-up from last summer’s Communication Strand, Mr. Burdge and Ms. Clayton provided an overview on the importance of an augmentative communication system (ACS) and the importance of accurately assessing a student’s communicative competence and using content to teach communication within the context of the CCSS and learning progressions. June De Leon, PACIFIC Project Director, presented an overview of the results of the SY09-10 Learning Characteristics Inventory (LCI) from each of the six Pacific entities, comparing three years of data, focusing on the “types” of students identified to take an AA-AAS, the expressive and receptive language skills of the students, as well as use of AAC devices. The second day ended with the participants breaking out into their respective “focus groups,” facilitated by the PACIFIC Project staff and consultants, to collect information about instructional practices, access to resources, professional development opportunities, and assessment experiences of teachers who teach and assess students who participate in an AA-AAS. On the last day, Dr. Mary Spencer, Regional Expert, presented on the important questions of consequential validity regarding intended and unintended consequences of alternate achievement standards assessments and the provision of access to the general curriculum. The presentation was based on the 5 Effective Practices Themes as observed or not which represented 32% (114/361) of students requiring AA-AAS at the time of the observations. The 5 Effective Practices Themes are: 1) instruction on age appropriate, grade level specific general curriculum; 2) learning in integrated environments; 3) use of appropriate supports; 4) high expectations for student performance; and 5) use of evidence-based instructional practices. As a follow-up to the presentation on the Practice Themes, Jonas Macapinlac, PACIFIC Project Media Specialist, delivered a presentation on video production, including the importance of pre-production planning and a review of “non-example” videos, which showcased what to avoid in an effective video production. Each entity also reviewed their respective video projects, in which each featured the target students and one of the Practice Themes, and provided feedback on how to improve the overall message of the videos. The use of technology was one major highlight of the training. Each presenter created pre/post “Checking for Understanding” questions for participants. Participants used the electronic responders to select an answer. Answers were recorded and tabulated and immediate feedback was provided to participants. This was a great teaching tool and the participants really enjoyed testing how much they knew or remembered. The workshop concluded with participants doing an online evaluation of the three-day regional training. It was the first time the PACIFIC Project opted to do away with paper/ pencil evaluation and “go green.” The evaluation results, representing 84% (63/75) of the participants, were available for dissemination within minutes after the last evaluation was completed, which provided the PACIFIC Project Leadership Team with data and information to identify next steps and supports needed within the entities. Photos with captions: Administrators, teachers, and other school personnel from American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia , Guam, Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands attended the 3-day PACIFIC Project regional training on the Common Core State Standards and the AA-AAS in July. Dr. Ellen Forte, edCount LLC President and Founder, (standing, far right) facilitates the focus group of teachers from each island entity. Jef Limtiaco, Guam CEDDERS Grant Assistant (top left), and Connie Guerrero, Guam CEDDERS Training Associate (top second from left), facilitate the focus group of Curriculum and Instruction staff. Jean Clayton, Keystone Alternate Assessment Consultant (standing, far right), works with the Guam Department of Education team during a breakout activity. Michael Burdge (standing), Keystone Alternate Assessment Consultant, addresses the entity school teams during the first day of the regional event. June De Leon, PACIFIC Project Director / Guam CEDDERS Associate Director (standing), reviews data presented in the Learning Characteristics Inventory (LCI) Report with the Palau team. The Republic of the Marshall Islands team discusses the Common Core State Standards during entity reflection time. Page 6 Guam CEDDERS Advisory Council Elects New Officers Thomas Mangloña was elected Chairperson, and Bill Fuppul was elected Vice-Chairperson of the Guam CEDDERS Advisory Council during the June 3 quarterly meeting of the Council. Mr. Mangloña, a long time community-advocate, is very familiar with the function of the Council, having served as a member in the past. Mr. Fuppul is also a “veteran,” having served on the Council for the last five years. Kudos and best wishes are extended to Marlon Molinas, the Council Chairperson for the last two years and to Moses Puas, who served as Vice Chairperson for the past year. As with any Council, members’ terms expire. Some members, such as Mr. Fuppul and Mr. Puas, agree to be re-appointed; some ask that new members replace them. Guam CEDDERS thanks Mr. Molinas for his service and wishes him well as he resumes his college studies. Guam CEDDERS also thanks Cecilia Perez Cruz for her four years of service, insightful comments, and recommendations on the activities, goals, and objectives of the organization. New member appointments include six self-advocates or family members and three new agency representatives (see box). Thank you all, for serving on the Guam CEDDERS Advisory Council! Photo with caption: (Left to right): Marlon Molinas, Guam CEDDERS Advisory Council Chairperson from March 2009 to June 2011, hands over the ceremonial gavel to Thomas Mangloña, the newly elected council chairperson after the June meeting. Dankulu na Si Yu’os Ma’ase Marlon for your dedicated service. Thank you, Tom, for taking on this new responsibility. Text in colored box: Guam CEDDERS Advisory Council Self-Advocates & Family Representatives Rosalyn Anderson Bill Fuppul (Vice Chairperson) Ana Marie Kilroy Tom Mangloña (Chairperson) Ordelia Pritchard Moses Puas Leah Rassier Nathan Taimanglo Lynn Tydingco Agency & Organization Representatives Rosanne Ada Elaine Faculo-Gogue Yolanda Gabriel Bernie Grajek Harold Parker Marcelene Santos Ben Servino Lydia Tenorio Page 7 Photo with caption: Council Members Attend June Meeting Guam CEDDERS Advisory Council Members who attended the September 2011 Quarterly meeting included (Front row seated left to right): , Bill Fuppul, Vice Chairperson, Moses Puas, Tom Mangloña, Chairperson, Lynn Tydingco, Self-Advocate. (Back row standing left to right): Ben Servino, Director of DISID, Nathan Taimanglo, Self-Advocate, Lydia Tenorio, DPHSS Representative, Marcelene Santos, Public Guardian, Marie Libria, Guam Developmental Disabilities Council Coordinator, Harold Parker, Executive Director, Guam Legal Services Corporation - Disability Law Center, and Ana Marie Kilroy, Parent Advocate. Consortia Strategies Presented at OSEP Conference Filling the need for professionals in low-incidence disabilities requires collaborative relationships across geographical borders. During the July 2011 Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Project Directors’ Conference, 2 OSEP-funded personnel preparation consortia shared examples of how they are developing leadership and increasing the pool of prepared educators in remote areas of the western and southern Pacific regions, as well as across the nation. On July 20, project staff from the 2 consortia, Pacific Vision Instruction Project (Pacific VIP) and the Helen Keller Fellows Project, conducted a joint presentation entitled, “Utilizing a Consortium Approach to Meet the Critical Need for Vision and Deaf-Blindness Professionals,” during one of the concurrent sessions. June De Leon, Guam CEDDERS Associate Director and Pacific VIP Director, and Bob McCulley, Director of the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMassBoston) Northeast Regional Center for Vision Education (NERCVE), shared details of the partnership between the University of Guam and UMassBoston to develop and deliver the scholarship training program to 20 western and southern Pacific trainees from American Samoa, CNMI, FSM, and Guam. The Pacific VIP utilizes a blended on-line and on-site training approach for the Pacific regional scholars to attain a UMassBoston Master’s degree in Vision Studies with dual credentials in Teachers for Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) and Orientation and Mobility (O&M). Dr. Christina Reagle, Director of the Helen Keller Fellows Project, administered through the Teaching Research Institute of Western Oregon University, shared how the project is utilizing the consortium approach to create a cadre of teacher leaders who will provide evidence-based practices and positive impacts on systems in order to improve services for children who are deaf-blind throughout the nation. For more information on the Pacific VIP, please contact Ms. De Leon at june.deleon@guamcedders.org. For more information on the Helen Keller Fellows Project, please contact Dr. Christina Reagle at reaglec@wou.edu. Logos: The Teaching Research Institute (TRI), Western Oregon University, Northeast Regional Center for Vision Education, University of Massachusetts Boston (UMAS Boston), and UOG CEDDERS. Page 8 Guam CEDDERS: Sharing is Caring in Palau Guam CEDDERS staff Elaine Eclavea and June De Leon conducted an on-site technical assistance visit to Palau the week of August 15 to support the special education staff in the development of Palau’s FFY 2010 IDEA Part B Annual Performance Report. The visit included a review of FFY 2010 data and information and a process for evaluating the effectiveness of prioritized improvement activities. As always, the visit included lots of sharing – sharing of ideas to improve the program, sharing of data to inform decision-making, and most especially, sharing of food to help with the energy level for analyzing the data and information! “Sharing is caring” is the island way in Palau demonstrated through enjoying a meal together. Photo (L-R): Theofina Michael, Esther Rengulbai, Jennifer Ngual, Elaine Eclavea, June De Leon, Helen Sengebau, Begonia Tewid, Crystal Meltel, and Siomi Masayoshi. Guam CEDDERS Present at Chuuk Education Symposium With funding support from the National DOE, Special Education, two Guam CEDDERS staff traveled to Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), to conduct workshops during the 2011 Education Symposium on August 3-5. June De Leon, Guam CEDDERS, facilitated two sessions on “LRE Determination & the IEP Components” and Terrie Fejarang conducted a workshop on “Understanding Students Who Are Deaf/Hard of Hearing” and another on “Early Learning Guidelines.” Over 600 teachers from throughout Chuuk State attended the week-long conference. In the photo above, teachers from the Mortlock Islands perform a song about working as a team during the Education Symposium’s closing ceremonies. Page 9 FSM Special Education Personnel Attend Assessment Training Dr. Nieves Flores and June Quitugua, Guam CEDDERS staff, conducted a four-day Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) National training in Pohnpei on administering formal and informal assessments to determine eligibility for special education and/or related services in FSM. Twenty Special Education Assessment Specialists and Diagnosticians from the four FSM States of Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap attended the training that provided them with a review of the IDEA special education requirements and the “how to” administer identified formal and informal assessment tools. The participants were required to apply their new skills by administering the Brigance Inventory of Early Development, Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills or Brigance Essential Skills, the Conners Rating Scale 3rd Edition, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, and informal vision and hearing screening tools, then score and interpret the results to determine eligibility. Photos with captions: Twenty participants attended a four-day training in Pohnpei on administering formal and informal assessment tools to help determine eligibility for special education and/or related services in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia. Chuuk participants at the assessment training consult with each other about the procedures for the assessment tool. Networking Opportunities at the OSEP Mega Conference The annual Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Mega Conference, held August 1-3 in Virginia, provided cross-state/entity networking opportunities for early intervention and special education program staff and technical assistance providers from across the Pacific region. Left Photo (L-R): Asmon Langidrik, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI); Miles Kawatachi, RMI Consultant; Harvey Ouchi, Hawaii Department of Education; Rudy Lokeijak, RMI; June De Leon, Guam CEDDERS. Right Photo: (L-R): Helen Sengebau, Republic of Palau; Terrie Fejarang, Guam CEDDERS; Yolanda Gabriel, Guam Department of Education (GDOE); Cathy Tydingco, GDOE. Page 10-11 Middle Schools Kick-Off New Year with PBIS It was approximately five years ago when the Guam Department of Education (GDOE) received unofficial word that they were being awarded over a million dollars for a four-year “Partnership in Character Education” grant to implement the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework and a character education program. As the grant reaches the end of its performance period, it seems like only yesterday that everyone first came together to initiate the work. At the start, less than half of the middle schools attended the Fall and Spring training in 2007. That was then and today is now. On August 25 - 26, Guam CEDDERS facilitated the third part of a series of training conducted by Celeste Dickey, coordinator from the Office of Special Education Programs Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (OSEP TA Center), University of Oregon. This training was like no other training held previously during the past four years. For one, the number of participants increased from 25 to 90. It went from each team bringing one student to each team bringing at least four students. During the past four years, the schools have focused on universal interventions of PBIS. This year’s effort focused on the students who were “falling through the cracks” and required either targeted or intensive intervention. In order to be successful with students who require these types of interventions, School Climate Cadre (SCC) team members must learn to “work smarter and harder.” It requires that they review data frequently and base decisions on the data through problem-solving. To build the proficiency of the SCC Teams in addressing the needs of these students, Guam CEDDERS, in collaboration with GDOE and the OSEP TA Center for PBIS, provided more training on Day 1 on the Team Initiated Problem-Solving (TIPS) process and interventions for students requiring targeted interventions. To model the process, Ms. Dickey started the training with a review of the district data from 2008 -2011, which was the trigger for this follow-up training. Next was a step-by-step presentation of the TIPS process for collecting and using the data. TIPS provide SCC teams with a process for improving decision-making related to discipline via problem solving. The process allows the team to go from the problem to problem solving, and then to solutions rather than the typical process of moving from the problem straight to the solution. The presentation involved activities that engaged each participant attending the training and the use of hand-held classroom responders technology to check for understanding of the content. On Day 2, the focus was on targeted interventions for students with two to five discipline referrals. A component of PBIS, which addresses the behaviors of students requiring targeted intervention, involves identifying the function of the student’s behavior. The two major functions of any behavior are to get something or escape from something. For example, we all come to work to earn a paycheck. For a student in which the function of his behavior is to get an adult’s attention, the strategy of a “Check-in-Check Out (CICO)” procedure has been successful. This allows the student frequent access to adult attention as the student is required to maintain a checklist that is monitored by an adult. The monitoring checklist identifies the behavior expected during the day and the adults check-off if the behavior was displayed during the appropriate time. This is supplemented with instruction on the expected behavior to ensure accepted performance. PBIS is simple, but complex at the same time. It is not a program. It is a framework that requires not just the collection of data, but the use of the data to make decisions. A major component is defining school-wide expectations and teaching the expectations. Teaching is more than posting the expectations in the classrooms or in the hallways. It means modeling what the behavior looks like and providing each student feedback on his or her performance and correcting the behaviors through positive strategies. Are we there yet? As Rob Horner, Ph.D., of the University of Oregon and a Director of the OSEP TA Center for PBIS shared with us in 2007, the implementation of the PBIS framework requires a change process and change takes time. Have we all bought into it? We may not have the 100% buy-in, but we’re certainly heading in that direction as we continue to demonstrate that it works for students. In the long run, the benefits of PBIS will outweigh the pain of change. As one principal from Hawaii has stated, think of PBIS as “just the way we do things” at the school. If we perceive it as such, we will definitely know when we’re there—it will be just the way we do things. Celebrate the steps towards that vision! Photos with captions: Inarajan Middle School participants address concerns with Celeste Dickey (far left), consultant from the Center on Positive Behavior Supports and Interventions, and Dr. Nieves Flores (center), Guam CEDDERS Training Associate. Agueda Johnston School Climate Cadre (SCC) members examine their discipline data on the web-based School Wide Information System (SWIS) maintained by the University of Oregon. Celeste Dickey (center) illustrates the use of school-based data in making decisions regarding discipline. Cadre members from FB Leon Guerrero Middle School note their thoughts during a group activity. Oceanview School Climate Cadre (SCC) members review their school discipline data to determine interventions. Page 12 Family Support Project Continues Outreach After a short break during the summer months, Guam’s Family Supports 360? for Military Families (Guam FS360), resumed activities in support of military families. The Parent Support Splash event has proven to be a draw for service members and their families. This activity allows children to enjoy the pool under the supervision of volunteers, while their parents or grandparents interact with Guam FS360? staff and learn about the various resources available on island. Other activities offered were the Sibling Group workshops. This group provides brothers and sisters of children of service members who need support an opportunity to air their concerns and talk to other children in facilitated discussions by Guam FS360? “navigators.” A whole slate of events are planned by the project for September. Please refer to the calendar on page 20 for specific dates and times of upcoming events. Photo with caption: Jessica Rahuba (left), GFS 360 volunteer, works with a participant during one of the Sibling Group workshops. (Left to right): Denise Ola and Jessica Rahuba, GFS 360 volunteers, interact with family members during one of the Parent Support Splash events. Don Johnston, Inc. Site Visit “Together we can help your students read and write.” Don Johnston, founder of Don Johnston, Inc. “We’re a bunch of people who believe that a good teacher and assistive technology can help every student with a disability read and write better than they can today. We’ve been creating tools focused on doing just that since 1980. Our tools are used by students with autism, dysgraphia, quadriplegia, cerebral palsy, and dyslexia in over 1/3 of U.S. school districts.” (www.donjohnston.com) On August 4, June De Leon and Terrie Fejarang, Guam CEDDERS staff, visited the “bunch of people” responsible for creating the tools to help students read and write. The visit was a follow-up to the partnership established with Don Johnston, Inc. through the Pacific Consortium for Instructional Materials Accessibility Project (Pacific CIMAP), an OSEP-funded regional grant administered by Guam CEDDERS on behalf of the six Pacific entities. Pacific CIMAP ended in December 2009, but as demonstrated by the August 4 visit, the collaborative partnership continues between Guam CEDDERS and Don Johnston, Inc. The visit included Guam CEDDERS highlights of the Pacific CIMAP outcomes specific to the use of the SOLO Literacy Suite, software designed by the company to support struggling readers and writers. Through Pacific CIMAP, this software tool, which includes a text reader, graphic organizer, talking word processor, and word prediction, was purchased for each entity. Thank you Ruth Ziolkowski, President of Don Johnston, Inc., and team for taking the time to be with us! We look forward to more collaborative possibilities in the interest of the children with disabilities in the Pacific region. Photo with caption: Guam CEDDERS staff Terrie Fejarang and June De Leon take a photo with the Don Johnston team. (L-R): Jason Burke, Terrie Fejarang, Ruth Ziolkowski, Ben Johnston, June De Leon, Trisha Johnson, Heidi Diskin, Kevin Johnston. Page 13 Guam EHDI Pilots Tele-Audiology on Guam Dr. Debra Hayes and Dr. Susan Dreith, consultants from The Children’s Hospital in Colorado, conducted a Tele-audiology technical assistance visit to the Guam Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (Guam EHDI) Project on June 20-23. The purpose of the visit was to establish and pilot a tele-audiology system for providing diagnostic audiologic evaluations for children on Guam. During their visit, the consultants set up the diagnostic equipment, provided training, and met with all the stakeholders involved in the successful implementation of the tele-audiology process, and completed a test run of the specialized equipment. Subsequent visits to finalize and complete the tele-audiology process will occur in the near future. Photos with captions: Consultants from The Children’s Hospital in Colorado pose with Guam Early Intervention System (GEIS) staff after their meeting on June 22 to discuss the role of GEIS in the successful implementation of Tele-audiology for young children on Guam. Dr. Susan Dreith, audiologist, The Children’s Hospital Colorado (right) demonstrates the use of audiological equipment to Vicky Ritter, Guam EHDI Screening Technician (left). Jonas Macapinlac, Guam CEDDERS Media Development & Information Technology Coordinator (left) and Dr. Debra Hayes, audiologist, The Children’s Hospital Colorado (right) check Tele-audiology equipment. Dr. Debra Hayes, audiologist, The Children’s Hospital Colorado (standing) explains the different levels of hearing loss to the Guam EHDI Advisory Counsel during a meeting on Tele-audiology. Page 14 New Guam Early Learning Council Completes Orientation A swearing in ceremony for the new Guam Early Learning Council took place on June 28 at the Governor’s Conference Room at Adelup. The Honorable Eddie Baza Calvo, Governor of Guam, officially swore in the 25 members who represent families and child-serving agencies and organizations. He delivered inspiring remarks on the importance of the Council’s role to ensure that well-coordinated comprehensive system of services and supports are made available to Guam’s youngest residents. Lieutenant Governor Ray Tenorio also attended the ceremony and gave a short address. Immediately after the ceremony, Christine Calvo, First Lady of Guam, and Elaine Eclavea, Guam CEDDERS Health, Wellness and Prevention Initiative Area Coordinator, assumed their Co-Chairpersons’ roles and facilitated an orientation session highlighting the goals of the Council, which are “to increase services and supports for young children and their families by strengthening cross-agency coordination; expand and refine Guam’s Policy Agenda for Early Learning Birth to Eight; and carry out the responsibilities mandated in the national legislation, “Improving Head Start for School, Readiness Act of 2007.” (P.L. 110-134, Section 642B(b). The Council’s vision, “All of Guam’s young children will have healthy minds, bodies, and spirits as the foundation for lifelong success” and its mission, “to support each child (birth to 8) in reaching his/ her full potential through a health care and education system that is accessible, comprehensive, integrated, and responsive to diverse cultures and is developed in collaboration with families and communities” were also discussed. These goals are to be attained through cross-agency collaboration, shared data collection, leveraged funding, and shared standards for child and family outcomes. The orientation provided a historical perspective on Early Learning on Guam, the status of children birth to eight living on Guam with regard to health and education, the number of children living below the poverty level, homelessness, and children without health insurance. Other topics included infant mortality rates, high-risk infants, child maltreatment, and child care services and supports. The roles and responsibilities of the Council include providing recommendations on effective policies supporting children birth to eight; prioritizing funding in support of child and family outcomes; promoting and supporting acquisition of funding opportunities; providing the Governor and Legislature with a “State of Early Childhood Health and Education on Guam” brief; establishing policies and procedures for effective decision making processes; and regularly reviewing goals and objectives to ensure relevance and responsiveness. Additional meetings were held on July 12 and 28 to complete the orientation process and to also consider the first policy recommendations related to Legislative Bill 141-31: “An act to promote Early Childhood Learning and Development opportunities through the promotion of Modern Child Care Facilities by providing Business Privilege Tax Exemption for Child Care Centers and Group Child Care Homes by adding a new Part (37) to Subsection (k)§26203, Chapter 26, Title 11 Guam Code Annotated.” The Council submitted testimony during a Public Hearing on this bill with recommendations. The Council is slated to meet at least quarterly and is looking forward to sponsoring an Early Childhood Summit in the near future. Photo with caption: The newly sworn in Guam Early Learning Council discussed the merits of Legislative Bill 141-31: “An act to promote Early Childhood Learning and Development opportunities through the promotion of Modern Child Care Facilities by providing Business Privilege Tax Exemption for Child Care Centers and Group Child Care Homes” during the July 12 meeting. Page 15 Project Tinituhon Strategic Management Team Develop Plans On July 14 and August 9, the Project Tinituhon Social Emotional Strategic Management Team (SMT) met to target a new direction in interagency collaboration. The purpose of the SMT meeting was to develop an integrated plan for serving young children with social emotional and mental health challenges and their families. During the July session, SMT members received an overview of the importance of brain development during the early stages of life. They also heard testimony from a mother, who has a child with a social emotional disorder. Her testimony provided a vivid picture of her experiences and frustrations in finding assistance for her son and for her family. She felt alone and unheard as she sought answers as to why her child was displaying behaviors that were beyond control. Her story brought on an emotional response to the SMT members. Reflecting on the story as they discussed several guided questions, the SMT members were then asked to discuss the current flow of intake, referral, assessment and services for children with social-emotional and mental health challenges as well as the most common reasons for a referral. During the second session on August 9th, the SMT members continued the activities from the previous meeting. The SMT members received a brief summarization of the answers from the Guided Questions activities with other early childhood agencies and information about the benefits of interagency collaboration. An Early Childhood Framework was the center of discussion and the leading concept for designing a systematic way to provide a seamless process for families and children experiencing difficulties with social-emotional, behavioral, and mental health challenges. SMT members were tasked to hypothetically walk a family with an infant and a preschool child displaying social emotional and behavioral challenges through an intake/referral, assessment, and intervention process. The outcomes of the activities yielded the concepts of creating a children’s bureau in order to provide a “one-stop” center for families who require any assistance with their child. The Bureau would also act as a filtering process of referral to the appropriate agency to help meet the families’ needs. In addition, the SMT members brainstormed an idea that would provide more immediate action towards interagency collaboration. A type of “check-in” system with other early childhood agencies could make sure children are referred appropriately to agencies that serve their needs and a follow up from the referring agency through which the family has entered. To continue the planning process, the upcoming meeting on October 4th will focus on discussion about a Memorandum of Agreement to clarify and coordinate the services of all agencies involved. Photo with caption: GMH Receives Guam Early Learning Guidelines In collaboration with Project Tinituhon and the Guam Early Learning Council, the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority (GMHA) will now be disseminating the “Guam Early Learning Guidelines for Young Children: Birth to 36 Months” to new mothers. These books, which were originally published through support from the Department of Public Health and Social Services, Child Care Development Fund, were re-printed with funding from Project Tinituhon (The Beginning), Guam’s Early Childhood Comprehensive System, a federal grant facilitated by Guam CEDDERS. Left to right: Ruth Sabangan, Pediatric Unit Supervisor; Avelina “Bing” Opena, Nursery Unit Supervisor; Jemmabeth Simbillo, Nursing Services Administrator; Maria Victoria Guiao- Obstetrics Unit Supervisor; June Perez, GMH Guam Early Learning Council Representative. For more information, please contact June Perez at 647.2418 or june.perez@gmha.org. Page 16 Train-the-Trainer: Implementing the Guam Early Learning Guidelines Guam CEDDERS, with funding support from Project Tinituhon, sponsored a 15-contact hour workshop titled, “Train-the-Trainer: Implementing the Guam Early Learning Guidelines (GELG) Birth to Five Curriculum,” conducted by Vera Blaz, Guam CEDDERS Training Associate. The seven participants, comprised of early childhood providers from center-based child care centers, Guam PIRC, Guam Head Start, and Project Kariñu, met for three sessions during July to undergo this pilot training and were eligible to receive 1.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs). The workshop provided the participants with an overview of early childhood growth and development, as well as guiding principles of early childhood and a foundation of early childhood research to guide a quality home program. Other areas covered were strategies to promote positive social-emotional development, cultural competency and respect for individuals, a process of on-going observations to meet individual needs of young children with or without disabilities, all of which are aligned with the Guam Early Learning Guidelines for Young Children, Birth to 36 Months and the Guam Early Learning Guidelines for Young Children Ages Three to Five. Participants increased their knowledge, understanding, and skills in a variety of different areas related to early childhood development. These areas included early childhood experiences and its effect on brain development; developmentally appropriate practices and cultural competency; observations to guide responsive practices in meeting individual differences; promoting positive social emotional development and preventing challenging behavior; strategies for supporting children in need of special care, healing and recovery; and strategies to encourage parent involvement promoting early literacy and school readiness within the context of play and appropriate early childhood practices using the nine basic home activities or learning stations. The participants were very enthusiastic and appreciative of the training. They actively participated in the discussions and were deeply engrossed in the hands-on activities. Several of the participants repeatedly remarked that the sessions were very helpful for them to better understand the growth and development of the children they serve and encounter in their line of work as well as with their children and/or grandchildren. Photo with caption: Train-the-Trainer Workshop participants included: front row (L-R): Jeffrey Pinaula, Guam CEDDERS and Michelle Huffer, MG Huffer Adventures in Learning Child Development Center. Back row (L-R): Vera Blaz, Instructor, Guam CEDDERS; Lolita Leon Guerrero, Project Kariñu; Carmen Quenga, Guam Head Start; Lagrimas Underwood, Honey Bear Kids Center; and Joesey Ragasa, PNG Childcare & Learning Center. Page 17 Quality Practices in Early Intervention To support Professional Development training for Early Intervention Providers, Guam CEDDERS, in collaboration with the Guam Department of Education - Early Intervention System (GEIS), sponsored a three-day training workshop entitled, “Quality Practices in Early Intervention,” that took place from August 10 - 12 at The Westin Resort, Guam. The training was facilitated by Naomi Younggren, Ph.D. who is the Comprehensive System of Personnel Development Coordinator for Educational & Developmental Intervention Services (EDIS) Department of the United States Army in Frankfurt, Germany. Dr. Naomi Younggren has become one of the foremost experts in the use of Routines-Based Intervention (RBI) and she has incorporated it into the method of developing individualized plans for children served by the Army. Thirty-five participants from GEIS, EDIS, and early intervention providers from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Public School System attended the three-day training. On Day 3, a total of 75 participants including Head Start and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) teachers joined in for the first half of the day for a session on Routines Based Outcomes Measurement. This training is a first step in developing a family based service delivery model that will provide better outcomes for families receiving early intervention services in Guam and the CNMI. Photos with captions: Participants attending the Quality Practices in Early Intervention workshop pose with presenter Dr. Naomi Younggren (sitting center). Cathy Tydingco (left), Guam Early Intervention System Program Consultant, talks with Dr. Naomi Younggren (right), EDIS Department of the Army, Comprehensive System of Personnel Development Coordinator, about early intervention on Guam. The CNMI Early Intervention team discuss Quality Practices during one of the breakout sessions. Page 18 Full page ad: Transition: Life after High School A special session for Parents/Guardians and students receiving Special Education in Middle & High School. Sessions: October 8, 2011, 9am - 11am Mangilao Senior Citizens Center October 22, 2011, 9am - 11am Dededo Senior Citizens Center November 5, 2011, 9am - 11am Agat Community Center November 19, 2011, 9am - 11am Tamuning Senior Citizens Center Here is what you will learn about transition: • Local and federal law (IDEA) • IEP Process related to transition • Self-Advocacy Tips • Transfer of Rights To register and for more information and reasonable accommodations, please contact: Carol Cabiles at 477-9811 or by email at carol.cabiles@guamlsc.org or Carla Torres at 735-2490 or by email at carla.torres@guamcedders.org. Space is limited. Pre-registration is required. Breakfast will be provided. This training is funded through the Guam Tri-Agency on Developmental Disabilities (Guam Developmental Disabilities Council, Guam Legal Service Corporation - Disability Law Center, and University of Guam Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, & Service - Guam System for Assistive Technology) and the Guam Department of Education - Division of Special Education. Page 19 Learn More About Self-Advocacy Guam CEDDERS invites you to learn more about self-advocacy and practice the skills to become a good self-advocate. This just might be a life changing event, and we think you’ll be glad you chose to come. A series of three sessions: Saturdays, Nov 12 & 19, 10:30am - 2:30pm Saturday, December 3, 9:00am - 2:30pm Location: GSAT, House 19, Dean Circle, University of Guam For more information and reservations, contact Ginger Porter at 735-2478 or email at ginger.porter@guamcedders.org. Funding for this activity is provided by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration on Developmental Disabilities, Grant No. 90DD0647-03. Tri-Agency Continues Newsletter Collaboration Guam Legal Services Corporation - Disability Law Center, the Guam Developmental Disabilities Council, and Guam CEDDERS are continuing their collaborative efforts to produce I Linå’lå-ta (Our Life) for the coming year. Topics will continue to address the current issues, concerns, and events relevant to individuals with disabilities and their families. To submit an article or items for the calendar of events, contact Guam CEDDERS at 735-2477. LIF Acknowledgements: University of Guam Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, & Service (Guam CEDDERS) Newsletter Guam CEDDERS Office of Academic & Student Affairs University of Guam, UOG Station Mangilao, Guam 96923 Phone: (671) 735?2480/1 Fax: (671) 734?5709 TTY: (671) 734?6531 Email: heidi.sannicolas@guamcedders.org I Tellai is a quarterly publication of Guam CEDDERS. Director: Heidi San Nicolas, Ph.D. Editors: Terrie Fejarang, June De Leon, & Ginger Porter Layout & Design: Sean Lizama This issue of I Tellai was made possible by contributions from the following Guam CEDDERS staff members: Vera Blaz, June De Leon, Cheryl De Roca, Terrie Fejarang, Nieves Flores, Ed.D., Mary Fegurgur, Psy.D., Terry Naputi, Jeff Pinaula, Ginger Porter, June Quitugua, Heidi San Nicolas, Ph.D., Keith Villaluna. Alternative formats (e.g. Braille, large print, or audio tapes) of I Tellai will be made available upon request. Please contact Margaret Johnson at (671) 735?2477 (v), (671) 735?6531 (TTY), or (671) 734?5709 (fax) for more information. The University of Guam is an equal opportunity employer and provider. Page 20 CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS Sep11 Sep 2 Parent Workshop: “Bully Buster Parent Interventions”, 10am - 12pm, Hs. 30 Dean’s Circle, UOG. Sep 6 Sibling Group, 4pm - 6pm, Hs. 30 Dean’s Circle, UOG. Sep 6 Project Tinituhon Access to Health Insurance & Medical/Dental Home SMT meeting, 10am, Hs. 22/23 Dean’s Circle. Sep 7 Project Tinituhon Early Care & Ed./Child Care: School Readiness Focus Group Meeting, 3pm, Hs. 22/23 Dean’s Circle. Sep 7 Parent Support Coffee, 10am, Hs. 30 Dean’s Circle, UOG, Pls. call 735-2560 for more information. Sept 7-9 Boys Town Webinar: Hearing 101, 7am - 1pm, University of Guam, Science Building Room 120. Sept 9 Project Tinituhon Early Care & Education/Child Care: School Readiness Focus Group Meeting, 3pm, House 22/23. Pls. call 735-2466 for more information. Sep 9 Parent Workshop: “Tricare Tips for Families New to Guam”, 10 am - 12pm. Sep 10 Self-Advocacy Workshop, 10:30am - 2:30pm, Hs. 19 Dean’s Circle, UOG. Sep 12 Parent Workshop: “HELP! My Brother Has ADD: Helping Your Child Adjust To Having A Sibling With A Disability”, 6pm - 8pm, Hs. 30 Dean’s Circle, UOG. Sep 13 & 20 Tune in to the Superfriends Radio Show! 12pm on K57. Sep 14 Parent Support Coffee, 10am, Hs. 30 Dean’s Circle, UOG. Sep 15-16 Parent Workshop: “Navigating the IEP Process”, 10am - 12pm, Hs. 30 Dean’s Circle, UOG. Sep 16 Guam EHDI 3rd Advisory Meeting, 11:30am-1:30pm, Guam Marriott Resort. Sep 17 Self-Advocacy Workshop, 10:30am - 2:30pm, Hs. 19 Dean’s Circle, UOG. Sep 19 Parent Workshop: 6pm - 8pm, Hs. 30 Dean’s Circle, UOG. Sep 20 Sibling Group, 4pm - 6pm, Hs. 30 Dean’s Circle, UOG. Sep 21 Parent Support Coffee, 10am, Hs. 30 Dean’s Circle, UOG. Sep 23 Parent Workshop: “Suicidal Adolescents: Prevention Tips for Parents”, 10am-12pm, Hs. 30 Dean’s Circle, UOG. Sep 24 “Understanding Healthcare for Patients with Disability”, 9am-3pm, Guam Marriot Resort & Spa. Sep 26 Parent Workshop: 6pm - 8pm, Hs. 30 Dean’s Circle, UOG. Sep 26 NDEAM Proclamation Signing, 11am, Governor’s Cabinet Conference Room. Sep 27 Parent Leadership Training: Understanding the IFSP, by Kathleen Lowrance, MEd, 12pm - 5pm, Westin Resort, Guam. Sep 27 Volunteer Training: For active duty single sailors, 5pm - 7pm, Hs. 30 Dean’s Circle, UOG. Sep 27 “Understanding the IFSP” 12:00pm - 5:00pm, The Westin Resort Guam. Sep 28 Parent Support Coffee, 10am, Hs. 30 Dean’s Circle, UOG. Sep 28 Volunteer Training: For Active Duty Single Sailors, 5pm - 7pm. Hs. 30, UOG. Sep 28-29 “Changing the future for children: A Parent Leadership Opportunity” 8:30am - 4:00pm, The Westin Resort Guam. Sep 29 Volunteer Training: For Active Duty Spouses and Retirees 10am - 12pm, Hs. 30 Dean’s Circle, UOG. Sep 30 Volunteer Training: For Active Duty Spouses and Retirees 10am - 12pm, Hs. 30 Dean’s Circle, UOG. Oct-Dec11 Oct 1 Self-Advocacy Workshop, 9am - 2:30pm, Hs. 19 Dean’s Circle, UOG. Oct 4 Project Tinituhon SMT/SE/ME Meeting, 12pm-1:30pm, Guam Marriott Resort. Oct 7 Employer/ee Workshop/Appreciation Conference, 7:30am - 4pm, Holiday Resort & Spa Oct 8 “Transition: Life After High School” Tri-Agency Parent Training Session, 9am - 11am, Mangilao Senior Citizens Center. Oct 14 “A Day in A Life” 8am - 12pm, Time & Venue TBA Oct 21 DVR Consumer/Provider Appreciation Merienda/Open House, DVR Reception Area, 6th floor, DNA Bldg. Oct 21 Disability Awareness Films Part II, DVR Conference Room, 6th floor, DNA Bldg. Oct 22 “Transition: Life After High School” Tri-Agency Parent Training Session, 9am - 11am, Dededo Senior Citizens Center. Oct 29 NDEAM Appreciation Picnic, Ypao Beach Park. Oct 30 2011 White Cane Safety Day “Exploring the World, One Tap at a Time.” Power Walk/Relay. For more information call 788-3534 or email sinaguam@gmail.com Nov 5 “Transition: Life After High School” Tri-Agency Parent Training Session, 9am - 11am, Agat Community Center. Nov 19 “Transition: Life After High School” Tri-Agency Parent Training Session, 9am - 11am, Tamuning Senior Citizens Center. Nov 12 Self-Advocacy Workshop, 10:30am - 2:30pm, Hs. 19 Dean’s Circle, UOG. Dec 3 Self-Advocacy Workshop, 9am - 2:30pm, Hs. 19 Dean’s Circle, UOG. For more information on upcoming events, log on to: www.guamcedders.org or call 735-2477.