HEAD START®

Effective Transition Practices: Facilitating Continuity

Training Guides for the Head Start Learning Community

Table of Contents | Preface | Introduction | Module 1 | Module 2 | Module 3 | Continuing Professional Development | Informational Resources Section

Continuing professional development

Participants can expand their skills and knowledge by completing coursework, joining local and national organizations, networking with other early childhood professionals, and reading current literature.

Continuing Education

Many universities and community colleges offer child development courses through their education, child development, or psychology departments. Courses in business and communication can enhance the communication and networking skills necessary for the success of collaborative efforts. To find out about courses in your area, call local colleges for catalogs and admission information.

For an extensive list of educational conferences sponsored by national and local organizations, call or write:

ACCESS ERIC
1600 Research Boulevard, MS-SF
Rockville, MD 20850
1-800-LET-ERIC

The cost for a printed copy is $20. A free online listing appears on the Internet at: http://www.aspensys.com/eric2/welcome.html

Educational Associations

Educational organizations are often associated with a particular profession. Participants and programs that choose to join several national or local educational organizations will broaden their understanding of the various goals within the early childhood community. Several national organizations follow:

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
1250 N. Pitt Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-1453
1-703-549-9110

Publication: Educational Leadership
Membership: Leaders in elementary, middle, and secondary schools; and anyone interested in curriculum, instruction, supervision, and leadership in schools

Council for Exceptional Children
1920 Association Drive
Reston, VA 20191-1589
1-703-620-3660

Publications: Exceptional Children, Teaching Exceptional Children Membership: Teachers, administrators, parents, and students

National Association for the Education of Young Children
1509 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036-1426
1-202-232-8777, 1-800-424-2460

Publication: Young Children
Membership: Teachers, parents, child care providers, and others interested in improving the quality of services for children birth through age eight

National PTA
330 N. Wabash Avenue, Suite 2100
Chicago, IL 60611-3690
1-312-670-6782

Publications: PTA Today, What's Happening in Washington
Membership: Parents, teachers, students, and citizens active in their schools and communities

Internet Resources

The Internet provides extensive resources for educators, child care providers, service providers, parents, and students. The resources available include online publications developed by national organizations, database searches for parents and professionals, information about curricula and
resource materials that can be ordered, online government documents, online journals and popular magazines, discussion groups, and interactive bulletin boards.

Participants interested in learning more about accessing and using the Internet can be referred to the ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education. The clearinghouse resources include two ERIC Digests, Internet Starting Points for Early Childhood Educators
and The Internet and Early Childhood Educators: Some Frequently Asked Questions. The clearinghouse also has an in-depth guide to educational resources on the Internet called A to Z: The Early Childhood Educator's Guide to the Internet. For more information:

• Call: 1-800-583-4135
  
  
• E-mail: ericeece@uxl.cso.uiuc.edu

Promising Practices

One of the best ways for participants to expand their understanding of effective transition practices is to visit a community program site where these practices are being implemented. By contacting staff with first-hand experience in implementing promising practices and by becoming familiar with the many possibilities for collaboration, participants can identify strategies that best fit their own program needs.

Materials developed by the Offices of Educational Research and Improvement Regional Laboratories (OERI Labs) provide participants with up-to-date information to assist in the development of local initiatives. To find out about OERI Labs, Head Start Transition Demonstration Projects, or Head Start–State Collaboration Projects in your area, contact your Regional Head Start Office or the State Department of Education. Refer to Program Profiles in the Informational Resources section for additional contacts and resources.