HEAD START®

Leading the Way: Disabilities Services and the Mangement Team

Training Guides for the Head Start Learning Community

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

Continuing Professional Development

Professional development experiences are most effective when there is follow-up support. Follow-up builds on the team's motivation and interest and helps them transfer new skills to the workplace. It can extend the learning that takes place in workshops or coaching sessions.

Research and practice indicate that follow-up is most effective when it is:

• planned as a key component of professional development activities
  
  
• supported by colleagues and supervisors
  
  
• designed with the participant
  
  
• based on the needs, interests, and learning style of the participant

A survey is a simple method to assess the needs and interests of your management team. A sample survey appears at the end of this section.

Follow-Up Strategies

Once the team has selected its priorities, work together to design the content and approach of follow-up. Below are several follow-up strategies that can be adapted to meet the needs of individual team members or the team as a whole. These strategies can be used alone or together to help team members integrate what they have learned in their day-to-day practice.

Continued Training
Managers can extend the learning by taking courses at their local college or attending other training sessions. Many institutions of higher learning offer courses in management, special education, and child and family development. Staff from your regional Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) network may help teams identify and negotiate with colleges and universities for credited formal training that is responsive to members' needs.

The team can also build on their skills by using the services of their regional T/TA provider with an expertise in disabilities services, by attending seminars sponsored by outside agencies, and by continuing to organize training sessions. When organizing, consider joining forces with other preschools, the local education agency (LEA), and/or other professional organizations. Cosponsored training enables personnel to form networks, set the stage for other cooperative ventures, and provide face-to-face contact between agencies. In addition, cosponsored training can act as a multiplier of resources; when responsibility is shared, so are the costs.

Personal Learning Plans
Personal Learning Plans help staff specify what they would like to learn (disability laws, advocacy skills) and how they would like to learn it (attend a course, observe others). Once they have developed a plan, team members can meet with a colleague or supervisor regularly to discuss their progress, identify needed resources, or plan next steps.

Peer Support Groups
In this strategy, a small group of staff (members of the management team or staff in the same program area) meets regularly for information and support. They share successes, discuss concerns and problems, and try to find solutions together. Peer support groups can also help staff support each other with their Back Home Plans or Personal Learning Plans. Support groups have evolving agendas, based on the needs of the members and the tasks they select to work on together. Most frequently, support groups deal with practical issues and concerns that arise in the program. Depending on the composition of the group, you may be a member or a facilitator.

Study Groups
Study groups can be used to refine and expand skills of staff (members of the management team or staff in the same program area). In study groups, staff read journal articles and books, watch videos, or listen to speakers. They then meet to discuss how the content applies to their own roles in the program and to their lives. Study group members meet regularly to learn more about research and practice, current thinking about inclusion, legislative updates, and new topics and issues. The Resources section offers suggestions for sources that can be used for study group exploration.

On-the-Job Practice, Observation, and Feedback
Ideally, observation, practice, and feedback should be ongoing and routine. Observers can use a simple form to make notes for giving feedback. Forms can focus on specific skills (working with a specialist from the LEA), or more general issues (strategies used to foster inclusion in the program). You might have new managers observe more experienced managers or have peers take turns observing each other.

This strategy is time-consuming and a bit difficult to arrange, but it is very effective and worth the effort. By observing others, managers will see different methods actually being used, gain a better understanding of different program areas, and identify how they can each contribute to improving disabilities services. Observation also promotes greater self-reflection, an essential skill for working effectively with others. By being observed in a nonthreatening way, managers can receive feedback about what works well and what alternatives to explore. It also gives them a chance to practice new skills in their actual roles.

Taking Action
With collegial support and assistance, managers can work to educate others in the program or the community about inclusion. Or they might want to investigate resources in the community and start a resource directory for staff and families. Managers, along with staff, might also want to set up a resource library with materials for parents, staff, and children (in the classroom). These activities will help staff take a more active role in advocating for children and adults with disabilities in their programs and communities.

Professional Development Survey (PDF/ 138KB)