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Inclusive Early Education Resources

Resources to support inclusive policies and practices for early care and education.

California State Preschool Program (CSPP) Resources

Professional Development Resources 

In California and nationwide, children with disabilities and their families continue to face significant barriers to accessing inclusive high-quality preschool programs that can provide needed services. Research shows the benefits of inclusive education for young children with and without disabilities. Creating policies, programs, and practices that supports inclusion leads to positive and equity impacts for all children.

In an effort to uplift high-quality inclusive early education, the Early Education Division (EED) at the California Department of Education (CDE), in collaboration with the Impact Inclusion Workgroup has developed a resource matrix to support providers, administrators, and parents with information to help support increased access to children with disabilities in inclusive programs.

Governance and Leadership
Finance
Personnel, Workforce, and Quality Standards
Accountability and Quality
Family Engagement

Governance and Leadership

General Inclusion Resources

Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

Beginning Together External link opens in new window or tab.

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Easterseals: Services for Children External link opens in new window or tab. Beneficial Beneficial Beneficial

Talking with Parents When You Have Concerns About a Child in Your Care External link opens in new window or tab.

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Commonly Asked Questions about Child Care Centers and the American with Disabilities Act: ADA.gov External link opens in new window or tab. Less Beneficial Beneficial Beneficial

Division of Early Childhood of the Council of Exceptional Children External link opens in new window or tab.

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Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Early Learning Guidance October 2016 External link opens in new window or tab. (PDF) Less Beneficial Beneficial Beneficial
Expanding Inclusive Learning Opportunities-Children's Equity Project External link opens in new window or tab. (PDF) Less Beneficial Beneficial Beneficial

Inclusion Works! Creating Child Care Programs That Promote Belonging for Children with Disabilities (PDF)

California Preschool Instructional Network (Inclusion Works) External link opens in new window or tab.

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IRIS Center Peabody College Vanderbilt University External link opens in new window or tab.

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Los Angeles Unified School District Position Paper External link opens in new window or tab.

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Orange County Department of Education - CA MTSS External link opens in new window or tab.

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A Joint Position Statement of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) External link opens in new window or tab. (PDF)

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National Center for Systemic Improvement: Transforming State Systems to Improve Outcomes for Children with Disabilities External link opens in new window or tab.

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Providing Early Childhood Special Education Services in Community-Based Settings External link opens in new window or tab. Less Beneficial Beneficial Beneficial

California Department of Education (CDE)

Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

California Multi- Tiered System of Support (CA MTSS)

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Laws, Regulations, & Policies

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Announcements & Current Issues

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Handbook on Developing and Evaluating Interagency Collaboration in Early Childhood Special Education Programs External link opens in new window or tab. (PDF)

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Quality Assurance Process - Special Education (CA Dept of Education) Beneficial Beneficial Beneficial

Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center

Head Start

Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) Part B, Sec 619

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Finance

Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center

Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

ECTA Center: System Framework: Finance External link opens in new window or tab.

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ECTA Center: Financing Strategies and Collaborative Funding for Inclusive Programs External link opens in new window or tab.

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Funds Supporting IDEA Services and Early Childhood Settings for Young Children with Disabilities External link opens in new window or tab. (DOCX)

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Preschool Inclusion Finance Toolkit External link opens in new window or tab. (PDF)

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Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs External link opens in new window or tab. (PDF)

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Personnel, Workforce, and Quality Standards

Adaptations and Accommodations

Early Identification Tools

Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ)-3
Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

ASQ External link opens in new window or tab.

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ASQ and ASQ-SE Comprehensive Seminar External link opens in new window or tab.

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ASQ and ASQ-SE Training of Trainers External link opens in new window or tab.

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Easterseals: Take the ASQ Screening to check a child’s development External link opens in new window or tab. Beneficial Beneficial Beneficial
ASQ – Social Emotional (ASQ-SE)-2
Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

Social Emotional Screening of Young Children: Early Identification is Essential to Healthy SEL, by Barton and Steed External link opens in new window or tab.

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Assessment and Evaluation Process
Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

Desired Results Access Project External link opens in new window or tab.

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Special Education Division (SED): Individualized Education Program (IEP) process

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Handbook on Assessment and Evaluation in Early Childhood Special Education Programs External link opens in new window or tab. (PDF)

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California Courts: Assessments and Eligibility External link opens in new window or tab.

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California Special Education Technical Assistance Network

Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

California Special Education Technical Assistance Network External link opens in new window or tab.

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Co-teaching

Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

2 Teach Inclusive education...with a sense of humor! External link opens in new window or tab.

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Embedded Instruction

Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

Embedded Instruction Teaching Practices (California) External link opens in new window or tab.

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Embedded Instruction for Early Learning: National Center External link opens in new window or tab.

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Evidence-Based Practice

Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

California Autism Professional Training and Information Network External link opens in new window or tab.

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Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children External link opens in new window or tab.

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Connect Modules External link opens in new window or tab.

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High-Quality Early Learning Environments

Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

Inclusive Classroom Profile External link opens in new window or tab.

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Seeds of Partnership - High Quality Early Learning Environment External link opens in new window or tab.

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Models of Inclusion and Natural Environment Stories

Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators
Anaheim Elementary Preschool Inclusion Program External link opens in new window or tab. (Video; 3:07) Beneficial Beneficial Beneficial
The Inclusion Collaborative: San Jose State University-Mia's Story External link opens in new window or tab. (Video; 8:20) Beneficial Beneficial Beneficial
Placer County Colfax State Preschool: The Power of Inclusion External link opens in new window or tab. (Video; 3:18) Beneficial Beneficial Beneficial

Seeds of Partnership Project: Models of Inclusion and Natural Environment Stories External link opens in new window or tab.

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Multilingual Learners with Disabilities or Suspected Delays

National Professional Development Center on Inclusion

Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

National Professional Development Center on Inclusion External link opens in new window or tab.

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Preschool Learning Foundations

Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

Preschool Curriculum Framework

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Preschool Learning Foundations

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Social-Emotional Learning

Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

California Early Childhood Online External link opens in new window or tab.

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California Teaching Pyramid (WestED) External link opens in new window or tab.

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Changing Perspectives Now: Disability Awareness External link opens in new window or tab.

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Pyramid Model Implemented with Practice-based Coaching External link opens in new window or tab.

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The National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPM) External link opens in new window or tab.

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Dear Colleague Letter on Social-Emotional Development and Mental Health; The Administration for Children and Families External link opens in new window or tab. Less Beneficial Beneficial Beneficial

Supporting Inclusive Practices

Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

Supporting Inclusive Practices External link opens in new window or tab.

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Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) Inclusion External link opens in new window or tab.

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Supporting Inclusive Practices Inclusive Early Education Expansion Program (IEEEP) External link opens in new window or tab.

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Supporting Inclusive Practices Universal Prekindergarten (UPK) Inclusion Resources External link opens in new window or tab.

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Universal Pre-Kindergarten: Seeds of Change External link opens in new window or tab.

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

CAST Professional Learning- the Data Inquiry UDL Cycle and UDL Implementation Work Together to Improve Teaching and Learning External link opens in new window or tab. (PDF)

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CAST Universal Design for Learning (UDL) External link opens in new window or tab.

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Open Access: Learning and Participation for All Students External link opens in new window or tab. Less Beneficial Beneficial Beneficial

UDL in Early Learning for Distance Learning External link opens in new window or tab.

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UDL Guidelines Tool External link opens in new window or tab.

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Accountability and Quality

Cultural Competencies and Implicit Bias

Data Support

Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

DaSy (The Center for IDEA Early Childhood Data Systems) External link opens in new window or tab.

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IDEA Data Center External link opens in new window or tab. Less Beneficial Beneficial Beneficial

Effective Early Childhood Transitions

Preventing Suspension and Expulsion of Young Children

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Family Engagement

Developmental Milestones

Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

Centers for Disease Control: Learn the Signs, Act Early External link opens in new window or tab.

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Development is a Journey External link opens in new window or tab.

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Reasons for Concern: When you suspect your child or a child in your care may have a disability or special need(s)

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What to do when there are concerns about a child’s development External link opens in new window or tab. (PDF)

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How to Get Help for Your Child External link opens in new window or tab. (PDF)

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Milestone Tracker External link opens in new window or tab.

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All About Young Children External link opens in new window or tab.

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Seeds of Partnership/Family Empowerment Centers

Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

Seeds of Partnership - FEC by County External link opens in new window or tab.

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Seeds of Partnership External link opens in new window or tab.

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Family Resources

Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

California Parent Organizations

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Seeds of Partnership External link opens in new window or tab.

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Tools and Resources for Families and Family Support Personnel - CAPTAIN External link opens in new window or tab.

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National Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) External link opens in new window or tab.

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Parents Helping Parents (PHP) External link opens in new window or tab.

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The Story of Max External link opens in new window or tab. (Video; 2:52)

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La historia de Max External link opens in new window or tab. (Video; 3:12)

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High Quality IEPs | Supporting High Quality IEPs External link opens in new window or tab. (NEW) Beneficial Beneficial Beneficial

Strengthening Families

Resource Families Providers and Teachers Administrators

Strengthening Families External link opens in new window or tab.

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Children's Trust Fund Alliance External link opens in new window or tab.

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Center for the Study of Social Policy: Ideas into Action External link opens in new window or tab.

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Questions:   Early Education Division | 916-322-6233
Last Reviewed: Thursday, December 12, 2024
Recently Posted in Early Education
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