Each year the Kansas State Department of Education recognizes early childhood special education programs for their services from application from across the state. These applications were to reflect interventions or services that are conducted in a manner that is considered best practice in the field of early childhood special education. As in the past, the preschool programs had the opportunity to submit an application that focused on one area from a number of program components. These applications were reviewed by professionals from across the state and considered for recognition. Three programs in the state received the honor this year.

The Bryant Core Knowledge Magnet Pre-Kindergarten of the Wichita Unified School District #259 is recognized in the area of Inclusionary Practices. This program through an identified need, staff development, and planning process has modified their program to meet individual student needs through the inclusion of children with disabilities into the regular education setting. The educational staff have individualized teaching practices to meet IEP goals, based instruction on an identified curriculum, and accomplished this in classrooms with a predominance of typically developing children. This program also uses a team teaching approach to meet the educational needs of all children. Contact Person: Alicia Whitbeck, Bryant Core Knowledge Magnet Pre-K, 4702 W 9th, Wichita, KS 67212, Phone: 316-973-9700.

The Preschool Program of the Kansas City, Kansas school system is recognized in the area of Systems Change. This school district has undertaken and accomplished a change in the delivery of early childhood special education on a system wide basis. They have incorporated a number of critical attributes in making this change including input by stakeholders in the process, modification of learning settings and teaching strategies and support by administration including significant financial resources and time of those administrators in adoption of specific classrooms.

Contact Person: Claudia Shannon, Kansas City Kansas Preschool Program, 4601 State Ave., Suite 38, Kansas City, KS 66102, Phone: 913.627.4811.

For the eighth year, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has recognized an early intervention program (tiny-k network) for their services. Applications from across the state were to reflect interventions strategies or services that are conducted in a manner that is considered best practice in the field of special education/early intervention for infants/toddlers with disabilities and their families. As in the past, networks had the opportunity to submit an application that focused on a program component that support services in environments that are typical for all children. These applications were reviewed by professionals from across the state and considered for recognition. Only one early intervention program in the state received the honor this year.

The Shawnee County Infant Toddler Services or tiny-k network associated with TARC, Inc. has been awarded this recognition based upon their utilization of a coaching model for delivery of early intervention services to children and families they service. The model is based on extensive evidence of its effectiveness in promoting positive outcomes for very young children with disabilities and their families. A primary interventionist/coach works with a family to support development and attainment in reaching outcomes on the Family’s Individual Service Plan. Further, this program has worked with collaborating community programs to implement the model.

Contact person: Cathie Hutchins, Shawnee County Infant Toddler, TARC, Inc., 2701 SW Randolph Ave., Topeka, KS 66611, Phone: 785.232.0597.