October 4, 2018 Resources for Addressing Suspensions & Expulsions Released On Thursday, October 4, Remake Learning held its monthly Lunch & Learn at Trying Together’s Hazelwood Early Learning Hub. Approximately 30 early childhood educators attended from the Carnegie Science Center, Focus on Renewal in McKees Rocks, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh Public Schools, Propel Charter Schools, and other early childhood programs. There they discussed strategies to address young children’s behavior and learned more about DAP responses which may be helpful for future situations. Attendees will receive an exclusive first-look at the latest white paper from Trying Together’s policy team entitled, “End Early Childhood Suspensions and Expulsions: Developmentally Appropriate Practices and Policies For Addressing Behaviors in The Early Elementary School Grades.” A supplemental document entitled, “Addressing Suspensions and Expulsions: A Guide for Families” provides helpful tips family caregivers can employ to address their suspension and expulsion concerns. Both documents will be available to the public on Friday, October 5. If you are interested in advocating for better policies around suspensions and expulsions, sign-up for Public Policy Alerts.
May 21, 2018 Advance Developmentally Appropriate Practice The framework and philosophy of developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) when teaching young children is based on available knowledge about learning and development that occurs from birth to age nine. While early learning professionals base their interactions with children on these principles, other adults who interact with young children may not be familiar with this information. To support better understanding of DAP and increase the quality of early learning environments for young children, the Pittsburgh-area nonprofit Trying Together publicly released its second white paper on the subject. “This document will be a resource for anyone who wants to have positive interactions with the young children in their lives,” said Cara Ciminillo, Trying Together Executive Director. “Our hope is to encourage and inform all adults about DAP.” The Trying Together white paper entitled, “Advance Developmentally Appropriate Practice” provides researched recommendations on DAP which include: changing policies for state licensing and training for principals; establishing a professional learning system to connect early educators with teachers in grades K – 3; emphasizing the importance of positive interactions between children and caregivers; creating recess policies; educating and engaging families; and conducting more research that highlights the benefits of play. “As lead organization for the Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative, we emphasize the critical need for play at any age, but know it is particularly important for young children,” said Ciminillo. “In Pittsburgh we are fortunate to have many opportunities for play, such as those highlighted in the recent publication from Remake Learning called, “If Kids Built A City.” The full DAP white paper is available for reading and download at tryingtogether.org. A one-page guide for families is also available for reading and download at tryingtogether.org.
