CHICAGO QEC DATES
All QECs will meet from 10:00am - 3:00pm
Education & Coaching
October 24, January 23, April 16
Family Services & ERSEA:
October 21, January 14, April 28
Disabilities, Mental Health & Wellness
October 22, January 15, April 29
Health & Nutrition:
October 23, January 16, April 30
EHS / Home Visiting
October 25, January 17, May 1
Add to Calendar
Where
El Valor Carlos H. Cantu Center2434 S. Kildare Ave
Chicago, IL 60623
Driving Directions
Member Rate (Includes DFSS Delegates & their Partners: $296.00 per person
Five or more registration from the same Agency - $271.00 per person (*Agency must be an IHSA member for discounted rate)
Non Member Rate: $446.00 per person
Michelle Iocca
Illinois Head Start Association
miocca@ilheadstart.org
QECs: A Unique Learning Experience- Special For YOU!
Quality Enrichment Circles (QEC’s) are a group of your peers/colleagues who share ideas and insights, help each other solve problems and develop a common practice or approach to your content area. QEC’s are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and want to learn how to do it better. Most professionals, like you, learn about new tools and developments in their field not by reading journals, but by consulting their colleagues. Colleagues are not only sources of information. They are also sources of judgement about how valid and useful information will be. Each QEC helps "pull" insights from each participant when they need it, rather than "pushing" it out to them. Most of us have had the experience of sitting through long discussions that were not immediately relevant. Even when there are gems of insights in these discussions, they are hard to pull out and remember. Most of us learn best when faced with a problem and need ideas to solve it, when we "pull" information currently relevant. Your Quality Enrichment Circle is designed to respond to pull rather than push information out to people.
Your QEC:
Participants engage in joint activities and discussions, help each other, and share information. They build relationships that enable them to learn from each other. They develop a shared repertoire of resources: experiences, stories, tools, ways of addressing recurring problems—in short a shared practice that includes: Problem solving, Requests for information, Seeking experience, Reusing assets, Coordination and synergy, Discussing developments, Documentation projects, Visits, Mapping knowledge and Identifying gaps.
Content Area Experts: Each Quality Enrichment Circle will be facilitated by a Content Area Expert, a respected peer who has the on the ground experience, extensive knowledge and skill in their content area. Special feature this year will include an opportunity for each QEC to interact with each other in a dedicated online community. In this network, users share their knowledge, ask questions, converse, and collaborate outside of their meeting dates. It is a perfect resource for staying connected and providing and receiving useful information!
QEC Content/Agenda Topics Will Be Driven & Decided By YOU!
Potential Themes to be Included in Education & Coaching QEC:
School Readiness Planning—Systems Approach, Data Analysis / Planning for Program Improvements, CLASS / Implementation Planning, Professional development to improve CLASS scores, Practice Based Coaching—Supporting Change in Teacher’s Practices, QRIS , Intentional Teaching—Planning for CLASS, Gateways (Credentials/Registry), Resources for coaches, managing teacher fatigue/stress, communication systems, supervision and coaching, case loads, alignment with other professional development activities, support around CLASS, coaching companion, TLC (Together, Learning & Collaborating), Online coach training, Collaborative Coaching Partnerships, Planning Goals and Action Steps, Engaging in Focused Observations, Refecting on and Sharing Feedback about Teaching Practices, State Systems, Continuous Quality Improvement, Serving Dual Language Learners-Policy and Practices, Engaging FamiliesSuccessful Transitions, Dealing With Challenging Behaviors, RTI, Autistic Children, Revised Child Outcomes Framework
Potential Themes to be Included in Family Services & ERSEA QEC:
Framework, Measuring family outcomes, Self assessment of current family and community engagement strategies, Family outcomes and school readiness, Data analysis and planning program improvements, Community resources to support family outcomes, Relationship based competencies for staff, Financial Literacy, Support strategies for Family Service Staff, Dealing with stress, Using technology to work smarter not harder, Two-Generation Approach, Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment and Attendance.
Potential Themes to be Included in the Disabilities/Mental Health & Wellness QEC:
School Readiness goals related to disabiities and mental health, Dealing With Challenging Behaviors, RTI, Autistic Children, documentation and record-keeping system(s), accessibility, disability services plans, health and safety, screenings, identifying children with disabilties, individualization, transitions, engaging families of children with disabilities, disability laws and policies, social-emotional development, mental health consultation tool, motivational interviewing, challenging child mental health concerns, trauma, adult mental health, staff health and wellness
Potential Themes to be Included in the Health & Nutrition QEC:
School Readiness goals relating to health and nutrition, Family outcomes relating to health and nutrition, program planning, health tracking and recordkeeping, PIR, communication, Healthy nutrition, physical activity and obesity prevention , Oral Health and dental homes, Health Literacy , Cooking Matters
Health Care Act, healthy active living, growing healthy, active play, nutrition assessment, food and nutrition assistance, nutrition education, nutrtion policies and procedures
Potential Themes to be Included in the EHS / Home Visiting QEC
Head Start model from a 0-3 perspective: physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of infants and toddlers, EHS Home Base Services, EHS Center Based Services, Engaging Families, Successful Transitions, Dealing With Challenging Behaviors, Revised Child Outcomes Framework, Family Participation and Involvement in EHS and Home Visiting, Parenitng Interventions, Education in Home Based, Challenging Situations in Home Visiting, Home Visitor Safety, Tools for Home Visitors, Comprehensive health, developmental, and behavioral screenings; referrals; and ongoing care, Developmentally and linguistically appropriate education, Health and safety, Nutrition, Mental health , Parent engagement and formal family partnerships, Community partnerships, Governing boards, including parents, Teacher qualifications, class sizes, and staff-tochild ratios, Ongoing professional development, Facilities and equipment, Pregnant Women, family involvement and engagement, Home Visits: Tip and Resources for Making Safe and Effective Home Visits, Depression, stress and other mental health challenges with families, High levels of exposure to family and community violence, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Disengaged Families, Families moving, Reluctance to have visitors in their homes, Low priority for home visits and socializations, relationship building with families,
Identifying family strengths, Providing non-judgmental support, Strengthening protective factors, Focusing on positive behaviors, Address family risks as they relate to parent and child well-being, Motivational Interviewing, Screening and Connection to Community Resources, Parenting Interventions Targeted to Specific Risks, Home Visitor Self Care
