State Early Childhood Technical Assistance Systems

Pennsylvania

• Birth through five TA System Description
• 12/1/06

Basic design features

The PA "Early Intervention Technical Assistance" system (EITA) provides TA to its primary clients: the Pennsylvania Departments of Public Welfare (the Part C Agency), Education and Health as well as the county level agencies that provide supports and services to children birth to school age and their families. T/TA is provided through individual TA plans with county Mental Health/Mental Retardation programs for children birth to age three and agencies with Mutually Agreed Upon Written Arrangements (MAWAs) with the state Bureau of Special Education to serve children three to school age. Training and technical assistance is based on findings from Compliance/Quality Monitoring, self-assessments, the County Profile, local stakeholder assessments, relevant research and other needs. Each local technical assistance plan is assigned a single point of contact (one of the EITA consultants) for TA.

Statewide and regional TA initiatives are developed through analysis of statewide data and other means including regional/statewide needs assessments. Statewide priority initiatives are determined through planning with state agency staff. Each statewide priority plan considers the involvement of families (as co-presenters and participants), the link to institutes of higher education, and the information needed by EITA and departmental staff for overall planning purposes. Examples of current statewide TA initiatives include prereading, site wide behavioral support, autism, MDE practices, service coordination, transition and higher education collaboration (together with Penn State University).

Primary clients/recipients of technical assistance services

EITA serves the PA Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education; Department of Public Welfare, Office of Child Development; Department of Health, Division of Maternal and Child Health, Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs, and the Division of HIV/AIDS; MAWA agencies; and County MH/MR EI Programs. The primary clients determine the EITA secondary clients which include but are not limited to: families; EI program staff; school districts and their staff; Head Start and Early Head Start; child care providers; state and local interagency councils; and Drug and Alcohol agencies and staff. The secondary clients are usually identified in the individual TA plans, or are included as part of a statewide priority initiative.

Ways technical assistance is provided

Pennsylvania provides TA through a variety of methods including statewide and regional workshops, teleconferences, local capacity building training, consultation and guided practice, collaborations with national outreach programs, coursework at colleges and universities (such as Penn State University), and a mentoring program for pediatric occupational and physical therapists. Videoconferences and internet-based techniques are frequently used. A unique aspect of the system is the "guided practice" approach. Local EI teams use videotapes of children receiving EI services and evaluations as well as videotapes of IFSP meetings, as a basis for consultation by the EITA staff. This level of TA requires a longer commitment on the part of the local team and EITA staff, and has proven to be very successful in improving services for children with complex service needs (such as those with autism).

TA system operations

The Pennsylvania Early Intervention TA system is statewide and staffed on a regional level. The PA Department of Education and the PA Department of Public Welfare support EITA. The Department of Health also contributes funding to address the training needs of some at risk groups of children. The state EI legislation contains language requiring 2-4% of the state EI budget to be used for training and technical assistance activities, although it does not specify how the funds are allocated. This funding contributes to EITA and also goes directly to local programs.

Evaluation of the TA system

Expected outcomes are developed for individual county's TA plans and statewide TA initiatives. Annual indicators are monitored by one of the state EI consultants. Each of the EITA consultants completes a monthly activity report, which is compiled on a quarterly basis at the state level. All training events are evaluated. Satisfaction surveys are also conducted with client groups.

Relationship of TA system to the monitoring/supervision of local programs

Regional EI staff (who are state employees) have primary responsibility for monitoring/compliance. In some circumstances, the state staff also works directly with EITA consultants to design and evaluate individual TA plans. The outcomes of local monitoring determine most of the needs and priorities to be addressed by the EITA system both on local TA plans and statewide TA initiative plans. Other topics such as autism that are not currently part of the monitoring system are included in the TA offerings.

Relationship of TA system to the state’s Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD)

The Pennsylvania EITA system and the state’s personnel development activity are one and the same for Part C. The Director of the EITA reports to the ICC on a regular basis; there is no CSPD committee within the ICC structure. EITA/PaTTAN are components of the state’s Part B CSPD plan and assist in the implementation of those activities.

For further information, contact:

• Deb Daulton, Director
• Early Intervention Technical Assistance
• PaTTAN
• 6340 Flank Drive
• Harrisburg. PA 17112-2793
• Phone: 717-541-4960, ext. 3717
• Fax: 717-657-5895
• Email: ddaulton@pattan.net