2013 Smart Start Oklahoma Conference

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED - Please contact the Smart Start Office with any registration-related questions or concerns. 405-278-6978

WELCOME to the 2013 Smart Start Oklahoma Early Childhood Conference – Collaborating for Success: Economic Development for the Next Generation.   Now in its third year, this event seeks to bring together a broad array of stakeholders – early childhood practitioners, advocates, business leaders, and policymakers – for high-quality presentations and rich dialogue on the wide variety of fields that impact early care and education.  

The goal of our conference is to share effective strategies and policies that foster early childhood program collaboration and systems-building in communities to enhance the quality and continuity of early learning services for young children.  The conference schedule is full of sessions that will rekindle your passion for early childhood collaboration efforts.

Start your conference experience with the pre-conference sessions on Wednesday afternoon featuring national experts Margie Wallen with The Ounce of Prevention Fund, Christine Johnson-Staub with the Center for Law and Social Policy and Karen Ponder, President of Ponder Early Childhood, Inc. sharing the importance of Community Collaboration in Early Childhood. The pre-conference has been specifically designed for professionals who build systems at the community level, and state-level decision makers who support local systems development. 

The full conference day will open Thursday morning with a panel focusing on the importance of early childhood collaboration.  The panel will feature Margie Wallen as  moderator for Phil Acord, President and CEO of Children's Home of Tennessee, Jill Haglund with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, and Gina Ruther, the Head Start State Collaboration Director and Acting Child Care Bureau Chief for the Illinois Department of Human Services.  

The luncheon keynote address will feature Major General Rita Aragon, Oklahoma Secretary of Military and Veterans Affairs who will share her perspective on the importance of the early childhood years to preparing adults to meet the challenges of our workforce, including our armed forces.   

Afternoon breakouts include sessions presented by our national panelists, Play and School Readiness by Barbara Sorrels, Infant Mental Health by Amy Huffer, Building Bridges Across Health and Early Childhood Systems to Support Early Brain and Child Development by Drs. Marny Dunlap and Edd Rhoades, and many more!  Check back soon for a complete listing of available sessions. 

Don't miss this unique opportunity for two days of quality professional development, networking opportunities, and innovative ideas to promote school readiness in Oklahoma. 

Register Now!

More Event Details

The conference room rate at the Skirvin Hotel is $125/night.  To book online click the following link or book by phone and mention the Smart Start Conference  http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/O/OKCSKHF-SSO-20130414/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG     Alternate designated hotels are the Sheraton downtown OKC 405.235.2780 or the Marriott on NW Expressway 405.842.6633.

This conference is supported in part by Grant Number 90SC0008 from the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families issued under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Session Descriptions

General Sessions 

Building Successful Local Early Childhood Collaborations: Practices and Policies to Meet the Diverse Needs of Children, Families and Communities

Panel Moderator: Margie Wallen, Director of Policy Partnerships, The Ounce of Prevention FundPanelists: Phil Acord, President and CEO, Children's Home, Chattanooga, Tennessee; Jill Haglund, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction; Gina Ruther, Head Start State Collaboration Director and Acting Child Care Bureau Chief, Illinois Department of Human Services

Because children from birth to age five are served by so many different programs, local collaboration is essential to providing continuity of education and care and support to families.  This session will offer strategies and policy approaches from a national perspective and in three states that encourage collaborations among school-based prekindergarten, Early Head Start, Head Start, and child care.  This facilitated discussion features leaders from Illinois, Tennessee, and Wisconsin who will share proven policies and practice strategies that have maximized resources to increase service continuity and attendance, family involvement, staff retention, and professional development opportunities.

 Lunch Keynote Address:  Major General Rita Aragon

Major General Rita Aragon will speak to the importance of investments in early education, as they relate specifically to the preparedness of our population to serve our country.  Recent statistics show that a majority our nation’s youth are not eligible to sign up for military service due primarily to health and education related issues.  General Aragon will provide a unique perspective in her address to conference attendees, having served as a school administrator and service member for over 30 years. 

 Conference Breakout Sessions  1:45pm – 3:00pm (Five different sessions)

Supporting Collaboration Through State/Tribal Child Care Policy

Gina Ruther, Head Start State Collaboration Director and Acting Child Care Bureau Chief, Illinois Department of Human Services,  Joined by Lesli Blazer, Director, Oklahoma Child Care Services, Oklahoma Department of Human Services and Sherry Rackliff, Executive Director, WCCCF/Delaware Child Development.

 This session will provide a more in-depth review of the IL Child Care Collaboration Program and other efforts in IL to promote collaboration as well as a look at how the “lessons learned” might be applied to other states.  State and tribal partners will review collaboration efforts in Oklahoma.  Participants will have the opportunity to discuss what is happening at the local level and how it can be improved/expanded.

 School Collaboration Models                                                                                                    

Jill Haglund, Early Childhood Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Joined by Debbi Guilfoyle, Ed.D., Executive Director, Crosstown Learning Center, Andrew McKenzie, Assistant to the Superintendent for Early Childhood Services, Tulsa Public Schools, and Jay Weatherford, Associate Director, Little Dixie Community Action Agency

Wisconsin has a long history of early childhood collaboration and partnership at the state, regional, and local levels to promote comprehensive approaches to early childhood system development and high quality practices in the community.  The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has worked with other state agencies to develop a state-regional-community networking structure that includes utilization of regional networks, regional “action” teams and regional collaboration coaches. A professional development structure has been developed that is built upon the state’s early learning standards.  The DPI also promotes a community building approach to support and expand partnerships between prekindergarten programs.  In over 100 communities across the state, school districts are using “community approaches” to partner with child care, Head Start, IDEA services, and others to implement four-year-old pre-kindergarten programs. State policies support the development of partnerships that are based on the unique resources and needs of each community.

 Promoting Quality and Efficiency Through Shared Services                                                                        

Phil Acord, President and CEO, Children's Home and Chambliss Shelter, Chattanooga, Tennessee Joined by Kristi Simpson, Statewide Licensing Coordinator, Oklahoma Child Care Services and Pam & Rick Kerr. 

This session will explore the cost savings provided through implementing a shared services model and how those savings can contribute to increased quality of service to the children and improved benefits and pay for the early childhood educator.

 Leveraging Home Visiting to Reach Children in Child Care Settings                        

Christine Johnson-Staub, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Law and Social Policy and  Stephanie Schmit, Policy Analyst, Center for Law and Social Policy Joined by Annette Jacobi, Chief, Family Support & Prevention Service, Oklahoma State Department of Health

Engaging in home visits with FCC providers and FFN caregivers can improve the quality and consistency of care young children experience.  The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) has developed a tool to help states reach the families of children in home based child care with home visiting services. In this presentation, CLASP staff will offer questions states may want to consider as they implement their home visiting programs, and suggestions for adapting their home visiting models to reach children and families in these settings.  CLASP staff will discuss examples of state and local home visiting initiatives that include both FFN and FCC and their strategies for partnering with other early care and education programs.  The presentation will talk specifically about policy implications and considerations related to licensing, child care subsidy programs, data systems and financing.

 Playing to Get Smart:  Understanding Play as the Foundation to Growth and Learning                                  

Barbara Sorrels, Executive Director, The Institute for Childhood Education.  The current focus on academics and standardized testing has undermined opportunities for play even among our youngest children.  Play is often seen as trivial to the real work of getting children “ready” for formal education when, in fact, play is essential to healthy growth and development.  In this workshop, participants will examine their own experiences and beliefs about play and consider the contributions that play makes to the social, emotional, physical and cognitive growth of children.

 Conference Breakout Sessions 3:15pm – 4:30pm (Five Different Sessions) 

Building Bridges Across Health and Early Childhood Systems to Support Early Brain and Child Development   Marny Dunlap, M.D., Chair, Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Board; Pediatrician, The University of Oklahoma Children’s Hospital and  Edd Rhoades, M.D., Medical Director, Community and Family Health Services, Oklahoma State Department of Health.  This session provides information on the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Building Bridges state initiative to promote broad, multiple early childhood systems integration as key to improving early childhood program outcomes.  Recent scientific advances in early brain and child development will be reviewed.  Transformational strategies informed by this research will be shared that focus on strengthening the development and implementation of sustainable connections between medical homes, home visitation programs, early education and child care programs (e.g., PreK, Head Start, Early Head Start), maternal and child health programs, infant and early childhood mental health programs, and other early childhood programs.

 Autism: Early Signs and Symptoms and the Importance of Early Identification   By Bonnie McBride, Associate Professor, Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

Early identification and early intervention are key factors in ensuring optimal outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).  Autism is no longer a rare disorder.  Professionals and advocates who work with young children will likely encounter a child with autism.  This is why professionals and families should be aware of the warning signs that could possibly indicate risk for ASD or related developmental delays.  This presentation will provide an overview of the early signs of autism as well as a description of available screening tools for identifying children “at risk.”  Also current information regarding treatments and interventions will be provided.

 Infant Mental Health: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?  By Amy Huffer, Infant Mental Health Specialist, Integris Health.     During the first three years of a child’s life, the brain grows to 90% of its adult size.  With a nurturing environment and responsive caregivers, the child is primed for learning.  However, what happens to the child who grows up in an environment filled with chaos and trauma?  The field of Infant Mental Health works to ensure that all babies and toddlers grow to be emotionally healthy, ready to learn and nurtured to develop their full potential.  Join us to learn more about this exciting field.    

They Serve Too! Supporting Military Children in Your Community  by Teresa Baird, Child & Youth Military Family Life Consultant, Oklahoma Joint Family Support Assistance Program

Children with family members serving in the military reside in every county in Oklahoma.  Learn about the unique strengths and challenges military families face, and specific strategies and resources for buffering stress and building the resiliency of our youngest heroes and future leaders. 

The Foundations of Learning Pyramid:  A Framework for Understanding School Readiness by Barbara Sorrels, Executive Director, The Institute for Childhood Education

The concept of school readiness is one of the most misunderstood and hotly debated topics of the past two decades.  For many, a “ready” child is one that knows his letters, numbers, colors sounds and shapes.  The Foundations of Learning Pyramid is a tool to help parents, caregivers, teachers and school districts understand that “readiness” is far more complex than simply memorizing a set of academic skills.  This workshop will take a look at the findings of recent research and the implications for school readiness.