Opening Plenary:
The Next Era of Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) Has Begun
Developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) a dynamic phenomenon, fueled by ongoing research and its thoughtful application in practice. Today, pre-K- to third-grade continuum endeavors around the country are constructing a robust foundation for a more nuanced, explicit DAP. The Opening Plenary speakers will address what is emerging in this next era: A system that engages children, teachers, families, and communities in a vibrant learning environment that unpacks the elements of development and clarifies the conditions for a successful early childhood learning community.
Moderator: Jerlean Daniel, NAEYC Executive Director
Panelists: Jason Sachs, Boston Public Schools; Sharon Ritchie, FirstSchool – Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; Jeri Robinson, Boston Children’s Museum
Jerlean Daniel is Executive Director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. She also serves on the Advisory Council for PNC Bank’s Grow Up Great initiative; the Board of the Fred Rogers Company; and the U.S. Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee. Previously, she served as NAEYC’s Deputy Executive Director. Before joining the NAEYC staff, Dr. Daniel was a professor at the University of Pittsburgh and a child care center director. During that time, she served as a Board Member, Secretary, and President of the Pennsylvania Association of Child Care Agencies; President of the Pittsburgh AEYC; and Governing Board Member and President of NAEYC.
Jason Sachs is Director of Early Childhood at the Boston Public Schools (BPS), where he has overseen the expansion of kindergarten classes and coordinates kindergarten and pre-school programs across the district. He has led an effort to deliver a universal, high-quality system of early childhood programs for BPS, including the successful implementation of the kindergarten curriculum, professional development system for teachers and principals, expansion of NAEYC accredited classrooms in Boston, and a comprehensive evaluation system of both classroom quality and child outcomes. Previously, Dr. Sachs worked in the Massachusetts Department of Education’s Early Learning Services division for 6 years as a research and policy consultant. He is a former member of the NAEYC Governing Board.
Sharon Ritchie is Director of FirstSchool at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, a pre-K–3rd grade public school reform initiative committed to school success, particularly focused on African American, Latino, and low-income children and their families. Previously, she worked as a teacher, program director, consultant, teacher educator, and researcher. Dr. Ritchie has also provided long-term professional development for 17 Head Start agencies in Los Angeles and has been the researcher and director of a therapeutic preschool. She is a member of the NAEYC Governing Board.
Jeri Robinson is Vice President of Education and Family Learning at the Boston Children’s Museum. She has over 40 years of experience teaching and consulting in the fields of early childhood and museum education. She is the developer of the PlaySpace exhibit, one of the earliest prototypes for early learning family spaces in children’s and other museums; founder of the Boston Cultural Collaborative for Early Learning; and co-founder of both Families First Parenting programs and “Count Down to Kindergarten.” She currently oversees the Massachusetts museums and libraries project that is part of the state’s Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge Grant.
Closing General Session:
Preparing the next generation of professionals to implement, own and lead the next era of DAP
The next era of DAP will be shaped and molded by the early childhood professionals we are preparing today. So what should these professionals know and be able to do to implement DAP effectively? How do we measure successful implementation of DAP? Who will lead the next era of DAP? This session will address these questions and highlight key ideas for consideration as we prepare the next generation of DAP ambassadors and leaders.
Moderator: Camille Catlett, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute
Panelists: Diane Horm, University of Oklahoma; Eboni Howard, American Institutes for Research; Isauro Michael Escamilla, Las Americas Early Education School
Research Symposium
During the Institute, attend the Research Symposiums on Sunday and Tuesday. Coordinated by Kyle Snow, Director of the Center for Applied Research and Senior Scholar at NAEYC.
Research Symposium Plenary
Leveraging the Common Core State Standards to support young children’s learning
Lisa Goldstein, Santa Clara University; Kyle Snow, NAEYC
Research Symposium Sessions
Using knowledge research to inform practice to support children’s emotion regulation and executive functioning
Clancy Blair, New York University; Deborah Leong, Tools of the Mind; Cybele Raver, New York University; Kyle Snow, NAEYC
Research and practice in engaging diverse families
Charlyn Harper Brown, Center for the Study of Social Policy; J. Glenn Hopkins, Hopkins House; Kyle Snow, NAEYC
Meeting the needs of dual language learners
Karen Nemeth, Language Castle LLC; Kyle Snow, NAEYC; Marlene Zepeda, California State University, Los Angeles
Featured Sessions
Building infant and toddler intellect and language on a social-emotional base: The developmentally appropriate roots of school readiness
J. Ronald Lally and Peter Mangione, WestEd
Common Core State Standards in early childhood and developmentally appropriate practices
Gayle Mindes, DePaul University; George Morrison, University of North Texas
DAP—Developmentally Appropriate Partnering: Respecting and honoring families where they are!
Suzette Davis, DCWR Infant & Toddler Care–The Preschool Learning Center: Phoenix; Shawntel Hill, The Chosen Generation Child Care; Virginia Palacios, Tutor Time Learning Centers; Alicia Smith, South Mountain Community College
DAP for college students: Creating a caring community of learners in the higher education classroom
Amy Davis and Nancy Ledbetter, Nashville State Community College
DAP through the eyes and ears of a child with challenging behavior
Karen Cairone, Devereux Center for Resilient Children; Gayle Cunningham, Jefferson County Committee for Economic Opportunity Head Start; Ed Greene, Teachscape/Cito & Piramide USA; Marilou Hyson, University of Pennsylvania; Barbara Kaiser, Barbara Kaiser Consulting
Developing appropriate practice in preK through 3rd grade: It can be done
Lisa Guernsey, New America Foundation; Bridget Hamre, University of Virginia–CASTL; Kristie Kauerz, College of Education, University of Washington; Christine Maxwell, Erikson Institute; Sharon Ritchie, FirstSchool – Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Developmentally appropriate coaching: Exploring a coaching framework that addresses the whole provider
Carolyn Brennan, Megan Frye, Gail Joseph, and West Keller, University of Washington
Dual language learners in early care and education contexts: A conceptual framework to guide developmentally appropriate practices and research
Dina Castro, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill; Linda Espinosa, University of Missouri; Eugene Garcia, Arizona State University
Preparing teachers to use technology "DAP style": What teacher educators and professional development providers need to know
Amanda Armstrong and Chip Donohue, Erikson Institute; Karen Nemeth, Langauge Castle, LLC; Fran Simon, Engagement Strategies, LLC
