January 8, 2024 — Collinsville Community Unit School District #10 (CUSD 10) is proud to announce its recent grant award to advance inclusive early childhood services in the district.
District PreK/EC staff, in collaboration with the Collinsville Community Inclusion Team (CIT), applied for and was awarded a grant through the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Advancing Inclusion and Supporting Early Childhood Special Education in Community-based Settings project. This planning grant provides funding to engage a community-based childcare center in scaling up the inclusion of preschoolers with identified special needs.
The Collinsville CIT was launched thanks to CUSD 10’s participation in a federal initiative to implement, sustain and scale up high quality preschool inclusion. The initiative was co-led by ECTA and the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI), and included partners from across the early care and education system. ISBE and EarlyCHOICES led the work in Illinois. This initiative focused on using indicators to analyze the level of preschool inclusion in a community and provide a framework for increased inclusion efforts. Community inclusion teams are a unique strategy to support this effort.
The Collinsville CIT includes representatives from several community-based organizations, including Riverbend Head Start and Family Services, Brightpoint’s Stronger Beginnings for Families and Child Care Resource and Referral programs, Child and Family Connections 21, and Family Matters Parent Training & Info Center. CUSD 10 staff, administrators and families are also represented on the team.
Collinsville CUSD 10 and Riverbend Head Start continue to be one of the few community agencies in the state of Illinois to collaboratively provide individualized special education and related services in-place at a community-based facility. Eligible preschool students are able to stay in their natural, inclusive classroom at Head Start and receive services provided by CUSD 10 staff. Bringing services to students at their childcare center reduces transitions for these 3- or 4-year old children, who otherwise would need bus transportation mid-day to receive specialized services. The Advancing Inclusion grant award allows Collinsville Unit 10 to expand these services into a community-based childcare center.
Kaleidoscope of Kids Daycare has partnered with Unit 10 in this project. Through this grant, Kaleidoscope received materials needed to better serve preschool students with special needs. These include a sensory activity wall, social-emotional teaching kits and materials, light tables, dolls with special needs and adaptive equipment, and books featuring diverse students. Additionally, Kaleidoscope staff were able to complete observations of inclusive preschool classrooms and receive support from inclusion coaches.
The Collinsville CIT continues to meet monthly to work on various projects that will impact preschool inclusion in the community, including the creation of a website that can be accessed by families and programs. This website documents the Collinsville CIT’s history and progress, and offers technical assistance resources to programs and families. The Collinsville CIT website can be accessed here.
For more information on Collinsville Community Inclusion Team:
Christine Coleman, Collinsville CIT Facilitator
618-346-6301 extension 5941
[email protected]