iSocial

The iSocial State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) is funded by the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs.

The goal of NH's iSocial SPDG is to improve social-emotional outcomes of infants, toddlers and young children with disabilities (birth to age 5) through the implementation of the evidence-based Pyramid Model Framework.

Five community collaboratives are engaged in the work of iSocial. These Collaboratives will receive professional development training and coaching to improve the social-emotional outcomes of children ages birth to five with disabilities through the implementation of the evidence-based Pyramid Model Framework.

The five collaboratives selected from a competitive application process are:

• Fostering Footprints (Lakes Region)
• Coos Coalition for Young Children and Families (North Country Region)
• Impact Monadnock (Western Region)
• Somersworth Ready Together Early Childhood Coalition (Seacoast Region)
• Lower Grafton Council for Young Children and Families (Central/Northern Region)

iSocial Purpose

The NH Department of Education, Office of Special Education has been awarded a State Personnel Development Grant from the U.S. Department of Education in the amount of $3,850,000.00 to expand the implementation of NH's State Systemic Improvement Plan over the course of five years (October 2017-September 2022, $770,000.00 per year). The goal is to improve the social-emotional outcomes for preschool students with disabilities through the implementation of the evidence-based Pyramid Model Framework.

The Pyramid Model is a positive behavioral intervention and support (PBIS) framework developed by two national, federally-funded research and training centers--The Center for the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning and the Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Interventions – with a significant evidence base for supporting social-emotional competence in infants and young children.

State Personnel Development Grants help state educational agencies reform and improve their systems for personnel preparation and professional development of individuals providing early intervention, educational and transition services to improve results for children with disabilities.

The objectives identified to meet the goal of this project include the following:

• Building the infrastructure for a statewide cadre of trainers and coaches to support implementation of the Pyramid Model Framework
• Increasing the capacity of early childhood settings and programs to implement the Pyramid Model
• Identifying and developing resources for family engagement
• Increasing the use of outcome data to support decision making
• Supporting levels of engagement to promote implementation and sustainability of the work
• Engaging Institutions of Higher Education in infusing the evidence-based practices of the Pyramid Model Framework into their classrooms and curriculums.

In addition to building state capacity to promote this work, this project supports local community collaboratives. These collaboratives are comprised of programs that support infants, toddlers and preschool children with and without disabilities, including school districts, community-based early childhood settings and/or home visiting programs in various regions of the state. Participating collaboratives were selected through an application process and selection criteria that included a demonstration of readiness to engage in required activities.

Healthy social-emotional development is closely linked to long-term academic success. This initiative will function as an integral part of an extensive set of coordinated efforts in the state designed to improve social-emotional development of young children, including those with the most significant needs.

iSocial Goals and Objectives

The overall goal of the iSocial State Personnel Development Grant is to improve social-emotional outcomes of children ages birth to five with disabilities through the implementation of the evidence-based Pyramid Model Framework.

This project focuses on the following five objectives designed to support this goal:

1. To build the infrastructure for a statewide Master Cadre of process coaches, content coaches and trainers to support fidelity implementation of the Pyramid Model.
2. Increase the capacity of early childhood settings and programs supporting children with disabilities ages birth to five to implement the Pyramid Model.
3. Increase the use of implementation and outcome data to support decision making at all levels.
4. Support levels of engagement and feedback loops to promote the implementation and sustainability of the work.
5. Expand the needed knowledge, skills and experience of early childhood degree faculty members to teach coursework related to the implementation of evidence-based practices.

iSocial Resource Sharing - Google Site

• iSocial Google Site

Federal Reports

• FY 2017 iSocial Grant Performance Report

Contacts

Amy Aiello
Project Director
Amy.Aiello@doe.nh.gov
(603) 271-1536

Vacant
Evaluation Coordinator

Penny Duffy
Grants & Contracts Technician
Penny.Duffy@doe.nh.gov
(603) 271-3843