Grants by Kaplan Early Learning Company
1-800-334-2014
The Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) Preschool Program, 2nd Edition, is a strength-based assessment and planning system designed to promote resilience in children ages 3 through 5. The kit includes the nationally standardized, strength-based assessment (DECA-P2), along with strategy guides for early childhood educators and families.© 2012
DECA Program Implementation Training (Best Practice): In this 2-Day hands-on training, participants will build the skills needed to implement the five steps of the comprehensive DECA Program. Participants will learn to 1) Collect Information on individual children and program practices; 2) Administer the DECA, a strength-based assessment of social and emotional development; 3) Score and understand the meaning of assessment results; 4) Develop and implement plans for children who have concerns, and for program elements that need improvement; and 5) Evaluate progress. Family Involvement will be emphasized in each step of the DECA Program implementation process.
DECA Program Overview Training: In this 1-Day training, participants will be introduced to resiliency theory and the 5 steps of the DECA Program. This training will provide participants with an understanding of how the DECA Program can be implemented in early care and education settings, with a primary focus on how assessment results can help teachers plan to support the social and emotional development of ALL children in the classroom.
DECA Program Strategies Training: This 1 day training will give education staff additional ideas and guidance in using the Classroom Strategies guide. Planning for the whole classroom in strengthening the protective factors as well as planning for individuals will be stressed. Teachers should come away with new planning strategies and new ways of thinking about children: through social/emotional lenses!
Family Service Worker (FSW) Training: This 1 day training was designed to provide family service staff with an overview of the DECA Program. Family service staff will learn the basics of the program, as well as what their role in the process might be. Collaboration between education staff and family service staff provides more comprehensive delivery of the DECA Program, emphasizing the systems approach to helping families and children.
DECA Program Refresher Training: This half or full day training is designed to serve as a review, refresher, and rejuvenating training staff who have been previously trained on the DECA Program. This training makes a great topic for inservice sessions, and may be offered in back-to-back sessions if your group is large.
DECA for Preschool Local Program Mentor Training (LPM): The 2-Day Local Program Mentor Training will help prepare participants to return to their local programs and offer technical assistance and workshops as necessary on the DECA Program. Time will be spent on reviewing DECA Program key messages, discussing training and mentoring tips and techniques, and troubleshooting with program staff and participants. This training is highly interactive, with the expectation that participants will present a training workshop or mentoring plan to the group. Participants will be expected to use evening time on Thursday for planning. This training is limited to 25 participants in order to maximize the opportunity for interactive discussion.
**In order to attend LPM training, participants need to have attended the DECA Program Basic Implementation Training conducted by a DECI Certified Trainer.
DECA-C (Clinical) Training: The 1-Day DECA-C training will focus on using the DECA-C as part of the DECA Program as well as its use as a stand alone tool. Topics covered in the DECA-C Training include: the development and standardization of the DECA-C; administering the DECA-C; scoring the tool; interpreting results; using the mental health consultation model to establish a plan of how to work with families around results; and, planning next steps for children. **Participants need to be a "Level B" user to order and use this tool. For more information on the qualifications of a Level B user,
For more information on this or other KAPLAN professional development options, please contact us at 800.334.2014 or [email protected].
