The Portage Project 1

Running head: A model for early childhood education

The portage project: An overview
of a model for early childhood education
Ron Barakat
Lisa rylie
!ennifer "ash
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Programs in #$#
r' !eff (elfer
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The Portage Project 1
2ounded in 1/3/4 5y avid #' )hearer4 the Portage Project was initially
developed to provide services to young children identified with disa5ilities within a rural
community 6)hearer and )hearer4 1/%17' 8n the early %&*s4 the Portage Project offered
home.5ased services that supported parents as their children*s first4 most valua5le and
influential teacher' 9ver the years and 5y way of documented e:periences of 5est
practices with children4 parents4 new legislation4 and continued research4 the Portage
Project model has consistently evolved resulting in an increase of ;uality programming
and enhanced services within the field of early childhood education and more
specifically4 early intervention programs 6$#)A <4 1&&07'
)till strong today4 the Portage Project continues as a home.5ased intervention
program for families of young children identified with disa5ilities' =hether commencing
in a home setting or classroom>home com5o4 this family.guided model focuses on a
home visitor supporting caregivers>parents in approaching 8#P 68ndividual #ducation
Plan7 and 82)P 68ndividual 2amily )ervice Plan7 goals of each child and family 5ased on
the child*s developmental needs4 desires4 interests4 family 5ackground>dynamics4
customs4 and environment 6?erwig4 1//<7' These goals are then implemented in the
home through 5asic routines and activities that the parent and child engage in on a daily
5asis' )pecific play.5ased activities are also offered and utili@ed to ensure children*s
goals are addressed4 as well as serve to enrich and improve the parent.child
interactions 6$#)A <4 1&&07' evelopmental assessment tools are also used for
targeting skills4 5ehaviors and progress' $om5ined4 the outcomes have ultimately
helped children prepare for school and overall success'
The Portage Project 0
The Portage Project is designed as an early intervention program model to
service children with disa5ilities 5etween the ages of 5irth to si:4 as well as their
families' The Portage model is appropriate for use in an array of various settings
including preschools4 pre.kindergartens4 infant programs4 and ?ead )tart programs4 just
to name a few 6?erwig4 1//<7' 8n addition to providing direct home.5ased services to
children and families4 the Portage Project also offers training and technical support to
other programs serving young children and distri5utes materials to support ;uality early
childhood programs 6$#)A <4 1&&07'
The Portage Project is guided 5y the following four core values:
1'7 Strength-Based: a focus on the strengths of children4 families4 and programsA
1'7 Ecological: consideration of the larger environment in which children4 families and
programs e:istA 0'7 Family Focused: families and programs are the decision makersA
and +'7 Relationship Based: most effective work is through relationships 5ased upon
trust that supports each individual and forms the 5asis of the program implementation
6$#)A <4 1&&07'
=hile the ultimate goals of the Portage Project are dedicated to creating and
enhancing ;uality programs which promote the development and education of all
children with disa5ilities and their families through a home>relationship.5ased early
intervention program4 the following information delves deeper into the goals and
o5jectives of the Portage Project 9utreach' These goals and o5jectives truly
encompass4 as well as guide us through an all.inclusive awareness of the Portage
The Portage Project +
Project*s purpose' 8n an effort to offer a more comprehensive review the goals and
o5jectives4 the 5elow information was cited from within the Portage Project 9utreach
grant application 6Portage Project 2inal Report4 1&&&7'
(oal 1: To assist )tate #ducational Agencies and designated #arly 8ntervention Lead Agencies in
planning4 developing4 and implementing their comprehensive service plan for young children with
disa5ilities and their families'
95jective 1'1: Provide awareness materials descri5ing project activities4 5est practices4 selected
model components4 and training opportunities to Part $ $oordinators4 31/ $oordinators and local
programs in all <& states'
95jective 1'1: $oordinate with state agencies when providing training to local service providers in
Portage Project 9utreach components'
95jective 1'0: provide intensive training and follow.up support to )#A or Lead Agency selected
sites in five states'
95jective 1'+: =ork closely with early childhood personnel in the state of =isconsin to implement
the comprehensive state service plan for young children with disa5ilities'
95jective 1'<: $ontact Part $ $oordinators to familiari@e them with Growing: Birth to Three
relationship 5ased intervention curriculum and how it supports development of family centered
services'
95jective 1'3: Provide consultation to states as re;uested on such topics as program
implementation procedures4 service delivery options4 or personnel preparation'
95jective 1'%: To esta5lish < Regional Training )ites in "ew !ersey4 =ashington4 9regon4 "ew
-e:ico4 and 8llinois to provide cost effective training to early intervention programs'
(oal 1: To increase pu5lic and professional awareness of the need for early intervention4 the
importance of family centered services4 and the o5ligation and importance of providing services in
the least restrictive>natural environment'
95jective 1'1: To make not less than three formal presentations at professional conferences'
95jective 1'1: To develop and disseminate awareness materials in multiple formats descriptive of
5est practices and 9utreach training components'
95jective 1'0: )u5mit not less than two articles to professional journals on the various
components of high ;uality early intervention services4 family centered services4 or policy issues'
95jective 1'+: isseminate information and maintain contact with state agencies and programs
via computeri@ed telecommunications networks'
95jective 1'<: $ontact )tate #arly 8ntervention Lead Agencies4 )tate epartments of )pecial
#ducation4 )tate 2acilitators4 and the ?ead )tart isa5ility Buality 8mprovement $enters
68)B8$7 on a twice yearly 5asis for the purpose of promoting awareness of and support for
9utreach Project activities'
95jective 1'3: evelop and distri5ute a newsletter three times a year for the purpose of sharing
information a5out family centered intervention and Portage 9utreach activities'
(oal 0: To provide in.depth training4 on.going follow.up and mentoring to early interventionists in
the Portage 2amily $entered 8ntervention -odel as a means of improving services to children
and families and helping states meet their personnel preparation o5jectives' These activities will
5e availa5le at five satellite sites in "ew !ersey4 "ew -e:ico4 =ashington4 9regon and 8llinois
and at the original project site in Portage4 =isconsin'
95jective 0'1: To utili@e five satellite sites implementing components of the Portage 2amily
$entered 8ntervention -odel as regional training centers'
95jective 0'1: Provide training and support to < mentoring facilitators at regional training sites'
95jective 0'0: To provide intensive training to staff from 0& early intervention programs at the <
regional satellite sites'
The Portage Project <
95jective 0'+: To conduct five on.site training workshops in Portage4 =isconsin on the Portage
2amily $entered 8ntervention -odel'
95jective 0'<: To work closely with the 8ndian #ducation Resource $enters and early childhood
programs on reservations to assist in developing or enhancing services as they fully implement
8#A'
95jective 0'3: To work closely with the -igrant Resource $enter for -igrant ?ead )tarts and
other migrant early childhood programs to assist in developing or enhancing services as they fully
implement 8#A'
95jective 0'%: To provide on.going mentoring and technical support to < regional training sites for
at least 1 years after initial training to maintain high ;uality demonstration locations'
95jective 0'C: To develop trainers at each regional site over a two year period of activities'
(oal +: To develop and disseminate materials that further the implementation of 5est practices of
working with children and families and assist in the training of early interventionists including
educators4 child care staff4 related services staff4 and health care providers'
95jective +'1: To develop written resources which e:plain and e:pand the ideas of the Growing:
Birth to Three relationship 5ased curriculum in a format which will lend itself to use in distance
training4 such as a modular format'
95jective +'1: To develop and implement use of videotapes of selected components of training
which will 5e used as a part of distance training'
95jective +'0: evelop written and audiovisual materials for use in implementing distance training
and mentorship'
The Portage Project program uses a variety of tools and materials that have
5een designed in a format that is easy for teachers and parents to use' 9nce a child is
identified to 5enefit from the program4 the home visitor>teacher meets with the child and
parent initially utili@ing an #arly $hildhood $urriculum (uide to facilitate planning for
individual children' The curriculum guide uses a checklist to identify e:isting skills the
child already e:hi5its and also suggests materials and curriculum ideas to teach'
Parents are encouraged to contri5ute to the planning and implementation of the
curriculum from the initial meeting and consistently thereafter' The home teacher then
5egins to work closely with the child and parent to strengthen the parents teaching
a5ilities and skills for working closely with their child in the identified areas for growth
and development throughout the remainder of the week 6or until the ne:t scheduled
home teachers visit7' )pecific materials and tools are left with the parents to guide the
teaching strategies to 5e used with their child' As parents 5egin to e:perience success
The Portage Project 3
and gain confidence in their a5ility to teach their child and document the learning and
5ehaviors4 the home teacher 5egins to increase the curriculum 6)hearer and )hearer4
1/%17' =hile there are not specific concepts and skills to 5e learned4 the program tends
to focus on 5ehaviors identified for each individual child4 5ased on their disa5ility4 and
target skills identified from the initial assessment' The individually developed goals that
identify a child*s target skills and 5ehaviors are consistently evaluated and adjusted
accordingly as the child demonstrates the desired outcomes'
Recently completely revised4 the new Portage (uide Birth to )i: 6sold as two
separate kits for infants>toddlers or preschoolers7 includes the following
items>components 6$#)A <4 1&&07:
Tool for 95servation and Planning 6T9P7 with supporting materials:
=eekly Planning 2orm
$hild Planning D 2amily Partnership 2orm
(roup )ummary 2orm
)piral Bound )et of Activity $ards
8nfant>Toddler 61/& cards7
Preschooler 61%+ cards7
Eser*s (uide
=all $hart
11 : 1C inch chart4 infant>toddler on one side and
preschooler on the other
)hows the developmental areas and strands across all age
ranges
The Tool for 95servation and Planning 6T9P7 is used as a data.gathering
instrument4 allowing developmental information to 5e gathered through child
o5servations' The T9P can 5e used for center.5ased programming4 as well as home.
5ased programming' The information that has 5een gathered is then shared with the
parent using the T9P and>or sharing assessment results using the $hild Planning and
The Portage Project %
2amily Partnership 2orm' This is the information used for planning the curriculum and
task goals' The T9P is organi@ed into five developmental areas identified 5elow:
$ommunication>Language>Literacy
#:ploration and Approaches to Learning
)ocial #motional evelopment
Purposeful -otor Activity
)ensory 9rgani@ation
9rgani@ed into si: age ranges4 each range within the T9P offers five developmental
areas indicating specific developmental milestones'
The Activity $ards correspond to each assessment item in the T9P and are used
as a Ffirst stepG in planning daily activities and routines 6$#)A <4 1&&07' The cards are
num5ered and color.coded to match the items in the T9P' The top of the card includes
the age range4 the developmental area and the developmental strand' #ach activity
card contains five parts identified 5elow 6$#)A <4 1&&07:
1' =hy 8s This 8mportantH
#:plains why the skill or 5ehavior is important for caregivers to know'
1' 8nteractive Activities
)trategies used 5y the parent to enhance their relationship and
teachings with the child'
0' aily Routine Activities
Activities that are im5edded into the daily routines of home and>or the
classroom'
+' $onsiderations
#nvironmental $onsiderations , reminders of how to use the child*s
natural environment or caution a5out the environmentA $hild
$onsiderations , what does the child 5ring to the
environment>thoughts a5out a child*s special needs'
<' Teacher Reflections
Asks the home visitor>parent to think a5out e:periences s>he 5rings
that might have an affect on interactions with the child or whether there
could 5e 5arriers'
The Portage Project C
The Portage Project and its materials>components are 5ased on a strong 5elief
that parents play the most important role in the development and teaching of their
preschool child and on the value of a clearly defined method of presenting the
curriculum in small4 achieva5le steps 6"unkossing4 Phillips4 1///7' Parents are
educated on how to teach their children4 what 5ehaviors to reinforce and also how to
record data on targeted 5ehaviors 6)hearer D )hearer4 1/%17' 9f anyone4 parents
spend the most amount of time with their children so it is important that they interact in a
way that is 5eneficial to their child' The Portage Project involves the parents in every
aspect of education such as assessments and curriculum planning' The child*s current
skills are 5uilt upon slowly as to achieve long.term goals 6"unkoosing4 Phillips4 1///7'
The Portage Project was initially designed for use in the child*s home' -any
teachers liked the idea of the Portage Project so it has 5een incorporated into programs
such as ?ead )tart4 #arly ?ead )tart $hild $are4 + year old Iindergarten4 #arly
$hildhood )pecial #ducation4 Preschool Programs4 8nclusion Programs and ?ome
Jisitation Programs. Any classroom would work for this model.
The 8ndividual Profile is used for the sharing of information with parents4 to pass
on information to the child*s ne:t educator4 group assessments and for curriculum
planning' This is an informal evaluation and should not 5e considered to 5e a
standardi@ed test' This 5ooklet contains developmental milestones for ages 1.04 0.+4 +.
< and <.3 and the milestones are ones that can 5e easily implemented into every day
life or into a classroom setting' The areas of overview are the top five developmental
areas: self.help skills4 motor skills4 cognition4 social emotional and communication' The
means used to evaluate the children are as follows:
The Portage Project /
A= Always Accurately: The child can do the skill consistently and independently
with different materials4 environments and people'
S= Sometimes or Somewhat: The skill is not yet mastered4 and needs some
additional practice'
N= Never or Not at all: $hild does not do the skill at the time'
There is also a space to differentiate 5etween the different phases of assessment'
There is a space for the initial assessment scores4 the date the goal is achieved and a
space for an end of year assessment' This is a useful way to record data 5ecause
everything the person needs to assess the student is on the same page'
Another form of assessment for the Portage Project is the Portage (uide to #arly
#ducation' This form of assessment is much more detailed and also contains a section
on infant development and toddler development whereas the 8ndividual Profile 5egins at
age 1' The Portage (uide to #arly #ducation also has cards that go along with it'
The Portage Project uses activity>interaction cards in conjunction with the Tool
for 95servation and Planning 6T9P7 and they are 5ased on the top five developmental
areas and on the child*s age group' #ach of these cards has a num5er on it4 allowing
the person assessing the child to refer to the T9P checklist' These items are used in
daily activities and routines' These tips will help the teacher reflect on the child*s
development and interests incorporating them into her own teaching practices' The
card tells why each activity is important4 interactive activities4 daily routine activities and
environmental4 child and caregiver>teacher considerations' The following age groups
are used to divide the cards: 8nfant 65irth to / months74 -o5ile 8nfant 6/ to1C months74
Toddler 61C to 03 months74 Preschooler 60 to + years of age74 Preschooler 6+ to < years
The Portage Project 1&
of age7 and Preschooler 6< to 3 years of age7' The developmental areas used in these
cards are:
1' $ommunication>Language>Literacy
1' #:ploration and Approaches to Learning
0' )ocial #motional evelopment
+' Purposeful -otor Activity
<' )ensory 9rgani@ation
These five areas are different from the five areas named in the 8ndividual Profile' The
parent or teacher needs to decide what developmental area they will focus on and then
they can choose an activity card' At the 5eginning4 the parent will only have 1.1 goals
to achieve per week so they can get used to recording data' As they improve their
recording skills4 the home teacher will increase the amount of o5jectives to o5tain
weekly' The Portage activity cards then gives several ways for this child to 5e
successful for the o5jective at hand' The program has chosen activities that occur in a
preschooler*s life every day4 which makes it easy to implement into classroom activities'
An e:ample of a goal for a <.3 year old child would 5e: $hild copies alpha5et letters and
makes comple: drawings'
An e:ample of instructions:
1' Playtime: Looking at letters helps me distinguish 5etween them' 8 need direct
e:periences with letters so that 8 can compare' isplay alpha5et letters at my
eye level in the room or provide a smaller version that 8 can hold in my hand'
Provide alpha5et matching games and pu@@les and alpha5et 5ooks such as
#ating the Alpha5et4 AB$ A 2amily Alpha5et or -iss )pider AB$'
The Portage Project 11
1' (ames: Play alpha5et games with me' raw part of a letter and see if 8 can
guess what the letter is going to 5e'
0' 8ndividual Time: (ive me plenty of time at home or in the classroom so 8 can
practice my writing and drawing' A writing center with a variety of writing tools
and paper is a good way for me to learn on my own' Esing a typewriter or
computer key5oard will give me another opportunity to use my fine motor skills
and another source for working on letters and letter recognition'
This Portage Project is utili@ed to directly involve the parents in their child*s
education' The home teacher teaches the parents how to teach4 what to reinforce and
how to o5serve and collect data on their child*s 5ehaviors' This is done 5ecause it is
5elieved that much of the learning occurs in the child*s natural environment4 or the
home' Parents are also with their children more often than teachers generally are4 so it
is important to train them how to use this time to the fullest' =ith each weekly visit 5y
the home teacher4 she o5serves the teaching parent to see if they are properly
implementing the daily lessons and the home teacher may also give the teaching parent
tips on how to 5e more successful' Recording data is an important way for parents to
see the improvements their child makes daily'
Professionals play an important part in the Portage Project 5y training families to
5e competent teachers' $ertified special education teachers and paraprofessionals are
hired and trained to 5e the home teachers' They receive training 5efore the start of the
program4 which consists of instruction in child development4 assessment techni;ues4
precision teaching4 and 5ehavior modification' They are also given pre and post tests
after each instructional session to evaluate the instruction itself' 8n.service trainings are
held regularly and home visits are not scheduled on that day'
The Portage Project 11
The home teacher visits the house 1 time per week to give the parents guidance on
teaching their child small achieva5le goals and also to make sure the previous weeks
goals were o5tained' The previous week*s goals need to 5e o5tained 5efore new goals
can 5e assigned' FThe home teacher also accompanied the parent and child on clinic
appointments and suggestions were sought from outside professionals at this time and
throughout the year as pro5lems aroseG 6)hearer D )hearer4 1/%17'
The Portage staff also participates in case reviews on a regular 5asis' The
group helps each other with the difficulties they encounter with their students and also
try to help each other solve their difficulties' At the ne:t meeting the teacher reports
success or failure on the matter the sought help for' F8f the goal was not achieved4 the
staff modified the reinforcer4 changed the reinforcement schedule4 or divided the goal
into smaller segmentsG 6)hearer D )hearer4 1/%17'
The home teacher must 5e a5le to take on many roles to meet the needs of the
family' They must stick to the program*s philosophy4 act as an employee4 advocate for
the family4 5e an emotional supporter to the family and 5e a family friend 6"unkossing4
Phillips4 1///7'
The Portage Project is a home 5ased learning style' The project 5elieves that
the home is an important place for children to learn 5ecause they are in their natural
environment' Behaviors will occur in the child*s natural environment4 which means that
the 5ehaviors* e:hi5ited will 5e consistent 6)hearer D )hearer4 1/%17' Trying to teach
the child a more desira5le 5ehavior will transition easier and faster' =ith the child
staying in their natural environment the parents are a5le to deal with new 5ehaviors
when they occur 5ecause they have 5een trained correctly on how to handle their
child*s 5ehaviors' =hen the project 5egan they decided that it made sense to teach the
The Portage Project 10
children at home 5ecause the children who were going to 5e part of the program all
lived too far away from each other' =hen there were children who lived near each
other they were not close to each other in age and their 5ehaviors were too varied
6)hearer D )hearer4 1/%17'
The materials needed for the Portage Project can 5e found on their we5 site4
www'portageproject'org>npg>npg' There are two packages that can 5e ordered' The
first package is the infant>toddler set4 the age*s range from 5irth to four years of age' 8t
includes materials for children who are developmentally 5eyond thirty.si: months' The
other package is the preschool set for ages eighteen months to si: years of age' This
set also includes materials for children whose development falls 5elow thirty.si: months'
Both packages consist of the same materials' 8t has the tool for o5servation and
planning with supporting materials' The supporting materials consist of a weekly
planning form4 child planning and family partnership form4 and group summary form'
The ne:t main component is the spiral 5ound set of activity> interaction cards' The
supporting materials contain the 1/& infant toddler cards or the 1%+.preschooler cards'
There is a user*s guide and a wall chart' The su5components of the wall chart consist
of a 11:1C inch chart4 infant toddler on one side and preschooler on the other side' 8t
also displays the developmental areas and stands across all age ranges' #ach
package costs K10/'/<'
The model has the parent as the main teacher of their child' There is one
paraprofessional who is the home teacher' This person visits the home one day a
week' At the 5eginning the home teacher looks at the 5ehavior checklist to decide
which 5ehaviors the child is already displaying in all of the five areas4 identifying
individual prescriptions>activities'
The Portage Project 1+
#ach week the home teacher will come to the house with new prescriptions and any
materials needed' )he will go over the prescriptions and how to teach them' 8t is up to
the parent to teach the prescriptions for the week'
The Portage Project evaluates itself through five different formal evaluation
formats and informally 5y talking with agency leaders who have held training events or
conferences' The first step in the evaluation process is through pre>post video review'
FTraining participants watch a parent.child interaction video and record their
o5servations 5efore training content and materials are distri5uted on the first day of
training' The data is reviewed and periodically coded as positive4 negative4 neutral in
type' 2indings indicate that the specific training and e:perience of the participant
influence the type of o5servation madeG 6Portage Project 2inal Report4 1&&&7' The
second way to assess the model is through training evaluations' The evaluations are
designed to answer if the workshop and training goals have 5een met4 which sections
are pertinent for the participants4 and what did you like and learn from the training' 9n
the last day of training the participants are given evaluation forms' FParticipants are
given the opportunity to write ;ualitative responses and also ;uantitative rating of
workshop featuresG 6Portage Project 2inal Report4 1&&&7' Brainstorm recordings are
also given to evaluate what the participants have learned from the training'
FParticipants are given an "$R dual copy Brainstorm sheet in their folderG 6Portage
Project 2inal Report4 1&&&7' #veryday the participants are given time to write several
times a day' The reason the presenter wants the participants to write several times a
day is so they can write down what they liked and what they might want to implement
when they are finished with the training into their own teaching techni;ues' =hen the
workshop ends the participants are allowed to keep one sheet while the presenter
The Portage Project 1<
keeps the other copy' The presenter is a5le to see what was most meaningful and
useful for the participants'
Another way to record progress is through parent interviews' #very three to five
years parents participating in the Portage Project in the 5irth to three year range4 are
asked to discuss their e:periences with early intervention' The last type of evaluation
used is teleconferences' #valuations are sent home at the end of each contact to
participants who took part in post training teleconferences modules' The evaluations
are asking parents for input on the content and process' This works well when the
participants can meet in small groups to interact around the teleconference' 8t is
5eneficial when the conferences are structured with e:pectations' 8t also is 5est when
the conference is 5ased around mutual content or when the discussion is a5out
personal work e:periences'
The Portage Project was designed in 1/3/ to provide services to young children
from 5irth to si: years of age in rural communities with disa5ilities' ue to its success
they gained additional federal funding from the E')' Bureau for the #ducation of the
?andicapped in 1/%+ so that the model could 5e replicated in a larger ur5an area in the
-idwest 6)hearer D )hearer4 1&&07' The Portage Project later served as a
demonstration model for the ?ome )tart Training $enter in order to provide technical
assistance and training to ?ead )tart programs that wanted to implement a home 5ased
program' 8n order to successfully implement the model they had to make the child*s
home the classroom and their parent*s the teacher' The project was designed to work
with children who have 5een diagnosed as having a 5ehavior pro5lem4 emotionally
distur5ed4 mentally.retarded4 physically handicapped4 visually impaired4 culturally
deprived4 or having a speech or language disa5ilities' 8t provided early childhood
The Portage Project 13
education4 model development4 training4 technical assistance4 and materials
development' ?aving the parents teach their children at home meant having the
children in their natural environment where their 5ehaviors would occur' The Portage
Project is the first model to incorporate a multitude of innovations such as: home.5ased
services4 recogni@ing the families knowledge of their child with special needs4
demonstrating how effective family mem5ers are as teachersA and showing evidence
that anyone who has e:perience of young children is capa5le of 5ecoming a competent
home visitor in a short amount of time'
The Portage Project is still 5eing used in many homes and programs throughout
the world' 8t has now 5een translated into 0< languages and is widely used 5y ?ead
)tart and other early childhood programs 6$#)A <4 1&&07' -ore than 1+& sites in the
Enited )tates4 and over 0& countries have implemented this model as a delivery system
of ;uality early intervention services to children and their families' The home teacher
still comes to the home to help implement prescriptions' There are also many seminars
to help work with the parents as well as the paraprofessionals' The project seems to 5e
affluent in the -idwest4 where the project was started' The Portage Project has 5een
adopted worldwide' 8t has its own President for the 8nternational Portage Association
?ead;uarters' The following timelines will offer a further historical glance with more
specific information a5out the Portage Project developmental milestones 6Portage
Project 2inal Report4 1&&&7'
NATIONAL
1/%+ . Present The 9ffices of )pecial #ducation and Reha5ilitative )ervices 69)#R)7 funded the
Portage Project to:
.Provide training and technical assistance to agencies interested in developing a home
training program similar to the Portage Project
The Portage Project 1%
.evelop demonstration programs to serve as pilot programs in other states
.evelop educational materials for educators to use in working with pre.school children
1/%3 . Present A$L2 awarded to the Portage Project one of the fifteen Resource Access
Projects in the country' The purpose of the Project is to assist ?ead )tart programs in
working with children with disa5ilities' )pecifically the project identifies consultants4
materials4 and demonstration sitesA assesses the needs of ?ead )tart programsA and links
programs with appropriate resources4 as well as monitoring services to ensure that the
identified needs have 5een met'
1/%/ , Present: The E')' 9ffice of #ducation4 9ffice for #ducational Research and
8mprovement awarded the Portage Project a contract for a eveloper.emonstrator Project
in support of the "ational iffusion "etwork 6""7' The purpose of the contract is to develop
and disseminate materials4 to provide training and technical assistance to programs adopting
the Portage -odel4 and to e:change information with other projects and agencies to promote
the utili@ation of validated projects throughout the E')'
1//<.1&&& #ven )tart. 2unded to develop #ven )tart in Portage )chool istricts' ?ome and
center.5ased e:periences promote familyA literacy4 parenting and child development'
1//3.1&&& B8$. Buality 8mprovement $enter . isa5ilities funded through A$L2 to support
services provided for children with disa5ilities in ?ead )tart and #arly ?ead )tart in a five state
region'
1//3.1&&& B8$.?). Buality 8mprovement $enter.?ead )tart' 2unding through A$L2 to support
?ead )tart #arly ?ead )tart programs through training and technical assistance in a five stale
region'
1//3.1&&1 -odel emonstration Project . 2unded to develop and demonstrate a model of
organi@ational support for professional growth and development that promotes and enhances the
use of family centered practices in direct services' Participants are seven early intervention
programs in =isconsin'
1//3.1&&&. -odel 9utreach Project . 2unded through 9)#R)'
STATE AND LOCAL
1/3/ . Present Birth to Three . The Portage Project and its parent agency4 $#)A <4 provide
home.5ased intervention to families of children with disa5ilities'
1//1 . Present Project 8nclude . 2unded 5y the )tate epartment of Pu5lic 8nstruction is
designed to increase opportunities for children with disa5ilities to engage in typical early
childhood e:periences' Parents are supported in their efforts to secure these e:periences for their
children'
1//1 . Present )tate -aternal and $hild ?ealth. 2unds support the development of
colla5orative system development in two counties' These systems are designed to offer
comprehensive4 community.5ased4 family.focused services for children with special health care
needs'
The Portage Project 1C
1//<.1&&& )I8P 6)pecial Iids4 8nvolved Parents7 . 2unded through the epartment of Pu5lic
8nstruction to support families of children with isa5ilities'
1//3.1&&& #arly ?ead )tart -entoring $ontract . Provide training and mentoring support to #arly
?ead )tart staff through consistent monthly contacts'
1//3.1&&1 2ederal emonstration Project4 )upporting 9rgani@ational $hange in #arly
8ntervention . =ork with seven early intervention projects in =8 to support family centered4
relationship 5ased services in natural environments'
1/C&.present. Birth to Three Program . irect service to children with disa5ilities and families in
four counties in rural =isconsin'
1//3.present .?ead )tart $olla5oration . 2unded to enhance colla5oration 5etween ?ead )tart
programs and community partners such as schools4 child care4 early intervention and local
special projects'
1///.present. 8nclusion Project. funded through the P8 to support the inclusion of young
children with disa5ilities in typical community and school opportunities'
INTERNATIONAL (Feeral !ra"t ollars were "ot use to su##ort i"ter"atio"al
trai"i"!$
1//& !apan presented at the Portage 8nternational $onference in -adison4 =isconsin
1//C !apan . sponsored Portage 8nternational $onference in ?iroshima4 !apan
1//& -adison4 =l . 8ntensive training with participants from $hina4 )audi Ara5ia4 )weden4
Iorea4 and 8ndia' This <.day training followed the 8nternational $onference and offered
opportunities to learn new strategies and share international perspectives'
1//1 )pain . Portage Project staff presented a two day training on home.5ased programming at
three sites throughout )pain: -adrid4 Barcelona and Burgos' )taff also met with a representative
of #arly $hildhood )pecial #ducation4 -inistry of #ducation to discuss future adaptation and
implementation of the Portage $lassroom $urriculum'
1//1 -e:ico . ept' of Psychology4 Eniversity of )enora4 -e:ico . Portage Project conducted a
two.week workshop on services to children 5irth to si: for students and professors from the
Eniversity of )enora to assist them in the format for delivery of services within the conte:t of their
research project'
1//1 Portugal . Portage staff participated in the first "ational Portage Association $onference in
Portugal' )taff also provided intensive training for staff of local programs'
1//34 1/// Portugal . Provided Relationship Based 8ntervention training for early intervention
staff and 5egan Train the Trainers $ontract to support 1& professionals to provide training at the
regional level' The relationship to provide support to regional trainers continues'
1//0 Bucharest4 Romania . $olla5orated with the Peace $orp and E"8$#2 to provide training to
child care workers and develop plans for further assistance within Romania'
The Portage Project 1/
1//+ "orway . Provided training for interventions from around the country to staff in the
Portage -odel of #arly 8ntervention' $ontinue to support efforts through the -inistry of
#ducation'
1//3 #cuador . Portage trainers conducted an intensive training for center program
personnel in (uaya;uil'
1//3 Iuwait. Provided Portage Training to early intervention staff through the -inistry of
#ducation'
1//% 2inland . Participated in international conference and provided a two day training in
relationship 5ased intervention for intervention staff from regions around the country'
The Portage Project 1&
References
$#)A <' 61&&07' Portage Project =e5 site:
http:>>www'portageproject'org>npg>npgM1'html
$ooperative #ducational )ervice Agency < 61&&&7' Portage project outreach' Portage
project of cooperative educational service agency <' 2inal report4 from
http:>>www'edrs'com>=e5store>ownload1'cfmH8N+3/3&+DPlease=aitN9I
?erwig4 !' 61//<7' Archived: #ducational programs that work' www'ed'gov'
"unkossing4 I4 Phillips4 ' 61///7' )upporting families in the early education of
$hildren with special needs: The perspectives of portage home visitors'
European Journal of Special Needs !" #074 1/C.111'
)hearer4 '4 )hearer4 -' 61/%17' The portage project: A model for early childhood
education' E$ceptional %hildren &'4 11&.11%'
!ohnson4 !'#'4 Roopnarine4 !'L' 61&&&7' Approaches to early childhood education
60
rd
ed'7' $olum5us4 9hio: $harles -errill Pu5lishing $ompany'