In 2019, the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA) invited states to participate in a technical assistance (TA) process to help build their capacity to implement, scale up, and sustain high-quality inclusive policies and practices for children age 3–5 with or at-risk for disabilities. The Illinois State Board of Education along with the preschool inclusion initiative Early CHOICES accepted the invitation to receive two-years of intensive TA to establish inclusive classrooms.

The Indicators of High-Quality Inclusion and the principles of implementation science guided the partnership between ECTA and Illinois. The TA process began November 2019 and helped Illinois establish and use the following essential support structures for implementation and scale-up.

• A state leadership team (SLT) makes collaborative decisions to build state capacity related to high-quality inclusion. It has 15 members and meets monthly.
• The professional development network of program implementation coaches builds workforce capacity and supports local implementation in inclusive early care and education environments (ECEE).
• A community inclusion leadership team (CIT) with a program coach builds community awareness of the importance of early childhood inclusion by bringing together service providers and families. Illinois has three CITs: one each in the Collinsville, Mannheim, and Springfield districts.
  • The CIT establishes three implementation sites using the local program and Early Care and Education Environment Indicators of High-Quality Inclusion.
  • The sites offer critical teaching practices to maximize the access, meaningful participation, and developmental outcomes of young children with disabilities. Implementation sites become demonstration sites based on performance.
• Data and evaluation systems used by the SLT, CIT, and coaches result in intended outcomes being reached.

Read the full report to learn about the many resulting program impacts, lessons learned, and SLT next steps.