An early childhood program matrix: pulling the pieces together for Illinois

Early Childhood Research & Practice, Spring, 2009 by Sallee Beneke, Gina Ruther, Susan Fowler

Acknowledgments

This 2008 update relied heavily on data and information from the following individuals:

Patricia McHenry, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services

Anne Wharff, Illinois Department of Human Services, Bureau of Child Care & Development

Eileen DeRoze and Janet Gully, Illinois Department of Human Services, Early Intervention

Gina Ruther, Illinois Department of Human Services, Head Start Collaboration Office

Kay Henderson, Illinois State Board of Education, Early Childhood Division

Pam Reising-Rechner, Illinois State Board of Education, Early Childhood Special Education

Cynthia Zumwalt, Illinois State Board of Education, Even Start

Shelby King, Illinois State Board of Education, Preschool for All

Myron Mason, Illinois State Board of Education, Title I

References

Fowler, Susan; Bloom, Paul Jorde; Talan, Teri N.; Beneke, Sallee; & Kelton, Robyn. (2008). Who's caring for the kids? The status of the early childhood workforce in Illinois--2008. Retrieved March 3, 2009, from http://cecl.nl.edu/research/reports/whos_caring_report_2008.pdf

Sallee Beneke

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Gina Ruther

Illinois Department of Human Services, Head Start State Collaboration Offic e

Susan Fowler

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Sallee Beneke is currently a Ph.D. student in special education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She received her M.Ed. from the University of Illinois in 2000. Her research has focused on two areas: inclusion and the Project Approach and topics and methods for effective professional development for teachers in Preschool for All classrooms. Sallee has been a resource specialist for STARnet, kindergarten teacher, director of a lab school, college instructor, master teacher, prekindergarten at-risk teacher, early childhood special education teacher, and child care center director.

Sallee Beneke

Department of Special Education

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

1310 S. Sixth St. Champaign, IL 61820

Email: sbeneke2@illinois.edu

Gina Ruther has worked as a teacher in public school, child care, and Head Start. She has also been a Head Start and child care director, an education specialist, and curriculum consultant, including working in Migrant Head Start. She has served as president of the Illinois Head Start Association and has served on the National Head Start Association Board of Directors, where she co-wrote board manuals and newsletters.

Gina Ruther

Head Start State Collaboration Office

Illinois Department of Human Services

10 Collinsville Ave., Suite 203 East St. Louis, IL 62201

Email: gina.ruther@illinois.gov

Susan Fowler's research focuses on the lives of young children (birth to age 8) and their families. She has examined both programmatic and policy factors that influence family involvement in the delivery of services to their young children who are developmentally delayed, as well as the factors that influence professionals in their delivery and coordination of services. Her research fits three clusters: development of guidelines and practices to help communities and programs coordinate delivery of services to young children and families, particularly as they leave one service system for another; research and development of intervention strategies to enhance language, social, and cognitive development in young children; and increasing our understanding of the roles that cultural and linguistic diversity may play in family's participation in services.