Each year, the Kansas State Department of Education recognizes programs throughout Kansas which have incorporated an innovative component into their early childhood special education program. Programs have the opportunity to submit an application to be peer reviewed and considered for recognition. It was announced at the Kansas Division for Early Childhood conference in Lawrence on February 28, 1997 that the Haysville Early Childhood Center demonstrated exemplary service in the area of Collaborative DAP Portfolios for the 1996-1997 school year.

The Haysville Early Childhood Center provides an integrated setting for children in the community. The preschool includes typical children, children with special needs, and students in the Title I / Migrant program. An exemplary component of the early childhood center is its extensive use of collaborative portfolios that serve as a basis for making sound educational decisions that affect the child and family. The preschool began using a rudimentary collection of student work portfolios for the 27 special needs students enrolled three years ago. At that time, sending and receiving teachers and parents recognized the benefits of portfolios. Parents could visually see their child's growth throughout the range of developmental levels. Receiving teachers were able to attain a picture of a child, not a disability. The staff then decided to expand the use of portfolios for all children at the center, beginning at their initial home visit, with a collection of family information. Currently the center is putting together portfolios for 194 preschoolers. It is used in preschool as a combination developmental assessment and progress report. In addition, it is an important tool for implementing child centered transitions from preschool to kindergarten.

Contact persons: Harriet Harris and June Rempel, Haysville Early Childhood Center, USD 261, 1745 W. Grand, Haysville, KS 67060, (620) 554-2233.

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