Compiled by: Margo Smith

We are only about two weeks away! 2022 Improving Data, Improving Outcomes (IDIO): Leadership, Equity, Impact is August 21-26, 2022, at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC. We asked a few of our DaSy TA experts what they are most excited about for the in person return of DaSy’s premier conference.

Feeling FOMO (fear of missing out)? There’s still time to register!

“There are so many events at the IDIO Conference to be excited about! I offer just a few highlights!

• A must hear speaker at the IDIO Conference is Heather Krause, founder of We All Count and IDIO keynoter. Join colleagues on Tuesday, August 23, 2022, at 1:00 pm in the Presidential Ballroom to listen to her keynote, Data Equity: How to Align Your Data with Your Mission.
• A favorite session at many conferences is presented by the field’s partners in the federal agencies. The IDIO Closing Plenary will not disappoint. Join the IDIO Closing Plenary, Leadership, Equity, Impact: Federal Programs Supporting Early Care, Education and Well- Being on Thursday, August 25, 10:30 am, presented by Katherine Neas, Valerie Williams, Swati Adarkar, Ruth Friedman, and Michael Warren. You will not want to miss this expert panel of early childhood leaders!
• I am also excited to attend the DaSyTalks: For States by States presentations, a new feature at IDIO Conference. Modeled after the TED Talks format, DaSyTalks are an opportunity for states to showcase their work through brief talks, demonstrations, or presentations on a wide range of subjects related to data, early intervention, and early childhood special education. Join the DaSyTalks to hear about the great work that states are doing!”

~Deborah A. Ziegler, EdD, is a consultant specializing in disability policy and practice. She has broad public policy experience at the international, national, state, and local levels. She works to further research and practice through improving policies affecting children and youth with exceptionalities and the professionals who work on their behalf. She is currently serving as the DaSy 2022 IDIO Conference Chair.

“I’m super excited about our workshop on System Improvement for Equitable Access, Experiences and Outcomes. It’s going to be an engaging session on systems thinking, our Systems Framework for a high-quality EI/ECSE system, and how to intentionally address equity in state systems improvement. And I can’t wait to actually SEE my colleagues from around the country! I’ve missed the opportunity to be in-person, so I’m really looking forward to catching up with long-time friends and also making new ones!”

~ Christina Kasprzak Co-Directs the Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center and leads the DaSy team at the UNC Frank Porter Graham (FPG) Child Development Institute. She specializes in program evaluation and has worked for many years to support the measurement of child and family outcomes in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE). She led the development of the ECTA System Framework designed to guide state EI/ECSE leaders in evaluating their current systems, identifying areas for improvement, and developing more effective, equitable systems.

“If you’re new or newish to the IDEA data world, be brave enough to introduce yourself to others, share, listen, consider. Secondarily, make a concerted effort to talk with at least two TA providers from different centers on a topic of importance to you. Seek them out. Talk with them after sessions, hang with them, ask them questions. Many were in your role and have learned a thing or two over the years. For program leads, consider the big items being discussed. Prioritize the top DOABLE ideas to share with your staff and consider for your program. TA providers can be good thought partners; find those who work well with you.
… At a geeky level, I’m looking forward to sharing about the recently released DaSy Data Linking Toolkit. For data managers, I’m really looking forward to our Survive and Thrive workshop for experienced data managers, brand new data managers, and all those in between.”

~ Bruce Bull is a DaSy TA provider. He has worked directly in the IDEA data world since 1996 as a state Part B and Part C data manager, developer of data collection systems, and as a TA provider with six OSEP-funded TA Centers.

“I think all the workshops, sessions, and DaSyTalks: For States by States will be great. However, I think the opportunity to meet with other early childhood professionals and learn from each other is the highlight of this conference. I am very excited to experience a national conference in person again. I can’t wait to participate in shared learning opportunities with such outstanding early childhood professionals.”

~ Sally Shepherd is a DaSy TA provider. She was former deputy director of the Kentucky Governor’s Office of Early Childhood (KY GOEC), director of the KY Head Start Collaboration Office, and 619 coordinator in Kentucky prior to her work with SRI and DaSy.

Check out these highlights, a full agenda and more information on the attendee app accessible on the conference webpage.

If you have questions, your DaSy liaison can assist you, or contact DaSy anytime.

Margo Smith is a DaSy consultant providing communications and other support for DaSy TA products. She has a background in journalism, data visualization, and data use in early childhood care and education TA.

Published April 2022.