Quality Interaction Video Library

Purchase a subscription to view and download videos that provide Minnesota-specific examples of high-quality interactions.

Watch Minnesota-specific examples of high-quality teaching and interactions.

Videos are for use by Parent Aware coaches and others who work to improve the quality of interactions with children.

The library was created with support from the Minnesota Department of Education.

To subscribe:

  • You must be an approved Minnesota quality coach.
  • You must be certified by the Minnesota Center for Professional Development or corresponding agency.
  • For systems that do not fully use the Minnesota Center for Professional Development registry, you may be asked to provide references for your current training approval system.
  • You agree that you will show these video clips for professional development activities and educational purposes only.

Cost: $50/year

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Minnesota Framework for Universal Multicultural Instructional Design

If you offer professional development, use this tool to help you include the background knowledge and experience of learners in your teaching process.

The Minnesota Framework for Universal Multicultural Instructional Design is a tool that helps writers and trainers create inclusive learning experiences for all adults.

The framework includes key principles, reflective questions, and training strategies in four areas:

  1. How we learn/How we teach
  2. What we learn/What we teach
  3. How we demonstrate learning/How we assess learning
  4. How we access support for learning/How do we support learning

The Minnesota Department of Human Services Child Development Services provided guidance and funding to develop this framework.

Framework

Minnesota Framework for Universal Multicultural Instructional Design: Meeting the Needs of All Learners (Jan. 1, 2013)

Checklist for Universal Instructional Design

Essential Elements of Quality Infant-Toddler Programs

Our findings from the Infant-Toddler Essential Elements project describe key aspects of effective infant and toddler early care and education programs.

We studied effective infant and toddler early care and education programs as part of a project called Infant-Toddler Essential Elements. This project aimed to identify and promote these key elements across Minnesota and beyond. We summarized our findings in a report

The project’s premise was based on The 10 Essential Elements of Effective Early Care and Education Programs, by Arthur Reynolds, Ph.D., and Susan Neuman, Ed.D., produced for the 2006 Governor’s Summit. Where Reynolds and Neuman focused on preschool, our project focused on infant and toddler early care and education programs, serving children from birth to age three.

For the Infant-Toddler Essential Elements project, we:

  • Developed criteria for choosing two national experts on infant and toddler development who would approach the work with developmental and family strengths perspectives. The two national experts were Helen Raikes, Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln; and Charlyn Harper Browne, Ph.D., from the Center for the Study of Social Policy, Quality Improvement Center on Early Childhood.
  • Selected and oversaw the efforts of these national experts who evaluated current research and identified evidence-based program practices and features critical to the effectiveness of programs that serve infants and toddlers at risk.
  • Conducted discussions in collaboration with the Minnesota Departments of Education and Human Services to arrive at a consensus of essential elements.
  • Prepared a report and recommendations to the State of Minnesota summarizing the research, analyzing the findings, and defining the essential elements.

The project was funded by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and was a collaboration between MDE, the Minnesota Department of Human Services and CEED.

Report

Essential Elements of Quality Infant-Toddler Programs – Final Report (June 29, 2012)

Child Care Health and Safety Coaching Project

We serve as the external evaluator for the Child Care Health and Safety Pilot Initiative, a project led by the Center for Inclusive Child Care.

We serve as the external evaluator for the Evaluation of the Health and Safety Coaching Project, a project led by the Center for Inclusive Child Care (CICC).

Through the project, CICC will:

  • develop and provide a relationship-based child care health and safety coaching model; and
  • hire and train health and safety specialists.

We will collaborate with CICC to develop and implement an evaluation of the program.

Funding

Minnesota Department of Human Services: Child Development Services and CICC

Project staff

Ann Bailey, Ph.D.

Meredith Reese

Child Care Infant Toddler Coaching Project

We serve as the external evaluator for the Infant Toddler Specialist Network, an initiative led by the Center for Inclusive Child Care.

We serve as the external evaluator for the Infant Toddler Coaching Project, an initiative led by the Center for Inclusive Child Care (CICC).

Through the project, CICC will:

  • develop a relationship-based infant toddler specialist network for licensed child care providers in Minnesota;
  • hire and train infant toddler specialists to coach and support licensed child care providers; and
  • provide reflective supervision to infant toddler specialists.

We will collaborate with CICC to develop and implement an evaluation of the program.

Funding

Minnesota Department of Human Services: Child Development Services and CICC

Project staff

Ann Bailey, Ph.D.

Meredith Reese

Tip Sheets

A collection of resources on topics related to child development and classroom environments, these tip sheets offer useful information for those who work with young children, as well as for parents and caregivers.

A collection of resources on topics of relevance to early childhood educators and others who work with young children, as well as to parents and caregivers. Is there a topic you’d like to see covered? Email us.

Infant and toddler

Definition of Infant Mental Health

Guidelines for Referral: Red Flags

Preschool

Challenging Behavior and Children’s Mental Health

Relationship-Based Teaching: Challenges and Benefits

Institute on Community Integration LEND Fact Sheet Series: Challenging Behaviors

Choice-Making

Functional Behavioral Assessment of Young Children

Healthy child and youth development tip sheets by Martha Farrell Erickson, Ph.D.

The Three Cs: Critical Ingredients for Healthy Child and Youth Development

The Three Cs: Strategies for Parents of Children Ages Birth to 4

The Three Cs: Strategies for Parents of Children Ages 5 to 11

Additional tip sheets

These tip sheets were authored by Kareen Smith as part of the grant “Special Project to Provide Technical Assistance, Inservice Training, and Site Development for Positive Behavioral Support Strategies for Students with Disabilities,” from the U.S. Department of Education. Principal investigators for the project were Scott McConnell, Ph.D., of the UMN Institute on Community Integration, and Carolyn Elliott of the Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and Learning.

Positive Classroom Environment and Student-Teacher Rapport

Schedules of Reinforcement

Child Development Core Story Videos

Learn about the importance of the early years with this educational video series: Part 1: Brain Architecture, Part 2: Serve and Return, Part 3: Stress, Part 4: Pay Now or Pay Later, and Part 5: Resilience.

This five-part series of educational videos presents an accessible overview of children’s brain development and stresses the impact of the early years on the rest of our lives.

The videos were developed in collaboration with Institute of Child Development Director Megan Gunnar, PhD, as part of CEED’s Project for Babies. This project aimed to improve health and developmental outcomes for children by presenting evidence for special attention to their earliest experiences and interactions.

Thank you to the Greater Twin Cities United Way for providing financial support to develop the video, and to Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child for the use of images and other content. Thanks also to Vox Pop Video and Cliff Dahlberg for contributing to the project.

Child Development Core Story, Part 1: Brain Architecture

Child Development Core Story, Part 2: Serve and Return

Child Development Core Story, Part 3: Stress

Child Development Core Story, Part 4: Pay Now or Pay Later

Child Development Core Story, Part 5: Resilience

Child Welfare Credential Pilot Project

In partnership with the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare, we’ve developed and launched a pilot training program in “Understanding Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health.”

In partnership with the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW), we’ve developed and launched a pilot training program in “Understanding Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health.”

The program includes online and in-person coursework that draws on infant and mental health principles. Coursework aims to help individuals understand early social and emotional development and work with parents with special considerations. The program also includes online reflective consultation.

Funding

This partnership is funded, in part, under the auspices of Federal Title IV-E Funding, Minnesota Department of Human Services (Contract # 439481), the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare at the University of Minnesota School of Social Work.

Project staff

Mary Harrison, Ph.D., LICSW, IMH-E® (III-C), Research Associate

Christopher Watson, Ph.D., IMH-E®[IV], Research Associate

Related resources

Child Development in Child Welfare

We partner with the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare to offer online training and reflective consultation, publications, and events that apply child development research to the child welfare system.

We partner with the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW) to offer online training and reflective consultation, publications, and events that apply child development theory to professional development and services within the child welfare system.

Ongoing work includes:

  • Development, launch, and evaluation of a pilot training credential program for professionals in the field. The program focuses on understanding infant and early childhood mental health.
  • Annual Experiential Learning event for child welfare students at Lifetrack Families Together Therapeutic Preschool.

Partners include the University of Minnesota Extension Children, Youth, and Family Consortium and the Center for Leadership Education in Maternal & Child Public Health.

Funding

This partnership is funded, in part, under the auspices of Federal Title IV-E Funding, Minnesota Department of Human Services (Contract # 439481), the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare at the University of Minnesota School of Social Work.

Project staff

Mary Harrison, Ph.D., LICSW, IMH-E® (III-C), Research Associate

Christopher Watson, Ph.D., IMH-E®[IV], Research Associate

Related resources

Centers of Excellence Professional Development System

We’re helping the Minnesota Department of Education’s early intervention and early childhood special education programs maintain and grow an accessible, evidence-based professional development system for Minnesota.

We’re helping the Minnesota Department of Education’s early intervention and early childhood special education programs maintain and grow an accessible, evidence-based professional development system for Minnesota.

The Minnesota Centers of Excellence For Young Children with Disabilities maintains a website and oversees professional development facilitators throughout the state. Facilitators work directly with the leaders of local programs to determine what type of professional development will best serve their needs. Professional development efforts focus on improving program quality and implementing the three state-supported innovative practice models:

  1. The Pyramid Model: Strategies and supports regarding the social and emotional development of all young children.
  2. Family-Guided Routines-Based Intervention: Resources to support early interventionists in providing functional intervention with natural environments.
  3. Classroom Engagement: Improving child outcomes in classrooms by increasing child engagement.

Funding

Minnesota Department of Education

Project staff

Deborah Ottman, Principal Investigator

Karen Anderson, Program/Project Specialist