Deidre J. Stewart

• Provide strategic leadership and direction to staff on early childhood initiatives designed to promote school readiness support for young children, their families, and early childhood educators.
• Supervises staff in the Office for Children School Readiness Division as well as oversees the development and implementation of budgets in each initiative (Ready Regions (2021-2023), Institute for Early Learning, Neighborhood School Readiness Project, and Virginia Quality (2021-2023).
• Co-lead Virginia's Capital Area Ready Region network to ensure equitable opportunities for all families with young children (2021-2023).
• Responsible for the daily management of initiatives, the development and implementation of programs and services, including recruitment, selection, retention, grant compliance, and countywide liaison functions
• Directs or assists with hiring staff and supervision programs within the division
• Maintains cooperative relationships with other county agencies, service providers, and community-based organizations
• Conducts needs assessments and course surveys to determine community needs for services.

• Designed and supported the design and implementation of professional development experiences for teachers, teacher leaders, and school leaders to address early learning standards, CLASS, Creative Curriculum, and best practices within pre-kindergarten classrooms.
• Managed a team of early childhood instructional specialists across 25 schools who work directly with teachers and school leaders.
• Lead interdisciplinary teams to develop LEAP modules and other content for early childhood teachers.
• Created detailed plans and oversaw timely implementation of cross-divisional projects, often upon urgent requests from school leaders.
• Evaluated the effectiveness of ECE professional development sessions through school visits and developed action plans for ongoing improvements.
• Early Childhood Race & Equity- Recruitment and Staff Retention.
• Created MTSS Guide for Early Childhood Specialists.
• Developed and supervised the creation of the Rising PK and K Summer Acceleration Curriculum, 2021.
• Provided in-depth expertise in early childhood best practices social-emotional and cognitive development to direct school support in program areas in alignment with each school's CSP in Clusters 1 and 6.

• Functioned as an ECE LEAP Leader in schools by supporting all PK teachers, including early childhood generalists and early childhood special educators.
• Worked to build the capacity of early childhood Head Start teachers and support staff to provide the highest quality education possible efficiently and effectively for the youngest learners.
• Lead weekly planning cycles, content knowledge development, formative observations, and child and teacher evidence analysis tied to the DCPS-ECE content, GOLD, curriculum, and LEAP framework.
• Supported teachers with implementing Tools of the Mind Curriculum and Creative Curriculum.
• Worked collaboratively with teachers to consistently analyze teacher practice through ongoing classroom observations, data analysis, and examination of children's work.
• Provided clear and direct feedback to teachers based on analysis of practice.
• Modeled research-based instructional approaches.
• Developed a trusting, confidential, and reflective professional partnership with teachers, administrators, and other school-based staff.

• Designs/delivers eight-week online courses to undergraduate and graduate students.
• Evaluate and grade student classwork, assignments, and papers, providing effective feedback for student learning and success.
• Participates in professional development to continually enhance teaching skills.
• Teaches courses including Infant and Toddler Programs, Infant and Toddler Development, Introduction to Child Development, Child Educational Development, Child and Adolescent Development, Human Life Span Development, and Human Sexuality.

• Prepared for classes by completing online pre-work and modifying provided session plans and training materials for graduate-level students.
• Update the online syllabus with pre-work and other information about upcoming content instruction.
• Attended Adjunct Instructor orientation twice a year to review the curriculum and learn practical and engaging techniques that Relay's instructional leaders developed.
• Debriefed instructional strengths and growth areas from session observations with Relay leaders.

● Planned engaging lessons that help to develop students' thinking and provide opportunities to become knowledge builders.

● Improved and differentiated instruction using “demonstrations of learning” to formatively assess what students know and can do.

● Collected and used student data to inform classroom instruction.

● Created a positive and supportive classroom climate for increased learning and achievement.

• Provided educational lectures and facilitated discussions every week.
• Implemented instructional presentations to communicate coursework goals.

• Computer Adaptive Assessment that Measures Growth and Development in three domains: Phonological Awareness, Language Comprehension, and Vocabulary for Preschool Students
• Developed, coordinated, and implemented tasks related to the project.
• Directed and organized project activities under the direction of the principal investigator.
• Effectively and accurately communicate relevant project information to project team and school officials.
• Set up recruitment meetings with potential district-level administrators.
• Conducted in-depth literature and assessment review of existing standardized assessments and skill criteria related to preschool emerging literacy.
• Developed theory, wrote, edited, and organized test bank items to be delivered for building a computerized assessment tool.
• Compiled findings into standard alignment spreadsheets and academic procedure manuals for assessment development.
• Worked with and helped lead the writing team to develop a theory procedure for subtest of an assessment for preschool emerging literacy.
• Co-authored procedures and technical manuals for assessment publication.
• Provided one-on-one norm-referenced and computerized assessments to preschool and early elementary research participants.
• Worked with community network connections and colleagues to establish working relationships between SMU and preschool programs in the greater DFW while recruiting schools, teachers, and students for research participation.
• Prepared informational presentations, forms, and documents communicating the scope of research activities related to research participants, the Internal Review Board, and research and evaluation committees.

• Served as division leader in curriculum development.
• Coordinated student assessment process, and monitored performance level of students.
• Supervised classroom instruction and evaluations through classroom visitations.
• Modeled and assisted teachers in self-analysis of teaching methods, pupil relationships, and curriculum content.
• Worked closely with organizational leadership and board of directors to guide operational strategy.

• Supervised day-to-day functioning of the school and curriculum development.
• Implemented management procedures that ensured proper planning and efficient operation of program design-defined policies of admission, attendance, tuition, and educational goals
• Responsible for the newsletter and other written communication regarding school programs and assisted in administering PLS-3 and school readiness tests.
• Consulted with parents to build and maintain positive support networks and support continuing education strategies.
• Implemented developmentally and culturally appropriate curriculum for children, creating positive, and safe classroom environments.
• Maintained and fostered positive and constructive interactions with staff, families, and children.
• Communicated with parents and other staff about student progress.
• Coached, supervised, and mentored education staff, imparting classroom knowledge to build strong skill sets.