The DIAL EE Fellows program is the signature program of the Center for District Innovation and Leadership in Early Education (DIAL EE) that is tailored to support early education leaders in local education agencies to integrate multiple initiatives and resources for an aligned and comprehensive early education strategy (e.g., PreK-3rd, partnership with community, inclusion, alignment, expanded day, whole child full-day full-year).

The DIAL EE Fellows program supports individuals and teams of two, who are responsible for designing, implementing, and monitoring the early education strategy in their state and local education agencies to effect change and increase alignment. Working in cohorts, DIAL EE Fellows expand their capacity to strengthen public education systems, innovate solutions, and inform policy. DIAL EE Fellows are supported to integrate initiatives and resources for an aligned and comprehensive early education strategy. The Fellowship is organized around building adaptive and distributed leadership within LEAs to affect early learning and K-12 systems alignment. It begins with building a learning community among a group of district early learning leaders.
Through committed participation over 2 years, DIAL EE Fellows engage in a learning process that will:

1. Introduce new or essential content to early learning leaders through webinars, shared resources, and other professional learning opportunities.
2. Provide opportunities to explore and deepen understanding of the content through discussions with peers, content experts, and other stakeholders.
3. Provide opportunities and support for fellows to present at statewide conferences to share their knowledge, experiences, and effective practices to increase understanding and visibility of early education in K-12 spaces.
4. Provide opportunities and support for fellows to review and formulate responses to policy issues impacting their work.
5. With the support of a coach, translate or adapt this new content knowledge to each leader’s individual district context or use it to reflect on current district and/or leadership practices.
6. Pilot or test innovative strategies and practices gleaned through the learning cycle.