Dr. Joyce Little began her special education career as a speech/language pathologist teaching students with language disabilities. For over seven years, she also worked as a diagnostic expert, identifying students’ disabilities and defining the programs necessary to serve their individual needs.
The scope of Dr. Little’s twenty-five years experience in education is extensive and includes administering local special education programs in Northern and Southern California school districts. For over ten years, she applied her analytical talents and facilitation skills to promote organizational change within these districts. The results of her work positively affected special education programs through dramatically improved communication and coordinated decision-making at the program director and coordinating agency levels.
Her commitment led to improved delivery of service to students through the initiation of Special Education Leadership Teams. The Teams were comprised of teachers, principals, and aides who continuously reviewed and revised processes and procedures within districts for special education programs.
In her work with special programs and projects, Dr. Little introduced multi-sensory reading programs that successfully improved LEP and special education student’s language proficiency for both English and their primary language. To foster positive patent involvement and participation, she established and improved thriving Community Advisory Committees (CACs) to focus on the development and implementation of dynamic parent information and training opportunities.
In addition to teaching at all levels, from preschool programs to high school, she has worked for districts as a fun-raiser and grant writer, and developed award winning school business partnerships.
Together with her husband and partner, Doug Little, Joyce developed the Facilitated IEP Meeting process. Since 1998, she has trained over 14,000 people through her companies JDL Associates, and now Key2Ed.
A native Californian, Dr. Little holds the following degrees from the University of Southern California: Ed.D in Education Policy and Administration; M.A. in Communicative Disorders; and B.A. in Political Science.