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Enhancing pre-service learning systems in early childhood intervention.

  • Align programs of study to state and national professional organization personnel standards and the Cross-Disciplinary Competencies
  • Integrate Division for Early Childhood Recommended Practices (RP) into programs of study
  • Use evidenced-based adult learning practices in IHE programs of study
  • Address other identified areas needed to prepare and support a high-quality ECI workforce to improve outcomes of infants and young children with disabilities and their families through the delivery of high-quality services in inclusive settings

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    Integrated pre-service

    Partnering with Families in Higher Education Courses

    Use this checklist to identify the ECPC materials available for use when developing and revising curriculum and syllabi.

    ECPC materials developed for IHE Faculty:

    Grant Writing Tools

    Please let us know if you use any of these resources, we want to be sure that we are tracking their usefulness. A quick email would be great! (gundler@uchc.edu)

    The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education has announced two new personnel preparation funding opportunities.

    Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities Program--Personnel Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Personnel at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Other Minority Serving Institutions (Assistance Listing Number 84.325M) Focus Area A: Preparing Personnel to Serve Infants, Toddlers, and Preschool-Age Children with Disabilities. Applications are due February 20, 2024.

    Applicant Webinar:

     

    Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities Program — Preservice Program Development Grants at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Other Minority Serving Institutions to Diversify Personnel Serving Children with Disabilities (Assistance Listing Number84.325X)  Applications are due: April 4, 2024

    • ALN 84.325X - Applicant Orientation webinar for Preservice Program Development Grants at HBCUs, TCCUs, and other MSIs to Diversify Personnel Serving Children with Disabilities

     

    Resources to assist with Grant writing:


      ECPC Developed Resources

      The intended use of the ECPC Curriculum Planning Tool is to provide higher education faculty a tool to develop initial Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) programs and blended Early Childhood Education (ECE) and ECSE programs aligned with personnel preparation standards and recommended practices and to ensure that the standards and recommended practices are embedded within and throughout the curriculum. The development of the ECPC curriculum planning tool was driven by the EI/ECSE Practice-based Professional Preparation Standards aligned with the DEC Recommended Practices (RPs) (2014). You will find each EI/ECSE Standard as a separate tab on the tool.  This is a downloadable Excel file and should be personalized to meet the needs of your EI/ECSE or blended ECE/ECSE program. The tabs represent Standards in early childhood special education and are not intended to represent single courses within an EI/ECSE program.

       An enhanced version that includes alignment of the EI/ECSE Standards, ECE Competencies, DEC Recommended Practices, ECPC Cross-Disciplinary Competencies/Indicators, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Competencies (IECMHC), and Zero To Three Competencies.

      Representatives from each of the seven professional organizations reviewed the competency areas and sub-areas and presented these core competency areas for approval to each of their respective organizations. American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA); the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA); the Council of Exceptional Children (CEC) and the Division of Early Childhood (DEC), the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC); and ZERO TO THREE.

      Crosswalk of the Initial Practice-Based Professional Preparation Standards EI/ECSE (2020) and the DEC Recommended Practices (2014)

      Crosswalk of the Initial Practice-Based Professional Preparation Standards EI/ECSE (2020) and the Professional Standards and Competencies for ECE (2020)

      ECPC Curriculum Modules – Link to the EI/ECSE Standards

      Link to: ECPC Curriculum Modules: Professional Standards  

      Division for Early Childhood: EI/ECSE Standards 2020 (dec-sped.org)

      Council for Exceptional Children: Initial Practice-Based Standards for Early Interventionists/Early Childhood Special Educators (EI/ECSE) Personnel Standards 

      The Early Interventionist/Early Childhood Special Educator (EI/ECSE) Standards represent the first standards to focus specifically on the preparation of professionals who work with young children ages birth through 8 who have or are at-risk for developmental delays and disabilities and their families, across home, classroom and community settings. These Standards build on the history of EI/ECSE as an integrative but unique field of study, policy, research, and practice and emphasize the unique skills and knowledge required for specialization in working with young children and their families.

      ECPC Curriculum Planning Tool - EI/ECSE Standards

      The intended use of the ECPC Curriculum Planning Tool is to provide higher education faculty a tool to develop initial Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) programs and blended Early Childhood Education (ECE) and ECSE programs aligned with personnel preparation standards and recommended practices and to ensure that the standards and recommended practices are embedded within and throughout the curriculum. The development of the ECPC curriculum planning tool was driven by the EI/ECSE Practice-based Professional Preparation Standards aligned with the DEC Recommended Practices (RPs) (2014). You will find each EI/ECSE Standard as a separate tab on the tool.  This is a downloadable excel file and should be personalized to meet the needs of your EI/ECSE or blended ECE/ECSE program. The tabs represent Standards in early childhood special education and are not intended to represent single courses within an EI/ECSE program.

      ECPC Curriculum Planning Tool including IMH ZTT- An enhanced version that includes alignment of the EI/ECSE Standards, ECE Competencies, DEC Recommended Practices, ECPC Cross-Disciplinary Competencies/Indicators, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Competencies (IECMHC), Zero To Three Competencies.

      IHE Tools for Program and Course Revision or Development

      ECPC Adult Learning Planning Tool

      The ECPC Adult Learning Planning Tool is for use by higher education faculty and professional development providers when planning and implementing a topic/content/practice.  These seven evidence-based adult learning practices are derived from a meta-synthesis of 15 research reviews of professional development which included 550 studies and 50,000 teachers and practitioners (Dunst, Bruder, & Hamby, 2015).

      ECPC Curriculum Planning Tool

      The intended use of the ECPC Curriculum Planning Tool is to provide higher education faculty with a tool to develop initial Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) programs and blended Early Childhood Education (ECE) and ECSE programs aligned with personnel preparation standards and recommended practices and to ensure that the standards and recommended practices are embedded within and throughout the curriculum. The development of the ECPC curriculum planning tool was driven by the EI/ECSE Practice-based Professional Preparation Standards aligned with the DEC Recommended Practices (RPs) (2014). You will find each EI/ECSE Standard as a separate tab on the tool.  This is a downloadable excel file and should be personalized to meet the needs of your EI/ECSE or blended ECE/ECSE program. The tabs represent Standards in early childhood special education and are not intended to represent single courses within an EI/ECSE program.

      ECPC Curriculum Planning Tool including IMH ZTT- An enhanced version that includes alignment of the EI/ECSE Standards, ECE Competencies, DEC Recommended Practices, ECPC Cross-Disciplinary Competencies/Indicators, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Competencies (IECMHC), Zero To Three Competencies.

      ECPC Program of Study Self-Assessment Checklist

      This checklist is designed for program self-assessment for an Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) or a blended Early Childhood Education and EI/ECSE curriculum or program of study at an approved Institution of Higher Education (IHE).

      ECPC Syllabi Checklist

      This checklist includes eight sections typically included in course syllabi and is designed to facilitate alignment of the course content and requirements with the EI/ECSE standards and components.

      Course Development and Curriculum Resources: DEC Specialty Set and CEC Standards (*PRIOR* to 2020)

      *DEC Specialty Set and CEC Standards (PRIOR* to 2020)

       

      • Crosswalks of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Recommended Practices
        The crosswalks are designed to assist faculty and professional development providers in identifying the intersection of the DEC Recommended Practices with the CEC and NAEYC Standards as well as the DEC knowledge and skill statements. The crosswalks provide a resource to facilitate the integration of the DEC Recommended Practices by higher education faculty and professional development providers into course/workshop activities, assignments, and fieldwork.

       

      • Curriculum Planning Tool CEC standards
        The intended use of the ECPC Curriculum Planning Tool is to provide higher education faculty a tool to develop initial Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) programs and blended Early Childhood Education (ECE) and ECSE programs aligned with personnel preparation standards and recommended practices and to ensure that the standards and recommended practices are embedded within and throughout the curriculum. The development of the ECPC curriculum planning tool was driven by the CEC Initial Special Education Professional Preparation Standards (2012), the DEC Initial Specialty Set: ECSE/EI knowledge and skill statements, and the NAEYC Professional Preparation Standards (2010), aligned with the DEC Recommended Practices (RPs) (2014). You will find each DEC RP as a separate tab on the tool. A crosswalk for each Recommended Practice within the Recommended Practices topical areas was developed and is located on the Early Childhood Personnel Center website. Given the methodological procedure for these crosswalks, not all personnel standard elements are included. The Leadership practices have not yet been included in the crosswalk.
        This is a downloadable excel file and should be personalized to meet the needs of your EI/ECSE or blended ECE/ECSE program. The tabs represent topics in early childhood special education and are not intended to represent single courses within an EI/ECSE program.

       

      • ECPC Sample Syllabus - Assessment.DOCX
        This sample syllabus provides ideas, resources, activities, readings, and assignments, aligned with personnel preparation standards and recommended practices. Consider state and university policies and add them as appropriate. This is an example only and is not a complete syllabus.

       

      • Personnel Standards Alignment
        These alignments were done to assist higher education faculty and professional development staff to align their curricula with knowledge and skills and standards for early childhood special educators who serve infants and young children and their families.

       

       

      • DEC Recommended Practices
        DEC Recommended Practices logo
        The DEC Recommended Practices provide guidance to practitioners and families about the most effective ways to improve the learning outcomes and promote
        the development of young children, birth through five years of age, who have or are at-risk for developmental delays or disabilities. The DEC Recommended Practices are based on the best available empirical evidence as well as the wisdom and experience of the field.

      Course Development and Curriculum Resources: *NEW* EI/ECSE Standards (approved 2020)

      *NEW* EI/ECSE Standards (approved 2020)

      ECPC Curriculum Planning Tool - EI/ECSE Standards

      The intended use of the ECPC Curriculum Planning Tool is to provide higher education faculty a tool to develop initial Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (EI/ECSE) programs and blended Early Childhood Education (ECE) and ECSE programs aligned with personnel preparation standards and recommended practices and to ensure that the standards and recommended practices are embedded within and throughout the curriculum. The development of the ECPC curriculum planning tool was driven by the EI/ECSE Practice-based Professional Preparation Standards aligned with the DEC Recommended Practices (RPs) (2014). You will find each EI/ECSE Standard as a separate tab on the tool.  This is a downloadable excel file and should be personalized to meet the needs of your EI/ECSE or blended ECE/ECSE program. The tabs represent Standards in early childhood special education and are not intended to represent single courses within an EI/ECSE program.

      ECPC Adult Learning Planning Tool with Examples

      ECPC Adult Learning Planning Tool

      The ECPC Adult Learning Planning Tool is for use by higher education faculty and professional development providers when planning and implementing a topic/content/practice.  These seven evidence-based adult learning practices derived from a meta-synthesis of 15 research reviews of professional development which included 550 studies and 50,000 teachers and practitioners (Dunst, Bruder, & Hamby, 2015).

      Cross-Disciplinary Competencies

      Representatives from each of the seven professional organizations reviewed the competency areas and sub-areas and presented these core competency areas for approval to each of their respective organizations. American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA); the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA); the Council of Exceptional Children (CEC) and the Division of Early Childhood (DEC), the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC); and ZERO TO THREE.

      Crosswalk of the EI/ECSE Standards (2020) with DEC RPs (2014)

      Crosswalk of the Initial Practice-Based Professional Preparation Standards EI/ECSE (2020) and the DEC Recommended Practices (2014)

      Crosswalk of the EI/ECSE (2020) and ECE Standards (2020)

      Crosswalk of the Initial Practice-Based Professional Preparation Standards EI/ECSE (2020) and the Professional Standards and Competencies for ECE (2020)

      EI-ECSE/RPs/HLPs.pdf (exceptionalchildren.org)

      Crosswalk of the 2020 Initial Practice-Based Professional Preparation Standards (EI/ECSE) with 2014 DEC Recommended Practices (birth - 5) and 2017 CEC High-Leverage Practices (5-8)

      Sample Syllabus for each Standard

      These sample syllabi provide ideas, resources, activities, readings, and assignments, aligned with the Initial Practice-Based Standards for Early Interventionists/Early Childhood Special Educators (2020) and DEC Recommended Practices (2014).  Consider state and university policies and add them as appropriate.  This is an example only and is not a complete syllabus.

      DEC Recommended Practices

      DEC Recommended Practices logo
      The DEC Recommended Practices provide guidance to practitioners and families about the most effective ways to improve the learning outcomes and promote the development of young children, birth through five years of age, who have or are at-risk for developmental delays or disabilities. The DEC Recommended Practices are based on the best available empirical evidence as well as the wisdom and experience of the field.

      E-Learning and CONNECT Resources

      Each learning series has an introduction, practice illustration and implementation activities and resources.

      Community College Curriculum and Resources

      The UConn Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) is part of a five-year grant with the Office of Special Education (OSEP) and the Connecticut Community Colleges. The purpose of this grant is to improve the quality of early childhood education (ECE) associate degree programs in the 12 state community colleges by redesigning the ECE curricula to better prepare the community college ECE student to work with young children with disabilities and/or culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and their families. This library supports faculty by providing a variety of resources that focus on the inclusion of young children with disabilities and/or culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and their families, best practice, and the importance of high-quality inclusive early care and education for all children and families.Connecticut Community College Resource Library | Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service (uconnucedd.org)

      Each course includes the following sections:

      Course Description

      A statement informing students about the subject matter as well as the span and scope of a course.

      Master Course Outline with a Sample Syllabus

      A document that includes the course description, course objectives, student outcomes, key experiences, resources, and a sample syllabus for each specific course.
       The master course outlines were created in alignment with the following professional standards:

      Foundation Resources

      A variety of resources which are foundational to every ECE course and essential for curriculum development. Instructors may choose to distribute these resources in some classes and not in others. Resources include position statements, policy statements, Connecticut Early Learning and Development Standards Resources, documents, and websites. Please view our Foundation Resource list.pdf.

      Course-Specific Resources

      A library of resources includes articles, children’s literature, Connecticut Early Learning, and Development Standards Resources, documents, film, learning modules, podcasts, webinars, webpages, and websites.

      Link to courses and resources: Connecticut Community College Resource Library | Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service (uconnucedd.org)

        Institutes of Higher Education involved with ECPC

        Institutes of Higher Education involved with ECPC

        100 Faculty
         

          85 Universities

          34 States