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.

Standard 1: Child Development and Early Learning

Standard 2: Partnering with Families

Standard 3: Collaboration and Teaming

Standard 4: Assessment Processes

Standard 5: Application of Curriculum Frameworks in the Planning of Meaningful Learning Experience

Standard 6: Using Responsive and Reciprocal Interactions, Interventions, and Instruction

Standard 7: Professionalism and Ethical Practice

*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.

• ECPC 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.

• 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.
  • Case Studies
    • Case Study Maria - Professionalism
      
    • Case Study Aiden - Coordination Collaboration
    • Case Study Antonia - Family Centered Practice
    • Case Study Robert - Evidence Based Intervention
  • Articles
    Case studies and articles illustrate the cross-disciplinary competencies and are for use by Higher Education faculty and Professional development staff.

• DEC Recommended Practices
  
  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.

*NEW* EI/ECSE Standards (approved 2020)

ECPC Adult Learning Planning Tool with examples

ECPC Adult Learning Planning Tool blank

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.

• Case Studies
  • Case Study Maria - Professionalism
    
  • Case Study Aiden - Coordination Collaboration
  • Case Study Antonia - Family-Centered Practice
  • Case Study Robert - Evidence-Based Intervention
• Articles
  Case studies and articles illustrate the cross-disciplinary competencies and are for use by Higher Education faculty and Professional development staff.

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)

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.

• Sample Syllabus Standard 1 Child development
• Sample Syllabus Standard 2 Partnering with Families
• Sample Syllabus Standard 3 Collaboration and Teaming
• Sample Syllabus Standard 4 Assessment Processes
• Sample Syllabus Standard 5 Curriculum Frameworks 
• Sample Syllabus Standard 6 Using Responsive and Reciprocal Interactions Interventions and Instruction Part 1 (components 6.1, 6.3, 6.6, 6.7)
• Sample Syllabus Standard 6 Using Responsive and Reciprocal Interactions Interventions and Instruction Part 2 (components 6.2, 6.5) 
• Sample Syllabus Standard 6 Using Responsive and Reciprocal Interactions Interventions and Instruction Part 3 (components 6.2. 6.4)
• Sample Syllabus Standard 7 Professionalism and Ethical Practice

These sample syllabi provide ideas, resources, activities, readings, and assignments, aligned with the CEC 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

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
  E-learning lessons, practice guides, resources, and link to CONNECT Modules

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

Interdisciplinary Preparation in Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services for Personnel Serving Children with Disabilities who Have High-Intensity Needs (Assistance Listing Number/CFDA 84.325K) 

• Fiscal Year 2021 Application for New Grants Under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) - Grant Application Package 325K

This application packet contains information and the required forms for you to use in submitting a new application for funding under one program authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  

• ECPC Checklist for Application Review Personnel Prep Interdisciplinary FY '21

Use this ECPC checklist to consider the grant elements of your application that will be reviewed and scored.

• ECPC-Planning-Guide 84-325K Personnel-Preparation-Grants FY '21

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education has announced a new personnel preparation funding opportunity.  Use this ECPC planning guide to prepare your application for the Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities: Interdisciplinary Preparation in Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services for Personnel Serving Children with Disabilities Who Have High-Intensity Needs (CFDA 84.325K) Focus Area A: Preparing Personnel to serve infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children with disabilities who have high-intensity needs. Applications are due June 22, 2021.

Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Leadership Personnel (Assistance Listing Number/CFDA 84.325D)

• Fiscal Year 2021 Application for New Grants Under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) - Grant Application Package 325D

This application packet contains information and the required forms for you to use in submitting a new application for funding under one program authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  

• ECPC Checklist for Application Review Leadership Personnel Prep FY '21

Use this ECPC checklist to consider the grant elements of your application that will be reviewed and scored.

• ECPC Planning Guide 84-325D Personnel Preparation Grants FY '21

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education has announced a new personnel preparation funding opportunity.  Use this ECPC planning guide to prepare your application for the Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities: Preparation of Special Education, Early Intervention, and Related Services Leadership Personnel (CFDA 84.325D) Program.  Applications are due June 7, 2021.