While the national growth of interdisciplinary early childhood education (ECE) and early childhood special education (ECSE) teacher preparation has been documented, research into these programs is scarce. This study was conducted to gather graduates' perceptions of their preparation in a statewide system of ECE/ECSE interdisciplinary teacher preparation programs. A southeastern state implemented the new approach to preparing teachers to work with infants, toddlers, and young children with and without disabilities, and their families, in 1992. As one of the first stand-alone blended teacher preparation licenses, the Birth through Kindergarten license in this state is a competency-based approach to licensure combining the NAEYC and DEC preparation standards. A mail survey of graduates from seven state- and NCATE-approved blended programs was conducted during the first year of employment. Participants were asked to rate their preparation in state licensure competencies. Perceived strengths were higher in areas of general early childhood and child development than in areas specific to early childhood special education. Graduates reported a need in the preparation programs for more content and application in areas including working with families, behavior analysis, and working with children who have moderate to severe disabilities.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bailey, D.B. (1980). Issues and directions in preparing professionals to work with young handicapped children and their families. In J. Gallagher, P. Trohanis, & R. Clifford (Eds.), Policy implementation and P.L. 99-457: Planning for young children with special needs (pp. 97–132). Baltimore, MD: Brookes.
2.
Blanton, L.P., Griffin, C.C., Winn, J.A., Pugach, M.C. (1997). Collaborative programs to prepare general and special educators.Denver: Love Publishing.
3.
Bologna, T., Stayton, V.D., Miller, P., Fader, L., Bredekamp, S., & Weintraub, F. (1996). Update on personnel preparation standards and implications for program and state certification.Division for Early Childhood Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ.
4.
Bredekamp, S. (1992). The early childhood profession coming together. Young Children, 47(6), 36–39.
5.
Bredekamp, S. (1996). Teacher education curriculum: Early childhood education. In J. Sikula, T. Buttery, & E. Guyton (Eds.), Handbook of research on teacher education, (2nd Edition), (pp. 223–348). New York: Simon & Schuster MacMillan.
6.
Bredekamp, S., & Copple, C. (1997). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs (rev. ed.). Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
7.
Burton, C.B., Hains, A.H., Hanline, M.F., McLean, M., & McCormick, K. (1992). Early childhood intervention and education: The urgency of professional unification. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 11(4), 53–69.
8.
Buysse, V., & Bailey, D.B. (1993). Behavioral and developmental outcomes in young children with disabilities in integrated and segregated settings: A review of comparative studies. The Journal of Special Education, 2, 434–461.
9.
Carta, J.J., Schwartz, I.S., Atwater, J.B., & McConnell, S.R. (1991). Developmentally appropriate practice: Appraising its usefulness for young children with disabilities. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 11(1), 1–20.
10.
Darling-Hammond, L. (1997). The right to learn.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
11.
Division for Early Childhood (DEC) (1993). DEC recommended practices: Indicators of quality in programs for infants and young children with special needs and their families.Reston, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.
12.
Division for Early Childhood (DEC), National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), & Association of Teacher Educators (ATE). (1995). Personnel standards for early education and early intervention: Guidelines for licensure in early childhood special education.Denver, CO: Division for Early Childhood.
13.
Fader, L. (1996). Determining the nature of differences between unified early childhood/early childhood special education teacher education programs and separate early childhood special education programs. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Maryland, Baltimore.
14.
Glaser, B.G., & Strauss, A.L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research.Chicago: Academic Press.
15.
Goetz, J., & LeCompte, M. (1984). Ethnography and qualitative design in educational research.Orlando, FL: Academic Press.
16.
Johnson, L.J., & LaMontagne, M.J. (1993). Using content analysis to examine the verbal or written communication of stakeholders within early intervention. Journal of Early Intervention, 16(4), 73–79.
17.
Kilgo, J., Johnson, L., LaMontagne, J., Stayton, V., Cook, M., & Cooper, C. (1999). Importance of practices: A national study of general and special early childhood educators. Journal of Early Intervention, 22(4), 294–305.
18.
Kilgo, J.L., & Bruder, M.B. (1997). Creating new visions in institutions of higher education: Interdisciplinary approaches to personnel preparation in early intervention. In P.J. Winton, J.A. McCollum, & C. Catlett (Eds.), Reforming personnel preparation in early intervention: Issues, models, and practical strategies (pp. 81–101). Baltimore: Brookes.
19.
LaMontagne, M.J., Danborn, K., & Buchanan, M. (1998). Developmentally and individually appropriate practices. In L.J. Johnson, M.J. LaMontagne, P.M. Elgas, & A.M. Bauer (Eds.), Early childhood education: Blending theory, blending practice (pp. 83–109). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.
20.
LaMontagne, M.J., Kilgo, J., Stayton, V., & Johnson, L. (1998, December). Standards for early childhood professionals: A survey of perspectives. Paper presented at the Division For Early Childhood Annual Conference, Chicago, IL.
21.
LaMontagne, M.J., Kilgo, J., Stayton, V., & Johnson, L. (1998). Standards for early childhood professionals: A survey of perspectives. Paper presented at the Division For Early Childhood Annual Conference, Chicago, IL.
22.
McLean, M., & Odom, S.L. (1993). Practices for young children with and without disabilities: A comparison of DEC and NAEYC identified practices. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 2, 274–292.
23.
McCollum, J., & Bailey, D. (1991). Developing comprehensive personnel systems: Issues and alternatives. Journal of Early Intervention, 12(3), 195–211.
24.
Miller, P.S. (1992). Segregated programs of teacher education in early childhood: Immoral and inefficient practice. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 11(4), 39–52.
25.
Miller, P., Fader. L., & Vincent, L. (2000). Preparing early childhood educators to work with children who have exceptional needs. In Diane Horm-Wingerd & Marilou Hyson (Eds.), New teachers in a new century: The future of early childhood teacher preparation (pp. 89–123). Washington, DC: National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education, U.S. Department of Education.
26.
Miller, P.S., & Stayton, V.D. (1998). Blended interdisciplinary teacher preparation in early education and intervention: A national study. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 18(1), 49–59.
27.
Miller, P.S., & Stayton, V.D. (1996). Personnel preparation in early education and intervention: Recommended preservice and inservice practices. In S.L. Odom & M.E. McLean (Eds.), Early intervention/early childhood special education: Recommended practices (pp. 329–358).
28.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (1996). Guidelines for preparation of early childhood professionals.Washington, DC: Author.
29.
N.E.C.T.A.S. (2001). Section 619 profile, 10th edition. Chapel Hill: National Early Childhood Technical Assistance System.
30.
Odom, S.L., & McEvoy, M.A. (1990). Main-streaming at the preschool level: Barriers and tasks for the field. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 2, 48–61.
31.
Rose, D.F., & Smith, B.J. (1993). Preschool main-streaming: Attitude barriers and strategies for addressing them. Young Children, 2, 59–62.
32.
Rosenkoetter, S., & Stayton, V.D. (1997). Designing and implementing innovative interdisciplinary practica. In P.J. Winton, J.A. McCollum, & C. Catlett (Eds.), Reforming personnel preparation in early intervention: Issues, models, and practical strategies (pp. 453–474). Baltimore: Brookes.
33.
Sandall, S., McLean, M.E., & Smith, B.J. (2000). DEC recommended practices in early intervention/early childhood special education.Longmont, CO: Sopris West.
34.
Smith, B.J., Miller, P.S., & Bredekamp, S. (1998). Sharing responsibility: DEC-, NAEYC-, and Vygotsky-based practices for quality inclusion. Young Exceptional Children, 2(1), 11–21.
35.
SPSS for WINDOWS Rel 8.0.1. [Computer software]. (1998, May). Chicago: SPSS.
36.
Snyder, P., & McWilliam, P.J. (1999). Evaluating the efficacy of case method instruction: Findings from preservice training in family-centered care. Journal of Early Intervention, 2, 114–125.
37.
Stayton, V., & Bruder, M.B. (1999). Early intervention personnel preparation for the new millenium: Early childhood special education. Infants and Young Children, 2, 59–69.
38.
Stayton, V., Miller, P.S., & Dinnebeil, L. (2002). Teacher preparation in early childhood Special education: Implementing DEC recommended practices.Longmont, CO: Sopris West.
39.
Stedman, D.J. (1990, January). The professional preparation of teachers and early childhood educators: Changes in the wind. Paper presented at the South Pacific International Conference on Special Education. Auckland, New Zealand.
40.
Strain, P.S. (1990). LRE for preschool children with handicaps: What we know, what we should be doing. Journal of Early Intervention, 2, 64–77.
41.
Straka, E., Losardo, A., & Bricker, D. (1998). Early intervention preservice preparation evaluation and reflections. Infant-Toddler Intervention: The Transdisciplinary Journal, 8(4), 345–364.
42.
Winton, P.J., & McCollum, J.A. (1997). Ecological perspectives on personnel preparation: Rationale, framework, and guidelines for change. In P. Winton, J.A. McCollum, & C. Catlett (Eds.), Reforming personnel preparation in early intervention, (pp. 81–101). Baltimore: Brookes.
43.
Wolery, M., & Bredekamp, S. (1994). Developmentally appropriate practices and young children with special needs: Contextual issues in the discussion. Journal of Early Intervention, 2, 64–77.
