Trends in Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)

Collaborative Early Childhood (EC) Structures(1).  All EC programs including 619 are co-located, often in a separate EC governance structure, ie, office, department or Governor’s Council, etc

 AZ, CT, IL, KY, LA, MA, MI, MN, NC, OH,

Smart Start is an EC initiative with state oversight, training and TA ; funded by state dollars, non-profits and private sector support; structured with state and local partnerships; based on local partnership strategic plans which take local infrastructure, exiting programs and local needs into consideration;  used as a vehicle for promoting higher quality care, creating new child care spaces (by funding subcontractors) and providing child care subsidies.

AZ, IA SC, AL, TN, OK, CO

Pre-Kindergarten Initiatives

State Funded Pre-K for Children at-risk – 33 states

Locally funded Pre-K – 26 States

Title 1 Pre- K – 26 states

Pre-K Early Reading Programs – 23 states

Universal Program for 4 yea olds: FL, GA, OK

Worked collaboratively to develop EC standards that apply to all children, including children with disabilities (1)

AK, AR, AZ, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA,MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MT,  NC,NE, NJ, NM,  NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT,  WA, WI , WV,  WY (39 states)

Standards / outcomes(2): Shared EC standards are the basis for outcome work . States will report children’s progress on standards and outcomes.

CO, KY, MD, OR

Single blended certification (1)  for Preschool Special Education and general early education providers

 CO, CT, FL, IA, ID, KS, KY, LA, MA, NC, OK, PA, RI, TN WI, WV

States with an Education Lead for Part C and 619

CNMI, GU, IA, ME, MD, MI*, MN*, MO, NE* (co-lead with HHS), OK, OR, SD*, TN

* birth mandate state, (provides FAPE birth – 5)

Jaci’s “picks”: PA MD, OK, KY, NC, IA AR, OR

Data Source:

(1)  Section 619 Profile. May 2006 , NECTAC, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, UNC, Chapel Hill, NC http://www.nectac.org/

(2) ECO Center  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~ECO/