New Position Statement: Personnel Preparation for EI/ECSE
DEC is excited to announce that the Personnel Preparation for Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education position statement is now available!
This position statement accompanies the Initial Practice-Based Professional Standards for Early Interventionists/Early Childhood Special Educators developed by CEC and DEC in 2020. The development of these standards resulted in the need to revise the 2017 DEC Position Statement on the Personnel Standards in Early Childhood Special Education.
This revised position statement provides direction for individuals in a variety of professional roles who are engaged in EI/ECSE personnel preparation, including, but not limited to, faculty and staff at institutes of higher education (IHEs); professional development (PD) and technical assistance providers at local, regional, state, and national levels; and state-level certification/licensure and policy administrators.
Specifically, this position statement
Discusses the EI/ECSE discipline in relation to the interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of the early childhood field;
Provides an overview of the foundations of EI/ECSE personnel preparation, including a theory of change, key concepts that have long guided the field, and the role of personnel preparation standards;
Describes models and approaches of EI/ECSE preparation and licensure;
Provides background related to accreditation and recognition processes;
Discusses the application of the EI/ECSE standards of PD endeavors; and
Provides specific recommendations for the preparation of all EI/ECSE professionals and use of the new 2020 EI/ECSE standards across contexts.
DEC is grateful to the Chairs of the position statement workgroup, Dr. Ann Mickelson and Dr. LaShorage Shaffer; the full writing team; and all who contributed to this work.
