Preparation of Special Educators in Essential Early Education. Funding Period: August 1989-July 1992. Final Report

This report describes a graduate program at the University of Vermont's Center for Developmental Disabilities. The program's objective was to prepare essential early educators to meet Vermont's need for highly trained early childhood special educators to assume educational leadership roles. Upon successful completion of the training program students were prepared: (1) to provide individualized, family-centered, special education services to young children with disabilities and their families; (2) to provide direct and consultative services across home, center, and integrated community-based settings; (3) to work with other agencies and disciplines to implement a comprehensive, coordinated system of services for young children with disabilities and their families; and (4) to assume the multiple educational and leadership roles required for establishing, coordinating, implementing, and evaluating early childhood special education programs in rural, sparsely populated settings. Six appendices comprise the bulk of the document: (1) Characteristics of Family-Centered Practitioners Checklist; (2) Family-Based Experience; (3) Practicum Manual (which comprises about half the document); (4) Student Evaluation by Competencies; (5) Sample Evaluation Forms; and (6) Evaluation Summaries. (LL)