Life Span partners with teachers, schools to train early-childhood special educators; publishes guide for teacher prep programs

LAWRENCE — Teachers who work with young children with high-intensity support needs play a critical role in important stages of neurodevelopment and educational trajectory. But they need support, as well as training in the latest research and practices that best serve students at the critical early phase of their education. University of Kansas researchers are in the second year of a project to train future and working educators in the latest supports for early childhood special education, while making the practices and supports available for educators nationwide.

KU faculty are beginning year two of Project MounTaiN, also known as Meeting the Need, a five-year $1.1 million grant project funded by the Office of Special Education Programs. The project has developed new curriculum to train educators who work with infants, toddlers and young children in special education and is partnering with public schools, early intervention systems and local early childhood centers in Kansas City, Lawrence and Topeka to provide applied learning opportunities in a wide cross section of schools and educational settings. The faculty have also published a manuscript outlining effective intensive intervention competencies for educators who will work these children and their families.

The competencies will be part of the training for students obtaining their master’s degrees who will teach young students with one or more high-intensity support needs, including students with Individual Education Plans or Individual Family Support plans.

“We took the time to build these skills and determine the needed competencies to be appropriate for kids in early childhood in all early learning settings and of all skill levels. It’s not just focused on in-school interactions or the classroom, but supporting students in all aspects of their education and lives. In homes, with caregivers and in the community,” said Maria Hugh, assistant professor of special education and project director of the grant led with other KU Center on Developmental Disabilities and School of Education & Human Sciences faculty.

The faculty have redesigned their curriculum to embed the competencies and shared the work with other teacher preparation programs with a publication in the Journal of Special Education Preparation, an open-source journal dedicated to serving teacher preparation programs. It adapts a national framework to produce seven competencies early intervention/early childhood special education teachers should attain, and ways in which KU and others can build these skills in their teacher preparation programs:

• Intervention strength.
• Frequency of instructional sequence.
• Alignment with developmentally appropriate practices.
• Attention to transfer.
• Comprehensiveness.
• Behavioral support.
• Individualization.

The manuscript was written by Hugh; Kathleen Tuck, associate professor of special education; Alana Schnitz, assistant professor of special education and assistant research professor at Juniper Gardens Children’s Project; Lisa Didion, assistant professor of special education; and Andrea Nelson, project manager at KUCDD, all of KU.

While the study outlines how special education teacher education programs can ensure similar supports for their candidates, Project MounTaiN is training future and working teachers while working with schools, families and students across the region. The first cohort of nine master’s students are enrolled in the program. Many of them are already working educators seeking advanced degrees to further their careers and to add to their skills in working with early childhood students with high-intensity support needs.

“These are people who care deeply about kids and want to be able to provide the best service they can to them and their families. This will help them be eligible to get their special education teaching licenses and be hirable in many positions,” Hugh said.

The KU team is partnering with 15 education sites across Kansas City, Lawrence and Topeka to both place Project MounTaiN student teachers and provide supports to educators, administrators, families and others in the schools. The partners represent a broad range of socioeconomic, cultural and demographic makeups. Project MounTaiN, led by Hugh, Tuck, Schnitz and Gregory Cheatham, professor of special education at KU, provides support such as coaching for educators on effective use of educational interventions.

“These sites are telling us these are the skills their educators need to be able to meet the need of children with high-intensity support needs and their families,” Hugh said.

Faculty designed supports to facilitate master’s students’ participation and learning based on their own research and documented needs in the field. Project MounTaiN scholars receive unprecedented financial support, including caregiving stipends and paid student teaching, as well as curricular supports during their program and in their first year of teaching after graduating.

“Educators have told us they need a collaborative team to discuss their work, reflect on what they’ve learned and continue their work in helping children,” Hugh said. “Research has shown coaching and time to plan are some of the most effective supports we can provide.” 

As the program participants progress, they will receive training on data-based decision-making to ensure their efforts are part of a strengths-based approach, ensuring they focus on students’ strengths instead of deficits.

Research has shown an increasing need for high-quality educators who can provide enriching, culturally responsive learning experiences for young students, especially those with high-intensity support needs. Project MounTaiN is working to provide those skills not only to future educators enrolled at KU, but those already in the workforce and teacher preparation programs looking to do the same.

“This will allow our students to close the gap between what they learn in class and what they put into practice,” Hugh said. “It’s where the rubber meets the road, and it’s a good feeling to be able to support these teachers as they make and see that happen.”