Topics in Early Childhood Special Education

Teacher certification refers to the requirements by which individuals qualify to teach and is the responsibility of states and territories in the United States. Certification require-ments vary across states and sometimes within states. Certi-fication policies change over time and are influenced by state and federal legislation, research and recommended practices in the specific educational discipline, and direct service needs of local communities. Certification require-ments affect the education and training that teacher candi-dates receive in that higher education curricula must adhere to state certification policies. Therefore, it follows that cer-tification reflects the knowledge and skills established in research as affecting the quality of Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) programs (Early et al., 2007). Recent federal legislation has had a significant impact o