Characteristics of Unified and Separate Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education Programs: A National Study

Abstract: This study examined the characteristics of course content, field experiences, and program administration at 14 unified early childhood/early child special education (ECE/ECSE) and 13 separate ECE and ECSE undergraduate teacher preparation programs across the United States. Students and faculty members at the 27 programs completed surveys to help determine the characteristics of unified and separate teacher education programs. In addition, personal interviews were conducted with students and faculty members at two unified and two separate early childhood/early child special education teacher preparation programs. Findings revealed that students from unified programs and ECSE programs had a balance of ECE and ECSE course content, as well as field experiences with children with and without disabilities in diverse settings. Conversely, ECE students were found to have minimal knowledge related to ECSE course content, and few, if any, field experiences with children with disabilities. State certification and program specific administrative structures were found to have an impact on faculty members ’ abilities to collaborate with other departments. As legislative mandates and school reforminitiatives are leading to an increase in the placement of children with disabilities in classrooms with their typically developing peers, it seems logical to determine how best to educate individuals who will be teaching in these inclusive classrooms. There is a growing trend among teacher preparation programs to blend, or unify, the knowledge and practices of early childhood education (ECE) and early childhood special education (ECSE) (Miller & Stayton, 1998; Miller, Fader, & Vincent, 2000). Currently, 18 states report unified licensure with 2 states in the process of developing such licensure (deFossett, 2001). While recent research has examined the benefits and challenges of unified teacher preparation programs (Blanton, Griffin