Preparing Early Childhood Special Educators in Appalachian Kentucky

AbstractNational shortages of qualified personnel in the field of early childhood special education are well documented, with shortages magnified in regions characterized by poverty and rural geography. This article provides an overview of the challenges faced and innovations implemented by an alternate-track, personnel preparation program in Appalachian Kentucky attempting to (a) address the chronic shortage of highly-qualified early childhood personnel and (b) meet the needs of nontraditional students dispersed across a rural region where accessibility to traditional programs limits participation and enrollment. Strategies implemented to overcome obstacles common to rural teacher preparation include flexibility in course delivery methods (on-line, face-to-face, hybrid, and weekend workshops) and practicum placement.Key Words: Appalachia, early childhood special education, personnel preparation, distance educationNational shortages of highly qualified personnel in the fields of early childhood, early intervention (EI), and early childhood special education are well documented (Hebbeler, 1994; NECTAC, 2011; Palsha, Bailey, Vandiviere, ck Munn, 1990). These shortages are the result of multiple variables including difficulty with retention and attrition (Billingsley, 2004). Many states report personnel shortages as one of the challenges to providing quality services to young children with special needs as required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA; Kasprzak et al., 2012).Results from national surveys of supply and demand for early childhood special education personnel indicate that 40% of responding state Part C coordinators report shortages of EI special educators, and 56% of 619 coordinators report shortages of early childhood special educators (Bruder, 2004a, 2004b). Not only do states report overall shortages of personnel, but states find that many existing personnel are not adequately trained to meet the needs of all children and families served under IDEA, especially those with significant disabilities and delays. State EI survey data indicate that only 44% of states feel that their Part C early interventionists are adequately trained (Bruder, 2004a) while 42% feel that their early childhood special educators are adequately trained (Bruder, 2004b).Personnel shortages are magnified in regions that are characterized by high-poverty communities (National Partnership for Teaching in At-Risk Schools, 2005) and rural geography (Bruder, 2004c; Menlove & Lignugaris/Kraft, 2004). Rural regions struggle to attract and retain special educators, including those specializing in early childhood special education or early intervention (Bruder, 2004a, 2004b; Ludlow, Conner, & Schecter, 2005; Purcell, East, & Rude, 2005). The literature suggests that teachers in high-poverty schools are frequently less academically prepared to teach, have less experience teaching, and have less support in the workplace to meet student needs (National Partnership for Teaching in At-Risk Schools, 2005). These schools are often staffed with teachers who do not hold licensure for the grade or content area in which they are employed to teach, a trend that is illustrated in preschool classrooms that serve young children with disabilities across Appalachian Kentucky (Kentucky Department of Education, 2012).National Personnel ShortagesNationally, barriers to preparing credentialed personnel include a lack of institutions of higher education offering early childhood specialization degree programs, lack of university courses that target pedagogy for effective early childhood instruction, and a lack of faculty with expertise to teach in early childhood programs (Bueno, Darling-Hammond, & Gonzales, 2010). Potential students considering attending higher education programs specializing in early childhood often find soaring tuition costs and the need to take a leave from employment as deterrents to pursuing a degree-granting program. …