Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 39, March 25, 2024
Subpart 1.
Scope of practice.
A teacher of special education: early childhood is authorized
to provide evaluation and specially designed instruction to eligible children,
birth through age six, who exhibit a broad range of developmental delays or
disabilities, including those with a diagnosed physical or mental condition or
disorder that has a high probability of resulting in developmental delay.
Teachers collaborate and consult with families, other classroom and special
education teachers, and specialized service providers in designing and
implementing individualized education program plans for children and
families.
Subp. 2.
License requirements.
An applicant seeking a license to teach special education:
early childhood must meet the requirements in parts
8710.0311 to
8710.0314 and Minnesota Statutes,
sections 122A.181 to
122A.184.
Subp. 3a.
Subject matter
standards.
A.
Child Development
and Learning.
The teacher must:
(1)
demonstrate an understanding of the impact that different theories and
philosophies of early learning and development have on assessment, curriculum,
intervention, and instruction decisions;
(2) apply knowledge of normative sequences of
early development; individual differences; and families' social, cultural, and
linguistic diversity to support each child's development and learning across
contexts;
(3) apply knowledge of
biological and environmental factors that may support or constrain children's
early development and learning as they plan and implement early intervention
and instruction; and
(4)
demonstrate an understanding of characteristics, etiologies, and individual
differences within and across the range of abilities, including developmental
delays and disabilities, their potential impact on children's early development
and learning, and implications for assessment, curriculum, instruction, and
intervention.
B.
Partnering with Families.
The teacher must:
(1)
apply their knowledge of family-centered practices, family systems theory, and
the changing needs and priorities in families' lives to develop trusting,
respectful, affirming, and culturally responsive partnerships with all families
that allow for the mutual exchange of knowledge and information;
(2) communicate clear, comprehensive, and
objective information about resources and supports that help families to make
informed decisions and advocate for access, participation, and equity in
natural and inclusive environments;
(3) engage families in identifying their
strengths, priorities, and concerns;
(4) support families to achieve the goals
they have for their family and their child's development and learning;
and
(5) promote families'
competence and confidence during assessment, individualized planning,
intervention, instruction, and transition processes.
C.
Collaboration and Teaming.
The teacher must:
(1)
apply teaming models, skills, and processes, including appropriate uses of
technology, when collaborating and communicating with families; with
professionals representing multiple disciplines, skills, expertise, and roles;
and with community partners and agencies;
(2) use a variety of collaborative strategies
when working with other adults that are evidence-based, appropriate to the
task, culturally and linguistically responsive, and take into consideration the
environment and service delivery approach; and
(3) partner with families and other
professionals to develop individualized plans and support the various
transitions that occur for the child from birth through age six and for their
family.
D.
Assessment Processes.
The teacher must:
(1)
understand the purposes of formal and informal assessment, including ethical
and legal considerations, and use this information to choose developmentally,
culturally, and linguistically appropriate, valid, and reliable tools and
methods that are responsive to the characteristics of the child, family, and
program;
(2) develop and administer
informal assessments and select and use valid, reliable formal assessments
using evidence-based practices, including technology, in partnership with
families and other professionals;
(3) analyze, interpret, document, and share
assessment information with families and other professionals using a
strengths-based approach; and
(4)
in collaboration with families and other team members, use assessment data to
determine eligibility, develop child and family-based outcomes and goals, plan
for interventions and instruction, and monitor progress to determine efficacy
of programming.
E.
Application of Curriculum Frameworks in the Planning of Meaningful
Learning Experience.
The teacher must:
(1) collaborate with families and other
professionals in identifying an evidence-based curriculum addressing
developmental and content domains to design and facilitate meaningful and
culturally responsive learning experiences that support the unique abilities
and needs of all children and families; and
(2) use their knowledge of early childhood
curriculum frameworks, developmental and academic content knowledge, and
related pedagogy to plan and ensure equitable access to universally designed,
developmentally appropriate, and challenging learning experiences in natural
and inclusive environments.
F.
Using Responsive and Reciprocal
Interactions, Interventions, and Instruction.
The teacher must:
(1) in partnership with families, identify
systematic, responsive, and intentional evidence-based practices and use such
practices with fidelity to support child learning and development across all
developmental and academic content domains;
(2) engage in reciprocal partnerships with
families and other professionals to facilitate responsive adult-child
interactions, interventions, and instruction to support child learning and
development;
(3) engage in ongoing
planning and use flexible and embedded instructional and environmental
arrangements and appropriate materials to support the use of interactions,
interventions, and instruction addressing developmental and academic content
domains, which are adapted to meet the needs of each and every child and their
family;
(4) promote children's
social and emotional competence and communication, and proactively plan and
implement function-based interventions to prevent and address challenging
behaviors;
(5) identify and create
multiple opportunities for children to develop and learn play skills and engage
in meaningful play experiences independently and with others across
contexts;
(6) use responsive
interactions, interventions, and instruction with sufficient intensity and
types of support across activities, routines, and environments to promote child
learning and development and facilitate access, participation, and engagement
in natural environments and inclusive settings; and
(7) plan for, adapt, and improve approaches
to interactions, interventions, and instruction based on multiple sources of
data across a range of natural environments and inclusive settings.
G.
Professionalism and
Ethical Practice.
The teacher must:
(1) engage with the early childhood special
education profession by participating in local, regional, national, or
international activities and professional organizations;
(2) engage in ongoing reflective practice and
access evidence-based information to improve their own practices;
(3) exhibit leadership skills in advocating
for improved outcomes for children, families, and the profession, including the
promotion of and use of evidence-based practices and decision-making;
and
(4) practice within ethical and
legal policies and procedures.
Subp. 4a.
Placements for candidates
completing an initial licensure program.
A candidate completing a board-approved initial licensure
program in special education: early childhood must have experiences teaching
children who exhibit a broad range of developmental delays or disabilities at
the following three levels: infant and toddler (birth to age three), preschool
(ages three through five), and primary (kindergarten through age six), and
across a range of service delivery models.
Subp. 4b.
Placements for candidates
completing an additional licensure program.
A candidate completing a board-approved additional licensure
program in special education: early childhood must have experiences teaching at
the following three levels: infant and toddler (birth to age three), preschool
(ages three through five), and primary (kindergarten through age six). The
candidate must complete a practicum teaching children who exhibit a broad range
of developmental delays or disabilities in at least one of the following three
levels: infant and toddler (birth to age three), preschool (ages three through
five), and primary (kindergarten through age six).