Nebraska Administrative Code
Topic - EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF
Title 92 - NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Chapter 24 - CERTIFICATE ENDORSEMENTS
Section 92-24-006.14 - Early Childhood Education Unified

Universal Citation: 92 NE Admin Rules and Regs ch 24 ยง 006-14

Current through March 20, 2024

006.14A Grade Levels: Birth -Grade 3

006.14B Endorsement type: Field

006.14C Persons with this endorsement may teach infants, toddlers, and children from birth through grade 3 including those with disabilities as defined in 79-1118.01 R.R.S, and to support families and other personnel with responsibilities for their care and education.

006.14D Certification Endorsement Requirements: The endorsement shall require a minimum of 45 semester hours of courses that include knowledge of Early Childhood Education and Special Education including curriculum and methodology appropriate for all curriculum areas of the primary grades.

006.14E Endorsement Program Requirements: Nebraska teacher education institutions offering this endorsement must have on file, within the institution, a plan which identifies the courses and the course completion requirements which the institution utilizes to grant credit toward completion of this endorsement.

THE FOLLOWING ARE RECOMMENDED GUIDELINES FOR INCLUSION AS PART OF THE INSTITUTION'S PLAN UNDER THIS ENDORSEMENT.

Through the courses identified in its plan, the institution should prepare prospective teachers to demonstrate the following criteria:

A. Child Development and Learning.
1. Use knowledge of how children develop and learn to provide opportunities that support child growth and development for infants and toddlers, preprimary and primary school children, with a range of abilities and disabilities, in the intellectual, communicative, physical-motor, social-emotional, aesthetic, and adaptive behavioral areas of development and learning;

2. Use knowledge of how children develop and learn to provide opportunities that support individual differences in development and learning, with special attention to risk factors, developmental variations, and developmental patterns of specific disabilities and special abilities;

3. Recognize that children are best understood in the contexts of family, culture and society and that cultural and linguistic diversity influence development and learning;

4. Identify pre-, peri-, and postnatal development and factors such as biological and environmental conditions that affect children's development and learning; and

5. Identify specific disabilities, including the etiology, characteristics, and classification of common disabilities in young children, and describe specific implications for development and learning in the first years of life.

B. Assessment and Evaluation.
1. Use an on-going assessment process in order to develop, monitor, adapt and evaluate programs for young children;
a. Use a wide range of on-going assessment strategies in natural settings to develop a complete description of each child for the purpose of planning developmentally appropriate programs, environments, interactions, and for seeking necessary consultation from specialists;
1. Observe, record, and assess young children's development and learning using a variety of informal and formal instruments and processes including observational methods;

2. Select and administer culturally unbiased assessment instruments and processes based on the purpose of the assessment being conducted, the needs of the child, and in compliance with established criteria and standards;

3. Demonstrate understanding and knowledge of cultural/linguistic influences, other environmental influences and various learning styles on assessment practices and results;

4. Share assessment results with families in a clear, supportive way, and integrate assessment data in order to make decisions about children's learning and development for the purpose of planning and implementing appropriate programs, including Individual Family Service Plans (IFSP'S) and Individual Education Programs (IEP'S) for infants and young children with disabilities;

5. Participate and collaborate with other providers and family members conducting family-centered assessments and make referrals to specialists for consultation as appropriate; and

b. Develop and use formative and summative program evaluation to ensure comprehensive quality of the total environment for children, families, and the community.

C. Curriculum Development and Implementation.
1. Plan and implement developmentally and individually appropriate curricula and instructional practices based on knowledge about individual children, groups of children, families, and communities;
a. Select, develop, and evaluate developmentally and functionally appropriate materials, equipment, and environments;

b. Implement developmentally appropriate individual and group activities using a variety of formats such as, play, environmental routines, parent-child activities, small group projects, flexible grouping, cooperative learning, inquiry experiences, and systematic instruction as needed to help children develop dispositions of independence and curiosity, and problem solving, decision making, and communication skills;

c. Develop and implement an integrated curriculum that focuses on children's needs and interests and takes into account culturally and family valued content, children's home experiences, and language differences;

d. Demonstrate current knowledge of and ability to develop and implement meaningful, integrated learning experiences, using the central concepts and tools of inquiry in curriculum content areas including communication and literacy, mathematics, science, health, safety, nutrition, social sciences, art, music, drama, movement, social and cognitive skills;

e. Use a variety of instructional strategies and environments for the range of developmental needs of children including those who have unique talents, learning and developmental needs, or specific disabilities;

f. Develop and implement IFSP's or IEP's for infants and young children with disabilities, incorporating both child and family outcomes, in partnership with family members and other professionals;

g. Support and facilitate family and child interactions as primary contexts for learning and development;

h. Demonstrate appropriate use of technology with young children including assistive technologies for children with disabilities;

i. Plan for and link current learning experiences and teaching strategies with those of the child's next educational setting;

2. Incorporate knowledge and strategies from multiple disciplines (for example, medical, allied health, social service) into the design of instructional strategies and integrate goals into daily activities and routines at home and in education and care settings;
a. Integrate basic health, nutrition, feeding, and safety management practices for young children, including procedures regarding childhood illness and communicable diseases;

b. Integrate aspects of adaptive care for children who have a history of significant low birth weight, or have other complex medical needs, including methods for care of young children dependent on technology with programs focused on overall child development and family resources, concerns, and priorities;

3. Use environmental assessments, individual and group guidance, and problem-solving techniques to develop positive and supportive relationships with children, to encourage and facilitate positive social skills and social interaction among children, to promote positive strategies of conflict resolution, and to develop personal self-control, self-motivation, and self-esteem;
a. Demonstrate the understanding of and the ability to assess the influence of the environment, including physical setting, space, time, peers, materials, adults, schedules, routines, and transitions on children's behaviors and use these experiences to promote children's overall social skills, development, and learning in education, care, and home settings;

b. Select and implement methods of behavior support and management appropriate for all young children, such as, a range of strategies from less directive, less intrusive methods (e.g., scaffolding and modeling) to more directive, more structured methods (e.g., applied behavior analysis) that respect and reflect the children's cultural and individual backgrounds and current needs;

4. Establish and maintain physically and psychologically safe and healthful learning environments that promote development and learning;
a. Provide an indoor and outdoor environment that employs developmentally appropriate materials, media, and technology, including adaptive and assistive technology;

b. Demonstrate understanding of the developmental consequences of stress and trauma, protective factors and resilience, the development of mental health, and the importance of supportive relationships;

c. Use appropriate health appraisal procedures and recommend referral and ongoing follow-up to appropriate community health and social services; and

d. Recognize signs of emotional distress, child abuse, and neglect in young children and follow procedures for reporting known or suspected abuse or neglect to appropriate authorities.

D. Family and Community Relationships.
1. Establish and maintain positive, collaborative relationships with families, community agencies and other professionals to meet the needs of the child;

2. Apply family systems theory and knowledge of the dynamics, roles, and relationships within families, schools and communities;

3. Demonstrate knowledge and sensitivity to differences in family structures and cultures in terms of family strengths, expectations, values, and child-rearing practices;

4. Assist families in identifying resources, priorities, and concerns in making decisions related to their child's development;

5. Link families with a range of family-oriented services based on the family's needs, identified resources, priorities, and concerns; and

6. Solicit and respect parents' choices and goals for their child and incorporate them to support the development, learning, and well-being of the child.

E. Professionalism.
1. Understand state and federal legislation, public policy and legal issues which affect all young children, with and without disabilities and their families; and identify ethical and policy issues related to care and education, and medical services for young children;

2. Understand historical, philosophical and social foundations of comprehensive early childhood care and education;

3. Identify current professional trends and issues which inform and improve practices, advocate for quality programs for young children and their families, and enhance the professional status and working conditions of comprehensive early childhood care and education professionals;

4. Understand principles of administration, organization and operation of programs for children, birth through age 8, and their families, including staff and program development, supervision, and evaluation of staff, and continuing improvement of programs and services;

5. Adhere to professional and ethical codes related to comprehensive early childhood care and education; and

6. Reflect upon their own professional practices and identify resources for on-going development as comprehensive early childhood care and education professionals.

F. Field Experiences.
1. Observe and participate under the supervision of qualified professionals in a variety of settings (including but not limited to homes, public or private centers, community agencies, and schools) in which young children with a range of abilities and disabilities, who reflect diverse family systems, from birth through age 8 and their families are served; and

2. Have pre-student teaching field and clinical experiences with each of the three age groups (infants/toddlers, preprimary, primary school children). The experiences should consist of at least thirty (30) clock hours with each group. A minimum of twenty percent (20%) of the hours in each age group should include working with children who have a range of disabilities.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Nebraska may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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