Nebraska Administrative Code
Topic - EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF
Title 92 - NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Chapter 24 - CERTIFICATE ENDORSEMENTS
Section 92-24-006.55 - Special Education - Early Childhood Special Education

Universal Citation: 92 NE Admin Rules and Regs ch 24 ยง 006-55

Current through March 20, 2024

006.55A Grade Levels: Birth through Grade 3.

006.55B Endorsement Type: Subject.

006.55C Persons with this endorsement may teach, coordinate, or serve as a consultant to programs for infants, toddlers, preprimary, and primary aged children who have a range of disabilities, and services to families and other personnel with responsibilities for their care and education.

006.55D Certification Endorsement Requirements: This endorsement shall require a minimum of 27 graduate semester hours related to Early Childhood Education and Special Education; and 100 clock hours of related field experiences.

006.55D1 Field experiences shall consist of a minimum of 100 clock hours (total) working with young children with a range of disabilities. At least 20 clock hours will be spent with each of the following age groups: infants/toddlers, preprimary, and primary.

006.55E Endorsement Program Requirements: Nebraska teacher education institutions offering this endorsement program 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 teachers to:

A. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of and be able to teach the concepts, skills, and processes of reading and writing, mathematics, science, and social studies as defined in the Nebraska Content Standards for first and fourth grades.

B. Child Development and Learning. The program should prepare prospective teachers to:
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.

C. Assessment and Evaluation. The program should prepare prospective teachers to:
1. assess and analyze children's developmental needs and the intervention strategies best suited to design an individualized program;

2. select and use a variety of informal and formal assessment instruments and procedures, including observational methods, to make decisions about children's learning and development;

3. select and administer assessment instruments and procedures based on the purpose of the assessment being conducted and in compliance with established criteria and standards;

4. develop and use authentic, performance-based assessments of children's learning to assist in planning, to communicate with children and parents, and to engage children in self-assessment;

5. involve families as active participants in the assessment process;

6. participate and collaborate as a team member with other professionals in conducting family-centered assessments;

7. communicate assessment results and integrate assessment results from others as an active team participant in the development and implementation of the individual education program (IEP) and individual family service plan (IFSP);

8. monitor, summarize, and evaluate the acquisition of child and family outcomes as outlined on the IFSP or IEP;

9. select, adapt, and administer assessment instruments and procedures for specific sensory and motor disabilities;

10. communicate options for programs and services at the next educational level and assist the family in planning for transition; and

11. implement culturally unbiased assessment instruments and procedures.

D. Curriculum Development and Implementation. The program should prepare prospective teachers to:
1. plan and implement developmental, functional, and individual curricular and instructional practices based on knowledge of individual children, the family, the community, and on-going assessment;

2. make specific adaptations for the special needs of children who have unique talents, learning and developmental needs, or specific disabilities;

3. develop an LFSP or IEP, incorporating both child and family outcomes, in partnership with family members and other professionals;

4. incorporate information and strategies from multiple disciplines in the design of intervention strategies;

5. design and implement plans that incorporate the use of technology, including adaptive and assistive technology;

6. develop intervention curricula and methods for children with specific disabilities including areas related to: motor, sensory, health, communication and literacy, social-emotional, and cognitive development;

7. encourage parent-child interactions as primary contexts for learning and development;

8. implement developmentally and functionally appropriate individual and group activities using a variety of formats, including play, environmental routines, parent-mediated activities, small group projects, cooperative learning, inquiry experiences, and systematic instruction;

9. develop and implement an integrated curriculum that focuses on children's needs and interests and takes into account culturally valued content and children's home experiences;

10. select and implement methods of behavior support and management appropriate for young children with special needs, including a range of strategies from less directive, less structured methods (e.g., verbal support and modeling) to more directive, more structured methods (e.g., applied behavior analysis);

11. design adaptations for a child's access to a stimulus-rich indoor and outdoor environment that employs materials, media, and technology, including adaptive and assistive technology;

12. implement nutrition and feeding strategies for children with special needs;

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

14. integrate aspects of medical 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.

E. Family and Community Relationships. The program should prepare prospective teachers to:
1. establish and maintain positive, collaborative relationships with families;
a. engage in mutual problem solving with families and other professionals to design adaptations necessary for daily routine and care;

b. implement a range of family-oriented services based on the family's identified resources, priorities, and concerns;

c. implement family services consistent with due process safeguards;

d. evaluate services with families;

e. incorporate use of family-centered service coordination and provide options and choices enabling family members to advocate for the needs of their child and family;

2. collaborate/consult with other professionals and with agencies in the larger community to support children's development, learning, and well-being;
a. apply models of team process in diverse service delivery settings;

b. participate as a team member to identify dynamics of team roles, interaction, communication, team-building, problem-solving, and conflict resolution;

c. identify structures supporting interagency collaboration, including interagency agreements, referral, and consultation;

d. evaluate and design processes and strategies that support transitions among hospital, home, infant/toddler, preprimary, and primary programs;

3. administer, supervise, and consult with/instruct staff and other adults;
a. employ adult learning principles in supervising and training staff and other adults;

b. facilitate the identification of staff development needs and strategies for professional growth;

c. apply various models of consultation in diverse settings;

d. provide consultation and training in content areas specific to services for children and families and organization/development of programs; and

e. provide staff with feedback and performance evaluations in collaboration with family members and other professionals.

F. Professionalism. The program should prepare prospective teachers to:
1. articulate the historical, philosophical, and legal basis of services for young children with special needs;

2. identify ethical and policy issues related to educational, social, and medical services for young children with disabilities and their families;

3. identify current trends and issues in Early Childhood Special Education, and Special Education;

4. adhere to the profession's code of ethical conduct related to Early Childhood Special Education;

5. serve as advocates on behalf of young children with disabilities and their families, improved quality of programs and services for young children, and enhanced professional status and working conditions for early childhood special educators; and

6. read and critically apply research and recommended practices.

G. Field Experiences. The program should provide prospective teachers with opportunities to:
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, and community agencies) in which young children with disabilities, who reflect diverse family systems, from birth through grade 3 and their families are served;

2. observe and participate under the supervision of qualified professionals in each of the three age groups (infants/toddlers, preprimary, and primary). The experiences should consist of a minimum of 100 clock hours (total) working with young children with a range of disabilities, with at least 20 clock hours with each age group;

3. participate under supervision as an interagency and intra-agency team member; and

4. provide consultation services under supervision of a qualified professional in early childhood special education.

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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