Tracey West

Interdisciplinary Personnel Preparation: Graduates' Use of Targeted Practices

Interdisciplinary personnel preparation in early intervention is viewed by many as critical to the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and to providing exemplary services to children with special needs and their families. Recent work has shown that the extent to which students take part in interdisciplinary preservice preparation predicts the degree to which they will provide interdisciplinary, collaborative services once they graduate. Despite the fact that the early intervention literature provides various descriptions of interdisciplinary personnel preparation programs, little information is available documenting the extent to which program graduates utilize the interdisciplinary practices targeted in these programs. The current study used a self-evaluation methodology to survey graduates of 2 interdisciplinary early intervention specialization programs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The results indicted that the graduates were utilizing most of the targeted practices in their current job settings and did so on a fairly frequent basis. In addition, when the graduates were asked about the extent to which they were exposed to specific interdisciplinary practices (eg, interacting with students from other disciplines during coursework), the opportunities within their specialization program were rated as occurring much more frequently than within their traditional program. The results have implications for programs offering (or seeking to offer) interdisciplinary specializations. The follow-up methodology may be beneficial as a model for documenting the use of specific interdisciplinary practices by graduates.

Measuring the Quality of Inclusive Practices: Findings from the Inclusive Classroom Profile Pilot.

The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of the Inclusive Classroom Profile (ICP), an observation measure designed to assess the quality of classroom practices in inclusive preschool programs. The measure was field tested in 51 inclusive classrooms. Results confirmed and extended previous research findings, providing further evidence for the measure’s interrater reliability, factor structure, and construct validity. New information from testing the relationship between the ICP and key program characteristics provided support for the measure’s discriminant validity. Reports on the ease of use of the ICP from state assessors involved in collecting data for the study indicate that the ICP holds promise for use in quality assessment. Findings from the present study are discussed with respect to implications for use of the ICP in research, policy, program evaluation, and professional development.

Interdisciplinary Education of Social Inclusion Facilitators in Early Childhood Settings

Successful inclusion of very young children with disabilities in natural environments requires professionals to have specialized skills including: collaboration with the childs parents and caregivers and other professionals, ecologically valid assessment of the child within the context of his or her natural environment, and the design of an individualized program within the routines of the childs inclusive settings. To provide preservice preparation for graduate students focused on full inclusion of young children with disabilities, a collaborative interdisciplinary program was developed. Components of the program included (a) interdisciplinary course work, (b) competency-based seminars, and (c) and an interdisciplinary practicum providing opportunities for students to implement inclusion focused knowledge and skills. A description of the program and outcomes are presented.