Findings from research syntheses of adult learning and in-service training studies identified the importance of professional development as a factor influencing practitioner use of recommended and evidence-based intervention practices. These relationships were used to test the hypothesis that practice-specific evidence-based capacity-building…

Over the last 2 years, the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded the way in which two-generational, early childhood education programs partner with families. As providers and families reported their COVID-19 challenges, Head Start and Early Head Start programs adapted an evidence-based professional development model for family service professionals.…

Early intervention takes its form from a variety of fields. It has its obvious roots in the fields that primarily provide early intervention services--special education, allied health, and early childhood education. Early intervention also draws from public health as a coordinated approach to addressing the biological, psychological, and social…

The preparation of students for professional practice in the field of early intervention has changed as a result of mandates through Part C, Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The purpose of this survey research was to describe the knowledge and skill areas, specific to early intervention, included in pre-professional curricula…

Students cannot benefit from education practices they do not experience. While this seems obvious (and it is), education systems have yet to develop the capacity to help all teachers learn to make good use of evidence-based practices that enhance the quality of education for all students. The purpose of this "Brief" is to provide a framework that…

In this article we describe the design and implementation of the National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education's (NCRECE's) college-level course and its delivery to teachers across 10 settings and 15 instructional sections. This professional development intervention, found effective in changing teachers' beliefs, knowledge, and actual…

Learning to communicate using speech and language is a primary developmental task for young children. Delays in the acquisition of language are one of the earliest indicators of developmental deficits that may affect academic and social outcomes for individuals across the life span. In the period since the passage of PL 99-457, significant…

The "Teaching Pyramid" (Fox, Dunlap, Hemmeter, Joseph, & Strain, 2003) is a framework for organizing evidence-based practices for promoting social-emotional development and preventing and addressing challenging behavior in preschool programs. In this article, we briefly describe the "Teaching Pyramid" as a framework for implementing effective…

A primary effort in early intervention and early childhood special education (EI/ECSE) is to use science to discover the most effective approaches for promoting positive outcomes for infants and young children with disabilities and their families. Syntheses of the literature are identifying practices having empirical support, but a gap still…

Children grow and change more rapidly during the first eight years of life than any other time in their life span. Progression through the physical, cognitive, and social-emotional developmental stages varies for each individual child. Children with atypical development experience a wide spectrum of variability in their development. Over the past…

At a conference, titled: "Childhood Disabilities: Assessment and Early Intervention" held between March 20-22, 2006, at Kuwait University, a range of discussion topics were considered that would enhance and design specific best practices in special education for the Middle East Arab Gulf region. Governmental representatives,…

This issue of "Early Developments" examines a relatively new phenomenon in the early childhood field called "evidence-based practice," defined herein as "a decision-making process that integrates the best available research evidence with family and professional wisdom and values." This issue of "Early Developments" includes the following articles:…

How can families and early childhood professionals provide quality, inclusive early childhood education for young children with and without disabilities? That's the question posed in this "Impact "issue. In its pages, parents reflect on their experiences with early childhood education and inclusion for their children--what was helpful, what was…

This issue presents five articles on the theme of professional development of personnel serving infants and toddlers. The papers describe: experiences in the Training of Trainers Intensive Seminar and the City Training of Teams initiatives, an Illinois developmental training and support program, a Canadian 12-month training program, the use of…

The American Council on Rural Special Education (ACRES) conference is the only national conference devoted entirely to rural special education issues; sessions encompass theoretical discussion, current research findings, and promising practices based on sound evidence. This proceedings contains 47 conference papers and poster presentations.…