IHE Pre-Service Faculty ECHO

Program goal

To increase collaboration and communication between and amongst transdisciplinary IHE faculty and stakeholders to work toward more coherent pre-service pathways in early childhood, early intervention and early childhood special education.  

About the IHE Pre-Service Faculty ECHO 

Institute of Higher Education (IHE) programs provide training for individuals to acquire the specified knowledge, skills and competencies required to meet state and national personnel standards in a specific discipline. The programs of study also include sufficient field-based experiences across a variety of high-quality infant and early childhood settings. 

IHE pre-service faculty and other stakeholders who participate in this ECHO will be able to:

• Provide guidance to IHE programs and confirm curricula for each discipline are based on knowledge and skill competencies that are aligned with state personnel standards.
• Ensure that the IHE programs and curricula for each discipline are based on knowledge and skill competencies that are aligned with professional organization personnel standards.
• Assist IHE programs and curricula for each discipline are aligned with state and local program quality initiatives and evaluation systems (e.g., QRIS, educator effectiveness frameworks, licensing).

Who should attend? 

• Pre-service faculty from the various disciplines that interact with early intervention.
• Transdisciplinary faculty in pre-service programs preparing professionals for early childhood care and education settings, early intervention, and early childhood special education, family support, home visitors, including but not limited to:
  1. Early childhood and early childhood special education
  2. Physical therapy, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy and audiology
  3. Social work and psychology
  4. Family studies and child development
  5. Other related fields and other collaborators

Meet our team

• Björg T. LeSueur, MEd, Clinical Assistant Professor, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University
• Brandy James, PhD, University of Arizona Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities
• Erica Melies, Arizona Department of Economic Security/Arizona Early Intervention Program (ADES/AzEIP)
• Tanya Pinkerton, MEd, Clinical Assistant Professor, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University
• Chantelle Curtis, ADES/AzEIP Professional Development Coordinator; AZ Comprehensive System of Personnel Development Coordinator
• Shanna Kukla, Practicum Supervisor, Educator Preparation, NPC Northland Pioneer College
• Laurie Seder, PhD, Associate Professor of Practice, Program Director, Elementary Education and Early Childhood Development, University of Arizona 
• Nicole Rambeau, OTR/L, Northern Arizona University Growing in Beauty Partnership Program, Arizona Early Intervention Program
• Nuha Amireh, Adjunct Faculty/ECE - Grand Canyon University (GCU); ADES/AzEIP 
• Lenka Studnicka, Arizona Department of Education