Strengthening early childhood education through aligned, hands-on training and collaboration
Our program aims to foster collaboration and communication among transdisciplinary faculty and stakeholders within Institute of Higher Education (IHE) programs, with the objective of streamlining pre-service pathways in early childhood, early intervention, and early childhood special education. These programs are pivotal in equipping individuals with the requisite knowledge, skills, and competencies to meet both state and national personnel standards in their respective disciplines.
Emphasizing hands-on experiences in diverse infant and early childhood settings, our ECHO initiative engages pre-service faculty and stakeholders to guide IHE programs in aligning curriculum with state personnel standards and professional organization requirements. Additionally, we work to ensure coherence with state and local quality initiatives and evaluation systems, such as Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS), educator effectiveness frameworks, and licensing requisites, thereby enhancing the effectiveness and relevance of pre-service training in these crucial fields.