Project Increasing the Number, Competence, and Resources of Early Interventions in Areas of Shortage (INCREAS) - (Alternate Name = "Combined Priority for Personnel Preparation")

Kentucky's Early Intervention System (KEIS) continues to face a chronic shortage of special educators qualified to provide special instruction in Appalachian Kentucky. Of those who are providing special instruction in Appalachian Kentucky, only 36% has certification that appropriately qualifies them to provide this service. In addition, Kentucky recently passed legislation that requires all special instructors in KEIS to have Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (IECE) Certification by July 01, 2009. There are no certification programs in Appalachian Kentucky that focus on early intervention. Without support to develop a personnel preparation program that can reach this area of Kentucky, hundreds of young children with disabilities will continue to receive special instruction from providers who have no training in special education. If this urgent problem remains unaddressed, Appalachian Kentucky will lose many of its current providers, which will undoubtedly leave most of the children in this area with no opportunity for needed special instruction. University of Kentucky's Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling proposes a new alternate certification program in IECE that is research based and focuses on early intervention providers in Appalachian Kentucky through integrated training and field-based practice opportunities. The program will lead to IECE certification after two years of part-time study delivered via innovative distance education formats. New coursework that focuses specifically on early intervention will be included, and field-based learning experiences will take place within the scholars' current employment, allowing them to work toward certification without having to reduce job responsibilities, thus maintaining the current availability of services in Appalachian Kentucky. The goal of this project is to increase the number, competence, and resources of early interventionists in Appalachian Kentucky.