REED is  is a personnel preparation project funded by the U.S.Department of Education— Office of Special Education Programs. Project # H325K070124

 

There is a critical need to prepare highly qualified personnel to work with infants, toddlers and young children with disabilities and their families. The purpose of project REED is to implement a new joint undergraduate program to prepare responsive, early education and care providers in response to Georgia's Birth through Five teaching certification. This program is a joint effort between the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education and the Department of Child and Family Development at the University of Georgia, Clarke County School’s Programs for Young Children (urban), and Madison County School’s preschool special education program (rural).

 

Over the course of the four year funding cycle, a total of 60 beginning professionals will be prepared to work with infants, toddlers and young children and their families. These graduates will be eligible for the Georgia Birth-Five certification that is based on both DEC and NAEYC standards. Students will earn a BSED in Special Education with and an emphasis in Birth-Five or a BSFCS in Child and Family Development with an emphasis in Birth-Five. While all students will be prepared and certified to take positions that primarily serve students with disabilities who are eligible for Part C or Part B preschool services, grant funds will support 15 students per year for a total of 30 students who will commit to provide at least 4 years of teaching service to these programs. The National Center on Service Obligation provides details regarding this work committment. Special recruitment efforts target bilingual students and those who represent diverse populations.

 

Along with the Birth through Five personnel preparation curriculum, this project targets the following focus areas: 1. meeting the needs of young learners and families who live in poverty; 2. meeting the needs of English language learners, specifically, our growing Latino population; 3. early literacy for diverse learners; and 4. positive behavior support. These focus areas are threaded throughout the curriculum along with the principle of teaming and partnering with families and other professionals. In addition, the REED seminar series also addresses these focus areas. Seminars are open for program scholars as well as community early care teachers, providers and families.

 

Quality inclusive field placements with Clarke Co., Madison Co. and Babies Can’t Wait (Georgia’s Part C program) are tied to coursework throughout the program. These settings include children and families from high-poverty, rural and urban communities. These intensive context based experiences will be followed by an induction year as these scholars enter their first year of teaching. This will include site-based mentorship, web-based community of learner support, and a mini-conference to be held Spring of their induction year.

 

Students who are interested in project REED need to apply for it separately. The application for REED should be mailed to:

Dr. Cynthia Vail
Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education
The University of Georgia
552A Aderhold Hall
Athens, GA 30602

Click HERE to download the REED application form.