ECSE Practicum Experiences

Context and shadowing

Andrea Laser -

For this experience, you will describe the context of your practicum site, analyze its inclusive practices, and shadow an ECSE in their daily role. This is referred to as "Descriptive Overview" in the handbook.

  1. Describe contextual factors for the practicum site:

•Community—geographic location, community stability, socio-economic status, race/ethnicity demographics, community support for education, and other environmental factors

•School—school and district factors that influence learning-teaching context

•Classroom—classroom arrangement; schedule, classroom rules and routines; availability of equipment and resources; adults present in classroom and adult/child ratio; availability of support personnel (ECSE, OT, PT, SLP, mental health consultant, etc.); level of family involvement

•Number of children, age range, gender distribution, linguistic and cultural diversity (including number of English language learners)

•Learning needs, range of abilities (including number of children with IEPs and number identified as gifted/talented)

•Implications of these contextual factors for instructional planning and assessment

2. Shadow the ECSE (or site supervisor) for the day. Describe the following:

  • Caseload—number of children with IEPs/IFSPs they serve
  • Progress monitoring practices for children on caseload
  • Screening, intervention, and progress monitoring of students at-risk or suspected of qualifying for an IEP(Recognition and Response/Response to Intervention)
  • Approach to individualized instruction (one-on-one intervention)
  • If applicable: use of special equipment and facilities to teach small groups outside of general education classroom (pull-out groups).
  • Teaching small groups of students or providing individualized help to students within general education classroom (push-in services)
  • Assisting general education classroom teachers to adapt curriculum materials and teaching techniques to meet the needs of students with disabilities
  • Co-teaching with general education teacher in inclusive classroom
  • Participating in the development, review, and evaluation of IFSPs/IEPs
  • Planning for and facilitation of IFSP/IEP meetings
  • Communicating and coordinating with parents, social workers, speech and language therapists, occupational and physical therapists, school psychologists, school administrators, and other teachers
  • Facilitation of transition to kindergarten

3. Use the SpeciaLink Inclusive Practices Profile to analyze the current state of inclusive practices at the site. Include the profile and a summary of key strengths and next steps. If your site is mainly home based intervention, please consider a previous inclusive site you have worked at or observed to complete this.

4.) Upload in LiveText under "Descriptive Overview of Practicum Site."