New federally funded program brings resources to early childhood educators within COEHS

A new federally funded program within the College of Education and Human Sciences (COEHS) is bringing more resources to early childhood educators and special education teachers in rural and tribal communities across New Mexico.

Funded by the United States Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the 5-year grant will address critical needs for preparing diverse early childhood and special education professionals to teach in rural or tribal communities within the state. According to documents, the Early Childhood Special Education Leaders in Social Emotional Learning project, will recruit, retain, and graduate members who understand the state of child welfare and educational adequacy in New Mexico while identifying the strengths of Tribal and rural populations, therefore deepening the skills and understandings of the people who are becoming early childhood or special education teachers.

"New Mexico's young children and families deserve equitable access to programs and policies shaped by leaders who believe in and practice early childhood inclusion. By providing a pipeline for marginalized students to exceed their education goals, this work will support leaders who represent and understand responsive and meaningful ways to shape and influence the state's current and future investment in early childhood special education," said Assistant Professor of Family and Child Studies, Chelsea T. Morris. Dr. Morris will lead this project, supported by Dr. Cathy Qi, professor of special education, and Dr. David Atencio, associate professor of family and child studies

"It's an interdisciplinary approach to the issues that early childhood, special education leaders face in New Mexico," said Jay Parkes, the senior associate dean for student success for the COEHS. "This program with all of these intersections, of expertise and communities, and where the need is acute, it's an excellent next effort to better the lives of New Mexico kids."

The project is set to help push the state's plan to transform the education system in response to the Yazzie/Martinez lawsuit, essentially using it as a framework. Parkes says the court's findings in that case addressed four categories of children: Native American kids, English language learners, students with disabilities, and children who live in poverty. The project brings several key partners into planning and implementation including Embracing Equity, the Early Childhood Network, the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department, and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute.

Parkes says this program integrates those four groups by leveraging early childhood and special education leadership to address needs in tribal and rural communities.

"It builds a strong foundation that makes the rest of their schooling and the rest of their growth and development positive and puts them on a different trajectory," he said. "Having chosen early childhood as the focal point here, it's really about how can we engage these children with disabilities or kids in rural areas early and get them appropriate educational experiences so they have that to build on as they grow."

The project also acknowledges the critical shortage of these educators prepared to work in rural or Tribal areas. Parkes says the problem is geographic and seen in all aspects of education, not just early childhood or special education.

"Having folks with preparation from universities, for example, able to take these jobs and roles in communities outside of the Rio Grande Valley is a real challenge," Parkes said. "That's something we have been working on as a college: how do we get educator preparation beyond the Albuquerque metro area."

Dr. Morris is currently leading two other partner projects within the college focusing on early childhood:

• Increasing Intergenerational Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: responding to gaps in mental health training in the state. This is funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
• Data-Driven Inquiry for Inclusive Early Childhood Education Pathways: mapping a path forward for inclusive higher education early childhood personnel preparation programs through a multi-institutional research project. This project is funded by the Early Childhood Education & Care Department (ECECD).

Morris says these projects are contributing to state-level change in the field.

"With access and enrollment expanding across the state's infant, toddler, and preschool settings, we must have a workforce that is paid fairly and trained effectively to support the diverse populations of New Mexico as well as populations that require specialized training and support (e.g., special education, mental health)," Morris said.

"Any of these projects impacts the people who participate in it and the communities it serves," Parkes said. "The college has a broader, more systemic impact of working in various communities."

The Early Childhood Special Education Leaders in Social Emotional Learning grant will last through the summer of 2029.