Early Childhood Education: A Practical Guide to Evidence-Based, Multi-Tiered Service Delivery

In the past several years, models of multi-tiered service delivery have emerged as a framework for supporting the needs of school-aged children in schools across the country and have received much attention in scholarly publications of education and related fields. Despite the needs of young children and the promise of early intervention, however, models of multi-tiered service delivery are only in the beginning stages of development in early childhood education settings such as preschools. This text provides early-childhood professionals with an introduction to tiered service delivery and practical considerations in the implementation of a multi-tier system of supports with particular emphasis on early childhood law and ethics, assessment and intervention, developmental disabilities, and family engagement.

Gina Coffee, PhD, is an assistant professor in the school psychology program at Loyola University Chicago. In practice, teaching, and research, Dr. Coffee focuses on the prevention of academic, behavioral, social, emotional, and health difficulties in children through collaboration with educators, parents, and community members. In 2010, she was awarded the Early Career Research Award by the Society for the Study of School Psychology.

Corey E. Ray-Subramanian, PhD, is a licensed psychologist who provides clinical services to children with developmental disabilities and their families through the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is also involved in federally funded research related to children with autism spectrum disorders. Prior to her work at the Waisman Center, Dr. Ray-Subramanian was on the faculty in the department of psychology at Northern Illinois University.

Thomas Schanding, PhD, is a licensed psychologist, licensed specialist in school psychology, and nationally certified school psychologist working with Sheldon Independent School District in Houston, Texas. He serves as the associate director of outreach/core faculty member in Special Education for the LoneStar LEND with the University of Texas Health Science Center and previously taught in the School Psychology program at the University of Houston.

Kelly A. Feeney-Kettler, PhD, is an educational consultant in New Jersey. She earned a PhD in educational psychology, with a specialization in school psychology, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was recognized by Division 16 of the APA with an outstanding dissertation award. She held a postdoctoral fellowship with a concentration in early childhood at Vanderbilt University and received the Early Career Scholar Award from the Society for the Study of School Psychology.