In the fall of 2005, the directors of the state’s developmental preschool programs
unanimously agreed to adopt the recommended practices of the Division of Early Childhood
(DEC) as statewide standards of service delivery for Wyoming. DEC is a division of the Council
for Exceptional Children. Its recommended standards are the highest in the nation and were the
results of years of study conducted by some of the nation’s top academic professionals in early
childhood special education.
The developmental preschools committed to adopting at least 85% of the professional
standards in seven key categories:
- Assessment
- child-focused practices
- family-based practices
- interdisciplinary models
- technology applications
- personnel preparation, and
- policies, procedures and systems change.
The reason for not using 100% of the practices is to provide professionals in the child development centers around the state some discretion in dealing with diversity in disabilities and parental wishes for services.
The developmental preschool system achieved its goal in 2009. Wyoming is the first state in the country to embrace these practices as statewide standards. CDS member programs are now in the process of retaining a nationally recognized trainer in DEC practices to provide technical assistance to key staff in sustaining the changes permanently.
Many of the state’s developmental preschools are also accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Several other programs are in the process of applying for this accreditation.
