National Trends in Blended Preparation: A Landscape Marked by Persistent Variability

Preparing early childhood professionals to facilitate meaningful inclusion across the complex contexts in which they work is essential to achieving positive outcomes for children and families. For more than three decades, collaborative “blended” models of preservice preparation—integrating early childhood education (ECE) with early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE)—have been promoted as a promising approach. Yet, contemporary models of blended preparation remain ill-defined in the literature, with little consensus on their defining characteristics, quality indicators, prevalence, or effectiveness. To address this gap, we conducted a national survey of U.S. preservice EI/ECSE preparation programs. Findings reveal substantial variability in how programs conceptualize and structure preparation, particularly in relation to blended models, and underscore critical implications for both preservice preparation and future research.