Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this case study was to identify the actions taken by public school districts to develop, implement, and maintain inclusive preschool programs. Further, this study compared the inclusive preschools' main components to the components identified by Buysse et al. (2001) and the components recommended by the Division of Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Methodology: The participants in this study were 4 local education agencies (LEAs) in California. The LEAs include 1 district in Northern California, 2 in Southern California, and 1 in the Central Valley. LEA representatives participated in a 6-question semistructured interview assessing the actions taken to develop, implement, and maintain an inclusive preschool program. Findings: Examination of qualitative data revealed themes in 5 areas: purpose and motivation for development of the preschool program, leadership and organizational strategies used for implementation and maintenance of the preschool program, barriers to development and sustainability of the preschool program, resources available for the development and sustainability of the preschool program, and developmental considerations used in determining structure and instructional components. Conclusions: The study data indicate the need for LEAs to identify the needs of preschool children with disabilities and establish a clear purpose and vision for developing or changing a program. In addition, the data indicate the need for collaborative team development with clear communication guidelines within the LEA and community to maximize available resources and ensure the sustainability of the program. Recommendations: Further research is advised in the following areas: the funding history of preschool programs in the United States and/or California to identify potential resources; a longitudinal study on the effectiveness of inclusive preschool programs using the results of the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) as reported to the Department of Education in California; an expanded longitudinal study on the effectiveness of inclusive preschool programs on students in elementary school; a replication study conducted across the United States to explore similarities and differences in programs across the states; and an expanded study focusing on the developmental recommendations by the DEC to identify the frequency and intensity of the individual practices in use.