Mary McLean 

Dr. McLean is a core faculty member of the Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies and a professor of special education and early childhood studies in the School of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies. She is highly regarded for her research on assessment strategies for young children with disabilities and for her work on the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Recommended Practices for Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education.

Dr. McLean moved to the University of Florida from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she was the Kellner Endowed Professor in Early Childhood Education and had been on the faculty for 17 years. At UWM, she directed the Early Childhood Special Education program in the School of Education and also served as director of the Early Childhood Research Center, an interdisciplinary center focused on research and development in early childhood.

Prior to UWM, Dr. McLean was at the University of North Dakota and Auburn University. During this time, she received 10 personnel preparation grants, five of which were focused on interdisciplinary personnel preparation. In addition, she partnered with other universities on four research projects, and headed a sub-contract from the Head Start National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning focused on training and technical assistance on ongoing assessment. For 10 years at Auburn University, she directed the Auburn Intervention Model (Project AIM) early intervention program for children from birth through age four with disabilities.

Prior to entering higher education, Dr. McLean worked as a special education teacher, a supervising teacher and curriculum coordinator at the Susan Gray School at Peabody College (now part of Vanderbilt University), and as a home-based early interventionist for a family-centered model demonstration project through Georgia State University in Atlanta.

Dr. McLean has co-authored six books, edited two monographs, has authored or co-authored 53 refereed journal articles and book chapters, and has served as a field editor for the Journal of Early Intervention, Infants and Young Children, and Young Exceptional Children. She served as president of the professional organization for early intervention/early childhood special education, the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children. She worked on all three versions of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Recommended Practices and served as Chair of the DEC Recommended Practices Committee from 2014 to 2020.

Assessment and Evaluation, Children and Poverty, Disabilities Assessment and Outcomes, Dual Language Learners, Early Childhood, Early Childhood Assessment and Measurement, Early Childhood Literacy, Early Childhood Studies, Early Intervention, Educational Assessment and Measurement, Evidence-based Practices, Family Engagement, Family-centered Practices, Family-centered Services, Historical Foundations, Inclusion, Instructional Practices for Young Children at Risk, Intervention, Methodological Research, Professional Development in Early Childhood, Special Education, Young Children at Risk

• Ph.D. in Early Childhood Special Education, University of Wisconsin, 1979
• M.A. in Special Education, Peabody College, 1973
• B.A. in Special Education, University of Iowa, 1972

• Mary McEvoy Service to the Field Award from the Division for Early Childhood, 2015
• Chair, Division for Early Childhood Recommended Practices Commission, 2014 – 2020
• Member, Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Recommended Practices Commission, 2014 – present
• Member, Evidence Synthesis Group, Division for Early Childhood Recommended Practices Commission, 2014 – Present

• Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies
• Embedded Instruction for Early Learning
• Embedded Instruction for Early Learning - California
• School of Special Education, School Psychology and Early Childhood Studies