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NAEYC EARLY CHILDHOOD

ASSOCIATE DEGREE ACCREDITATION

SELF-STUDY REPORT FOR

ACCREDITATION REVIEW(First-Time Accreditation)

SUBMITTED BY:EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM

HAYWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGECLYDE, NORTH CAROLINA

SEPTEMBER, 2014

NAEYC 1313 L Street, Suite 500 NW, Washington D.C. 20005-4101

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TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGETHE ACCREDITATION CRITERIA AND STANDARDS 3

THE REPORT TEMPLATEPART ONE: PROGRAM CONTEXT

A. PROGRAM IDENTITY 6Criterion 1: Mission and Role in Community

B. PROGRAM DESIGN 9Criterion 2: Conceptual framework Criterion 3: Program of Studies Criterion 4: Quality of Teaching Criterion 5: Quality of Field Experiences

C. CANDIDATES 38Criterion 6: Qualifications and Characteristics of Candidates Criterion 7: Advising and Supporting Candidates

D. FACULTY 46Criterion 8: Qualifications and Composition of Faculty Criterion 9: Professional Responsibilities Criterion 10: Professional Development

E. SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION 58Criterion 11: Program Organization and Guidance Criterion 12: Program Resources

PART TWO: PROGRAM CONTENT AND OUTCOMES F. LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES 69Curriculum Chart Narrative Summary

G. ASSESSMENTS AND EVIDENCE OF CANDIDATE OUTCOMES 80Multi-Program Key Assessment to Degree Program Alignment ChartOverview Chart of Key Assessments Aligned with Standards and SkillsEvidence Chart Narrative SummarySupplemental Data (optional)

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THE ACCREDITATION CRITERIA AND STANDARDSPART ONE: PROGRAM CONTEXTA. PROGRAM IDENTITYCriterion 1: Mission and Role in CommunityThe early childhood associate degree program has established a clear identity and role in its community and is responsive to community stakeholders.

B. DESIGN OF PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMCriterion 2: Conceptual FrameworkThe early childhood associate degree program is based on a conceptual framework that is linked to the program’s mission and values.

Criterion 3: Program of StudiesThe program of studies is a coherent series of courses and field experiences that promote candidate learning in relation to the NAEYC standards and supportive skills.

Criterion 4: Quality of Teaching The teaching strategies used by program faculty reflect the characteristics, instructional methods, and evaluation strategies that are likely to promote candidate learning in relation to the NAEYC standards and supportive skills. They reflect the current professional knowledge base and are responsive to the characteristics of the program’s candidates.

Criterion 5: Quality of Field ExperiencesThe program’s field experiences support candidates’ learning in relation to the NAEYC standards.

C. CANDIDATESCriterion 6: Qualifications and Characteristics of Candidates The program encourages enrollment of a diverse group of candidates who have potential to succeed as early childhood educators.

Criterion 7: Advising and Supporting Candidates The program ensures that candidates are adequately advised and supported.

D. FACULTYCriterion 8: Qualifications and Composition of Faculty The program ensures that faculty demonstrate the qualifications and characteristics needed to promote candidates’ learning in relation to the NAEYC standards and supportive skills.

Criterion 9: Professional ResponsibilitiesFaculty responsibilities allow them to promote candidates’ learning in relation to the NAEYC standards and supportive skills.

Criterion 10: Professional Development

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Faculty are provided with professional development that strengthens their ability to promote candidates’

E. SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION OF PROGRAMCriterion 11: Program Organization and GuidanceThe program’s organization and guidance are mission-driven and participatory, placing the needs of candidates as its first priority.

Criterion 12: Program Resources The program has sufficient resources to support its efforts to promote candidates’ learning in relation to NAEYC standards and supportive skills

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PART TWO: PROGRAM CONTENT AND OUTCOMESF. LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES The program provides learning opportunities that explore key elements of the NAEYC Accreditation Standards and the Supportive Skills for associate degree programs. These learning opportunities are connected to and prepare candidates for assessment.

G. ASSESSMENTS AND EVIDENCE OF CANDIDATE PERFORMANCE The program assesses and is documents evidence of candidate performance related to the NAEYC Standards and Supportive Skills for associate degree programs. Data collected on candidate performance is used to make ongoing improvements in the program that respond to documented candidate needs.

The StandardsStandard 1: Promoting child development and learningStandard 2: Building family and community relationshipsStandard 3: Observing, documenting, and assessing to support young children and familiesStandard 4: Using developmentally effective approaches to connect with children and familiesStandard 5: Using content knowledge to build meaningful curriculumStandard 6: Becoming a professional

The Supportive SkillsSupportive Skill 1: Self-assessment and self-advocacySupportive Skill 2: Mastering and applying foundational concepts from general educationSupportive Skill 3: Written and verbal communications skillsSupportive Skill 4: Making connections between prior knowledge/experience and new learningSupportive Skill 5: Identifying and using professional resources

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PART ONE: PROGRAM CONTEXTWhat does the associate degree early childhood program provide to candidates to support their learning in relations to the NAEYC standards and supportive skills? What is important to know about the context of this program? How does this context (Part One of the report) inform the way that the program designs its learning opportunities and candidate assessments (Part Two of the report)?

A. PROGRAM IDENTITY AND ROLE

Criterion 1: Mission and Role in CommunityThe early childhood associate degree program has established a clear identity and role in its community and is responsive to community stakeholders.

Rationale: Historically, community and technical colleges have played a key role in meeting the needs of their constituents. Strong early childhood associate degree programs are closely connected with the community. They respond to the growing need to prepare a workforce to serve the young children and families in their community. Stakeholders in the community see the program as providing an important service.

Indicators of strength:The program has a clear sense of its mission and identity in meeting its community’s needs.

Others in the community recognize and value the program’s role.

Sources of evidence:

Report: a one- to two-page description of mission and program identity in relation to the community.

Site Visit: Interviews with stakeholders as identified by the program

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Please provide a one- to two-page description of mission and program identity in relation to the community:

The History and Mission of Haywood Community College

In August of 1965, Haywood Industrial Education Center opened on a beautiful piece of property in Haywood County, North Carolina. There was only one curriculum serving 39 students, but the college was a strong presence in the community. Word of the new and exciting venture to the surrounding counties and entire region spread rapidly.

The College would grow to serve sectors of the region with vocational, technical, college transfer, and continuing education programs. By 1973, the College became accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and has grown into a tax-assisted, open-door institute for higher learning.

The 1991 donation of a 320-acre tract of forest land to the Haywood Community College (HCC) Foundation by Raymond and Bernice Fowler, known as the Raymond J. Fowler Conservancy and Teaching Forest, enabled the College to have a teaching forest for its natural resources program. The John T. and Catherine R. Beaty Natural Resources Classroom, a 54-acre tract of forestland donated to the HCC Foundation by Catherine Beaty in memory of her late husband John, opened in 2002. In 2009, HCC acquired a 328 acre tract of land located at Balsam Gap through a generous gift from the Conservation Fund.

Today, Haywood Community College is one of 58 community colleges in the North Carolina Community College System. The college offers more than 50 curricular programs to over 3,300 students. Approximately 4,100 more students attend classes through its Continuing Education College and Career Readiness, including adult basic education, GED preparation, occupational courses, and community service programs. The Haywood Community College mission is to provide accessible, affordable, and high-quality education, workforce training, and lifelong learning.

The History and Mission of the Early Childhood Education Program

The history of the Early Childhood Program dates back to the year 2000. The program began by offering an associate degree and certificate in early childhood education with an initial enrollment of 62 students. In 2002, the program added their second full-time faculty member and the option of the infant toddler certificate. In 2004, the program became available in both online and seated formats. Tremendous growth of the program’s online courses occurred between 2004 and 2006. The accessibility of online learning provided increased enrollment and presented a lack of need for seated classes.

By 2006, the Early Childhood Program transitioned to a predominantly online program format. The program continued to grow and expand across the entire state of North Carolina. In 2009, the program implemented changes from the state’s Early Childhood Education Curriculum Improvement Project (CIP). These changes included adding English and reading pre-requisites to all EDU prefix courses, with the exception of EDU 119 (Introduction to Early Childhood Education). At this time, the program added multiple associate degree specialty tracks and specialty certificates.

According to the Haywood Community College Research and Institution Effectiveness office, the associate degree tracks of the Early Childhood Education program had an unduplicated headcount average of 247 students for the 2012-2013 academic year. The reported headcount average makes this program one of the largest programs at Haywood Community College and the largest program offered with most courses in the online program model.

The Early Childhood Education program supports the mission of the college in the following ways: We are committed to offering Early Childhood Education students opportunities to put theory into practice,

while still meeting their need for accessibility. This goal is accomplished through the use of the almost entirely online format. Our Early Childhood Capstone Teaching Practicum allows students the opportunity to fulfill their practicum hours and requirements at their place of employment, provided they meet all criteria set forth in the course description.

We are committed to providing education that reflects our understanding of the importance of diverse cultural needs.

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We are committed to enhancing student success by including highly qualified faculty, in context developmental courses, and technology based quality instruction. All faculty have obtained a master’s or doctoral degree in Early Childhood Education or a related field.

We offer multiple certificates that allow students to achieve educational milestones while working towards completion at the associate degree level, which promotes continued learning.

The Early Childhood Education Program’s Mission Statement

Haywood Community College’s Early Childhood Program graduates knowledgeable professionals who have the essential skills and field experiences to effectively educate typically and atypically developing children while supporting diverse families and communities and advocating for the profession.

In addition, the Early Childhood Education program is recognized and valued for its role in the state as evidenced by continued inquiries soliciting recommendations for early childhood education students and graduates for highly-desired positions within multiple early learning centers. Our faculty is continually enlisted and greatly sought after to present professional development opportunities for our on campus early learning center, The Center for the Advancement of Children, and in the community of Western North Carolina.

The Faculty of the Early Childhood Program of Haywood Community College have supportive and collaborative relationships with directors and administrators of many child care programs across the region and the state. These relationships are strengthened by the accessibility of the faculty, the knowledgeable faculty advisement of candidates and the commitment to quality field placements for students. Their input and the input of other community stakeholders is evidenced by the participation in the department’s advisory committee.

B. PROGRAM DESIGN8

Criterion 2: Conceptual frameworkThe early childhood associate degree program is based on a conceptual framework that is linked to the program’s mission and values.

Rationale: Strong early childhood associate degree programs are more than a collection of courses. Strong programs gain coherence by developing, sharing, and implementing a clear, overarching mission and set of values.

Indicators of strength:The conceptual framework is linked to the associate degree program’s unique mission and goals (Criterion 1) and to the NAEYC standards.

The conceptual framework is a living document: developed collaboratively; clearly written and presented; and recognized and used by program faculty, candidates, field placement supervisors, and other stakeholders.

The conceptual framework supports the program’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to preparing candidates to work in diverse, inclusive settings.

Sources of evidence:Report: a one- to two-page summary of your conceptual framework and how it has been developed and used. a one-page description of plans to address challenges and build on current strengths in this area.Site Visit: Interviews with faculty, candidates, and other stakeholders.

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Please provide a one- to two-page summary of your conceptual framework and how it has been developed and used:

Guiding PhilosophyChildren learn through play in an individualized and stimulating learning environment, which respects the child’s dignity, worth, and diversity.

Conceptual Framework

The Conceptual Framework was created through a collaborative process of faculty, students, administration and shareholder input. It is recognized and used by faculty and stakeholders. The Conceptual Framework will experience change. Developed as a living and growing document, students, advisory board members, stakeholders and faculty will continually provide input with regard to needed changes and growth adjustments. The evolution of the framework will consist of changes in the early childhood field, student needs, faculty growth and stakeholder input.

Children learn and develop through play in a creative and stimulating learning environment that respects the child’s dignity, worth and diversity. Play is the developmentally appropriate process whereby children learn and grow. Play allows for the development of the whole child, which includes the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical domains. The child’s environments must be enriched with open-ended materials and opportunities to interact with their peers.

It is critical that children have the freedom to direct their own play. According to the theorist, Vygotsky, the play of children follows developmental paths, focusing on the development of imagery situations, explicit roles and implicit rules. Self -directed play leads to the development of literacy skills and supports self- regulation.

The role of the teacher is to establish a child-centered, creative and stimulating environment and curriculum that facilitates play according to developmentally appropriate practice. The teacher creates and selects open-ended materials, individual and group activities, and indoor/outdoor experiences that encourage creativity in the young child.

Teachers engage and model problem-solving, creative thinking, scientific discovery, language and artistic expression, and social interactions in a healthy, nurturing, and respectful environment that takes into account each child’s dignity, worth, and diversity.

The teacher forms a respectful partnership with the child’s family, and a connection with the community, to enhance learning and development.

Furthermore, teachers understand, communicate, and promote the benefits of early learning to the child, family, community, and society.

The visual depiction of the conceptual framework highlights the key components. We believe that the child’s worth, dignity, and diversity are the building blocks, which the teacher utilizes to provide developmentally appropriate, meaningful, and challenging curricula for each child. Creative and stimulating environments are the foundation that teachers utilize to support children’s learning and development. Additionally, the conceptual framework supports the program’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and to preparing candidates to work in diverse, inclusive settings.

Candidate Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Haywood Community College’s Early Childhood Education Program will follow the NAEYC Standards as adopted by the NC Community College System’s Early Childhood Programs: NAEYC Standard 1: Promote Child Development and Learning NAEYC Standard 2: Build Family and Community Relationships NAEYC Standard 3: Observe, Document, and Assess to Support Young Children and FamiliesNAEYC Standard 4: Use Developmentally Effective Approaches to Connect with Children and Families NAEYC Standard 5: Use Content Knowledge to Build Meaningful Curriculum NAEYC Standard 6: Become a Professional

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Standards adopted from NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation Programs, Position Statement Approved by the NAEYC Governing Board July 2009

To more fully define the NAEYC standards in relation to the work of the graduates of the Haywood Community College’s Early Childhood Education Program, these additional learning outcomes are used as touch points for our students. Each one relates to one or more of the NAEYC standards:

1. Define play and its importance in the learning and development of young children.

2. Describe the developmental milestones and stages of young children.

3. Assess a child’s developmental skills and needs.

4. Utilize knowledge of developmental milestones and stages when planning effective programs for young children.

5. Design and present healthy, developmentally appropriate learning environments for young children that include open-ended materials, peer interaction, child-directed play, indoor/outdoor activities, scientific discovery, and artistic expression that encourage family connections.

6. Design and present developmentally appropriate curriculum for young children that includes open-ended materials, peer interaction, child-directed play, indoor/outdoor activities, scientific discovery, and artistic expression that encourage family connections.

7. Demonstrate ability to individualize learning opportunities within the inclusive classroom.

8. Form a respectful partnership with the child’s family and a connection with the community to enhance learning and development.

9. Model problem solving to children and allow opportunities for the child to develop skills.

10. Advocate for the profession and uphold the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct.

Visual Depiction of Haywood Community College’s Conceptual Model

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Please provide a one-page description of plans to address challenges and build on current strengths in this area:

HCC’s Candidate Learning Outcomes are strong and are built on NAEYC’s standards; however, our field placements are occasionally slightly problematic due to field placement sites not understanding HCC’s conceptual model. Our field placement standards are set so that placements are required to take place at quality programs-3 star or higher rated programs.

One of our challenges is how to stress the importance of learning through play when some field placement sites practice a different philosophy. Some sites do not practice learning through play. To address this challenge, we will create more projects in our courses where students design learning experiences that give children opportunities to learn through play. Students will plan to use open-ended materials (for example, play dough, sand, water, and blocks) and give children opportunities to interact with their peers. Another way to address this issue is to address HCC’s Conceptual Model in the Field Experience Handbook. The handbook would be shared with field placement sites before the student begins working there. We will address one issue that sometimes comes up by developing materials and/or assisting candidates in locating materials that are appropriate so parents will realize the importance of play in the lives and development of children.

If the field placement site adheres to a more teacher-directed philosophy, then another challenge is how to stress the importance of a child-centered environment to our students. To address this challenge, we will create assignments to allow students to design child-centered learning environments. Students will move from designing individual activity centers to designing entire classrooms and complete child care programs.

Many times, even the most quality program does not have a strong family collaboration component. Our challenge is how to teach the importance of collaborating with families to our students when our field placement sites do not stress the development of this important component of our conceptual framework. To address this challenge we have incorporated family interview studies and the development of family resource packets into several of our courses.

The program has a strong Creative Activities course, but an identified challenge is how to empower our students to develop meaningful and stimulating science projects in their early childhood classrooms. Beginning Fall 2014, we created and are offering a new course EDU 251, Exploration Activities. Students learn to create science projects that are nature based, play based, and based on the interest of children. The course will be offered both online and seated: EDU-251_2013FA Exploration Activities EDU-251Class 3 Lab 0 Clinical 0 Work 0 Credit 3This course covers discovery experiences in science, math, and social studies. Emphasis is placed on developing concepts for each area and encouraging young children to explore, discover, and construct concepts. Upon completion, students should be able to discuss the discovery approach to teaching, explain major concepts in each area, and plan appropriate experiences for children.

Finally, in order to stress the importance of educating communities about the significance of early childhood education, a new course, EDU 173, Becoming a Professional in Early Childhood Education will be offered Fall Semester, 2014. Students will learn to advocate for young children and the profession, using the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct as a guide. EDU-173_2013FA Becoming a Prof'l in ECE EDU-173Class 3 Lab 0 Clinical 0 Work 0 Credit 3This course is an introduction to the early childhood profession. Emphasis is placed on the NAEYC Ethical Code, professional growth through involvement in professional organizations, and development of a professional portfolio. Upon completion, students should be able to identify professional resources and community partners in order to involve oneself in the early childhood field.

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Criterion 3: Program of StudiesThe program of studies is a coherent series of courses and field experiences that promote candidate learning in relation to the NAEYC standards and supportive skills.

Rationale: Strong early childhood programs are more than a collection of courses. The program of studies has a logical, developmental progression and has sufficient depth and breadth of content to prepare candidates adequately to enter the field.

Indicators of strength:The program has a combination of courses and field experiences that prepares candidates to have a positive impact on the lives of young children and families.

Program requirements and the sequence of courses reflect the program’s conceptual framework and the mission of the institution.

Sources of evidence:Report: Provide one- to two-page summary of your program of studies and how it has been developed and used. The program of studies as published in your course catalog, including admission and graduation requirements, and concentrations or other degree program options. A catalog course list with brief course descriptions.A one-page description of plans to address challenges and build on current strengths in this area. Site Visit: Interviews with administrators and faculty

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Please provide a one- to two-page summary of your program of studies and how it has been developed and used:

Development and Alignment of Program OutcomesThe program of Early Childhood studies at Haywood Community College has been developed and aligned with the NAEYC standards. During the statewide Curriculum Improvement Project, the Early Childhood faculty across the North Carolina Community College system elected to align the Early Childhood program outcomes with the NAEYC standards. Haywood’s program outcomes and student learning outcomes are aligned with these standards. All key elements of the standards are covered in the course offerings in the department. Haywood’s program outcomes are listed at the end of this section.

Additionally, some key theorists guide our program. The Theory of Multiple Intelligences of Howard Gardner has guided our department faculty to stress to our students the importance of the use of a variety of modalities to reach the children they will be teaching. Our faculty is striving for ways, within the online format, to meet the needs of our students who understand and learn in a variety of ways.

Preparation for SuccessThe courses in the Early Childhood Curriculum are set up in a logical sequence. Faculty strive to advise students to access courses in the proper sequence within the confines of the student’s work and family life. Additionally, a checklist of the course offerings is available for faculty and student use in EDU 119.

Haywood’s Early Childhood program has an introductory course, EDU 119, Introduction to Early Childhood Education, also known in North Carolina, as the Credential Course. Our students are encouraged to complete this course before moving on to other early childhood courses.

EDU 119 is paired with ACA 115, College Student Success, which is a local co-requisite for EDU 119. The ACA 115 course helps students navigate the online course delivery system, as well as introduces them to the field of early childhood education. ACA 115 is made available to Early Childhood students only and is taught by an Early Childhood instructor. Each of these courses, EDU 119 and ACA 115, are offered in 8-week intervals every semester.

Early Childhood students may also need to take pre-requisite developmental reading and English courses before moving on to other Early Childhood courses. The Early Childhood Department at HCC has its own sections of DRE 096, 097, 098 (Developmental Integrated Reading and English courses). These courses have an early childhood focus and are taught by a faculty member of the Early Childhood Department who is dually educated in Early Childhood and English.

Program Accessibility and PortabilityThe Early Childhood Program of study at Haywood Community College is very accessible to all students who wish to enroll. The program is offered almost 100% online. At least one seated class is offered each semester. All of the EDU courses are offered both fall and spring semester.

The Early Childhood program offers almost every class required for a degree every semester (Fall and Spring), making it very accessible and convenient for students to access the classes that they need and want.Haywood’s Early Childhood students are able to easily transfer courses to other community colleges across the state, if needed. North Carolina has a common course library and a set of Early Childhood core courses and course descriptions.

NC Community College Early Childhood Education AAS Program

Student Learning OutcomesAll early childhood associate degree graduates should be able to use knowledge of child development to:Promote Child Development and Learning (NAEYC Standard 1) Key Element

1a: Knowing and understanding young children’s characteristics and needs1b: Knowing and understanding the multiple influences on development and learning

1c: Using developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments

Build Family and Community Relationships (NAEYC Standard 2)Key elements 2a: Knowing about and understanding diverse family and community characteristics.

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2b: Supporting and engaging families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships.2c: Involving families and communities in their children’s development and learning.

Observe, Document, and Assess to Support Young Children and Families (NAEYC Standard 3)Key elements3a: Understanding the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment – including its use in development of appropriate goals, curriculum, and teaching strategies for young children. (College Wide Goal 2a)3b: Knowing about and using observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment tools and approaches, including the use of technology in documentation, assessment and data collection. (College Wide Goal 1c and 2a)3c: Understanding and practicing responsible assessment to promote positive outcomes for each child, including the use of assistive technology for children with disabilities. (College Wide Goal 2a)3d: Knowing about assessment partnerships with families and with professional colleagues to build effective learning environments. (College Wide Goal 1d)

Use Developmentally Effective Approaches to Connect with Children and Families (NAEYC Standard 4)Key elements4a: Understanding positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation of their work with children.4b: Knowing and understanding effective strategies and tools for early education, including appropriate uses of technology.4c: Using a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate teaching/learning approaches.4d: Reflecting on their own practice to promote positive outcomes for each child.

Use Content Knowledge to Build Meaningful Curriculum (NAEYC Standard 5)Key elements5a: Understanding content knowledge and resources in academic disciplines.5b: Knowing and using the central concepts, inquiry tools, and structures of content areas or academic disciplines: language and literacy; the arts – music, creative movement, dance, drama, visual arts; mathematics; science, physical activity, physical education, health and safety; and social studies.5c: Using own knowledge, appropriate early learning standards, and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate developmentally meaningful and challenging curriculum for each child.

Become a Professional (NAEYC Standard 6)Key elements6a: Identifying and involving oneself with the early childhood field.6b: Knowing about and upholding ethical standards and other professional guidelines.6c: Engaging in continuous, collaborative learning to inform practice; using technology effectively with young children, with peers, and as a professional resource.6d: Integrating knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on early education.6e: Engaging in informed advocacy for children and the profession.

Standards adopted from NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation Programs, Position Statement Approved by the NAEYC Governing Board July 2009

Additionally, graduates of Haywood Community College’s Early Childhood Education Program will:1. Define play and its importance in the learning and development of young children.2. Describe the developmental milestones and stages of young children.3. Assess a child’s developmental skills and needs.4. Utilize knowledge of developmental milestones and stages when planning effective programs for young

children. 5. Design and present healthy, developmentally appropriate learning environments for young children that

includes open-ended materials, peer interaction, child directed play, indoor/outdoor activities, scientific discovery, and artistic expression that encourage family connections.

6. Design and present developmentally appropriate curriculum for young children that includes open-ended materials, peer interaction, child directed play, indoor/outdoor activities, scientific discovery, and artistic expression that encourage family connections.

7. Demonstrate ability to individualize learning opportunities within the inclusive classroom.8. Form a respectful partnership with the child’s family and a connection with the community to enhance

learning and development. 9. Will model problem solving to children and allow opportunities for the child to develop skills.10. Advocate for the profession and uphold the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct.

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Please provide the program of studies as published in your course catalog, including admission and graduation requirements, and concentrations or other degree program options:

Program of StudiesListed below is a copy of pages of 131-134 of Haywood Community College’s online catalog for the 2014-15 Academic Year. The Early Childhood Education program of studies, including tracks (concentrations) and other degree program options are presented.

Early Childhood EducationThe Early Childhood curriculum prepares individuals to work with children from birth through eight in diverse learning environments. Students combine learned theories with practice in actual settings with young children under the supervision of qualified teachers.Course work includes childhood growth and development; physical/nutritional needs of children; care and guidance of children; and communication skills with families and children. Students will foster the cognitive/language, physical/motor, social/emotional, and creative development of young children.Graduates are prepared to plan and implement developmentally appropriate programs in early childhood settings.Employment opportunities include child development and child care programs, preschools, public and private schools, recreational centers, Head Start Programs, and school-age programs.

Total: 17

Spring Semester 1 Lec Lab Clin Cred

EDU-145 Child Development II 3 0 0 3

EDU-146 Child Guidance 3 0 0 3

EDU-151 Creative Activities 3 0 0 3

EDU-153 Health, Safety and Nutrition 3 0 0 3

EDU-173 Becoming a Professional in Early Childhood Education 3 0 0 3Total: 15

Students may choose from the following tracks to meet their individual goals in the Early Childhood field:

Early Childhood Education Track - This track is designed to prepare the student to work in Early Childhood Program.

Summer Semester 1 Lec Lab Clin Cred COM-120 Intro to Interpersonal Communication 3 0 0 3or COM-231 Public Speaking 3 0 0 3or ENG-112 Writing/Research in the Disciplines 3 0 0 3EDU-234 Infants, Toddlers, & Twos 3 0 0 3EDU-280 Language and Literacy Experiences 3 0 0 3

Total: 9

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Associate In Applied Science Degree (AAS) A55220Fall Semester 1 Lec Lab Clin Cred

ACA-115 Success & Study Skills 0 2 0 1CIS-110 Introduction to Computers 2 2 0 3EDU-119 Introduction to Early Childhood Education 4 0 0 4EDU-131 Child, Family, and Community 3 0 0 3EDU-144 Child Development I 3 0 0 3ENG-111 Writing and Inquiry 3 0 0 3

Fall Semester 2

Lec Lab Clin Cred EDU-221 Children With Exceptionalities 3 0 0 3EDU-259 Curriculum Planning 3 0 0 3EDU-271 Educational Technology 2 2 0 3

Social and Behavioral Sciences 3 0 0 3Natural Science and Mathematics 3 0 0 3-4

Total: 15-16

Spring Semester 2 Lec Lab Clin Cred EDU-235 School-Age Development and Programs 3 0 0 3EDU-251 Exploration Activities 3 0 0 3EDU-254 Music and Movement for Children 1 2 0 2EDU-284 Early Childhood Capstone Practicum 1 9 0 4

Humanities/Fine Arts 3 0 0 3Total: 15

Total Credit Hours: 71-72

Early Childhood Education Administration - This track is designed to prepare the student to operate and administer an Early Childhood Center or Family Day Care Home.Summer Semester 1 Lec Lab Clin CredEDU-221 Children With Exceptionalities 3 0 0 3EDU-234 Infants, Toddlers, & Twos 3 0 0 3EDU-280 Language and Literacy Experiences 3 0 0 3

Total: 9

Fall Semester 2 Introduction to Business

Lec Lab 0

Clin 0

Cred 3BUS-137 Principles of Management 3 0 0 3

EDU-261 Early Childhood Administration I 3 0 0 3EDU-271 Educational Technology 2 2 0 3

Natural Science and Mathematics 3 0 0 3-4Total: 15-16

Spring Semester 2 Lec Lab Clin CredEDU-262 Early Childhood Administration II 3 0 0 3EDU-284 Early Childhood Capstone Practicum 1 9 0 4

Humanities/Fine Arts 3 0 0 3Social and Behavioral Sciences 3 0 0 3

Total: 13Total Credit Hours: 69-70

Early Childhood Education Special Education Track - This track is designed to prepare the student to work in Early Childhood Programs or public school classrooms with a focus on children with special needs.Summer Semester 1 Lec Lab Clin CredEDU-221 Children With Exceptionalities 3 0 0 3EDU-234 Infants, Toddlers, & Twos 3 0 0 3EDU-280 Language and Literacy Experiences 3 0 0 3

Total: 9

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Fall Semester 2

Lec Lab Clin Cred EDU-222 Learners with Behavior Disorders 3 0 0 3EDU-223 Specific Learning Disabilities 3 0 0 3EDU-271 Educational Technology 2 2 0 3

Social and Behavioral Sciences 3 0 0 3Natural Science and Mathematics 3 0 0 3-4

Total: 15-16Spring Semester 2 Lec Lab Clin CredEDU-247 Sensory and Physical Disabilities 3 0 0 3EDU-248 Developmental Delays 3 0 0 3EDU-284 Early Childhood Capstone Practicum 1 9 0 4

Humanities/Fine Arts 3 0 0 3Total: 13

Total Credit Hours: 69-70

Certificate in Early Childhood C55220Admission to this certificate requires that students satisfy the course prerequisite requirements. Students may satisfy the requirements by successful completion of the Accuplacer exam or completion of the following courses: DRE 097.Fall Semester 1 Lec Lab Clin CredACA-115 Success & Study Skills 0 2 0 1EDU-119 Introduction to Early Childhood Education 4 0 0 4EDU-144 Child Development I 3 0 0 3EDU-146 Child Guidance 3 0 0 3

Total: 11Spring Semester 1 Lec Lab Clin CredEDU-145 Child Development II 3 0 0 3EDU-151 Creative Activities 3 0 0 3

Total: 6Total Credit Hours: 17

Early Childhood Administration Certificate C55220ADAdmission to this certificate requires that students satisfy the course prerequisite requirements. Students may satisfy the requirements by successful completion of the Accuplacer exam or completion of the following courses: DRE 097 and DRE 098.Courses Lec Lab Clin Cred ACA-115 Success & Study Skills 0 2 0 1BUS-110 Introduction to Business 3 0 0 3EDU-119 Introduction to Early Childhood Education 4 0 0 4EDU-261 Early Childhood Administration I 3 0 0 3EDU-262 Early Childhood Administration II 3 0 0 3


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Early Childhood Special Education Certificate C55220SEAdmission to this certificate requires that students satisfy the course prerequisite requirements. Students may satisfy the requirements by successful completion of the Accuplacer exam or completion of the following courses: DRE 097 and DRE 098Courses

Lec Lab Clin Cred

EDU-144 Child Development I 3 0 0 3EDU-145 Child Development II 3 0 0 3EDU-221 Children With Exceptionalities 3 0 0 3EDU-222 Learners with Behavior Disorders 3 0 0 3EDU-223 Specific Learning Disabilities 3 0 0 3EDU-248 Developmental Delays 3 0 0 3


Early Childhood Education Certificate CCP C55220CPAdmission to this certificate requires that students satisfy the course prerequisite requirements of DRE 097. Students may satisfy the requirements by demonstrating college readiness on the Accuplacer exam or other approved diagnostic assessment test.

Courses Lec Lab Clin Cred ACA-115 Success & Study Skills 0 2 0 1EDU-119 Introduction to Early Childhood Education 4 0 0 4EDU-144 Child Development I 3 0 0 3EDU-145 Child Development II 3 0 0 3EDU-146 Child Guidance 3 0 0 3EDU-151 Creative Activities 3 0 0 3


Infant Toddler Certificate C55290Admission to this certificate requires that students satisfy the course prerequisite requirements. Students may satisfy the requirements by successful completion of the Accuplacer exam or completion of the following courses: DRE 097 and DRE 098.

Fall Semester 1 Lec Lab Clin CredACA-115 Success & Study Skills 0 2 0 1EDU-119 Introduction to Early Childhood Education 4 0 0 4EDU-144 Child Development I 3 0 0 3

Spring Semester 1EDU-131 Child, Family, and Community 3 0 0 3EDU-153 Health, Safety and Nutrition 3 0 0 3

EDU-234 Infants, Toddlers and Twos 3 0 0 3

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Certificate in School-Age Education C55440Admission to this certificate requires that students satisfy the course prerequisite requirements. Students may satisfy the requirements by successful completion of the Accuplacer exam or completion of the following courses: DRE 097 and DRE 098.

Fall Semester 1 Lec Lab Clin CredEDU-131 Child, Family, and Community 3 0 0 3

EDU-163 Classroom Management and Instruction 3 0 0 3EDU-145 Child Development II 3 0 0 3EDU-235 School-Age Development and Programs 3 0 0 3

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http://www.haywood.edu/course_catalog/EDU/235

Listed below is a copy of page 19 of Haywood Community College’s online catalog for the 2014-15 academic year. The college’s admissions, enrollment and advising requirements and policies are presented.

Admissions, Enrollment, and AdvisementHaywood Community College operates under the open door policy established by the North Carolina Community College System. Haywood Community College is committed to the equality of educational opportunities and does not discriminate against applicants based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, affiliation or belief. Any person who is at least 18 years of age and a high school graduate or the equivalent, may be accepted by the College. The College reserves the right to refuse admission to any applicant during any period of time that a student is suspended or expelled from another college or educational entity due to non-academic disciplinary reasons.

High school students may also enroll in selected courses in accordance with the policies and procedures adopted by the State of North Carolina General Assembly, the State Board of Community Colleges, and the State Board of Education: (a) qualifying students in grades 11 and 12 through the Career and College Promise program or (b) students in grades 9 – 13 through Haywood Early College. See Admission/Enrollment of High School students for more information on the Career and College Promise program.

By applying for admission, applicants agree to observe all rules and regulations, policies and procedures of Haywood Community College and the HCC Student Code of Conduct. All documentation submitted by applicants must be accurate to the best of their knowledge. Inaccurate and/or misleading information may be grounds for denial of admission/enrollment or dismissal.

Admission to the College does not guarantee immediate acceptance to the curriculum program desired by the applicant. Admission to certain programs may have additional specific entrance requirements. Students may have to complete Basic Skills or developmental level courses before being accepted into their desired academic curriculum program.

The Director of Enrollment Management administers all admissions requirements and enforces all college admission policies, and procedures.

Listed below is a copy of pages 67-68 of Haywood Community College’s online catalog for the 2014-15 academic year. The college’s graduation requirements and procedures are presented.

Graduation Requirements & Procedures In order to graduate with a diploma, certificate, or degree, students must meet the following minimum

requirements:

Complete the course requirements of a College approved certificate, diploma, or associate degree program with minimum 2.00 cumulative grade point average. The approved certificate, diploma, or associate degree program defines the graduate’s major.

Be recommended by the chairperson of the division. Fulfill all financial obligations to the College. Complete an Application for Graduation (this must be on file at least 45 days before instruction ends during the

semester in which a student plans to graduate).

Submit completed Application for Graduation (signed by Advisor & Division Chair) to HCC’s Bookstore. Pay the current fee for the diploma and any other graduation expenses.

Transfer students must complete a minimum of 25% of their semester credit hours of coursework at Haywood Community College before becoming eligible for graduation.

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Please provide a catalog course list with brief course descriptions:Listed below is a copy of pages 209-213 of Haywood Community College’s online catalog for the 2014-15 academic year. The Early Childhood Education course descriptions are presented.

Education (EDU)EDU-119 Introduction to Early Childhood Education 4 0 0 4

Prerequisites: None Corequisites: ACA 115 (Local)

This course covers the foundations of the education profession, the diverse educational settings for young children, professionalism and planning developmentally appropriate programs for all children. Topics include historical foundations, program types, career options, professionalism and creating inclusive environments and curriculum responsive to the needs of all children and families. Upon completion, students should be able to design career plans and develop schedules, environments and activity plans appropriate for all children.

EDU-131 Child, Family, and Community 3 0 0 3

Prerequisites: None Corequisites: DRE-097

This course covers the development of partnerships between culturally and linguistically diverse families, children, schools and communities. Emphasis is placed on developing skills and identifying benefits for establishing, supporting, and maintaining respectful, collaborative relationships between diverse families, programs/schools, and community agencies/resources. Upon completion, students should be able to explain appropriate relationships between families, educators, and professionals that enhance development and educational experiences of all children.

EDU-144 Child Development I 3 0 0 3


This course includes the theories of child development, needs, milestones, and factors that influence development, from conception through approximately 36 months. Emphasis is placed on developmental sequences in physical/motor, emotional/social, cognitive, and language domains and the impact of multiple influences on development and learning. Upon completion, students should be able to compare/contrast typical/atypical developmental characteristics, explain environmental factors that impact development, and identify strategies for enhancing development.

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EDU-145 Child Development II 3 0 0 3


This course includes the theories of child development, needs, milestones, and factors that influence development, from preschool through middle childhood. Emphasis is placed on developmental sequences in physical/motor, emotional/social, cognitive, and language domains and the impact of multiple influences on development and learning. Upon completion, students should be able to compare/contrast typical/atypical developmental characteristics, explain environmental factors that impact development, and identify strategies for enhancing development.

EDU-146 Child Guidance 3 0 0 3


This course introduces principles and practical techniques including the design of learning environments for providing developmentally appropriate guidance for all children, including those at risk. Emphasis is placed on observation skills, cultural influences, underlying causes of behavior, appropriate expectations, development of self-control and the role of communication and guidance. Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate direct/indirect strategies for preventing problem behaviors, teaching appropriate/acceptable behaviors, negotiation, setting limits and recognizing at risk behaviors.

EDU-151 Creative Activities 3 0 0 3


This course covers planning, creation and adaptation of developmentally supportive learning environments with attention to curriculum, interactions, teaching practices and learning materials. Emphasis is placed on creating and adapting integrated, meaningful, challenging and engaging developmentally supportive learning experiences in art, music, movement and dramatics for all children. Upon completion, students should be able to create, adapt, implement and evaluate developmentally supportive learning materials, experiences and environments.

EDU-153 Health, Safety and Nutrition 3 0 0 3


This course covers promoting and maintaining the health and well-being of all children. Topics include health and nutritional guidelines, common childhood illnesses, maintaining safe and healthy learning environments, recognition and reporting of abuse and neglect and state regulations. Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge of health, safety, and nutritional needs, safe learning environments, and adhere to state regulations.

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EDU-163 Classroom Management and Instruction 3 0 0 3


This course covers management and instructional techniques with school-age populations. Topics include classroom management and organization, teaching strategies, individual student differences and learning styles, and developmentally appropriate classroom guidance techniques. Upon completion, students should be able to utilize developmentally appropriate behavior management and instructional strategies that enhance the teaching/learning process and promote students' academic success.

EDU-173 Becoming a Professional in Early Childhood Education 3 0 0 3


This course is an introduction to the early childhood profession. Emphasis is placed on the NAEYC Ethical Code, professional growth through involvement in professional organizations, and development of a professional portfolio. Upon completion, students should be able to identify professional resources and community partners in order to involve oneself in the early childhood field.

EDU-221 Children with Exceptionalities 3 0 0 3

Prerequisites: Take one set: EDU-144 and EDU-145 PSY-244 and PSY-245Corequisites: DRE-098

This course introduces children with exceptionalities, their families, support services, inclusive/diverse settings, and educational/ family plans based on the foundations of child development. Emphasis is placed on the characteristics of exceptionalities, observation and assessment of children, strategies for adapting the learning environment, and identification of community resources. Upon completion, students should be able to recognize diverse abilities, describe the referral process, and depict collaboration with families/professionals to plan/implement, and promote best practice.

EDU-222 Learners with Behavior Disorders 3 0 0 3


This course provides a comprehensive study of learners with behavioral disorders encompassing characteristics, assessments, placement alternatives, inclusion and family interventions. Topics include legislation, appropriate management interventions, and placement options for children with behavior disorders. Upon completion, students should be able to identify, develop, and utilize positive behavior support systems.

EDU-223 Specific Learning Disabilities 3 0 0 3


This course provides a comprehensive study of characteristics, alternative assessments, teaching strategies, placement options, inclusion, and family intervention for children with specific learning disabilities. Topics include causes, assessment instruments, learning strategies, and collaborative/inclusion methods for children with

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specific learning disabilities. Upon completion, students should be able to assist in identifying, assessing, and providing educational interventions for children with specific learning disabilities and their families.

EDU-234 Infants, Toddlers, & Twos 3 0 0 3

Prerequisites: EDU-119 Corequisites: DRE-098

This course covers the unique needs and rapid changes that occur in the first three years of life and the inter-related factors that influence development. Emphasis is placed on recognizing and supporting developmental milestones through purposeful strategies, responsive care routines and identifying elements of quality, inclusive early care and education. Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate respectful relationships that provide a foundation for healthy infant/toddler/twos development, plan/select activities/materials, and partner with diverse families.

EDU-235 School-Age Development and Programs 3 0 0 3


This course includes developmentally appropriate practices in group settings for school-age children. Emphasis is placed on principles of development, environmental planning, and positive guidance techniques. Upon completion, students should be able to discuss developmental principles for all children ages five to twelve and plan and implement developmentally-appropriate activities.

EDU-247 Sensory and Physical Disabilities 3 0 0 3


This course covers characteristics, intervention strategies, assistive technologies, and inclusive practices for children with sensory and physical disabilities. Topics include inclusive placement options, utilization of support services, other health impairments and family involvement for children with sensory and physical disabilities. Upon completion, students should be able to identify and utilize intervention strategies and service delivery options for those specific disabilities.

EDU-248 Developmental Delays 3 0 0 3


This course covers the causes and assessment of developmental delays and individualized instruction and curriculum for children with developmental delays. Emphasis is placed on definition, characteristics, assessment, educational strategies, inclusion, family involvement, and services for children with developmental delays. Upon completion, students should be able to identify, assess, and plan educational intervention strategies for children with developmental delays and their families.

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EDU-251 Exploration Activities 3 0 0 3


This course covers discovery experiences in science, math, and social studies. Emphasis is placed on developing concepts for each area and encouraging young children to explore, discover, and construct concepts. Upon completion, students should be able to discuss the discovery approach to teaching, explain major concepts in each area, and plan appropriate experiences for children.

EDU-254 Music and Movement for Children 1 2 0 2


This course covers the use of music and creative movement for children. Topics include a general survey of the basic elements of music and planning, designing, and implementing music and movement experiences for creative learning. Upon completion, students should be able to use voice and various musical instruments to provide musical and movement activities for children.

EDU-259 Curriculum Planning 3 0 0 3

Prerequisites: EDU-119 Corequisites: DRE-098

This course is designed to focus on curriculum planning for three to five year olds. Topics include philosophy, curriculum models, indoor and outdoor environments, scheduling, authentic assessment, and planning developmentally appropriate experiences. Upon completion, students should be able to evaluate children's development, critique curriculum, plan for individual and group needs, and assess and create quality environments.

EDU-261 Early Childhood Administration I 3 0 0 3

Prerequisites: NoneCorequisites: EDU-119; DRE-098

This course introduces principles of basic programming and staffing, budgeting/financial management and marketing, and rules and regulations of diverse early childhood programs. Topics include program structure and philosophy, standards of NC child care programs, finance, funding resources, and staff and organizational management. Upon completion, students should be able to develop components of program/personnel handbooks, a program budget, and demonstrate knowledge of fundamental marketing strategies and NC standards.

EDU-262 Early Childhood Administration II 3 0 0 3

Prerequisites: EDU-261 Corequisites: EDU-119; DRE-098

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This course focuses on advocacy/leadership, public relations/community outreach and program quality/evaluation for diverse early childhood programs. Topics include program evaluation/accreditation, involvement in early childhood professional organizations, leadership/mentoring, family, volunteer and community involvement and early childhood advocacy. Upon completion, students should be able to define and evaluate all components of early childhood programs, develop strategies for advocacy and integrate community into programs.

EDU-271 Educational Technology 2 2 0 3


This course introduces the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning in all educational settings. Topics include technology concepts, instructional strategies, materials and adaptive technology for children with exceptionalities, facilitation of assessment/ evaluation, and ethical issues surrounding the use of technology. Upon completion, students should be able to apply technology enhanced instructional strategies, use a variety of technology resources and demonstrate appropriate technology skills in educational environments.

EDU-280 Language and Literacy Experiences 3 0 0 3


This course is designed to expand students' understanding of children's language and literacy development and provides strategies for enhancing language/literacy experiences in an enriched environment. Topics include selection of diverse literature and interactive media, the integration of literacy concepts throughout the curriculum, appropriate observations/assessments and inclusive practices. Upon completion, students should be able to select, plan, implement and evaluate developmentally appropriate and diverse language/literacy experiences.

EDU-284 Early Childhood Capstone Practicum 1 9 0 4

Prerequisites: Take one set:EDU-119, EDU-144, EDU-145, EDU-146, and EDU-151 EDU-119, PSY-244, PSY-245, EDU-146, and EDU-151 EDU-119, PSY-245, EDU-144, EDU-146, and EDU-151 EDU-119, PSY-244, EDU-145, EDU-146, and EDU-151

Corequisites: DRE-098

This course is designed to allow students to apply skills in a three star (minimum) or NAEYC accredited or equivalent, quality early childhood environment. Emphasis is placed on designing, implementing and evaluating developmentally appropriate activities and environments for all children; supporting/involving families; and modeling reflective and professional practices. Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate developmentally appropriate plans/assessments, appropriate guidance techniques and ethical/professional behaviors as indicated by assignments and onsite faculty visits.

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Our program is almost 100% online, is very accessible for our students, and allows them to maintain employment. However, the online format presents some communication problems and technology issues for the students. Our students currently receive most of their communication from the campus and the faculty via phone and email. Since most of our students are unable to attend campus wide events, they are not as aware of campus wide advising dates and important deadlines as traditional students. All of the faculty are committed to being available to students for course support. However, using phone and email as the primary form of communication makes it difficult to convey complex information such as in-depth key assessment directions. The faculty also finds it difficult to provide individualized communication to students who do not call the faculty on a regular basis.

Currently, we rely heavily on the phone for communication with our students. Faculty members, including adjunct faculty, and have given students phone numbers where they can be reached in order for faculty to offer on-going support in classes.

We plan to use technology (Skype or Big Blue Button) so that we can talk to our students and meet them “face-to-face” in the online environment. The Distance Learning Department of the college will provide training to the faculty on these methods of communication. These additions increase the personal connection with students.

In addition, to increase communication with students, we plan to develop a website for the Early Childhood Department. The website will describe our program, introduce our faculty, provide information on our tracks and degree options, display curriculum checklists and our recruitment packet and encourage students to enter the field. We will spotlight a different faculty member or student each month. We plan to have this website implemented by 2015.

A Facebook site for use by students enrolled in our program is in the process of being developed. This will allow us to share early childhood articles, information about upcoming student friendly conferences and professional organizations, program information and opportunities for advocacy and community involvement.

To capitalize on the expertise in our Distance Learning Department and the collaborative relationships that exist, the faculty works with the staff in Distance Learning to create videos, in programs like Camtasia, and other multi-media enhancements to improve the online learning experience. The varying computer skills of our beginning students can present another challenge.

Instructors work individually with each student to give them the computer support they need. Again utilizing the valuable resources on our campus, the instructor is able to refer students to the IT and

Distance Learning help desks. The technology skills required for our introductory course, (EDU 119), are based on beginning level skills.

This is usually the first class students take and the technological difficulty increases after that. Early Childhood students are also enrolled in ACA 115-Success and Study Skills. In this class, they learn about using technology for online courses.

To also assist our students technologically, a member of our Distance Learning Department at HCC teaches the educational technology course (EDU 271). He has attended numerous Early Childhood Conferences and training to develop an understanding of the needs of the early childhood community. This course is particularly helpful for our students after they graduate. In this course, they find out about many things that would help them add technology into their classes or assist them if they became directors and wanted to use technology, such as developing a website, for their program.

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Criterion 4: Quality of Teaching The teaching strategies used by program faculty reflect the characteristics, instructional methods, and evaluation strategies that are likely to promote candidate learning in relation to the NAEYC standards and supportive skills. They reflect the current professional knowledge base and are responsive to the characteristics of the program’s candidates.

Rationale: Today, we know a great deal about how to promote the learning of candidates in associate degree programs. Teaching-learning experiences in strong programs reflect that knowledge base and are responsive to the characteristics of the program’s candidates.

Indicators of strength: NOTE: Indicators should be evident whether faculty are full-time or part-time, and whether courses are offered in day or evening, in distance or other formats, on- or off-campus.

The teaching-learning experiences offered in the associate degree program are consistent with the program’s conceptual framework and the NAEYC standards and supportive skills.

The content of the program’s teaching-learning processes reflects the early childhood field’s current knowledge base derived from research on early development and education and other professional sources.

Teaching reflects current research about the role of faculty in associate degree programs as facilitators of candidate learning and about learner-centered education that uses a variety of methods and strategies.

Teaching reflects knowledge about and experiences with diverse populations of adults and is based on knowledge of cultural and individual adult approaches to learning.

The program continuously evaluates the quality of its teaching-learning processes and uses the results, including candidate performance data, to improve the program and to promote all candidates’ learning in relation to the NAEYC standards and supportive skills.

Sources of evidence:1) Report:

a one- to two-page summary of the program’s quality of teaching. a one-page description of plans to address challenges and build on current strengths

in this area.2) Site Visit: Interviews with faculty and candidates; observations of classes that illustrate

indicators of strength.

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Please provide a one- to two-page summary of the program’s quality of teaching:

Faculty

Central to the quality of teaching at any institution of higher learning is the faculty. Many characteristics of the faculty affect the quality of teaching ability. Education is a primary requirement for well-qualified faculty. The Program Manager has both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. One faculty member possesses a Ph.D. in Child and Family Studies. Another has achieved a Master’s degree in Family and Consumer Sciences. The fourth fulltime faculty member has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. All adjunct faculty have at least a Master’s degree in Education. A full faculty chart is included with Criterion 8: Faculty.

Related experience is another stepping stone for a well-qualified faculty member. All faculty, with the exception of one part-time instructor, have been classroom teachers of young children.

All faculty have previous experience teaching in a higher education setting. One instructor taught in the North Carolina University system. The Program Manager has more than 30 years of a combination of teaching experience, child care management and early childhood consultation. One instructor was a child care center director for 16 years and a regional coordinator for several child care programs for a number of years. Haywood Community College’s Early Childhood Program faculty have a depth of knowledge of the field combined with extensive practical experience in the field. Currently, the program has four full-time faculty members and four part-time faculty members. One full-time faculty member position is vacant with an active search process. The position is expected to be filled by October, 2014.

Faculty members strive in a variety of ways to stay current with early childhood research and best practice. They read professional journals and articles, including NAEYC’s Young Children and attend professional meetings, conferences, workshops and webinars, such as those offered by NAEYC, NCAEYC, and NC ACCESS.

Faculty respect and honor diversity among our students. Our students are predominantly female, but are culturally diverse and varying in ages. All faculty members have attended training on diversity in the workplace and in education in pursuit of ways to relate to our diverse student body.

Approaches to Teaching

The learning experiences developed for the students of Haywood Community College’s Early Childhood program intentionally reflect a conceptual framework built on the NAEYC standards. All standards, key elements, and supportive skills are presented, reinforced and practiced in the coursework designed for the department. Haywood’s Student Learning Outcomes and NAEYC’s Key Elements are reflected in other areas of this document.

The program is guided by the philosophy of children learning through play in an individualized and stimulating environment, which respects the child’s dignity, worth, and diversity. Woven into this philosophy is the focus on a child centered environment that collaborates with parents as partners with the classroom teachers. Respect and honor for individual diversity are reflected in course offerings. Additionally, the EDU 173 course which centers on information about, the importance of and advocating for issues that concern children and families has been added to our course offerings.

The Early Childhood Department’s program is guided by sound early childhood theory. The work and studies of three well-known theorists; Vygotsky, Piaget and Gardner, are used to guide course development. Of course, Piaget would be chosen for his work on learning by doing and learning through play. Vygotsky’s work stresses that learning is a social act within a culture, and Gardner’s information about multiple intelligences informs many practices used by the faculty. These “best practices” are emphasized to the students.

As our guiding philosophy indicates, we believe that child care programs should be child-centered and child-driven. The faculty strives to make the Early Childhood course of study student centered and driven. This is reflected in our

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approaches to teaching, our course evaluations, as well as our course assessments. Input from students, present and past, on our advisory board, helps us center our program on student needs.

Another important part of the solid foundation is the textbooks used in the courses. Instructors choose textbooks that are current and reflective of current research. All sections of the same course use the same textbooks, even if the instructors are different.

Teaching Practices

Most of the coursework in Haywood Community College’s Early Childhood program is taught through online courses, making the degree accessible to many types of students.

A variety of teaching methods is needed within the online structure to accommodate the different learning styles of the adult students. Instructors employ varying ways to accommodate those differences, including, but not limited to: posting lectures in both written and audio formats, using discussion forums to promote collaboration and group learning among students and assigning creative projects that require students to learn to post visuals of project creations. Faculty members are continually researching ways to best facilitate student learning.

The Early Childhood department offers several classes in the short semester format; for example, a 16-week course is turned into an eight-week class. This allows students to complete pre-requisites in a timelier manner and might allow a student to complete both EDU 261-Child Care Administration I and EDU 262-Child Care Administration II in 16 weeks instead of 32.

Continual Self-Assessment and Evaluation

The Early Childhood faculty meets as a whole regularly throughout each semester. These meetings are used for peer support and reflection on courses and teaching, discussion of troubling issues, presentations of available resources, and obtaining suggestions for course improvement. Additionally, the Program Manager meets individually with instructors to provide reflective supervision and individual evaluation. Course evaluations are solicited from early childhood students. Along with other student feedback, information gathered from faculty meetings, individual faculty evaluations, and data from classes are reviewed and analyzed by the Program Manager and other faculty to evaluate the quality of the teaching, learning processes and experiences. These evaluations are done within the framework of the NAEYC Standards and Supportive Skills. The ultimate goal is consistent and continual improvement of EDU courses and the learning experiences of all students, using the key assessment data and key assessment performance to guide the changes.

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Faculty members strive to stay current with best practices and current research in early childhood, but the struggle sometimes comes with the time needed and the expense of attending conferences, especially national conferences that tend to be out of state. The fulltime faculty are registered to attend the NCAEYC conference in September, 2014. The ultimate goal would be for faculty members to have an opportunity to attend NAEYC’s Professional Development Institute, when funds allow. Other plans for future professional development include:

SCRIPT NC webinars Additional training on diversity, particularly in adult education NC ACCESS meetings Training on standard English and writing State and local conferences

Our college offers a wide range of technological supports to students and faculty. The Distance Learning Department at the college is supportive and regularly hosts technology training sessions. Early Childhood Department members attend these training sessions in order to learn more ways to incorporate the latest technology into our courses. Some of the most current online tools that the college is offering are Camtasia, Skype and the Big Blue Button.

In the Early Childhood Department’s quest for continual self-improvement, some other suggestions for working toward improvement have materialized. The department faculty need another way to learn about each other’s courses in order to provide constructive criticism to each other. Additionally, we have just begun to collect data about our courses. Accurate, reliable data is needed for quality improvement. This data will be used to guide our future decisions. This data will help us determine which standards and key elements are being met, and which need more work and adjustment. TaskStream accounts have been set up to start collecting data with the Summer, 2014 semester.

Finally, our last challenge is that some of our courses are offered in the short semester format, making it difficult to condense 16 weeks into 6 or 8 weeks of study. Students do not always know how to plan for intensive work over a 6-8 week period, as opposed to the same amount of work over a 16-week period. We plan to carefully examine all of our courses to see which ones are best suited for 16 weeks and which ones can be condensed.

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Criterion 5: Quality of Field ExperiencesThe program’s field experiences support candidates’ learning in relation to the NAEYC standards.

Rationale: Candidates will understand and apply the competencies reflected in the NAEYC standards when they are able to observe, implement, and receive constructive feedback in real-life settings.

Indicators of strength: Field experiences are consistent with outcomes emphasized in NAEYC’s standards,

are well planned and sequenced, and allow candidates to integrate theory, research, and practice.

When the settings used for field experiences do not reflect standards of quality, candidates are provided with other models and/or experiences to ensure that they are learning to work with young children and families in ways consistent with the NAEYC standards.

Faculty and other supervisors help candidates to make meaning of their experiences in early childhood settings and to evaluate those experiences against standards of quality.

Adults who mentor and supervise candidates provide positive models of early childhood practice consistent with NAEYC’s standards.

Field experiences expose candidates to a variety of cultural, linguistic, and ethnic settings for early childhood care and education.

Field experiences provide opportunities for candidates to observe and practice in at least two of the three early childhood age groups (birth-age 3, 3-5, 5-8) and in at least two of the three main types of early education settings (early school grades, child care centers and homes, Head Start programs)


a one- to two-page description of program’s approach to using field experiences. program chart of field experiences (see example below) a one-page description of plans to address challenges and build on current strengths

in this area.2) Site Visit: Interviews with faculty, candidates, cooperating teachers, and other

supervisors

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Please provide a one- to two-page description of program’s approach to using field experiences:

Preparation for Field Experiences

Haywood Community College’s Early Childhood Department has a handbook for field experiences, Haywood Community College Early Childhood Department Field Experience Handbook. The handbook clearly describes policies and procedures for field experiences, as well as the forms that are needed for confidentiality and all permissions. The handbook also lists clear expectations for students and placement sites, within our conceptual framework, student outcomes and the program’s guiding philosophy. Our plans for the future include introducing this handbook in earlier classes so that students are planning ahead and can get ready for courses that require a field experience.

In order for the field experience to be a valuable one, the quality of the field experience setting must be high. North Carolina has a 5-star rating system for quality assurance. Haywood Community College’s Early Childhood Department requires that all field experiences take place in programs that hold a 3, 4 or 5 star license. In the event that one of these locations do not reflect standards of quality, the instructors are prepared to develop alternate plans with the student and assist the student to find another place for the experience, if necessary. If appropriate, the instructor will give the student individual feedback in a one-on-one meeting to discuss how and why the program does not reflect quality standards. They will discuss steps needed to address quality and change practices to improve quality.

NAEYC’s Code of Ethical Conduct is used throughout the coursework at Haywood Community College. This reinforces the use of ethical conduct in all courses, as preparation for the requirement of confidentiality and other means of ethical conduct during the field experiences.

Valuable Field Experiences

The purpose of field experiences is to give students opportunities to put theories of early childhood and child development that they have researched and studied into practice. Many of our field experiences are a part of a key assessment of a NAEYC standard. In these instances, the NAEYC standard(s) is clearly listed with instructions and related rubric so that students are aware of which standards are being measured in the field experience. The standards and rubrics are reflected in Part 2 of this report.

An exemplary field experience exists in course EDU 234-Infants, Toddlers and Twos that includes both theory and practical practice. The student has to describe Attachment Theory, provide references to scholarly research about the theory and then design an infant environment that reflects this theory. In the design, the student must explain how Attachment Theory is being used. Before the student is able to complete the environment, the student must observe 3 infant classrooms, observe individual infants, take anecdotal notes and administer an Ages and Stages questionnaire.

In all field experiences, students are required to reflect on their experiences and to evaluate them against standards of quality. For example, in EDU 151-Creative Activities, students must reflect on the lesson plans they developed and implemented to determine if their goals and objectives were met. Those goals and objectives are reviewed by the instructor to determine if they reflect the quality in the NAEYC standards.

In the Early Childhood Practicum, EDU 284, students spend 160 hours in a semester working in a child care setting. That setting must be licensed by NC and must hold a 3, 4, or 5 star license (NC’s Rated License system-standard of quality for child care programs). The field experience includes the development and implementation of a week- long lesson plan based on an evaluation of the developmental stages of the children, the classroom environment and the center rules. During the site visit with the field instructor, the field instructor observes the student as she facilitates activities with children and provides feedback to the student.

The Early Childhood faculty members who mentor and supervise students in field experiences provide positive models of early childhood practice, consistent with NAEYC standards. For example, in EDU 284-Early Childhood

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Practicum, the instructor provides written materials and videos that reflect quality appropriate standards. Additionally, she visits each student twice during the semester. In her on-site visits, she instructs and counsels students on the importance of learning through play, the role of the early childhood teacher as a supporter and a coach and discusses creating child centered learning environments where children can construct their own knowledge (Piaget). Scaffolding as taught by Vygotsky is emphasized to help children break larger tasks into smaller steps for learning. A sample activity might be that a teacher provides button, zipper and tying boards or dolls in the classroom for children to explore. She would further the learning and provide support by teaching a child how to tie a knot in preparation for learning to tie shoes.

Many students in our programs are from varying cultures and ethnicities. We have several African American, Hispanic and Native American students. Our field placement sites normally reflect those same cultures. Faculty are very sensitive to providing a culturally responsive and anti-bias curriculum to our students in ways that they can reflect that to the children with whom they work. The faculty are continually discussing ways to improve culture responsiveness.

In order to be valuable to the student, the field experience must reflect different age groups. Our Early Childhood program requires field experiences with three different age groups and in three different types of settings. This is how our courses are set up:

EDU 234-field experience with birth to 3 age group, in a child care center or family child care home settingEDU 151-field experience with 3 – 5 age group, in a Head Start settingEDU 145-field experience with 5 – 8 age group, in an early grade school setting or a licensed after school settingEDU 284-field experience is with the age group of the student’s choosing, in a 3, 4 or 5 star licensed child care center, family child care home or PreK program.

Quality Improvement

Field experiences, like the rest of the curriculum must be regularly and continually evaluated for improvement. That is done within the quality evaluation of the courses as a whole.

Please provide a program chart of field experiences (see example below):36

Courses Location/Setting #Hours Age Group AssignmentsEDU 119 Observation of a Preschool or K classroom

Preschool or Kindergarten classroom

1 Preschool or Kindergarten

Observe children for one hour and record children’s behaviors and teachers’ reactions

EDU 131 Family Interview

Child’s home 1 Below the age of 5

Interview parents to see how answers reflect culture

EDU 145 Child Case Study

Kindergarten Classroom

5 Five-Six year olds

Family Interview, Observation of the child using the Ages and Stages questionnaire, anecdotal records compiled, create parent resource

EDU 151 Curriculum Project

Head Start Center

1 – 8 hours

Four and five year olds

Teach two lessons, observe and fill out form on child behavior

EDU 234 Infant Observation and Assessment

Licensed child care center or licensed family child care home – infant classroom

4 Infants 30 minute observation of an infant; Implementation of ages and stages questionnaire on one infant;Visits to three infant classrooms for observation of the classroom

EDU 251 Exploration Activities Math, Science, and Social Studies Projects

Child Care Center or Family Child Care Home

3 Children below the age of 5

Nature based, play based, and child’s interest based math, science, and social studies projects

EDU 254 Musical and Movement Musical Activity Project

Child Care Center or Family Child Care Home

1 Children below the age of 5

Create a musical activity to be implemented in a classroom

EDU 284 Licensed child care or family child care home, Head Start Center, Pre-K or Kindergarten

160 hours

Below the age of 6

Practicum Course


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The Haywood Community College Early Childhood Department Field Experience Handbook is complete including required forms and permissions. However we will continue to revise and refine the handbook based on student and site supervisor feedback. We want it to be clear, organized and thorough so that it supports student learning.

Sometimes it is challenging to get all of the required paperwork related to the field experience completed and submitted to the instructor. As indicated previously, our goal is to introduce the handbook before the requirement for the first field experience. The field handbook will be referenced during advisement and registration. By making this information available to students early, the students will be able to obtain necessary permissions and complete required paperwork in a timely manner. Instructors will continue to prompt and remind student to complete and submit required field experience forms and paperwork.

Although the standards for field placement settings reflect the current NC standards of quality, occasionally the placement site does not present a quality program. The instructors will assist the students to locate quality settings by research on the NC Division of Child Development and Early Education website and assist them to conduct a professional phone interview with the program leadership. If a student begins a placement in a program and then the quality is determined to be low, the instructor will assist the student to move field placement sites to another location.

Again, although the requirements for field placement sites are well defined, occasionally, a program is used that has differing philosophy from the philosophy of Haywood’s Early Childhood program. Currently, best practice is taught and modeled throughout the early childhood curriculum. But when these situations arise in field placement, instructors will discuss best practice with that individual student and work with the student to deal with differing philosophies.

C. CANDIDATES

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Criterion 6: Qualifications and Characteristics of Candidates The program encourages enrollment of a diverse group of candidates who have potential to succeed as early childhood educators.

Rationale: Strong associate degree programs actively seek out and encourage candidates who will contribute to a future work force of diverse, well-prepared early childhood professionals, as well as welcome candidates with many kinds of prior experiences.

Indicators of strength: The program actively encourages enrollment of candidates who demonstrate

potential for success in the early childhood field as defined by faculty.

The program actively encourages attention to recruitment, retention, and graduation of a diverse candidate population.

The program engages in efforts to ensure that candidates graduating are well-qualified and prepared in the roles and settings described in Criterion 1.


a one- to two-page summary of qualifications and characteristics of candidates. a one-page description of plans to address challenges and build on current strengths

in this area.2) Site Visit: Interviews with faculty, stakeholders, and candidates as appropriate.

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Please provide a one- to two-page summary of qualifications and characteristics of candidates:

Information about Our Students

Haywood Community College’s students seeking an Early Childhood degree are primarily female and are diverse. The College’s Office of Institutional Research and Advancement provided the following demographic information about the students enrolled in our program in 2012-13. Ninety-nine percent are female. Current, national research shows that the early childhood workforce is predominantly female. The 2012 Social Policy Report published by the Society for Research in Child Development found that in 2012 approximately 97% of the early childhood workforce was female, between the ages of 35-43. The average age of the students in Haywood Community College’s Early Childhood program is 33 years old, a little younger than the national average for the workforce.

The demographics of our students show that 57% classify themselves as White, 40% as Black or African American and 1% as Latino. Nationally, the report named above indicated that the workforce is predominately White/Caucasian, with about 9-18% identified as African-American and non-Hispanic and 36-48% identified as Hispanic. In relation to that study, our population has a low number of Hispanic students and a greater number of African American students.

Our students are found across the state. Only 20% actually reside in Haywood County. The other 80% are spread across North Carolina, from Murphy to Jacksonville.

Seventy-eight percent of the students enrolled in HCC’s program predominately work. Forty-nine percent work full-time and 29% work part-time. The location of our students and their work status makes our online format ideal for their situations.

In 2012-13, 351 students were enrolled in our program. That reflected a 7% increase from the previous year. Other interesting facts about our students:

They take an average of 8 credit hours per semester. Sixty-seven percent require at least one developmental course. 40 students graduated in 2012-13. They take an average of 2.56 years to complete our program. Between Fall, 2011 and Fall, 2012, 74% of the Early Childhood students remained in the program. During

this same time frame, only 34% of all Associate program students at HCC remained in their program.

Potential for Success

In Haywood Community College’s Early Childhood courses, pre-requisites are required for all courses except EDU 119-Introduction to Early Childhood Education. ACA 115-Success and Study Skills is a required co-requisite to EDU 119. In order to assure success, all early childhood students must pass developmental reading and English courses before they are allowed to progress through the early childhood program. The department offers these developmental courses with an Early Childhood reading focus. As another pathway to success, most 200 level courses require completion of 100 level courses before moving forward into higher-level courses. These pre and co-requisite courses are required and offered often to ensure success and eventual graduation of Early Childhood students.

Recruitment, Retention, Graduation

A separate Welcome Packet has been developed as a recruitment tool for new students. This student friendly information packet introduces the Early Childhood program and includes clear directions about applying for admission to the college and the program and about advisement and registration. The Early Childhood degree and certificate programs are detailed.

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Faculty work to retain students by providing individual attention, both while teaching courses and in advisement. During advisement, instructors schedule ample time for discussing courses and providing program and career counseling. Faculty members assist students with course substitutions, transfer credit, setting up a logical sequence of courses as well as address questions and concerns. Advisement periods over the span of the student’s enrollment is the time that the advisor/faculty member reviews graduation requirements, assesses student’s progress toward graduation and encourages the student to proceed with the best career path.

The individual attention continues as the student moves to the graduation course of action. Instructors review student records to insure that all requirements have been met. They also assist students to complete graduation and certificate applications, provide information about attending the ceremony and receiving their Associate’s degree or certificate.

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Since 78% of our students are employed, it is difficult for them to take and be successful with a full course load. That can lead to two problems. Either they take a long time to reach graduation or they attempt to take more courses than they can handle while also working. They may be unsuccessful in some of the courses. We address this challenge during advisement. Faculty members will talk with students about reasonable goals and reasonable course loads based on other factors in the student’s life such as work commitments.

Even though the successful completion of developmental reading and English classes is required, some students still struggle with those skills. To address this challenge, all faculty members stress reading and writing assignments during all EDU courses. Instructors provide feedback on assignments that includes grammar, usage, sentence structure and spelling. Instructors also refer students to our Learning Support Services office, which offers a free tutoring program for help with writing skills.

About 73% of our students transfer in from other colleges and have taken some EDU courses. When they transfer to HCC with credits from other institutions, it is difficult for students to follow the sequence and path our department has developed. Faculty work with students during advisement to assist them in a course of action for completing the Early Childhood degree in a logical manner.

In the past, students have not had access to the course checklist showing the sequence of courses toward graduation. They get confused about what they have taken and what they need. Currently, that checklist is on paper only. During Fall 2014, the checklist will be shared in beginning courses. The plan for the future is to computerize the form and house it in a central place, easily accessed by students.

Potential students come to us with varying computer skills and have difficulty navigating the online course delivery system. Instructors provide consultation to students about navigating the online course. Students are also referred to the Distance Learning and/or IT Help desk for further assistance.

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Criterion 7: Advising and Supporting Candidates The program ensures that candidates are adequately advised and supported.

Rationale: Candidates need many kinds of assistance if they are to gain the competencies reflected in the NAEYC standards and supportive skills. Strong programs ensure that comprehensive services are available to all candidates, and that candidates’ career goals are being met.

Indicators of strength: Advisement is used as a tool to assist candidates in clarifying their goals and career

plans.

The program ensures that all candidates have equitable access to a comprehensive support system including appropriate academic advisement, career counseling, financial aid information, academic support services, and other resources from admission to the completion of their education.

On a regular basis, program faculty review the performance of candidates in relation to learning outcomes (including NAEYC standards and supportive skills) and provide candidates with advice and counseling regarding their progress and potential in the program and early childhood profession.

The program makes every effort to ensure that candidates complete their course of study in a way that recognizes and supports each candidate’s goals and characteristics.


a one- to two-page summary of how the program advises and supports candidates. a one-page description of plans to address challenges and build on current strengths

in this area.2) Site Visit: Interviews with candidates, faculty, administrators and other campus staff as

appropriate.

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Please provide a one- to two-page summary of how the program advises and supports candidates:

Advisement of Candidates

Haywood Community College’s Early Childhood program has a two-year AAS degree program with different tracks, including infant toddler, school age, special needs, and child care administration. The program also includes a variety of certificate programs, which offer success for students as they reach educational milestones.

Our department has an efficient advisement process set up. All calls are routed through the departmental assistant who sets up and schedules all advising appointments, making the process smooth and time efficient. This process gives the faculty advisor more time to concentrate on the actual advisement of students.

Each student has personal contact with a faculty member each semester that they wish to enroll. Most contact is done by phone. At least one half hour is allotted for each appointment. During the appointment, the faculty advisor reviews the status of the courses on the student’s individual checklist. That includes what has been taken, what has transferred, what needs to be substituted, and what is left to be taken. We discuss their career goals. We ask, “Do they want to be an infant teacher, a center director or transfer to a 4 year institution?” The varying options of certificates of study, as well as the full requirements of the AAS degree, are detailed. The Faculty Advisor assists the student to choose a track that best meets their career and professional goals. The Advisor discusses the student’s progress toward graduation or certificate completion. Students are informed of scholarship information, including contact information about TEACH scholarships. (NC has the TEACH Scholarship program that will pay for a student to take 1-4 courses per semester and the student must be teaching in a child care program.) Additionally, the student is informed of possible scholarships through the HCC Foundation.

Faculty members are proficient in the use of Datatel, the electronic registration system used in North Carolina. Faculty members work together and support each other in the use of the system.

Candidate Supports, Retention and Graduation

The Early Childhood Faculty provide many individualized supports for candidates in our programs. Our 74% retention rate indicates that students are happy with the support and service offered by our department and by the college. These include personalized advisement periods, encouragement and assistance during courses, as well as assistance to enter the graduation process. The Early Childhood Faculty are always available for phone or email consultation as well as have posted office hours. Faculty members are also available for site visits to programs where students are employed.

Since 67% of the Early Childhood students require developmental courses, the Early Childhood Department offers the developmental courses with an Early Childhood focus. This improves student grades and retention. The faculty member who is dually educated in English and Education teaches the developmental courses.

Haywood Community College as a whole has numerous supports for its students. The Financial Aid Office and Office of Student Services are invaluable to students as they apply and enroll. These offices also assist faculty as we advise students into the correct courses and assist them with payment. The Student Services Office helps students with the admission process, the graduation application process, transcript evaluation and requesting and obtaining transcripts from previous institutions. The Financial Aid Office stays abreast of current funding opportunities for all students.

The Learning Support Services Program on campus assists students with writing papers and provides tutoring services. Their services are available for online students as well as for on campus students.

Haywood Community College’s Career Counseling Office is available to assist students with information about career planning and job placement. The Career Counseling Office also has labor market information.

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The College has a Small Business Center that is available to assist students and graduates with information about setting up and starting a new small business. They offer classes as well as many materials that can be used for information and as models.

The Library or Learning Resource Center has many books and professional journals available for students. They have access to NC Live for finding research articles. The Learning Resource Center staff members are skilled in working with online students.

The Distance Learning and IT Help desk are always available to assist online students. They are very helpful to the Early Childhood Department and have a strong relationship with our department. They provide a multitude of support services for students.

Haywood Community College has a center that supports students with special needs. Their mission is to guide students through the process of receiving accommodations that they may require to be successful in completing coursework.

Performance of Candidates and Learning Outcomes

All students will be required to take courses that include the key assessments relative to the NAEYC standards. Currently, all key assessments are graded and used to help determine the student’s overall grade. In the future, the Early Childhood program will add a requirement that all students will be held accountable for passing key assessments before graduation. Instructors for each of the courses that have a key assessment will inform students of their progress on that key assessment and ultimately, program outcome.

Haywood Community College also has an academic probation process when a student falls below a certain grade point average (GPA). The Faculty Advisor will schedule an advising appointment with the student to identify a plan of action to address the problem. Together, the student and the advisor will develop a list of strategies that the student will employ to raise her GPA. The advisor is supportive in assisting the student to find the best course of action. The student is not able to register for future classes until the plan of action is developed. The student remains on probation until the GPA is increased. The number of semesters that a student can maintain a low GPA is limited.

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The Early Childhood Department at Haywood Community College has a large number of students. The large volume of students makes it challenging for faculty advisors to spend as much time as they would like with each student in the advisement process. At this point in time, there are only 4 full-time instructors, but a fifth one will be hired during Fall, 2014 semester with plans to hire an additional one in Spring, 2015. This will greatly reduce the advisement load and give the faculty the desired time to spend with each student.

Since 78% of the Early Childhood students are employed, advisement can be a problem for many reasons. Most of the advising is done by phone and during normal work hours. Often at those times, the candidates are at work and there are distractions for them. Some possible solutions are to offer alternate hours for advising; possibly in the evening. Also, since faculty members are learning to use Skype, in the future, some advising could be done face-to-face with the use of newer technology.

In order to better inform students about the Early Childhood Department at Haywood Community College, some technological solutions are suggested:

A department website would inform students about the program, introduce faculty, and provide information on early childhood tracks, certificates and the degree option and tuition. The student welcome packet could be displayed there as well as the curriculum checklist and application for graduation. The website would be useful for both recruitment and advisement.

A department Facebook page would be a useful communication tool. Articles and information could be displayed to enhance student learning. Career opportunities could be posted, as well as information about career choices.

An electronic copy of the curriculum checklist would assist students and faculty as they advise students.

In the past, it has been difficult to review the performance of candidates in relation to the learning outcomes. With the use of Taskstream, beginning Summer semester 2014, data will be available about student performance on key assessments and supportive skills. This valuable data will allow our department to make adjustments and continually improve our program.

D. FACULTY46

Criterion 8: Qualifications and Composition of Faculty The program ensures that faculty members demonstrate the qualifications and characteristics needed to promote candidates’ learning in relation to the NAEYC standards and supportive skills.

Rationale: Strong programs ensure that both full- and part-time faculty have the academic and practical expertise to guide candidates toward mastery of the competencies reflected in NAEYC’s standards and supportive skills, and to serve as models and mentors for associate degree candidates.

Indicators of Strength NOTE: Indicators apply to all faculty, whether temporary, part-time, or full-time.

Faculty have experience and a graduate degree in early childhood education or a closely related field.

Faculty have academic qualifications appropriate to the courses they are assigned to teach.

Faculty know about and implement the principles in NAEYC’s Code of Ethical Conduct, including its Supplement for Teacher Educators.

The program uses a variety of strategies to recruit, hire, mentor, and retain a diverse faculty.


a one- to two-page description of strategies for recruitment, hiring, mentoring and retention of a diverse and qualified faculty.

chart listing program faculty with brief description of qualifications (see example below)

a one-page description of how program is planning to address challenges and build on its current strengths in this area.

1) Site Visit: Interviews with program coordinator and faculty.

Please provide a one- to two-page description of strategies for recruitment, hiring, mentoring and retention of a diverse and qualified faculty:

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Recruitment and Hiring of Faculty

The Program Manager works with the Dean of Health and Human Sciences to write a job description that presents an accurate, detailed description of the job duties and also lays out the requirements for the job applicant in both required education and desired experience. Faculty members are required to possess a graduate degree in early childhood education or a closely related field. Job advertisements include a salary range. The position is then advertised by the college’s Human Resource Department by posting on the college’s website and advertising through the state community college system office. The college also uses the local paper to advertise positions and current employees share job opening information by word of mouth. The college has a policy about recruitment of minority applicants. If during the normal advertisement period, no applicant of a minority background has presented, the application period is extended for an additional week. A team representing the college and the department interviews the most qualified candidates. Background check information is obtained and references are checked for the most desirable candidates before hiring.

Mentoring and Retaining Faculty

All new employees to the college are required to attend a college-wide orientation to refer them to the benefits, policies and procedures of the college. Haywood Community College annually hosts a reception to welcome new faculty and staff members and to introduce them to other personnel at the college. Additionally, new employees are required to meet with the heads of many divisions and departments on the campus. The orientation with the different divisions and departments is extremely helpful to acclimate the new employee to the many resources available on campus, both for faculty members and students. Haywood Community College as a whole is a very welcoming environment in which to work. Faculty and staff are friendly and helpful to each other.

The Early Childhood department has a mentoring program for new instructors. A new instructor is paired with a senior instructor for their first year of employment. The mentor’s role is to assist the new employee to acclimate to HCC, as well as to assist the new instructor with teaching issues. The mentor will give the mentee a tour of the campus and introduce the mentee to other employees. The mentor and mentee meet on a regular basis to reflect on teaching issues and discuss resources available to the new instructor.

As part of the mentoring process, the instructors will review the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, including the supplement for teacher educators. This serves to inform the instructors as well as reinforce the Code, which is taught in our EDU 173 class.

The Early Childhood department seeks to practice, daily in our work with each other, these ideals from the Code of Ethical Conduct (2011):

Ideals1. I-3A.1—to establish and maintain relationships of respect, trust, confidentiality, collaboration, and

cooperation with co-workers.2. I-3A.2—to share resources with co-workers, collaborating to ensure that the best possible early

childhood care and education program is provided.3. I-3A.3—to support co-workers in meeting their professional needs and in their professional

development.4. I-3A.4—to accord co-workers due recognition of professional achievement. (p. 5)

Providing constructive feedback is one step in retaining qualified employees. Every spring all instructors are evaluated by his or her supervisor to discuss areas of strength and areas for improvement in teaching practice, service and community outreach. The Program Manager meets with each instructor individually as needed throughout the semester to discuss areas of strength and concern on an informal basis. Please provide a chart listing program faculty with brief description of qualifications (see example below):

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Chart of faculty names and qualifications - include all faculty, whether temporary (Temp), part-time (PT), full-time (FT), on-campus or online/distance.

Faculty Name Temp/FT/PT

Assignment Academic Degree

Professional Experience

Vickie Ansley FT EDU 119, 153, 173, 251

M.A. Early Childhood Education

3 years of experience teaching first grade in public school. Manager of non-profit child care for 11 years. Experience in the management of Child Care Resource and Referral, Child Care Subsidy and a Family Resource center-10 years. Child care licensing consultant for NC DCDEE for 9 years.

Sharon Davis FT EDU 119, 153, 261, 262, 284

M.S. in Family and Consumer Sciences

14 years full-time community college instructor, 18 years supervising child care programs, 6 years in child care resource and referral activities, 10 years as a child care center director. Level III Administrator.

Eliza Dean FT EDU 119, 131, 234, 251, 254, 259

Ph.D. in Child and Family Studies

16 years of college instruction (including community college and 4 year institutions), 6 years of teaching children ages birth to preK, and experience as a Family Life Specialist (UTK Agriculture School). BK Licensed

Teresa Vanlandingham

FT ACA 115, DRE 096, 097, 098, EDU 235, 280

M.S. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages; B.S. in Elementary Education

20 years elementary school teacher, grades 2nd and 3rd, 3 years as Literacy Enhancement Coordinator for NY City Schools, kindergarten testing coordinator in NY City Schools, 7 years adjunct faculty at HCC. Fluent in Spanish.

Louise Burrell PT EDU 151, 280

M.E. (K-10th Science)

1 year Head Start teacher, 3 years Head Start Parent Trainer and Consultant, 35 years as a public school teacher (K-7th), 23 years adjunct faculty at WCU, 12 years adjunct instructor HCC. Published author of an early childhood book (PreK-3rd grade).

Frank Burrell PT EDU 119, Ed.S. in 4 years Superintendent for

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144, 145, 153, 163, 216, 235, 289

Education Jackson County Schools, 8 years Associate Superintendent, 12 years high school principal, 7 years elementary school principal, classroom teacher (grades 3-8), 4 years adjunct instructor at WCU, 12 years adjunct instructor at HCC.

Ken Hipps PT EDU 271 M.A. in Educational Media

Instructional Technology Specialist in Distance Learning Department at HCC, 10 years instructor at HCC in Early Childhood Technology.

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Please provide a one-page description of how the program is planning to address challenges and build on its current strengths in this area:

Haywood Community College has a very thorough application and recruitment process, but minority candidates for employment do not usually apply for positions. The current faculty in the Early Childhood Department are all Caucasian, and according to census data from the US Census Bureau, this reflects the county and region in which the college is located. The population of Haywood County is 96.6% Caucasian. Haywood is bordered by Buncombe County to the east and Jackson to the west. Buncombe’s Caucasian population is 89.7% and Jackson’s is 85.5%.

The department is currently searching for an additional faculty member, and our top priority is for the candidate to hold a graduate degree in early childhood education or a closely related field.

In order to add to efforts to retain well-qualified faculty:

A mid-year coaching evaluation is proposed so that potential problems can be addressed early. The program manager will meet with each instructor to review job responsibilities and expectations for

teaching and professional service.

Another challenge in retaining instructors is that the state of North Carolina has not had a significant pay raise in 5 or more years.

Currently, the Early Childhood department does not have the most ideal working environment. The faculty have semi-private office space using cubicles. The semi-private offices present issues with privacy and concentration. The space is not adequate for a resource library or storage of professional materials. Private offices and room for a resource library have been identified in an adjacent building. Over the Fall 2014 semester, those spaces will be developed for use by the Early Childhood faculty. Early Childhood faculty plan to schedule regular “instruction” times in the private office space. This will allow for videotaping and recording for online classes. The college also has provisions for teaching faculty to work off campus for 10 hours per week. Faculty are able to instruct and work on materials in a setting of their choice.

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Criterion 9: Professional ResponsibilitiesFaculty responsibilities allow them to promote candidates’ learning in relation to the NAEYC standards and supportive skills.

Rationale: Typically in associate degree programs, the faculty member’s primary responsibility is teaching. Strong programs make sure that faculty assignments balance teaching, institutional and community service in order to fulfill their responsibility to candidates.

Indicators of Strength: NOTE: Indicators apply to all faculty, whether hired on a temporary, part-time, or full-time basis.

Work assignments accommodate faculty involvement in activities appropriate to their role in the program and important to their ability to support candidate learning. These may include curriculum development and evaluation, advising and mentoring, collaboration with families and other professionals, scholarly activities, and service to the institution, profession, and community.

Faculty teaching responsibilities, including overloads and off-campus teaching, are mutually agreed upon and designed to allow faculty to engage effectively in activities appropriate to their role in the program and to their ability to promote candidate learning.


a one- to two-page summary of how the program makes sure faculty assignments balance teaching, institutional, and community service.

a one-page description of plans to address challenges and build on current strengths in this area

2) Site Visit: Interviews with faculty and administrators as needed.

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Please provide a one- to two-page summary of how the program makes sure faculty assignments balance teaching, institutional, and community service:

Curriculum and Advising Assignments

Each of the 4 current full-time instructors teaches 18-21 credit hours each semester, an average of 6 courses per semester. Most classes are online. Faculty members have devoted “instructional” time each week to devote to teaching those online courses.

These instructors also advise and register students on average 7 weeks total for fall and spring semesters. To assist faculty with advisement, the department’s administrative assistant schedules the half hour advisement appointments. Typically, an instructor might have 2-6 appointments per day during those 7 weeks of advisement.

Teaching during summer semester is an optional opportunity for faculty. Instructors have the opportunity to receive an additional contract to teach during the summer. Summer classes are offered to students on a limited basis.

Class overloads are mutually agreed upon between the instructor, department manager and the Dean of the division. In some instances, another section of the class may be set up and instructors may be paid for overloads and additional sections.

Any off-campus assignments usually relate to field experiences for students. Those assignments are well defined before the course is assigned to the instructor and are appropriate to promote student learning. The instructor agrees to all off campus assignments before they are advertised to students.

All faculty in the Early Childhood department participate in course review and evaluation. Those activities are completed as a team. Each faculty member works on his/her classes, as well as participates in the team evaluation and rework of all coursework.

Professional Development

The Early Childhood faculty know that keeping abreast of current trends and research in the Early Childhood field is important to the quality of teaching. Faculty members have been able to participate in numerous professional development activities. Many opportunities are offered on campus at HCC. Most of those relate to technology issues, which are very relevant to the work of the faculty since most classes are taught online. Those opportunities over the past year have included accommodating students with special needs in online courses, Moodle 2 training, and training on the use of Camtasia and the Big Blue Button in online courses.

The Department Manager and the Dean of the Division attended the NAEYC National Conference during 2013 and other faculty members attended NAEYC webinars for additional professional development. All current faculty members are registered to attend the 2014 NCAEYC conference in Raleigh, NC.

Institutional and Community Service

Early Childhood faculty members serve on college committees that are relevant to their interest and to the department. Most recently, one faculty member served on a committee that revised the syllabus form for the entire college. Other faculty members have served on and/or do serve on the Academic Council, the Faculty Senate and other campus committees.

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Many faculty members in the department are active in local community service activities. In the past, a faculty member was the Team Leader for the Haywood County Smart Start team. Others have participated in the local Family Support Network, the Advisory Board of the HCC Regional Center for the Advancement of Children, and Local Interagency Coordinating Councils (LICC). The Department Manager serves on a local Domestic Violence task force and has a seat on a number of state-wide advisory committees, including the TEACH Advisory Committee and the Board of Directors of the NC Institute for Child Development Professionals.

Because the faculty are Early Childhood faculty, we feel that the most important community service we can do is here, with our own on-campus child care program, the Regional Center for the Advancement of Children. The faculty maintains collaborative relationships with the center. During Academic Year 2012-13, each faculty member spent 1-2 hours per week mentoring a teacher at the center. The faculty members met with the instructors to determine her interests and needs for her classroom. The primary goal was to ensure that classroom needs were met and that classrooms in the child care program are developmentally appropriate. The faculty member spent time in the classroom, as well as provided needed and requested resources and activity materials. For example, faculty members worked with the on-campus horticulture program and the child care center staff to renovate the infant playground in order to transform it into a nature friendly environment for infants and toddlers. A literacy lab and a sensory lab were funded and set up by the Early Childhood faculty for use of the children. Each spring, the Early Childhood Faculty provides in-service training for the teachers at the child care center.


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The Early Childhood faculty have numerous and varied professional responsibilities. Since most of the classes are online, it appears that the faculty are available during all office hours. During Fall, 2014, we have instituted a new way of working. Each faculty member will set aside one full day per week as “instructional” time. During that time, she will work on her online classes and will not be interrupted for advisement or other professional duties.

The Early Childhood faculty have identified an area of community service that we want to explore and possibly provide. In the past, a large early childhood conference was held in a neighboring county and many early childhood professionals relied on that conference for training credit and professional development. That conference has been discontinued. The faculty will work together to plan a conference on our campus during the spring and summer of 2015 for early childhood teachers and directors in Haywood County and the surrounding region. The conference will focus on play in the lives of children. With this activity, the Early Childhood program will be able to reconnect with graduates of our program, role model appropriate interactions and teaching, explore industry trends and advocate for the field.

The Early Childhood department has a large volume of students to advise and register each semester. It is necessary to streamline the process and the amount of time spent on these tasks. These new procedures will be set up:

An electronic checklist of Early Childhood courses will be made available to students. When the electronic checklist is available, some students might be able to register themselves online,

however, faculty are committed to being available and assisting students with registration.

Faculty members need more time to reach out into our community and to serve on community-wide task forces. This is one of the priorities for academic year 2014-15. Community organizations that are close to the mission of the department will be identified both locally and on a state level. Faculty members will review those organizations and choose one or more that fit that faculty member’s priorities and interests. Time for those meetings will be built into each faculty member’s calendar.

Learning how to coordinate the use of Taskstream with Moodle 2 (our online delivery system) has proved challenging for instructors. With our key assessments, instructors must first grade an assignment in Moodle and then re-grade the assignment using Taskstream. We plan to discuss this with our distance learning office and with our Taskstream mentor to establish one grading system that can be used in both places.

When instructors of seated classes leave campus for professional development, they cancel class and give other assignments. For the Early Childhood department where most classes are online, students are constantly calling and emailing for support. That cannot be turned off and that makes it hard to leave campus for any length of time. The Early Childhood faculty are working together to come up with solutions for the dilemma: Moodle messaging when faculty are off campus, leaving an explanatory message on phone messages and email bounce-back messages that let the student know when to expect an answer from a faculty member.

Criterion 10: Professional Development

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Faculty are provided with professional development that strengthens their ability to promote candidates’ learning in relation to NAEYC standards and supportive skills.

Rationale: Early childhood education is a rapidly developing and changing field. Strong programs help faculty keep current and engaged in their profession, and they continuously assess faculty effectiveness, so that ultimately candidates may benefit.

Indicators of strength:Note: Indicators apply to all faculty, whether hired on a temporary, part-time, or full-time basis.

Faculty members stay current and engaged in the field. Depending on their role in the program, this may occur through active participation in professional organizations, conferences, scholarly activity, or service to the profession.

Faculty members have opportunities to develop knowledge and collaborative relationships with professionals in other disciplines, such as health, speech and language, or special education.

Opportunities are provided for faculty development, such as travel support, leave, in-service training, education visits, exchanges, and fellowships.

Faculty members’ performance is periodically reviewed and evaluated; the review uses multiple methods of evaluation, such as self-assessment and reflection, candidate evaluations, professional early childhood peer evaluations, and assessment by other individuals.


a one- to two-page summary of how program provides professional development and how it conducts and uses faculty evaluations.

a one-page description of plans to address challenges and build on current strengths in this area.

2) Site Visit: Interviews with administrators and faculty

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Please provide a one- to two-page summary of how program provides professional development and how it conducts and uses faculty evaluations:

Professional Development Opportunities

The Early Childhood faculty know that keeping abreast of current trends and research in the Early Childhood field is important to the quality of teaching and to the field. It is very important to stay current with both the early childhood field and innovative technology since the majority of our classes are online. Faculty members have been able to participate in numerous professional development activities. Many opportunities are offered on campus at HCC. Most of those relate to technology issues, which are very relevant to the work of the faculty. Those opportunities over the past year have included accommodating students with special needs in online courses, Moodle 2 training, and training on the use of Camtasia and the Big Blue Button in online courses. HCC offers several courses about being a more effective faculty member and instructor.

The previous Department Manager and the Dean of the Division attended the NAEYC National Conference in 2013 with financial support from the college for registration and travel, and other faculty members attended NAEYC webinars for additional professional development. In 2011, all Early Childhood faculty members attended the Southern Early Childhood Association annual conference in Savannah, GA. All current faculty members are registered to attend the 2014 NCAEYC conference in Raleigh, NC. The college is supporting this effort by paying for conference registration and travel expenses.

Faculty members have attended in the past many relevant training and professional development activities. Those include the Partnering for Infant Toddler Care (PITC), held in Berkley, CA; the UNC Chapel Hill Early Childhood Leadership Development Project (ECLDP), Wheelock College courses and Bank Street on Early Childhood; NAEYC Professional Development Institute and NAEYC’s yearly national conferences.

All current faculty members are members of the National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

The Department Manager is a current member of the Advisory Committee for North Carolina’s TEACH scholarship and a board member and past president for the NC Institute for Child Development Professionals. She is able to participate in meetings during work hours by phone or is able to access campus leave to attend them in person.

Faculty Evaluation

Faculty evaluation at HCC and in the Early Childhood department is achieved in a variety of ways. The Early Childhood faculty meet as a whole regularly throughout each semester. These meetings are used for peer support and reflection on courses and teaching, discussion of troubling issues, presentations of available resources, and obtaining suggestions for course improvement.

Additionally, the Department Manager meets individually with instructors to provide reflective supervision and individual evaluation.

Each faculty member is evaluated during the spring semester. Instructors are encouraged to provide self-assessment and reflection. Information from the regular peer meetings is reviewed. Course evaluations are solicited from early childhood students using an online tool, CoursEval. These materials along with anecdotal information about classes and teaching performance are shared clearly and thoroughly with the instructor. Quantitative and qualitative data is shared with the instructor. During the yearly formal evaluation, areas of strength and areas for improvement are discussed. Together the instructor and the supervisor develop an action plan to address areas of concern.

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Please provide a one-page description of plans to address challenges and build on current strengths in this area:Due to campus commitments, advising commitments and teaching, professional development is easily an area that often fails to get addressed. The ultimate goal would be for faculty members to have an opportunity to attend NAEYC’s Professional Development Institute, when funds allow. This is an expensive conference to attend because it is always in another state requiring travel, hotel expenses and registration fees. Other plans for future professional development include:

SCRIPT NC webinars Additional training on diversity, particularly in adult education NC ACCESS meetings Training on standard English and writing Local conferences

The faculty of the Early Childhood department would like to increase the number of professional organizations to which our instructors belong. We are current members of NAEYC, but plan to become members of NC ACCESS.

Our department wants to increase the number of workshops and professional presentations that we present. One faculty member visits students enrolled in EDU 284 twice a semester and on some of those trips she could partner with local child care centers, local Resource and Referral or Smart Start organizations to present workshops and/or presentations. Our plan is to develop and offer a regional conference in the Summer of 2015. The topic of these presentations and workshops would be the importance of children learning through play. We also plan to volunteer to conduct workshops through our state organization, NC-AEYC, for the 2015 conference.

Monthly, we plan to have a faculty meeting with the early childhood program faculty where we share best practices and current research. We want to take more time to read professional journals and to share our thoughts with each other. We also plan to discuss our courses with each other to give each other ideas for improvement. In addition, we plan to schedule regular trainings and workshops to learn about the most efficient and effective ways of delivering information online to our students. We plan to collaborate with our distance learning team in these trainings.

We have a goal to increase the collaboration with other professionals from other disciplines on campus and out in our community. An Early Childhood faculty member has developed collaboration with the disabilities coordinator on campus, and together they provide in-service training to all employees of HCC. Another instructor has formed collaboration with instructors from the English department to gain ideas on how to improve our students’ reading and writing skills. Another instructor has formed collaboration with our distance-learning department to develop our educational technology course required in our program.

The annual performance evaluation will be strengthened. More information will be obtained about self-assessment and self-reflection. The early childhood peer evaluations will be more fully developed.

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E: Supportive Infrastructure and Organization of Program

Criterion 11: Program Organization and GuidanceThe program’s organization and guidance are mission-driven and participatory, placing the needs of candidates as its first priority.

Rationale: Strong programs function out of a clear sense of mission, seek the involvement of all stakeholders, and place the needs of candidates at the center of their operations.

Indicators of strength: The program sets goals and plans in conjunction with the college and program

mission and in response to stakeholder and community needs.

Faculty, including part-time faculty, are informed about and regularly participate in program decision-making.

As appropriate to their role, faculty have opportunities to participate in college-wide decision-making.

Candidates participate in evaluation of courses, faculty, field experiences, and the program.

With advisory council, faculty, and other stakeholder involvement, the program establishes strategic objectives to address candidate and stakeholder needs; incorporate new knowledge about the education of children and families, and enhance its performance.


a one- to two-page summary of key features of program organization and governance; strategies to engage faculty in program and institution wide decision making ; and strategies to engage faculty, candidates and other stakeholders in program development.


4) Site Visit: Interviews with stakeholders. Program should have available a summary of current strategic objectives and how they were developed.

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Please provide a one- to two-page summary of key features of program organization and governance; strategies to engage faculty in program and institution wide decision making: and strategies to engage faculty, candidates and other stakeholders in program development.

Program Goals and PlansThe Early Childhood Education program supports the mission of the college by offering early childhood education students opportunities to put theory into practice, while still meeting their need for accessibility. The program provides education that reflects our understanding of the importance of addressing diverse cultural needs, enhances student success by employing highly qualified faculty, in context developmental courses, and technology based quality instruction. The program offers multiple certificates that allow students to achieve educational milestones while working towards completion at the associate degree level. This promotes continued learning.

The Early Childhood department has an advisory board that meets annually. We have students (active and alumni) along with stakeholders and community members, such as representatives from local Departments of Social Services, mental health organizations, state licensing, the on-campus child care center, private child care providers, and local resource and referral organizations serving on the board. The meetings are organized to receive feedback from members to improve the program, and to best meet the needs of the early childhood community. Because two of the members work throughout the state, feedback can be obtained from students outside of Haywood County. The advisory board directly impacts the Early Childhood’s program and goals.

The students in Early Childhood courses, including the practicum course, have opportunities to evaluate the course and the instructor. Several courses have field experiences with the practicum course being the large, culminating field experience. The CoursEval system allows students to evaluate all of those where they do have a voice about their experiences in all field experiences. Those evaluations are conducted by a separate department on campus and are strictly confidential so that students are free to express their ideas and concerns. The results are shared with the Early Childhood faculty. The results of the evaluations are reviewed and used in course improvement and discussed during faculty evaluations. Additionally, when a student makes application to graduate or receive a certificate, he/she is asked to evaluate their experiences with the Early Childhood Program and the college.

Early Childhood Child care center directors and administrators are one of the most important stakeholders for the work that the Early Childhood department does. The Faculty of the Early Childhood Program of Haywood Community College have supportive and collaborative relationships with directors and administrators of many child care programs across the region and the state. These relationships are strengthened by the accessibility of the faculty, the knowledgeable faculty advisement of students and the commitment to quality field placements for students. Also, the instructor of the practicum course has conferences with child care center directors who participate in our field experiences. She asks for feedback on how best to improve the experiences for our students in their field placement sites and how best to serve our community child centers.

Early Childhood Program Engagement

The Early Childhood department has four full time instructor positions, a full time Early Childhood Program Manager and five part-time adjunct faculty. The program manager regularly schedules meetings with the faculty members to discuss topics such as advising and registration procedures and improvements to be made for the process, field experience policies and requirements, NAEYC accreditation, course scheduling, issues with students, and strategic planning objectives. The meetings are collaborative with all members present having a voice. Adjunct instructors are invited to participate in the meetings.

When issues or concerns arise with the program, the problem is first discussed with the program manager. The next step is to discuss the concern with the Dean of the department, then the Vice President for Instruction. The final course of action is to schedule an appointment with the college President. See our attached organization chart.

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Early Childhood faculty members have opportunities to participate and engage in college-wide decision making, with opportunities to serve on the HCC Faculty Senate and other college wide committees, such as the Syllabus Revision Committee, the Academic Council, and the Program Review Committee.

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The faculty of the Early Childhood department feels that it is very important to participate in campus activities and organizations. Time is one of our problems. With the demands of online instruction and the volume of advising and registration, the faculty struggle to make time for those activities. Our strategies to work on the important task related to campus involvement are:

Choose our campus involvement wisely so that the groups in which we participate with have a close connection to our work.

Plan more efficiently so that each of us uses our time as wisely as possible. The plans we have in place to streamline advisement and registration will aid us in freeing up more time.

The Early Childhood department has identified a strong group of stakeholders for the advisory board, and attendance usually meets quorum, but we would like to increase participation in our annual board meeting and add members who reflect the diversity of our students. We have developed some ideas to increase participation, such as changing the time of the meeting to early evening instead of late afternoon and offering some kind of incentive for attendance. To increase our cultural diversity, we will invite current and former students for possible participation.

The issue of lack of time also hampers our ability to find time for regularly scheduled Early Childhood program meetings. Our plan is to develop a schedule for monthly program meetings at the beginning of the fall 2014 semester. We also plan to find time for a once a semester curriculum planning retreat.

Finally, we would like for our Early Childhood program to have a stronger presence across campus. We would like for other departments across campus to understand the importance of the early childhood years and to develop a greater understanding of what we do. This will increase the respect for the Early Childhood profession and our department. Ideally, our campus partners would join us and our students in becoming early childhood advocates. In the past, our program and the child care center co-sponsored a UNICEF fund raising parade throughout campus to increase awareness of early childhood. Our theme was, “Help Our Children Help Other Children”. We plan to brainstorm other ideas like the example to raise awareness with a campus wide activity that involves the children in the campus child care program. Also, we plan to do a presentation on campus for our campus partners about the First 2000 Days-Early Investment campaign.

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Criterion 12: Program Resources The program has sufficient resources to support its efforts to promote candidates’ learning in relation to NAEYC standards and supportive skills.

Rationale: Appropriate learning materials, support staff, and budget resources are essential if strong programs are to meet candidates’ learning needs.

Indicators of strength: Faculty and candidates have access to and use of appropriate instructional materials

and technology to support candidates’ success in relation to NAEYC standards, such as early childhood classroom materials, consumable supplies, video and other media equipment, and computers.

The institution’s library/information technology center reflects a commitment to child development and early childhood education as reflected in the NAEYC standards. A sufficient number of current books, journals, periodicals, media, and other materials that reflect the diversity of philosophy in the field are available. Adequate library/information technology center resources may include study space for candidates; instructional and curriculum laboratories; media and data processing and technological equipment; and cooperative educational and research relationships with early childhood settings and practitioners.

The program’s budget reflects a level of support comparable to other programs at the institution or to similar early childhood programs elsewhere, and is adequate to allow the program to support candidates’ learning in relation to the standards.

Faculty have access to adequate institutional resources to allow them to meet their responsibilities in the program.


a one- to two-page description of the program’s budget and other resources. The program should include a chart comparing the support for the ECE program with support for comparable programs at the college.


2) Site Visit: Interviews with faculty and administrators. Review of additional materials related to program resources. Tours of relevant sites such as media center or curriculum lab, as needed and as suggested by the program.

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Please provide a one- to two-page description of the program’s budget and other resources. The program should include a chart comparing the support for the ECE program with support for comparable programs at the college.

Instructional Materials

The Early Childhood department at Haywood Community College has access to use of many instructional materials and resources. Each instructor has a desktop computer and/or a laptop for use off campus. The computer systems are set up for the most efficient use with many viable programs like Microsoft Office, Dragon, Camtasia, Big Blue Button, Adobe and many others. Cameras, video recorders and editing equipment are available for use. Many instructional materials and resources are available. The department has a well-stocked library of resource materials, textbooks and supporting materials.

Students have access to all materials needed for their classes through the campus bookstore or through the campus Learning Resource Center (library). Both of those offices on campus are accommodating and routinely work with online students to assist them in locating resource materials. Faculty members provide many resources and make the materials or a link to the materials available within the online course. Instructors are available on a regular basis to talk with students and to help them locate needed materials and resources.

Other Campus Resources

The Learning Resource Center at Haywood Community College has a large number of publications, books and journals related to early childhood. They are also willing to order any materials that we need. They have just asked our department for fall semester if we have a wish list for early childhood. The space in the LRC is new and very accommodating with study space for students and available media and technology for their use. As stated above, they are ready and willing to work with online students and provide resources for them or link them to NC Live, an online resource for academic articles.

The department also has one faculty member who is also a Distance Learning staff person. This instructor attends any conferences with the Early Childhood Department to better understand the needs of child care providers. He has received an Excellence in Teaching award for a part-time instructor. This relationship allows early childhood faculty to access support on a timely basis and departmental training focused on new tools of online teaching.

The entire Distance Learning department is available to assist instructors with Moodle, our online delivery system. They provide frequent training sessions on Moodle and many other audio-visual tools. The Distance Learning department is available to assist students as well.

The child care center located on Haywood’s campus is a 5 star facility that is available for field placement assignments. The center also provides opportunities for instructors who need to do hands-on activities with young children to share in courses. Faculty have made videos there to share in course instruction.

Haywood Community College has a Small Business/Entrepreneurial office that is available for students forassistance in starting up new businesses.

Early Childhood Budget and Comparison Information

As reflected earlier, the faculty are the most important aspect contributing to the quality of teaching and relationships with students, and the budget reflects that most of the funds are dedicated to faculty salaries. Smaller amounts of funding are available for copying, printing, and office supplies. The professional development and travel line item includes funding for one instructor to make site visits for the EDU 284 Early Childhood Capstone Practicum course, as well as professional development activities. The Early Childhood program budget has increased significantly over the past four of the last five years, due to adding additional full-time faculty members.

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The following chart compares the budget and support for the EDU program with support for a comparable program at our college. Based on information we received from our HCC Director of Institutional Research and Development, we chose to compare our program to the Criminal Justice Department. Both departments are similar in course presentation and other course requirements, labs, class contact hours.

Budget Comparison Based on Full Time Equivalent Students (FTEs)

Early Childhood EducationBudget Year 2013-14 2014-15 (estimated)Salaries-FT $284,914 $397,847Salaries-PT $53,405 $17,258Supplies, etc. $4,075 $5,330Professional Dev. $4,600 $5,500Total Department Budget Amount: $346,994 $425,935FTEs: 178 169a

Amount Budgeted Per FTE $1,949.40 $2,520.32

Criminal JusticeBudget Year 2013-14 2014-15 (estimated)Salaries-FT $206,987 $140,842Salaries-PT $5,015 $5993Supplies, etc. $2,945 $2,450Professional Dev. $1,550 $1,250Total Department Budget Amount: $216,497 $150,535FTEs 53 50a

Amount Budgeted Per FTE $4,085 $3,010

The college budgeting process for academics over the past 3 years has focused on reallocating resources based on program need. Budgeting based on that context; the Early Childhood Education Team for 2014-15 will consist of a program manager and 4 full-time faculty. The Criminal Justice Team was reduced by 1 full time faculty member for the same time period. Decreasing budgets are making this type of resource allocation critical for student success at Haywood Community College.

aProjected enrollment based on an estimate of a 5% decline in FTE. This is based on recent trends observed at HCC. In general, enrollments are down at community colleges across the North Carolina Community College System.

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Please provide a one-page description of plans to address challenges and build on current strengths in this area.

The Learning Resource Center (library) is very helpful to both our faculty and our students, but we would like to work with them to develop an online library page tailored for our early childhood students. The page would include reference guides, search engines, and tips for writing and reading, as well as professional development information for our students. The information about this page could be made available on our website and Facebook page.

Since the majority of the Early Childhood students access our classes online and do not physically visit our campus, they are not able to check out educational equipment that they may need for their courses. This can present a challenge for completing some of their work. The faculty plans to assist them with identifying local options in their communities to learn about resources for borrowing educational equipment (computers, video recorders, cameras).

The Early Childhood program has been granted a space for a resource library, which will include items such as videos, audio-visual equipment, academic books, and journals. In addition to use as a resource library, this space can be used as a recording studio where faculty can create videos of lectures and host panel discussions to post in online courses. The Resource room can be used to access Skype and Big Blue Button with students. Presently these materials are located in the Early Childhood Suite, but will move to a more private and secure space during Fall, 2014 semester.

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PART TWO: PROGRAM CONTENT AND OUTCOMESF. LEARNING OPPORTUNITIESWhat is the evidence that the program’s candidates have opportunities to learn and are gaining competence in relation to the NAEYC Standards and Supportive Skills?

Rationale: Strong programs ensure that their candidates can take advantage of courses, field experiences, and other learning experiences that help them gain the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions appropriate for associate degree program graduates.

“An associate degree program that specializes in early childhood education has a responsibility to address all of the standards, just not in the same way or at the same depth as baccalaureate programs would…Certain aspects of a standard may appear especially important for candidates in an associate program, with other aspects requiring less focused attention.” 2010 NAEYC Standards for Initial & Advanced Early Childhood Professional Preparation Programs

Indicators of Strength: The program aligns its courses and field experiences with NAEYC Standards and

Supportive Skills and takes into account state early learning standards, Head Start standards, or other relevant standards.

The program analyzes what aspects of the standards are emphasized in the program’s learning opportunities, and at what breadth and depth.


a five- to ten-page curriculum chart of program’s learning opportunities and sample assessments in relation to the standards and the supportive skills. Describe the activity or assessment in a phrase such as family interview or quiz, with course numbers. Note: This list should provide a thoughtfully selected view of the most meaningful assessments used in the program for each standard and is not restricted to your key assessments.

a one- to two-page commentary on the chart (for example, description of how the program decides which aspects of the standards to address in greater depth; themes or aspects of the conceptual framework embedded throughout the opportunities).


Site Visit: Document review, including course packets that link to the curriculum chart. Interviews with faculty and candidates; visits to classes and field experience sites to expand on and support report.

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Please provide a five- to ten-page curriculum chart of program’s learning opportunities and sample assessments in relation to the standards and the supportive skills. Describe the activity or assessment in a phrase such as family interview or quiz, with course numbers. Note: This list should provide a thoughtfully selected view of the most meaningful assessments used in the program for each standard and is not restricted to your key assessments.

Curriculum Chart: Learning opportunities and assessments

for each accreditation standard (5-10 pages maximum)Standard 1: Promoting Child Development and Learning

Learning Opportunities(activity, course number)

Related assessments of candidate performance

1a: Knowing and understanding young children’s characteristics and needs

EDU 144-Group Collaboration on DAP Activities for an Assigned Age Group.

EDU 144-Research on Nature vs. Nurture

EDU 144-Key Word Definitions of Early Childhood Theorists

EDU 145- Key Word Definitions of Early Childhood Theorists

EDU 145-Assessment of Kindergarten Child using Ages and Stages

EDU 153-Student Opinion Paper about Breastfeeding versus Bottle Feeding

EDU 234- Research on Infant Development

EDU 144 – Case Study of an Infant

EDU 145 – Report and Compare 4 Observations using ASQ3

EDU 234 – PowerPoint of Key Elements of Infant Development Supported by Research

1b: Knowing and understanding the multiple influences on development and learning

EDU 119-Observation of Child at PlayEDU 144-Anecdotal Records and Observations of Children under 24 Months.EDU 144-Forum on Cultural InfluencesEDU 151-Practice Developing Individual ActivitiesEDU 221-Ways that Music Influences the Learning of Children with Special NeedsEDU 221-Ways that Art Influences the Learning of Children with Special Needs

EDU 144 – Reflect and Analyze Anecdotal Records and Observations

EDU 151 – Curriculum Project: Development and Teaching of 4 Lesson Plans

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1c: Using developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments

EDU 145-Research of Effects of Lead Poisoning on DevelopmentEDU 145-Forum on Physical Skill DevelopmentEDU 151 - Environment and Activity Center Research and Study EDU 151-Aesthetic Experiences ForumEDU 153 – Evaluation of Classroom Environment for Safety and Health

EDU 234 – Research on Infant Environment Development

EDU 284 – Lesson Planning Instructor Notes

EDU 153-Completion of Playground Safety Checklist Based on Observation of Actual Program

EDU 234 – Create Infant Environment

EDU 284 – Lesson Planning Module

Standard 2: Building Family and Community Relationships



2a: Knowing about and understanding diverse family and community characteristics

EDU 119 - Observation of Typical and Atypical Children at PlayEDU 131 – PowerPoint on Cultural Groups and Children’s DevelopmentEDU 153- Nutritional Comparison of Cultural Foods.EDU 173 –Research on Articles Related to Child and Families EDU 221-Research of Different Cultures Related to Children with Disabilities

EDU 131—Family Interview

EDU 173 – NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct Assignment

2b: Supporting and engaging families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships

EDU 131 – Research of Family Interviews.EDU 131-Online and Textbook Readings and Videos EDU 145- Learning How to Plan and Schedule a Family Interview-Instructor NotesEDU 146-Child Guidance Key Words ActivityEDU 221 –Video: How to Communicate Effectively with Parents

EDU 131 – Family Interviews with 2 Families

EDU 145 – Completion of Family Interview Form.

EDU 146-Paper on Child Guidance within Your Own Cultural Group

2c: Involving families and communities in their children’s development and learning

EDU 119- Classroom ObservationEDU 131 – Research of Methods of Communication EDU 131- Agency and Resource Research

EDU 145 – Accessing Resources

EDU 131 – Methods of Teacher Communication with Families Assessment, including Effective Examples

EDU 145 – Parent Educational Resource Assignment

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Standard 3: Observing, Documenting, and Assessing to Support Young Children and Families



3a: Understanding the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment

EDU 119-Developmental Checklist Identification ActivityEDU 119-Completion of Developmental ChecklistEDU 119-Child Observation ActivityEDU 145 – Research on Assessment Tools AssignmentEDU 234 – Observing and Assessing an Infant Assignment

EDU 145 – Assessment of Kindergarten Child

EDU 234 – Infant Environment Project

3b: Knowing about and using observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment tools and approaches

EDU 144 & EDU 145 –Assessments: Use of ASQ3EDU 151 - Art Activity ObservationEDU 151- Value of Play ReadingsEDU 151- Activity PlanningEDU 234- Infant ObservationEDU 235-Reading and Essay on Authentic AssessmentEDU 235-Video –High Stakes Testing and reflectionEDU 284 – Use of Assessment to Determine Developmental Age for Appropriate Planning Activity

EDU 144 & 145 – Report and compare 4 observations using ASQ3

EDU 284 – Candidates will create lesson plans out of Ages and Stages Assessment

3c: Understanding and practicing responsible assessment to promote positive outcomes for each child

EDU 144 & EDU 145 –Assessments: Use of ASQ3

EDU 221-IEP Components ResearchEDU 234 – Observing and Assessing Young Children ActivityEDU 284 – Use of ASQ3 to Determine the Overall Classroom Score to Guide Lesson Plan

EDU 144 & EDU 145 – Report and compare 4 observations using ASQ3

EDU 234 – Infant Environment Project- Using ASQ3

EDU 284 – Candidates will create lesson plans using results of ASQ3

3d: Knowing about assessment partnerships with families & other professional colleagues

EDU 119-Interview of Elementary School TeacherEDU 131 – Family Interviews Activity

EDU 145- Research on Assessment Tools Assignment EDU 221-Communication with Parents VideoEDU 221 – Professional Partnerships Activity

EDU 131 – Resource Handout for Parents Assignment, part of Who Are Our Families? Project

EDU 145 –– Assessment of Kindergarten Child EDU 221 - Resource Guide of Early Childhood Professionals

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Standard 4: Using Developmentally Effective Approaches to Connect with Children and Families

Learning Opportunities (activity, course number)


4a: Understanding positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation of their work with children

EDU 119 – Teacher Child Interaction ObservationEDU 146 – Self Reflection ActivityEDU 146-Classroom Behavior DiscussionEDU 146-Connecting with Every Child VideoEDU 221 –Video: How to Communicate Effectively with ParentsEDU 234 – Reading and Response regarding Communication with Parents.EDU 235-Discussion Forum about BullyingEDU 284 – Candidates will Describe the Positive Relationships

EDU 234 – Infant Development Project

EDU 284 – Developing a Lesson Plan

4b: Knowing and understanding effective strategies and tools for early education

EDU 151 – Curriculum Planning EDU 251 – Play Based Science, Math and Social Studies Activity EDU 259-Reading Logs on Different Kinds of CurriculumEDU 259-Montessori Video and Information from ArticlesEDU 271 – Digital Technology PowerPointEDU 284 – Teacher’s PowerPoint Presentation on Developing a Lesson Plan

EDU 151 – Development of, Teaching of, Evaluating, and Reflecting on 2 Lesson Plans

EDU 259-Currculum Comparison Chart

EDU 271 – Creation of Website

EDU 284 – Lesson Plan

4c: Using a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate teaching/learning approaches

EDU 146 – Connecting with Every Child Video EDU 151 – Observation in Classroom of Teaching StylesEDU 251-Reading Logs on Teaching Approaches for Different Disciplines, i.e. Math, Science, etc.EDU 259-Reading Logs on Different Kinds of CurriculumEDU 259-Montessori Video and Information from Articles EDU 271-PPT on Issues of Using Technology in ClassroomsEDU 284 –Research DAP

EDU 151 – Teaching 2 Lesson Plans Curriculum Project

EDU 259-Currculum Comparison Chart

EDU 284 – Developing a Developmentally Appropriate Lesson Plan

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4d: Reflecting on their own practice to promote positive outcomes for each child.

EDU 146-Candidate/Child Interaction and Reflection JournalEDU 146-Self Reflection Activity Pre and PostEDU 151 – Evaluating and Reflecting on 2 Lessons Taught and Making Necessary Adjustments

EDU 173-Portfolio Reflection ActivityEDU 234-Ages and stages Reflection Activity EDU 284 – Practicum Hours

EDU 151 – Curriculum Project

EDU 284 – Reflective Journal and Instructor Feedback

Standard 5: Using Content Knowledge to Build Meaningful Curriculum



5a: Understanding content knowledge and resources in academic disciplines

EDU 151 – Curriculum Research and Reading Logs

EDU 251-Math, Science and Social Studies Reading LogsEDU 259 – Research of Academic DisciplinesEDU 284-Understanding NC Licensing Requirements for Activity Planning- Website Review ActivityEDU 284-Research of NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development Standards Related to Lesson Planning

EDU 151 – Conducting 2 Art Activities, Developing 4 Lesson Plans (Art, Music, Creative Movement, Drama)EDU 251- Math, Science and Social Studies ProjectsEDU 259 – Written Assignment where Candidates Apply Content Knowledge to Early Childhood Classroom

EDU 284-Lesson Plan Project

5b: Knowing and using the central concepts, inquiry tools, and structures of content areas or academic disciplines


EDU 251- Math, Science and Social Studies Reading LogsEDU 254-Music and Movement Reading LogsEDU 254 –Music Play Based Activity EDU 280 – Create Literacy Resource File

EDU 151 – Conducting 2 Art Activities, Developing 4 Lesson Plans (Art, Music, Creative Movement, Drama)

EDU 284 – Implementation of Candidate’s

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EDU 284 – Practicum Hours Lesson Plan Content

5c: Using their own knowledge, appropriate early learning standards, and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate meaningful, challenging curricula for each child.

EDU 145 – Assessment of Kindergarten Child ActivityEDU 151 – Curriculum Research and Reading LogsEDU 234-Book Review of NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development

EDU 284-Research of NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development Standards Related to Lesson Planning EDU 284 –Teacher Instruction about Developing a Lesson Plan

EDU 145 – Report on 4 Observations and AssessmentsEDU 151 – Conducting 2 Art Activities, Developing 4 Lesson Plans (Art, Music, Creative Movement, Drama), Teaching 2 Lessons, Evaluating and Reflecting on 2 Lessons

EDU 284 –Candidates will Create Detailed Lesson Plan

Standard 6: Becoming a Professional



6a: Identifying and involving oneself with the early childhood field

EDU 131 –Readings on Parent/Teacher Collaboration in Professional Context

EDU 173 –Professional Organization Research

EDU 284 –Selecting an Advocacy Activity

EDU 131 – Resource Handout for Parents Listing Agencies

EDU 173 – Attending a Professional Meeting Assignment

EDU 284 – Developing and Implementing Advocacy Activity

6b: Knowing about and upholding ethical standards and other professional guidelines

EDU 119 – Ethical Behavior Discussion ForumEDU 119 Professional Dress ActivityEDU 131 – Family Interview Video EDU 173 –Study and Discussion of Ethical Conduct

EDU 284-Ethical Behavior Activity

EDU 131 - Family Interview with 2 Families

EDU 173 – NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct Assignment

EDU 284 – Essay on Ethical Behavior Related to NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct

6c: Engaging in continuous, collaborative learning to inform practice

EDU 119 – Ethical Behavior Discussion ForumEDU 173 – Study and Discussion of Ethical ConductEDU 173-Portfolio Reflection Activity

EDU 284 – Capstone Hours

EDU 173- Code of Ethical Conduct Paper

EDU 284 - Reflective Journal

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6d: Integrating knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on early education

EDU 151 – Evaluating and Reflecting on 2 Lessons Taught and Making Necessary Adjustments EDU 173-Portfolio Reflection Activity

EDU 173 – Study and Discussion of Code of Ethical Conduct

EDU 234 – Teacher Made PowerPoint and Discussion Forum


EDU 173 – Essay on Selected Ideals from Code of Ethical Conduct

EDU 234 - Candidates Describe 5 Key Elements of Infant Development and Support Each Element with Research

6e: Engaging in informed advocacy for children and the profession

EDU 173 –How to Become an Advocate MaterialsEDU 234 – ASQ3 Reflection Activity

EDU 284 –Selecting and Participating in an Advocacy Activity

EDU 173 – Writing Letter to Senator or RepresentativeEDU 234 – Candidates Choose a Position on 3 Key Elements of Infant Development and Advocate for their Choice

EDU 284 –Advocacy Activity Reflection

Supportive SkillsLearning Opportunities(activity, course number)


Supportive Skill 1: Self–assessment and self-advocacy

ACA 115 – Aptitude AssessmentEDU 146 – Self Reflection Activity

EDU 173-Evaluation of Self as an Advocate ActivityEDU 173 – Portfolio Activities

EDU 280-Evaluating Qualities of a Competent Teacher ActivityEDU 284 –Practicum Hours

EDU 173 – Development of a Professional Portfolio

EDU 284 – Practicum Reflective Journal and Instructor Feedback

Supportive Skill 2: Mastering and applying foundational concepts from general education

EDU 119 – Early Childhood Theorist Assignment EDU 151-Reading Logs

EDU 251 – Applying Science, Math, and Social Studies Content to the Early Childhood Classroom Readings and Writings

EDU 119 –Comparative Essay on Theorists

EDU 151- Creation of Developmentally Appropriate Learning plans based on Music and ArtEDU 251 - Math, Science, and Social Studies Projects

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EDU 271 – Digital Technology PowerPoint EDU 271 – Website Development

Supportive Skill 3: Written and verbal skills

EDU 131 – Family InterviewEDU 131-Weekly Written Summaries

EDU 145-Family Interview Activity

EDU 153 – Health, Safety Nutrition Research and Reading

EDU 173 – Writing Letter to Senator or Representative

*Opportunities to develop this supportive skill is woven in to all of the curriculum courses.

EDU 131 – Methods of Teacher Communication with Families Assignment

EDU 145- Essay on Interview

EDU 153 – Completed Video Project

EDU 173 – Instructor Feedback

Supportive Skill 4: Making connections between prior knowledge/ experience and new learning

EDU 119 – Candidates observe a classroom and reflect on what they see in terms of child guidance

EDU 119-Child at Play Observation*

EDU 145-Reflection on Observations and ReadingsEDU 146 – Self- Reflection Activity (pre and post)EDU 151-Development of Play- based Art Activity*EDU 234-Discussion on Advocating for Personal Positions in Key Elements of ClassEDU 259-Connection of Activities to Overall Lesson Plan*EDU 284-Development and Implementation of Full Classroom Activity Plan*

EDU 119 – Written Reflection of Guidance Observation

*This is one example of how a concept is introduced in one course, repeated and reinforced in several courses with the culmination of a large activity in yet another course. The concept of scaffolding is used throughout our curriculum.

EDU 145-Comparison Paper

EDU 234- Infant Environment Project

EDU 284-Site Supervisor Evaluation and Conference

Supportive Skill 5: Identifying and using professional resources

EDU 145-Research on Resources for Age GroupsEDU 173 – Research of Professional OrganizationsEDU 221-Research of Professional AgenciesEDU 234 – Research of Professional ResourcesEDU 259-Academic Article

EDU 145-Develop Parent Resource Guide Based on Ages and StagesEDU 173 - Chart of Professional Resource OrganizationsEDU 221-Resource List of Professional Agencies for ParentsEDU 234 - PowerPoint of ResourcesEDU 259-Montessori Paper

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Research

Please provide a one- to two-page commentary on the chart (for example, description of how the program decides which aspects of the standards to address in greater depth; themes or aspects of the conceptual framework embedded throughout the opportunities):

Areas of Focus on the Curriculum Chart

In the Curriculum Chart, we have shown that concepts are introduced sometimes long before they are assessed. In some instances, concepts are introduced in one class, reinforced in another and assessed in yet another. The idea of repetition and building (scaffolding) on knowledge is used to reinforce learning.

The faculty of Haywood Community College have chosen several themes and aspects on which to center the curriculum.

First, children learn through play. Most of the courses reinforce the idea of this important concept, but particularly, EDU 251 focuses on projects that are play-based.

The development of the whole child is an essential ingredient in child development. Assessment tools are introduced and used throughout EDU 144 and 145. Observation, documentation and attention to the multiple influences on children are keys in many of the curricular courses. (NAEYC Standard 3)

Another key element is that classrooms are child centered. The courses, EDU 144, 145, 151, 234 and others all include that concept with the culmination appearing in the lesson plan developed for EDU 284.

The Early Childhood Course of Study focuses on designing curriculum based on the interests of children and the developmental needs of individual children. Students are required to observe children and develop lesson plans based on those observations in several courses including 144, 145, and 151. (NAEYC Standards 4 and 5)

Partnerships with families and collaborations between teachers, parents and other professionals make an early childhood program a quality environment for families. Ideas like family interviews and resources for parents are taught in EDU 131 and EDU 145. (NAEYC Standard 2)

In any profession, a code of ethical conduct is necessary, as well as information for the professional about his or her profession. The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct is studied in detail in EDU 173, as well as information about becoming advocates for the field. (NAEYC Standard 6)

NAEYC Standard 1- Child Development and Learning is woven throughout all of the coursework.

Supportive Skill 3 is reinforced in every course. All instructors look at written materials with an emphasis on Standard English, grammar, sentence structure, spelling and other written skills. Verbal skills are practiced with video conferencing and other face-to-face contact.

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Many field experiences and observations are built into several of the courses in the Early Childhood program. These experiences are very valuable for all candidates, particularly those that do not currently work in the field. A problem sometimes exists when students have difficulty finding the time to engage in required field experiences. The candidate might not live close to child care centers, or the candidate may have difficulty taking leave from her job. To address this challenge, the faculty gives students choices of when and where they may do their field experiences, as long as the field experience meets the requirements set forth in the Field Experience Handbook. Faculty try to be very flexible to allow for the candidates’ schedules and supportive in helping the candidate find suitable environments for field placement.

An important part of the Early Childhood AAS requirements is the Capstone class that is required in the last semester. The instructor for the course, EDU 284, visits every candidate enrolled in the Capstone course twice during the semester to give individual feedback to each candidate in a face-to-face environment. The travel and extended time out of the office can be problematic for the instructor; however, this time is invaluable for the instructor, candidate and the field placement site.

Some of the candidates continue to struggle with Standard English, basic reading, writing, and comprehension skills that are required to complete assignments. Haywood Community College’s Early Childhood program has pre-requisite courses in developmental reading and writing that are offered in collaboration with the early childhood program. These courses are taught by an Early Childhood instructor and are offered with a focus on early childhood readings. When the Early Childhood-focused classes are not available, the candidates are referred to the Learning Support Services, a tutoring service at HCC.

Because most of the Early Childhood courses are accessed online, candidates may have difficulty finding research articles to complete assignments without the assistance of a face-to-face instructor to assist with the searches. The faculty members are available to support and assist candidates, as well as the on-campus library (LRC). The LRC is linked with NC LIVE that candidates can access online, as well as being available to assist by phone. The Early Childhood faculty are working together to develop a section in the orientation class to assist candidates with research options.

At the beginning of the self-study, the faculty was searching for a common lesson plan form to use in all of the courses. One of the instructors developed a thorough and detailed form, and the plan is to start using it throughout all courses.

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G. ASSESSMENTS AND EVIDENCE OF CANDIDATE OUTCOMES

Rationale: Early childhood professional preparation focuses on outcomes or results for candidates and ultimately for children. Evidence of candidate outcomes is a stronger indicator of program quality than the details of how courses and field experiences are organized. Documented evidence of candidate competence is essential for programs to know how to meet candidate needs and plan for the future.

The report will highlight no more than six assessments, selected as key to the program’s design. Five key assessments are required for submission, and programs have the option of including an optional sixth key assessment.

Indicators of StrengthThe program has developed a system that is used regularly to document evidence of candidate competence related to NAEYC Standards and Supportive Skills.

Collectively, they assess all six standards and supportive skills,

Each is used by all faculty across relevant course sections, and

Each is used with all candidates. Explain exceptions for transfer and prior learning assessment in your narrative.

Typically, each of these assessments will address more than one standard and more than one supportive skill. They will evolve in response to evidence of effectiveness. It is alright if they have been updated by the time you receive a site visit. Any new or revised materials should be provided to the team as part of the document review.

Additional Indicators of Strength are described in relation to each standard and supportive skill.

Sources of Evidence4) Report :

a) Multi-Program Key Assessment to Degree Program Alignment Chart (for institutions submitting multiple degree programs in one Self-Study Report)

b) Overview Chart of Key Assessments Aligned with Accreditation Standards and Skills for collection of key assessments

c) Documentation for each key assessment. This documentation should be limited to the equivalent of five pages each, however in some cases the assessment directions or scoring guides may go beyond five pages.c.1) Evidence Chartc.2) The directions or guidelines as they are given to candidatesc.3) The rubric or scoring guide that is used by faculty or field supervisors to

evaluate candidate workc.4) Data from the assessment: 2 applications over time, disaggregated by

standard and by program (see sample data chart in the online community)

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d) a two- to four-page narrative reviewing your program’s candidate assessment system, strengths, challenges and plans.

5) Site Visit : a) Review of additional examples of assessments related to standards and supportive

skills, their scoring guides, and evidence of candidate competence. b) Discussion with faculty and administrators about how these assessments and

candidate performance data is being used or will be used to support candidate growth and program improvement.

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a) Multi-Program Key Assessment to Degree Program Alignment Chart N/A

Note: This chart is only required for institutions submitting multiple degree programs on one Self-Study Report. Programs are responsible for consistency in degree name throughout their Self-Study Report.

Each degree program will receive an accreditation decision and each must meet accreditation standards. Degree programs are defined by their graduation requirements - lists of required and elective courses, admission requirements, and graduation requirements. Each degree plan/program/curriculum is a separate degree program. The same degree program may be offered at multiple campuses or may be offered both on campus and online.

List the names of the degree programs submitted for review in this Self-Study Report, e.g. 1) AA Child Development; 2) AAS Early Childhood Education; 3) AAS Early Childhood Education: Infant Toddler Track; 4) AA Child Development: State University Transfer Track.

______________________________________________________________ ____________________

Multiple programs may be reviewed in one report only if they share the five key assessments, attached to a set of common core courses that are required in all programs. List the common core courses that are required in all of the degree programs submitted in this report. (Will be verified on site through college catalog or other official course requirements document.)__________________________________ __

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b) OVERVIEW CHART OF KEY ASSESSMENTS ALIGNED WITH ACCREDITATION STANDARDS AND SKILLS

Write a short title for each of your key assessment (portfolio, interview, case study, candidate teaching evaluation, advocacy project, etc.) to assist your readers.

Note: Programs are responsible for consistency in key assessment name and standard alignment throughout their Self-Study Report.

Place a check or X under the NAEYC Standards and Supportive Skills assessed in each of your key assessments.

STD = standards 1-6, SS = Supportive Skill 1-5

Assessment(Name, course #)

STD1 STD2 STD3 STD4 STD5 STD6 SS1

SS2

SS3

SS4

SS5

1.Infant Environment Project, EDU 234

X X X X X X X X

2.Advocating for Young Children, EDU 173

X X X X X

3.Who Are Our Families?, EDU 131

X X X X X

4.Assessment of Kindergarten Child, EDU 145

X X X X X X X X

5.Developing a Lesson Plan, EDU 284

X X X X X X X

6. (Optional)Curriculum Project, EDU 151

X X X X X

c.1) EVIDENCE CHARTKey Assessment 1

Briefly describe the assignment and list the courses that use this assignment. EDU 234: Infants, Toddlers and Twos-Understanding and Planning for an Individualized Infant EnvironmentIn this assessment, candidates are asked to focus on using their knowledge of infant development and caregiving practices, observation and assessment, environment planning, and communication of daily information with parents. Candidates will:

1. Develop a PowerPoint presentation on key elements of infant development. 2. Conduct a 30-minute infant observation and anecdotal record.3. Complete an Ages and Stages assessment tool and complete an interpretation of the

assessment.4. Design an individualized, optimal infant learning environment.5. Create a daily information sharing form for parents.

Place a check or X under the NAEYC Standards and Supportive Skills assessed through this activitySTD = standards 1-6, SS = Supportive Skill 1-5STD1 STD2 STD3 STD4 STD5 STD6 SS1 SS2 SS3 SS4 SS5x x x x x x x x

Briefly summarize candidate performance data from this key assessment. If your program has not yet collected data from this key assessment, explain why. Overall the majority of candidates show success in this class with most achieving into the Exceeds Expectations rubric evaluation. The thing that most impacted data was the number of candidates in the class that did not complete the assignment. The data may have looked differently if more candidates had completed the assessments. The majority of the candidates who completed the assessments struggled in meeting NAEYC Key Elements 1c, 3a, 3c which predominately were focused on the Ages and Stages assessment and the student’s interpretation. The Instructor identified a challenge in that candidates were having difficulty locating a child care center that had an infant classroom so they were not able to complete the 30-minute observation and the Ages and Stages evaluation. Many candidates work full-time and have difficulty finding time to visit these classrooms in the middle of the day. In addition, there is a lack of licensed infant care in many communities making it difficult for students to complete this assignment. Candidates may also have been confused about the assignment and unclear of the directions.

Describe how data from this key assessment are being used to improve teaching and learning. The instructor will assist candidates in locating a licensed infant program early in the semester to all allow candidates’ opportunities for success. The instructor will also provide additional resources such as videos and readings on how to make quality anecdotal notes during an observation period. Additional instructions available in multiple media formats will be made available to assist candidates who learn in a variety of methods. Developing a variety of multiple media formats will greatly affect candidates throughout the majority of Key Assessments. The Ages and Stages is the common assessment tool used throughout the key assessments. Providing a variety of communication options (video, audio, written, telephone and email) will increase the candidate’s overall ability to use and understand the child assessment. This will affect all candidates’ abilities to successfully incorporate the results in understanding development, planning in the classroom and knowing the child’s needs.

c.2) the directions or guidelines for Key Assessment 1 as they are given to candidates

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EDU 234 Key Assessment: Understanding and Planning for an Individualized Infant EnvironmentIn this assessment, you are asked to focus on using your knowledge of infant development and caregiving practices, observation and assessment, environment planning, and communication of daily information with parents.You will:

Develop a PowerPoint presentation on key elements of infant development. Conduct a 30 minute infant observation, anecdotal record and complete an Ages and Stages Assessment

tool. Design an individualized, optimal infant learning environment. Create a daily information sharing form for parents.

NAEYC Standards and Key Elements AssessedStandard 1 – Promoting Child Development and LearningCandidates prepared in early childhood degree programs are grounded in a child development knowledge base. They use their understanding of young children’s characteristics and needs, and of multiple interacting influences on children’s development and learning to create environments that are healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging for each child.

Key elements of standard 1:1a. Knowing and understanding young children’s characteristics and needs, from birth through age 8. 1c: Using developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments for young children

Standard 3- Observing, Documenting, and Assessing to Support Young Children and FamiliesCandidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that child observation, documentation, and other forms of assessment are central to the practice of all early childhood professionals. They know about and understand the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment. They know about and use systematic observations, documentation, and other effective assessment strategies in a responsible way, in partnership with families and other professionals, to positively influence the development of every child.

Key elements of standard 3:3a: Understanding the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment – including its use in development of appropriate goals, curriculum, and teaching strategies for young children 3c: Understanding and practicing responsible assessment to promote positive outcomes for each child

Standard 4- Using Developmentally Effective Approaches to Connect with Children and FamiliesCandidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that teaching and learning with young children is a complex enterprise, and its details vary depending on children’s ages, characteristics, and the settings within which teaching and learning occur. They understand and use positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation for their work with young children and families. Candidates know, understand, and use a wide array of developmentally appropriate approaches, instructional strategies, and tools to connect with children and families and positively influence each child’s development and learning.

Key elements of standard 4:4a: Understanding positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation of their work with young children

Standard 6 – Becoming a ProfessionalCandidates prepared in early childhood degree programs identify and conduct themselves as members of the early childhood profession. They know and use ethical guidelines and other professional standards related to early childhood practice. They are continuous, collaborative learners who demonstrate knowledgeable, reflective and critical perspectives on their work, making informed decisions that integrate knowledge from a variety of sources. They are informed advocates for sound educational practices and policies.

Key elements of Standard 6:

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6d: Integrating knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on early education6e: Engaging in informed advocacy for young children and the early childhood profession

Supportive Skill 1 – Self-Assessment and Self-AdvocacyAssociate degree candidates are often at a key decision point in their professional lives, entering or re- entering higher education after extended work experiences or making decisions about further education beyond the associate degree. Therefore, skills in assessing one’s own goals, strengths, and needs are critical, as is learning how to advocate for one’s own professional needs.

Supportive Skill 3 – Written and Verbal Communication SkillsWell-prepared associate degree graduates have strong skills in written and verbal communication. These skills allow them to provide positive language and literacy experiences for children, and they also support professional communications with families and colleagues. Candidates going on to baccalaureate study need skills sufficient to ensure success in upper-division academic work. In addition, technological literacy is an essential component of this set of skills.

Supportive Skill 4 – Making Connections between Prior Knowledge/Experience and New LearningAll professionals need these skills, but they are especially important in supporting the learning of associate degree students who have worked for years in early care and education. Well prepared associate degree graduates are able to respect and draw upon their past or current work experience and also reflect critically upon it, enriching and altering prior knowledge with new insights. These skills will, over time, enable graduates to respond to the evolving mandates and priorities of the early childhood field.

Supportive Skill 5 – Identifying and Using Professional ResourcesEven the best associate program cannot provide in-depth knowledge and skills in all areas. Therefore, well-prepared graduates should know how to identify and use credible professional resources from multiple sources, allowing them to better serve children and families with a wide range of cultures, languages, needs, and abilities.

Section I: Create a PowerPoint presentationCreate a PowerPoint presentation where you describe and discuss the following key elements of infant development.

Key Elements of Infant Development1. Infant Feeding – Is it best to breast feed or bottle feed? Is to best to feed on a schedule or “on demand?”2. Infant Sleeping – Is it best for a baby to sleep alone or to co-sleep with parents?3. Infant Crying – Is it best to pick up a crying baby right away or to let a baby cry it out? (Infant crying refers to more than just crying at bedtime. Infant crying refers to anytime an infant cries.)4. Attachment Theory – What is attachment theory and why is it important?5. Continuity of Care – What is continuity of care and what are the pros and cons? (The continuity of care term for this course refers to the practice of keeping infants and teachers together for more than one year.)Create one slide for each issue. For each issue, use your textbook and one additional source. The additional source must be an academic, research article. You must provide a reference for each academic article using APA format. Therefore, you will have a total of 5 different academic articles, one for each issue.For issues 1, 2, 3, and 5, please describe both sides of the issue, using your research from your articles. After you describe the issue, then tell me which side you believe in and why. Advocate for your side of the issue, again using research to support your beliefs. For issue 4, describe the issue using your research for support. I will set up a discussion forum in our course Moodle for you to share your thoughts concerning these 5 issues with your classmates.

When designing your PowerPoint presentation, use the guidelines for effective PowerPoint presentation design handout (available in your course Moodle). You should create the presentation as you would present it to a group of parents. Type the narrative information that you would verbally provide during the presentation into the notes

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section of the PowerPoint. You must provide a reference for each research article using APA format. A minimum of five academic articles (one per key element of infant development) must be utilized.

For section I you will submit in TaskStream:1. Completed PowerPoint Presentation

(NAEYC Standard 1a, NAEYC Standard 6d, and NAEYC Standard 6e; Supportive Skills 1, 3, 4, 5)

Section II: Infant observation and assessmentPart 1: Conduct a 30-minute observation of an infant in an early learning center classroom. Select an infant enrolled in a licensed child care center (3 star licensed or higher). The infant may be any age from 0 to 12 months. You will need to get written permission from the director of the early learning center, the infant’s lead teacher, and the parents before conducting this activity. Utilize the forms provided in the Haywood Community College Early Childhood Education Field Experience Handbook. These forms are also provided in your course Moodle for your convenience.

Observe the infant for 30 minutes while the infant is awake and in the classroom. Write down everything you see this infant doing with as much detail as possible. Write only what you see, leaving out your personal opinions. Pretend that you are a video camera and write down what the video camera would see. For example, you might write, “I see the baby putting his hands in his mouth, looking at the teacher, and whimpering.” You would not write, “The infant is definitely hungry.” The second example is your opinion, but the first example is exactly what you see. Teachers make conclusions about an infant after they have completed a 30 minute observation that contains objective information, not personal opinion. After your 30 minute observation period, rewrite your notes into complete sentences with correct grammar and spelling. For a 30-minute observation you should have at least 3 typed pages of complete sentences. Your three pages of notes become your anecdotal record detailing your observations.

Part 2. Complete the Ages and Stages assessment form After your observation has been conducted, complete the appropriate Ages and Stages assessment form on the same infant you observed. The Ages and Stages form is located in your course Moodle. After you complete this assessment form, you will need to scan it into your computer in order to submit it to Taskstream.After completing the Ages and Stages form and the anecdotal record, write an essay explaining these points: 1. the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment in an infant classroom 2. How your assessment findings from the Ages and Stages relate to the information obtained during your 30-minute observation3. using the information from your observation and assessment, provide ideas on how to promote positive outcomes for this infant as it relates to his/her development.

For section II you will submit in TaskStream:1. Completed anecdotal record2. Completed Ages and Stages assessment form3. Essay outlining the uses of assessment, how the assessment findings relate to your observation, and ideas

on how to promote positive outcomes for the child.(NAEYC Standard 3a, NAEYC Standard 3c, Supportive Skill 3)

Section III: Design an optimal, individualized infant learning environment Utilize your assessment and observation data from section II and design an individualized and challenging learning environment. In addition, please visit 2 additional licensed (3 star licensed or higher) infant child care classrooms to observe their infant classroom environments. When you visit these classrooms, observe the classrooms in order to get ideas for the optimal, individualized infant learning environment that you are designing in this section. Refer to chapter 13 in your text for assistance in environmental design. When designing your environment address the following five learning domains: emotional, social, cognitive, language, and motor. In other words, in your environmental design, there must be places in the classroom for your infant to work on tasks within each of the five learning domains. In addition, for each of the five learning domains, describe how changes or enhancements to the physical environment would support the growth and development of the observed infant.In addition to presenting your environment, please write several paragraphs explaining your drawing or diagram.

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For section III you will submit in TaskStream:1. Details of your designed infant learning environment as outlined above(NAEYC Standard 1c; Supportive Skill 3)

Section IV: Positive relationship with parentsAt the end of a child’s day, parents usually want to know everything their infant did that day. They want to know what their infant ate, when he slept, when he had a diaper change, and how he played. They want to know about the kinds of interactions he had with his teachers and peers and when he laughed, smiled, or cried. Consider how the teacher could best share this information with parents in writing. Develop a form that the teacher could use to share important information with parents. The format should share all of the important information in a manner that promotes a positive and supportive relationship with the parents.

For section IV you will submit in TaskStream:1. Copy of information sharing form designed for parents(NAEYC Standard 4a, Supportive Skill 3)

c.3) The rubric or scoring guide for Key Assessment 1 that is used by faculty or field supervisors to evaluate candidate work on each key assessment

EDU 234 Key Assessment: Understanding and Planning for an Individualized Infant Environment Rubric

Does Not Meet Expectations (0)

Meets Expectations (1) Exceeds Expectations (2)

(1a) Knowing about and understanding young children’s characteristics and needs

Section I

Candidate’s PowerPoint presentation does not provide information for each key element of infant development, the multiple influences on the development of infants or candidate’s selections are not supported by research.

Candidate’s PowerPoint presentation provides information for each key element of infant development, information about the multiple influences on the development of infants and candidate’s selections are supported by research.

…and provides additional information about potential influence of early childhood programs on infant development and the short and long term effects on children. Refers to additional academic sources.

(1c) Using developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments

Section III

Candidate does not use developmental knowledge to create an optimal infant learning environment.

Candidate describes the essentials of developmental principles used to create an optimal learning environment for an infant, and discusses how the environment supports the infant’s individuality and development.

…and provides pictures and/or drawings with detailed explanations of how each part of the infant environment meets each developmental domain of the observed infant.

(3a) Understanding the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment

Section II

Candidate does not describe the goals, benefits and uses of the assessment tool in an infant classroom.

Candidate describes the goals, benefits and uses of the assessment tool in an infant classroom.

…and relates infant observation findings with the assessment tool findings and discusses how to support the infant’s development and learning to improve outcomes for the infant.

(3c) Understanding and Candidate’s anecdotal Candidate’s anecdotal …and describes

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practicing responsible assessment to promote positive outcomes for each child

Section II

record does not provide sufficient information about the infant’s behavior.

record provides information about the infant’s behavior, provides details on developmentally appropriate ideas on how to promote positive outcomes for the infant based on observations and assessments.

potentially negative uses of the anecdotal information.

(4a) Understanding positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation of their work with children

Section IV

Candidate’s information sharing form does not contain all of the important information areas.

Candidate’s information sharing form contains all of the important information areas as listed in the directions, and promotes a positive and supportive relationship with the parents.

…and provides suggestions for parents to try at home supported by academic research articles.

(6d) Integrating knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on early education

Section I

Candidate’s PowerPoint presentation does not reflect multiple sources of research-based knowledge and multiple perspectives. Academic articles are not used to support student’s beliefs and values for the four issues of infant development. Students do not reflect on their decisions in a discussion forum to modify and improve their choices for infant caregiving. Candidates are not critical by questioning their own choices in the discussion forum.

Candidate’s PowerPoint presentation reflects multiple sources of research-based knowledge and multiple perspectives. Academic articles are used to support student’s beliefs and values for the four issues of infant development. Student reflects on her decisions in a discussion forum to modify and improve her choices for infant caregiving. Candidate is critical by questioning her own choices in the discussion forum.

…and finds additional academic sources and participates multiple times in the discussion forum using academic sources to support decisions and values.

(6e) Engaging in informed advocacy for children and the profession

Section I

Candidate’s PowerPoint presentation does not state student’s position for the four key elements of infant development in which there are two sides and the position is not supported by research.

Candidate’s PowerPoint presentation states student’s position for the four key elements of infant development in which there are two sides and the position is supported by research.

…and provides a deeper analysis of the debates in the four issues by referring to other courses a candidate has taken, by posing additional questions, and by referring to additional academic sources.

(Supportive Skill 1)Self-assessment and self-advocacy

Section I

Candidate is not able to self-advocate by effectively communicating the position taken on each issue presented.

Candidate is able to self-advocate by effectively communicating the position taken on each issue presented.

…and communicates position with great respect to other classmates in the discussion forums.

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(Supportive Skill 3)Written and Verbal Skills

Sections I, II, III, and IV

Candidate has more than two grammatical, punctuation, and/or spelling errors. Work is not well written with fluid, articulate ideas. Errors distract reader. Work is not coherent and logical. Candidate has many errors with APA format.

Candidate has two or less grammatical, punctuation, and/or spelling errors. Work is well written with fluid, articulate ideas. Errors do not distract reader. Work is coherent and logical. Candidate has few errors with APA format.

…and candidate participates multiple times in discussion forum.

(Supportive Skill 4) Making Connections between Prior Knowledge/Experience and New Learning

Section I

Candidate does not complete PowerPoint.

Candidate’s PowerPoint states the candidate’s position of four key elements of infant development.

….and candidate connects learning in previous classes to understanding the four elements of infant development.

(Supportive Skill 5) Identifying and Using Professional ResourcesSection I


Candidate completes PowerPoint using appropriate APA style writing with correct citations, which also reflects multiple sources and describes essential developmental principles.

…and candidate provides pictures or drawings to enhance and explain the effect of the infant environment.

c.4) Data table for this assessment showing two applications of the assessment. This information must be disaggregated by standard. If you are submitting multiple programs in one Self-Study Report, you must also disaggregate the data by degree program.

Please check one box below: The attachments that follow include two applications of data for Key Assessment 1. Key Assessment 1 is new or has been recently revised. The attachments that follow include any data that are available for Key Assessment 1, but our program does not yet have two applications of data for this key assessment. To supplement the data provided in this section for Key Assessment 1, a section at the end of the Self-Study Report includes data from an assessment that was previously in use, as evidence of our program's ongoing data collection.

EDU 234-ELIZA DEAN-DATA

Key Element TOTAL POINTS

Number of Participants

AVERAGE CLASS INSTRUCTOR

1A 27 17 1.6 234 DEAN

1C 30 17 1.8 234 DEAN

3A 22 17 1.3 234 DEAN3C 24 17 1.4 234 DEAN

4A 34 17 2 234 DEAN

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*DATA IS BASED ON NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO BEGAN OR COMPLETED THE EDU 234 KEY ASSESSMENT.

*SUMMER, 2014 WAS THE FIRST SEMESTER THAT DATA WAS COLLECTED AND THE SUPPORTIVE SKILLS WERE NOT ASSESSED, BUT WILL BE ASSESSED BEGINNING FALL SEMESTER, 2014.

c.1) EVIDENCE CHART

Key Assessment 2

Briefly describe the assignment and list the courses that use this assignment.EDU 173: Becoming a Professional in Early Childhood Education-Advocating for Young ChildrenIn this Key Assessment the candidates will use their knowledge of the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, early childhood professional organizations, and advocacy strategies to become an informed early childhood professional. This professional is one whom takes action with issues that are crucial for young children and their families. All candidates will:

1. Complete an NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct paper2. Complete charts of professional organizations (10)3. Complete description of attendance at a meeting and answers to three questions4. Complete an advocacy letter.

Place a check or X under the NAEYC Standards and Supportive Skills assessed through this activitySTD = standards 1-6, SS = Supportive Skill 1-5STD1 STD2 STD3 STD4 STD5 STD6 SS1 SS2 SS3 SS4 SS5

x x x x x

Briefly summarize candidate performance data from this key assessment. If your program has not yet collected data from this key assessment, explain why.

This class will be taught for the first time Fall of 2014. We have no data on this Key Assessment at this time. The course was added to our curriculum to meet Key Elements and Standards that were not available in other courses.

Describe how data from this key assessment are being used to improve teaching and learning.No Data is available at this time. However, data will be collected during Fall semester, 2014. The data collected will be used to evaluate and examine the contents of the coursework. Changes indicated by examining the data will be made to improve the content and key assessments of the course.

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c.2) the directions or guidelines for Key Assessment 2 as they are given to candidates

EDU 173 Key Assessment: Advocating for Young Children

In this assessment, you will use your knowledge of the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, early childhood professional organizations, and advocacy strategies to become an informed early childhood professional. This professional is one whom takes action with issues that are crucial for young children and their families.

You will submit: Completed NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct paper Completed charts of professional organizations (10) Completed description of your attendance at a meeting and answers to three questions Completed advocacy letter

NAEYC Standards and Key Elements AssessedStandard 2 – Building Family and Community RelationshipsCandidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that successful early childhood education depends upon partnerships with children’s families and communities. They know about, understand, and value the importance and complex characteristics of children’s families and communities. They use this understanding to create respectful, reciprocal relationships that support and empower families to involve all family members in their children’s development and learning.

Key elements of standard 2:2a: Knowing about and understanding diverse family and community characteristics

Standard 6 – Becoming a ProfessionalCandidate s prepared in early childhood degree programs identify and conduct themselves as members of the early childhood profession. They know and use ethical guidelines and other professional standards related to early childhood practice. They are continuous, collaborative learners who demonstrate knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on their work, making informed decisions that integrate knowledge from a variety of sources. They are informed advocates for sound educational practices and policies.

Key elements of standard 6:6a: Identifying and involving oneself with the early childhood field6b: Knowing about and upholding ethical standards and other early childhood professional guidelines6e: Engaging in informed advocacy for young children and the early childhood profession

Supportive Skill 1 – Self-assessment and self-advocacyAssociate degree candidates are often at a key decision point in their professional lives, entering or re-entering higher education after extended work experiences or making decisions about further education beyond the associate degree. Therefore, skills in assessing one’s own goals, strengths, and needs are critical, as is learning how to advocate for one’s own professional needs.

Supportive Skill 3 – Written and Verbal Communications SkillsWell-prepared associate degree graduates have strong skills in written and verbal communication. These skills allow them to provide positive language and literacy experiences for children, and they also support professional

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communications with families and colleagues. Candidate s going on to baccalaureate study need skills sufficient to ensure success in upper-division academic work. In addition, technological literacy is an essential component of this set of skills.

Supportive Skill 5 – Identifying and Using Professional ResourcesEven the best associate program cannot provide in-depth knowledge and skills in all areas.Therefore, well-prepared graduates should know how to identify and use credible professional resources from multiple sources, allowing them to better serve children and families with a wide range of cultures, languages, needs, and abilities.Section I: NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct paperAfter reading over the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct (the entire document is posted in your course Moodle), choose 10 ideals (from any of the sections) about which you feel strongly. Please choose at least 2 ideals that mention diverse families and/or communities. For each ideal, rewrite the entire ideal and then write three sentences about why the ideal speaks to you. Next, find one academic scholarly article that relates to the ideal and write a three-sentence summary of what you learned. Provide the reference of the article using APA format.

For section I you will submit in TaskStream:1. Completed NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct paper(NAEYC Standard 6b, Supportive Skills 1, 3)

Section II. Early Childhood Professional OrganizationsFor each of the ideals that you discussed in section I, look on the internet and find one early childhood professional organization (local, state, or national) that could assist teachers, parents, and children with the ideal. Therefore, you will find 10 different professional organizations, one for each ideal. Complete the following chart for each professional organization (therefore you will have 10 charts):

Name of Early Childhood Professional Organization

Web Address

Mailing Address

Phone Number

Brief description of what the organization provides

How the organization meets the needs of diverse families and communities

For section II you will submit in TaskStream:1. 10 completed charts(NAEYC Standard 2a, NAEYC Standard 6a; Supportive Skill 3, 5)

Section III. Attend an early childhood professional meetingFind a local early childhood professional organization and contact them to see if you may be a guest at their next meeting. Tell them your attendance is part of a course requirement. Take notes at the meeting, and when the meeting is over, write a one page summary of what occurred. Please do not use any real names of people you met and do not record any confidential information. In addition to your one page summary, answer these questions:1. What did you learn from the meeting?

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2. What strengths does the organization have?3. Will you attend another meeting? Why or why not?

For section III you will submit in TaskStream:1. Completed description of your attendance at a meeting and answers to the three questions(NAEYC Standard 6a; Supportive Skill 1, 3)

Section IV. Advocacy letterUsing your Kieff text as a guide (chapter 7), write a letter to your U.S. Senator or Representative concerning an early childhood issue about which you feel strongly. Look back at the 10 ideals you chose in Section I to give you a start. Your letter must be at least one page long (double spaced, 12 point font, one inch margins) and must be addressed according to the guidelines in chapter 7 (p. 131). Please cite at least three academic articles to support your ideas in your letter and provide your references in your letter using APA format. You may be able to use the articles you chose in Section I. If you want to mail your letter, you may, but you do not have to.

For section IV you will submit in TaskStream:1. Completed advocacy letter(NAEYC Standard 6e; Supportive Skill 3)


EDU 173 Key Assessment: Advocating for Young Children



(2a) Knowing about and understanding diverse family and community characteristics

Section II

Candidate does not describe 10 ideals from Code of Ethical Conduct and provide one academic source for each ideal. At least 2 ideals do not discuss diverse families and/or communities.

Candidate describes 10 ideals from Code of Ethical Conduct and provided one academic source for each ideal. At least 2 ideals discuss diverse families and/or communities, and these 2 ideals are related to work in your current classroom, including how Candidate would meet the needs of her families related to these ideals.

….and enhances learning by listing the influences on families related to the chosen Ideals.

(6a) Identifying and involving oneself with the early childhood field

Section IISection III

Candidate does not provide complete information for 10 early childhood professional organizations that matched 10 ideals from section I. Candidate does not attend professional meeting and complete 1 page summary.

Candidate provides complete information for 10 early childhood professional organizations that matched 10 ideals from section I. Candidate attends professional meeting and completes 1 page summary.

…and identifies one early childhood issue related to one of the professional organizations and has outlined one way to advocate for that issue.

(6b) Knowing about Candidate does not Candidate describes 10 …and relates three ideals to 92

and upholding ethical standards and other early childhood professional guidelines

Section I

describe 10 ideals from Code of Ethical Conduct and provide one academic source for each ideal. At least 2 ideals do not discuss diverse families and/or communities.

ideals from Code of Ethical Conduct and provides one academic source for each ideal. At least 2 ideals discuss diverse families and/or communities.

a real life situation and describes how he/she will analyze and resolve the dilemma using the Ideal and the Code of Ethical Conduct.

(6e) Engaging in informed advocacy for children and the profession

Section IV

Candidate does not write letter to U.S. Senator or Representative and include three academic articles for support. Letter is not one page in length. Letter is not correctly addressed.

Candidate writes letter to U.S. Senator or Representative and includes three academic articles for support. Letter is one page in length. Letter is correctly addressed.

….and provides a separate document explaining the policy issue central to the letter and how the policy will be developed.

(Supportive Skill 1)Self-assessment and self-advocacySection I,III

Candidate does not attend the meeting and/or does not complete the assigned questions.

Candidate attends the meeting, writes summary and answers questions.

…and joins the professional organization.

(Supportive Skill 3)

Written and Verbal Skills

Section I, II, III, IV


Candidate has two or less grammatical, punctuation, and/or spelling errors. Work is well written with fluid, articulate ideas. Errors do not distract reader. Work is coherent and logical. Candidate has few errors with APA format,

…and work is highly detailed, organized, and presented in a professional format.

(Supportive Skill 5) Identifying and Using Professional Resources: Section II

Candidate does not complete the Charts Activity.

Candidate completes 10 charts.

…. and has identified more than 1 professional organization for 3 of the Ideals.


Please check one box below:

The attachments that follow include two applications of data for Key Assessment 2.

Key Assessment 2 is new or has been recently revised. The attachments that follow include any data that are available for Key Assessment 2, but our program does not yet have two applications of data for this key assessment. To supplement the data provided in this section for Key Assessment 2, a section at the end of the Self-Study Report includes data from an assessment that was previously in use, as evidence of our program's ongoing data collection.

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No Data is available at this time.

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c.1) EVIDENCE CHART

Key Assessment 3

Briefly describe the assignment and list the courses that use this assignment. EDU 131: Child, Family and Community-Who Are Our Families?In this assessment, candidates are asked to focus on using their knowledge of different cultures, diverse caregiving practices, state agency assistance, interview skills with families, and communication methods with families. All candidates will:

1. Develop a PowerPoint presentation describing different cultural group family practices2. Develop a resource handout for parents3. Conduct family interviews and compare information obtained to researched cultural norms4. Discuss methods of teacher communication with families


x x x x x


Data in this assessment shows us that while the majority of candidates are able to complete the assessment going beyond expectations is only found in 1 candidate. This could be remedied with an emphasis on what is expected when candidates want to exceed expectation. Also, addressing information through a variety of media options will give the candidates different options in understanding expectations. Approximately 15% of the class did not complete the assessment. Faculty felt this could be as much a candidate decision to not complete as a need for additional instructions. Another reason that candidates had difficulty completing this assignment because the entire project was due at the end of the semester instead of being spread out over the course of the semester.

Describe how data from this key assessment are being used to improve teaching and learning.We again see an increased value in offering expectations and instructions in a variety of media. While it is a challenge in online classes to know how deep the candidate’s understanding is (we cannot see the aha look), we feel that making instructions and expectation information more accessible will address these problems. The instructor will require that sections are due at different times over the semester to insure success.

c.2 the directions or guidelines for Key Assessment 3 as they are given to candidates95

EDU 131 Key Assessment: WHO ARE OUR FAMILIES? LET’S LEARN AND CONNECT.

In this assessment, you are asked to focus on using your knowledge of different cultures, diverse caregiving practices, state agency assistance, interview skills with families, and communication methods with families.You will:

Develop a PowerPoint presentation describing different cultural group family practices. Develop a resource handout for parents. Conduct family interviews and compare information obtained to researched cultural norms. Discuss methods of teacher communication with families.

NAEYC Standards and Key Elements AssessedStandard 2- Building Family and Community Relationships

Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that successful early childhood education depends upon partnerships with children’s families and communities. They know about, understand, and value the importance and complex characteristics of children’s families and communities. They use this understanding to create respectful, reciprocal relationships that support and empower families, and to involve all families in their children’s development and learning.

Key elements of standard 22a: Knowing about and understanding diverse family and community characteristics 2b: Supporting and engaging families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships 2c: Involving families and communities in young children’s development and learning

Standard 3- Observing, Documenting, and Assessing to Support Young Children and FamiliesCandidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that child observation, documentation, and other forms of assessment are central to the practice of all early childhood professionals. They know about and understand the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment. They know about and use systematic observations, documentation, and other effective assessment strategies in a responsible way, in partnership with families and other professionals, to positively influence the development of every child.

Key elements of standard 33d: Knowing about assessment partnerships with families and other professionals

Standard 6 – Becoming a Professional

Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs identify and conduct themselves as members of the early childhood profession. They know and use ethical guidelines and other professional standards related to early childhood practice. They are continuous, collaborative learners who demonstrate knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on their work, making informed decisions that integrate knowledge from a variety of sources. They are informed advocates for sound educational practices and policies.

Key elements of standard 6:6a: Identifying and involving oneself with the early childhood field


Supportive Skill 5 – Identifying and Using Professional Resources

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Even the best associate program cannot provide in-depth knowledge and skills in all areas. Therefore, well-prepared graduates should know how to identify and use credible professional resources from multiple sources, allowing them to better serve children and families with a wide range of cultures, languages, needs, and abilities.

Section I: Create a PowerPoint Presentation In this section of the assessment, you will create a presentation describing cultural group family practices that could be presented to early childhood teachers. The title of your presentation will be “Who are our families? Let’s learn and connect.” Required components of the presentation:

1. Define culture (use your textbook and provide the page number for this definition)2. Using your textbook and minimum of one academic article per cultural group, explain cultural group

family practices within the following areas for each assigned cultural group:a. Nutritionb. Sleep arrangementsc. Disciplined. Family roles (who is in charge of the children) and structure (do extended family members live

with family)e. Health practices (medical care, bathing, etc.)f. Communication stylesg. Religionh. Individualist culture (family values independence for the baby) or collectivist culture (family

values, group harmony, and interdependence) Assigned cultural groups:

a. Latinob. Asianc. African Americand. Native Americane. Caucasianf. One additional cultural group of your choice

3. Discuss what the cultural groups have in common and how they are different in regards to the family practices you have researched.

4. Discuss the importance of cultural group family practices to the teacher within the early learning setting.

Present your information in a PowerPoint presentation utilizing Guidelines for Effective PowerPoint Presentation Design handout. You should create the presentation as you would present it to a group of early childhood teachers. Type the narrative information that you would verbally provide during the presentation into the notes section of the PowerPoint. You must provide a reference for each academic article using APA format. A minimum of six academic articles (one per cultural group) must be utilized.

For section I you will submit in TaskStream:1. Completed PowerPoint Presentation

(NAEYC Standard 2a; Supportive Skills 3, 5)

Section II: Develop a resource handout for parentsUsing Chapter 14 of your textbook (Home, School, and Community Relations-8th ed.by Gestwicki) as a guide, list at least five needs that a family could have with raising children. Conduct research using the internet and identify three North Carolina state agencies or local community agencies that could help families with each of the identified five needs. You will list a total of 15 North Carolina state agencies.Utilizing your research, prepare a handout that could be given to families directing them to state agencies for assistance with family needs. Your handout should contain the following information:

1. Five needs that a family could have while raising children2. A minimum of three North Carolina state agencies or local community agencies per need 3. Provide the name, address, phone number, website address, and contact person (if available) for each

North Carolina state agency or local community agency listed97

4. Describe the services that each listed North Carolina state agency or local community agency provides and how families could benefit from obtaining these services.

For section II you will submit in TaskStream:1. List of five family needs and 15 North Carolina state agencies or local community agencies that could

provide assistance with needs2. Parent handout describing North Carolina state agencies or local community agencies that could assist with

family needs(NAEYC Standards 2c, 6a; Supportive Skill 3)

Section III: Conduct a family interview with two familiesSelect two families with a child or children enrolled in an early learning center. Your selected families need to represent two of the cultural groups you researched in section I. You will need to get written permission from the director of the early learning center, the lead teacher(s), and the parents before conducting this activity. Utilize the forms provided in Haywood Community College Early Childhood Education Field Experience Handbook. Remind families that no real names will be used and that all information obtained during the interview will remain confidential. When submitting information for your interviews, refer to families as family A and family B.Using the EDU 131 family interview tool, ask the two families all of the questions on the form. Each family needs to be interviewed separately in a private setting within the early learning center. Take notes during the interview, and then type the answers into the interview form after the interview is completed.After completing the two family interviews, write a paper explaining:

1. How the information obtained will help you better understand the child (ren) in the early learning center.2. How the information obtained compares to the researched cultural norms from within section I.3. How the teacher could use the information obtained to increase the effectiveness of the child’s development

and learning.

For section III you will submit in TaskStream:1. Two completed EDU 131 Family Interview Forms (one per family)2. Paper describing the significance of family information to the early childhood teacher as outlined above (NAEYC 3d; Supportive Skill 3)

Section IV: Methods of teacher communication with familiesIn this section of the assessment, you will write a paper discussing methods of teacher communication with families. The paper needs to be formatted as a Word document and contain the following information for each of the assigned methods of teacher communication with families:

1. Definition of each method2. Description of how a teacher would implement each of the methods3. Description of the advantages and disadvantages for each of the methods4. Explanation of how each method could be used to partner with and educate families

Assigned methods of teacher communication with families:1. Daily conversation2. Electronic communication3. Telephone call4. Personal note5. Bulletin board 6. Daily news flash7. Monthly newsletter

For section IV you will submit in TaskStream:

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1. Paper discussing all seven methods of teacher communication with families as outlined above(NAEYC Standard 2b; Supportive Skill 3)


EDU 131-THE ASSESSMENT: WHO ARE OUR FAMILIES? LET’S LEARN AND CONNECT.



(2a) Knowing about and understanding diverse family and community characteristics

Section I

Candidate’s PowerPoint presentation does not provide information for each assigned cultural group or is not supported by research.

Candidate’s PowerPoint presentation provides information for each assigned cultural group and is supported by research.

…and provides a deeper analysis of the cultural groups by referring to other courses a student has taken, by posing additional questions, and by referring to additional academic sources.

(2b) Supporting and engaging families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships

Section IV

Candidate’s work does not demonstrate knowledge regarding methods of teacher communication with families.

Candidate’s work describes assigned methods of teacher communication with families including advantages and disadvantages for each method.

…and explains how each method could be utilized by the parents for reciprocal communication.

(2c) Involving families and communities in their children’s development and learning

Section II

Candidate does not use the information from the family interview to better understand the child’s development and learning.

Candidate uses the information from the family interview to better understand the child’s development and learning.

…and creates a one page handout of key findings regarding the child’s learning that could be shared with the parent from the interview. (It will not be shared, but will be submitted to the instructor for review.)

(3d) Knowing about assessment partnerships with families and other professionals

Section III

Candidate does not compare the information obtained during the interviews to the researched cultural norms.

Candidate compares the information obtained during the interviews to the researched cultural norms and describes how the information can assist with identifying the strengths of the child (ren).

…and describes how the information can increase the effectiveness of the child’s development and learning.

(6a) Early Childhood Candidate does not list at Candidate lists at least … and lists ways the

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teachers will identify and involve oneself with the early childhood field

Section II

least five needs, does not find at least three state agencies for each need, and does not describe the services provided.

five needs that a family could have with raising children, andfinds at least three state agencies for each of the five needs. Provides the name, address, phone number, website address, and contact person (if available) of each agency. Describes the services provided and how families could benefit from obtaining these service.

candidate can collaborate with 3 of the state agencies listed.



Sections I, II, III, and IV


Candidate has two or less grammatical, punctuation, and/or spelling errors. Work is well written with fluid, articulate ideas. Errors do not distract reader. Work is coherent and logical. Candidate has few errors with APA format.


(Supportive Skill 5) Identifying and Using Professional Resources

Section I


Candidate completes PowerPoint using appropriate APA style writing with correct citations, which also reflects multiple sources and describes cultural groups.

…and provides pictures or drawings to enhance and explain cultural groups.

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C.4 Data table for this assessment showing two applications of the assessment. This information must be disaggregated by standard. If you are submitting multiple programs in one Self-Study Report, you must also disaggregate the data by degree program.


The attachments that follow include two applications of data for Key Assessment 3. ×Key Assessment 3 is new or has been recently revised. The attachments that follow include any data that are available for Key Assessment 3, but our program does not yet have two applications of data for this key assessment. To supplement the data provided in this section for Key Assessment 3, a section at the end of the Self-Study Report includes data from an assessment that was previously in use, as evidence of our program's ongoing data collection.

EDU 131-NONNIE WRENN DATAKey Element Total Points Number of

ParticipantsAverage Class Instructor

2A 16 20 .8 131 Wrenn2B 15 20 .75 131 Wrenn2C 19 20 .95 131 Wrenn3D 17 20 .85 131 Wrenn6A 18 20 .9 131 Wrenn6B 17 20 .85 131 Wrenn6C 17 20 .85 131 Wrenn

*DATA IS BASED ON NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO BEGAN OR COMPLETED THE EDU 131 KEY ASSESSMENT


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Briefly describe the assignment and list the courses that use this assignment.EDU 145: Child Development II-Assessment of Kindergarten Child

In this assessment, candidates are asked to focus on using their knowledge of child development, observation and assessment practices, family interview techniques, and use of assessment information to promote a child’s development and learning. Candidates will:

1. Research assessment tools that can be used to assess the development of 5-8 year old children.2. Interview the family of a 5 year-old child who is currently enrolled in kindergarten.3. Observe and assess the selected child on four separate occasions.4. Report on your observations and assessments of the selected child.5. Develop a parent educational resource.

Place a check or X under the NAEYC Standards and Supportive Skills assessed through this activitySTD = standards 1-6, SS = Supportive Skill 1-5STD1 STD2 STD3 STD4 STD5 STD6 SS1 SS2 SS3 SS4 SS5x x x x x x x x


The data from this assessment is challenging in addressing candidate performance. Candidates are predominately exceeding expectations or not meeting them at all. As we look closer at the course because of this data we find overall that many candidates did not attempt or chose not to submit work. We believe that there may be confusion over how the candidates interpret the expectations of the assessment. This shows a communication problem related to the assessment. Close examination of the data shows it remains in the area of meeting expectations but lands there because of the disparity of the individual candidate’s performance. Candidates struggled with meeting the four required observation visits. Many of our candidates work full time and find it difficult to take time off from work to engage in fieldwork. The candidates struggle with completing a parental educational resource. This part of the key assessment was not difficult but rather time consuming, and candidates may have chosen to omit this assignment due to time constraints.

Describe how data from this key assessment are being used to improve teaching and learning.Analyzing the data of this assessment has developed a change regarding to clearer expectations and the overall communication on an individual level. Communication with the candidates has become of great importance in this class, with the instructor making multiple efforts to interact with the candidates. We believe this will lead to improved completion rates for the candidates. Additionally, instructors will encourage candidates to make arrangements for these visits at the beginning of the semester instead of waiting until the last minute. Instructors will stress the importance of time management. As in all of the other courses, the faculty will be developing incentives and requirements for the completion of key assessments to all candidates.

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c.2) The directions or guidelines for Key Assessment 4 as they are given to candidate

EDU 145 Key Assessment: Assessment of Kindergarten Child

In this assessment, you are asked to focus on using your knowledge of child development, observation and assessment, family interview techniques, and use of assessment information to promote a child's development and learning. All forms needed in this assessment are included.

You will:1. Research assessment tools that can be used to assess the development of 5-8 year old children. 2. Interview the family of a 5 year-old child who is currently enrolled in kindergarten. 3. Observe and assess the selected child on four separate occasions.4. Report on your observations and assessments of the selected child in a discussion forum. 5. Develop a parent educational resource.

NAEYC Standards and Key Elements Assessed

Standard 1- Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs are grounded in a child development knowledge base. They use their understanding of young children's characteristics and needs, and of multiple interacting influences on children's development and learning to create environments that are healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging for each child.

Key elements of standard 11a: Knowing and understanding young children's characteristics and needs, from birth through age 81b: Knowing and understanding the multiple influences on development and learning

Standard 2-Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that successful early childhood education depends upon partnerships with children's families and communities. They know about, understand, and value the importance and complex characteristics of children's families and communities. They use this understanding to create respectful, reciprocal relationships that support and empower families, and involve all families in their children's development and learning.

Key elements of standard 22b: Supporting and engaging families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships 2c: Involving families and communities in young children's development and learning

Standard 3- Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that child observation, documentation, and other forms of assessment are central to the practice of all early childhood professionals. They know about and understand the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment. They know about and use systematic observations, documentation, and other effective assessment strategies in a responsible way, in partnership with families and other professionals, to positively influence the development of every child.

Key elements of standard 33a: Understand ing the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment - including its use in develop ment of appropriate goals, curriculum, and teaching strategies for young children3b: Knowing about and using observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment tools and approaches3d: Knowing about assessment partnerships with families and other professionals

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Standard 5-Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs use their knowledge of academic disciplines to design, implement, and evaluate experiences that promote positive development and learning for each and every young child. Candidates understand the importance of developmental domains and academic (or content) disciplines in early childhood curriculum. They know the essential concepts, inquiry tools, and structure of content areas, including academic subjects, and can identify resources to deepen their understanding. Candidates use their own knowledge and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate meaningful, challenging curriculum that promotes comprehensive developmental and learning outcomes for every young child.

Key elements of standard 55a : Understanding content knowledge and resources in academic disciplines: language and literacy; the arts - music, creative movement, dance, drama, visual arts, mathematics, science, physical activity, physical education, health and safety, and social studies

Standard 6- Becoming a professionalCandidates prepared in early childhood degree programs identify and conduct themselves as members of the early childhood profession. They know and use ethical guidelines and other professional standards related to early childhood practice. They are continuous, collaborative learners who demonstrate knowledgeable, reflective and critical perspectives in their work, making informed decisions that integrate knowledge from a variety of sources . They are informed advocates for sound educational practices and policies.

Key elements of standard 66c: Engaging in continuous, collaborative learning to inform practice; using technology effectively with young children, with peers, and as a professional resource.


Supportive Skill 4 – Making Connections between Prior Knowledge/Experience and New LearningAll professionals need these skills, but they are especially important in supporting the learning of associate degree students who have worked for years in early care and education. Well-prepared associate degree graduates are able to respect and draw upon their past or current work experience, and also reflect critically upon it, enriching and altering prior knowledge with new insights. These skills will, over time, enable graduates to respond to the evolving mandates and priorities of the early childhood field.

Supportive Skill 5 – Identifying and Using Professional ResourcesEven the best associate program cannot provide in-depth knowledge and skills in all areas. Therefore, well-prepared graduates should know how to identify and use credible, professional resources from multiple sources, allowing them to better serve children and families with a wide range of cultures, languages, needs, and abilities.

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Section I: Research of assessment questionnaires/tools that could be used to assess the development of 5-8 year old children.

In this section of the assessment, you will research and report on assessment questionnaires/tools that can be used to assess the development of 5-8 year old children. You will research the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, which can be found at agesandstages.com and two additional questionnaires, developmental checklists, or other tools that you independently select. For each selection you will conduct research utilizing your textbook and academic articles. The paper needs to be formatted as a Word document and contain the following information for each assessment questionnaire/tool:

1. Brief description of the questionnaire/tool's components2. Description of how a teacher would implement the questionnaire/tool3. Description of the advantages and disadvantages for the questionnaire/tool4. Discussion of how the teacher could utilize the information obtained from the

questionnaire/tool to educate parents to promote continued development in their young child (ren).

Your paper should present your research of the three questionnaires/tools in a professional style report.Your report should contain a minimum of three academic articles and include a reference for each article using APA format.

For section I you will submit in TaskStream-Completed report containing research about assessment questionnaires, developmental checklists, or other tools that can be used to assess the development of 5-8 year old children. (NAEYC Standards 3a and 6c; Supportive Skill 5)

Section II: Interview the family of a 5-year-old child that is currently enrolled in kindergarten.

Select a family with a typically developing 5-year-old child currently enrolled in kindergarten. The child must be typically developing without suspicion of a developmental disorder. You will need to get written permission from the child's teacher, the instructor of the course, and the parents before conducting this activity. The family and child selected in this section will need to be available to you throughout the semester to allow you to complete section Ill. Utilize information and forms provided in Haywood Community College Early Childhood Education Field Experience Handbook. Remind families all information obtained during the interview will remain confidentia l.

Using the EDU 145 Family Interview Tool in this packet, ask the family all of the questions on the form. The family needs to be interviewed in a private setting. Take notes during the interview and then type the answers into the interview form after the interview is completed.

For section II you will submit in TaskStream:The completed EDU 145 Family Interview Form (NAEYC Standard 3d; Supportive Skill 3)

Section III: Observe and assess the selected child on four separate occasions

You will work with the selected child's teacher and parents to develop a schedule of four visits for observation and assessment that meets the due dates provided by the course instructor. During each visit with the child you will spend a minimum of 30 minutes observing and assessing the child. During each visit you will complete the Ages and Stages Questionnaire and an anecdotal record. An anecdotal record is when you observe a child and make notes on separate occasions. Included in this packet is an example of an anecdotal record.

For Section III, you will submit in TaskStream:1. Four completed Ages and Stages Questionnaires - I have attached a copy for you. (Also available at www.agesandstages.com ) 2. Four completed anecdotal records. (NAEYC 3b)

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http://www.agesandstages.com/

Section IV: Report on your observations and assessments in discussion forum.

For this section of the assessment, you will write a paper describing your assessment findings and discussing the needs of the assessed child. Your paper should be completed as a Word document and contain the following areas:

1. Research and briefly discuss the characteristics and needs of a typically developing 5-year-old child in each developmental domain (physical, emotional/social, cognitive, language)

2. Research and briefly discuss the multiple influences on a 5-year-old child's development and learning.

3. Summarize the information you obtained during the family interview.4. Summarize the information you obtained during your four visits with the

child.5. Compare the information and data you collected in each developmental domain

to the expected characteristics of a typically developing 5-year-old child. 6. Research and discuss activities that would be beneficial to the studied child's

development based on your assessment. Be sure to address all the domains of learning: The Approaches to Play and Learning, Emotional and Social Development, Health and Physical Development, Language and Communication, Cognitive Development

For section IV you will submit in TaskStream:

1. Completed paper summarizing observations and assessments as outlined above (NAEYC Standard 1a, NAEYC Standard 1b, NAEYC Standard 5a; Supportive Skill 4)

Section V: Develop a Parent Educational Resource

Utilizing information from the report that you completed in section IV, develop an educational resource for the parent of your selected child. The parent educational resource should describe activities that would be beneficial to the child's development across all the domains of learning (social-emotional, cognitive, physical, language). Be sure that the recommended activities are tailored to the home setting and are appropriate for parents to implement. You are free to create the format and delivery method for this resource. Some suggested methods are brochure, handout, PowerPoint, resource book, or video.

For section V you will submit in TaskStream:1. Completed parent educational resource (NAEYC Standard 2b, NAEYC Standard 2c)

THE FORMS FROM ASQ3 AND THE HCC FIELD EXPERIENCE HANDBOOK ARE INCLUDED IN THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE STUDENT.

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EDU 145 Family Interview Form

Candidate Name: ________________________________________________

Parent(s) Name (fictitious):___________________________________________Child's Name (fictitious):________________________________________________Date of Interview: __________________________ Location of Interview: __________________________

Family structure and roles

What type of family composition does your family have? (extended, nuclear, multigenerational, one parent, two parent, blended, non-traditional)

With what cultural group does your family identify?

How many children are there in your family?

What family member(s) provide care to the children?

Who lives in the home with the children?

What is your favorite family activity?

Nutrition

How does culture influence your family's nutrition?

With who do the children usually eat?

How does the family define healthy versus unhealthy foods?

Sleep arrangements

Where do the children sleep?

Discipline

When your child misbehaves, how do you deal with the situation?

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Health practices

What do you feel causes illnesses in your children?

What do you feel promotes health/wellness?

Do you utilize any cultural healers or alternative medicine modalities?

Communication styles

What is the primary language of the family in the home?

What other languages do the parents speak?

What other languages do the children speak?

Religion

What religious affiliations do your family have?

What role do religious beliefs and practices play in child rearing for your family?

Prenatal History

What was the health status of the mother at conception?

What was the health status of the mother during the pregnancy?

Describe the labor and birth experience.

What was the gestational age at birth (i.e. pre-term or term)?

What was the child's birth weight?

Did the child go home with the mother from the hospital?

What are three things that you would like your child's teacher to know about you and your family?

Anecdotal Records

An anecdote is an account of an event in a child's day. The record of this event can be detailed or brief. These short reports describe, in a factual way, the incident, its context, and what was said or done by the participant(s). In most cases, anecdotes focus on very simple, everyday interactions among children, children and adults as well as children and materials in the environment.

Ideally, the anecdotal record should be recorded as it unfolds or immediately after. However, anecdotal records usually have to be written later at the end of the day. Keeping brief notes on index cards or sticky notes carried in your pockets can be helpful. Jotting one-word reminders or sho11phrases on the cards about the event can provide a set of reminders when the anecdote is written.

Characteristics of Anecdotal Records:

Simple reports of behaviorResult of direct observation.Accurate and specificGives context of child's behaviorRecords typical or unusual behaviors

Purpose:

Anecdotes capture the richness and complexity of the moment as children interact with one another and with materials. These records of child behavior and learning accumulated over time enhance the teacher's understanding of the individual child as patterns or profiles begin to emerge. Behavior change can be tracked and documented , and placed in the child's portfolio resulting in suggestions for future observations, curriculum planning and student or parent conferences.

Examples of Anecdotal Records:

Child's Name: Melissa C .Date & Time: 4 / 23 / 01 8:45 am Place or Learning Center: Preschool classroom-free play

Observed Event & Behaviors:Melissa sat next to Tina at the reading table. Tina greeted Melissa with "Hi, Melissa! Wanna read a book with me?" Melissa said that she couldn't read. Tina replied, "We can look at the pictures."

Child's Nam e: Catherine W. Date & Time: 11/16/02 9:15 am Place or Learning Center: block center

Observed Event & Behaviors:In the block center, Jamie and Catherine began to argue over who would drive the dump truck. Maria said, "Nobody can be my friend if l ‘m not the driver." Catherine suggested that there were two other trucks and an airplane--she could be the pilot and everyone else could drive a truck.

Child's Name: Destiny H .Date & Time: 3 / 25 / 02 1 :30 pm Place or Learning Center: s ensory- bin

Observed Event & Behaviors:Destiny looked in the sensory bin. She picked up a picture of Katie. I asked her who she found. She said, "I found Katie." Then she walked over to Katie and said, "Look, I found you."

Child's Name: Troy B.Date & Time: 1117/02 3:05 pmPlace or Learning Center: free choice-art area

Observed Event & Behaviors:Troy was in the art area during free choice. He was making letters, rolling the paper and then he tied the paper roll with a string. He demonstrated this process to Lisa, Emma and Heather who were also in the art area.

Child's Name: Sonia M.Date & Time: 1/23/02 2:45 pmPlace or Learning Center: Project Group

Observed Event or Behaviors:During project group, the children were painting a mural. Sonia asked Madeleine to help. Madeleine said she was not ready. Sonia replied, "Don't worry, we'll wait."

Child's Name: Holley J.Date & Time: 4/10/02 10:20 amPlace or Learning Center: Playground-outside time & snack

Observed Event or Behaviors:Holley and Kimberly were pretending to be riding on their unicorns. They galloped around the playground and pretended to feed them at snack time.

Child's Name: Alex P.Date & Time: 3/3/02 9:30 amPlace or Learning Center: Literacy Group

Observed Event or Behaviors:During literacy group, Alex listened as Katie read the Dinosaur Book. When Katie finished reading, Alex picked up a piece of art paper and drew a picture of what he would do with a dinosaur then wrote

Hel p fu l Reminders!!

Observations should be ACCURATE, OBJECTIVE AND SPECIFIC.Observers should not make ASSUMPTIONS or use SUBJECTIVE or AMBIGUOUS words.Observations and anecdotes should be on a variety of children and activities. Try to avoid only writing anecdotes about the "cute things children say."Remember to ask yourself the following question when observing - "Am I writing things in such a way that anyone viewing the same scene would write it in the exact same way," and when they close their eyes would see the same scene in their mind's eye?"

AVOID:

Ambiguous/Suggestive Words: Crowded

ChaoticWild MessySloppy Too Many Roughhousing

Uninvolved

Words That Convey Assumption: Intelligent Annoyed EnthusiasticAnger Provoked BoisterousHappiness Rude Ill-manneredBored AggressiveSelf-Esteem Out Of Control

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c.2) EDU 145 Assessment of Kindergarten Child Rubrics

EDU 145 Key Assessment: Assessment of Kindergarten Child Rubric



(1a) Knowing about and understand young children’s characteristics and needs

Section IV

Candidate’s work demonstrates no knowledge of the characteristics and needs of a typically developing 5 year old.

Candidate’s work adequately demonstrates knowledge of the characteristics and needs of a typically developing 5 year old and provides examples.

…and is based on research and grounded in developmental theory. Candidate’s work provides rich examples to describe child’s characteristics and needs.

(1b) Knowing and understanding the multiple influences on development and learning

Section IV

Candidate’s work demonstrates little to no knowledge of the multiple influences on a child’s development and learning.

Candidate’s work adequately demonstrates knowledge of the multiple influences on a child’s development and learning.

…and is based on research and has thorough knowledge of possible interactions among these influences, and cites relevant theory and research.

(2b) Supporting and empowering families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships.

Section V

Candidate’s parent educational resource contains little to no information needed to educate parents.

Candidate’s parent educational resource contains the information needed to partner with and educate parents. The resource supports their culture and reflects extensive knowledge and does so in a respectful, reciprocal manner.

…and the candidate makes the resource reciprocal, in that the parent is able to consider the resource and respond to the candidate about the usefulness to the parent.

(2c) Involving families and communities in their children’s development and learning

Section V

Candidate’s parent educational resource does not recommend activities that would be beneficial to the child’s development across all domains of learning.

Candidate’s parent educational resource recommends activities that would be beneficial to the child’s development across all domains of learning.

...and activities are tailored to the home setting and are appropriate for parents to implement.

(3a) Understanding the goals, benefits, and uses of assessments

Section I

Candidate’s work demonstrates marginal or no knowledge of appropriate developmental assessments for 5-8 year old child or is not based on research.

Candidate’s work demonstrates adequate knowledge of appropriate developmental assessments for 5-8 year old child and is based on research.

…and describes how the teacher could utilize the information to partner with and educate parents.

(3b) Knowing about and using observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment tools and approaches

Section III

Candidate does not obtain appropriate and useful assessment information during the child observation visits.

Candidate obtains appropriate assessment information as prescribed by the screening device during the child observation visits and gives an accurate interpretation.

Candidate obtains detailed assessment information, including behaviors not able to be scored but still relevant to development. Interpretation is accurate and thorough.

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(3d) Knowing about assessment partnerships with families and with other professionals

Section II

Candidate does not obtain appropriate information during the family interview.

Candidate obtains minimal information during the family interview.

Candidate obtains detailed information during the family interview.

(5a) Understanding content knowledge and resources in academic disciplines.Section IV

Candidate’s work does not contain developmentally appropriate activities to benefit the child’s development.

Candidate’s work contains activities that are appropriate and address the child’s needs in development in content areas.

….and explains why each of the content areas are important to the child based on feedback and links it to research.

(6c) Engaging in continuous, collaborative learning to inform practice

Section I

Candidate did not collaborate.

Candidate gives feedback and can demonstrate collaboration with other peers both in giving feedback and in the implementation of the feedback.

…and demonstrated essential communication skills and knowledge-base to engage in discussion forums that are based on evidence-based practice.



Section II

Candidate has more than two grammatical, punctuation, and/or spelling errors. Work is not well written with fluid, articulate ideas. Errors distract reader. Work is not coherent and logical.

Candidate has two or less grammatical, punctuation, and/or spelling errors. Work is well written with fluid, articulate ideas. Errors do not distract reader. Work is coherent and logical.


(Supportive Skill 4) Making Connections between Prior Knowledge/Experience and New Learning

Section IV

Candidate does not complete paper on observations and assessment.

Candidate’s paper compares information obtained in interview, observations, and assessment to expected characteristics of children.

….and connects learning in previous classes to understanding the connection between observations, assessments, and interviews to expected characteristics

(Supportive Skill 5) Identifying and Using Professional Resources

Section I

Candidate does not complete research of assessment tools.

Candidate completes research of assessment tools using appropriate APA style writing with correct citations.

…and provides pictures or drawings to enhance and explain assessment tools.

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EDU 145 IN1-GERARD STAMM DATAKey Element Total Points Number of

ParticipantsAverage Class Instructor

1A 25 17 1.5 145 Stamm1B 20 17 1.2 145 Stamm2B 18 17 1.05 145 Stamm2C 16 17 .9 145 Stamm3A 17 17 1 145 Stamm3B 15 17 .9 145 Stamm3D 24 17 1.4 145 Stamm5A 18 17 1.05 145 Stamm6C 20 17 1.2 145 Stamm

*Data is based on number of students who began or completed the EDU 145 Key Assessment


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Briefly describe the assignment and list the courses that use this assignment.EDU 284 Early Childhood Practicum-Developing and Executing a Lesson PlanIn this assignment candidates develop a lesson plan based upon assessment, age group, NC Licensing Standards, NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, interest of the child and focusing on play. The candidates will:

1. Select and observe an early learning classroom within a quality early childhood environment where you have chosen to complete your internship hours.

2. Using the Ages and Stages questionnaire appropriate for this age group, complete on each child and then summarize how the class as a whole shows which areas may need more focus or more challenging activities.

3. Use these results when developing your lesson plan as a guide for planning.4. Complete the Curriculum Evaluation form with Site Supervisor.5. Design an appropriate weekly lesson and all associated activity plan sheets.6. Implement the weekly lesson plan within the selected child’s classroom and be evaluated

by the site supervisor. 7. Uphold ethical standards for early childhood, according to the NAEYC Code of Ethical

Conduct.


x x x x x x x


Data tells us that the candidates did successfully complete the assigned assessment, and many largely exceeded the expectations. The assessment still has areas that we should address to increase candidate success. Some candidates still need a clearer understanding of planning to meet the individual child’s needs as well as the needs of the group. Candidates exhibited great success with this key assessment due to the instructor’s constant reminders of due dates and requirements.

This Capstone/Practicum is usually the last course, and when candidates reach this course, they are well prepared due to completing all of the required previous courses. At this point, the candidate uses their knowledge of child development, assessment, child guidance, curriculum, and parent and community relationships to develop meaningful lesson plans and execute appropriate teacher/child interactions.

Describe how data from this key assessment are being used to improve teaching and learning.The complexity of this key assessment will be addressed in terms of addressing the needs of the child and the group. The candidate will be focused on both parts of planning using specific discussion forums and an emphasis on the child. A focus will be added in the area of the value of play and the need to focus on its importance in planning. The candidate will be made more aware of play-based activities, as opposed to teacher directed activities.

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C.2 the directions or guidelines for Key Assessment 5 as they are given to candidates

EDU 284 Key Assessment: Developing a Lesson Plan

In this assessment, you are asked to focus on using your knowledge of child assessment to observe your classroom, then create, implement, and evaluate a lesson plan for an early childhood classroom. You will create and implement your lesson plan during your internship hours which requires the completion of 160 onsite hours within a three star (minimum) or NAEYC accredited, quality early childhood environment or DPI Certified Center/Classroom.

You will: Select and observe an early learning classroom within a quality early childhood environment where you

have chosen to complete your internship hours. Using the Ages and Stages questionnaire appropriate for this age group, complete questionnaire on each

child and then summarize how the class as a whole shows which areas may need more focus or more challenging activities.

Use these results when developing your lesson plan as a guide for planning. Complete the Curriculum Evaluation form with Site Supervisor. Design an appropriate weekly lesson and all associated activity plan sheets. Implement the weekly lesson plan within the selected child’s classroom and be evaluated by the site

supervisor. Uphold ethical standards for early childhood.

NAEYC Standards and Key Elements Assessed

Standard 3-Observing, Documenting, and Assessing to Support Young Children and FamiliesCandidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that child observation, documentation, and other forms of assessment are central to the practice of all early childhood professionals. They know about and understand the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment. They know about and use systematic observations, documentation, and other effective assessment strategies in a responsible way, in partnership with families and other professionals, to positively influence the development of every child.

Key elements of standard 33b: Knowing about and using observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment tools and approaches, including the use of technology in documentation, assessment and data collection.3c: Understanding and practicing responsible assessment to promote positive outcomes for each child, including the use of assistive technology for children with disabilities.

Standard 4-Using Developmentally Effective Approaches to Connect with Children and FamiliesCandidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that teaching and learning of young children is a complex enterprise, and its details vary depending on children’s ages, characteristics, and the settings within which teaching and learning occur. They understand and use positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation for their work with young children and families. Candidates know, understand, and use a wide array of developmentally appropriate approaches, instructional strategies, and tools to connect with children and families and positively influence each child’s development and learning.

Key elements of standard 44a Understanding positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation of their work with children.4b: Knowing and understanding effective strategies and tools for early education, including appropriate uses of technology4c: Using a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate teaching /learning approaches4d: Reflecting on own practice to promote positive outcomes for each child

Standard 5-Use Content Knowledge to Build Meaningful CurriculumCandidates prepared in early childhood degree programs use their knowledge of academic disciplines to design, implement, and evaluate experiences that promote positive development and learning for each and every young child. Candidates understand the importance of developmental domains and academic (or content) disciplines in

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early childhood curriculum. They know the essential concepts, inquiry tools, and structure of content areas, including academic subjects, and can identify resources to deepen their understanding. Candidates use their own knowledge and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate meaningful, challenging curriculum that promotes comprehensive developmental and learning outcomes for every young child.

Key elements of standard 55b. Knowing and using the central concepts, inquiry tools and structures of content areas or academic disciplines.5c: Using own knowledge, appropriate early learning standards, and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate developmentally meaningful and challenging curriculum Standard 6- Becoming a professionalCandidates prepared in early childhood degree programs identify and conduct themselves as members of the early childhood profession. They know and use ethical guidelines and other professional standards related to early childhood practice. They are continuous, collaborative learners who demonstrate knowledgeable, reflective and critical perspectives in their work, making informed decisions that integrate knowledge from a variety of sources . They are informed advocates for sound educational practices and policies.

Key elements of standard 66c: Engaging in continuous, collaborative learning to inform practice; using technology effectively with young children, with peers, and as a professional resource.

Supportive Skill 1 – Self-Assessment and Self-AdvocacyAssociate degree candidates are often at a key decision point in their professional lives. They may be entering orre-entering higher education after extended work experiences or making decisions about further education beyond the associate degree. Therefore, skills in assessing one’s own goals, strengths, and needs are critical, as is learning how to advocate for one’s own professional needs.

Supportive Skill 2 – Mastering and Applying Foundational Concepts from General EducationGeneral education has value for its own sake—as part of the background of an educated person— and for the value added to practitioners’ ability to implement a conceptually rich curriculum. Both in immediate employment as an early childhood professional and in preparing for further baccalaureate study, associate degree graduates are enriched by understanding foundational concepts from areas including science, mathematics, literature, and the behavioral and social sciences.

Supportive Skill 4 – Making Connections between Prior Knowledge/Experience and New LearningAll professionals need these skills, but they are especially important in supporting the learning of associate degree students who have worked for years in early care and education. Well prepared associate degree graduates are able to respect and draw upon their past or current work experience and also reflect critically upon it, enriching and altering prior knowledge with new insights. These skills will, over time, enable graduates to respond to the evolving mandates and priorities of the early childhood field

SECTION 1-Ages and Stages Activity

Complete the two internet readings in Moodle on the importance of play and how to plan for it in the classroom environment and lesson plan. Using the Ages and Stages questionnaire appropriate for this age group, complete one on each child and then summarize how the class, as a whole, shows which areas may need more focus or more challenging activities. Use these results when developing your lesson plan as a guide for planning.

After receiving approval of your completed weekly lesson plan and supporting activity lesson plans by the course instructor, you should have a meeting with your Site Supervisor to discuss the plans. In conjunction with your site supervisor, identify a week during which you will implement the weekly lesson plan within your internship classroom. For this week, you will need to spend a minimum of 40 hours within your classroom, directing the activities on your lesson plans.

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Upon completion of the lesson plan activities, the candidate will submit a minimum of ten pictures of the classroom involved in the implemented activities with explanations in a fourteen slide PowerPoint presentation. The candidate should also complete the candidate reflective evaluation of implemented activity form for two of the implemented activities. The candidate should also discuss with their site supervisor the overall success and failures of the implementation of the lesson plan. The candidate will submit this form to the instructor.

The site supervisor will need to discuss the lesson plan with the instructor at the second site visit.Upon completion the candidate will contact the instructor to set up a Skype session to discuss.

For section I you will submit in Task Stream: Summary of results from Ages and Stages questionnaires (NAEYC Standards 3b, 3c, 4a, 6c, Supportive

Skills 2, 4)

SECTION 2-Develop Weekly Lesson Plan

Read the Lesson Plan PowerPoint that is in your Moodle course, which will teach you how to develop your own lesson plan. This PowerPoint has audio attached. After you read the PowerPoint, and have discussed ideas and plans with your Site Supervisor, then you will create your lesson plan. You will submit your lesson plan to your instructor who will email you with suggestions and approval. Use the lesson plan form provided in your course Moodle.Add a section to the lesson plan that correlates the NC Early Learning Standards to the activity.

Weekly Lesson Plan Focus: Date:Creative Arts

Blocks Small Motor

Language Development

Literacy Pre Math

Science Outdoor Activity

Special Activity

Monday

Materials NeededNC Early Learning Standards addressedTuesday

Materials NeededNC Early Learning Standards addressedWednesday

Materials NeededNC Early Learning Standards addressed

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Thursday

Materials NeededNC Early Learning Standards addressedFriday

Materials NeededNC Early Learning Standards addressed

For section 2 you will submit in TaskStream: Completed Lesson Plan Form

(NAEYC Standards 4b, 4c, 5b, Supportive Skills 2, 4)

SECTION 3-Implementation of Lesson Plan

After looking at your instructor’s suggestions and making changes, you will send the completed lesson back to your instructor. Instructor will respond by email with the “go ahead”. Then, you may implement your lesson plan with your classroom children. Upon completion of your lesson plan, meet with your site supervisor and together you will complete the Curriculum Lesson Plan Evaluation Form. You will then submit the evaluation form to your instructor. Site Supervisors will discuss with your instructor your lesson plan on the second site visit. Also, students will complete a PowerPoint, which consists of a minimum of 10 pictures/slides of activities of the lesson plan being carried out. See PowerPoint guidelines provided in the Haywood Early Childhood handbook and also included in the course Moodle.

Curriculum Lesson Plan Evaluation Form(To be completed by Site Supervisor and student and submitted to instructor.)

Did the candidate appear to be prepared for all aspects of the implementation of their lesson plan?

Did the candidate have all supplies needed to carry out planned activities?

Did the candidate get approval and input from the classroom teacher before implementing the lesson plan?

Was the candidate able to engage specific children while continuing to observe the classroom?

How did the candidate deal with inappropriate behavior in the classroom?

Did the candidate complete all parts of the lesson plan.

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What were any difficulties the candidate had and how did he/she deal with them.

Would you consider this to be a successful lesson plan implementation?

What could the candidate or instructor have done to make this activity more successful?

When you have completed your lesson plan, share it with your classmates in the forum in Moodle labeled “Lesson Plan Submission”, along with your PowerPoint. The goal of this is to give to everyone in the class the opportunity to have 20+ new lesson plans created by your classmates. If you want to give feedback, that is great, but not required.

For section 3 you will submit in TaskStream: Candidate Lesson Plan Evaluation Form

(NAEYC Standard 5c, Supportive Skill 1)

Section 4: SKYPESKYPE: On a date and time that you set with your instructor you will Skype with them for a 10-minute period concerning carrying out your lesson plan and your success. Instructions are available in Moodle for how to use Skype.(NAEYC Standard 4d, Supportive Skill 1)

Section 5: ReflectionTell me a funny story that happened while you were implementing the lesson plan with the children or tell me the "It was a complete disaster" story. Submit this story in an email to your instructor, be honest, I won’t share.

c.3 the rubric or scoring guide for Key Assessment 5 that is used by faculty or field supervisors to evaluate candidate work on each key assessment

EDU 284 KEY ASSESSMENT RUBRIC


Meets Expectations (1)

Exceeds Expectations (2)

3B Knowing about and using observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment tools and approaches, including the use of technology in documentation, assessment and data collection.

Section 1

Candidate does not obtain appropriate assessment information during the child’s assessment.

Candidate obtains appropriate assessment information during the children’s assessments.

…and discusses how the assessment information was used to support child learning with instructor during Skype conference.

3C Understanding and practicing responsible assessment to promote positive outcomes for each child, including the use of assistive

Candidate does not complete the Ages and Stages on each child in the classroom and does not use the results as a guide to developing a weekly lesson plan.

Candidate completes the Ages and Stages on each child in the classroom and uses the results as a guide in developing a weekly lesson plan.

…and collaborates with site supervisor about assessment results related to culturally diverse children or children with developmental

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technology for children with disabilities.

Section 1

delays and makes necessary adjustments to the lesson plan. Confidentiality of children was maintained.

4AUnderstanding positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation of their work with children.Section 1

Candidate does not spend 5 weeks with children in order to establish rapport with children before implementing the lesson.

Candidate will spend 5 weeks with children in order to establish rapport with children before implementing the lesson.

Candidate makes extra effort to learn individual children’s interests and incorporate their individual interests in the lessons.

4BKnowing and understanding effective strategies and tools for early childhood education including appropriate uses of technology.

Section 2

Candidate’s lesson plans do not demonstrate an understanding of effective strategies and tools for early childhood education

Candidate’s lesson plans demonstrate an understanding of effective strategies and tools for early childhood education.

…and incorporates thought-provoking questions and allows for spontaneous activities generated by the interests of the children.

4CUsing a broad repertoire of developmentally teaching and learning approaches.

Section 2

Candidate’s activity lesson plans do not utilize a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate teaching and learning practices.

Candidate’s activity lesson plans utilize a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate teaching and learning practices. The learning practices include some or all of these:*Fostering oral language*Making most of the environment, schedule and routines* Setting up all aspects of the indoor and outdoor environments*Focusing on children’s individual characteristics, needs*Teaching through social interactions*Creating support for play*Addressing children’s challenging behaviors*Supporting learning through technology*Using integrative approaches to curriculum

…and links the activities to educational and developmental goals for the children.

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4DReflecting on own practice to promote positive outcomes for each child.

Section 4

Candidate does not complete the Skype assignment with the instructor for reflection of lesson plan implementation. Candidate does not complete the Reflection in Section 5 and reflects on child and staff interactions, classroom dynamics and child needs.

Candidate completes the Skype assignment with the instructor for reflection of lesson plan implementation. Candidate completes the Reflection in Section 5 and reflects on child and staff interactions, classroom dynamics and child needs.

….and uses the ideas from the reflections along with the assessment information completed in section 1, to make changes to the lesson plan.

5B Knowing and using the central concepts, inquiry tools, and structures of content areas or academic disciplines

Section 2

Candidate does not address all required domains (cognitive, social, emotional, etc…) of child development in the lesson plan.

Candidate addresses all required domains (cognitive, social emotional, etc.) of child development in the lesson plan.

…and completes the “Developing a Lesson Plan” PowerPoint to demonstrate the inquiry tools and the structure of content areas, using references to research and professional standards.

5CUsing own knowledge, appropriate early learning standards and other resources to design, implement and evaluate developmentally meaningful and challenging curriculum for each child.

Section 3

Candidate does not fully implement their weekly lesson plan and does not correlate NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development (FELD) Standards to the activities chosen.

Candidate fully implements their weekly lesson plan and is able to correlate appropriate NC Early Learning Standards to each activity planned.

…and provides meaningful and challenging curriculum for each individual child based on the NC FELD standards.

6CEngaging in continuous, collaborative learning to inform practice.

Section 1

Candidate did not collaborate with instructor and peers.

Candidate gives feedback and can demonstrate essential communication skills and knowledge based information by engaging in discussion forums and collaboration with other peers in giving feedback.

…and utilizes peer feedback to improve their own practice as evidenced in the Skype session with the instructor.

Supportive Skill 1: Self-assessment and self- advocacy.

Sections 3, 4

Candidate did not complete practicum and did complete the reflective journal.

Candidate completes practicum hours and completes the reflective journal.

…. and uses their personal impressions of the daily operation of the classroom and personalities of children and staff to make plans for improvement of future

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interactions with children.

Supportive Skill 2Mastering and Applying Foundational Concepts from General Education

Section 1,2

Candidate’s activity plans do not demonstrate content knowledge needed by the teacher

Candidate’s activity plans demonstrate content knowledge needed by the teacher.

…and addresses all of the academic disciplines.

Supportive Skill 4: Making connections between prior knowledge/experience and new learning.Section 1, 2

Candidate does not develop a lesson plan based on learning objective planning experiences in EDU 151 and EDU 259

Candidate develops a lesson plan based on learning objective planning experiences in EDU 151 and EDU 259.

…..and implement the lesson plan in their practicum classroom, incorporating suggestions made by Site Supervisor and Instructor.

Please check one box below: The attachments that follow include two applications of data for Key Assessment 5.

Key Assessment 5 is new or has been recently revised. The attachments that follow include any data that are available for Key Assessment 5, but our program does not yet have two applications of data for this key assessment. To supplement the data provided in this section for Key Assessment 5, a section at the end of the Self-Study Report includes data from an assessment that was previously in use, as evidence of our program's ongoing Data collection.

EDU 284 IN1-SHARON DAVIS DATA

Key Element Total Points Participants Average Class Instructor1C 44 23 1.9 284 Davis3B 40 23 1.7 284 Davis3C 36 23 1.6 284 Davis4B 37 23 1.6 284 Davis4C 39 23 1.7 284 Davis4D 38 23 1.7 284 Davis5C 31 23 1.3 284 Davis6B 42 23 1.8 284 Davis6D 39 23 1.7 284 Davis6E 40 23 1.7 284 Davis



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c.1) EVIDENCE CHART

Key Assessment 6 (Optional)

Briefly describe the assignment and list the courses that use this assignment.EDU 151: Creative Activities-Curriculum Project

In this assessment, candidates are asked to focus on using your knowledge of child development to create, implement and evaluate developmentally appropriate learning materials and experiences.

Candidates will:1. Observe and report on children’s response to an art activity.2. Develop four separate developmentally appropriate learning experiences.3. Implement two developmentally appropriate learning experiences.4. Evaluate the outcomes of the implemented learning experiences and engage in reflective practice

regarding your performance as a teacher.

Place a check or X under the NAEYC Standards and Supportive Skills assessed through this activitySTD = standards 1-6, SS = Supportive Skill 1-5STD1 STD2 STD3 STD4 STD5 STD6 SS1 SS2 SS3 SS4 SS5x x x x x


Candidates in this assessment were overall successful but many did not complete the assessment. More candidates exceeded expectations than just met expectations.

Of the candidates who did not complete the assessment, many of them were having difficulty implementing activity plans within a Head Start classroom. Consequently, they are not reflecting on their experiences. For some candidates, the logistics of finding a field placement site are too difficult and therefore, the candidate chooses not to complete the assignment.

Describe how data from this key assessment are being used to improve teaching and learning.The faculty are addressing the number of candidates who do not complete the assignment. It has been determined that many of them never submit the work for this assessment. Instructors are developing alarm points to indicate to them when a candidate is disappearing from the class. Making expectations clearer to the candidate by using additional media will be made a focus for the courses in the future. Candidates will also benefit from watching videos on how to implement an activity plan.

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c.2) The directions or guidelines for Key Assessment 6 as they are given to candidates

EDU 151 Key Assessment: Curriculum ProjectIn this assessment, you are asked to focus on using your knowledge of child development to create, implement and evaluate developmentally appropriate learning materials and experiences.You will:

Observe and report on children’s response to an art activity. Develop four separate developmentally appropriate learning experiences. Implement two developmentally appropriate learning experiences. Evaluate the outcomes of the implemented learning experiences and engage in reflective practice regarding

your performance as a teacher.

NAYEC Standards and Key Elements AssessedStandard 1-Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs are grounded in a child development knowledge base. They use their understanding of young children’s characteristics and needs, and of multiple interacting influences on children’s development and learning, to create environments that are healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging for each child.

Key elements of standard 1 1b: Knowing and understanding the multiple influences on early development and learning

Standard 4-Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs understand that teaching and learning with young children is a complex enterprise, and its details vary depending on children’s ages, characteristics, and the settings within which teaching and learning occur. They understand and use positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation for their work with young children and families. Candidates know, understand, and use a wide array of developmentally appropriate approaches, instructional strategies, and tools to connect with children and families and positively influence each child’s development and learning.

Key elements of standard 4 4b: Knowing and understanding effective strategies and tools for early education, including appropriate uses of technology 4c: Using a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate teaching /learning approaches 4d: Reflecting on own practice to promote positive outcomes for each child

Standard 5-Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs use their knowledge of academic disciplines to design, implement, and evaluate experiences that promote positive development and learning for each and every young child. Candidates understand the importance of developmental domains and academic (or content) disciplines in early childhood curriculum. They know the essential concepts, inquiry tools, and structure of content areas, including academic subjects, and can identify resources to deepen their understanding. Candidates use their own knowledge and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate meaningful, challenging curriculum that promotes comprehensive developmental and learning outcomes for every young child.

Key elements of standard 5 5a: Understanding content knowledge and resources in academic disciplines: language and literacy; the arts – music, creative movement, dance, drama, visual arts; mathematics; science, physical activity, physical education, health and safety; and social studies. 5b: Knowing and using the central concepts, inquiry tools, and structures of content areas or academic disciplines 5c: Using own knowledge, appropriate early learning standards, and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate developmentally meaningful and challenging curriculum for each child.

Standard 6-Candidates prepared in early childhood degree programs identify and conduct themselves as members of the early childhood profession. They know and use ethical guidelines and other professional standards related to early childhood practice. They are continuous, collaborative learners who demonstrate knowledgeable, reflective and critical perspectives on their work, making informed decisions that integrate knowledge from a variety of sources. They are informed advocates for sound educational practices and policies.

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Key elements of standard 6 6d: Integrating knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on early education

Supportive Skill 2 – Mastering and Applying Foundational Concepts from General EducationGeneral education has value for its own sake—as part of the background of an educated person— and for the value added to practitioners’ ability to implement a conceptually rich curriculum. Both in immediate employment as an early childhood professional and in preparing for further baccalaureate study, associate degree graduates are enriched by understanding foundational concepts from areas including science, mathematics, literature, and the behavioral and social sciences.

Section I: Observe and report on children’s response to an art activity

In this section of the assessment, you will observe two children completing an art activity and report on their responses. The children should be between the ages of 3-5 years old and be enrolled in a Head Start program. You will observe them within their Head Start Program classroom. You will need to get written permission from the director of the early learning center, the children’s lead teacher, and the parents before conducting this activity. Utilize the forms provided in Haywood Community College Early Childhood Education Field Experience Handbook. Observe the two selected children completing an art activity using the Children’s Response to Art Activity form as your guide to your observation. Once your observations are complete, type your observations into the form.

For section I you will submit in TaskStream:1. Two completed Children’s Response to Art Activity Forms (one per child observed)

(NAEYC Standard 1b)

Section II: Develop four separate developmentally appropriate learning experiences

In this section of the assessment, you will develop four separate developmentally appropriate learning experiences for children between the ages of 3-5 years old that are enrolled in a Head Start program. Based on the central concept of children learning through play, the student will develop one lesson plan within each of these content areas: visual arts, music, creative movement, and drama. Each lesson plan should contain the following components:

1. Developmental goals2. Learning objective3. Knowledge teacher needs to direct the activity4. Directions for children5. Materials needed6. Preparation steps7. Evaluation of the activity

A lesson plan form is provided for you to use for this section.

For section II you will submit in TaskStream:1. Four completed lesson plan forms (one per assigned area)

(NAEYC Standard 4c, 4b, 5a, 5b; Supportive Skill 2)

Section III: In this section of the assessment, you will implement two of the lesson plans designed in section II. You will implement the lessons within a Head Start Program classroom. You will need to get written permission from the director of the early learning center and the lead teacher of the classroom before conducting this activity. Utilize the forms provided in Haywood Community College Early Childhood Education Field Experience Handbook. The lead teacher of the classroom will need to complete an evaluation of your teaching on the form provided.

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For section III you will submit in TaskStream:1. Two completed Lead Teacher Implementation Evaluation forms (one per implemented lesson)

(NAEYC Standard 5c)

Section IV: Evaluate the outcomes of the implemented learning experiences and engage in reflective practice regarding your performance as a teacherIn this section of the assessment, you will evaluate the outcomes of the lesson you implemented and engage in reflective practice regarding your performance as a teacher. After each activity, complete the Student Written Evaluation of Implemented Activity Form.

For section IV you will submit in TaskStream:1. Two completed Student Reflective Evaluation of Implemented Activity Forms (one per completed activity)

(NAEYC Standard 4d, 6d)

c.3 the rubric or scoring guide for Key Assessment 5 that is used by faculty or field supervisors to evaluate candidate work on each key assessment

EDU 151 Key Assessment: Curriculum ProjectDoes Not Meet Expectations (0)


(1b) Knowing and understanding the multiple influences on early development and learning

Section I

Candidate does not describe the observed children’s reaction to the art activity in detail.

Candidate describes the observed children’s reaction to the art activity in detail and describes how the child’s self-awareness and self-concept are reflected in the use of the art materials.

…and identifies both positive and negative influences that “seem” to be influencing the child’s work.

(4b) Knowing and understanding effective strategies and tools for early education, including appropriate uses of technology

Section II

Candidate’s activity plans do not reflect an understanding of developmentally appropriate directions for activities.

Candidate’s activity plans reflect an understanding of developmentally appropriate directions for activities and provide a detailed list of materials needed.

…and includes ways to extend the conversations of the children and includes thought provoking questions.

(4c)Using a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate teaching and learning approaches

Section II

Candidate’s activity plans do not reflect an understanding of developmentally appropriate learning goals.

Candidate’s activity plans reflect an understanding of developmentally appropriate learning goals and provide detailed learning objectives.

…and provides a broad repertoire of learning approaches.

(4d)Reflecting on own practice to promote positive outcomes for each child

Section IV

Candidate’s Student Reflective Evaluation of Implemented Activity form does not describe if children reached developmental goals for the lesson plans.

Candidate’s Student Reflective Evaluation of Implemented Activity form describes if children reached developmental goals for the lesson plans and provides strategies for improvement.

…and the explanations for each question contain details for improvement.

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(5a)Understanding content knowledge and resources in academic disciplines: language and literacy; the arts – music, creative movement, dance, drama, visual arts; mathematics; science, physical activity, physical education, health and safety; and social studies.

Section II

Candidate’s activity plans do not demonstrate content knowledge needed by the teacher.

Candidate’s activity plans demonstrate content knowledge needed to execute the activity plan.

…and explains “why” each area of content knowledge is important.

(5b) Knowing and using the central concepts, inquiry tools, and structures of content areas or academic disciplines

Section II

Candidate’s activity plans do not demonstrate use of the central concept of play nor does it address all required domains (cognitive, social, emotional, etc…) of child development.

Candidate’s activity plans demonstrate use of the central concept of play and addresses all required domains (cognitive, social, emotional, etc…) of child development in the lesson plan.

…..and the candidate provides research information about the importance of the central concept of play.

(5c) Using own knowledge, appropriate early learning standards, and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate developmentally meaningful and challenging curriculum for each child.

Section III

Candidate does not successfully develop and implement two activity plans within a Head Start classroom.

Candidate successfully develops and implements two activity plans within a Head Start classroom that include experiences in language and literacy, the arts, math, science, physical activity and social studies.

…and aligns the activities with the NC Foundations for Early Learning and Development standards.

(6d) Integrating knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on early education

Section IV

Candidate does not reflectively evaluate their performance as a teacher.

Candidate reflectively evaluates their performance as a teacher and uses the reflections to modify future plans.

…and seeks further research to inform changes to future plans.


Mastering and Applying Foundational Concepts from General Education

Section II

Candidate’s activity plans do not demonstrate foundational content knowledge needed by the teacher.

Candidate’s activity plans demonstrate foundational content knowledge needed by the teacher in the areas of science, math, literature and behavioral and social sciences, if applicable.

…and the activity plans provide a conceptually rich curriculum.

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Key Element TOTAL POINTS

Number of Participants

AVERAGE CLASS INSTRUCTOR

1b 17 15 1.1 151 L BURRELL4b 18 15 1.2 151 L BURRELL4c 18 15 1.2 151 L BURRELL4d 13 15 .86 151 L BURRELL5a 19 15 1.26 151 L BURRELL5b 18 15 1.2 151 L BURRELL5c 14 15 .93 151 L BURRELL6d 13 15 .86 151 L BURRELL



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EDU 151 IN1-LOUISE BURRELL-DATA

d) A two- to four-page narrative reviewing your program’s candidate assessment system, strengths, challenges and plans.

Do your key assessments address all key elements of all six standards and all five supportive skills? How do you support consistency across course sections and faculty? How have they evolved and improved in response to new developments in the profession, evidence of effectiveness, and input from stakeholders?

Haywood Community College’s Early Childhood Department’s Key Assessments address all six standards and all five supportive skills. All Key Assessments have been evaluated by individual faculty members and in group work sessions. Areas in each of the six key assessments have been adjusted, rewritten and replaced to ensure these key elements and supportive skills are present and are used often. Two courses in the curriculum have been replaced with ones that we feel give candidates more exposure to all 6 standards and all 5 supportive skills.

In our self-study, we found that opportunities for our candidates to participate in advocacy for children and professional activities in the field were insufficient. To correct this, a departmental curriculum change was made to add the course EDU 173, Becoming a Professional in Early Childhood Education, to our requirements for graduation effective Fall, 2014. This class was developed to focus on the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, as well as planning, developing and participating in appropriate advocacy activities, and accessing professional development opportunities.

The faculty found that the candidates needed a more focused emphasis on science, math and social studies. To meet this need, EDU 251- Exploration Activities, was added to degree requirements effective Fall, 2014. While these areas are addressed, this new course will strengthen the knowledge and skills in these disciplines, as well as encourage their usage in early childhood classrooms. Many candidates often indicate planning in these areas to be a challenge. We believe the addition of this course will increase knowledge and comfort level. Two sections of EDU 251 will be offered. One will be scheduled as an online course and a second section will be a seated course.

The Key Assessments we have completed during the self-study have increased the consistency across the curriculum. Key assessments now follow a set pattern and have common standards, which are focused on in targeted courses. Faculty are now more aware of what is happening in the delivery and assessments of all classes regardless of instructor. This allows faculty to reference information addressed in previous classes. In EDU 284, references are regularly made to many classes where the candidates were first exposed to the knowledge and skills they need to exhibit in completing the practicum. All six Key Assessments are present in classes that are strong resources for the candidates in their Capstone/practicum class.

Consistency is also shown in the forms that are used in many Key Assessments and in other classes. The Confidentiality Agreement, Student Signature Page, Field Experience Approval Sheet and the Early Childhood Education Parental Permission are used in all Key Assessments and are found in the Early Childhood Field Experience Handbook. Other common documents are the Family Interview Form, PowerPoint Guidelines and Student Evaluation Form. All Key Assessments use the Early Childhood Field Experiences Handbook.

In North Carolina, the Early Childhood program across the state has a common core of courses that are offered and required for completion of an AAS degree. For that reason, any candidates who transfer in from other NC community colleges will have had the same courses as is taught at HCC. Additionally, if they transfer from an accredited program in NC, they will have been exposed to the same NAEYC standards.

When candidates transfer from out-of-state institutions, the course descriptions are reviewed to assess which courses are able to transfer and meet HCC’s requirements for graduation.

One of the ways that faculty stay abreast of new developments in the field is with current educational journals and materials. The faculty of the Early Childhood program work closely with the Learning Resource Center,

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library, to request current educational journals. In the fall semester, faculty has made a request for additional early childhood educational materials for use by faculty and students.

Another resource for keeping abreast of the latest trends and ideas in the early childhood field and profession is to attend professional development opportunities. The Early Childhood faculty are attending the NC AEYC conference in September, 2014 and will be looking for other professional development opportunities.

Our stakeholders have expressed support of across-the-curriculum requirements when our candidates are in their child care centers. They appreciate the department’s deferment and respect shown to them, as evidenced by the Field Experience Handbook, regarding their center’s requirements for the candidate’s access to the children and classrooms. The partnership with these early childhood programs ensures mutual approval of all candidates based on input the child care program staff give the instructors. This has resulted in increased respect and communication for the site and for the department. In prior semesters, the requirements were set by the department based on NC Licensing Standards. Although centers also must meet these requirements their input allows for a better match of candidates access and responsibilities to center and makes the information available to both.

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Looking across assessments and at each standard, describe what the data on candidate performance on these assessments tell you about the strengths of your program? What does it tell you about challenges in your program? How will this information be used for program planning and improvement?

The available data showed that candidates were successful in the EDU 284, Early Childhood Capstone Internship class. This is attributed to the fact that this is the final course. The success on the key assessments in EDU 284 indicated that the candidates were well prepared due to the previous coursework completed. The candidates were able to use their learned and reflective knowledge of child development, assessment, child guidance, curriculum, and parent and family relationships. The knowledge became meaningful because the majority of class assignments are predominately hands-on and performed at the internship site. In this setting, candidates are also able to access assistance and support from other professionals in the early childhood setting in addition to faculty input. Candidates are required to spend 160 hours on site in their practicum site.

Overall, the data from each course was surprising. Data from entry level courses exhibit lower scores than that of 200 level assessments. The EDU 144 Key Assessment Data was lower than any other Key Assessment. This information has been examined to determine if the problem was in the instructions, the difficulty of the assessment, communications between instructor and the candidates, or other factors. To improve this course, portions of the course and the Key Assessment have been rewritten to improve the candidate’s understanding of the requirements of the assessment. Communication issues will be addressed by increasing the candidate’s ability to interact with the instructor. This will be accomplished by improving instructor accessibility and developing two different access points. The instructor for this course has been changed due to the retirement of an instructor, and the reassignment of courses. The new instructor will be available through campus contact and has also made his home phone number accessible to the candidates to increase timely and individual candidate responses. Instructor access through email is always available for all candidates to use. Based on the data in all key assessments, the need arose to give clearer instructions on what is required to have the candidate’s work “Exceed Expectations”. Data shows that students do well at successfully completing the basic requirements for the assessment but fail at going beyond the minimum requirement. Recent studies show that candidates in online classes are more successful when not given too many instructions. Using this research, we have to determine the thin line between enough and too much information. We are also working to provide a variety of media to expose the candidate to the instructions and information in a variety of ways.

To assist with adding more information and instructions in online classes, the faculty are working with the campus Distance Learning Department to train and expose faculty to new knowledge and skills, such as Big Blue Button and Camtasia, as well as increase competencies in these areas. As a result, the Early Childhood program will develop a faculty “go to” person when assistance is needed.

The self-study process enabled the faculty to see that there has been a lack of communication between faculty members regarding the content of courses. The faculty have come to see each other as great resources to each other with a wealth of early childhood knowledge and a desire to educate candidates to ensure their success. Because faculty backgrounds are alike, but also very different, each faculty member has knowledge and experience that can be valuable to each other and is to be shared in coursework. To take advantage of this, faculty members will have monthly meetings to share new research, discuss issues in the college, department and courses and to troubleshoot individual course problems.

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What changes or improvements in your program are you considering for the coming year?

The faculty is committed to developing consistency across the curriculum by expanding the Key Assessment format into all EDU classes. Faculty will work together to make these changes and will share information throughout this process to facilitate changing instructors in classes. This process will ensure that all faculty while using the developed Key Assessment format, have opportunities to make the class their own. This will also address the challenge of the instructor’s changing course load.

Two new classes, EDU 251-Exploration Activities and EDU 173- Becoming a Professional in Early Childhood Education are being offered, effective Fall 2014. These two classes will fill gaps in our existing Key Assessments.

TaskStream has been identified and is being used as the program to collect and assist in evaluating data from Key Assessments. All of the options available in TaskStream will be studied for reports and data that can be used in the future.

The faculty have identified a need to discuss as a group how to use key assessment information toward graduation requirements. Currently, the successful completion of key assessments is not a requirement for passing a course or for graduation. The faculty will be studying these issues and setting up policies and procedures to ensure that students are mastering the required NAEYC standards and supportive skills.

Due to the retirement of a faculty member, the department plans to hire a new full-time faculty member who will assist in teaching, advising and planning. The plan is to hire a faculty member who is well grounded and educated in the Early Childhood field.

Departmental monthly meetings will become official with preset dates and times. This will move the department from casual meetings to a more formal setting, giving faculty a better opportunity to plan to bring their concerns or new information to the meetings. Presently, when items are discussed, all faculty are not always present. With a common schedule, faculty can collaborate in setting dates.

The Early Childhood program has identified some “private” space on campus that may be converted to the Early Childhood resource library. If this space becomes available, the area will become a space where faculty can work without interruptions, do video and audio recordings and access a variety of support materials and equipment. This will allow faculty to plan a “sheltered time” in this area where they are able to teach without disruptions. This area will be a locked space and will allow storage for the faculty’s professional materials.

The challenges of a shared work space is being addressed by making more work space options available. With the separated resource area, unused cubicle space, the campus learning resource center space, meeting space at the child care center and wireless internet available anywhere on campus, faculty will be able to access needed phone-free private space, when needed.

The department plans to expand the input from shareholders throughout the state. Contact will be made with those sites, which our candidates use for observations and field placements. The faculty will provide learning opportunities to better acquaint them with the college and the Early Childhood program, as well as, seek input from them.

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e) Supplemental Data (optional) The following key assessment(s) was/were indicated earlier in this report as being new or recently revised, and therefore do not yet have two applications of data available:

Key Assessment 1 Key Assessment 4 Key Assessment 2 Key Assessment 5 Key Assessment 3 Key Assessment 6

TWO APPLICATIONS OF DATA ARE NOT AVAILABLE AS THIS IS A NEW PROCESS FOR HAYWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE. THERE ARE NOT ANY PREVIOUSLY USED FORMAL ASSESSMENTS.

For each key assessment where two applications of data are not available, please identify a previous version of the assessment or a previously used assessment that the new key assessment replaced. As evidence of the program's ongoing data collection, please provide two applications of data from that previous assessment. (Or, if the current key assessment has one application of data, it is sufficient to supplement with just one application of data from the previous key assessment.)

It is not necessary to include the student instructions or the scoring guide/rubric from these older assessments; just the data are sufficient. Data should be disaggregated by standard and should be disaggregated by degree program if applicable. Each supplemental data table should include the following header:

Supplemental data from _______________________________ (Name of previous assessment) This assessment was in use prior to the current Key Assessment #___.

Assessment was in use prior to the current Key Assessment #___.

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