Program/Unit Name: Early Childhood Education

Report Prepared/Edited by: Anna Jen Smithwick, EdDMaryJo Sweeney

Other Review Participants:

Reviewed by Dean:

Dean’s Signature:

Date submitted to Program Review Committee:

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND BACKGROUND

The Early Childhood Education Program (ECE) began as a Certificate of Completion (CC) with one evening course offered each semester. In 1993 in response to Community needs, the CC was discontinued and replaced with a Certificate of Achievement (CA) and Associate of Science Degree (AS). Courses are offered in a two-semester cycle. A full-time student can complete the CA in two semesters and a summer. The AS Degree can be completed in five semesters.

The Program is staffed by a full time faculty who serves as the Program Coordinator, the lab school director, and the instructor of the three lab courses. Lecturers are sometimes hired to co-teach the labs. Three lecturers are contracted each semester to teach the other three to four ECE courses. A teacher and assistant teacher staff Na Kama Pono, the ECE lab school, which enrolls up to 20 three and four-year-olds.

Na Kama Pono provides ECE students with field experiences with children. Nursing students as well as psychology and speech students use the preschool to fulfill assignments. It serves as an annual visitation site for foreign students from Japan and Okinawa as well as other ECE professionals from the mainland. Na Kama Pono also provides a quality preschool for children of students, staff, and faculty while serving as a campus job site for student workers.

The ECE Program serves both preservice teachers and inservice teachers. Seventy-five percent of the ECE majors are part-time students. A large majority of the students juggle a schedule of school, family and jobs. The Program predominantly attracts women. Many are single parents. Regardless of marital status, children and family take priority over all else. Students frequently drop out for a semester or more to fulfill family obligations before returning. Some relocate in order to support their spouse or other family members. With open enrollment, new students with a wide range of skills are accepted each semester and students proceed through the program at their own pace. One recent graduate took twelve years to complete her AS Degree.

1

Mission Statement of the Early Childhood Education Program

“The ECE Program supports the mission of the Kaua’i Community College (KCC) by providing a readily accessible, quality, training and education program that prepares students to work in varying capacities with 0-8 year-old children and their families in a variety of settings, or to transfer to a University setting to pursue Bachelors and advance degrees.”

This preparation emphasizes observation and participation in a laboratory preschool with the option of taking one of the courses as a practicum at an off campus care and education facility which meets all state licensing and NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) accreditation standards.

The ECE Program is designed to cover all of the attitudes, skills and knowledge (ASK) required of preschool teachers. The ASK was developed by the Hawaii ECE Community and is the basis for the Careers with Young Children Registry. The Registry determines ECE workers’ level of training in the ASK core areas and their qualifications for the various preschool roles.

Upon graduation with the AS Degree, students qualify as lead teachers and are rated by the Registry as a level 4-3. This rating is used by directors when hiring and by t he Department of Human Services to determine qualifications of a Center’s staff. These first-hand experiences provide opportunities, to think critically, solve problems, and communicate effectively with a diverse population of adults and children.

PROGRAM GOALS

College Goals1. Access: To provide open access to educational excellence for a diverse student population.1.1 Outreach1.1.1 Comment on your program’s marketing and recruitment efforts. How do

students and the community at large learn about the program? (e.g. print publications, electronic, publications, and community activities.) Are the results of your efforts satisfactory? What improvements will you make in this area in the next two years?

The ECE goals support those of KCC including providing access to quality early education training. (Appendix A) The number of majors fluctuated over the past five years ranging from 46 to 34. In 2000 the majors numbered 42; in 2001, 34; in 2002, 35; in 2003, 46; and in 2004, 38 with a total of 94 individuals (Appendix B).

The following recruitment efforts are continuing to be made:•Participating in children oriented community service activities sponsored by organizations such as the YWCA, Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children, and Good Beginnings, in order to maintain visibility.

2

•Meetings with Head Start staff to provide information about the ECE Program when invited by the director.

•Participating in annual high school career days and distributing recruitment brochures.

•Working with programs such as Head Start and the Pacific Missile Range Child Development Center (PMRF) on the military base in order to develop strategies to make training more accessible to their staff.

•Providing preschools with information regarding course offerings.•Providing the ECE community with the latest developments in the articulation of the

AS Degree with a Bachelors Degree from UH West Oahu.

In the next two years the previous recruitment efforts will continue with the addition of the following activities to attract a new population of students such as family child care providers, Hawaiian Studies students interested in teaching at a Hawaiian Immersion preschool, DOE assistant teachers and Child Development Associate (CDA) candidates:

•Website will be developed for the ECE Program and the website for Na Kama Pono will be modified. Presently there is an outdated website for the Na Kama Pono which was installed by a parent of the preschool as one of her class assignments. The information is outdated with typing errors. No access was provided the coordinator to update the information. Steps will need to be taken to rectify this by fall of 2006.

•Requests will be made to be included in College recruitment activities. A television ad for KCC was recently aired but did not include the ECE Program.

•A 9 credit Certificate of Competency (C of C) will be added in spring 2006 using existing courses. The credits will provide a college-credit option to fulfill the 120 contact-hours needed to earn the Child Development Associates (CDA). This certificate offered by the Council of Professional Recognition is an entry-level qualification for preschool teachers and can also be earned on-line or through noncredit workshops. Family childcare providers working out of their homes may also find the C of C an attainable short-term goal.

It is anticipated that some of those completing this one milestone of a C of C will wish to continue to higher levels, though not required by the Department of Human Services at this time.

•Implement the PACE Program to offer workshops in remote areas. PACE is a noncredit to credit series of workshops that can be applied to the ECE certificates and degree (Appendix C). Upon completion of the capstones of each series, the workshops can be converted to college credits for a corresponding ECE course. The three PACE courses can then be applied to the C of C and subsequently, the CDA. The goal is to attract potential students who may later be motivated to take regular college courses. The first workshops will be offered fall 2006 at the Westside. If this is not found to be feasible, an ECE course will be offered instead.

3

•Develop a degree for Hawaiian immersion teachers by combining ECE and Hawaiian Studies courses. Previous work will be resurrected and meetings with Hawaiian Studies will begin in spring 2006.

•Develop certificate programs in collaboration with DOE to provide training for their educational assistants that will fulfill their 48-college credit requirement. Relevant ECE courses, general education requirements and newly developed special education courses would be included. Discussion will begin again during the spring 2006 semester.

It is anticipated that enrollment will rise. The Hawaii Community College System is now working with the UH West Oahu to articulate a Bachelors Degree in Social Science with emphasis in Early Childhood Education (Appendix D). The first courses will be offered fall 2006. This Bachelors Degree will meet qualifications to teach at the Kamehameha Preschools. Head Start and the preschool accreditation standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children have also set the Bachelors Degree as a standard for ECE teachers. If accepted by the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, the Bachelors in ECE would serve to qualify the graduates to teach junior kindergarten through third grade with DOE. With these better paying options available, it is anticipated that recruitment and retention into the ECE Program will improve.

1.2 Enrollment1.2.1 Comment on your programs retention efforts over the past two years. How

have these efforts affected enrollment and graduation rates? Indicate program plans as a result of the analysis. Identify institutional research data needed to effectively plan student retention strategies.

There are an estimated 100 childcare workers on Kaua’i. Many of the ECE majors are among those working in the industry. Therefore, retention in the ECE Program is affected by retention in the field. Dissatisfaction with benefits, pay and working conditions causes many to leave the industry. Statewide, the proportion of child daycare workers who need to be replaced each year is much higher than the average for all occupations. The average turnover for 1999-2000 was 25% among teachers and 17% among assistant teachers. (Appendix E)

Kaua’i’s turnover rate appears lower. Though Hawaii Workforce Informer (HIWI) reported only 5 job openings in 2004, it projects that the average job openings will increase to 10 per year, mostly due to replacements. (Appendix F)

4

Between 2000 and 2004 the ECE program recorded 94 unique student IDs. During this period only 6 completed the CA and 6 completed the AS. 38 remain in the Program. It is projected that eight students will complete their CA and two their AS in 2005. In 2006 up to eight students may complete their AS. This indicates some improvement in the graduation rate (Appendix G).

Retention is still an issue. In order to address this problem, the factors for the situation were analyzed.

Many students selecting the ECE program enter with low academic preparation. When Compass scores of ECE majors were compiled, it was noted that 45 of the 87 names provided did not have placement test scores. Of the 42 students with scores, 17% placed below English 21 in reading and 26% placed below English 22 in writing. 46% of the reading scores and 62% of the writing scores were below those required to enroll in English 100. (Appendix H).

Analysis of the grades between 1996-2001 found that 30% of the grades granted were As, and 25% Bs. There were only 15% Cs. This does not follow the bell curve. In addition, there was an average of 5% Ds, 5% Fs, 4% Ns, and 2% incompletes. 13% withdrew from the ECE classes. This adds up to 29% of the originally enrolled students not completing the courses with satisfactory grades.

It appears that the number of students earning As was very close to the number of students who did not satisfactorily complete the courses. Students who earned As and Bs equaled to 55% of the enrollment yet 29% did not satisfactorily complete the course. During this same period, approximately 12.8% of the students enrolled in the fall semesters were placed on probation. It seems that students either do very well in classes or do very poorly. There are few who earn average grades. (Appendix I)

Two consultants contracted in 2003 to work on student retention, compared English scores and English grades with students' grades in the ECE courses. Students' successes in the ECE Program seem to be positively correlated with their English proficiency. (Appendix J) Because of low wages, ECE has not attracted the best students. Despite the growing body of research indicating the importance of early education and the increasing need for teachers of young children, the salaries have not improved significantly. According to the Hawaii Workforce Informer (HIWI), Child Care workers on Kaua’i start at $6.00 an hour. The average is $12.02 an hour. (Appendix K). Compared to the results of a survey published by Good Beginnings Alliance (GBA) in

5

May 2004, beginning salaries on Kaua’i are less than the State’s average, which pays beginning teachers $10.37 an hour. The mean salary of $12.18 is comparable, however.

According to the GBA study, teachers can anticipate a 30% pay increase when reaching the highest mean wage. The mean wage for directors at $18.05, though better than the wages of teachers, cannot compete with administrators of other programs. (Appendix L)

The study indicates that salaries for teachers are tied to their level of education. Unfortunately, even with Bachelor’s Degrees, preschool teachers are still underpaid. The mean hourly wages of preschool teachers with Bachelor’s Degrees is $13.00 an hour compared to teachers in the public school with a Bachelors Degree who are paid $19.40 an hour (Appendix M) Retention and recruitment into the ECE Program are also affected by the many options to qualify to teach young children. The Department of Human Services (DHS) recognizes the CDA, which requires 120 contact hours of training. Many workers select non-credit training on-line which takes only a few months. A second option is to combine any two-year degree with a certificate or 12 credits in ECE. These easier options are preferred by aides seeking promotion to teacher, or by those from unrelated fields wanting to make an immediate career change.

The AS Degree in ECE is the most stringent, though the most thorough qualifying option to teach preschool children. Preschool directors prefer to hire those with the AS Degree, but many accept their staffs’ selection of the easier CDA route that provides the least disruption to their staffing schedule.

Another factor that is affecting the retention statistics of the ECE Program is the enrollment of students claiming to be ECE majors in order to qualify for Alu Like scholarship funding. Alu Like, a program which assists students with Hawaiian ancestry, will not grant scholarships to liberal arts majors. By declaring themselves ECE majors students can be funded for 19 credits of general education. Upon completion of the general education requirements, they leave the ECE Program without having taken a single course in ECE. Out of 88 names on a roster of ECE students, 25 had not enrolled in any ECE courses. This information was revealed during the program review process. (Appendix N)

It has also been standard practice that students with good academic records are counseled out of ECE by Student Services into the Liberal

6

Arts program and elementary education.This has been a continuous issue for preschool directors who send their employees to KCC for training only to have them counseled into another field. The ECE Coordinator has been receiving several complaints annually about this issue. It was recorded as an issue at the 2003 Directors’ Focus Group.

To encourage retention the following have been implemented:

•In October of 2004 letters were sent to over 37 students inviting them to an informational meeting to participate in KeyTrain, a free, self-paced, on-line program to improve reading, writing, math and other skills. Three students responded, but opted to concentrate on their math skills rather than their reading or writing. They took the pretest and began their work. The effectiveness of KeyTrain was demonstrated on other UH CC campuses, but its effectiveness has yet to be determined at KCC. One student made progress during the semester, but two of the students planned to work on KeyTrain between terms. (Appendix O)

•To encourage enrollment and retention, courses were scheduled to meet once instead of twice a week. Classes met in the late afternoons to accommodate the schedules of inservice teachers and the lecturers. Courses were offered at 4:00 P.M., 4:30 P.M, 5:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M.. A couple of classes were offered in the mornings to see if that would affect enrollment. Other than the labs, it seems that classes offered after 5:00 P.M. increased enrollment slightly. In Fall 2004 lecture classes were offered after 6:00 P.M. This made it possible for family childcare providers and DOE after schoolteachers to attend classes. (Appendix P)

As an experiment, a course was offered each semester for eight Saturdays from 9:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. It did not seem to significantly change enrollment.

A survey was taken of students enrolled in ECE courses. Out of 26 surveys returned, 15 indicated that they like the 8-week course on Saturdays. 11 would take another course during the second eight weeks. 3 indicated that they didn’t mind taking one eight-week course, but would not take a second one in a semester. 7 preferred not to take a Saturday course and 7 indicated that they were not available. 2 did not respond. (Appendix Q)

7

•Working students and their employers report that it is difficult to leave work once a week to take the labs. As a compromise, the Program requires students to take the first lab at Na Kama Pono, the campus lab school (ED 192) but provides the option to take the second practice teaching experience at an off-campus accredited site (ED 191b/c), or at Na Kama Pono (ED 195). For over 5 years ED 191b/c have been cancelled due to the lack of even a single enrollment. In Fall 2005 one student enrolled. The final lab is required to be taken at the Lab School (ED 290c).

•Previously the three labs were rotated so that the first and third labs were scheduled in the fall, and the second lab was scheduled in the spring. In spring 2004 it was decided to schedule all three labs each semester to make them more accessible to working students. Students have taken advantage of these new options, but the number of total lab students each semester has not increased. Its effectiveness to promote retention is yet to be determined. It has, however, provided students with more flexibility and the opportunity to graduate sooner.

•Na Kama Pono added a summer session in 2001 to accommodate the lab needs of students with summer vacations. By implementing a summer program at the lab school, it was possible for a DOE teacher to enroll in labs the first two summers to complete her Certificate of Achievement in ECE. A teacher’s aide at Kamehameha school plans to complete her labs in like manner. The summer session also makes it possible for students to complete a CA in one year. Students with incompletes have also had the opportunity to complete teaching requirements during the summer. Unfortunately, this option does nothing for students working in jobs not in the ECE field.

•Students are mentored by instructors, lab teachers, and fellow students. Students are also referred to the Think Write Lab to receive assistance with their writing assignments. Though frequent referrals are made to the Think Write Lab, it is doubtful that many students made use of the service. The Think Write Lab does not keep records and there is no way to document its effectiveness. Several students who made use of the Think Write Lab said that their assistance was not helpful and preferred to receive mentoring from the lab instructors. It is possible that the need to make appointments with the Think Write Lab is a factor.

•Informal mentoring, especially with writing, seemed to help retention. However, some students became very dependent and relied on the mentor to make each correction without applying the suggestions throughout the paper. This resulted in many

8

rewrites. To curb this tendency the number of rewrites are now limited to two. This seems to be encouraging proof reading and more self-correcting.

•A student mentor was hired for ED 192 and ED 195 during the fall of 2001 and spring of 2002 under the Peer Assistant Program. The mentor attended classes with the students and provided individual assistance as needed.

It seemed that the mentoring program had a positive effect on retention. In 2001 the percentage receiving D, F, W, or N in ED 192 was 50%. In 2002 with mentoring, the percentage dropped to 0%. For the same period, ED 195 went from 50% failure to 28.6% failure. A similar program is being developed by the Think Write Lab.

With small numbers percentages can be affected by even small changes, Nonetheless, mentoring made a positive difference. Of the six students, five completed the Certificate of Achievement. Two went on to complete their AA Degrees and two completed their AS Degrees. One had already completed a Bachelors Degree in Special Education. A single parent took an incomplete in ED 195 after giving birth to her second child. She did not remain in the Program, though recent communication indicated that she is considering returning to ECE. The mentoring program was not continued because ECE did not qualify for the funding. (Appendix R)

•The Program provides current information regarding the availability of tuition assistance and scholarships.

* The TEACH scholarship implemented in fall 2001 by Good Beginnings, reimburses preschool employers for up to 60% of the salaries of substitutes hired to replace teachers attending college classes. It also pays for 80% of tuition and books while requiring employers to pay 10% and the students to pay 10%. Employers must agree to provide a salary raise or stipend at the end of the contract and to provide release time for the equivalent hours in class, even if class times are in the evenings.

Despite widespread distribution of information regarding the TEACH scholarship, there have been only 6 scholarships granted since Fall 2002. Two recipients graduated in Spring 2003. The other four are currently enrolled.

There appears to be a reluctance to apply for the scholarship. At the 2001 Teacher Institute Day Conference, the presentation of the TEACH representatives

9

was met with opposition by two very verbal directors. Their concern was that teachers attending school, particularly labs, would upset their daily schedule and that substitutes are difficult to find.

The Head Start director reported that teachers were reluctant to apply for the TEACH scholarship because they do not feel that they can complete 9 credits in a school year without attending summer classes. Administration is supportive of the teachers who apply for the scholarship, but does not encourage others to do likewise because it is difficult to find substitutes.

Because of the apparent lack of interest, TEACH will be dissolved after the completion of the contracts with current students.

*Another scholarship is offered by PATCH (People Attentive to Children). The scholarship reimburses students for tuition paid after grades have been assigned. The PATCH reimbursement has been granted to only one ECE major. In the same period 4 reimbursements were made for on-line, non-credit CDA courses, which indicates a preference for this easier route towards qualification.

*In the fall of 2004 two $250 scholarships were offered to ECE students. No applications were received by the deadline. After the deadline was extended to the end of the semester, two applications were received.

•Student employment is available at the lab school. Campus employment allows for flexible work schedules and facilitates enrollment and retention. ECE students are given the opportunity to earn money while gaining additional experience working with children. They observe and model after the lead teachers and readily transfer their learning to more successful lab experiences. Approximately four to five students are employed each semester.

This employment opportunity also benefits the parents of the children. Parents who need to supplement their school schedule with hours of employment to qualify for financial assistance find Na Kama Pono to be a convenient place to fulfill this obligation. Parents also use their earnings to offset the cost of tuition.

To increase student retention and to assure a more accurate

10

record of student retention, the following plan will be implemented in the next two years:

• Mentors in the Think Write Lab (TWL) will be familiarized with the rubrics for the evaluation of writing assignments. This should increase their effectiveness as ECE tutors. A referral system will be developed to assure that students seek assistance at the TWL. It will also be recommended that they maintain a record of students they assist. This will take place in the spring of 2006.

•Fully integrated KeyTrain into the ECE Program. Meetings will be held with ECE lecturers to decide on the best way to do this. By fall 2006 KeyTrain will be fully integrated.

•Students entering the ECE Program will record their educational goals. This will be followed up by an exit interview to determine if they have met their goals

• The Kaua’i Good Beginnings Advisory Board, on which the ECE Coordinator serves, has decided to request a meeting with the ECE Counselor, and KCC administration to discuss the issue of advising ECE students into other majors, and to share information regarding the importance of good teacher training, the role of good early childhood programs in the lives of children, and the trends of the ECE profession. The meeting will be held at the end of fall 2005.

•In order to be counted as an ECE major, students must now complete 9 credits of ECE courses. This will hopefully eliminate students who declare the major to benefit financially without taking any courses.

1.3 Placement and Scheduling1.3.1 Is enrollment in any required program course dependent

upon student performance on assessment/placement tests or perquisites/co requisites been demonstrated to be related to student success in the program? What strategies will your program use to improve the effectiveness of placement testing practice?

Sixty percent of students applying for admission to KCC do not score satisfactorily in the college placement tests in English and mathematics. Of the 42 ECE students for which scores were available, 86% did not pass both the math and English placement tests. This is significantly higher than the campus percentage. (Appendix H)

These test scores reflect the quality of ECE students, but they did not keep students out of the Program. All ECE courses have a minimum prerequisite of ENG 22. There were incidences when this prerequisite was not enforced.

11

To encourage students to take their English requirements as soon as possible, English prerequisites were modified in the fall of 2004. Students must now take their first ECE course concurrently with ENG 22, if they do not place into ENG 100. They will be counseled into taking ENG 100 before the advanced ECE courses.

Though required for graduation, math is not a prerequisite of any of the ECE courses. It has, however, delayed graduation as students attempt to fulfill their math requirement.

To assist students with both their English and math requirements, KeyTrain is being piloted to assist students to improve their math, writing, and reading skills. It is anticipated that KeyTrain will better prepare students for college level courses. When students meet their goal level, they may request to retake the placement tests. If they succeed in raising their scores, they may be able to bypass remedial courses. (Appendix O)

In fall 2006 all aspects of KeyTrain will be integrated into ECE courses . The effects of these newly adopted strategies will need to be tracked.

1.3.2 Does the current scheduling method adequately support access and

completion needs of students? Describe your scheduling method. What other data and/or approaches would help in improving the course scheduling procedure?

ECE courses are rotated between two semesters except for labs, which are now offered every semester. As part of our retention efforts, each course has been scheduled for one evening a week. Since fall 2004, courses are being offered later in the evening from 6:00-9:00 P.M. After enrollment, the students are offered the opportunity to adjust the schedule, if every student agrees.

A course each semester is being offered on Saturdays for 8 weeks. Surveys have been taken of ECE students to determine their scheduling preferences. The survey taken in the spring of 2005 indicated that students taking the Saturday classes liked it, but some did not want to take another class during the second 8 weeks. Those not enrolled in the 8-week Saturday class preferred not to take classes on a weekend.

Administration and counselors are now working on scheduling general education requirements during the summers and in the evenings so that students will be assured access to the courses.

12

Labs still pose a problem. Because the lab school, Na Kama Pono, operates during regular working hours, those employed must make special arrangements to complete this requirement. To accommodate some of this population, a summer session has been implemented at the preschool. All labs are now offered both semesters. Flexibility in the scheduling of labs has been offered. The second lab has always been offered with the option of being taken at an accredited preschool. No one except for one student has taken this option in many years. Students not working at a preschool facility still find it difficult to access labs. 1.3.3 Does your schedule meet the needs of special populations (Running Start, Early admits, Workforces)?

Though the late schedule (6:00-9:00 P.M.) of most ECE courses is inconvenient for the few full-time students, the new scheduling has made it possible for two family child-care providers and an after-school care worker to attend classes. Preschool employees also find the new schedule more acceptable. The Saturday class is convenient for some students, but not for others. Lab seminars continue to meet in the late afternoon.

1.3.2Have you surveyed employers and scheduled according to their needs?

A survey was not made of employers. However, PATCH, a referral service was consulted. PATCH regularly contacts preschools and family providers to obtain their schedules.

Generally preschools and family childcare providers operate from Monday through Fridays from 7:00 to 5:30 P.M. Some preschools close earlier. After-school programs (A+) end at 5:30, which also frees after-school personnel to attend classes by 6:00 P.M. or on weekends.

1.4 Support Services for Access1.4.1Comment on your program’s level of collaboration with

access services such as advising, admissions, registration, financial aid, and business office support services. How could this be enhanced?

•The collaboration between Financial Aid and the ECE Program has been good. Financial Aid has assisted many of the ECE students with funds for tuition and other expenses. Up through spring 2005, Financial Aid assisted Na Kama Pono with the hiring

13

of student workers. The ECE Coordinator now completes the hiring process on-line. Financial aid, however, continues to fund one student aide each semester through the Federal Work Study Program.

•The Business Office has been very helpful with the preparation of invoices for Na Kama Pono, the collection of tuition payments made by parents, and the maintenance of financial records.

•The Think Write Lab has provided students’ with writing assistance. As mentioned under 1.2.1, the ECE Program needs to provide the writing mentors with the standards by which the assignments are graded.

•The Wellness Center provides the ECE Program and Na Kama Pono with medical consultation and emergency care. In the fall of 2004 and 2005, all ECE lab students and the staff of Na Kama Pono were given flu shots.

•The Maintenance Department provides Na Kama Pono with janitorial, yard and repair services. Though sometimes understaffed, it strives to provide the essential services required to run the lab school. Using funds generated by tuition, some of the bigger jobs are being done by outside contractors. Recently a new sandbox had to be constructed because of termite damage. An exterminator treated the storage sheds. The non-standard countertop will be replaced to accommodate the standard height dishwasher.

•Collaboration with Student Services vary according to the counselor assigned to the ECE Program. Students, directors, and members of the ECE Advisory Board continue to report to the ECE Coordinator that students are being counseled out of the ECE Program into the Liberal Arts Degree (AA). This is being done because Counselors believe that an AA Degree better prepares students for the Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education. Though elementary teachers are better paid than preschool teachers, ECE students do not necessarily want to teach in the elementary schools. They want to work with younger children, and the AS Degree best prepares them for that role.

The counseling students out of ECE is detrimental to the growth of the ECE Program and contributes to the distress of preschool directors who send their staff to KCC for training. Students have also felt coerced and become confused

14

The Kaua’i Good Beginnings Advisory Board proposed a meeting with the ECE counselor and KCC administrators to discuss this issue.

The recommendation by the Case Management Committee that counselors and program coordinators work together to advise students is well taken. Students have no contact with a full time ECE faculty until they enroll in the labs. Since the Program Review process, collaboration with the present counselor who advises and registers the students has increased.

2. Learning and Teaching: To promote excellence in learning and in teaching for transfer, career/technical education, remedial/developmental education and life-long learning.

2.1 Articulation (between KCC and others) and Collaboration (w/in KCC)

The ECE Program Coordinating Counsel (PCC) consists of a representative from Kaua’i, Honolulu, Maui and Hawaii Community Colleges. It has successfully articulated the Early Education courses from the four campuses.

Recently, a full articulation of the AS Degrees in ECE was negotiated with UH West Oahu’s Bachelors of Social Science Degree. Student learning outcomes were designed for the Community Colleges’ AS Degrees. These SLOs will lead into the SLOs for the four-year degree. The faculty of the UHCC is currently providing input to assist UH West Oahu to develop the Early Childhood Education emphasis. The first upper division ECE course will be offered in the fall of 2006.

2.1.1What has the program done to ensure that it is in communication with high schools and transfer institutions regarding articulation issues and/or problems? Describe success and challenges and near-term plans for improvement.

•Na Kama Pono served as a practicum site for the Kaua’i High School’s ECE courses for a number of years. There was also an attempt to adopt a two plus two program to assist students taking ECE in high school to transfer those credits to KCC. Unfortunately, the high school was not able to provide the budget needed to meet college standards.

After the retirement of that high school teacher, the new teacher

15

has not been interested in collaborating with KCC, though she was approached a number of times. The ECE Program continues to participate in high school career days and will continue to attempt collaboration with the high school.

•All UHCC courses in ECE are fully articulated. It was a goal to also articulate with a Bachelors Degree Program. After years of unsuccessful attempts to articulate with UH Manoa, the Community Colleges ECE programs were able to negotiate a full articulation of their AS Degrees with UH West Oahu’s Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science. The Community Colleges are now working to make their AS degrees and courses more uniform to facilitate this process. With the assistance of the Community Colleges, UH West Oahu is now developing a 27 credit emphasis in ECE for its SS Degree. The degree will be accessible to neighbor islanders. The ECE courses will be offered by distance education except for the field experiences and the two curriculum courses, which may be hybrids. The first upper division ECE courses will be offered in the fall of 2006.

2.1.22.1.3 Comment on collaborative efforts with other program

units. Assess successes and challenges and plans for future collaborations.

•For ten years the Culinary Arts Program provided Na Kama Pono with its USDA approved lunches. However, for the past two years, they lacked the staff to provide that service and the Kaua’i Economic Opportunities’ kitchen took over the contract.

•Students from the Nursing Program use Na Kama Pono as one of its practicum sites for its course in pediatric nursing. Psychology students and speech students often perform extra credit work at the school. The ECE Program assisted the Library by providing recommendations for the acquisition of ECE books for their collection.

•The Coordinator of the ECE Program has intermittently collaborated with Job Training and Cooperative Education by providing their summer youth trainees with a job site at Na Kama Pono. She also conducted practice job interviews with students to prepare them for the hiring process.

2.2 Curriculum2.2.1 How is Program curriculum reviewed for currency and relevancy to

institutional, community and student needs. Include

16

recent deletions, additions and revisions. What are your upcoming plans in this area?

•In the fall of 2003 the Early Childhood Education Program developed its Mission Statement and Goals to coordinate with those of the Kaua’i Community College. That was to assure that the Program is relevant and supportive of institutional needs. (Appendix A). In addition, the ECE Program addressed KCC’s Student Learning Outcomes by identifying course assignments and activities that fulfilled the SLOs .

• In the spring of 2005 the UH Community Colleges’ ECE Programs adoptedSLOs for their AS Degree and developed correlated SLOs for UH West Oahu’s Early Childhood Education emphasis. (Appendix S)

•The ECE Advisory Committee is made up of the PATCH coordinator, the Kaua’iGood Beginnings coordinator, Head Start director, director of Kamehameha Preschools, the director of Punana Leo, and the teacher/director of the Kappa Missionary Preschool. These community representatives provide the Program with input as to the relevancy of its curriculum and training. The Committee meets once each semester. (Appendix T)

•The Program Coordinator participates in the Early Childhood Education Program Coordinating Council (PCC) made up of representatives from each of the UH Community College ECE Programs. Courses are compared for competencies and articulated to ease transfer from campus to campus. The articulation agreement was last reviewed in October 2003. The PCC has since adopted a set of student learning outcomes. These general SLOs will be easily correlated with the ECE SLOs already adopted by KCC. Early Childhood Education SLOs have also been adopted for the ECE emphasis being developed by UH West Oahu.

•The Program Coordinator is an active member of the Hawaii ECE Community. By associating with other ECE organizations current issues and trends are used for self-assessment of the Program. She is a participating member of:

* the advisory board of Kaua’i Good Beginnings Alliance Council, which initiates and supports early childhood education activities on Kaua’i. The board meets monthly.

* Kia’ I Ka ‘Ike, which is an association of preschool directors. Meetings have recently been scheduled only when needed since members who participate in Kia’I Ka ‘Ike are also those who belong to other ECE committees on Kaua’i. A directors’ conference is held annually on Oahu.

* the National Association for the Education of Young Children is the largest ECE organization (NAEYC). A journal is published six times a year to provoke thought and professional growth.

17

* the Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children (HAEYC) is an affiliate of NAEYC. Committees have been formed to organize activities and events on Kaua’i. The ECE Program Coordinator was in charge of organizing the April 2005 events for the Month of the Young Child. In October of 2005, the Coordinator was a co-presenter at the annual Teacher Institute Day Conference.

* the Association for Childhood Education International which does not have a local chapter. It, however, publishes a journal 6 times a year that includes an issue with an international focus.

*the Hawaii Career with Young Children is a statewide team to promote professional development and standards for the ECE profession. It meets approximately every other month.

*the Kaua’i Step Team promotes smooth transitions between grade levels and programs, particularly between preschool and kindergarten. It meets monthly. A parent child fair is planned annually.

•The Program Coordinator attends the annual conference sponsored by theHawaii Association for the Education of Young Children; the annual Teacher Institute Day Workshop; and the annual conference sponsored by Kia’ I Ka ‘Ike, an association of preschool directors. When feasible, she attends the annual National Association for the Education of Young Children Conference, which is rotated between the east and west coast.

•The ECE curriculum has been compared with the 2003 publication, “Preparing Early Childhood Professionals: NAEYC’s Standards for Programs” (NAEYC’s Standards for Initial Licensure, Advanced, and Associate Degree Programs).

According to the PCC, and comparisons with current trends, the curriculum for preschool teachers is current and relevant. Some modifications are being made to motivate students, to prepare for articulation with a Bachelors program, and to address the issues of accessibility.

• Modifications are being made to the ECE Program to add a Certificate of Competency (C of C) to the ECE career ladder. The C of C can be used to fulfill the contact hours required for the CDA and/or applied to the CA and the AS Degree. This proposal will be ready for the Curriculum Committee by spring 2006.

• Program revisions are being made to align Kaua’i’s ECE Program with those of Honolulu CC, Maui CC, and Hawaii CC in order to facilitate the articulation of the ECE AS Degree with West Oahu’s new Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science

18

with emphasis in ECE. The following modifications were made in the fall of 2004:

*4 curriculum courses totaling 9 credits were substituted with ED 261 and 262 Preschool Curriculum I and II totaling 6 credits.

*English prerequisites were modified to allow earlier entry into ECE courses while pacing students through their English requirements.

Additional modifications will be submitted to the Curriculum Committee spring of 2006:

*ED 110 Developmentally Appropriate Practices and ED 170 Introduction to Infant Toddler Education will be added.*ED 234 Observation and Assessment will be deleted from the Program.*The 10 credits of lab courses will be streamlined to 8 credits.*The course number of ED 261 and ED 262 will be changed to ED 263 and ED 264.

•The ASK (Attitude, Skills and Knowledge) are teacher standards developed and adopted by the early childhood community of Hawaii. The instructors of the Kaua’i ECE Program have matched the items of the ASK with the contents of each ECE course to assure the thorough coverage of the standards. The assignments of each course have been aligned with the ASK and are being collected in portfolios to document individual student achievement. New course outlines are being developed for approval by the Curriculum Committee. (Appendix V, V2) Because the UHCC’s ECE Programs adopted a system-wide set of SLOs in May 2005, the ASK will have to be aligned with them.

• The Early Childhood Registry is a statewide system based on the essential attitudes, skills and knowledge of ECE staff as identified by the ASK. Training and education of each applicant are matched with the ASK to determine the roles for which s/he is qualified. The ratings are used by directors when hiring and by Department of Human Services to determine staff qualifications. The Registry provides an outline of a career ladder that includes Bachelors and advance degrees. The Registry has been an incentive for ECE teachers to aspire to higher degrees as requirements for the profession are gradually increasing. Application for the Registry will be built into the final lab course. (Appendix U)

• Head Start will soon be requiring its teachers to have Bachelors Degrees. Kamehameha Preschools already require a Bachelors Degree while providing their teachers with very good salaries. Without access to a four-year degree in ECE, Kamehameha teachers hold elementary degrees and are now supplementing their degrees with ECE courses from KCC.

With the growing need for advance degrees in ECE, the UH Community College’s ECE Program Coordinating Council (PCC) has completed a full articulation of its AS Degrees with UH West Oahu’s Social Science Degree. An

19

emphasis in ECE is being developed for the Social Science Degree. The Kaua’i ECE Program Coordinator serves as the neighbor island representative on the steering committee. Fall 2006 is the projected date for the offering of the first upper division ECE courses.

Assignments of all courses are tied to student learning outcomes based on the ASK and are maintained in a professional portfolio. This will be refined and an electronic portfolio format will be explored to reduce the bulk and to provide a means for the College to maintain a copy. Spring 2007 is the target date for the transition.

•There is a need to meet the needs of those students who are not able to attend classes on campus. PACE is being used on Oahu and the Big Island to reach this population. PACE offers noncredit workshops that can be converted to college credits upon successful completion of the capstones. Training and the set up of the program will take place in spring and summer 2006 under the tutelage of Honolulu Community College. The goal is to use PACE to offer ECE training on the Westside by the fall of 2006. If it is not feasible to offer PACE, a regular ECE course will be offered. (Appendix C)

•In response to KCC’s goal to provide workforce training, a number of other revisions to the ECE Program are underway. The aim is to diversify the Program and to better utilize the Early Childhood Education course offerings

*There is a need to address the growing demand for infant toddler programs. Because of welfare reform, mothers are required to return to work. Currently there are no infant centers on Kaua’i and only two toddler centers.

Infant and toddler care are being provided by family childcare homes. Each provider is each limited to two infants below the ages of 18 months and many choose not to accept infants at all.

*Family childcare providers are another population that needs to be recruited for training. People Attentive to Children (PATCH) reports that their free, non-credit courses for family providers have not met with good attendance. A small number of family providers are now attending credit courses at KCC. The Certificate of Competency is intended to encourage more family providers to enroll in ECE courses. ED 170 Introduction to Infant Toddler Education, a new course being added to the ECE curriculum, may be of particular relevance to this group.

With the addition of ED 170 Introduction to Infant Toddler Education, there is a need for an observation and lab site to supplement our preschool. The Infant Toddler Center would also meet the childcare needs of KCC students, faculty, and staff.

20

An existing building next to Na Kama Pono is a convenient location for the Infant Toddler Center. When OCET consolidates its services in its new facility, the adjacent building would be ideal.

Utilizing Title III funds it is proposed that the building be renovated to meet the needs of the Program. The ECE Revolving funds could assist with the acquisition of equipment and materials. (Appendix W)

If provided a site, it is planned that the Center will begin with the enrollment of 10 toddlers from ages 18 months to 30 months. There will be a need for two full time teachers (one APT I and one APT II) and student aides. This ratio meets the requirements of NAEYC Accreditation.

Tuition of $575 a month will cover the salaries. The budget for supplies and operational expenses will need to be supplemented by the surplus collected by Na Kama Pono.

The ratio of infants and adult is 3 to 1. This ratio is prohibitive until the operation of the Center is well established and reliable students help supplements the two full time staff. It would then be feasible to enroll 3 infants. This will be a goal to be accomplished within two years of the opening of the Center.

The director of Na Kama Pono (Program Coordinator) will also direct the Infant Toddler Center. The budget should also provide the Program Coordinator with clerical assistance.

In collaboration with Head Start, an Early Head Start grant is an option that will be researched. The grant would fund the cost of teachers as well as other expenses. The Center, however, will have to adhere to Federal requirements and administrative procedures.

*The training waiver granted to teachers in Hawaiian immersion programs will be withdrawn in 2006. According to their Kaua’i director, the current teachers do not seem interested in teacher training, though they are located on the KCC campus. To encourage them to take courses at KCC, a hybrid degree is being designed combining courses from the ECE program and courses in Hawaiian studies. Except for English and math, the general education requirements will be replaced with relevant and comparable Hawaiian Studies courses. This proposal will be explored with Hawaiian Studies in the spring of 2006. If feasible, the Permission to Plan will be submitted.

*The DOE educational assistants (EA) will be required by January 2006 to have a two-year degree, 48 credit hours of college courses, or meet one of

21

the approved alternatives such as passing a qualifying exam. In a survey taken in 2003 approximately 1/5 of the 150 EAs indicated that they did not intend to remain employed with DOE after the deadline. The deadline will also remove all alternatives to training and the minimum of 48 credits of college education will be enforced. In response to this need, the Program Coordinator has been asked to develop a certificate designed specifically for EAs and to include some Early Childhood Education courses. This is intended to be a long-term response to the need for trained EAs. Discussions are continuing to be held to determine the feasibility of a separate training program for EAs. If feasible, the Permission to Plan will be submitted in the spring of 2006.

•The curriculum and practices of the Early Childhood Education lab school, Na Kama Pono, is also reviewed for currency and relevancy to meet the needs of the College, community and the ECE students. According to NAEYC’s publication Preparing Early Childhood Professionals, “the critical importance of high-quality field experiences was also affirmed.” Of the teacher training standards for ECE outlined in the publication, four out of the five standards listed field experience as an opportunity to learn the core competencies. (NAEYC, 2003)

*Na Kama Pono serves as a quality-controlled environment for Early Childhood Education labs, and models best and the most current practices. Na Kama Pono is one of only five accredited preschool programs on Kaua’i. It has been accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) since 1997 and was recently granted accreditation for an additional five year.

*In the fall of 2003 Na Kama Pono adopted the Hawaii Preschool Content Standards and the Creative Curriculum. The Content Standards were correlated with the Creative Curriculum to assure the implementation of the Standards. This provides ECE students with first hand experiences working with the Statewide Standards.

*Curriculum classes are held at the preschool, which facilitates hands-on activities and serves as an example of an appropriate environment. Na Kama Pono also serves other academic programs by providing an observation and practice site for nursing, psychology, and speech courses.

*Na Kama Pono serves the parents of preschool children attending KCC by providing a quality campus preschool program. This allows parents to visit between classes and participate in significant activities, such as celebrations with their children. The preschool teachers serve as support for parents and model good adult-child interaction.

22

*The lab school supports students by providing on-campus employment, which allows for flexible scheduling. Priority is given to Early Childhood Education majors and parents of enrolled children, but other students are also hired,

*Na Kama Pono has been able to financially assist the Early Childhood Education Program. Special funds generated from tuition supports the salaries of lecturers of under-enrolled ECE classes.

2.2.2 Are instructional methodologies appropriate for program content? Explain. Do instructional methodologies utilize available, current technology? Explain. Indicate recently implemented innovations in instructional methodology, or use of technology as well as changes your program is considering within the next two years?

Instructional methodologies used by ECE instructors are appropriate for the ECE Program. Methodologies include role playing, lecture, cooperative learning, field experiences including planning and implementing activities with children, observations, projects, class discussions and presentations, self evaluations, journaling, developing portfolios, and viewing and discussing videos, and critiquing and reflecting on journal articles. These are also the suggested methodologies suggested by Preparing Early Childhood Professionals. (NAEYC 2003)

•Students learn to use the Internet to research information and curriculum ideas. Clip art is often used to create teaching materials.

•Students use a word processor to record observations and store them in files for each child according to the early childhood standards. Observations are also emailed to the lab to be placed in the files at a later time.

•Digital cameras are used to record and print children’s activities for the portfolio of their assigned child.

•Students learn to select computer programs for young children and become familiar with some of the recommended programs. They also observe how the computer is integrated into the ECE classroom without diminishing the importance of more traditional materials and equipment.

•The video camera system is being updated. Three pan tilt cameras are being installed to replace one camera. The videos were used to record students while teaching. The video was also used to record observations to be used for discussions in class or for parent conferences.

•There are plans to utilize an electronic portfolio system when an appropriate program is identified.

23

2.2.3 What steps are taken to develop and ensure consistent application of academic standards (e.g. grading standards, course objectives, etc.)? Comment on plans you have to improve this process.

Lecturers are assigned to teach the same courses each year. This allows them to develop and refine their courses to include worthwhile assignments and teaching strategies.

The ECE Coordinator attended a one-day workshop on standards, student learning outcome, assignments and grading rubrics in November 2004. This information is being shared with the lecturers.

The ECE Attitude Skills and Knowledge (ASK) developed by the professional ECE community of Hawaii, provided the basis for the KCC ECE course objectives. Each course is assigned specific areas of the ASK to introduce, provide practice or to assure mastery. Each instructor provides assignments to measure student learning and are developing a grading rubric for each assignment. Students maintain a portfolio using these class assignments.

The assignments for each of the three lab courses are entered into Micrograde, a computer-grading program. Each assignment and its required components are entered to assure uniformity of grading. Rubrics are being developed to grade journals, observations, teaching, daily lab activities, child studies, parent conferences, unit plans and other assignments.

2.2.4 Comment on how your program addresses the learning needs of under performing students. Are there strategies you are considering to strengthen this process? If so, describe them. Are there other programs and services currently not available that would help in this area?

KeyTrain, an on-line program to remediate foundation skills including English, math,

organization, teamwork, and reading; will be integrated into the ECE Program to improve

student success. Following the placement tests, those not qualified for English 100 will

take the KeyTrain pretest to determine the starting level of the on-line assignments.

KeyTrain assignments will supplement the below 100 level English courses.

A portion of KeyTrain was piloted in the fall of 2004. Only three students responded to

the call for volunteers. One student made progress as she worked diligently on her

assignments. The other two did not work on their assignments during

24

the semester. Theresults are yet to be determined.

There are still ongoing discussions with other colleges to get more ideas about how best

to implement KeyTrain. One draw back is that many students have limited computer

skills and may not have access to a computer. However, if students are motivated, they

can receive assistance and the use of a computer at the Think Write Lab on campus. It is

planned that Key Train will be integrated into ECE courses to assure the development of

foundation skills.

In the fall of 2004, the prerequisites of the ECE courses were modified to assure that as

soon as students begin the ECE Program that they begin taking English to upgrade their

reading and writing skills. This is to better prepare students for the labs. Because ED 195

and 290C are designated as writing intensive, ENG 100 is a recommended prerequisite

for the second lab and ENG 100 is a prerequisite for the final lab course.

PACE, which was previously described, provides college courses in a workshop format.

This format is more familiar to inservice teachers and aides. It is anticipated that after

completing several series of workshops and converting them into credits, students will

gain the confidence and skills needed to enroll in regular courses.

2.2.5 What assessments are being used to determine if current teaching methods used in the program are adequately meeting student needs. How are the results of these assessments currently being used?

The ECE Program utilizes a variety of teaching methods. Most are recommended by NAEYC, the ECE professional organization. The teaching methods used emphasize reflections (critiquing articles, journaling, self evaluations), and field experiences (10 credits of lab or practicum which involve observing, planning, teaching, assessing, and conducting parent conferences). Lectures, modeling, writing papers and lesson plans, role-playing, class discussions, presentations and projects, audiovisual presentations, and observing children are other methods used. The methods used meet the needs of all

25

learning styles: visual, auditory as well as kinesthetic learners. Cooperation is emphasized rather than competition.

No assessment has been conducted to specifically determine if current teaching methods used are adequate to meet student needs. This can be added to the proposed survey of exiting students.

2.2.6 What distance learning options are available in your program? How is your program responding to student needs by using distance learning? Do you have a timeline?

General education requirements can be fulfilled with online courses. However, on-line science labs are not accepted by the ECE Program because they require only half the number of experiments than campus labs.

One recommendation provided by the consultants hired to provide strategies to increase ECE enrollment was to provide on-line ECE courses. Perkins Funds were requested to develop on-line ECE courses. As input was sought from the ECE community, other Community Colleges asked to be included in the development of any course taught on line. Courses on-line would affect ECE Programs on other islands because of the nature of the technology. Many in the ECE community have voiced concern that ECE students would find it difficult to take courses on-line. Many are not computer literate and are afraid of computer technology. This was in agreement with the opinion of the advisory committee for the Rural Health grant, which piloted a program to provide training for DOE educational assistants. The ECE Advisory Board is of the opinion that not all courses are appropriate for distance learning.

Currently KeyTrain, an online remedial program for students, is being used. However, few students responded to this option. This may be an indication that students do not prefer to learn in this way. A survey will be developed and distributed among preschool aides, ECE students and family child care providers to determine this population’s learning style.

An ECE emphasis is being developed by the UH West Oahu’s Bachelors in Social Science Degree with the condition that it must be accessible to neighbor islands. On-line courses are one way to make courses accessible to students without concern for class size on every island. This population, after having completed an AS Degree, should have better access to a computer and be more comfortable using it as a learning tool.

2.3 Remedial Developmental Education2.3.1 How has your program addressed academic remediation for students? Has

this been effective? What proposals for change in this area does your program have?

Sixty percent of students applying for admission to KCC do not score satisfactorily on the college placement tests in English and mathematics. Though many of the ECE students

26

are very dedicated and capable, of the 42 students for which scores were available, 86% did not pass both the math and English placement tests. The students that are often attracted to ECE are under-prepared and have the misconception that Early Childhood Education is equivalent to babysitting, and therefore, not academically challenging. (Appendix H)

In the early 1990s when the ECE AS Program was developed, there was heavy emphasis on writing and critical thinking. The ECE courses, therefore, involve much writing and three courses are taught as writing intensives. It is, therefore, not surprising that there appears to be a correlation between a student’s English proficiency and success in the ECE Program.

A difficult barrier to recruiting well-prepared students into the field is the low pay of preschool workers. The ECE Program, therefore, faces the issue of under enrollment and the dilemma of serving both under-prepared students and those whose career paths require higher degrees. Therefore, Program standards must be upheld while providing assistance for those less prepared.

•Program revisions require students to begin taking their English requirements at the very beginning of their enrollment as an ECE major. It is anticipated that this change will result in increased success in ECE courses.

•Students continue to be mentored by their instructors, and the lab teachers. Graduates and classmates have also been sources of assistance to students. They are encouraged to make use of the Think Write Lab to get help with their writing. Unfortunately, many are reluctant to use this resource. A form will be developed to refer students to the Lab that can be signed and returned to the instructor following the tutoring.

•The Think Write Lab has initiated Focus Labs for the ECE Program. Meetings are scheduled once a week meetings to assist with basic skills. A student has also been hired to mentor the ECE skills. So far, no student has requested assistance. A change of format is being discussed.

•KeyTrain, as described in 2.2.4, is another strategy for remediation that was tried. The response to the pilot program however has been limited. This could be a reflection on the limited computer skills of the students.

In general these multiple sources of assistance were somewhat helpful. However, in some incidences, the students’ basic thinking and writing skills required remediation beyond what could be offered by the available resources.

2.4 Student Learning Outcomes

27

2.4.1 How does your program encourage and assess student growth in areas such as communication, cognition, information competency, social interaction, and personal development and responsibility? What are the results of the assessment and what plans do you have to improve SLOs in these areas?

The following KCC Student-Learning Outcomes were correlated with ECE courses. Though the process has not been completed, rubrics have been developed to assess some of the assignments linked to SLOs.

COMMUNICATION: •Oral:Students will be able to effectively and appropriately communicate orally with children (while guiding, instructing and interacting), with parents (during conferences, informal meetings and daily conversation) with teachers and coworkers (while sharing information, planning).

•Students are required to pass Sp151 Personal and Public Speakingas a general education requirement for the AS Degree.

•The effectiveness and appropriateness of oral communication are regularly and continuously assessed during the three labs. Students complete a self-evaluation each lab day. Using an identical form, the lead teacher also evaluates the students and provides feedback of their performance. The form includes three items that refer specifically to oral language:

Communicated effectively with children.Provided good speech and language model.Communicated effectively with adults.

•After teaching their own planned activities, students are assessed by the instructor on the clarity and preciseness of their explanations and instructions. Guidance and suggestions are provided during the individual conference following each lesson taught.

•The final activity in ED 290c is to conduct two parent conferences to communicate the progress of their child to the parents. This offers an opportunity to assess the effectiveness and clarity of oral communication.

•Written:Students will be able to effectively and appropriately communicate in writing with teachers (journals, anecdotal records, activity plans), and with parents (child studies, newsletters).

•When first entering the ECE Program students will be asked to write a one-page essay explaining why they want to be an early childhood

28

educator and to include a brief description of their career goals. These will be dated and filed in the students’ portfolios as a sample of their writing at the beginning of the program. The ECE Coordinator will retain a copy.

Students are required to complete English 100 by their first year.

•The instructors of ED 195, ED 290c and ED 115 teach these courses as writing intensives.

•All ECE courses require writing. Instructors will be introduced to the writing rubric adopted by KCC and asked to monitor students’ progress in their writing skills. Program meetings will be held after each semester to discuss student growth in this area.

•Students needing special assistance will be referred to the Think Write Lab and to their Counselor. Writing assignments will be collected in the students’ professional portfolio.

•As a final assignment of their last lab, students will submit a paper describing their goals in one year, five years, ten years and twenty years. Using the rubric, the beginning and final writing samples will be assessed. Students should rate a level 3 or above in the rubric or improve a minimum of one level upon completion of the program.

COGNITION:Students will accurately and appropriately apply and convey knowledge gained from lecture classes. Students will utilize the higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy to problem solve and to use their creativity to resolve situations in the classroom.Students will plan activities that will enhance children’s ability to think creativity, problem solving, apply analytical skills to make good choices and decisions.

•Students in labs will apply the theories of child development and knowledge gained from lecture classes. Students’ application of theknowledge learned in lecture classes to the lab experiences will be evaluated weekly by the lab teacher and a self-evaluation.

•Students will analyze situations encountered in the classroom and find effective ways to resolve them. During their interaction with children, students are expected to ask questions to encourage thinking rather than giving information for children to remember. Students will be mentored during their interaction with the children and while writing their plans.

•Students will summarize and critique early education articles.•Students will plan appropriate activities that will enhance the whole child. The activities will convey information accurately while stimulating

29

creativity and problem solving. The plans will include questions that encourage children to utilize the higher levels of thinking according to Bloom’s Taxonomy. (application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation).

•Plans will convey information accurately. Students will research information and refer to the texts from other classes. Students in need of assistance will be mentored by lab teachers and the lab instructor. As a final culminating activity, students will plan and implement two weeks of routine and activities at the lab school.

The first independent draft of their first activity plan will be maintained in their professional portfolio. It will be compared with the last plan prepared independently for ED 195 and 290c for higher level of thinking.

INFORMATION COMPETENCY:Students will be able to use a computer for word processing and to use the internet to research information and to gain new ideas. Students will be able to use still and video cameras to record the growth of children.

•Students will be expected to generate all written work on a computer. If students are not able to do this, they will be referred to the computer lab or recommended to take a computer course.

•Students will be given assignments to use the Internet to research information.

•Students will be taught to use a digital camera, video camera, and a color printer to document children’s growth and development. They will organize the pictures as a part of a pictorial portfolio to be used during the parent conferences.

•Students will also be familiar with a few of children’s computer programs and how they can be integrated into the children’s curriculum.

SOCIAL INTERACTION AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND RESPONSIBILITY:

Students will demonstrate responsibility through regular class attendance, timely submission of assignments and satisfactory completion of course requirements and assignments. Students will participate in community service and involvement in activities sponsored by professional organizations.

•All courses will require attendance and timely submission of assignments. Instructors will submit to the ECE Counselor names of students who appear to be having problems achieving this student outcome. At the end of each semester instructors will submit to the ECE Coordinator and ECE Counselor a report of each student’s demonstration of responsibility. An unsatisfactory report will provide the ECE

30

Counselor the opportunity to meet with the student to assist him/her to identify and remedy the cause of any contributing factors.

•Students are expected to participate in class activities and discussions.

•Students are required to participate in community activities for children and their families.

•Students are encouraged to be involvement in professional organizations.

•Students are evaluated following each lab on their interactions with children, their work habits and their professionalism.

(Appendix V2)

2.4.2 List the student learning outcomes that you have identified for the program. What is the minimal level of performance that you expect program completers to accomplish? How are student-learning outcomes monitored and evaluated?

At present, students are required to achieve a grade of “C” or better in each ECE course. Beginning in the spring of 2006, lecturers and faculty will complete the alignment of the learning outcomes, with course objectives and assignments. At that time, rubrics for evaluation will also be developed along with minimal levels of accomplishments.

ECE Student Learning Outcomes

These student learning outcomes were adopted in May by the UHCCs. May 2005 the UHCCs adopted a set of SLOs. These SLOs will be correlated with course objectives and evaluated by the instructors of each class. Students will maintain a professional portfolio to document their learning.

•Plan, implement and evaluate curriculum and learning environments to ensure that they promote health, safety, positive development and learning for all children; articulate to others the theoretical bases for these decisions.

•Select formal and informal observations and assessment tools and methods to appropriately plan for individual children and groups of children, assess their progress, positively influence their development and learning, and communicate effectively with families and with other professionals.

•Communicate appropriately with children and adults from all backgrounds to build respectful, reciprocal relationships; use appropriate guidance practices with children; demonstrate and explain these practices to others.

•Manage fiscal, educational, physical and human resources effectively in order to develop and maintain effective programs for young children and their families.

31

•Advocate for children and their families in the program and the community; base decisions and actions on ethical and other professional standards; apply knowledge of development and its multiple influences; participate in and provide opportunities for others to engage in ongoing, collaborative learning, demonstrate collaboration, critical thinking and reflection.

2.5 Academic Support2.5.1 Comment on program use of auxiliary resources e.g. Library, instructional media, laboratory resources, and computer assets. How can you improve utilization of these resources?

Students utilize journals and other resources from the library to fulfill class assignments. Instructors utilize videos and DVDs from Na Kama Pono that are purchased for the education of the parents of their enrolled children. Students also have access to those videos.

The primary objective of Na Kama Pono is to serve as an ECE laboratory school. Because good ECE practice always considers the needs of the children, there is rarely a conflict between the needs of the children and the needs of ECE students.

Students are referred to the Think Write Lab to receive assistance with their writing. The ECE Coordinator worked closely with the Think Write Coordinator before her resignation. She was provided the standards of a written activity plan so that she could tutor ECE students. Unfortunately, many students would not go to her, most likely because they had to make appointments.

2.5.2 What tutoring, mentoring, and/or counseling services are available to support students in your program? Comment on ways that your program can work with these groups to improve service to students.

Tutoring and mentoring are available from the Think Write Lab, as well as from instructors and the staff of Na Kama Pono. As mentioned earlier, the ECE Program should provide the Think Write Lab with grading rubrics for writing assignments and collaborate on a referral system.

Students are advised at registration by Student Services. Unfortunately, the Program Coordinator does not have the opportunity to meet or counsel ECE students until they sign up for a lab. It is particularly difficult since most of the students are part-time. If there were earlier and regular contact with the Program Coordinator, students would feel more connected to the Program. They would also be more aware of the latest developments and opportunities in the field and be introduced to Na Kaman Porno before enrolling in lab. This can best be achieved if students also receive academic advisement from the ECE Coordinator.

32

2.6 Faculty and Staff2.6.1Describe strengths and weaknesses of faculty/staff

appropriate to the program’s current status or future development. Comment on the adequacy of faculty to meet program outcomes. Indicate any immediate and projected future staffing needs.

One full-time faculty member who holds a doctorate in Early Childhood Education staffs the Early Childhood Education Program. She has 26 years of total university and college teaching experience as well as 26 years of running lab schools. She serves as Program Coordinator, lab school director, and teaches the ten credits of lecture labs. She represents the KCC ECE Program on island as well as at statewide meetings. Clerical help is limited to student help. Though a half-time emergency hire clerk was approved, applicants have only been interested in full-time positions. The effort to hire a part-time clerk will continue.

The Program contracts three lecturers. The minimum qualifications for lecturers are the same as those for faculty members.

One part-time lecturer holds a Masters Degree in Psychology and works full time as a DOE school psychologist. She has been teaching Child Development, Child Guidance in a Group Setting, and Observation and Assessment since fall 1997. She is well suited for these courses (eight credits) but not qualified to teach other courses in the Program. Because of her work hours with DOE, there is little flexibility for scheduling.

The second part-time lecturer holds a Bachelor’s in Early Education and a Master’s in Social Work. She works full time with DOE as a special education social worker. Since spring 1995 she has been teaching Introduction to Early Childhood Education, Health, Safety and Nutrition, and Child, Family and Community (9 credits) This lecturer is excellent but has minimum experience as an early childhood education practitioner. She also works full-time for DOE and cannot teach morning or early afternoon courses.

The third part-time lecturer holds a Bachelor’s in ECE and has been a preschool teacher for seven years and a preschool director for two. She is enrolled in a Master’s Program out of UH Manoa while working full-time as an education facilitator for Head Start. She has been assigned to teach the six credits of ECE curriculum and the introductory course.

Though the teacher and assistant teacher at Na Kama Pono are not faculty members, their expertise in the field of early childhood education is one of the strengths of the Program. Both staff members model best practices and also provide guidance and mentoring for

33

students.

The lead teacher for the lab school holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts with course work in elementary and early childhood education. She also holds a CDA certificate. She is currently working on an on-line Master’s Degree from Concordia University. The minimum qualification for this position is a Bachelor’s Degree.

The assistant teacher at the lab school holds an AS Degree in Early Childhood Education with 4 years of teaching experience. She will begin a Bachelors program out of UHWest Oahu in Fall 2006. The minimum qualification for this position is a Bachelor’s Degree or an AS Degree with 2 years of teaching experience.

The instructors of the ECE Program and staff at Na Kama Pono are well prepared and qualified for the courses they are teaching. However, there are some problems that must be addressed.

•The present lecturers lack flexibility because lecturers are committed to full- time positions elsewhere. The full time faculty member carries a heavy and diverse load, which also limits flexibility.

• It is anticipated that there will be a need for instructors for the upper division ECE courses offered by UH West Oahu.

•There are plans to offer PACE courses in distant towns of Kaua’i. Those courses will require trained facilitators and a faculty member to administer the capstones. It is planned that the facilitators’ training will take place in spring 2006. Combined with the clerical needs of running a preschool, coordinating the ECE Program, monitoring KeyTrain, administering PACE and possibly running an infant toddler center, the Program Coordinator will need a full time clerical assistant.

•With the addition of the C of C, new lower division courses, and a proposed infant/toddler center, there is a need for another full-time ECE faculty member.

•The course ED 170 Working with Infant Toddlers will be submitted for approval to the Curriculum Committee. It will be taught for the first time in fall 2006 and will need to be assigned an instructor. In Honolulu PATCH is now teaching the ED 170 which is accepted by HCC for credit. With the precedence set, PATCH provides an alternative to teaching it on campus.

34

•There are plans to distribute in the spring of 2006 a survey to determine the feasibility of offering distance education courses. If feasible and supported by the other UH community colleges, one course will be developed each of the following three semesters. Those courses will require additional instructors. There is also a need for technical assistance to develop the distance education courses.

2.7 Facilities2.7.1Comment on facilities that the program uses, their

current adequacy and any immediate needs.

The ECE Program does not have its own classrooms. Classes are generally held at the LRC or in the Auto Body classroom. The curriculum classes are held at Na Kama Pono.

Lecturers find it inconvenient because they have nowhere to store materials between classes. Students do not have bulletin boards or other space to use for on-going work and shared projects.

The lecturer of the curriculum courses conducts her classes at Na Kama Pono because of accessibility to teaching materials. This has worked out well except that students have to sit on the floor for up to three hours.

The Early Childhood Education Program needs at least one classroom and an infant toddler center to provide toddler care while functioning as a lab site.

2.7.2 Comment on the currency of equipment and technology for the program. Indicate immediate needs.

The College provides computer labs accessible to students. Na Kama Pono provides a MacIntosh computer for students to use. Students are taught how to use the computer to record their collective observations in each child’s file.

Students are able to email their observations to the College and download them to the children’s files.

Students are also able to email their activity plans and assignments to instructors and receive suggestions in response.

Technology is also being used to provide developmental assistance for students. KeyTrain can improve skills in the areas of math, reading,

35

and writing.

Students working in the lab are provided access to a digital camera and printer to use in the development of their selected children’s portfolios.

Cameras are installed at the Na Kama Pono to make available to instructors tapes of students interacting and teaching children. Most students also find the tapes helpful to self-critique their teaching. Others find it intimidating. Therefore, videoing students’ teaching has become optional.

To better meet the needs of students Na Kama Pono could acquire a PC laptop to address issues of platform incompatibility. It would also be helpful if wireless capabilities were made available to computers at the lab school.

2.8 Financial Resources2.8.1What efforts has the program made to investigate

entrepreneurial opportunities or alternative funding sources to support program goals? Describe your programs level of success in obtaining funds and future plans.

•Na Kama Pono is licensed for 20 children. Tuition of $475.00 per child is charged each month. All monies are paid to the Business Office. The Coordinator makes all purchases using a purchase order or a purchase card.

The ECE Program is supported by tuition received from the children enrolled in Na Kama Pono. Low enrolled classes are frequently funded by the revolving funds from the preschool. Teaching materials and supplies are provided by the funds generated by the preschool.

•It is proposed that an infant toddler center be opened at KCC utilizing an existing building on campus. The infant toddler center would collect tuition and serve as a lab site for students enrolled in ED 170, and students with special interest in infant toddler care. This is particularly important since there are no infant centers on Kaua’i, and only toddler centers. The center would fill a critical need for infant/ toddler care on campus. Community children would fill extra slots.

•PACE workshops will cost $16.00 per workshop and $320.00 to complete each series. This is more than the cost of a three-

36

credit course. Honolulu Community College does not charge students to convert the noncredit workshops to credit. Instructors are paid $120.00 for each of the 20 workshops. There are also administrative costs to maintain records, provide materials and to manage the program

3. Work Force Development: To provide a trained workforce by offering programs that prepare students for both employment and future career development.

3.1 Program Articulation with Workforce Needs3.1.1 How does the program identify applicable work force trends? What trends

or projections in your discipline may affect your program in the next five years? How will you address this?

The Program Coordinator is an active member of the local as well as statewide early childhood associations as described in 2.2.1. The Program Coordinator also belongs to Kia’i ka ‘ike, the association for preschool directors. Contacts with other members of the field provide information regarding workforce trends.

The ECE Advisory Board represents a broad spectrum of ECE professionals. They are an excellent source of information regarding work force trends. There has not been, however, a formal request for information on workforce trends. Each fall meeting of the advisory board will now include a formal request for information on workforce trends.

The Program Coordinator is a member of the Good Beginnings Steering Committee and responds to directors seeking assistance.

In response to KCC’s goal to provide workforce training, a number of revisions are underway. The aim is to diversify the Program and to better utilize the Early Childhood Education course offerings.

•“No Child Left Behind” is Federal legislation that has impacted the need for teacher training. By January 8, 2006 Educational Assistants are required to have a minimum of 48 credits including math, and English. It is estimated that by 2006 there will be an estimated need for 75 additional EAs. A certificate is being designed to address the 48 credit training requirements for EAs. If feasible,the Permission to Plan will be submitted in the spring of 2006.

•The trend is for ECE teachers to have a Bachelor’s Degree. Within a few years, Head Start teachers will need a Bachelor’s Degree. Kamehameha teachers are already required to have a Four-Year Degree and DOE now accepts a BA Degree in ECE from NCATE approved colleges plus a satisfactory PRAXIS score to teach K through 2nd grade. An articulation agreement with UH West Oahu has been negotiated to create a 2+2 Bachelor’s Program in Social Science with emphasis in ECE.

37

•Teachers at the Punana Leo Preschools are currently exempt from the DHS training requirements. This exemption is not permanent and their teachers will need to follow Department of Human Service training requirements by 2006. To meet the needs of Hawaiian language immersion preschools, the Hawaiian Studies Program and the ECE Program are considering a degree combining Hawaiian Studies and Early Childhood Education.

•There is a growing need for infant toddler care. The ECE Program currently does not include a course specifically for infants and toddlers as required by DHS licensing. A course is being readied for the Curriculum Committee’s approval by spring 2006.

•There is also a need to look into different delivery modes, such as PACE, which offers courses through non-credit workshops convertible to college credits. Distance Education may also be an option.

•Currently the Governor of Hawaii and the Legislature have taken a great interest in the needs of young children. This is reflected in the number of House and Senate Bills introduced related to increasing access, improving quality, supporting parents, and supporting early childhood system infrastructure. (Appendix X)

3.1.2 How is the selection of courses reviewed for relevancy to community andworkforce needs? What recent changes have resulted from this review? How has your program addressed professional development needs, which have risen from the changes?

A survey was distributed to directors participating in the focus group held in 2003. The questions included the relevancy of each course required. None of the ECE courses was rated as “not so important”. (Appendix Y)

Courses have been compared and aligned with the Attitude Skills and Knowledge determined by the Hawaii ECE community to be needed to work in the field of early childhood education. Current trends are toward the requirement of a Bachelors Degree. In preparation for the articulation of the AS Degree with the BA being developed by UH West Oahu, the UH Community Colleges met to review the courses included in the AS Degree. A common set of courses was adopted. As a result, KCC condensed the four curriculum courses into two courses. Two additional courses will be added and one course will be deleted.

3.1.3 What method is used to assess student and employer satisfaction with theprogram’s offerings and operations. What are the results of this assessment

and how have results changed over time? What changes did you make or are planning to make due to the results.

38

The director focus group was held the first week of March 2003. The comments of individuals were recorded. The focus group did not comment on the skills of the graduates. The focus was on:

a. Video taping of students for the purpose of self-evaluations. b. Inconvenience of releasing staff to participate in labs at the College,c. Difficulties a few students had writing activity plans. d. ECE students are being counseled out of ECE into Elementary Education. (Appendix Z)

A director commented that she saw KCC as a focus point for ECE on Kaua’i. She said, “It is important that KCC address the training needs for preschools on the island. Directors are concerned about the increasing standards of certification for their teachers. Kamehameha Schools will be expanding their services and will be seeking to hire more qualified teachers in the near future. Specifically, Kamehameha will look to hire 10 new teachers in August…Kaua’i is in a crisis situation because of DHS licensing. They would like the college to work with Good Beginnings and initiate dialogue in discussing and addressing theses needs.

The director’s focus group was supplemented by a survey. The Program Coordinator did not receive the survey results for almost a year. The survey indicated that the directors were very satisfied with the program. (Appendix Y)

A student focus group was held on February 12, 2003. Students were, in general, satisfied with the program. For some, lesson planning was a concern. Students seem to recognize the need for good writing skills. They recommended that ENG 100 be a prerequisite for ECE courses. One of the students wanted a course devoted to lesson planning. (Appendix AA).

Students seem to benefit from the student mentor who they referred to as the ”support person.” A few students would like the Campus Club to be less involved in community service.

Upon receipt of the focus group reports, an advisory committee meeting was called, and the ECE Counselor was invited to attend (Appendix AB). The Advisory Board included former students as well as directors who were at the focus groups. The director of the Pacific Missile Range preschool who had hired four ECE graduates reported that she told the recorder that she did not agree with the opinions of the two directors who dominated the group. Her comments were not recorded.

The Advisory Board recorded in their minutes that the ”directors are happy with the teachers and assistants who have gone through the ECE Program because they are so well trained. However, a few have heard negative information from a few disgruntled students and as a result have gotten negative and inaccurate ideas about the Program.“

It was the opinion of those present at the Advisory Board Committee who had spent time at the lab school as students, teachers, or parent that the instructor “makes herself readily

39

available to her students. This group has seen students drop into her office without an appointment, call her at various hours, and even come to her home on her time off to work with them on lessons.” The staff at the lab school had “all reviewed lessons by students, many of which are done at the last minute and without adequate forethought.” The Committee recommended that directors be invited to visit the lab school. The Committee recognized the importance of planning and recommended that more emphasis be given lesson planning before students sign up for a lab.

Two consultants were hired to address the problem of under-prepared students as well as the report from the focus groups (Appendix AC). The consultants submitted a report with recommendations for the Program as well as for KCC's Administration. Their suggestions for the Program included:

•Provide a Certificate of Competency

•Develop a marketing program to include assistance with acquiring a CDA.

•Provide distance learning

•Include more instructions on writing of plans

•Conduct exit interviews with students who complete or leave the Program.

•Develop a mentor program

Implementation of Recommendations :

•The Certificate of Competency Completion is a part of the program revision.

•PACE noncredit workshops will be offered in fall of 2006 in a remote area as an alternate delivery mode for three beginning level courses. The PACE courses when converted to credits will complete the requirements for a Certificate of Competency and the training hours for the CDA. This is an alternative to on-line courses.

•In an effort to increase the communication with preschools, a letter was sent to each preschool with the course offerings. An inquiry was made as to the acceptance of visiting students. Four schools responded, but no students have taken the option to visit other preschools during lab. There are opportunities during lecture classes to make visits to preschools.

•The Advisory Committee and consultants and directors recognized the importance of activity plan writing. The following steps were taken to assist students:

40

*A problem that surfaced was that the course that should include the writing of plans was failing to do so. To assist students, more emphasis will be given to lesson planning in Introduction to Early Childhood Education. The format of an activity’s objective has been reformatted. Students and instructors find the new format clearer and easier to use.

*Rewrites of plans are now limited to two. This appears to encourage students to apply corrections to the entire plan rather than only to the specific item pointed out. With the use of computers, students were able to make a single correction without rereading and editing the entire plan. By limiting the rewrites, students find that they need to be more independent and thorough

*Those with difficulties writing require a lot of help, but many are reluctant to seek help from the Think Write Lab. A system will be developed to assure that students follow up on referrals to the Think Write Lab. The Think Write Lab will be provided with grading rubrics so that they can better assist students.

*A plan has been adopted to pace students through their English requirements. English 100 will be required to be taken before enrolling in AS level courses.

*KeyTrain, an on-line tutorial for writing, reading and other foundation skills, has been adopted and will be integrated into the ECE courses.

3.1.4 What program initiatives have been implemented to improve course completion, and job preparation.

The Program has implemented a number of strategies to improve course completion and job preparation. The following have been previously described:

•KeyTrain-Is still being piloted, but there is a need for further planning to imbed the entire curriculum into the ECE Program rather than relying on students to voluntarily accept the assistance. Beside math and English, KeyTrain includes other areas such as organizational skills, locating information, listening, observation and teamwork. Students are more likely to complete courses if they have the skills to succeed. These skills will also contribute to job preparation.

•Students are hired at the lab as aides to provide them with a source of income. It also provides flexible scheduling while improving their ECE skills and knowledge. The experiences at the lab increase the likelihood they will be able to successfully complete their lab courses. The experiences also provides insights and relevance to class discussions.

41

•It has been emphasized to lecturers that unsatisfactory class attendance or work habits need to be reported to the ECE counselor for intervention. This practice will provide students with assistance and support when events in their lives interfere with their class work.

•Courses offered on Saturdays with an abbreviated eight-week schedule provides students with motivation to complete the course. Students have mentioned that 8 week courses encourage them to finish because they can “see the light at the end of the tunnel” when circumstances make continuing the course difficult.

•Courses are scheduled to meet once a week between 6 and 9 P.M. By scheduling classes a little later made it possible for family providers, after school workers, as well as preschool teachers to attend ECE classes. Meeting once a week is less intrusive on the family lives of students. It is more difficult to make arrangements to be in class two times a week for 1.5 hours than to be gone for one three- hour class.

•Progress is being made to implement the PACE model on Kaua’i. PACE allows students to make up workshops they miss. They do not convert the workshops to credit until they have completed all of them. The PACE model will be adopted for three of the ECE courses.

•According to a 2002 study by Good Beginnings, teachers with Bachelors Degrees have fewer ECE credits and are therefore less prepared than those with two-year degrees from community colleges. By combining the four curriculum courses (9 credits) to two courses (6 credits) has attracted four Kamehameha teachers with Bachelors Degrees in Elementary Education were motivated to take the first course.

•The NAEYC standard for teacher preparation gives heavy emphasis to field experience. The ECE Program’s requirement for field experience combined with work related experience, rather on campus or in another preschool, prepares AS Degree graduates well for employment. (Appendix A)

•The ECE Program heavily utilizes quality field experiences, reflections, and self- evaluations to prepare students for job placement and for continual professional improvement. Every aspect of preschool teaching is included in the Program.

3.1.5 What are the expected career/occupational outcomes for students/ (e.g. transfer, employment)

The graduates of the ECE AS Degree are prepared to assume the responsibilities of a preschool teacher. Several graduates, without further training, were hired as preschool directors. Two graduates presently function as ECE trainers.

42

A large majority of graduates are academically prepared to enter a Bachelors Program. Currently students have a couple of options. The AS Degree has now been articulated with the Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science from West Oahu. Students have enrolled in the on-line programs of the University of Concordia and Chaminade University.

The ECE AS Degree includes 19 credits of general education requirement and 11 writing intensive credits. Together with the 41 credits of ECE coursework, students can also earn, with careful counseling, an AA Degree (Liberal Arts) by taking an additional 9-12 credits of general education course work.

3.1.6 Does the program have an Advisory Board? How does the program work with the Advisory Board to assess effectiveness?

The Advisory Committee for the ECE Program and Na Kama Pono represents a wide spectrum of the ECE community. Members this year include: Director of Head Start, Director of the Punana Leo (Hawaiian Immersion Preschool), Director of the Kamehameha Preschools, Kaua’i Coordinator of Good Beginnings (non-profit community based ECE organization), PATCH Coordinator (the ECE referral service), and the Director of a small church run preschool.

The Board meets once a semester. The Program Coordinator shares the issues and progress of the Program and seeks their opinions and recommendations. The effectiveness of the Program has not been a specific agenda item. This will be added to the agenda each semester. (Appendix T)

3.2 Certification Licensure, Job Placement, Transfer3.2.1 What is the percentage of your graduates that receive licensure/certification? Is this satisfactory? How can this be improved?

Preschool educators are not licensed. It is the responsibility of the employer to hire those who meet the minimum qualifications as outlined by the Department of Human Services. The Registry assists directors and DHS to make this determination by rating individuals according to their training. KCC students with an AS Degree in ECE fully meet the requirements of preschool teachers. Students completing the CA must supplement the certificate with a two-year degree. Licensing of teachers is a goal of the ECE community.

3.2.2 Comment on the level of job placement in the field of study. Is this satisfactory for your program?

Though the Program has not graduated as many students as deemed satisfactory, every graduate has found employment before completing the Program. For this reason, it takes many considerably longer to graduate. Upon graduation students have had no problem finding lead teaching positions on Kaua’i, as well as on Oahu. After a few years of teaching many are being hired for leadership

43

positions. There are currently three graduates who serve as directors on Kaua’i. Another graduate is the education manager for Head Start. She is responsible for the supervision of training of Head Start teachers. Two graduates serve as lecturers for the ECE Program. One graduate is currently on Oahu working as a trainer for Good Beginnings. Another works for a military preschool.

3.2.3 Do you have a percentage of program graduates that are expected to transfer to an appropriate upper division program? If so, what is this percentage and has your program met this benchmark? If not, would this be one appropriate index of your program’s success. Please comment.

The ECE Mission Statement includes “transferring to a university setting to pursue Bachelor’s and advance degrees.” The percentage of students expected to pursue a Bachelor’s or advance degree was not set.

There is not a four-year college on Kaua’i. In 2001 Chaminade University of Oahu enrolled its first cohort into a Bachelor’s Program which included five Kaua’i ECE AS Degree graduates. Concordia University has also recruited Kaua’i’s ECE students.

Five ECE graduates have completed Bachelors Degrees in ECE and related fields (20%). There are currently 5 students enrolled in BA programs (20%). Two are enrolled in Master’s programs. 6 graduates (30%) and two students with one course left before graduation have voiced interest in the West Oahu BA Degree to be offered in the fall of 2006.

Though the total number of graduates is small, the percentage opting to pursue a Bachelors Degree is significant. Forty percent of the AS graduates will either have graduated or is pursuing a Bachelors Degree in ECE or related field. Two are pursuing Master’s Degrees.

It is anticipated that with the increased demand for early childhood education teachers with Bachelors Degrees, and the availability of a Bachelors Program on Kaua’i, the number of ECE students transferring to upper division programs will continue to be significant. 50% seems a reasonable goal to set for transfers to upper division programs.

4. Personal Development: To provide life-long learning opportunities in the areas of personal and professional Development.

4.1 Faculty and Staff Development4.1.1 Explain how faculty and staff maintain expertise to their discipline or area of responsibility.

Teachers of Na Kama Pono are sponsored each year to attend the annual HAEYC-Kaua’i Chapter’s Teacher Institute Day workshops.

44

Teachers also attend the annual HAEYC workshops on Oahu. The University of Hawaii System provides their staff and faculty with the opportunity to take tuition-free courses.

The Program Coordinator holds an EdD in ECE. She, however, continues to takerelevant workshops and conferences on island, within the State, and on the Mainland. As a lifetime comprehensive member of NAEYC, she receives a quarterly journal as well as books published by NAEYC. She participates in many educational organizations.

Two lecturers will be completing their Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education by December 2005. Two lecturers from DOE already hold Master’s Degrees and are provided training by their full time employer.

4.1.2 Describe the Professional Development plan, including availability of resources and the process of allocating these resources. Does this plan adequately meet Professional Development needs?

Each of the two staff members of Na Kama Pono developed an educational plan. The lead teacher is within weeks of completing her Master’s Degree in ECE. The assistant teacher plans to enroll in the West Oahu Bachelors Program. Though there have not been any resources to assist the lead teacher, the assistant teacher can have tuition waived for one course per semester from West Oahu. Inservice training is provided all full time ECE staff. The teacher and assistant teacher attend two HAEYC conferences each year that are paid for by the College.

The ECE Coordinator holds a doctorate in ECE. She attends the two HAEYC conferences each year and also the two leadership and director conferences each year. She takes every opportunity to attend related local workshops. When feasible, she attends the annual NAEYC Conference in the mainland. It would be beneficial if she attended the National Conference more frequently. She should also attend the National Professional Development Conferences. The College pays for all conferences and workshops.

Two lecturers from DOE do not have professional development plans. There are no resources for the professional development of lecturers. The College will not pay for the cost to attend workshops or conferences; neither will they assist them with tuition.

45

4.2 Student Development4.2.1Describe program faculty involvement in providing

opportunities for students’ personal enrichment through co-curricular activities.

Students are required to participate in community service. The faculty often identifies the activities and joins the students in the service. There is also a campus club, Future Educators of Young Children, which is being revived by a student and a graduate. The club assists students to participate in community service. The ECE Coordinator is the advisor. The Club provides students from different classes the opportunity to get to know and support one another.

It is difficult to maintain the Club because few students remain on campus after their classes. There are plans to expand the club to include students interested in Elementary Education and those enrolled in the UH Elementary Education cohort.

4.2.2Does the program support non-traditional approaches to education? If so, describe these. What outcomes are expected from these approaches, and how have they affected student success across the curriculum?

PACE, which offers noncredit workshops that can be converted to credit, is successful on Oahu and the Big Island. The director of the PMRF military preschool and her administrator asked for assistance to train their new staff. The director is a KCC graduate who completed her Bachelors Degree with Chaminade. We agreed that PACE is a good option and that KCC would try to implement the first series of workshops in the fall of 2006. The administrator pledged support and volunteered to market the program in Waimea and the base. The deadline was not met and a new deadline of fall 2006 was set.

Communication is ongoing with HCC’s PACE Coordinator to provide training for the trainers. Candidates for training are being identified. Steps are also being taken to procure the needed teaching materials. The HCC Office of Continuing Education and their Admissions Office will be assisting the KCC counterparts to facilitate the administrative aspect of PACE.

The objective of PACE is to make training accessible to remote areas. It also is designed to allow students to choose to take the entire series for credit, or take specific workshops of interest. The noncredit to credit option provides flexibility and shorter and more accessible goals for potential KCC students. Success in the PACE Program may assist students to transition into the credit program.

46

Non-nontraditional scheduling is being used. Eight-Saturday classes for a three-credit class are appealing to some while others find it inconvenient and intrusive to family life.

KeyTrain to remediate basic skills have proven successful on other islands. It is yet to be fully implemented on Kaua’i. It is too soon to determine its effectiveness here.

5. Community Development: To contribute to community development and enrichment through campus leadership and collaboration.5.1 Leadership5.1.1Comment on activities initiated and lead by program

faculty and staff that have positively impacted our community. List pertinent community services and activities. Discuss leadership roles in other community activities that you are interested in pursuing.

The Coordinator of the ECE Program participates and works cooperatively with organizations that provide leadership to the ECE community. The ECE Program strives to fulfill needs identified by these bodies and the College accepts the role of providing training for those who will become the leaders in ECE. Currently three of the 20 directors on Kaua’i are KCC graduates. A Good Beginnings Trainer on Oahu is from our Program. Head Start Educational Manager on Kaua’i, who is the immediate supervisor of 8 teachers and 8 aides, is also a KCC graduate.

Presently the UHCCs are working with West Oahu to develop Bachelors in Social Science Degree with an ECE emphasis. This will meet the needs of Head Start, Kamehameha Preschools, and for all preschools seeking accreditation from NAEYC.

The Program Coordinator also serves on the statewide Hawaii Careers with Young Children Committee. She serves on the advisory board of Good Beginnings and the Friends of the Child Justice Center.

The activities of the 2005 Month of Young Child was left to the ECE Coordinator to plan. The ECE graduates have volunteered to implement the program, which included a children’s concert and four workshops for parents and teachers. The Coordinator also served as a co-presenter at the 2005 Teacher Institute Day Conference.

5.2 Collaborations

47

5.2.1 What has the program done to establish communication, partnerships, and

cooperation with high schools, other community college programs, the community, and four-year-institutions in supporting their mission and goals? Discuss successes, challenges, lessons learned and how these findings will be applied in future plans.

•The Head Start Program recently adopted an internship program for ECE aides in cooperation with WorkForce Development and KCC. Interns will receive on the job training while taking ECE courses.

•PMRF has requested training for their staff. The PACE Program will be implemented in their community to meet their needs. PACE offers workshops in remote areas with a non-credit to credit option.

•There are plans to collaborate with Head Start to participate in an Early Head Start Program that would provide care for infants and toddlers of low-income families. This program would double as an infant/toddler lab school and also provide care for the children of students, staff and faculty.

The Program Coordinator:

•Meets regularly with the ECE Program Coordinating Council (PCC) to collaborate and share information.

•Participates in the articulation efforts between UH West Oahu and the UHCCs, while developing a 2+2 Bachelor’s Program.

• Will continue dialoguing with the Department of Education to develop a certificate for their educational assistants.

•Offered workshops for the teachers of Head Start and the Pacific MissileRange Preschool.

•Meets regularly with Head Start teachers regarding KCC’s training program. This semester a letter was sent to each preschool with the schedule of courses being offered. This practice will be continued.

•Match employers with students to fill early education positions.

•Consult with preschool directors regarding their accreditation efforts or specific problems they encounter.

•Has accepted the request through the Office of Continuing Education (OCET) to consult with a hotel to start a hotel sponsored childcare center for employees.

48

The ECE Program:•Participates annually in the career day fairs of each of the three high schools. ECE students frequently assist. The high school students participate eagerly in the preschool type activities provided as a demonstration of how children learn while playing.

•Receives guidance and suggestions from the ECE Advisory Board. It’s members represent a cross section of the ECE community.

•ECE lab and curriculum courses all require community service. For instance, ECE students have provided childcare during the Candle Light Vigil for women suffering from spousal abuse. They have also participated in the annual literacy fair and other children’s fairs.

Na Kama Pono: (Lab School)•ECE students from Japan and Okinawa community colleges visit the preschool annually to interact with the children. When requested, the Program Coordinator provides an overview of American’s philosophy of ECE.

•High school and middle school students annually visit KCC and tour the preschool. Students enrolled in a high school child development course recently visited the preschool as a prospective practicum site.

6. Diversity: To foster a global understanding and appreciation for diversity.6.1 Diversity6.1.1 How does your program support diversity and cultural awareness? What

are the desired outcomes? How have these outcomes been met?

Diversity is one of the SLOs and built into every course. Hawaii is a natural place to promote diversity, however, special emphasis is given to diversity in the labs and in ED 245 Child Family and Community.

6.2 International education6.2.1 What academic relationships does your program have beyond Kaua’i,

Hawaii, the US? Describe these and their impact on student learning experiences. If none, what areas of the program could benefit from such relationships? Describe plans ready for implementation and/or projects to be developed.

ECE students from Okinawa and Japan community colleges visit the Na Kama Ponoannually. Usually the approximately 16 students from each group interact with thechildren by providing activities and exchange of songs.

ANALYSIS

49

Strengths of the Early Childhood Education Program:

• The staff and faculty of the Program are well qualified to teach the ECE courses.

•Though isolated, statewide involvement provides the curriculum, and lab school with the most current practices and trends.

• The Na Kama Pono provides a strong support and resource for lab students.

•KCC graduates are well prepared to take on leadership roles in the ECE community. The majority of graduates are confident and feel well prepared to transfer to upper division courses.

Needs of the Early Childhood Education Program:

•More reliable and consistent clerical assistance for a Program Coordinator who isthe only full time faculty member running a preschool, coordinating a program and teaching lab courses.

•To attract more people into the field in spite of the low salaries to increase enrollment.

•Another full time ECE faculty member will be needed as we add new ECE courses, add another certificate and open an infant toddler center.

•To motivate those working in the field to seek training.

•To remediate the foundation skills of the students, particularly English

•To develop a comprehensive and ongoing assessment of the Program

•To provide an infant toddler center for child care and teacher training

•To provide accessibility to training in remote areas

•A closer collaboration with counseling to support the program.

GLOSSARY

APT- Administrative, Professional and Technical Employees

CDA- Child Development Associate, an entry level certificate for preschool teachers

DHS- Department of Human Services

50

ECE- Early Childhood Education

Good Beginnings- Community based committee for the support of early childhoodeducation.

HAEYC- Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children, an affiliate organization of The National Association for he Education of Young Children.

KCC- Kauai Community College

Na Kama Pono- ECE lab school

NAEYC- National Association for the Education of Young Children, the largest ECE organization.

PACE - Professional and Career Education for Early Childhood, a program that offers noncredit workshops, which can be converted to ECE credits.

PATCH- People Attentive to Children- A childcare referral service with a contract to provide non-credit training.

PCC Program Coordinating Council- made up of representatives from each UH Community College.

PMRF- Pacific Missile Range (military base)

Punana Leo- Hawaiian Language immersion preschool program.Kamehameha - A private school funded by the trust of Princess Bernice Pauahi

Bishop for the education of children of Hawaiian ancestry.

STEPS- Multi-agency committee to ease transition of children from program to program.

UHCC University of Hawaii Community Colleges

51