For more information, please contact Dr. Julie Bullard | 406/683-7176 | j_bullard@umwestern.edu.
The mission of the Early Childhood Education program is to prepare early childhood practitioners to meet the unique needs of children from birth through age eight and their families in a variety of early childhood settings including child care home and centers, Head Starts, pre-schools, Resource and Referrals, etc. By providing ample opportunities in early childhood labs, students "learn through doing." Students also have many opportunities to interact with peers and professionals in the field.
Discipline-specific knowledge, skills, and abilities
Promote child development and learning through knowing and understanding young children's characteristics and needs and the multiple influences on learning and through using this information to create healthy, respectful, supportive and challenging learning environments.
Build family and community relations by knowing and understanding family and community characteristics, supporting and empowering families through respectful, reciprocal relationships and through involving families and communities in their children's learning.
Observe, document, and assess to support young children and their families through understanding the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment; using observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment approaches; practicing responsible assessment; and through knowing about assessment partnerships with families and other professionals.
Engage in early childhood teaching and learning through forming positive relationships and engaging in supportive interactions; using appropriate, effective approaches and strategies; understanding the central concepts, inquiry tools, and structures of content areas; and through using their knowledge to design, implement and evaluate meaningful, challenging curriculum that promote positive outcomes.
Become an early childhood professional by identifying and involving oneself with the early childhood field, upholding ethical standards, engaging in life-long learning, integrating knowledgeable, reflective perspectives, and engaging in informed advocacy.
Communication skills (especially oral and written)
Use written communication skills to effectively communicate with children, parents, staff, and the community.
Use oral communication skills including I messages, reflective listening, and conflict resolution to interact effectively with children, parents, staff, and the community.
Establish rapport and collaborate with children, parents, staff, and the community
Problem-solving skills
Make connections between prior knowledge/experience and new learning.
Master and apply foundational concepts from general education to teaching and working with children and their families.
Identify and use professional resources.
Integrate knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on early childhood education.
Use problem solving skills to reflect on children's needs and performances, to accurately identify the situation, and to implement appropriate solutions.
Discipline-specific knowledge, skills, and abilities
Early Childhood Education (ECE) professors assess students' discipline-specific knowledge, skills, and abilities in the courses listed below in one or more of the following ways: portfolios, papers, interviews, exams, faculty observation of student in lab site, journals, group projects.
Specific courses and assessment activities:
ED 142/143, Introduction to Early Childhood and Lab:
ED 144/145, Creating an Environment for Learning and Lab:
ED 240/241, Positive Child Discipline and Lab:
ED 242/243, Meeting the Needs of the Family and Lab:
ED 250/251, Child/Adolescent Growth and Development and Lab:
ED 320/321, Early Childhood Curriculum I and Lab:
ED 324/325, Early Childhood Curriculum II and Lab:
ED 344/345, Early Childhood Professional and Lab:
Art, Drama, Music Electives (3-4 cr):
Health, Safety, Nutrition Electives (3-4):
Communication skills:
ECE professors assess ECE students' communication skills in the courses listed below in one or more of the following ways: portfolios, oral presentations, written assignments including lesson plans, journals, and response papers, and oral exit interviews
ED 142/143, Introduction to Early Childhood and Lab:
ED 144/145, Creating an Environment for Learning and Lab:
ED 240/241, Positive Child Discipline and Lab:
ED 242/243, Meeting the Needs of the Family and Lab:
ED 250/251, Child/Adolescent Growth and Development and Lab:
ED 320/321, Early Childhood Curriculum I and Lab:
ED 324/325, Early Childhood Curriculum II and Lab:
ED 344/345, Early Childhood Professional and Lab:
Art, Drama, Music Electives (3-4 cr):
Health, Safety, Nutrition Electives (3-4):
Problem-solving skills:
Students' problem-solving skills are assessed in faculty observations of students in their lab setting, class assignments, journals, lesson and project plans.
ECE professors assess ECE students' problem-solving skills in the courses listed below in one or more of the following ways:
ED 240/241, Positive Child Discipline and Lab:
ED 242/243, Meeting the Needs of the Family and Lab:
ED 250/251, Child/Adolescent Growth and Development and Lab:
ED 320/321, Early Childhood Curriculum I and Lab:
ED 324/325, Early Childhood Curriculum II and Lab:
ED 344/345, Early Childhood Professional and Lab:
Art, Drama, Music Electives (3-4 cr):
Health, Safety, Nutrition Electives (3-4):
Feedback from current students
Classroom observations
Graduate/exit survey
Capstone assessment: portfolio and oral exit interview
Feedback from outside constituencies
Survey feedback from graduates one year after graduation (implemented AY 2006-07, feedback from 2004-05 program graduates)
Survey feedback from employers of one-year-out graduates (implemented AY 2006-07, feedback from 2004-05 program graduates)
OPI and NCATE reviewers
Evaluation of teaching
During fall semester, the VCAA chooses the faculty member's course to be evaluated. Each faculty member chooses a course during spring semester that s/he wants evaluated by students. The compiled information is shared with the faculty member and VCAA. In addition, each ECE faculty member has at least one peer evaluation per year.
Curriculum Review
The curriculum of the AAS: Early Childhood Education program was reviewed extensively prior to the approval of the new BS: Early Childhood Education degree beginning fall 2003. In addition, ECE faculty review data and make needed curriculum changes during twice-yearly retreats.
The ECE faculty received the results of employer and alumni surveys from Career Services. The data has been reviewed and will be considered when considering adjustments to the AAS: ECE program.
Criteria and procedures for admission and retention of students
Currently, criteria and procedures for admission and retention of AAS: Early Childhood Education students follow the criteria and procedures for admission to UMW.
Appraisal of annual program goals and assessment of their success
Potential modification of curriculum is based upon feedback from recent graduates, alumni following one year of employment, employers, collected exhibits/artifacts, as well as current students. Data from student learning outcomes are aggregated and discussed at twice yearly faculty retreats.
Self-study or reports from program reviews
As part of UMW's systematic academic review cycle and to maintain national accreditation through the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the AAS and BS: Early Childhood Education programs will be reviewed in March 2007.
Description of program-specific curriculum development bodies and advisory groups
The Teacher Education Advisory Board meets annually and consists of teachers, school administrators, university faculty, OPI representatives, and other representatives of the community.