Proposal Outline

Proposal Outline

Early Childhood Education

I. DESCRIPTION

Delaware state certification for early childhood has changed from Birth to Kindergarten to Birth to Second Grade. This change along with needs identified by graduates of the program and prospective employers necessitates the revision of the Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) major so that it fits within the needs of the new certification for early childhood in Delaware. This certification track will prepare our teacher candidates for similar certification options in neighboring states.

Because of the Individual and Family Studies department’s commitment to preparing graduates to work with diverse children and families, the new Early Childhood Education program will provide teacher candidates with experiences in inclusive settings throughout their undergraduate career. The resulting certification track will be Birth to Second Grade Inclusive.

Another change that was deemed necessary was lowering the number of credits required. The current program requires a minimum of 129 credits. The proposed program requires 124 credits. This reduction was achieved by eliminating free elective and certification elective courses.

All teacher education programs at the University of Delaware are responsible for meeting the standards of their Specialized Professional Associations. For an early childhood inclusive program, the IFST department must present assessment data to both the National Association for the Education for Young Children (NAEYC) and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). These organizations have well-defined standards for programs preparing teachers of young children with and without disabilities. As a result, the changes in the ECDE program have been developed to ensure that our candidates can provide assessment data that show their ability to meet all of NAEYC’s and CEC’s standards. Data from key assessments including standardized tests (e.g. the Praxis I and II), portfolio entries, and class assignments will be analyzed yearly to show that the standards are being met successfully.

The resulting proposed program provides students with a solid grounding in child development, family studies, and inclusive, integrated curriculum for birth through grade two. As a result, graduates will be qualified to receive teaching certification in early childhood regular and special education teaching children birth through second grade.

II. RATIONALE AND DEMAND

A. Institutional Factors

1. The proposed program is compatible with the Academic Priorities of the University of Delaware. Service learning will now be a focus of the field experiences. Instead of students having assignments related only to improving their teaching skills and understanding of children and families embedded within curriculum classes, field experience courses will be taken concurrently, but separately from curriculum classes. In addition the emphasis will be on service learning with assignments emphasizing the importance and benefits of the reciprocal nature of working in the field.
The proposed program will also have a goal of attracting a more diverse population of students. Because the new program will provide all graduates with more opportunities for obtaining employment in the field of education, the pool of applicants may increase, with a concurrent increase in students from racial and ethnic minorities. In addition, the multicultural, inclusive focus of the program may attract a more diverse group of students. Dr. Penny Deiner has received a grant from the Lumina Foundation that also supports increasing the diversity of the students in the major by encouraging students who complete an associate’s degree at Delaware Technical and Community College in Early Childhood Education to transfer to the University of Delaware and complete a B.S. degree in Early Childhood Education. The new program will take into account these transfers and a new articulation agreement will be proposed in July 2006 reflecting the program changes.

2. The planning process for the program revisions was supported by an Instructional Learning Grant awarded to Drs. Cynthia Paris and Lynn Worden of the IFST department. The grant funded faculty retreats, including a session with a consultant on service learning. The objective of the retreats was to revise the ECDE program to better meet state, NAEYC and CEC standards while also changing the focus of field experiences to service learning. ECDE faculty met for two half-day and one full day retreats over the summer in addition to having regular meetings during the spring 2005 semester and September of 2005.

3. The proposed changes will impact the Education Department at the University. First, students will no longer have the option of becoming dual certified in early elementary and early childhood education. This option required students to take a semester of teaching methods courses in the Education Department as well as having one of their student teaching placements supervised by faculty in that department. This situation created difficulties in workload for the Education Department which will now be eliminated.

Another program that will be impacted by the changes is the CHEP major. Students in that major have taken IFST 222: Early Childhood Curriculum I and IFST 224: Early Childhood Curriculum: Practicum for two credits each. These courses will now be three credits each, but CHEP majors will still be permitted to take them. This change has been approved by Kristine Ritz Coll, the Coordinator of the CHEP major (documentation attached).

4. Because the proposed program will provide students with a more marketable degree in that they will be able to teach in both regular and special education settings through second grade, more students may apply. This may result in an increase in enrollment in the ECDE major which would make better use of the faculty resources available in the department. The goal of the new program is to reach a carrying capacity of 50 students per year in the major, or a total of 200.

In addition, the new program will provide opportunities for field placements in the Laboratory Preschool, the Early Learning Center and the College School. The first two centers have already been used to place students for both field experiences and student teaching. However, placing ECDE students in the College School has not occurred in the past and would be a new resource for the program. The College School Director, Jeanne Geddes-Key, has agreed to allow ECDE students to be placed in the school when room is available (see appendix for documentation).

B. Student Demand

1. Not applicable

2. The proposed program is designed to meet the needs of full-time students. This is not a change from the current program.

C. Transferability

To facilitate a smooth transition to the new program, current freshmen have been advised this year to take courses that will be required for the new program. Current freshmen and sophomore will be proactively advised to change to the revised major in the fall of 2006. Current juniors and seniors will remain in the old program. This plan will ensure a seamless transition to the new program.

D. Access to graduate and professional programs

Not applicable

E. Demand and employment factors

The proposed program will prepare students to teach in early intervention programs, preschools, and kindergarten through grade two, teaching children with and without disabilities. Currently, there is a high demand for special education teachers. In addition, Delaware and many other states are making preschool and/or full-day kindergarten mandatory. These changes are already resulting in a high demand for educators qualified to teach those grades. Preparing students to teach in grades one and two will give graduates further options for employment.

F. Regional, state and national factors

1. As previously stated, there is a large demand in Delaware and neighboring states for early childhood regular and special education teachers. The current ECDE program only prepared teachers to teach up through kindergarten unless they pursued additional certification in early elementary. This option usually required that students take an extra semester of courses. The proposed program will prepare all students to teach through second grade in regular and special education settings. Neither Wilmington College nor Delaware State University has a similar course of study, either preparing students to teach only in regular education settings (Wilmington College) or only up through kindergarten (Del. State Univ.). Consequently, the new program will be unique in the state. An internet search did not result in finding any colleges or universities in the region with a similar program.

2. Because the University of Delaware teacher education programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the program must meet professional standards of both the National Association for the Education of Young children and the Council for Exceptional Children. The proposed program will meet the requirements of both of these organizations. In addition, the program is aligned with the University’s Conceptual Framework for Teacher Education (http://www.udel.edu/teachered/concfram.html) as well as the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the state of Delaware’s requirements for teachers seeking certification in birth through grade two and early childhood special education.

Representatives of NAEYC, to whom the assessment reports will be submitted, were contacted regarding the program changes. In addition, Dr. Margarita Lenk, an expert on service learning, met with the ECDE faculty to discuss changing field experiences to service learning experiences.

G. Other strengths

1. The proposed program is unique in that it blends regular and special education programs for young children into one inclusive early childhood program. In addition, access to the Laboratory Preschool, the Early Learning Center (ELC), and the College School will provide students with unique experiences working with diverse learners with skilled mentors.

2. The IFST department will be collaborating with the three centers mentioned above. These relationships are already well established with both the Laboratory Preschool and the ELC. The relationship with the College School will begin in the fall of 2006 (see attached documentation).

III. ENROLLMENT, ADMISSIONS AND FINANCIAL AID

A. Enrollment

Enrollment will be limited to 50 majors per year due to a limited number of appropriate field placements and student teaching placements. In the past, enrollment numbers have been well below this limit.

B. Admissions Requirements

No change

C. Student Expenses and Financial Aid

No Change

IV. CURRICULUM SPECIFICS

A. Institutional Factors

The degree to be awarded will be a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education. This will be the same degree as previously awarded, with a slight name in the title so that prospective students will be able to find the major more easily.

B. Curriculum

1. Following are program requirements:

· Total credit hours: 124

· Credit distribution:

o Social Sciences: 12

o Science/Math: 20

o Humanities: 15

o UNIV 101 (Freshman Year Experience): 1

o IFST courses: 58 (7 credits field experience)

o EDUC courses (related professional core): 18 (12 credits of student teaching)

2. Sample curriculum in catalog format attached

3. The Freshman Year Experience has been added. All other University requirements will be fulfilled as they were with the current program.

V. RESOURCES AVAILABLE

A. Learning Resources

Not applicable

B. Faculty/Administrative Resources

No changes in administrative resources will be needed for the new program. Because students will no longer need to declare a certification track, fewer administrative hours will be needed to support the program. Following is a list of faculty who will teach courses required for the ECDE program:

1. Aparna Bagdi, PH.D. Assistant Professor. Cultural diversity, early childhood

2. Martha Buell, PH.D. Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator. Early childhood classroom quality; early childhood teacher professional development; and emergent literacy.

3. Penny L. Deiner, PH.D. Professor and Chair. Family resilience and violence, children with special needs and their families

4. Nancy J. Edwards, M.Ed. Clinical Faculty/Instructor. Technology, math and science education, and elementary education

5. Michael Ferrari, Ph.D. Associate Professor. (Joint appointment, Psychology) Families and neurodevelopmental disorders, brain injury, lifespan development, assessment

6. Michael Gamel-McCormick, Ph.D. Professor, Director of the Center for Disabilities. Early childhood development and education, intervention with special needs population, program evaluation, qualitative analyses.

7. Myae Han, Ph.D. Assistant Professor. Early childhood education, reading education, early literacy

8. Dene G. Klinzing, Ph.D. Professor. Hospitalized children, child development, parenting

9. Laura Morris, M.Ed. Clinical faculty/Instructor. Early childhood and literacy.

10. Robin J. Palkovitz, Ph.D. Professor. Parental development, life span development.

11. Cynthia Paris, Ph.D. Assistant Professor. Early childhood and early elementary education, assessment, supervision, and mentoring.

12. Tara M. Sutton, MS Clinical Faculty/Instructor. Early childhood education.

13. Bahira Sherif Trask, Ph.D. Associate Professor. Culturally diverse families, gender issues, intergenerational relationships.

14. Donald Unger, Ph.D. Professor. Social support and family coping, child and family intervention, prevention and empowerment with families.

15. John J. Vacca, Ph.D. Assistant Professor. Infant development, young children with special needs, autism, neurodevelopmental disabilities, school psychology.

16. Lynn Worden, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Early Childhood Education and Human Services Internships Coordinator. Early childhood regular and special education, stress and coping in young children.

C. External Funding

Not applicable

VI. RESOURCES REQUIRED

Not applicable

VII. IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION

A. Implementation plan

The curriculum will be implemented to allow current juniors and seniors to complete the current program, while current freshman and sophomores will be advised to change to the new program. Current freshman have been advised this year to take courses that will be required for the new program. Courses that are needed by students remaining in the old program will be taught or course substitutions or waivers will be allowed. The new program will begin in the fall of 2006, with one of the new courses, IFST 413: Inclusive Curriculum – K – Gr 2 being taught as an experimental course in the spring of 2006. Field experiences have formerly been included in curriculum classes, but will now be offered separately to give students credit in alignment with University policy for their hours spent in the field. All other new courses are comparable to courses in the old program. This plan will ensure a seamless transition to the new program.

B. Assessment Plan

The program will be assessed in alignment with the requirements of the National Association for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The Specialty Professional Associations (SPA’s) for a blended (inclusive) early childhood education program require a minimum of eight assessments. These include the Praxis II exams, portfolio entries and the student teaching evaluation. Data from these quantitative measures will be reported annually to the SPA’s. In addition, students will not be permitted to student teach unless they have achieved a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 and a minimum major GPA of 2.75. These requirements are the same as the current ones. Finally, the program’s success will be measured by graduate’s success at finding jobs in the field of early childhood education or in securing admission to graduate school.

VIII. APPENDICES

A. Accreditation criteria

Standards for NAEYC are available at http://www.naeyc.org/faculty/pdf/2001.pdf (a summary is attached). Standards for CEC are available at http://www.cec.sped.org/ps/perf_based_stds/standards.html and are attached.

B. Letters of collaborative agreement

Not applicable

C. Transfer/Retention Policy

No change.

D. Letters of Approval from Contributing Departments

CEC Professional Development, Training, and Events

CEC Performance-Based Standards

The National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) recently approved CEC performance-based standards for the preparation and licensure of special educators. The new CEC standards are divided into three parts: Field Experiences and Clinical Practice Standards (Special education candidates progress through a series of developmentally sequenced field experiences for the full range of ages, types and levels of abilities, and collaborative opportunities that are appropriate to the license or roles for which they are preparing. These field and clinical experiences are supervised by qualified professionals.), Assessment System Standards, and Special Education Content Standards.

Standard 1: Foundations

Special educators understand the field as an evolving and changing discipline based on philosophies, evidence-based principles and theories, relevant laws and policies, diverse and historical points of view, and human issues that have historically influenced and continue to influence the field of special education and the education and treatment of individuals with exceptional needs both in school and society. Special educators understand how these influence professional practice, including assessment, instructional planning, implementation, and program evaluation. Special educators understand how issues of human diversity can impact families, cultures, and schools, and how these complex human issues can interact with issues in the delivery of special education services. They understand the relationships of organizations of special education to the organizations and functions of schools, school systems, and other agencies. Special educators use this knowledge as a ground upon which to construct their own personal understandings and philosophies of special education.

Beginning special educators demonstrate their mastery of this standard through the mastery of the CEC Common Core Knowledge and Skills, as well as through the appropriate CEC Specialty Area(s) Knowledge and Skills for which the program is preparing candidates.

Standard 2: Development and Characteristics of Learners

Special educators know and demonstrate respect for their students first as unique human beings. Special educators understand the similarities and differences in human development and the characteristics between and among individuals with and without exceptional learning needs (ELN)¹. Moreover, special educators understand how exceptional conditions can interact with the domains of human development and they use this knowledge to respond to the varying abilities and behaviors of individual’s with ELN. Special educators understand how the experiences of individuals with ELN can impact families, as well as the individual’s ability to learn, interact socially, and live as fulfilled contributing members of the community.

Standard 3: Individual Learning Differences

Special educators understand the effects that an exceptional condition² can have on an individual’s learning in school and throughout life. Special educators understand that the beliefs, traditions, and values across and within cultures can affect relationships among and between students, their families, and the school community. Moreover, special educators are active and resourceful in seeking to understand how primary language, culture, and familial backgrounds interact with the individual’s exceptional condition to impact the individual’s academic and social abilities, attitudes, values, interests, and career options. The understanding of these learning differences and their possible interactions provide the foundation upon which special educators individualize instruction to provide meaningful and challenging learning for individuals with ELN.

Standard 4: Instructional Strategies

Special educators posses a repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies to individualize instruction for individuals with ELN. Special educators select, adapt, and use these instructional strategies to promote challenging learning results in general and special curricula³ and to appropriately modify learning environments for individuals with ELN. They enhance the learning of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills of individuals with ELN, and increase their self-awareness, self-management, self-control, self-reliance, and self-esteem. Moreover, special educators emphasize the development, maintenance, and generalization of knowledge and skills across environments, settings, and the lifespan.

Beginning special educators demonstrate their mastery this standard through the mastery of the CEC Common Core Knowledge and Skills, as well as through the appropriate CEC Specialty Area(s) Knowledge and Skills for which the program is preparing candidates.

Standard 5: Learning Environments and Social Interactions

Special educators actively create learning environments for individuals with ELN that foster cultural understanding, safety and emotional well being, positive social interactions, and active engagement of individuals with ELN. In addition, special educators foster environments in which diversity is valued and individuals are taught to live harmoniously and productively in a culturally diverse world. Special educators shape environments to encourage the independence, self-motivation, self-direction, personal empowerment, and self-advocacy of individuals with ELN. Special educators help their general education colleagues integrate individuals with ELN in regular environments and engage them in meaningful learning activities and interactions. Special educators use direct motivational and instructional interventions with individuals with ELN to teach them to respond effectively to current expectations. When necessary, special educators can safely intervene with individuals with ELN in crisis. Special educators coordinate all these efforts and provide guidance and direction to paraeducators and others, such as classroom volunteers and tutors.

Standard 6: Language

Special educators understand typical and atypical language development and the ways in which exceptional conditions can interact with an individual’s experience with and use of language. Special educators use individualized strategies to enhance language development and teach communication skills to individuals with ELN. Special educators are familiar with augmentative, alternative, and assistive technologies to support and enhance communication of individuals with exceptional needs. Special educators match their communication methods to an individual’s language proficiency and cultural and linguistic differences. Special educators provide effective language models, and they use communication strategies and resources to facilitate understanding of subject matter for individuals with ELN whose primary language is not English.

Beginning special educators demonstrate their mastery of language for and with individuals with ELN through the mastery of the CEC Common Core Knowledge and Skills, as well as through the appropriate CEC Specialty Area(s) Knowledge and Skills for which the preparation program is preparing candidates.

Standard 7: Instructional Planning

Individualized decision-making and instruction is at the center of special education practice. Special educators develop long-range individualized instructional plans anchored in both general and special curricula. In addition, special educators systematically translate these individualized plans into carefully selected shorter-range goals and objectives taking into consideration an individual’s abilities and needs, the learning environment, and a myriad of cultural and linguistic factors. Individualized instructional plans emphasize explicit modeling and efficient guided practice to assure acquisition and fluency through maintenance and generalization. Understanding of these factors as well as the implications of an individual’s exceptional condition, guides the special educator’s selection, adaptation, and creation of materials, and the use of powerful instructional variables. Instructional plans are modified based on ongoing analysis of the individual’s learning progress. Moreover, special educators facilitate this instructional planning in a collaborative context including the individuals with exceptionalities, families, professional colleagues, and personnel from other agencies as appropriate. Special educators also develop a variety of individualized transition plans, such as transitions from preschool to elementary school and from secondary settings to a variety of postsecondary work and learning contexts. Special educators are comfortable using appropriate technologies to support instructional planning and individualized instruction.

Standard 8: Assessment

Assessment is integral to the decision-making and teaching of special educators and special educators use multiple types of assessment information for a variety of educational decisions. Special educators use the results of assessments to help identify exceptional learning needs and to develop and implement individualized instructional programs, as well as to adjust instruction in response to ongoing learning progress. Special educators understand the legal policies and ethical principles of measurement and assessment related to referral, eligibility, program planning, instruction, and placement for individuals with ELN, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Special educators understand measurement theory and practices for addressing issues of validity, reliability, norms, bias, and interpretation of assessment results. In addition, special educators understand the appropriate use and limitations of various types of assessments. Special educators collaborate with families and other colleagues to assure non-biased, meaningful assessments and decision-making. Special educators conduct formal and informal assessments of behavior, learning, achievement, and environments to design learning experiences that support the growth and development of individuals with ELN. Special educators use assessment information to identify supports and adaptations required for individuals with ELN to access the general curriculum and to participate in school, system, and statewide assessment programs. Special educators regularly monitor the progress of individuals with ELN in general and special curricula. Special educators use appropriate technologies to support their assessments.

Standard 9: Professional and Ethical Practice

Special educators are guided by the profession’s ethical and professional practice standards. Special educators practice in multiple roles and complex situations across wide age and developmental ranges. Their practice requires ongoing attention to legal matters along with serious professional and ethical considerations. Special educators engage in professional activities and participate in learning communities that benefit individuals with ELN, their families, colleagues, and their own professional growth. Special educators view themselves as lifelong learners and regularly reflect on and adjust their practice. Special educators are aware of how their own and others attitudes, behaviors, and ways of communicating can influence their practice. Special educators understand that culture and language can interact with exceptionalities, and are sensitive to the many aspects of diversity of individuals with ELN and their families. Special educators actively plan and engage in activities that foster their professional growth and keep them current with evidence-based best practices. Special educators know their own limits of practice and practice within them.

Standard 10: Collaboration

Special educators routinely and effectively collaborate with families, other educators, related service providers, and personnel from community agencies in culturally responsive ways. This collaboration assures that the needs of individuals with ELN are addressed throughout schooling. Moreover, special educators embrace their special role as advocate for individuals with ELN. Special educators promote and advocate the learning and well being of individuals with ELN across a wide range of settings and a range of different learning experiences. Special educators are viewed as specialists by a myriad of people who actively seek their collaboration to effectively include and teach individuals with ELN. Special educators are a resource to their colleagues in understanding the laws and policies relevant to Individuals with ELN. Special educators use collaboration to facilitate the successful transitions of individuals with ELN across settings and services.

"Individual with exceptional learning needs" is used throughout to include individuals with disabilities and individuals with exceptional gifts and talents.
"Exceptional Condition" is used throughout to include both single and co-existing conditions. These may be two or more disabling conditions or exceptional gifts or talents coexisting with one or more disabling condition.
"Special Curricula" is used throughout to denote curricular areas not routinely emphasized or addressed in general curricula, e.g., social, communication, motor, independence, self-advocacy.

Email regarding changes in IFST 222/224 impacting CHEP majors

Subject: RE: IFST 222/224

From: “Coll, Kristine” <kritz@UDel.EDU>

Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2005 20:42:06 -0500

To: “Lynn Worden” <worden@UDel.Edu>

To Whom It May Concern:

I have reviewed the curriculum and courses changes proposed by the IFST

department.  The suggested changes to IFST 222 and 224 will not

adversely impact the students in the CHEP major, and therefore I support

the suggested changes.

Sincerely,

Kristine Ritz Coll

Coordinator of the CHEP Major

Email correspondence regarding changes in IFST 452: Assessment of Young Children

From: Deiner, Penny [mailto:pennyd@udel.edu]
Sent: Thurs, November 10, 2005 08:05 AM
To: Thomas DiLorenzo
Cc: Lynn Worden, Beth Morling
Subject: IFST 452

Thank you. If it passes the Senate it will be effective September 2006. Penny

-----Original Message-----
From: Thomas DiLorenzo [mailto:tmd@psych.udel.edu]
Sent: Friday, November 04, 2005 7:47 AM
To: Deiner, Penny
Cc: Beth Morling
Subject: FW: IFST 452

FYI, Tom

From: Beth Morling
Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 10:42 AM
To: Thomas DiLorenzo
Cc: Psychology Advisement
Subject: RE: IFST 452

It’s okay with me too. I will need to know the “effective date”

Beth

From: Thomas DiLorenzo
Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 5:51 AM
To: 'Deiner, Penny'
Cc: Judy Fingerle; Beth Morling
Subject: RE: IFST 452

Penny, I think what you are asking is… “Is it ok to no longer co-list this class?” Correct? If this is your question, it is fine with me. Tom

From: Deiner, Penny [mailto:pennyd@udel.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2005 8:33 PM
To: Thomas DiLorenzo
Cc: Lynn Worden
Subject: IFST 452

Tom,

We teach a course called IFST 452 Assessment of Young Children. This course is co-listed with PSYC 460. We are changing some of our curriculum courses in response to a change in our certification which is moving from birth to kindergarten to birth to second grade. We are proposing changes to the assessment course which ties it more closely to our curriculum. We are hoping to have students see that you assess children’s initial level of performance, teach and then assess what they have learned. Although some general information about assessment per se is included the focus of the course has changed and I don’t believe it will serve your students in the same way it has in the past. We would obviously like to proceed with these changes and we need to know that this would not be a hardship on your students. If you want more information about this let me know and I will provide it for you. Thank you. Penny Deiner

Email correspondence regarding placing ECE students in the College School

From: Worden, Lynn [mailto:worden@udel.edu]
Sent: Monday, November 07, 2005 6:07 PM
To: Jeanne Geddes-Keye
Cc: Angela Case, Marty McDonough, Deborah Seador, Penny Deiner, Cynthia Paris
Subject: Re: Field experiences

Jeanne,
That class sounds perfect for our needs, but we understand that there are no guarantees that you will be able to accommodate our students. I'll make sure that we contact Marty if and when we are ready to request placements in the College School. Thanks.
Lynn

Jeanne Geddes-Key wrote:

Lynn,
We have only one class at The College School that would meet your needs:
* 12 students
* multiage/grade class of 1st, 2nd (and sometimes 3rd) graders.

If we do not have a SOE student teacher in that class and the teacher, Deborah Seador, clinical faculty, is willing, I would be happy to accommodate your students at The College School. The contact person for placements at The College School is Marty McDonough (martymcd@udel.edu). Feel free to contact her in the future about any placement requests.
Jeanne

On Nov 4, 2005, at 9:36 AM, Lynn Worden wrote:

Jeanne,
I don't know if you are aware, but the early childhood major is going through program revisions, partly in response to state certification changing from birth-K to Birth to second grade. In the new program, we will be placing students in first and second grade classrooms for both practica and student teaching. Would it be possible for us to place students in those grades at the College School? Each semester, you would have descretion about the number of students and type of placement. If this sounds feasible, I just need a statement saying that students could be placed there. If you want to meet to discuss it, please let me know. Thanks.
Lynn
--
Lynn J. Worden, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Early Childhood Education Coordinator
Department of Individual and Family Studies
317 Alison Hall
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716
Phone: 302-831-1922
Fax: 302-831-8776

Jeanne E. Geddes-Key
Emily L. Phelps Director
The College School
107 Alison Hall (ALS)
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19716

302.831.1097

Email correspondence regarding POSC 150

From: James Magee [mailto:jjmagee@UDel.Edu]

Sent: Monday, November 21, 2005 8:17 PM

To: Deiner, Penny

Subject: Re: POSC 150

Penny, I don't think this will be a problem. We probably will offer

three large sections in the fall and two more in the spring. I don't see

a problem.

Jim

James Magee

Professor and Chairperson

University of Delaware

Political Science and International Relations

Deiner, Penny wrote:

> Jim,

> I wrote to you about a year ago asking if Individual and Family

> Studies could add POSC 150 as an option to students for a social

> science elective. Their choices are US history. Many of us felt that

> Political Science may be as relevant, or more relevant, than US

> history. We have approximately 40 students a year as freshmen. I don't

> believe all of them would make this choice but we wanted to make it

> available to them. At the point when I asked you did not think this

> would be a problem. Can you tell me if this is still true? Thanks.

Penny

Email regarding removing NTDT/FASH/LEAD requirement

Subject: Changes in the Early Childhood Education Program
From: “Deiner, Penny” <pennyd@UDel.Edu>
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 16:32:34-0500
To: “Karen F Stein” <kstein@UDel.Edu>, <dickson@UDel.Edu>, “Susan J. Hall” <sjhall@UDel.Edu>
CC: “Lynn Worden” <worden@UDel.Edu>, “Tamara Salzbrenner”<tsalz@UDel.Edu>

Dear Marsha, Karen and Susan,

I wish to advise you that there will be a major change in the Early Childhood Education Program. This has come about because the State has changed our certification from Birth – Kindergarten to Birth to Second Grade. This change will require program changes for this certification which will require additional focus in our development and curriculum courses.

Our past requirements required our students to take 3 credits of CNST/LEAD/FASH or NTDT.
We have chosen to replace this requirement with an additional curriculum course.

We believe in the importance of nutrition and fitness awareness, and focus on this topic will be made in our development and curriculum courses. It will be enhanced with our partnership we have recently entered into with Nemours in the area of early childhood obesity prevention. We also instill concepts of leadership and advocacy in our Professional Issues Course.

The initial reasoning for the CNST/LEAD/FASH/NTDT requirement was based on our background in Home Economics. As departments have changed over the years, their curriculums have eliminated such requirements in relation to IFS. The elimination of such a requirement in our program is a change that permits a more effective use of resources for our students.

Penny L. Deiner
Professor and Chair
Individual and Family Studies