Valuing Early Learning and Child Care in Action

1. Valuing Early Learning and Child Care in Action Collaborative Assessment Tool

2. Agenda • Overview of the CAT • History of CAT • Purpose of CAT • Structure of the CAT • Reflective Practice • The Process • Documentation • Break Out Session/Questions

3. What is the CAT? • CAT = Collaborative Assessment Tool • The CAT is a companion curriculum document to the New Brunswick Curriculum Framework for Early Learning and Childcare – English and the professional support documents. • (See page 2)

4. History of the CAT:UNB Process • 2010: Initial meeting with Coordinators, Centre Directors, educators, UNB, and the Department. • The following question was asked: When we walk into a child care centre , how do we know the curriculum is being enacted ? • Participants brainstormed evidence they would see and constructed groups that produced the following categories: Valuing Children, Valuing Environments, Valuing Interactions and Relationships, Valuing Culture and Languages, and Valuing Documentation.

5. History of the CAT:UNB Process (cont’d) • 2010-2011 A draft document was created and pilot sites were determined working in partnership with coordinators. • Pilot sites were given time to implement working closely with Coordinators and Early Learning Advisors. • In April 2011, Coordinator’s met to report on their regional experiences implementing the CAT. • The CAT draft went through intensive review and editing until November 2013 when it was published as the tool we are looking at now.

6. History of the CAT • Pilot participants (see page 1):

7. Structure • The CAT is divided into three sections: • 1. Working with the CAT – pages 2-5 • 2. Valuing – Documentation, Children, Interactions and Relationships, Culture and Languages, and Environments pages 6-11 • 3. Broad Based Learning Goals- Well-Being, Play and Playfulness, Communication and Literacies, Diversity and Social Responsibility pages 12-15

8. Who will Use the CAT?

9. How will Operators and Administrators Use the CAT? • Celebrate strengths and identify areas for growth and improvement in the centre • Monitor the implementation of the NBCF-E • Identify and reflect on areas of change that may be needed to current policies, practices and procedures in centres • Support educators in their own use of the CAT • Evaluate educators’ growth, learning and engagement

10. How Will Educators Use the CAT? • Reflect on their practice to: • Determine areas of focus • Identify support needed • Plan and implement curriculum • Document to make learning visible to children, educators, families, and community

11. How Will ECS Coordinators Use the CAT? • Monitor the implementation of the NBCF-E by centre administrators/operators, and educators for compliance to Regulation 83-85 under the Family Services Act • Assess educators’ and directors’ growth, learning and engagement in order to determine required compliance items • Provide consultation to help determine supports needed to meet compliance requirements.

12. How Will ELC Advisors Use the CAT? What: Support the implementation of the CAT. Who: Directors of licensed early learning and childcare programs. When: Once directors have decided on an area of focus or inquiry and they have determined the support required. How: Through individual director support i.e. conversation via phone, email, and in centres.

13. How exactly do you USE the CAT? Am I…? • Questioning • Participating • Modeling See page 4 of the CAT

14. How exactly do you USE the CAT?(cont’d) • First revisit: • CAT document • NBCF-E • Professional Curriculum Support documents

15. How exactly do you USE the CAT?(cont’d) • Decide on an area of focus or inquiry • Determine support required (collaboration with fellow educators, directors, families, ECS Coordinators, ELC Advisors, community partners) • Implement your plan • Document what happened in a range of ways (think about the learning; your own and the children’s) see p. 6 & 7

16. Ask yourself how your centre will document your curriculum strengths, plans, and learning. Think about: • Curriculum work as being continuous and occurring over time • Valuing strengths, curiosities, questions and anxieties • Creating space and time to learn through self, team, and centre-based reflection, conversations, and documentation

17. Documenting Your Focus of Inquiry • Educator/administrator professional portfolio • May be in the form of a binder or accordion file (think about ease of storage, display, transportation) • Include examples of educator learning stories, photographs, group documentation and tools. • Other possibilities for making your learning visible will be contained in your portfolio

18. What happens tomorrow…? • Distribute CAT to each educator • Explore the CAT • Week 1 and 2 – go through page 8 and 9, Valuing Children, Interactions and Relationships, Culture and Languages • Week 3 – go through page 10 and 11, Valuing Environments • Week 4 – go through page 6, Valuing Documentation *Handout *Follow-up meetings to be held in October

19. Planning templates • Tools: • Template to help guide your use of the CAT for educators administrators • Add to portfolio

20. Break Out • Questions and discussion • Regroup • THANK YOU!!!