Overview/Key Points of Today’s Presentation

1. Understanding Early Childhood Unified (ECU) Teacher Training Programs in Kansas: Meeting Standards and Assessing Student Competencies Presented at Kansas Early Childhood Advisory Council Professional Development Work Group Topeka, Kansas November 15, 2013

2. Overview/Key Points of Today’s Presentation Definition of ECU Licensure Programs Program Approval Process(es) ECU Teacher Standards Linking of Standards to Program Outcome/Program Assessment Transition Point as Teacher Candidates Move through Program(s) Understanding of “who” (i.e., for what roles) we are preparing ECHO Website – A Resource for the State

4. Early Childhood Unified (ECU) (birth through kindergarten) – highly qualified to work with all infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergartners including those with at risk for and with developmental delays or disabilities. Early Childhood Unified (ECU) (birth through grade three) – highly qualified to work with all infants, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergartners, and primary learners (i.e., 1st through 3rd graders) including those with at risk for and with developmental delays or disabilities.

5. http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=303

6. The University’s Job • Any university can grant degrees based on its own policies and requirements. • However, in Kansas, teaching licenses are granted by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE).

7. Two Accrediting Bodies for Teacher Training Programs • Each university in Kansas is required to demonstrate and provide evidence that they are preparing well qualified teachers. • There are two accrediting (or watchdog) organizations that must grant approval in order for candidates from the universities to be licensed. • These organizations are the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

8. Sample Standards

9. Review of evidence provided by institutions to show that candidates have met requirements Review of evidence provided by institutions to show that candidates have met requirements of 6-8 assessments including student data for the past 3 years Program Approval Campus visit where team members from both organizations further review programs and interview students, faculty, and other stakeholders.

10. Take Away Points • Approval is based on the assessments, not course names, so the programs at different universities look significantly different from one another. • It is often difficult for students to transfer from one university to another

11. Accountability • Kansas holds each program accountable for producing students who meet KSDE standards. • Each program must create assessments that allow students to demonstrate competency in each standard. • Assessments are aligned to KSDE standards as well as the individual institution’s conceptual framework and predominate type NCATE knowledge/ (CAEP) standard.

14. Washburn University, B-Grade 3 Unified Assessment Transition Points for Candidate Performance – Initial Drs. Michael Rettig and Judith McConnell-Farmer

15. Kansas State University, B to K Unified Assessment Transition Points for Candidate Performance – Initial Drs. Mary DeLuccie & Bronwyn Fees

16. “Who” (i.e., for what roles) Are We Preparing? • Birth to Three Year Olds • Early care and education for infants/toddlers • Infant/Toddler Early Intervention Services (Part C of IDEA) • Early Head Start • Parents as Teachers

17. “Who” (i.e., for what roles) Are We Preparing? • Three to Five Year Olds • Early care and education • Early Childhood Special Education (Part B of IDEA) – inclusive/reverse mainstream • Head Start • Kansas Preschool Program (Kansas Pre-K Program) • State Pre-Kindergarten Program (Four Year Old At-Risk) • Early Childhood Special Education Itinerant

18. “Who” (i.e., for what roles) Are We Preparing? • Kindergarten through Third Grade • Kindergarten teacher • First, Second, and Third Grade Teacher • Inclusive primary Teacher • Resource/Support Teacher

19. ECHO Website: http://echo.lsi.ku.edu

21. ECHO Website: http://echo.lsi.ku.edu

30. Acknowledgments This presentation is supported in part by: ECHO a project of the University of Kansas and was originally supported by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), through Grant # H323A990009-02B from the U.S. Department of Education. Currently this project is supported by KSDE through the Kansas Inservice Training System grant (Grant #21013) as a part of the Kansas Technical Assistance System Network (TASN). Early Childhood Personnel Center a project (Grant # H325B120004) supported by the U.S. Department of Education through a grant to the University of Connecticut with contracts to Florida State University, University of Kansas, and University of Oregon. Opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views, positions, or policies of the Kansas State Department of Education or the U.S. Department of Education.