Developing Academic Standards for Early Childhood Teaching Credential Programs
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Developing Academic
Standards
for Early Childhood
Teaching Credential
Programs
Out of many, one chosen,
LEADING THE WAY for Arkansas
Community Colleges.
The Arkansas Division of Child Care and Early
Childhood Education issued a call for renewal of
the Arkansas Higher Education Work Group for
the purpose of establishing articulation between
two and four-year colleges and universities.
Trude Puckett from Pulaski Technical College
was nominated to lead the articulation work
group.
The journey began…
The work group determined that the key to
successful articulation was NAEYC Accreditation in
the two-year colleges.
At that time, the only two-year college with
NAEYC Accreditation was Pulaski Technical College.
At the same time…
Arkansas Act 187 determined there was no clear
professional pathway for the education of persons wishing
to work with Birth through Pre-kindergarten children.
The Arkansas Department of Human Services and the
Arkansas Department of Higher Education was charged
with the responsibility for developing the competencies
for the Birth through Pre-kindergarten Act.
A meeting of early childhood leaders in the state was
called to develop competencies for Birth through Pre-
kindergarten Teaching Credential.
The articulation work group was asked to adopt a new purpose and
develop the competencies for the Birth through Pre-kindergarten Teaching
Credential.
An invitation was sent to all community colleges with an AAS degree in
Early Childhood Education, as well as the Arkansas Department of
Education -Special Education, and the Head Start Collaborative
representatives to participate in the development of the competencies for
the credential.
Eleven two-year colleges responded as well as the University of Arkansas
Early Care Education Projects who developed state trainings in Literacy,
Social-Emotional Learning, and Framework training for teachers of Pre-
kindergarten children.
“What sets Arkansas apart is the fact that the state cohort is a voluntary peer group, with no
state agency or foundation supporting the work. The leadership provided by Pulaski Technical
College is remarkable, as is the attitude you model of intrinsic value in the work of self study
for faculty and the value of accreditation for students and the public. Only a few have made it,
but each is finding their own path and timing.”
Alison Lutton, NAEYC Sr. Dir. Higher Ed Accreditation and Program Support
The Articulation Group
• developed the competencies for the teaching credential
• imbedded state trainings within 9 college courses
• aligned competencies to the NAEYC Standards and Supportive
Skills including competencies for children with special needs
and the Head Start and Early Head Start Outcomes
• developed:
• common names
• common course descriptions
• common course competencies
Once the competencies were approved by the Early Childhood
Commission, the group began to consider textbooks that would align
with the competencies identified for each course.
Cengage Learning was among the publishers that presented their
texts to be selected for the 9 courses included in the teaching
credential.
Cengage Learning was selected to provide the textbooks for eleven
courses included in the core courses developed for the Birth through
Pre-kindergarten Teaching Credential.
Keith Tutor, PTC’s Cengage representative, reported the group’s
textbook choices to Michael Stranz, Executive Editor of Custom
Solutions.
Glen Garrett, Celia Lause, Keith Tutor, Christi Stoddart
Michael Stranz, Keith Tutor, and Kara Kindstrom,
Cengage’s Marketing manager for Education, traveled
to Arkansas and introduced the possibilities of
developing custom texts.
Michael suggested that Cengage would develop a
website to include the supportive teaching resources
for each of the courses. But the group needed a name.
The Arkansas Early Childhood Cohort was born.
Insert cengage hyperlink
Cengage Website for AECC
Cengage.com/custom/Portal/AECC/aecc_member_schools.html
This cohort is really a
professional learning community.
The elements of a professional community are:
• reflective dialogue
• Interaction among teacher colleagues
• focus on student learning not on the needs of the
teacher
• deprivatization of practice
• collaboration
• shared values and norms (Roberts & Pruitt, 2003)
“Participation in the Cohort has challenged me to increase my expectation of my
students’ level of performance. Participation in the Cohort has challenged me to
reflect upon my methods and my reasons for individual courses delivered as well
as the assignments required in each course.”
Lora Medina, University of Arkansas College of Technology- McGhee.
Professional Communities-
Reflective dialogue:
• Characterized by ongoing conversation and decision
making about curriculum, teaching and learning that
concentrate on student outcomes. (Roberts & Pruitt, 2003)
• The cohort chose common course names, course
descriptions and course competencies for 9 courses
included in the Birth through Pre-Kindergarten Teaching
Credential.
“The Cohort has given me opportunities to discuss curriculum, practices and
ideas with other early childhood educators as I am a one-person (full-time)
department. I love the support I feel from the group and encouragement.”
Rebecca Evans, Northwest Arkansas Community College
Professional Communities-
Interaction among teacher colleagues:
• It is through interactions among teachers that
professional relationships are developed that encourage
teachers to share ideas, learn from one another and help
out their colleagues. (Roberts & Pruitt, 2003)
• The cohort shared instructional practices, assessments,
rubrics, and developed common course descriptions for
each of the courses included in the credential.
“It has been wonderful discussing all of the courses, making changes and
restructuring our existing programs with new friends that I have made during
this process.”
Mindy Shaw, University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville
“It is a safe place to talk about ideas and concerns with others that understand
and can help brainstorm for solutions and options.”
Rebecca Evans, Northwest Arkansas Community College
Professional Communities-
Focus on student learning not on the needs of the teacher:
• The purpose of all the actions in a professional community
should be the growth and development of all the students.
(Roberts & Pruitt, 2003)
• The cohort shared the successful stories of student learning,
providing meaningful insight to assist in developing the
necessary outcomes in each course.
The college students in our courses are creating better environments for the
children of Arkansas, and providing better models of adult/child interactions
with more appropriate expectations on child development and child guidance for
families .
Lora Medina, University of Arkansas College of Technology- McGhee
Professional Communities-
Deprivatization of practice
• Professional communities are characterized by ongoing
conversations and decisions about curriculum,
teaching, and learning that concentrate on student
outcomes. (Roberts & Pruitt, 2003)
• The cohort embedded the required state professional
development trainings in the appropriate courses. They
changed their courses to meet the state requirements,
not just what they felt was important for their
students to learn.
“ I knew my students would benefit from all that I could learn from the Cohort
members. These college students are creating better environments for the
children of Arkansas, and providing better models of adult/child interactions
with more appropriate expectations on child development and child guidance for
families. This is why I joined the Cohort.”
Lora Medina, University of Arkansas College of Technology- McGhee.
Professional Communities-
Collaborate:
• Collaboration occurs when teachers share instructional
strategies and techniques, make decisions about instructional
issues and come up with ideas that enhance learning for all
members of the school community. (Roberts & Pruitt, 2003)
• The cohort developed assessments and rubrics for each
course’s projects to create a clearer understanding for
students about the desired outcomes for each assignment.
“This cohort has been the most valuable group I have been involved with since
moving into the area of higher education. As the only faculty member for the AAS
program, I came into this position feeling overwhelmed and really had no one on my
campus to talk to about courses, curriculum, students, child care centers,
accreditation, etc.”
Jennie Gates, Arkansas State University-Beebe
Professional Communities-
Shared Values and Norms:
• The members of the professional community agree
about the mission of their schools and the values and
norms that are to shape their behaviors as professionals.
(Roberts & Pruitt, 2003)
• The cohort reached agreement about the mission of the
Early Childhood Programs in the state’s community
colleges.
“Participation in the cohort has challenged me to improve my own teaching
skills. I am constantly trying to address all modalities for my college students.”
Lora Medina, University of Arkansas College of Technology- McGhee
In a professional community the focus of all the actions
should be the growth and development of all the
students. It has the element of the deprivatization of
practice, includes behaviors that lead teachers to open
their practice for observation by other teachers.
Schools as Professional Learning Communities
Roberts, S. M. & Pruitt, E. Z., 2003
“Knowing what others are doing, sharing the work, and having a place of acceptance
are all important to me. I see the need for the 4-year and 2 –year programs to be
collaborative rather than competitive to meet the needs of people who want to
continue on the Bachelor’s level. Besides that they have become my early childhood
circle of friends. What’s more important than that?”
Mardi Crandall, University of Arkansas - Fayetteville
The original purpose of the cohort was to create and complete the
competencies for the Birth through Pre-kindergarten Teaching
Credential and aligned the competencies to the NAEYC Standards
and Head Start outcomes.
The cohort achieved its purpose.
“Now what?”
At a recent meeting a vote was taken about continuing the monthly
meetings. The response was overwhelmingly “YES!”
The cohort will continue with its original goal of articulation and
assisting member’s efforts to prepare their programs for NAEYC
accreditation. The members indicated they felt empowered to
return to their colleges and implement the work that has been
completed on this journey.
During the time the cohort has existed, Southeast Arkansas
Community College and the University of Arkansas Community
College at Morrilton have been awarded their NAEYC
accreditation.
Five colleges represented in the cohort have applied for and
received permission from the Arkansas Department of Higher
Education to offer the Birth through Pre-kindergarten teaching
Credential within their AAS degree.
“We all come from different campuses and so we still have individual
issues that are specific to our own campus but we have many issues
that we all can relate to. To be reminded monthly that I’m not alone
and I’m not the only one dealing with these issues has provided me
with so much peace as I go through this process. I can say 100% say
that my program would not be where it is today if I had not had the
opportunity to work with this cohort.”
Jennie Gates, Arkansas State University-Beebe
Trude Puckett, MSE
AAT Coordinator/Instructor
Early Childhood Development
Pulaski Technical College
Dr. Jeanne Williams
Education Program Director
Pulaski Technical College
Roberts, S.M.,& Pruitt, E. Z. (2003). Schools as professional learning communities:
Collaborative Activities and Strategies for professional development.
Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press, Inc.
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