Post on 27-Jun-2020
1
SHORELINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Early Childhood Education PROGRAM REVIEW
June6,2019
BYEDPHIPPEN
PHIPPENCONSULTING,LLC
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND PRIORITY SUGGESTIONS 3
PROGRAM REVIEW FINDINGS 4
INTRODUCTION 7
METHODOLOGY 7
CURRICULUM 8
ASSESSING STUDENT LEARNING 9
EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES 11
STUDENT DATA TRENDS 12
FACULTY 18
RESOURCES 20
PARTNERSHIPS 20
PROGRAM SERVICES 21
COMPETITION 21
LABOR MARKET OPPORTUNITIES 22
3
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND PRIORITY SUGGESTIONS
Overall Observations
TheEarlyChildhoodEducationProgram(ECE)offerstwoassociatedegrees(EarlyChildhoodEducatorandSpecialEducation),andfourECErelatedcertificatesregulatedbythestate:InitialECE,ShortECEGeneral,ShortECEInfant/Toddler,andECE.ThesefourcertificatesarestackableandarticulatetotheAAAS.TheprogramalsooffersaChildAdvocacyStudiescertificate,whichisunrelatedtoECE.Finally,theprogramhasaParaeducatorAAASonthebooks,butitiscurrentlysuspendedasfacultyawaitresolutiononstateregulations.
TheShoreline’sECEprogramhasthedistinctionofbeingtheonlyonlineECEprograminWashingtonState.Manystudentsandalumninotedthatthisprogramwastheonlyoneaccessibletoworkingadultsandparents.It’sworthnotingthatthereisapopulationofstudentsinShoreline’sserviceareawhochoosenottoattendShorelinebecausethereisnoface-to-faceoption.Thisprogramreviewdidnotattempttodetermineifthispopulationwassufficienttorunaface-to-faceprogram.
Facultyinthisprogramhavebeenunderanextraordinaryamountofstressoverthepastdecadeastheywereforcedtoadapttheirprogramtorespondtoissuesoutsideoftheircontrol.Thisincludes:newstateregulations;newCityofSeattleregulations;newprofessionalstandards;andnewfour-yearcollegearticulationrequirements.Aswillbedescribedmorefullybelow,manyofthesechangeswerecontradictory.Inonedemoralizingcase,stateadministratorstappedShorelinefacultytodevelopaprogramofstudyinresponsetonewregulatorystandardsfortheParaeducatorAAASwhichwerethencompletelydisregardedbythestate.
AllofthesechangesrequiredShorelinetomoveawayfromacentralaspectofitsprogramthatmadeituniqueandthatfacultyhighlyvalued:thebilingual/biculturalECEAAAS.ThisdegreenotonlywasavaluableaspectofShoreline’sprogrambutwasanimportantfacettoservingPugetSound’sdiverseandgrowingcommunities.
Priority Suggestion 1: Continue evolving curriculum and program offerings to meet state regulations and student demands.
Toadapttothenewstateregulations,facultyhavebeenextensivelyrevisingthecurriculumsince2010.Thisincludesmostrecentlycreatingfournewstackablecertificates(theStateInitialECECertificate,theStateShortECECertificate,theStateShortECECertificate–InfantsandToddlers,andtheStateECECertificate).Theyalsohadtoincorporatealmost50newlystandardizedcreditsintotheirAAASdegrees.
Whilethemostextensivecurriculumchangesarebehindthem,facultyagreedthatadditionalworkisnecessarytocompletetherevisions.
Suggestions
1.1 Ensuringthe30creditsoftheAAASthatthestatedoesnotstandardizealignstothetransferrequirementsoflocalECEappliedbaccalaureates(especiallyNorthSeattle,Edmonds,andPierceCollege).(pp.8-9)
1.2 MaptheAAASprogramlearningoutcomestothecourselearningoutcomes.FacultydiscussedworkingwithShoreline’sCollegeInstitutionalAssessmentstafftousetheirprocessandtoolsandincorporatingECE’sadvisorycommittee
4
intothisreview.FacultyintendtolinkthismappingwiththepreviousbulletsothatthemappingandalignmentwithBASarecoordinated.(p.9)
1.3 ConsiderlaunchingtheStateECEcertificateforadministratorstorespondtostudentinterestexpressedintheformerandcurrentstudentsurveys.(p.9)
1.4 TheECEdepartmenthoststheChildAdvocacyStudiescertificate.FacultyintheprogramarguethatthiscertificateisnotrelatedtoECEinawaythatismoresignificantthanitsrelationshiptootherprogramsatthecollege,noECEfacultyorassociatefacultyteachintheprogram,andonlyoneofthecoursesrequiredforthiscertificateoverlapwithrequirementsintheECEprogram.AdministratorsshouldconsidermovingthiscertificatetotheCriminalJusticedepartmentandremovingMs.Peace-Gladstoneasanadvisor.(p.9)
Priority Suggestion 2: Administrators should prepare for imminent faculty retirements
Shoreline’stwofull-timefacultysharedduringthereviewthattheyareconsideringretiringintheshort-term.Theycontainawealthofexperienceandknowledgeregardingthisprogram.Theprogramcurrentlyhasoneadditionalfacultymember,anassociateinstructorteachingonanad-hocbasis.
Suggestions
2.1Administratorswillneedtodeterminewhethertheyplantocontinuethisprogramafterthecurrentfacultyretire.(p.19)
2.2Iftheyhavedoplantocontinuetheprogram,theyshouldconsiderimplementingknowledgetransferstrategiesnow,suchasincreasingtheFTEloadofassociateinstructors.(p.19)
2.3IncreasingtheFTEloadofassociateinstructorswouldnotonlyincreaseknowledgetransfer,butcouldhelpdelayretirements.(p.19)
Priority Suggestion 3: Ensure website is up to date
Thevastmajorityofprospectivestudentsfindandexploreprofessional-technicalprogramsafterawebsearch.DuringtheprogramreviewwediscoveredthattheECEwebsitedidnothighlightthatthiswasanonlineonlyprogram.BecausestateregulationsarebeginningtoforceECEprogramsintouniformity,thisisaclearwaytodistinguishShoreline’sprogram.
Suggestions
3.1Ensurethewebsiteisaccurateanduptodate.(p.22)
Program Review Findings
Program Level Findings
1. Consideraddingaface-to-facecomponent.ThiscouldboostenrollmentwhileallowingShorelinetoaddanIBESTcomponenttotheirprogramtobettermeetstudentneeds.(p.10)
2. Programenrollmentincreasedbymorethan17percentbetweenAY2012and2017.Themajorityofthisincreaseoccurredwhenthenewstatecertificatescameonline.(pp.13-14)
5
3. ECEstudentscompletecertificatesanddegreesatasignificantlyhigherratethanShorelineProf-Techstudentsoverall.Thismaybeattributedtotheautomaticconferralofcertificates.(pp.14-15)
Employment Findings
1. Ahighpercentageofalumniandformerstudentsurveyrespondentsindicatedtheywereworkinginanoccupationrelatedtotheaccountingfield(25outof43respondents).(p.12)
2. Until2015,programcompletersgainedemploymentatamuchhigherratethanleavers.Thechangesoccurringin2015andlatermayberelatedtothetighteninglabormarket.(pp.12-13)
Student/Course Level Findings
1. Thisprogramteachesmorestudentsofcolorandmorementhanwhatisfoundinindustry.ThisprovidesgreatlyneededdiversitytothePugetSound’sECElabormarket.(p.8)
2. Themajorityofcurrentstudents(70percent)areworkingwhileattendingschool.(p.8)
3. ECE132haslowenrollment.Considerofferingiteveryotheryearduringthesummerquarter.(p.18)
4. EDUC202andEDUC210havelowenrollmentbutarerequiredforoneorbothoftheAAASdegrees.(p.18)
5. Toboostenrollment,consideraddingaface-to-faceorhybridoptionorconsiderseekingadditionaladministrativesupportnecessarytoresumeofferingtheEarlyAchieversScholarship.(p.13)
Faculty Findings
1. Onlyoneofthetwofull-timefacultyfullyparticipatedinthisprogramreview(theotherwasdealingwithpersonalissues).Shewasengaged,thoughtful,andhadagoodunderstandingoftheneedsofstudentsandemployers.(p.18)
2. Thefacultyofthisprogramaretobecommendedforsuccessfullymanagingtheprogramthroughalmostadecadeofturbulenttimes.(p.18)
3. Facultyuseprofessionaldevelopmentresourcestostayuptodatewithemergingtrendsinthefield(p.20)
6
Resource Findings
1. ECEistaughtfullyonlineandfacultyarepleasedwithonlinetoolsavailabletothem.(p.20)
2. Thefacultymemberparticipatinginthereviewrequestedavideocameraforherofficeandassociatedtrainingforitsuse.(p.20)
Partnerships
1. FacultyareactivelyseekingnewmembersfortheECEadvisorycommitteetogrowitfromitscurrentthree.(p.20)
2. Twomembersofthecommitteewereinterviewedandwereengagedintheprogram.(p.20-21)
3. OnememberisaninstructoratSeattleCentralCollege,anunusualarrangementthatprovidesbenefitstofacultybutgetsawayfromtheintentoftheadvisorycommittee.(p.21)
Program Services
1. Respondentstothestudentsurveyindicatedacomparablelevelofsatisfactionwithprogramservicesrelativetootherprogramreviews.(p.21)
2. Onethemeoftheprogramserviceswasastudentdesiretohaveassignmentspostedmorethanoneweekinadvanceoftheduedate.(p.21)
Competition
1. Shorelinestudentsreportedpickingtheschoolbecauseofbothlocationandquality.(p.23)
2. Shoreline’sonlineprogramwasnotedbystudentsandalumnitobeimportantprogramcomponents.(p.23)
3. Onecurrentstudentsurveyrespondentnotedthefriendlinessofasecretaryat
Shorelineasthereasontheychosetheschool.(p.23)
Labor Market Opportunities
1. TheCIPtoSOCtranslationofthisprogramlinksittooccupationsthatrequireabachelor’sdegreeataminimumforemployment.Thisshouldberemedied.(pp.22-23)
2. Theadvisorycommitteemembersintervieweddescribedalabormarketwithsufficientopportunitiesfornewgraduatesandmanyincumbentworkersseekingtoupgradecredentialstomeetnewregulatoryrequirements.(p.23)
7
INTRODUCTION
Inanefforttomaintainthehighestqualitypost-secondaryeducationandmeetregulatoryrequirements,ShorelineCommunityCollegehiredPhippenConsulting,LLCinspringof2019toconductaprogramreviewofitsEarlyChildhoodEducation(ECE)Program.
METHODOLOGY
Meetings
• Oneone-and-a-half-hourmeetingwithDivisionDean,programco-chairs,andInstitutionalReviewstafftoidentifymajorissuesoffocus.
• Twotwo-hourmeetingswithstaffandfacultytodiscussallaspectsoftheirprogram.
• TwothirtyminuteinterviewswithtwomembersoftheECEDAdvisoryCommittee.
Documents Reviewed
• Onesurveyofcurrentstudents(n=30,17percentresponserate)
• Onesurveyofalumniandformerstudents(n=50,8percentresponserate)
• Studentdemographicdata
• Classcancellationandwaitlists
• Studentcompletiondata
• StudentcompletionratiosforACCT,Shoreline,andthestate
• Studentgradedistributions
• Comparativedataonstudent-facultyratios
• Comparativedataonfull-timetopart-timefacultyratios
• Programandcourselevelfillrates
• Labormarketdata
• JobopeningsdatafromEMSI
• Programlevellearningoutcomes
• Collegeandprogramwebsiteandplanningguides
• AnnualizedFTEs,headcount,andpercentofenrollmentbyprogramandbycertificate/degree
8
Surveys
Theprograminstitutedanalumniandcurrentstudentsurveythisyear(seetheseparatedocument,“ECEDSurveys”foracopyofthesurveyresults).SurveysweredistributedbyShoreline’sMarketingandCommunicationsDepartmentusingMailChimpandSurveyMonkey.Oneemailandonefollow-upemailweresenttobothcurrentandformerstudentsresultinginaresponserateof17percentforcurrentstudentsand8percentforformerstudents.
CURRICULUM
Curriculum Review
Thisprogramhasgonethroughconsiderablechangesince2010.Becauseofnewandevolvingregulationsatthestatelevel,theprogramwasrequiredtoextensivelymodifyawell-establishedprogramthatincluded:
• Bilingual/biculturalEarlyChildhoodEducation(ECE)AssociateofAppliedArtsDegree(AAAS);and
• ECE/ParaeducatorAAAS
TheBilingual/BiculturalECEAAASwasthecenterpieceofthisprogram.Itofferedskillstoearlychildhoodeducatorsthatensuredtheywouldbeabletoworkwithandadvocateforchildrenandfamiliesfromallbackgrounds,desperatelyneededinthisrapidlydiversifyingstate.ItwasalsotheonlyprogramofitskindinWashingtonState,providingawaytodifferentiateitselffromotherearlychildhoodeducationprograms.Thisdegreenolongerexists.
TheECE/ParaeducatorAAASwasmodifiedtobecometheexistingECEAAAS.
Toadapttothenewstateregulations,facultyhavebeenextensivelyrevisingthecurriculumsince2010.Thisincludescreatingthreenewstackablecertificates(theStateInitialECECertificate,theStateShortECECertificate,theStateShortECECertificate–InfantsandToddlers,andtheStateECECertificate).Theyalsohadtoincorporatealmost50newlystandardizedcreditsintotheirAAAS.
Whilethemostextensivecurriculumchangesarebehindthem,facultyagreedthatadditionalworkisnecessarytocompletetherevisions.Thisincludes:
• Ensuringthe30creditsoftheAAASthatthestatedoesnotstandardizealignstothetransferrequirementsoflocalECEappliedbaccalaureates(especiallyNorthSeattle,Edmonds,andPierceCollege).
• MaptheAAASprogramlearningoutcomestothecourselearningoutcomes.FacultydiscussedworkingwithShoreline’sCollegeInstitutionalAssessmentstafftousetheirprocessandtoolsandincorporatingECE’sadvisorycommitteeintothisreview.FacultyintendtolinkthismappingwiththepreviousbulletsothatthemappingandalignmentwithBASarecoordinated.
• ConsiderlaunchingtheStateECEcertificateforadministratorstorespondtostudentinterestexpressedintheformerandcurrentstudentsurveys.
TheECEdepartmentalsohoststheChildAdvocacyStudiescertificate.Thepurposeofthisiscertificateistoteachstudentshowtocontributetotheworkofdifferentchildprotection
9
agencies.Studentsgainskillsneededtoidentifychildabuseandneglect,reportabuseandprotectchildrenfromfurtherharm.FacultyintheprogramarguethatthiscertificateisnotrelatedtoECEanymorethanotherprogramsatthecollege.NoECEfacultyorassociatefacultyteachintheprogram,andonlyoneofthecoursesrequiredforthiscertificateoverlapwithrequirementsintheECEprogram.OneoftheECEfaculty,BettyPeace-Gladstone,islistedasanadvisorinthisprogrambuthasnoexpertiseabouttheoccupationorcareerpath.AdministratorsshouldconsidermovingthiscertificatetotheCriminalJusticedepartmentandremovingMs.Peace-Gladstoneasanadvisor.
ASSESSING STUDENT LEARNING
Grades
AnexaminationofECEcoursesuccessandgradesrevealsthatECEpassratesandgradesareslightlylowerthanallShorelineProfessional-Technicalprogramsduringthesametimeperiod.Duringthediscussionregardingstudentlearning,facultysharedthattheyuserubricsfortheircourses.Thedifferenceingradescouldbeoccurringbecauseofthesmallernumberofstudentsintheprogram,relativetoallProfessional-Technicalprograms.
ECECourseSuccessbyAcademicYear
10
Professional-TechnicalProgramCourseSuccessbyAcademicYear
11
Gradedistributionsinthefollowingtablerevealfairlyconsistentandobjectivegradingpracticesfromyear-to-year.Thesmallamountofyear-to-yearvariabilityisattributedtotherelativelysmallnumbersofstudentswithECEcoursetakers.
ECE (Course Takers) Prof-Tech
EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES
Tounderstandemploymentoutcomes,twodatasourcesaretypicallyused.First,ECEalumnisurveyresponsesregardingtheiremploymentstatusisconsidered.Rememberingthatthealumniresponseratewasquitelow(eightpercent),theresultsreportedwerenotgeneralizable.
Whenrespondingtoanopen-endedquestionabouttheircurrentjobsandresponsibilities,29outof40respondentsindicatedtheywereworkinginaoccupationrelatedtotheECEprogram.Thisisahighcorrelationandofferssomeevidenceregardingtherelevancyoftheprogramandthetightaccountinglabormarket.
TheseconddatasourceistheDataLinkingforOutcomesAssessmentdatabasecompiledbytheWashingtonStateBoardforCommunityandTechnicalCollegeslinkingprogramoutcomesandemploymentdata.Thisdatashowstheemploymentoutcomesforalumnithatcompletedtheirdegreeorcertificate.Thedatadoesnotshowwhatjobstheseindividualshave.
12
Academic Year Estimated Employment
Rate for Completers
Estimated Employment
Rate for Leavers
2012-2013 96% 66%
2013-2014 77% 76%
2014-2015 93% 63%
2015-2016 61% 100%
2016-2017 37% 61%
Until2015,completersgainedemploymentgenerallyatamuchhigherratethanleavers.In2015,leaversalsobegangainingemploymentatahighrate.Theadvisorycommitteeandfacultyindicatethatthisislikelybecauseofthetighteninglabormarket.Thevarianceintheratesfromyeartoyearindicatethiscouldalsobebecauseoftherelativelylownumberofpeopleincludedinthedata,rangingbetweensixand15individuals.
Completers–AverageWages(2012-2016)
CompletionYear Completers Leavers
2012-2013 $16.49 $14.79
2013-2014 $14.33 $20.36
2014-2015 $20.91 $22.08
2015-2016 $20.30 $16.19
2016-2017 $27.62 $25.73
Reportedwagesforthisprogramwerestrongforbothcompletersandleavers.Leaverswagestrengthmaybeattributedtotheminimumwageincreasesaswellasthetighteninglabormarket.
STUDENT DATA TRENDS
Enrollment
Asthefollowingtableshows,ECEFTEenrollmentincreasedbyover17percentbetweenAY2012and2017.Notethatthisincreaseoccursaroundthetimethatthenewstatecertificatescomeonline.Shoreline’sprofessional-technicalprogramsonaveragedecreasedby4percentduringthesametimeperiod.
13
FTEbyAcademicYear
ECED Prof-Tech
ThefollowingtablecomparesShorelineECE’sFTEwithotherlocalcolleges.Shoreline’sprogramisthesmallestoflocalcolleges.ThisislikelyattributabletoShoreline’ssmallservicearea.Facultyalsosharedthateachyeartheyreferstudentsseekingaface-to-faceexperiencetoothercolleges.However,theyalsogainstudentseachyearbecauseShoreline’sprogramisonlineonly.Whileit’sdifficulttodeterminethedegreetowhichhavinganonlineonlyprogramaffectsenrollment,it’sconceivablethatifsufficientdemandexisted,addingaface-to-facecomponentcouldboostenrollment.Addingaface-to-facecomponentwouldalsoallowShorelinetoaddanIBESTcomponenttotheirprogram,whichcouldalsoexpandenrollment.
OnefactoraffectingenrollmentistheEarlyAchieversscholarship.Thisstatescholarshipisallocatedtoschoolsbasedondistrictsize–ShorelinewasallocatedscholarshipsforfiveFTE.Facultynotedthatwhiletheoneyeartheyofferedthescholarshiptheirenrollmentjumped,thescholarshiprequiresanadministrativeburdenthatisdifficulttofulfillonthesmallnumberofscholarshipsallocatedtoShorelinewithoutadditionaladministrativesupport.
Whilemostprogramsgrewsteadilyduringthestudyperiod,it’sworthnotingthatNorthSeattleCollege’sprogramgrowth(170percentincreaseinFTE)islikelyattributedtolaunchingtheirappliedbaccalaureateprogramduringthistimeperiod.Also,thereadershouldnotethattheFTEreportedbelow,whichcomefromstaterecords,aremuchlowerthanthosereportedabove,whichcomefromShorelinerecords.Thedatabelowshouldbeusedforcomparativepurposes.
14
FTEComparisonbyYear
ShorelineCommunityCollege
BellevueCollege
NorthSeattleCollege
EdmondsCommunityCollege
EverettCollege
LakeWashingtonInstituteofTechnologyCollege
SeattleCentralCollege
2014-15 21.4 64.8 42.4 61.4 54.0 27.8 21.6
2015-16 17.0 61.2 60.5 52.1 69.1 33.0 38.5
2016-17 27.4 57.0 107.4 56.4 73.9 43.8 57.5
2017-18 29.0 49.1 115.0 52.6 73.3 39.4 52.5
Student Demographics
WhileECEnolongerofferstheirbi-cultural/bilingualcurriculum,theprogramstilldoesanexcellentjobofattractingadiversestudentbodytotheprogram.Dependingontheyear,studentethnicityrangesbetween39to50percentnon-white,comparedtonationalindustryaverageof38percentnon-white.1Regardinggender,theprogramrangesfrom67to80percentfemale,comparedtoindustry,whichwas98percentfemalein2016.Itdoesoffergreatereconomicdiversity(asmeasuredbyPellEligibility)thanShorelineasawhole.ThisprogramhasagreaterpercentageofyoungerstudentsthanoverallProfessional-Technicalprogramsonaverage,whichisgoodforindustrydiversityastheaverageageisover38years.
ECEAge
1 Industry comparisons in this section are from https://datausa.io/profile/soc/preschool-kindergarten-teachers downloaded May 2019.
15
Prof-TechAge
ECESex
16
Prof-TechSex
ECERace/Ethnicity
Prof-TechRace/Ethnicity
17
ACCTPellEligibility Prof-TechPellEligibility
Morethan70percentoftherespondentstothecurrentstudentsurveyreportedtheywereworkingwhileattendingschool.Elevenof17respondentsindicatedtheywereworkingmorethan20hoursperweek.Thisispossiblebecauseoftheonlinenatureoftheprogram,andmanystudentsandalumniindicatedthatthisflexibilityallowedthemtopursuetheireducationwhileworking.
Completion Data
ThefollowingtablecomparestheECEprogram’sratioofstudentsperworkforcecertificatesanddegreesearnedtoShorelineProfessional-Technicalstudentsandthestateasawhole.ECEstudentscompletecertificatesanddegreesatahighratecomparedtoShorelineProfessional-Technicalstudentsandstatewideaverages.
AllWorkforceCertificatesandDegrees
2012-2013
2013-2014
2014-2015
2015-2016
2016-2017
2017-2018
State Ratio 21%. 20% 20% 22% 20% 20%
Shoreline
Completions 1.317 1,229 1,273 1,164 1,300 1,204.Headcount 5,203 4,681 4,205 4,132 4,862 5,089Ratio 26% 26% 30% 28% 27% 24%.
ECE
Completions 24 28 42 24 26 59Headcount 79 78 73 61 75 86Ratio 30% 36% 58% 39% 35% 69%
ThehighcompletionrateintheECEprogramcanlargelybeattributedtothehighnumberofcertificatesthatareautomaticallyconferredasstudentsworktheirwaythroughtheprogram,asdemonstratedinthefollowingtable.
18
2012-2013
2013-2014
2014-2015
2015-2016
2016-2017
2017-2018
Bilingual/Bicultural Ed - AAAS 2
Early Childhood Ed/ParaEd-AAAS 6 10 12 7 6 12 Educ-Special Education - AAAS 4 2 5 3 1 3 Child Care Professional-Crt Pr 1 3 1
Early Childhood Basics-ST Cert 11 16 22 14 5 1 State Initial ECE - CC 10 22 State Short ECE General-CC 3 16 State Early Childhood Ed Cert 5
Fill Rates
Fillratesaredeterminedbycomparingthenumberofstudentsenrolledinacourseduringanacademicyear,withthatcourse’scapacityfortheyear.Threecourseshadrelativelylowfillrates:
• ECE132(InfantToddlerCare)ispartoftheinfanttoddlercertificate.Thecoursewascancelledearlierthisyearduetolowenrollment.Facultydiscussedandshouldconsiderrunningthecourseeveryotheryearinthesummerquarter.
• EDUC202(IntroductiontoEducation)isnolongerrequiredforthestatemandatedcertificatesortheECEAAAS.EDUC210(BestPracticesinSpecialEducation)isrequiredonlyfortheSpecialEducationAAAS.Also,collegesarenotacceptingthiscoursefortransfercreditsattheratestheyhadinthepast.Facultywereawareofthelowratesfortheseclasses.EachisofferedonlyonceperyearbutbecausetheyarerequiredfortheAAASitisnotpossibletocancelthemwithoutremovingtheAAASdegree.
ShouldtheParaeducatorAAAS,thatiscurrentlyonhold,beactivatedfacultyanticipatethattheEDUC202classwillexperienceanincreaseinenrollment.
FACULTY
OneofECE’stwofull-timeinstructorsfullyparticipatedintheprogramreview(theotherwasdealingwithpersonalissues).Shewasengaged,thoughtful,andhadagoodunderstandingoftheneedsofstudentsandemployers.ECEcurrentlyhasoneassociatefacultywithnoregularteachingloadservingonanas-neededbasis.
Thefacultyofthisprogramaretobecommendedforsuccessfullymanagingtheprogramthroughturbulenttimes.Thesedays,toclaimanindustryorfieldisrapidlyevolvingisabitcliché.Allindustriesarerapidlyevolvingastheyincorporatenewtechnologiesandrespondtoemergingtrends.
WhatdistinguishesEarlyChildhoodEducationfromotherfieldsistherapidlyexpandingandevolvingstateandlocalregulatoryframeworksdrivingearlychildhoodeducation,coupledwiththeevolvingnormsintheprofession.In20yearsofexperienceintheworkforcedevelopmentfield,thisevaluatorhasnotseeneducatorshavetoreact
19
totheseexternaland,insomecases,contradictorypressures.Itisanextraordinarymoment.Thechangestheyhavehadtorespondtoinclude:
• Inthemid-90’sthenationalaccreditingbodyforearlychildhoodeducation(theNationalAssociationfortheEducationofYoungChildren)beganrequiringearlychildhoodeducationteacherstohaveorgainabaccalaureatedegree.
• In2010theStateofWashingtonbeganregulatingcollegeearlychildhoodeducationcurriculum.TheseregulationsrequiredanextensivechangeofShoreline’searlychildhoodeducationcurriculum,includingremovingthebicultural/bilingualAAASdegree.
TheseregulationsalsorequiredShorelinetomovefromfive-creditcoursestothree-creditcourses.Thischangeincreditload,whilebeneficialtostudents,requiresfacultytoteachanextraclasstomaintainafull-teachingloadatShorelineandlimitstheamountoftimetheyusedtohaveforprogrammanagement.Thischangealsoaddsbarriersthatpreventgraduatesfromarticulatingtouniversity-basedbaccalaureate-degreegrantingprograms.CurriculumchangesrequiredbythenewregulationsmovetheECEandSpecialEducationAAASdegreestowardsaterminalstatus,oratbest,anappliedbaccalaureate.ThisisunfortunateasmanypreviousgraduateshaveusedtheAAASandearlychildhoodeducationexperienceasalaunchpadintoelementaryeducation.Becauseofthewelldocumentedstaffshortagesinelementaryeducation,especiallypeopleofcolorinelementaryeducation,thesechangeswillbefeltforalongtime.
• ManycollegesanduniversitiesofferingeducationdegreeshavebegunlimitingthetransferabilityoftheECE/EDUCcoursesofferedbycommunitycolleges,creatingyetanotherbarriertostudentswishingtoarticulatetoafour-yearschoolandfurtherexacerbatingteachingshortages.
• Ataboutthesametime,theCityofSeattlebeganofferingsubsidizedpre-schooltoprovidersofferingearlychildhoodeducationmeetingcertaincurriculumandemploymentstandards.
Faculty Workload
ECEstudent-to-facultyratiodemonstratestheefficiencyoneexpectsfromanonlineprogram.However,giventheadministrativedemandsonthisprogramandthedesirefacultyhaveexpressedtoretireinthenearfuture,Shorelineshouldconsidermakingstaffingchangesthatwillallowittotransitiontonewleadershipinthenearfuture.Forexample,increasingtheteachingloadofassociatefacultycouldhelppromoteknowledgetransferintheprogramandcouldalsohelpdelayfullretirementsbyprovidingadditionalsupporttoexistingfaculty.
20
Year ECE PROFTECH
AY 2013 1:20 1:13
AY 2014 1:22 1:13
AY 2015 1:16 1:12
AY 2016 1:15 1:13
AY 2017 1:21 1:13
Professional Development
Facultyuseprofessionaldevelopmenttokeepuptodatewithemergingtrendsintheearlychildhoodeducationfield.Forexample,thefacultythatparticipatedinthisreviewsharedthatshehasbeenpursuingresearchregardinghowtoeducateandcareforchildrencomingfromtraumaticbackgrounds,withaneyetowardshelpingchildrencomingfromhomesaffectedbytheopioidcrisis.
ThisfacultymemberisalsousingtheShorelineprofessionaldevelopmentopportunitiestoboostheronlineteachingskillsanddevelopingnewtechniquestomakehercontentmoreaccessible.
RESOURCES
Theprogramistaughtonline.Facultyarequitepleasedwiththeonlinetoolsavailabletothemandfeltcompetentintheiruse.
Facultyarealsohappytohavetheparent-childcenteroncampusandbeabletousethisasanexperientiallearningsite.
ThefacultymemberparticipatinginthereviewnotedthatshecoulduseavideocamerainherofficetohelpherconductZoommeetingswithcolleagues,FaceTimingwithstudents,andforcreatingsupplementalinstructionalvideos.Shealsoindicatedadesiretohavetrainingtohelpherwiththeinstructionalvideos.
PARTNERSHIPS
Active Partners
TheECEadvisorycommitteewasunabletomeetduringthisprogramreview.Facultyreportthattheyhadunexpectedattritionofftheircommitteeandarecurrentlyrecruitingtogrowthegroupfromthreecurrentlytofive.Currentmembersrepresentsomediversityintheindustry.Onememberisafaculty-memberatSeattleCentralCollege–anunusualarrangementforanadvisorycommittee.Whilehavingacolleagueontheadvisorycommitteehelpsfaculty,thispersoncannotreallyfulfilltheintentoftheadvisorycommittee.Forexample,duringtheinterviewforthisprogramreviewshewasunabletoanswerquestionsaboutthelabormarket.Whilethecommitteeisundersubscribeditdoesnotmake
21
sensetoremoveher,howeverifthecommitteeevergetstoapointwhereithasafullslateofmembersShorelinemayconsidermakingachange.
Toreplacethetypicalmeetingphoneinterviewsweresolicitedamongstcurrentmembersandtwowereconducted.Bothwereengagedintheprogramandconfirmedfacultystatementsregardingthetransformationoccurringthroughouttheindustry.Theybothdescribedahealthylabormarketwithplentyofopeningsforqualifiedindividuals.TheybothnotedthattheonlinecomponentofShoreline’sprogramisastrengthandwonderedifofferingahybridstructurewouldstrengthentheappeal.Asonemembernoted,“peopleworkinginearlychildhoodeducationlikelearningtheoryonlinebutlikesharingwhatthey’redoingwithotherpeople.”
AnothercommitteemembernotedhowShoreline’sECEprogrampreparespeopleforworkinginthefield,callingoutspecificallytheirinternshiprequirements.Shestatedthatother“programsarefocusedonbest-practicesinalabsetting.Shorelinefocusesonbothreality-basedpracticeandbest-practices.Sothatwhenstudentsgotowork,theyaremoresuccessful,stayinthefieldlonger,goontofurthertheireducation,andmoveupinthefieldtobecomeprogramdirectors.”
PROGRAM SERVICES
CurrentstudentsweresurveyedregardingtheiropinionsofECEprogramservices.Theywereaskedtorateeachcomponentonascaleof1(poor)to5(excellent).Theratingswere:
Element RatingHelpfulprograminformationoncollegewebsiteandprintedmaterials
4.11
Effectivecurriculumstructure:(Didthesequenceofcoursesmakesense?Didtheskillsyoulearnedinoneclasstransfertothenextclass?)
4.50
Supportofindividuallearningneeds 4.19Adequatepreparationforemployment(knowledgeandskillsforthefield)
4.33
Adequateguidanceforcareerplanning 4.06Adequateprogramresources(informationtechnology,equipment,space,supplies)
4.09
Classschedulesmeetstudentneeds 4.38Academicadvisingmeetsstudentneeds 4.26Effectivenessofothersupportservices(tutoring,financialaid,counselingetc.)
4.10
TheratingsforECEprogramelementswereinlinewithotherprogramsatShoreline.Openresponsestotheratingsidentifiedadesiretohaveassignmentspostedmorethanoneweekinadvancesothattheycanplanforthemwhilemanagingworkandpersonalcommitments.
22
COMPETITION
BothcurrentandformerstudentsrespondingtothesurveysindicatedthattheyselectedShorelinebecauseofthelocationandqualityoftheschool(asopposedtootherfactorssuchasreputation,cost,orarecommendation).Thatqualityrosetoasignificantlevelinthesurveyisnotableasinmostprofessional-technicalprogramsstudentschooseShorelinetypicallyforitslocation.SurveyrespondentsalsonotedthatShoreline’sonlineofferingswereadeterminingfactoraswell.
Onecommentreinforcedtheimportanceofhavingfriendly,helpfulfrontlinestaff.Thisstudentshared:
WhenIfirstcalledShorelineto…talkaboutenrollingIwasnotreallyexpectingmuch.Iwasalreadyenrolledatadifferentcommunitycollegeandwashatingmyexperiencethere.Thestaffwereunhelpfulandrude,andtheprofessorswereuncaring,soIjustthoughtthatwaswhatcollegewaslike.However,thefirstphonecallwiththeoneofthereceptionistsatShorelinewassorefreshing,pleasant,andhelpfulthatIdecidedtoenrollandmovetoSeattle.Sotheanswertothisquestion[WhydidyouchooseShoreline?]wouldbethereceptionist.
Acomparativeanalysisofotherschoolwebsiteswasconductedasacomponentofthisprogramreview.Becauseofthenewstatestandards,ECEprogramsarequitesimilaracrossthestate.ShorelinewastheonlyschoolinPugetSoundthatofferedafullyonlinedegree.Unfortunately,thisisnotclearlyindicatedontheECEwebsite.BecausemoststudentsfoundShorelinebecauseofawebsearch,itisimportanttoclearlystatethisdistinctiveadvantagetotheprogram.
CurrentstudentswereaskedwhatotherprogramstheyconsideredbeforeselectingShorelineandtheirresponsesindicatedthatShorelinecompeteswithmanydifferentuniversityandcollegeprogramsinWashingtonandacrossthecountryincluding:
• NorthSeattleCollege;• EdmondsCommunityCollege;• SeattleCentralCollege;• PortlandStateUniversity;• WesternOregonUniversity;• OregonStateUniversity;• UniversityofAlaskaatAnchorage;and• BellevueCollege.
LABOR MARKET OPPORTUNITIES
Thefollowingchartportraysthelabormarketforthisprogram,basedondataavailablefromtheStateofWashington.
23
OCCUPATION DEMANDSTATUS(WA)PROGRAMCERTIFICATEORDEGREE
SOC SOCTITLE KingCounty SnohomishCounty
ECE/Paraeducator(AAAS)StateECECertificate(CP)StateShortECECertificate-General(CC)StateShortECECertificate-InfantToddlerCare(CC)StateInitialECECertificate(ST)
25-2011
PreschoolTeachers,ExceptSpecialEducation DEMAND na
25-2012
KindergartenTeachers,ExceptSpecialEducation DEMAND na
SpecialEducation(AAAS)
NOMATCH
NOMATCH-reportingdatafor25.2050-SpecialEducationTeachers(25.2051,25.2052,25.2053,25.2054combined)
na na
25-2051 SpecialEducationTeachers,Preschool BALANCED BALANCED
25-2052
SpecialEducationTeachers,KindergartenandElementarySchool DEMAND na
25-2053 SpecialEducationTeachers,MiddleSchool BALANCED BALANCED
25-2054
SpecialEducationTeachers,SecondarySchool DEMAND BALANCED
Perhapsreflectingoutdatedpathways,thecurrentlabormarketdatalinksECEprogramswithafewinappropriateoccupations,namelythosereferringtoKindergarten,middleschool,orsecondaryschool(highlightedinredabove).Alloftheseoccupationsrequireabaccalaureatedegreeatminimumandthelinksshouldberemoved.
Advisorycommitteemembersinterviewedforthisstudydescribedarobustlabormarketwithmanyteachingopportunitiesforentry-levelcandidateswiththerightcredentials.Theyalsonotedthatbecauseoftheregulatorychanges,thereweremanyincumbentworkersactivelyupdatingtheircredentials.ItislikelythatShoreline’sonlineprogramisbenefittingfromthisactivity.However,itisalsoworthnotingthateventuallythoseintheworkforcewillhavegainedthecredentialsrequiredandthisactivitywillsubsidetosomedegree.