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SHORELINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Early Childhood Education PROGRAM REVIEW

June6,2019

BYEDPHIPPEN

PHIPPENCONSULTING,LLC

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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

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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

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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Professional-TechnicalProgramCourseSuccessbyAcademicYear

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Prof-TechAge

ECESex

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Prof-TechSex

ECERace/Ethnicity

Prof-TechRace/Ethnicity

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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.