Due June 15, 2012
Birth-Kindergarten Program
Professional Education Degree
Annual Assessment Report - Instructions
The purpose of the Annual Assessment Report is to provide an update on the assessment of student
learning outcome(s) identified in your 2006 Program Assessment Plan. You are not expected to provide
results for all outcomes included in your assessment plan, but you must report results and planned
changes/improvements for at least one.
Statement on Alignment of Program Mission w/ University and College Mission The mission of the
Birth-Kindergarten Program in the Department of Human Services is to prepare early childhood educators who are
knowledgeable of child development-typical and atypical: who create and maintain strong relationships with the
families of the children they serve; who work with community partners to assure quality outcomes for children; use
assessment wisely to meet children’s needs and plan programs for them; and who support children’ social emotional
development, physical development, cognitive development and who promote children’s developmental
understandings of science, social studies and creative arts. We seek to create a community of learners and to prepare
teachers to create a community of learners within their classrooms.
Program Goals/Objectives
BK Program Goals
Competent early childhood professionals create respectful environments where they model and affirm acceptance of
differences and work in partnership with family members. Candidate outcomes include:
KNOWLEDGE Candidates for the BK Program will possess the foundations of knowledge in early childhood
education and the specialized skills of working with young children with special needs and their families to: (a)
Promote child development for children with and without disabilities, including those at risk, (b) Understand
assessment and evaluation processes and the uses in each in the development of cognitive, social-emotional,
communication, motor, adaptive and aesthetic development, (c) Establish and maintain family and community
relationships.
PEDAGOGY Candidates in the BK Program are nurturing professionals who use their knowledge of early
childhood development to create an integrated curriculum and responsive environment for ALL children by: (a)
Connecting with ALL children, with and without disabilities, including those at-risk and their families, (b)
Conducting appropriate, ongoing, formal and informal assessments, which guide their instructional design, and (c)
Using specific teaching/learning strategies appropriate for young children to design, implement, evaluate, and adapt
learning experiences.
DIVERSITY Candidates in the BK Program will possess an appreciation and respect for diversity by: (a)
Understanding the impact of diversity on learning, (b) Understanding the culture of individual children and their
families, (c) Exploration of own culture and belief system.
PROFESSIONALISM Candidates in the BK Program will conduct themselves as competent members of the early
childhood profession who: (a) Serve as team members, (b) Serve as leaders, (c) Reflect on their practice.
Program of Study:
The undergraduate Birth Kindergarten Degree leads to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree and an A level North
Carolina license in Birth Kindergarten which allows graduates to teach children with Birth to Kindergarten.
The BS in Birth Kindergarten program currently consists of 39 hours of coursework including 42 hours of liberal
studies, 9 hours of electives, 21 hours in the professional education sequence, 45 hours of major coursework and 18
hours in a concentration area.
During the 2011-2012 school year, the BSBK program was offered in an online format. Students in the program
reside all over the state as well as out of state.
The program also offers a Licensure Only Program (LOP) for students with 4 year degrees in other areas who wish
to obtain a NC teaching license in Birth Kindergarten.
Western Carolina University
Birth-Kindergarten-Professional Education Degree
Annual Assessment Report for 2011-2012
Primary Contact Name/Info:
Cathy L. Grist, Ph.D.
Birth-Kindergarten, Director
clgrist@wcu.edu
828.227.2272
218-A Killian Building
Student Learning
Outcome(s) Assessed in
2011-12
State the learning outcome(s) that
the program assessed in the 201112 assessment cycle.
Method(s) of
Assessment
Provide a summary of the
methods used to assess the
chosen outcome. Note any
changes in the assessment
measures from the program’s
official assessment plan.
Results of
Assessment
Results must include a
summary of major findings,
interpretation of the results,
and a description of how the
results were disseminated to
key stakeholders for
discussion.
Implementation Plan
Identify what programmatic/curricular
changes or improvements you will
make as a result of the assessment.
Each recommended action must be
specific and relate directly to the
outcome and results of assessment. A
description of the timeline for action
and the person(s) responsible must be
included. In addition, please include a
brief description of resources that will
be critical to implementation of the
actions proposed, if applicable.
Students’ knowledge of BirthKindergarten Professional Education
Content
Praxis II: Birth-Kindergarten
administered over the 20112012 FY: (n= 19) data reported.
Results indicate that the
program strongly met the goal.
Educational Testing Service
(ETS; test administration)
disseminates individual scores
to test takers and overall
scores by student as well as
aggregate descriptive data to
the university/program. Results
for Fall 2011 through Spring
2012 yield a 100% pass rate
among 19 test takers. WCU
students’ median score was
176, and required NC passing
score of 155.
The faculty will continue to monitor
Praxis results annually. At this time, no
significant changes are anticipated in
the near future
Teacher Preparedness
Exit Criteria: Survey completed
at the end of Internship II.
Results indicate that WCU’s
BK students who completed
the survey (n=22) answered
3.40-4.00 on 34 indicators of
Teacher Preparedness.
Teacher Work Sample
Teacher Work Sample Category
Scores
Results indicate that WCU’s
BK students who completed
the TWS (n=34 ) scored an
average of 3 or above on all
TWS components.
The faculty will look at the indicators in
detail in the fall to see where
improvement is needed. It looks like
faculty will need to continue to discuss
how to teach student how to meet the
needs of non-English speaking
students.
BK faculty have discussed the TWS at
length over the last year and do not
feel that this is the best indicator of the
program’s progress since all students
are required to make a 3 or above on
the TWS categories. The faculty will be
discussing other outcomes for
assessment over the next year.
Other Program Outcome(s)
Assessed in 2011-2012
Method(s) of Assessment
Results of Assessment
Implementation Plan
Quantitative and qualitative
evaluation of internship seminar
course experience
Results indicate that the
students in internship seminar
(n=7) during the second
semester when changes were
made. Among the respondents
66% agreed that learning
through live sessions was a
beneficial ways to learn.
The program’s faculty made changes
to the seminar from fall semester to
spring semester with the
implementation of Critical Friends and
changing the format of Live Class
sessions.
Intern Seminar
Implementation Plan:
Dissemination of Assessment Results to Key Stakeholders
Results of Exit Criteria and TWS Portfolio evaluations and Praxis scores will be reviewed with faculty
at our BK Program Meeting in August, 2012
 Results will be presented to the BK Advisory Board in Fall 2011 meeting.
Strengths of the Exit Criteria
 The Exit Criteria is a college wide assessment tool used with all Teacher Education candidates in the
CEAP.
 This year, a majority of BK students completed the Exit Criteria and the information has been useful to
making changes to the internship to the program.
Changes to the BK Assessment Plan
 The TWS is not as effective in looking at program effectiveness and therefore making program
changes. The BK faculty will begin discussions in the fall about different outcomes and assessment
practices to use.
 Critical Friends or Peer Dyads as well as the structure to Live Class Sessions were implemented over the past
year as a result of assessing the process of student groups and community. This concept pairs a student who is
new to the teaching profession with a more experienced student who has been in the field of early childhood
teaching for several years. Live sessions were changed to discuss the needs of the students at the time of the
session. Students reported that both learning techniques were beneficial to them.

Responsible Parties
 Cathy Grist, Program Director, monitor proposed and implemented changes to the Exit Criteria and a
new outcome and assessment across the 2012-2013 year. She along with the BK Program faculty will
discuss any needed changes to the exit criteria based on the report for the academic year (2011-2012).
Necessary Resources
 Program director, coordinators, and faculty will rely on communications with CEAP administrators and
key staff such as Dan Grube, Associate Dean, Renee Corbin, Director of Assessments, and Lee Nickles,
Assistant to the Dean for Technology and Curriculum, regarding changes to these assessments and
related processes.