The Early Childhood Education program mission is to:
 Provide training and education programs for the development of competent and nurturing caregivers and teachers for all Hawaii’s young children and their families.
 Provide quality education and care services for the children of students, faculty and staff in the Community Colleges. These services will represent the best of current practices and will serve as a practicum for programs related to early childhood education as well as providing demonstration of quality education and care for the larger community.
The Early Childhood Education program prepares students for work in a variety of positions working with young children and with their families. The certificates and AS degree are designed to allow students to meet requirements for various levels of entry into the early childhood field.
The Associate in Science (AS) degree program in combination with 6 months work experience prepares students for immediate employment as teachers in private early childhood programs for infants and toddlers or preschoolers. With 12 months of full time experience, graduates with the
AS degree meet the requirements of the State of Hawai’i Department of Human Services (DHS) to be directors of early childhood programs. The course of study leading to the AS degree is developmentally based and emphasizes observation and opportunities to participate in programs with children through class assignments and field experiences, both on campus and in the community. The program provides candidates with varied opportunities to develop their skills for working with children and families and with a general understanding of the field of early education and care. Students who successfully complete this degree may transfer to the Early
Childhood Concentration in the Social Sciences Program at the University of Hawai’i-West
O’ahu. The AS degree in Early Childhood Education meets all requirements of that program for lower division course work.
Faculty and Staff
The program includes nine full time faculty, seven full time and two part time APT teachers in the children’s centers, and one office assistant. Lecturers are hired on an as-needed basis, usually one or two each semester. They are assigned a faculty mentor/liaison who is familiar with the course the lecturer is assigned to teach, and assessed through faculty observation and student evaluations each semester. Full time faculty members are Linda Buck, Gaynel Buxton, Patricia
Gooch, Iris Saito, Eva Moravcik, Miles Nakanishi, Sherry Nolte, Cynthia Uyehara, and Lisa
Yogi. APT staff include Steven Bobilin, LauraEllen Busche-Ong, Susanne Carvalho, Imelda
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Garma, Janine Konia, Lisa Padaguan, Jaqueline Rabang, Ena Reelitz, and Dayna Yee. Beverly
Chang is the Office Assistant.
Advisory Committee
The Advisory Committee met on April 13, 2012. The committee members and minutes of the meeting are found in Appendix 1.
Program Quantitative Indicators
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Demand
In the area of demand the program remains healthy with the number of majors exceeding the workforce demand and the number of courses taught sufficient to allow majors to take a full schedule if desired. We have seen an increase in the number of majors, from 165 in 09-10 to 183 in 10-11, and a reduction in the percentage of SSH taken by non-majors, from 38% in 2010 to
29% in 2011. In addition each semester PACE (Professional and Career Education for Early
Childhood) the non-credit to credit conversion program enrolls from 75 – 100 participants.
About 50 PACE participants convert one or more PACE course to credit each semester.
Efficiency
Program efficiency remains strong with a 75% fill rate for classes. It should be noted that although the program has a large number of BOR appointed faculty (9), up to 3.8 FTE each semester is assigned to non-instructional duties that include program coordination, management of the three campus children’s centers operated by the program and coordination of the PACE noncredit to credit conversion program.
Effectiveness
The Cautionary status for program effectiveness is determined by two measures: the number of unduplicated degrees divided by the estimated number of replacement positions in the workforce, and students’ persistence from fall to spring semesters.
Although the program still falls within Cautionary status for 10-11, it should be noted that the number of certificates and degrees awarded increased from 22 in 09-10 to 34 in 10-11. In addition, the score on this measure increased from .26 to .35. The ability of students to achieve workforce qualifications without completing a certificate recognized at the system level or a degree should also be considered. The state Department of Human Services childcare regulations which determine workforce qualifications to a large degree, permit individuals to qualify as a teacher with 6, 9, 12, or 16 credits in early childhood education/child development, depending on their prior degrees or number of non-early childhood credits. The ECE program has two certificates that recognize two of these possible exit points: the Certificate of Competence in
CDA Preparation (9 credits), and the Certificate of Completion (16 credits). Neither certificate is recognized at the system level, therefore data is not collected for them.
On the second measure of effectiveness, persistence fall to spring, it should be noted that the program maintained the improved (from 08-09) level at 66% for 09-10 & 10-11. Although it is unknown to what extent the introduction of Distance Education courses may have impacted the persistence rate, it may be worth noting that 43% of all withdrawals in 09-10 were from Distance
Education classes, while in 10-11, 37% of all withdrawals were from Distance Education classes.
It should also be noted that the persistence rate for DE classes is substantially lower than for all classes (58% in 09-10 and 56% in 10-11). Faculty teaching those classes report their sense that some students withdraw or fail to complete because they are unprepared for the technical and pedagogical demands of a distance education format.
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The fact that the program failed to meet the goal for Perkins Core Indicator 2P1 Completion can be attributed in part to the ability of students to meet workforce qualifications without achieving a certificate or degree as discussed above.
Perkins Core Indicators 5P1 and 5P2 address the participation and completion of nontraditional students in the program. While the program attracts a diverse population in regards to ethnicity and age, it enrolls few male students. The 09-10 ARPD and action plan described a strategy to contract professional services to “create strategic marketing products (brochures, flyers, tv and radio ads, etc.) aimed specifically at getting more nontraditional participants into the program.”
Unfortunately the program faculty was not consulted about the inclusion of this idea in the report or plan. While a marketing strategy may have some success in attracting males to the program, it is unlikely that it will be able to successfully counteract to any great degree societal norms that make teaching and caring for young children an unattractive career for males. Specifically, the care and education of children under the age of 5 is still largely seen as a female pursuit, and, perhaps more importantly, the wages in the field are still far below those of public education or other comparable fields. The ECE program is fortunate to have a male faculty member and two male teachers in the Children’s Centers is operates to serve as role models and resources for males. A more nuanced recruitment strategy of outreach by these representatives of the program is likely to be more effective than ads and brochures alone. It is not likely, however, to dramatically improve the representation of males in the program, which is, in the end, a reflection of the state of the field of early childhood education and care.
We have partially addressed the first item in the 09-10 Action Plan, “Request funding to help us develop electronic and other teaching materials that are culturally appropriate for Hawaii.
(Outcome #2)”. We have purchased lap top computers for each of the three Children’s Centers to enable faculty to develop formats and teach students to use electronic means of documenting children’s learning outcomes and developmental progress.
The second item, “Request funding to hire APTs for the ECS I positions which are required at all three children’s centers. (Safety and Compliance Issue),” continues to be an unmet need. The faculty will continue to work with the administration to resolve this before the safety of children is jeopardized or the Children’s Centers licensing or accreditation are revoked due to insufficient qualified staff.
The underlying foundation for these outcomes is of knowledge of child development and of the multiple interacting factors that influence growth and learning. Through the program, the themes of development, families, communication, diversity and inclusion are addressed. Upon successful completion of the ED program, students will be able to:
1.
Plan, implement and evaluate curriculum and learning environments for individual and groups of children based on knowledge of child development and its multiple influences to ensure that they promote health, safety, positive development, and learning for all children.
2.
Assess children’s progress using formal and informal observation and assessment tools and methods.
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3.
Communicate effectively and appropriately with children and adults from all backgrounds to build respectful, reciprocal relationships; use appropriate guidance practices with children.
4.
Participate actively in planning and decision-making concerning the educational, physical, fiscal and human resources in classrooms and programs for children.
5.
Base decisions and actions on ethical and other professional standards.
6.
Demonstrate collaboration, critical thinking and reflection.
7.
Advocate for children and their families in the classroom and the program
Mapping Course SLOs to Program SLOs
All courses have assigned SLOs. Course SLOs have been mapped to Program SLOs to ensure adequate course SLOs are achieved in order for the student to in turn achieve the desired
Program SLOs. The mapping diagrams are found at the following URL: http://programs.honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/node/1253
It should be noted that codes are used to identify the type of comprehension achieved as well as codes to identify the type of assessment.
Assessment of Program SLOs is accomplished by scaffolding learning opportunities throughout the program culminating in the final field practicum courses, ED 296B & ED 296I (Infant
Toddler Seminar and Infant Toddler Laboratory), and ED 296C & ED296P (Preschool Seminar and Preschool Laboratory). All Program SLOs are addressed in these courses and students are expected to demonstrate knowledge and skill in each. The table below shows the relationship of
Program SLOs to Course SLOs to assessment activities for the Preschool Seminar and
Laboratory as an example. The next step is to design a mechanism for collecting and aggregating assessment data in order to analyze it for areas of strength, areas that require more attention, and trends. This will be done in the context of the self study for the National Association for theEducation of Young Children Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation (ECADA) as shown in the Action Plan below.
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Early Childhood Education AS Degree Program Assessment of Program Learning Outcomes
Program Learning Outcome Course Learning Outcome
ED 296C & ED 296P
Culminating Assessment Activities
Plan, implement and evaluate curriculum and learning environments for individual and groups of children based on knowledge of child development and its multiple influences to ensure that they promote health, safety, positive development, and learning for all children.
3. Integrate and apply understanding of child development, guidance, curriculum, working with families, professionalism, and program management.
Assess children's progress using formal and informal observation and assessment tools and methods.
4. Document and interpret children’s learning and development.
Communicate effectively and appropriately with children and adults from all backgrounds to build respectful, reciprocal relationships; use appropriate guidance practices with children.
5. Relate positively and effectively to children of different ages individually and in groups
6. Communicate respectfully and clearly with families using diverse means and help them understand children's development and learning.
7. Perform effectively as a member of a team in support of children's growth and learning.
Activity Plans and Implementation,
Teaching Reflections, Observations, Child
Portfolios, Family Conferences, Lead
Teaching, Topic Discussions, Mock
Interview, Professional Portfolio
Activity Plans and Implementation,
Observations, Child Portfolios
Activity Plans and Implementation,
Teaching Reflections
Child Portfolio, Family Conferences,
Newsletter
Lead Teaching, Professional Dispositions
Reflection
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Program Learning Outcome
Participate actively in planning and decision-making concerning the educational, physical, fiscal and human resources in classrooms and programs for children.
Base decisions and actions on ethical and other professional standards.
Demonstrate collaboration, critical thinking and reflection.
Course Learning Outcome
ED 296C & ED 296P
1. Evaluate, select and implement appropriate, effective teaching practices consistent with Hawaii 0-5 practice standards (ASK)
2. Demonstrate how observation and reflection are used for planning and practice
3. Integrate and apply understanding of child development, guidance, curriculum, working with families, professionalism, and program management.
1. Evaluate, select and implement appropriate, effective teaching practices consistent with Hawaii 0-5 practice standards (ASK)
2. Demonstrate how observation and reflection are used for planning and practice
Culminating Assessment Activities
Activity Plans and Implementation,
Teaching Reflections, Child Portfolios,
Family Conferences, Lead Teaching,
Reading Responses, Mock Interview,
Professional Portfolio
Activity Plans and Implementation,
Observations, Teaching Reflections, Child
Portfolios
Activity Plan and Implementation,
Teaching Reflections, Observations, Child
Portfolios, Family Conferences, Lead
Teaching, Topic Discussions, Mock
Interview, Professional Portfolio
Activity Plans and Implementation,
Teaching Reflections, Child Portfolios,
Family Conferences, Lead Teaching,
Reading Responses, Mock Interview,
Professional Portfolio
Activity Plans and Implementation,
Observations, Teaching Reflections, Child
Portfolios
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Program Learning Outcome Course Learning Outcome
ED 296C & ED 296P
Advocate for children and their families in the classroom and the program.
6. Communicate respectfully and clearly with families using diverse means and help them understand children's development and learning.
7. Perform effectively as a member of a team in support of children's growth and learning.
Culminating Assessment Activities
Child Portfolio, Family Conferences,
Newsletter
Lead Teaching, Professional Dispositions
Reflection
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Task Who’s Responsible
Continue self study for NAEYC
Associate Degree Program ECE Coordinator, ECE
Accreditation Outcomes 2, 3, 6 & faculty
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Time Frame
Sp 09 – F 13
Status
Ongoing
Develop and test Program
Assessment System as part of
Early Childhood Associate
Degree Accreditation self study.
Outcome 3
ECE Coordinator, ECE faculty of HonCC, HawCC,
KauCC and MauiCC ECE
Monitor budget requests for additional staff for Children’s
Centers. Develop alternative scenarios to acquire staff or
ECE Coordinator, reduce services in order to ensure
Children’s Centers Site that centers remain in compliance with regulations and accreditation
Coordinators and Staff standards.
Sp 09 – F 13 Ongoing
First Budget request: Sp 09
PCR assigned to
Tier 3 in Stocktaking
Ongoing
Safety & Compliance
Refine business plan to increase
PACE capacity supported by program revenues. Investigate use
Program Coordinator,
PACE Program of special funds to support Office
Division 2 Dean, ECE
Coordinators
Assistant position. Outcome 2
Seek funds to develop electronic and other teaching materials that are culturally appropriate for
Hawai`i. Outcome 7
Develop outreach strategy to increase enrollment of males in the program. Outcome 4
ECE coordinator, faculty and staff of the Children’s
Centers
Division Chair, Dean, ECE
Program Coordinator, male faculty and APT staff.
Sp 09
Sp 09, ongoing
Sp 2012
On hold due to budget issues
Ongoing – no progress to date
Resource Implications are shown in the Task column of the above table
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APPENDIX 1
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Momi Akana, Executive Director, Keiki ‘o ka aina
Steve Albert, Executive Director, Rainbow Schools
Cindy Ballard, CANOES Registry Specialist, PATCH
Lynn Cabato, Director, HCAP Early Head Start/Head Start
Cheryl Castro, Training Director, HCAP Early Head Start/Head Start
Michael Fahey, Outreach Specialist, Good Beginnings Alliance
Dale Faulkner, Director, Mililani Missionary Preschool
Jeanne Iorio, Assistant Professor, Early Childhood Education, UH-West Oahu
Kaila Lui Kwan, Kamehameha Schools Early Education Programs, Waianae Area
Momi Martinez, Director, Honolulu Jewish Preschool
Charmaine Orbistondo, Assistant Director, Christian Academy
Buff y Owens, Vice President, Kama’aina Kids
Nicole Souza, Kamehameha Schools Early Education Programs, Waianae Area
Brian Te’o, Assistant Director, PACT Early Head Start/Head Start
Diane Young, Early Childhood Specialist, Hawai’i State Department of Education
ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES
April 13, 2012
9 – 11 am
Honolulu Community College
Building 2 Room 208
Members Present: Buffy Owens, Vice President, Kama`aina Kids; Steve Albert, Executive
Director, Rainbow Schools; Momi Akana, Exectutive Director, Keiki `o ka aina; Polly Strona,
Family Child Care Advocate; Michael Fahey, Good Beginnings Alliance Oahu Council; Diane
Young, Early Childhood Specialist, Hawaii Department of Education/P-3 Initiative; Cheryl
Castro, Staff Development and Training Manager, HCAP Early Head Start/Head Start; Kaila
Lui-Kwan, Assistant Manager, Nicole Souza, Education Coordinator, Kamehameha Early
Education Programs, Waianae Area; Charmaine Orbistondo, Assistant Director, Christian
Academy, Kia `i ka ike Hawai`i Preschool Directors Association; Cindy Ballard, Registry
Specialist, PATCH Childcare Resource & Referral Agency
Faculty: Linda Buck, Miles Nakanishi, Iris Saito
HCC Administration: Russell Uyeno, Dean, Communications and Services Programs
Welcome and Introductions
Advisory Committee Members introduced themselves and shared their connections to HCC and one hope for or question they have about the Early Childhood Program. The responses are summarized in the Discussion section below.
Faculty present introduced themselves. The Advisory Committee folder, provided to each member, included a flier with pictures and information about all faculty members including courses taught and particular early childhood interests.
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Role of the Advisory Committee
The role of the Advisory Committee was reviewed:
To advise the early childhood program on

Workforce needs

Program effectiveness (how well-prepared are our graduates for the jobs they go into?)

Program delivery modes and accessibility

Issues from the community that may impact the practice of early childhood education, e.g. the standards-driven environment
Overview of the Early Childhood Programs
The three components of HCC’s Early Childhood Education Program were described: The AS
Degree program which includes three certificates that lead to the degree and articulates to the BA
Social Sciences with Early Childhood Concentration at UH-West Oahu; the PACE Program, a noncredit to credit conversion option offered in the community, and The Children’s Centers, programs at Honolulu, Kapiolani and Leeward Community Colleges that offer child care services to students, faculty and staff as well as final field practicum placements for AS degree students.
Current Work and Initiatives
Current initiatives of the program were described:

Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation (ECADA): Faculty are involved in the self study that will lead to accreditation of the AS Degree program by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The program must provide evidence, including assessment data, of how it meets six Standards (program content and outcomes) and twelve Criteria
(program context) as well as prepares students in five Supportive Skills.

Distance Education: With support from the P3 initiative, faculty have developed four courses in distance learning or hybrid formats. Faculty in sister programs at Maui College and Hawaii
Community College have also developed distance courses that are articulated with the HCC program. The purpose is to increase access to our programs statewide.

Kaulanakilohana: Faculty actively participate in Kaulanakilohana, a consortium of all Hawaiibased early childhood teacher preparation programs. The group meets two to three times a year to share information and explore connections among the programs as well as to respond to requests from Hawaii Careers With Young Children, the statewide early childhood professional development coalition.

Early Learning Council Direct Services Infant/Toddler Focus Group, I/T Steering Committee:
Faculty with recognized expertise in infants and toddlers participates in this group which is jointly sponsored by the Early Learning Council and the Department of Health.

Quality Improvement and Rating System: The program coordinator participates as a partner in the planning group developing and testing a pilot for a Quality Rating and Improvement
System for Hawaii. The project is funded by the State Department of Human Services and headed by the University of Hawaii-Manoa Center on the Family. Our role is in training and supporting coaches for pilot participants.
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
Integration of technology in field practicum course: Miles demonstrated a web-based system he has developed for documenting children’s learning and development in on-line portfolios on a secure site. Students in his Preschool Advanced Child Development Laboratory as well as the teachers in the preschool room at Keiki Hau`oli use the system to prepare child portfolios each semester.
Future Work

JEPD Course Development for P3: INPEACE Keiki Steps is a family-child interaction learning program that participates in the P3 demonstration project in Waianae. INPEACE has asked the ECE program to develop a course for a “job embedded professional development” project. The course is designed to help Keiki Steps teachers and other staff improve their support of young children’s learning as measured by the CLASS assessment instrument.
Course participants will also have support from a Keiki Steps coach as they practice the skills learned in the course.

Support for Additional Roles in Early Childhood Programs: Faculty are interested in meeting the needs of other roles in the emerging early learning system such as family child care providers, home visitors and family-child interaction learning program practitioners.
Discussion
Hopes expressed by the Advisory Committee included hopes for the Early Childhood Program and for the Early Learning System as it is being developed by the state.

Ability to attract, train and retain more passionate staff and provide better support for them

That HCC will be better recognized for what it does in the ECE field

That all K-3 teachers will be required to have early childhood education credits

That organizations that sponsor nationally known speakers offer access to other organizations
 That providers’ perspectives will be listened to

That DHS funding for childcare subsidies will be restored to families
Issues members hoped to see addressed in the program content include:

Questions about content in courses: o Multi-age grouping. This is especially relevant to family childcare providers who may have infants through pre-school aged children in their care o Adapting environments for accessibility and safety o Teachers’ ability to multi-task o Teachers’ ability to focus on one child while being aware of the whole environment
(dual-focus) o Teachers’ ability to articulate why they choose particular activities and ability to be more intentional in their teaching

Issues members hope to see addressed in the program delivery include: o Easier transitions in early childhood pathways from training to jobs
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o PACE courses offered in the Waianae area again o A more logical method of counting teaching experience o An intentional mentoring/coaching system
Conclusion
The committee agreed to meet again on September 14, 2012, to continue the discussion.
Note: The September meeting has been postponed to January 2013.
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