Unit: Curriculum Studies
Program: Early Childhood Education (MEd)
Degree: Master's
Date: Thu Nov 10, 2011 - 3:32:55 pm

1) Below are your program student learning outcomes (SLOs). Please update as needed.

The MEd in ECE program includes a unique set of program assessments designed to measure the candidates’ competency in meeting Five Core Program Standards. These assessments are based on the unit’s Conceptual Framework. They include measures of each candidate’s knowledge about the field of early childhood education, ability to be an effective early childhood educator and leader, and dispositions as caring professionals. These three foci are conceptual framework of the College of Education

The conceptual framework of the COE provides broad direction and focus for the program design: the MEd in ECE provides a narrower lens through which to interpret and manifest the conceptual framework. The two are directly linked through the mission, the program goals and the objectives of the MEd in ECE. These, in turn, are linked to the Program Standards and Key Assessments. 

The mission of MEd in ECE is to prepare leaders in the field of education who can work collaboratively to design and implement high quality, inclusive programs for young children.

The goal of the MEd in ECE program is to provide candidates with a conceptual framework, skills, and knowledge that will make them more effective in their roles as early childhood educators. It is designed to develop master’s level competence relating to five Core Program Standards and two additional candidate-selected Program Standards. Learning outcomes are embedded in each of the required courses and the Plan B project—a Standards-Based Portfolio. 

The Five Core Program Standards embedded in the required courses are:

  • Standard I: Child Development
  • Standard II: The Field of Early Childhood Care and Education
  • Standard III: Early Childhood Special Education
  • Standard IV: Professionalism
  • Standard V: Research

The objectives of the program are that candidates:

  1. Become better informed about the developmental and educational needs of young children from various types of communities;
  2. Increase knowledge in the areas of early childhood care and education, child development and work with families;
  3. Learn about current issues and trends in early care and education;
  4. Learn about current issues and trends in assessment;
  5. Increase skills in working collaboratively with families and other professionals;
  6. Increase skills in developing inclusive educational programs to meet individual and group needs;
  7. Reflect on their own practice;
  8. Increase understanding and ability to critically analyze, apply, and conduct educational research;
  9. Increase ability and disposition to advocate on behalf of young children and their families with regard to policy decision-making and government agencies;
  10. Acquire understanding of the ethical dimensions of work with young children and their families;
  11. Become more able to provide ethical leadership in an early childhood classroom or agency.

Though engagement in class discussion and activities, exams and research-based papers designed around the objectives and standards of the program, candidates demonstrate that their ability to meet the larger COE mission:

Preparing knowledgeable, effective, and caring/professional educators to contribute to a just and democratic society.

Student Learning Outcomes

What candidates should know, do, and care about
Standard ONE: Child Development

MEd ECE graduates are knowledgeable about the developmental needs of young children from the prenatal period to eight years of age. As professionals who care about children achieving their maximum potential, they use that knowledge to effectively create programs that support children’s optimal development and to effectively develop translational strategies for families in an ethical and culturally sensitive manner.
Standard TWO: The Field of Early Childhood Education and Care

Med ECE candidates are knowledgeable about current issues and trends in early childhood care and education. As professionals who care about the larger needs of the community, they use that knowledge to effectively provide ethical and culturally sensitive leadership and advocacy with regard to policy decision-making, government agencies, and their own programs.
Standard THREE: Early Childhood Special Education

MEd ECE candidates are knowledgeable about children and families with special needs. As professionals who care about equity for all children and families, they effectively use their knowledge to develop inclusive educational programs to meet individual and group needs in an ethical, caring, and culturally inclusive manner.
Standard FOUR: Professionalism

Med ECE candidates are knowledgeable about what it means to be a professional in the field of early childhood education. As professionals who care about the field, they work effectively in collaboration with families and other professionals to provide services in an ethical, caring and culturally sensitive manner. Candidates identify and conduct themselves as members of the early childhood profession. They know and use ethical guidelines and other professional standards related to early childhood practice.
Standard FIVE: Research

MEd ECE candidates are knowledgeable about the role of research in the field of early childhood education. As professionals who care about using research-based strategies and methods, they effectively reflect on their current practice and initiate their own action-research projects. They critically analyze, and apply current educational research to their own settings.

2) Your program's SLOs are published as follows. Please update as needed.

Department Website URL: http://www.coe.hawaii.edu/cs/early-childhood
Student Handbook. URL, if available online:
Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure URL, if available online: NA
UHM Catalog. Page Number:
Course Syllabi. URL, if available online: NA
Other: NCATE Advanced Programs Report available on COE Wiki
Other:

3) Below is the link(s) to your program's curriculum map(s). If we do not have your curriculum map, please upload it as a PDF.

Curriculum Map File(s) from 2011:

4) For your program, the percentage of courses that have course SLOs explicitly stated on the syllabus, a website, or other publicly available document is as follows. Please update as needed.

0%
1-50%
51-80%
81-99%
100%

5) For the period June 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011: State the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goals. Include the SLOs that were targeted, if applicable.

We wanted to find out whether students would achieve an acceptable score on the assessment designed to measure SLOs for Standard IV.

Standard Four: Professionalism

MEd ECE candidates are knowledgeable about what it means to be a professional in the field of early childhood education.  As professionals who care about the field, they work effectively in collaboration with families and other professionals to provide services in an ethical, caring and culturally sensitive manner.  Candidates identify and conduct themselves as members of the early childhood profession.  They know and use ethical guidelines and other professional standards related to early childhood practice.

6) State the type(s) of evidence gathered to answer the assessment question and/or meet the assessment goals that were given in Question #5.

Students identified and worked through a current or past situation that involved an ethical dilemma. The assessment question required them to demonstrate their understanding of professional ethics, of an appropriate Code of Ethics, and of how the Code can be used to help resolve ethical dilemmas.

7) State how many persons submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.

28 students took the course and 26 of them completed the assignment and submitted evidence that they had met the SLO.  2 students did not submit an assignment and will complete the course at a later date.

8) Who interpreted or analyzed the evidence that was collected? (Check all that apply.)

Course instructor(s)
Faculty committee
Ad hoc faculty group
Department chairperson
Persons or organization outside the university
Faculty advisor
Advisors (in student support services)
Students (graduate or undergraduate)
Dean/Director
Other:

9) How did they evaluate, analyze, or interpret the evidence? (Check all that apply.)

Used a rubric or scoring guide
Scored exams/tests/quizzes
Used professional judgment (no rubric or scoring guide used)
Compiled survey results
Used qualitative methods on interview, focus group, open-ended response data
External organization/person analyzed data (e.g., external organization administered and scored the nursing licensing exam)
Other:

10) For the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goal(s) stated in Question #5:
Summarize the actual results.

All 26 students who submitted evidence received overall "acceptable" scores for the EDCS618 course.

11) State how the program used the results or plans to use the results. Please be specific.

We are using the results of the assessment to inform our practice for future cohorts.  For example, the students showed somewhat poorer performance on the rubric item that proscribes analysis of the situation from an ethical perspective, in that they were unlikely to consider the literature on models of ethical codes that originate in other fields.

12) Beyond the results, were there additional conclusions or discoveries?
This can include insights about assessment procedures, teaching and learning, program aspects and so on.

Several students had difficulty identifying what constituted an ethical dilemma rather than a difference in values or an ethical responsibility. While students are introduced to the Code of Ethics in their earliest courses, they may benefit from a consistent reference to the Code throughout their course of study.

13) Other important information.
Please note: If the program did not engage in assessment, please explain. If the program created an assessment plan for next year, please give an overview.

N/A