November 11, 2005
9:00 am – 3:30 pm
Sheraton Madison Hotel
University of Wisconsin System: PK-16 and Waisman Center State Improvement Mini Grants
We are pleased to announce that 5 higher education partnerships have been funded to advance quality professional development experiences for early childhood education and care professionals in Wisconsin. In an effort to demonstrate collaboration in early childhood professional development initiatives, the University of Wisconsin System (PK-16 Initiative Grants) and the University of Wisconsin Waisman Center (Department of Public Instruction - State Improvement Grant) joined to offer grant opportunities for 2005.
The successful applicants responded with initiatives that support the following state priorities related to early childhood education and care:
• Insure positive outcomes for all children through high quality early childhood education and care provided by well trained professionals.
• Create articulated, connected, and competency-based systems of professional development guided by the implementation of PI 34, which support ongoing professional development and mentoring.
• Increase the number of people in the state with bachelor degrees in order to meet the growing demand for highly qualified teachers in 4K, Head Start and other quality early childhood education and care programs.
• Improve access to higher education to diversify the workforce and meet the needs of non-traditional learners.
The partners involved in these grants include the University of Wisconsin system, private colleges, the Wisconsin Technical College system, and other community agencies supporting early education and care programs. Two projects will be in an implementation phase and three will be in a planning phase preparing for future implementation funding opportunities. A condition of funding is participation in a state wide advisory group that will promote effective collaboration across systems. A summary of each project as well as a list of partners follows.
Congratulations to the successful
applicants and thank you to all the communities that entered collaborative conversations
to propose projects. We are looking forward to showcasing the outcomes resulting
from these partnerships in order to extend the learning and future funding opportunities
to other higher education partnerships.
2006-2007 Funded Projects
Title:
Increasing Educational Opportunities for Early Childhood Teachers in
the Greater St. Croix Valley
Fiscal Institution: UW River Falls
Partners: Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College
Title:
Early Chidhood Special Education Collaborative Online Mater's Program
Fiscal Institution:
Partner Institutions: UW-Stevens Point & UW-Milwaukee
Contact: Patty Caro and Ann Hains
Early
Childhood Baccalaureate Completion
Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee Area Technical College and Next Door
Foundation
Contact: Joanne Caldwell
Developing Partnerships in Early
Childhood Education and Care
*UW-Whitewater, Waukesha County Technical College & Blackhawk Technical
College
Contact: Simone Devore & Guiliana Miolo
Developing Partnerships in Early Childhood Education and Care supports a collaborative partnership among the Departments of Special Education and Communicative Disorders at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UWW) and the Departments of Early Childhood Education at the Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) and the Blackhawk Technical College (BTC) campuses in Janesville and Monroe. This initiative will benefit the students in early childhood education, special education, and communicative disorders attending these institutions; professionals in early childhood education and care in surrounding areas; and ultimately, those children and families whom they serve. The first part of the initiative consists of redesigning articulations between early childhood programs in the Technical Colleges and the UWW-College of Education licensure programs in Early Childhood/Middle Childhood (EC/MC) and Early Childhood Regular Education/Early Childhood Special Education (ECRE/ECSE) within the framework of PI 34. The second part of the initiative includes the coordination of field work opportunities in inclusive community-based preschool settings for students in 2-year Associate Degree programs and UWW educator licensure programs in Special Education and Communicative Disorders.
Increasing Educational Opportunities for Early Childhood Teachers in
the Greater St. Croix Valley
UW-River Falls & Indianhead Technical College
Contact: Gay Ward and Mary Williams-Greene
Implementation
of an Accelerated Licensing PRogram for Early Childhood Professionals (ALPECPP)
UW-Oskhosh and Fox Valley Technical College
Contact: Susan Finkel, Amy Werba and Kim Horjes
Early
Childhood Professional Development Options
UW-LaCrosse, Viterbo College, Western WI Technical College,Family Resources,
CESA 4, and School District of LaCrosse
Contact: Lynn Weiland, Barb Gander, Gaye Tylka
Project Summary: The outcomes will
entail the design and implementation of an articulation agreement between the
Wisconsin Technical College System, represented by Wisconsin Indianhead Technical
College (WITC), and the University of Wisconsin – River Falls, which will
enable students to use credits earned for their Early Childhood Associate’s
Degrees to pursue a pathway of further study to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree
in Early Childhood or Elementary Education. They will have the opportunity to
earn certifications for licensure in Early Childhood Birth through Eight, and
the option of Birth through Eight Special Education through the UWRF/UWEC collaborative
program. Federal directives will require that Head Start teachers have a bachelor’s
degree as of 2010 necessitating professional development and educational opportunities
for teachers employed in regional Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
The focus of this grant will be to expand opportunities for those associate
degree graduates interested in pursing further education by developing a comprehensive
early childhood major that will be offered in a hybrid online format. The first
step towards implementing this new program will be finalizing an articulation
agreement between UWRF and WTCS (WITC). We anticipate that traditional and non-traditional
students as well as working professionals and students in rural areas will benefit
from this opportunity.
The project co-directors will disseminate the outcomes within their respective
institutions as well as regionally and nationally to early childhood higher
education providers.
Title:
Accelerated Licensing Program for Early Childhood Professionals
Fiscal Institution: UW Oshkosh
Partners: Fox Valley Technical College
Project Summary: The Accelerated
Licensing Program for Early Childhood Professionals project will plan, with
leadership from UW Oshkosh and Fox Val Tech Coll for the development of an Accelerated
Licensing Program for early childhood professionals. This proposal will create
a non-traditional, seamless system of transfer, whereby early childhood professionals
completing an
Associate’s degree within the Wisconsin Technical College System transition
into a Bachelor of Science in Education and teacher licensure program at the
UW Oshkosh. The project will coordinate the competency based portfolio assessment
systems to develop consistency between institutions.
Title:
Promoting Seamless Transfer from the Technical College to the University
Fiscal Institution: UW Milwaukee
Partners: Gateway Technical College
Milwaukee Area Technical College
4C’s Community Coordinated Child Care
Project Summary: This planning proposal is to prepare for a system of transfer for students who initially attend an Associate’s degree program at a southeastern Wisconsin Technical College. Appropriate avenues to ease the transfer process and to assure acceptance to the Bachelor’s degree program at UW Milwaukee will be addressed by a faculty team across institutions. The Milwaukee 4C’s will also conduct focus groups to identify student needs, barriers, and potential solutions.
Implementation Grants
Title:
NWTC/Edgewood Early Childhood Education
Fiscal Institution: Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
Partners: Edgewood College
Project Summary: NWTC and Edgewood will partner to provide a seamless transition of Early Childhood Education Associate Degree graduates to a junior standing in the Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree program. In order to ensure a seamless transition and allow access for the greatest number of students, curriculum will be articulated and the Bachelor Degree curriculum will be converted to an online format.
Title:
Early Childhood Special Education Collaborative Online Master’s Program
Fiscal Institution: UW Milwaukee
Partners: Wisconsin Technical College System
Edgewood College
UW Eau Claire
UW Oshkosh
UW Stevens Point
UW Green Bay
UW River Falls
UW Whitewater
Project Summary: This project titled Early Childhood Special Education Collaborative Online Master’s Program will improve access and availability to advanced course work in early childhood special education and other fields. Twelve faculty from Edgewood College, UW Eau Claire, UW Oshkosh, UW Stevens Point, UW Green Bay, UW River Falls, UW Whitewater will develop an online master’s program by using existing and new courses. Partnership with the Wisconsin Technical College System will provide articulation for students and professional development for WTCS faculty.