Expectations

ECPK 492 is the culminating or capstone experience of the Early Education and Care program when the student is responsible for directing the learning of a group of young children under the supervision of a lead teacher, administrator, or self.  For objectivity, the site supervisor should not be a close friend or a relative of the student. And most likely family child-care providers or administrators will not have a site supervisor.

ECPK 492, a 6-credit, 200-hour supervised field experience that meets 3 times during the semester on campus as a class. The student’s primary contact will be their assigned BSU supervisor, who will schedule observation visits and schedule due dates for formative feedback on the development of a competency portfolio.  As part of this experience, the student will increasingly become a contributing partner to the teaching team led by the site supervisor.  This process will culminate in the student taking over primary responsibility for running the classroom for 10 days interacting directly with the children for at least 20 hours of the 200-hour experience.

The extent of the responsibilities are negotiated, and the Lead Teacher will be available to serve as the student’s assistant, and the teacher should be able to leave the classroom for significant periods of time, so the student and the children get the sense that the student is in charge.  In some programs, the student is the Lead Teacher in their settings means they have primary responsibility throughout the entire field placement.

The experience translates to working daily in a full-day placement for 8 weeks or for a full semester (15 weeks) in a half-day placement (only hours spent directly working with children count, nap times are excluded). For many students, the setting will be the student’s current workplace, as long as the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) licenses the program.

If the student is not working in an appropriate early childhood setting; the Early Education and Care Practicum Liaison will assist in finding an appropriate placement.  Students who work in a program may need to alter their typical work schedules and classroom.  For example, a student works in a program and their main responsibility is to cover breaks.  They will need to select a classroom to be regularly working with children during times when significant program offerings are being implemented and to add to the classroom’s activity offerings.

The BSU Early Education and Care Practicum Liaison assigns a BSU supervisor who observes at least 5 scheduled times and mentors the student’s portfolio construction. The BSU supervisor will observe for positive emotional support, effective classroom organization, instructional support and the demonstration of BSU professional dispositions.

The experience should not be viewed as the end of educator preparation, rather, the beginning of a continuing process of learning. During the ECPK 492 experience, the student will examine their teaching practices and the reasons for their behavior in terms of how their methods and techniques facilitate growth in the children. The student demonstrates competency in planning and implementing activities that promote growth and development for a diverse group of children in all domains, as reflected in the documentation of children’s learning.

Learning Outcomes

The learning outcome for  ECPK 492 is that the student will teach with intention using strategies associated with best practices as defined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), with a special focus on learnable moments. Aspects of creating a quality environment were examined in ECPK 420 and 480.  In ECPK 492 best practices are defined using the 10 standards of the NAEYC Accreditation system for early childhood programs. Additionally learning guidelines for children are defined by:

1. Massachusetts’ Guidelines for Preschool and Kindergarten Learning Experiences (GPKLE)  available at http://www.doe.mass.edu/sfs/earlylearning/resources/#curriculum and the
2. 2010 Massachusetts Early Learning Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers available at https://www.mass.gov/eec-learning-standards-and-curriculum-guidelines

The final field evaluation uses these documents to define the criteria.

Competencies Developed

EEC articulated 8 Core Competencies, which draws upon best practices in Early Childhood Education.  Six of the 8 competencies are practiced in this capstone experience.

Roles and Expectation of the BSU Student

ECPK 492 students will:

• Take sole responsibility for at least 20 hours across 10 days of classroom implementation for all aspects of the early childhood environment, including designing activities, lessons, learning centers, preparing and maintaining a safe and stimulating environment, providing instruction and guidance, supervising support staff, managing the classroom, administering IEP’s, and communicating with administration and families.
• Design, teach and evaluate an integrated unit, utilizing a variety of instructional strategies that consider the developmental stage and needs of all children addressing the learning standards in
• Massachusetts’ Guidelines for Preschool and Kindergarten Learning Experiences (GPKLE)  available at http://www.doe.mass.edu/sfs/earlylearning/resources/#curriculum and the
• 2010 Massachusetts Early Learning Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers available at https://www.mass.gov/eec-learning-standards-and-curriculum-guidelines
• Teach and observe a variety of lessons, demonstrating knowledge of developmentally appropriate practices and the content outlined by  NAEYC accreditation standards (used in ECPK 420, 480 and 481) and Massachusetts’s learning standards.
• Demonstrate knowledge of content, current methodology and organizational skills to effectively meet the needs of all children, including children from a variety of cultural and language backgrounds and children with special needs.
• Organize and manage an early childhood environment to foster children’s creative and analytical thinking skills and, deal equitably and ethically with all children, and show sensitivity to developmental, cultural, language, and learning differences.
• Communicate orally and in writing with children, families, community members, center personnel, and other professional colleagues in a clear, understandable, and sensitive manner. They will integrate the information from these sources to promote growth for all children and to involve families in their children’s learning.
• Familiarize themselves with the individual learning needs of the children, including IEP or IFSP assessments and goals, and will participate in adapting strategies, environments, and curriculum to meet identified needs, both through planned activities and through the continuous scaffolding of learnable moments.
• Reflect upon and evaluate curriculum decisions, using systematic observation, documentation, and other effective assessment strategies in an ethical way to show children’s growth, design instruction, and continuously improve professional practices.
• Participate in all program orientations and in professional development.
• Create a Competency Portfolio, illustrating and confirming their competence in all areas of professional practice; examining their teaching practices and the reasons for their behavior in terms of how their methods and techniques facilitate growth in the children. Submit the portfolio to the BSU supervisor at least one week before the end of the semester.
• Complete the BSU CEHS Early Childhood Dispositions Rating Form.
• Attend 3 evening meetings on the BSU campus.

Roles and Expectation of the Site Supervisor

The site supervisor guides the student through experiences, which allow students to apply knowledge and skills gained through BSU coursework.  The student performs the major functions of a teacher with appropriate responsibilities and supervision. A site supervisor is a person in the work setting who

• Has EEC Lead Teacher, Director I, or Director II Certification
• Regularly observes the student’s work in the classroom
• Coaches and mentors the student

The college supervisor, site supervisor and student will participate and collaborate in a three-way discussion of the ratings on the summative evaluation form. Prior to the meeting, the site supervisor will complete the summative evaluation and CEHS dispositions for ECPK 492.

Roles and Expectations of the BSU Supervisor

During ECPK 492, the BSU supervisor will make an initial visit plus at least four other scheduled visits.  There are at least 5 visits in total. At the observation visits, the BSU supervisor will coach and mentor the student, by focusing on aspects of emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support.

Supervisors provide timely, candid and specific feedback regarding what was observed and their interpretation of the behavior and impact it might have on other people.  By asking effective questions, supervisors should stimulate learning, growth, and performance improvement. Students should feel supported, empowered, and able to contribute at a higher level.

The BSU supervisor mentors the student’s portfolio construction and details of the components are included in this handbook.  This includes reading drafts of the evidence tables and formally written up activity and unit plans.

BSU supervisors will coordinate the final three-way conference with the site supervisor and the student.  During the meeting, all participants will collaborate in a three-way discussion of the ratings on the summative evaluation form.  The BSU supervisor will collect the CEHS Professional Dispositions rating form. Ideally, the Portfolio should be submitted to the college supervisor at least one week before the end of the semester.

The college supervisor is responsible for evaluating the Portfolio, using the rubric, and assigning the course grade. The College Supervisor will enter the portfolio and field evaluations rubric ratings as well as the CEHS disposition ratings in Taskstream/Watermark (starting in SP20).