THE
Senate Document Number
1605S
Date of Senate Approval
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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:
Effective
Date: Fall 2005
1.
Delete: On pgs 102 and 103 of the
2004-05 catalog, entire entry under First Area of Licensure
Students
fulfilling UNC
Add: In place of deleted entry:
Students
completing an appropriate UNCA disciplinary major, the Integrative Liberal
Studies program, and other Department of
Education requirements may receive recommendation for licensure in (a)
Birth-Kindergarten (B-K); (b) Elementary Education (K-6); (c) Middle School
(6-9) Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies; (d) Secondary
Education (9-12) Biology, Chemistry, Comprehensive Science, Earth Science,
English, Latin, Mathematics, Physics, Science, Social Studies; and (e) K-12
Art, K-12 Reading, K-12 Theatre Arts, and K-12 Foreign Language in French,
German and Spanish.
2.
Add: On pg. 103 of the 2004-05 catalog,
preceding Elementary School Licensure (K-6):
Birth-Kindergarten
Licensure (B-K)
Students
receiving a degree at UNCA with B-K Licensure must major in Psychology. (See Psychology section.) See appropriate Education Advisor for
details.
I. Required courses in Education – 33 hours,
including: EDUC 310, 311, 318, 321, 331, 341, 351, 355, 361, 396, 455, 496.
II. Required
courses outside of Education - As part of the 34 hours required for the
Psychology major, students must take PSYC 200, 225, 312, 318 and 345.
III. Other
departmental requirements as outlined above for all licensure students.
3.
Delete: On pg. 199,
the paragraph under Psychology with Teacher Licensure:
Psychology
majors who are also completing teacher licensure (e.g., K-6,
Add: On pg. 199, in place of
deleted entry:
Psychology
majors who are also completing teacher licensure (e.g., B-K, K-6) should enroll
in PSYC 318 instead of either PSYC 317 or PSYC 332. For teacher licensure students only, PSYC 318
fulfills the department’s laboratory course requirement.
B-K licensure students should complete PSYC 200, 225, 312,
and 345 as part of their required curriculum. See the Education
Department section for additional licensure requirements.
4.
Change:
On pg. 108 the grade range
for course title descriptors:
Delete:
396 Research Methods in Education, K-12 (1)
Add:
396 Research Methods in Education, BK-12 (1)
5.
Change: On pg 108, grade range of
course title descriptors:
Delete:
496 Directed
Research in Education, K-12 (2)
Add:
496 Directed
Research in Education, BK-12 (2)
Impact of the
Program: In addition to adhering to the legislative
demands for improved quality childcare in the state as well as the nation,
offering this new licensure program will be an asset to the community by
expanding the availability of licensed early childhood educators in a field
that is experiencing a shortage of qualified individuals. Currently, child care
centers are evaluated on criteria established by the National Association of
Education of Young Children (NAEYC) as well as standards established by the
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Part of the criteria for rating childcare
facilities involves educational training of faculty, assistants, aides and
directors, as well as the assessed quality of curriculum of the center. All of
these variables would improve as a result of the implementation of the B-K
licensure program at UNCA. The program
will enable individuals with a personal interest in the field to investigate
and pursue this area of licensure. This
program will attract and provide needed services to individuals coming from
various backgrounds: 1) existing
childcare workers seeking state mandated licensure; 2) individuals holding
Associate of Arts degrees from community colleges wishing to pursue a four year
degree with B-K licensure; 3) post- baccalaureate individuals choosing to add
B-K licensure to their existing licensure status; 4) freshmen pursuing a career
in the field of early childhood education; 5) individuals currently employed in
childcare facilities and selecting to broaden their level of knowledge. Subsequently, as UNCA adheres to its
tradition of serving the community, a major contribution will be provided. As more early childhood educators participate
in the program, more centers will likely elevate the ranking of their
center. In the long run, a smoother
transition into the education spiral of 0-20 would be facilitated.
Because preliminary program needs have already been
addressed, the demand placed on the university for additional
resources will be minimal. A
permanent tenure track line for program coordinator already exists and is
currently filled by a visiting assistant professor, Dr.
Additionally, the new B-K licensure program will
impact the Psychology Department.
Because majors in education are not granted by UNCA, the B-K licensure
program will require students to major in Psychology. Subsequently, there will be an increase in
the number of Psychology majors at the university and a need for additional
teaching responsibilities to meet this need, specifically as it applies to PSYC
101, 102, 200, 201, 202, 225, 312, 318, 345 and 390. These courses have been mutually agreed upon
by the Psychology Department and the Education Department to be essential and
complementary to a strong, human development foundation, which is pertinent to
the B-K license and will be required for licensure. Further, a tenure track position in the
Psychology department for academic year ‘05-06 has already been approved and it
is intended that this line will assist the Psychology department in offering
courses that serve the Education department.
Rationale for the
Program:
Although Elementary Education licensure is currently offered at
UNCA, there are no provisions for individuals seeking licensure in the
Birth-Kindergarten range. These
individuals cannot be employed in a public facility in the B-K capacity without
such licensure. Further, the individuals lacking licensure are less well
prepared to meet the needs of young children in maximizing their development
and learning.
Currently,
the following North Carolina institutions do offer a B-K licensure program or a
major in early childhood education: East
Carolina University, Elizabeth City State University, Greensboro College,
Lenoir-Rhyne College, North Carolina A & T State
University, North Carolina Central University, Salem College, Shaw University,
Appalachian State University, University of N.C. at Chapel Hill, Charlotte,
Greensboro, and Pembroke, Western Carolina University and Winston Salem
College. However, none of these
institutions are in the immediate
Yet,
in keeping with the goals of the No
Child Left Behind Act of 2001, major changes
regarding better preparation of early childhood teachers have been
mandated. The American Association of
Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) has
delineated key principles for the revamping of early childhood education,
including: (1) emphasis on early
childhood education as pivotal to creation of a seamless 0-20 (PK-16) education
pipeline; (2) high-quality teacher
preparation for all early childhood educators resulting in a bachelor’s degree
and appropriate state licensure for dealing with children from birth to age
3; (3) preparation of early childhood
educators to work harmoniously with community resources and families of
children with and without special needs;
(4) recognition of early
childhood education as a specialized discipline distinct from elementary
education; (5) involving schools, colleges, and departments
of education in the development of early childhood educations standards based
on what is known about child development and learning and best practices in
early childhood education. In light of
this, the limited numbers of colleges in the region offering B-K licensure, and
as a needed resource in the community, it is vital that the department of
education and UNCA become actively involved in this B-K licensure, early
childhood education process.
The Birth
through Kindergarten (B-K) licensure program provides comprehensive training in
the area of Early Childhood Education, particularly for those who will or
currently are working with young children between the ages of 0-6 years and
their families. The program will provide
a theoretical background in child development from a psychological as well as
educational perspective, and comprehensive training in strategies and methods
for assessing and teaching the skills necessary to work with young children,
with and without exceptionalities. The
curriculum encompasses perspectives from several disciplines, including early
childhood education, early childhood special education, psychology, elementary
education and community health.
In
the Summer of 2003, as delineated by the following
course components, the B-K program was granted temporary approval by the North
Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
This approval was based on the fact that the required courses address
the necessary skills and perspectives described above, as well as meet
standards and competencies denoted by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The organization of course
work meets criteria established by the North Carolina Department of Public
Instruction, Core Standards and NCATE accreditation by including: introduction
to pertinent theories as an entrance to the program, intense explanation and
demonstration of strategies appropriate to the Birth-Kindergarten age group,
followed by diverse clinical experiences that focus on application of pedagogy,
and extensive field experience to address refinement of application and
reflections of methodology.
Additionally, courses have been sequenced in a format that fosters
increasing opportunity for active and diverse field experiences and
internalization of theoretical foundations. In conclusion, the organization and
content of the B-K program addresses and meets the criteria established by the
university to perpetuate excellence in the field.