The State of Early Childhood Higher Education in New Jersey The New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory

Transcription

1 2013 The State of Early Childhood Higher Education in New Jersey The New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory By Fran Kipnis, Marcy Whitebook, Lea Austin and Laura Sakai

2 2013 Center for the Study of Child Care Employment All rights reserved. Center for the Study of Child Care Employment Institute for Research on Labor and Employment University of California at Berkeley 2521 Channing Way #5555 Berkeley, CA (510) Special thanks to: Ellen Wolock, Sharon Ryan and Ana Berdecia and the New Jersey Council for Young Children The dean, coordinators and faculty who gave generously of their time to participate in the Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory Suggested Citation: Kipnis, F., Whitebook, M., Austin, L., & Sakai, L. (May 2013). The State of Early Childhood Higher Education in New Jersey: The New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory. Berkeley, CA:.

3 The State of Early Childhood Higher Education in New Jersey The New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory By Fran Kipnis, Marcy Whitebook, Lea Austin and Laura Sakai Table of Contents Introduction 2 New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory results from the Mapping and Program Modules 5 results from the Faculty Module 35 Discussion and Recommendations 65 REFERENCes 67 Appendix 1 The New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory Methodology 68 Appendix 2 The New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory Mapping and Program Modules Supplemental Tables 73 APPREDIX 3 The New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory Faculty Module supplemental Tables 88 1

4 Introduction The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) at the University of California, Berkeley, is assisting the New Jersey Council for Young Children (Council) in collecting and analyzing information about the state s early learning professional preparation and development system. The project consists of two phases: a Mapping Phase and a Quality Assessment Phase. As part of the Quality Assessment, the Council asked the CSCCE to investigate the early childhood higher education opportunities available to the state s early learning work force. Historically, any higher education degree program within one of several disciplines focused on children has been considered an acceptable form of early childhood teacher preparation. Early childhoodrelated is a widely used label in research and policy to describe the educational backgrounds of teachers of young children. There is no accepted and agreedupon standard for what constitutes a high-quality course of study for early childhood practitioners working with children before Kindergarten. Too often, highly diverse degree programs are assumed to produce equivalent results (Maxwell, Lim, & Early, 2006; Whitebook et al., 2012). To address this issue, the Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory (Inventory) was designed to gain a clearer picture of the early childhood offerings in a state s higher education system. The New Jersey Inventory was implemented for the Council by the CSCCE in fall 2012/winter The Inventory describes the landscape of the state s early childhood degree programs, focusing on variations in program content, child age-group focus, student field-based learning, and faculty characteristics. This information allows the Council and other stakeholders to identify the gaps and opportunities in the available offerings and to assess the capacity of the higher education system over time. This document presents the Inventory findings. These findings are also included in the Quality Assessment Report (Kipnis et al., 2013). The Inventory includes three modules: 1. Mapping Module: Through an extensive document review, the mapping module identifies the state s early childhood higher education programs by collecting information on the college or university, the department in which the program is housed, degrees and certificates offered, and characteristics of the students attending the program. 2. Program Module: Using an online survey tool completed by the degree program s dean or coordinator, the program module collects information on program content and age group focus, connections to state standards, accreditation; methods of student assessment, types, sequencing, duration and supervision of clinical experiences, and student supports and challenges within the institution. 3. Faculty Module: Using an online survey tool completed by all faculty members teaching in the degree program, the faculty module collects information on faculty employment status, teaching experience and expertise, profession development experiences and needs, and past experience within the early childhood field. Thirteen of the 14 community colleges offering early childhood degrees in New Jersey agreed to participate in the Inventory. These 13 colleges offered 18 associate degrees, and data were collected for 17 of these 18 degree programs. Thirteen of the 15 fouryear colleges and universities offering early childhood degree programs participated in the Inventory. These 13 institutions offered 34 bachelor s and graduate degrees, and data were collected for 32 of these 34 degree programs. 2

5 Approximately one-half of the faculty sample responded to the Faculty Module. For this reason, we cannot assume that findings from this module are representative of early childhood teacher educators in the state. As discussed in the Discussion and Recommendations section, however, findings from the Faculty Module were consistent with those from the Program Module. This report begins with a description of the number and types of degree programs across the state, followed by highlights from the Program and Faculty Modules. The Highlights are followed by recommendations for addressing the challenges identified in the findings and for building on promising practices. The appendices describe the Inventory methodology and present supplementary tables for both the Program and Faculty Modules. 3

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7 The State of Early Childhood Higher Education in New Jersey Results from the Mapping and Program Modules New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory HIGHLIGHTS Twenty-nine institutions of higher education offer early childhood degree programs in New Jersey. Associate degrees are offered in community colleges in 14 of New Jersey s 21 counties, bachelor s degrees in 11 counties, and joint bachelor s/master s and master s degrees in nine counties. The two early childhood doctoral degree programs are offered in Middlesex County. The associate, bachelor s, master s and doctoral degree programs reported a range of goals related to preparing students for specific early childhood job roles and job settings. 4 Preparing teachers and administrators to work in both early childhood (e.g., preschools, family child care homes) and elementary education settings was the most frequently reported goal (52 percent). 4 Approximately one-quarter (22 percent) reported that their primary goal was preparing students to work in multiple roles (e.g., teachers, administrators, family workers, mental health consultants), in multiple settings for young children (e.g., preschools, K-3 settings, social services agencies, family resource centers). 4 Smaller percentages of programs reported that their primary goal was to prepare teachers and administrators to work exclusively in early childhood settings (14 percent) or to prepare early interventionists/special education teachers (2 percent). Almost all degree programs required coursework on multiple topics related to child development and learning, teaching diverse child populations, teaching and curriculum, teaching skills, and community, family, and policy. Degree programs were less likely to report offering coursework on topics related to early childhood administration and leadership (e.g., adult supervision, program planning, development and operations). Only four of the 13 topics listed in the Inventory were offered by one-half or more of degree programs. The two doctoral programs, however, offered course work on eight of the 13 topics, with one of the doctoral programs offering a concentration in teacher leadership. While most degree programs reported focusing their coursework on preschool-age children (ages three to four years) and children in the early elementary grades, they were less likely to report focusing course content on infants and toddlers (birth to two years old). Associate degree programs were more likely to report focusing their course content on infants and toddlers than the bachelor s and graduate-level degree programs. 1 Student teaching is defined as full-time immersion in a classroom, with increasing responsibility for curriculum planning and teaching, and supervision by a cooperating teacher. A practicum is defined as an experience, associated with a course, that is short in duration, often focused on a particular skill or population of children, and supervised by a faculty member and/or mentor. 5

8 Approximately 40 percent of degree programs reported that they did not require students to participate in a student teaching experience. About one-third did not require students to participate in a practicum. 1 The requirement for field experiences varied by degree program, with the bachelor s degree programs most likely to report requiring students to participate in a student teaching and/or practicum experience. All the bachelor s degree programs required a student teaching experience, and 92 percent required a practicum experience. In a pattern similar to the age focus of coursework, degree programs reported that field experiences were more likely to focus on preschool and early elementary age children than on infants and toddlers. More than three-fourths (77 percent) of degree programs requiring field experiences reported that student teaching focused on infants and toddlers was not available to students, and more than one-half (58 percent) reported that practicum experiences focused on infants and toddlers were not available. In both cases, associate degree programs were the most likely to report that their field experiences focused on infants and toddlers. For those programs requiring field experiences and reporting criteria for selection of field sites, the two most frequently reported criteria were the location of the site (79 percent for student teaching, and 77 percent for practicum) and the ages of children served (62 percent for student teaching, and 58 percent for practicum). Less than one-half of these degree programs reported that criteria for selection included characteristics related to the quality of the site, such as quality ratings, national accreditation, connections to a professional development or laboratory school, or to specific demographic characteristics of the children other than age. Almost one-third (32 percent) of degree programs reporting a challange facing their degree program, reported that lack of access to quality clinical experiences was a challenge. More than three-quarters of degree programs requiring field experiences used a cooperating teacher at the site to help supervise students participating in student teaching (77 percent) and practicum experiences (81 percent). Most of these programs (97 percent for student teaching and 85 percent for practicum) reported criteria for selecting the cooperating teacher. In almost all cases, the cooperating teacher was required to hold a New Jersey state credential or equivalent. Fewer than two-thirds of these programs, however, required the cooperating teacher to have experience in supervising field placements (61 percent for student teaching, and 54 percent for practicum) and fewer than one-half required the teacher to attain any certification as a mentor or master teacher (46 percent for student teaching, and 43 percent for practicum). Most degree programs reported incorporating the New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards and the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards into their curricula. Only 35 percent, however, reported incorporating the New Jersey Core Knowledge and Competencies for Working with Children Birth through Age Eight and in After-school Programs into their curricula. Approximately three-quarters (77 percent) of degree programs reported challenges. The most frequently reported challenge by these programs was the inability to recruit students (43 percent), followed by the lack of access to quality clinical experience sites (32 percent), inequitable distribution of resources within the institution (30 percent), and lack of recognition of the value of early childhood education within the department or school (30 percent). The following document presents the major findings from the Mapping and Program Modules of the New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory. Because only two doctoral programs offered early childhood degrees, these programs have been excluded from the figures that display the data by degree program. In these cases, we have included the doctoral degree responses in text below the figure when appropriate. Additional tables are included in Appendix 3. 6

9 I. What early childhood degree programs are available in New Jersey? Twenty-nine institutions of higher education offer early childhood degree programs in New Jersey. 14 public community colleges offer: 19 associate degree programs; A variety of certificate programs, including the Child Development Associate. 15 public and private four-year colleges and universities offer: 16 bachelor s degree programs; 4 joint bachelor s/master s degree programs; 14 master s degree programs; 2 doctoral degree programs All 15 offer coursework for the Preschool to Third Grade (P-3) Certificate. 7

10 Map 1: Location of Early Childhood Associate Degree Programs in New Jersey Map 2: Location of Early Childhood Bachelor s Degree Programs in New Jersey Sussex Passaic Bergen Passaic Bergen Warren Morris Hudson Morris Essex Hudson Union Union Somerset Middlesex Monmouth Monmouth Mercer Mercer Ocean Camden Gloucester Camden Atlantic Cumberland 8

11 Map 3: Location of Early Childhood Master s and Bachelor s/master s Degree Programs in New Jersey Map 4: Location of Early Childhood Doctoral Degree Programs in New Jersey Passaic Essex Union Hudson Middlesex Middlesex Mercer Monmouth Ocean Camden 9

12 II. What are the primary goals of the early childhood degree programs? The associate, bachelor s, master s and doctoral degree programs reported a range of goals related to preparing students for specific early childhood job roles and job settings. Preparing teachers and administrators to work in both early childhood (e.g., preschools, child care centers, family child care homes) and elementary education settings was the most frequently reported goal (52 percent) of degree programs. Approximately one-quarter of degree programs (22 percent) reported that their primary goal was preparing students to work in multiple roles (e.g., teachers, administrators, family workers, mental health consultants) in multiple settings for young children (e.g., preschools, K-3 settings, social services agencies, family resource centers). Smaller percentages of programs reported that their primary goal was to prepare teachers and administrators to work exclusively in early childhood settings (14 percent) or to prepare early interventionists/special education teachers (2 percent). 10

13 Figure 1: Primary Goal of New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs, by Degree Program 100% 80% 60% 40% 23% 24% 7% 21% 64% 18% 18% 47% 20% 53% 0% Associate Degree Programs (N=17) 7% Bachelor's Degree Programs (N=14) 17% Master's Degree Programs (N=17) To prepare students for the roles of early interventionists or early childhood special educators To prepare students for teaching and/or administrative roles - only in early childhood education settings for children birth to five. To prepare students for multiple roles involving young children, working in many types of settings To prepare students for teaching and/or administrative roles in early childhood and elementary education settings Other Primary goals of the doctoral degree programs: 1. Prepare students for faculty positions at research institutions. 2. Prepare students for multiple roles involving young children, working in many types of settings. 11

14 III. Who are the students being served, and what services are available to them? More than one-half of degree programs (54 percent) reported that their target student population was a mix of pre-service students and students already working in early childhood settings. One-quarter reported that their target population was pre-service students, and the remaining 21 percent targeted students already working in early childhood settings. Bachelor s degree programs were the most likely to report targeting pre-service students, while the master s degree programs were more likely to report targeting students already working in the field. Both doctoral degree programs also reported targeting students already working in the field. The associate degree programs were the most likely to report targeting a mix of both groups. Degree programs reported that students were offered a variety of services to help them access their education and succeed in their educational careers. These included three general categories of services: counseling and support such as academic and financial aid counseling; access supports such as classes in convenient locations and at convenient times (e.g., evening, weekends), and skills supports such as academic tutoring and assistance with technology. In most cases, degree programs reported that these student services were offered to all students in the college or university, and not targeted specifically to students in the early childhood degree programs. 12

15 Figure 2: Target Student Population of New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs, by Degree Programs 100% 80% 50% 35% 60% 40% 82% 24% 20% 0% 50% 41% 12% 6% Associate Degree (N=17) Bachelor's Degree (N=12) Master's Degree (N=17) A mix of both groups Pre-service students Adults already working in early childhood settings The two doctoral degree programs reported targeting adults already working in early childhood settings. Figure 3: Services Offered to Students in New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs: Counseling and Support, by Degree Program Cohort models (small groups of students who move through the program together) 29% 65% 67% Financial aid counseling 88% 100% 100% Master's Degree (N=17) Bachelor's Degree (N=12) Associate Degree (N=17)) Academic counseling 94% 100% 100% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Figure 4: Services Offered to Students in New Jersey Early Childhood 13

16 Figure 4: Services Offered to Students in New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs: Access Supports, by Degree Program Financial assistance, other than federal financial aid (e.g., scholarships, tuition, book stipends) Classes located off-campus in community locations Online courses Hybrid courses (courses offered partially online and in-person) Alternative class schedules for working adults (e.g., evening, weekend classes) 59% 58% 77% 65% 58% 59% 94% 92% 94% 82% 75% 63% 88% 67% 94% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Master's Degree (N=17) Bachelor's Degree (N=12) Associate Degree (N=17)) Figure 5: Services Offered to Students in New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs: Skills Supports, by Degree Program Academic assistance for students who are English language learners) Academic tutoring 71% 92% 100% 77% 100% 94% Master's Degree (N=17) Bachelor's Degree (N=12) Associate Degree (N=17)) Computer/technology training 94% 100% 94% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Students in both doctoral degree programs were offered: financial aid counseling, alternative class schedules for working adults,hybrid courses, online courses and computer/technology training. Students in one of the two doctoral degree programs were offered: academic counseling and financial assistance other than federal financial aid. 14

17 IV. What is the academic and age group focus of the early childhood degree programs? The Inventory asked deans or coordinators to indicate the course content required for students to complete their degrees. Almost all degree programs required coursework in multiple topics related to child development and learning, teaching diverse child populations, teaching and curriculum, teaching skills, and community family and policy. While most degree programs reported focusing this course work on preschool-age children (ages three to four years) and children in the early elementary grades, they were less likely to report focusing course content on infants and toddlers (birth to two years old). Associate degree programs were more likely to report focusing their course content on infants and toddlers than were the upper division and graduate programs. Degree programs were less likely to report offering coursework in topics related to early childhood administration and leadership (e.g., adult supervision, program planning, development and operations). Only four of the 13 topics listed in the Inventory were offered by one-half or more of degree programs. The two doctoral programs,however, offered coursework on eight of the 13 topics, with one of the doctoral programs offering a concentration in teacher leadership. When coursework on administration and leadership was offered, degree programs were more likely to report focusing these topics on preschool and early elementary settings than on infant and toddler settings. 15

18 Between 94 percent and 100 percent of degree programs reported requiring the following topics related to Child Development and Learning. These degree programs were more likely to report focusing this content on preschool and elementary age children than on infants and toddlers. Figure 6: Child Development and Learning Coursework in New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs: Age Group Focus Understanding the effects of disability on child development (N=47) 100% 89% 55% Development of children s mathematical and scientific understandings (N=48) 83% 98% 38% Development of children s early literacy skills (N=48) 42% 98% 90% K-Grade 3 (or higher) 3 to 5 years Birth to 2 years 100% Child development theory and its relationship to teaching (N=50) 62% 90% Understanding the effects of culture, gender, class, and race on child development (N=50) 88% 98% 60% Knowledge about children s development in different domains (N=50) 70% 88% 100% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 16

19 Between 80 percent and 100 percent of degree programs reported requiring the following topics related to Teaching Diverse Child Populations. These degree programs were more likely to focus this content on preschool and elementary age children than on infants and toddlers Figure 7: Teaching Diverse Child Populations Coursework in New Jersey Higher Education Degree Programs: Age Group Focus Teaching children who are dual language learners (N=40) 40% 85% 95% Teaching children with special needs (N=45) 84% 100% K-Grade 3 (or higher) 3 to 5 years 47% Birth to 2 years Teaching children with challenging behaviors (N=47) 89% 100% 45% Teaching children who are experiencing poverty (N=49) 49% 86% 100% Teaching children from multiple cultural and ethnic backgrounds (N=50) 46% 88% 98% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 17

20 Between 84 percent and 100 percent of degree programs reported requiring the following topics related to Teaching and Curriculum. These degree programs were more likely to focus this content on preschool and elementary age children than on infants and toddlers. Figure 8: Teaching and Curriculum Coursework in New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs: Age Group Focus Supporting and extending children s physical skills (N=42) 45% 88% 91% 88% Teaching art to children (N=42) 29% 88% 93% Teaching social studies to children(n=43) 23% 84% K-Grade 3 (or higher) 3 to 5 years Teaching science skills to children (N=44) 23% 93% 86% Birth to 2 years Teaching math skills to children (N=44) 21% 93% 86% 94% Teaching literacy skills to children (N=46) 33% 91% Supporting children s social development (N=49) 43% 92% 90% Implementing integrated curriculum (N=50) 32% 96% 90% Using play in the curriculum (N=50) 38% 90% 92% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 18

21 Between 94 percent and 100 percent of all degree programs reported requiring the following topics related to Teaching Skills in Early Childhood Settings. These degree programs were more likely to focus this content on preschool and elementary age children than on infants and toddlers. Figure 9: Teaching Skills in Early Childhood Settings Coursework in New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs: Age Group Focus 96% Classroom management (N=47) 89% 26% K-Grade 3 (or higher) 3 to 5 years Birth to 2 years Observation, assessment, & documentation to inform teaching and learning (N=49) 98% 92% 35% How to use different teaching techniques (e.g., planning, instructing, facilitating) (N=50) 98% 92% 30% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 19

22 Between 88 percent and 98 percent of degree programs reported requiring the following topics related to Community, Family and Policy. These degree programs were more likely to focus this content on preschool and elementary age children than on infants and toddlers. Figure 10: Community, Family and Policy Coursework in New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs: Age Group Focus 91% The early childhood system, advocacy, and public policy (N=44) 89% 36% K-Grade 3 (or higher) Utilizing community resources (N=48) 90% 85% 3 to 5 years Birth to 2 years 38% 92% Working with families (N=49) 90% 37% Building relationships with other teachers and/or early childhood professionals (N=49) 33% 88% 96% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 20

23 Degree programs were less likely to report offering topics related to Early Childhood Administration and Leadership. Only four topics were offered by one-half or more of degree programs. The two doctoral degree programs offered course work in eight of the topics, as indicated by the asterisk. Figure 11: Administration and Leadership Cousework in New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs Grant management and proposal writing* 8% Fiscal procedures and management 10% Managing and maintaining facilities 18% Human resources/personnel policies 28% Adult learning styles* 30% Using technology to maintain records and enhance program operations 34% Adult supervision* 34% Organizational development and change* Program planning, development and operations (e.g., child enrollment, daily operations) Effective advocacy, and policy analysis and development* 40% 44% 50% Assessment and documentation to inform program quality* Guiding practitioners in implementing curriculum and appropriate teaching strategies* (N=5) *Offered by Doctoral Degree Program Assessment and documentation to inform teaching and learning* 76% 88% 92% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 21

24 These degree programs were more likely to focus Administration and Leadership content on preschool and elementary age children than on infants and toddlers. Figure 12: Administration and Leadership Coursework in New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs: Age Group Focus Adult learning styles (N=15) 33% 93% 87% Using technology to maintain records and enhance program operations (N=17) 18% 82% 82% Adult supervision (N=17) Organizational development and change (N=20) 29% 25% 82% 88% 70% 100% K-Grade 3 (or higher) Preschool programs Infant/Toddler programs Program planning, development and operations (e.g., child enrollment, daily operations) (N=22) 32% 86% 82% Effective advocacy, and policy analysis and development (N=25) 28% 92% 84% Assessment and documentation to inform program quality (N=38) 34% 90% 84% Guiding practitioners in implementing curriculum and appropriate teaching strategies (N=44) 27% 93% 91% Assessment and documentation to inform teaching and learning (N=46) 33% 91% 87% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 22

25 The figures below display degree- and age-level information for two of the Child Development and Learning topics. Associate degree programs were the most likely to report focusing course content on infants and toddlers. Degree- and age-level information for the other content areas followed the same pattern. (See Appendix 3.) Figure 13: Development of Children's Early Literacy Skills: Age Group Focus, by Degree Program 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 94% 100% 100% 100% 93% 81% 65% 36% 25% Associate Degree (N=17) Bachelor's Degree (N=14) Master's Degree (N=16) Birth to 2 years 3 to 4 years K-Grade 3 or higher Figure 14: Understanding the Effects of Disability on Child Development: Age Group Focus, by Degree Program 100% 80% 60% 40% 88% 94% 100% 93% 100% 81% 100% 20% 0% 50% Associate Degree (N=17) Bachelor's Degree (N=14) Master's Degree (N=16) 25% Birth to 2 years 3 to 4 years K-Grade 3 or higher 23

26 V. What are the characteristics of the field experiences offered by the early childhood degree programs? The Inventory asked respondents about two types of field experiences offered to the students: 1) student teaching, defined as full-time immersion in a classroom, with increasing responsibility for curriculum planning and teaching, and supervision by a cooperating teacher; and 2) practicum, defined as an experience, associated with a course, that is short in duration, often focused on a particular skill or population of children, and supervised by a faculty member and/or mentor. More than one-half (61 percent) of degree programs reported requiring students to participate in a student teaching experience, and 69 percent reported requiring students to participate in a practicum. The requirement for field experiences varied by degree program, with the bachelor s degree programs most likely to report requiring students to participate in a student teaching and/or practicum experience. All the bachelor s degree programs required a student teaching experience, and 92 percent required a practicum. Degree programs requiring student teaching and/or practicum experiences: In a pattern similar to the age focus of coursework, programs reported that field experiences were more likely to focus on preschool and early elementary age children than on infants and toddlers. More than threefourths (77 percent) of degree programs reported that student teaching focused on infants and toddlers was not available to students, and more than one-half (58 percent) reported that practicum experiences focused on infants and toddlers were not available. In both cases, associate degree programs were the most likely to report that their field experiences focused on infants and toddlers. All degree programs requiring student teaching reported having criteria for selecting field sites as did 94 percent of the degree programs requiring practicum experiences. For these programs, the two most frequently reported criteria were the location of the site (79 percent for student teaching, and 77 percent for practicum) and/or the ages of children served (62 percent for student teaching, and 58 percent for practicum). Less than one-half of degree programs reported that criteria for field site selection included characteristics related to the quality of the site such as quality ratings, national accreditation, connections to a professional development or laboratory school, or to specific demographic characteristics of the children other than age. More than three-quarters of degree programs used a cooperating teacher at the site to help supervise students participating in student teaching (77 percent) and practicum experiences (81 percent). Almost all of these (97 percent for student teaching and 85 percent for practicum) reported criteria for selecting the cooperating teacher. In almost all cases, the cooperating teacher was required to hold a New Jersey state credential or equivalent. Fewer than two-thirds of these programs, however, required the cooperating teacher to have experience in supervising field placements (61 percent for student teaching, and 54 percent for practicum) and fewer than one-half required the teacher to attain any certification as a mentor or master teacher (46 percent for student teaching, and 43 percent for practicum). Most programs (83 percent) reported that students participated in their student teaching experience at the conclusion of the degree program, rather than during the first year (three percent) or midway into the program (17 percent).practicum experiences occurred earlier for students, with 49 percent of programs reporting that the first practicum occurred during the first year of the degree program. 24

27 Student teaching occurred for four months (one semester) in about two-thirds of programs (63 percent), for less than four months in 13 percent of programs, and for more than four months in 23 percent of the programs. Degree programs offered a variety of resources to cooperating teachers. Approximately two-thirds of degree programs reported providing these teachers with stipends (69 percent) or regularly scheduled consultations with clinical faculty (66 percent). Less than one-half reported offering opportunities to participate in training or college credit or financial resources for release time to work with the student. Degree programs were less likely to report offering any resources to cooperating teachers working with practicum students. The most commonly reported resource was regularly scheduled consultation with clinical faculty (39 percent). The majority of degree programs reported that student teaching and practicum experiences were not structured differently for new and experienced teachers. Only 31 percent of programs reported that student teaching experiences were structured differently for new and experienced teachers, and 24 percent of programs reported this for practicum experiences. 25

28 Figure 15: Student Teaching Experience Required in New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs, by Degree Program Figure 15: Student Teaching Experience Required in New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs, by Degree Program 100% 100% 65% 35% 65% Associate Degree 35% (N=17) Bachelor's Degree (N=13) Master's Degree (N=17) Associate Degree (N=17) Bachelor's Degree (N=13) Master's Degree (N=17) Neither of the two doctoral degree programs reported requiring student teaching. Figure 16: Practicum Experience Required in New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs, by Degree Program Figure 16: Practicum Experience Required in New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs, by Degree Program 100% 100% 80% 80% 60% 60% 40% 40% 20% 71% 71% 92% 92% 53% 20% 0% Associate Degree (N=17) Bachelor's Degree (N=12) Master's Degree (N=17) 53% 0% One of the two doctoral degree programs reported requiring a practicum. Associate Degree (N=17) Bachelor's Degree (N=12) Master's Degree (N=17) 26

29 Figure 17: Age Group Focus of Required Student Field Experiences in New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs K-3 or higher-not available 7% 3% K-3 or higher-optional K-3 or higher-required 30% 33% 60% 64% Three to four years-not available Three to four years-optional Three to four years-required 7% 3% 50% 42% 40% 55% Birth to two years-not available Birth to two years-optional Birth to two years-required 13% 7% 6% 36% 58% 77% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Student teaching (N=30) Practicum (N=33) 27

30 All degree programs requiring student teaching reported having criteria for selecting field sites as did 94 percent of degree programs requiring practicum experiences. Figures 18 and 19 display the reported criteria. Figure 18: Criteria for Selecting Student Field Sites in New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs: Site Characteristics Observed quality rating of the site (e.g., ERS or part of a QRIS) 10% 13% 14% Site is at a college laboratory school 19% Site is a nationally accredited early childhood program 24% 26% Site is at a professional development school 41% 32% Student currently works at the site 42% 45% Location of site (e.g., proximity to college/university or student workplace) 79% 77% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Student teaching (N=29) Practicum (N=31) 28

31 More than three-quarters of degree programs requiring field experiences used a cooperating teacher at the site to help supervise students participating in student teaching (77 percent) and practicum experiences (81 percent). Almost all of these (97 percent for student teaching and 85 percent for practicum) reported criteria for selecting the cooperation teacher. Figure 20 displays the criteria reported by these programs. Figure 19: Criteria for Selecting Student Field Sites in New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs: Child Characteristics Demographic background of children served at the site 38% 42% Children with disabilities served at the site 38% 32% Age of children served at the site 62% 58% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Student teaching (N=29) Practicum (N=31) More than three-quarters of degree programs requiring field experiences used a cooperating teacher at the site to help supervise s tudents participating in student teaching (77 percent) and practicum experiences (81 percent). Almost all of these (97 percent for student teaching and 85 percent for practicum) reported criteria for selecting the cooperation teacher. Figure 20 displays the criteria reported by these programs. Figure 20: Criteria for Selecting Cooperating Teachers for in New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs 100% 80% 60% 100% 89% 40% 20% 61% 54% 46% 43% 32% 0% NJ state credential or equivalent Experience working with field students Certified/certificated mentor or master teacher Other 11% Student teaching (N=28) Practicum (N=28) 29

32 VI. How do the early childhood degree programs align with New Jersey s professional development system? About one-half (49 percent) of degree programs reported articulation between the Child Development Associate (CDA) certificate and credit towards the degree. The most frequently reported strategy was to articulate for-credit CDA hours with credit towards the degree. The associate degree programs were the most likely to report articulation between non-credit CDA hours and credit towards a degree. All degree programs reported incorporating at least one of the New Jersey early care and education standards into their curriculum. Most degree programs reported incorporating the New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards (84 percent) and the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards (82 percent) into their curriculum. Only about one-third of degree programs (35 percent) reported incorporating the New Jersey Core Knowledge and Competencies for Working with Children Birth through Age Eight and in After-school Programs, with both doctoral degree programs doing so. Less than one-third of degree programs reported aligning with standards related to children with special needs. One-quarter reported alignment with the New Jersey Preschool Special Education Standards and 12 percent with the New Jersey Early Intervention System Standards. Slightly more than one-third (37 percent) of degree programs reported offering coursework directly related to the New Jersey Infant/Toddler Credential, with the associate degree programs most likely to do so. Less than one-quarter (22 percent) of degree programs reported offering any coursework directly related to the New Jersey Administrators Credential, with both doctoral degree programs doing so. 30

33 Figure 21: New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Alignment with the State's Early Care and Education Standards, by Degree Program 6% The NJ Early Intervention System Standards 15% 18% The NJ Preschool Special Education Standards 12% 31% 35% Master's Degree (N=17) Bachelor's Degree (N=13) Associate Degree (N=17) The NJ Core Knowledge and Competencies for Working with Children Birth through Age Eight and in After-school Programs 35% 31% 29% The NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards 85% 77% 94% The NJ Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards 82% 71% 100% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Both doctoral degree programs reported aligning their course work with the New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards and the New Jersey Core Knowledge and Competencies for Working with Children Birth through Age Eight and in After-school Programs 31

34 Figure 22: New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Program Articulation with the Child Development Associate, by Degree Program 100% 80% 60% 40% 88% 20% 46% 0% Associate Degree (N=17) Bachelor's Degree (N=13) Master's Degree (N=17) 18% Neither of the two doctoral degree programs reported articulating with the CDA. 32

35 VII. What are the challenges facing early childhood degree programs? Approximately three-quarters (77 percent) of degree programs reported facing at least one challenge. Of these degree programs, the most frequently reported challenge (43 percent) was difficulty in recruiting students. Slightly more than one-half of the associate degree programs reported this challenge (53 percent), compared to 40 percent of both the bachelor s and master s degree programs and none of the doctoral degree programs. Approximately one-third of degree programs that reported challenges mentioned lack of access to high-quality clinical experience sites (32 percent); inequitable distribution of resources compared to other degree programs within the institution (30 percent); and lack of recognition of the value of early childhood education from the department or school in which the degree program was housed (30 percent). About one-quarter of degree programs mentioned the lack of articulation between associate and bachelor s degree programs (27 percent) and the inability to support students in completing the program (22 percent). Less than 15 percent of these degree programs reported that a lack of faculty expertise in any specific topic was a challenge. In fact, none of the degree programs reported that a lack of faculty expertise related to working with diverse populations of young children, or with young children with special needs, was a challenge for their degree programs. 33

36 Approximately three-quarters (77 percent) of degree programs reported facing at least one challenge. Figure 23 displays the reported challenges for these programs. Figure 23: Challenges Facing New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Degree Programs Lack of faculty experience with working with diverse populations of young children Lack of faculty expertise in teaching young children with special needs Lack of faculty expertise in promoting literacy in young children 0% 0% 3% Lack of faculty experience with working with diverse populations of college students 3% Lack of faculty expertise in the social/emotional development of young children 5% Lack of faculty expertise in science pedagogy for young children 5% Lack of faculty expertise in math pedagogy for young children 5% Lack of faculty expertise in teaching young children who are dual language learners 11% Lack of course content focused on children younger than five 14% Lack of ability to support students in completing the program 22% Lack of articulation between 2-year and 4-year college early childhood degree programs 27% Lack of recognition of the value of early childhood from within the department or school 30% Inequitable distribution of resources compared to other programs in the institution 30% Lack of access to quality clinical experience sites 32% Lack of ability to recruit students 43% Other 19% (N=37) 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 34

37 The State of Early Childhood Higher Education in New Jersey Results from the Faculty Module New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory HIGHLIGHTS Approximately one-half of the faculty sample responded to the Faculty Module. For this reason, we cannot assume that the findings from the Faculty Module are representative of all early childhood higher education faculty in New Jersey. Of the faculty who participated in the Inventory, almost all (96 percent) were women and three-quarters (75 percent) identified as White/Caucasian. Slightly more than three-quarters (78 percent) reported fluency in English only. The second largest racial/ethnic group was Latino/Hispanic (eight percent), and 13 percent of all faculty reported fluency in both English and Spanish. Almost one-third (31 percent) of faculty reported being 60 years or older, potentially close to retirement. More than one-half (56 percent) were between 40 and 59 years old. Only 13 percent reported being 39 years or younger. The faculty who participated in the Inventory were evenly divided between tenure-track or tenured faculty (46 percent) and adjunct faculty/part-time lecturers (46 percent). The remaining faculty defined themselves as having some other employment status. 4 Associate degree faculty were more likely to report adjunct status (61 percent) than were bachelor s degree faculty (31 percent), and master s degree faculty (27 percent). None of the doctoral degree faculty reported adjunct status. Almost all faculty reported attaining graduate-level degrees, with 47 percent reporting attaining a doctoral degree and 52 percent attaining a master s degree. 4 Faculty teaching in upper-division and graduate-level degree programs were more likely to report attaining a doctoral degree (100 percent of doctoral degree faculty, 80 percent of master s degree faculty and 65 percent of bachelor s degree faculty). Associate degree faculty were more likely to report attaining a master s degree (78 percent). Almost all faculty (98 percent) reported participating in professional development opportunities during the last three years. 4 Of these faculty, teaching practitioners to work with children from diverse cultural backgrounds was the most frequently reported professional development topic (61 percent), followed by conducting child assessments (49 percent), and teaching practitioners to work with children with special needs (40 percent). 35

38 Faculty indicated a number of areas in which it would be helpful to them to have additional knowledge or training. 4 The three topics mentioned most often were: teaching practitioners to work with children who are dual language learners (56 percent), teaching practitioners to work with children with special needs (57 percent), and teaching practitioners to use technology with children (62 percent). 4 Reflecting the demographic characteristics of the faculty (primarily White/Caucasian and Englishspeaking) more than one-half reported that it would be helpful to have additional knowledge or training related to teaching linguistically diverse college students (53 percent) and teaching culturally and ethnically diverse college students (52 percent). Seventy percent of faculty reported that they had worked in roles other than college-level teaching and/or administration in the past 10 years. Of these, the two roles most frequently reported by faculty were early childhood professional development providers, such as mentors, coaches and trainers (65 percent) and classroom teachers (46 percent). Faculty reported teaching coursework, in the past two years, in a wide range of topics related to child development and learning, teaching diverse child populations, teaching skills in early childhood settings, and family, community and policy. Faculty were less likely to report teaching coursework in some topics related to teaching and curriculum, including coursework related to teaching science and/or math skills to children. They were also less likely to report teaching coursework in most of the topics related to early childhood administration and leadership. While most faculty reported focusing their coursework on preschool-age children (ages three to four years) and children in the early elementary grades, they were less likely to report focusing course content on infants and toddlers (birth to two years old). Associate degree faculty were more likely to report focusing their coursework on infants and toddlers than were upper-division or graduate-level faculty. Eighty-three percent of faculty reported that additional resources were needed to improve the early childhood degree program at their college or university. 4 The three resources most frequently reported as needed were resources for professional development (53 percent), funding for travel (47 percent), and resources for program planning and improvement (45 percent). 4 Although ethnic/racial and language diversity among the faculty was limited, less than one-third reported that increasing the racial/ethnic diversity (29 percent) and/or the linguistic diversity (25 percent) of faculty was a needed resource. The following document presents the major findings from the Faculty Module of the New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory. As there are only four doctoral degree faculty teaching in the two doctoral programs offering early childhood degrees, we have not included the doctoral degree faculty in the figures that display the data by degree program. In these cases, we have included the doctoral degree responses in text below the figures, when appropriate. Appendix 4 includes supplementary tables displaying additional findings from the Faculty Module. 36

39 I. Demographics of Faculty Participating in the New Jersey Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory Almost all faculty (96 percent) were women. On average, the faculty were 52 years of age. 4 Thirteen percent reported being younger than 40 years; 27 percent between 40 and 49 years; 27 percent between 50 and 59 years; and 31 percent 60 years or older. 4 Bachelor s degree faculty were the most likely to report being 60 years or older (46 percent), compared to 22 percent of the associate degree faculty and 27 percent of the master s degree faculty. There was very little racial diversity among the faculty, with 75 percent identifying as White/Caucasian. The second largest racial/ethnic group was Latino/Hispanic, at eight percent. Similarly, there was very little language diversity among faculty, with approximately three-quarters (78 percent) reporting fluency exclusively in English, and only 13 percent reporting fluency in both English and Spanish. Forty percent of faculty indicated that it would be helpful to know another language when communicating with their students. Of these, 91 percent indicated that it would be helpful to know Spanish. 37