The University of Northern Iowa College of Education - Summer 2008 - (Page 6)

College of Education News xtensive research on the impact of high quality preschool programs show that preschool increases the school readiness skills of children and sets them on a trajectory of long-term economic and social success, says Betty Zan, director of the UNI Regents’ Center for Early Developmental Education. Zan and other UNI Early Childhood Education faculty members are playing a leadership role in developing high quality preschool programs for children in Iowa. Some of those programs were started last fall when Governor Chet Culver signed legislation to develop voluntary preschool programs for four-year-old children in Iowa, regardless of income. This funding will grow to $108 million over the next five years and is estimated to reach 90 percent of Iowa’s pre-kindergarten children, Zan adds. DVDs illustrate early childhood education standards E Outreach efforts for the voluntary pre-school programs include partnering with Head Start and Waterloo Community Schools to improve teacher quality; training early childhood consultants on new methods of assessing quality; working with the Iowa Department of Education to align the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program goals with new approaches to program evaluation and professional development; working with the Iowa Association of School Boards to educate school board members about high quality preschools; and increasing public awareness across the state about the importance of high quality preschools. All of these efforts are geared toward ensuring that Iowa’s preschool programs are of high quality, accessible to most families, and affordable to middleincome families that do not qualify for income-based preschool programs such as Head Start. UNI leads in solving shortage “If it works, expand it,” could be the slogan for a statewide initiative to fully certify special education teachers who are location-bound and cannot move to a state college/university campus. The project to help current teachers complete their endorsement for Strategist I to teach students with mild disabilities began six years ago under an Iowa Department of Education grant to the UNI Department of Special Education. This project has enabled 135 teachers to complete their endorsement program; 55 teachers are currently enrolled, and at least 30 plan to begin this fall, according to Sandra Alper, professor of special education. This success led the Iowa Department of Education to recently award UNI a $315,000 grant to expand the process to certify teachers to achieve Strategist II endorsement and work with students with severe disabilities. “The need is urgent for teachers of students with disabilities to complete the requirements to become fully certified in both areas,” said Alper. “In Iowa and across the nation, the number one area of teacher shortage is in special education. This means that many students with disabilities receive their education from less than fully qualified personnel, a situation that is unacceptable.” This statewide initiative for special education endorsements is a collaborative effort between UNI as lead institution, Iowa State University, the University of Iowa, the Iowa Department of Education, Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, and six private Iowa colleges. Frank Kohler, interim special education department head, reports that under this structure the grant 6 aculty in the Regents’ Center and Early Childhood Education division are endeavoring to ensure high quality public preschools in Iowa. One project in these efforts, Zan explains, is making short video clips, illustrating the two sets of state standards that define a high quality preschool classroom so teachers can see what the standard looks like in action. “The Iowa Early Learning Standards address what children should be learning, and the Quality Preschool Program Standards address what the program should look like,” Zan notes. “The legislation states that programs have to show they are meeting both sets of standards.” The first seven video illustrations were distributed at UNI’s first Early Childhood Summit a year ago and the rest will be developed over the next three years. In addition to the video illustrations of standards, UNI’s efforts toward high quality early education include teacher preparation programs for pre-service teachers; professional development programs for practicing teachers (especially in the high-need areas of math and science education); curriculum development research on best practice; and model programs that serve as demonstration sites for high quality early education. F University of Northern Iowa College of Education http://www.uni.edu http://www.uni.edu/coe/

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The University of Northern Iowa College of Education - Summer 2008 Contents PLS Recommended For Statewide Mission Iowa Legislature Funds Regents' Math/Science Initiative School Counselors Reinstated For All Iowa School Districts Human Performance Center Dedicated DVDs Illustrate Early Childhood Education Standards UNI Leads in Solving Shortage of Special Education Teachers Iowa Initiative to Reduce Unintended Pregnancies Service to Special Olympics Olympic Champ Brings Coaching Techniques to UNI Meet Tomorrow's Promising Educators Len Froyen Multicultural Initiatives in Teaching Program Technology Facilitator Certificate Program Offered in Fall UNI Only Regents University Offering Technology Teacher Preparation Curriculum and Instruction All-University Professional Development Day Premieres Barb Hill - Known to All Teacher Education Majors Teacher Work Sample - A Window Into Students' Teaching Faculty and Student Award Winners Graduates - Where Are They? Career Notes UNI College of Education Receives 1.1 Million Dollar Gift Scholarship Needed

The University of Northern Iowa College of Education - Summer 2008

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