ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

PROGRAM REVIEW SUMMIT PRESENTATION May 18, 2007

Elementary Education

The associate degree program in Elementary Education offers foundational knowledge and skills in the fields of elementary education and the liberal arts and prepares students for transfer or employment as paraprofessionals (teaching assistants). The education courses emphasize both theory and classroom application and require students to spend significant amounts of time observing instruction in local elementary schools. Program graduates will be prepared for a portion of the state teacher licensing examination and may transfer as juniors to four-year colleges where they can complete a baccalaureate degree and become a fully licensed teacher.

What We Learned

• How instrumental the Seeding Success grant (aka Merrimack Valley Partnership) was in “jumpstarting” the Elementary Education program. • An elementary education program with no full-time faculty and offers its courses only in the late afternoon and evening

CAN

work for both “day” and evening” students.

EDU Program Strengths

• Well-developed curriculum that aligns with the Commonwealth Transfer Compact and meets the employment standards for public school systems.

• Highly qualified instructors and professional staff who are in the “real world” of education, stay current with research, and take personal interest in their students’ goals and success.

• Numerous and varied field experiences that meets transfer compact requirements and offers students invaluable insight into the field of teaching.

• Center for Careers in Teaching that provides resources and advice regarding the MTEL.

EDU Program Strengths (cont.)

• Effective communication with and advising of students to ensure success.

• Increasingly active Advisory Committee.

• Multiple partnerships within the college that effectively support the program and its students.

• Key partnerships with community organizations and public school systems which are mutually beneficial.

EDU Program Areas Needing Improvement

• Uncertain future for the Center for Careers in Teaching.

• Commitment to complete funding by the college of the salary of the EDU Director.

• Advising of EDU students.

• Maintaining the “freshness” of EDU students’ knowledge of education-related concepts over the course of their time at NECC.

EDU Program Areas Needing Improvement (cont.)

• More and stronger relationships with field experience partners. • Limited EDU program information available on the NECC web-site.

• Inadequate system for ensuring that students do not participate in field experiences without first being cleared by the MA and NH CORI/SORI boards.

Resource Needs

• Financial commitment of college to maintaining part-time (12 hours) coordinator of the Center for Careers in Teaching. This position is currently supported by grant funds.

• Financial commitment to paying full salary of EDU director. Just under half of salary is supported by grant funds.