Organization and Administration of Pre-Schools – EDUC 655

Course Description

Philosophy, objectives, and methods for organizing and operating a kindergarten, nursery school, day-care center and play group for children below six years of age. Also includes the planning of pre-school facilities and the selection of equipment and personnel.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

Thoughtful planning and administration are essential to the development and success of early childhood programs. Children are a culture’s most valuable asset. Scripture teaches (Proverbs 22:6) and research has shown that their earliest experiences have a profound impact on their lives, so parents and early childhood professionals should strive to ensure that those experiences are beneficial.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in Module/Week 1.

Discussion Board forums (4)

Discussion board forums are collaborative learning experiences among candidates and professors, building upon the Reading & Study materials of the course. There will be 4 Discussion Board Forums in this course. Each forum will require an original thread of 300 words minimum. Also, 2 replies, one in response to a classmate’s thread and one in response to a classmate’s reply to the candidate’s original thread, are required with a minimum of 150 words each. (CLO: A, C, F, G, H, and J)

Reading Review Questions (15)

The candidate will answer selected review questions from each of the text’s chapters. A list of the questions is found in the Course Content in Blackboard and questions may be accessed through the link to the e-book. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and J)

Chapter Review Quizzes (15)

For each chapter read, the candidate will complete a 20-question quiz (worth 5 points each) through MindTap.  Quizzes are “open-book/open-notes” and must be completed within 30 minutes. (CLO: B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and J

State Regulations Form

The candidate will complete the form required for this assignment by accessing his/her state’s licensure requirements for child daycare centers. (CLO: B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and J)

Staff Development Group Project

This is a group project in which members of the group will research the various components of new staff training and a two-year cycle for staff development. Group work must be done via the Group Discussion Board Forum assigned to each group. Group work may also be done via a communication tool such as Skype. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and J)

Group Covenant and Work Plan

Begin this assignment by completing the first part, which is a Group Covenant and Work Plan.

Final Submission

In the second part of the assignment, you will collaborate with your group to create a finished product that will be submitted by each candidate.

Daycare Center Field Experience

The candidate will be required to visit at least 1 daycare center/early learning center/pre-school. For the evaluation, the candidate will describe and evaluate the daycare center visit using the provided checklist. (CLO: B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and J)

Parent Handbook Critique

The candidate will critique a parent handbook of a pre-school or daycare program. Based on the material presented in the course, the candidate will make suggestions on how to align the handbook with best practices and requirements in early childhood education. (CLO: B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and J)

Benchmark Assignment: Program Proposal

The candidate will create a PowerPoint presentation containing 20-25 slides for a proposal for a new pre-school or daycare program that could be presented to stakeholders. The following will be addressed: licensure requirements, a preliminary budget, facilities, organizational structure, personal philosophy (including biblical foundation), mission, curriculum areas and scope, and a time frame for implementation. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and J)

Final Exam

The candidate will complete a cumulative final exam of 50 true/false and multiple-choice questions based on the course content. The exam will have a 2-hour and 30-minute time limit, and will be an “open book/open notes” exam. (CLO: B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and J)