Eric.ed.gov – Voices from the Field: Collaborative Innovations in Early Childhood Educator Preparation

“Voices from the Field: Collaborative Innovations in Early Childhood Educator Preparation” is jointly published by the Illinois Education Research Council (IERC) and the Illinois Board of Education (IBHE), and highlights the accomplished work of many of the state’s two- and four-year faculty to redesign early childhood educator preparation programs to meet regional and state workforce needs. This edited book has chapters authored by EC faculty from both the 2-year and 4-year sectors and provides clear, tangible examples of how universities across Illinois worked together, often with regional employers, to design pathways for early childhood educators to earn the state’s industry-recognized Gateways credentials while taking college coursework leading to degrees. Each chapter has a unique focus and together, their “Voices” provide significant insight into the innovative partnerships that the Early Childhood Educator Preparation Program Innovation (EPPI) grants inspired. The editors have been at the forefront of the early childhood credentialing and competency assessment design in Illinois. The following chapters are included: (1) Advancing the Illinois Early Childhood Education Workforce Through Stackable Credentials Embedded in Degrees (Stephanie A. Bernoteit, Johnna C. Darragh Ernst, and Nancy I. Latham); (2) Beginning with Yes: Reframing the Narrative in Teacher Preparation to Support Community College Transfer Students in Early Childhood Special Education (Jennifer G. Asimow, Adam S. Kennedy, and Anna T. Lees); (3) Cross-Institutional Advising and Curriculum Agreements: Supports for Transfer and Degree Completion in Early Childhood Programs (Patricia Steinhaus and Donna Walker); (4) Providing a Pathway to Degree Completion for Child Care Associates in Rural Southern Illinois (Martha Latorre and Melissa Batchelor); (5) Transfer Pathways Beyond Articulation: A Partnership Initiative Between National Louis University and Triton Community College ( Sherri Bressman, Ayn Keneman, Kristin Lems, Jason Stegemoller, Mary Ann Olson, and Mary Rinchiuso); (6) Sherri Bressman, Ayn Keneman, Kristin Lems, Jason Stegemoller, Mary Ann Olson, and Mary Rinchiuso (Tara Mathien, Carrie Nepstad, Antonia Potenza, Jin-ah Kim, and Wendy Mertes); (7) Collaborative Power: An Inter-Institutional Community Partnership (Andrianna Smyrniotis, Patricia Nugent, Hwa Lee, Cecile M. Arquette, Robert Wolffe, Beth Bussan, and Heljä Antola Crowe); (8) Shifting the Balance: Re-Envisioning Early Childhood Educator Preparation Design Through Meaningful Collaboration (Rebecca Pruitt, Carla Diez, Kari Livesey, and Melissa Szymczak); (9) Working Together to Support Math Pedagogy: It All Adds Up for Students (Stephanie C. Sanders-Smith and Nancy Gaumer); (10) When Innovation Means Breaking the Enrollment Management Mold: Building a Postsecondary Institution Transfer Network Consortium (Marie Ann Donovan, Patricia Steinhaus, Protenza, Antonia, Ann George, Cheryl Bulat, and Donna Walker); (11) Supporting Early Childhood Workforce Development and Pathways: Developing a Competency-Based Assessment System in Illinois (Sherry Sanden, Johnna C. Darragh Ernst, Kira Hamann, Amanda Quesenberry, Nancy I. Latham, Diane Christianson, Andrianna Smyrniotis); (12) Career Pathways in Early Childhood in Rural Communities (Christie McIntyre, Stacy D. Thompson, Diane King, Ruth Smith, Marilyn Toliver); (13) Supporting Change in the Education of English Language Learners and Young Children in Central Illinois (Joyce Bezdicek, Georgette Comuntzis Page, Jeanne Helm); (14) Refine, Refocus, and Renew: Early Childhood Preparation Pathways in Chicago (Catherine Main, Jennifer G. Asimow, Kate Connor); (15) Bridging Diverse ECE Preparation Programs Through Partnership: Tackling Complexities and Sustaining Change (Nancy I. Latham, Stephanie A. Bernoteit, Johnna C. Darragh Ernst); and (16) Listening to Voices from the Field: Implications for Higher Education (Johnna C. Darragh Ernst, Nancy I. Latham, Stephanie A. Bernoteit). Individual chapters contain references.