Summer 2000 Volume 7, Issue 2
Official Newsletter of the Illinois Subdivision of the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children.
Table of contents
- Community Colleges and Early Childhood Intervention Current Facts and Challenges
- Don't forget to vote!
- President's Message
- Thinking about advanced study in Early Childhood Special Education?
- UPCOMING EVENTS. Lilian Katz Research Symposium. 16th Annual DEC International Early Childhood Conference on Children with Special Needs
- Meet Your Candidates for the IDEC Board
Community Colleges and Early Childhood Intervention Current Facts and Challenges
By Camille Catlett and Pam WintonFrank Porter Graham Child Development Center
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
- In the 1995 - 1996 academic year, community colleges enrolled almost half of all undergraduates who attended college in the U.S. (Kent, 1997).
- Community colleges are located within a few minutes of 90% of the U.S. population (Kent, 1997).
- The average cost of a full year's community college tuition is roughly half that of a public 4-year institution (Phillippe, 1997).
- More than one-half of community college students are first-generation students; that is, neither of their parents attended college (Phillippe, 1997).
- Students of color are more likely to attend community colleges. More than 50% of all students of color engaged in postsecondary education were enrolled in community colleges [compared to 38.2% of White students] (Kee & Mahoney, 1995; Holliday, et al., 1997).
- Associate degree programs, in general, are more accessible to early childhood intervention practitioners than BA programs (Morgan, et al, 1993).
- Legislative mandates have created new responsibilities for community colleges. For example, by 2003, 50% of lead teachers in Early Head Start and Head Start programs will be required to complete an associate's degree in early childhood (Head Start Amendments, 1998).
- Articulation problems between two-year and four-year institutions make it difficult for students in community colleges to pursue four-year degrees (Morgan, et al., 1993).
References
Head Start Program Performance Standards (1998). Head Start amendments, Federal regulations. Washington, DC: GPO.
Holliday, B. G. & Suinn, R. M., et al. (1997). Visions and transformations: A final report. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Kee, A. M., & Mahoney, J. R. (1995). Multicultural strategies for community colleges. Washington, DC: American Association of Community Colleges.
Kent, N. G. (1997). Community colleges today: Bringing you into the future. ERIC Review, 5 (3), 17-18.
Morgan, G., Azer, S., Costley, J., Genser, A., Goodman, I., Lombardi, J., & McGimsey, B. (1993). Making a career of it. Boston, MA: The Center for Career Development in Early Care and Education at Wheelock College.
Philippe, K. A. (Ed.) (1997). National profile of community colleges: Trends and statistics 1997-1998. Washington, DC: American Association of Community Colleges.
Resources
American Association of Community Colleges (ACCESS)
One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 410
Washington, DC 20036-1176
(202) 728-0200
http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Template.cfm?Section=AboutCommunityCollegesEditor's note: This url has changed:http://www.aacc.nche.edu/
ERIC Clearinghouse for Community Colleges
3051 Moore Hall, Box 951521
University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1521
(800) 832-8256
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/ERIC/eric.html [no longer active, see: http://eric.ed.gov]
Ruth Ann Ball, President (ACCESS)
555 E. Constitution Street
Building 4, Room 128
Norman, OK 73072-7820
(405) 799-6383
Don't forget to vote!
If you did not receive your official IDEC 2000 ballot form with this issue, please contact Amy Santos at 217-333-4123.
Return to topPresident's Message
by Greg Anderson
This edition of the newsletter includes ballot information for the positions of Vice-President and Treasurer. Please take a few minutes to complete the enclosed ballot form and send to us by June 2, 2000. We also encourage you to consider running for office and/or participating in state and national DEC-sponsored activities. This is a time for you to show your support for the leadership of IDEC.
Also, some folks have informed me of "myths" that have prevented their involvement in IDEC activities in the past. Thus, I would like to take this opportunity to dispel a few myths:
Myth 1: "You have to teach in a college early childhood program to be a member of IDEC."
Truth: We welcome people from all settings such local early childhood/early intervention programs, colleges and universities, state government and other agencies. IDEC also welcomes family members of children with or at-risk for disabilities
Myth 2: "IDEC is just for people involved in early childhood special education (3-5 year old) programs."
Truth: We welcome all who are interested in young children with special needs or at risk of special needs including those in early intervention, at-risk, preschool and numerous other settings.
Myth 3: "Students can't be involved."
Truth: Debbie Bruns our outgoing student representative has been a very active member of our board. We are always looking to involve students in IDEC activities like Sharing-A-Vision.
Myth 4: "Several of the board meetings are held on Fridays, I can't be involved."
Truth: While some board meetings are held on Fridays, many committee roles and a number of Sharing-A-Vision roles do not always require attendance at the regular board meetings.
IDEC welcomes and encourages the participation of all its members. IDEC is your organization and we need you to participate in every way you can. Maybe a board office is not for you but there are other ways you can participate. Please call me or any of our board members to ask about how you can get involved today!
Greg may be reached at
20740 Sarver Drive
Shorewood, IL 60431
630-553-9100 (voice)
815-730-2650 (fax)
docgrega@aol.com (email)
Thinking about advanced study in Early Childhood Special Education?
Check out the new Masters Degree Program in Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) at Elmhurst College. The Masters of ECSE is an innovative, interdiscisciplinary, collaborative program designed to prepare professionals to meet the increasing needs in the rapidly emerging field of early childhood special education.
Graduates of the program will possess an understanding of the developmental process, the relationship and impact of disability upon development, and practices which create effective supportive living and learning environments for young children with special needs. At the heart of this program model is the philosophy of family-centered care. This graduate program has unique features that embrace our commitment to young children and their families. These include providing opportunities for students to learn directly from families by participating in a "Family Mentor" program. A second feature is a Family Support Specialist, who is a parent of a child with special needs, on the faculty. This parent co-teaches courses, collaborates with field site placements and supervises students and families in the program. The Masters Program requires 37 semester hours and adheres to the cohort model to fulfill course requirements and strengthen cohesion and student-centered practices.
For further information contact:
Dr. Therese Wehman
Pogram Coordinator
(630)-617-3231
e-mail: theresew@elmhurst.edu
OR
Elizabeth Kuebler
Director of Graduate Admissions,
(630)-617-3069
e-mail: betsyk@elmhurst.edu
Elmhurst College
190 Prospect Ave. Elmhurst, IL 60126-3296
UPCOMING EVENTS
Lilian Katz Research Symposium
The ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education and The College of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will present a symposium in honor of Lilian G. Katz.
"Issues in Early Childhood Education: Curriculum, Teacher Education, and the Dissemination
of Information"
November 5-7, 2000 o Champaign, IL
For registration information, visit the Web site at: http://ericeece.org/katzsymposium Editor's note: This url has changed:http://ecap.crc.illinois.edu/pubs/katzsympro.html
For more information, contact
Ellen Swengel at 217/244-6814
Email: eswengel@uiuc.edu
16th Annual DEC International Early Childhood Conference on Children with Special Needs
Early Childhood in the Millennium: Partnerships and Practices for the Future
December 7-10, 2000
Albuquerque Convention Center
Albuquerque, NM
For online registration, log on to:
www.regmaster.com/dec2k.html
For more information, please contact the
DEC Conference Office
Phone: 410/269-6801 o Fax: 410/267-0332
Email: pfaff@gomeeting.com OR birks@gomeeting.com
Register by November 8, 2000 to receive the special preregistration rate!
Meet Your Candidates for the IDEC Board
Vice President (2000-2001)
Amy Santos
Amy has been a member of DEC since 1991. She has been active in both state and national DEC for several years. Amy co-chaired the 1999 Sharing A Vision conference and currently serves as editor of the IDEC Newsletter. Amy has participated in various national-level DEC activities such as co-chairing the program hosts for the local arrangements committee during the 1998 DEC Conference held in Chicago. She is currently the chair of DEC's recommended practices, cultural and linguistic diversity strand. This year, Amy will be chairing DEC's multicultural concerns committee. In the fall semester, Amy will be joining the faculty of the Department of Special Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as an Assistant Professor.
Treasurer (2000-2002)
Rob Corso
Rob has been an early childhood educator and an administrator of an early intervention program. He is currently the evaluation coordinator for the CLAS Early Childhood Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a member of the Hilton/Early Head Start Training Program's Continuous Improvement Team. He received his doctorate in Special Education from the University of Illinois. His areas of specialization focus on early childhood and program evaluation. His research interests include the impact of collaboration between early intervention and Early Head Start, the provision of services to infants and toddlers with disabilities in natural environments, and the delivery of culturally appropriate early childhood/early intervention services.
Illinois Division for Early Childhood 2000 OFFICIAL BALLOT FORM
Vice President:
___ Amy Santos
____________________
(write-in candidate)
Treasurer:
___ Rob Corso
____________________
(write-in candidate)
Please mail or fax your ballot by June 2, 2000:
c/o Susan Maude
46 Lookout Trace
Galena, IL 61036
FAX: 319-588-7821
For more information, contact Susan at <susanmaude@aol.com> or call her at 815-777-0152
