The academic program offers an AAS in early childhood education and is designed for students seeking careers and/or personal growth in the field of early childhood. The Early Childhood Certificate prepares the student for entry-level employment in the field. Both programs focus on the education, health, growth, and development of children from birth to eight years of age. The department also offers a series of one-credit courses that serve as required electives in the AAS degree and as staff development for teachers and individuals working in licensed child care facilities.

Faculty. The Early Childhood Education Program employs the following faculty and adjuncts: ECE Lead Instructor/Child Center Director, who instructs nine credits per semester and six adjunct faculty, each of whom instructs three to six credits per semester. Two of the instructors have received their master’s degrees. Six instructors are working on master’s degrees in ECE and/or Elementary Education.

The Child Center takes great pride in hiring the most qualified master teachers to facilitate and guide practicum students. Presently, the Child Center employs 26 staff members. Of those 26 staff members, seven teachers hold BAs in education, three staff have received their AAS degrees in ECE, six are enrolled in the GBC Elementary Education Program, and ten staff are enrolled in the ECE

Education Program. Fourteen are employed as team teachers or aides at the Child Center. Students. In general, students in the ECE program are individuals returning to school after a number of years in the workforce. They are working full-time and taking classes part-time in order to advance in their present positions, or advance into lead teacher or administrative positions. This particular population of students makes up the majority of the enrollment. The majority of students are females. No male has yet to graduate from GBC with a certificate or degree in this field. A small number of our students have recently graduated from high school. The student enrollment (FTE) in Early Childhood courses has been strong and steady with upward increases in the past three years. Annualized FTE beginning in 1996/1997 totals the following: 12.9, 20.0, 14.0, 22.2, 22.0, and 22.5 in 2001/2002.

Resources. The Child and Family Center features five classrooms, one observation room, a kitchen, a large literacy library, a staff workroom, two offices, and a 9,000-square foot outdoor classroom. The main structure was completed in 1994. Two additional classrooms were added in 2002. The main building was a gift from a Las Vegas contractor and philanthropist. The added classrooms largely resulted from the efforts and funds of a large northern Nevada supply company, the Washoe County Jail, and GBC’s building and grounds staff. It is a top-notch facility.

GBC now pays the salary for Director Lynette Macfarlan as well as the adjunct faculty who teach the ECE students in ECE courses. All other teachers and employees in the preschool and extended care programs are paid from the tuition charged for preschool and extended care services.

Significant Changes
• The Mark H. Dawson Child and Family Center, a new facility, provides quality lab-school experiences for early childhood and nursing students on campus.
• For a number of years the Early Childhood Program has been part of the Social Science Department. In September of 2002, ECE moved to the Elementary Education Department. These two departments share common goals and practices in educating college students for instructional careers.
• The Early Childhood Program continues its strong presence on campus. Solid and increasing enrollments reflect the generally high quality of instruction, the positive reputation of the program, and the continued availability of positions in the field. The FTE in Fall 2000 was 13.3. Enrollment has significantly increased to reflect an average FTE of 21.6 over the past 2½ years. This increase is due to course success in meeting students’ needs, effective instruction, and statewide scholarship and apprenticeship funding for all students working in licensed early childhood facilities.
• The Early Childhood Department Heads and Lead Instructors across the state have met on several occasions for the purpose of common course numbering. The meetings have proved to be collaborative and successful. All GBC course numbers are now in accordance with other UCCSN early childhood programs.
• The department and the Elko County School District worked as partners in developing an articulation agreement that led to the ECE School-to-Careers Program. High school students from Elko and Spring Creek enroll in interactive video seminars as preparation for working and teaching children at GBC’s Child Center. Approximately 50 high school students travel to the Child Center twice a week for their practicum experience in what has become a very successful program. Although the grant funding has ended, the school district and the department will continue the program.
• In March 2002, the department was awarded a $260,000 Nevada Comprehensive Literacy Grant. The grant will provide funding to open two new preschool classrooms for at-risk children. The elementary education and nursing programs, as well as students interested in special education will have opportunities to complete the practicum experience within these classrooms. In addition, the funding provides for an ECE Literacy Library, which features children’s literature appropriate for ages birth through eight as well as high-quality teacher, student, and parent resources.
• A partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor—through the Nevada Apprenticeship director—provides tuition and books for early childhood apprentices.

Analysis
Workload. This is a fast-developing program in a relatively new facility, with an energetic director and capable staff implementing new programs of service as listed above. The workload for these developments comes in addition to maintaining and improving the early childhood academic program for college students and operating the Child Center, which will have 172 children enrolled in September 2002. At present, the lead instructor/director works a minimum of 65 hours a week. High burnout is an obvious outcome if steps are not taken to alleviate the workload.

Marketing. The Great Basin College Early Childhood Education Department needs to tell its story. There must be more opportunity to publicize the benefits of a student majoring in early childhood education and working in an early childhood education setting. Continuing public awareness and marketing will enable the program to better inform our campus, opinion leaders, and the general public not only about the range and quality of the ECE program, but also about the critical role it plays in the social and economic success of our community, state, and nation.

Assessment of learning. All ECE graduates are required to develop two detailed thematic units and a portfolio. The thematic units and portfolios are evaluated by using a rubric. The thematic units include five days of detailed lesson plans with objectives. These units also include resources, a bibliography, and resource box to complement the unit. The portfolio is a professional document that includes a resume, reference letters, verification of training and education, ECE curriculum and lesson plans. In addition, the students add samples of children’s work. Selected ECE instructors review and evaluate the portfolios.

STRENGTHS
• The resources in the Child Center Library.
• Increased ECE enrollment and evidence of improved academic program.
• Increased educational level of Child Center employees.
• Expanded child care capacity, serving the College, and the community.
• Collaborative approach to operations and improvement.
• High employee retention.
• Maximum enrollment in Child Center, with a wider range of young people being served and a significant waiting list.

CHALLENGES
• Increasing the ratio of full-time to part-time employees as a way to promote efficiency and effectiveness
• Recruiting ECE students, which is made difficult by the relatively low status and low pay for child care professionals, despite the wide-spread acceptance of early childhood experience and education as important to individuals and society.
• Developing management solutions to some of the inherent difficulties in operating a program that, simultaneously, serves as preschool/extended care facility and trains/educates individuals to work as child care professionals.
Early Childhood Education

RECOMMENDATIONS/ACTION ITEMS
• Work toward becoming an integral part of GBC’s Elementary Education Department.
• Begin process of obtaining accreditation for the Child Center from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
• Increase graduation rates for early childhood education degree students.
• Continue to work with the GBC Foundation to build an endowment, particularly for the ECE scholarships for single and low-income parents.
• Maintain high standards for all aspects of early childhood education.