ECED 4327-Early Childhood Program Development & Management II-Managing Center Operations and Finance

(Aim4Excellence Modules 6, 7, 8, and 9)

After completing Module Six: Designing Indoor and Outdoor Environments, you will be able to:

• Explain the impact of the physical setting on behavior and learning
• Plan for specific developmental, caregiving, and learning needs in infant, toddler, preschool, and after-school program settings
• Describe the design elements of settings and materials with implications for planning, supervision, access, and accountability
• Provide feedback to strengthen teacher competencies in preparing child-centered play, learning, and activity spaces
• Locate resources and materials to ensure alignment of your setting with quality rating improvement systems, licensing, and regulatory requirements

After completing Module Seven: Supporting Children’s Development and Learning, you will be able to:

• Explain pedagogical leadership and its relationship to your program’s goals
• Identify elements of high-quality early childhood teaching
• Describe integration of child development with learning
• Evaluate elements of observation, documentation, screening, and assessment
• Implement social-emotional learning and understand its impacts
• Provide oversight, feedback, and training to strengthen teacher competencies

After completing Module Eight: Facilitating Responsive Family Engagement, you will be able to:

• Describe the rationale and benefits of family‐centered programming
• Identify the values, principles, and defining characteristics of family‐centered programming
• Design and implement family welcoming strategies
• Implement shared decision making and effective communication strategies with families
• Implement family‐centered practices that meet the needs of diverse families
• Evaluate the effectiveness of family‐centered programming

After completing Module Nine: Evaluating Program Quality, you will be able to:

• Describe program evaluation purposes, types, and ethical responsibilities
• Select appropriate program evaluation tools
• Utilize evaluation tools to assess program needs and support continuous quality improvement (CQI)
• Identify desired outcomes for program improvement
• Plan program improvement strategically through cycles of inquiry
• Establish norms of continuous quality improvement (CQI) by engaging families and staff in collaborative program evaluation

For technical assistance as you move through the modules, contact the McCormick Center HelpDesk via email McCormickCenterHelpdesk@nl.edu or call at 844-378-2464. All questions regarding course content, college credit, transcripts, and scholarships must be directed to the course instructor and/or your academic advisor at the University of Houston at Clear Lake.