PROGRAM REVIEW SELF-STUDY

Title of Degree Program: 13.1210 B.S. Early Childhood EducationMajors listed under the degree:

- Early Childhood Education (Pre-Kindergarten/Primary Education: Age 3 through Grade 3) with ESOL Endorsement

- Early Childhood DevelopmentSpecialization areas include: NoneMinors listed under the degree: NoneProgram Leader: Charles Bleiker, Ph.D.Program Faculty:

- Angela Salmon, Ed.D.; - Laura Dinehart, Ph.D.

Part I: Overview

1. What goals did you develop as a result of your last program review?a. To create the Child Development track under the degree that

would provide training to early childhood workers employed in early childhood learning centers.

b. To increase external funding in the early childhood education area.

2. What are your major accomplishments tied to these goals? Are there other significant accomplishments that you reached as a result of continuous quality improvement and your ability to capture emerging trends, needs, and opportunities?

a. The track was developed during the 2004-05 academic year and implemented in the fall 2006.

b. Early childhood faculty members brought in $2,824,978 in grant funding since the last program review in 2003-04.

Part II: Program Analysis

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3. What is the vision of your program(s)? Your mission?a. The program follows the vision and mission of the Conceptual

Framework. In addition, the mission of the Early Childhood Education Program is to prepare early childhood professionals to effectively work with culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse children (birth to age 8) and their families in an urban community. The Early Childhood Education Program with ESOL endorsement focuses on preparing early childhood teachers who have the knowledge, abilities, and dispositions to facilitate and enhance learning and development within diverse settings. Moreover, the program promotes and facilitates the discovery, development, documentation, assessment, and dissemination of knowledge related to teaching and the learning of young children, including ESL and students with exceptionalities. The Early Childhood Development Program intends to provide quality educational experiences to individuals interested in careers that focus on early childhood (birth to age 8) development, education, and family processes (e.g., childcare administration, early childhood education research, early childhood education policy, early intervention, speech pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and pediatric health care). As a whole, the early childhood program intends to develop professional partnerships in the larger community that foster significant educational, social, economic, and political change in regards to Early Childhood Education.

4. Programmatic Information: a. Location(s) where degree is offered: Modesto Maidique Campusb. Delivery format(s): Face-to-face delivery. Faculty are developing

several online courses. c. Enrollment data: See chart below.

Headcount Fall 2004

Fall 2005

Fall 2006

Fall 2007

Fall 2008

Fall 2009

Fall 2010

B.S. Early Childhood Education 114 114 139 165 196 200 158

d. Retention and graduation rates: See charts below.

Degrees Awarded 2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

B.S. Early Childhood Education 36 30 52 45 70 57 71

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e. Placement of graduates: The majority of students from the Early Childhood Education Program (with ESOL Endorsement) work as early childhood education teachers in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) system. Other graduates from the program may also work as early childhood educators in private schools and early childhood learning centers in the local area. Students in the Early Childhood Development program may also work as educators in the M-DCPS system, in local early learning centers, or in private schools. Others work in public, private, or non-profit agencies that assist in the early educational development of young children and their families.

f. Percentage of graduates proceeding to graduate or professional schools: Although the program does not maintain data on this, we estimate that ten to 20 percent of our Early Childhood undergraduates continue onto graduate or professional programs, including M.S. degrees in Early Childhood Education, Reading Education, and Speech and Language Pathology.

g. Diversity profile of students: See chart below.

Diversity2004-

052005-

062006-

072007-

082008-

092009-

102010-

11Total # of Students 114 114 139 165 196 200 158American Indian 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Asian 2 1 3 1 1 2 1Black 9 7 14 19 25 24 19Hispanic 79 79 95 120 138 149 124White 23 27 26 24 30 22 13Multi-racial 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Not Specified 1 0 1 1 2 3 1

University Core Curriculum delivered (if applicable). – In the B.S. in Early Childhood Education, students must complete the University Core Curriculum requirements that consists of 36 credit hours that includes English composition, humanities with writing, quantitative reasoning, social inquiry, natural science, and arts. Students must also complete nine credits of education common pre-requisites to include EDF 1005 Introduction to the Teaching Profession, EDF 2085: Teaching Diverse Populations, and EME 2040: Educational Technology and 24 credit hours of general education requirements. For the general education requirements students are strongly advised to select from the areas of mathematics, psychology, history, science, and social studies.

5. Student learning outcomes matrix (i.e., student learning outcomes stated in measurable terms; assessment methods [criteria and

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procedures for evaluation]; results of data summary and analysis; and, use of results for improving student learning) for the last two years (2008-09 and 2009-10). Use of results could include, for example, curriculum reform.

a. In the Early Childhood Education program with ESOL endorsement, significant emphasis is placed on the results of the candidates’ performance on the Florida Teacher Competency Exams. The results of these examinations provide trends in the competency areas where candidates may need further development. The faculty reviewed the competencies for the Early Childhood Education Subject Area Exam from 2007-08, 2008-09, and 2009-10.

b. Results indicated students had needed significant improvement in the areas related to family and community involvement, research, trends, and curriculum.

c. As a result, the faculty agreed to expand the information presented in EEC 3204 Issues in Early Childhood Education to include more material related to conducting research and projects geared to gather data. The faculty teaching EEC 4204 Curriculum and Instruction in Early Childhood Education will cover developmentally appropriate practices more in depth.

d. More recently, the faculty agreed to continue updating technological applications to the early childhood education coursework. Moreover, case study methodology and simulated learning activities will also be expanded to help improve assessment and communication skills of candidates.

6. Program performance outcomes matrix (i.e., program outcomes stated in measurable terms; assessment criteria and procedures for evaluation; results of data summary and analysis; and, use of results for improving the program.)

a. Faculty will continue their high level research productivity and will collaborate together on research articles in top-tier journals and presentations at national and state conferences.

b. Adjuncts and faculty who received a poor rating from a student(s) will meet with the program director to examine which items garnered the --- the low ratings. This feedback will provide them support and an opportunity to improve those areas of teaching.

c. Faculty will develop more online and hybrid courses to meet the needs of candidates.

Provide focused synthesis and analysis of the above segments.

- To improve student learning outcomes, faculty are monitoring the results of the candidates’ performance on the Florida Teacher

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Certification Exams [FTCE] and looking for trends in the competency areas where candidates may need further development. Technological applications will continue to be updated in early childhood education coursework. The use of case study methodology and simulated learning activities will also be expanded to help improve assessment and communication skills of candidates. With respect to program outcomes, faculty are attending workshops to become more knowledgeable of online course development and delivery. They are in the process of developing several of the program courses into an online format to better serve the needs of commuter students.

Contextual Program Information:

7. List recommendations from the last program review and actions taken in response to recommendations.

a. In accordance with the COE’s goal of increasing research productivity, the faculty members of the Early Childhood Education program have received numerous grants that have resulted in an increase in scholarly productivity. Faculty members are continuously encouraged to submit and remain successful in acquiring these grants. Moreover, faculty members engage in multiple activities to enhance the research productivity of the College. These activities include research presentations made by the faculty, and inviting guest researchers to present. Faculty who have left (2010) are expected to be replaced with tenure-earning faculty committed to research.

8. Summarize results/recommendations of any specialized accreditation, including date of review.

a. The program has not undergone any specialized accreditation review.

b. The Early Childhood Education program is conditionally approved by the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) through June 2013. The faculty will be working on revising the program critical tasks and rubrics in the fall 2011 to align them with the recently revised Florida Educator Accomplished Practices and ESOL standards.

9. Describe major changes in the Program as a result of changes in discipline, student demand, faculty feedback and labor dynamics.

a. The employment for individuals holding a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education looks promising. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (2011) projects that there will be a growth of about 19 percent between 2008 and 2018. This growth is accredited to high turnover rates and an increase in preschool enrollment.

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The Early Childhood Program has seen modest growth in the last few years. The Program was originally designed to provide childcare workers and other individuals who have experience in early childhood education settings with an alternative means to attain teacher certification. More recently, the Early Childhood Education Development program has attracted individuals interested in other careers that require a solid base in working with children, families, and the community. These careers include, but are not limited to, early childhood education research, early childhood education policy, early intervention, speech pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and pediatric health care.

b. Curricular changes from 2006-10 include:i. The course EEX 3231c: Assessment of Infants and Young

Children was added. This course provides early childhood educators with a better understanding of assessment as it relates to young children.

ii. A new course, EEC 4211: Integrated Curriculum in Math and Science, was added to the course catalog in 2009 and offered through the Early Childhood Development program in the fall of 2010. The intent of the course is to demonstrate the importance of integrated curricula in the Early Childhood classroom.

iii. A new course, EEC 4xxx: Play in the Development of Social Competence, was developed and is pending University approval. The course is designed to present the importance of play in the cognitive and social development of children. The course will initially be offered to Early Childhood Development program students, but will eventually be added to the Early Childhood Education program with ESOL endorsement.

c. To better utilize technology and manage the demands of students for online coursework, the EDP 4274: Social Emotional Development course, offered to the Early Childhood Development program, will be made available to students online in the spring of 2011. The course will be the first online undergraduate course in the Early Childhood program; moreover, the course will set the stage for other courses to follow.

10. Demonstrate need for the Program and benefit to the University, region, State, and global community, as applicable.

a. The Early Childhood Education program benefits the University, region, and state. Students who graduate from either the Early Childhood Education program with ESOL endorsement or the Early Childhood Development program would have gained

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significant knowledge in the field and would be able to work respectfully and effectively within diverse environments and contexts. Graduates of our programs are given all the tools to act responsibly, ethically, and professionally as they engage in their professional careers.

b. Nationally, the need for high-quality early childhood educators is well documented. Research indicates that early education can be the greatest difference between success and failure in American society. High-quality early childhood education helps prepare young children to succeed in school in the short-term and ultimately increase the chances of long-term academic success. The return on investment in early childhood education is significant in reducing the long-term cost of the alternatives, including remedial and special education programs, grade repetition, criminal prosecution, and incarceration. Quality early childhood education has been linked to advanced degree attainment, better job preparedness, and higher income. Finally, quality early education is essential for a productive 21st century, global workforce.

c. The Early Childhood Education Program trains educators for the community and school system who are able to provide critical early childhood services to the community in various settings. This is consistent with one of the global themes of FIU, which guides us to “expand and strengthen FIU’s engagement with local, national, and international communities.” Moreover, the Early Childhood Education Program also includes a significant number of field and internship hours in the schools and community. Students and faculty are engaged in the community by providing services and collaborating with other professionals. This type of community engagement is congruent with the goals of FIU, which focus on enhancing learning and research through student internships and community engagement and collaboration. Graduates of the programs engage with the global community through their training in cross-cultural counseling and emphasis on working with diverse populations.

Fiscal Analysis:

11. The Fiscal Analysis will be enacted through a process between the Office of Academic Budget and Personnel in the Division of Academic Affairs and the dean of the College of Education.

Research Productivity (as applicable):

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12a. Grant Support: Please analyze tenured and tenured-earning faculty productivity in the last three years in terms of grant support, including the following: number of proposals funded; number of submitters; total funds requested; average per proposal; number of proposals funded; and, total amount funded. (Please provide the information by fiscal year.) You can also provide the analysis on non-tenured and non-tenured earning faculty. Analysis on clinical grants, as applicable, can be included.

Grants

FacultyYear Fund

edAmount of Funding

Duration Total

Bleiker; Chae 2006 $325,000 per year 2 years $650,000

Dinehart; Chae 2006 $325,000 per year 2 years $650,000

Manfra; Dinehart

2007 $24,978 per year 1 year $24,978

Katz; Bono, Kaiser; Dinehart; Ullery; Maze

2007 $200,000 per year 3 years $600,000

Manfra; Bleiker; Dinehart 2007 $150,000

per year 3 years $450,000

Manfra; Bleiker; Dinehart 2007 $150,000

per year 3 years $450,000

Totals 6 $2,824,978

Grants

- Bleiker, C. (PI), Chae, C. (Co-PI). (2006) Early Reading First - Learning Educational Approaches to Reading Now (LEARN). $325,000 per year (2 years) from the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe.

- Dinehart, L. (PI), Chae, C. (Co-PI). (2006) Early Reading First - Learning Educational Approaches to Reading Now (LEARN). $325,000 per year (2 years) from the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe.

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- Manfra, L. (PI), Dinehart, L. (Co-PI). (2007) The Development of Young Children’s Knowledge of Mathematical Concept and Number Words: Implications for Early Mathematics Curriculum. $24,978 per year (1 year) - FIU Faculty Research Award.

- Manfra, L. (PI), Bleiker, C. (Co-PI), Dinehart, L. (Investigator). (2007) Long-Term Follow-up of School Success in Grades 3 through 5 for Children Attending Different Early Childhood Programs in Miami-Dade. $150,000 per year (3 years) from the Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade County.

- Katz, L. (PI) Bono, K. (Co-PI), Kaiser, M. (Co-PI), Dinehart, L. (Study Coordinator), Ullery, M. (Senior Research Associate), Maze, C. (Child Welfare Specialist). (2007). Early School Readiness in Children Within and Outside the Child Welfare System: An Examination of the Impact of Childcare Quality, Family Stability, and Developmental Status $200,000 per year (3 years) from the Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade County.

- Manfra, L. (PI), Bleiker, C. (Co-PI), Dinehart, L. (Investigator). (2007) Long-Term Follow-up of School Success in Grades 3 through 5 for Children Attending Different Early Childhood Programs in Miami-Dade. $150,000 per year (3 years) from the Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade County.

12b. Publications: Please provide the number of publications in peer reviewed journals and/or student-run publications produced in the last three years, including the number of papers per faculty. (Please provide the information by fiscal year.)

Number of Publications (2006-10)2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Bleiker 0 2 2 0 0Dinehart 1 0 1 1 0Salmon 2 0 3 2 6Total 3 2 6 3 6

Publications for 2006

- Dinehart, L. H. B., Dice, J., Dobbins, D., Claussen, A. H., & Bono, K. E. (2006). An examination of proximal variables in families of cocaine-exposed infants enrolled in a home or center-based intervention. Journal of Early Intervention, 29(1), 32-47.

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- Gogate, L., Bolzani, L. H., Betancourt, E., & Watson, J. (2006). Attention to maternal multimodal naming by 6- to 8-month-old infants and learning of word-object relations. Infancy, 9(3), 259-288.

- Salmon, A. (2006). Enhancing children’s literacy development through music: Cognitive connections. Hawaii International Education Conference Proceedings (pp. 5282-5289).

- Salmon, A. (2006). Pathways to communication: How becoming literate helped a young boy with autism emerge from his isolation. Hawaii International Education Conference Proceedings (pp. 5290-5297).

Publications for 2007

- Bleiker, C., Oliver, W., & Chae, C. (2007). Guided reading pilot program: Emergent reading program for bilingual preschool population. In Cosgrove, Manning, Mullis, & Bleiker (Eds.), Florida’s research/practitioner school readiness partnership: Opportunities and potential, a report from the Florida Network of School Readiness Hubs (pp.81-99).

- Bernhard, J. K., Cummins, J., Campoy, F. A., Ada, A. F., Winsler, A., & Bleiker, C. (2007). Identity texts and literacy development among preschool English language learners: Enhancing learning opportunities for children at risk of learning disabilities. Teachers College Record, 108, 2380-2405.

Publications for 2008

- Bono, K. E., Dinehart, L. H. B., Dobbins, D., & Claussen, A. (2008). Effects of the proximal home environment on language and behavioral outcomes in children prenatally exposed to cocaine. Early Child Development and Care, 178(6), 551-568.

- Bernhard, J., Winsler, A., Bleiker, C., Ginieniewicz, J., & Madigan, A. L. (2008). “Read my story:” Promoting early literacy among diverse, urban, preschool children in poverty with the Early Authors Program. Journal for the Education of Students Placed at Risk.

- Salmon, A. (2008). Promoting a culture of thinking in the young child. Early Childhood Education Journal, 35, 5, 457-461.

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- Salmon, A. (2008). Young English language learners making thinking and language visible. Colombian Applied Linguistics, 10, 126-141.

- Salmon, A. (2008). Prácticas adecuadas para el aprendizaje de la Lectoescritura en Niños Pre escolares Bilingues. (Developmentally appropriate practices for literacy learning in young bilingual children). Educación y Pedagogía, 20(51), 165-173.

- Winsler, A., Tran, H., Hartman, S., Madigan, A., Manfra, L., & Bleiker, C. (2008). School readiness gains made by ethnically-diverse children in poverty attending center-based childcare and public school pre-kindergarten programs. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 23, 314-329.

Publications for 2009

- Dinehart, L. H. B., Hughes, C., & Kaiser, M. Y. (2009). Language delay and elicitation intervention in children born cocaine exposed: A pilot study. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 21(1), 9-22.

- Salmon, A. (2009). Hacer visible el pensamiento para desarrollar la lectoescritura, implicaciones para estudiantes bilingües. (Making thinking visible to literacy development, implications for bilingual students. International Reading Association Lectura y Vida, 30(4), 62-69.

- Pane, D., & Salmon, A. (2009). The experience of isolation in alternative education: A heuristic research study. The Western Journal of Black Studies, 33(4), 282-292.

Publications for 2010

- Salmon, A., & Lucas, T. (In Press). Exploring young children’s conceptions about thinking. Journal of Research in Childhood Education. (13 single-spaced pages).

- Pane, D. M., & Salmon, A. (In Press). Author’s camp: Facilitating literacy learning through music. Submitted to Journal of Reading Education, November 14, 2009. (15 double-spaced pages).

- Salmon, A. (2010). Making thinking visible through action research. Early Childhood Education Journal, 39(1), 15-21.

- Salmon, A. (2010). Tools to enhance the young child’s thinking. Young Children, 65(5), 26-31.

- Salmon, A. (2010). Engaging children in thinking routines? Association for Childhood Education International, 86(3), 132-137.

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- Salmon, A. (2010). Using music to promote children’s thinking and enhance their literacy development. Early Child Development and Care Journal, 180(7), 937-945.

12c. Research Ranking: Please provide any ranking or notation obtained during the last three years (as applicable).

a. N/A

Partnerships/Entrepreneurial Activities (as applicable):

13. Please analyze results of foundation and auxiliary entrepreneurial activities (e.g., community engagement, conferences and workshops, technical assistance, sponsorships/donor support, etc.) during the last three years, detailing activities and amounts obtained (where appropriate) by fiscal year.

a. In 2005, Dr. Salmon initiated a learning community to explore the Visible Thinking approach in early childhood settings. This learning community started with Early Childhood students. This initiative is now a community engagement project involving over 40 teachers from 25 schools (public, private, Head Start, Charter, the United Way Center for Excellence, and the Children’s Museum).

b. The Visible Thinking initiative engages teachers in collaborative action research at the same time that it provides continuous professional development and mentoring to teachers in the community. Some publications have resulted from this experience.

c. As part of its professional development activities, the Visible Thinking project is organizing for the third time the Visible Thinking Conference with recognized authorities in the field. The mission of the conference is to engage early childhood educators in communities of practice interested in fostering thinking in young children. The conference provides a meaningful vehicle for understanding and designing environments and research-based strategies to teaching. The strategies are geared to developing students’ thinking dispositions, while at the same time deepening their understanding of topics they study. The conference is attracting early childhood educators nationally and internationally.

d. Another project is the Early Childhood Club, a student organization that works toward becoming an affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young children, the Early Childhood Association. The club offers students professional development opportunities focused on the quality of care and education for children from birth to age eight, which are

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the critical years of development. The club promotes participation in the local, state, and national conferences through monthly meetings and fundraising efforts. The Early Childhood Club members also participate in community service projects.

Part III: Strategic Planning and Improvement Action Plan

14. Develop a programmatic Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Challenges (SWOC) analysis. An SWOC analysis identifies an organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges. The SWOC includes normally an assessment of the internal environment (strengths and weaknesses) and an assessment of the external environment (opportunities and challenges). SWOCs facilitate strategic planning. Moreover, SWOCs help to understand the culture, facilitate decision-making, and may be used to assess opportunities and identify factors leading to an organization’s critical success.

Strengths

- The Early Childhood Education Undergraduate Program at FIU is comprised of two separate tracks: Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Development. Early Childhood Education is primarily a teacher preparation track while Early Childhood Development is primarily a generalist track. The first requires students to complete a semester-long internship at the completion of their coursework; the second does not. The Early Childhood Education Program is ESOL infused, reflecting the multi-cultural and multi-lingual nature of Florida’s student population. In addition, we are working to include a stronger Special Needs emphasis in all coursework, reflecting the latest trends of classroom teaching. This program also includes a strong emphasis on early literacy. It meets NCATE, and Florida state accreditation standards, and is widely recognized in the local communities as a strong program.

- The Early Childhood Development track is geared toward working students, and those outside of the field of public school teaching. Many of the courses are offered at night, allowing working students to attend. This degree includes a stronger emphasis on child development and family studies, reflecting the needs of social service agencies, and the helping professions.

- Having two separate tracks is a strength for the Early Childhood Program because it allows us to serve and attract a wider base of students interested in the study of Early Childhood Education. The

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field of Early Childhood Education is broad and includes many professions outside of classroom teaching (social work, curriculum development, health professions, etc.). By offering a generalist track, as well as a teacher preparation track, we are able to serve the larger Early Childhood Education community.

- Another strength of the Early Childhood Program is that the majority of coursework is taught by full-time faculty members. This delivery allows more consistency and integration of content throughout the program. Faculty meet monthly to work on program development, continually trying to improve the coursework.

Weaknesses

- One of the weaknesses of the Early Childhood Undergraduate is our inability to offer all the courses needed to meet the needs of students. . Three full-time faculty members are being asked to cover a large number of courses and an increased advising load of undergraduate students.

- Another weakness of the program is that we do not currently offer many courses online. This means that we cannot meet the needs of working adults who need online courses to be able to complete their degrees. The trend in colleges of education is to offer more courses online or through a hybrid delivery system (involving some face-to-face time with online delivery). We hope to rectify our limitations in the coming semesters.

- Finding relevant student teaching and practicum sites for our students remains a challenge. Currently, students are placed throughout Miami-Dade County Public Schools during their last semester. This is the traditional student teaching model and has served the field well in the past, but we would like to offer alternatives. The current trend is to create longer-term placements in which coursework is embedded in their practice. This model would require a different relationship with placement sites than we currently have. Students from our non-teaching track also do not have the opportunity to gain professional experience through a non-teaching internship. This option, allowing them to intern with social service agencies or medical professionals that focus on early childhood, would enhance their education.

Opportunities

- We have the opportunity to evolve the Early Childhood Program into a model for professional development in an urban, multicultural

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context. Miami-Dade County offers many opportunities for university-community collaborations. The County has the third largest school district in the country, the largest early learning coalition in the state, a large Head Start Agency, and a large number of non-profit foundations working on early childhood issues. By integrating our coursework and practicum more closely with these agencies we could make our program more relevant. At the same time we would also serve the community.

- The FIU Early Childhood Program also has the potential to become more involved in educational issues in Latin America and the Caribbean. Miami, because of its proximity to Latin America and the Caribbean, is ideally situated to serve this growing constituency. Many countries in the Southern Hemisphere are engaged in large-scale early childhood initiative. Our expertise, and that of our students, could contribute to this movement.

- Technology offers opportunities to expand our course offerings to non-traditional students and to those outside of our immediate geographic area. Technology also offers us the opportunity to deploy coursework in other countries in both English and Spanish. We are able to offer coursework and degrees in Spanish, given the number of native Spanish instructors who work in the program. We need to take advantage of our expertise, the growing reputation of the university, and our proximity to emerging countries from Latin American and the Caribbean.

Challenges

- We face the challenges of serving the needs of the community, students, and university in a time of dwindling resources and budget challenges. Larger classes and increased advising responsibilities make it difficult for faculty to pursue scholarly work. Relying on more adjuncts creates challenges in quality control and consistency of teaching. These challenges are not unique to the Early Childhood Program, but they are a possible impediment to achieving the many goals of the program.

- We also face competition from other institutions for the same target populations. We cannot match the advantages of Miami-Dade College (which has branches throughout Miami) or online universities offering more convenient degrees. We need to focus on the elements that set us apart, such as providing a high quality program, while at the same time accommodating the needs of the modern student.

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- There is an increase in problems with student record-keeping as the Early Childhood Education Program, the College of Education, and FIU continue to grow. We all need to do a better job in enrollment management and student progress monitoring in order to avoid allocating an inordinate amount of time to administrative problem-solving.

15. Refer to issues still identified as challenges and/or opportunities and prepare a plan to suggest solutions and pathways towards furthering student learning and programmatic improvements. Include a timetable and denote process for developing consensus on the Improvement Action Plan. Within the Improvement Action Plan, please incorporate a plan to measure progress/indicators of success.

Place the formulation of the Improvement Action Plan within the context of your unit’s ongoing strategic planning.

Part IV: Recommendations of Provost The Provost will provide written recommendations to the units regarding the future direction of the academic program based on the findings of the complete Program Review, including the self-study, external consultant’s feedback and Improvement Action Plan.

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