ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

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ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

• PROGRAM REVIEW SUMMIT PRESENTATION -
• May 18, 2007

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Elementary Education     The associate degree
program in Elementary Education offers
foundational knowledge and skills in the fields
of elementary education and the liberal arts and
prepares students for transfer or employment as
paraprofessionals (teaching assistants). The
education courses emphasize both theory and
classroom application and require students to
spend significant amounts of time observing
instruction in local elementary schools. Program
graduates will be prepared for a portion of the
state teacher licensing examination and may
transfer as juniors to four-year colleges where
they can complete a baccalaureate degree and
become a fully licensed teacher.
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• What We Learned
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• How instrumental the Seeding Success grant (aka
  Merrimack Valley Partnership) was in
  jumpstarting the Elementary Education program.
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• An elementary education program with no
  full-time faculty and offers its courses only in
  the late afternoon and evening CAN work for both
  day and evening students.

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• EDU Program Strengths
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• Well-developed curriculum that aligns with the
  Commonwealth Transfer Compact and meets the
  employment standards for public school systems.
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• Highly qualified instructors and professional
  staff who are in the real world of education,
  stay current with research, and take personal
  interest in their students goals and success.
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• Numerous and varied field experiences that
  meets transfer compact requirements and offers
  students invaluable insight into the field of
  teaching.
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• Center for Careers in Teaching that provides
  resources and advice regarding the MTEL.

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• EDU Program Strengths (cont.)
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• Effective communication with and advising of
  students to ensure success.
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• Increasingly active Advisory Committee.
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• Multiple partnerships within the college that
  effectively support the program and its students.
• Key partnerships with community organizations
  and public school systems which are mutually
  beneficial.

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• EDU Program Areas Needing Improvement
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• Uncertain future for the Center for Careers in
  Teaching.
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• Commitment to complete funding by the college
  of the salary of the EDU Director.
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• Advising of EDU students.
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• Maintaining the freshness of EDU students
  knowledge of education-related concepts over the
  course of their time at NECC.

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• EDU Program Areas Needing Improvement (cont.)
• More and stronger relationships with field
  experience partners.
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• Limited EDU program information available on
  the NECC web-site.
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• Inadequate system for ensuring that students do
  not participate in field experiences without
  first being cleared by the MA and NH CORI/SORI
  boards.

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• Resource Needs
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• Financial commitment of college to maintaining
  part-time (12 hours) coordinator of the Center
  for Careers in Teaching. This position is
  currently supported by grant funds.
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• Financial commitment to paying full salary of
  EDU director. Just under half of salary is
  supported by grant funds.