Program Outcomes

Mission

The mission of the Baylor University Piper Center for Family Studies and Child Development Center (Piper) is a laboratory school that provides model programs for infants, toddlers, and preschool children and leadership to students consistent with the teaching, research/creative endeavors, and service missions of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences and Baylor University.

Program Outcomes

Piper strives to:

• Provide quality programs for young children and their families based on scientific developmental theory, research, and developmentally appropriate practice;
• Provide education in all aspects of child development and family studies in a child-directed, inquiry-based, play-centered learning environment that is nurturing, safe, and secure;
• Provide an exemplary learning environment for students to observe, interact, and solidify concepts learned through coursework;
• Provide a context for research that furthers the understanding of children and families.
• Provide lab teachers with a supportive, collaborative, respectful, environment to teach young children and support parents

Educational Philosophy (2.A.01)

Piper believes that each child is unique and learns best through play and exploration of a variety of materials and environments. We are dedicated to providing model developmental care for each child in a nurturing, secure, and stimulating learning environment. We seek to create anenvironment of rich and diverse of experiences that will take the children along new paths, deepen their understanding and skills, and give added complexity to the talents and personal qualities they posses. Our philosophy is soundly based in child development and educational theory including the works of Piaget, Vygotsky, Erickson, and Dewey. The staff provides an innovative and creative model of early childhood education in a supportive family environment. Children of all abilities, from infants through preschoolers, are welcome to play, explore, and expand their repertoire of skills. We believe an environment that fosters all aspects of development through comprehensive and multi-disciplinary activities will enhance a child’s opportunities for learning. Our approach is also aligned with the guidelines set by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) for developmentally appropriate practice.

Goals -Program - Assessment

We use our developmental goals as a systematic framework for focusing our program and assessment design. Our teachers are well versed in a wide variety of educational approaches, and we choose teaching strategies, daily routines, classroom arrangements, and curriculum structure that will encourage each child’s development in al domains. Teacher observations and documentation of individual development are used to adjust the program to better promote individual growth, as well as to conference with parents about ways we can work as a team to support each child. (4.A.01)

Laboratory School

As part of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences Department/ Child and Family Studies Division in the School of Health and Human Sciences at Baylor University (10.A.01), we serve as a laboratory for Child and Family Studies (CFS) undergraduates taking the CFS courses and other departments and schools across the University for observation, documentation of individual development, and connections between theory, research, and practice. Research in child development and other related fields is another important component of Piper. Parents receive brief descriptions of the research along with permission slips for their child to participate. Please refer to the Research section of our web site for further information.

To support the professional development of both pre-service and practicing educators, the Piper Center’s School Staff models and shares the educational approaches that we develop. We offer workshops, consultation and seminars in a wide range of local and national venues, and we provide related resources on our web site.

Our program is strengthened by our relationship with Baylor University (8.B.02). As part of the University community, our classes have access to using the University bus for field trips, visits from university musicians, security officers, e. cetera. (8.B.04). The University provides funding for computing services, facilities management, accounting, human resources, legal, and security services, as well as managing environmental health and safety.

The Piper Child Development Center is a laboratory for Baylor University to train future early childhood teachers and child development specialists as well as a research site for Baylor faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students. The research component to Piper is very important for our continued success and visibility for the University. We expect all of our parents to participate in the research projects that we provide. You will always be notified of upcoming research at Piper and permission slips to be signed. Baylor students participate at the center in many capacities. Students observe children from the observation booths as well as in the classroom. They are learning about the children’s stages of development and the teachers’ methods of working with the children. Some students spend two hours per week in the classroom interacting with the children. These students are required to plan activities that are approved by our teachers and then done with the children under the supervision of our teachers. A few students do their student teaching with us. These students come daily for six weeks and are in charge of the planning for two weeks. Many of the students are required to conduct a developmental screening of a child. The children enjoy these one-on-one games with a student. Again, their work is closely supervised by our teachers. Baylor students bring a lot of enthusiasm, interest, and new ideas to our program. Being a laboratory school has all of us evaluating our work with children and striving to be the best teachers we can be.

NAEYC ACCREDIATION

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has created 10 standards the measure the quality of early childhood programs. The standards were created by a blue-ribbon panel of early childhood experts and are based on the latest early childhood research.

As a NAEYC-accredited program, the Piper Center meets a high quality standard by:

1. Promoting positive relationships for allchildren and adults to encourage each child’s sense of individual worth.

2. Implementing a curriculum that fosters all areas of child development: cognitive, emotional, language, physical, and social.

3. Using developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate effective teaching approaches.

4. Providing ongoing assessments of a child’s learning and development and

communicating the child’s progress to the family.

5. Promoting the nutrition and health of children and protecting children and staff from injury illness.

6. Employing a teaching staff that has the educational qualifications, knowledge, and professional commitment necessary to promote children’s learning and developmentand to support families’ diverse needs and interests

7. Establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships with each child’s family.

8. Establishing relationships with and using the resources of the community to supportthe achievement of program goals.

9. Providing a safe and healthy physical environment.

10. Implementing strong personnel, fiscal, and program management policies so that all children, families, and staff have high-quality experiences.

Piper Center is also under the regulatory jurisdiction of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services/Child-Care Licensing Division. We abide by all the TDFPS standards (10.B.04). Each staff member is responsible for engaging fully in all professional practices related to maintaining the Piper Center’s status as a high-quality NAEYC accredited program, as well as the Texas Rising Star Provider Certification. Our current NAEYC accreditation is valid from 6/1/11 through 6/1/16. We complete annual reports each spring to document our continuous quality improvement.

Staff Teams (10.B.01)

The Piper Center is staffed by five teams of educators – an Administrative Team, an Infant Team, Toddler Team, Two’s Team, Multi-age Team of Younger and Preschool, plus a floating educator who can substitute on any team. All teachers and administrators have many years of experience in education as well as a CDA, Associate Degree, Bachelor’s degree and some with advanced degrees in early childhood education (see Staff Team Biographies, 6.A.05,06). Undergraduate practicum students and student employees complement each team.

Piper Center employees are hired and managed according to the Human Resource policies of Baylor University. (10.E) They are thoroughly oriented (6.A.03), earn a competitive salary, lead teachers have paid planning time, and if working full time, and receive full benefits. The Piper Center has an extensive professional development program of approximately 80 hours per year, as well as supporting each individual’s annual goals for growth via additional seminars and professional experiences.

Our experienced educators participate actively in the local and national early childhood communities by serving in leadership capacities, giving regular presentations, providing consulting to other programs, and partnering with high-quality programs to develop new avenues for early childhood professional development (8.C,6.B.02.).

All of our partner organizations are seeking ways to support each other and create synergies between their professional development initiatives that will enhance the quality of reflective training opportunities and serve as a resource for early childhood educators across the broad continuum of professional development.

Interaction Guidelines(7.A.01-14, 10.B.01)

Regardlessofposition,each staffmember’sjob descriptionincludesthefollowing prioritiesforactionand interaction.“Speak and behavein a professionalmanner with staff,children,parents,university partners,visitors,servicepeople, etcetera,atall times. Strivetobea teamplayer,takinginitiativetohelp with tasks,sharespaceand materials,offersupportand constructivecritique, etc.forthebenefitofthewholestaff. Keepthe“big picture” of our school’sentiremission in mind toeffectivelybalance competingdemands.Followtheschool and university policiesand procedurescarefully and with attentiontotimeliness.Beprepared toflexibly adapttothediversesituations thatarisein early childhood education,particularlyin a university lab school. Usethe corevaluesand standards oftheNationalAssociationfortheEducationofYoung Children (NAEYC)toguideall aspects ofprogram implementationand enhancement. Abideby theethicalstandards of NAEYC,with particularattentiontoconfidentiality.”

Piper Center staff members follow the ethical principles of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (6.A.01). We share the following core values as guides for interactions among staff members, between staff and children, staff and undergraduates, researchers, university employees, etc. (1.A, 1.B).

• We usedirecteyecontact,smiles,and warm tones ofvoice,positivetouch,social conversations,and joint laughtertosupportthedevelopmentof effectiveworking relationships.

• Ourpartnershipin learning is supportedby regular, reciprocal communication, affirming recognition of effortand accomplishment,predictable,developmentally appropriateresponsivenesstoinitiative, emotion,and concerns,and proactive conflict resolution.

• Westrivetorespecteach individual and work tocreatea positive emotionalclimatefor all learners,with sensitivity todifferencesin age,ability,background,language, culture,religion,and family structure.

• Weaim toeliminategender biasby using gender-neutralterminology,such as “friends” instead of“boysand girls” or “firefighter”instead of“fireman”, encouraging learnersofbothgenderstoexploreall theactivitieswe offer,and focusingour affirmationon approach, effort,and accomplishmentratherthanappearance.

• Wearecommittedtoreaching outtopeople ofdifferentraces,genders, ethnicity,and ability,and westrivetocreatean environmentofinclusion thatcelebratesour differencesand highlights our commonalities.Ourprogram accepts children with specialneedsaslong asa safe,supportiveenvironmentcan beprovided forthe child

consistentwith therequirements oftheAmericanswith DisabilitiesAct.

Becauseour mission ismultifaceted,weaim tobuild positiverelationshipswith all learning partnersby appropriately balancing equity ofcareforthegroup with servicestailoredtoindividual needs.Ourgoal istodevelop theschool’scaring community forlearning throughbroad participationand involvementin program improvementforall of our staff,families,and university partners.

Parents as Parents(7.A)

The Piper Center offersadult family membersand othercaregiversa variety of waystobecomeinvolved in thechild'sschool community,toparticipatein family activities,and toconfer with thestafftobuild a strongbond betweenhomeand school (7.A.09).During theyear,each teachermeets with parentstoshareinformation about thechild’s school and homelife.Regular communication isencouraged among families,caregivers,and theschool staffsothatmultipleperspectives on thechild’s developmentand interests can be used toenhancethechild’s school experience (1.A.01).Inaddition tothedetailedfamily handbook and easily navigableweb site,we havescheduled parentmeetings and conferences,regular wholeschool and classroom newsletters,and frequentspontaneousinteraction(7.B.01).Afamily bulletinboard in

thehallway outsidetheschool officeprovidesduplicateinformation,extracopiesof forms,interestingarticles,flyersaboutlocal family eventsand resources,and other parentresources(7.C.05,8.B.03).Eachteachingteamprovidesa daily classroom updatevia email or theirclassweb sitein order topromotefamily communication at homeabouttheschool day.Finally, theAdministrativeTeamprovidesremindersand othertips forfamiliesvia e

mail.

Adult family members can use the observation booths with headsets to observe their child in the program. (7.A.11). If you want to talk with a teacher, please schedule a time with the teacher. All parents can observe their children in the outdoor classroom, from the playground.

The popular family events, including Fall Festival, Thanksgiving Family Lunch, Christmas party, Valentine’s party, the Week of Young child Activities, and the annual teacher appreciation luncheon offer the family a chance to participate in the child’s school. In addition, many adult family members extend their involvement by volunteering in school wide and/or classroom activities. We ask that you be active in the Piper Parent Committee that supports our family events during the school year. (7.A.12-14).

If you have questions or have experienced a problem at home or school, please approach the child’s primary teacher or one of the administrators directly (7.C). Recent potty-training efforts, changes in care-giving arrangements, the death of a pet, an extended absence of a parent, etc. can all cause changes in a child’s demeanor and behavior at school, so timely communication helps the staff respond most effectively to the child. We make every effort to communicate with children and families in a positive manner to plan strategies, resolve issues, and provide assistance in a proactive and effective manner (3.F.03). Please feel free to suggest ways that we can strengthen our partnership with you as together we seek to provide a high-quality learning environment for everyone in our school community (10.F.04).

All families are invited to participate in the Piper Center’s annual program evaluation survey conducted in May (10.F.04), as well as to contribute to our continuous quality improvement via committees. Evaluation results, plans and opportunities are highlighted in the parent meeting held at the beginning of the school year (10.F.02) and updated as necessary on our Piper Website.

All staffmembers,students,researchers, observers,Practicum students,student employeesand volunteersmustsign a StatementofCommitmentto Confidentialitybeforeenteringour classrooms(seebelow).AccordingtotheNAEYCCode ofEthical Conduct:

“Weshallnotengageinorsupportexploitationoffamilies.Weshallnotuseourrelationshipwith afamilyforprivateadvantageorpersonalgain,orenterintorelationshipswithfamilymembers thatmightimpairoureffectivenessworkingwiththeirchildren.”

Confidentiality(4.E.07)

Because the staff at the Piper Center works as a team, with every adult knowing and interacting at times with every child,all admissions, observationsand other assessmentdatamay beshared with all staffmembers.Informationaboutfamily situations,special needs,and othersensitiveissuesis shared on an asneeded basis. Studentworkers,volunteers,and otheradultsworking within theschool are only informed ofsuch sensitiveissueswhen theyarea partofkeeping thechild safe, supportingthechild’sinclusion,or when theinformation mightimpacttheircoursework. All adults working in the Piper Center sign thefollowingconfidentialityagreement.

All information regarding any center family and or/child(ren) is to be treated as confidential.

All children’s records are in the center office and only those with “need to know” are allowed to view the child’s folder. Under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. § 1232g), records related to center children and their families, and information contained those records, are to be shared with other staff or other University officials only if that person has a legitimate educational interest (i.e., on a “need to know” basis only). Requests from third parties, including outside agencies, must be evaluated by center administrative staff, in consultation with University Counsel in appropriate circumstances, before any disclosure is made. In most cases, information cannot be disclosed with any third party without the written consent from the child’s legal guardian.

University students, kitchen staff, volunteers, etc. are not to be included in discussions of children and families, except to provide information that is required for them to complete their jobs. Sensitive information must not be shared with everyone, only those who are directly involved.

If any documents one would expect to find in a file appear to be missing, notify the center administrative staff immediately.

Employees are prohibited from discussing children and families with or in the presence of other children and families.

Ipledgetodiscussthefamilies, children,andstaffforprofessionalpurposesonly. Iwillalsochoosecarefullywhethertodiscuss children'sbehaviorwithintheirhearingdistance,doingsoonlywhenitisinthechild’sbest interest.WhenIencounterfamilies,childrenorstaffoutsidetheschool,Iwillbecourteousbutuse discretion.

Iknowthatconfidentialityisanethicalobligationandthatitisarequirementformycontinued involvementatthePiper Center. Bysigningthisstatement,Iagreetolearnallaspectsofthe Piper Center’sconfidentialitypolicyandpracticethematalltimes.

Inaddition,werequirethatfamiliesrespecttheprivacy, not only oftheirchild(ren),but of all otherchildren and families.We encourage open,honest,informal, and frequent communication among staffand parents.However convenient,hallways,classrooms,

or theoutdoorclassroom arenotappropriateplacesforconversationsaboutsensitive

matters.Achild’steacher or thedirectormay suggesta phonecall or meetingto discussconcernsraised initially in regular conversationthatwould bemore appropriately addressed privately.

Inaccordancewith Health InsurancePortabilityand AccountabilityAct(HIPAA) guidelines, official writtenrecordsforeach child arefiled in thelocked Educational Administrators’officein the Piper Center and released only totheindividualslisted above or thoseforwhom parentssign a writtenrelease(7.C.08).Thesefilesinclude enrollmentforms,final conferencereports,health assessmentsprovided by physicians, resultsofhealth screeningsconductedatschool afterparentauthorization,incident reports,reports ofdiagnosticassessmentsreleased totheschool by parents,individual educationplans, etc.Staffdocumentationofchildren’sbehavior and development, including specialized recordsforchildren whoseindividual circumstances require extra classroom documentationarekeptin classroom locationsaccessibletoteachers but out ofthereach ofchildren and out ofsightofclassroom visitors.Inaddition,researchers followethicalstandards with respecttoconfidentialityofindividual dataasdescribed above.