ECFS Program Agreement
University of Washington, College of Education
Early Childhood and Family Studies Program
Protecting your privacy as well as that of children, families, and programs is very important. Please read this document carefully and sign it to assure the University of Washington, your service-learning site, and the families of children in your videos that you are aware of and agree to abide by these guidelines described in this Program Agreement below. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the instructor of your service-learning courses who will provide you with detailed instructions.
Obtaining Family Permission to Capture Children on Video
You must obtain written permission from parents of all children you include in your video tapes for your courses within the Early Childhood and Family Studies program. Make sure to speak with a service-learning supervisor at your site and follow their required process to obtain permissions.
The University of Washington’s College of Education must keep a record of your compliance with this requirement to obtain parent permissions prior to filming and submitting videos for course assignments (this Program Agreement and the Service-Learning Participation Agreement Form). You must submit signed Parent Permission Media Release Forms to the University of Washington and retain copies in your personal files for the duration of the time you retain video containing children.
ECFS Video Storage at the UW
Instructors and staff strive to promote a safe and secure online learning environment in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law that protects the privacy of student educational records. UW Instructional Technology (UWIT) MediaAMP Cloud Services are used to store all ECFS online students’ video materials. UWIT's MediaAMP Cloud Services is a secure site that meets UW's FERPA compliance. In addition, video materials and all other data collected by the students will be accessed only by the program instructors and those closely associated with the program as needed for instructional and student support purposes. For some courses, students in the class will access each other’s videos to provide peer reviews. All UW instructors and other UW personnel related to the program are obligated to maintain confidentiality.
Use of Data for Student Support
In this program, the adviser and student support specialist work closely with instructors to support ECFS students in a variety of ways. This can include collecting information about students through surveys, check-ins, and regular communication with instructors, and by accessing academic information in the Canvas learning management system and in Coaching Companion. By combining these sources of information, the staff and instructors are able to most effectively support students, both academically and when personal issues arise. Staff and instructors comply with FERPA when accessing, using, and storing students’ information.
Student Professional Expectations
Communication
Your communication with program staff and instructors should demonstrate your competence in using a professional and respectful tone and attending to, understanding, and responding appropriately to all information provided. Appropriate communication involves checking and responding to UW email regularly (ideally daily), taking responsibility for educational decisions, reading and abiding by syllabi in each course, and proactively communicating with staff and instructors when you have concerns. By doing so, you can expect to be treated with respect, and to receive clear and accurate feedback and information from program staff and instructors.
Confidentiality
As an Early Childhood and Family Studies student, it is your responsibility to ensure that the private details of any setting you visit while enrolled in the program remain confidential. You should not disclose any matters relating to site observations or any other material to any third party without written consent from the concerned party.
You should use the information gained from your observations and service-learning experiences in the following ways:
●To discuss and measure developmentally appropriate practices in the environment.
●To explore and share an understanding of children, curriculum, development and learning, and the role of adults in supporting development and learning.
●To enact practices, often capturing them on video, with the permission of the service-learning site.
Out of respect for the service-learning site’s privacy, you should never disclose children’s names, program, address, or any other information to another individual without written consent from the concerned parties. Make sure to use pseudonyms or general references for your state, program, district, cooperating teachers and other professionals, children, and families. Mask or remove all names on any typed or written materials that could identify individuals or institutions. During video recording, use children’s first names only. In addition, maintain the confidentiality of the children in videos of your classmates, when you view them to offer peer feedback.
Cite Sources and Avoid Plagiarism
Provide citations for the sources of all materials that you did not create (e.g. published texts, websites, material from other professionals) using APA formatting. More information regarding APA citations is available on the ECFS Advising and Resource Center.
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Acknowledgement of receipt and understanding of the above information
I have received, read, and understood the ECFS student handbook, located on the ECFS Advising and Resource Center, and the above information regarding video storage and confidentiality, use of student information, and the expectations of myself and program staff. I understand that I am responsible for knowing all of the aforementioned information, and I affirm that I will abide by the policies and rules stated therein.
Your full name (print or type clearly):______
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Signature of Student Date
Revised Autumn 2017
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