Early Childhood and Family Studies

College of Education

University of Washington

Student Handbook 2013-2014

Table of Contents

Description of the Majorpage 4

Learning Outcomes of the Major

Degree Requirementspage 4

Satisfactory Progress in the Majorpage 5

Service Learning (ECFS 303, 304; 454, 455, 456)page 6

What is Service Learning?

Changes in Your Service Learning Placement

What is JumpStart?

Senior Project (ECFS 456)page 9

Course Schedule/Overviewpage 9

College of Education (COE) Communitypage 9

Facebook

LinkedIn

Listserv

Associated Students of the College of Education (ASCE)

Computer Lab in Miller

UW Campus Undergraduate Support Servicespage 10

Odegaard Undergraduate Writing Center

CLUE

UW Career Center

Early Graduationpage 11

Honors Programpage 11

College Honors

Departmental Honors

Study Abroad (Trondheim, Norway)page 12

Undergraduate Scholarship Opportunitiespage 13

College of Education Scholarships

Zesbaugh and Anderson-Olsen Scholarships

Marv Harshman Education Scholarship

University Scholarship Resources

Center for Experiential Learning & Diversity

Global Opportunities

Mary Gates Endowment for Students

Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships, & Awards

Research Presentation/Recognition Opportunitiespage 13

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Undergraduate Library Research Award

Carlson Center Spring Celebration

Earning STARS Credit (MERIT)page 13

Appendix Apage 15

Career Paths

Appendix Bpage 16

Senior Project options

Appendix C

Journals and Organizations in ECFSpage 18

Appendix D

Early Childhood Education across the UW Campuspage 24

Appendix E

Teacher Education Programs in the Greater Puget Sound Areapage 26

Appendix F

Master’s Degree Programs in the Greater Puget Sound Area page 28

Description of the Major

The Early Childhood and Family Studies major is designed to immerse students in the study of child and family development and education. Students have the opportunity to learn about child development, early learning, and family studies from a variety of perspectives. Students receive a strong grounding in reading and understanding the theory and evidence that provide the foundation for the field and drives current research and policy efforts. And, students apply their knowledge and skill as they work alongside community-based early learning and care providers.

A degree in early childhood and family studies will provide excellent preparation for a wide variety of careers in early learning, childcare, parent and family support and education, and social/mental health services (Appendix A). It will also serve as a pathway for graduate studies in education, child and family studies, and other areas. This interdisciplinary major is offered at the junior and senior level. Students may also be admitted as sophomores.

Learning Outcomes of the Major

  • Read and evaluate research
  • Translate research findings to solve practical issues of early childhood
  • Understand neurological, behavioral, social/cultural influences on child development including bio-behavioral aspects and family systems
  • Recognize community-based needs for informing research and policy directions
  • Understand risk factors affecting child development
  • Recognize indicators of typical child development and examples of atypical development
  • Understand process for impacting social policy
  • Demonstrate knowledge and skill in early childhood practices in applied settings

Degree Requirements

Students must complete all General Education requirements for the BA degree.

General Education and Areas of Knowledge:

  • English composition (5 credits)
  • Quantitative/Symbolic Reasoning (5 credits)
  • Writing courses (10 credits)
  • Natural World (20 credits)
  • Individuals & Societies (20 credits)
  • Visual, Literary, & Performing Arts (20 credits)
  • Enough additional coursework in Areas of Knowledge to bring the total to 75 credits
  • Up to 15 credits of ECFS-prefix courses from the University Areas of Knowledge list may be counted toward the UW Areas of Knowledge requirement (Natural World; Individuals & Societies; Visual, Literary, & Performing Arts)
  • Successfully meet College of Education foreign language requirement – completion of the third college quarter of a foreign language, if not a native speaker or did not have three years of a single foreign language in high school.

Prerequisites:

  • Two courses in biological sciences (see approved course listing on website)
  • One course in college-level math or statistics

Requirements for ECFS major:

ECFS Major Requirements (84 credits)

Courses CreditsTitle Quarters offered

General Development Courses (23 credits)

__EDUC 305 or 310(5)Public Schools in a Democracy/Current Issues (I&S)A/W/Sp

__EDPSY 304 (5) Learning and Teaching in our Changing World (I&S)A/W/Sp

__EDPSY 4021(5)Child Development (I&S)A/W/Sp

__EDSPE 4191(5)Families (I&S)A/Sp

__EDSPE 404 (3)Exceptional Children (I&S)W/S/Su

Core Courses (23 credits)

__ECFS 3011(5)Early Childhood Curriculum (I&S) W/Sp

__ECFS 3021(5)Survey of Infants and Children at Risk (W, I&S)Sp

__ECFS 4002(5)Child Observation and Assessment (I&S)A

__ECFS 4012(3)Understanding ECFS Research(W, I&S)A

__ECFS 4022(5)Social Policy & Organization (I&S)W

Service Learning Courses (18 credits)

__ECFS 3031(3)Service Learning and Research IA/W

__ECFS 3041(3, 6)Service Learning and Research II & IIIW/Sp

__ECFS 3051(3)Service Learning and Research II & IIISp

__ECFS 4542(3)Advanced Service Learning and Research IA

__ECFS 4552(3)Advanced Service Learning and Research IIW

__ECFS 4562(3)Senior Project (W)Sp

1Taken in the first year of the major 2Taken in the second year of the major

Electives (20 credits)

Students must take 20 credits of ECFS electives are sorted into three categories:

  • Theoretical Foundations of Early Childhood and Family Studies
  • Methodology
  • Social Policy and Organization

Students must take at least one course from each category and then additional courses to reach the 20-credit requirement. Work with your adviser to get permission to use a course for an elective, and to ensure that the course is counted as an elective for degree-audit purposes.

Satisfactory Progress in the Major

According to University of Washington policy, “To graduate with a baccalaureate degree, a student must earn a cumulative GPA of 2.00 for all work done in residence at the University” (see

Service Learning (ECFS 303, 304, 305; 454, 455, 456)

What is Service-Learning?

Service-learning provides students a unique opportunity to connect coursework with life experience through public service. Service-learning provides students an opportunity to experience how theories, traditionally studied within classrooms, can come to life, through volunteering in the community. By intentionally connecting service and classroom learning:

a)Service is more informed by theoretical and conceptual understanding, and;

b)Learning is more informed by the hands-on exposure to the realities of the world.

A core foundational value in service-learning is the need to establish mutually-beneficial relationships between the community and the College of Education.

There are five interrelated goals for requiring service-learning in the ECFS major:

The Carlson Center works closely with ECFS faculty to coordinate community-based learning experiences for students in both years of the major.

Junior students (in ECFS 303, 304, and 305) will volunteer 3-6 hours per week in schools and select social service agencies that serve low-income/high-need populations, accumulating approximately 75 hoursover the course of 2-3 quarters In their service-learning roles. Students fill gaps in classroom coverage or work intensively on projects to support children and their families. In return, students gain exposure to professional staff with training in child development.

Senior students (in ECFS 454, 455, and 456) in the major make a service-learning commitment in a P-3 classroom, an early childhood policy/social service organization, or with faculty on a community-based research project. Seniors spend 2-6 hours per week in service, accumulating approximately 75 hours over 2 or 3 quarters*. Seniors also complete a Senior Project Portfolio on a topic related to their work in these various partner organizations and incorporate lessons learned through practical experience in service-learning.

*TIMELINE, HOURS AND PLACEMENTS

Most students begin their service-learning commitments during Autumn Quarter and continue with the same community partner through the end of the academic year in June. In certain circumstances, students can condense their service-learning experience into two quarters.

JUNIOR YEAR

Junior Year-Fall Start
Courses / ECFS 303 (autumn), ECFS 304 (winter) and ECFS 305 (spring)
Timeline / Select service-learning position in early October (weeks 2-4) with the aim to complete orientation and begin volunteering by early November.
Hour Commitment / Students volunteer 3-4 hours per week, to complete a minimum of 75 hours over the course of three quarters.
Types of Placements / Preschool, kindergarten and first grade classrooms, as well as a few positions in social service agencies, that serves low-income/high-need children.
Junior Year-Winter Start
Courses / ECFS 303 (winter) and ECFS 304 (spring)
Timeline / Select service-learning position in mid-January (weeks 2-4) with the aim to complete orientation and begin volunteering by early February.
Hour Commitment / Students volunteer 4-6 hours per week to complete a minimum of 75 hours over the course of two quarters.
Types of Placements / Preschool, kindergarten and first grade classrooms, as well as a few positions in social service agencies, that serves low-income/high-need children.

SENIOR YEAR

Senior Year-Spring Graduation
Courses / ECFS 454 (autumn), ECFS 455 (winter) and ECFS 456 (spring)
Timeline / Select service-learning position in early October (weeks 2-4) with the aim to complete orientation and begin volunteering by early November.
Hour Commitment / Students volunteer 3-4 hours per week, to complete a minimum of 75 hours over the course of three quarters.
Types of Placements / A variety of early childhood settings, including preschool-3rd grade classrooms, social service agencies, policy or advocacy organizations, health-related fields, and research projects with College of Education faculty.
Senior Year-Winter Graduation
Courses / ECFS 454 (autumn), ECFS 455 (winter) and ECFS 499 (winter)
Timeline / Select service-learning position in early October (weeks 2-4) with the aim to complete orientation and begin volunteering by early November.
Hour Commitment / Students volunteer 4-6 hours per week to complete a minimum of 75 hours over the course of two quarters.
Types of Placements / A variety of early childhood settings, including preschool-3rd grade classrooms, social service agencies, policy or advocacy organizations, health-related fields, and research projects with College of Education faculty.

Changes in Your Service-Learning Placement

Unfortunately, not every service-learning placement works out as well as we would hope/plan. Sometimes this is the result of a poor “fit” between the student and agency and a change in placement site is clearly in everyone’s best interests. On occasion, changes in personnel at agencies or in the life circumstances of a student requires that they leave a placement that is otherwise working well.

We’ve attempted to outline here the process for changes in service-learning sites—be they initiated by the community partner or by the student. Every situation is unique, and while these guidelines may provide assistance, we strongly encourage community partners and students to be in conversation with the course instructor and/or the Carlson Center staff to resolve issues proactively.

Concerns of the Community Partner about the student

  • The site supervisor should address concerns with the student and see if the areas of concern can be worked out directly.
  • If open and clear communication between the student and site does not alleviate tense situations, the site should contact the Carlson Center and consult about the situation. Often, this sort of strategizing can result in a resolution to the problem. (The Carlson Center will keep the course instructor in the loop on these conversations.)
  • If resolution cannot be reached between the site and student around areas of concern, a plan for termination of the placement will be negotiated between the organization, student, Carlson Center, and course instructor.
  • The Carlson Center and course instructor will work directly with the student to find a new service-learning site. Options may be restricted due to timing in the quarter and a number of other factors.

Concerns of the student about the community partner organization

  • The student should address the concerns with the site supervisor and see if the issues of concern can be worked out directly. The Carlson Center has more complete information about an organization and may be aware of changes at an organization, so it is important to first check with Kathryn Pursch-Cornforth () prior to communicating with your supervisor. Since the power differential between student and supervisor can be somewhat intimidating, especially early in the relationship, the student may wish to consult with course instructors or the Carlson Center to “rehearse” how to approach the site supervisor for such a discussion.
  • If, after conversation about areas of concern and a reasonable trial period after adjustments at the site, issues are not coming to satisfactory resolution, the student should contact their course instructor or the Carlson Center and consult with her on the best course of action.
  • Should it be mutually decided between the student, site, course instructor and Carlson Center that the best course of action is to terminate the placement, the Carlson Center will communicate this with the partner organization. The Carlson Center staff and course instructor will work with the student to find an alternative placement, given options available at the current time.

What is Jumpstart?

Jumpstart Seattle is part of the Center for Experiential Learning and Diversity at the University of Washington. Jumpstart trains and supports teams of UW undergraduates to help low-income children in Head Start preschool classrooms build language, literacy, social and initiative skills. The program allows undergraduates to explore the world of early childhood education, gain a deeper understanding of themselves, and increase their awareness of the diverse communities they serve. Undergraduate students who join Jumpstart are called Corps Members and work one-to-one with a partner child for the entire academic year. Corps Members also work on teams of their peers of about 4-8 people and are supported by a Team Leader. Students are asked to join in the fall quarter and commit for the entire academic year. This allows students to engage in more meaningful relationships with preschool children and teachers. Students can apply their Jumpstart placements to service-learning requirements in either their junior or senior years. In addition to earning credit, students can also earn work-study funds and a $1,000AmeriCorps scholarship! Jumpstart is housed in the Center for Experiential Learning within Undergraduate Academic Affairs. To learn more about Jumpstart visit Mary Gates Hall 120 or go to

Senior Project(ECFS 456)

(see AppendixB for course description of this project)

The Senior Project is the culminating project of the major and requires students to integrate what they have learned throughout the major in a self-selected topic related to Early Childhood and Family Studies. The Project is often connected to a student’s Service Learning site and completed with the guidance of the course instructor for ECFS 454, 455, & 456. Development of the Project takes place over the course of the senior year and is finished in the form of a portfolio that reflects student learning throughout the major. Components of the portfolio include a resume and Goal/Personal Statement, and sections of the final Senior Paper including a Project/Paper Proposal, Annotated Bibliography, Paper Outline, Literature Review, and Final Paper. We feel that students who have planned and finished this significant project have the ability to finish similar projects in their work or in graduate school. Further, students will have developed the communication skills necessary for the sharing of their ideas with others. Presentation of the Project is required.

Course Schedule/Overview

Required courses are offered approximately two times a year either within or across quarters. This is to allow for flexibility in student schedule planning, and opportunity for faculty collaboration in course planning and teaching. Appendix C includes a course requirements planning document for the major. The ECFS Adviser will work closely with students to plan course sequence based on individual needs.

College of Education (COE) Community

The College takes pride in its students and works to establish a community and set of communication and support structures to nurture relationships with students. These include:

ECFS Facebook Page

Linked In

For alumni, Linked In can provide an important networking community and source of information.

Listserv

All students are automatically assigned a University e-mail address upon entry into the University of Washington. This e-mail address is entered into the ECFS e-mail list/listserv and will be used to send program communications. Students are responsible for checking their University e-mail address regularly for critical information about scheduling, deadlines, service learning placements, and job opportunities, etc.

Associated Students of the College of Education (ASCE)

As described at the website, “The Associated Students of the College of Education (ASCE) was created as a forum to voice your ideas, concerns, and share your questions about the College of Education.” ECFS has a student representative on this forum. This can be an important connection for students to have a voice from the major to the College.

(Retrieved on August 1, 2012 from

Computer Lab in Miller

The Computer Lab in Miller Hall is available to students and (by reservation) to classes and special events. The lab contains 20 workstations that can run under Windows 7 or MacOS. Document scanners are available. There are two workstations in the lab that allow for the transfer of VHS, DVD, and Mini DV

Video to computer. The Computer Lab is open from Monday - Friday 8 AM - 5 PM, and located on the fourth floor, Miller 424. Contact Information: 206-221-4693.

College of Education Writing Center

As of Autumn, 2013, the College of Education provides writing support to students in the College. Contact the Office of Student Services (Miller 206) for more information.

UW Campus Undergraduate Support Services

Odegaard Undergraduate Writing Center

This interdisciplinary university writing center is available as a resource to all members of the UW community. This is an excellent resource if students are in need of writing advice and/or support with class assignments. As described on their website, “The OWRC offers specialized assistance through all stages of the writing and research process. Whether you need help getting started or would like assistance revising a completed draft--we can help!.....This is the place to come and chat with peer tutors and librarians, to grow as a writer in the context of whatever project is foremost in your mind. We can't magically "fix" papers for you (it wouldn't help you long-term if we could), but we can ask all kinds of smart questions and talk with you in order to help you.”