Head Start Teachers Get Jump Start on Degrees Via Distance Learning From: University of Cincinnati Currents Date: February 25, 2000 By: Dawn Fuller A new Cincinnati partnership of professional educators and professional broadcasters will provide a high quality education and set new professional standards for teachers in Head Start programs nationwide. The Early Childhood Learning Community (ECLC) is a new distance learning venture created by Resources and Instruction for Staff Excellence (RISE), a nonprofit distance learning production company, and three UC colleges, in collaboration with EchoStar Communications, a satellite broadcasting service. The first courses are planned for UC'sspring quarter, which begins in late March, and the three UC colleges participating are University College, College of Evening and Continuing Education, and College of Education. Under new federal guidelines, Head Start teachers will be required to complete a two- year associate degree in Early Childhood Education, a 90 credit-hour program that ECLC provides through University College. The federal mandate means 50 percent of the nation's Head Start teachers need to complete their associate degrees by 2003, and all 100 percent of Head Start teachers must have the higher degree by 2008. An estimated 30,000 people nationwide need additional training. The ECLC has the potential to provide an advanced education to teachers in Head Start centers across 48 states -- professional development that is required under the new federal law. By using a TV and logging on to a computer, teachers working in Head Start centers hundreds of miles away from Cincinnati will have access to UC's nationally recognized teaching programs. The distance learning community will provide a college degree for many teachers who never before had such an opportunity, because of the remote areas in which they live -- areas that are long distances away from a college town. "We will be bringing to people who otherwise would not have access to advanced education the opportunity to earn not only an associate degree, but one that is highly reputed in the state of Ohio, a degree that is finely tuned to the everyday issues these teachers deal with in Head Start centers," says John Bryan, dean, University College. The format for the distance learning project makes it unique: two-thirds of the course work will be broadcast on satellite television, while one third of the course will involve interaction on the Internet. "This is really historic," says Deb Pinger, president and CEO of RISE. "This is the first offering of a complete program combining satellite broadcast technology and the Internet to help people meet federal mandates." RISE, an Ohio-based, nonprofit organization founded in 1995, produces programming for broadcast on the National Head Start Association's television education network, called the HeadsUp! Network. "We hold large-scale video conferences with tightly constructed videos that give analogies, stories and examples so people can see how they would apply the learning," Pinger explains. EchoStar Communications supplies the 18-inch satellite dishes that beam the programming signal to Head Start and other child care/education centers. "The idea is to create an educational neighborhood, with a selection of universities and colleges offering educational programs, and UC is the first university to sign up," says Lawrence J. Johnson, interim dean, College of Education. "The College of Evening and Continuing Education (CECE) has a remarkable reputation for its innovations in distance learning. We will be providing marketing, facilitation and academic support services, using our expertise in outreach and working with nontraditional audiences," said CECE Dean Jeannette Taylor. Johnson says talks for the distance learning project came about after the federal government ordered more academic training for Head Start teachers. Head Start has served the nation's low-income children and their families since 1965, providing education and support services. Programs are funded through grants awarded by the federal government. Until now, Johnson says Head Start teachers were required to have a CDA or child development associate credential, based on local requirements. For instance, UC's CDA requires students to complete an 18 credit-hour program. The CDA is provided through UC's Arlitt Child and Family Research and Education Center, a division of the College of Education, which also offers the baccalaureate degree. "UC has a particular expertise that is very unusual," continues Pinger. "UC has the CDA credential that all early childhood and Head Start teachers need to have. The CDA is built into an associate degree program, which leads into the baccalaureate degree, so UC has professionals offering education on every level, which is very rare." "We see this distance learning project as the kernel around which we'll be able to build other programs," adds Bryan. "Recent discussions with some state of Ohio agencies have sparked their interest in bringing our program to their employees. With the core courses in the associate degree program already under development, we could begin offering other degrees almost immediately with the development of courses in other specific disciplines occurring next year." As for the current venture, Bryan says the typical student generally is female and is a little older than the traditional college student. "They're often the parents of Head Start children, and they found that Head Start was a good environment where they felt comfortable," says Bryan. Because some of these students have not seen a classroom in years, Bryan says the first course will feature an orientation into the program. "We thought we ought to start off with something that orients them to the entire experience -- the fact that they're not going to be on campus, they're not going to be in a structured environment that is constantly guiding them toward a set of goals. The orientation will alert students about issues such as study skills and time management." "This represents a significant step for UC to become a major player in the distance learning market arena," says Anthony Perzigian, UC interim senior vice president and provost for baccalaureate and graduate education. "Higher education is becoming increasingly more competitive, with a great number of for-profit organizations competing with higher education for educational markets. This is a bold step into this new arena for reaching non-traditional students off campus. For public universities, service and life-long learning should be at the core of their mission and for this reason we are seeking to deliver this program." Lisa Holstrom, UC director of distance education for ECLC, says directors of Head Start centers around the nation can find out more about the distance learning community at a summit which will be held at UC's Kingsgate Conference Center on March 27. For more information about attending the summit, contact Holstrom at 513-556- 3627.