Greeting from GatewaysVoices from the FieldPolicy Report ReviewThe Big Picture in IllinoisNew Gateways ResourcesCurrent IssueTell a FriendSubscribe to Inside GatewaysPast IssuesGateways HomeInside Gateways Newsletter—Summer 2011Greeting from GatewaysGreetings and welcome to the summer edition of Inside Gateways, the Gateways to Opportunity quarterly e-newsletter! Eighteen high schools in Illinois have incorporated the Level 1 ECE Credential curriculum into their coursework, providing an opportunity for more than 650 students to earn a Gateways credential. Upon graduation, students with a Gateways to Opportunity Level 1 ECE Credential may find additional or enlarged employment opportunities and also may be able to take advantage of scholarship opportunities. For those students who plan to attend college, selecting an institution whose coursework is aligned with Gateways to Opportunity credential requirements will allow them to earn state-recognized Gateways credentials. This Gateways link—www.ilgateways.com/en/higher-education-institution-directory—provides information on early childhood degrees, credentials, and certificates available through various higher education institutions in Illinois. Some programs and agencies require, or give preference when hiring, to applicants who have Gateways credentials. It makes sense for students to select a higher education program whose coursework aligns with Gateways credentials (a Gateways entitled institution) to maximize future potential employment opportunities. Students attending a Gateways to Opportunity entitled higher education institution may earn a Gateways credential while completing designated coursework. Gateways scholarship funding may also be available to help with tuition and fees for practitioners working in the fields of early childhood and school-age care and who meet specific requirements. (Note: High School students who have received a Level 1 ECE Credential may also be eligible for Gateways scholarships.) Visit www.ilgateways.com/en/gateways-scholarship-program for more information. Approximately 50% of two- and four-year colleges and universities throughout Illinois with early childhood degree programs have chosen to become entitled for Gateways to Opportunity credentials. In considering which college to attend, students should maximize all options and consider schools that provide a variety of opportunities, including credentials. The articles in this edition of Inside Gateways feature three schools that have aligned their coursework with Gateways credential requirements—St. Augustine College, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and Rend Lake. These schools, and many others throughout the state, work closely with Gateways to Opportunity to ensure that courses meet benchmarks and standards for the field. Graduation focuses our attention on choices: What type of career or future work do I want? Do I want to further my education? If so, where should I go to school? As summer begins, many recent graduates are finalizing their choices for employment or future education. If you are passionate about your choice of career, encourage today’s recent graduates to consider the fields of early care and education and school-age care! We welcome recent graduates to our profession and encourage the utilization of Gateways to Opportunity, the Illinois Professional Development System.
Joni Scritchlow and Voices from the FieldGovernor Patrick Quinn signed Gateways to Opportunity credentials into law on January 21, 2010, effective retroactively to July 1, 2009. Gateways credentials are awarded and recognized by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Bureau of Child Care and Development. Gateways credentials are indications of the professional achievements that can be earned by completing an approved program at an entitled college or university, or by completing a portfolio that documents education and experience, or by completing the Level 1 ECE Credential training. Gateways to Opportunity offers a variety of credentials for professionals in the fields of early care and education and school-age and youth development: the Illinois Director Credential, the ECE Credential, the Infant Toddler Credential, the School-Age and Youth Development Credential, and the Level 1 ECE Credential. At the time of this issue, 33 institutions of higher education offer the entitled route to achieve the Gateways credentials. Inside Gateways interviewed faculty members at three of these institutions about their experiences—Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Rend Lake College in Ina, and St. Augustine College in Chicago. Inside Gateways (IG) spoke to Cathy Mogharreban (CM), Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education in Curriculum and Instruction at Southern Illinois University (SIU) Carbondale about the entitlement process at SIU. Cathy is the coordinator of early childhood undergraduate and graduate programs at SIU. Cathy Mogharreban
The entitlement process benefits students…. The Infant Toddler Credential will offer value right off the bat for students in both of our undergraduate programs…. I have heard lots of excitement in our Dean’s office about the impact of entitlement on recruitment of students. IG: What influenced SIU to become an entitled institution for Gateways to Opportunity? CM: The conversation started between Tina Grounds at Rend Lake Community College and me about the articulation agreement between our two institutions. (See the interview with Tina Grounds below.) We are always looking to build continuity between our early childhood programs. The Gateways entitlement opportunity was a natural extension of our partnership and allowed us to define and deepen that relationship. The small grant that Gateways provided to encourage institutions to become entitled helped to make the process happen. The grant’s resources allowed us to set time aside to build the articulation agreement, travel back and forth for meetings, and ultimately present what we had created to our respective departments. IG: Briefly describe the process of becoming entitled. Was there anything about it that surprised you? CM: To become entitled, our program had to go through an auditing process to ensure that we were aligned with the standards specified by the Gateways credentials. We have NCATE (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education) accreditation and knew we had a strong program in place. The self-study process required to become entitled provided an opportunity for faculty to review the content of our courses and look at our program as a whole. The Gateways standards are very solid and have been thoroughly vetted. Becoming entitled added validity to our program and affirmed for students that our program’s standards were not only aligned with NCATE standards but with Gateways standards as well. I don’t know if I was surprised by this, but I certainly didn’t expect the level of support we received from Gateways staff during and after the process of becoming an entitled institution. They didn’t say, “You’re entitled now, so fly on your own.” They were there for us when we had questions and when our students had questions. IG: How has the entitlement process benefitted the SIU community—current and prospective students and its faculty? CM: We have two undergraduate programs at SIU. One is in teacher education and leads to Type 04 teacher certification, and a second program is in child and family studies. Both programs lead to a bachelor of science degree, but the teacher education route prepares students to apply for state certification. The entitlement process benefits students in both undergraduate programs. The core knowledge that is addressed by the ECE Credential allows those students in child and family studies to apply for the Gateways credential after receiving their degree, much like applying for certification. The entitlement process allows students in both programs to earn the Infant Toddler Credential (ITC). Our program has traditionally been strong in infant and toddler teacher preparation, but the inclusion of the ITC is a real benefit. The entitlement process clearly added value to each route. The process has strengthened our relationship with Rend Lake Community College and provides a tool for articulation between our two programs, which is good for current and prospective students. I have heard lots of excitement in our Dean’s office about the impact of entitlement on recruitment of students. Gateways provided us with a short, high-quality video about SIU’s status as an entitled institution and the role of Gateways credentials. The video works extremely well as a recruitment tool. The ITC will offer value right off the bat for students in both of our undergraduate programs. How much benefit the ECE Credential will provide remains to be seen. We were encouraged that Governor Quinn signed the Gateways credentials into law in January of 2010. It is too early to tell where that will lead our students in terms of employment opportunities and salary enhancements. We are doing our part by adding value to students’ college preparation. Now the state needs to do its part to recognize the critical need for appropriately skilled early childhood education professionals. Tina Grounds
IG: What influenced Rend Lake College to become an entitled institution for Gateways? TG: Rend Lake College has a long history as an entitled institution for early childhood credentials. Years ago, I was on the commission to develop the Illinois Directors Credential (IDC). Rend Lake College was the first entitled institution to offer the IDC back in 2000. We also had the very first Level 1 ECE Credential student who followed the entitled route in the state. Because of this history, it was natural for us to be part of the pilot program for the Gateways ECE and the Infant Toddler Credential (ITC). We had also been working with Southern Illinois University (SIU), so it was a logical progression for our institutions to work on this together. (See the interview with Cathy Mogharreban above.) IG: Your relationship with SIU has been a real strength for both of your programs and a benefit for students. To what do you attribute the successful partnership between Rend Lake College and SIU? TG: Since we are in a rural area of the state, higher education options are somewhat limited. The benefit to fewer options is that you recognize the importance of strong relationships with colleagues in your area. Cathy Mogharreban at SIU and I share a mutual love and passion for early childhood education, which helped form the partnership. Our good intentions would not have been enough to hammer out the articulation process between our institutions had we not received the planning grant that Gateways to Opportunity offered to two- and four-year institutions that agreed to pilot the ECE Credential and ITC. That small grant gave us the time to formalize the articulation process between Rend Lake and SIU. IG: How has the entitlement process benefitted students at Rend Lake College? TG: It is a great benefit for students for a number of reasons. Students understand that there is a progression to their higher education preparation in early childhood education, like a series of stepping stones. In the past, students often took courses in a random, haphazard way based on how the classes fit into their schedule. The Gateways credentials and the core content upon which they are based help students move through their degree programs in a way that makes sense. As an advisor, I can more easily explain the progression of coursework to credentials and higher education degrees in our field. IG: Advisement seems key to helping students get the most out of their higher education and credentialing experience. TG: Absolutely. When I advise students who may be looking to obtain a Gateways credential, I talk about courses they can take that will also lead to a degree. Similarly, when I advise students who are thinking about getting a degree, I can advise them how they can also obtain a Gateways credential. Not everyone will get a two- or four-year degree. Home or work obligations or finances may prevent them from finishing. Yet they can still have an ECE Credential or ITC, which may provide them with more job options in the future. IG: You sound optimistic about the wide acceptance of Gateways credentials in Illinois. TG: We are still in the early stages of the credentials. I believe we will start to see more programs that require a teacher to have an ITC, IDC, or ECE Credential. Preparing students for employment is one of our jobs in higher education. Our goal as early childhood faculty is also to prepare teachers who are well equipped to offer high-quality early childhood experiences, whether they work with infants and toddlers, preschoolers, or in a K–3 classroom. The core content that is the basis of the Gateways credentials provides a great foundation. Linda Lewis Inside Gateways (IG) spoke to Maria Josefina Vargas (MJV) about the entitlement process at St. Augustine College. Maria is the chairperson of the Early Childhood Education Department. She teaches classes as well as advises students—freshmen through senior year.
IG: What influenced St. Augustine College to become an entitled institution for Gateways to Opportunity? MJV: Let me provide a little background about St. Augustine College, which is unique in many ways. St. Augustine College is an independent, bilingual (dual-language) institution of higher education. It was created under the auspices of the Episcopal Diocese to make the American system of higher education accessible to a diverse student population, with emphasis on those of Hispanic descent. All of our staff members are bilingual. Some students do not know English very well when they begin at St. Augustine, so classes are initially taught in Spanish to help students understand the concepts. At the same time, students take English-language classes. By the end of their college program, all of the courses are taught in English. St. Augustine College recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. The Early Childhood Education (ECE) Department has always been the largest academic department at St. Augustine College and currently enrolls 300 students. St. Augustine College offers an associate degree in ECE. Many of our students leave our two-year program and complete their bachelor’s degree at National Louis University, Northeastern Illinois University, or Kendall College in the Chicago area. We are in the process of establishing our own bachelor’s degree in ECE and are awaiting approval from the Illinois Board of Higher Education. We have a long history of preparing students to work in ECE programs. We recognize that ECE is defining itself as a field that promotes professional development. St. Augustine College is committed to graduating students ready to provide high-quality early care and education. Becoming an entitled institution to offer the Gateways credentials provides an opportunity for our students to be at the forefront of the professional field of ECE. IG: Was the process of becoming an entitled institution difficult? MJV: It was not difficult to become entitled, but it took time. We had to assemble various kinds of documentation—accreditation information, articulation agreements with other institutions, and our credential program description—and documentation that indicated that our syllabi are aligned with the credential requirements. Gateways staff members were very helpful during the process and made several visits to the College to assist us. We worked as a team. I would say it was a true learning experience for us. IG: How will the Gateways entitlement process benefit St. Augustine’s current and prospective students? MJV: Our students will benefit because we are now the only Midwest bilingual institution recognized by Gateways. Many of our students find employment in the Chicago Public Schools, as teachers and directors of child care programs, as home day care providers, and as family child care providers. As an entitled institution, we can now offer them an opportunity to earn the ECE and Infant Toddler Credentials, Levels 2–4, which will enhance their employment prospects. Most of our students are also Spanish speaking, which also gives them an advantage. Earning a Gateways credential is part of the lifelong learning process that we believe in at St. Augustine College. We know from research that specialized training and technical assistance of this kind help to increase the quality of early care and education. We know that professional development is never a finished product. It must continue to evolve and be refined. The Gateways credentials are an example of that refinement. Policy Report Review
Marcy Whitebook and Sharon Ryan, in a recently published preschool policy brief, identify issues that they believe must be addressed in the discussions about, and in the policies related to, the preparation and training of preschool teachers. In their review of research studies on preschool teacher qualifications, preparation, and ongoing development, they suggest that the focus of these studies has primarily been on the types of degrees that best prepare preschool teachers to work with young children. This focus on degrees fails to fully address the complexities of preparing, training, and supporting preschool teachers. Thus, the authors assert that discussions need to broaden to include attention to the knowledge and skills that preschool teachers develop during education programs, to the support available to preschool teachers while working with young children, and to data systems that will gather accurate information about who is working with young children and ways to improve the work environment. With an emphasis on these areas, policies that will more fully address the issues and complexities of preparing skilled and highly effective teachers of young children can be put into place. The five policy recommendations identified by Whitebook and Ryan address systemic as well as systematic changes to fully understand and improve the preparation and ongoing training of preschool teachers and the environments in which they work. Illinois is in a good position to respond to these recommendations through the statewide professional development system, Gateways to Opportunity. The various components of Gateways, informed by the committee work of the Professional Development Advisory Council (PDAC), work together to ensure that Illinois has highly qualified professionals to nurture and support the development and learning of young children and youth. In particular, three areas of Gateways directly align with the policy recommendations. Each of these areas will be discussed briefly. One part of the first recommendation in the brief is to align teacher competencies with credentials. Currently, there are five levels of credentials within Gateways for professionals who work in early care and education and infant and toddler settings. As part of the credentialing system, seven content areas provide the framework for professional development at different levels of education, training, and role responsibilities in programs for children and youth in Illinois. The competencies that must be achieved at each credential level reflect the knowledge, skills, and dispositions believed to be essential for that level. The progression of knowledge, skills, and dispositions through each level is grounded in the belief that all professionals need to have the same basic knowledge; the breadth and depth of that knowledge varies based on the level of the credential. In addition, the content areas are directly aligned with relevant standards within the field and with research-based and recommended practices. The content areas are designed to unify training requirements for the early care and education field by providing a basis for credentials and degrees and for developing a coordinated, statewide system of training and professional development. A second recommendation refers to addressing the content delivery and structure of teacher education programs in higher education institutions. As part of the credentialing system, both two- and four-year institutions have the opportunity to become “entitled” to offer credentials. Faculty align coursework and degree programs with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions for each content area and component requirements for each credential level. Through this endeavor and other initiatives, faculty can participate in higher education forums, discussions through a listserv, and professional development opportunities related to strengthening the teacher education programs in Illinois. A third recommendation relates to the development of data systems, such as registries, to track the education and training, as well as other demographics, of the preschool education workforce. The Gateways to Opportunity Registry includes a system to track professional attainment and completion of training requirements by individual practitioners, from college coursework to community-based training. The Gateways Registry also includes a trainer and training approval process that recognizes and validates trainings, which will strengthen the integrity of the professional development system in Illinois. In addition, the Gateways Registry will create more opportunities to gather data related to the preschool education workforce in Illinois. The recommendations presented by the authors clearly indicate the direction needed to address the complexities of preparing skilled and effective preschool teachers. With the various components of Gateways, Illinois is in a prime position to respond to the recommendations and take action to bring about the changes suggested by the authors. With these changes, supports will be in place to ensure that preschool teachers are highly qualified to support the learning and development of young children and will have opportunities for their own professional development. These are the beginning steps for responding to the questions raised in this policy brief and strengthening the education that both preschool teachers and young children receive. The Big Picture in IllinoisIllinois P-20 Council
In 2008, state law (PA 95-626) established the Illinois P-20 Council to guide education policy and integrate education at every level. The P-20 Council provides a framework for organizations and individuals representing early learning, K–12 education, postsecondary education, government, and business. This framework allows all parties to take part in discussions, align data and measurements, and make timely recommendations to address the Council’s mission of “developing a seamless and sustainable statewide system of quality education and support from birth through adulthood that maximizes students’ educational attainment, opportunities for success in the workforce, and contributions to their local communities.” Approximately 41% of the state’s nearly seven million working-age adults (25–64 years old) hold at least a two-year degree. The goal of the P-20 Council is to increase the proportion of Illinoisans with high-quality degrees and credentials to 60% by the year 2025.
The P-20 Council comprises the following committees:
Erika Hunt and Lisa Hood
IG: The mission of the Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Committee that you co-chair is “to advise the Governor on recommendations for strengthening and aligning the preparation, recruitment, certification, selection, evaluation, support, development, and retention of highly effective and diverse teachers and leaders.” Your committee is well represented by members of higher education, teachers’ unions, foundations, and civic bodies. In the last year, your committee has developed many solid recommendations for consideration supported by research and practice in preschool through graduate level education. I encourage readers to go to the P-20 Web site to read the complete reports submitted by your committee on teacher and leader effectiveness. Could you speak to aspects of the P-20 Council’s efforts, and the Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Committee in particular, that have direct implications for Gateways to Opportunity’s professional development work for early care and education and school-age and youth development professionals? EH and LH: The Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Committee makes recommendations for aligning the entire training and professional support continuum process in Illinois, from birth through postgraduate education. Much of our work with the Committee is informed by lessons learned from the LINC Initiative. LINC, which stands for Leadership to Integrate Learning Continuum, looks at effective practices in P-3 alignment and has many implications for early care and education professionals. Last year legislation passed that was supported by the P-20 Council to address leadership preparation spanning the continuum. The legislation, Public Act 096-0903, redesigns the principal certificate from a “K–12” certificate into a “P–12” certificate, which allows principals to acquire stronger backgrounds in ECE, special education, and English Language Learners. The Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Committee also supports legislation proposed by the Illinois State Board of Education to streamline the P–12 educator certification process and create one educator certificate with multiple endorsements. More specifics will be detailed in the rules, but if passed, one outcome of this legislation and the work of the P-20 Council Committee could be strengthening the preparation of teachers and leaders/directors in early learning and K–12 and closer alignment of professional development and support between the sectors. IG: Are other P-20 Council Committees addressing early learning issues? EH and LH: As part of its work around reviewing the Illinois State Report Card, the Data, Assessment, and Accountability Committee is looking at how early learning outcomes can be incorporated, and the committee is also supporting the implementation of a Kindergarten Individual Development Survey as recommended by the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Stakeholder Committee. The Family, Youth, and Community Engagement Committee, co-chaired by Kathy Ryg of Voices for Illinois Children, recently conducted a series of town hall meetings around the state to raise awareness about the issues and proposed recommendations of the P-20 Council and provide opportunities for youth, families, and communities to have a voice in the deliberations. IG: What are some of the strengths and challenges in Illinois that affect the work of the P-20 Council as it relates to early care and education? EH and LH: Illinois has a strong early learning community and committed leadership in the Governor and state agencies that coordinate early learning care and education. That is a real strength. The key challenge in Illinois, though, is bringing this work together into an aligned and seamless system. Some of the work is overseen by the Department of Children and Family Services, some by the Department of Human Services, some by the Illinois State Board of Education, and other work (training programs at universities and community colleges) by the Illinois Board of Higher Education and Illinois Community College Board. In our research of other states’ practices, we have also observed that while many states may talk about full P-20 alignment, few states actually accomplish that in practice and may be more focused on K–12 alignment or on college and career readiness, but leaving out the early learning work. Through the mission of the Illinois P-20 Council, it is evident that learning begins at birth, so the true focus of the Council on learning and support from birth through adulthood is another real strength. Despite the challenges we face in Illinois, the P-20 Council includes key constituents from government, business, higher education, and advocacy groups, as well as support from our state’s leaders. We are optimistic that we can develop “a seamless and sustainable statewide system of quality education and support, from birth through adulthood that maximizes students’ educational attainment, opportunities for success in the workforce and contributions to their local communities.” New Gateways ResourcesThe following resource links have been added to the Web site since the last issue of Inside Gateways. For other resources, go to www.ilgateways.com/en/resource-links. Research Reports Afterschool and Working Families in Wake of the Great Recessions (2011) |
The Gateways credentials and the core content upon which they are based help students move through their degree programs in a way that makes sense. As an advisor, I can more easily explain the progression of coursework to credentials and higher education degrees in our field.
We know that professional development is never a finished product. It must continue to evolve and be refined. The Gateways credentials are an example of that refinement. 
Inside Gateways (IG) spoke to Erika Hunt (EH) and Lisa Hood (LH) about the P-20 Council and its connection to the work of Gateways to Opportunity. Erika is a member of the P-20 Council and co-chair of the Teacher and Leadership Effectiveness Committee with Josh Anderson, Executive Director for Chicago Teach for America, which is charged with monitoring, reporting, and advising policy makers on teacher and leader quality, including early childhood teachers and leaders. Erika and Lisa both work in the