2010 Freedom of Information Request #2 – Early Childhood

The following Freedom of Information (FOIPP) Request was filed today with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

Parents for Choice and Quality Society
Re: Early Childhood  FOIPP Request
April 19, 2010

About the information you want to access:
1. What records do you want to access?

a. Please provide a copy of the “Framework for Early Childhood Development in Prince Edward Island” report completed by Kathleen Flanagan-Rochon as per RFP #624.

b. Please provide a breakdown of the costs incurred in the development of this report (item A).

c. Please provide a copy of all submissions received for RFP #624 – “Framework for Early Childhood Development in Prince Edward Island”. If copies of submissions are not available, please provide a list of the names of the individuals/Companies and total costs outlined in each submission.

d. Please provide a list of all private and public meetings and dates they were held on. Where possible, please provide a list of attendees of the above noted meetings that were held by the consultant Kathleen Flanagan-Rochon in relation to the work completed under RFP #624.

2010 Freedom of Information Request #1 – Autism

The following was submitted to the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development today.

Parents for Choice and Quality Society
Re: Autism FOIPP Request
April 16, 2010

About the information you want to access:
1. What records do you want to access?

a. Please provide a copy of the review of provincial autism services performed for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development by HRA Associates, along with the original RFP request.

b. Please provide a breakdown of the costs incurred in the development of this review (item A).

c. Please provide a copy of all correspondence (including electronic) between the Province of Prince Edward Island and HRA Associates regarding the autism services review/development of a provincial autism strategy.

d. Please provide a copy of the current autism strategy used by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development and any policies flowing from the strategy document.

e. Please provide a summary of expenditures on autism services broken down by client age group (preschool, school age, adult) by the Province of Prince Edward Island for the fiscal years 2004/2005 through to 2009/2010.

Early Childcare Resource Map

Since mid-June, we have been working on completing a comprehensive early childcare resource map, using the popular Google Maps My Maps feature. We wanted to create an easy to use interactive map that would contain some basic information about the currently licensed childcare services available to Island families.

After all of our hard work, we’ve finally managed to complete the maps and link them together into one simple map, with an easy-to-navigate nested menu system. All of the listings are sourced from the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s Directory of Licensed Child Care Programs, 2009-2010 edition. That being said, please feel free to contact us if you find any mistakes or errors in our listings, so we can correct our maps.

To view our map, you can click on the thumbnail image on the sidebar to the right or you can follow this link.

PEI Kindergarten News Release

Earlier today, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development issued a news release about the department’s ongoing work to implement the recommendations from the PEI Kindergarten Commission’s report, which was released to the public on July 20th.

“The recommendations in Kindergarten Commissioner Pat Mella’s report are charting the course for a seamless kindergarten transition to the public school system. I am confident we are building a system that will effectively serve the educational needs of Island children,” Mr. Greenan said.

Government has already endorsed the general direction of Ms. Mella’s findings which were released publicly in July.

“There is a great deal of work to do so that everything is ready for the start of the 2010 school year,” Mr. Greenan said.

The news release simply reiterates what was said by both Premier Robert Ghiz and Minister Gerard Greenan at the report new conference 2 weeks ago. No additional information has been released about the members of the nine working groups responsible for the finalized kindergarten implementation plan. We are interested to see if the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development will make the details of the working groups progress available to the public once they have started meeting regularly, since there has been a serious lack of information in this area since the report was released.

List of Recommendations Included in Kindergarten Report

The recently released Kindergarten report included the following recommendations.  As there are many implications to the recommendations included in the report, parents might find it helpful to review the full listing below.

Delivery Model

1. Kindergarten be provided as a full-day, full-time program when it transitions into the public school system.
2. The kindergarten year be mandatory when kindergarten moves into the school system.
3. Parents be able to defer their child’s entry to kindergarten to the year following the usual age of entry if they feel this would be in the best interests of the child.
4. Current legislative and regulatory provisions on private schools be amended to include private kindergartens.
5. French immersion kindergarten be offered in schools currently providing Grade One French immersion.
6. The level and range of early intervention and support for children with special needs be maintained when kindergarten moves into the school system. This includes, but is not limited to, maintaining or enhancing current supports in the areas of speech language therapy, autism therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and day-to-day classroom support.
7. To ensure consistency in the provision of special needs supports for kindergarten aged children, speech language supports for that age level be transferred from the Department of Health to the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

Curriculum

1. The present kindergarten curriculum, with its integrated, developmentally appropriate, play- based approach, be maintained when kindergarten moves into the school system.
2. The maximum kindergarten class size be set at no more than 15 children per teacher.
3. If classes are combined for purposes of team teaching, the maximum number of kindergarten children in a group be no more than 24, with two qualified teachers required.
4. The assessment process for kindergarten children be refined to include:
   • A consistent entry assessment for all kindergarten students
   • An expanded progress report at yearend which specifies more of the individual outcomes set out in the kindergarten curriculum.
5. Kindergarten children participate fully in the offerings and opportunities of the public school system. To ensure that this occurs in a way which maintains and supports the current kindergarten curriculum, it is recommended that:
   • The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development review current curricula pertaining to specialty subjects for the primary grades, and modify or add to those curricula as appropriate to ensure that they respond to the needs of kindergarten students and reflect the kindergarten curriculum approach.
   • In-servicing sessions be designed and provided to all specialty teachers who will be teaching kindergarten-aged children. These sessions should include content on early child development and methods.

Staffing

1. Based on the requirements of the public school system and in light of the link between education and the quality of learning, kindergarten teachers be required to obtain a Bachelor of Education degree.
2. The University of Prince Edward Island be requested to complete development of a flexible bridging program providing a ‘2 plus 2’ Early Childhood B. Ed. to existing kindergarten teachers.
3. In recognition of the many commitments these new positions will require from teachers, students in the bridging program be allowed to complete the program over a period not to exceed six years.
4. The ‘2 plus 2’ Early Childhood B.Ed. degree program be open to anyone who has taught kindergarten since it became publicly funded in 2000, as well as graduates of the Holland College and Collège Acadie Î.-P.-É. Early Childhood Program in 2009 and 2010.
5. Kindergarten teachers be licensed on an interim basis for the six-year transition period recommended above, and the Certification and Standards Board policy be revised as necessary to accommodate this measure.
6. Following assessment, teachers be placed as follows on the academic scale:
   • Teachers with an early childhood diploma or equivalent two-year diploma credential be placed at the Certificate II level.
   • Teachers with an undergraduate degree be placed at the Certificate III level.
   • Teachers with a B.Ed. be placed at a Certificate IV or higher as applicable.
7. Kindergarten teachers’ years of experience in the publicly funded kindergarten system since 2000 be recognized on a two for one basis, that is, one step for every two years of teaching experience from 2000 to 2010.
8. Kindergarten teachers whose age and years of experience add up to 80 or more, and who plan to spend a period teaching in the public school system not exceeding the six-year transition period, be exempted from the requirement to obtain a B.Ed.
9. Existing kindergarten teachers have exclusive entitlement to kindergarten teaching jobs during the six-year transition period.
10. An orderly and transparent hiring process be designed and implemented, which includes the features outlined above and which minimizes stress and dislocation for the individuals involved.
11. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development design and deliver measures to foster a welcoming climate and a professional learning community within the school system, including:
    • In-servicing of school and school board personnel on the kindergarten curriculum and early childhood approach.
    • Pre and post-entry orientation and welcome programs at the school level such as ‘buddy’ systems and welcome committees.
12. The following priority structure be established for the move:
    • Top priority be placed with teachers who were teaching during the 2007-08 school year during which the move of kindergarten to the school system was announced, and who were teaching subsequently in either or both of the school years 2008-09 and 2009-10.
    • Should vacancies remain after all members of the above group who wish to move have been placed, then eligibility to move be extended to individuals who were not teaching in the 2007-08 school year, but who taught kindergarten in the school years prior to AND after the 2007-08 school year.
    • Should vacancies still remain, then eligibility be extended to people who taught kindergarten in the school years prior to 2007-08 OR who began teaching kindergarten in 2008-09 or 2009-10.
13. During the transition period, any kindergarten teaching vacancies which occur be filled from the designated groups in the order of priority provided, before being opened to broader competition.
14. All teachers currently teaching in the Grade 1-12 system who wish to move into a kindergarten teaching position after the transition period ends, and who do not have an early childhood B.Ed., be required to take two courses in early childhood development and methods.
15. Special Needs Assistants who have extensive experience working with kindergarten children be given first consideration when staffing any additional Educational Assistant positions arising from the move of kindergarten to the public school system.
16. Special Needs Assistants who transition to the school system be required to meet the training requirements established for Educational Assistants, within the six-year transition period.

Space

1. Space for kindergarten be identified or created in all elementary schools in PEI to enable kindergarten to move into the public school system in September 2010.
2. The standard of 3.5 square meters of classroom space be retained when kindergarten moves into the school system. This should be treated as a minimum: each kindergarten classroom should be provided with sufficient space to accommodate at least five activity centres in an efficient and appropriate layout.
3. Each kindergarten classroom be provided with sufficient equipment and materials to establish at least five activity centres within the classroom, and to rotate these over the school year.
4. School administrators be flexible and open to the use of non-commercial materials in the kindergarten classroom, to the extent that safety and fire standards permit.

Transportation

1. School boards deploy their buses with safety seats to maximize access for kindergarten children and other children meeting the weight requirement.
2. School boards develop plans to reduce the duration of bus runs to meet a target of no more than one hour one-way for bus routes transporting kindergarten aged children.
3. School boards review their bus safety programs and activities and modify them as required to ensure that they are appropriate for kindergarten aged children.

Linkages

1. An early childhood transition protocol for children with special needs be designed, building on the model of the present kindergarten transition protocol.
2. Processes be designed to promote and support communication between kindergarten teachers and early childhood educators regarding the transition of children from early childhood centres into the school system.

Early Childhood Sector

1. A comprehensive review of early learning in Prince Edward Island be carried out, leading to a plan for a sustainable, high quality, accessible early childhood system serving all Island children and their families.

Early Development Imperative Conference

We recently received an email from Council for Early Child Development about their upcoming Early Development Imperative conference. The conference will be held in Winnipeg, November 16th through 18th, 2009. Registration and the complete conference program are not scheduled to be posted on their web site until mid-August, but you can find some information in this flyer for the meantime.

The CECD’s National Lead Fellow, Joanne Schroeder, had this to say about the conference:

Building on our events earlier this year in Sackville and Montreal, the Winnipeg conference will bring together researchers, community members and policy makers.  The event will see the launch of our pan-Canadian analysis of EDI results and be a key step in the Council’s goal of building an effective and comprehensive system of monitoring children’s development in Canada.

The CECD is presenting this event in partnership with Healthy Child Manitoba, the Offord Centre for Child Studies and the Human Early Learning Partnership.

Full-time, full day mandatory Kindergarten on PEI

Parents for Choice and Quality are currently in attendance at the release of the PEI Kindergarten Commission Report this morning.  The press conference is currently underway:

Key Highlights of the Report’s Recommendations Include:

• Full time, full day, MANDATORY Kindergarten within the public school system
• Kindergarten teachers be licensed on an interim basis, and be given six years to earn their B.Ed. UPEI would be asked to create a flexible program allowing kindergarten teachers to get their degrees.
• 15 children – 1 teacher max class size
• Teachers should acquire BEd. No where else in Canada can you teach kindergarten without one.
• 110 teachers needed for Kindergarten in 2010. Priority given to kindergarten teachers from 07-08 or earlier.
• The play-based curriculum that was recently developed by Island kindergarten educators will continue to be used. The curriculum is based on the philosophy that five-year-olds learn through play, and that they can best learn skills and concepts through active exploration, discovery and hands-on involvement.
• A Kindergarten Transition Team and nine work groups will begin immediately to draft action plans in such areas as supports for students with special needs, teacher training programs and certification levels, and transition issues for early childhood centres.
• Collaborative work groups include representatives of government, school boards, UPEI, Holland College, Collège Acadie, Early Childhood Development Association, Early Learning Operators of PEI, CUPE, PEI Teachers’ Federation, PEI Home and School Federation, Féderation des parents and Canadian Parents for French.

More info and updates to come soon.  CBC have written about the release of the report HERE.

You can join our PEI Kindergarten Facebook Discussion Group HERE.

PEI Kindergarten Commission report to be released Monday

We recently heard that the PEI Kindergarten Commission’s report will be released to the public next week. Premier Robert Ghiz and Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Gerard Greenan will make the details known to the public in a news conference Monday, July 20th, at the Causeway Bay Hotel, in Summerside, at 11 a.m.

We will be attending the news conference to hear the details of the report. Expect to see our opinion of the report posted here, on our blog, shortly afterward.

Parents on Facebook

We have recently launched our new Facebook fan Page in order to better connect with parents and families already using the popular social networking site to communicate and network. If you’ve been following Parents for Choice and Quality for some time, you may remember our PEI Child Care Facilities Act and Regulations Facebook group. We are hoping to create ourselves an active community on Facebook that is less specific to any one particular issue, but interested in many of the same issues and topics in which Parents for Choice and Quality is getting involved.

But what is a Page, you might ask, and how is it any better than a group? Well, according to Facebook’s help page:

A public figure, business, or brand can create a Facebook Page to share information, interact with their fans, and create a highly engaging presence on Facebook. Pages are distinct presences that are optimized to represent a business, and are separate from user profiles. Like profiles, they can be enhanced with applications that help the organization communicate with and engage their fans, and capture new audiences virally through their fans’ recommendations to their friends. More than 3 million users become fans of Facebook Pages every day.

That may seem like it is something more geared towards businesses and brands, yet Pages offer a bit more functionality and flexibility when it comes to serving content to your fans. Our Page will let us post all sorts of media and content about initiatives we are undertaking or important issues on which we want to raise awareness, without too much fuss for us and our fans. Being a fan of Parents for Choice and Quality on Facebook will allow current Facebook users who are already using the site to keep in touch with people and topics that are important to them, continue to follow Parents for Choice and Quality without having to join some other social network or service on the World Wide Web. We are simply using Facebook Pages  in our continued effort to allow us to reach as many concerned parents as possible, by making it as easy as possible for those parents to get involved and hear what we have to say.

For readers who are not yet on Facebook, you can visit their web site to create a free account if you are interested in seeing what it is about (please be sure to understand the privacy concerns involved with using the service and posting personal information online), yet don’t feel like you have to do so to keep up-to-date with Parents for Choice and Quality: our Facebook Page will largely include the same content as our web site and any other online presence we might decide to develop in the future. We feel it is important not to exclude anyone interested in getting involved with us and we want to make our information readily and equally available to everyone, regardless of what services or technology you are comfortable using.

Prince Edward Island Kindergarten Report

April Ennis was recently interviewed by The Guardian‘s Teresa Wright on the subject of Pat Mella’s PEI Kindergarten Commission‘s report to the provincial government. Mella briefed the cabinet yesterday on her findings, yet the government seems to be stalling the process. Premier Ghiz says they need next week to evaluate the “long and intensive” report, yet this report was supposed to have been delivered to the government at the end of June. Perhaps the government wishes to avoid dealing with an issue on the topic of education, since they approved the highly controversial Island school closures, early last month.

As you can imagine, this issue is one that Parents for Choice and Quality will continue to follow closely, as future developments are made public.

Speaking of which, we are concerned about the apparent lack of public input to the implementation process scheduled after the cabinet arrives at a decision about the report’s recommendations. Government members, education and early childhood department officials, and early childhood education system “stakeholders” will be invited to participate in this working group, yet no mention has been made of any intention to include parents and families. It is nigh arguable that parents of children ultimately affected by this process are important stakeholders in the implementation of the public kindergarten system. We are preparing a letter to The Guardian, as well as the provincial government, to voice our request that parents be included in this work group.