Early Childhood Leaders Ready to Change the World: 2015 Leadership Conference “All In: Achieving Results Together” Early Childhood Leaders Ready to Change the World: Examples and Implications of an OSEP Funded Program Alissa Rausch, Geneva Hallett, Rosemarie Allen, Elmer Harris and Barbara Smith CU Denver

The ECSELS Grant is… A federally funded grant for 10 doctoral students at CU Denver All students are enrolled in the Educational doctorate in Leadership for Educational Equity with a concentration in Early Childhood Special Education/Early Childhood Education (ECSE/ECE)

OSEP Grant Information Federally funded grant through the Office of Special Education Programming Designed to improve outcomes for young children with special needs at policy, leadership, and advocacy levels Student support for tuition and stipend Service obligation agreement: 1 academic year = 2 service years after completion

The EdD is… Practice-based, doctoral-level program for professional leadership Prepares leaders to address complex educational challenges for combining decision-focused, analytic, and research skills with a broad-based understanding of systems anchored in principles of equity and access to education

PhD’s study the world, but EdD’s change the world. Legitimizing the EdD PhD’s study the world, but EdD’s change the world.

Equity Focus Courageous Conversations Power and Privilege Course Schools and Society Public Writing

Policy Focus Policy Briefs Backward Mapping Activity Day on the Hill

Leadership Focus DEC Internship/ Professional Identity Implementation Science Professional Learning and Technology

Early Educators as Agents of Social Change An Action Research Study Alissa Rausch

The Problem In 30 years, the number of children (ages 3-5) who are receiving quality inclusion has increased 5.7% nationally. Educators indicate that they have a passion to advocate for quality inclusion (at classroom, program, organizational, local & national levels). Educators indicate that they do not have the knowledge or behaviors about HOW to do this. Smith & Barton, 2015; U.S. Department of Education, 2014

The Question: Is there a place in higher education (graduate or licensure preparation) to support educators in acting as agents of social change? A review of the literature helped me to conclude that learning about inclusion (as the problem of practice as well as benefits of) combined with law policy, leadership skills, collaboration with families, advocacy processes, and the design of social change plans MIGHT support educators in acting as agents of social change.

I theorize: A higher education course (ECED 5091) for ECE/ECSE graduate/ licensure students at CU Denver with a focus on social change agency will prepare teachers to act as agents of social change to support quality inclusion in their places of work: classrooms, programs, organizations, communities and nationally.

Practitioner Inquiry Action Research Systematic inquiry within a teaching environment that can be used to learn about teaching and learning. Insider positionality/ Practitioner as researcher. Student participation and collaboration. Appropriate for the scope of this project. Cochran- Smith & Lytle, 2009; Mills, 2011; Noffke, 1997; Nolen & Putten, 2007

Research Questions In regards to the ability to act as agents of social change, based on the results of the LAS and follow-up interviews, did students in ECED 5091 demonstrate perspective transformation and if so, what type? What learning experiences, if any, did students in ECED 5091 identify as contributing to a transformative learning? To what extent, if any, are the perceived self-competencies of students in ECED 5091 affected by participation in the course?

Methods Learning Activities Survey (King, 1997) Follow Up Interview Perspective Transformation Index Coding for experiences Demographics Follow Up Interview Confirm/disconfirm initial results Member checking Course Artifacts Needs Assessment= descriptive statistics Document Analysis

Research Question Sources of Evidence In regards to the ability to act as agents of social change, based on the results of the LAS and follow-up interviews, did students in ECED 5091 demonstrate perspective transformation and if so, what type? Learning Activities Survey (LAS) Follow Up Interview What learning experiences, if any, did students in ECED 5091 identify as contributing to a transformative learning? To what extent, if any, are the perceived self-competencies of students in ECED 5091 affected by participation in the course? Course Artifacts and Needs Assessment on Course Competencies

Deliverables from this study Redesign of the ECED 5091 course based on the results of the PT Index, Coding of Experiences, and Coding of Permanent Products etc. Recommendations to the ECE graduate program about integration of social change into coursework or continued class. Recommendations to the School of Education and Human Development on how social change principles can be included into teacher preparation coursework. Publications submitted to journals of teacher education.