(2/20/09) Seeking Work Sampling System Consultant for BPS Department of Early Childhood

Hello,

Please contact me if you are interested in the opportunity below.

Thanks,

Hua

____________ _________ __

Title:  Department of Early Childhood Work Sampling System Consultant

Description: 

The Department of Early Childhood is seeking a part-time uniquely qualified professional development consultant to train, guide, facilitate and coach teachers' use of observation, note-taking, and reflections on student performance by using the Work Sampling System (WSS). Our goal is to provide teachers data on the development of their students so they may make informed instructional practices.  Ideal candidates are pre-K to grade three educators who possess expertise in early childhood, special education, or have experience as an instructional coach.  Preferred candidates should be highly qualified to integrate the WSS in Boston Public Schools (BPS) with regard to assessment, curriculum, and instruction requirements. 

The Work Sampling System, for use with children in preschool through Grade 6, is a published authentic performance based assessment system which helps to identify what children are learning, what they are beginning to master, and what they still need to work on.  Teachers collect information on the child's work and compare it to grade-specific guidelines through three interrelated elements that are customized for each grade level: Portfolios, DevelopmentalGuidelines and Checklists, and Summary Reports. Children's development in seven domains of learning are documented throughout the year; including personal and social development, language and literacy, mathematical thinking, scientific thinking, social studies, the arts, and physical development and health.

Responsibilities:

1. Work with at least two early learning centers to assist with planning and coaching of teachers with respect to WSS for 6 hours a week at each early learning center for up to 13 weeks in SY 08/09.
2. Facilitate at least three 2 hour after school professional development opportunities for a set group of teachers who have been trained as WSS trainers to ensure WSS fidelity and best practices at each early learning center during SY 08/09
3. Facilitate 4 work study groups in these two early learning centers to ensure that teachers are sharing their WSS best practices
4. Support whole-school WSS models and dissemination of WSS best practices for district-wide implementation
5. Build district-wide capacity by supporting WSS Trainers (through a train-the-trainer program), a cadre of BPS teacher leaders charged with the development of professional learning communities that support teachers' ability to collect and use WSS data to inform instruction for the district. 
6. Coaching each of the WSS Trainers to effectively lead at least one WSS Study Group as demonstrated by completion of an 8-10 week cycle, WSS classroom implementation, and submission of a Study Group Portfolio no later than May 15, 2009.
7. Manage and document successful completion of the goals and objectives of the Work Sampling project to funders Nellie Mae Foundation and UPK Grants

Qualifications:

1. Masters degree in early childhood or special education
2. Demonstrated expertise with developmentally appropriate practices,
3. Early childhood classroom and WSS experience
4. Knowledge-base of BPS pre-K to 3^rd grade assessment, curriculum, and instruction practices
5. Ability to make curricular/assessme nt modifications for English language learners and students with disabilities in Pre-K through 3^rd grade
6. Facilitation and classroom embedded professional development skills
7. Demonstrated proficiency in communication and organization skills
8. Experienced urban educator with demonstrated cultural proficiency  

Terms: 

Compensation commensurate based on experience but will be no more than $60 an hour.  This project will last for 13 weeks in SY 08/09 with the possibility of renewal in the SY09/10 on a part-time basis.  SY08/09 funding for this part-time consultant is capped at $21,000.

To apply:

Applications must include and will not be considered without:

1. A cover letter describing your experience and qualifications and how you can complete the SY08/09 project within required timeframes  
2. A resume of no more than three pages
3. Your salary history

All resumes and cover letter should be submitted to the below contact no later than March 18, 2009.

Yong- Hua He

Department of Early Childhood

26 Court Street, 6^th Floor

Boston, MA 02108

(T) 617-635-6768

(E) yhe@boston.k12. ma.us

____________________________________
Eliot-Pearson PhD Student Discussion List
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(2/17/09) Student Presentation Day

Hi Everyone,

The GSA is looking for volunteers to host admitted students who will
be visiting Eliot Pearson the weekend of March 27th to attend Student
Presentation Day. We are looking for people to host the visitors
Thursday night and/or Friday night, as SPD is that Friday and we may
have admitted students coming from out of town who need a place to
stay. If you are not able to host an overnight guest, please consider
volunteering to act as a guide during SPD to answer questions and
generally make the admitted students feel welcome.

Please contact Kristina Schmid at kristina.schmid@tufts.edu, or Becky
Phillips at rebecca.phillips@tufts.edu, if you have any questions or
would like to volunteer to host an admitted student.

Thank you!
Kristina and Becky

--
Kristina L. Schmid
Graduate Research Assistant
4-H Study of Positive Youth Development
Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development
Tufts University
Ph: 617-627-3836
Fax:617-627-5596
kristina.schmid@tufts.edu
http://ase.tufts.edu/iaryd

(2/7/09) ECE Position - Candidate Visit

Hi all,

As you may know, we are in the midst of a search for a faculty
position in Early Childhood Education in our department. Our first
candidate will be visiting the department on Feb. 10th and 11th. On
Feb. 10th we have scheduled a half hour from 11-11:30 am for the
candidate to meet with graduate students. I am writing to invite you
to attend that meeting (which will be held in the connector), as well
as the colloquium that will be held from 3-4:15 pm in the EP library
(and the reception that follows).

Christine McWayne (see bio below) will be presenting a colloquium
titled "Partnership-Based Research in Early Childhood Communities:
Investigating Strengths in Context", from 3:00 - 4:15 p.m., on
February 10th, 2009, at the Eliot Pearson Department of Child
Development.

Christine McWayne, Ph.D. is currently on the faculty in the Steinhardt
School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York
University. She is an applied developmental psychologist and a
community-based researcher whose work has centered on understanding
the individual and contextual factors associated with low-income,
urban-residing children's early school success. Prof. McWayne has a
well-funded research program, which addresses three broad questions:
(1) How do preschool children's skills operate together across
developmental domains to promote learning? (2) How do families support
their preschool children's early education and development? (3) How
might broader contexts, such as neighborhoods and interagency
collaboration also impact children's early education and development?

Prof. McWayne has a strong record of collaboration with community
organizations, beginning with her dissertation research conducted in
partnership with Head Start programs. She was the first graduate
student in Philadelphia to be invited by parents to be a Community
Representative to the Head Start Parent Policy Council (School
District of Philadelphia's 7,000 family Head Start program). In her
work at NYU, she continues her research collaborations with Head Start
programs and families through grants from the National Institutes of
Health (parent derived measures of parenting and family involvement in
education) and the Administration for Children and Families (on school
readiness among a nationally representative sample of Head Start
children).

Thanks,

Jayanthi

(2/6/08) Children's School's Worthy Cause

Dear Eliot-Pearson Community,

The Children's School is sponsoring this great performance. If you
cannot attend, we encourage you to purchase tickets to be donated to
charity You can come to the lobby of the Children's School anytime
between 8 and 4 to help this worth cause.

Tanglewood Marionettes Performance of /The Dragon King/; Saturday,
February 21, 2009

Cohen Auditorium, 20 Talbot Avenue, Medford, MA

11 a.m.; $6 in advance/$8 at door

Tickets Can Be Ordered From: Eliot-Pearson Children's School, 105
College Avenue, Medford, MA (617) 627-3434. http://ase.tufts.edu/epcs/

*/* All proceeds from the performance will benefit the Eliot-Pearson
Children's School Scholarship Fund.*/*

--
Josephine Carbonaro
School Coordinator
Eliot-Pearson Children's School
105 College Avenue
Medford, MA 02151
josephine.carbonaro@tufts.edu
617-627-2654