Overview
For this Performance Task Assessment, you will adopt the role of an early childhood center director who has decided to create a blog for other early childhood professionals focused on the power of bias; supporting access, equity, and positive social change for young children and families; and advocating for access, equity, and positive social change for early childhood professionals and the early childhood field.
Submission Length: Three, 1-2 page blog posts
Professional Skills: Written Communication and Engaging Multiple Social and Cultural Perspectives are assessed in this Competency.
Your response to this Performance Task should reflect the criteria provided in the Rubric and adhere to the required length. This Assessment requires submission of one (1) file. Save your file as follows, CL3005_ firstinitial_lastname (for example, CL3005_ J_Smith).
You may submit a draft of your assignment to the Turnitin Draft Check area to check for authenticity. When you are ready to upload your completed Assessment, use the Assessment tab on the top navigation menu.
Instructions
Before submitting your Assessment, carefully review the rubric. This is the same rubric the assessor will use to evaluate your submission and it provides detailed criteria describing how to achieve or master the Competency. Many students find that understanding the requirements of the Assessment and the rubric criteria help them direct their focus and use their time most productively.
USE ATTACHMENTS TO COMPLETE THIS ASSIGNMENT !!!
Staff Newsletter: Supporting Access, Equity, and Positive Social Change
As the director of Scribbles Early Learning Center, you are committed to cultivating staff’s knowledge and skills related to fostering healthy development of the young children in their care and the families with whom they have formed partnerships. You are also deeply invested in developing staff leadership capacities.
Your board concurs and also believes that Scribbles has a robust commitment to working for access, equity, and positive social change. They have asked you to work with the staff in developing this broader advocacy lens. You welcome the challenge and believe that an important precursor to supporting these goals includes exploring biases, because deep knowledge of one’s own values and beliefs is a precursor to actively and effectively working on access and equity as social justice issues. As a first step to this important work, you decide to create a blog for staff with initial posts that provide a research-based introduction to the power of bias, including how to recognize and mitigate it as well as information and strategies that support access, equity, and positive social change for young children, families, and the early childhood field.
For this Assessment, complete the “Supporting Access, Equity, and Positive Social Change” Blog Post Template.
Scribbles Early Learning Center
Program Description
Scribble’s Early Learning Center is an early childhood program serving young children, from 12 weeks birth through 5 years old and their families in Hansvale, Minnesota. Hansvale is a richly diverse community and the program staff is committed to ensuring that the diversity of the community's children and families is supported in their program.
Program staff believes that families in the program are essential partners and is committed to creating bridges between the early childhood program, the classrooms, and each child’s home. Families are encouraged to participate in volunteer activities within the program and daily conversations occur regarding children's development and learning. Families also have opportunities to participate in developing goals based on their children’s development and learning. As well, families are welcome to participate in program and classroom-level decision making. Conferences are held with families on a semiannual and “as needed” basis. Teachers use conference time to gather information from families about their hopes, dreams, and goals for their children. Feedback is regularly sought from families about how they feel the program and classroom are supporting them and their child’s development. Modifications to programming and classroom activities are made on an “as needed” basis.
At the beginning of the year, every classroom teacher conducts home visits to learn about each child and family. These home visits are seen as an essential strategy, key to understanding who families are and how they live their lives. Careful attention is taken to create environments that meaningfully reflect each family and their daily lives. These opportunities, as well as all of the efforts to engage families, draw on each family’s unique knowledge and are respectfully designed around each family’s strengths.
©2017 Walden University 1
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Supporting Access, Equity, and Positive Social Change Blog
Blog Post 1: The Power of Bias
Explain how biases can influence relationships with children and families. Include what biases are, how they impact values and beliefs, and why reflecting on and understanding bias is integral to working with children and families, and growing as a professional. Also explain three specific research-based strategies early childhood professionals can use to identify their own biases and mitigate their influence. (4-6 paragraphs)
Blog Post 2: Let’s Support Access, Equity, and Positive Social Change for Young Children and Families
Explain why early childhood professionals, programs, and services should support access, equity and positive social change for young children and families. Also explain two specific research-based practices early childhood professionals can implement to support social justice within early childhood settings. (4-6 paragraphs)
Blog Post 3: Be an Advocate: The Role of Early Childhood Professionals and the Early Childhood Field in Supporting Access, Equity, and Positive Social Change for Young Children and Their Families
Explain the role of the early childhood field in supporting and advancing access and equity for all young children and their families. Also, explain two specific research-based strategies early childhood professionals can engage in to help ensure that the field supports access, equity, and positive social change through program design and/or practice. (3-5 paragraphs)
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Competency CL3005: Access, Equity, and Positive Social Change: Apply strategies to promote access, equity, and positive social change for young children, families, and early childhood professionals.
Assessment Rubric 0
Not Present 1
Needs Improvement 2
Meets Expectations Topic 1: Strategies to Reduce Bias Explain how biases can influence relationships with children and families. Include what biases are, how they impact values and beliefs, and why reflecting on and understanding bias is integral to working with children and families, and growing as a professional. LO1: Explain what bias is; how bias can influence early childhood professionals’ relationships with children and families; and why understanding bias is integral to professional practice and growth.
Response is not present.
Explanation of what bias is; how bias can influence early childhood professionals’ relationships with children and families; and why understanding bias is integral to professional practice and growth is vague, inaccurate, and/or incomplete.
Response includes a clear, accurate, complete description of what bias is; how bias can influence early childhood professionals’ relationships with children and families; and why understanding bias is integral to professional practice and growth.
Also explain three specific research-
Response is not present.
Explanation of research-based strategies that help identify
Response includes a clear, accurate and complete
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based strategies early childhood professionals can use to identify their own biases and mitigate their influence. LO2: Explain research- based strategies that help identify biases and mitigate their influence.
biases and mitigate their influence is vague, inaccurate, and/or incomplete.
explanation of research-based strategies that help identify biases and mitigate their influence.
Topic 2: Strategies to Support Access, Equity, and Positive Social Change for Young Children and Families Explain why early
childhood professionals, programs, and services should support access, equity and positive social change for young children and families.
LO1: Explain why early
childhood professionals, programs, and services should support access, equity and positive social change for young children and families.
Response is not present.
Explanation of why early childhood professionals, programs, and services should support access, equity and positive social change for young children and families is vague, inaccurate, and/or incomplete.
Response includes a clear, accurate, and complete explanation of why early childhood professionals, programs, and services should support access, equity and positive social change for young children and families.
Also, explain two specific research- based practices early childhood
Response is not present.
Explanation of research-based practices early childhood professionals can implement to support social justice within
Response includes a clear, accurate, and complete explanation of research-based practices early childhood
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professionals can implement to support social justice within early childhood settings. LO2: Explain research- based practices early childhood professionals can implement to support social justice within early childhood settings.
early childhood settings is vague, inaccurate, and/or incomplete.
professionals can implement to support social justice within early childhood settings.
Topic 3: Strategies to Promote Access, Equity, and Positive Social Change for Professionals and the Early Childhood Field Explain the role of the early childhood field in supporting and advancing access and equity for all young children and their families. LO1: Explain the role of the early childhood field in supporting and advancing access and equity for all young children and their families.
Response is not present. Explanation of the role of the early childhood field in supporting and advancing access and equity for all young children and their families is vague, inaccurate, and/or incomplete.
Response clearly, accurately, and completely explains the role of the early childhood field in supporting and advancing access and equity for all young children and their families.
Also, explain two specific research-
Response is not present. Explanation of research-based strategies early childhood
Response clearly, accurately, and completely explains research-
©2017 Walden University 4
based strategies early childhood professionals can engage in to help ensure that the field supports access, equity, and positive social change through program design and/or practice. LO2: Explain research- based strategies early childhood professionals can engage in to help ensure that the field supports access, equity, and positive social change through program design and/or practice.
professionals can engage in to help ensure that the field supports access, equity, and positive social change through program design and/or practice is vague, inaccurate, and/or incomplete.
based strategies early childhood professionals can engage in to help ensure that the field supports access, equity, and positive social change through program design and/or practice.
Mastery Rubric In order to achieve mastery of this Competency, you must achieve a “2” on every rubric row in addition to meeting the additional expectation indicated in the Mastery Rubric. Exceeds Expectations: Inquiry and Analysis.
LO1: Synthesize current, in-depth, information from
Blog posts synthesize current, in-depth information from multiple, credible sources related to supporting access, equity, and positive social change for young children, families, early childhood professionals, and the early childhood field.
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multiple, credible sources.
Yes
No
Written Communication: Write with clarity, coherence, and purpose. 0
Not Present 1
Needs Improvement 2
Meets Expectations LO1: Construct complete and correct sentences (AWE 2; Sentence Level Skills)
Sentences are incoherent and impede reader’s access to ideas.
Sentences are incomplete and/or include fragments and run-on sentences, limiting reader’s access to ideas.
Sentence structure effectively conveys meaning to the reader.
LO2: Demonstrate the effective use of grammar and mechanics. (AWE 2; Sentence Level Skills)
Multiple inaccuracies in grammar and mechanics impede reader’s access to ideas.
Some inaccuracies in grammar and mechanics limit reader’s access to ideas.
Use of grammar and mechanics is straightforward and effectively conveys meaning to reader.
LO3: Create cohesive paragraphs with a clear central idea. (AWE 2;
Paragraphs, or lack of paragraphs, impede reader’s access to
Construction of main idea and/or supporting paragraphs limit reader’s access to ideas.
Main idea and/or supporting paragraphs effectively convey meaning to reader.
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Paragraph Level Skills) ideas. LO4: Use supporting material to support a claim. (AWE 2; Use of Evidence)
Supporting materials are not present.
Supporting material is used inconsistently or inappropriately.
Supporting material is used to enhance meaning. Writing is appropriately paraphrased and uses direct quotes as applicable.
LO6: Identify sources (AWE 2; Credit to source)
Sources are missing. Writing inconsistently identifies or misrepresents sources.
Writing clearly identifies the source of nonoriginal material and/or ideas.