ECE 3004 Administration in Child Care Settings

SubjectCat-NbrClassTermModeDescriptionUnitsCampus
ECE3004283313, 2003EXTAdministration in Child Care Settings1.00TWMBA
Academic Group:FOEDU
Academic Org:FOE004
HECS Band:1
ASCED Code:070101

Contents


STAFFING:

Examiner: Di Small
Moderator: Lindy Austin



RATIONALE:

The increasing complexity of the administration in all areas of early childhood services demands some understanding by all those who seek to become early childhood educators. All educators' must be competent in the skills of managing care and education centres for young children and be able to understand the nature of political and social change affecting the provision of services.


SYNOPSIS:

This course will introduce students to important factors relating to the administration of centres such as parent interaction, communication skills, personnel management, administration, support services and working with government services. The use of computer and computer software for the management of some of these areas will be incorporated as part of a professional profile which addresses technological advances in administration.


OBJECTIVES:

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

  • administrate a centre which takes into account the needs of children and their families;

  • demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills;

  • show an awareness of socio economic and political parameters of early years care and education;

  • understand the need and develop the skill to effectively manage personnel;

  • be competent team builders;

  • identify support services;

  • communicate effectively with government departments;

  • have a clear grasp of the child care regulations;

  • critically analyse and assess policies and documents including the national Accreditation document;

  • understand the complexities of budgeting and finance.



    • TOPICS:


    DescriptionWeighting (%)
    1. Family interaction and communication skills
    		 10.00
    2. Personnel management
    		 20.00
    3. Administration and organisational skills
    		 10.00
    4. Using computers for administration
    		 10.00
    5. Budget and finance
    		 20.00
    6. Record keeping - inventory and ordering
    		 5.00
    7. Marketing and imaging
    		 10.00
    8. Identifying support services
    		 5.00
    9. Working with Government departments and support services
    		 5.00
    10. Reflective practitioner
    		 5.00

    TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed:

    Books can be ordered by fax or telephone. For costs and further details use the 'Book Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au by entering the author or title of the text.

    Hildebrand, V. & Hearron, P 2003, Management of Child Development Centres, 5th edition, Merrill, Upper Saddle River, NJ.




    REFERENCE MATERIALS:

    Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

    Broinowski, I 1994, Managing Child Care Centres, TAFE Publications, Abbotsford.

    Cherry, C., Harkness, B. Kuzma, K. & Bates, D 2000, Child Care Center Management Guide: A Hands on Resource, McGraw Hill, Grand Rapids MI.

    Child Care Information Exchange 1998, The Art of Leadership: Managing Early Childhood Organisations, Child Care Information Exchange, Redmond, Washington.

    Clarke, J 1997, 52 Steps to Quality Care: A Manual for Assisting Staff in Early Childhood Centres to Achieve and Maintain Quality Care Using the Principles of Accreditation, Pademelon Press, Castle Hill.

    Click, P 2000, Administration of Schools for Young Children, 5th edition, Delmar, Albany.

    Decker, C., & Decker, J 2001, Planning and Administering Early Childhood Programs, 7th edition, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River NJ.

    Genus, A 1998, The Management of Change: Perspectives and Practice, International Thomson Business Press, London.

    Hildebrand, V. & Hearron, P 1997, Management and Child Development Centres, 4th edition, Merrill, Upper Saddle River NJ.

    Jorde-Bloom, P 1997, A Great Place to Work: Improving Conditions for Staff in Young Children's Programs, National Assoc for the Education of Young Children, Washington.

    Kearns, K 1997, Solutions to Organisational Problems in Early Childhood Settings, Pademelon Press, Castle Hill.

    Neugebauer, B. & R. (eds.) 1998, The Art of Leadership: Managing Early Childhood Organisations, Child Care Information Exchange, Redmond W.A, Vol 1,2.

    Rodd, J 1998, Leadership in Early Childhood, 2nd edition, Allen & Unwin, Frenchs Forest NSW.

    Schiller, P. & Carter Dyke, P 2001, The Practical Guide to Quality Child Care, Gryphon, Beltsville MD.

    Sciarra, D., & Dorsey, A 1998, Developing and Administering a Child Care Centre, Delmar Publishers, Albany.

    Sciarra, D. & Dorsey, A 2002, Opening and Operating a Successful Child Care Centre, Delmar, Albany NY.

    Shoemaker, C 1999, Administration and Management of Programs for Young Children, Merrill, Eaglewood Cliffs, NJ.

    Smith, A 1999, Managing Staff in Early Years Settings, Routledge, London.

    Stonehouse, A 1998, Our Code of Ethics at Work, Australian Early Childhood Association, Watson, ACT.

    Taylor, B. J 2002, Early Childhood Program Management, 4th edition, Merrill, Upper Saddle River NJ.




    STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS:

    ACTIVITYHOURS
    Assessment30
    Directed Study80
    Private Study60


    ASSESSMENT DETAILS:

    DescriptionMarks Out ofWtg(%)RequiredDue Date
    ASSIGNMENT 150.0050.00Y19 Dec 2003
    ASSIGNMENT 250.0050.00Y21 Jan 2004

    IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

    1. Attendance requirements:
      (a) There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
    2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
      (b) To complete each of the assignments satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the marks available (or at least a grade of C-) for each assignment.
    3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
      (a) If students submit assignments after the due date without prior approval then a penalty of 10% of the total marks available for the assignment will apply for each working day late.
    4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
      (c) To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the available weighted marks for the summative assessment items.
    5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
      (a) The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the marks (or grades) obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
    6. Examination information:
      (e) There is no examination in this course.
    7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
      There is no examination in this course.
    8. University Regulations:
      Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/SECARIAT/calendar/Part5/ or in the printed version of the current USQ Handbook.

    ASSESSMENT NOTES

    1.(a) The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must despatch the assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date, if requested by the Examiner. (b) If requested, students will be required to provide a copy of assignments submitted for assessment purposes. Such copies should be despatched to USQ within 24 hours of receipt of a request being made. (c) The examiner may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances. (d) The Faculty will normally only accept assessments that have been written, typed or printed on paper-based media. (e) The Faculty will NOT accept submission of assignments by facsimile. (f) Students who do not have regular access to postal services or who are otherwise disadvantaged by these regulations may be given special consideration. They should contact the examiner of the course to negotiate such special arrangements. (g) In the event that a due date for an assignment falls on a local public holiday in their area, such as a Show holiday, the due date for the assignment will be the next day. Students are to note on the assignment cover the date of the public holiday for the Examiner's convenience. (h) Students who have undertaken all of the required assessments in a course but who have failed to meet some of the specified objectives of a course within the normally prescribed time may be awarded the temporary grade: IM (Incomplete - Make up). An IM grade will only be awarded when, in the opinion of the examiner, a student will be able to achieve the remaining objectives of the course after a period of non directed personal study. Students will require access to e-mail and internet access to USQConnect for this course.

    OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

    1. Students will require access to e-mail and internet access to USQConnect for this course.