2014 ECEP News
Effective September 5, 2014, there are new procedures regarding Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
Trainers will no longer be responsible for collecting fees for CEUs. Do not collect payment from your participants. Participants seeking CEUs will now be contacted directly by Global Campus for payment.
Only those participants requesting CEUs should complete the form. State reporting of CEUs awarded requires the collection of partial social security numbers. Those without SSNs will NOT receive CEUs.
Trainers must now provide the last five digits of their social security number in the space provided on the form. Submit this report to Kathrine Slocum within one week of the course/program completion. Kathrine will submit the form to Global Campus for processing. Please do not submit directly to Global Campus. The CEU data (number issued, courses they're requested for, etc.) is necessary for completing the reports that help keep our grant-funded.
Global Campus will invoice the certificate via email. The price is $15 per certificate. The certificate will be mailed to the participant upon confirmed payment.
This form is only used if you are granting/offering CEUs through the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Check with your assigned institution if you are unclear which institution will offer CEUs to your participants.
Inservice 2014 took place at Lake Point Conference Center Wednesday, June 18.
Nearly 100 ECEP trainers from across the state of Arkansas gathered for the general session where Shannon Haupt of the University of Arkansas presented on Diversity and Discrimination. Haupt is the Compliance Officer/Title IX Coordinator/ADA Coordinator for the University of Arkansas.
Haupt practiced in the area of employment litigation for 13 years before joining the U of A. She graduated with a Juris Doctorate from Oklahoma City University and earned her bachelor's degree in Human Resources from East Central University.
More information about diversity and discrimination can be found here.
Former keynote speakers for Inservice include Marsha Tate, The Kiddos, and Patti Butler.
At Inservice, trainers were updated in Pre-K Literacy Learning in Arkansas, Pre-K Social-Emotional Learning, Pre-K Framework Handbook, and Child Care Orientation Training. Technology Q & A was also offered.
Trainers are expected to attend ECEP Inservice every other year.
In 2012, Early Care and Education Projects received statewide oversight of Investigating, Discovering, and Exploring: Math and Science for Young Children. A 30-hour course that covers science and math in the early childhood classroom.
ECEP worked with ASU Childhood Services and the original authors of the course to acquire the manual and materials for a smooth transition between the two institutions.
Beginning in 2013, ECEP reformatted and revised the course known as INDEX, which is now called Pre-K Math and Science.
Pre-K Math and Science will be launched at the ECEP Inservice, June 2014.
For release June 3, 2014
The TAPP registry website has been compromised and is unavailable at this time. More information concerning the breach can be found on the Arkansas State University website.
Arkansas State University has also provided a link, found at the bottom of their home page, labeled TAPP Registry Identity Theft, which lists frequently asked questions and answers.
As far as ECEP trainings are concerned, please continue to register and teach courses as usual. It is very important to use the Course Submission Form. ECEP will assign a temporary course ID.
Also found on the ECEP website will be a NEW sign-in sheet to accommodate the changes necessary for dealing with this issue. If a participant has never had a TAPP number, more information will be required, such as their address, and county they live in so you can enter all attendance once the online system is up and running. ECEP still needs all paperwork on time when your course is complete. Keep a copy of ALL documents regarding your course, just as you have done in the past.
At this time, class rosters are not available from TAPP for dispersing pre-tests, post-tests, and evaluations through email. It is recommended that pre-tests, post-tests, and evaluations be completed in class. Pre-tests must be done at the beginning of class on the first day. Post-tests and evaluations must be completed on the last day of class. It is understood that this may cut into part of your class time, but these tests and evaluations are necessary to ensure future funding of this project.
ECEP feels confident about the security of the ECEP Master Database. It is maintained on a system separate from the University of Arkansas Fayetteville system. The server on which it resides does not have open access to outside users; only ECEP staff (less than ten people) has access to it. ECEP does not maintain any social security numbers in this database. Also, the electronic files maintained in conjunction with the master database are on the same server, and all backups are maintained offline.
While the files ECEP maintains are handled in a very secure environment, additional precautions are being taken to ensure security further. In the next few days, all course files will be password protected, and only individuals with the proper password will have access to those files. The distribution of the password will be limited to senior staff, training advisors, and the database manager.
Bobbie Biggs and Deniece Honeycutt represented ECEP at the 2014 Division of Childcare and Early Childhood Education Professional Development conference in Little Rock, April 29.
Approximately 200 participants across the state attended the annual event hosted by the Arkansas Early Childhood Commission.
The conference, titled "Child-Centered + DCCECE = Quality Outcomes," featured workshops in areas related to AECC goals such as professional development, leadership, growth and development, and positive interactions and guidance.
Bryant kindergarten teacher Alicia Atwood gave the keynote address.
The ECEP training advisors and directors attended the 11th National Training Institute of Effective Practices conference "Addressing Challenging Behavior: Supporting Young Children's Social/Emotional Development." The conference was April 23-25 at the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort and Golf Club in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The keynote speaker was Scott McConnell, who presented "Finding a Middle Way for the Promise of Supporting All Children: Promoting the Development of Smart and Happy Children." McConnell is a professor of educational psychology (special education program) and child psychology and Fesler-Lampert Chair in Urban and Regional Affairs at the University of Minnesota. He is also an affiliate of the Center for Early Education and Development.
The conference aims to provide professional development with an in-depth, intensive learning experience around the Pyramid Model framework for addressing the social and emotional development and challenging behavior of young children. NTI brings together experts from around the country who skillfully present three-hour workshops offering practical, ready-to-use information on the social and emotional development of young children. For more information, see http://nti.cbcs.usf.edu/index.html.