Collaborative Assessment Tool

 Overview of the CAT ◦ History of CAT ◦ Purpose of CAT  Structure of the CAT ◦ Reflective Practice ◦ The Process ◦ Documentation  Break Out Session/Questions

 CAT = Collaborative Assessment Tool  The CAT is a companion curriculum document to the New Brunswick Curriculum Framework for Early Learning and Childcare – English and the professional support documents.  (See page 2)

 2010: Initial meeting with Coordinators, Centre Directors, educators, UNB, and the Department.  The following question was asked: When we walk into a child care centre, how do we know the curriculum is being enacted ?  Participants brainstormed evidence they would see and constructed groups that produced the following categories: Valuing Children, Valuing Environments, Valuing Interactions and Relationships, Valuing Culture and Languages, and Valuing Documentation.

 A draft document was created and pilot sites were determined working in partnership with coordinators.  Pilot sites were given time to implement working closely with Coordinators and Early Learning Advisors.  In April 2011, Coordinator’s met to report on their regional experiences implementing the CAT.  The CAT draft went through intensive review and editing until November 2013 when it was published as the tool we are looking at now.

 Pilot participants (see page 1):

 The CAT is divided into three sections:  1. Working with the CAT – pages 2-5  2. Valuing – Documentation, Children, Interactions and Relationships, Culture and Languages, and Environments pages 6-11  3. Broad Based Learning Goals- Well-Being, Play and Playfulness, Communication and Literacies, Diversity and Social Responsibility pages 12-15

 Celebrate strengths and identify areas for growth and improvement in the centre  Monitor the implementation of the NBCF-E  Identify and reflect on areas of change that may be needed to current policies, practices and procedures in centres  Support educators in their own use of the CAT  Evaluate educators’ growth, learning and engagement

 Reflect on their practice to: ◦ Determine areas of focus ◦ Identify support needed ◦ Plan and implement curriculum ◦ Document to make learning visible to children, educators, families, and community

 Monitor the implementation of the NBCF-E by centre administrators/operators, and educators for compliance to Regulation under the Family Services Act  Assess educators’ and directors’ growth, learning and engagement in order to determine required compliance items  Provide consultation to help determine supports needed to meet compliance requirements.

What: Support the implementation of the CAT. Who: Directors of licensed early learning and childcare programs. When: Once directors have decided on an area of focus or inquiry and they have determined the support required. How: Through individual director support i.e. conversation via phone, , and in centres.

1. Questioning 2. Participating 3. Modeling See page 4 of the CAT Am I…?

First revisit: CAT document NBCF-E Professional Curriculum Support documents

1.Decide on an area of focus or inquiry 2.Determine support required (collaboration with fellow educators, directors, families, ECS Coordinators, ELC Advisors, community partners) 3.Implement your plan 4.Document what happened in a range of ways (think about the learning; your own and the children’s) see p. 6 & 7

 Curriculum work as being continuous and occurring over time  Valuing strengths, curiosities, questions and anxieties  Creating space and time to learn through self, team, and centre-based reflection, conversations, and documentation

 Educator/administrator professional portfolio ◦ May be in the form of a binder or accordion file (think about ease of storage, display, transportation) ◦ Include examples of educator learning stories, photographs, group documentation and tools.  Other possibilities for making your learning visible will be contained in your portfolio

 Distribute CAT to each educator  Explore the CAT ◦ Week 1 and 2 – go through page 8 and 9, Valuing Children, Interactions and Relationships, Culture and Languages ◦ Week 3 – go through page 10 and 11, Valuing Environments ◦ Week 4 – go through page 6, Valuing Documentation * Handout *Follow-up meetings to be held in October

 Tools: ◦ Template to help guide your use of the CAT for educators administrators ◦ Add to portfolio

 Break Out  Questions and discussion  Regroup  THANK YOU!!!