10307131CAPSTONE: Site Programming and Operations (Madison)
Course Information
Description
This course will deepen your understanding of creating a comprehensive program and will explore the use of self and program assessment tools. It will look at the importance of developing partnerships with the family, school and community and the meaning of professionalism. It will look at risk management from the perspective of the health, safety and well-being of the children.
Total Credits
3
Course Competencies
  1. Develop a program improvement plan using a program evaluation tool.
    Assessment Strategies
    Complete a program assessment
    Write an improvement plan
    Write observational notes on effectiveness of improvements
    Complete a follow-up program assessment
    Write a continuous improvement plan based on program goals
    Criteria
    Use a program evaluation tool (SACERS or other credible tool) to do a program assessment.
    Develop an improvement plan based on your assessment.
    Use observational notes to determine the effectiveness of the improvements
    Re-assess your program
    Develop a plan for continually working to meet these goals

  2. Implement a health and safety plan for an after school program.
    Assessment Strategies
    Complete a health and safety evaluation of your program
    Write a health and safety improvement plan
    Write three new activities that promote health and safety
    Write a statement about your role in the health and wellness of the children you serve
    Evaluate your programs safety and emergency plans
    Write an updated safety and emergency plan
    Facilitate a new employee orientation to at least one other person from your class related to health and safety in an out-of-school program
    Write a field trip plan and include all of the health and safety concerns to be addressed
    Criteria
    Assess the health and safety of your program your space, and activities using DCF Regulations and the Active Early/ Healthy Bites
    Develop an improvement plan based on your assessment and include this in your portfolio
    Develop three new activities based on Active Early/Healthy Bites.
    Read your programs safety and emergency plans and determine if there is anything missing.
    Develop a new employee checklist of topics to discuss with all new employees working in a youth program.
    Plan a field trip and consider all of the health and safety concerns for the trip

  3. Develop communication plans conducive to an after school program.
    Assessment Strategies
    Document family communications in your program for one week
    Write an assessment of how you might change your current communications strategy with families
    Write a family communication plan/schedule with special considerations
    Write a plan for a community building event with a desired outcome
    Document school/classroom teacher communications for one week
    Write an assessment of how you might change your current communications strategy with the school/classroom teachers
    Write a school and /or classroom teachers communication plan
    Submit a binder of community resources for families
    Criteria
    Log your communications with families in your program for one week.
    Describe a communication plan and schedule to include all types of family communication- daily, weekly, conferences, etc.  including special concerns with each type of communication
    Plan a community building event, including all of the factors to consider, barriers, how to work around these barriers, and the desired outcome
    Keep a log of the different types and frequency of communication with the children's school/classroom teachers for one week.
    Develop a plan for improving communication with the school and or classroom teachers.
    Assemble a binder of community resources for families and children.

  4. Create a professional development plan.
    Assessment Strategies
    Write a paper about your strengths and three areas you would like to improve upon
    Complete the self-assessment tool to make a list of goals for yourself
    Write a professional development plan for yourself
    Write about a situation where the NAA Code of Ethics would be a useful tool
    Write about one positive teacher/mentor from your own childhood
    Write a personal philosophy of yourself as a positive teacher/mentor
    Criteria
    Read the NAA Core Competencies and assigned section of Half a Childhood
    Read Bringing Yourself to Work
    Identify your strengths and three areas you would like to improve in reference to NAA Core Competencies and Half a Childhood
    Create a professional development plan for yourself-1, 5, & 20 years
    Examine a situation when the NAA Code of Ethics would be a useful tool
    Recall one positive teacher/mentor from your own childhood and what made them a good teacher/mentor.
    Develop a personal philosophy of how you see yourself as a positive teacher/mentor and how you have grown or what you have learned through the credential courses

  5. Design activities and schedules that incorporate the unique needs of school-age children.
    Assessment Strategies
    Take observational notes of your program and the likes, dislikes, moods, and interactions of the enrolled children
    Write an improvement plan for how you will address each child’s needs in your program through the daily schedule including transitions and ongoing, long term activities
    Write a comparison of a well-planned transition and a poorly planned transition and include ideas about planning for transitions in your program.
    Complete the program checklist from Half a Childhood, and make a list of you would change about your program
    Write a plan for an activity for a variety of age groups describing the developmental differences that you considered
    Write a plan for three community service projects that will help with the ethical development of the children in your program
    Write a comparison of child-centered & project based approaches to learning and other traditional approaches
    Compose an argument for why it is important to consider different learning styles when planning activities
    Write a personal reflection about how you have grown and changed through the Afterschool and Youth Development Credential
    Criteria
    Observe the children in your program as a group, noting what is working well and what is not working well.
    Design a daily schedule for your group that meets children’s needs, with special consideration for transitions.
    Compare what a well-planned transition looks like, and what a poorly planned transition looks like.
    List what you observed in your program and what you would change about your program.
    Plan activities for groups of 6 year olds, 8 year olds, 10 year olds, and 12 year olds and describe their developmental differences.
    Plan three community service projects and describe how the ethical development of the children in your program will be affected.
    Compare the child-centered & project-based approaches to learning and how they differ from traditional approaches to learning.
    Describe the different learning styles and why it is important to consider different learning styles when planning activities.

  6. Incorporate final required components into After School and Youth Program Credential Portfolio.
    Assessment Strategies
    Complete required portfolio elements according to portfolio guide
    Add required portfolio elements under the appropriate tab
    Manage portfolio regularly with required components for eventual submission
    Submit completed portfolio for final review
    Correct and re-submit portfolio, as needed
    Criteria
    Identify components required for final submission to the Credential Commission
    Review and update portfolio for final submission