Michelle Belanger

December 6, 2012
SEI 525
Environmental Evaluation

Background Information:
The center I choose to evaluate was Youth and Family Outreach, which is also
my practicum site and place of employment for the past 5 years. Youth and Family
Outreach is a non-profit in downtown Portland and has been a childcare facility for
26 years. YFO is accredited by NAEYC and is a step 4 on the Maine QRIS. The
mission is to provide quality early care and education for at risk and low-income
families. Currently 60 families are being served with 61% low income and 35%
having a diagnosed special need. Currently 9 different languages are spoken among
the families and 7 among the staff including but not limited to, Arabic, French,
American Sign Language and Congolese.
The childcare is in a building that used to be a church and is over 150 years
old. The mere age of the building make several things challenging, for example, all
renovations or improvements need to be cleared through the Historical Society and
usually takes a certain contractor to preform maintenance in accordance with the
Historical Society standards. Because of the building being so old it is also
grandfathered with some things, such as the fact it does not have a sprinkler system
or is the first floor handicap assessable (no ramp).
Youth and Family Outreach has 5 classrooms, one infant room, (6 weeks-1
year), 2 toddler rooms (1-1 year old and 1 -2 ), a preschool room (2 - 4
year olds) and a public pre-k (4-5 year olds) that runs from 8:30am-12: 30pm with
before and after care. The pre-k is a part of Portland Public Schools and implements
the OWL curriculum. The rest of the classrooms implement the Creative
Curriculum.
The classroom I choose to evaluate is the classroom I am the teacher in. The
Public pre-k room is composed of 17 children who will all be age 5 by October 15,
2013 and will be entering Kindergarten. All are varying needs, socio-economic
status and age. There are 2 full time teachers in the classroom and an intern
everyday. The interns vary between a high school senior and college students doing
their practicum in the class. The interns are not counted in ratio, as they cannot be
left alone with the children however they do manage some small groups and lead
circle sometimes. Within the classroom itself there are 17 children enrolled 1 child
attends only in the afternoon as he goes to a special purpose program 5 mornings a
week. The remaining 16 children attend everyday in the full day program that
includes the public pre-k portion of the day as well.
Findings:
Space and Furnishings: Total Subscale: 41 Average Score: 5.13
The strengths in the subscale of space and furnishings is the furniture for care, play
and learning, room arrangement and gross motor with scores of 7 in each category.
In the classroom there the cots are stored the children have everyday access to a
water or sand table; a sand table is outside and assessable everyday. The room is
completely outfitted with newer looking equipment and child size chairs. In the
room there is only 2 adult chairs that the children are not permitted to sit in. For
the most part the teachers also sit in the child size chairs. The room does not
include any children with physical disabilities, however the room is big enough to
accommodate a child with physical disabilities if needed. Another strength is room
arrangement with several clearly defined learning centers in the room. There are at
least 8 different centers in the classroom this does not include the large group space
that also doubles as a gross motor space. The shelves in each center are labeled to
promote independent use by the children. The materials, including books, props for
both the block area and the dramatic play area, are rotated on a 4-week cycle with
items being added throughout those 4 weeks.
The gross motor play equipment is also a strength for the classroom. There
is a rock wall in the classroom that is used mostly in the afternoons or when the
weather does not allow the children to use the outside space. Also the long hallway
is sometimes turned into a bowling ally or the children are able to use scooter
boards up and down the hall. At times the furniture in the room is pushed to the
side and the children can use ride on toys or the teachers turn the space into an
obstacle course with tunnels and balance beams for the children to use. This is all
under careful teacher supervision and not done everyday but only the days or
afternoons they do not get outside. The playground includes a stage for the children
to use basketballs or ride on toys, a sand box and a flat surface for children to run
on. There is also a climber that the children can use with a slide and climbing
equipment. There is enough mulch to provide the correct fall zone for the children
per state of Maine guidelines. There are many gross motor items that are the same
so there is not a long wait to use them. Several hoppy balls, hoola hoops, trikes,
scooter boards and ribbons are available for the children on a daily basis.
Weaknesses for the class in this subscale are space for the gross motor play
and child-related display. Each category scored a 3. The biggest problem with the
space for gross motor play is the fact that there is a set of stairs that lead from the
classroom to the outdoor playground and the areas are not clearly organized and
the children play ball in the same area that the children ride trikes or run around.
Although the playground does offer shade and good drainage the playground is not
close to the toilets or access to drinking water. The children have water bottles that
the teachers bring inside and out during the outdoor play time. The child-related
display was a little eye opening for me. At the time I was doing the ECERS it was
between units and the childrens artwork had been sent home. The walls usually
have artwork related to the present unit hanging however I realized that I would
like to have some pieces that could stay up and made the room more colorful. There
are pictures of the children hanging in the room and just outside the door. I also
realized that I do not have any childrens 3D work, either sculptures in clay or Lego
displays that the children have made.
Personal Care Routines: Total Subscale: 29 Average Score: 4.83
The strengths in this subscale were greeting and departing, meals and snacks, and
safety practices. Each item scored a 7. When children arrive for the day, each child
is greeted and invited into the activity that is taking place. For example a child who
arrives during breakfast will be asked if they would like to wash their hands and
find a seat for that meal. The schedule is flexible enough that activities can be
lengthened or shortened according to childrens interest levels, we also allow the
bathrooms, which are in the room to be accessed by the children as they need to use
the bathroom so they do not need to wait a long time to use the bathroom. The
activity plans are set out by units so the activities are planned out so the children do
not need to wait for the teachers to pick out a book or get an activity together
because they are already picked out and items are collected for the children. The
schedule of the two teachers in the room make it so a teacher is there at opening
and a teacher at closing, this ensures that a primary teacher is always in the room
whenever the children get picked up or dropped off. These also serve as critical
times to check in with the parents. Meals are served family style and child sized
pitchers and serving bowls are used. They help set the table as well as get up and
get a towel when spills occur. Teachers eat with the children and are highly
encouraged to talk and engage in conversation with the children. For safety
practices, the playgrounds are separated by age and the older playground is for 2
years and up. The climber has mulch around it for a fall zone and teacher
supervision is constant. Children are good about following the rules both inside and
out. They are also active participants in creating the rules for indoor and outdoor
play.
The two biggest weaknesses in the Personal Care Subscale are toileting and
diapering and also in health practices, each scored a 2. In toileting and diapering the
reason it scored a 2 is because the classroom did not meet guideline 3.1. It did
however score a yes on every other item except 3.1 (and 1.1-1.4). The reason it
does not meet item 3.1 is because the sink is not sanitized in-between children
washing hands or is a teacher turning the water on and off with a towel between
toileting and sitting down to eat. Again in the subcategory health practices the class
scored yes on all items (besides 1.1 and 1.2) through 7.2 except 3.1. The reason it
scored a 3.1 is because children are not required to wash hands after blowing their
nose or using tissues and teachers generally use hand sanitizer after using a tissue.
Gloves are used for most interactions with bodily fluids and then hand washing.
Admittedly hand washing is not used as often as it should be according to the
ECERS. Teachers and children do wash their hands upon entering from outside and
before meals. Teachers also wash hands before and after handling food and or
animals as well as bodily fluids (except nose wiping when hand sanitizer is used
most of the time).
Language-Reasoning Total Subscale: 25 Average Score: 6.25
The strengths of the subscale language and reasoning were Encouraging children to
communicate, using language to develop reasoning skills and Informal use of
language. Each of these subscales scored a 7. Some of the strong points are the fact
that the staff does a great job at writing down or labeling what the children say
about drawings or things that they have made. Communication with children is a
top priority among staff and the use of open-ended questions and inferential
questions are used often in large group and one on one. Children are also
encouraged to talk to each other when working out problems. Children are
encouraged to think independently and use reasoning to work out problems. This is
done by teachers asking children what they think and what they could do. Modeling
conversations and reasoning is also done by teachers for the children. I believe that
the OWL curriculum, which is big on language development and literacy skills, also
really helps with these subscales.
The weakness in this subscale is books and pictures with a score of 4. All of
the items in this subscale where scored yes (not 1.1 and 1.2) except 5.2. The reason
5.2 was scored a no was because the flannel board is not accessible by the children
except at large group time and no dramatic play items are available outside. Also
there are no puppets available for the children to use.
Activities Total Subscale: 43 Average Score: 4.78
The strengths in this subscale include art and promoting acceptance of diversity
both with a score of 7. The classroom has a rich art activity area where there is
paper, scissors, tape, glue, magazines, stickers, 2 types of markers, 2 types of colored
pencils and 2 types of crayons that is always accessible to the children. The area is
there to promote children using the materials for art and writing skills. There is
also an easel that is set up for use at center time that incorporates different size
brushes and colors of paper for the children to use. No models are given for the
children however directions on how to use the materials are given to the children at
morning meeting. This gets the children excited to use the materials and gets the
ELLs a visual on how to use the materials. The color paint changes based on themes
or books we are reading in the class. Children are exposed to play dough and
modeling clay to build 3-D sculptures as well. As far as promoting and accepting
diversity we include diversity in every way at the center and in the classroom,
mostly due to the fact that we are a diverse classroom with different races, religions
and varying of special needs. We serve several different meals from all over the
world such as spiced chickpeas, curry, and Somalian Rice and Beans. We do not
celebrate any holidays however we do talk about different ones with the children. A
parent will be coming in to talk about Hanukkah and a staff member will be talking
about how and what they do for celebrations in the Congo, where she is from. Also
the children just helped put together a cookbook that featured recipes from all over
the world, the children in the classroom was able to draw pictures and learn about
the recipes. You can also see diversity in the many different types of books, pictures,
puzzles and dramatic play props throughout the classroom.
The weaknesses in the subscale are nature and science with a score of 1 and
math and numbers with a score of 2. There is no nature or science area in the
classroom. Nature and science activities are done however they are not out on a
regular basis and usually teacher directed. As far as the math and numbers
subscale, materials are available for the children however they are used only at
center or small group time. These include but are not limited to sorting materials,
cooking activities and tangram pictures. These are teacher directed activities and
not accessible for a substantial portion of the day. Some number games are played
at large group time.
Interactions Total Subscale: 35 Average Score 7.00
All areas of this subscale were a strength and scored a 7 in all areas. Some of the
notable things that happen around interactions are the interactions in helping
children talk to their friends and problem solve with them. Also supervision is a big
factor at the center and staff position themselves so they are scanning the room
wherever they are. All children can be supervised easily because of the set up of the
room. The teachers are also really good at knowing what a child can do and what
they still need help. When a child needs help a staff member is always there to
assist without the child needing to ask or seek out help from an adult. Social stories
are used in an effort to help children navigate situations that they need help in
understanding. The teachers also attend professional development trainings to help
with ideas and gain advice on behavior and situations that may need some guidance.
The director and referral person may also be asked to observe in the classroom.
Small groups are set up with children of like skill sets so they can work together on
language, literacy or math games and activities during small group time.
Program Structure Total Subscale: 27 Average Score: 6.75
The subscale, program structure, was also a strength. The subscales of schedule,
free play, and group time all scored a 7. The schedule allows for individualized
instruction for children who have specialized needs. There are many areas and
opportunities for children who have trouble in large group to get away and sit in the
alone space or another quiet supervised area. Also children can eat at their own
pace even if the group is doing something else. Also the schedule is flexible that on
nice days we can stay outside a little longer if needed or free play can be extended if
wanted. The materials are rotated in all the areas for free play. Different sized
Legos are introduced or different props in the block area and the dramatic play area.
Books are also rotated and new books are added every week. For group time
children are in small groups of 5-6 children at 3 tables. A teacher is at each table
with an educational learning opportunity and the third table has a no support
activity such as book browsing, or puzzles. These groups are rotated everyday so
each group has a chance to participate in each activity. There is also some times
during the day where we will meet in a large group, such as story time or morning
meeting or songs, word plays, and letters. Children also have the opportunity to be
in small groups at center time, groups that they choose.
The weakness in this subscale is provisions for children with disabilities. In
this subscale we scored a 6. We try to have all assessments and evaluations at the
center. This is both the least restrictive environment and more convenient for our
families, many of which do not drive and walk or take the bus. We have a therapy
room that different types of therapy take place in such as play, speech and
developmental. Most of the instruction takes place in there and not in the
classroom, which is why we only scored a 6 and not a 7.
Parents and Staff Total Subscale: 41 Average Score: 6.83
This subscale also was a strength overall. We scored a 7 in the subscales provisions
for parents, professional needs, staff interaction and cooperation, supervision and
evaluation and opportunities for growth. Youth and Family Outreach does a great
job with parent involvement. We have a board of trustees that parents may serve on
also we have a Parent Advisory Committee that parents can volunteer for we have
several Family fun nights throughout the year that families can come to. We also
have a social work intern that can provide valuable resources such as help with job
or house hunting. We hold parent teacher conferences twice a year and teachers
make themselves available through email or in person at anytime for parents. We
also have a staff room that has comfy seating, Internet service and a kitchen area for
staff it is also large enough to accommodate staff meetings and trainings. There is
also access to phones in every room and several different spaces that can be used
for conferences. There is also a separate locked administration office that can is
used by the Director and Assistant Director. Social events are also planned for the
staff. Planning time is given twice a week to staff members and teachers are
encouraged to meet during nap time but also have out of classroom planning time
together at least every other week. Staff has yearly evaluations and monthly
supervisions with their supervisor. Supervision is documented with supervision
sheets that list what needs to done before the next meeting. For the yearly
supervision, staff is given a self-evaluation and then meets to go over the results. As
far as the provisions for personal need of the staff w do a really good job at that as
well however we have set break schedule that a floater person covers. There is
some flexibility in switching break times with someone else however it is not always
a guarantee. Sometimes this is not always when the person wants to go but we do
try to be accommodating when we can. For this reason we scored a 6 in this
subscale.
Summary
Overall I felt that my room and center did pretty well. Overall the strengths
were in Interactions (7), Parents and Staff (6.83), Program Structure (6.75) and
Language Reasoning (6.25). I think that being strong in these areas is a solid
foundation for any program a the other stuff in the evaluation can be altered
because it is mostly physical environment, the areas that we scored high in are areas
that make an ordinary center an extraordinary center. The language and reasoning
seems to be in big part to quality, experienced teachers and a highly literature and
literacy based curriculum. Also I believe that fact that w have been opened for over
25 years gives Youth and Family Outreach the benefit of having the experience in
building on what is needed to be a good, quality center. Our mission alone makes
parents a priority and teachers are constantly finding ways to help them and the
children. The staff truly believes that they are a part of a team with the parents with
regards to the children. We are also credited by NAEYC and strive to follow those
guidelines. The areas that need improvement are Activities (4.78) and Personal
Care (4.83). I think that the low scores reflect mostly the physical environment.
Based on the fact alone that the building is over 150 years old make some
limitations impossible to get over. For example, making hand washing more
accessible to the children is hard because of the old plumbing we can not just add
sinks, even if we did have the funds. The same thing goes for making the playground
on the same level of the classroom; it is not possible because of the location alone. I
also think that because of the curriculum used in the classroom and when I
observed it was in between weeks, not all the equipment was out and in the centers
and the pictures were all taken off the wall to be filed or sent home. These are some
of the major factors that may have affected the findings. Also the fact that I have
worked at the center for 5 years and work in the classroom may have also made me
a bias judge, although I did strive to be impartial, I was able to take some liberty in
things that I knew happen or what practices are, even without interview or
observation. Although the great thing about doing the ECERS on your own site and
classroom is the fact that it makes a great tool to use to see what areas you need to
improve and how to improve the things you do well and to make things a little bit
more intentional in your teachings and room arrangement and planning.

Recommendations for Improvements
Under Space and Furnishings, the biggest recommendation would be around
child related displays. I would recommend putting more childrens artwork or
writings up around the classroom and displaying them at eye level for the children
to see. In a perfect setting I would like to see the room covered in pictures of the
children working on projects, photographs of what they built in the block area,
displayed in the block area. In actuality this is very easy to do and would only take
some intentional planning on my part. I take pictures for documentation a lot. I put
these up in the hallway for the parents but it would be nice to also print a copy for
the children as well and display it in the area they are working. This way its not
only artwork but the process of the artwork as well. Better yet, display photographs
of the children creating pictures and hang them together.
As a recommendation for improvements in the space for gross motor,
because it is not practical that the physical structure can change the best
recommendation that I could make would be to organize and make rules about the
different areas for outside play. Make a labeled place for the kids to play ball in or
ride trikes in. That way it does not interfere with the children sliding down the
slide. I would talk to the children about the different areas and the rules of the
playground and then just make sure to reinforce it so the children can get used to it.
Recommendations for personal care under toilet and diapering would be first
and foremost to make sure that a teacher turns the water to the sink on at the
beginning of a toileting and turns it off at the end before lunch or after nap. I would
also recommend putting in a bleach and water bottle in the locked cabinet so a
teacher can sanitize the sink after all the children have brushed their teeth, by
waiting until all the children are laying down for nap it would not sacrifice direct
supervision of the children. For health practices, I would try to be more conscious of
hand washing by making sure the children wash their hands after wiping their
noses and more conscious of the teachers washing their hands. This is something
that would take practice and time. However by making it a priority to work on and
bringing it to the forefront of things to work on make it easier to start keeping track
of.
My biggest recommendations for Activities would be in Nature and Science.
Although Nature and Science activities are incorporated in the curriculum I would
find a table to have a small science table. I would include things that go along with
our curriculum such as leaves when they fall off the tree and books about different
leaves. Coming up we are doing an activity in small group about absorbency and
repellant after the small group activity I would leave a smaller version of this out at
the science table for children to experiment with at their own choosing. The science
table can be at one of the tables we use for small group, that way it is near a sink and
big enough to fit materials that may be needed, and fit more than one child but still
be able to limit the number of children at the table. As far as the math and number
subscale, I would add some of the math games and materials we use during small
group time onto the manipulative shelf. This would just be a matter of reorganizing
the shelf and introducing the items at morning meeting so the children know that
the math and number materials are there. I would also make sure that I rotate the
materials and when I do make sure to tell the kids what items are there and how to
use the materials.
Recommendations for Program structure under the subdomain of provisions
for children with disabilities would be just to be more intentional about
collaboration with therapists about meeting the needs of the child in the classroom
and not just in the therapy room. I would try to incorporate more embedded
learning opportunities there are some great ideas in the Building Block text that we
used for the individual instruction and also ideas for curriculum modifications. I
think that it would be worthwhile to talk to the therapists and find some strategies
that would work in the classroom.
As far as the recommendation for Parents and Staff I dont think that a
reasonable accommodation can be used for the staff to be able to take their breaks
at any other time then when they do. This is due to staff-child ratio regulations; staff
needs to take breaks when coverage is available.