Is a collaborative effort of Early Childhood Faculty to address the new unified early childhood licensure in Kansas.
Promotes levels of involvement and participation of individual college/university early childhood preservice education programs for delivery of professional development courses across Kansas colleges/universities.
Is meeting the goals of Kansas State Department of Education – Early Childhood Supplement to the State Improvement Grant.
Is an effort to address the high demand of educators for young children.
Supports the delivery of preservice programs by individual colleges/universities.
Provides a forum for collaboratively developing courses to support statewide accessibility.
ECHO's Guiding Principles
Committed to the early education of all children from birth through 3rd grade and their families
Respond to the needs of all higher education students
Respect individual and institutional differences
Accept each other as partners
Seek input from all interested stakeholders
Maximize available resources
A Brief History of the ECHO Consortium
December 2001 - State Improvement Grant hosted meeting of Faculty from Institutions of Higher Education
Spring/Summer 2002 - Institutions of Higher Education Early Childhood Task Force developed to focus on teacher licensure redesign
Fall 2002 - State Improvement Grant Supplement Proposal Submitted and Funded (2/1/03-1/31/04)
Fall 2002 - ECHO Group Formalized
January 2003 - ECHO Phase I Awards to Institutions of Higher Education
February, 2004 - ECHO Phase II of grant - RFP to develop distance education classes
Summer/Fall 2004 - Development of on-line courses
Fall 2004/Spring 2005 - the courses developed through ECHO support first offered on-line
2006 - Reviewed online systems for delivery of common coursework
2007 -Collected information for dissemination of basic data for Kansas Early Childhood Teachers Training Programs
Provided copies of curriculum-based assessment tools for Kansas ECO system to all IHE Early Childhood Training Programs
2008 - Focused on feedback to Kansas State Department of Education regarding Kansas Performance Assessment
2009 - Collected descriptive information regarding training programs for dissemination to stakeholder groups
2010 - Provided information and participated in presentation to P-20 Council
2011 - Provided data and information to Kansas State Department of Education for the Early Childhood Race to the Top Application
2013 - Provided information to Kansas Early Childhood Advisory Council - Professional Development Workgroup information related to articulation
2015 - Provided Input and Development for Revision of the ECU Licensure standards
2015 - Developed four information flyers related to early childhood
Early Childhood Programs/Settings Acceptable as "accredited experience" related to Licensure Upgrade/Renewal
Can I collect Categorical Aid?
Where Can Early Childhood Educators Look for Employment?
Who Can I Hire as a Teacher/Early Interventionist?
2015 - Developed and Presented to State Board of Education a Position Statement on the Prekindergarten/Kindergarten Assignment Policy.
ECHO is a consortium of college and university faculty committed to collaboratively supporting and enhancing the development and delivery of programs to meet the standards for the Kansas Early Childhood Unified License.