Brooke Carlson
Project review
Ball State University
EDAC 632 Organizing Adult and Community Education Programs
Dr. Bo Chang
Fall 2023
PROGRAM ORGANIZATION
Introduction
SPARK Indiana is an organization that works collaboratively with community-based early childhood programs and public systems. Their goal is to accelerate child and family outcomes that honor the aspirations and cultures of the communities they serve. They work to build capacity and expertise with individual providers and with state-wide educational systems. SPARK offers training, coaching, and resources to early childhood education and care professionals across the state.
Mission- We design and deliver inclusive, anti-bias, and rigorous approaches to eliminate the gaps between young children’s inherent potential and their achievement in school and life. With our partners, we accelerate child and family outcomes that honor the aspirations and cultures of the communities we serve.
Vision- We envision a world where children become champions of their own making, where historical biases and systemic inequities no longer stand in the way of their infinite promise.
Values- DATA-INFORMED LEARNING: We commit to continuous improvement, as we use data inclusive of our lived experiences to inform organizational strategy, both programmatic and operational. TRANSPARENT & OPEN COMMUNICATION: We demonstrate integrity, openness, and transparency as a means by which to build trust among our team and the communities we serve. GROWTH MINDSET: We believe talents can be developed. Challenges and barriers are opportunities to refine skills, solutions, and approaches. We serve our children, families, and partners with intention and quality by developing and engaging in innovative professional development, providing equitable support, and leading with a can-do attitude. DISMANTLING INEQUITIES: We disrupt historical ways of thinking and doing to create spaces of radical inclusion so that individuals and communities are better. CARING TEAMS & COMMUNITY: We recognize that we cannot be successful in our mission without building authentic, trusting, caring relationships that connect us through our shared humanity. As such, we value the inherent worth, dignity, and abilities of all individuals, families, groups, and communities.
Organizational Structure
SPARK has four main departments that all work together for the success of the program.
The Operations and Technology team is responsible for the customer service management program used as well as housing the entire Help Desk team.
The Help Desk team is a group of customer service agents that answer phones, email, and chats to help early childhood providers navigate some of the state websites which includes where to find resources.
The Program Support and Content team is responsible for creating all training and resources as well as delivering some of the training either through webinars or face to face events.
The Coaching and Quality Improvement team provides both group and individualized training across the state as well as monitoring the state quality rating and improvement system. Most of the adult education programing happens within this team. They provide all the training and technical assistance either individually via webinars, zoom meetings, and on-site or they also offer group coaching in the form of co-horts. Co-horts are most often organized by subject or “customer” demographics. The Strategic Initiatives team is must like the coaching team only specific to the topics of business and mental health.
Findings and Implications
After reading chapter 2 on program organization, I really began looking through a different lens when writing out the way SPARK is structures as an organization. The above graphic is just the surface level of how the people are structured. When I dive deeper into the way adult learning is structured, I see many examples of the different types of organization. All the online learning webinars used to be organized by topic. After conducting needs assessments with a target audience, I know that SPARK has also provided ways to have the learnings structured by the learners’ level such as beginner, emerging and advanced. They have also taken it one step further and grouped the webinars together into collections as well.
One thing I would like to dig deeper into is the separate structure of content (the people who create the resources) and the coaching team (the people who deliver the learning). As instructors or teachers, it is common for us to pull resources from various locations, but we still have the autonomy to create the lesson plans and develop our own goals for the learning we hope to provide. In this case the coaches are merely facilitators of material that they do not create.
References
Schmidt, S. W., & Yelich Biniecki, S. M. (2016). Organization and Administration of Adult Education Programs. Charlotte: Information Age Publishing Inc.
Shine Early Learning (n.d). Retrieved August 29, 2023, from https://shineearly.com/mission-vision-values/Links to an external site.
SPARK Learning Lab (n.d). Retrieved August 29, 2023, from https://indianaspark.com/about-spark/spark-indiana-team/Links to an external site.
LEADERSHIP AND ADMINISTRATION
Roles
Brooke Carlson: Roles/Positions, Routines, Qualifications of Administrator for K. Lee Implications
Kailah Lee: Roles/Positions, Routines, Qualifications of Leader for E. Kissling, Implications
In this paper we discuss the organizational structure of Early Learning Indiana (ELI) including the roles, positions, routines, activities, and qualifications of the leader and Erin Kissling Chief Learning Officer and Kailah Lee Online Learning Specialist.
ELI’s organizational system is considered to be a hierarchy that is made up of our Predident & CEO, Chief of Staff, Chief Learning Officer, Chief Engagement Officer, and VP of Early Learning Practice. Erin’s team encompasses the thirteen child care centers, Director of Program Quality, Team Leader Coordinator, Director of Health & Safety, Director of Education Development, Online Learning Specialist, and Early Head Start Support Coaches. Because her role requires supporting several team members Erin has become both a leader and administrator.
Kailah Lee is the Online Learning Specialist that falls under the Chief Learning Officer. Kailah’s role has her planning, implementing, supporting and coaching which allows her to fall in the category of administrator. the Online Learning Specialist she is expected to lead groups of ELI assistance teachers through a credentialing program known as the CSP (Classroom Support Professional). There are additional times that ELI hosts learning cohorts and invites adult learners from across the State to participate as well. Kailah’s role as the instructor is to ensure they meet the requirements set by the CDA Council. Kailah is also working with colleges and universities to develop a credential that also allows adults to earn college credits.
Daily Routines and Activities
While talking with Erin, she explained her routines and activities as a leader that she does on a daily/weekly basis. “I consider myself more of a leader than an administrator, but because of my position, there are times which require me to be more of an administrator. Typically, I begin my day fielding work calls and messages around 6:30 AM. I arrive at the office between 8:00-8:30 AM. My days consist of project-focused meetings and in-the-moment problem solving. I often get the opportunity to assist team members think through complex situations and formulate action plans. I regularly visit our schools to stay connected and have a pulse on the realities of the work. During those visits, I usually get the opportunity to talk with parents and learn how their child/children are progressing. I also talk to school leaders, teachers, and classroom support professionals about their professional goals and plans. I enjoy promoting workforce development initiatives and work to strengthen connections to the border field. Through our newest initiative the Classroom Support Professional Training Program, we coach and train classroom support specialists (CSP) to further their education and obtain a credential. My day usually wraps up around 5:00-5:30 PM.
“Leaders are able to serve as change agents. They identify and relate to motivations and needs of colleagues and subordinates, working to connect them to new or revised visions and goals” (Schmidt & Yelich Biniecki 2016). According to Schmidt & Yelich Biniecki “an effective leader is able to navigate change, both small changes that happen and astronomical changes they may occur.” The way a leader assists might be different from one situation to the next. Effective leaders have the capability to navigate the unknown to make it recognizable.
During my interview with Kailah she shared that she typically starts her day with replying and sending emails as well as responding to any missed Microsoft Teams messages. Her days are flexible and do not always follow the same routine. Currently, she regularly connects with learner’s regarding their virtual platform Tovuti weekly. Most days she spends some time scheduling cohort meetings, one-on-one check-in with learners, facilitating, attending various team meetings and sharing updates with School Leaders. As the Online Learning Specialist one of her main roles and responsibilities is to mentor & coach learners’ depending on their needs.
Qualifications
Erin has earned her Bachelors of General Studies from Indiana University and minored in Geography. She obtained her Masters of Arts with a concentration in Early Childhood Education from Ball State. Post graduate Harvard Graduate School of Education, certificate in Early Education Leadership. She has 20 years of experience; from working in the classroom to leading statewide initiatives at the Department of Education. While talking with Erin she stated “I do my best to eliminate barriers to our success and keep ELIs focus on our organizational goals.”
While meeting with Erin, we talked about her role as an administrator, she shared “my team does an outstanding job managing the procedures within the organization. We are responsible for the daily operations at the centers while making sure staff is aware of the education opportunities that are available.” I think that’s when my administrator duties are most needed ensuring that decisions are being made that best serve our children and families. According to (Schmidt & Yelich Biniecki 2016) “an administrator is also someone who makes and executes, decisions with regard to people, resources, and processes, focusing on short-term and long-term and plans for the organization.”
Kailah has been in the Early Childhood Education field for 25 years. She earned both her Bachelors and Master degrees from Bethel University. Her Bachelors of Science is in Human Services with a minor in Early Childhood Education. She later earned her MBA with a concentration on leadership. Kailah shared she has also earned the credential of a Professional Development Specialists with the Council for Professional Recognition. “This allows me to conduct verification visits for candidates pursuing their CDA certification.” Throughout her career, Kailah has worked as an assistant teacher, a lead teacher, a supervisor, and a supporting and coaching early childhood education educators.
Implications
This assignment focuses on the concepts and differences between leaders and administrators, and the qualities of those in position. After meeting with Erin, her dedication to ELI, her team members and the health and well-being of the children and families they serve is obvious. “Effective managers have the ability to attract, develop and keep talented people.” (Hellriegel, Jackson, and Slocum 2005) It is obvious that Erin shows that she is aware of the daily activities within the centers and she builds relationships that motivate others to grow in their careers, all reasons why she can be labeled as an effective manager.
According to (Hellriegel, Jackson, and Slocum 2005) those who have managerial responsibilities need to have these six competencies: communication, planning and administration, teamwork, strategic action, global awareness, and self-management. Both Erin and Kailah exhibit these competencies through their daily routines. While they may not be listed as part of their role responsibilities or job descriptions their experience in this field has led them to develop these competencies so they are able to be successful leaders, managers, and administrators.
References:
Hellriegel, D, Jackson, S., and Slocum J. (2005). Management A Competency Based Approach. Thomson Southwestern, 510-540.
Schmidt, S. W., & Yelich Biniecki, S. M. (2016). Organization and Administration of Adult Education programs: A Guide for Practitioners. Lap, Information Age Publishing, Inc.
Budget and Funding
Income and Expenses
Purdue Extension offers a Remote Work Professional certificate. This is a 1-month training consisting of both online work and interactive workshops. This adult education program is designed to give workers the tools and skills needed to work from home as a remote worker, freelancer, or entrepreneur. The main source of income for this certificate program is student fees at $199 per student. The main expenses are yearly licensing fees for curriculum paid to Utah State Extension as well as 12% of commission going to Purdue University.
Budgeting and Funding
When planning the budget for this program and similar Purdue Extension programs I found that they use what they call a “cost-recovery” model. This model allows them to reimburse themselves any additional costs that might occur beyond salaries. Salaries are not considered in budgeting or factored as income/expenses because salaries are already paid for by Purdue University. Beyond student course fees other sources of funding come from grants. Purdue Extension mainly looks to find grants that can be awarded to the under-served population of adults. These adults might be small business owners, live in an underserved county in Indiana, or be English language learners. Grant funds typically cover enough per student to reduce student fees to $50. FWhen asked about challenges I was told that the main issue is finding a balance between being a revenue-funded program and a grant-funded program. A revenue-funded program takes more staff time to market, while a grant-funded program takes more staff time to write/execute/report on grants. There are currently two Purdue staff that act as co-leads, and there isn’t enough time to pursue both strategies and attend to the other demands of their positions within Purdue.
Implications
I found it interesting to learn more about the cost-recovery model as described above rather than using the terms non-profit/for-profit. I believe that many times non-profits are run under a cost-recovery model as well. Meaning that many times funds are spent on the front end and then reimbursed back later. My recommendation for this program would be to pivot to a fully revenue-funded program and plan to spend more time on marketing. Building a remote-work friendly employer database will also help get the word out about this program and incentivize employers to pay for their remote-working or hybrid employees to take the certificate course.
References:
Remote Work Certificate. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://extension.purdue.edu/cdext/thematic-areas/community-economics-workforce-development/collaborative-projects/remote-work-certificate.html
Carlson, B. (2023, September 19). Interview with Melinda Grissmer. personal.
HRM
Introduction
Bridget is the Senior HR Business Partner for the Acelero/SHINE organization. This organization provides training and technical assistance to early childhood programs across the state of Indiana. This organization only has employees or contract employees and no volunteers. The HR department includes Bridget, a Senior HR Specialist, and recruiters.
Routine of the HRM
The HR team works together to collectively support all the typical functions of HR. Bridget as the Sr. HR Business Partner is heavily involved in the strategic planning portion of the organization. Acelero has an ecosystem of partners to work together and Bridget is involved in coordinating with these partners. Working together to develop who needs to be hired, what the positions are, what the job descriptions look like, and how will these positions impact the budgets. This also means that Bridget works closely with the fiscal department in the planning process. Once the need for the “people” are determined for the organization and the strategic planning is completed then the recruitment team takes over finding the “people” to fill those positions. With guidance from Bridget the recruiters will complete the process of recruiting qualified individuals, screening resumes, and working with the hiring managers to set up both round 1 and round 2 of interviews.
Once positions are filled hiring managers take over the role of completing all onboarding and employee training needed to successful complete their jobs. Bridget will be responsible for keeping the employee files and any annual required training needs. Bridget is also in charge of handling the employee benefits portion of the organization. As far as other items needed for employees to be successful at work that falls on the hiring managers.
Once the people are in place, training as occurred and programs are operating then the Sr. HR Specialist is responsible for the policy and procedures portion of HR. She works with department leaderships to make sure the correct policies are in place and then developing the procedures to meet these policies. As an HR team they work together to make sure these policies and procedures align with the mission and vision of the organization and the strategic plan.
Implications
I feel like the practices of this HR department line up with what is outlined in the text. Core Functions of Human Resource includes; Policies and Procedures, Recruiting and Hiring, Orientation and Training, Records Maintenance and Legal Compliance, and Strategic Planning (Schmidt and Biniecki 2016, Figure 7.1). I like how HR is organized as a team that collectively works together to deliver all of the functions of HR. Orientation and Training is essential to the success of employees and a program.
I have found that many organizations both small and large carry out this important step in many different ways. Acelero has a policy and procedure in place that requires the hiring managers to conduct all orientation and training. The reason for this is because these managers are extremely knowledgeable in the requirements and job descriptions. HR is not involved in the day-to-day process of each job therefore they do not participate in the orientation process beyond company policy and procedures. I believe most organizations are moving towards this practice and would assume that teachings on this topic in HRM will adjust as well in coming years.
Marketing
Roles:
-Brooke Carlson: Purpose, Goals, & Summary Table
-Abdellah Joundan: Marketing Strategy & Implications
Introduction
We have decided to create an adult education program targeting early learning and elementary educators who have found an increase in enrollment among Spanish speaking children. The goal of our program is to provide a basic Spanish language course to increase teacher’s knowledge in conversational Spanish. We have chosen to target this group of adults because a market is “the set of all people and organizations (that) have an actual or potential interest in a service and the ability to pay for it” Schmidt and Yelich Biniecki (2016). Our program will offer scholarships to individuals so there will be no cost barriers. To help meet the needs of busy schedules our courses will be offered both online and in-person.
Marketing strategies
An organization’s marketing strategy is the way the organization will go about reaching those customers in the aforementioned target markets in order to meet the goals of the organization (Schmidt and Yelish, 2016).
Our first marketing strategy will be based on product. In the case of our organization that provide adults with Spanish language learning opportunities, the products are the courses and training sessions that the organization is offering. These products are intangible products because there is not a physical product that the consumer purchases. We have two very accomplished Spanish language educators ready to lead this course.
Second in our marketing strategy comes the price. Price is what the seller charges for a product and price is what the consumer pays in exchange for the product (Lamb et al., 2011, as cited in Schmidt and Yelish, 2016). In the case of our Spanish language teaching educational programs, our courses will be free of charge.
Third comes place. Our courses will be offered both online and in school. All of our clients will be those in the education field who find the need to be able to communicate with Spanish speakers. Online courses will offer learners to work at their own convenience from home as most of them will be working. We will also be offering courses in our C building in the evenings to accommodate different people’s need.
Last in our marketing strategy will be promotion. It is the way we will advertise our product. We will make face to face connections with leaders of local schools and provide flyers about the program, print advertisements in newspapers and magazines, as well as on busses, taxis, and in subway trains.
(3) Implications
In order to market an adult education program products such as courses need to be solid and useful. Courses need to update constantly to accommodate market need. Also, pricing seems to play a big role in marketing and providing affordable prices can help many attend courses. Many adults work and offering courses both online and face to face, morning and nights can help many take adult education courses. Good advertisement including different techniques such as using social media and tv ads may help as well.
Summary Table
Goals | Strategies | Rationales | Possible Results |
Target appropriate audience | Review school system enrollment data yearly. | Focus on schools with high enrollment of families who indicate Spanish as first language. | Maximize target audience |
High quality educators | Partner with local extension office to utilize their trained educators with extensive backgrounds. | Program quality increases with quality educators. | High quality program and increased reputation. |
Zero cost | Apply for grants regularly that will cover all costs of program from materials to building fees. | Offering classes free of charge will eliminate some barriers for enrollees. | Maximize class capacity |
Increase marketing initiatives | Begin using social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.). Continue using print and word-of-mouth | Increase community awareness of program. | Reach wider audience |
References
Schmidt, S. W., & Yelich Biniecki, S. M. (2016). Organization and administration of adult education programs: a guide for practitioners. Iap, Information Age Publishing, Inc.
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