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THE Consortium
Phone: 614-447-0844
FAX: 614-447-9043
Project Description
The Ohio State University is the lead organization for THE Consortium, a project funded through the U.S. Department of Education PT3 program. The funding is for a three-year period, from 9/1/1999 to 8/31/2002.
THE Consortium was created in response to a federal mandate which requires that at least half of all Head Start teachers in center-based programs have an associate, baccalaureate, or advanced degree in Early Childhood Education or a degree in a related field, if they have had pre-school teaching experience by September 2003.
An important and innovative part of the project are the twelve "Communities of Learners" (COLs) established in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The COLs are local citizens' groups who are assisted in their own communities by the technology infrastructure of OSU and Q-Net. The goal of these local communities of learners is to help teachers reach their academic goals and develop technology proficiency.
COLs include:- Pre-service teachers in Head Start, Early Head Start, child care, and elementary schools
- Parents
- Head Start Administrators
- Faculty from two- and four-year institutions of higher education
- Q-Net Program Enhancement Specialists and Professional Development Specialists
- Staff from a local Community Technology Center
- Staff from a local Family Literacy Agency
The COLs are diverse in their composition; all have a mix of assets and perspectives that will be brought together to create alternative career pathway for technology-proficient teachers.
THE Consortium also includes seven additional partners:
- Region Vb Head Start Quality Network (Q-Net)
- Ohio Department of Education, Division of Early Childhood Education
- Ohio Family Literacy Statewide Initiative
- Resources and Instruction for Staff Excellence (RISE, Inc.)
- Ohio Coalition for Associate Degree Early Childhood Programs
- Ohio Higher Education Consortium for Inclusive Early Childhood Education
- Ohio Community Computer Center Network (OCCCN).
Staff for project are part of the Center for Special Needs Populations in the School of Physical Activities and Educational Services at The Ohio State University College of Education.