NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area, Sahtu Settlement Area, Dehcho Region, North Slave Region, South Slave Region

Tags: social sciences, education, child care, adult education, childhood

Objective(s): To evaluate the current early childhood education delivery model and the Aurora College Early Childhood Development (ECD) Training program to determine if they are meeting the needs of students, parents, children, and communities in the NWT.

Project Description: GNWT Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) has commissioned this evaluation to: 1) determine if the current early childhood education delivery model and the Aurora College Early Childhood Development (ECD) Training programs are meeting the needs of students, parents, children, and communities in the NWT; and 2) learn about other models of training within the NWT and in other Canadian jurisdictions, the content of other early childhood training programs, and best practice trends in educational delivery to remote Aboriginal communities. The objectives will be met through: 1. a literature review based on materials approved by GNWT ECE; 2. an internet search to construct profiles of early childhood programs elsewhere; 3. developing, testing, and administering an interview guide to focus telephone interviews with at least eight early childhood program providers in southern Canada to confirm program profiles; 4. developing, testing, and administering an interview/focus group guide for in-person and telephone interviews and focus groups with seven Aurora College staff/contractors, seven directors/coordinators of early childhood programs, eight early childhood policy makers and program developers in the NWT, and eight individuals with experience taking the Aurora College Early Childhood Development Training Program along with five focus groups. Three focus groups will be made up of early childhood workers, one will be made up of family literacy staff, and one will be made up of early childhood consultants. In addition a structured questionnaire targeting early childhood workers and past/current students of the Aurora College Early Childhood Training Program will be disseminated through cooperation with the College and ECE Early Childhood Consultants. The evaluation is being undertaken by northern residents so social, cultural, educational and economic benefits will accrue to NWT citizens. The GNWT Department of Education, Culture and Employment is committed to providing an executive summary of the evaluation findings report to all participants, and to providing the full evaluation report to all those participants who request it. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from June 6, 2011 to June 30, 2011.