On January 1, 2016, the Department of Human Service’s Division of Family Development (DHS-DFD) contracted Rowan University College of Education Center for Access, Success, and Equity (CASE-RW) to fund the Early Childhood Leadership Institute (ECLI). ECLI develops and supports early childhood education professionals and leaders to build national and instate capacity through continuous quality improvement. The center is led by co-directors Dr. Kelley Perkins and Dr. Zeynep Isik-Ercan.
ECLI is part of Center for Access, Success, and Equity (CASE) at Rowan University College of Education. CASE is established to respond to the needs for providing access, success and equity for all learners. The center serves as a research and resource center in South Jersey. CASE houses the College of Education’s PhD program. In addition, CASE provides professional development and policy guidance to organizations, agencies, and legislators in addressing issues of access, success, and equity.
The vision of the College of Education is to be a leading force in preparing and supporting reflective practitioners who use education to transform our global society. This vision is operationalized through a mission, which includes the following goal: To positively impact and develop local, regional, national and global educational communities by: collaborating with partners in the field to promote learning and the mental and physical health of diverse learners in all settings; integrating teaching, research, and service to advance knowledge in the field; preparing and supporting professionals through the development of knowledge, skills and dispositions with the ultimate goal of ensuring equitable educational opportunities for all learners.
ECLI utilizes a research based conceptual framework described in the figure below:
Perkins & Isik-Ercan, 2017
