Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education
Holly Seplocha, Ed.D.
Office: V4103
Phone: 973-720-2310
Email: seplochah@wpunj.edu
Office Hours: M 2:00-5:00 pm & By Appt.
Department: Elementary and Early Childhood Education
Position: Professor, Tenured; P-3 Coordinator Alternate Route Program
Area Specialization: Early Childhood Education
| Academic Degrees and Certifications |
- Ed. D. Rutgers University - Educational Administration & Supervision
- M.S. Wheelock College - Early Childhood Education, Leadership
- B.A. New England College - Elementary Education
- Certification: NJ Supervisor; NJ N-8 Teaching Certificate
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| Professional Experience |
- Consulting Senior Research Fellow – National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University
- National Consulting Associates
- Executive Director - The King’s Daughters Day School, Plainfield, NJ
- Child Development Administrator - Chicago Commons Association, Chicago, IL
- Head Start Director - Albany Park Community Center, Chicago, IL
- Faculty -Community College of RI: Education Specialist-Head Start Training Center
- Director/Teacher - Randolph Early Learning Center, Randolph, MA
- Preschool/Kindergarten Teacher - Green Acres School, N. Providence, RI
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| Current Teaching and Administrative Responsibilities |
- CIEC-501-60 R 5:00 - 7: 30 pm
- CIEC-636 -60 T 7:45 - 10 :00 pm
- CIEE-630 -60 M 5:00 - 7:30 pm
- EDUC 414-67 R 5:00 - 7:00 pm
- Supervise P-3 Student Teacher & Practicum students
- Coordinator of Modified Alternate Route P-3 program
- Faculty Advisor
- Project Director - Early Learning Improvement Consortium NJDOE grant
- Project Director – Early Launch to Learning Initiative NJ DOE grant
- Principal Investigator Lighthouse Evaluation Initiative (contract funded) in collaboration with the Association for Children of NJ & NJ Capital Fund.
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| Other Collegiate Assignments |
- Chair - Department Curriculum Committee
- Member- University Undergraduate Council
- Member - COE Curriculum Committee
- Member - Department Student Relations Committee
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| Professional Affiliations and Activities |
- Consulting Editor: Young Children Journal – National Association for the Education of Young Children
- Memberships: National Association for the Education of Young Children; Phi Delta Kappa; American Educational Research Association; National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators; International Reading Association; National Association for Multicultural Education; Association of Childhood Education International .
- NJ Professional Development Center for Early Care & Education, Policy Advisory Board Member; NJ Department of Education, Chair- Early Learning Improvement Consortium; Commissioner’s Steering Committee for Abbott, Chair - Committee to revise the Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework
- Member - National Easter Seals Professional Advisory Council
- Validator - National Academy of Early Childhood Programs, NAEYC
- Secretary - NJ Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators
- ETS: Local Advisory Committee for Development of Praxis Test in Early Childhood Education
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| Current Research Interests |
- Longitudinal Study of Abbott district Pre-k programs and Kindergarten classrooms.
- Understanding issues of diversity through using Gardner's Multiple Intelligences
- Exploring the relationship between teacher background, experience, and education (traditional vs alternate route) and the quality of preschool classrooms
- What is needed to improve the quality of preschool classrooms? What recommendations can be made regarding structural variables (materials and environment) and process variables (teacher interactions and professional development)?
- Emergent Literacy & Performance Based Assessment
- Using children's literature to support teacher development
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| Awards and Honors |
- National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators 2005 National Outstanding Teacher Educator of the Year Award.
- NJ Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators Outstanding Teacher Educator Award 2004.
- Expert testimony cited in the April 23, 2001 NJ Supreme Court Abbott Administrative Law decision on State preschool implementation 2000/2001 as a model comprehensive needs assessment for Abbott school districts.
- Angelo L. Tamaso Excellence in Dissertation Award sponsored by the Graduate School of Education Alumni Association at Rutgers University.
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