SH.3.1 Discussion: Potential Policy-Oriented Advocacy Project Topic

Leadership Advocacy Assignment

We have worked through the module on advocacy. This module has identified what advocacy is, its importance to the profession,

provided guidelines for developing advocacy skills, and given some examples of actions in advocacy.

The overall purpose of this project is for you to develop skills you would use in the field as a professional, a leaders, and an

advocate. Because of the context of this being an online course, we will focus primarily on written communication, with the

understanding that advocacy skills depend as much upon your ability to interact with others face-to-face as through print and other

media.

You will have several different audiences for this project; consider the audience and purpose of the particular aspect of the project as

you develop your advocacy actions.

You are to craft an “advocacy statement”; this statement should summarize the changes you wish to advocate for within the field.

Essentially this statement should describe the desired advocacy outcome – what you wish to make happen. I will refer to the “DAO”

which is the Desired Advocacy Outcome. Your advocacy statement should be a description of your DAO. Your DAO should address

either a state or federal level issue in early childhood education.

Your DAO needs to be something specific and manageable. For example, I am all for “raising quality of early childhood programs”

but that is far too vague a policy action. You must have approval from me that your DAO will fit within the context of this assignment.

The rest of the assignment essentially revolves around the DAO.

You will write a Fact Sheet or one page bulleted summary of the research. Think of this as a “cheat sheet” you might share with

other advocates or policy makers (who do not want to read and 8 to 10 to 20 page research paper). This should be the bones of

your literature review.

You will write a literature review which provides the foundation for your DAO, synthesizing the argument for your DAO from the

professional literature. This should be a minimum of 8 pages of text *** for the literature view, not inclusive of references, title pages,

and other non-text accoutrements. This literature review should be based on professional literature. Excellent work will call upon

original research publications to integrate them into your discussion (as opposed to consistently referring only to how others interpret

that research).

***PLEASE NOTE – I do not like giving page number amounts. Honestly, a thorough literature review of a topic along the lines any

of you are likely to choose should be well past 8 pages, as BOOKS are written on these issues.

Good advocates understand the arguments opponents will make – why would policy makers, the public, other professionals and

professions NOT support your DAO? Almost all policies required some type of funding for implementation – so one aspect of

opponents’ arguments will typically addressing using funding for ECE rather than other more immediate or more direct needs. Who

might be opposed to your DAO? For example, you want to raise salaries for staff – that is a public funding issue for public programs

(like ABC and Head Start) and an issue that cuts into the business model of private providers. How do you address those concerns?

Consider carefully your proposed DAO and then discuss how to counter arguments against your DAO.***

***NOTE: This is an aspect of the project many students overlook.

You will then create advocacy actions that would be targeted to different audiences to persuade individuals to support your DAO. All

of your submissions for the assignment should clearly reflect back to your DAO and advocacy statement. There are a minimum of 3

advocacy actions for an acceptable paper; outstanding efforts will include at least 4. Your three actions must come from the

following:

• Letter to the editor of a newspaper taking your advocacy for your DAO to the public

• Letter to a relevant policy maker make the case for your DAO (Use appropriate salutations and formatting – this is another

area where students do not follow through effectively)

• Mutli-media (video, powtoon, etc.) or a series of connected posts to social media (such as Facebook, Twitter, or Google); if

you have other options you would prefer to use, contact me before submitting

• Infographic educating the public about your DAO

Your advocacy actions especially should also use a variety of technology tools/applications beyond simple word-processing/Word

type programs.

Review the resources provided on Blackboard to support your development of more specific aspects of the assignment (for example,

writing letters to the editor, writing to policy makers, creating infographics). My expectation is that your efforts, as professionals and

advocates, will demonstrate appropriate conventions of writing for each of these actions and audiences.

All aspects of the project will be graded with the NAEYC Standards Rubric, including Standard 6f: Demonstrating a high level of oral,

written and technological communications skills with specialization for specific professional roles emphasized in the program. As is

true for the whole class, graduate level standards for writing are in place. Use APA format for your references and citations. The text

formats (Sections A, B, D, E) should be double spaced; use APA formatting for Section D. Remember again to write to the

audience and purpose provided.

NOTE: This assignment provides potential documentation for meeting Standard 6 in your capstone portfolio. (The reflection you

provide in the portfolio is important for you to discuss how this meets Standard 6.)

Section of

project

Purpose of section Audience for

section

General expectations Submission format/

DUE DATE

(A)

Advocacy

Statement/

Accurately summarizes within 3

– 5 sentences the change for

which you are advocating; a

clear DAO is described

General –

included

course

instructor,

course and

professional

peers, policy

makers,

public

Easily accessible by all

audiences including

Clear

Concise

Accurate reflection

Specific DAO

3 – 5 sentences; double spaced

Discussion board

with feedback from

peers related to the

clarity of the

statement; feedback

from instructor about

specificity and

feasibility for project

Module 3.1 DB: –

potential topic

Initial post due

Thursday

Module 4.3

Assignment – Draft

Advocacy Statement

(also see section C

below) due Sunday

EOD

Module 6.1/6.2 Final

Project due Sunday

EOD

(B)

Connection to

NAEYC Code

Ground the advocacy

statement in ethical

considerations; demonstrate

understanding of how advocacy

Course

instructor

Provide a rationale based on the

ideals and principles of the

NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct

for your advocacy statement –

Submitted to

instructor via BB as

part of the Advocacy

assignment

of Ethical

Conduct

is part of the ethical

expectations within the

clearly connect your statement to

the Code of Conduct; several

paragraphs double spaced

Module 6.1/6.2 Final

Project due Sunday

EOD

(C)

Bulleted

Research

Summary

Provides a one page bulleted

summary of the research that

supports your DAO

Policy

makers

Professional

peers

Concise clear relevant summary

of the research in support of the

advocacy statement/DAO; one

page; APA citation format

Submitted to

instructor via BB as

part of the advocacy

assignment; posted

on BB advocacy blog

for peer feedback

Module 4.3

Assignment Draft

Advocacy Statement

and Bulleted

research Summary

due Sunday EOD

Module 6.1/6.2 Final

Project due Sunday

EOD

(D)

Literature

Review

Provide the research and

theory that gives evidence for

the appropriateness of your

DAO – what is the research

that tells us this is best

practice? How

strong/consistent are the

findings of the research.

Course

instructor

At the very least, all bulleted

points on your one page

summary should be addressed

here – with a strong analysis and

syntheses of the research and

theory in support of the DAO

Includes relevant research and

remains on topic

Uses professional

literature/sources for research

Submitted to

instructor via BB as

part of the advocacy

assignment

Module 6.1/6.2 Final

Project due Sunday

EOD

While your opinion is going to

play a role in this – this should

represent PROFESSIONAL

values and not personal values.

Fewer than 8 pages of text (not

counting reference section) is

likely to be insufficient to support

your argument

APA format for text and citations,

double spaced

(E)

Opposing

views

(consider this

part of the

literature

review)

Include a consideration of

opposing viewpoints. What are

the arguments AGAINST your

advocacy outcome?

Course

instructor

Thoughtful consideration to

potential opposing views;

considerations about anything

that would require public funding

should be addressed ; minimum

one page double spaced

Submitted to

instructor via BB as

part of the advocacy

assignment

Module 6.1/6.2 Final

Project due Sunday

EOD

(F.1)

Advocacy

actions –

letter to editor

Write a letter to the editor for a

local or state (such as

Democrat Gazette) supporting

the DAO

NOTE: creating the action is

the intent of the project; I

cannot determine if you do

actually send your letter (but I

encourage you to do so!)

public Meets accepted criteria for letter

to editor (length, format);

accurately reflects advocacy

position statement; uses lay

language; is persuasive; clearly

and consistently presents the

DAO

Posted to BB

advocacy blog for

feedback from peers

and instructor;

submitted via BB as

part of advocacy

assignment

Module 5.1. DB Draft

Advocacy Actions

Initial Post due

Thursday

Module 6.1/6.2 Final

Project due Sunday

EOD

(F.2)

Advocacy

actions –

letter to policy

maker

Write a letter to an

APPROPRIATE policy maker to

advocate for your DAO policy

change

NOTE: creating the action is

the intent of the project; I

cannot determine if you do

actually send your letter (but I

encourage you to do so!)

Relevant

policy maker

Meets accepted

criteria/formatting for letter to

policy maker(salutations/format,

length, voice), accurately reflects

advocacy position; uses formal

language; as addressed to

appropriate policy maker; is

persuasive; clearly and

consistently presents the DAO

Posted to advocacy

blog for feedback

from peers and

instructor; submitted

via BB as part of

advocacy

assignment

Module 5.1. DB Draft

Advocacy Actions

Initial Post due

Thursday

Module 6.1/6.2 Final

Project due Sunday

EOD

(F.3)

Advocacy

actions –

multi media or

social media

You have choices here – video

created or proposed posts to

social media venues (such as

twitter, FB, google hangouts…).

Social Media venue posts must

be a minimum of 5 connected

and consecutive posts created

to provide a “story” supporting

your DAO

Pubic Evidences good communication

skills for the format; uses lay

language/minimizes professional

jargon; makes good use of the

medium; persuasive; clearly and

consistently presents the DAO

Posted to advocacy

blog for feedback

from peers and

instructor; submitted

via BB as part of

advocacy

assignment

Module 5.1. DB Draft

Advocacy Actions

NOTE: creating the action is

the intent of the project; I

cannot determine if you do

actually post your social media

actions (but I encourage you to

do so!)

Initial Post due

Thursday

Module 6.1/6.2 Final

Project due Sunday

EOD

(F.4)

Infographic

Create an infographic that

informs the public about your

DAO

Public Correct information, persuasive,

lay language (minimalize

professional jargon); clearly and

consistently represents the DAO

Posted to advocacy

blog for feedback

from peers and

instructor; submitted

via BB as part of

advocacy

assignment

Module 5.1. DB Draft

Advocacy Actions

Initial Post due

Thursday

Module 6.1/6.2 Final

Project due Sunday

EOD