About Us
Gaye's consulting services range from delivering keynote addresses to leading interactive staff development sessions with teachers of young children and designing models of assessment and curriculum for state-wide projects, school districts and early childhood programs.
She has been the keynote speaker for Colorado AEYC, Rochester (NY) AEYC and the Focus on Children Conference in Rochester, MN. She has been a featured speaker for Georgia AEYC, Ohio AEYC, Indiana AEYC, Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA), Iowa AEYC and the New Mexico PreK Annual Institute.
Topics for staff development sessions have included:
Integrating Early Learning Standards in Play-Based Curriculum and Authentic Assessment Practices
Sharpening Observation and Documentation Skills
Portfolio Assessment
A Different Look at Lesson Planning for Programs for Young Children
Defining Curriculum in Early Childhood Settings
The Importance of Play
All sessions include small and large group discussions and are filled with practical tips and suggestions to help teachers return and implement new ideas in their classrooms.
State-Wide Projects
Two state-wide projects for the State of New Mexico have focused on observational assessment and portfolios: one for the Office of Child Development and the other, for the New Mexico PreK Program. Both have had great impact on improving quality services for young children as teachers and child care providers have gained greater understanding of child development, curriculum that is more focused on the individual child, and better documentation and communication with parents.
For over 7 years, state-funded preschools and child care programs have used Focused Portfolios to document and assess children's development. Over 20,000 portfolio samples have been reviewed by Gaye in order to collect data for the state regarding the changes in the quality of the teachers' documentation as well as to quantify and track the progress of the children.
After conducting an expert review of the exisisting New Mexico PreK Early Learning Outcomes, Gaye designed observational assessment tools (both checklist and portfolio) tied to the edited Outcomes for all New Mexico PreK programs. She also designed and implemented on-going training procedures throughout the state, as well as monitoring and data collection procedures.