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For Spanish-speaking Madison College students who have the passion and drive to pursue a career in early childhood education, language is no longer a barrier to achieving their educational goal.
This fall, Madison College launched its one-year Child Care Services Technical Diploma, taught entirely in Spanish.
The new curriculum offers several certificate and diploma options in early childhood education programs, all taught in Spanish, giving more students access to earn credentials and enter the workforce.
For Madison College alumna Eisy Munoz Zarate, now a successful business owner with two daycare centers and 30-plus employees, it’s a transformative initiative.
“I truly believe that this is a unique moment where Madison College can take the lead by supporting more opportunities for Spanish-speaking educators,” Zarate says. “This effort will improve retention and empower dedicated professionals like myself to achieve our educational goals.”
Using data to drive change
As part of its Vision 2030 strategic plan, Madison College leaders are working to remove academic gaps that stand in the way of student success.
This includes looking closely at data for Spanish-speaking students and making changes that improve results in courses that are key to completing a degree.
Over the last 15 years, the college’s Hispanic student population has grown to over 18%, positioning it as an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
As the Hispanic population grows in Dane County and surrounding rural areas, Madison College can partner with community organizations, schools, employers, healthcare providers, and others under pressure to develop strategies and programs to address this community's needs.
Madison College leaders are analyzing the outcome data of Spanish-speaking students to identify and eliminate the largest academic success gaps in courses that are foundational to student persistence and completion.
The data showed that specific student groups, minority students, those aged 40 and older, and part-time students, were completing significantly fewer of the credits they enroll in, leading to disproportionate burdens of wasted time, cost, and lost momentum toward degree completion.
Changing course, meeting needs
By adapting courses and curriculum, Spanish-speaking students have opportunities to demonstrate their skills and complete their degrees and certificates.
With the help of a Workforce Innovation Grant (WIG), more students were able to take advantage of education to support their career goals, which also bolsters the pipeline of high-quality child care professionals.
Demand for the new Spanish language program is strong, with some classes already full and many more students eager to enroll.
“These changes reflect our commitment to making early childhood education more inclusive, accessible, and responsive to the needs of our community,” said Tina Ahedo, Vice President of Student Success Pathways.
These efforts support Madison College’s commitment to helping students stay on track and complete their goals.
Learn more about Madison College’s Vision 2030 Strategic Plan.
