Final Project, Week 5Head Start Program Evaluation

Holly Conner

March 24, 2010

MPA 6115

Evaluation Findings

Parental Involvement– Head Start parents have a positive attitude toward

parenting Spend more time with children Create stimulating home environment Reading to child daily

– High impact seen in those enrolled during pregnancy and African Americans

– Areas of improvement: Communication between staff and parents Increase in resources for increasing involvement at home Need for ongoing parental support groups and regular meeting

with staff

Evaluation Findings

Disability Recruitment– Average of 10% client population designated as

disabled.– Recruitment methods include partnerships with:

Disability service agencies (Medicare Part C) Pediatrician offices Community disability organizations

– Early intervention needed to identify children in need

Evaluation Findings

Disability Recruitment– Areas of Improvement

New outreach and assessment programs

Expansion of partnerships to include hospitals and additional pediatric practices

Evaluation Findings

Testing and Assessment– Regular interval testing present at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24

months, followed by every year until age 5.– Documented areas of concern and facilitated discussion

with parents Developed plan of action to address concerns

– Resistance by parents due to stigma of a delayed child– Areas of Improvement

Partnerships with behavioral and educational specialist to increase support options to parents.

Evaluation Findings

Nutritional Protocol– Nutritional guidelines established by federal

government– Overall parental satisfaction– Areas of Improvement

Increased variety within guidelines More fresh, less processed foods Cooking/nutrition lessons for parents Increased information on home nutrition

Presentation Methods

Group presentation with Q&A– Slideshow

Data charts Guideline examples Examples of existing documentation

– Assessment forms– Nutritional regulations

– Handouts

Learning Culture

What is a learning culture?– “An organization that knows how to learn, with

people who freely share what they know and are willing to change based on the acquisition of new knowledge” (Rosenberg, 2008)

– Head Start can use the variety of backgrounds of all stakeholders as an advantage to sharing knowledge and adapting to change as needed.

Learning Culture

Why is a learning culture needed?– “If organizations can sense and respond to

emerging opportunities, there is a good chance they will endure. If they can sense and respond to each new opportunity with greater ingenuity and speed…there is a good chance they will bloom” (Conner & Clawson, 2002)

– In order to address the continuingly changing needs of Head Start, stakeholders need to plan for the future today.

Learning Culture

Involvement of all stakeholders is needed to facilitate continued learning and improvement– Findings indicate areas of expansion of current

services to improve outreach potential– Sharing of ideas and resources will increase

Head Start outreach and improve community impact

– Change must be embraced, not challenged.

Final Thoughts

Moving Forward– Noted areas of improvement should be explored to find how

Head Start can expand services and improve parent/center relations

– Evaluator will: Provide additional data to support findings Assist in determining improvement priority Direct administrators to known resources to aid in

improvement plan Help create timeline for improvements and possible re-

evaluation

References

Conner, M.L., & Clawson, J.G. (2002). Creating a Learning Culture. Ageless Learner. Retrieved from http://agelesslearner.com/articles/lc_connerclawson_tc600.html

Rosenberg, Marc. (2008, April-May). Building a Learning Culture. ELearning! Magazine. Retrieved from http://marcrosenber.com/images/Building_an_E-Learning_Culture.pdf