2013-2014Head Start Annual Report

This brochure was prepared through a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Community Action Council services are provided without regard to race, religion, sex, age, color, national origin, handicap, marital status, sexual orientation, political affiliation or belief.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Total number of children and families served: 3,796

• Total number of breakfasts, lunches and snacks served: 171,192

• Percent of children exiting Head Start Programs “Ready to Learn”: 91%

• Total budget for Early Head Start, Head Start and Migrant Head Start: $15,975,889

• Percent of Families Receiving Family Services: 100%

Preparing young children for future academic success is one of Community Action Council’s (the Council) top priorities. In an effort to realize this goal, the Council offers three federally funded child development programs serving children from families with low-income ages birth to five and pregnant women: Early Head Start, Head Start, and Migrant & Seasonal Head Start. The Council’s Head Start programs utilize a comprehensive, developmentally-appropriate curriculum and learning environment to provide young children with the skills to enter school “ready to learn.”

CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

Children Served EHS HS MSHSNumber of Children Eligible for Education Services 3932 2621 1048Number of Children Receiving Services 556 1201 229Percent of Eligible Children Enrolled 14.14% 45.82% 21.85%

Children Over-Income EHS HS MSHSPercent of Children Over-Income 2% 10% 0% Children enrolled for multiple years EHS HS MSHSPercent of children enrolled for multiple years 62% 51% 46% Children with a Disability EHS HS MSHSPercent of Children with a Disability  7.3%  19%  8.1%Percent of preschool children receiving specialeducation or related services for one of the primary disabilities N/A 100% 100%

0.00%  

10.00%  

20.00%  

30.00%  

40.00%  

50.00%  

Percent  of  All  Eligible  Children  Enrolled  

Eligible  Children  Served  

EHS  

HS  

MSHS  

The Council recognizes that as a child’s first teachers—parents, along with their families and communities—are essential partners in a child’s development. Parent, family and community engagement (PFCE) is a cornerstone of the Council’s child development programs. PFCE is an understanding that staff, families and the larger community share in a responsibility for a child’s growth and learning.

The PFCE framework ensures that the relationships between staff and families are ongoing, culturally responsive, goal-directed and supportive of the best interests of the child. This comprehensive model ensures that each child is given every opportunity to reach their full potential and that families are given the resources to move toward self-sustainability. Each of the Council’s community centers and

child development centers encourage parents and family members to volunteer in the classroom whenever possible. Parents and families are invited to take part in monthly parent meetings; participate in advisory councils; attend family literacy events; and enjoy the Annual Year-End Celebration at their local child development center. Families are encouraged to work with their Family Development Specialist and/or Family Service Worker to develop and work toward

the achievement of comprehensive goals.

With a focus on school readiness, the PFCE framework seeks to ensure that children and families are safe, healthy, and have increased financial security. Parent and family involvement are essential to a child’s everyday learning at home, at school, and within the community. Parents and families are encouraged to support and advocate for their children as they transition from one learning environment to another. Parents and families are asked to participate in leadership objectives to reach their goals and to improve the development and learning experiences of their children. Advancement of a parent’s own learning interests, through education, training, and other experiences is essential in supporting career and life goals. And finally, staff, parents and families work together to create warming, caring relationships that nurture each child’s learning.

School readiness begins the moment children and families enroll in our Head Start programs. The Council’s Head Start programs operate on the premise that children construct their own knowledge based upon their individual experiences. Teachers, with parent input, set individual goals for each child, identify experiences through which the goals will be achieved, identify the roles of parents and other support staff, provide materials and create an environment that supports growth. All activities are implemented from sound child development principles, rooted in evidence-based research. To ensure each child

receives high quality experiences, the Council developed a school readiness plan. The Council’s school readiness plan incorporates the outcomes of school readiness, family engagement, curriculum, assessment, and teaching practices. This plan is aligned with Kentucky’s Early Childhood Standards.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT- HOW WE DID IT

COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL READINESS

0%  10%  20%  30%  40%  50%  60%  70%  

Below  Expecta6ons   Mee6ng  Expecta6ons  

Exceeding  Expecta6ons  

Percen

t  of  C

hildren  

Post-­‐Program  Assessment  Results  

Social  Emo6onal  

Physical-­‐Gross  Motor  

Physical-­‐Fine  Motor  

Language  

Cogni6ve  

Literacy  

Mathema6cs  

• All teachers utilized Creative Curriculum, a research-based curriculum to ensure high-quality, effective instruction.

• All teachers also utilized Teaching Strategies GOLD, a research-based child development assessment tool.

• Teachers completed Teaching Strategies GOLD inter-rater reliability to ensure accurate scoring and assessment of children.

• The CLASS observation tool was utilized by Head Start staff 3 times throughout the year to ensure effective teacher-child interactions.

• All teachers created individualized development plans for each child to ensure needs-specific teaching and learning.

• Daily activities focused on social-emotional development by implementing Conscious Discipline, a comprehensive self-regulation program that integrates social-emotional

learning and discipline.• Family staff distributed school-

readiness packets with vital information for all families of rising kindergarteners.

• Staff hosted on-site kindergarten registration drives to assist families with navigating the enrollment process and easing the transition to kindergarten.

• Family staff assisted parents in obtaining necessary documentation to register their children for kindergarten.

• Teaching staff conducted a minimum of two home visits and two parent teacher conferences

during the year to discuss children’s strengths and areas of development.

• Teaching staff offered daily opportunities for children to develop skill sets in many areas that are predictive of future school and long-term success.

• Administrative staff ensured teachers received professional development based on research and developmentally appropriate practices.

0%  10%  20%  30%  40%  50%  60%  70%  80%  

Not  Yet  Observed   Emerging   Meets  Program  ExpectaBons  

Percen

t  of  C

hildren  

Post-­‐Program  Assessment  Results  

Science  and  Technology  

Social  Studies  

The  Arts  

PREPARING KIDS FOR KINDERGARTEN-HOW WE DID IT

HEALTH

The Council supports the continuum of children’s growth and development in all areas as outlined in our school readiness plan. These areas include physical health, social and emotional competency, approaches to learning, language and literacy, cognitive, general knowledge and family engagement. Head Start programs focus on health services in order for children to be healthy and ready

to learn. Head Start staff work directly with families to ensure that each child has a source of accessible, continuous health care. This means Head Start staff link families to medical and dental services to ensure that children are up-to-date on a schedule of well-child care and to instill the importance of preventive health care.

0%  20%  40%  60%  80%  

100%  120%  140%  160%  

Percent  of  children  up  to  date  on  EPSDT  schedule  

Percent  children  with  a  medical  and  or  dental  home  

Percent  of  preschool  children  

who  received  iden@fied  dental  

treatment  

Health  

EHS  

HS  

MSHS  

Results of Most Recent On-Site ReviewThe most recent monitoring review of the Council’s Head Start programs was conducted in January, 2014. The results were that all findings have been closed with no further action needed.

Results of Most Recent Financial AuditThe Council is subject to the Single Agency Audit Act and is audited on an annual basis. It is the published opinion of the independent auditor that in the most recent, completed audit (2013) that the Council is in compliance in all material aspects with the requirements applicable to each of the Council’s major programs.

MAKING THE GRADE

The Council’s Head Start programs offer a number of program service delivery models designed to meet the unique needs of children, families and communities. The type of service delivery model offered is determined by community need and capacity. The Council’s center-based model provides child development services to children, ages birth to five, within a center-based setting. This program model provides a structured learning environment, similar to the type of environment children will be exposed to in kindergarten and beyond.

The home-based option provides high-quality learning experiences in a child’s primary learning environment—the home. When viable for families and communities, the home-based option offers an excellent means of meeting family needs while providing the same comprehensive services as children enrolled in a center-based program. In the home-based model, Home Visitors meet with children and parents in their home for ninety minutes per week.

Home Visitors provide weekly lesson plans focusing on health, nutrition, dental, mental health, early childhood development, and family and community partnerships.

The Home-based program provides monthly socialization opportunities for children and parents to participate in activities outside the home. Group socializations are offered twice per month and feature activities that strengthen the lessons learned during home visiting sessions. As a child’s

primary teachers, the engagement and inclusion of parents in the planning and carrying out of activities is essential during both home visiting sessions and for group socialization events. Home-based programs are provided to children, birth to five, and pregnant women. In addition to weekly home visits and bi-monthly socialization events, home visitors work closely with children and families to ensure seamless transition between programs, models, and classroom settings.

In August 2013, the Council was forced to accept funding reductions totaling more than $1 million across all of its programs as a result of the decision made by the U.S. Congress to sequester all federal funds. These reductions hit the Council’s Head Start, Early Head Start, and Migrant Head Start child development programs the hardest as they are the organization’s largest federally funded programs. As a result, the Council was required to reduce the size of its Head Start program by a total of 51 slots, the Early Head Start program by 16 slots, and the Migrant Head Start program by 8 slots. In 2014, the Council was notified that its funding would be restored and that slots could be reallocated in the 2014-2015 program year.

Around the same time as sequestration, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (the Cabinet) cut the state-supported child care assistance program that provides subsidies for working families whose children attend child development centers. The Cabinet increased the income eligibility criteria from 150 percent of poverty to 100 percent of poverty and early statistics estimated that by the end of 2013, thousands of children in Kentucky could be impacted. In June of 2014, the Cabinet announced that income eligibility requirements would be restored to 140 percent of poverty in August of the current year and would increase again to 150 percent of poverty in July 2015.

The Council’s Head Start programs are based on the premise that young children benefit from a nurturing and supportive environment that allows them to construct their own knowledge based upon their individual experiences. Providing this level of high quality early childhood education begins with the evidence-based practices utilized within every classroom. Creative Curriculum is a developmentally and culturally appropriate curriculum utilized in all of the Council’s Head Start classrooms. Based on scientific research and fully aligned with Kentucky’s Early Childhood Standards, as well as national standards, Creative Curriculum provides a learning environment based on sound child development principles. The Creative Curriculum provides teachers, with parental input, the tools to: set individualized

goals; design experiences to meet those goals; parental/staff roles to achieve goal attainment; and the materials to support a child’s educational experiences.

In addition to Creative Curriculum, all of the Council’s Head Start teachers use Teach Strategies GOLD (TSG). TSG is an assessment tool designed to create a developmental profile for each child, age birth through kindergarten. TSG ensures that each classroom is a responsive learning and developmental environment. TSG allows teachers to further develop individualized goal plans based of the developmental profiles, including need specific goals and lesson plans, for each child. TSG enables teachers to effectively support the children they serve.

Finally, all child development

staff are extensively trained to use Conscious Discipline model. Conscious Discipline is an evidence-based, comprehensive self-regulation program that integrates discipline and social-emotional learning. Conscious Discipline is a longtime leader in the integration of classroom management with social-emotional learning. Conscious Discipline empowers teachers to consciously respond to daily conflict, transforming it into an opportunity to teach critical life skills to children.

The bilingual and culturally appropriate nature of the Creative Curriculum, Teaching Strategies GOLD, and Conscious Discipline facilitates the learning process for English/Spanish dual learners, especially those in Migrant Head Start classrooms.

CONSTRUCTING THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

RESTORATION OF SEQUESTRATION AND OTHER BUDGET CUTS

Environment, daily routine, and learning opportunities within the classroom all influence a child’s ability to learn. Through ongoing observation and assessment, each child’s learning is continually monitored and assessed. This ongoing practice of monitoring provides insights into individual children’s strengths, knowledge, interests and skills. The data collected during pre-, mid- and post- assessments are used to determine

a child’s growth and learning and to find ways to support their individual developmental needs, ensuring that each child leaves our programs “ready to learn.” The Council’s ongoing monitoring procedures allows us to take stock of our child development programs and to make appropriate changes to better meet the needs of the children and families that we serve. The assessments utilized by the Council’s Head Start programs measure a child’s age appropriate

development in seven key developmental domains, including; social emotional competency, gross physical motor skills, fine physical motor skills, language development, cognitive development, literacy skills and mathematics. As evidenced by the “Post-Program Assessment Results” graph, over 90 percent of children, on average, met or exceeded expectations across all domains.

WHY INVESTMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION MATTERS

Investment in Early Childhood Education is one of the most direct ways to impact the long-term wellbeing of children, families, and communities. The period of birth to age five is a time in which cognitive abilities and social and emotional skills are rapidly developing, providing a foundation for future success. Early childhood education affects the economic, social, mental and physical health of young children throughout their lifetimes. According to a recent report, for every $1.00 investment in early childhood education, an extra 0.64¢ is generated in the Kentucky economy . Even more interesting investments in early childhood education outperform investments in all other industries, including construction (0.62¢), oil, gas and mining (0.61¢), retail (0.59¢) and transportation (0.58¢). Noble Laureate James Heckman says, “a solid body of research shows the cost-effectiveness of early childhood development in helping to prevent achievement gaps, boost school achievement, promote better health outcomes, improve

our workforce, increase productivity and reduce the need for costly social spending.” The earlier that communities invest in early childhood education programs, the more likely young children will be afforded the opportunity to grow into their full potential. Providing children with the tools necessary to become highly educated and skilled adults increases productivity and economic success for everyone.

EDUCATIONAL IMPACT

In 2014, Head Start programs and Community Action Agencies across the nation commemorated a significant milestone—50 years of service to children and families with low-income.

On August 20, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson declared a War on Poverty and signed the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 which launched community action agencies and what would later become known as the Head Start programs into fruition. Community Action Council was established on March 25, 1965 and became a Head Start grantee within two years.

In January 2014, the Council’s Board of Directors voted to change the Council’s long-time mission statement “to combat poverty” to a statement that articulates an emphasis on prevention and an explanation of how the Council is combating poverty: “Community Action Council prevents, reduces and eliminates among individuals, families and communities through direct services and advocacy.”

 -­‐        

 1,500,000    

 3,000,000    

 4,500,000    

 6,000,000    

 7,500,000    

EHS   HS   MSHS   Non-­‐Federal  Match  

Annual  Head  Start  Programs  Budget  

50 YEARS OF HEAD START AND COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCIES

Summary of RevenueFederal $18,434,092 State $936,374 Private $3,399,427 Local $150,975 In-Kind $2,504,227 TOTAL $25,425,095

Summary  of  Expenses  

Salaries  

Fringe  

Contracts  

Supplies  

Space  

Travel  

Comm  &  IT  

Beneficiary  Asst.  

In-­‐Kind  

Other  

Total Expenditures - $ 25,117,654

FINANCIAL SNAP SHOT