School Year

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1 School Year The Williamsburg Y Head Start located at 64 Division Avenue Brooklyn, New York is a comprehensive family focused and federally funded child development program, which has been in existence for over forty years. It is a unique program because it encourages creative program designs, including collaboration with community agencies, to meet the different needs of children and their families. As an all inclusive and comprehensive program Head Start children receive a variety of learning experiences which foster intellectual, physical, social, and emotional growth. The program conducts self-assessment throughout the year to help check the progress the program is making toward its goals and objectives. Throughout the process the program is able to identify systemic issues, and recommendations are made either to maintain the status quo or to make changes. The leadership team determines the self-assessment process and presents to the Policy Council and Sponsoring Board for approval. After recruiting team participants, orientation and training is conducted. The team collects and analyzes the data and results are shared with staff, families and board members. Recommendations are made based on the outcomes and changes (if needed) are implemented. TEACHING PRACTICES: EDUCATION OUTCOMES This was our first year implementing Creative Curriculum, which is a forwardthinking, comprehensive, research-based and research-proven curriculum. Implementation of this curriculum helped teachers to be more effective, while still honoring their creativity and respecting their critical role in making learning exciting and relevant for every child. In addition, we implemented Teaching Strategies GOLD which is the assessment tool aligned with Creative curriculum. Teaching Strategies GOLD is an assessment based on teachers' observations of children solving problems, interacting, and creating products. It is designed for students in preschool through 5th grade, the GOLD assessment includes three interrelated elements: -Developmental guidelines and checklists -Portfolios -Summary reports

2 Creative curriculum as well as GOLD assessment are used in UPK and are accepted by OHS. We will continue to provide training and support to the staff on the curriculum and the assessment tool in order to enhance teaching practices and child s outcome. PD/MENTORING/COACHING: Mentoring, coaching and supervision of the staff is provided on a consistent basis. Throughout the year the following professional development was given to the staff: Assessment Instruments ESI, PKBS, GOLD, CLASS, School Readiness Checklist CLASS several trainings were given focusing on specific domains Creative Curriculum/Unit Planning STEM- Science, Technology, Engineering and Math IPDP- Individual Professional Development Plan based on teachers needs Systemic formal and informal observations were conducted, and recommendations were made and implemented where necessary. At the end of the year, performance evaluation of the staff was done and Staff Needs Assessment will be analyzed. Based on the Needs Assessment professional development plan will be developed and a training plan for August will be scheduled. In addition, based on CLASS scores/outcomes additional trainings will be given in areas of greatest need. HAPPENNINGS : Education in Dance- Integrating dance with all of the arts, and linking with the academics, the program combines basic dance skills, drama games for self-esteem, quality music (classical, ethnic, jazz), visual art forms, focus techniques, nutritional awareness and tumbling. The curriculum highlights shapes, levels, colors, spatial concepts, seasonal themes and loco motor skills. Celebrations/Special Events- pumpkin patch, winter festival, dentist visit, and friendship day. Father s initiative: This year we held Fathers initiative week twice. The first event took place the week of March 9 th and was a great success. Many fathers/male figures took part in a variety of activities planned by the

3 teachers. Therefore Sports Week was planned for the week of June 15 th. The Sports Week was a great success, in each classroom there was a large turnout of fathers/male figures in each classroom. The most positive aspect was that although it was Father s Initiative, mothers were also welcomed and were involved. Literacy Day/Reading Rainbow - the children and staff worked hard to put on a great show for parents. The activities demonstrated the children s knowledge and skills and reflected the strengths of the teachers. The activities in the classrooms were creative, interactive, age-appropriate, fun, and engaging for the children as well as for parents. Teachers enthusiasm to engage parents as part of the classroom activities was well received. Trips The children will had the opportunity to visit the Queens Zoo, The museum of Natural History and Puppetworks Theater. A fun time was had by all. SPECIAL EDUCATION: Research supports the notion that early intervention services are critical to longterm positive outcomes. To ensure seamless transition and interagency coordination we have been collaborating closely with several agencies to conduct evaluations and provide services to our children. 48 of our children were identified and referred as needing special education and related services during the program year. Parents also benefited from these CPSE (Committee for Preschool Special Education) services and received training and coaching around how to advocate for their children and support them in the home. Children without IEP's Children with IEP's All of our children with IEPs moving on to kindergarten have been observed by teams from the Committee on Special Education (CSE). Most have been

4 recommended for general education classrooms with no additional services. Eight children will enter ICT class (Integrated Co-Teaching) with speech services. Tracking documentation on SN children and their folders have been updated. 2 Children with Speech Services 2 Children ICT Integrated Co-Teaching 1 Child self contained calss 19 children General Ed. (no services) TRANSITION: A goal of the program is to move children to kindergarten as smoothly as possible so that their educational experiences at Head Start are not lost. We have been most successful in developing a relationship with the leadership of the local schools in the community. The door has been opened. Through these collaborations the public schools have recognized the caliber of the children who attend the Williamsburg Y Head Start, and are always keen to enroll children from this agency into their school. Our transition to Kindergarten involved the following steps: Parents of children moving on to Kindergarten were offered orientation about the different schools/programs in the community. A School Fair was organized where principals from neighboring schools were invited to highlight the uniqueness of their particular school. Parents had the opportunity to learn, ask questions and meet with the principals. Teachers prepared children for moving on at the end of the year through discussions, books and related activities. A Moving On ceremony was held at the end of the year to culminate children s experiences at Head Start.

5 The agency organized visits to various public schools for parents and children. At this time, children also get the opportunity to interact in some of the classrooms. Summary of data from Teaching Strategies Gold Assessment for school year Fall 2014 Spring Social Emotional Physical Language Cognitive Literacy Mathematics 3 year old classrooms After analyzing the data from the three periods, growth was revealed in each area of development. The most growth was shown in the Literacy domain (19.9%) and Cognitive domain (18%) which indicates that teachers implemented new strategies learned during professional development/workshops.

6 Fall 2014 Spring Social Emotional Physical Language Cognitive Literacy Mathematics 4 year old classrooms The data analysis shows growth in all domains. Amongst all areas of development the literacy (27.7 %) and cognitive (19.4 %) domains demonstrated the highest level of growth. Again this growth can be attributed to implementation of innovative strategies learned during professional development workshops.

7 PARENT OUTCOMES Parents set goals for themselves with the assistance of the family advocates; Most were attainable. The following are some of the goals that parents chose and have attained: Child Care 32% of the families needing child care have attained services through referrals made by the family advocates. This service allowed parents to seek employment or enroll in school. Nutrition Workshops 52% of the parents who have chosen to participate in these workshops have received excellent information on proper foods and menus to avoid obesity in their families. Family Counseling 17% of the parents that have met with the Mental Health provider and have enlisted the services of their own private provider. The Mental Health Consultant makes outside referrals when necessary which is helpful to the Head Start parent. Immigration Services 9% of families needing these services have been successful. They were directed to the right immigration office. Food Stamps 31% of families in need of food stamps have been able to receive their proper share. Child Abuse 27% of our families have attended child abuse training at the center. Domestic Violence 33% of our families have shared the need for domestic violence training and have attended this training at the center. Parenting Sessions 41% of the parents in need of these sessions have participated at the center through the Mental Health consultant or outside referrals.

8 School Enrollment 48% of the parents that have voiced their need and assistance for further education have been successful in enrolling in a school that fulfills their needs. Employment 41% of the parents seeking employment have been successful. The agency has a Classified Bulletin Board. Parents are encouraged to seek jobs posted. The staff have assisted parents in writing resumes, how to go on an interview, etc. Medical 34% of our families have received proper medical referrals. All of these families have received medical homes for their entire family. Housing 41% of families with housing issues have had their issues resolved. ESL 27% of parents who had the need to enroll in ESL classes have had positive outcomes. GED 45% of parents who had the need to enroll in high school equivalency have been successful. End of Year Parent Outcomes 2015 Childcare Nutrition Workshop Family Counseling Immigration Svc Food Stamps Child Abuse Domestic Violence Parenting Sessions School Enrollment Employment Medical Housing ESL GED

9 UPDATED COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT DATA Updated community assessment data and data gathered through ongoing monitoring determined the need to expand our catchment area to include Community Board #5. According to the Community Board #5 District Needs Statement for fiscal year 2016 the demographic changes in the Williamsburg/Greenpoint area include the growing influx of artists and young professionals who seek affordable housing and loft space than cannot be found in Manhattan. These new residents have brought positive attention and new revenues to the community, but problems have emerged as well. The already inadequate supply of affordable housing and apartment availability of has become even scarcer as spaces are renovated and transformed for these new residents who can pay higher rentals. These changes in the community have forced low-income families to relocate to Ridgewood (Zip Code 11385) Maspeth (Zip Code 11378) (Community Board #5) which is closest in proximity to Williamsburg/Greenpoint (Zip Code 11211) (Community Board #1). Families share housing because even this available space is very costly. There is an obvious correlation between the increases in illegal apartments and the overcrowded local schools. Overcrowding in the local schools has become a great concern throughout Community School District 24, of which the communities of CB5 Queens are a major part. Historically, Community School District 24 has been among the most overcrowded in the City. While this is not true in all neighborhoods, it has certainly been a problem in the Ridgewood community. P.S. 81-Q needs a school addition to replace the deteriorated temporary classrooms in the schoolyard. The education of children is suffering as attempts are made to teach in gyms and auditoriums. Our agency works constantly to identify and overcome barriers to parent participation. We view various possible barriers not as something negative or unsolvable, but rather as an opportunity to formulate and implement solutions.

10 We identify potential impediments through communicating well with families, carefully analyzing family partnership agreements and parent surveys. Some recurring issues and the adjustment we have made are as follows: Families whose primary language is other than English: Staff members speak the dominant languages (Polish, Spanish and English) to translate since many of our staff are bi-lingual. Families with scheduling conflicts: We provide meetings, workshops and home visits at times convenient to families and offer families scheduling options so they can better meet their responsibilities without conflicts. Families with cultural barriers: Our diverse staff helps families to understand that they become fully involved in every aspect of their child s education and health care. Language is not a barrier since the staff is multilingual. Families reluctant to interact with other resources in the community: We bring resources such as public library staff to our site so that families can meet and interact with outside providers in a comfortable, controlled and familiar area.