Annual Report for Community Services Agency Head Start

Transcription

1 Annual Report for Community Services Agency Head Start It is the philosophy of Community Services Agency Head Start to recognize the diversity of family values and beliefs. Through education, we promote inclusion, awareness, equality and a sense of belonging for everyone.

2 Community Services Agency Head Start provides a comprehensive program for low income children from 3-5 years of age. Families receive pre-school services for their children in a program focused on school readiness and parent engagement. In addition, children are provided health services, nutrition assessments, height and weight assessments and a variety of health screenings. Parents set family goals and work in partnership with the program to achieve those goals. Social service assistance and referrals are provided. Mental health services and special education services are available for children and parents receive parenting classes, child development training and other family enrichment training. The program is focused on improving child and family outcomes. Community Services Agency serves Washoe and Lyon County with center based preschool services to a total of 568 children. Families participate in home visits, parent teacher conferences and volunteer opportunities throughout the program. Pre-schools are located throughout the community- often on site at public schools. There are a total of 34 classrooms at 8 locations. In 2015 Community Services Agency will expand its services to include Early Head Start children aged 0-3 years of age through two exciting childcare partnerships and State Pre-school services designed to serve children up to 200% of poverty.

3 CSA Head Start is governed by the Community Services Agency Board of Directors and the CSA Head Start Policy Council members of which at least 51% are parents of children in the program. The CSA Policy Council also includes community members representative of community partners as well as diverse aspects of the community and a representative of the Community Services Agency of Directors. The model of decision making used by the Board of Directors and the Policy Council is shared decision making. The Board of Directors meets as a full body every other month with committee meetings in the intervening months. The Policy Council meets on a monthly basis yearround and oversees the Head Start program, voting to approve grant applications, budget reports and program services. Detailed monthly activity reports are presented by the Head Start Director and staff. The discussions of the Policy Council are documented in Policy Council minutes.

4 The goal of Community Services Agency Head Start is to improve child and family outcomes, including school readiness, by providing a continuum of comprehensive services that support families who work in partnership with CSA Head Start. Community Services Agency is a non-profit organization which recently celebrated its 50 th anniversary. It is a multi- purpose community services agency that is also a community action agency. A community action agency partners with the local community in a wide variety of ways to improve the quality of life in the community. Indeed, CSA s mission statement is: Working to improve lives and communities. Making a Difference in a Young Child s Life Head Start is a national initiative funded at the Federal level in each state of the union. Head Start is an early childhood program which is designed to invest in the future of children. One primary purpose of Head Start is to do everything we can to prepare children for kindergarten. CSA Head Start is proud to be a part of this national initiative. CSA is a multi- purpose community action social service agency which leverages a wide variety of programs to aide Head Start families in their efforts to enhance family selfsufficiency and improve their child s school readiness. Among the programs the agency provides are workforce initiatives, weatherization and various emergency services. These services supplement Head Start services which focus on early childhood education and school readiness. CSA Head Start Comes Alongside Parents to Help Children Succeed!

5 Overview of CSA Head Start in Counties Served: Washoe County and Lyon County Center Based Services: Ages Served in :

6 Fiscal Year Funding Level: Federal Head Start Grant Grantee Budgetary Expenditures

7 CSA Head Start Grant Summary Information Grantee Average Monthly Enrollment: 100% Grantee maintains a waiting list of eligible children. Grantee 2014 Federal Review: No areas of non-compliance Grantee Financial Audit: No Findings Education Services Community Services Agency utilizes Creative Curriculum, a nationally known Early Childhood curriculum which has a built in assessment of each child s progress over the course of the school year. Following an initial screening with Brigance each child is assessed three times in each learning area including language, math, social emotional, science and other developmental levels. Parents participate in home visits and parent teacher conferences several times per year with the purpose of discussing their child s learning progress as well as setting goals for future learning. In the classrooms teachers develop studies based on the children s interests and create engaging hands on activities for the children to do. The studies usually involve someone from the community coming in to the talk to the children about something related to the study such as a chef talking to the children about cooking. Information Regarding CSA Head Start s Efforts to Prepare Children for Kindergarten During the school year CSA Head Start sets school readiness goals with the assistance of the Education and Family School Readiness Committee. That committee is essential in helping come up with activities related to the program goals as well as any ideas for how to enhance school readiness across all program areas. Each classroom also has their own specific school readiness plan and parents are informed of goals through newsletters and goals are shared with the Policy Council and the Board of Directors. Trainings and professional development are also related to school readiness goals and activities. See below CSA Head Start School Readiness Goals.

8 Listed here are the CSA Head Start School Readiness goals: Domain Goals: 85% of children will score at Widely Held Expectations level for age in each area. Social and Emotional Development Language Development Literacy Knowledge and Skills Approaches to Learning & Logic & Reasoning Children will develop positive friendships with peers. TS.2d/4.PK.1a Children will demonstrate an ability to solve social problems, resolving conflict with adult intervention when appropriate or alone through negotiation and compromise. TS. 3b/4.PK.1d & 4.PK.1c Children will respond to emotional cues recognizing and regulating emotions particularly in response to others. TS.2b/3.PK.2a & 3.PK.2b Children will comprehend language and develop the ability to speak clearly.ts.8a & TS.9b/8.PK.1 Children will engage in conversations using appropriate conversational skills. TS.10a & TS.10b/8.Pk.4a & 8PK.4c Dual Language Learners will demonstrate progress in speaking English. TS.38 Children will identify and discriminate rhyme and alliteration, recognizing that different words begin with the same sound. TS.15a & TS. 15b/1.PK.1 Children will identify letters and associate the letters with sounds. TS. 16a & 16b/1.PK.3 & 1.PK.2 Children will demonstrate knowledge emergent reading skills. TS.18b/1.PK.5 Children will demonstrate an increasing capacity engage and persist, showing the ability to begin and finish activities. TS.11a. TS.11b/6.PK.1a & 6.PK.1d Children will recognize, understand and analyze a problem and draw on knowledge or experience to seek solutions to a problem. TS. 11c & 12a/4.Pk.1d Mathematic Knowledge & Skills Physical Development and Health Science, Social Studies & The Arts Children will develop the ability to count, quantify and connect numbers with their quantities. TS.20a, 20b, & 20c/1.PK.4a, 1.PK.4b & 1.Pk.5 Children will develop an understanding of shapes, spatial sense and attributes and relative properties of objects. TS 21a, 21b & 22/2.Pk.1, 4.Pk.1a & 4.Pk.2 Children will control small muscles for such purposes as using utensils, selfcare, building, writing, and exploring. TS.7a/6.Pk.2 Children will demonstrate knowledge of physical properties of objects and materials. TS. 26/P.PK.1 Children will demonstrate knowledge of the natural and physical world and

9 *TS is the Teaching Strategy objective it reflects *PK is the Nevada Pre-Kindergarten Standard it reflects also an understanding of simple geographic knowledge. TS.27 & TS.32 Children will express thoughts, feelings and energy through music. TS.34

10 Listed here are the most recent School Readiness Assessment results: SCHOOL READINESS DATA Fall-Winter-Spring Comparison The report is a snapshot of the Fall, Winter and Spring assessment data in agency goal areas. These numbers only reflect children who will be continuing on to Kindergarten in the Fall. These numbers show the percentage of children who fall in the Widely Held Expectations for development and learning which shows the developmental levels expected of children of their age at the beginning and end of a program school year. The goal of CSA is to have 85% of children fall in that category.

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13 Transition Activities CSA Head Start works with parents and the local school district to ensure Head Start children have a smooth transition into the public school system: 1. CSA Head Start collaborates with two local LEAs in a wide variety of ways to transition children into their new schools and to track their progress. 2. CSA collaborates with Parent University to provide on- site parent training on Kindergarten. 3. Head Start children visit kindergarten classrooms in the spring. 4. Families of kindergartners receive transition packets with valuable information to assist with kindergarten transition. 5. Classroom lesson plans include transition activities. 6. CSA Head Start has a School Readiness Committee which meets quarterly. 7. Parents receive school readiness progress reports and child portfolios they are encouraged to share with the kindergarten teacher.

14 Health Services Information CSA Head Start works closely with parents to ensure that all children s health needs are met. We have a nutritionist who does one on one consultation with families regarding their children s dietary needs and also provides staff training around nutrition in the classroom. CSA Head Start has a strong partnership with local community agencies to help ensure children s health needs are being met. Our Health Team completes health screenings on all children to ensure that they are growing and thriving appropriately for their age. If any concerns arise, we notify the parent as soon as possible. If parents are unable to get their child into a health provider in a timely manner, or if a parent does not have health insurance for their child, we work with the families to provide other resources and options.

15 Parent Involvement CSA Head Start provides a wide range of parent involvement and family engagement activities throughout the school year. All parents are encouraged to volunteer in the classrooms to improve the classroom experience for their child and all the children and this also helps the program meet its required in-kind donation amount. The program sponsors classroom activity days where parents and significant others are invited in to work on fun learning projects with their child. We have a Fatherhood Committee which meets regularly and plans special activities to enhance male involvement and we have regular classroom and program wide events like Science Activities and play days. We host health fairs and field days which are fun family interaction days. We provide adult training events on parenting, positive discipline, cooking, nutrition and financial fitness as well as other topics.

16 Special Events/ Accomplishments in the School Year Secured Early Head Start Child Care Partnership Grant to serve infants and toddlers in partnership with local childcare centers. Secured financial coaching grant to work with families on their personal financial goals. Secured nutrition grant to expand upon nutrition activities for parents and children. Implemented a garden project at Head Start school sites Invited lots of farm animals to our school sites Graduated 8 parents from a project designed to help them get AA Degrees in Early Childhood Education