BOS 3-17- 14 PRESENTATION 2014 FINAL .PPT

Maricopa County
Head Start Zero-Five Program
Presentation to Our Vision:
Board of Supervisors Healthy, Educated Children
March 17, 2014 In Supportive Families

Presentation Purpose
1. Program Background
2. Governance: Roles and Responsibilities
3. Approval Items:
Community Assessment
Selection and Enrollment Criteria
Self Assessment
Training and Technical Assistance Plan
Strategic Goals and School Readiness
Goals

Vision and Mission
§ Vision for the future:
Healthy, Educated Children in Supportive Families
and Communities
§ Mission: Four things that we must do exceptionally well
1. Educate and develop young children,
2. Partner with families,
3. Develop and ensure strong community supports, and
4. Ensure that Staff are highly qualified and supported in
their work

Understanding the Challenges
When When children children enter enter kindergarten, kindergarten, there there are are already already
significant significant differences differences in in literacy literacy and and math math skill skill between between
children children of of low, low, middle, middle, and and high high socio-economic socio-economic status status (SES) (SES)
Entering Kindergarten Children from Lowest Children from Highest
SES Families SES Families
Counts to 20 48% 68%
Writes own Name 54% 76%
Recognizes letters of the 39% 85%
alphabet
Identifies initial sounds 10% 51%
of words
S. Neuman, “From rhetoric to reality: The case for high-quality
compensatory prekindergarten programs (2003)

Language Disparity
Children from Lowest SES Children from Highest SES
Families Families
Hours Read to Before
25 1000
Kindergarten
Children from Welfare Children from Professional
Families Families
Words addressed to child
by age 4 13 Million 45 Million
(cumulative, estimated)
S. Neuman, “From rhetoric to reality” (2003)
B. Hart & T. Risley, “The Early Catastrophe: The 30 Million Word Gap” (2003)

The Head Start Program
Research shows a strong connection between a
child’s early literacy development and school
success
For Low-income preschoolers, increasing early
literacy and math skills is vital to closing the
achievement gap
The Maricopa County Head Start program prepares
children for school, and supports family
engagement in their child’s learning

FY2014-2015 Grant Overview
§ July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2015 Annual Refunding
§ $22,708,901
§ Up to 2,614 Children and Pregnant Women
§ Additional 25% of the award is required to be met
through In-Kind Match
§ Delegate Agency – Catholic Charities
§ Increase from FY13 Base Funding and Enrollment
due to the restoration of sequestration and COLA

Who is Eligible to Participate?
AGE: Pregnant women and children up to the age of
five.
RESIDENCE: Children who reside in Maricopa County
(excluding City of Phoenix)
INCOME: Families whose income is at or below 100%
of Federal Poverty Guidelines
OTHER CATAGORIES: Children in Foster Care, Families
considered Homeless, and Families Receiving Public
Assistance

Who We Served 2012-2013
§ Total Children Served: 3,171
- Early Head Start: 415
- Head Start: 2,726
§ 88% Families living at/below
the Federal Poverty Level
§ 36 Homeless Children
§ 44 Foster Children
§ 34 Children with Justice
Involved Parent(s)
§ 203 Children of Teenaged
Parent(s)

Role of the Board
Legal and fiscal responsibility for program
administration
Providing Oversight
 Monthly Reports (finance, health, meals, program information)
 Board Liaison with Policy Council
 Shared Governance with Policy Council
Annual Approval
 Annual Grant Application and Budget
 Planning Activities
Community Assessment
Selection and Enrollment Criteria
Self Assessment
Strategic Goals
Training and Technical Assistance Plan

Community Assessment Data 2013-2014
§ The number of children under five years of age in poverty
increased by 10% between 2009 to 2012
§ The number of households receiving public assistance from
2010 to 2012 rose by 23%
§ Only 78% of Maricopa County 3rd graders passed reading
standards in 2011
§ Estimated over 93,000 minor children affected by parental
incarceration in 2011
§ Children ages zero to five comprised 44% of all homeless
children in Maricopa County in 2013
§ Cost of quality child care is prohibitive for most low and
moderate income families

Prioritizing Selection 2014-2015
Priorities and Preferences to children with greatest risks
identified in the communities we served:
Children with disabilities
Children in foster care
Children with teenaged parent(s)
Children whose parent is incarcerated or recently incarcerated
Children whose parent is active military or disabled veteran
Children whose family has a history of child abuse or neglect
Children who have been exposed to domestic violence
Children considered to be homeless

Self-Assessment 2012-2013
§ Completed a joint Self-Assessment process - Grantee and
Delegate from November 2013 - December 2013
§ Participation from all levels of staff, parents, and community
members
§ Fourteen Program Improvement Plans were created to address
identified areas of concern
§ One Corrective Action Plan was created to address an area of
non-compliance to program standards

Training Plans and Activities
Staff Qualifications
Tuition assistance, certifications, on-site learning cohorts
Quality Teaching and Learning
School Readiness, language and literacy, teacher-child
interactions, math and science curriculum, Teacher Mentors
Family and Community Engagement
Family Development Credential, parent training/workshops,
adult learning principles
Local and National Conferences and Trainings
Responding to Federal initiatives, developing leadership in the
community, interaction with promising practices in the field of
Early Childhood Education

Program Goals 2014-2017
Objective 1: Children are Ready for School
Meeting/Exceeding School Readiness Goals
Pass Kindergarten screening
Objective 2: Parents are Engaged in Their Child’s Learning
Implement early learning strategies at home
Attendance at parent trainings
Increased average daily attendance
Objective 3: Community Collaborations are Strengthened
Families receive assistance through community referrals
Program participation with school district early childhood systems
Objective 4: Staff are Supported in Their Work
Employment satisfaction
Reduce staff turnover

School Readiness Goals 2014-2015
Development, Knowledge and Skills
Social and Emotional
Physical Development and Health
Literacy
Language Development
English Language Development
Approaches to Learning/Science
Logic and Reasoning
Mathematics
Creative Arts Expression
Parent Engagement

School Readiness Results
Assessment Data: Teaching Strategies GOLD obj.19,14, 16, 15 (2013)

Summary of Approval Items
Approval to submit the application to request and to
accept funds in the amount of $22,708,901 from the
Office of Head Start.
Approval of the grant planning process as presented
which includes:
A. Selection and enrollment criteria
B. Self-Assessment improvement plan
C. 2014-2017 program goals

Thank You!
Questions?