Head Start

1
Head Start

• Annual Report
• Assessment
• March 24, 2009

2
PRESENTATION OUTLINE

• History of Head Start
• Head Start today
• Head Start Act
• (Amended December 12, 2007)
• Challenges
• Strategies

3
PRESENTATION OUTLINE

• History of Head Start
• Head Start today
• Head Start Act
• (Amended December 12, 2007)
• Challenges
• Strategies

4
History of Head Start

• President Lyndon B. Johnson
• Started in Summer 1965
• Initial Program
• 8 weeks long
• Preschool classes
• Medical care
• Dental care
• Mental Health services

5
What does Head Start look like today?

• 17 of Orange County children under age 5 live in
  families w/ income below the poverty level
• Currently we have 19 Centers
• 1890 children were served during the 2007-2008
  school year
• 24 Hispanic
• 56 Black
• 6 White
• 14 Unspecified
• 1573 families were served during the 2007-2008
• school year

6
What does Head Start look like today?
7
What does Head Start look like today?
8
For School Year 2007-2008
Required Services

• Disability services were provided to 356 children
  (19)
• Speech therapy was provided to 298 children
• Service for developmental delays was provided to
  53 children
• Dental services were provided to 1,750 children
• Specialized dental treatment was provided to 100
  children
• Health services were provided to 1,816 children

9
For School Year 2007-2008

• 1,503 referrals for information about parenting
  were made
• 8 Parents graduated from the Life Work Program
• 11 Parents received their GED 1 received a HS
  Diploma
• 104 Parents obtained additional
  Vocational/Community College Training
• 125 Parents obtained employment

10
What does Head Start look like today?

• For FY 2008-2009 the funding of Head Start will
  be
• 11.7 million in federal Head Start funds 1.4
  million from USDA
• Our 20 match of the federal funds 2.9 million
• Match can be cash or in kind (property or
  services that benefit a program)

11
What are the Match requirements for Head Start?

• The match will be obtained with cash and in kind
  donations as follows
• 900,000 from General Revenue from Orange County
• 600,000 from use of Orange County facilities (in
  kind)
• 490,000 in State funds (Voluntary
  Pre-Kindergarten)
• 700,000 from Foster Grandparents volunteer hrs.
  (in kind)
• 275,000 from Parent volunteer hrs. donations
  (in kind)

12
What does Head Start look like today?

• For FY 2008-2009 Head Start has 310 FTEs
• 80 Teachers
• 118 Teacher Assistants
• 16 Center Supervisors
• 13 Food Service Staff
• 8 Transportation staff
• 24 Social workers
• 37 Other

13
School Year 2007 2008 Performance
Accomplishments

• The National Association of Education for Young
  Children accredited 21 Centers
• Use a recognized curriculum
• Good physical plant
• Health is emphasized
• Assess a childs progress
• Community relationships

14
School Year 2007 2008 Performance
Accomplishments

• 700 Children participated in Literacy activities
  with the Orlando Museum of Art
• More than 500 volunteers participated in Guest
  Readers week
• The Challenges we face will be seen later in the
  presentation.

15
PRESENTATION OUTLINE

• History of Head Start
• Head Start today
• Head Start Act
• (Amended December 12, 2007)
• Challenges
• Strategies

16
Head Start Act (Amended December 12, 2007)

• The major focus of the Head Start Act is
• More Program Accountability
• More involvement by the governing body (the BCC)
• The governing responsibilities cannot be
  delegated

17
Head Start Act (Amended December 12, 2007)

• Responsibilities
• Legal fiscal responsibility
• Informed governance
• Select delegate agencies
• Review all applications for funding
• Review and approve all major policies
  procedures
• Develop procedures on how Policy Council members
  are selected
• Review monitoring results

18
Head Start Act (Amended December 12, 2007)

• Informed governance
• The BCC will be receiving an annual report, as
  well as monthly status reports
• Review and approve all major policies
  procedures
• All Head Start SOPs Policy Council by-laws
• Criteria for the recruitment, selection
  enrollment of children

19
PRESENTATION OUTLINE

• History of Head Start
• Head Start today
• Head Start Act
• (Amended December 12, 2007)
• Challenges
• Strategies

20
Challenges
The Head Start program has 160 performance
standards, but most of the standards are not
specific and quantifying the expectation is open
to broad interpretation.
21
Challenges

• School Readiness
• Monitoring Review
• Credentials
• Facilities
• Budget

22
Challenges

• School Readiness
• Head Start does not have any specific School
  Readiness measures

23
Readiness ChallengesSchool Year 2007 2008
Performance
School Readiness 4 yr. old Head Start Children in
Orange County vs. Hillsborough County
24
Readiness ChallengesSchool Year 2007 2008
Performance
School Readiness 4 yr. old Head Start Children in
Orange County,Hillsborough County the Nation
25
Monitoring ChallengesSchool Year 2007 2008
Performance

• The January 13, 2008 Federal monitoring review
  found two Deficiencies in the program
• Classroom teacher qualifications
• 18 classrooms exceeded the child to teacher ratio
• Compliance was achieved in
• November, 2008, but.

26
Qualification Challenges

• Classroom teacher qualifications remain a
  significant issue.
• By 2011 all Center Supervisors and Teachers must
  have a minimum of an AA in Early Childhood
  Education
• -Or-
• A BA in any subject coursework equivalent to a
  major relating to Early Childhood Education, with
  experience teaching pre-school children
• -Or-
• A BA admitted to the Teach for America program

27
Qualification Challenges

• Currently
• 10 of 15 Center Supervisors
• and
• 53 of 80 Teachers
• Meet the 2011 requirements

28
Facilities Challenges

• Of our 19 Centers
• 8 are located in Community Centers
• 5 are located at school sites
• 3 are located in city owned properties
• 3 are located with community partners

29
Facilities Challenges

• The Head Start Program has only 8 stable
  locations.
• The 11 other sites are subject to variables that
  are not in our control.
• In addition, Head Start is paying over 209,000
  annually for non-County owned
• sites

30
Budget Challenges

• In todays economy, everyone is facing budget
  challenges. Head Start challenges include
• A possible decrease in the County subsidy
• Increasing personnel costs
• Increasing federal requirements without an
  increase in funding

31
PRESENTATION OUTLINE

• History of Head Start
• Head Start today
• Head Start Act
• (Amended December 12, 2007)
• Challenges
• Strategies

32
Strategies
Change is necessary and has begun

• Implemented a revised Table of Organization
• Implemented Performance Measures for all programs
• Analyzed Transportation Food Services
• Restructured Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten class
  hours
• Modified the school calendar

33
Strategies
Change is necessary and future actions include

• Evaluating program efficiencies
• Ensuring appropriate staffing
• Evaluating the locations that currently provide
  the program
• Exploring alternate service delivery methods

34
Requested Action

• Today, the BCC is being asked to review approve
  the criteria for the recruitment, selection
  enrollment of Head Start children for 2009-2010.

35
Criteria

• Age
• Income
• Disability
• Significant Social Factors
• Homeless
• Child Abuse/Neglect
• Family Crisis/At Risk
• Agency Referral