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SEVCA Windsor County Head Start Annual Report 2012-2013 Table of Contents: I. Public & Private Funds II. Budget Expenditures III. Proposed Budget for 2013-2014 IV. Financial Audit Results V. Total Enrollment, Average Monthly Enrollment, Percent of Eligible Children Served VI. Dental & Medical Exam Results VII. Parent Involvement Activities VIII. Efforts for Preparing Children for Kindergarten 1 Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) Head Start Annual Report June 2013 GENERAL PROGRAM OVERVIEW Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) Head Start is funded to serve 87 children. Any child living in Windsor County that turns 3 years old by September 1st may be eligible for the program if they meet other program requirements, notably income eligibility. Windsor County consists of the following towns: Andover, Baltimore, Barnard, Bethel, Bridgewater, Cavendish, Chester, Hartford (incl. White River Junction), Hartland, Ludlow, Norwich, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading, Rochester, Royalton, Sharon, Springfield, Stockbridge, Weathersfield, Weston, Windsor, West Windsor, and Woodstock. There are currently 7 classrooms at 4 different sites: Chester ~ Chester Community Preschool has two collaborative Head Start classrooms in partnership with the Windsor Southwest Supervisory Union, serving 37 children, of which at least 22 are Head Start eligible. Springfield ~ Pine Street Preschool has two regular Head Start classrooms and one child care classroom, serving 52 children, with at least 34 being Head Start eligible. White River Junction ~ Northwoods Head Start Center has one Head Start classroom serving 15 children. Windsor ~ The Children’s Place Preschool has one Head Start classroom and serves 15 children. FUNDING AND BUDGET Public & Private Funds ~ In 2013-2014, SEVCA Head Start received a federal grant of $705,394. A matching non-federal share of $176,349, in cash and in-kind donations, was also generated, for a total of $881,743 in program resources. Summary Personnel: $411,791 Fringe Benefits: $143,668 Travel: $6,000 Supplies: $49,630 Other: $80,857 Total Operations Budget: $691,946 Training &Technical Assistance: $13,451 Total Grant Budget: $705,394 Budget Narrative Personnel: $411,791 – staff salaries and wages (See attached spreadsheet) Fringe Benefits: $143,668 – required payroll costs and employee benefits (See attached spreadsheet) Travel: $6,000 – out-of-town staff travel for attending a training / conference, etc. not offered locally. Supplies: $49,630 Office Supplies: $15, 000 – paper, pens, copier rental, printing needs, etc. for operating the program. Child & Family Services Supplies: $33,130 – includes monthly budgets for curriculum enhancement (3,000), classroom materials (23,630), replacement of classroom manipulatives (1,500), pull-ups, wipes, sunscreen (1,000) and, Paper supply products (4,000) . 2 Food Service Supplies: $1,500 – cost of monthly nutrition projects for each classroom and other needed kitchen supplies. Other: $80,857 Rent: $26,232 – rent and/or utilities for one classroom and administrative office space Telephone / Utilities: $11,000 – telephone, fuel oil, electricity, & internet service for classroom sites and administrative office Liability Insurance: $3,500 – required coverage to be licensed and protect against liability Building Maintenance: $9000 –anticipated building maintenance needs Local Travel: $6,000 – reimbursement for an estimated 12,245 miles of local work-related travel at 49 cents per mile Child Services Consultants: $7,500 – cost of contracts with Mental Health Consultant – to observe the classrooms, support staff and see families as needed (6,000); Nutrition Consultant – to meet with families and review menus as needed (1,500); Volunteers: $1,125 – volunteer-related expenses, including Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, volunteer packets, training, etc. Substitutes: $5,500 – coverage when classroom staff are absent due to illness or other reason. Parent Services: $3,500 – fatherhood initiatives and other parent group activities, (e.g., train rides, field trips, picnics, $900 for parents to attend conferences, etc.); travel & child care reimbursements for policy council meetings, etc. Accountant & Legal Services: $7,500 – Head Start’s share of annual audit cost and other accounting or legal costs incurred by Head Start Training & Technical Assistance (T&TA): $13,451 – staff training and development costs ANNUAL FINANCIAL AUDIT RESULTS 3 4 ENROLLMENT & PERCENT OF ELIGIBLE CHILDREN SERVED Total Number of Children and Families Served: This program year we served 90 families and 100 children. Of these, 45 were three-year-olds, 51 were four-year-olds and 4 turned five after September 1st so they missed the Kindergarten cut-off date. Thirtyfour children were enrolled for their second year in Head Start and no child was enrolled for his/her third year. There were 6 children that left the program throughout the year, 3 of whom left before the first 45 days of the program. There were 11 children that were enrolled, but never actually started the program. Of the 90 families served, 51 were two-parent families, 34 were single-parent families and 5 were grandparents raising the children. Average Monthly Enrollment / Percent of Eligible Children Served: The program was enrolled at full capacity throughout the entire program year, from September 2012 to May 2013. Children were eligible according to the following categories: Center Chester Springfield White River Junction Windsor Total 100% of 130% of Federal Federal Poverty Poverty Level Level 9 4 20 4 4 37 8 4 5 21 Other (TANF, Foster care, SSI, CC Subsidy, Declaration of No Income) Over Income Homeless 6 0 2 21 2 0 1 8 1 0 0 1 18 7 6 33 49 15 15 Total 100 HEALTH OUTCOMES Medical & Dental Care: We began the year with a parent orientation at which we provided information explaining what parents should expect during their child’s well-child exam. This helped to ensure that all the information needed on the child’s physical form was complete, and gave parents the accurate information they needed to question their physician if a particular practice was not being completed by the physician. There were 99 children with ‘medical homes’ (i.e., regular primary care doctors) when they enrolled in Head Start, and at the end of the school year all 100 children had them. Of those, 89 were up-to-date with all physicals and follow-ups at the end of the year according to their health care professional. During the school year we helped two families change to a different medical provider/home. Eight children did not comply with being up-to-date on immunizations due to medical, philosophical or religious exemption. Parents not complying due to philosophical or religious reasons were given Required Parent Education information provided by Vermont Health Department and all signed an exemption form. One child is on a “catch-up schedule”. Eileen Holmes, RDH, is the Tooth Tutor for our program. Eileen traveled to the classrooms to educate the children about dental hygiene and completed dental screenings. She explained the importance of visiting the dentist and what happens at the dentist’s office. Eileen also worked with families to find dental homes and to remind them when their children were due for follow-up appointments. The tooth tutors hours were cut last program year but we were able to obtain a grant from the Vermont Department of Health to cover the hours lost from the previous year. 5 There were 63 children with dental homes when they enrolled, and by the end of the year that increased to 90 children. Of those, 77 had up-to-date exams, 85 received preventative care, 10 needed treatment, 7 had received the needed treatment and 3 have appointments scheduled. Percentage of Children Who Received Medical & Dental Exams % per Dental Medical Total Classroom Exams Center Exams Children Chester 20 21 95% 18 Total Children % per Classroom 21 85 % Springfield 40 49 81.6% 36 49 73% White River Junction Windsor Total 15 15 100% 11 15 73% 14 89 15 100 93% 89% 12 77 15 100 80% 77% Overall, almost 90% of the 100 children enrolled in the program received medical exams. The remaining 10% did not get them for a number of reasons, including: Parents not returning the form to Head Start, scheduling the appointment after the close of the year, or not following through with the appointment. We had 77% of the 100 children receiving a dental exam. The dentist is not always in the office at the time of a cleaning and an exam can only be done by the dentist. We are still working with dentists to help them understand the need for children to be seen by three years of age. The Springfield area is also the community with the fewest dentists willing to take Medicaid, which is the primary source of insurance for Head Start children; thus, it is difficult to find dentists to see all those children. The Health Manager was able to work with the Springfield Medical Care Systems to coordinate with the Ronald McDonald mobile van to perform exams on several children and they are also willing to return to do whatever follow-up care the child requires. PARENT INVOLVEMENT ACTIVITIES The 2012-2013 program year provided a variety of opportunities for parents to become involved in the program and their child’s development. Each month parents were offered opportunities within the centers, such as helping with recycling, organizing field trips, being a computer helper, reading stories, assisting with cooking projects, or being a volunteer in generals. Parents also attended parent group meetings and Policy Council meetings that allowed them to present ideas and suggestions to the Head Start program; as well as gain information about topics such as how the Head Start budget works, how to run a meeting, budgeting and saving money, pedestrian safety, personal safety for children, nutrition and menu planning, child developmental stages and milestones and kindergarten transitions. In addition to monthly meetings, we also provided some activities that focused primarily on the involvement of fathers and other significant male figures in children’s lives. This program year we offered a “Read-With-Me” workshop for dads in our Springfield area. Eight dads attended. Parents were also invited to participate in ongoing activities such as curriculum planning, field trips, participating in an activity in the classroom, buddy-breakfasts and ladies luncheons. All families were offered three individual parent/teacher conferences and two home visits to discuss and share information and ideas regarding their children and families. We wrapped up the year with a family breakfast at each site on the last day that included recognition of each child and parents. 6 Below is a chart with various activities and the number of participants: Parent Involvement Activity Participants Parent Orientation 100 CPR (certification by American Heart) 2 First Aid (certification by American Heart) 2 Personal Safety 20 Stress busters 10 Pedestrian Safety 16 IDA Budget 10 Handling Stress 4 Community Services Outreach (SEVCA) 4 Nutrition 19 Buddy Breakfasts/Ladies Luncheons ( 6 of each) 42 Read-With-Me 8 (dads) Smoking Cessation Surveys 83 Kindergarten year-end Transition Activities 23 Year End Breakfast celebration 117 Parent Teacher Conferences/Home Visits 635 Resources and referrals provided 261 Total Parent Volunteers were 210 providing 1387.2 hours 210 of their time. 7 EFFORTS FOR PREPARING CHILDREN FOR KINDERGARTEN SEVCA Windsor County Head Start Child Outcomes Analysis for Transitioning Children Spring 2013 Teaching Strategies GOLD Developmental Areas Below Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Comments Social/Emotional Development FWS Area of strength for the program, with 17 of 44 children exceeding expectations, 26 children meeting expectations, and 1 child below expectations Physical Development-Gross Motor FWS Area to focus on, with 2 of 44 children below expectations, 36 children meeting expectations, and 12 children exceeding expectations Physical Development-Fines Motor FW Area of strength for the program, with 17 of 44 children exceeding expectations, 26 children meeting expectations, and 1 child below expectations WS Shows improvement from winter to spring, with children below expectations decreasing from 9 to 2 and children exceeding expectations increasing from 3 to 13 Cognitive Development FWS Shows improvement from winter to spring, with children below expectations decreasing from 4 to 0 and children exceeding expectations increasing from 4 to 13 Literacy Development FWS Shows improvement from winter to spring, with children below expectations decreasing from 5 to 2 and children exceeding expectations increasing from 0 to 11 WS Area to focus on, with 9 of 44 children below expectations, 28 children meeting expectations, and 7 children exceeding expectations Language Development Mathematics Development Teaching Strategies GOLD Developmental Areas (Not on progression level) F F Meeting Expectations Comments Emerging Science and Technology F WS Shows improvement from winter to spring, with children meeting expectations increasing from 24 to 38. Social Studies F WS Shows improvement from winter to spring, with children meeting expectations increasing from 24 to 37. FWS Shows improvement from winter to spring, with children meeting expectations increasing from 30 to 37. The Arts Not Yet Observed 8 SEVCA Windsor County Head Start Child Outcomes Analysis for Transitioning Children Spring 2013 Overview of Classroom and Program Outcomes Report: The Outcomes Report is based on the use of the Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment System for all classrooms within the program. Teachers observe and document children’s daily activities and keep a running record of these observations. The assessment is completed three times per year-November (fall), January (winter) and April (spring). Teachers use observations and documentation recorded to complete the Child Profile. This profile focuses on nine developmental areas-Social/Emotional Development, Cognitive Development, Physical Development, Literacy Development, Mathematics, The Arts, Social Studies, Science, and Language Development. Within these developmental areas are 36 objectives that teachers must observe and document for each child. The teacher must then rate the child on these objectives using a development progression of nine total levels. Once the teacher has entered this data into Teaching Strategies GOLD Online, the program generates a report showing the progress of the classroom as a whole. This report shows progress of each developmental area in Teaching Strategies GOLD, which align with the Head Start Early Learning Framework and the Vermont Early Learning Standards. The Education and Disabilities Services Manager then takes the reports and creates an Outcomes Review for each classroom. Areas of strength, as well as areas to focus on are discussed with teachers, and an action plan is generated to improve these areas within the classroom. Data from all classrooms is combined together to create the Program Outcomes Report to show the progress of the Head Start Program as a whole. This report only includes children enrolled in the Head Start program. We have 45 transitioning children enrolled, but only 44 children are included in this report, as one child enrolled after the spring assessment period ended. It is important to note that when reviewing the number of children that Do Not Meet, Meet, or Exceed Widely Held Expectations for development, the focus is on the improvement from winter to spring. Of the 45 children that were assessed that will be transitioning to Kindergarten, 31 of them are returning children experiencing their second year of Head Start. This leaves 14 children who may be experiencing their first preschool experience. It is also important to note that 9 of the 45 children have been diagnosed with a disability, whether is be a developmental delay or a speech and language delay. 9 The gender of the population shows that there are slightly more males transitioning, 58% being male and 42% being female. Ethnicity of the population assessed include 87% White, 2% Pacific Islander, 2% American Indian or Alaskan Native, 4% biracial, and 4% unknown. 98% of the children speak English as their primary language. When comparing outcomes to the fall, Physical Gross Motor Development decreased in the percentage of children below expectations by 34% and Mathematics decreased in percentage of children below expectations by 43%. Areas of Strength for the Program: Particular areas of strength include Fine Motor Physical Development, with 17 of 44 children exceeding widely held expectations and 26 children meeting expectations, and Social/Emotional Development, with 17 of 44 children exceeding widely held expectations and 26 children meeting widely held expectations. Areas to Focus on for the Program: Particular areas to focus on include Physical Gross Motor Development, with 2 of 44 children falling below widely held expectations, and Mathematics, with 9 of 44 children falling below widely held expectations. Action Plan for the Program: The Education and Disabilities Services Manager will look at trends in outcomes from the previous year, and plan trainings accordingly. Teachers will be encouraged to look for materials to be purchased with their monthly education budget to help support these areas of focus. These areas will be considered high priority when scheduling Education Services Meetings and In-Service Trainings for the coming school year. Prepared By: Jodi C. Farashahi Education and Disabilities Services Manager SEVCA Windsor County Head Start April 10, 2013 10 TRANSITION PLAN Transition is an important part of the Head Start program. Transitioning families and children to and from the program is an ongoing process with specific events and activities planned throughout the year to help families feel comfortable. Transition plans may be as simple as making two or three visits to the next setting or as a complex as any individual child may need. It is important to be guided by the needs and comfort level of the child. Transition Goals: The transition process shall consider the following goals: Continuity of services and care Minimal disruption of the family system Enhanced child development from one environment to the next Planning, preparation, implementation and evaluation within and between programs and with the family Tips for transition: Prepare children for new experiences by talking about it before it happens. Read books about making changes. Involving parents in the transition process. TRANSITION ACTIVITIES/EVENTS Ongoing activities: Enrollment: All children who are three years old by September 1, and meet other necessary Head Start guidelines are enrolled in the program throughout the year. Transition Books: Each classroom has books available about public school in the area, discussing what kindergarten will be like in the fall. Reading Books: About growing older, Kindergarten experiences, and the feelings around transition from one place to another. Daily Discussion: Teachers encourage children to talk about going to the “Big School”, becoming familiar with what the experience will be like, and with whom they will be spending their day. School Visits: Teachers will make arrangements with the area elementary schools for children to visit. Visitors: Throughout the year visitors from the elementary school will visit the classroom to meet the children and spend time with them. These include the principal, Kindergarten teacher, school nurse, librarian, etc. 11 August: Enrollment of children into the program Teaching Team send letter to Kindergarten students. New families that are interested in the program are encouraged to come and visit the classroom. Transition Plan is discussed with families during the first home visit. September: Courtesy call made by Head Start teachers to Kindergarten teachers to about how former Head Start children are doing. (If new teacher, former teacher can make the call and introduce new teacher.) Open House/Community Event held at each center inviting all school personnel, former and present Head Start families and children, and community volunteers. October: Parent Meeting: Staff and Parents can invite former Head Start parents to their meeting to discuss their experience with the transition process, possibly becoming, “Parent Mentors.” Lead Teachers will observe Kindergarten classrooms within their community November: Invite the school nurse to come and visit the classroom(s) and possibly read a story. December: Call Kindergarten teachers to set up Kindergarten Pen pals to begin in January January: Contact local PTA groups and invite them to come to a Head Start Parent Meeting, so that transiting parents can get to know how they can be involved in public school PTA Invite school principal to visit the classroom February: Invite Kindergarten teachers to share a meal at Head Start Registration for Kindergarten usually announced for all towns March: Head Start teachers will contact Kindergarten teachers about scheduling times to visit the classroom, and discuss dates for the Head Start~ Kindergarten Connection Meeting List of each child eligible for Kindergarten will be returned to the corresponding Kindergarten teacher with registration forms sent to all centers by participating schools. Provide interaction between children that are attending the same public school, but are not in the same classroom 12 April: Head Start children will start making visits to the Kindergarten classrooms and tour the school. Head Start~Kindergarten Connection Meeting/Recruitment and Open House will be held at each center and or participating school. Teaching Teams will complete the Teacher Observation Form for Transition on children moving on to Kindergarten and send to the corresponding schools. Transition meetings will be scheduled in collaboration with EEE and school districts for children with IEPs. Schedule a visit from the school bus driver for children so explore a school bus. May: Head Start children will finish making visits to the Kindergarten classrooms and a tour of the school. Food Service Providers will work with teaching teams to provide “cafeteria style” meals to children for the last two weeks of school. Teaching Teams will provide activities to families to do at home over the summer. The Vermont Head Start Association created statewide School Readiness Goals to be used and measured by each Head Start program in the state. These goals include: o Social Emotional Development o Approaches to Learning o Literacy/Language Development o Physical Health and Development See attached sheet which explains these school readiness goals in detail. 13