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Acknowledgements
First 5 Santa Cruz County would like to acknowledge Applied Survey Research (ASR) for their support and assistance with the evaluation and this report. First 5 Santa Cruz County also thanks Nicole Young, of Optimal Solutions Consulting, for the close collaboration in crafting the procedures necessary to successfully evaluate the Triple P program, and also for her extraordinary help and guidance with all of our funded programs during the entire year.
First 5 Santa Cruz County would also like to thank the staff and participants of the funded partner agencies whose commitment to data collection has facilitated the gathering of the robust data included in this report.
First 5 Santa Cruz County Applied Survey Research Optimal Solutions Consulting
Susan True Stephanie Bluford Vicki Boriack Angela Cline Barbara Dana Irene Freiberg Holly Maclure Christine Sieburg Karen Sullivan Nicole M. Young Alicia Zenteno
Susan Brutschy Lisa Colvig-Amir Kim Carpenter Javier Salcedo Melanie Espino Christina Branom
Nicole M. Young
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY i
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ....................................................................... 1
Overall Well‐Being of Children in the County ............................................................................ 3
A Profile of First 5 Participants ................................................................................................. 5
Healthy Children ...................................................................................................................... 6
Strong Families ........................................................................................................................ 8
Children Learning and Ready for School ................................................................................. 10
Service Integration & Community Strengthening .................................................................... 13
Summary ............................................................................................................................... 14
Part 1: Strategic Framework Results ............................................ 17
First 5 Santa Cruz County’s Strategic Framework .................................................................... 19
Overall Well-Being of Children in the County .................................................................... 21
A Profile of Santa Cruz County’s Youngest Children ................................................................ 21
County‐Wide Trends in Indicators of Child and Family Well‐Being .......................................... 22
Profile of Participants ......................................................................................................... 23
Number of Children and Families Served ................................................................................ 23
Increase Services into Communities with the Highest Needs .................................................. 25
Early Childhood Educators Served by First 5 Partners ............................................................. 28
Healthy Children ................................................................................................................ 29
Increase Insurance Coverage .................................................................................................. 29
Increase Use of Medical/Dental Homes .................................................................................. 33
Increase Use of Preventive Health Services ............................................................................ 35
Increase Number of Children Reaching Developmental Milestones ........................................ 37
Strong Families .................................................................................................................. 39
Decrease Child Abuse and Neglect ......................................................................................... 39
Improve Parent and Caregiver Practices that Support Children’s Social and Emotional Development ......................................................................................................................... 41
Children Learning and Ready for School ........................................................................... 47
Increase the Quality of Early Learning Programs ..................................................................... 47
Improve Early Literacy Skills of Children ................................................................................. 51
Service Integration & Community Strengthening ................................................................ 65
First 5 Service Integration ....................................................................................................... 65
TABLE OF CONTENTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT
ii FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
First 5 Fiscal Status and Sustainability .................................................................................... 66
Community Strengthening ..................................................................................................... 69
Part 2: Partner Profiles ................................................................ 71
Healthy Children ................................................................................................................. 74
Healthy Kids Initiative ............................................................................................................ 74
Neurodevelopmental Clinic ‐ Dominican Interdisciplinary Child Development Program ......... 79
Strong Families ................................................................................................................... 84
Families Together .................................................................................................................. 84
Triple P – Positive Parenting Program .................................................................................... 91
Triple P Highlights ................................................................................................................................... 93
Population Served ................................................................................................................................. 101
Details of Program Participation .......................................................................................................... 104
Building a Population‐Based System of Parent Education ................................................................... 109
La Manzana Community Resources ...................................................................................... 112
Mountain Community Resources ......................................................................................... 118
Side‐by‐Side ......................................................................................................................... 123
Children Learning and Ready for School .......................................................................... 126
Quality Early Learning Initiative ........................................................................................... 126
Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge ......................................................................................... 126
Child Signature Program (CSP) ............................................................................................................. 127
Starlight Children’s Center ................................................................................................... 130
Early Literacy Foundations (ELF) Initiative ............................................................................ 134
SEEDS of Early Literacy ......................................................................................................................... 135
SEEDS Plus ............................................................................................................................................ 137
Santa Cruz Reading Corps..................................................................................................................... 138
Raising A Reader .................................................................................................................. 155
Summer Pre‐K Academy ...................................................................................................... 157
Transition to Kindergarten ................................................................................................... 159
Child Snapshot ...................................................................................................................................... 159
Transition to Kindergarten Workshops ................................................................................................ 165
Appendices ................................................................................ 167
Appendix A: First 5 Santa Cruz County Strategic Framework ................................................ 169
Appendix B: Race to the Top – Quality Continuum Framework: Hybrid Matrix ..................... 171
Appendix C: Measurement Tools ......................................................................................... 173
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT TABLE OF FIGURES
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY iii
Table of Figures
Figure 1: Number of County Children ages 0‐5 .................................................................................................................. 21
Figure 2: Ethnicity of County Children ages 0‐5 (2013) .................................................................................................... 21
Figure 3: English Language Proficiency of County Kindergarteners (2012‐13) .................................................................. 21
Figure 4: Number of Services to Children and Parents, by Goal Area (2012‐2013) ........................................................... 23
Figure 5: Percentage of Children 0‐5 in Santa Cruz County Served by First 5 .................................................................... 24
Figure 6: Demographics of Children Participating in First 5 Programs, by Year ................................................................. 25
Figure 7: Levels of Children’s Vulnerability in Santa Cruz County, by ZIP code .................................................................. 26
Figure 8: Distribution of Children Who Received Services, by ZIP Code (2012‐2013) ........................................................ 27
Figure 9: Number of Children Who Received Services, by ZIP Code (2012‐2013) ............................................................. 27
Figure 10: Percentage of Children Ages 0‐5 Estimated to be Insured .................................................................................. 29
Figure 11: Number of Children (Ages 0‐5) Newly Enrolled by HCOC in Publicly‐Funded Health Insurance Programs ......... 30
Figure 12: Number of Children (Ages 0‐5) Re‐Enrolled by HCOC in Publicly‐Funded Health Insurance Programs .............. 31
Figure 13: Newborn Enrollment Project Statistics (2012‐2013) ........................................................................................... 32
Figure 14: Percentage of Children in the County Enrolled in Healthy Kids (Ages 2‐6) Who Had Access to a Primary Care Practitioner .................................................................................................................................... 33
Figure 15: Percentage of County Parents Reporting their Children Utilized Health Care Prior to Renewal in an Insurance Program .............................................................................................................................................. 33
Figure 16: Percentage of County Children Receiving Dental Care (Ages 0‐5) ...................................................................... 34
Figure 17: Rate of California Children Visiting the ED for Preventable Dental Conditions (per 100,000, Ages 0‐5) ............ 34
Figure 18: Percentage of Children (Ages 3‐6) in the County Enrolled in Healthy Kids Who Received a Well‐Child Visit ..... 35
Figure 19: Percentage of Children (Ages 0‐5) in the County Who Visited the Emergency Department in the Past Year .... 35
Figure 20: Number of Emergency Department Visits (Infants Less Than One Year Old) ..................................................... 36
Figure 21: Percentage of County Children in Kindergarten Enrolled in Special Education .................................................. 37
Figure 22: Demographics of the Children (Ages 0‐5) Participating in the DICDP (2011‐2013) ............................................. 37
Figure 23: Percentage of Children in DICDP (Ages 0‐5) With These Diagnoses and Services, at Intake (2011‐2013) .......... 38
Figure 24: Percentage of Children in DICDP (Ages 0‐5) Provided With These Referrals (2011‐2013) .................................. 38
Figure 25: Rate of Substantiated Allegations of Child Maltreatment in Santa Cruz County and California (per 1,000)....... 39
Figure 26: Change in Families Together Participants’ Risk Levels Over Time (2007/08 ‐ 2012/13) ..................................... 40
Figure 27: Percentage of Parents Who Demonstrated Improvement in One or More Key Parenting Domain (2010‐2013) ......................................................................................................................................................... 43
Figure 28: Parents’ Use of Positive Parenting Styles (2010‐2013) ....................................................................................... 44
Figure 29: Parents’ Perceptions of Child Behavior (2010‐2013) .......................................................................................... 45
Figure 30: Percentage of 3rd Grade Students in the County At / Above Grade Level In English/Language Arts .................. 51
Figure 31: Number of Early Childhood Educators Who Have Completed SEEDS Trainings .................................................. 56
Figure 32: Number of SEEDS‐Trained Early Childhood Educators in Licensed Programs, by type of classroom (2007‐2013) ......................................................................................................................................................... 56
Figure 33: Key Demographics of SEEDS‐Trained Early Childhood Educators in Licensed Programs (2007‐2013) ................ 57
Figure 34: Number of Children Participating in Raising A Reader (2012‐2013) ................................................................... 57
Figure 35: Amount of Increase in the Percentage of Children At/Above Targets for Later Reading Success, by Primary Language (2012‐2013) ........................................................................................................................................ 61
Figure 36: Changes in Students’ Letter Sound Recognition Skills After Participation in the Migrant Education Summer Pre‐K Program (2013) ........................................................................................................................... 61
Figure 37: The Impact of Family Activities on School Readiness .......................................................................................... 62
Figure 38: Percentage of Children Receiving Services from Multiple First 5 Partners ......................................................... 65
Figure 39: Average Cost per Client, by Goal Area and Partner (2012‐2013) ........................................................................ 66
Figure 40: Statement of Activities, Fiscal Year 2012‐2013 ................................................................................................... 67
TABLE OF FIGURES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT
iv FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Figure 41: Amount of Leveraged Investments, by Type (2012‐2013) .................................................................................. 68
Figure 42: Total Amount of First 5 and Leveraged Investments (2012‐2013) ...................................................................... 68
Figure 43: Number of 2‐1‐1 Callers, Needs, and Referrals ................................................................................................... 69
Figure 44: Types of 2‐1‐1 Callers’ Needs (2011‐2013) ......................................................................................................... 70
Figure 45: Types of 2‐1‐1 Referrals (2011‐2013) .................................................................................................................. 70
Figure 46: HCOC Child Health Insurance Enrollment, Renewal, and Utilization Percentages .............................................. 75
Figure 47: Newborn Enrollment Project Statistics (2012‐2013) ........................................................................................... 77
Figure 48: Number of Emergency Department Visits (Infants Less Than One Year Old) ..................................................... 78
Figure 49: Demographics of the Children (Ages 0‐5) Participating in the DICDP (2011‐2013) ............................................. 82
Figure 50: Percentage of Children in DICDP (Ages 0‐5) With These Diagnoses and Services, at Intake (2011‐2013) .......... 82
Figure 51: Percentage of Children in DICDP (Ages 0‐5) Provided With These Referrals (2011‐2013) .................................. 83
Figure 52: Case Flow Diagram (2012‐2013) ......................................................................................................................... 85
Figure 53: Percentage of Families Together Participants Who Showed Decreased Risk of Child Maltreatment ................. 86
Figure 54: Change in Families Together Participants’ Risk Levels Over Time (2007/08 ‐ 2012/13) ..................................... 87
Figure 55: Percentage of Families Together Participants Who Do Not Have a Substantiated Allegation of Maltreatment Within 6 Months After Case Closure ........................................................................................... 88
Figure 56: Percentage of Families with Child Welfare Issues Within 6 Months After Exit from Families Together (2012) .. 88
Figure 57: Parents’ Use of Positive Parenting Styles (Families Together: 2010‐2013) ......................................................... 89
Figure 58: Parents’ Perceptions of Child Behavior (Families Together: 2010‐2013) ............................................................ 89
Figure 59: Parents’ Satisfaction with Various Aspects of the Triple P Program (Families Together: 2010‐2013) ................ 90
Figure 60: Demographics of Triple P Parents/Guardians (2010‐2013) ............................................................................... 102
Figure 61: Ages of Children Chosen as the “Index” Child (2010‐2013) .............................................................................. 102
Figure 62: Types of Triple P Services Provided ................................................................................................................... 103
Figure 63: How Participants First Heard about Triple P (2010‐2013) ................................................................................. 104
Figure 64: Number of Parents (with Unique IDs) Who Participated in One or More Type of Triple P Service (2010‐2013) ....................................................................................................................................................... 105
Figure 65: Matrix of Parents (with Unique IDs) Who Participated in Multiple Types of Services (2010‐2013) .................. 106
Figure 66: Percentage of Parents Who Completed Their Multi‐Session Triple P Services (2010‐2013) ............................. 106
Figure 67: Parents’ Satisfaction with the Triple P Program: Levels 3 (Individual or Brief Group), and Levels 4 and 5 (2010‐2013) ....................................................................................................................................................... 108
Figure 68: Parents’ Satisfaction with the Triple P Seminars/Workshops (2010‐2013) ...................................................... 108
Figure 69: Number and Types of Organizations with Accredited Triple P Practitioners, by Triple P Level (2012‐2013) .... 109
Figure 70: Number of Accredited Triple P Practitioners .................................................................................................... 109
Figure 71: Types of Triple P Services Provided (LMCR: 2012‐13) ....................................................................................... 112
Figure 72: Increases in Positive Parenting (LMCR: 2010‐2013) .......................................................................................... 113
Figure 73: Parents’ Use of Positive Parenting Styles (LMCR: 2010‐2013) .......................................................................... 114
Figure 74: Parents’ Perceptions of Child Behavior (LMCR: 2010‐2013) ............................................................................. 115
Figure 75: Parents’ Satisfaction with Various Aspects of the Triple P Program (LMCR: 2010‐2013) ................................. 117
Figure 76: Types of Triple P Services Provided (MCR: 2012‐13) ......................................................................................... 119
Figure 77: Parents’ Use of Positive Parenting Styles (MCR: 2010‐2013) ............................................................................ 120
Figure 78: Parents’ Perceptions of Child Behavior (MCR: 2010‐2013) ............................................................................... 121
Figure 79: Parents’ Satisfaction with Various Aspects of the Triple P Program (MCR: 2010‐2013) ................................... 122
Figure 80: Percentage of Center‐Based Children Who Made Developmental Changes in Key Social and Pre‐Literacy Measures .......................................................................................................................................................... 133
Figure 81: Number of SEEDS‐Trained Early Childhood Educators in Licensed Programs, by type of classroom (2007‐2013) ....................................................................................................................................................... 139
Figure 82: Key Demographics of SEEDS‐Trained Early Childhood Educators in Licensed Programs (2007‐2013) .............. 140
Figure 83: Preschool Classrooms of SEEDS Plus participants: Support for Language and Literacy (2012‐2013) ................ 141
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT TABLE OF FIGURES
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY v
Figure 84: Preschool Classrooms of all SEEDS‐Trained Early Childhood Educators: Key Language and Literacy Supports (2007‐2013) ....................................................................................................................................... 142
Figure 85: Family Child Care Settings: Support for Language and Literacy (2012‐2013) ................................................... 144
Figure 86: SEEDS Plus Classrooms: Percentage of Children At/Above Targets for Later Reading Success, by Primary Language (2012‐2013) ...................................................................................................................................... 145
Figure 87: SEEDS Plus Classrooms: Amount of Increase in the Percentage of Children At/Above Targets for Later Reading Success, by Primary Language (2012‐2013) ........................................................................................ 146
Figure 88: SEEDS Plus Classrooms: Percentage of Children at Each Target Level in Five Pre‐Literacy Skill Areas, in English (2012‐2013) .......................................................................................................................................... 147
Figure 89: Reading Corps Classrooms: Percentage of Children At/Above Targets for Later Reading Success, in English (2012‐2013) .......................................................................................................................................... 150
Figure 90: Reading Corps Classrooms: Amount of Increase in the Percentage of Children At/Above Targets for Later Reading Success, in English, Entire Classroom (2012‐2013) .............................................................................. 151
Figure 91: Percentage of Children At/Above Targets for Later Reading Success, by Primary Language (2012‐2013) ....... 152
Figure 92: Amount of Increase in the Percentage of Children At/Above Targets for Later Reading Success, by Primary Language (2012‐2013) .................................................................................................................... 153
Figure 93: Percentage of Children at Each Target Level in Five Pre‐Literacy Skill Areas, in English (2012‐2013) ............... 153
Figure 94: Summer Pre‐K Academy Letter Sound Recognition Results (2013) .................................................................. 158
Figure 95: Percentage of Summer Pre‐K Academy Students who Increased Their Letter Sound Recognition By At Least 5 Letter Sounds ................................................................................................................................... 158
Figure 96: Average Increase in the Number of Letter Sounds Recognized by Summer Pre‐K Academy Students ............. 158
Figure 97: Number of Child Snapshot Forms Collected from Participating Preschool Programs ....................................... 160
Figure 98: Demographics of Children with Child Snapshots .............................................................................................. 160
Figure 99: Percentage of Children With These Health and Academic Issues ..................................................................... 161
Figure 100: Percentage of Children Who Received Health or Developmental Assessments in the Past Year ..................... 161
Figure 101: The Impact of Family Activities on School Readiness ........................................................................................ 162
Figure 102: Responses to Key Questions from the Child Snapshot Kindergarten Teacher Survey ...................................... 164
TABLE OF FIGURES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT
vi FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT
2 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 3
First 5 Santa Cruz County’s Mission:
To help children succeed in
school and in life, First 5 Santa
Cruz County invests in health,
early learning, and family
support to promote optimal
development of Santa Cruz
County children.
First 5 Santa Cruz County’s Vision:
All Santa Cruz County
children enter school
ready to achieve to their
greatest potential.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Importance of Investing in Young Children
A growing body of scientific evidence points to the economic and societal impacts of wise
investments in the early years. The Harvard Center for the Developing Child states:
A vital and productive society with a prosperous and sustainable future is
built on a foundation of healthy child development. Health in the
earliest years lays the groundwork for a lifetime of vitality.
Experiences during the first few years of life – good and bad –
literally shape the architecture of the developing brain. Stable,
positive relationships with adults and growth‐promoting experiences
are keys to the development of the architecture that forms the
foundation for all future learning, behavior, and health. When we
invest wisely in children and families, the next generation will pay that
back through a lifetime of productivity and responsible citizenship.1
First 5 Santa Cruz County is dedicated to giving children the
opportunities they need to reach their full potential.
Overview of this Report
The Strategic Plan for 2012‐2015 articulates community goals
and results in goal areas of Healthy Children, Strong Families,
Children Learning and Ready for School, and Family Friendly
Integrated Services.
This annual report summarizes findings of the First 5 Santa Cruz
County evaluation from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013. Many programs
are multi‐year investments, and therefore some information presented
reflects multiple years of data.
Overall Well-Being of Children in the County First 5 Santa Cruz County invests in health, early learning, and family support to promote the well‐
being of children. To help guide its investments and partnerships, First 5 monitors county‐wide
trends that affect child well‐being. The year 2012‐2013 marks the first year of the 2012‐2015
strategic plan, and the following data reflect the current status of the County:
Santa Cruz County has a growing and diverse population of young children. In 2013, there
were 18,753 children ages 0‐5 in Santa Cruz County, the majority of whom were either
Hispanic (55%), or White (37%). This diversity continues into kindergarten, where in 2013
almost 47% of children had a primary language other than English.
1 http://developingchild.harvard.edu
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT
4 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
“Between 2007 and
2010, nearly half a
million California
children lost private
health insurance.”
- Children Now, 2012 <http://www.childrennow.org>
Unemployment has grown dramatically and still varies greatly across the County. The
County’s unemployment rates reflect the broader economic recession and slow recovery.
Over the past five years the unemployment rate for the County has increased, but has fallen
1.3% just during the last year, with a current unemployment rate in the County of 10%.
Within the County, the percent of unemployed residents differed greatly by area; the
average 2013 unemployment rate (as of July) ranged from 4% in Aptos to 21% in Watsonville.
There was rising enrollment in public assistance programs. Over the last five years, with
increased outreach and program design changes, there was an 81% increase in the number
of residents participating in CalFresh (Food Stamps). Between 2007 and 2012, the total
number of County residents participating in CalWORKS increased 5%, and there was an
increase in the number of County residents participating in the National School
Lunch Program (23% increase), and the Women, Infants, & Children Program
(3% increase).
Enrollment in publicly‐funded health insurance programs has
increased. Over the last five years, enrollment in Medi‐Cal increased 14%,
with an increase of 6% in just the last year. Decreased enrollment in
Healthy Families reflects the efforts that began in January 2013 to move all
children enrolled in the Healthy Families Program into the new coverage
provided by Medi‐Cal known as Targeted Low‐income Children’s Program (“Medi‐Cal
TLC” or “Medi‐Cal for Families”). Enrollment in Healthy Kids has also decreased (potentially
due to children’s increased eligibility for coverage by Medi‐Cal TLC).
Not enough young mothers are receiving prenatal care in the first trimester. In 2012, the
percentage of mothers who received prenatal care in their first trimester was high – 82% —
which exceeded the Healthy People 2020 target rate of 78%. However, younger mothers
(ages 24 and younger) tended to fall below this target rate, with only 70% receiving first
trimester care.
Additionally, there were differences in receipt of early prenatal care based upon the
mother’s source of payment for the care. Only 74% of mothers with Medi‐Cal began receiving
prenatal care during the first trimester, compared to 92% of mothers with private insurance.
The percentage of births to teen mothers in the County is slowly decreasing. In 2012, the
percentage of births to teen mothers represented 7% of all births in Santa Cruz County, and
there was a teen birth rate of 21 per 1,000 (ages 15‐19). Between 2007 and 2012 there was a
slight decrease both in births to teen mothers and in the teen birth rate. Taken together, the
two measures indicate a slowly decreasing proportion of teens in the County who are
becoming mothers.
Over half of the births by women in the County were paid for by Medi‐Cal. In 2012, 52% of
births, across all age groups, were paid for by Medi‐Cal. However, Medi‐Cal was utilized by
almost 82% of the births to women under the age of 25.
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 5
A Profile of First 5 Participants
First 5 Santa Cruz County reaches children who can make great gains with early and smart investments.
First 5’s goal is to serve the most vulnerable children ages 0‐5 and their families in Santa Cruz
County, including very low‐income families, English language learners, and families who live in
higher risk zones of the County.
First 5‐supported programs are wide‐reaching: In 2012‐13, First 5 partners served 7,966
children ages 0‐5 (unduplicated), representing 42% of all children these ages in Santa Cruz
County.
First 5 serves a high number of dual language learners: Of the children served by First 5, 79%
were Latino, and 64% of participants spoke Spanish in their household. Of all Latino children
ages 0‐5 in Santa Cruz County, 59% participated in services funded by First 5.
First 5 is serving children in the highest risk zones of the County. Of the children served who
had known ZIP codes, most (91%) lived in the areas of the County that rank highest on a
cumulative index of risk factors that included measures of linguistic isolation, family income,
birth statistics, parental education attainment, child maltreatment and family violence. These
areas include Watsonville, Freedom, Live Oak, and some areas in the city of Santa Cruz.
First 5 strengthens systems by enhancing the capacity of service providers
In addition to supporting direct services to children and families, First 5 aims to boost the capacity of
local systems in order to extend the reach of critical early education, family support, and health
services to a larger number of children and families. Systems enhancements help ensure better
services for years to come.
Examples of First 5’s capacity‐building work in 2012‐2013 include:
Skill development and coaching for early childhood educators. Training of 138 early
childhood educators from preschools and family child care homes who received professional
development training from the SEEDS of Early Literacy or Race to the Top programs.
Approximately 50 early childhood educators received professional development trainings
through the Child Signature Program, and 40 staff/child care providers received training from
Side‐by‐Side Clinician/Consultants;
Development of a population‐based system of parent education. Training of 19 parent
education practitioners to deliver the Triple P curriculum, an evidence‐based curriculum
shown to improve parental efficacy, parent‐child interaction, and child behaviors;
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT
6 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Since 2004, 11,410 children
ages 0‐5 have been enrolled
in public health insurance.
In 2012‐13, nearly all mothers
(99.8%) who were assisted
with their Medi‐Cal
applications had their new
babies enrolled in Medi‐Cal.
Support for children’s transition to kindergarten. Participation of teachers in 40 preschools
to prepare Child Snapshots, a transcript of parent information and child skills that is delivered
to children’s kindergarten classrooms. The Child Snapshot supports children’s transition to
kindergarten by involving parents in the process and providing important information that
helps kindergarten teachers prepare for their incoming students.
Distribution of information to community service providers. Training of health, social
services, and early education providers through workshops, Brown Bag Lunches, and other
trainings to better integrate services and improve customer service.
Healthy Children
For the past several years, First 5 Santa Cruz County has invested in strategies to help ensure that all
children have access to care. Though coverage rates are high in the County, there are still children
who do not have health insurance.
First 5 Santa Cruz County insures children
First 5 helps uninsured children enroll in health plans: In 2004, First 5 Santa Cruz County
helped create a new children’s health initiative called Healthy Kids. Healthy Kids has Certified
Application Assisters who provide outreach and assistance to income‐eligible families to help
them apply for public health insurance, and to renew their coverage annually. Because Medi‐
Cal and Healthy Families cannot cover all of the uninsured, First 5 also funds the premiums
for Healthy Kids members.
Children are getting enrolled in public health insurance plans. Since the start of the Healthy
Kids Initiative (June 1, 2004‐June 30, 2013), there were 1,345 new enrollments of children
ages 0‐5 in the local Healthy Kids program, 3,870 children in Healthy Families, and 6,195
children in Medi‐Cal, for a total of 11,410 new enrollments of children ages 0‐5.
Children are renewing and using their health insurance. In order to ensure continuity of
care, it’s important that parents keep their children enrolled in health insurance plans.
During the 2012‐13 funding cycle, the Certified Application Assisters
helped ensure that 92% of children ages 0‐5 renewed their
membership in public health insurance. Nearly all children
(99%) who renewed in public health insurance had utilized
care prior to renewal.
The large increase in Medi‐Cal re‐enrollments reflects the
efforts that began in January 2013 to move all children
enrolled in the Healthy Families Program into the new
coverage provided by Medi‐Cal known as Targeted Low‐income
Children’s Program (“Medi‐Cal TLC” or “Medi‐Cal for Families”).
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 7
Santa Cruz County’s newborns are getting connected to medical care. During 2012‐13, Baby
Gateway—the Newborn Enrollment Project—provided 73% of all mothers with a newborn
visit while in the hospital. Baby Gateway also assisted 83% of all mothers with Medi‐Cal births
to complete a Medi‐Cal application for their new babies. Of those assisted, nearly all (99.8%)
had their new babies enrolled in Medi‐Cal, and 94% were assigned a primary care provider
for their child.
First 5 Santa Cruz County supports children to get a medical home, preventive care, and dental care
Children have a medical home. Nearly all children (97%) ages 2‐6 who were enrolled in Healthy
Kids had access to a primary care practitioner, according to the 2012 HEDIS measures.2 The
majority of children (ages 3‐6) in Healthy Kids also had a well‐child visit (85%).
Fewer children are using the emergency department (ED). Ideally, children and their families
who have insurance and who have a medical home will be more likely to access their
provider for routine preventive care, and less likely to use the emergency department (ED)
for non‐urgent medical care.
o Results from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) show that the percentage of
County children ages 0‐5 who visited the ED during the year has decreased 16% between
2007 and 2012.
o The services provided by the Newborn Enrollment Project may also have had an effect on
the use of the ED for very young infants. Since the launch of this program at each hospital,
the number of infants (less than one year old) who visited the Emergency Department
dropped 36% at Watsonville Community Hospital (since 2009), and 5% at Dominican
Hospital (since 2011).
Children are getting dental care. In 2011, 84% of families surveyed as part of the Community
Assessment Project said that at least one of their children ages 0‐5 had dental insurance. In
2011‐12, CHIS data reported that 83% of children ages 0‐5 had a dental visit in the past year.
Children are getting support to reach developmental milestones. Foster children with
neurodevelopmental needs are getting referred to supportive services through Dominican
Pediatrics’ coordinated and multidisciplinary system called the Dominican Interdisciplinary
Child Development Program (DICDP).
2 HEDIS (Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set) is a set of standardized performance measures used by the Health Care Quality Measurement (HCQM) annual report to track the quality of care that children enrolled in Healthy Kids are receiving in Santa Cruz County. HEDIS results are analyzed for the calendar year; therefore, 2012 results are for the time period January 1 ‐ December 31, 2012.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT
8 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
At‐risk parents have improved
parenting styles and reduced
risk of maltreatment.
The percentage of Families
Together participants assessed
as being at high risk or very
high risk of child maltreatment
dropped from 61% to 12%.
Strong Families
Santa Cruz County historically has had higher rates of child abuse and neglect than any other Bay
Area county.3 Fortunately, the rates of child maltreatment are decreasing and in 2012, the County
rate of substantiated allegations of child maltreatment (8.0 per 1,000) dropped lower than the
state‐wide rate (9.3 per 1,000) for the second time since 2004.
First 5 Santa Cruz County helps strengthen parent‐child relationships and reduce risk for child abuse and neglect
Through innovative programs, First 5 and its partners are helping to decrease the risk and incidence
of child abuse and neglect.
In partnership with the County’s Human Services Department‐Family and Children’s Services
and Encompass Community Services (formerly Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center),
First 5 supports a program called Families Together. Families Together is Santa Cruz County’s
differential response program, a strategy used to intervene early with families in
which there has been an allegation of abuse. This home visiting program
includes comprehensive intake and risk assessment, development of a
tailored case plan, parent support and education, child development
activities, and periodic assessments. Results of the program have
been very encouraging:
○ Reduction of risk. Parents/primary caregivers receiving
services from Families Together had their levels of risk assessed while
they were in the program. Pre and post risk assessments for several
years combined indicated that families reduced their level of risk for
future maltreatment.
o Reduced rates of child maltreatment. Results indicate that although some families are re‐
referred to child welfare after exiting from Families Together, the rate of substantiated abuse
is low. This suggests that even though families are still experiencing high risk factors that lead
to a child welfare report, they may have gained skills and resources during their participation
in Families Together that prevent court‐mandated involvement with child welfare.
First 5 continued the implementation of the Positive Parenting Program, or Triple P. The
program consists of five levels of intervention, from broad‐based, universal efforts in the
community to more intensive, focused efforts with individual parents. The Triple P model is
an evidence‐based program shown in numerous randomized studies to increase parental
confidence and efficacy, promote positive parent‐child interactions and child behaviors, and
reduce rates of child maltreatment.
3 Center for Social Services Research, School of Welfare, U.C. Berkeley. Child Welfare Dynamic Report System, A California Department of Social Services / University of California at Berkeley collaboration, 2013.
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 9
Parents are more
confident in their
parenting skills, are
helping to improve their
children’s behavior, and
are building positive
relationships with their
families.
Highlights of this program include:
o Evidence‐based parenting support is available. First 5 has implemented all five levels of
Triple P in Santa Cruz County, from the launch of a media campaign to intensive and focused
individual services. Between 2010 ‐ 2013, approximately 4,324 parents with 7,714 children
participated in the program.
o Parents are engaged and seek more opportunities. Of parents who participated in the
Seminars and Workshops, 22% requested follow‐up services, suggesting that these brief
services may be an effective way of getting parents engaged in the program and gives
them an opportunity to participate in further services. New studies also suggest that
clients who begin in a Triple P program that requires a high level of commitment and time
continue to feel engaged and are interested in continuing their participation, either
returning for a quick lesson on a specific topic, or to continue in‐depth parent education
and skills training.
o Parenting skills and knowledge are improving along several domains. Parents who
participated in Levels 3 and 4 of the Triple P program completed assessments that measured
their levels of parenting skills and knowledge along several domains.
Results showed significant improvements in all domains,
including:
Increased use of positive parenting styles Improved
levels of confidence in parenting Reduced levels of
conflict over parenting Increased support in their
role as a parent Increased levels of satisfaction
with their relationship with co‐parents Decreased
levels of emotional difficulties Improvements in child
behavior
o Parents with more serious parenting issues are making the greatest improvements.
There was also evidence that parents who began the program with more serious
parenting issues demonstrated the greatest improvements as a result of receiving in‐
depth services (8 or more sessions). This was particularly true for parents in Teen Triple P.
o Parents are satisfied with services. Parents have rated the quality of services very high, noting
that they had received the help they wanted, were dealing more effectively with problems in
their family, and would come back to the program if they needed to seek help again.
o Parents are continuing to use the skills they learned. On average, parents felt that the
Seminars and Workshops answered their questions, and that they would continue to use
the strategies they learned.
Provision of early mental health services. The Side‐by‐Side program was created to address
the significant need for early mental health services for families with children ages 0‐5.
Results indicate that children are greatly benefiting from their participation in family services,
and 100% of families that participated in 8‐12 psychotherapy/counseling meetings and
completed pre/post assessments reported improvement in their children’s behavior.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT
10 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Children Learning and Ready for School
First 5 is helping to improve the quality of early learning programs in Santa Cruz County
In 2012‐13, First 5 Santa Cruz County launched its Quality Early Learning Initiative (QELI) in
collaboration with local partners, with the goal of improving the quality of early learning programs in
Santa Cruz County. First 5 established this initiative as a result of receiving funding through
California’s Race to the Top ‐ Early Learning Challenge (RTT‐ELC) federal grant, and First 5 California’s
Child Signature Program (CSP), which share a common goal of increasing the quality of early learning
programs and closing the achievement gap for vulnerable young children.
A consortium of local partners is implementing a county‐wide plan to improve the quality
of early learning programs. First 5 established the Santa Cruz County Quality Early Learning
Initiative (QELI) Consortium, which created a county‐wide Quality Improvement Plan (QIP),
and adopted a local Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) as a way to foster
ongoing improvement of early care and education programs in Santa Cruz County.
Baseline ratings and trainings are beginning. During this past year, the Early Learning System
Specialist (ELSS) completed Readiness Assessments with all CSP classrooms, coordinated trainings
related to CSP and RTT‐ELC, provided technical assistance to program directors, developed
processes for maintaining centralized records, and began conducting the QRIS baseline ratings.
Local QELI resources are leveraged through participation in regional partnerships. Santa
Cruz County has joined a regional consortium so that these neighboring counties could
strategize together, share resources, leverage funds, and align practices. The counties in this
consortium will also develop and share a common data system called the Bay Area Regional
RTT Database, which will gather scoring information and review progress in relation to the
Consortium’s local quality improvement targets.
A model infant/toddler quality site serves as a “learning community” that promotes early
literacy and social/emotional skills critical for school success. The Starlight Children’s Center
(SCC) is a new program for families of children 0‐3 years old, with the key goal of creating a
“learning community” that promotes early literacy and social/emotional skills. Assessment results
from the DRDP‐I/T show that toddlers in the Starlight Children’s Center are being supported to
develop social and interpersonal skills, and to develop a strong foundation for later literacy.
First 5 Santa Cruz County builds early literacy foundations by training early childhood educators to enhance language‐rich practices in the classroom
One of the most powerful indicators of later success is a child’s reading proficiency at the end
of 3rd grade,4 and data show that Santa Cruz County children are struggling with their reading
4 Kidsdata.Org, Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health, Reading Proficiency, retrieved from http://www.kidsdata.org/, 2013.
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 11
392 early child
educators are now
promoting strong
language and
literacy foundations
for children.
“The seeds of literacy are
planted before children
enter school.
Important literacy skills do
not develop spontaneously,
instruction shapes them.”
- Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998
skills. For example, only 36% of 3rd grade students in the County scored proficient or better
on the standardized California English Language Arts test (STAR5) in 2013.
The good news is that one area of the county with historically low performance has shown
particularly great improvements in scores. In the past five years, Pajaro Valley Unified School
District’s English/Language Arts scores increased 4%, and Freedom Elementary’s scores (a
school within the PVUSD) increased 16%.
First 5 Santa Cruz County is helping to improve children’s school
performance by encouraging families to read together, providing language
and literacy skill development for early childhood educators, encouraging
child assessments and individualized instruction, and working to help
children smoothly transition into kindergarten.
The SEEDS of Early Literacy curriculum is being used throughout
Santa Cruz County child care programs and preschools. Since the founding of
the Early Literacy Foundations Initiative in 2006‐07, 207 teachers and coaches
working in state‐ and federally‐subsidized classrooms have been SEEDS‐trained.
Additionally, there are 185 SEEDS‐trained licensed family child care providers, teachers, and
coaches in private and non‐profit centers/homes, 155 Family, Friend or Neighbor (FFN)
informal child care providers, and 12 Reading Corps tutors who received SEEDS training.
Classrooms and home‐based settings of SEEDS‐trained early educators are being
transformed into literacy‐rich environments. SEEDS‐trained early childhood educators are
working to ensure their children are on target for kindergarten readiness by using evidence‐
based early literacy strategies, receiving on‐site coaching, and integrating materials into their
learning environments. Assessment results are showing that SEEDS‐trained
and coached teachers are improving the quality of support they provide
in their classrooms for children’s development of early literacy:
o In preschool classrooms taught by SEEDS Plus participants, results
from the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation tool
show that in 2012‐13, the percentage of classrooms that provided
high quality support for early literacy increased from 67% at pre‐
assessment to 100% at post‐assessment.
o In home‐based settings, results from the Child/Home Early Language and Literacy
Observation tool indicate that in 2012‐13, the percentage of family child care settings that
were rated as having high quality support for early literacy increased from 50% to 92%.
5 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT
12 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
First 5 Santa Cruz County helps children build the foundation for later reading success
Parents are getting involved in their children’s reading. SEEDS classrooms also implemented
Raising A Reader, a weekly rotating book bag program for families, to boost shared reading
practices and impact children’s early literacy skills. In the 2012‐13 fiscal year, 4,556 children
and their families participated in the program.
Children are developing skills in key areas of reading success. Many preschool classrooms
throughout the County are taught by teachers who have received SEEDS training funded by
First 5. Results show that children benefit when teachers enhance their skills to promote
early literacy and use Response to Intervention (RtI) strategies with children needing the
biggest boost in key early literacy areas.
o In State Pre‐K classrooms:
When teachers used child assessment data to tailor their instruction with children,
children in these SEEDS‐trained classrooms increased their skills in all five pre‐literacy
skill areas.
Focus on English skills. During this pilot year of the Santa Cruz Reading Corps, 12
Preschool Literacy Tutors were trained in research‐based strategies following the
SEEDS of Early Literacy curriculum, and were placed in 23 State Preschool classrooms.
All children in these classrooms showed improvement in all five pre‐literacy skill
areas—in English—no matter what their primary language was, and Spanish‐speaking
children particularly demonstrated improvement in their English language skills.
o In the Summer Pre‐K Academy:
Children are learning letter sounds. In 2013, 116 children—with little to no prior
preschool experience—participated in the 4‐week Migrant Education Summer Pre‐K
program. Of those who participated in at least 14 sessions, 87% increased their letter
sound recognition by at least five letter sounds, and on average, they learned to
recognize 15 new letter sounds by the time they left the program.
First 5 Santa Cruz County helps children successfully transition to kindergarten
First 5 is investing in activities that help children successfully transition to kindergarten. Some ways
to do this are to encourage parents to visit the new school with their child, to meet the new
kindergarten teacher, and to attend parent orientations. The following highlights First 5’s work to
support successful transitions to kindergarten:
First 5 Santa Cruz County is working with parents and early childhood educators to create
an information “bridge” for children as they transition to kindergarten. First 5 Santa Cruz
County continued to support the use of the Child Snapshot as a vehicle for communication
among kindergarten, preschool, and family child care teachers about children who are
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 13
transitioning to kindergarten. The Child Snapshot supports children’s transition to
kindergarten by involving parents in the process and providing important information that
helps kindergarten teachers prepare for their incoming students.
o This spring, teachers and parents at 40 preschools completed individual Child Snapshot
forms for 906 children, which were then collected and shared with kindergarten teachers
at 53 elementary schools in Santa Cruz County and surrounding areas.
o In 2012‐13, new analyses were performed to determine if any of the family activities
noted in the Child Snapshot were correlated with children’s school readiness skills. Results
revealed some statistically significant relationships between certain family activities (e.g.,
singing and telling stories, eating family meals together, visiting the library, and playing
games together) and improved school readiness skills.
o Results from a Kindergarten Teacher Survey indicated that 92% of kindergarten teachers
used Child Snapshots in some way to assist with their incoming students' transition to
kindergarten. The Child Snapshot helped kindergarten teachers with three key transition
elements: Communicating with parents; Preparing for the incoming students; Forming
balanced kindergarten classes.
Parents are receiving kindergarten transition information. Approximately 301 parents
participated in Transition to Kindergarten Workshops where they learned about kindergarten
registration requirements, choices of language programs, how to support their child in
school, and ways to ensure that their child’s entry into school is a pleasant and smooth
transition.
Service Integration & Community Strengthening
First 5 efforts are sustainable
Partners maximize First 5 investments by leveraging these funds to draw down other matching
funds. In 2012‐13, First 5 Santa Cruz County had a total annual program investment of
$4,045,835, and First 5 partners leveraged an additional $2,339,891.
2‐1‐1 is a centralized point of contact for Santa Cruz County residents to get information on
local services, and is operated by the United Way of the Bay Area and funded by several local
agencies including First 5 Santa Cruz County. Since the 2‐1‐1 program began in Santa Cruz
County in 2010, a total of 14,434 people have called, with a total of 18,678 needs and 23,194
referrals. Results show how effective this program has been in helping residents with their
everyday needs and concerns, and during emergency situations.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT
14 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Summary
First 5 Santa Cruz County is serving 42% of children ages 0‐5 in Santa Cruz County, and they are
serving the most vulnerable children, including those in families that are experiencing severe
poverty and are living in areas of the County with the highest risk factors.
First 5 and its partners are achieving results in helping these very vulnerable children and families:
In the Healthy Children goal area, data show that children are insured and using preventative
health care:
o Since 2004, 11,410 children ages 0‐5 have been enrolled in public health insurance.
o In 2012, 97% of children (ages 2‐6) in Healthy Kids had a medical home, and 85% of
children (ages 3‐6) had a well‐child visit in the last year.
o In 2012‐13, Baby Gateway assisted 83% of all mothers with Medi‐Cal births to complete a
Medi‐Cal application for their new babies. Of those assisted, nearly all (99.8%) had their new
babies enrolled in Medi‐Cal, and 94% were assigned a primary care provider for their child.
o Foster children with neurodevelopmental needs are getting referred to supportive
services through Dominican Pediatrics’ coordinated and multidisciplinary system called
the Dominican Interdisciplinary Child Development Program (DICDP).
In the Strong Families goal area, families are becoming more healthy and resilient, and it
benefits their children:
o Families who are at risk for child abuse and neglect are being helped to reduce that risk.
o 95% of families who received services from the Families Together program had no
substantiated allegations of maltreatment in the six months after their cases closed.
o First 5 has implemented all five levels of Triple P in Santa Cruz County, from an expanded
social marketing campaign to intensive and focused individual services. Brief services may
be an effective way of getting parents engaged in the program and provide an opportunity
to participate in further services.
o Parents participating in the Triple P parenting program significantly increased their
confidence in parenting, used more positive parenting styles, felt more supported, and
improved their relationships with their families.
o Parents who began the program with more serious parenting issues demonstrated the
greatest improvements as a result of receiving in‐depth services (8 or more sessions).
o Parents in Teen Triple P tended to report more serious parenting issues than parents in Core
Triple P, and demonstrated a greater degree of improvement by the end of the program.
o Early mental health services are being provided. Of families that participated in 8‐12
psychotherapy/counseling meetings and completed pre/post assessments, 100% reported
improvement in their children's behavior.
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 15
In the Children Learning and Ready for School goal area, data show that First 5 is successfully
improving the quality of early learning programs and building teacher skills to develop
children’s early literacy skills:
o In 2012‐13, First 5 Cruz County launched its Quality Early Learning Initiative (QELI) in
collaboration with local partners, with the goal of improving the quality of early learning
programs in Santa Cruz County, and closing the achievement gap for vulnerable young
children.
o A model infant/toddler quality site is serving as a “learning community” that promotes
early literacy and social/emotional skills critical for school success. Assessment results
show that toddlers in the Starlight Children’s Center are being supported to develop social
and interpersonal skills, and to develop a strong foundation for later literacy.
o The SEEDS of Early Literacy approach is transforming early education settings in the
County. In 2012‐13, the percentage of preschool classrooms taught by SEEDS Plus
participants assessed as providing high quality literacy support for children increased from
67% to 100%. Similarly, the percentage of family child care settings that were rated as
having high quality support increased from 50% to 92%.
o Children in SEEDS‐trained classrooms are developing skills in key areas of reading success.
Many State Preschool classrooms are taught by teachers who have received SEEDS
training, and during this pilot year of the Santa Cruz Reading Corps, 12 Preschool Literacy
Tutors with SEEDS training were placed in 23 of these classrooms. Children in these
classrooms showed improvement in all five pre‐literacy skill areas—in English—no matter
what their primary language was, and Spanish‐speaking children particularly
demonstrated improvement in their English language skills.
o The Child Snapshot supported 906 children with their transition to kindergarten by
involving parents and preschool teachers in the process, and providing important
information that helped kindergarten teachers prepare for their incoming students. New
studies revealed some statistically significant relationships between certain family
activities and improved school readiness skills, and 92% of kindergarten teachers used the
Child Snapshot to assist with their incoming students' transition to kindergarten.
First 5 partners are maximizing First 5 funding by leveraging their funds to bring in an
additional 2.3 million dollars. Because of First 5’s funding and this kind of additional support,
Santa Cruz County children will continue to get the support they need to become healthy,
strong, and ready for school.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT
16 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 17
PART 1: STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT
18 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 19
First 5 Santa Cruz County’s Strategic Framework
First 5 Santa Cruz County has the great privilege and responsibility to act as the steward of
Proposition 10 (“tobacco tax”) resources for young children from prenatal to age 5 in Santa Cruz
County. Since its inception, the Commission has worked to establish a legacy through building a
coordinated and integrated system of care and support for children 0‐5 and their families.
The First 5 Santa Cruz County Commission utilizes the strategic framework shown below to guide its
funding and programmatic decisions. This enables First 5 to allocate its resources effectively and
measure the impact of its investments. See Appendix A for a detailed version of this framework.
Preview of the Strategic Framework Section of this Report
The Strategic Framework is also the framework for the evaluation. Thus, the Strategic Framework
section of this report reviews the progress that has been made between July 1, 2012 and June 30,
2013 toward achieving the specific results in each of the goal areas. Multiple years of data are often
shown for programs and initiatives for which there have been multiple years of investment. To
contextualize these outcome data, this section begins with a review of county‐wide trends as well as
a profile of First 5’s participants, and concludes with a section regarding First 5 Santa Cruz County’s
efforts to support service integration and community strengthening.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT
20 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS COUNTY TRENDS
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 21
Overall Well‐Being of Children in the County
A Profile of Santa Cruz County’s Youngest Children
Santa Cruz County has a diverse population of young children. In 2013, there were 18,753 children
ages 0‐5, the majority of whom were either Hispanic (55%), or White (37%). This diversity continues
into kindergarten, where in 2013 almost 47% of children had a primary language other than English.
Figure 1: Number of County Children ages 0-5
Figure 2: Ethnicity of County Children ages 0-5 (2013)
Figure 3: English Language Proficiency of County Kindergarteners (2012-13)
Source: (Population and Ethnicity; 2006 – 2009) State of California, Department of Finance, Race/Ethnic Population with Age and Sex Detail, 2000–2010. Sacramento, California, September 2012; (Population and Ethnicity; 2010 – 2013) State of California, Department of Finance, Report P‐3: State and County Population Projections by Race/Ethnicity, Detailed Age, and Gender, 2010‐2060. Sacramento, California, January 2013; (English Language Proficiency) California Department of Education, DataQuest, 2012‐13.
N: (Ethnicity) N=18,753; (English Language Proficiency) N=3,219.
18,571 18,489 18,518 18,360 18,046 18,327 18,633 18,753
10,000
14,000
18,000
22,000
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
55.3%
36.7%
2.4%
0.8%
4.8%
Hispanic
White
Asian/ Pacific Islander
Other
Multirace
53.1%
1.2%45.7%
English as PrimaryLanguage
Fluent‐English‐Proficient (FEP)
English Learners (EL)
OVERALL WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN IN THE COUNTY
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT COUNTY TRENDS
22 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
County-Wide Trends in Indicators of Child and Family Well-Being
INDICATOR COUNTY POPULATION CURRENT DATA
1
CHANGE OVER TIME2
1 YEAR 5 YEARS
EMPLOYMENT
Unemployment Rate
Santa Cruz County 9.9% ‐1.3% +2.6%
Watsonville 20.9% ‐2.3% +4.9%
Aptos 3.9% ‐0.5% +1.1%
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
CalWORKS enrollment General population (Enrollment as of July of each year)
4,798* ‐0.5% +4.6%
CalFresh enrollment (Food Stamps)
General population (Average monthly enrollment)
22,581 +8.0% +80.5%
National School Lunch Program enrollment
Student population (Annual enrollment)
20,290* +2.2% +23.0%
Women, Infants, & Children Program (WIC) enrollment
General population (Average monthly enrollment)
9,629* +0.9% +3.4% (3 year trend)
PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE
Medi-Cal enrollment General population (Enrollment as of July of each year)
45,019 +5.6% +14.3%
Healthy Families enrollment Children 0‐18 (Enrollment as of June of each year)
1,686 ‐75.5% ‐71.2%
Healthy Kids enrollment
Children 0‐18 (Enrollment as of June of each year)
1,415 ‐18.3% ‐35.4% (4 year trend)
Children 0‐5 (Enrollment as of June of each year)
134 ‐18.8% ‐49.4% (4 year trend)
PRENATAL CARE IN THE FIRST TRIMESTER
Prenatal Care in the First Trimester (by Mother’s Age)
All Mothers 82.1%* +0.4% +2.6% (3 year trend)
Mothers (ages 24 and under) 70.1%* +2.1% ‐0.6% (3 year trend)
Prenatal Care in the First Trimester (by Payment Method)
Private insurance 92.3%* ‐0.3% +1.3%
Medi‐Cal insurance 73.8%* ‐1.2% +2.8%
TEEN PREGNANCY
Percentage of Births to Teen Mothers
Teen mothers (ages 19 and under) 7.3%* ‐0.6% ‐1.2%
Teen Birth Rate (per 1,000) Teen mothers (ages 15‐19) 20.7* ‐0.9% ‐1.6%
BIRTHS PAID BY MEDI-CAL
Births Paid by Medi-Cal All Mothers 51.9%* ‐1.5% +0.5%
(3 year trend)
Mothers (ages 24 and under) 81.5%* +1.8% +2.7% (3 year trend)
1 Current data are for 2013, unless marked by an asterisk (*).
* Data marked by an asterisk are from 2012. 2 For data that are quantities (e.g., enrollment numbers), change over time is calculated using a percent change. For data that are already percentages (e.g., unemployment rates), change over time is calculated using a net change (subtraction).
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 23
Profile of Participants
Number of Children and Families Served
Since the development of its evaluation system, First 5 Santa Cruz County has had the unique ability
to gather unduplicated counts of individuals served within partner programs and across those
programs. These data—or client characteristic data (hereafter referred to as “CCDs”)—are
submitted by partners and analyzed to determine the unduplicated count of individuals served by
program, by goal area, and overall.
Figure 4: Number of Services to Children and Parents, by Goal Area (2012-2013)
GOAL AREA
CHILDREN (AGES 0‐5)
PARENTS
NUMBER PERCENT NUMBER
(AGES <18)NUMBER
(AGES 18+) TOTAL NUMBER
PERCENT
Healthy Children 3,054 35.8% 0 0 0 0.0%
Strong Families 472 5.5% 8 622 630 91.4%
Children Learning and Ready for School 5,006 58.7% 0 59 59 8.6%
Total Number of Services (includes clients served in multiple goal areas)
8,532 100.0% 8 681 689 100.0%
Unique Number of Clients* (unduplicated number of clients
across all goal areas) 7,966 8 679 687
Source: SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013.
* 562 children and 2 parents received services from more than one goal area.
It should be noted that some partners serve both children and their parents, but have collected
CCDs only for the children. These partners include the Health Care Outreach Coalition, Raising A
Reader, Migrant Education (Summer Pre‐K), Side by Side, the Neurodevelopmental Clinic, and early
educators using the Child Snapshot.
Additionally, First 5 funds some programs that collect data on participants, but not CCDs. Therefore,
the number of individuals reached through First 5’s investments is actually greater than what is
reported in the unduplicated count of people served. For instance,
2,530 Kits for New Parents were distributed to individuals at clinics, hospitals, and events
throughout the County;
301 parents participated in Transition to Kindergarten Workshops;
PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS
24 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
1,080 parents participated in Triple P parenting Seminars and Workshops;
123 service providers participated in First 5’s Service Integration Brown Bag Lunches;
28 service providers participated in First 5’s “Achieving Excellence in Customer Service”
trainings.
According to the 2013 population estimates for Santa Cruz County, there were approximately
18,753 children ages 0‐5 residing in the County (including 10,377 Latino children).6
During the 2012‐2013 fiscal year, partners funded by First 5 served 7,966 unique children,
approximately 42% of all children ages 0‐5 in the County.
Among the Latino population, 59% of all children ages 0‐5 participated in services funded by
First 5.
Figure 5: Percentage of Children 0-5 in Santa Cruz County Served by First 5
Source: (Children 0‐5 served by First 5) Client counts are for fiscal years, taken from SUN database/CCD data, July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2013. (County populations of children 0‐5) State of California, Department of Finance, Report P‐3: State and County Population Projections by Race/Ethnicity, Detailed Age, and Gender, 2010‐2060. Sacramento, California, January 2013.
It is important to note that the percentage of children served in the County is actually higher if one
includes children who were indirectly supported by a First 5‐funded program, such as children
whose child care providers received professional training through funded partner programs,
children whose parents received a Kit for New Parents or attended a parent workshop, and children
benefiting from service providers who attended Brown Bag Lunches and customer service trainings.
6 State of California, Department of Finance, Report P‐3: State and County Population Projections by Race/Ethnicity, Detailed Age, and Gender, 2010‐2060. Sacramento, California, January 2013.
31% 30%35%
41%
62%54%
59%
23%27% 26% 27%
44%39%
42%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
2006‐07 2007‐08 2008‐09 2009‐10 2010‐11 2011‐12 2012‐13
Percent of County's LatinoChildren 0‐5 Served by First 5
Percent of County's Children0‐5 Served by First 5
Indicator: Percentage of children in in Santa Cruz County served by First 5
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 25
Increase Services into Communities with the Highest Needs
As can be seen in the following figure, over the past several years funded partners have consistently
served Latino and Spanish‐speaking children, children who reside in South County, and children
from low‐income backgrounds. Across the years, at least three‐fourths of families served lived
below the Federal Poverty Level.
Figure 6: Demographics of Children Participating in First 5 Programs, by Year
Source: (Latino, Spanish, South County, Income) SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2013. (Federal Poverty Level for family of five) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Poverty Guidelines, 2008‐2013.
N: (2007‐2008) Ethnicity = 4,235; Language = 4,192; Region of County = 5,214. (2008‐2009) Ethnicity = 4,968; Language = 4,896; Region of County = 5,440. (2009‐2010) Ethnicity = 5,620; Language = 5,563; Region of County = 5,276. (2010‐2011) Ethnicity = 8,848; Language = 9,086; Region of County = 8,932. (2011‐2012) Ethnicity = 8,046; Language = 8,235; Region of County = 8,082. (2012‐2013) Ethnicity = 7,757; Language = 7,809; Region of County = 7,577.
In a 2005 assessment of the levels of children’s vulnerability within Santa Cruz County, 10 indicators
of risk were measured and tracked by ZIP code within Santa Cruz County: income relative to the
Federal Poverty Threshold, self‐sufficiency, Medi‐Cal births, parental unemployment, births to
teens, referrals to child welfare services, child abuse, child witnesses to domestic violence, adults
without a high school degree, and linguistic isolation. For each indicator, one of four levels of risk
was assigned.
72.0%
64.3%
79.0%
73.2%
64.9%
82.2%
75.2%
70.6%
85.1%
80.5%
74.9%
86.6%
65.8%
74.4%
83.0%
54.9%
73.7%
81.7%
50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
South County
Spanish as Household Language
Latino
2007‐08
2008‐09
2009‐10
2010‐11
2011‐12
2012‐13
Indicator: Demographic trends in children participating in First 5 programs
Indicator: Levels of children’s vulnerability in Santa Cruz County, by ZIP code
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS
26 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
In the following map, the combined risk of these 10 indicators has been determined and displayed
for each ZIP code to illustrate the areas of highest vulnerability for children ages 0‐5 in Santa Cruz
County. In addition to the combined risk for each ZIP code, dots indicate if the ZIP code had a school
that had an Academic Performance Index (API) score of 3 or lower.
This map will be updated as soon as the 2010 U.S. Census data for these indicators of risk are
available by county and ZIP code.
Figure 7: Levels of Children’s Vulnerability in Santa Cruz County, by ZIP code
Source: Applied Survey Research, Geo‐Mapping Children’s Vulnerability in Santa Cruz County, Presentation to First 5 Santa Cruz County, 2005.
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 27
In order to determine whether First 5 partners are serving children in the highest need areas of the
County, this second map displays the relative size of client populations, with darker colors indicating
more First 5 participants served than lighter colors. As seen in the following table, 91% of children
(with known ZIP codes) served by funded partners lived in the areas of the County that ranked
highest on a cumulative index of risk factors (the Live Oak area of Santa Cruz, the city of Santa Cruz,
Watsonville and Freedom), showing that First 5 partners are reaching the most vulnerable children.
Figure 8: Distribution of Children Who Received Services, by ZIP Code (2012-2013)
Figure 9: Number of Children Who Received Services, by ZIP Code (2012-2013)
AREA ZIP CODE
NUMBER OF
CHILDREN SERVED
AREA ZIP CODE
NUMBER OF
CHILDREN SERVED
Aptos, Rio Del Mar 95003 116 Mt. Hermon 95041 1
Ben Lomond 95005 43 Santa Cruz* 95060 540
Boulder Creek 95006 59 Santa Cruz (Live Oak) 95062 824
Brookdale 95007 4 Santa Cruz 95064 33
Capitola 95010 73 Santa Cruz 95065 72
Davenport 95017 28 Scotts Valley* 95066 138
Felton 95018 46 Soquel 95073 63
Freedom 95019 275 Watsonville* 95076 5,064
Total ‐ 7,379 Source: SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013.
* Children with Post Office mailing addresses in these areas were included in the area totals.
Legend
Frequency
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS
28 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Early Childhood Educators Served by First 5 Partners
First 5 Santa Cruz County helps support the professional development of early childhood educators
in the community.
In 2012‐13, there were 138 early childhood educators from preschools and family child care
homes who received professional development training from the SEEDS of Early Literacy or
Race to the Top programs. These programs collected enough information to create a Unique
ID for each client, thereby allowing these early childhood educators to be enumerated and
tracked across multiple services.
There were additional early childhood educators who participated in funded programs and
received professional development training, but who were not tracked using a Unique ID.
These include:
o Child Signature Program (CSP)
50 early childhood educators who attended the CLASS overview trainings
48 early childhood educators who completed the “Looking at CLASSrooms” (LAC) trainings
50 early childhood educators who attended the “Kids and Smoke Don't Mix” online tobacco trainings
o Side by Side
40 staff/child care providers who received training from Side‐by‐Side Clinician/Consultants
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS HEALTHY CHILDREN
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 29
Healthy Children
This portion of First 5 Santa Cruz County’s Strategic
Framework analysis includes data regarding the
current estimates of children without health
insurance, enrollment outcomes from the Healthy Kids
Initiative’s Health Care Outreach Coalition, results from the Newborn Enrollment Project, and health
insurance utilization and re‐enrollment data. Additional information about partners’ efforts to
support Healthy Children can be found in the Partner Profiles section of this report.
Increase Insurance Coverage
The majority of children ages 0‐5 in Santa Cruz County have health insurance (99%), according to the
most recent estimates from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS; 2011‐12). During this
continuing period of economic instability, it is especially important to continue providing assistance
to families to enroll in public health insurance programs, so that every child ages 0‐5 is insured.
Figure 10: Percentage of Children Ages 0-5 Estimated to be Insured
Source: UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), 2001‐2011/12.
93.7%94.5%
95.9%
96.5%93.9%
96.2%
93.3%
99.1%
80%
85%
90%
95%
100%
2001 2005 2009 2011‐12
California
Santa Cruz County
Indicator: Percentage of children in Santa Cruz County with health insurance coverage
HEALTHY CHILDREN
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT HEALTHY CHILDREN
30 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Public health insurance programs are essential to the overall health and well‐being of children. The
Health Care Outreach Coalition (HCOC) provides assistance with application and enrollment in public
health insurance to income‐eligible families. Through community outreach workers called Certified
Application Assistors (CAAs), children from families earning up to 300% of
the Federal Poverty Level receive assistance in applying for Medi‐Cal,
Healthy Families, and the local Healthy Kids health insurance plan.
Additionally, HCOC staff participate in community events and respond to
business and community agency requests for presentations and additional
information regarding health insurance.
The following figures present the number of children ages 0‐5 newly enrolled
in health insurance, and number of enrollees who renewed their health insurance. Across the years
since the effort began in 2004, 11,410 children ages 0‐5 have been enrolled in public health insurance.7
The large increase in Medi‐Cal enrollments in 2009‐10 is due to the Newborn Enrollment Project
(described subsequently), and the 2012‐13 increase in Medi‐Cal re‐enrollments reflects the efforts that
began in January 2013 to move all children enrolled in the Healthy Families Program into the new
coverage provided by Medi‐Cal known as Targeted Low‐income Children’s Program (“Medi‐Cal TLC” or
“Medi‐Cal for Families”).
Figure 11: Number of Children (Ages 0-5) Newly Enrolled by HCOC in Publicly-Funded Health Insurance Programs
Source: Health Care Outreach Coalition, County Benefits Tracking Report, 2013; Health Care Outreach Coalition, Newborn Enrollment Statistics, 2013.
7 County of Santa Cruz Health Services Agency, 2013.
580519
620
1,312
1,741
2,185
1,871
53 42 67
901
1,226
1,6811,609
352 359395
315
445 429
205175 118 158
96 70 75 57
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
1,800
2,000
2,200
2006‐07 2007‐08 2008‐09 2009‐10 2010‐11 2011‐12 2012‐13
Total
Medi‐Cal
Healthy Families
Healthy Kids
Indicator: Number of children ages 0‐5 in Santa Cruz County who are enrolled in publicly‐funded health insurance through the Health Care Outreach Coalition
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS HEALTHY CHILDREN
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 31
Figure 12: Number of Children (Ages 0-5) Re-Enrolled by HCOC in Publicly-Funded Health Insurance Programs
Source: Health Care Outreach Coalition, County Benefits Tracking Report, 2013; Health Care Outreach Coalition, Newborn Enrollment Statistics, 2013.
Baby Gateway—the Newborn Enrollment Project—operates in three local hospitals in Santa Cruz
County with funding and support provided by First 5: Watsonville Hospital, Dominican Hospital, and
Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz. The main goals of the project are to provide
enrollment assistance to mothers and their newborns, as well as to establish a seamless Medi‐Cal
coverage process for Medi‐Cal‐eligible newborns, and to link those newborns to a medical home, all
before they leave the hospital.
In addition, all new mothers receive the First 5 “Kit for New Parents” containing expert guidance for
raising healthy infants and children. In particular, parents are oriented to the “What To Do If My Child
Gets Sick” booklet, which provides information in utilizing primary care appropriately, and clarifies what
issues should prompt a visit to the emergency room, and which should be handled in the medical home.
Newborn Enrollment Results
Data from 2012‐13 show how successful this program has been in providing these services to Santa
Cruz County’s mothers and newborns.
Of all 3,155 births that occurred in Santa Cruz County at these hospitals in 2012‐13, 73% of
mothers received a newborn visit while in the hospital, and 56% received a “Kit for New Parents.”
Of all 1,748 mothers with Medi‐Cal births during 2012‐13, 83% were assisted to complete a
Medi‐Cal application for their new babies.
Of the 1,453 mothers who were assisted to complete a Medi‐Cal application for their
newborns, nearly all applications (99.8%) were approved, and 94% were assigned a primary
care provider for their child before discharge from the hospital.
27 19 40 139
269
455
682
257
318
411 487442 440
296181 182
131 150 12097 92
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
2006‐07 2007‐08 2008‐09 2009‐10 2010‐11 2011‐12 2012‐13
Medi‐Cal
Healthy Families
Healthy Kids
Indicator: Number of mothers in Santa Cruz County visited as part of the Newborn Enrollment Project
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT HEALTHY CHILDREN
32 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Figure 13: Newborn Enrollment Project Statistics (2012-2013)
PROGRAM COMPONENT WATSONVILLE
COMMUNITY
HOSPITAL
DOMINICAN
HOSPITAL SUTTER
MATERNITY &
SURGERY CENTER OF SANTA CRUZ
TOTAL
Total Number of All Births in Santa Cruz County
1,344 869 942 3,155
Total Number of Medi‐Cal Births 1,144 358 246 1,748
NUMBER PERCENT OF ALL MEDI‐CAL BIRTHS
Number of Completed Newborn Medi‐Cal Applications
982 328 143 1,453 83.1%
NUMBER PERCENT OF ALL MEDI‐CAL
APPLICATIONS
Number of Approved Newborn Medi‐Cal Enrollments 981 326 143 1,450 99.8%
Number of Denied Newborn Medi‐Cal Applications 1 2 0 3 0.2%
Number of Pending Newborn Medi‐Cal Applications 0 0 0 0 0.0%
Number of Newborn Medi‐Cal Applicants with an Assigned Primary Care Provider
1,364 93.9%
NUMBER PERCENT OF ALL COUNTY BIRTHS
Total Number of Newborn Visits (regardless of insurance status)
1,203 712 388 2,303 73.0%
Number of Kits for New Parents Distributed
841 605 329 1,775 56.3%
Source: Health Care Outreach Coalition, Newborn Enrollment Statistics, 2013.
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS HEALTHY CHILDREN
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 33
Increase Use of Medical/Dental Homes
The majority of County children enrolled in Healthy Kids, ages 2‐6, had access to a primary care
practitioner. In 2012, 97% of children had a medical home, which is slightly higher than it has been
for the past several years.
Figure 14: Percentage of Children in the County Enrolled in Healthy Kids (Ages 2-6) Who Had Access to a Primary Care Practitioner
Source: Central Coast Alliance for Health, Health Care Quality Measurement annual report, using HEDIS Indicators.
N: (2006)=227, (2007)=221, (2008)=227, (2009)=208, (2010)=164, (2011)=134, (2012)=107.
Parents of children receiving enrollment services through the Health Care Outreach Coalition were
asked when they renewed their children’s insurance whether their children had used the benefit
during the previous year. During the 2012‐2013 year, nearly all children (99%) who received renewal
assistance in a public insurance program utilized their benefits prior to their renewal, continuing the
trend of high utilization across the years.
Figure 15: Percentage of County Parents Reporting their Children Utilized Health Care Prior to Renewal in an Insurance Program
Source: Health Care Outreach Coalition, Annual Progress Report, 2007‐2013. Results represent the status of children’s applications 2‐3 months after the end of the fiscal year.
N: (2006‐07)=471, (2007‐08)=514, (2008‐09)=555, (2009‐10)=789, (2010‐11)=829, (2011‐12)=1,013, (2012‐13)=1,102.
89.9% 90.1%93.8%
89.4%95.1% 94.0%
97.2%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
99.6% 97.9% 99.6% 99.4%96.6%
99.6% 99.0%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2006‐07 2007‐08 2008‐09 2009‐10 2010‐11 2011‐12 2012‐13
Indicator: Percentage of children in Santa Cruz County enrolled in Healthy Kids (ages 2‐6) who had access to a primary care practitioner
Indicator: Percentage of children in Santa Cruz County utilizing health care prior to renewal in an insurance program
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT HEALTHY CHILDREN
34 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Dental care is a critical component of overall health, and children who get regular dental check‐ups
are less likely to suffer from tooth and gum disease. Many children ages 0‐5 in Santa Cruz County are
covered by dental insurance and are getting annual dental check‐ups.
In 2011, 84% of families surveyed as part of the Community Assessment Project said that at
least one of their children ages 0‐5 had dental insurance.
In 2011‐12, CHIS data reported that 83% of children ages 0‐5 had a dental visit in the past year.
Figure 16: Percentage of County Children Receiving Dental Care (Ages 0-5)
County Children (0‐5) With Dental Insurance (2011) “How many of your children have insurance?”
Source: Applied Survey Research, Santa Cruz County Community Assessment Project (CAP), 2012. N=107.
County Children (0‐5) With a Dental Visit in the Past Year
Source: UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), 2013.
There are still some children who are not receiving dental care, and the costs are high. Data from
2005‐2007 show that throughout California, thousands of children ages 0‐5 are going to the
emergency department with preventable dental conditions. In 2003 the Santa Cruz County Health
Services Agency reported that “77% of Santa Cruz County students had untreated dental cavities,
and over 20% had abscessed teeth.”8 The authors of this Health Bulletin warned:
“School children who suffer the pain of decay have less learning and concentration ability.
Nationwide, children with oral health problems miss almost 52 million school hours annually.”
Figure 17: Rate of California Children Visiting the ED for Preventable Dental Conditions (per 100,000, Ages 0-5)
Source: California HealthCare Foundation, Snapshot: Emergency Department Visits for Preventable Dental Conditions in California, 2009.
8 County of Santa Cruz, Health Services Agency, Health Bulletin: Local Public Health Officials Support Fluoridation, by Khalsa, R., & McNutt, D. (2003).
15.9%
84.1%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
No child (0‐5) hasinsurance
At least one child (0‐5)has insurance
75.2% 82.5%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2009 2011‐12
189 222 203
0
100
200
300
2005 2006 2007
Indicator: Percentage of children in Santa Cruz County who are getting dental care
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS HEALTHY CHILDREN
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 35
Increase Use of Preventive Health Services
In 2012, the majority of children ages 3‐6 enrolled in Healthy Kids (85%) received a well‐child visit
with their pediatrician, showing an increasing trend over the past five years.
Figure 18: Percentage of Children (Ages 3-6) in the County Enrolled in Healthy Kids Who Received a Well-Child Visit
Source: Central Coast Alliance for Health, Health Care Quality Measurement annual report, using HEDIS Indicators.
N: (2006)=210, (2007)=207, (2008)=211, (2009)‐191, (2010)=152, (2011)=117, (2012)=97.
Ideally, children and their families who have insurance and who have a medical home will be more
likely to access their provider for routine preventive care, and less likely to use the emergency
department (ED) for non‐urgent medical care.
Survey data show that in 2011‐12, 16% of children ages 0‐5 in Santa Cruz County visited the
ED in the past year, which is lower than the peak of 32% in 2007.
Figure 19: Percentage of Children (Ages 0-5) in the County Who Visited the Emergency Department in the Past Year
Source: UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), 2013.
78.1% 81.6%76.8% 79.6%
82.9%87.2% 84.5%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
16.1%
31.7%
25.6%
15.7%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
2005 2007 2009 2011‐12
Indicator: Percentage of children in Santa Cruz County enrolled in Healthy Kids (ages 3‐6) who received a well‐child visit
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT HEALTHY CHILDREN
36 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
The services provided by the Newborn Enrollment Project may also have had an effect on the use of
the Emergency Department (ED) for children less than one year old.
ED visits typically peak during the first two quarters of each year. Consequently, when comparing ED
visits at a hospital before and after the launch of Baby Gateway, it was important to evaluate the
same quarter when making comparisons between years. In the following analysis, results for
Quarter 1 were compared.
Baby Gateway was launched at Watsonville Community Hospital in August 2009. When
comparing the data for Quarter 1 of 2009 and 2013, the number of ED visits for infants under
one year dropped from 573 to 367 (a 36% decrease).
Similarly, after Baby Gateway was launched at Dominican Hospital in January 2011, ED visits
for infants under one year dropped from 186 to 176 (a 5% decrease).
Figure 20: Number of Emergency Department Visits (Infants Less Than One Year Old)
Source: Health Improvement Partnership of Santa Cruz County, Healthy Kids Biannual Evaluation, July 2012 – June 2013.
573
632
552 558
506528
471
421 424446
349381 395
342
428401
367
218184
151171
199
146116
168186
148116
137163
112128 118
176
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1
WatsonvilleCommunityHospital
DominicanHospital
Baby Gateway Launched at
Dominican and Sutter Hospitals
Baby Gateway Launched at
Watsonville Community
Hospital
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS HEALTHY CHILDREN
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 37
Increase Number of Children Reaching Developmental Milestones
In 2012‐13, approximately 7% of kindergarten students in Santa Cruz County received special
education services, demonstrating the importance of having services available to address the
developmental issues of these very young children.
Figure 21: Percentage of County Children in Kindergarten Enrolled in Special Education
Source: California Department of Education, Special Education Division.
N: (2006‐07)=2,909; (2007‐08)=2,921;( 2008‐09)=3,031, (2009‐10)=3,267, (2010‐11)=3,149, (2011‐12)=3,327, (2012‐13)=3,219.
The Dominican Interdisciplinary Child Development Program (DICDP) is an innovative, coordinated
approach to address the neurodevelopmental needs of very vulnerable children ages 0‐5 in the
foster care system. In October 2011, the DICDP and its interdisciplinary team began providing
comprehensive services to these children ages 0‐5, in order to assess, intervene, and treat their
developmental and social/emotional issues as early as possible. The DICDP also established a plan to
build the capacity of community partners to support the services that are recommended for these
children, in order to streamline this referral process.
The DICDP collects key data regarding the population they serve, and the following charts provide a
profile of the child population that received services from the DICDP between 2011‐13, and the
types of referrals that were made after assessments.
Figure 22: Demographics of the Children (Ages 0-5) Participating in the DICDP (2011-2013)
Race/Ethnicity Age
Source: Dominican Interdisciplinary Child Development Program, Data Template, 2011‐2013.
N: (Gender, Race/Ethnicity, Age)=146; (Language)=145.
6.6% 6.3%5.5% 6.0% 6.0% 7.1% 7.2%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
2006‐07 2007‐08 2008‐09 2009‐10 2010‐11 2011‐12 2012‐13
Latino / Hispanic, 54.1%
Caucasian / White, 40.4%
Other, 5.5% 12.3%
27.4%
13.7%13.7%
15.8%
17.1%< 1 year old
1 year old
2 years old
3 years old
4 years old
5 years old
Indicator: A coordinated approach to address the neurodevelopmental needs of very vulnerable children ages 0‐5 in the foster care system
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT HEALTHY CHILDREN
38 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Figure 23: Percentage of Children in DICDP (Ages 0-5) With These Diagnoses and Services, at Intake (2011-2013)
Source: Dominican Interdisciplinary Child Development Program, Data Template, 2011‐2013.
* Children’s developmental levels were assessed using one of two standardized assessments, depending on the age of the child: the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development or the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence, 3rd edition.
** The number of children receiving Physical Therapy at intake was not measured in 2012‐13
N: (IEP, ADHD, Occupational Therapy, Developmental Disability Services)=146; (Delayed, Severely Delayed)=141; (Autism)=95; (Physical Therapy)=51.
Figure 24: Percentage of Children in DICDP (Ages 0-5) Provided With These Referrals (2011-2013)
Source: Dominican Interdisciplinary Child Development Program, Data Template, 2011‐2013.
* San Andreas Regional Center (SARC)
** The number of children referred to Occupational Therapy was not measured in 2011‐12.
N: (All referrals except OT) =146; (Occupational Therapy)=95.
12.8%
1.4%4.8% 2.1% 2.0%
17.7%
4.3% 4.8% 3.2% 2.7%
30.5%
5.7% 4.8% 4.8%3.2% 2.7% 2.1% 2.0%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
"Delayed"Developmental
Level*
"SeverelyDelayed"
DevelopmentalLevel*
Diagnosed withADHD
ReceivingOccupational
Therapy
Diagnosed withAutism
Has an IEP ReceivingDevelopmental
DisabilityServices
ReceivingPhysical
Therapy**
TOTAL 0‐5
Ages 3‐5
Ages 0‐2
0.7%2.7%
0.7% 2.1% 2.1% 0.7%
15.1%
2.1%
2.1%1.1% 1.1%
0.7%0.7%
15.8%
4.8%
2.8% 3.2% 3.2%1.4% 0.7%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
School district(IEP/IFSP
development)
Triple P(Parenting skills)
Audiology SARC*/Early Start(Developmentaldisability services)
OccupationalTherapy**
Ophthalmology Genetics
TOTAL 0‐5
Ages 3‐5
Ages 0‐2
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS STRONG FAMILIES
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 39
Strong Families
This portion of First 5 Santa Cruz County’s Strategic
Framework analysis includes data regarding the
Commission’s goals to decrease child abuse and neglect
and improve parent and caregiver practices that support
children’s social/emotional development. Additional information about partners’ efforts to support
Strong Families can be found in the Partner Profiles section of this report.
Decrease Child Abuse and Neglect
The rate of substantiated allegations of child maltreatment in Santa Cruz County has decreased from
a high of 16.2 (per 1,000) in 2004, to 8.0 (per 1,000) in 2012. In 2012, the County rate dropped lower
than the state‐wide rate of substantiated allegations of child maltreatment for the second time
since 2004. The decreasing rates in Santa Cruz County may have been assisted by the efforts of the
Families Together program, which launched in late 2006.
Figure 25: Rate of Substantiated Allegations of Child Maltreatment in Santa Cruz County and California (per 1,000)
Source: Needell, B., Webster, D., Armijo, M., Lee, S., Dawson, W., Magruder, J., Exel, M., Cuccaro‐Alamin, S., Putnam‐Hornstein, E., Williams, D., Simon, V., Hamilton, D., Lou, C., Peng, C., Moore, M., King, B., Henry, C., & Nuttbrock, A. (2013). Child Welfare Services Reports for California. Retrieved 10/2/13, from University of California at Berkeley Center for Social Services Research website. <http://cssr.berkeley.edu/ucb_childwelfare>
16.215.7
13.714.5
12.2
10.2
8.8
11.0
8.0
11.6 11.5 11.3 11.210.2 10.0
9.6
9.5
9.3
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Santa Cruz County
California
Indicator: Rate of substantiated allegations of child maltreatment in Santa Cruz County
Strong Families
STRONG FAMILIES
Families Together
Launched 9/2006
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES
40 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Families Together is Santa Cruz County’s differential response program, a strategy used to intervene
early with families in which there has been an allegation of child abuse or neglect. This home visiting
program includes comprehensive intake and risk assessment, development of a tailored case plan,
parent support and education, child development activities, and follow‐up risk assessments.
The following figure presents the percentage of families at each level of risk over three assessments
(baseline, first reassessment, and second reassessment). Only families with an initial risk level of
“moderate” or higher are included in this analysis. Since each year’s analysis is constrained by fairly
small sample sizes, several years of data have been aggregated in order to present a more robust
portrait of the extent to which Families Together participants are reducing their risk for future
involvement with the child welfare system. As can be seen, 61% of families were assessed as being
“high risk” or “very high risk” upon intake, and this dropped to 12% by the second reassessment,
indicating that the program is helping families reduce their level of risk.
Figure 26: Change in Families Together Participants’ Risk Levels Over Time (2007/08 - 2012/13)
Source: SUN database, Structured Decision Making: Family Prevention Services Screening Tool (SDM:FPSST) data, 2008‐2013.
Of the 78 families who received services from Families Together and had their cases closed in the
2012 calendar year:
95% did not have a substantiated allegation of maltreatment within six months after case
closure. This figure is comparable to what was observed in the previous years.
An additional study found that 17% had been re‐referred to child welfare within six months
after their exit from Families Together.
30.4%36.0%
39.1%
49.7% 51.8%46.1%
17.9%
8.6%14.7%
2.0% 3.6%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Baseline* (N=373) 1st Reassessment (N=296) 2nd Reassessment (N=139)
Low Risk
Moderate Risk
High Risk
Very High Risk
Indicator: Percentage of Families Together participants at each level of risk, baseline to reassessment
Indicator: Percentage of Families Together participants with substantiated allegations of child maltreatment within 6 months of program completion
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS STRONG FAMILIES
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 41
These results indicate that although some families are re‐referred to child welfare after exiting from
Families Together, the rate of substantiated abuse is low. This suggests that even though families
are still experiencing high risk factors that lead to a child welfare report, they may have gained skills
and resources during their participation in Families Together that prevent court‐mandated
involvement with child welfare. A further study of the factors related to these re‐referrals that are
not substantiated could support the program and the child welfare system to best serve the
families.
Improve Parent and Caregiver Practices that Support Children’s Social and Emotional Development
The Triple P Program
First 5 Santa Cruz County has led the implementation of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program
since late 2009, in partnership with two local funders (Health Services Agency and Human Services
Department) and agencies that serve children and families. Triple P is a comprehensive, evidence‐
based parenting and family support system designed to increase parents’ confidence and
competence in raising children, improve the quality of parent‐child relationships, and make
evidence‐based parenting information and interventions widely accessible to parents. First 5 is now
implementing the full suite of Triple P services, which is designed to reach an entire community as
well as individual families through:
A media‐based social marketing campaign;
Seminars on general parenting topics;
Workshops on specific parenting topics;
Brief consultations regarding a specific parenting concern;
In‐depth parent education and skills training; and
Additional support to help parents deal with other stressors that impact their parenting
Selected data for key indicators are highlighted below for their significance, and more detailed data are
presented in the Triple P Partner Profile found later in this report.
In the first few years of start‐up and implementation, First 5 was successful at raising awareness
about the Triple P program in health and social service organizations that serve children and families.
While these organizations have played a critical role in the initial success of Triple P by referring
Indicator: Level of community members’ engagement in Triple P social marketing and outreach activities
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES
42 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
clients and hosting classes, it has always been First 5’s goal to achieve the population‐based
(community‐wide) implementation that was proven effective in the Centers for Disease Control’s
research study.9 In 2012‐13, First 5 contracted with Miller Maxfield, a local communications firm, to
expand its local Triple P social marketing campaign in order to reach a broader population of parents,
including those who are less likely to seek support from a social service agency. The goals of this
year’s campaign were to:
Define key messages that highlight the benefits of Triple P and normalize the need for
parenting support;
Create local Triple P branding (name, look, messaging) to be reflected in all campaign
activities and materials;
Promote the Triple P ‐ Positive Parenting Program throughout Santa Cruz County;
Engage families, parents and local agencies in the Triple P Positive Parenting Program.
This year’s campaign activities have resulted in a more cohesive and comprehensive approach to
increasing awareness about the benefits and availability of the Triple P program in Santa Cruz
County. Three of the most effective campaign strategies this year were:
1. Developing and disseminating nearly 20,000 copies of the Triple P Parenting Pocket
Guide to parents, schools, and organizations that interact regularly with families. This
colorful, bilingual guide is the size of a business card when folded up, yet contains several
practical parenting tips as well as information about how to find Triple P classes and
practitioners.
2. Developing a 12‐month content calendar that guided the content of monthly articles,
e‐newsletters, and Facebook posts. This planned approach to developing engaging
content contributed to a 1,698% increase in Facebook fans between July 2012 (40 fans)
and June 2013 (719 fans). These efforts were also a contributing factor to the increase in
parents who signed up to receive the monthly e‐newsletters.
3. Actively engaging the media to promote Triple P services. Miller Maxfield distributed
media alerts highlighting the schedule of Triple P classes every month and distributed
press releases to generate coverage of special activities or featured classes. These efforts
resulted in earned media coverage 103 times throughout the year.
9 Prinz, R. J. , Sanders, M. R., Shapiro, C. J., Whitaker, D. J. & Lutzker, J. R. (2009). Population‐Based Prevention of Child Maltreatment: The U.S. Triple P System Population Trial, Published online @ Springer Link <link.springer.com>.
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS STRONG FAMILIES
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 43
A new analysis of Triple P outcomes indicates that parents who began the program with more
serious parenting issues demonstrated the greatest improvements as a result of receiving in‐depth
services (8 or more sessions). The majority of All Parents who received in‐depth Triple P services
demonstrated improvement in each of these five parenting domains: Perception of child’s behavior;
Overall parenting style; Depression; Anxiety; Stress. While this is noteworthy, parents who entered
the program experiencing higher levels of distress related to parenting, as indicated by pre‐
assessment scores in a “Clinical Range of Concern,” showed an even greater degree of improvement
in all domains at post‐assessment. This is particularly true for parents of adolescents. These results
suggest that Triple P was particularly effective for parents who entered the program with more
serious parenting issues.
Figure 27: Percentage of Parents Who Demonstrated Improvement in One or More Key Parenting Domain (2010-2013)
Source: Triple P assessment results (analyzed by Applied Survey Research), 2013. (Child behavior) Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory, Problem subscale: Number of child behaviors perceived to be a problem; (Style) Parenting Scale, Overall score ; (Depression) Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale – Short Version (DASS‐21),Depression subscale; (Anxiety) DASS‐21, Anxiety subscale; (Stress) DASS‐21, Stress subscale.
N: (Child behavior) All=417, Clinical=200; (Style) All=490, Clinical=110; (Depression) All=526, Clinical=139; (Anxiety) All=526, Clinical=179; (Stress) All=525, Clinical=135.
Parents who participated in Levels 4 and 5 of the Triple P program were asked to complete the
Parenting Scale as a self‐assessment of their parenting style (this was only completed if the parent
had at least one child aged 18 months or older). Scores could range from 1 (positive parenting) to 7
(ineffective parenting), with lower scores indicating more positive styles of discipline. An analysis of
pre and post assessment scores indicates that:
There was significant improvement from pre to post assessment, indicating their parenting
style became less lax, less over‐reactive, and less hostile through the course of the Triple P
program.
64.0%76.4%
54.1% 51.5%60.9%
88.0% 81.8% 84.2% 84.9% 89.6%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Perception of child'sbehavior
Overall parentingstyle
Depression Anxiety Stress
All Parents Clinical Range at Pre‐test
Indicator: Percentage of parents experiencing high levels of distress who demonstrate improvement in one or more key parenting domains
Indicator: Use of positive parenting styles
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44 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
On average, All Parents and all analyzed parent sub‐populations experienced a moderate to
large magnitude of change. These results indicate that these observed differences were not
only statistically significant but also meaningful.
Figure 28: Parents’ Use of Positive Parenting Styles (2010-2013)
Overall
Source: Triple P data from the Parenting Scale, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013. * Results marked with an asterisk had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05. ** Results marked with two asterisks had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05, with a moderate to large magnitude of change (≥ 0.5).
In Triple P, the parent is considered the agent of change to bring about improvements in the parent‐
child relationship. Therefore, how parents view their children’s behavior is an important assessment
of the relationship.
Parents participating in Levels 4 and 5 of the Triple P Program were asked to complete the Eyberg
Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI), a pre and post assessment of parents’ perception of their children’s
behaviors (this was only completed if the parent had at least one child aged 18 months or older).
Scores ranged from 0 (No) to 36 (Yes), with higher scores indicating greater likelihood that these
behaviors were a problem to the parent. An analysis of pre and post assessments indicate that
parents reported fewer problematic child behaviors after completing the Triple P program.
Key results include:
On average, for All Parents and all parent sub‐populations, there was a significant reduction
in the number of child behaviors that were perceived to be a problem. Of special note,
certain sub‐populations of parents scored above the clinical cut‐off at the beginning of the
program, and subsequently ended out of a range of concern by the end of the program.
These sub‐populations included parents with scores in the Clinical Range at Pre‐test, Female,
Latino, and Spanish‐speaking parents.
3.23.2
3.2 3.43.0
3.5
3.13.1
2.6 2.7 2.6 2.82.4
2.92.5 2.7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
All Parents**(N=490)
Male**(N=142)
Female**(N=348)
Latino**(N=273)
Caucasian**(N=171)
Spanish**(N=178)
English**(N=295)
Child WelfareInvolved*(N=132)
Pre Post
Indicator: Report of child behavior problems
Dysfunctional Parenting
Functional Parenting
Lower is
“Better”
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS STRONG FAMILIES
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 45
An analysis of Effect Size on all the improvements made showed that on average, All Parents
and most parent sub‐populations10 experienced moderate or large magnitudes of change,
indicating that the observed differences were not only statistically significant but also
meaningful.
Figure 29: Parents’ Perceptions of Child Behavior (2010-2013)
Number of Child Behaviors Perceived to Be a Problem
Source: Triple P data from the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013.
* Results marked with an asterisk had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05.
** Results marked with two asterisks had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05, with a moderate to large magnitude of change (≥ 0.5).
10 On both subscales of the ECBI, only parents who were Child Welfare Involved did not show a moderate to large effect size.
14.5
22.7
11.5
15.7 15.712.8
16.612.9 9.5
7.911.9
6.68.4 8.4
7.79.3
6.9 6.60
6
12
18
24
30
36
All Parents**(N=417)
ClinicalRange atPreTest**(N=200)
Male**(N=117)
Female**(N=300)
Latino**(N=242)
Caucasian**(N=132)
Spanish**(N=164)
English**(N=239)
ChildWelfareInvolved*(N=111)
Pre PostAll behaviors were
a problem
No behaviors were a problem
Clinical Cut‐off: >=15
Lower is
“Better”
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46 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
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FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 47
Children Learning and Ready for School
This portion of First 5 Santa Cruz County’s Strategic
Framework analysis includes data regarding the
Commission’s goals of increasing the quality of early
learning programs and improving children’s early
literacy skills. Additional information about partners’
efforts to support Children Learning and Ready for School can be found in the Partner Profiles section of
this report.
Increase the Quality of Early Learning Programs
In 2012‐13, First 5 Santa Cruz County launched its Quality Early Learning Initiative (QELI) in
collaboration with local partners, with the goal of improving the quality of early learning programs
in Santa Cruz County. First 5 established this initiative as a result of receiving funding through
California’s Race to the Top ‐ Early Learning Challenge (RTT‐ELC) federal grant, and First 5
California’s Child Signature Program (CSP). While both of these grants share a common goal of
increasing the quality of early learning programs and closing the achievement gap for vulnerable
young children, implementation requirements vary slightly by funder, as described below.
RACE TO THE TOP – EARLY LEARNING CHALLENGE GRANT CHILD SIGNATURE PROGRAM
Funder California Department of Education First 5 California
Grant Goals Build a Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) that results in:
A shared definition of child care quality based on reliable and validated research
A comprehensive and consistent approach to assess quality
A design to evaluate the rating system and its impact
Access to a system that supports quality improvement, especially for programs serving children with high needs (low income children, infants, dual language learners, children with special needs)
A consistent way for providers to communicate to parents and caregivers about quality, and increased consumer awareness about—and demand for—high quality child care
Increase quality in early learning programs for children ages 0‐5 in early care and education (ECE) centers where the educational divide is greatest (i.e., neighborhoods in catchment areas of elementary schools with Academic Performance Index scores in deciles 1‐3).
CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL
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48 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
RACE TO THE TOP – EARLY LEARNING CHALLENGE GRANT CHILD SIGNATURE PROGRAM
Number of Sites/Classrooms
43 sites at:
Campus Kids Connection
Community Bridges
Encompass Community Services ‐ Head Start & State Preschools
Live Oak School District
Pajaro Valley Unified School District
UCSC
Walnut Avenue Women’s Center
YWCA of Watsonville
19 classrooms at:
Community Bridges
Encompass Community Services – Head Start & State Preschools
Live Oak School District
Pajaro Valley Unified School District
Quality Improvement Process
Conduct baseline and follow‐up ratings using the Hybrid Quality Continuum Framework and Tiers (see Appendix B)
Develop site‐specific Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs)
Develop a county‐wide Quality Improvement Plan
Provide training, technical assistance, and coaching to achieve quality improvement goals in QIPs
Provide incentives to participate in quality improvement efforts
Convene Professional Learning Communities to promote ongoing peer learning
Conduct Readiness Assessments with participating classrooms
Develop classroom‐specific Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs)
Develop county‐wide Quality Improvement Plan
Provide or arrange for training and technical assistance to assist classrooms with achieving goals in QIPs
First 5 established the Santa Cruz County Quality Early Learning Initiative (QELI) Consortium,
bringing together organizations, stakeholders, and 22 early learning professionals who shared a
commitment to improving the quality of early learning and creating a county‐wide Quality
Improvement Plan (QIP). Together, members of the QELI Consortium have been working to achieve
coherence and alignment in developing and piloting a local Quality Rating and Improvement System
(QRIS) as a way to foster ongoing improvement of early care and education programs in Santa Cruz
County.
The QELI Consortium adopted the Hybrid Quality Continuum Framework and Tiers as the foundation
of their local QRIS (see Appendix B). This framework identifies five tiers of quality, with points
assigned to each tier for elements of quality, such as teacher‐child ratios, teacher qualifications, and
teacher‐child interactions. Sites receive a cumulative score based on their ratings, that will
eventually become publicly available to families seeking child care and early learning programs. It is
important to note that the QRIS isn’t just a rating system; it is also an improvement system.
Indicator: A consortium of local partners implementing a county‐wide plan to improve the quality of early learning programs, particularly those serving the most vulnerable children
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 49
Participating child care sites receive support, training, and financial incentives to make
improvements that lead to higher ratings and ultimately to higher quality child care programs.
First 5 contracted with Encompass Community Services (formerly known as Santa Cruz Community
Counseling Center) to lead the QELI Consortium’s quality improvement activities, due to the
organization’s extensive experience operating quality Head Start programs. During this past year,
the Early Learning System Specialist (ELSS) employed by Encompass completed Readiness
Assessments with all CSP classrooms, coordinated trainings related to CSP and RTT‐ELC, provided
technical assistance to program directors, developed processes for maintaining centralized records,
and began conducting the QRIS baseline ratings. The following table presents the number of early
childhood educators who participated in any of the QELI trainings provided in 2012‐13.
JULY 1, 2012 – JUNE 30, 2013
Number of early childhood educators in RTT‐ELC sites who received stipends to participate in “The Teaching Pyramid” trainings and coaching
84
Number of early childhood educators in CSP classrooms who attended the “CLASS Overview,” “Looking at CLASSrooms” (LAC), or “Kids and Smoke Don’t Mix” trainings
50*
* Many early childhood educators in CSP classrooms attended more than one of these trainings.
Santa Cruz County has joined with Santa Clara, San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties
to form the Bay Area Quality Rating Improvement System Partnership (BAQRISP). This regional
consortium was developed so these neighboring counties could strategize together, share
resources, leverage funds, and align practices. It is anticipated that this regional approach will result
in strengthening the current resources available for professional development and coaching.
The counties in this consortium will also develop and share a common data system called the Bay
Area Regional RTT Database, which will be designed to gather scoring information, track supports
and incentives, ensure participation by targeted programs serving children with High Needs, and
review progress in relation to the Consortium’s local quality improvement targets.
The Starlight Children’s Center (SCC) is a new program for families of children 0‐3 years old. Much
like the original Starlight Infant/Toddler Program (SITP), SCC offers a wide variety of comprehensive
bilingual services for expectant parents and families with infants and toddlers. It is located in the
Indicator: Local QELI resources are leveraged through participation in regional partnerships
Indicator: Model infant/toddler quality site serves as a “learning community” that promotes early literacy and social/emotional skills critical for school success
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL
50 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Starlight Elementary School catchment area of Watsonville, an area with one of the highest
populations of children under the age of five living in poverty in the County. A key goal is to create a
“learning community” that promotes early literacy and social/emotional skills to help lay a solid
foundation for school readiness.
The program provides center‐based services for 10 children, through collaborative funding with the
Early Head Start Program, and operates four days per week for six hours per day. In addition, the
program provides 20 families with home‐based services which include weekly home visits and two
socializations per month. Both center‐ and home‐based services follow the criteria for the federally
funded Early Head Start program, and SCC families receive priority enrollment into Head Start pre‐
school classes once the child turns three years old.
Population Served
2012‐2013
Parents/Guardians 59
Children (Total) 37
(Center‐based) 10(Home‐visited) 37
Source: SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013.
At the Starlight Children’s Center, center staff and home visitors work with parents of infants and
toddlers to build the foundations for literacy. To guide their efforts with children and their families,
they assess children’s health and development using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) and
ASQ: Social/Emotional (ASQ:SE) screening tool, the DRDP – Infant/Toddler (2010) for children
receiving center‐based services, and the New Portage Guide for children receiving home‐based
services.
Key Results
100% of enrolled children were screened in developmental and social‐emotional areas using
the ASQ/ASQ:SE. Of those children, 21% fell below appropriate developmental thresholds
and received individual support and follow‐up, including rescreening and/or referrals to
community agencies.
Assessment results from the DRDP‐I/T show that toddlers in the Starlight Children’s Center
are being supported to develop social and interpersonal skills, and to develop a strong
foundation for later literacy.
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FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 51
“Reading proficiently by
the end of third grade …
can be a make‐or‐break
benchmark in a child’s
educational development.”
‐ Annie E. Casey
Foundation
Improve Early Literacy Skills of Children
A report released by The Annie E. Casey Foundation found that students who aren’t
reading proficiently by 3rd grade are four times less likely to graduate from high
school, compared to proficient readers.
“Up until the end of third grade, most children are learning to read. Beginning
in fourth grade, however, they are reading to learn, using their skills to gain
more information in subjects such as math and science, to solve problems, to
think critically about what they are learning, and to act upon and share the
knowledge in the world around them. Up to half of the printed fourth‐grade
curriculum is incomprehensible to students who read below that grade level.” 11
In 2013, 36% of third‐graders in Santa Cruz County scored at or above grade level in English/Language
Arts (ELA), compared to 46% of students statewide. After a slight increase between 2008 and 2009 in the
percentage of County 3rd grade students at this level of proficiency, the percentage has stayed relatively
level since 2007. One area of the county with historically low performance has shown notable
improvements in scores, with Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) increasing from 21% in 2007
to 24% in 2013, and Freedom Elementary (a school within the PVUSD) demonstrating particularly
remarkable improvement by increasing from 12% to 28%.
Figure 30: Percentage of 3rd Grade Students in the County At / Above Grade Level In English/Language Arts
Source: California Department of Education, STAR Test Results, 2007‐2013.
11 Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2010 KIDS COUNT Special Report: Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters, 2010.
37% 38%
44% 44% 46% 48% 46%
34% 34%
40%37%
40% 39%36%
21% 20%25% 24%
28%25%
24%
12% 12%16%
24%28%
24%
28%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
2006‐07 2007‐08 2008‐09 2009‐10 2010‐11 2011‐12 2012‐13
California
Santa Cruz County
PVUSD
Freedom Elementary
Indicator: Percentage of 3rd grade students in the County at/above grade level in English/Language Arts
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL
52 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Early Literacy Foundations Initiative
The results of English/Language Arts assessments indicate that California and Santa Cruz 3rd graders
are struggling to become proficient readers, with well over half of 3rd grade children not reading at
proficiency. Because language development in the early years is crucial to later reading success,
early childhood educators have a unique role in influencing reading scores and later educational
success. With the evidence of limited language and literacy opportunities in low‐income homes,
more emphasis has been placed on showing early childhood educators how to build language
opportunities into their daily child care routines, through fun and meaningful instruction.
In 2012‐13, First 5’s Early Literacy Foundations Initiative addressed this need to provide strong literacy
and language foundations for young children through several approaches:
Implemented the SEEDS of Early Literacy model of skill development and coaching for Family
Child Care Providers working with Spanish speaking children.
Expanded the SEEDS Plus program, designed to support early childhood educators working
with children who needed tailored literacy support.
Developed and implemented the new Santa Cruz Reading Corps. In this program,
AmeriCorps volunteers are trained in the SEEDS of Early Literacy curriculum, and work with
the classroom teaching staff to enhance daily literacy opportunities, and conduct literacy
assessments to provide individualized support to help children, with the goal of developing
children’s early literacy skills in English in preparation for kindergarten.
Encouraged family engagement in literacy activities through continuation of the Raising A
Reader program.
Supported child assessments for participating state Pre‐K classrooms in order to tailor
individualized instruction.
Provided other literacy supports for teachers and families.
The following indicators present an overview of the Early Literacy Foundation Initiative’s efforts and
outcomes this year (additional detail is included in the ELF Initiative’s Partner Profile later in this report).
SEEDS of Early Literacy
The professional development initiative mentioned above follows the SEEDS of Early Literacy curriculum
that has been researched by the University of Minnesota. Research on the SEEDS model shows that
teachers trained and coached on the SEEDS of Early Literacy Curriculum score significantly higher on
the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO) tool and show greater change over
time in teaching strategies than teachers without such training. Results also indicate that preschool
children who were taught by teachers trained in SEEDS entered kindergarten ready to read at higher
rates than children in non‐SEEDS groups (Lizakowski, 2005).
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FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 53
The SEEDS Professional Development model consists of training—and providing coaching to—early
childhood educators on how to effectively integrate research‐based language and literacy strategies
and materials into their classrooms. In 2012‐2013, Family Child Care Providers were engaged in
instruction and “Make and Take” workshops that taught strategies of both embedded instruction
(planned strategies that occur within the typical routines of the class day) and explicit instruction
(teacher‐directed activities that emphasize the teaching of a specific task), and to create a family
home environment that is designed to target early literacy predictors.
These predictors of later reading success include:
Conversation and Oral Language: The ability to produce or comprehend spoken language
Alphabet Knowledge: The ability to visually discriminate the differences between letters
and say the names and sounds associated with printed letters
Book and Print Rules: Refers to what children understand about how books and print work,
such as left‐right, front‐back, letters, words and that print has meaning
Phonological awareness: The ability to detect, manipulate, or analyze the auditory aspects
of spoken language, including the ability to distinguish or segment words, syllables, rhymes,
and beginning sounds
Vocabulary and Background Knowledge: A collection of words that relate to experiences
and knowledge that a child has of the world around him/her
The following diagram displays the five essential SEEDS quality interactions and the five predictors of
literacy.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL
54 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
SEEDS Plus
The SEEDS Plus program for FY 12‐13 was expanded to include a full academic year, and was
designed for “graduates” of the SEEDS of Early Literacy classes. In an effort to support teachers as
they worked to embed the SEEDS concepts into daily practice, this nine‐month course was designed
to focus on the SEEDS strategies through embedded and explicit instruction, modeling, practice, and
one‐on‐one weekly coaching.
The objectives of SEEDS Plus included:
Supporting teachers who work with children at risk for low language and literacy
opportunities.
Assessing and promoting the ongoing use of SEEDS strategies following prior SEEDS course
completion, for quality language and literacy support.
Promoting the use of Response to Intervention (RtI) strategies, that help early childhood
teachers recognize children who need tailored literacy support, and to respond in ways that
help the children experience early school success.
Increasing the number of children on target with early reading predictors.
Each participant in SEEDS Plus received:
15 instructional sessions.
20 on‐site coaching visits.
4 literacy labs and 6 children’s books to use in their centers.
In October, each SEEDS Plus participant conducted an initial benchmark assessment of children’s
emergent language and literacy skills using the Individual Growth and Development Indicators
(IGDI’s) assessment, to which was added assessments of letter names and letter sounds. Based on
this initial benchmark, SEEDS Plus participants chose up to five pre‐Kindergarten children to receive
tailored literacy‐based intervention strategies. These children’s progress was monitored every four
weeks throughout the program, with a winter benchmark assessment conducted in February and a
final spring benchmark assessment conducted in May.
Santa Cruz County’s SEEDS and SEEDS Plus programs have proven to be very effective at
strengthening classroom environments and practices, as well as influencing changes in children’s
skills on research‐based predictors of early reading.
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FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 55
Santa Cruz Reading Corps
AmeriCorps is a national service organization with about 100,000 members serving across the
United States to help meet critical needs in the areas of education, health, the environment,
disaster services, veterans, and economic opportunity. In the summer of 2012, First 5 Santa Cruz
County partnered with AmeriCorps to create the Santa Cruz Reading Corps (SCRC), which places 12
AmeriCorps volunteers in state preschool and transitional kindergarten classrooms in both the Live
Oak and Pajaro Valley Unified School Districts.
The focus of the SCRC is to promote strong literacy and language foundations for young children,
especially dual language learners. Local and statewide data indicate that well over half of 3rd grade
children in California—and Santa Cruz County—are not reading at proficiency. Research shows that
when students get off to a poor start in reading, they rarely catch up with other students. Happily,
research also shows that almost all children have the capacity to learn to read proficiently if
effective interventions are provided. Due to the fact that language development in the early years is
crucial to later reading success, the SCRC members are using the evidence‐based SEEDS of Early
Literacy curriculum to help boost the early literacy skills of children in English as they prepare to
enter kindergarten.
During the academic school year (running from September to May) SCRC members—called
Preschool Literacy Tutors—collaborate with the classroom teaching staff to enhance daily literacy
opportunities, and provide support to classrooms’ routines by implementing specific research‐based
strategies from the SEEDS of Early Literacy curriculum. Each tutor receives extensive training,
individualized coaching, and support to track and guide children in English language development
through one‐on‐one and small group interventions. SCRC tutors also facilitate Raising A Reader, the
weekly rotating book bag program that provides books and support for families to read aloud with
their children.
In addition to their daily work with students, tutors assess each child in their classroom three times;
once in October, once in early February, and once in May, in five areas of early reading predictors
(rhyming, alliteration, letter names, letter sounds, and vocabulary development). These assessments
help them select five children who receive tailored literacy‐based interventions on a daily basis.
Each of these children’s progress is monitored monthly to see if the interventions are effective. The
goal of the SCRC is to increase the number of children on target with early reading predictors.
Through all these efforts, children are provided the assistance they need to enter kindergarten more
school‐ready and to become fluent readers by 3rd grade.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL
56 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
The following figure presents the number of early childhood educators who participated in any of the
SEEDS trainings provided in 2012‐13, and cumulatively since 2007.
Figure 31: Number of Early Childhood Educators Who Have Completed SEEDS Trainings
THIS FUNDING CYCLE
2012‐2013
CUMULATIVE
TOTALS
2007‐2013
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS
Number of SEEDS Quality Coaches providing literacy coaching, literacy environmental assessments, and professional development advising for SEEDS instruction, fidelity, and integrity during the year
14 52
Number of early childhood educators attending SEEDS of Early Literacy Courses 28 383
Number of early childhood educators attending the SEEDS Plus program 15 41
Number of Family, Friend or Neighbor (FFN) informal child care providers attending SEEDS of Early Literacy workshops
0 155
Number of Reading Corps tutors who received SEEDS training 12 12
TOTAL (unduplicated) 69 559
CHILDREN
Number of children in classrooms with a Reading Corps tutor 509 509
Source: Early Literacy Foundations (ELF) Initiative, 2007‐13.
The following figures show additional data about SEEDS‐Trained Early Childhood Educators
(participants in the “basic” SEEDS classes and SEEDS Plus classes, and SEEDS coaches) who have
been trained between 2007‐2013.
Figure 32: Number of SEEDS-Trained Early Childhood Educators in Licensed Programs, by type of classroom (2007-2013)
Indicator: Number of early childhood educators who complete SEEDS training, and number of educators who are SEEDS coaches
Educators in State and Federally‐Subsidized
Classrooms
Educators in Licensed Family Child Care Homes and
Private/ Non‐Profit Centers
Unduplicated total, Spring 2007 – June 2013
207 185 392
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 57
Figure 33: Key Demographics of SEEDS-Trained Early Childhood Educators in Licensed Programs (2007-2013)
Primary Language
Educational Attainment
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County Early Literacy Foundations program records, Client and Assessment Data Entry Template, 2012‐2013.
N: (Language) N=407; (Education) N=376.
Raising A Reader (RAR), a weekly rotating book bag program for families, is implemented in classrooms
and family child care homes throughout the County. On a weekly basis, these sites provide children
with bags that are filled with various award‐winning books, which they borrow and bring home to their
parents. RAR provides training and information to parents and caregivers on how to effectively share
these books with their children at home, to help develop their children’s early literacy skills. The
majority of sites providing this RAR program also have early childhood educators who have been
trained in the SEEDS of Early Literacy curriculum, which means there are mutually complimentary
interventions on site to boost shared reading practices and impact children’s early literacy skills.
Figure 34: Number of Children Participating in Raising A Reader (2012-2013)
New Existing Total
Children 3,527 1,029 4,556
Source: SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013.
26.0%
48.9%
22.1%
2.9%
English Only
Spanish Only
Bilingual English/Spanish
Other
8.8%
9.3%
21.0%
26.6%
6.1%
10.9%
8.5%
4.0%4.8% No Formal Schooling
Less Than High School Diploma/GED
High School Diploma/GED
Some College
AA in non‐ECE/CD
AA in ECE/CD
BA in non‐ECE/CD
BA in ECE/CD
Some Graduate School or Postgraduate Degree
Indicator: Number of children participating in Raising A Reader
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL
58 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Preschool Classrooms
Research on teacher effectiveness shows that by focusing professional development on language
and literacy and social/emotional development, children are much better prepared for school and
have higher academic achievement. The first indicators of change are the language environment,
teacher‐child interactions, and language opportunities that teachers provide to children.
First 5 SEEDS Quality coaches are trained to independently assess SEEDS classrooms that are
teaching children ages 3‐5, using the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation Pre‐K Tool
(ELLCO Pre‐K). The ELLCO Pre‐K is used to assess the following five classroom components:
“Classroom Structure,” “Curriculum,” “Language Environment,” “Books and Book Reading,” and
“Print and Early Writing.” Items are scored along a 5 point scale, where 1 is deficient and 5 is
exemplary. From this scale, early childhood educators’ classroom scores can be categorized into
three levels, indicating their classroom environment provides low‐quality support, basic support, or
high‐quality support for language and literacy. In every Pre‐K SEEDS course since 2007, coaches
used the ELLCO to assess the classrooms of their mentees (early childhood educators receiving
SEEDS training) at the beginning and end of the semester.
In 2012‐13, only SEEDS Plus participants used the ELLCO Pre‐K tool. As the SEEDS Plus program is
designed for “graduates” of the SEEDS of Early Literacy classes, the following results demonstrate
the higher level of skill of these more experienced early childhood educators at pre‐assessment.
Across all components, classrooms showed improvements from the beginning of the
semester to the end. Even so, a high percentage of these SEEDS Plus classrooms were already
providing high‐quality support at the beginning of the year, demonstrating the skill of these
previously‐trained SEEDS educators.
Overall, the percentage of classrooms taught by SEEDS Plus participants that were rated as
having High‐Quality Support increased from 67% to 100%.
Among the individual sections of the ELLCO Pre‐K, by the end of the semester all of classrooms
(100%) were rated as having High‐Quality Support in “Classroom Structure,” “Curriculum,”
“Language Environment,” “Books and Book Reading,” and “Print and Early Writing.”
Family Child Care Settings
Early childhood educators from licensed family child care settings also participated in SEEDS training
and received SEEDS coaching. Their sites were observed at the beginning of their SEEDS training and
again at the end using the Child/Home Early Language and Literacy Observation (CHELLO), a tool
designed to rate the early literacy environment in home‐based child care settings of children ages
Indicator: Percentage of early education settings that provide high quality support for language and literacy
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 59
birth to 5 years. Two sections of the CHELLO tool were used to assess home‐based classrooms: the
Group/Family Observation section and the Literacy Environment Checklist. For the Group/Family
Observation section, items were scored along a 5 point scale, where 1 is deficient and 5 is
exemplary. Like the ELLCO analyses, early childhood educators’ classroom scores were categorized
into three levels, indicating their classroom environment provided low‐quality support, basic
support, or high‐quality support for language and literacy. Scores on the Literacy Environment
Checklist ranged from 1 to 26, and were similarly categorized into three levels of support (Poor, Fair,
Excellent).
In 2012‐13, there were two cohorts of licensed family child care providers who participated in
SEEDS; one in the fall and one in the spring. Educators in fall 2012 received a 7‐week SEEDS training,
7 coaching sessions, and conducted CHELLO assessments in their home‐based classrooms. Educators
in spring 2013 received home‐based coaching and training through three informal “Make and Take”
workshops that focused on the basic early literacy strategies called the “Big Five.” In this format
there were fewer requirements and they did not conduct the CHELLO assessments in their
programs.
Across all components, family child care home environments showed substantial improvements
from the beginning of the training to the end.
Results from the Group/Family Observation section showed that overall, the percentage of
family child care settings that were rated as having High‐Quality Support increased from 50%
to 92%.
Among the individual Group/Family Observation components, by the end of the semester the
majority of family child care settings were rated as having High‐Quality Support in “Physical
Environment for Learning” (92%), “Support for Learning” (83%), and “Adult Teaching
Strategies” (75%).
Scores on the Literacy Environment Checklist showed that the percentage of family child care
settings that were rated as having Excellent Support increased from 33% to 58%.
State Pre-K Classrooms
The SEEDS of Early Literacy has shown us that teachers of diverse educational backgrounds can be
trained to implement strategies to help children build a strong language and literacy foundation.
First 5 partnered with SEEDS state‐subsidized classrooms and found that, indeed, teachers have had
a positive effect on children’s language and literacy development. Participating classrooms assessed
children throughout the year in the three skill areas measured by the Individual Growth and
Indicator: Percentage of children who demonstrate research‐based predictors of later reading success
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL
60 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Development Indicators (IGDI’s) assessment tool (Picture Naming, Rhyming, Alliteration), and also in
the two skill areas of Letter Naming and Letter Sounds.
As the majority of students were dual language learners, many children were assessed in both
English and Spanish. In 2012‐13, there was an emphasis in all “SEEDS” classrooms on developing and
improving children’s vocabulary skills in English. Children whose primary language was Spanish were
assessed using the IGDI’s tool in both English and Spanish. Once children demonstrated proficiency
in their scores on the English‐language assessments, they did not continue taking the Spanish‐
language assessments.
Because of the number of English‐language learners in these classrooms, there was interest in
focusing on the early literacy skills of children when assessed in their primary language. When
looking at the percentage of children who were proficient in the five pre‐literacy skill areas (scoring
“At” or “Above” target level), results showed that:
On average, children who completed at least (any) two assessments improved in all five pre‐
literacy skill areas.
o When examining children in their primary language, English‐speaking children made the
greatest improvements in Letter Sounds and Alliteration.
o When examining children in their primary language, Spanish‐speaking children made the
greatest improvements in Alliteration and Rhyming (they were not assessed in the Letter
Naming or Letter Sounds skill areas).
By the final benchmark, Spanish‐speaking children demonstrated improvement in their
English language skills. When assessed in English, Spanish‐speaking children started with a
lower skill level than English‐speaking children, but by their last assessment they had made a
greater amount of improvement in Letter Sounds and Letter Naming, and equaled the
English‐speaking children’s amount of improvement in Rhyming and Alliteration.
Although these improvement results are greatly encouraging, it is important to note that
there are still some areas where only a small percentage of children are meeting targets for
later reading success. In particular, more work needs to be done to help Spanish‐speaking
children increase their English vocabulary (Picture Naming).
Additional analyses show similar results for children in classrooms taught by early childhood
educators trained in SEEDS Plus, and classrooms with Santa Cruz Reading Corps Preschool
Literacy Tutors.
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 61
Figure 35: Amount of Increase in the Percentage of Children At/Above Targets for Later Reading Success, by Primary Language (2012-2013)
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County Early Literacy Foundations program records, Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDI’s) Assessment
Tool, 2012‐2013.
* No Spanish assessments were analyzed in these two literacy skill areas, as they were not a requirement of these classrooms’ programs.
N: English N= Fall: Picture Naming (223), Rhyming (159), Alliteration (144), Letter Naming (190), Letter Sounds (179). N= Winter: Picture Naming (240), Rhyming (208), Alliteration (201), Letter Naming (200), Letter Sounds (182). N= Spring: Picture Naming (235), Rhyming (208), Alliteration (200), Letter Naming (201), Letter Sounds (186). Spanish/Spanish N= Fall: Picture Naming (180), Rhyming (134), Alliteration (129). N= Winter: Picture Naming (198), Rhyming (154), Alliteration (153). N= Spring: Picture Naming (169), Rhyming (154), Alliteration (153). Spanish/English N= Fall: Picture Naming (248), Rhyming (198), Alliteration (204), Letter Naming (229), Letter Sounds (225). N= Winter: Picture Naming (291), Rhyming (245), Alliteration (235), Letter Naming (219), Letter Sounds (212). N= Spring: Picture Naming (282), Rhyming (246), Alliteration (238), Letter Naming (232), Letter Sounds (231).
Summer Pre-K Academy
Pre‐school children who participated in the 4‐week Migrant Education Summer Pre‐K program were
assessed in their ability to recognize letter sounds in their primary language. Of the children who
participated in at least 14 sessions, 87% increased their letter sound recognition by at least five
letter sounds, and on average, they learned to recognize 15 new letter sounds by the time they left
the program.
Figure 36: Changes in Students’ Letter Sound Recognition Skills After Participation in the Migrant Education Summer Pre-K Program (2013)
Percentage of Students Who Increased Their Letter Sound Recognition By At Least 5 Letter Sounds
Average Number of Letter Sounds Recognized at Pre and Post Assessment
Source: Migrant Education Summer Pre‐K Program: Migrant Education Even Start (MEES) Pre‐K Letter Sound Identification tool, 2013.
N=95.
26.7% 27.2%33.7%
26.7%34.9%
29.5%
43.1%
58.1%
18.5%
28.1%32.8%
36.6%
44.9%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
87.4%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2.8
17.8
0
5
10
15
20
Pre Post
Primarily English‐Speaking Children
English Assessment
Primarily Spanish‐Speaking Children
Spanish Assessment English Assessment
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL
62 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
First 5 Santa Cruz County continued to support the use of the Child Snapshot as a vehicle for
communication among kindergarten, preschool, and family child care teachers about children who
are transitioning to kindergarten. The Child Snapshot supports children’s transition to kindergarten
by involving parents in the process and providing important information that helps kindergarten
teachers prepare for their incoming students.
In Spring 2013, a total of 906 preschool children had Child Snapshots completed—453 boys
(51%) and 434 girls (49%) (19 students were missing data on gender).
These children were drawn from 40 preschool programs throughout Santa Cruz County and
their Child Snapshot forms were shared with kindergarten teachers at 53 elementary schools
in Santa Cruz County and surrounding areas.
Relationship Between Family Activities and Children’s School Readiness
In 2012‐13, a new analysis was performed to determine if any of the family activities noted in the
Child Snapshot were correlated with children’s school readiness skills, as measured by the DRDP‐PS.
The DRDP‐PS assesses children’s school readiness skills in four domains: 1) Self‐Care & Motor Skills,
2) Self‐Regulation Skills, 3) Social Expression Skills, and 4) Kindergarten Academics. Results revealed
some statistically significant relationships between certain family activities and school readiness
skills.
Figure 37: The Impact of Family Activities on School Readiness
Kindergarten Academics
Family activities associated with greater readiness in the area of Kindergarten Academics
included:
Parents sang and told stories with children more times per week (N=376, r=.11, p<.05).
Parents reported eating family meals together more times per week (N=375, r=.11, p<.05).
Families visited the library (N=383, p<.05).
Self‐Care & Motor Skills
Family factors associated with greater readiness in the area of Self‐Care & Motor Skills
included:
Families drew, colored, painted, played with games and puzzles (N=385, p<.05).
Source: Applied Survey Research, Child Snapshot data report, 2013.
Indicator: Effectiveness of the Child Snapshot in assisting with children’s transition to kindergarten
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 63
Helping Kindergarten Teachers Get Prepared
Child Snapshot Kindergarten Teacher Survey
In order to help collect data on how useful the Child Snapshots were in assisting with the
communication of information between early childhood educators and kindergarten teachers, a
new survey was conducted in January 2013 that asked kindergarten teachers for their feedback on
how they used the Child Snapshots that they received at the beginning of the 2012‐13 school year.
This confidential online survey12 was distributed to almost all kindergarten teachers and elementary
school principals in the County, asking them if they’d received any Child Snapshots, how they used
these Child Snapshots, and whether and how they were useful. Key results from this survey are
provided below, which demonstrate the achievements being made to bridge children’s transition to
kindergarten.
Survey Population
41 kindergarten teachers and 6 principals from 28 elementary schools completed the survey.
On average, there were 4 kindergarten classrooms in each elementary school.
37 respondents said they’d received Child Snapshots, and on average, these respondents said
they’d received Child Snapshots for 10 incoming kindergarteners.
Survey Results
Results from the Child Snapshot Kindergarten Teacher Survey indicated that 92% of kindergarten
teachers used them in some way to assist with their incoming students’ transition to kindergarten.
The Child Snapshot helped kindergarten teachers with three key transition elements:
Communication with parents.
Preparation for the incoming students.
Formation of balanced kindergarten classes.
12 See Appendix C for a description of this Child Snapshot Kindergarten Teacher Survey.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL
64 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS SERVICE INTEGRATION AND COMMUNITY STRENGTHENING
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 65
Service Integration & Community Strengthening
This portion of First 5 Santa Cruz County’s Strategic
Framework analysis includes data regarding building
system integration efforts through training, shared data,
community events, and capacity‐building projects.
First 5 Service Integration
First 5 Santa Cruz County seeks to strengthen the system of care for families with children ages 0‐5 in
the County. One measure of the degree of current integration across the system is the number of
children who are served by multiple First 5 grantees. Sometimes this occurs because grantees cross‐
refer families, or because other agencies refer families into a coordinated network of First 5 services.
In 2012‐13, approximately 18% of children received services from multiple First 5 partners.
Not surprisingly, the agency with the highest child enrollment—Raising A Reader (with 4,670
children)—had the highest number of children who participated in other programs, including
Child Snapshot (638 children), Early Literacy Foundations Reading Corps classrooms (509
children), and Health Care Outreach Coalition (401 children).
Figure 38: Percentage of Children Receiving Services from Multiple First 5 Partners
Source: SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2006 ‐ June 30, 2013.
N: (2006‐07) N=4,462; (2007‐08) N=5,214; (2008‐09) N=5,440; (2009‐10) N=5,762; (2010‐11) N=9,292; (2011‐12) N=8,382; (2012‐13) N=7,974.
Many health, social services, and early education providers in the County participated in workshops
on various social and community issues to better integrate services and improve customer service,
including 123 who participated in quarterly Brown Bag Lunches, and 28 who attended First 5’s
bi‐annual “Achieving Excellence in Customer Service” trainings.
12.8%
20.3%
13.0% 14.6% 17.8% 18.8% 17.9%
0%
10%
20%
30%
2006‐07 2007‐08 2008‐09 2009‐10 2010‐11 2011‐12 2012‐13
Indicator: Number of families who receive services from multiple First 5 grantees
Indicator: Distribution of information to community service providers
SERVICE INTEGRATION & COMMUNITY STRENGTHENING
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT SERVICE INTEGRATION AND COMMUNITY STRENGTHENING
66 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
First 5 Fiscal Status and Sustainability
The following figure presents data for the unique number of clients served by each First 5 partner,
and the average cost per client.
Figure 39: Average Cost per Client, by Goal Area and Partner (2012-2013)
PARTNER JULY 2012‐ JUNE 2013 COSTS
NUMBERS SERVED AVERAGE COST PER INDIVIDUAL
PARENTS CHILDREN (AGES 0‐5)
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS
TRIPLE P CHILDREN (AGES 6+)
TRIPLE P PRACTI‐TIONERS
TOTAL PARTICIPANTS
COST PER PARTICIPANT
HEALTHY CHILDREN
Healthy Kids Initiative $836,942 2,959 2,959 $283
Neurodevelopmental Clinic ‐ Dominican Interdisciplinary Child Development Program
$81,000 95 95 $853
STRONG FAMILIES
Families Together $623,242 114 163 277 $2,250
Triple P Services1 $519,848 586 339 461 1,386 $375
Training & Accreditation
$38,317 19 19 $2,017
Side‐By‐Side $92,500 25 25 $3,700
CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL
Starlight Children’s Center $299,975 59 37 96 $3,125
Early Literacy Foundations Initiative
SEEDS of Early Literacy & SEEDS Plus
$282,274 57 57 $4,952
Santa Cruz Reading Corps $149,178 509 12 521 $286
Raising A Reader $220,512 4,670 4,670 $47
Migrant Education ‐ Summer Pre‐K Academy
$24,118 116 116 $208
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County and SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013, Optimal Solutions Consulting, 2013.
Note: The “Numbers Served” only include clients for whom enough data were collected to create a “Unique ID,” in order to prevent duplication within an agency. Triple P client numbers also include those who did not consent to share their evaluation data, as they are not likely to duplicate consenting clients. 1 Triple P provides services via several local practitioners and agencies, including three agencies that are already First 5 partners (Families Together, La Manzana Community Resources, and Mountain Community Resources). For Families Together, clients who only received Triple P services are reported as Triple P clients. If these clients also received other services from Families Together, they are reported again as clients for Families Together. Since Mountain Community Resources and La Manzana Community Resources received First 5 funding specifically to provide Triple P services, all of their clients are reported as Triple P clients in this table.
Indicator: Average cost per client
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS SERVICE INTEGRATION AND COMMUNITY STRENGTHENING
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 67
The balances on this statement were as of June 30, 2013. The Statement of Net Assets indicates that
net assets decreased by $1,260,210 from June 30, 2012 to June 30, 2013. This decrease in net assets
is part of the Commission’s planned use of its sustainability fund for providing programmatic
investments as set forth in the Strategic Plan. For the year ended June 30, 2013, the ending fund
balance was $4,464,198, a decrease of $1,343,446 from the prior year. The Commission’s fund
balance is allocated for the following categories:
Fund balance is committed for program contracts.
Figure 40: Statement of Activities, Fiscal Year 2012-2013
Revenue Prop 10 Allocation $ 2,254,575
Interest on Prop 10 Funds $ 17,620
Mental Health Services Act $ 218,586
Race To The Top $ 189,680
First 5 California Child Signature Program #2 $ 52,500
Foundation Grants $ 237,500
Other $ 25,388
Total Revenue $ 2,995,849
Expenses Program
Children Learning & Ready for School $ 1,141,926
Healthy Children $ 903,122
Strong Families $ 1,363,322
Service Integration $ 162,609
Program Support $ 388,107
Evaluation $ 157,662
Administration $ 218,702
Depreciation $ 3,844
Total Expenditures $ 4,339,295
Excess of expenditures over revenues $ (1,343,446)
Fund balance ‐ beginning of year $ 5,807,644
Fund balance ‐ end of year $ 4,464,198
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County audited financial statements (2012‐2013).
Indicator: First 5 Santa Cruz County’s annual financial statements
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT SERVICE INTEGRATION AND COMMUNITY STRENGTHENING
68 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Many partners maximize First 5 funding by using their funds to match or leverage additional
funding. In 2012‐2013, First 5 funding was leveraged by these partners to bring in the following
additional revenue.
Figure 41: Amount of Leveraged Investments, by Type (2012-2013)
SOURCE OF LEVERAGED FUNDING LEVERAGED FUNDING AMOUNT
Public agency ‐ Local $803,091
Public agency ‐ State $368,309
Business or Individual $366,021
Medi‐Cal Administrative Activities (MAA) $283,170
Public agency ‐ Federal $215,065
Early Periodic Screening Detection and Treatment (EPSDT) $143,465
Private Foundation $103,400
Educational Institution $57,370
Total $2,339,891Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County and First 5 partner Annual Progress Reports, 2012‐2013.
Figure 42: Total Amount of First 5 and Leveraged Investments (2012-2013)
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County and First 5 partner Annual Progress Reports, 2012‐2013.
$4,045,835
$4,045,835$2,339,891
$2,339,891
$6,385,726
$0
$2,500,000
$5,000,000
$7,500,000
Total First 5 Investment Total Leveraged Investments First 5 and LeveragedInvestments Combined
Indicator: Amount of matched or leveraged investments reported by First 5 partners
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS SERVICE INTEGRATION AND COMMUNITY STRENGTHENING
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 69
Community Strengthening
2‐1‐1 is a centralized point of contact for Santa Cruz County residents to get information on local
services, and is accessible by phone or an online website. Trained specialists refer callers to local
agencies and services that match their needs, and also help relieve the burden on 9‐1‐1 during
disasters by providing non‐emergency information and referrals. This county program began in
2010, and is operated by the United Way of the Bay Area and funded by several local agencies
including First 5 Santa Cruz County.
Results show how effective this program has been in helping residents with their everyday needs
and concerns, and during emergency situations.
Since the 2‐1‐1 program began in Santa Cruz County in 2010, a total of 14,434 people have
called, with a total of 18,678 needs and 23,194 referrals.
Over the last two fiscal years (2011‐2013)13,
o Common types of needs included housing/utilities issues (30%), income
support/assistance (13%), individual, family, & community support (13%), health
care/mental health/addictions (13%), and food/meals (11%).
o The most common referrals were to individual, family, & community support (34%),
housing/utilities/homeless services (22%), and income support/tax assistance (13%).
Figure 43: Number of 2-1-1 Callers, Needs, and Referrals
Source: United Way of Santa Cruz County, Call Report, 2011‐2013.
13 In 2011‐12, First 5 recategorized the types of needs and referrals so that they more closely corresponded. Therefore, these cumulative results only include the years that have used these new categories (2011‐2013).
5,157 5,7977,347
4,5745,745
7,7564,703
7,136
8,091
14,434
18,678
23,194
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
Number of Callers Number of Needs Number of Referrals
TOTAL
2012-13
2011-12
2010-11
Indicator: Access and utilization of the 2‐1‐1 program
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK RESULTS FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT SERVICE INTEGRATION AND COMMUNITY STRENGTHENING
70 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Figure 44: Types of 2-1-1 Callers’ Needs (2011-2013)
Figure 45: Types of 2-1-1 Referrals (2011-2013)
Source: United Way of Santa Cruz County, Call Report, 2013.
N: (Caller’s Needs)=12,881; (Types of Referrals)=15,847.
29.5%
13.4%
13.0%
12.6%
11.2%
9.5%
2.4%2.0%
6.4%Housing/Utilities
Income Support/Assistance
Individual, Family, & Community Support
Health Care/Mental Health/Addictions
Food/Meals
Legal, Consumer and Public Safety
Clothing/Personal/Household Needs
Employment Services
Other
34.1%
21.6%
13.4%
9.5%
7.9%
4.4%2.7%
1.7%4.7%
Individual, Family, & Community Support
Housing/Utilities/Homeless Services
Income Support/Tax Assistance
Legal, Consumer and Public Safety, Disaster Services
Health Care / Dental / Mental Health / Addictions
Employment Services
Food/Meals
Clothing/Personal/Household Needs
Other
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 71
PART 2: PARTNER PROFILES
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT
72 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 73
PARTNER PROFILES
This section of the report provides a snapshot of each First 5 partner’s work between July 1, 2012
and June 30, 2013.
At the beginning of the 2012‐13 contract period, scopes of work were developed with each partner
which detailed each program’s target population, the number of people to be served, primary
programmatic activities, outcome objectives, methods of measurement, and the timing of data
collection activities. Partners reported their outcome data biannually or annually, using the SUN
database, customized Excel forms, or partner‐specific reports. In addition, a narrative template was
provided to partners to submit qualitative information on the progress of their services. When
collecting data for their outcome objective, some programs did not administer their assessment
tools to every participant. For this reason the number of participants reported in their outcome
measurement may differ from the total number of participants who were served.
The purpose of the Partner Profiles is to highlight the work that each partner conducted in Fiscal
Year 2012‐13. Organized by goal area (Healthy Children, Strong Families, and Children Learning and
Ready for School), each profile briefly lists:
Description of the program
Population served
Client outcome objectives achieved (and in a few cases, also program objectives achieved)
Readers will note that in many cases, data that were presented in the Strategic Framework section
are presented here again with the intent of summarizing the meaningful work that each of the
partners carried out in 2012‐13.
Finally, it should be noted that these profiles only provide an overview of the innovative work that
each partner or initiative carries out, and that more comprehensive detail about each partner’s
progress is provided in their annual report to First 5.
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT HEALTHY CHILDREN ‐ HEALTH CARE OUTREACH COALITION
74 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
“[One couple] has 6 children in the family, and the older children qualified for Healthy Families. However, with the parent’s joint income, the two younger children did not qualify for Healthy Families. The mother applied for Healthy Kids [for these younger children] and was able to receive benefits. She was so grateful to receive these benefits, as both children have been sick and have had to go to the emergency room before receiving these benefits. She was very impressed with the program, and has referred other people.”
- Health Care Outreach Coalition, Annual Progress Report
“It is great to be a CAA. Especially when you help someone relieve their stress. Just when they think there is no hope, you happen to show them that there is a dim light at the end of the tunnel.”
- Certified Application Assistor (CAA)
Healthy Children
Healthy Kids Initiative
Health Care Outreach Coalition
Program Description
The Health Care Outreach Coalition (HCOC) provides assistance with application and enrollment in
public health insurance to income‐eligible families. Through community outreach workers called
Certified Application Assistors (CAAs), children
from families earning up to 300% of the Federal
Poverty Level receive assistance in applying for
Medi‐Cal, Healthy Families (currently being
folded into Medi‐Cal for Families), and the local
Healthy Kids health insurance plan.
Additionally, HCOC staff participate in
community events and respond to business and
community agency requests for presentations
and additional information regarding health
insurance. HCOC assists in the management of
the One‐e‐App online application system,
providing training and technical assistance to all
CAAs.
Population Served
2012‐2013
Children 2,959
Source: SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013.
Outcome Objective: Children will be assisted in applying for public health insurance
2012‐2013
Number of children assisted with new enrollments 3,116*
Source: Health Care Outreach Coalition, Enrollment and Utilization Report, 2013.
* The number of children in this analysis may be slightly different than the total number of unduplicated children served, since families may come to HCOC for enrollment assistance more than once in the fiscal year. Enrollment and utilization results represent the status of children’s applications as of 9/13/13.
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES HEALTHY CHILDREN ‐ HEALTH CARE OUTREACH COALITION
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 75
Outcome Objective: Children will be enrolled in public health insurance
2012‐2013
By June 30, 2013, 75% of the children ages 0‐5 who received assistance to apply will be enrolled in a public health insurance program
95.4%
N=1,956
Source: Health Care Outreach Coalition, Enrollment and Utilization Report, 2013. Results represent the status of children’s applications as of 9/13/13.
Outcome Objective: Children will be renewed in public health insurance
2012‐2013
By June 30, 2013, 75% of the children ages 0‐5 who received assistance to apply will be renewed in a public health insurance program
92.2%
N=1,160
Source: Health Care Outreach Coalition, Enrollment and Utilization Report, 2013. Results represent the status of children’s applications as of 9/13/13.
System Outcome: Children will utilize public health insurance
2012‐2013
85% of children ages 0‐5 renewing in public health insurance between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013, will have utilized care prior to renewal
99.0%
N=1,102
Source: Health Care Outreach Coalition, Enrollment and Utilization Report, 2013. Results represent the status of children’s applications as of 9/13/13.
Note: Utilization results exclude clients with missing data.
The following chart presents the percentage of applicants who were enrolled in health insurance,
the percentage who re‐enrolled in insurance, and the percentage who utilized their benefits.
Figure 46: HCOC Child Health Insurance Enrollment, Renewal, and Utilization Percentages
Source: Applied Survey Research, First 5 Santa Cruz County Final Reports, 2007 ‐ 2010. Health Care Outreach Coalition, Enrollment and Utilization Report, 2011‐2013. Note: The number of children in this analysis may be slightly different than the total number of unduplicated children served, since families may come to HCOC for enrollment assistance more than once in the fiscal year. Enrollment and utilization results represent the status of children’s applications 2‐3 months after the end of each fiscal year. Utilization results exclude clients with missing data. N: (Enrollment) 2007=678; 2008=580. 2009=730, 2010=1,528, 2011=1,944, 2012=2,316, 2013=1,956; (Renewal) 2007=496; 2008=530. 2009=592, 2010=826, 2011=902. 2012=1,088, 2013=1,160; (Utilization) 2007=471, 2008=514. 2009=555, 2010=789, 2011=829, 2012=1,013, 2013=1,102.
99.6%
97.9%
99.6% 99.4%
96.6%
99.6% 99.0%
93.8%
98.5%
98.0% 93.7%92.1%
92.3% 92.2%
85.7%87.9%
85.6% 85.5%
89.0%
94.1%95.4%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
95%
100%
June 2007 June 2008 June 2009 June 2010 June 2011 June 2012 June 2013
Percent who utilized care prior to renewal in an insurance program
Percent who were renewed in an insurance program
Percent who were enrolled in an insurance program
Utilization Outcome Objective: 85%
Enrollment & Renewal Outcome Objectives: 75%
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT HEALTHY CHILDREN ‐ HEALTH CARE OUTREACH COALITION
76 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Newborn Enrollment Project: Baby Gateway
Baby Gateway—the Newborn Enrollment Project—operates in three local hospitals with funding and
support provided by First 5 of Santa Cruz County: Watsonville Hospital, Dominican Hospital, and Sutter
Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz. The main goals of the project are to provide enrollment
assistance to mothers and their newborns, as well as to establish a seamless Medi‐Cal coverage
process for Medi‐Cal‐eligible newborns, and to link those newborns to a medical home, all before they
leave the hospital.
In addition, all new mothers receive the First 5 “Kit for New Parents” containing expert guidance for
raising healthy infants and children. In particular, parents are oriented to the “What To Do If My Child
Gets Sick” booklet, which provides information in utilizing primary care appropriately, and clarifies
what issues should prompt a visit to the emergency room, and which should be handled in the medical
home.
Newborn Enrollment Results
Data from 2012‐13 show how successful this program has been in providing these services to Santa
Cruz County’s mothers and newborns.
Of all 3,155 births that occurred in Santa Cruz County at these hospitals in 2012‐13, 73% of
mothers received a newborn visit while in the hospital, and 56% received a “Kit for New
Parents.”
Of all 1,748 mothers with Medi‐Cal births during 2012‐13, 83% were assisted to complete a
Medi‐Cal application for their new babies.
Of the 1,453 mothers who were assisted to complete a Medi‐Cal application for their
newborns, nearly all applications (99.8%) were approved, and 94% were assigned a primary
care provider for their child before discharge from the hospital.
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES HEALTHY CHILDREN ‐ HEALTH CARE OUTREACH COALITION
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 77
Figure 47: Newborn Enrollment Project Statistics (2012-2013)
PROGRAM COMPONENT WATSONVILLE
COMMUNITY
HOSPITAL
DOMINICAN
HOSPITAL SUTTER
MATERNITY &
SURGERY CENTER OF SANTA CRUZ
TOTAL
Total Number of All Births in Santa Cruz County
1,344 869 942 3,155
Total Number of Medi‐Cal Births 1,144 358 246 1,748
NUMBER PERCENT OF ALL MEDI‐CAL BIRTHS
Number of Completed Newborn Medi‐Cal Applications
982 328 143 1,453 83.1%
NUMBER PERCENT OF ALL MEDI‐CAL
APPLICATIONS
Number of Approved Newborn Medi‐Cal Enrollments 981 326 143 1,450 99.8%
Number of Denied Newborn Medi‐Cal Applications 1 2 0 3 0.2%
Number of Pending Newborn Medi‐Cal Applications 0 0 0 0 0.0%
Number of Newborn Medi‐Cal Applicants with an Assigned Primary Care Provider
1,364 93.9%
NUMBER PERCENT OF ALL COUNTY BIRTHS
Total Number of Newborn Visits (regardless of insurance status)
1,203 712 388 2,303 73.0%
Number of Kits for New Parents Distributed
841 605 329 1,775 56.3%
Source: Health Care Outreach Coalition, Newborn Enrollment Statistics, 2013.
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT HEALTHY CHILDREN ‐ HEALTH CARE OUTREACH COALITION
78 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Emergency Department Visits
The services provided by the Newborn Enrollment Project may also have had an effect on the use of
the Emergency Department (ED) for children less than one year old.
ED visits typically peak during the first two quarters of each year. Consequently, when comparing ED
visits at a hospital before and after the launch of Baby Gateway, it was important to evaluate the
same quarter when making comparisons between years. In the following analysis, results for
Quarter 1 were compared.
Baby Gateway was launched at Watsonville Community Hospital in August 2009. When
comparing the data for Quarter 1 of 2009 and 2013, the number of ED visits for infants under
one year dropped from 573 to 367 (a 36% decrease).
Similarly, after Baby Gateway was launched at Dominican Hospital in January 2011, ED visits
for infants under one year dropped from 186 to 176 (a 5% decrease).
Figure 48: Number of Emergency Department Visits (Infants Less Than One Year Old)
Source: Health Improvement Partnership of Santa Cruz County, Healthy Kids Biannual Evaluation, July 2012 – June 2013.
573
632
552 558
506528
471
421 424446
349381 395
342
428401
367
218184
151171
199
146116
168186
148116
137163
112128 118
176
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1
WatsonvilleCommunityHospital
DominicanHospital
Baby Gateway Launched at
Dominican and Sutter Hospitals
Baby Gateway Launched at
Watsonville Community
Hospital
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES HEALTHY CHILDREN ‐ DOMINICAN INTERDISCIPLINARY CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 79
“One mom was initially very resistant to having her son receive standardized testing through our program. She ended up being delighted to have the results to present to the school district to advocate for her son to receive special resource assistance when he starts kindergarten in the fall.
…[The DICDP’s] successful interagency collaboration ensures that our highest-risk population of court dependent children are receiving appropriate early intervention services and are not falling through the cracks. Early intervention services are critical in optimizing long-term health and mental health.”
- Dominican Interdisciplinary Child Development Program, Annual
Progress Report
Neurodevelopmental Clinic - Dominican Interdisciplinary Child Development Program
Program Description
The Dominican Interdisciplinary Child Development Program is an innovative, coordinated approach to
address the neurodevelopmental needs of very vulnerable infants and toddlers in the foster care system.
Nationally, almost one in five children face developmental disabilities or disabling behavioral problems
before age eighteen, but fewer than half of these children are identified before the age of five.14 On the
other hand, about one‐third of California children who receive early intervention services before the age
of three do not require additional intervention during the preschool years or when they enter
kindergarten.15 We know early intervention works, yet children who have already endured abuse and
neglect typically do not receive the early assessment and coordinated services they need. Children with
disabilities are more likely to be abused and neglected and
yet, once in the system designed to protect them, their
needs may go unaddressed – thereby missing a critical
window of opportunity to set a healthy life course.
In order to assess, intervene, and treat developmental
and social/emotional issues for children ages 0‐5 in
foster care in Santa Cruz County, Dominican Pediatrics
established a coordinated and multidisciplinary
neurodevelopmental consultative care clinic called the
Dominican Interdisciplinary Child Development
Program (DICDP). DICDP is a collaboration between the
Dominican Pediatrics Program, Packard Children’s
Hospital Development and Behavior Program, Santa
Cruz County Children’s Mental Health, Santa Cruz County
Family and Children’s Services, and First 5 Santa Cruz County.
DICDP began providing services in October 2011, with an interdisciplinary team that focuses on early
intervention to address the needs of young children entering foster care, and to provide
comprehensive services to these foster children, their families, and foster families. To this end, all
children in Santa Cruz County under the age of 6 who are in foster care or who are involved with
Child Protective Services (CPS) are referred to the program. The following services are provided:
A therapist from County Mental Health meets with the child and foster family for a mental
health assessment of the child.
A Stanford clinical psychologist meets with the child, biological family, and foster family to
discuss developmental and behavioral history and milestones.
14 American Academy of Pediatrics (2006). Identifying infants and young children with developmental disorders in the medical home: An algorithm for developmental surveillance and screening. Pediatrics, 118 (1), 405‐420.
15 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Child Development: Using Developmental Screening to Improve Children’s Health,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/child/improve.htm (accessed July 22, 2008).
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT HEALTHY CHILDREN ‐ DOMINICAN INTERDISCIPLINARY CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
80 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Standardized developmental and behavioral testing is conducted. The results of the testing and
recommendations are provided to the family and foster family at the end of the assessment.
A follow‐up consultative report is provided to all members of the interdisciplinary team, and
the biological and foster families.
A county mental health therapist provides ongoing counseling to those children needing
therapy services.
A Dominican Licensed Clinical Social Worker coordinates and case manages the program.
Children needing developmental services (e.g., occupational therapy, physical therapy,
speech therapy, special education) are referred to local resources and the school district in
which they reside.
Any identified medical services (e.g., audiology, ophthalmology) are coordinated through the
primary care provider.
Population Served
THIS FUNDING CYCLE
2012‐2013
CUMULATIVE
TOTALS*
2011‐2013
Children (ages 0‐5) 95(ages 6+) 14
(ages 0‐5) 146(ages 6+) 16
Source: SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2013.
* Due to the increased confidentiality requirements of this partner, it is not possible to track clients who may be duplicated across fiscal years for this agency.
In the following results, data from the past two fiscal years (2011‐2013) have been aggregated in
order to present a more robust description of this program’s outcomes.
Program Objective: Provide professional development and build the capacity of the community to support services
2011‐2013
Between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2013, begin building the capacity of the community to support the services that are recommended for the Clinic’s child clients.
Provided 7 trainings for partner agencies’ staff, regarding appropriate child development, assessments, setting goals, and appropriate treatments and strategies.
A Stanford clinical psychologist and pediatrician provided the trainings.
The training topics were: attachment risks for foster care children, pervasive developmental delay, ADHD, DSM 5 update, developmental prospective, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
The 2‐hour trainings took place at the county health building, with approximately 100 participants at each workshop.
The trainings were well received and will continue bimonthly. Source: Dominican Interdisciplinary Child Development Program 2012‐13 Annual Progress Report.
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES HEALTHY CHILDREN ‐ DOMINICAN INTERDISCIPLINARY CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 81
Program Objective: Improve speed of services
2011‐2013
Between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2013, begin implementing processes that reduce the time before children receive their recommended interventions.
Processes were implemented to improve the speed of services, including:
CPS has been submitting the DICDP consultation reports to the court for the judge to read.
Team members met routinely to discuss operational procedures. This interagency collaboration was successful in that all team members worked together to achieve mutual goals.
DICDP continued to work on expediting the school district IEP process, which is now faster. Two team members talked with the appropriate school district personnel to streamline the process.
The Individual community support plan (ICSP) is used for every referral.
When the child is recommended to receive mental health services, they are immediately served.
Source: Dominican Interdisciplinary Child Development Program 2012‐13 Annual Progress Report.
Program Objective: Develop a portrait of the child population
2011‐2013
Between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2013, serve 150 children and provide key data about the clients, to enable the development of population profiles as clients progress through their treatment program.
146 children ages 0‐5 in foster care were assessed by a Stanford clinical psychologist
Children received case management and coordination to increase access to needed services for the children, foster families and birth families
Children were referred to specialized services based on the assessment findings
Source: Dominican Interdisciplinary Child Development Program 2012‐13 Annual Progress Report.
* Children’s developmental levels were assessed using one of two standardized assessments, depending on the age of the child: the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development or the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence, 3rd edition.
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT HEALTHY CHILDREN ‐ DOMINICAN INTERDISCIPLINARY CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
82 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Figure 49: Demographics of the Children (Ages 0-5) Participating in the DICDP (2011-2013)
Gender Primary Language
Race/Ethnicity Age
Source: Dominican Interdisciplinary Child Development Program, Data Template, 2011‐2013.
N: (Gender, Race/Ethnicity, Age)=146; (Language)=145.
Figure 50: Percentage of Children in DICDP (Ages 0-5) With These Diagnoses and Services, at Intake (2011-2013)
Source: Dominican Interdisciplinary Child Development Program, Data Template, 2011‐2013.
* Children’s developmental levels were assessed using one of two standardized assessments, depending on the age of the child: the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development or the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence, 3rd edition.
** The number of children receiving Physical Therapy at intake was not measured in 2012‐13
N: (IEP, ADHD, Occupational Therapy, Developmental Disability Services)=146; (Delayed, Severely Delayed)=141; (Autism)=95; (Physical Therapy)=51.
Male43.8%
Female56.2%
English89.0%
Spanish11.0%
Latino / Hispanic, 54.1%
Caucasian / White, 40.4%
Other, 5.5% 12.3%
27.4%
13.7%13.7%
15.8%
17.1%< 1 year old
1 year old
2 years old
3 years old
4 years old
5 years old
12.8%
1.4%4.8% 2.1% 2.0%
17.7%
4.3% 4.8% 3.2% 2.7%
30.5%
5.7% 4.8% 4.8%3.2% 2.7% 2.1% 2.0%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
"Delayed"Developmental
Level*
"SeverelyDelayed"
DevelopmentalLevel*
Diagnosed withADHD
ReceivingOccupational
Therapy
Diagnosed withAutism
Has an IEP ReceivingDevelopmental
DisabilityServices
ReceivingPhysical
Therapy**
TOTAL 0‐5
Ages 3‐5
Ages 0‐2
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES HEALTHY CHILDREN ‐ DOMINICAN INTERDISCIPLINARY CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 83
Figure 51: Percentage of Children in DICDP (Ages 0-5) Provided With These Referrals (2011-2013)
Source: Dominican Interdisciplinary Child Development Program, Data Template, 2011‐2013.
* San Andreas Regional Center (SARC)
** The number of children referred to Occupational Therapy was not measured in 2011‐12.
N: (All referrals except OT) =146; (Occupational Therapy)=95.
0.7%2.7%
0.7% 2.1% 2.1% 0.7%
15.1%
2.1%
2.1%1.1% 1.1%
0.7%0.7%
15.8%
4.8%
2.8% 3.2% 3.2%1.4% 0.7%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
School district(IEP/IFSP
development)
Triple P(Parenting skills)
Audiology SARC*/Early Start(Developmentaldisability services)
OccupationalTherapy**
Ophthalmology Genetics
TOTAL 0‐5
Ages 3‐5
Ages 0‐2
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – FAMILIES TOGETHER
84 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
“I think we should be most proud of how we value and support the parent-child bond and the desire of parents to be the best parents they can be, even in the most challenging of situations.
We offer hope, validation, skill building, parenting education, resources, collateral treatment and compassion to parents, …allowing them to better hear the needs and feelings of their children.”
-Families Together, Annual Progress Report
Strong Families
Families Together
Program Description
Families Together provides an alternative, voluntary and prevention‐focused way for Santa Cruz
County to respond to reports of abuse and neglect received by Family and Children’s Services (FCS).
Of all the referrals to the child welfare screening unit, only about 8% meet the necessary criteria to
receive services from FCS. However, many of the families that don’t qualify for services from FCS still
have needs and circumstances that place them at risk
for future incidents of child abuse and neglect. By
assisting these families, Santa Cruz County can
intervene early, before family difficulties escalate to
the point of maltreatment, in order to increase child
safety, engage families in decision‐making, and to
support healthy child development.
Encompass Community Services (formerly Santa Cruz
Community Counseling Center) is the lead agency for
Families Together. Other collaborative partners, such as
Family and Children’s Services, a division of the Human Services Department (HSD), Health Services
Agency, and Families in Transition also play critical roles in the program.
Most families are referred through the Child Welfare System, but they participate in Families Together
voluntarily. Beginning in 2012‐13, Families Together also began accepting a limited number of
“community‐referred” families (e.g., through Head Start, Early Head Start, or public health nurses).
This home visiting program includes comprehensive intake and risk assessment, development of a
tailored case plan, parent support and education, child development activities, and periodic
assessments. Using a strengths‐based approach, participating families are encouraged to identify goals
and objectives that will support healthy family relationships, child health and safety, positive
parenting, family literacy and school readiness.
Population Served
2012‐2013
Families Together Pathway Subtotal All Pathways
(unduplicated)
Participated in Triple P*
Total All Pathways + Triple P
(unduplicated) Brief Intensive Pending
Parents/Guardians 35 71 8 114 51 127
Children 47 106 12 163 (ages 0‐5) 63 (ages 6+) 65
(ages 0‐5) 177
Source: SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013, Triple P Master Client Data Collection Template, 2013 (analyzed by Applied Survey Research).
Note: The risk assessment results guide the pathway assignment decision: families who score Low or Moderate work within the Brief Pathway with a Family Support Specialist for 3‐6 months. Those who score High or Very High work within the Intensive Pathway for up to 12 months, also with a Family Support Specialist.
* Although most of the clients who participate in Triple P through Families Together are also enrolled in Families Together, it is possible for clients’ household members (who are not themselves enrolled in Families Together) to participate in Triple P. For this evaluation report, Triple P is one of the only funded partners that reports the number of children ages 6+ who received services.
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES STRONG FAMILIES – FAMILIES TOGETHER
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 85
Outcome Objective: Families receive referrals, initial assessments, and assigned services
Program Objectives 2012‐2013
Accept referrals for at least 280 families per year who will be referred from Family and Children’s Services to the Differential Response Program
2521
Provide outreach and engage at least 75% of families referred to the Differential Response Program in an initial meeting
74.8%
N=147
At least 150 primary caregivers per year will participate in the Differential Response Program
114
Source: SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013; Families Together Referral and Initial Engagement Form, 2013, and Annual Progress Report, 2013. 1 This number refers to participant referrals from Family and Children’s Services, not unique participants. If the same participant was referred more than once, each referral is tracked separately. In 2013, Families Together also began accepting referrals from a few partner agencies, but these referrals are not included in this number, as the Program Objective is specific to referrals from Family and Children’s Services. Since January 2013, 11 additional referrals from the new Community Referral track have turned into active cases.
Figure 52: Case Flow Diagram (2012-2013)
Cases Referred to Families Together (FT): 2521
Contact and
meeting plans still
in progress
7
Contact ended:
(Unable to contact, case reopened in CWS, client declined, or Ineligible for services)
Referral Closed
135
Contacted and initial meeting scheduled
110
Contact ended:
(Did not show up to meeting, or met but declined to participate)
Referral Closed
5
Consented to participate in FT
OR
Referred to Primeros Pasos2:
1053
Source: Families Together Referral and Initial Engagement Form, 2013. 1 This number refers to participant referrals from Family and Children’s Services, not unique participants. If the same participant was referred more than once, each referral is tracked separately. In 2013, Families Together also began accepting referrals from a few partner agencies, but these referrals are not included in this number, as the Program Objective is specific to referrals from Family and Children’s Services. Since January 2013, 11 additional referrals from the new Community Referral track have turned into active cases. 2 Primeros Pasos is a companion program to Families Together serving participants with intensive substance abuse issues. 3 Due to the complicated nature of tracking the ever‐changing status of each referral, this number represents the best estimate of the status of all clients, using the program’s Referral and Initial Engagement Form.
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – FAMILIES TOGETHER
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Outcome Objective: Families demonstrate decreased levels of risk
In Families Together, risk assessment serves a variety of purposes. The assessments help staff link
parents with the appropriate service pathways, such as brief or intensive services. Follow‐up
assessments help assess whether risk has been reduced.
Client Outcome Objective 2012‐2013
75% of primary caregivers who participate in the Differential Response Program will demonstrate decreased risk based on a final assessment
79.3%
N=29
Source: SUN database, Structured Decision Making: Family Prevention Services Screening Tool (SDM:FPSST) data, 2012‐13.
As seen in the following figure, the Structured Decision Making: Family Prevention Services Screening
Tool used in the Families Together program is helping to show that families reduce their level of risk
while in the Families Together program.
In 2012‐13, 79% of parents were found to have lower levels of risk at reassessment than at
baseline.
Figure 53: Percentage of Families Together Participants Who Showed Decreased Risk of Child Maltreatment
Source: SUN database, Structured Decision Making: Family Prevention Services Screening Tool (SDM:FPSST) data, 2008‐13.
Notes: Although very few families had a “low risk” score at baseline, these families were omitted from these analyses so that only those who could demonstrate reduced risk on the tool remained in the analysis.
Due to inaccuracies in data entry in 2006‐07, clients with baseline assessments before 7/1/07 were omitted from this analysis.
In 2008‐09, this risk assessment included both families receiving intensive services and those receiving brief intervention services. Long‐term clients were assessed at intake, 6 months, and 12 months, and clients receiving brief interventions were assessed at intake and the end of services.
A second view of these risk assessment data involves a comparison of the percentage of families at
each level of risk over three assessments (baseline, first reassessment, and second reassessment).
Since each year’s analysis is constrained by fairly small sample sizes, several years of data have been
aggregated in order to present a more robust portrait of the extent to which Families Together
participants are reducing their risk for future involvement with the child welfare system.
71.1%60.6% 63.0%
76.5% 74.7%79.3%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2007/08(N = 45)
2008/09(N = 66)
2009/10(N = 128)
2010/11(N = 81)
2011/12(N = 75)
2012/13(N = 29)
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES STRONG FAMILIES – FAMILIES TOGETHER
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As can be seen, 61% of families were assessed as being “high risk” or “very high risk” upon intake,
and this dropped to 12% by the second reassessment, indicating that the program is helping families
reduce their level of risk.
Figure 54: Change in Families Together Participants’ Risk Levels Over Time (2007/08 - 2012/13)
Source: SUN database, Structured Decision Making: Family Prevention Services Screening Tool (SDM:FPSST) data, 2008‐2013.
* Although very few families had a “low risk” score at baseline, these families were omitted from these analyses so that only those who could demonstrate reduced risk on the tool remained in the analysis.
Note: Due to inaccuracies in data entry in 2006‐07, clients with baseline assessments before 7/1/07 were omitted from this analysis. Results for the 3rd reassessment were not reported due to the low number of clients.
Outcome Objective: Families do not experience a high rate of recurrence of abuse
Client Outcome Objective 2012
At least 95% of families who participate in the Differential Response program will not have a substantiated allegation of abuse at least 6 months after case closure.
94.9%
N=78
Source: Santa Cruz County Human Services Department. Families Together: Substantiated Child Abuse Study, 2013.
Note: Data are from the 2012 calendar year, in order to allow at least a 6 month period after case closure.
Of the 78 families who received services from Families Together and had their cases closed in
the 2012 calendar year:
o 95% did not have a substantiated allegation of maltreatment within six months after case
closure. This figure is comparable to what was observed in the previous years.
o An additional study found that 17% had been re‐referred to child welfare within six
months after their exit from Families Together.
These results indicate that although some families are re‐referred to child welfare after
exiting from Families Together, the rate of substantiated abuse is low. This suggests that
even though families are still experiencing high risk factors that lead to a child welfare report,
they may have gained skills and resources during their participation in Families Together that
prevent court‐mandated involvement with child welfare. A further study of the factors
related to these re‐referrals that are not substantiated could support the program and the
child welfare system to best serve the families.
30.4%36.0%
39.1%
49.7% 51.8%46.1%
17.9%
8.6%14.7%
2.0% 3.6%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Baseline* (N=373) 1st Reassessment (N=296) 2nd Reassessment (N=139)
Low Risk
Moderate Risk
High Risk
Very High Risk
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – FAMILIES TOGETHER
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Figure 55: Percentage of Families Together Participants Who Do Not Have a Substantiated Allegation of Maltreatment Within 6 Months After Case Closure
Source: Santa Cruz County Human Services Department. Families Together: Substantiated Child Abuse Study, 2013.
Note: Data are from the 2012 calendar year, in order to allow at least a 6 month period after case closure.
N: (2008)=61, (2009)=74, (2010)=82, (2011)=72, (2012)=78.
Figure 56: Percentage of Families with Child Welfare Issues Within 6 Months After Exit from Families Together (2012)
Source: Santa Cruz County Human Services Department. Families Together: Substantiated Child Abuse Study, 2013.
Note: Data are from the 2012 calendar year, in order to allow at least a 6 month period after case closure.
N=78.
Outcome Objective: Children have health insurance and a medical home
Client Outcome Objective 2012‐2013
98% of children ages 5 and under have health insurance by exit from the program. 100% N=90
98% of children ages 5 and under will have a medical home by exit from the program. 98.9% N=90
Source: Families Together, Annual Narrative Report, 2012‐13.
95.1% 92.0% 96.3% 91.7% 94.9%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
16.7%5.1%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Re‐Referral to Child Welfare Substantiated Allegation of ChildMaltreatment
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES STRONG FAMILIES – FAMILIES TOGETHER
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Outcome Objective: Families will have access to parenting support services structured by the Triple P curriculum
In the analyses of the following Triple P outcomes, all the assessment data since the
commencement of the Triple P at Families Together have been aggregated (January 2010 – June
2013) in order to present a more robust portrait of the extent to which the Triple P participants at
Families Together are developing their parenting skills and knowledge.
Families Together participants benefited from Triple P services.
Families Together clients who completed the Triple P program reported statistically significant
improvements and moderate to large degrees of change in their use of positive parenting styles, as
measured by the Parenting Scale.
Figure 57: Parents’ Use of Positive Parenting Styles (Families Together: 2010-2013)
Source: Triple P data from the Parenting Scale, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013. ** Results marked with two asterisks had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05, with a moderate to large magnitude of change (≥ 0.5).
Families Together participants also reported a statistically significant decrease in the frequency and
number of problematic child behaviors, as measured by the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI).
These results represent a moderate to large magnitude of change.
Figure 58: Parents’ Perceptions of Child Behavior (Families Together: 2010-2013)
Frequency of Problematic Child Behaviors
3.12.6
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
All Parents** (N=42)
Pre Post
121.3100.7
36
72
108
144
180
216
252
All Parents** (N=41)
Pre Post
Functional Parenting
Behavior always occurs
Behavior never occurs
Clinical Cut‐off: >=131
Lower is
“Better”
Lower is
“Better”
Dysfunctional Parenting
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – FAMILIES TOGETHER
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Number of Child Behaviors Perceived to Be a Problem
Source: Triple P data from the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013.
** Results marked with two asterisks had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05, with a moderate to large magnitude of change (≥ 0.5).
Client Satisfaction with Triple P Services
Families Together parents receiving Triple P services reported high levels of satisfaction with the
program.
On average, parents gave the highest rating to the question, “If you were to seek help again,
would you come back to this organization?” (6.68 out of 7), closely followed by the quality of
service they and their child received (6.64).
Figure 59: Parents’ Satisfaction with Various Aspects of the Triple P Program (Families Together: 2010-2013)
Source: Triple P data from the Parent Satisfaction Survey, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013.
13.8
8.20
6
12
18
24
30
36
All Parents** (N=35)
Pre Post
6.28
6.43
6.68
6.45
6.45
6.64
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
13. How would you describe your feelings at this point about yourchild's progress? (N=39)
11. Has the program helped you to develop skills that can beapplied to other family members? (N=40)
10. If you were to seek help again, would you come back to thisorganization? (N=40)
7. Has the program helped you to deal more effectively withproblems that arise in your family? (N=42)
6. Has the program helped you to deal more effectively with yourchild's behavior? (N=42)
1. How would you rate the quality of the service you and your childreceived? (N=42)
All behaviors were a problem
No behaviors were a problem
Clinical Cut‐off: >=15
Lower is
“Better”
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
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Triple P – Positive Parenting Program
Program Description
Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) is a comprehensive, evidence‐based parenting and family
support system designed to increase parents’ confidence and competence in raising children, improve
the quality of parent‐child relationships, and make practical, effective parenting information and
interventions widely accessible to parents. The Triple P system can reach an entire community, as well
as individual families who need more intensive services, through the following five levels of
interventions:
Level 1: Universal Triple P disseminates information about positive parenting to the entire
community through a media‐based social marketing campaign.
Level 2: Selected Triple P provides brief information through one‐time consultations (Level 2
Individual) or a series of Seminars on general parenting topics (Level 2 Seminars).
Level 3: Primary Care Triple P offers brief, targeted parent education and skills training
through Workshops on specific topics (Level 3 Workshops) or 3‐4 brief consultations on an
individual basis (Level 3 Individual) or in a group with other families (Level 3 Brief Group).
Level 4: Standard & Group Triple P provides in‐depth parent education and skills training
through 10 sessions with a practitioner on an individual basis (Level 4 Standard) or 8 sessions
in a group with other families (Level 4 Group).
Level 5: Enhanced & Pathways Triple P offers additional support to help parents deal with
stress and improve communication with their partners or co‐parents (Level 5 Enhanced) and
handle anger or other difficult emotions (Level 5 Pathways).
Beginning in late 2009, three local funders (First 5 Santa Cruz County, Health Services Agency, and
Human Services Department) established the Triple P system in partnership with other agencies that
serve children and families. The program has been implemented in stages, with the goal of making
parenting information and support widely available to families throughout Santa Cruz County.
The Triple P program is available in Santa Cruz County for:
Families with children from birth – 12 years old (Core Triple P)
Families with teens 13 – 16 years old (Teen Triple P)
Families with children who have special needs (Stepping Stones Triple P)
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
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Snapshot of 2012‐13 Triple P Implementation and Results in Santa Cruz County
Level 1: Universal – Social Marketing Campaign
Branding & Messaging: Unified the branding and messaging for Triple P Santa Cruz County
Web site: 300 online registrations for Triple P classes
Triple P Warmline/Email: 110 requests for Triple P services received
Parenting Pocket Guides: Developed and distributed nearly 20,000 bilingual Triple P Pocket guides
Articles: Disseminated monthly articles with parenting tips in newspapers, web sites and Triple P Santa Cruz
County’s e-newsletter
Triple P Santa Cruz County Facebook Page: Gained 679 new fans; Increased interaction with fans
Advertisements and PSAs: in select newspapers, online calendars, TV and radio stations, Facebook
Videos: Created two PSAs in English & Spanish; Created promotional videos with parent testimonials in
English & Spanish; Shared via Triple P Santa Cruz County YouTube channel
Low Intensity
High Intensity
Level 2: Selected Individual & Seminar General information and tips for specific parenting concerns.
474 parents participated in Seminars; 206 parents received 1-time consultations
28 accredited practitioners were available to provide Seminars (19 Core, 9 Teen)
88 accredited practitioners were available to provide Level 2 Individual sessions (1-time consultations)
Parents report high levels of satisfaction with Seminars
Level 3: Primary Care Brief consultations and workshops about specific parenting concerns.
Families showed significant improvements in children’s behavior, confidence in parenting skills,
and support from parenting partners.
606 parents participated in Workshops; 70 parents received brief support though individual or
group sessions
88 accredited practitioners were available to provide Level 3 Primary Care services (80 Core, 5
Teen, 3 Stepping Stones)
Parents reported high levels of satisfaction with these brief services
Level 4: Standard (Individual) & Group In‐depth training in positive parenting skills.
Families reported significant improvements in parenting style, child behavior,
emotional well-being and reduced conflict
Parents who had more serious parenting issues made the most meaningful changes in
their family life
383 parents received Level 4 Individual & Group services
73 accredited practitioners were available to provide Level 4 services (42 Core, 18
Teen, 13 Stepping Stones)
Parents reported high levels of satisfaction with these services
Level 5: Enhanced & Pathways Additional support for families
2 parents received Level 5 Pathways services
18 accredited practitioners were available to provide Level 5 Enhanced, and
21 for Level 5 Pathways
EXTENT OF REA
CH IN
TO THE COMMUNITY
Broad Reach
Limited, Targeted Reach
INTENSITY
OF SERVICES
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
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Triple P Highlights
Triple P’s population‐based approach to parenting support provides the minimally sufficient level of
care for parents to enable them to independently manage their family issues. This section provides
an overview of how families in Santa Cruz County have been helped to receive the levels of support
that they needed through their participation in Triple P, and highlights some of the key
achievements in each of these levels.
Level 1: Universal
Activities and media strategies for Level 1 of Triple P are providing access to positive parenting
information and destigmatizing the need to get help for parenting issues. In 2012‐13, First 5
implemented a robust social marketing campaign that included monthly parenting articles published
in Growing Up in Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Parent, the Register‐Pajaronian and local Patches; video and
radio PSAs in English and Spanish; flyers promoting Triple P classes (Seminars, Workshops, Groups);
regular posts on the Triple P Santa Cruz County Facebook page; distribution of a bilingual Parenting
Pocket Guide; a monthly e‐newsletter; and promotion of First 5 as a hub for information and
assistance with accessing Triple P services.
Accessibility of information. Families are responding to Triple P messages in the media and
online. They are using the updated website to register for parenting classes and requesting
assistance with accessing Triple P services through the centralized “warmline” and Triple P email
address.
Encouragement to participate. Since the beginning of the Triple P program, approximately
4,324 parents and 7,714 children have participated in Triple P services. Although these figures
may include duplicate counts of parents who participated in multiple services, it reflects the
widespread interest in—and reach of—this parenting program.
Client Participation in Triple P
Source: Triple P Master Client Data Collection Template, 2013 (analyzed by First 5 and Applied Survey Research).
THIS FUNDING CYCLE
2012‐2013
CUMULATIVE TOTALS
2010‐2013
Parents/Guardians 1,666 4,324
Children (all ages) 2,927 7,714
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
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Satisfaction with services. On average, parents rated the quality of services very high, noting
that they had received the help they wanted, were dealing more effectively with problems in
their family, and would come back to the program if they needed to seek help again.
Parents’ Satisfaction with Various Aspects of the Triple P Program
Source: Triple P data from the Parent Satisfaction Survey, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013.
Level 2: Selected (Individual & Seminars) & Level 3: Primary Care (Workshops)
The briefest forms of Triple P services are giving parents an opportunity to be introduced to Triple P
and providing easy access to general parenting support.
Gateway to more services. Of parents who participated in Seminars and Workshops, 22%
requested follow‐up services, suggesting that these brief services may be an effective way of
getting parents initially engaged in the program, and gives them an opportunity to participate in
further services.
Parents who receive a Level 2 Individual consultation on a specific parenting topic are likely to
later participate in a Level 3 Individual/Brief Group program or a Level 4 Standard program. This
suggests that clients who begin with one or two brief sessions to get general information and
tips for specific parenting concerns are then interested in returning for more in‐depth
consultations and multi‐session programs.
Continued use of the skills they learned. On average, parents felt that the Seminars answered
their questions, and that they would continue to use the strategies they learned.
Seminar/Workshop Satisfaction Survey
Source: Triple P data from the Seminar/Workshop Satisfaction Survey, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013. Note: All items were on a 5‐point scale. Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction.
6.07
6.26
6.36
6.36
6.43
6.44
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
13. How would you describe your feelings at this point aboutyour child's progress? (N=607)
11. Has the program helped you to develop skills that can beapplied to other family members? (N=608)
10. If you were to seek help again, would you come back to thisorganization? (N=609)
7. Has the program helped you to deal more effectively withproblems that arise in your family? (N=622)
6. Has the program helped you to deal more effectively with yourchild's behavior? (N=622)
1. How would you rate the quality of the service you and yourchild received? (N=622)
4.70
4.53
1 2 3 4 5
I am likely to use some of the parenting strategies inthe tip sheet. (N=2,125)
The seminar/workshop answered a question orconcern I have had about parenting. (N=2,125)
Highest Satisfaction
Lowest Satisfaction
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Level 3: Primary Care (Individual or Brief Group)
Brief consultations about specific parenting concerns are resulting in increased positive parenting
experiences.
Support for specific parenting challenges. Parents are reporting increased confidence in
parenting, more support from their partners, less difficulty with their children’s behavior, and
increased enjoyment in their parent/child relationship.
Increases in Positive Parenting
Source: Triple P data from the Parenting Experience Survey, Questions 3, 6, 1, and 2, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013. Note: The Parenting Experience Survey measures issues related to being a parent, and each question is analyzed separately. For Q1‐6, scores range from 1 to 5. For Q7, scores range from 0 to 6. Higher scores indicate more positive parenting experiences. There are no clinical cut‐offs for this assessment. The analysis of question 6 (Support from Partner in Their Role as a Parent) includes data from parents in Levels 3, 4, and 5, as this question was expanded to all of these levels of service in 2011‐12. * Results marked with an asterisk had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05. ** Results marked with two asterisks had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05, with a moderate to large magnitude of change (≥ 0.5).
Level 4: Standard & Group
Through more intensive services, families are receiving in‐depth support for moderate to severe
behavioral and emotional difficulties.
Intensive services may have a stronger impact on parents who begin the program with more
serious parenting issues. One new study evaluated the percentage of parents who
demonstrated improvement in one or more of the following key parenting domains: Perception
of child’s behavior; Overall parenting style; Depression; Anxiety; and Stress. The majority of All
Parents demonstrated improvement in all domains, but parents whose pre‐assessment scores
were high enough to be in a “Clinical Range of Concern” were even more likely to show
improvement by the end of the program, suggesting that Triple P was effective for parents who
had more serious parenting issues.
Percentage of Parents Who Demonstrated Improvement in One or More Key Parenting Domain (2010‐2013)
Source: Triple P assessment results (analyzed by Applied Survey Research), 2013. (Child behavior) ECBI, Problem subscale; (Style) Parenting Scale, Overall score ; (Depression) DASS‐21,Depression subscale; (Anxiety) DASS‐21, Anxiety subscale; (Stress) DASS‐21, Stress subscale.
N: (Child behavior) All=417, Clinical=200; (Style) All=490, Clinical=110; (Depression) All=526, Clinical=139; (Anxiety) All=526, Clinical=179; (Stress) All=525, Clinical=135.
3.3 3.5 3.23.7
4.2 3.9 4.0 4.1
012345
Confidence in ParentalResponsibilities** (N=121)
Support from Partner in theirRole As a Parent* (N=241)
Reduction in Difficulty of Child'sBehavior** (N=117)
Positivity of ParentingExperience** (N=112)
Pre Post
64.0%76.4%
54.1% 51.5%60.9%
88.0% 81.8% 84.2% 84.9% 89.6%
0%20%40%60%80%
100%
Perception of child'sbehavior
Overall parentingstyle
Depression Anxiety Stress
All Parents Clinical Range at Pre‐test
Extremely
Not at all
Higher is “Better”
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
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Parents with adolescents are among those experiencing more serious parenting issues and
benefitting from Triple P. While the majority of parents who received in‐depth services were in
Core Triple P (targeting families with children ages 0‐12), a small number of parents completed
Teen Triple P (targeting families with youth ages 13‐16). Parents in Teen Triple P tended to
report more serious parenting issues than parents in Core Triple P, particularly in the areas of
parenting styles, number of problems with their partners over parenting, and their level of
depression, anxiety, and stress. Although parents in both Core and Teen Triple P showed
significant improvement in their parenting issues, parents in Teen Triple P demonstrated a
greater degree of improvement by the end of the program.
Improvements in Selected Parenting Issues—Comparison of Clients in Core and Teen Triple P (2010‐2013)
Number of problems with their partners over parenting
Depression
Source: Triple P data from the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale – Short Version (DASS‐21) and the Parent Problem Checklist, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013. Note: The Parent Problem Checklist measures the number of issues that have been a PROBLEM for parents. Scores for the PROBLEM subscale range from 0 (no issues were a problem) to 16 (all issues were a problem). The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale – Short Version (DASS‐21) measures distress along 3 scales: Depression, Anxiety, Stress. Scores for each scale are calculated by summing the participants’ responses for each of the 21 items. Higher scores on each of the scales indicate greater levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Each scale has different clinical cut‐offs for the 5 severity levels: normal, mild, moderate, severe, and extremely severe. * Results marked with an asterisk had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05. ** Results marked with two asterisks had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05, with a moderate to large magnitude of change (≥ 0.5).
5.87.1
3.5 3.10
4
8
12
16
Core**(N=310)
Teen**(N=13)
Pre Post
9.513.6
6.2 7.7
0
7
14
21
28
35
42
Core*(N=503)
Teen**(N=19)
Pre Post
Lower is
“Better” Clinical Cut‐Off:
>5
No issues were a problem
All issues were a problem
Extremely severe distress
No distress
Clinical Cut‐offs:
Very Severe >=28
Severe >= 21
Moderate >=14
Lower is
“Better”
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
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Increased use of positive parenting styles. There were significant improvements in parenting
styles, indicating parents became less lax, less over‐reactive, and less hostile though the course of
the Triple P program. Parents with more serious parenting issues made the greatest amounts of
improvement.
Parents’ Use of Positive Parenting Styles
Source: Triple P data from the Parenting Scale, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013. Note: The Parenting Scale measures parenting styles in 3 scales, and overall. Scores for each scale are calculated by averaging the participants’ responses for each of the items. Higher scores indicate a greater degree of ineffective parenting styles. In 2012, modifications were made to the Parenting Scale to accommodate the launching of the “Teen” variant of the Triple P program, so comparisons to previous years’ results should be made with caution. Due to these changes, there is no Clinical Cut‐Off for the overall assessment score. See Appendix C for a complete description of these changes. ** Results marked with two asterisks had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05, with a moderate to large magnitude of change (≥ 0.5).
Reduced levels of conflict over parenting. After completing the program, parents on average
indicated that there were significantly fewer parenting and relationship issues that were problems.
Parents in each of these populations tended to score above the clinical cut‐off at the beginning of
the program, and ended the program out of a range of concern. Again, on average, effect sizes
were much higher for parents in the Clinical Range at Pre‐test, suggesting that these intensive
services have a stronger impact on parents who begin the program with more serious parenting
issues.
Number of Parenting Issues That Have Been a Source of Conflict Between Parents
Source: Triple P data from the Parent Problem Checklist, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013. Note: The Parent Problem Checklist measures the number of issues that have been a PROBLEM for parents. Scores for the PROBLEM subscale range from 0 (no issues were a problem) to 16 (all issues were a problem). * Results marked with an asterisk had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05. ** Results marked with two asterisks had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05, with a moderate to large magnitude of change (≥ 0.5).
3.2 3.2 3.2 3.43.0
3.53.1 3.1
2.6 2.7 2.6 2.82.4
2.92.5 2.7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
All Parents**(N=490)
Male**(N=142)
Female**(N=348)
Latino**(N=273)
Caucasian**(N=171)
Spanish**(N=178)
English**(N=295)
Child WelfareInvolved*(N=132)
Pre Post
5.9
8.9
5.4 6.1 6.1 5.7 6.4 5.7 5.43.5 5.0 3.3 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.4 3.7
0
4
8
12
16
AllParents**(N=323)
ClinicalRange atPreTest**(N=184)
Male**(N=122)
Female**(N=201)
Latino**(N=181)
Caucasian**(N=112)
Spanish**(N=116)
English**(N=196)
ChildWelfareInvolved*(N=74)
Pre Post
Functional Parenting
Lower is
“Better”
Dysfunctional Parenting
No issues were a problem
Clinical Cut‐Off:
>5
Lower is
“Better”
All issues were a problem
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
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Increased levels of satisfaction with their relationship. As seen in the figure below, parents
reported improved satisfaction in the relationship with their partners. On average, for All
Parents and all analyzed sub‐populations there was significant improvement in how happy they
were with their relationship by the end of the program.
Level of Parents’ Satisfaction with Their Relationship
Source: Triple P data from the Parenting Experience Survey, Question 7, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013. Note: The Parenting Experience Survey measures issues related to being a parent. Each question is analyzed separately, under the corresponding domain in this Triple P analysis. For Q1‐6, scores range from 1 to 5. For Q7, scores range from 0 to 6. Higher scores indicate more positive parenting experiences. There are no clinical cut‐offs for this assessment. The analysis of Question 7 (Level of Happiness in Relationship with Partner) includes data from parents in Levels 3, 4, and 5. * Results marked with an asterisk had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05.
An analysis of Satisfaction Surveys showed that clients’ satisfaction with their partner was
slightly—but significantly—more likely to be improved by the end of the Triple P program, if
they had attended the program with another adult.
Percentage of Parents Whose Satisfaction with Their Partner Improved, by Type of Participation (2010‐2013)
Source: Triple P Master Client Data Collection Template, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013.
Notes:
Chi‐Square results were significant: Χ2(1, N = 1,013) = 6.41, p = .011.
Relationships were defined as having improved if the parent answered 5, 6, or 7 (on the 7‐point scale) to question 8 of the Satisfaction Survey.
Increased levels of emotional well‐being. The following figures indicate that on average, All
Parents and all sub‐populations significantly lowered their level of depression, anxiety, and
stress. The amount of change was much higher for parents with scores in the Clinical Range at
Pre‐test. This was the only sub‐population that began within the Severe range, and ended out of
a range of concern.
3.4 3.5 3.3 3.4 3.53.2
3.8 4.03.7 3.9 4.0
3.7
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
All Parents*(N=243)
Male*(N=73)
Female*(N=170)
Latino*(N=171)
Spanish*(N=125)
English*(N=112)
Pre Post
28.3%35.8%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Participated alone Participated with another adult
Perfect
Extremely unhappy
Higher is “Better”
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 99
Level of Parental Depression and Stress
Depression
Anxiety
Stress
Source: Triple P data from the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale – Short Version (DASS‐21), analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013. Note: The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale – Short Version (DASS‐21) measures distress along 3 scales: Depression, Anxiety, Stress. Scores for each scale are calculated by summing the participants’ responses for each of the 21 items. Higher scores on each of the scales indicate greater levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Each scale has different clinical cut‐offs for the 5 severity levels: normal, mild, moderate, severe, and extremely severe. * Results marked with an asterisk had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05. ** Results marked with two asterisks had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05, with a moderate to large magnitude of change (≥ 0.5).
9.6
24.3
8.2 10.3 10.4 8.611.8
8.4 9.06.2
11.7
6.5 6.1 6.7 5.7 7.1 5.6 7.10
7
14
21
28
35
42
All Parents*(N=526)
ClinicalRange atPreTest**(N=139)
Male*(N=159)
Female*(N=367)
Latino*(N=295)
Caucasian*(N=181)
Spanish*(N=187)
English*(N=321)
ChildWelfareInvolved*(N=159)
Pre Post
8.2
19.3
7.08.8
9.1 6.610.4 6.9 8.3
5.3 9.85.1 5.4 5.6 4.9 6.1 4.7 6.0
0
7
14
21
28
35
42
All Parents*(N=526)
ClinicalRange atPreTest**(N=179)
Male*(N=159)
Female*(N=367)
Latino*(N=295)
Caucasian*(N=181)
Spanish*(N=187)
English*(N=321)
ChildWelfareInvolved*(N=159)
Pre Post
13.4
27.9
11.3 14.3 13.313.6 14.0 13.1 12.0
8.9
13.5
8.5 9.1 8.5 9.7 8.8 8.9 8.8
0
7
14
21
28
35
42
All Parents*(N=525)
ClinicalRange atPreTest**(N=135)
Male*(N=159)
Female*(N=366)
Latino*(N=294)
Caucasian*(N=181)
Spanish*(N=186)
English*(N=321)
ChildWelfareInvolved*(N=159)
Pre Post
Extremely severe distress
No distress
Clinical Cut‐offs:
Very Severe >=28
Severe >= 21
Moderate >=14
Extremely severe distress
No distress
Clinical Cut‐offs:
Very Severe >=20
Severe >=15
Moderate >=10
Extremely severe distress
No distress
Clinical Cut‐offs:
Very Severe >=34
Severe >=26
Moderate >=19
Lower is
“Better”
Lower is
“Better”
Lower is
“Better”
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
100 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Improvements in child behavior. For All Parents and all sub‐populations, there was a significant
reduction in the number of child behaviors that were perceived to be a problem. Of special note,
certain sub‐populations of parents scored above the clinical cut‐off at the beginning of the
program, and subsequently ended out of a range of concern by the end of the program. These
sub‐populations included parents with scores in the Clinical Range at Pre‐test, Female, Latino,
and Spanish‐speaking parents.
Number of Child Behaviors Perceived to Be a Problem
Source: Triple P data from the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013. Note: The Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory measures the frequency with which certain child behaviors occur (Intensity subscale), and whether parents view those behaviors to be a problem (Problem subscale). Intensity scores could range from 36 (Never occurs) to 252 (Always occurs), and Problem scores ranged from 0 (No) to 36 (Yes), with higher scores indicating greater numbers of problem behaviors and greater likelihood that these behaviors were a problem to the parent. * Results marked with an asterisk had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05. ** Results marked with two asterisks had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05, with a moderate to large magnitude of change (≥ 0.5).
Level 5: Enhanced & Pathways
Level 5 offers additional support for families where parenting issues are compounded by parental
stress and/or relationship difficulties (Level 5 Enhanced), or there is risk for child maltreatment due
to parents’ anger management issues or negative beliefs about their children’s behaviors (Level 5
Pathways). Not enough participants have completed the Level 5 program to provide enough data for
analysis. This may be an indication that Level 4 intensive services are meeting families’ needs and
very few families require additional interventions.
14.5
22.7
11.5
15.7 15.712.8
16.612.9 9.5
7.911.9
6.68.4 8.4
7.79.3
6.9 6.60
6
12
18
24
30
36
All Parents**(N=417)
ClinicalRange atPreTest**(N=200)
Male**(N=117)
Female**(N=300)
Latino**(N=242)
Caucasian**(N=132)
Spanish**(N=164)
English**(N=239)
ChildWelfareInvolved*(N=111)
Pre PostAll behaviors were
a problem
No behaviors were a problem
Clinical Cut‐off: >=15
Lower is
“Better”
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 101
Population Served
The total number of clients who participated in Triple P is comprised of three groups: clients who
participated in individual or group sessions AND who consented to have their assessment data
anonymously included in this evaluation (who consequently provided enough information to create
a Unique ID), those who participated in Seminars or Workshops where no names or personal
information were collected, and those who received Triple P services but did NOT consent to
participate in the evaluation of Triple P.
Source: Triple P Master Client Data Collection Template, 2013 (analyzed by First 5 and Applied Survey Research).
* Includes parents and children for whom enough personal information was collected to be able to create a Unique ID. This includes parents participating in Levels 2 (Individual), and parents and children participating in Levels 3 (Primary Care), 4, and 5. Parents may have participated in more than one Triple P service. Children with unknown birth dates are not included.
**Includes parents and children in all Triple P program levels where no names or personal information were collected (such as Seminars and Workshops), and the children of parents who participated in Level 2 Individual sessions (where only parents had personal information collected). Parents may have participated in more than one Triple P service. This parent category also included early childhood educators and adolescents in Juvenile Hall who may not have been parents at that time. As parents did not always report the number of children in their families, and since early childhood educators estimated the number of children in their care, the total number of children reported here should be considered a close approximation of the number of children served in this category.
*** These totals include clients who may have participated in more than one Triple P service.
This Funding Cycle
2012‐2013
Cumulative Totals
2010‐2013
Clients Participating in Individual or Group Sessions – Unique IDs Created*
Parents/Guardians 561 1,503
AGES 0 – 5
AGES 6 – 12
AGES 13 – 16
AGES 17+
AGES 0 – 5
AGES 6 – 12
AGES 13 – 16
AGES 17+
Children 339 278 92 54 763 881 675 186 98 1,840
Clients Participating in Seminars & Workshops – No IDs**
Parents/Guardians 1,080 2,711
Children (all ages) 2,127 5,698
Clients Participating in Individual or Group Sessions – Did Not Consent to Participate in Evaluation
Parents/Guardians 25 110
Children (all ages) 37 176
TOTAL*** TOTAL***
Parents/Guardians 1,666 4,324
Children (all ages) 2,927 7,714
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
102 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Participant Details
Figure 60: Demographics of Triple P Parents/Guardians (2010-2013)
Gender
Language Ethnicity
Source: SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2013 & Triple P Master Client Data Collection Template, 2013 (analyzed by Applied Survey Research).
Note: Demographics are based on parents participating in Levels 3 Individual/Brief Group, 4, and 5 only. Percentages include unique (unduplicated) clients. Language refers to the language used to conduct the Triple P services.
N; (Gender)=1,473; (Ethnicity)= 1,365; (Language)= 1,480.
When parents filled out their assessments, they were asked to choose one child in their family
(“Index Child”), whose behaviors they were most concerned about or had the most difficulty
handling, and complete the assessments keeping just that one child in mind. Over half (53%) of
Index Children were between 0‐5 years of age, 38% were between ages 6‐12, and 8% were
ages 13‐16.
Figure 61: Ages of Children Chosen as the “Index” Child (2010-2013)
Source: Triple P Master Client Data Collection Template, 2013 (analyzed by Applied Survey Research).
Note: Percentages represent ages of these Index children, after any duplicates have been removed. Levels 3 (Individual or Brief Group), 4, and 5 participants only.
N=880.
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
73.4%
26.6% Male
Female
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
49.9%
50.1%English
Spanish
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
70.0%
24.1%
5.9%Other
White/Caucasian
Latino/Hispanic
53.4%37.5%
7.7%1.4%
Ages 0‐5
Ages 6‐12
Ages 13‐16
Ages 17+
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 103
Program Participation
The following chart shows the types of Triple services that have been provided to participants since
the commencement of the program (2010‐13).
Figure 62: Types of Triple P Services Provided
Percentage of each Type of Service (2010‐2013)
Source: SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2012 & Triple P Master Client Data Collection Template, 2013 (analyzed by Applied Survey Research).
Notes: Percentages include clients who may have participated in multiple services, and clients who did not consent to have their assessment data included in this evaluation, if their service type was known (due to reporting issues, non‐consenters participating in Level 4 Group and Standard are combined and reported under Level 4 Standard). N=4,558.
Number of Services Provided (by Type and Year)
Source: SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2013 & Triple P Master Client Data Collection Template, 2013 (analyzed by Applied Survey Research). Notes: Percentages include clients who may have participated in multiple services, and clients who did not consent to have their assessment data included in this evaluation, if their service type was known. N: (2010‐11) N=907; (2011‐12) N=2,011; (2012‐13) N=1,741.
19.3%
11.8%
40.2%
4.8%
12.0%
11.7%0.1%
Level 2 Seminar
Level 2 Individual
Level 3 Workshop
Level 3 Individual/Brief Group
Level 4 Standard
Level 4 Group
Level 5 Pathways
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
2010‐11 2011‐12 2012‐13
96310
474117
334206
336
889606
41
103
70
317
372
383
3
2
907
2,011
1,741 Total
Level 5 Pathways
Level 4 (Standard/Group)
Level 3 Individual/Brief Group
Level 3 Workshop
Level 2 Individual
Level 2 Seminar
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
104 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Details of Program Participation
Program Outreach
Parents participating in Levels 3 (Individual or Brief Group), 4, or 5 were asked some basic
information about their involvement in Triple P, including where they had first heard about Triple P
and if they were participating with another adult. Parents participating in Level 2 Seminars and Level
3 Workshops were also asked where they had first heard about that service. Results for these client
details since the commencement of Triple P services (2010‐13) are presented below.
The top three ways that parents heard about Triple P were: Referred by an agency (38%),
Media / Advertisement (12%), or Friend or relative (10%).
Figure 63: How Participants First Heard about Triple P (2010-2013)
Source: Triple P Master Client Data Collection Template, 2013 (analyzed by Applied Survey Research). Note: Percentages include clients who may have participated in multiple services. Beginning in 2012‐13, parents participating in Level 2 Seminars and Level 3 Workshops were also included in this analysis. N=975 respondents with 1,006 responses.
Service Path Analysis
Triple P Seminars and Workshops are intended to be a family‐friendly entry into the Triple P
system of services. Data indicate that 22% of participants request follow‐up services after
attending a Seminar or Workshop. This suggests that these brief Triple P classes are an effective
way of giving participants a chance to try out the Triple P program, getting them interested, and
giving them an opportunity to participate in further services.
Parents who participate in all other Triple P services (aside from Seminars and Workshops) are
asked to provide enough information to allow the creation of a “Unique ID” for each client. This
Unique ID enables First 5 to analyze patterns of program usage, including types and dosage of
services utilized. The following chart shows the number of parents (with Unique IDs) who
participated in one or more type of Triple P service.
38.2%
12.4%10.3%
9.0%
6.4%
5.1%
4.7%
3.8%10.1%
Referred by an agency
Media / Advertisement
Friend or relative
Court or CPS
School
Child care or preschool provider
Counselor or social worker
Doctor's office
Other
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
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Figure 64: Number of Parents (with Unique IDs) Who Participated in One or More Type of Triple P Service (2010-2013)
NUMBER OF SERVICES RECEIVED NUMBER OF
PARENTS PERCENTAGE OF
PARENTS
1 Service 1,368 91.0%
2 Services1 130 8.6%
3 Services 5 0.3%
Total 1,503 100%2 Source: Triple P Master Client Data Collection Template, 2013 (analyzed by Applied Survey Research).
Note: This analysis only includes clients who participated in Triple P services that collected enough information to create a Unique ID (Level 2 Individual, Level 3 Individual/Brief Group, Level 4, and Level 5), thereby allowing for clients to be tracked across multiple services. Therefore, this analysis does not include clients who participated in Level 2 Seminars or Level 3 Workshops. 1 Of the 130 clients who participated in two levels of service, 122 participated in them consecutively, and 13 participated in them simultaneously. 2 Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
Results show that 9% of these clients (with Unique IDs) participated in multiple types of Triple P
services, and there was interest in analyzing the “paths” that clients took through these different
levels of service, to see if some service levels were more likely to lead to engagement in other
service levels. The following table shows a matrix of the number of clients who started with each
level of service (“First Service”), and who then later participated in a second level of service
(“Second Service”). Results show that:
o Of the 122 clients who participated in two Triple P services consecutively, the most
common “service pathway” was among those who began with a Level 4 Group program.
These clients were most likely to later participate in a Level 2 Individual consultation (50
clients) or a Level 4 Standard program (10 parents).
This result suggests that clients who begin in a group program level that requires a high
level of commitment and time continue to feel engaged and are interested in continuing
their participation, either returning for a quick lesson on a specific topic, or to continue
with this more in‐depth parent education and skills training, on an individual level.
o The next most frequent “service pathway” was among those who began with a Level 2
Individual program. These clients were most likely to later participate in a Level 3
Individual/Brief Group program (11 clients) or a Level 4 Standard program (10 parents).
This result suggests that clients who begin with one or two brief sessions to get general
information and tips for specific parenting concerns, are then interested in returning for
more in‐depth consultations and multi‐session programs.
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
106 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Figure 65: Matrix of Parents (with Unique IDs) Who Participated in Multiple Types of Services (2010-2013)
SECOND SERVICE
FIRST SERVICE
LEVEL 2 INDIVIDUAL
LEVEL 3 INDIVIDUAL / BRIEF GROUP
LEVEL 4 STANDARD
LEVEL 4 GROUP LEVEL 5
PATHWAYS
Level 2 Individual 0 11 10 5 0
Level 3 Individual/Brief Group 4 0 7 1 0
Level 4 Standard 9 2 0 6 2
Level 4 Group 50 2 10 0 2
Level 5 Pathways 1 0 0 0 0 Source: Triple P Master Client Data Collection Template, 2013 (analyzed by Applied Survey Research).
Note: This analysis only includes clients who participated in Triple P services that collected enough information to create a Unique ID (Level 2 Individual, Level 3 Individual/Brief Group, Level 4, and Level 5), thereby allowing for clients to be tracked across multiple services. Therefore, this analysis does not include clients who participated in Level 2 Seminars or Level 3 Workshops. This analysis presents the data for the 122 clients who began one service before starting another (consecutive). 13 clients began multiple services on the same day (simultaneous), with no pattern yet emerging.
N=122.
Unfortunately this analysis could not include two of the most popular program levels (Level 2
Seminars and Level 3 Workshops), since these more informal levels do not collect enough
information from clients to allow the creation of “Unique IDs,” which would make it possible to
track these clients across multiple services. It is theorized that these two levels provide new
clients with an easy introduction to Triple P services, and also provide quick, continuing support
on specific topics to existing clients. Future studies may clarify how these two types of services fit
into clients’ Triple P pathways.
Service Completion Rates
An analysis of the percentage of parents who have completed their programs demonstrates the high
degree of clients’ commitment. Parents are considered to have completed their program after they
attended all the required sessions.
Figure 66: Percentage of Parents Who Completed Their Multi-Session Triple P Services (2010-2013)
Source: Triple P Master Client Data Collection Template, 2013 (analyzed by Applied Survey Research). Note: Only parents who had sufficient time to have completed their services were included in this analysis. * Due to the low number of participants in this program level, results should be interpreted with caution. N: (Level 3)=184, (Level 4 Standard)=304, (Level 4 Group)=282, (Level 4 Unspecified)=257, (Level 5)=5, (Overall)=1,032.
73.4%
55.6%65.2% 64.6% 60.0% 63.7%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Level 3Individual /Brief Group
Level 4Standard
Level 4 Group Level 4(unspecified)
Level 5Pathways*
Overall
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
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What Parents Are Saying
“I love it when I feel like I have learned necessary tools to help my baby grow.”
“It is important to have these workshops in our community. I wasn’t provided with this important information from my parents or schools.”
- Triple P Client Satisfaction Surveys
Satisfaction with Services
All parents in the Triple P program (except those attending brief Level 2 Individual sessions) were
asked to complete a self‐administered satisfaction survey upon completing their services.
Key results include:
Parents participating in Levels 3 (Individual or Brief Group)
and Levels 4 and 5 of the Triple P Program filled out a
Parent Satisfaction Survey with 13 questions using a 7‐point
scale (with 7 indicating highest satisfaction), and 3 open‐
ended questions.
o For each of the survey questions, the average parent
satisfaction rating ranged from 5.34 to 6.44, on the 7‐
point scale, indicating a high level of satisfaction with
various aspects of the program experience.
o Most parents felt the highest satisfaction with the quality of the service they and their
child received (6.44), and how the program helped them to deal more effectively with
their child's behavior (6.43). Although still very positive, parents reported the lowest level
of satisfaction with how the program improved their relationship with their partner (5.34),
which has consistently been the most difficult issue over the years.
Parents participating in the Level 2 Seminars and Level 3 Workshops filled out a shorter
Satisfaction Survey with 3 questions using a 5‐point scale (with 1=Disagree, and 5=Agree),
and 1 open‐ended question.
o Most parents felt that they would continue to use the tip sheets (4.70), that they were
very satisfied with the services they received (4.67), and that the program answered their
question or concern (4.53).
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
108 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Figure 67: Parents’ Satisfaction with the Triple P Program: Levels 3 (Individual or Brief Group), and Levels 4 and 5 (2010-2013)
Source: Triple P data from the Parent Satisfaction Survey, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013. Note: All items were on a 7‐point scale. Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction.
Figure 68: Parents’ Satisfaction with the Triple P Seminars/Workshops (2010-2013)
Source: Triple P data from the Seminar/Workshop Satisfaction Survey, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013.
Note: All items were on a 5‐point scale. Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction.
6.07
6.00
6.26
6.36
6.29
5.34
6.36
6.43
5.96
6.03
5.79
6.30
6.44
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
13. How would you describe your feelings at this point aboutyour child's progress? (N=607)
12. In your opinion, how is your child's behavior at this point?(N=608)
11. Has the program helped you to develop skills that can beapplied to other family members? (N=608)
10. If you were to seek help again, would you come back to thisorganization? (N=609)
9. In an overall sense, how satisfied are you with the program youand your child received? (N=607)
8. Do you think your relationship with your partner has beenimproved by the program? (N=533)
7. Has the program helped you to deal more effectively withproblems that arise in your family? (N=622)
6. Has the program helped you to deal more effectively with yourchild's behavior? (N=622)
5. How satisfied were you with the amount of help you and yourchild received? (N=618)
4. To what extent has the program met your needs? (N=620)
3. To what extent has the program met your child's needs?(N=617)
2. Did you receive the type of help you wanted from theprogram? (N=619)
1. How would you rate the quality of the service you and yourchild received? (N=622)
4.67
4.70
4.53
1 2 3 4 5
3. Overall I was satisfied with the workshop. (N=2,125)
2. I am likely to use some of the parenting strategies in the tipsheet. (N=2,125)
1. The seminar/workshop answered a question or concern I havehad about parenting. (N=2,125)
Highest Satisfaction
Lowest Satisfaction
Agree
Disagree
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 109
Building a Population‐Based System of Parent Education
Triple P Practitioners
First 5 Santa Cruz County began training agencies and independent practitioners to provide Triple P
services to clients in late 2009. Some agencies are specifically funded by First 5 Santa Cruz County to
provide Triple P services, others incorporate Triple P into their existing list of services, and some
independent practitioners offer Triple P on a fee‐for‐service basis. The following table lists the
number and types of agencies and organizations in Santa Cruz County that had accredited Triple P
practitioners as of 2012‐13.
Figure 69: Number and Types of Organizations with Accredited Triple P Practitioners, by Triple P Level (2012-2013)
LEVELS 2 & 3 LEVELS 4 & 5
TYPE OF ORGANIZATION NUMBER TYPE OF ORGANIZATION NUMBER
Health care 6 Private practitioner/therapist 8
Private practitioner/therapist 8 Counseling 4
Family Resource Center 3 Family Resource Center 3
Early childhood education 2 Special Education 2
Counseling 2 Early Childhood Education 1
County Child Welfare 1 First 5 1
County Mental Health 1 County Mental Health 1
Domestic violence 1 County Probation 1
First 5 1 Differential response 1
Number of Organizations 25 Number of Organizations 22 Source: Optimal Solutions Consulting, 2013.
Agency staff and independent practitioners attended workshops to become trained and accredited
practitioners of the Triple P Program, and many of these practitioners were trained in multiple
levels. Since 2009, a total of 118 practitioners have been accredited to provide Triple P services.
Figure 70: Number of Accredited Triple P Practitioners
COURSE TYPE
ACCREDITED DURING THIS FUNDING CYCLE
2012‐2013
CUMULATIVE TOTALS
2009‐2013
Level 2 Seminars Core (0‐12) 0 19
Teen (13‐16) 9 9
Level 3 Primary Care* Core (0‐12) 3 80
Teen (13‐16) 5 5
Stepping Stones 3 3
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
110 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
COURSE TYPE
ACCREDITED DURING THIS FUNDING CYCLE
2012‐2013
CUMULATIVE TOTALS
2009‐2013
Level 4 Group Core (0‐12) 1 37
Teen (13‐16) 0 18
Level 4 Standard Core (0‐12) 4 42
Teen (13‐16) 0 18
Stepping Stones 0 13
Level 5 Enhanced 0 18
Level 5 Pathways 0 21
Total Number of Practitioners (unduplicated)
19 118
Source: Optimal Solutions Consulting, 2013. * Level 3 Primary Care includes Workshops and Individual/Brief Group services.
Alignment of referral, billing, and data sharing processes across the network of agencies who support Triple P
Referral System
First 5 continued to serve as the central hub of the Triple P system for accredited practitioners,
organizations requesting information and referrals and community members seeking assistance
with accessing Triple P services. In 2012‐13, First 5 implemented the following steps to enhance the
Triple P system and facilitate family‐friendly access to services:
Refined First 5’s website to include updated information about Triple P, a searchable
directory of practitioners and a master calendar of Triple P classes with online registration
forms.
Produced flyers for practitioners to promote their Triple P classes.
Promoted Triple P services through online calendars, newspapers, PSAs, Facebook, television
interviews and a monthly e‐newsletter.
Distributed Triple P Parenting Pocket Guides at community outreach events and through
partner agencies.
Publicized First 5’s main phone number as a “warmline,” or central place to receive
assistance with accessing Triple P services.
Conducted presentations about Triple P and service options to interested groups and
organizations.
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES STRONG FAMILIES – TRIPLE P
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 111
Billing and Funding
First 5, Health Services Agency (Children’s Mental Health), and the Human Services Department
continued their collaborative system for funding Triple P trainings, parent resources, and services.
Children’s Mental Health contracted with First 5 to implement Prevention and Early
Intervention strategies in the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Plan, including the
coordination and implementation of Triple P.
First 5 blended its own resources with funds from Children’s Mental Health to contract with
Triple P America and organizations providing specific Triple P services. This blended funding
strategy streamlined billing procedures and reporting requirements, which allowed resources
to be used in a more flexible and coordinated manner.
Agencies that were approved Medi‐Cal providers billed EPSDT for Triple P services.
Families in the Child Welfare System received services funded from a contract between the
Human Services Department (HSD) and the Parents Center.
Medical offices are beginning to explore billing health insurance for parent education.
Data Sharing
Practitioners are trained to obtain parents’ informed consent to participate in the evaluation of the
Triple P program, collect the required intake and assessment data, and submit the data to First 5 on
a monthly basis. Specific protocols have been established to protect the privacy and confidentiality
of parents participating in Triple P services. First 5 continued to proof all assessment data to ensure
completeness and accuracy and provided real‐time feedback to practitioners, which has been crucial
to ensuring the integrity of Triple P outcomes.
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – LA MANZANA COMMUNITY RESOURCES
112 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
La Manzana Community Resources
Program Description
First 5 funds La Manzana Community Resources (LMCR) to provide all levels of Triple P services
throughout the county to both English‐ and Spanish‐speaking participants. Funding from the Mental
Health Services Act for prevention and early intervention enables LMCR to serve families with
children of all ages, including children with special needs.
Population Served
2012‐2013(Participated in Triple P)
Clients Participating in Individual or Group Sessions – Unduplicated
Parents/Guardians 319
AGES 0 – 5
AGES 6 – 12
AGES 13 – 16
AGES 17+
Children 157 146 46 24 373
Clients Participating in Seminars & Workshops – May include duplicates
Parents/Guardians 444
Children (all ages) 1,201
Clients Participating in Individual or Group Sessions – Did Not Consent to Participate in Evaluation
Parents/Guardians 12
Children (all ages) 13
TOTAL
Parents/Guardians 775
Children (all ages) 1,587
Source: (Consenting clients ) SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013; (Seminar & Workshop clients & Non‐Consenting clients) Triple P Master Client Data Collection Template, 2013.
Figure 71: Types of Triple P Services Provided (LMCR: 2012-13)
Source: Triple P Master Client Data Collection Template, 2013 (analyzed by Applied Survey Research).
N=817.
16.5%
19.7%
37.8%
6.5%
8.7%
10.5%0.2%
Level 2 Seminar
Level 2 Individual
Level 3 Workshop
Level 3 Individual/Brief Group
Level 4 Standard
Level 4 Group
Level 5 Pathways
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES STRONG FAMILIES – LA MANZANA COMMUNITY RESOURCES
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 113
Improvements in Parenting
In the analyses of the following Triple P outcomes at LMCR, all the assessment data since the
commencement of the Triple P have been aggregated (January 2010 – June 2013) in order to
present a more robust portrait of the extent to which the Triple P participants at LMCR are
developing their parenting skills and knowledge.
Parents received support for specific parenting challenges
LMCR clients who completed Level 3 Individual/Brief Group of the Triple P program reported
increased confidence in parenting, more support from their partners, less difficulty with their
children’s behavior, and increased enjoyment in their parent/child relationship, as measured by the
Parenting Experience Survey.
Figure 72: Increases in Positive Parenting (LMCR: 2010-2013)
Source: Triple P data from the Parenting Experience Survey, Questions 3, 6, 1, and 2, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013. Note: The Parenting Experience Survey measures issues related to being a parent, and each question is analyzed separately. For Q1‐6, scores range from 1 to 5. For Q7, scores range from 0 to 6. Higher scores indicate more positive parenting experiences. There are no clinical cut‐offs for this assessment. The analysis of question 6 (Support from Partner in Their Role as a Parent) includes data from parents in Levels 3, 4, and 5, as this question was expanded to all of these levels of service in 2011‐12. ** Results marked with two asterisks had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05, with a moderate to large magnitude of change (≥ 0.5).
Parents increased their use of positive parenting styles
LMCR clients who completed Levels 4 and 5 of the Triple P program reported an increase in their use
of positive parenting styles, as measured by the Parenting Scale.
On average, for All Parents and all analyzed sub‐populations, there was significant
improvement from pre to post assessment regarding parents’ overall style of discipline,
indicating their parenting style became less lax, less over‐reactive, and less hostile though the
course of the Triple P program.
An analysis of Effect Sizes showed that on average, All Parents and all analyzed parent sub‐
populations experienced a moderate to large magnitude of change. These results indicate
that these observed differences were not only statistically significant but also meaningful.
3.3 3.4 3.13.8
4.2 4.0 4.0 4.3
0
1
2
3
4
5
Confidence in ParentalResponsibilities** (N=89)
Support from Partner in theirRole As a Parent** (N=145)
Reduction in Difficulty of Child'sBehavior** (N=88)
Positivity of ParentingExperience** (N=86)
Pre PostExtremely
Not at all
Higher is “Better”
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – LA MANZANA COMMUNITY RESOURCES
114 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Figure 73: Parents’ Use of Positive Parenting Styles (LMCR: 2010-2013)
Source: Triple P data from the Parenting Scale, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013. Note: The Parenting Scale measures parenting styles in 3 scales, and overall. Scores for each scale are calculated by averaging the participants’ responses for each of the items. Higher scores indicate a greater degree of ineffective parenting styles. In 2012, modifications were made to the Parenting Scale to accommodate the launching of the “Teen” variant of the Triple P program, so comparisons to previous years’ results should be made with caution. Due to these changes, there is no Clinical Cut‐Off for the Overall assessment score. See Appendix C for a complete description of these changes. Subpopulations with fewer than 10 clients were not analyzed. * Results marked with an asterisk had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05. ** Results marked with two asterisks had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05, with a moderate to large magnitude of change (≥ 0.5).
Parents reported improved child behavior
After completing the Triple P Program, parents reported a decrease in the frequency and number of
problematic child behaviors, as measured by the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI).
Key results include:
On average, for All Parents and all sub‐populations, there was a significant reduction in how
often problematic child behaviors occurred.
On average, for All Parents and all sub‐populations, there was a significant reduction in the
number of child behaviors that were perceived to be a problem. On average, all parent
populations began with scores within the clinical range, and ended with scores that were out
of the clinical range.
An analysis of Effect Sizes showed that on average, All Parents and all parent sub‐populations
experienced a moderate to large magnitude of change. These results indicate that these
observed differences were not only statistically significant but also meaningful.
3.4 3.2 3.4 3.43.0
3.5 3.22.7 2.7 2.7 2.8
2.32.9
2.5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
All Parents**(N=229)
Male**(N=55)
Female**(N=174)
Latino**(N=179)
Caucasian**(N=32)
Spanish**(N=133)
English**(N=85)
Pre Post
Dysfunctional Parenting
Functional Parenting
Lower is
“Better”
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES STRONG FAMILIES – LA MANZANA COMMUNITY RESOURCES
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 115
Figure 74: Parents’ Perceptions of Child Behavior (LMCR: 2010-2013)
Frequency of Problematic Child Behaviors
Number of Child Behaviors Perceived to Be a Problem
Source: Triple P data from the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013.
Note: The Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory measures the frequency with which certain child behaviors occur (Intensity subscale), and whether parents view those behaviors to be a problem (Problem subscale). Intensity scores could range from 36 (Never occurs) to 252 (Always occurs), and Problem scores ranged from 0 (No) to 36 (Yes), with higher scores indicating greater numbers of problem behaviors and greater likelihood that these behaviors were a problem to the parent.
** Results marked with two asterisks had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05, with a moderate to large magnitude of change (≥ 0.5).
124.8
165.7
118.1126.9 123.7 129.7 123.5 127.4
92.2
112.392.9 92.0 90.5
101.289.9 96.1
36
72
108
144
180
216
252
All Parents**(N=223)
Clinical Rangeat PreTest**
(N=94)
Male**(N=52)
Female**(N=171)
Latino**(N=174)
Caucasian**(N=31)
Spanish**(N=131)
English**(N=82)
Pre Post
17.0
23.6
15.0 17.6 17.3 17.417.4 16.0
8.3 11.5
7.4 8.5 8.67.6
9.26.6
0
6
12
18
24
30
36
All Parents**(N=210)
Clinical Rangeat PreTest**(N=124)
Male**(N=49)
Female**(N=161)
Latino**(N=168)
Caucasian**(N=25)
Spanish**(N=127)
English**(N=74)
Pre Post
Behavior always occurs
Behavior never occurs
Clinical Cut‐off: >=131
All behaviors were a problem
No behaviors were a problem
Clinical Cut‐off: >=15
Lower is
“Better”
Lower is
“Better”
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – LA MANZANA COMMUNITY RESOURCES
116 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Parents Reported High Satisfaction with Services
LMCR parents receiving Triple P services reported high levels of satisfaction with the program.
Key results include:
Parents participating in Levels 3 (Individual or Brief Group), 4, and 5 of the Triple P Program
reported average satisfaction ratings ranging from 5.58 to 6.54, on a 7‐point scale, indicating
a high level of satisfaction with various aspects of the program experience. Most parents felt
the highest satisfaction with how the program helped them to deal more effectively with
their child's behavior (6.54), and with the quality of the service they and their child received
(6.54).
The average parent satisfaction ratings for Level 3 Workshops ranged from 4.71 to 4.77, and
Level 2 Seminars ranged from 4.76 to 4.86, on the 5‐point scale. Virtually all parents felt that
the program answered their questions, that they would continue to use the tip sheets, and
were very satisfied with the services they received.
One client’s story:
“Sofia and Juan* came in looking for support for their two foster children who they were also seeking to adopt. They were concerned about the oldest, now 3 years old, who had temper tantrums. Due to the child’s traumatic past, the mother was afraid to hurt the child’s feelings by addressing his behavior.
We assured her that the strategies suggested in this course would not harm the child. We went over the Tantrums tip sheet and taught the parents simple strategies to prevent tantrums – quality time, praise, engaging activities – and strategies for handling tantrums when they occurred.
Mother was able to give some examples of when she would use these strategies. After putting these strategies in practice over the four weeks, the couple reported back that the child was doing much better in terms of asking for things instead of throwing tantrums. Mom is now able to better attend to the children with less stress and frustration.”
-LMCR, Annual Progress Report
(*All names have been changed)
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES STRONG FAMILIES – LA MANZANA COMMUNITY RESOURCES
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 117
Figure 75: Parents’ Satisfaction with Various Aspects of the Triple P Program (LMCR: 2010-2013)
Levels 3 (Individual or Brief Group), 4, and 5
Source: Triple P data from the Parent Satisfaction Survey, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013. Note: All items were on a 7‐point scale. Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction.
Level 3 Workshops
Source: Triple P data from the Workshop Satisfaction Survey, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013.
Note: All items were on a 5‐point scale. Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction.
Level 2 Seminars
Source: Triple P data from the Seminar Satisfaction Survey, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013.
Note: All items were on a 5‐point scale. Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction.
N=192.
6.07
6.33
6.40
6.47
6.54
6.54
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
13. How would you describe your feelings at this point about yourchild's progress? (N=311)
11. Has the program helped you to develop skills that can be appliedto other family members? (N=311)
10. If you were to seek help again, would you come back to thisorganization? (N=312)
7. Has the program helped you to deal more effectively withproblems that arise in your family? (N=317)
6. Has the program helped you to deal more effectively with yourchild's behavior? (N=317)
1. How would you rate the quality of the service you and your childreceived? (N=317)
4.77
4.77
4.71
1 2 3 4 5
3. Overall I was satisfied with the workshop. (N=763)
2. I am likely to use some of the parenting strategies in the tipsheet. (N=761)
1. The workshop answered a question or concern I have hadabout parenting. (N=761)
4.83
4.86
4.76
1 2 3 4 5
3. Overall I was satisfied with the seminar
2. I am likely to use some of the parenting strategies in the tipsheet.
1. The seminar answered a question or concern I have had aboutparenting.
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY RESOURCES
118 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Mountain Community Resources
Program Description
First 5 funds Mountain Community Resources (MCR) to provide all levels of Triple P services,
primarily in the San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley communities, to both English‐ and Spanish‐
speaking participants. Funding from the Mental Health Services Act for prevention and early
intervention enables MCR to serve families with children of all ages, including children with special
needs.
Population Served
2012‐2013(Participated in Triple P)
Clients Participating in Individual or Group Sessions – Unique IDs Created*
Parents/Guardians 42
AGES 0 – 5
AGES 6 – 12
AGES 13 – 16
AGES 17+
Children 22 22 10 3 57
Clients Participating in Seminars & Workshops – No IDs**
Parents/Guardians 184
Children (all ages) 360
Clients Participating in Individual or Group Sessions – Did Not Consent to Participate in Evaluation
Parents/Guardians 1
Children (all ages) 1
TOTAL***
Parents/Guardians 227
Children (all ages) 418
Source: (Consenting clients ) SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013; (Seminar & Workshop clients & Non‐Consenting clients) Triple P Master Client Data Collection Template, 2013.
* Includes parents and children for whom enough personal information was collected to be able to create a Unique ID. This includes parents participating in Levels 2 (Individual), and parents and children participating in Levels 3 (Individual or Brief Group), 4, and 5. Parents may have participated in more than one Triple P service.
**Includes parents and children in all Triple P program levels where no names or personal information were collected (such as Seminars and Workshops), and the children of parents who participated in Level 2 Individual sessions (where only parents had personal information collected). Parents may have participated in more than one Triple P service. As parents did not always report the number of children in their families, the total number of children reported here should be considered a close approximation of the number of children served in this category.
*** These totals include clients who may have participated in more than one Triple P service.
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES STRONG FAMILIES – MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY RESOURCES
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 119
Figure 76: Types of Triple P Services Provided (MCR: 2012-13)
Source: Triple P Master Client Data Collection Template, 2013 (analyzed by Applied Survey Research).
Notes: Percentages include clients who may have participated in multiple services, and clients who did not consent to have their assessment data included in this evaluation, if their service type was known (due to reporting issues, non‐consenters participating in Level 4 Group and Standard are combined and reported under Level 4 Standard). N=228.
Assessment Results
In the analyses of the following Triple P outcomes at MCR, all the assessment data since the
commencement of the Triple P have been aggregated (January 2010 – June 2013) in order to
present a more robust portrait of the extent to which the Triple P participants at MCR are
developing their parenting skills and knowledge.
The majority of MCR’s clients were female, Caucasian, and English‐speaking. Consequently, the
male, Latino, and Spanish‐speaking subpopulations do not yet have enough assessment data to
analyze.
Parents increased their use of positive parenting styles
MCR clients who completed Levels 4 and 5 of the Triple P program reported an increase in their use
of positive parenting styles, as measured by the Parenting Scale.
Key results include:
On average, for All Parents and sub‐populations with enough clients (Female, Caucasian,
English‐speaking), there was significant improvement from pre to post assessment regarding
parents’ overall style of discipline, indicating their parenting style became less lax, less over‐
reactive, and less hostile though the course of the Triple P program.
An analysis of Effect Sizes showed that on average, all significant results also exhibited a
moderate to large magnitude of change. These results indicate that these observed
differences were not only statistically significant but also meaningful.
45.6%
35.1%
16.2%
3.1%
Level 2 Seminar
Level 3 Workshop
Level 4 Standard
Level 4 Group
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY RESOURCES
120 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Figure 77: Parents’ Use of Positive Parenting Styles (MCR: 2010-2013)
Source: Triple P data from the Parenting Scale, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013. Note: The Parenting Scale measures parenting styles in 3 scales, and overall. Scores for each scale are calculated by averaging the participants’ responses for each of the items. Higher scores indicate a greater degree of ineffective parenting styles. In 2012, modifications were made to the Parenting Scale to accommodate the launching of the “Teen” variant of the Triple P program, so comparisons to previous years’ results should be made with caution. Due to these changes, there is no Clinical Cut‐Off for the Overall assessment score. See Appendix C for a complete description of these changes. Subpopulations with fewer than 10 clients were not analyzed. ** Results marked with two asterisks had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05, with a moderate to large magnitude of change (≥ 0.5).
Parents reported improved child behavior
After completing the Triple P Program, parents reported a decrease in the frequency and number of
problematic child behaviors, as measured by the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI).
Key results include:
On average, for All Parents and sub‐populations with enough clients (Female, Caucasian,
English‐speaking), there was a significant reduction in how often problematic child behaviors
occurred. On average, these parent populations began with scores within the clinical range,
and ended with scores that were out of the clinical range.
On average, for All Parents and most sub‐populations with enough clients (Clinical Range at
Pre‐test, Female, Caucasian, English‐speaking), there was a significant reduction in the
number of child behaviors that were perceived to be a problem. On average, these parent
populations (except Females) began with scores within the clinical range, and ended with
scores that were out of the clinical range.
An analysis of Effect Sizes showed that on average, all significant results also exhibited a
moderate to large magnitude of change. These results indicate that these observed
differences were not only statistically significant but also meaningful.
3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1
2.3 2.3 2.2 2.31
2
3
4
5
6
7
All Parents**(N=18)
Female**(N=12)
Caucasian**(N=14)
English**(N=16)
Pre Post
Dysfunctional Parenting
Functional Parenting
Lower is
“Better”
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES STRONG FAMILIES – MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY RESOURCES
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 121
Figure 78: Parents’ Perceptions of Child Behavior (MCR: 2010-2013)
Frequency of Problematic Child Behaviors
Number of Child Behaviors Perceived to Be a Problem
Source: Triple P data from the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013.
Note: The Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory measures the frequency with which certain child behaviors occur (Intensity subscale), and whether parents view those behaviors to be a problem (Problem subscale). Intensity scores could range from 36 (Never occurs) to 252 (Always occurs), and Problem scores ranged from 0 (No) to 36 (Yes), with higher scores indicating greater numbers of problem behaviors and greater likelihood that these behaviors were a problem to the parent.
** Results marked with two asterisks had PRE/POST differences that were statistically significant at p<.05, with a moderate to large magnitude of change (≥ 0.5).
132.9 132.5 132.2 130.8109.3 109.4 108.3 109.3
36
72
108
144
180
216
252
All Parents**(N=18)
Female**(N=12)
Caucasian**(N=14)
English** (N=16)
Pre Post
15.4
18.8
13.7 15.8 15.410.9 12.510.6 11.1 11.4
0
6
12
18
24
30
36
All Parents**(N=17)
Clinical Range atPreTest**(N=12)
Female(N=11)
Caucasian**(N=14)
English**(N=16)
Pre Post
“A young couple came in for Level 4 parenting sessions after being referred by CPS. Mom reported that they were having difficulty with their 3-year-old child not doing as he was told. Mom’s Triple P pre-assessments showed severe anxiety and stress, and clinically high scores in over-reactivity. Dad denied that the child exhibited [any problems], [and said] he felt undermined when using [the parenting] tools he knew. Both parents had difficulty agreeing on tools to handle their very intelligent, verbal, and physically active child.
Both parents began to use the positive parenting tools together and followed through with logical consequences when their child tested them. Instead of always undermining each other with a different way to parent, they say they now agree to try their best to follow through and support each other.
Mom’s depression, anxiety, and stress scores have all dropped. She reports that the number of problems their son shows has dropped, and her parenting style is much less over-reactive. Dad now sees a few problems that the child exhibits, which is an improvement from the “perfection” he perceived before. He actively parents his child and participates with enthusiasm in positive parenting.”
- Mountain Community Resources, Annual Progress Report
Behavior always occurs
Behavior never occurs
Clinical Cut‐off: >=131
All behaviors were a problem
No behaviors were a problem
Clinical Cut‐off: >=15
Lower is
“Better”
Lower is
“Better”
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY RESOURCES
122 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Parents Reported High Satisfaction with Services
MCR parents receiving Triple P services reported high levels of satisfaction with the program.
Key results include:
Parents participating in Levels 3 (Individual or Brief Group), 4, and 5 of the Triple P Program
reported average parent satisfaction ratings ranging from 4.37 to 6.62, on a 7‐point scale,
indicating a high level of satisfaction with various aspects of the program experience. On
average, parents gave the highest rating to the question, “If you were to seek help again,
would you come back to this organization?” (6.62), closely followed by the quality of service
they and their child received (6.33).
The average parent satisfaction ratings for Level 3 Workshops ranged from 4.46 to 4.68, and
Level 2 Seminars ranged from 4.21 to 4.67, on the 5‐point scale. Virtually all parents felt that
the program answered their questions, that they would continue to use the tip sheets, and
were very satisfied with the services they received.
Figure 79: Parents’ Satisfaction with Various Aspects of the Triple P Program (MCR: 2010-2013)
Levels 3 (Individual or Brief Group), 4, and 5
Level 3 Workshops
Level 2 Seminars
Source: Triple P data from the Seminar Satisfaction Survey, analyzed by Applied Survey Research, Jan. 2010 ‐ June 2013. Note: All items were on a 5‐point scale. Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction.
5.95
5.95
6.62
6.19
6.10
6.33
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
13. How would you describe your feelings at this point about yourchild's progress? (N=21)
11. Has the program helped you to develop skills that can be appliedto other family members? (N=21)
10. If you were to seek help again, would you come back to thisorganization? (N=21)
7. Has the program helped you to deal more effectively withproblems that arise in your family? (N=21)
6. Has the program helped you to deal more effectively with yourchild's behavior? (N=21)
1. How would you rate the quality of the service you and your childreceived? (N=21)
4.64
4.68
4.46
1 2 3 4 5
3. Overall I was satisfied with the workshop. (N=223)
2. I am likely to use some of the parenting strategies in the tipsheet. (N=224)
1. The workshop answered a question or concern I have hadabout parenting. (N=225)
4.45
4.67
4.21
1 2 3 4 5
3. Overall I was satisfied with the seminar. (N=168)
2. I am likely to use some of the parenting strategies in the tipsheet. (N=170)
1. The seminar answered a question or concern I have had aboutparenting. (N=169)
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES STRONG FAMILIES – SIDE‐BY‐SIDE
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 123
“Side By Side uses a holistic community-based approach to early childhood mental health that provides both clinical services and education and support for children, parents, and staff. Its unique relationship to child care centers and their staff ensures that children are provided with quality care and expertise when they are the most vulnerable.”
-Side-by-Side, Annual Progress Report
Side-by-Side
Program Description
The Side‐by‐Side: Early Childhood Mental Health Access Program, launched in March 2010, was
created to address the significant need for early mental health services for families with children
between 0‐5 years of age. The program has expanded early childhood mental health services within
state‐funded child care programs and provides intervention services to families who have children
showing early signs of social/emotional difficulty. The program also provides guidance and
consultation about social/emotional and mental health needs of infants and young children to early
childhood educators. The program strives to support
the working relationship between families and child
care providers/preschool staff.
Parents can elect to receive only “Site‐based”
services for their children (i.e., classroom
observations, in‐class intervention, and teacher
consultations) or a combination of “Site‐based” and
“Family services” (i.e., classroom observations, in‐
class intervention, teacher consultations, individual/family counseling, and assistance from the
Family Resource Specialist, if needed). Since the Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) and the Child
Behavior Checklist (CBCL) are completed by parents, only parents who are participating in “Family
services” fill out these assessments. For the children who are receiving “Site‐based” services only,
Side‐by‐Side Clinician/Consultants provide recommendations to teachers and additional follow‐up,
as needed.
Population Served
2012‐2013
Staff/Child Care Providers 40
Parents/Guardians 33
Children 25
Source: (Parents/Guardians) Side by Side 2012‐13 Annual Progress Report; (Children) SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013.
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT STRONG FAMILIES – SIDE‐BY‐SIDE
124 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Outcome Objective: Children participating in “Family Services” will receive developmental screening and be assessed for behavioral and emotional problems
2012‐2013
90% of all families receiving Family Services from the Side‐by‐Side Program will receive evidence‐based screenings by completing the ASQ and CBCL.
ASQ 87.5%
CBCL 91.7%
Source: Side by Side 2012‐13 Annual Progress Report.
Note: Results should be interpreted with caution due to the low number of cases.
N=24.
Outcome Objective: Families participating in “Family Services” will report improvements in child behavior
2012‐2013
1. 85% of eligible families completing between 8‐12 psychotherapy/counseling meetings will complete the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) as a pre‐intervention/post‐intervention measure.
91.7%
N=12
2. Of those completing both a pre and post CBCL, 75% will demonstrate improvement in at least one measure on the CBCL.
100%
N=11
Source: Side by Side 2012‐13 Annual Progress Report.
Note: Results should be interpreted with caution due to the low number of cases.
The results indicate that children are greatly benefiting from their participation in “Family Services.”
Almost 88% of these children completed developmental screenings, and of those whose parents
participated in 8‐12 psychotherapy/counseling meetings and completed pre/post assessments,
100% of families reported improvement in their children’s behavior.
As part of the family services, Side‐by‐Side Clinician/Consultants helped the child care providers
address behaviors of concern by providing education, guidance, support, and intervention
strategies. Even though child/family‐focused consultations were “individual” in nature, it was the
Clinician/Consultants’ intention that the providers be able to generalize what they learned to other
similar situations, and to use their understanding of psychological principles of early childhood
development to guide future decisions.
In program/system‐focused consultations, the Clinician/Consultants helped the staff improve the
overall quality of the classroom environment, and increase their responsiveness to the students. In
addition, the Clinician/Consultants assisted the staff to become better able to effectively intervene
with children’s social/emotional difficulties and programmatic problems that negatively impacted
the students, families, and staff. The primary goal of programmatic/systemic‐focused consultation
was to help the staff promote and support the social/emotional well‐being of the children, and
prevent the occurrence of challenging behaviors within the classroom.
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Outcome Objective: Children participating in “Site-based” services will have their needs evaluated and addressed
For children who participated in “Site‐based” services only, Side‐by‐Side Clinician/Consultants
observed these children in their classroom settings, and had consultations with the child
care/pre‐school staff. The Clinician/Consultants individualized the services they provided, varying
the number of classroom observations and consultations depending on the needs of the child and
the staff.
In 2012‐13, clinicians reported two major themes among the teachers and staff being served by
Side‐by‐Side. First, teaching staff continued to report that the challenges of individualizing services
for specific children—and at the same time meeting the needs of the classroom as a whole—could
be overwhelming. Second, staff consistently requested support for the development of language
that assisted in “redirecting” children from disruptive activities, and were particularly interested in
self‐care and stress related activities.
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“A growing body of
research confirms the
importance of quality early
learning experiences to
effectively prepare young
children not only for school,
but for life.”
‐ First 5 California
Children Learning and Ready for School
Quality Early Learning Initiative
Program Description
In 2012‐13, First 5 Santa Cruz County launched its Quality Early Learning Initiative (QELI) in
collaboration with local partners, with the goal of improving the quality of early learning programs
in Santa Cruz County. First 5 established this initiative as a result of funding received through
California’s Race to the Top ‐ Early Learning Challenge (RTT‐ELC) federal grant and First 5 California’s
Child Signature Program (CSP). Both of these grants share a common goal of increasing the quality
of early learning programs and closing the achievement gap for vulnerable young children, and are
described below.
Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge
In 2012, California received a highly competitive Race to the Top ‐ Early Learning Challenge (RTT‐
ELC) federal grant to improve the quality of early learning programs and close the achievement gap
for vulnerable young children. Santa Cruz County is one of the 16 California counties included in this
4‐year grant. During this time, California—led by local efforts in the 16 counties in collaboration with
the California Department of Education—will work together to ensure positive outcomes for infants,
toddlers, and preschoolers. The end goal of California’s RTT‐ELC effort is that young children—
particularly those who are low‐income, English learners, or children with
disabilities or developmental delays—have access to high quality early
learning programs so that they thrive in their early learning settings and
succeed in kindergarten and beyond. The state will use the funding
primarily to build and pilot a new child care rating system—called the
Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS)—to collect and
disseminate information about the quality of early learning programs.
The process of building a QRIS ultimately will result in:
A shared definition of child care quality based on reliable and
validated research
A comprehensive and consistent approach to assess quality
A design to evaluate the rating system and its impact
Access to a system that supports quality improvement, especially for programs serving
children with high needs (low income children, infants, dual language learners, children with
special needs)
A consistent way for providers to communicate to parents and caregivers about quality
Increased consumer awareness about—and demand for—high quality child care
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This system will provide a set of standards that describe the requirements that center‐ and home‐
based early learning programs must meet in order to qualify for a QRIS rating; the higher the quality,
the higher the rating. The QRIS will support early learning educators with increased training,
technical assistance support, and incentives to participate; provide families with information about
the type of learning and care their young children receive; and inform policymakers and the general
public about the effectiveness of programs. In FY 12‐13, there were 43 state and federally funded
classroom sites (from 9 child development programs) participating in Race to the Top quality efforts
in Santa Cruz County.
California is taking a unique approach that will allow county collaborations (consortiums) to develop
and maintain control over their own quality improvement processes, while still allowing counties to
coordinate efforts when feasible and share lessons learned. Each county consortium will align their
local QRIS to a common “Quality Continuum Framework” and will implement the state‐approved
tiers, in addition to any locally‐determined tiers. The California Department of Education (CDE)
designated First 5 Santa Cruz County as the lead agency for Race to the Top in this county.
Additionally, CDE is providing 10 one‐time investments to support local efforts including
teacher/provider training and professional development; kindergarten readiness; community care
licensing; home visitation; developmental screenings; and
evaluation of local QRIS efforts. In FY 12‐13, CDE funded WestEd to
provide The Teaching Pyramid trainings16 to all participating RTT
counties. This comprehensive evidence‐based training and
coaching model is designed to help early childhood educators
promote social‐emotional competence in young children, address
challenging behaviors, and develop safe and nurturing group
environments for all children.
The Santa Cruz County Office of Education facilitated this 5‐series training with stipends support by
First 5 Santa Cruz County for 84 teachers from all 9 participating RTT child development programs.
Child Signature Program (CSP) 17
In 2012, Santa Cruz County received approval and funding to participate in First 5 California’s Child
Signature Program. This program was created to provide all 58 counties the opportunity to increase
quality in early learning programs for children ages 0‐5 in early care and education (ECE) centers
where the educational divide is greatest (i.e., neighborhoods in catchment areas of elementary
schools with Academic Performance Index scores in deciles 1‐3).
16 The Teaching Pyramid was developed by the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) and enhanced for California by WestEd, in collaboration with the California Collaborative on the Social‐Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CA CSEFEL).
17 The Child Signature Program has three “strands” that have different scopes, and which were initiated through three different Requests for Application (RFA). First 5 Santa Cruz County was awarded funding for CSP RFA #2: “Readiness Assessment and Quality Improvement.” For simplicity, this program is referred to as the Child Signature Program, or CSP, and the RFA number is omitted.
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“At‐risk children who receive
high‐quality early care and
education benefit greatly,
often exceeding national
averages on measures of
school readiness…[and]
these gains persist”
‐ First 5 California
The Child Signature Program accomplishes two major purposes:
Completion of a Readiness Assessment in each classroom selected for participation, and
Results from the Readiness Assessment will determine where classrooms need to focus their
efforts to improve quality and engage in training opportunities and technical assistance.
The CSP focuses on providing quality improvement support through training and technical
assistance to local centers and classrooms. Counties participating in the CSP will complete a
Readiness Assessment (RA) on each participating center and classroom, collect data to determine
levels of strength and identify areas for improvement, and engage in training
opportunities designed to advance quality to a higher level throughout
the term of the program. Key personnel will be trained on how to
conduct the CLASS assessment (a measurement of classroom quality),
will receive “Looking At CLASSrooms” (LAC) training (reviewing the
CLASS dimensions), and all participating classroom staff will complete
an online tobacco training titled “Kids and Smoke Don’t Mix.” In Santa
Cruz County, there are 19 state and federally funded sites participating
in the CSP program.
The CSP program also provides funding for an Early Learning Systems
Specialist (ELSS). Recognizing that counties have sites with classrooms at varying levels of quality,
the ELSS will be responsible for coordinating and facilitating training, technical assistance, and other
support for identified centers and classrooms selected by the county to work toward achieving the
CSP Baseline Criteria, Teacher/Provider Qualifications, and/or the CSP quality enhancement
program elements.
Local Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS)
First 5 established the Santa Cruz County Quality Early Learning Initiative (QELI) Consortium,
bringing together organizations, stakeholders, and 22 early learning professionals who shared a
commitment to improving the quality of early learning and creating a county‐wide Quality
Improvement Plan (QIP). Together, members of the QELI Consortium have been working to achieve
coherence and alignment in developing and piloting a local Quality Rating and Improvement System
(QRIS) as a way to foster ongoing improvement of early care and education programs in Santa Cruz
County.
The QELI Consortium adopted the Hybrid Quality Continuum Framework and Tiers as the foundation
of their local QRIS. This framework identifies five tiers of quality, with points assigned to each tier
for seven elements of quality, such as teacher‐child ratios, teacher qualifications, and teacher‐child
interactions (for more information, see Appendix B). Sites receive a cumulative score based on their
ratings that will eventually become publicly available to families seeking child care and early learning
programs. It is important to note that the QRIS isn’t just a rating system; it is also an improvement
system. Participating child care sites receive support, training, and financial incentives to make
improvements that lead to higher ratings and ultimately to higher quality child care programs.
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Quality Improvement Activities
First 5 contracted with Encompass Community Services (formerly known as Santa Cruz Community
Counseling Center) to lead the QELI Consortium’s quality improvement activities, due to the
organization’s extensive experience operating quality Head Start programs. During this past year,
the Early Learning System Specialist (ELSS) employed by Encompass completed Readiness
Assessments with all CSP classrooms, coordinated trainings related to CSP and RTT‐ELC, provided
technical assistance to program directors, developed processes for maintaining centralized records
and began conducting the QRIS baseline ratings. The following table presents the number of early
childhood educators who participated in QELI trainings provided in 2012‐13.
JULY 1, 2012 – JUNE 30, 2013
Number of early childhood educators in RTT‐ELC sites who received stipends to participate in “The Teaching Pyramid” trainings and coaching
84
Number of early childhood educators in CSP classrooms who attended the “CLASS Overview,” “Looking at CLASSrooms” (LAC), or “Kids and Smoke Don’t Mix” trainings
50*
* Many early childhood educators in CSP classrooms attended more than one of these trainings.
Bay Area Quality Rating Improvement System Partnership
Santa Cruz County has joined with Santa Clara, San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties
to form the Bay Area Quality Rating Improvement System Partnership (BAQRISP). This regional
consortium was developed so these neighboring counties could strategize together, share
resources, leverage funds, and align practices. It is anticipated that this regional approach will result
in strengthening the current resources available for professional development and coaching.
The counties in this consortium will also develop and share a common data system called the Bay
Area Regional RTT Database, which will be designed to gather scoring information, track supports
and incentives, ensure participation by targeted programs serving children with High Needs, and
review progress in relation to the Consortium’s local quality improvement targets.
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Starlight Children’s Center
Program Description
The Starlight Children’s Center (SCC) is a new program for families of children 0‐3 years old. Much
like the original Starlight Infant/Toddler Program (SITP), SCC offers a wide variety of comprehensive
bilingual services for expectant parents and families with infants and toddlers. It is located in the
Starlight Elementary School catchment area of Watsonville, an area with one of the highest
populations of children under the age of five living in poverty in the County. A key goal is to create a
“learning community” that promotes early literacy and social/emotional skills to help lay a solid
foundation for school readiness.
The program provides center‐based services for 10 children, through collaborative funding with the
Early Head Start Program, and operates four days per week for six hours per day. In addition, the
program provides 20 families with home‐based services which include weekly home visits and two
socializations per month. Both center‐ and home‐based services follow the criteria for the federally
funded Early Head Start program, and SCC families receive priority enrollment into Head Start pre‐
school classes once the child turns three years old.
Both the center and home based teachers utilize an “evidence based” curriculum specifically
designed for their specific program option; Creative Curriculum for the center‐based, and Partners
for a Healthy Baby for the home‐based. Activities are augmented through a wide variety of
additional supports that include literacy, health, and early childhood development information.
These activities include speakers, special trainings and family literacy classes.
“Nicolas has been with us since the beginning of the year and has an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) for speech delays. He was born deaf and remained deaf for one year, at which point he began to hear. Because of this, his speech development was behind schedule. Nicolas’ mom is a single mom and also has two other sons. She is legally blind in one eye, is permanently disabled, and has other health problems as well.
While Nicolas has been in school with us, his mother has been able to attend to her many health issues, and Nicolas has flourished. His language has developed exponentially and he now speaks in complete sentences and has a larger and more fluid vocabulary than any other child in the classroom. His social-emotional development and vocabulary is advanced and it is not uncommon to hear him say things like, “No me peges. No me gusta.” (“Don’t hit me. I don’t like it.”) He participates actively in circle time, and has learned the words to songs and the hand movements that go along with them. Mom and the speech therapist are both extremely happy with Nicolas’ progress since being in our program.”
- Starlight Children’s Center, Annual Progress Report
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Population Served
2012‐2013
Parents/Guardians 59
Children (Total) 37
(Center‐based) 10(Home‐visited) 37
Source: SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013.
Outcome Objective: Parents will expand their literacy activities with their children
2012‐2013
Between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013, 100% of all participating families will complete an initial assessment, a family partnership agreement, a nutritional assessment, and health and dental screenings.
100% N=39
By June 30, 2013, 80% of parents will report an increase of activities with their children that stimulate their child’s development.
100% N=17
By June 30, 2013, 90% of families will identify family literacy goals in their Family Partnership Agreement.
100% N=39
By June 30, 2013, 80% of parents will report an increase in literacy activities with their children.
100% N=39
Source: Starlight Children’s Center, Annual Progress Report, 2013; (Increase in literacy activities) Starlight Children’s Center, 2013.
Outcome Objective: Children’s development will be assessed
2012‐2013
By June 30, 2013, 100% of enrolled children will be screened in developmental and social‐emotional areas using the ASQ/ASQ:SE.
100% N=39
Percentage of assessed children who fell below appropriate developmental thresholds:
20.5% N=39
By June 30, 2013, 100% of those children who fall below thresholds of appropriate development will receive individualized support and follow up, including rescreening and/or referrals to community agencies as indicated.
100% N=8
By June 30, 2013:
Center‐based: Center‐based children will be assessed with the DRDP‐I/T. Assessments will be conducted and analyzed three times a year in October, February, and June. Supports for families in specific areas of language and literacy will be tailored based on the first two assessments, and a comparison will be made to see if there have been gains throughout the year.
Home‐visited: Children enrolled in the home‐visiting program, ages 0‐3, will be assessed using selected indicators from the New Portage Guide. Measurement and outcomes will be determined after the program has fully implemented the assessment.
DRDP‐I/T:
During this 1st year of the SCC program, 4 children have completed three DRDP‐I/T assessments.
New Portage Guide
During this 1st year of the SCC program, 18 children have completed three Portage assessments.
Source: Starlight Children’s Center, Annual Progress Report, 2013; First 5 Santa Cruz County, DRDP‐I/T analysis template, 2013; Starlight Children’s Center, New Portage Guide results, analyzed by Child Care Results (SCC’s independent contractor), 2013.
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In their first 3 years of life, children’s neural pathways are being developed and cemented as a
foundation for a life full of learning. Quality early childhood experiences help to foster better
language skills, higher cognitive functions, as well as improving sensory pathways, according to the
Harvard University Center on the Developing Child. Therefore, literacy promotion doesn’t begin in
preschool – it starts much earlier, even in daily interactions with young babies.
At the Starlight Children’s Center, center staff and home visitors work with parents of infants and
toddlers to build the foundations for literacy. To guide their efforts with children and their families,
they assess children’s health and development using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) and
ASQ: Social/Emotional (ASQ:SE) screening tool, the DRDP – Infant/Toddler (2010) for children
receiving center‐based services, and the New Portage Guide for children receiving home‐based
services.
Results
ASQ/ASQ:SE
o 100% of enrolled children were screened in developmental and social‐emotional areas
using the ASQ/ASQ:SE. Of those children, 21% fell below appropriate developmental
thresholds and received individual support and follow‐up, including rescreening and/or
referrals to community agencies.
DRDP‐I/T
Assessment results show that toddlers in the Starlight Children’s Center are being supported
to develop social and interpersonal skills, and to develop a strong foundation for later
literacy. As seen in the following figure:
o The majority of toddlers increased one or more developmental levels in all measures, with
the greatest increases occurring in “Relationships with Familiar Adults” (100%), and
“Recognition of Symbols” (100%). Due to the low number of toddlers in this analysis, these
should be considered preliminary results.
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Figure 80: Percentage of Center-Based Children Who Made Developmental Changes in Key Social and Pre-Literacy Measures
Toddlers (18 – 36 months)
Source: Starlight Children’s Center, Desired Results Developmental Profile I/T (2010), 2012‐2013
* Only these four questions with 6 developmental levels have the ability to increase 5 levels.
Notes:
Clients were assessed in the fall, winter and spring. Due to the marked programmatic changes between this new Starlight Children’s Center and its predecessor (Starlight Infant/Toddler Program: SITP), it was decided to treat all children as new clients. Therefore, all children’s fall 2012 assessments were considered their baseline assessments, even if they had begun their services earlier. However, some children were newly enrolled in the spring 2013, so their spring assessments were considered their baseline assessments.
Only children who completed at least the first and third assessments have been included in this analysis. This analysis excludes children who already scored at the highest developmental level on the 1st assessment. Ages are calculated as of the date of the 3rd assessment; no infants completed three assessments this fiscal year.
N=4. Due to the low number of clients, results should be interpreted with caution.
New Portage Guide
The New Portage Guide Birth to Six is a developmental assessment tool based on direct
observations of typical milestone skills in five domain areas, rated as either: No/Not
observed, Occasionally/Emerging Skill area, or Consistently/Mastered. “Mastery” of an
indicator means that the child consistently demonstrates the skill in a variety of settings.
Assessments are completed three times a year for each child to document their growth and
development, measure progress and plan individualized activities.
25.0% 25.0%
50.0% 100.0% 50.0%
75.0%
50.0% 50.0%
75.0%
100.0%
25.0% 25.0% 25.0%
25.0%
50.0%
25.0%25.0%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Increased 3 Levels
Increased 2 Levels
Increased 1 Level
No Change in Levels
Decreased in Levels
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Early Literacy Foundations (ELF) Initiative
Program Description
California 3rd graders are struggling to become proficient readers. Local and statewide data indicate
that well over half of 3rd grade children are not reading at proficiency. Because language
development in the early years is crucial to later reading success, early childhood educators have a
unique role in influencing language and literacy development and later educational success.
According to a report published in the Journal of Education Psychology, early childhood educators
play a key role in the language development of children from high poverty backgrounds:
“Language development has a profound effect on young children’s successful transition to school
and, in particular, on their success in learning to read. Children who arrive in first grade with a
foundation in pre‐literacy skills and the interest and motivation to learn are better prepared to
engage in the complex task of learning to read.
Most children acquire language and pre‐literacy skills through interactions with adults and peers
who use language in ways that are consistent with the majority culture and correspond to the
printed word. Unfortunately, many children raised in poverty have limited access to opportunities
to develop language and literacy skills in such ways.
As one important illustration, Hart and Risley (1995) reported that by the age of 3, children in
poverty were already well behind their more affluent peers in their acquisition of vocabulary and
oral language skills. Snow et al. (1998) also reported that children in poverty lack necessary
pre‐literacy skills at the beginning of kindergarten. Similar research indicates that socioeconomic
status is the strongest predictor of performance differences in children at the beginning of the first
grade and that this gap persists as children progress from elementary to high school.”18
With the evidence of limited language and literacy opportunities in low‐income homes, more
emphasis has been placed on showing early childhood educators how to build language
opportunities into their daily child care routines, through fun and meaningful instruction. First 5’s
Early Literacy Foundations Initiative builds skills among early childhood educators to promote strong
literacy and language foundations for young children.
The ELF Initiative features:
1. Professional development for family child care providers working with Spanish speaking
children through SEEDS of Early Literacy training and coaching. Training includes
opportunities to create literacy‐based materials to use in the family child care home
environment through “Make and Take” workshops. This program is described in more detail
in the following pages.
18 American Psychological Association (2006). The Effects of a Language and Literacy Intervention on Head Start Children and Teachers. Journal of Educational Psychology, 98, (1), 63–74.
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2. Expansion of the SEEDS Plus program, designed for “graduates” of the SEEDS of Early
Literacy classes. This course is designed to promote and embed the ongoing use of SEEDS
strategies, identify children who will receive tailored literacy‐based interventions, and
increase the number of children on target with early reading predictors. This academic year‐
long program is described in more detail in the following pages.
3. Development and implementation of the new Santa Cruz Reading Corps. This program
places one AmeriCorps volunteer (called a Preschool Literacy Tutor) in each State Preschool
classroom at both the Pajaro Valley Unified School District and Live Oak School District. The
goal of this program is to develop children’s early literacy skills in English in preparation for
kindergarten. The Preschool Literacy Tutors are trained in research‐based strategies
following the SEEDS of Early Literacy curriculum, collaborate with the classroom teaching
staff to enhance daily literacy opportunities, and conduct literacy assessments to provide
individualized support to help children in Santa Cruz County become successful readers by
3rd grade. This program is described in more detail in the following pages.
4. Assessment of children’s development of early literacy skills in participating State Pre‐K
classrooms via the Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDI’s) tool. These
assessments help teachers identify children who need individualized instruction in early
literacy strategies.
5. Family Engagement through continuation of the “Raising A Reader” weekly rotating book
bag program. All Raising A Reader classrooms have SEEDS trained staff, resulting in mutually
complimentary interventions to boost shared reading practices with children and their
families, and to impact children’s early literacy skills. Information on this program can be
found in the Raising A Reader partner profile.
6. The Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL) “Read to Me” program provides Read to Me Resource
Kits for parents and early childhood educators via library circulation to engage children and
families in early literacy activities. This year new math and science kits called “Let’s Play,”
geared for children 3‐8 years old, were developed and added to circulation.
The following descriptions provide more detailed information about the SEEDS of Early Literacy,
SEEDS Plus, and the Santa Cruz Reading Corps.
SEEDS of Early Literacy
This professional development initiative follows the SEEDS of Early Literacy curriculum that has been
researched by the University of Minnesota. Research on the SEEDS model shows that teachers trained
and coached on the SEEDS of Early Literacy curriculum score significantly higher on the Early
Language and Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO) tool and show greater change over time in
teaching strategies than teachers without such training or coaching. Results also indicate that
preschool children who were taught by teachers trained in SEEDS entered kindergarten ready to
read at higher rates than children in non‐SEEDS groups (Lizakowski, 2005).
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The SEEDS Professional Development model consists of training—and providing coaching to—early
childhood educators on how to effectively integrate research‐based language and literacy strategies
and materials into their classrooms. In 2012‐2013, Family Child Care Providers were engaged in
instruction and “Make and Take” workshops that taught strategies of both embedded instruction
(planned strategies that occur within the typical routines of the class day) and explicit instruction
(teacher‐directed activities that emphasize the teaching of a specific task), and to create a family
home environment that is designed to target early literacy predictors.
These predictors of later reading success include:
Conversation and Oral Language: The ability to produce or comprehend spoken language
Alphabet Knowledge: The ability to visually discriminate the differences between letters
and say the names and sounds associated with printed letters
Book and Print Rules: Refers to what children understand about how books and print work,
such as left‐right, front‐back, letters, words and that print has meaning
Phonological awareness: The ability to detect, manipulate, or analyze the auditory aspects
of spoken language, including the ability to distinguish or segment words, syllables, rhymes,
and beginning sounds
Vocabulary and Background Knowledge: A collection of words that relate to experiences
and knowledge that a child has of the world around him/her
This diagram displays the five essential SEEDS quality interactions and the five predictors of literacy.
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SEEDS Plus
The SEEDS Plus program for FY 12‐13 was expanded to include a full academic year, and was
designed for “graduates” of the SEEDS of Early Literacy classes. In an effort to support teachers as
they worked to embed the SEEDS concepts into daily practice, this nine‐month course was designed
to focus on the SEEDS strategies through embedded and explicit instruction, modeling, practice, and
one‐on‐one weekly coaching.
The objectives of SEEDS Plus included:
Supporting teachers who work with children at risk for low language and literacy
opportunities.
Assessing and promoting the ongoing use of SEEDS strategies following prior SEEDS course
completion, for quality language and literacy support.
Promoting the use of Response to Intervention (RtI) strategies, that help early childhood
teachers recognize children who need tailored literacy support, and to respond in ways that
help the children experience early school success.
Increasing the number of children on target with early reading predictors.
Each participant in SEEDS Plus received:
15 instructional sessions
20 on‐site coaching visits
4 literacy labs and 6 children’s books to use in their centers
In October, each SEEDS Plus participant conducted an initial benchmark assessment of children’s
emergent language and literacy skills using the Individual Growth and Development Indicators
(IGDI’s) assessment, to which was added assessments of letter names and letter sounds. Based on
this initial benchmark, SEEDS Plus participants chose up to five pre‐Kindergarten children to receive
tailored literacy‐based intervention strategies. These children’s progress was monitored every four
weeks throughout the program, with a winter benchmark assessment conducted in February and a
final spring benchmark assessment conducted in May.
Santa Cruz County’s SEEDS and SEEDS Plus programs have proven to be very effective at
strengthening classroom environments and practices, as well as influencing changes in children’s
skills on research‐based predictors of early reading.
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Santa Cruz Reading Corps
AmeriCorps is a national service organization with about 100,000 members serving across the
United States to help meet critical needs in the areas of education, health, the environment,
disaster services, veterans, and economic opportunity. In the summer of 2012, First 5 Santa Cruz
County partnered with AmeriCorps19 to create the Santa Cruz Reading Corps (SCRC), which places 12
AmeriCorps volunteers in state preschool and transitional kindergarten classrooms in both the Live
Oak and Pajaro Valley Unified School Districts.
The focus of the SCRC is to promote strong literacy and language foundations for young children,
especially dual language learners. Local and statewide data indicate that well over half of 3rd grade
children in California—and Santa Cruz County—are not reading at proficiency. Research shows that
when students get off to a poor start in reading, they rarely catch up with other students. Happily,
research also shows that almost all children have the capacity to learn to read proficiently if
effective interventions are provided. Due to the fact that language development in the early years is
crucial to later reading success, the SCRC members are using the evidence‐based SEEDS of Early
Literacy curriculum to help boost the early literacy skills of children in English as they prepare to
enter kindergarten.
During the academic school year (running from September to May) SCRC members—called
Preschool Literacy Tutors—collaborate with the classroom teaching staff to enhance daily literacy
opportunities, and provide support to classrooms’ routines by implementing specific research‐based
strategies from the SEEDS of Early Literacy curriculum. Each tutor receives extensive training,
individualized coaching, and support to track and guide children in English language development
through one‐on‐one and small group interventions. SCRC tutors also facilitate Raising A Reader, the
weekly rotating book bag program that provides books and support for families to read aloud with
their children.
In addition to their daily work with students, tutors assess each child in their classroom three times;
once in October, once in early February, and once in May, in five areas of early reading predictors
(rhyming, alliteration, letter names, letter sounds, and vocabulary development). These assessments
help them select five children who receive tailored literacy‐based interventions on a daily basis.
Each of these children’s progress is monitored monthly to see if the interventions are effective. The
goal of the SCRC is to increase the number of children on target with early reading predictors.
Through all these efforts, children are provided the assistance they need to enter kindergarten more
school‐ready and to become fluent readers by 3rd grade.
19 In 2001, representatives of the First 5 California and the First 5 Association were invited by the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism (GO SERV) to discuss the utilization of AmeriCorps members in First 5 funded programs and initiatives. Through this partnership, the First 5 Service Corps was developed. In this report, this collaboration is simply referred to as AmeriCorps.
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL ‐ EARLY LITERACY FOUNDATIONS INITIATIVE
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 139
Early Literacy Foundations (ELF) Initiative
Population Served
THIS FUNDING CYCLE
2012‐2013
CUMULATIVE
TOTALS
2007‐2013
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS
Number of SEEDS Quality Coaches providing literacy coaching, literacy environmental assessments, and professional development advising for SEEDS instruction, fidelity, and integrity during the year
14 52
Number of early childhood educators attending SEEDS of Early Literacy workshops 28 383
Number of early childhood educators attending the SEEDS Plus program 15 41
Number of Family, Friend or Neighbor (FFN) informal child care providers attending SEEDS of Early Literacy workshops
0 155*
Number of Reading Corps tutors who received SEEDS training 12 12
TOTAL (unduplicated) 69 559
CHILDREN
Number of children in classrooms with a Reading Corps tutor 509 509
Source: Early Literacy Foundations (ELF) Initiative, 2007‐13.
The following figures show additional data about Early Childhood Educators and Coaches who have
been trained between 2007‐2013.
Figure 81: Number of SEEDS-Trained Early Childhood Educators in Licensed Programs, by type of classroom (2007-2013)
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County Early Literacy Foundations program records, 2012‐2013.
Note: SEEDS‐Trained Early Childhood Educators include participants in the “basic” SEEDS classes and SEEDS Plus classes, and SEEDS coaches. Family, Friend or Neighbor (FFN) informal child care providers and Santa Cruz Reading Corps Preschool Literacy Tutors are not included in these analyses.
Educators in State and Federally‐Subsidized
Classrooms
Educators in Licensed Family Child Care Homes and
Private/ Non‐Profit Centers
Unduplicated total, Spring 2007 – June 2013
207 185 392
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL ‐ EARLY LITERACY FOUNDATIONS INITIATIVE
140 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Figure 82: Key Demographics of SEEDS-Trained Early Childhood Educators in Licensed Programs (2007-2013)
Primary Language
Educational Attainment
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County Early Literacy Foundations program records, Client and Assessment Data Entry Template, 2012‐2013.
Note: SEEDS‐Trained Early Childhood Educators include participants in the “basic” SEEDS classes and SEEDS Plus classes, and SEEDS coaches. Family, Friend or Neighbor (FFN) informal child care providers and Santa Cruz Reading Corps Preschool Literacy Tutors are not included in these analyses.
Early childhood educators and coaches may have participated in more than one SEEDS class, but are only counted once in these analyses. For these clients, their language and education data are as of their earliest class, in order to assess the status of these educators at the beginning of their participation in the SEEDS program. Educators might also speak other languages that they do not consider their primary language.
N: (Language) N=407; (Education) N=376.
Outcome Objective: Increase the number of early education settings that provide high quality support for language and literacy
Preschool Classrooms
Research on teacher effectiveness shows that by focusing professional development on language
and literacy and social/emotional development, children are much better prepared for school and
have higher academic achievement. The first indicators of change are the language environment,
teacher‐child interactions, and language opportunities that teachers provide to children.
First 5 SEEDS Quality coaches are trained to assess SEEDS classrooms that are teaching children ages
3‐5, using the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation Pre‐K Tool (ELLCO Pre‐K). The
ELLCO Pre‐K is used to assess the following five classroom components: “Classroom Structure,”
“Curriculum,” “Language Environment,” “Books and Book Reading,” and “Print and Early Writing.”
26.0%
48.9%
22.1%
2.9%
English Only
Spanish Only
Bilingual English/Spanish
Other
8.8%
9.3%
21.0%
26.6%
6.1%
10.9%
8.5%
4.0%4.8% No Formal Schooling
Less Than High School Diploma/GED
High School Diploma/GED
Some College
AA in non‐ECE/CD
AA in ECE/CD
BA in non‐ECE/CD
BA in ECE/CD
Some Graduate School or Postgraduate Degree
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL ‐ EARLY LITERACY FOUNDATIONS INITIATIVE
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 141
Items are scored along a 5 point scale, where 1 is deficient and 5 is exemplary. From this scale, early
childhood educators’ classroom scores can be categorized into three levels, indicating their
classroom environment provides low‐quality support, basic support, or high‐quality support for
language and literacy. In every Pre‐K SEEDS course since 2007, coaches used the ELLCO to assess
the classrooms of their mentees (early childhood educators receiving SEEDS training) at the
beginning and end of the semester. The results were then used as a coaching tool, supporting
teachers in setting early literacy goals.
Results In 2012‐13, only SEEDS Plus participants used the ELLCO Pre‐K tool. As the SEEDS Plus program is
designed for “graduates” of the SEEDS of Early Literacy classes, the following results demonstrate
the higher level of skill of these more experienced early childhood educators at pre assessment.
Across all components, classrooms showed improvements from the beginning of the
semester to the end. Even so, a high percentage of these SEEDS Plus classrooms were already
providing high‐quality support at the beginning of the year, demonstrating the skill of these
previously‐trained SEEDS educators.
Overall, the percentage of classrooms taught by SEEDS Plus participants that were rated as
having High‐Quality Support increased from 67% to 100%.
Among the individual sections of the ELLCO Pre‐K, by the end of the semester all of classrooms
(100%) were rated as having High‐Quality Support in “Classroom Structure,” “Curriculum,”
“Language Environment,” “Books and Book Reading,” and “Print and Early Writing.”
Figure 83: Preschool Classrooms of SEEDS Plus participants: Support for Language and Literacy (2012-2013)
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County Early Literacy Foundations program records, Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO) Pre‐K, 2012‐2013 Note: Low‐quality support = means less than or equal to 2.5; Basic support = means between 2.51 and 3.5; High‐quality support = means between 3.51 and 5. Percentages less than 3% are not labeled. This analysis includes data from SEEDS coaches, early childhood educators who attended SEEDS of Early Literacy courses, and SEEDS Plus participants; however, in 2012‐13, only SEEDS Plus participants completed this assessment. N=15.
6.7% 6.7% 6.7% 13.3%13.3%
53.3%
60.0%
26.7%
53.3%
33.3%
80.0%100.0%
46.7%
100.0%
33.3%
100.0%
66.7%
100.0%
33.3%
100.0%
66.7%
100.0%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post
Low‐Quality Support Basic Support High‐Quality Support
Section 1: Classroom Structure
Section 2: Curriculum
Section 3: The Language Environment
Section 4: Books & Book
Reading
Section 5: Print & Early
Writing
Overall
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL ‐ EARLY LITERACY FOUNDATIONS INITIATIVE
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Four specific ELLCO items were chosen for individual study, using the same type of analysis of
classroom quality: Opportunities for Child Choice and Initiative, Approaches to Book Reading,
Support for Children's Writing, and Approaches to Curriculum. For these four items, several years of
data have been aggregated in order to present a more robust portrait of the extent to which SEEDS‐
trained early childhood educators were providing high quality support for language and literacy in
their preschool classrooms.
Results
As reflected in this figure, SEEDS‐coached teachers have consistently improved the quality of
support they provide in their classrooms for children’s development of early literacy.
For each of the four ELLCO items, the majority of classrooms were rated as providing high
quality support at post assessment: Opportunities for Child Choice and Initiative (95%),
Support for Children's Writing (89%), Approaches to Curriculum (89%), and Approaches to
Book Reading (88%).
Figure 84: Preschool Classrooms of all SEEDS-Trained Early Childhood Educators: Key Language and Literacy Supports (2007-2013)
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County Early Literacy Foundations program records, Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO) & ELLCO Pre‐K, 2007 – 2013.
Note: Clients may be included more than once if they participated in multiple SEEDS classes during these years. Low‐quality support = means less than or equal to 2.5; Basic support = means between 2.51 and 3.5; High‐quality support = means between 3.51 and 5. Percentages less than 3% are not labeled. This analysis includes data from SEEDS coaches, early childhood educators who attended SEEDS of Early Literacy courses, and SEEDS Plus participants.
N: (Child Choice and Initiative) N=188, (Book Reading) N=269, (Children's Writing) N=275, (Approaches to Curriculum) N=188.
* The analysis of these questions marked with an asterisk began in 2007‐08, so results reflect the combined data for 2008‐2013.
9.0% 15.6% 19.6% 21.8%
35.6%
5.3%
50.9%
10.8%
49.1%
10.5%
39.9%
10.6%
55.3%
94.7%
33.5%
88.1%
31.3%
89.1%
38.3%
88.8%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post
Low‐Quality Support Basic Support High‐Quality Support
Approaches to Book Reading
Opportunities for Child Choice and
Initiative*
Support for Children’s Writing
Approaches to Curriculum*
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL ‐ EARLY LITERACY FOUNDATIONS INITIATIVE
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 143
Family Child Care Settings
The data above describe the ways that SEEDS‐trained teachers made changes to their preschool
classroom environments and their practices in order to better support children’s development of
pre‐literacy skills. However, SEEDS training was not just limited to preschool center teachers — early
childhood educators from family child care settings also participated in SEEDS training and received
SEEDS coaching. Their sites were observed at the beginning of their SEEDS training and again at the
end.
Child/Home Early Language and Literacy Observation (CHELLO) is a tool designed to rate the early
literacy environment in home‐based child care settings of children ages birth to 5 years. Two
sections of the CHELLO tool were used to assess home‐based classrooms: the Group/Family
Observation section and the Literacy Environment Checklist. For the Group/Family Observation
section, items were scored along a 5 point scale, where 1 is deficient and 5 is exemplary. Like the
ELLCO analyses, early childhood educators’ classroom scores were categorized into three levels,
indicating their classroom environment provided low‐quality support, basic support, or high‐quality
support for language and literacy. Scores on the Literacy Environment Checklist ranged from 1 to
26, and were similarly categorized into three levels of support (Poor, Fair, Excellent).
Results
In 2012‐13, there were two cohorts of licensed family child care providers who participated in
SEEDS; one in the fall and one in the spring. Educators in fall 2012 received a 7‐week SEEDS training,
received 7 one‐on‐one coaching sessions, and conducted CHELLO assessments in their home‐based
classrooms. Educators in spring 2013 received home‐based coaching and training through three
informal “Make and Take” workshops that focused on the basic early literacy strategies called the
“Big Five.” In this format there were fewer requirements and they did not conduct the CHELLO
assessments in their programs.
The following figures present the PRE and POST scores gathered from the fall cohort of early
childhood educators in family child care settings for infants/toddlers, using the CHELLO tool. Across
all components, classrooms showed substantial improvements from the first training to the final
training.
Results from the Group/Family Observation section showed that overall, the percentage of
family child care settings that were rated as having High‐Quality Support increased from 50%
to 92%.
Among the individual Group/Family Observation components, by the end of the trainings the
majority of family child care settings were rated as having High‐Quality Support in “Physical
Environment for Learning” (92%), “Support for Learning” (83%), and “Adult Teaching
Strategies” (75%).
Scores on the Literacy Environment Checklist showed that the percentage of family child care
settings that were rated as having Excellent Support increased from 33% to 58%.
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL ‐ EARLY LITERACY FOUNDATIONS INITIATIVE
144 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Figure 85: Family Child Care Settings: Support for Language and Literacy (2012-2013)
Group/Family Observation
Literacy Environment Checklist
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County Early Literacy Foundations program records, Child/Home Early Language and Literacy Observation (CHELLO), 2012‐2013
Note: Low‐quality support = means less than or equal to 2.5; Basic support = means between 2.51 and 3.5; High‐quality support = means between 3.51 and 5. Percentages less than 3% are not labeled. This analysis includes data from family child care providers who attended SEEDS of Early Literacy workshops in Fall 2012.
N: (Group/Family Observation)=12; (Literacy Environment Checklist)=12.
SEEDS Plus program
The SEEDS Plus program was designed for “graduates” of the SEEDS of Early Literacy classes. This
course promoted the use of Response to Interventions (RtI) strategies as a way to provide children
with tailored literacy support and increase the number of children on target with early reading
predictors. Early childhood educators in SEEDS Plus assessed children’s pre‐literacy skills in the three
skill areas measured by the Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDI’s) assessment tool
(Picture Naming, Rhyming, Alliteration), and also in the two skill areas of Letter Naming and Letter
Sounds.
8.3%16.7%
41.7%
16.7%
50.0%
8.3%
25.0%
16.7%
25.0%
25.0%
33.3%
8.3%
41.7%
91.7%
58.3%
83.3%
33.3%
75.0%
50.0%
91.7%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post Pre Post
Low‐Quality Support Basic Support High‐Quality Support
8.3%
58.3%
41.7%
33.3%
58.3%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Pre Post
Excellent Support
Fair Support
Poor Support
Physical Environment for Learning
Support for Learning
Adult Teaching Strategies
Overall
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL ‐ EARLY LITERACY FOUNDATIONS INITIATIVE
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 145
As the majority of students were dual language learners, many children were assessed in both
English and Spanish. In 2012‐13, there was an emphasis in all “SEEDS” classrooms on developing and
improving children’s vocabulary skills in English. Children whose primary language was Spanish were
assessed using the IGDI’s tool in both English and Spanish. Once children demonstrated proficiency
in their scores on the English‐language assessments, they did not continue taking the Spanish‐
language assessments.
Results
There was interest in focusing on the performance of children when assessed in their primary
language. When looking at the percentage of children who were meeting targets in five predictors of
later reading success (scoring “At” or “Above” target level), results showed that:
On average, children improved in all five pre‐literacy skill areas between their first (October)
and final (May) benchmark assessments.
o When examining children in their primary language, English‐speaking children made the
greatest improvements in Letter Sounds and Alliteration.
o Primarily Spanish‐speaking children made the greatest improvements in Alliteration (they
were not assessed in the Letter Naming or Letter Sounds skill areas).
By the final benchmark, Spanish‐speaking children demonstrated improvement in their
English language skills. When assessed in English, Spanish‐speaking children started with a
lower skill level than English‐speaking children, but by their last assessment they had made a
greater amount of improvement in Alliteration and Letter Naming, and equaled the
English‐speaking children’s amount of improvement in Rhyming and Letter Sounds.
Although these improvement results are greatly encouraging, it is important to note that
there are still some areas where only a small percentage of children are meeting targets for
later reading success. In particular, more work needs to be done to help Spanish‐speaking
children increase their English vocabulary (Picture Naming).
Figure 86: SEEDS Plus Classrooms: Percentage of Children At/Above Targets for Later Reading Success, by Primary Language (2012-2013)
Primarily English‐Speaking Children
9.8% 2.7% 5.0%
27.3%
12.8%
32.5%
17.1% 14.6%
40.2% 38.4%43.3%
34.9%39.6%
50.5%58.4%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Picture Naming Rhyming Alliteration Letter Naming Letter Sounds
1st Benchmark (Oct.) 2nd Benchmark (Feb.) 3rd Benchmark (May)
English Assessment
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL ‐ EARLY LITERACY FOUNDATIONS INITIATIVE
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Primarily Spanish‐Speaking Children
Figure 87: SEEDS Plus Classrooms: Amount of Increase in the Percentage of Children At/Above Targets for Later Reading Success, by Primary Language (2012-2013)
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County Early Literacy Foundations program records, SEEDS Plus Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDI’s)
Assessment Tool, 2012‐2013.
Note: Children who completed at least (any) two benchmark assessments within a pre‐literacy skill area were included in the analysis of that skill.
* No Spanish assessments were analyzed in these two literacy skill areas, as they were not a requirement of these classrooms’ programs.
English N= Fall: Picture Naming (112), Rhyming (74), Alliteration (60), Letter Naming (88), Letter Sounds (86). N= Winter: Picture Naming (123), Rhyming (111), Alliteration (103), Letter Naming (92), Letter Sounds (86). N= Spring: Picture Naming (120), Rhyming (109), Alliteration (101), Letter Naming (93), Letter Sounds (89). Spanish/Spanish N= Fall: Picture Naming (114), Rhyming (87), Alliteration (79). N= Winter: Picture Naming (129), Rhyming (103), Alliteration (105). N= Spring: Picture Naming (103), Rhyming (98), Alliteration (99). Spanish/English N= Fall: Picture Naming (161), Rhyming (121), Alliteration (128), Letter Naming (146), Letter Sounds (142). N= Winter: Picture Naming (193), Rhyming (161), Alliteration (157), Letter Naming (137), Letter Sounds (136). N= Spring: Picture Naming (185), Rhyming (161), Alliteration (161), Letter Naming (151), Letter Sounds (151).
1.8%12.6% 12.7%
2.5% 2.5% 3.9% 4.8% 6.3%
18.6%30.1%
40.0%
7.8% 11.8%
22.3%19.0%
31.6%31.1%
45.9%
69.7%
17.3%
32.3%41.6% 41.7%
51.7%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
PictureNaming
Rhyming Alliteration LetterNaming*
LetterSounds*
PictureNaming
Rhyming Alliteration LetterNaming
LetterSounds
1st Benchmark (Oct.) 2nd Benchmark (Feb.) 3rd Benchmark (May)
33.5% 32.2% 34.6%
23.2%
45.6%
29.3%33.3%
57.0%
14.8%
29.8%
37.7% 36.9%
45.4%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Primarily English‐Speaking Children
English Assessment
Primarily Spanish‐Speaking Children Spanish Assessment English Assessment
English AssessmentSpanish Assessment
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL ‐ EARLY LITERACY FOUNDATIONS INITIATIVE
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 147
An analysis of the percentage of children who scored at each of the target levels (Below, Near,
At/Above), at both the first (October) and final (May) benchmark assessments, shows these results
in more detail. Because of the emphasis on developing and improving children’s vocabulary skills in
English, there was particular interest in analyzing the amount of improvement that children made in
their English abilities, which is highlighted in the following charts.
Figure 88: SEEDS Plus Classrooms: Percentage of Children at Each Target Level in Five Pre-Literacy Skill Areas, in English (2012-2013)
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County Early Literacy Foundations program records, SEEDS Plus Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDI’s)
Assessment Tool, 2012‐2013.
Note: Children who completed both the first (Oct.) and final (May) benchmark assessments within a pre‐literacy skill area were included in the analysis of that skill.
English N= Fall: Picture Naming (112), Rhyming (74), Alliteration (60), Letter Naming (88), Letter Sounds (86). N= Spring: Picture Naming (120), Rhyming (109), Alliteration (101), Letter Naming (93), Letter Sounds (89). Spanish/English N= Fall: Picture Naming (161), Rhyming (121), Alliteration (128), Letter Naming (146), Letter Sounds (142). N= Spring: Picture Naming (185), Rhyming (161), Alliteration (161), Letter Naming (151), Letter Sounds (151).
51.8%
10.0%
70.3%
33.9%
58.3%
36.6%
67.0%
26.9%
77.9%
30.3%
38.4%
46.7%
27.0%
31.2%
36.7%
23.8%
5.7%
22.6%
9.3%
11.2%
9.8%
43.3%
2.7%
34.9%
5.0%
39.6%27.3%
50.5%
12.8%
58.4%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
First Final First Final First Final First Final First Final
Below Near At/Above
Primarily English‐Speaking ChildrenEnglish Assessment
79.5%
30.8%
80.2%
28.0%
76.6%
31.7%
91.1%
35.8%
81.0%
36.4%
18.0%
51.9%
17.4%
39.8%
19.5%
26.7%
4.1%
22.5%
12.7%
11.9%
2.5%17.3%
2.5%
32.3%
3.9%
41.6%
4.8%
41.7%
6.3%
51.7%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
First Final First Final First Final First Final First Final
Below Near At/Above
Primarily Spanish‐Speaking ChildrenEnglish Assessment
Benchmark
Picture Naming Benchmark
Rhyming Benchmark
Alliteration Benchmark
Letter Naming Benchmark
Letter Sounds
Benchmark
Picture Naming Benchmark
Rhyming Benchmark
Alliteration Benchmark
Letter Naming Benchmark
Letter Sounds
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148 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Santa Cruz Reading Corps
The Santa Cruz Reading Corps (SCRC) places one AmeriCorps volunteer (called a Preschool Literacy
Tutor) in each State Preschool classroom at both the Pajaro Valley Unified School District and Live
Oak School District. The goal of this program is to develop children’s early literacy skills in English in
preparation for kindergarten. The Preschool Literacy Tutors are trained in research‐based strategies
following the SEEDS of Early Literacy curriculum, collaborate with the classroom teaching staff to
enhance daily literacy opportunities, and conduct literacy assessments to provide individualized
support to help children in Santa Cruz County become successful readers by 3rd grade. During this
pilot year of the SCRC, 12 Preschool Literacy Tutors were trained and placed in 23 classrooms.
Like the SEEDS Plus program, Preschool Literacy Tutors were trained in the use of Response to
Interventions (RtI) strategies as a way to provide children with tailored literacy support. 20 Preschool
Literacy Tutors assessed children’s pre‐literacy skills in the three areas measured by the Individual
Growth and Development Indicators (IGDI’s) assessment tool (Picture Naming, Rhyming, Alliteration),
and also in the two skill areas of Letter Naming and Letter Sounds.
During the analysis of these assessments, there were three particular areas of interest:
Impact of Reading Corps on all children in the classroom. There was interest in looking at
the performance of all children in classrooms that had a Preschool Literacy Tutor (“Entire
Classroom”), as well as the children who received tailored literacy‐based intervention
strategies from these tutors (“Tutored” Children).
Influence of Primary Language. As the majority of preschool students were dual language
learners, many children were assessed in both English and Spanish. In 2012‐13, there was an
emphasis in all “SEEDS” classrooms on developing and improving children’s vocabulary skills
in English. Children whose primary language was Spanish were assessed using the IGDI’s tool
in both English and Spanish. Once children demonstrated proficiency in their scores on the
English‐language assessments, they did not continue taking the Spanish‐language
assessments.
Focus on English skills. Because of the emphasis on developing and improving children’s
vocabulary skills in English, there was particular interest in analyzing the amount of
improvement that children made in their English abilities.
20 Children who received tailored literacy‐based intervention strategies received more frequent monitoring. In addition to the three benchmark IGDI’s assessments, these children took two additional assessments between the 1
st and 2
nd benchmark assessments (called
Progress Monitorings 1 and 2), and then two more assessments between the 2nd and 3
rd benchmark assessments (called Progress
Monitorings 3 and 4). If a child demonstrated sufficient improvement by the 2nd benchmark assessment, the intervention was ended
with that child and was begun with another child who was not on target with early reading predictors at that time. This new child then received two additional assessments between the 2
nd and 3
rd benchmark assessments (Progress Monitorings 3 and 4). Consequently,
every child who received an intervention was monitored at least two additional times with the Progress Monitoring assessments.
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Results
When looking at the percentage of children who were meeting targets for later reading success
(scoring “At” or “Above” target level), results showed that:
On average, both Tutored Children and the Entire Classroom improved in all five pre‐literacy
skill areas—in English—between their first (October) and final (May) benchmark
assessments, no matter what their primary language was.
o On average, a higher percentage of the Entire Classroom were meeting targets for later
reading success than Tutored Children, which makes sense considering that the Tutored
Children were selected based on their lower pre‐literacy skills.
o When examining children in English, English‐speaking children in the Entire Classroom
made the greatest improvements in Letter Sounds, Picture Naming, and Alliteration.
o When examining children in English, Spanish‐speaking children in the Entire Classroom
made the greatest improvements in Letter Sounds, Letter Naming, and Alliteration.
In the Entire Classroom, Spanish‐speaking children particularly demonstrated improvement
in their English language skills.
o When assessed in English, Spanish‐speaking children started with a lower skill level than
English‐speaking children, but by their last assessment they had made a slightly greater
amount of improvement in Letter Naming, and nearly equaled the English‐speaking
children’s amount of improvement in Letter Sounds, Rhyming, and Alliteration.
Although these improvement results are greatly encouraging, it is important to note that
there are still some areas where only a small percentage of children are meeting targets for
later reading success. In particular, more work needs to be done to help Spanish‐speaking
children increase their English vocabulary (Picture Naming).
One Preschool Literacy Tutor’s Story
“Each day I spend extra time with five students who need additional support in their language skills, letter identification, matching and other essential literacy skills. Many of these students who would initially stare at me with blank expressions have built up their English comprehension skills and are able to hold conversations with their peers and myself.
Other students started the school year not knowing how to write the first letter in their name or recite the alphabet. This is no longer the case as I am proud to say that almost all of my students can write their full first name. They can also be found singing the alphabet and rhyming songs from memory on the playground.
I am confident that by the end of the school year in May, every one of my students will have the skills needed to be ready for kindergarten. The resiliency and strength of these students has helped me realize how essential it is to invest in these children’s education now, as it will build a strong foundation for the rest of their lives.”
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL ‐ EARLY LITERACY FOUNDATIONS INITIATIVE
150 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Figure 89: Reading Corps Classrooms: Percentage of Children At/Above Targets for Later Reading Success, in English (2012-2013)
Entire Classroom English Assessment
“Tutored” Children* English Assessment
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County Early Literacy Foundations program records, Reading Corps Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDI’s)
Assessment Tool, 2012‐2013.
Note: Children who completed at least (any) two benchmark assessments within a pre‐literacy skill area were included in the analysis of that skill.
* “Tutored” Children = Children who received tailored literacy‐based intervention strategies from the Preschool Literacy Tutors.
N: (Entire Classroom) English N= Fall: Picture Naming (140), Rhyming (97), Alliteration (81), Letter Naming (116), Letter Sounds (117). N= Winter: Picture Naming (154), Rhyming (140), Alliteration (128), Letter Naming (120), Letter Sounds (114). N= Spring: Picture Naming (152), Rhyming (138), Alliteration (126), Letter Naming (122), Letter Sounds (119). Spanish N= Fall: Picture Naming (248), Rhyming (198), Alliteration (204), Letter Naming (228), Letter Sounds (224). N= Winter: Picture Naming (290), Rhyming (244), Alliteration (235), Letter Naming (217), Letter Sounds (211). N= Spring: Picture Naming (281), Rhyming (245), Alliteration (238), Letter Naming (230), Letter Sounds (230).
N: (“Tutored” Children) English N= Fall: Picture Naming (18), Rhyming (10), Alliteration (7), Letter Naming (13), Letter Sounds (13). N= Winter: Picture Naming (19), Rhyming (15), Alliteration (13), Letter Naming (16), Letter Sounds (14). N= Spring: Picture Naming (19), Rhyming (15), Alliteration (13), Letter Naming (15), Letter Sounds (15). Spanish N= Fall: Picture Naming (102), Rhyming (77), Alliteration (75), Letter Naming (90), Letter Sounds (91). N= Winter: Picture Naming (109), Rhyming (87), Alliteration (79), Letter Naming (95), Letter Sounds (93). N= Spring: Picture Naming (106), Rhyming (90), Alliteration (84), Letter Naming (92), Letter Sounds (92).
13.6%7.2% 6.2%
24.1%13.7%
2.8% 2.0% 2.9% 4.8% 6.3%
32.5%
19.3% 16.4%
38.3% 36.0%
7.9% 11.1%
20.0% 20.7%28.9%
51.3%
35.5%43.7%
54.9% 58.8%
21.4%
30.2%35.7%
41.7%51.3%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
PictureNaming
Rhyming Alliteration LetterNaming
LetterSounds
PictureNaming
Rhyming Alliteration LetterNaming
LetterSounds
1st Benchmark (Oct.) 2nd Benchmark (Feb.) 3rd Benchmark (May)
5.6% 1.3% 2.2% 2.2%
15.8% 13.3% 18.8%7.1% 1.8% 8.0%
16.5% 17.9% 17.2%
36.8%
6.7%
38.5%
20.0%26.7%
14.2%25.6% 22.6%
38.0% 39.1%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
PictureNaming
Rhyming Alliteration LetterNaming
LetterSounds
PictureNaming
Rhyming Alliteration LetterNaming
LetterSounds
1st Benchmark (Oct.) 2nd Benchmark (Feb.) 3rd Benchmark (May)
Primarily Spanish‐Speaking Children
Primarily English‐Speaking Children
Primarily English‐Speaking Children
Primarily Spanish‐Speaking Children
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL ‐ EARLY LITERACY FOUNDATIONS INITIATIVE
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 151
Figure 90: Reading Corps Classrooms: Amount of Increase in the Percentage of Children At/Above Targets for Later Reading Success, in English, Entire Classroom (2012-2013)
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County Early Literacy Foundations program records, Reading Corps Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDI’s)
Assessment Tool, 2012‐2013.
Note: Children who completed at least (any) two benchmark assessments within a pre‐literacy skill area were included in the analysis of that skill.
N: English N= Fall: Picture Naming (140), Rhyming (97), Alliteration (81), Letter Naming (116), Letter Sounds (117). N= Winter: Picture Naming (154), Rhyming (140), Alliteration (128), Letter Naming (120), Letter Sounds (114). N= Spring: Picture Naming (152), Rhyming (138), Alliteration (126), Letter Naming (122), Letter Sounds (119). Spanish N= Fall: Picture Naming (248), Rhyming (198), Alliteration (204), Letter Naming (228), Letter Sounds (224). N= Winter: Picture Naming (290), Rhyming (244), Alliteration (235), Letter Naming (217), Letter Sounds (211). N= Spring: Picture Naming (281), Rhyming (245), Alliteration (238), Letter Naming (230), Letter Sounds (230).
Other Outcomes: Children will increase their skills in research-based predictors for reading success
The SEEDS of Early Literacy has shown us that teachers of diverse educational backgrounds can be
trained to implement strategies to help children build a strong language and literacy foundation.
First 5 partnered with SEEDS state‐subsidized classrooms and found that, indeed, teachers have had
a positive effect on children’s language and literacy development.
Participating classrooms assessed children three times throughout the year; once in the fall (October),
winter (February), and spring (May). Teachers used the Individual Growth and Development Indicators
(IGDI’s) assessment tool to measure changes in three areas of early reading predictors (Picture
Naming, Rhyming, Alliteration), and also in the two skill areas of Letter Naming and Letter Sounds.
As the majority of students were dual language learners, many children were assessed in both English
and Spanish. In 2012‐13, there was an emphasis in all “SEEDS” classrooms on developing and improving
children’s vocabulary skills in English. Children whose primary language was Spanish were assessed using
the IGDI’s tool in both English and Spanish. Once children demonstrated proficiency in their scores on the
English‐language assessments, they did not continue taking the Spanish‐language assessments.
Results Because of the number of English‐language learners in these classrooms, there was interest in
focusing on the early literacy skills of children when assessed in their primary language. When
looking at the percentage of children who were proficient in the five pre‐literacy skill areas (scoring
“At” or “Above” target level), results showed that:
On average, children improved in all five pre‐literacy skill areas between their first (October)
and final (May) benchmark assessments.
37.7%28.3%
37.5%30.8%
45.1%
18.6%28.2% 32.8% 36.9%
45.0%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
PictureNaming
Rhyming Alliteration LetterNaming
LetterSounds
PictureNaming
Rhyming Alliteration LetterNaming
LetterSounds
Primarily English‐Speaking Children
Primarily Spanish‐Speaking Children
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL ‐ EARLY LITERACY FOUNDATIONS INITIATIVE
152 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
o When examining children in their primary language, English‐speaking children made the
greatest improvements in Letter Sounds and Alliteration.
o When examining children in their primary language, Spanish‐speaking children made the
greatest improvements in Alliteration and Rhyming (they were not assessed in the Letter
Naming or Letter Sounds skill areas).
By the final benchmark, Spanish‐speaking children demonstrated improvement in their
English language skills. When assessed in English, Spanish‐speaking children started with a
lower skill level than English‐speaking children, but by their last assessment they had made a
greater amount of improvement in Letter Sounds and Letter Naming, and equaled the
English‐speaking children’s amount of improvement in Rhyming and Alliteration.
Although these improvement results are greatly encouraging, it is important to note that
there are still some areas where only a small percentage of children are meeting targets for
later reading success. In particular, more work needs to be done to help Spanish‐speaking
children increase their English vocabulary (Picture Naming).
Figure 91: Percentage of Children At/Above Targets for Later Reading Success, by Primary Language (2012-2013)
Primarily English‐Speaking Children
Primarily Spanish‐Speaking Children
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County Early Literacy Foundations program records, Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDI’s) Assessment Tool, 2012‐2013. Children who completed at least (any) two benchmark assessments within a pre‐literacy skill area were included in the analysis of that skill.
* No Spanish assessments were analyzed in these two literacy skill areas, as they were not a requirement of these classrooms’ programs. N: See Ns for the following figure.
9.9% 6.9% 8.3%
22.1%15.1%
26.3%20.2% 19.9%
35.5% 34.6%36.6% 34.1%42.0%
48.8% 50.0%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Picture Naming Rhyming Alliteration Letter Naming Letter Sounds
1st Benchmark (Oct.) 2nd Benchmark (Feb.) 3rd Benchmark (May)
7.8% 13.4% 17.1%
2.8% 2.0% 2.9% 4.8% 6.2%
21.7%
37.2%
49.1%
7.9% 11.4%
20.0% 20.5%28.8%
37.3%
56.5%
75.2%
21.3%30.1%
35.7%41.4%
51.1%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
PictureNaming
Rhyming Alliteration LetterNaming*
LetterSounds*
PictureNaming
Rhyming Alliteration LetterNaming
LetterSounds
1st Benchmark (Oct.) 2nd Benchmark (Feb.) 3rd Benchmark (May)
English Assessment
English AssessmentSpanish Assessment
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL ‐ EARLY LITERACY FOUNDATIONS INITIATIVE
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 153
Figure 92: Amount of Increase in the Percentage of Children At/Above Targets for Later Reading Success, by Primary Language (2012-2013)
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County Early Literacy Foundations program records, Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDI’s) Assessment
Tool, 2012‐2013. Note: Children who completed at least (any) two benchmark assessments within a pre‐literacy skill area were included in the analysis of that skill. * No Spanish assessments were analyzed in these two literacy skill areas, as they were not a requirement of these classrooms’ programs. English N= Fall: Picture Naming (223), Rhyming (159), Alliteration (144), Letter Naming (190), Letter Sounds (179). N= Winter: Picture Naming (240),
Rhyming (208), Alliteration (201), Letter Naming (200), Letter Sounds (182). N= Spring: Picture Naming (235), Rhyming (208), Alliteration (200), Letter Naming (201), Letter Sounds (186). Spanish/Spanish N= Fall: Picture Naming (180), Rhyming (134), Alliteration (129). N= Winter: Picture Naming (198), Rhyming (156), Alliteration (161). N= Spring: Picture Naming (169), Rhyming (154), Alliteration (153). Spanish/English N= Fall: Picture Naming (248), Rhyming (198), Alliteration (204), Letter Naming (229), Letter Sounds (225). N= Winter: Picture Naming (291), Rhyming (245), Alliteration (235), Letter Naming (219), Letter Sounds (212). N= Spring: Picture Naming (282), Rhyming (246), Alliteration (238), Letter Naming (232), Letter Sounds (231).
An analysis of the percentage of children who scored at each of the target levels (Below, Near,
At/Above), at both the first (October) and final (May) benchmark assessments, shows these results
in more detail. Because of the emphasis on developing and improving children’s vocabulary skills in
English, there was particular interest in analyzing the amount of improvement that children made in
their English abilities, which is highlighted in the following charts.
Figure 93: Percentage of Children at Each Target Level in Five Pre-Literacy Skill Areas, in English (2012-2013)
26.7% 27.2%33.7%
26.7%34.9%
29.5%
43.1%
58.1%
18.5%
28.1%32.8%
36.6%
44.9%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
56.1%
23.0%
74.2%
34.6%
66.7%
38.0%
66.8%
35.8%
77.1%
40.3%
34.1%
40.4%
18.9%
31.3%
25.0%
20.0%
11.1%
15.4%
7.8%
9.7%
9.9%
36.6%
6.9%
34.1%
8.3%
42.0%
22.1%
48.8%
15.1%
50.0%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
First Final First Final First Final First Final First Final
Below Near At/Above
Primarily English‐Speaking ChildrenEnglish Assessment
Primarily English‐Speaking Children
English Assessment
Primarily Spanish‐Speaking Children
Spanish Assessment English Assessment
Benchmark
Picture Naming Benchmark
Rhyming Benchmark
Alliteration Benchmark
Letter Naming Benchmark
Letter Sounds
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL ‐ EARLY LITERACY FOUNDATIONS INITIATIVE
154 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County Early Literacy Foundations program records, Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDI’s) Assessment
Tool, 2012‐2013.
Note: Children who completed at least (any) two benchmark assessments within a pre‐literacy skill area were included in the analysis of that skill.
* No Spanish assessments were analyzed in these two literacy skill areas, as they were not a requirement of these classrooms’ programs.
English N= Fall: Picture Naming (223), Rhyming (159), Alliteration (144), Letter Naming (190), Letter Sounds (179). N= Winter: Picture Naming (240), Rhyming (208), Alliteration (201), Letter Naming (200), Letter Sounds (182). N= Spring: Picture Naming (235), Rhyming (208), Alliteration (200), Letter Naming (201), Letter Sounds (186). Spanish/Spanish N= Fall: Picture Naming (180), Rhyming (134), Alliteration (129). N= Winter: Picture Naming (198), Rhyming (156), Alliteration (161). N= Spring: Picture Naming (169), Rhyming (154), Alliteration (153). Spanish/English N= Fall: Picture Naming (248), Rhyming (198), Alliteration (204), Letter Naming (229), Letter Sounds (225). N= Winter: Picture Naming (291), Rhyming (245), Alliteration (235), Letter Naming (219), Letter Sounds (212). N= Spring: Picture Naming (282), Rhyming (246), Alliteration (238), Letter Naming (232), Letter Sounds (231).
Santa Cruz Public Libraries – Read to Me Program
The Santa Cruz Public Libraries (SCPL) “Read to Me” program provides Read to Me Resource Kits for
parents and early childhood educators via library circulation to engage children and families in early
literacy activities. Geared for children 0‐5 years old, the kit is a blue canvas bag full of books and
activities, which can be checked out for four weeks. Each kit contains around 10 books, plus several of
the following items: felt stories, puppets, music cassettes (or CDs), and book on cassettes (or CDs).
In 2012‐13, funding was used to purchase materials for Read to Me Resource kits and for the new “Let’s
Play” science and math kits. “Let’s Play” kits are made for adults to use with their children ages 3‐8 years
old, either in child care settings or individual homes. However, all the kits use materials that parents and
caregivers can use with children of any age.
81.9%
32.6%
84.8%
33.3%
81.9%
37.4%
91.7%
39.7%
83.6%
33.3%
15.3%
46.1%
13.1%
36.6%
15.2%
26.9%
3.5%
19.0%
10.2%
15.6%
2.8%
21.3%
2.0%
30.1%
2.9%
35.7%
4.8%
41.4%
6.2%
51.1%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
First Final First Final First Final First Final First Final
Below Near At/Above
Primarily Spanish‐Speaking ChildrenEnglish Assessment
Benchmark
Picture Naming Benchmark
Rhyming Benchmark
Alliteration Benchmark
Letter Naming Benchmark
Letter Sounds
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL ‐ RAISING A READER
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 155
Raising A Reader
Program Description
Raising A Reader (RAR) fosters healthy brain development, supports parent‐child bonding, and
motivates families to read aloud with their children which helps develop the early literacy skills that
are critical for school success. Raising A Reader (RAR) began operation in Watsonville during the last
quarter of the 2005‐06 funding cycle. The program provides a way for children and their parents or
caregivers to participate in a weekly rotating
book bag program through early care and
education settings.
On a weekly basis, participating RAR
classrooms and family child care homes
provide children with bags that are filled with
various award‐winning books, which they
borrow and bring home to their parents. RAR
provides training and information to parents
and caregivers on how to effectively share
these books with their children at home, to
help develop their children’s early literacy
skills. RAR also connects families with their
local public library, and at the end of the
program children are given a book bag of their own as a way to encourage families to continue the
practice of borrowing and reading books together.
Population Served
New Existing
2012‐13Total
Children 3,615 1,055 4,670
Source: SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013.
Note: “New” children are those who began participating in Raising A Reader for the first time during this fiscal year. “Existing” children are those who began participating in Raising A Reader before this fiscal year, and continued their participation during this fiscal year.
Outcome Objective: Raising A Reader will support 210 sites
Periodically, Raising A Reader staff visit participating child care sites to monitor how well the
program is operating, and provide refresher books or trainings as needed. Indeed, as more and
more sites in the county have implemented RAR over the years, the objectives of RAR has shifted
from adding new sites to maintaining and supporting the existing ones.
“PVUSD Raising A Reader is most proud of the success in this community reaching out to families and providing access to books for young children.
Parents, teachers, providers, children, and librarians all over Santa Cruz and parts of Monterey sing praises of PVUSD Raising A Reader and give stories of how this program has touched their lives or benefited the community in some way.
Children are reaching for books, re-telling their favorite stories, and cuddling in the laps of a family member. Thank you for providing book access to those who need it the most.”
- Raising A Reader, Annual Progress Report
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL ‐ RAISING A READER
156 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
The following results show the number of sites that have been supported during the past year.
Some sites may be listed more than once if they required additional assistance throughout the year.
Type of Site
Number of Site Visits* 2012‐13
Total New Existing
Family Child Care Home 21 166 187
Preschool/Child Care Center 6 106 112
Total 27 272 299
Source: Raising A Reader/First 5 Santa Cruz County, 2012‐2013.
Note: The actual number of classrooms participating in Raising A Reader is likely to be higher than the total number of sites, as one site may include more than one classroom.
*Some sites may be visited more than once.
Outcome Objective: Parents will spend time reading or sharing books with their child
For the past several years, Raising A Reader distributed a Parent Retrospective Survey to the parents
participating in the program, which asked parents to report how often they performed certain
activities with their children before and after their participation in the RAR program. In 2012‐13, no
new survey was distributed, but instead a cumulative analysis of data from the previous four years
was performed (2009‐2012).
Results for the analysis of the last four years combined indicate that after participating in the RAR
program, almost twice as many parents read with their children three or more times per week,
compared to before they participated in RAR.
2009‐2012
BEFORE PARTICIPATING IN RAR PROGRAM
AFTER PARTICIPATING IN RAR PROGRAM
Percentage of parents who report reading with their child 3 or more times per week.
48% 88%
Source: Raising A Reader, Parent Retrospective Survey, 2012‐2013.
N: Client numbers were not reported for this cumulative analysis.
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL ‐ SUMMER PRE‐K ACADEMY
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 157
Summer Pre-K Academy
Program Description
Migrant Education implements a four‐week summer academy for children about to enter
kindergarten at seven Pajaro Valley Unified School District (PVUSD) elementary schools. The
program is for children who do not qualify for Migrant Education and who have little or no
preschool experience. The academy is geared toward exposing children to early literacy concepts
and kindergarten routines in a safe learning environment that helps to support children’s emotional
and social well‐being and build bonds with other children to ease later adjustments.
Population Served
2012‐2013
Children 116
Source: SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013.
Outcome Objective: Children will increase their recognition of letter sounds
Program Objectives
2012‐2013
All Children
Children attending at least
14 sessions
75% of participants who completed both the pre and post survey will increase their letter sound recognition by 5 letter sounds using the cognate alphabet in the child’s home language.
86.3%
N=102
87.4%
N=95
Source: Migrant Education – Summer Pre‐K Academy, Migrant Education Even Start (MEES) Pre‐K Letter Sound Identification tool, 2013.
As seen in the following figures, students who participated in the Summer Pre‐K Academy made
tremendous gains in early literacy skills that are essential in kindergarten. On average, students
learned to recognize 15 new letter sounds after participating in this brief, yet focused program.
“One of the teachers shared the experience of one particular child that had never been to preschool and was very quiet and timid at the beginning of the program; he did not interact with any other students and did not participate in circle time activities.
By the end of the four week program this child had learned most of the letter sounds, he had learned how to count to 20, he learned the colors and geometric figures, and he had learned how to participate and interact with the other children. The Summer Pre-K Academy helped this child, and many like him, become confident and ready for success in kinder and beyond.”
- Migrant Education, Annual Progress Report
PARTNER PROFILES FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL ‐ SUMMER PRE‐K ACADEMY
158 FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Figure 94: Summer Pre-K Academy Letter Sound Recognition Results (2013)
Percentage of Students who Increased Their Letter Sound Recognition By At Least 5 Letter Sounds
Average Number of Letter Sounds Recognized at Pre and Post Assessment
Source: Migrant Education – Summer Pre‐K Academy, Migrant Education Even Start (MEES) Pre‐K Letter Sound Identification tool, 2013. N: (All Students) N=102. (14 or more sessions Students) N=95.
Results from past years show a consistent pattern of learning, with 71%‐93% of students increasing
their letter sound recognition by at least 5 letter sounds. Over the years, students have increased
their recognition of letter sounds by an average of 9 to 16 letter sounds.
Figure 95: Percentage of Summer Pre-K Academy Students who Increased Their Letter Sound Recognition By At Least 5 Letter Sounds
Figure 96: Average Increase in the Number of Letter Sounds Recognized by Summer Pre-K Academy Students
Source: Migrant Education – Summer Pre‐K Academy, Migrant Education Even Start (MEES) Pre‐K Letter Sound Identification tool, 2007 ‐ 2013.
Note: Between 2006 and 2009, the Summer Pre‐K Academy was a 5‐week program. Beginning in 2010, it became a 4‐week program. Data for all years have been updated to reflect just the PVUSD school sites in Santa Cruz County, and exclude the two PVUSD sites in Monterey County.
N: (All Students) 2007=69, 2008=46, 2009=82, 2010=45, 2011=75, 2012=79, 2013=102. (14 or more sessions Students) 2009=65, 2010=31, 2011=67, 2012=72, 2013=95; no data for this population are available for 2007 and 2008.
86.3% 87.4%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
All Students
Students who attended at least 14 sessions
2.7 2.8
17.5 17.8
0
5
10
15
20
All Students Students who attended atleast 14 sessions
Pre Post
84.1%76.1%
81.7%
71.1%
90.7%82.3% 86.3%
78.5% 80.6%
92.5% 87.5% 87.4%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
All Students Students who attended at least 14 sessions
14.2 13.3 13.1
9.4
16.3 15.714.713.7
10.8
16.0 16.415.0
0
4
8
12
16
20
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
All Students Students who attended at least 14 sessions
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT PARTNER PROFILES CHILDREN LEARNING AND READY FOR SCHOOL ‐ CHILD SNAPSHOT
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 159
Transition to Kindergarten
Child Snapshot
Program Description
First 5 Santa Cruz County continued to support the use of the Child Snapshot as a vehicle for
communication among kindergarten, preschool and family child care teachers about children who
are transitioning from preschool to kindergarten. The Child Snapshot, developed in partnership
between kindergarten teachers and early childhood educators, is a three‐page form completed by
both the parent and the preschool teacher in the spring prior to kindergarten. The Snapshot
includes brief information about the child’s interests and abilities, language and developmental
concerns, preschool experience, and developmental information. Over the last few years the form
has been expanded to include additional information from parents such as family activities and
community supports for parents. A measurement of kindergarten readiness is also included at the
end of the Child Snapshot, using either the Desired Results Developmental Profile ‐ Revised,
Preschool (DRDP‐PS) or the Pre‐Kindergarten Observation Form (P‐KOF), depending upon the type of
preschool that children attended.
First 5 collects and delivers the completed Snapshots to the schools the children will be attending, at
which point they are routed to each child’s kindergarten teacher. The Child Snapshot supports
children’s transition to kindergarten by involving parents in the process and providing important
information that helps kindergarten teachers prepare for their incoming students.
Population Served
2012‐2013
Children 906
Source: SUN database/CCD data for July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013.
Information from the Child Snapshots provided the following portrait of children about to enter
kindergarten:
In Spring 2013, a total of 906 preschool children had Child Snapshots completed—453 boys
(51%) and 434 girls (49%) (19 students were missing data on gender).
These children were drawn from 40 preschool programs throughout Santa Cruz County and
their Child Snapshot forms were shared with kindergarten teachers at 53 elementary schools
in Santa Cruz County and surrounding areas.
The majority of children with Child Snapshots were Hispanic (76%), and 17% were Caucasian.
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A slight majority of children with Child Snapshots spoke English as their primary language
(54%), followed closely by Spanish (43%).
A small percentage of parents and early educators reported that their children had various
health and academic challenges.
The majority of preschool children had received medical, dental, vision, and hearing
assessments in the past year, and 28% had received a developmental assessment.
Figure 97: Number of Child Snapshot Forms Collected from Participating Preschool Programs
Source: (2007‐2010) Applied Survey Research, Child Snapshot Log; (2011‐2012) Applied Survey Research, Portrait of School Readiness: Transition to Kindergarten—Child Snapshot; (2013) Applied Survey Research, Child Snapshot data report.
Figure 98: Demographics of Children with Child Snapshots
Ethnicity
Source: Applied Survey Research, Child Snapshot data report, 2013.
N = 865.
Primary Language
Applied Survey Research, Child Snapshot data report, 2013.
N = 883.
393
889
617
832
976 942906
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
76.0%
16.6%
7.4%
Latino
Caucasian
Other54.4%
42.6%
1.8% 1.2%
English
Spanish
Bilingual (English/Spanish)
Other
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Figure 99: Percentage of Children With These Health and Academic Issues
Source: Applied Survey Research, Child Snapshot data report, 2013.
* As described by child’s Early Educator.
**” Regularly” = more than twice a month but less than once a week; “Frequently” = at least one day per week.
*** IEP= Individualized Education Program; IFSP= Individualized Family Service Plan.
N: (Health problems)=848; (Language Progress)=865; (Absent)=864; (IEP/IFSP)=840; (Diagnosed need)=860.
Figure 100: Percentage of Children Who Received Health or Developmental Assessments in the Past Year
Source: Applied Survey Research, Child Snapshot data report, 2013.
N: (Medical)=885; (Dental)=885; (Vision)=885; (Hearing)=885; (Developmental)=883.
Relationship Between Family Activities and Children’s School Readiness
In 2012‐13, a new analysis was performed to determine if any of the family activities noted in the
Child Snapshot were correlated with children’s school readiness skills, as measured by the DRDP‐PS.
The DRDP‐PS assesses children’s school readiness skills in four domains: 1) Self‐Care & Motor Skills,
2) Self‐Regulation Skills, 3) Social Expression Skills, and 4) Kindergarten Academics. Two separate
statistical analyses were conducted:
Correlation analyses were performed between parents’ frequency of engaging in an activity
and their children’s school readiness skills, and
Group comparisons were performed between parents who participated in a certain family
activity during a typical week, and those who did not engage in that activity, to see if there
were differences in their children’s school readiness skills.
11.7%7.2% 6.7% 6.1% 4.0%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Has Health Problems Child's Progress inPrimary Language is
"Delayed" *
Is "Regularly" or"Frequently" Absent**
Has an IEP or IFSP*** Has a Diagnosed SpecialNeed, Disability, orHealth Concern
86.3% 83.1%72.2% 68.6%
28.4%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Medical Dental Vision Hearing Developmental
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Results from these two analyses revealed some statistically significant relationships between certain
family activities and school readiness outcomes.
Figure 101: The Impact of Family Activities on School Readiness
Kindergarten Academics
Family activities associated with greater readiness in the area of Kindergarten
Academics included:
Parents sang and told stories with children more times per week (N=376, r=.11, p<.05).
Parents reported eating family meals together more times per week (N=375, r=.11, p<.05).
Families visited the library (N=383, p<.05).
Self‐Care & Motor Skills
Family factors associated with greater readiness in the area of Self‐Care & Motor
Skills included:
Families drew, colored, painted, played with games and puzzles (N=385, p<.05).
Source: Applied Survey Research, Child Snapshot data report, 2013.
Helping Kindergarten Teachers Get Prepared
Child Snapshot Kindergarten Teacher Survey
In order to help collect data on how useful the Child Snapshots were in assisting with the
communication of information between early childhood educators and kindergarten teachers, a
new survey was conducted in January 2013 that asked kindergarten teachers for their feedback on
how they used the Child Snapshots that they received at the beginning of the 2012‐13 school year.
This confidential online survey21 was distributed to almost all kindergarten teachers and elementary
school principals at school sites that received Child Snapshots in 2012, asking each teacher if they’d
received any Child Snapshots, how they used these Child Snapshots, and whether and how they
were useful. Key results from this survey are provided below, which demonstrate the achievements
being made to bridge children’s transition to kindergarten.
21 See Appendix C for a description of this Child Snapshot Kindergarten Teacher Survey.
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Survey Population
41 kindergarten teachers and 6 principals from 28 elementary schools completed the survey.
On average, there were 4 kindergarten classrooms in each elementary school.
37 respondents said they’d received Child Snapshots, and on average, these respondents said
they’d received Child Snapshots for 10 incoming kindergarteners.
Survey Results
Results from the Child Snapshot Kindergarten Teacher Survey indicated that 92% of kindergarten
teachers used them in some way to assist with their incoming students’ transition to kindergarten.
The Child Snapshot helped kindergarten teachers with three key transition elements:
Communication with parents.
o As noted previously, preschool and family child care teachers reviewed the Child Snapshot
together with parents as a way to review their children’s strengths and challenges.
o This exchange with the parents continued even after the Child Snapshot had been shared
with kindergarten teachers. Almost 22% of kindergarten teachers indicated that they used
the Child Snapshot to communicate with parents.
Preparation for the incoming students.
The information provided in the Child Snapshots helped Kindergarten teachers familiarize
themselves with each new student, which helped with welcoming the child and being
prepared for their individual needs from the very first day of the school year.
o Information from the Child Snapshot was used in many ways, including when concerns
arose (54%), to make decisions about groups within the classroom (41%), to communicate
with parents (22%), to tailor instruction (16%), to contact child’s former preschool teacher
(16%), to understand the child better (14%), and to form classes (8%).
o Almost 89% of Kindergarten teachers found the photograph of the child helpful, noting
that it helped them: recognize the children with they first met (46%), remember if the
child had attended the kindergarten registration event (15%), memorize the child’s name
(15%), remember key details about the child (15%), and gauge the child’s physical
development (8%).
o When asked if the summary of the child’s social and academic readiness skills was useful
(the DRDP‐PS or P‐KOF results), 50% of respondents said that they were “very useful” or
“extremely useful.”
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Formation of balanced kindergarten classes.
o Many schools used the Child Snapshots to help form balanced classrooms. When asked
specifically if the Child Snapshots were used to help form their kindergarten classrooms
that year, almost 36% of teachers said “yes” or “somewhat.”
o Several of the kindergarten teachers mentioned that they received the Child Snapshots
after classrooms had already been formed, and asked to receive them earlier to help with
this process.
Figure 102: Responses to Key Questions from the Child Snapshot Kindergarten Teacher Survey
How did you use the information in the Child Snapshot? (Percentage of kindergarten teachers who chose each answer)
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County, Child Snapshot Kindergarten Teacher Survey, 2013.
N = 37 respondents with 68 responses.
How useful was the summary of the child’s social and academic readiness skills on the last page of the Child Snapshot? (Number of kindergarten teachers who chose each rating)
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County, Child Snapshot Kindergarten Teacher Survey, 2013.
N = 36.
Did your school use these Child Snapshots to help form this year’s kindergarten classrooms?
Source: First 5 Santa Cruz County, Child Snapshot Kindergarten Teacher Survey, 2013
N = 31.
54.1%
40.5%
21.6%16.2% 16.2%
13.5%8.1% 8.1% 5.4%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Put into file andused when
concerns arose
To makedecisions aboutgroups withinthe classroom
Tocommunicatewith parents
To tailor myinstruction
Used to contactchild's formerpreschoolteacher
To understandthe child better
To form classes Never used Not applicableto me
2
6
10
14
4
02468
101214
Not at all useful(1)
Slightly useful(2)
Moderately useful(3)
Very useful(4)
Extremely useful(5)
12.9%
22.6%
64.5%
Yes
Somewhat
No
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Transition to Kindergarten Workshops
Program Description
Transition to Kindergarten Workshops are offered to families in preschool settings from January to
June of each year. These workshops inform parents about kindergarten registration requirements,
choices of language programs, how to support their child in school, and ways to ensure that their
child’s entry into school is a pleasant and smooth transition.
Families participated in workshops at 15 State and Federally funded Preschool sites throughout the
county.
Population Served
2012‐2013
Parents/Guardians 301
Source: Transition to School – Workshop Schedule and Participant Data, 2012‐2013.
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APPENDICES
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Appendix A: First 5 Santa Cruz County Strategic Framework
The First 5 Santa Cruz County Strategic Plan for 2012‐2015 refines the strategic framework that it
first developed in 2005, and further refined in 2009. The following diagrams illustrate the focus
areas, results, and strategies in which the Commission chose to invest between 2012 and 2015.
Focus Area
Results
Strategies
Increase number of children reaching
developmental milestones
Increase use of preventive health care
Increase insurance coverage
Increase medical /
dental homes
Outreach, enrollment, retention, and utilization through a county‐
led outreach coalition with community‐based CAAs
Coordination through staffing support of Healthy Kids
collaborative
Scholarship support for
Healthy Families premiums
Funding of Healthy Kids premiums
Neurodevelopmental clinic for young
children entering child welfare services
Support for developmental
screening
Focus Area
Results
Strategies
Decrease child abuse and neglect
Improve parent and caregiver practices that support
social/emotional development
Differential response home visiting for families referred to child welfare but not meeting the threshold of abuse and neglect
Implement evidenced‐based public health approach to
parent education and support
Early mental health
consultations
Strong Families
Healthy Children
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Focus Area
Results
Strategies
Increase the quality of early learning
programs
Improve early literacy skills
Family Friendly Integrated Services
Pilot local quality
improvement and rating system
Support summer academy for children
who have not experienced preschool
Implement model
infant/toddler quality site
Implement early literacy professional development strategies
Support transition to kindergarten practices
Focus Area
Strategies Training, shared data, community
events, and capacity‐building projects
Assist with staffing other community events aligned with First 5’s strategic plan
Co‐sponsor (fund) projects or initiatives
that promote integrated services
Children Learning and Ready for School
Expansion of family book
access programs
Increase early literacy and English language
skills in state preschool classrooms
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Appendix B: Race to the Top – Quality Continuum Framework: Hybrid Matrix
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Appendix C: Measurement Tools
The following assessments and measurement tools were used to collect evaluation data during this
funding cycle. They are listed in alphabetical order.
Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ)
The Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ) are used to screen infants and young children for
developmental delays during the crucial first five years of life. Parents complete the 30‐item
age‐appropriate questionnaires at designated intervals, assessing children in their natural
environments to ensure valid results. Each questionnaire covers five key developmental
areas: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, and personal‐social.22
Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd Edition
The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development is a standardized test that was used by
the Neurodevelopmental Clinic (Dominican Interdisciplinary Child Development Program) to
assess children’s developmental skills in the areas of cognition, language, and motor skills.
There are also additional measures of adaptive skills and emotional functioning. The
instrument is used for children from ages 16 days to 42 months. Standard scores have a
mean of 100 and standard deviation of 15.
Child/Home Early Language and Literacy Observation Tool (CHELLO)
Child/Home Early Language and Literacy Observation (CHELLO) is a tool designed to rate the
early literacy environment in home‐based child care settings of children ages birth to 5 years.
The CHELLO was used to develop accurate profiles of materials and practices in family/group
child care settings, improve early childhood educator literacy supports and interactions with
children, and measure changes in the quality of environments over time.
The CHELLO tool was used by the Early Literacy Foundations, and assessed home‐based
classrooms using the Literacy Environment Checklist, and along the three dimensions of the
Group/Family Observation section: Physical Environment for Learning, Support for Learning,
and Adult Teaching Strategies.
Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)
The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach, 1991; 2001) is part of the Achenbach System
of Empirically Based Assessment. The CBCL is a screening tool which is used by parents (and
in mental health settings) to assess behavioral and emotional problems in children and
adolescents (this is only completed if the child is aged 18 months or older).
The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) contains about 100 items that can cluster into several
syndromes, competence scales, and codes from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
22 Brookes Publishing, Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ), http://www.brookespublishing.com/store/books/bricker-asq/, 2007.
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Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM‐IV). Children are ranked according to the severity of
behavior, thus percentile rankings tell us how a child, or group of children, compare to the
general population. Higher percentile rank indicates more problematic behavior. Rankings
falling between the 65th and 70th percentile indicate “Borderline Clinical”; the 70th
percentile rank and above denote the clinical range. Clients who score at or near the clinical
range are more likely to have or develop a clinical diagnosis. Thus, the CBCL serves as an
indicator of clinical risk based on the degree of similarity with other children who have
received (or have not received) a diagnoses. A significant drop in percentile rank indicates a
decrease in clinical risk.
The CBCL has good psychometric properties and has been validated internationally. This tool
is helpful in determining children who might benefit from additional assessment and mental
health services.
Child Snapshot
The Kinder Transition Team Child Snapshot was a strategy within the Transition to School
Plan and was identified by the Transition to School Advisory group in July 2005 as one that
could help support children’s adjustment to kindergarten. The Snapshot is completed by
parents and early care teachers for each child entering kindergarten in the fall, and is
forwarded on to the child’s new kindergarten teacher. The form includes brief (snapshot)
information about the child’s interests and abilities, the child’s health, language or
developmental concerns, preschool experience, and other developmental information. The
form was expanded in 2009‐10 to include additional information such as family activities and
community supports for parents. A measurement of kindergarten readiness is also included
at the end of the Child Snapshot, using either the Desired Results Developmental Profile‐R
Preschool or the Pre‐Kindergarten Observation Form, depending upon the child care site
within Santa Cruz County (both of these assessments are described in this Appendix).
Child Snapshot Kindergarten Teacher Survey
The Child Snapshot Kindergarten Teacher Survey was designed to collect data on how useful
the Child Snapshots were in assisting with the communication of information between early
childhood educators and kindergarten teachers. This new survey was conducted in January
2013, and asked kindergarten teachers for their feedback on how they used the Child
Snapshots that they received at the beginning of the 2012‐13 school year.
This confidential online survey was distributed to almost all kindergarten teachers and
elementary school principals in the County via email. The survey included 22 questions that
asked about their job title and about their elementary school, if they’d received any Child
Snapshots, how they used these Child Snapshots, and whether and how they were useful. It
included 22 questions and took approximately 5‐10 minutes to complete. As an incentive to
participate, respondents were told they could receive a $5 gift card for either Santa Cruz
Coffee Roasting Company or Starbucks if they completed the survey.
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To encourage honest answers to the survey questions, the online survey was administered by
an independent consultant, who explained to the respondents that their participation would
remain anonymous to First, and that all their survey results would be presented to First 5 in a
way that did not identify specific respondents. Respondents who requested the $5 gift card
were assured that First 5 would only see their names and addresses (so that the cards could
be mailed out to them), and that First 5 would not be able to connect their name with their
survey responses.
Classroom Assessment Scoring System™ (CLASS™)
The Classroom Assessment Scoring System™ (CLASS™) is an observational instrument used by
the Quality Early Learning Initiative to assess classroom quality in Pre‐K classrooms. The
CLASS™ instrument measures teacher‐student interactions in a classroom setting and offers
resources for strengthening those interactions across any subject area or age group. It
includes four cycles of 15‐minute observations of teachers and students by a certified
CLASS™ observer. Those observations are then rated using a manual of behaviors and
responses.
Conflict Behavior Questionnaire
The Conflict Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ) was utilized by clients participating in the Teen
variant of Levels 4 and 5 of the Triple P Program. It is a 20‐item true/false scale that assesses
general conflict between parents and their children. The CBQ was completed by both parents
and adolescents, and discriminates between distressed and nondistressed families.
This 20‐item measure contains both “positive” and “negative” statements regarding a child’s
social competence/conflictual behaviors. Items are rated by selecting either a 1 (true) or
2 (false). To obtain an overall measure of social competence, “false” items are recoded to a
value of 1, while “true” responses are recoded to a value of 0. Then all 20 items are summed
to obtain an overall score and measure of conflictual behaviors, with scores ranging from 0
(non‐distressed) to 20 (distressed). A non‐zero score indicates some conflictual behaviors; a
high score indicates a great amount of conflict.
Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21)
The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale – Short Version (DASS‐21) was utilized by
participants in Levels 4 and 5 of the Triple P Program. It is a 21‐item brief version of the
Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (Lovibond & Lovibond in 1995). It is a self‐report measure
used to assess the levels of depression, anxiety, and tension/stress experienced, which was
completed by parents in the program. Respondents indicated how much they felt each of the
21 symptoms during the previous week. The scale is psychometrically sound – it has good
convergent and discriminant validity. It also has high internal consistency in clinical and non‐
clinical samples, and across different ethnic groups.
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Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP)
The Desired Results Development Profile was created as a comprehensive program evaluation
system designed to measure California Department of Education funded child development
program effectiveness. Desired Results reflect the positive effects of the state‐funded child
development system on the development and functioning of children and on the self‐
sufficiency and functioning of families23. The DRDP is an observation‐based assessment and is
organized into several domains, each representing a crucial area of learning and
development. Each domain contains several measures, which focus on a specific competency
within that domain. There are three DRDP assessment instruments: infant/toddler (birth to
36 months), preschool (three years to kindergarten entry), and school‐age (kindergarten
through 12 years); two of these assessments were used by First 5 partners:
a) Desired Results Developmental Profile – Infant/Toddler (2010)
The DRDP – Infant/Toddler (2010) is used for children ages birth to 36 months, and measures
five domains. The Starlight Children’s Center chose to assess the infants and toddlers
participating in their program in two domains, using a total of eight measures. In the Self and
Social Development domain, two measures were used to assess interactions and
relationships with adults. In the Language and Literacy Development domain, six measures
were used to assess language comprehension, communication skills, interest in literacy, and
recognition of symbols.
b) Desired Results Developmental Profile - Revised, Preschool (DRDP-R, PS)
The DRDP – Preschool Version is used for children 3 years of age to kindergarten entry. The
DRDP‐PS has 10 overall indicators, containing 39 measures. This version of the DRDP
instrument was used in conjunction with the Child Snapshot (see Child Snapshot).
Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation Pre-K Tool (ELLCO Pre-K)
The first version of the ELLCO (ELLCO Toolkit) was designed to evaluate the teaching practices
of early childhood educators in the areas of language and literacy, in pre‐kindergarten to
third‐grade classrooms.24 The newest version of the tool (ELLCO Pre‐K) is comparable to the
ELLCO Toolkit, and has been reorganized so that it reduces the bias towards classrooms that
have a lot of resources, and focuses more on the use of materials rather than just their
presence in the preschool classrooms.25
The ELLCO Pre‐K was used by the Early Literacy Foundations to help identify the effectiveness
of classroom teaching on children’s language and literacy development by focusing on five
23 California Department of Education. (2009). Introduction to desired results. Retrieved from http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/desiredresults.asp
24 Education Development Center, Inc., Center for Children and Families, Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation Toolkit, 2002.
25 Review by Maria Cahill (University of Tennessee), of the User’s Guide to the Early Language & Literacy Classroom Observation Pre‐K Tool, Education Book Review website.
FIRST 5 SANTA CRUZ COUNTY 2012‐2013 ANNUAL EVALUATION REPORT APPENDICES
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components: “Classroom Structure,” “Curriculum,” “Language Environment,” “Books and
Book Reading,” and “Print and Early Writing.” Items are scored along a 5 point scale, where 1
is deficient and 5 is exemplary. From this scale, early childhood educators’ classroom scores
can be categorized into three levels of support for language and literacy, indicating their
classroom environment provides either Low‐Quality Support (with means less than or equal
to 2.5), Basic Support (with means between 2.51 and 3.5), or High‐Quality Support (with
means between 3.51 and 5).
Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory Intensity Scale (ECBI)
The Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory Intensity Scale (ECBI; Eyberg & Pincus, 1999) was utilized
by participants in Levels 4 and 5 of the Triple P Program (this was only completed if the
parent had at least one child aged 18 months or older). The ECBI is a 36‐item parent report
measure of behavior problems among children. Parents indicate the frequency of common
behavior problems, such as wetting the bed, whining, or having temper tantrums. Parents
indicate how frequently each of the problem behaviors occur (from never to always) and
whether or not they feel that the behavior is a problem (yes or no). The ECBI has good
psychometric properties (reliability and validity). The ECBI is useful in determining children
that may have a diagnosable disruptive behavior disorder, as well as for helping intervene to
reduce early behavior problems and to reduce negative parent‐child interactions that may
contribute to the development of disruptive behavior problems.26
Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) Indicators
First 5 uses the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) data to track the
quality of care that children enrolled in Healthy Kids are receiving in Santa Cruz County.
Selected health care quality indicators are requested annually by First 5 California and the
California Endowment from every operating Healthy Kids insurance plan based on data
entered into HEDIS. HEDIS is a “set of standardized performance measures designed to
ensure that purchasers and consumers have the information they need to reliably compare
the performance of managed health care plans.”27
Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDI’s)
Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDI’s) are a set of measures designed and
validated for use by early education professionals for the purpose of monitoring children’s
growth and progress in early reading predictors. Unlike standardized tests that are
administered infrequently, IGDI’s is designed to be used repeatedly by early childhood
educators in order to estimate each child’s “rate of growth” over time. The distinctive benefit
of this approach is that the information can be used to directly inform intervention design,
implementation, and modification at reasonable levels of training, time, and cost. The tools
26 Berkovits, M. D., O’Brien, K. A., Carter, C. G., & Eyberg, S. M. (2010). Early identification and intervention for behavior problems in primary care: A comparison of two abbreviated versions of parent‐child interaction therapy. Behavior Therapy, 41, 375 – 387.
27 National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), Guidelines for Advertising, Retrieved from http://www.ncqa.org/, 2012.
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provide helpful information about children’s growth in three key areas of reading predictors:
Picture Naming (a measure of vocabulary development), Rhyming, and Alliteration.
Beginning in 2012‐13, there was a change in the method used for determining each child’s
primary language, which was now directly noted by the teacher. Children noted as bilingual
(English/Spanish) were included in the “Primarily English‐Speaking” analyses. Although the
previous method of determining primary language was highly accurate, this new method was
introduced to ensure complete precision.
Migrant Education Even Start (MEES) Pre-K Letter Sound Identification
Children attending the Migrant Education Summer Pre‐K Academy are assessed using the
Pre‐K Letter Sound Identification tool, which is used to assess letter sound recognition in the
child’s primary language. The MEES tool is a pre‐ and post‐program survey that allows early
childhood educators to circle those letters for which the child can say the sound (not the
name of the letter). Changes in children’s outcomes are evaluated by comparing the scores
between their baseline and final assessments.
New Portage Guide: Birth to Six
The New Portage Guide: Birth to Six is a developmental assessment tool based on direct
observations of typical milestone skills in five domain areas, rated as either: No/Not
observed, Occasionally/Emerging Skill area, or Consistently/Mastered. “Mastery” of an
indicator means that the child consistently demonstrates the skill in a variety of settings.
Assessments are completed three times a year for each child to document their growth and
development, measure progress and plan individualized activities.
Parent Problem Checklist
The Parent Problem Checklist (PPC; Dadds & Powell, 1991) was utilized by Levels 4 and 5 of
the Triple P Program. It is a 36‐item self‐assessment measure of parental and relationship
conflict, completed by each parent (or each adult who is co‐parenting the child). For each
issue (e.g., disagreement over household rules), parents identify if the issue has been a
problem (yes or no), and the extent to which the issue has been a problem, from not at all, to
very much. It has been shown to have high internal consistency, test‐retest reliability, and
convergent validity.
In 2012, two questions from the Parenting Experience Survey (PES) were added to the end of
this assessment that asked additional questions about the parent’s relationship with the co‐
parenting adult, allowing a more robust analysis of Triple P participants’ relationship issues.
Parenting Experience Survey
The Parenting Experience Survey (Sanders et. al., 1999) was utilized by Level 3 of the Triple P
Program. It is a self‐report measure of issues related to being a parent, and was completed
by parent participants. It consists of 7 items and assesses parents’ experiences related to
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issues such as how difficult they perceive their child to be, how stressful they feel parenting
to be, and how rewarding they feel parenting to be. There are 3 items which are specific to
parents who have a partner. Those items are used to assess agreement on discipline, partner
support, and relationship happiness. This survey has been used to show changes in parental
attitudes and behaviors from the beginning to the completion of the Triple P Program.
Parenting Scale
The Parenting Scale (Arnold, O’Leary, Wolff & Acker, 1993) was utilized by clients in Levels 4
and 5 of the Triple P Program, as part of the general “Core” variant of program (this was only
completed if the parent had at least one child aged 18 months or older). It is a measure of
parenting styles for handling child misbehavior, completed by parents. It consists of 30 items,
which are grouped into 3 factors: laxness, over‐reactivity, and hostility (some items are not
part of any factor, and are called “No Factor” items). Clinical cut‐off scores have been
evaluated for all three factors and the overall score, which determine whether a client is at a
level of clinical concern in those areas. The Parenting Scale has good test‐retest reliability,
discriminant validity, and correlates with other self‐report measures of child behavior,
marital discord, and child behavior.
For clients who are participating in the “Teen” variant of the Triple P Program, there is a
“Teen” version of the scale that consists of 13 items that are grouped into 2 factors: laxness
and over‐reactivity (one item is not part of any factor, and is called a “No Factor” item). All of
the questions in this Teen variant of the scale are also part of the scale used in the Core
variant. Unlike the Core version, however, no clinical cut‐off scores have yet been evaluated
by the developers of this tool, for either of the two Teen factors or for the Teen overall score.
In 2012, modifications were made by First 5 Santa Cruz County to the Core Parenting Scale to
accommodate the launching of the “Teen” variant of the Triple P program. This modified
scale incorporates all of the “Teen” items, and all of the “Core” items that constitute one of
the 3 factors. Core items that were not part of any factor (“No Factor” items) were omitted.
Because all of the Teen items were also part of the original Core scale, these changes
reduced the total number of items in the modified scale from 30 to 17. This one modified
scale was designed to be filled out by clients in both the Teen and Core variants, and the
appropriate items would be used to calculate the factors and overall scores specific to that
variant.
The impact of these modifications on the original Core version was minimal, with all three
Core factors still containing the same items, and all factors using the same clinical cut‐off
scores. However, the Core overall score will be calculated differently since many of the “No
Factor” items were omitted. Therefore, the clinical cut‐off score for the Core overall score is
no longer appropriate, and caution should be used when comparing the Core overall score to
previous years’ overall scores.
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Parent’s Attribution for Child’s Behavior Measure
The Parent’s Attribution for Child’s Behavior Measure (Pigeon & Sanders, 2004) was utilized
by Level 5 Pathways of the Triple P Program (this was only completed if the parent had at
least one child aged 18 months or older). It is a self‐report measure of attributions for
children’s behaviors. The instrument consists of 6 hypothetical situations describing different
types of difficult child behavior, with 4 questions related to each situation. The questions for
each situation relate to innateness of the child’s behavior, the child’s intentionality, and the
blameworthiness of the child. The total score and the 3 subscale scores for this tool have
good internal consistency and discriminant validity.
Pre-Kindergarten Observation Form (P-KOF)
The Pre‐Kindergarten Observation Form (P‐KOF) was originally developed by Applied Survey
Research in 2001 using guidelines from the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP)
framework of readiness. Since 2001, four additional skills have been added to better capture
children’s skills at negotiation, coping, empathy, and handling frustration. The P‐KOF is a 24‐
item, observation‐based assessment used by child care providers to assess children on
readiness skills pertaining to kindergarten academic skills, social expression, self‐regulation,
and self‐care and motor skills. Child care providers were asked to observe and score each
child according to his or her level of proficiency in each skill, ranging from not yet to
proficient (with an option of don’t know/not observed for each item). The P‐KOF has been
shown to have good reliability and validity. The instrument was attached to the back of the
Child Snapshot, and was utilized at certain sites within Santa Cruz County.
Raising A Reader: Parent Impact Survey
The Parent Impact Survey is utilized by the Raising A Reader Program. It is a self‐report
measure of parent and child engagement with books and library use. It consists of 29 items
related to reading in the home, use of book bags, and parent‐child reading practices. Items
assess current practices but there are also retrospective items which assess parent and child
reading practices before program participation.
Santa Cruz County Services Unifying Network (SCC SUN) Database / CCD Data
Funded partners were required to submit information on a biannual basis on the program
participants who they directly served. Client characteristic data (CCDs) were gathered in one
of two ways, the SCC SUN database, and partner‐specific data collection forms.28
o The SCC SUN database was launched on January 1, 2004, and some partner agencies used
this database to record their clients’ data. The database was integrated, meaning that
information could be shared between agencies, if the appropriate consent was obtained.
28 In this report, all client characteristic data (CCDs) collected from both the SUN database and partner‐specific data collection forms, that were then combined and comprehensively analyzed, are collectively referred to as “SUN database/CCD data.”
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Demographic information about these clients could then be extracted for analysis, using
unique IDs that maintained clients’ anonymity.
o Partner agencies not using the SCC SUN database collected and submitted demographic
data in partner‐specific data collection forms.
In the course of evaluating these data, a “cleaning” process was performed. In this process,
each program’s data were standardized to use the same response sets, reviewed for accuracy
and completeness, and corrected wherever possible. These data were then migrated to a
customized statistical database that aggregated them and determined the unduplicated
count of individuals served by goal area, partner agency, and overall. Each client
characteristic was analyzed, with results that reported the total number of individuals with
data for that variable, and the frequency and percentage of each response to that variable.
o Children’s ages were determined in these ways:
For all partners except Triple P, children’s ages were calculated as of the first day of the funding cycle. This enabled all children ages 0‐5 to be included in the analyses, even if they turned six years old later in the year. Children not yet born by the first day of the funding cycle (i.e., born later in the funding cycle) were also included in the analyses and categorized as being under one year of age.
For Triple P children, their ages were calculated as of the date of their parent’s first assessments (“Pre‐assessments”), or the date of their single program session. This date was chosen since many Triple P assessments required that the child be within a certain age range for the parent to complete it. Therefore, this more exact determination of the child’s age as of the date of the assessment was needed in order to identify whether or not it was appropriate to include those data in the analysis of that assessment.
o The cities where clients lived were organized into the following sub‐county areas:
SUB‐COUNTY AREA CITIES
North County Bonny Doon, Capitola, Davenport, Live Oak, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Soquel
South County Aptos, Corralitos, Freedom, La Selva Beach, Seacliff, Watsonville
San Lorenzo Valley Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, Brookdale, Felton, Mount Hermon
Structured Decision Making (SDM)
The Structured Decision Making (SDM) model is a set of assessments for guiding decision‐
making at each of the decision points for children in Families Together. One assessment is the
SDM Family Prevention Services Screening Tool (FPSST), used to make two decisions:
whether or not to offer voluntary prevention services and, if so, the frequency of ongoing
case manager contact. The screening tool identifies families who have low, moderate, high,
or very high probabilities of future abuse or neglect. The risk level identifies the degree of risk
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of future maltreatment, guides the decision to offer voluntary prevention services, and helps
determine the frequency of case manager contact.
The SDM:FPSST is also used to reassess a family in order to make two decisions: whether or
not to continue voluntary prevention services past 12 months for these families receiving
intensive services, and past 3 months for those receiving a brief intervention and, if so, the
frequency of case manager contact.29
Triple P Satisfaction Survey
Multiple Sessions (Individual or Group)
The Multiple Sessions Satisfaction Survey was utilized for parents who completed
Levels 3 (Individual /Brief Group), 4, or 5 of the Triple P Program. It consists of 16 items:
13 closed‐ended items and 3 open‐ended items. Parents assessed many different dimensions
of the program including: the quality of the program, the extent to which the program met
their needs and their child’s needs, how much the program helped parents deal with
problems in their family or with their children, relationship improvement, child behavior
improvement, and overall satisfaction.
Single Sessions (Seminars & Workshops)
The Single Session Satisfaction Survey was utilized for parents who participated in Level 2
Seminars and Level 3 Workshops of the Triple P Program. It consists of 4 items: 3 closed‐
ended questions, and 1 open‐ended question. Participants filled out this short survey which
assessed if they felt that the Seminar or Workshop addressed their questions, whether they
were going to use any of the parenting strategies they learned, and if they were satisfied,
overall, with the Seminar or Workshop. Participants could also add any additional comments
they had. Late in fiscal year 2011‐12 an additional question was added that asked
participants how they first heard about the program, and in 2012‐13 participants had the
option of providing their email address if they were interested in receiving the Triple P
newsletter.
Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scales of Intelligence, 4th edition (WPPSI-IV)
The WPPSI IV was used by the Neurodevelopmental Clinic (Dominican Interdisciplinary Child
Development Program), and is an individually administered test designed to reflect the
cognitive functioning of young children, with two bands available: one for children ranging in
age from 2 years, 6 months to 3 years, 11 months, and another for children ranging in age
from 4 years to 7 years, 7 months (to accommodate the substantial changes in cognitive
development that occur during early childhood). The test yields three levels of interpretation:
Full Scale, Primary Index scale, and Ancillary Index scale levels. A full scale composite IQ is
also calculated. Standard scores have a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 15.
29 Children’s Research Center, Structured Decision Making Policy and Procedure Manual, 2006.
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