Olathe Head Start

Annual Report to the Public

2014-2015

Kimberly Sill

1700 West Sheridan Olathe, KS 66061

What We DoThe Olathe Head Start program is a federally funded center-based program that provides services to children and families 3-5 years of age who are from low-income families. The Olathe School District is the grantee for Olathe Head Start and serves Olathe, Blue Valley, Spring Hill, De Soto, and Gardner/Edgerton School Districts.

Our objective is to:

Provide children and their families with comprehensive services that will allow them to succeed in school and in life;

Work with 3-5 year old children in an effort to equip them with school readiness skills; and

Assist all families by helping them to set achievable goals in areas of most concern to them.

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The mission of Olathe Head Start is to “Enhance the quality of life for families through education and

support services in a safe, caring environment”.

FundingThe primary source of funding is a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services and The Office of Head Start. An additional resource is the Department of Agriculture’s Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP); a reimbursement program that pays for portions of the nutrition program provided by Olathe Head Start. Non-Federal match is required for grant funds and are the local share of the Head Start funding.

Department of Health & Human Services Grant

Budget/Project Period: 8-1-2014 through 7-31-2015

Federal Budget $1,005,830 (80%)

Non-Federal Share $251,458 (20%)

Total Budget $1,257,288

Proposed Budget

Salaries $725,674

Fringe Benefits $183,990

Supplies $44,540

Contractual $4,618

Other $29,032

Training/ Technical Assistance $17,976

Non-Federal Match $251,458

Total $1,257,288

The Annual Audit can be found at http://departments.olatheschools.com/business-finance/reports/

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58%15%

3%

1%

2% 20

%

Budget Break OutSalariesFringeSuppliesContractualOtherNon-Fed

High Quality Classrooms & Early Learning Framework

The program utilizes the Creative Curriculum, a play based curriculum that is fully aligned with the Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment system. GOLD is also aligned with the Kansas Early Learning Standards and the Head Start Early Childhood Development and Early Learning Framework.

The philosophy behind the Creative Curriculum is that young children learn best by doing. Learning isn't just repeating what someone else says; it requires active thinking and experimenting to find out how things work and to learn firsthand about the world we live in. In their early years, children explore the world around them by using all their senses (touching, tasting, listening, smelling, and looking). Play provides the foundation for academic or "school" learning.

Play enables us to achieve the key goals of our early childhood curriculum. Play is the work of young children.

The most important goal of our early childhood curriculum is to help children become enthusiastic learners. This means encouraging children to be active and creative explorers who are not afraid to try out their ideas and to think their own thoughts.

Our goal is to help children become independent, self-confident, inquisitive learners.

Our curriculum identifies goals in all areas of development: o Social: To help children feel comfortable in school, trust their new

environment, make friends, and feel they are a part of the group.o Emotional: To help children experience pride and self- confidence,

develop independence and self-control, and have a positive attitude toward life.

o Cognitive: To help children become confident learners by letting them try out their own ideas and experience success, and by helping them acquire learning skills such as the ability to solve problems, ask questions, and use words to describe their ideas, observations, and feelings.

o Physical: To help children increase their large and small muscle skills and feel confident about what their bodies can do.

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Ready For Kindergarten

Child Assessment Data 2014-2015

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During the 2014-2015 school year, the agency used the Teacher Strategies GOLD assessment tool. This tool compliments the curriculum that is used in the classrooms. It evaluates the effectiveness of the program in meeting specific school readiness goals for children’s learning in the areas of social/emotional development; gross motor; fine motor; cognitive development; and children’s significant progress between the beginning of the year and the end of the year. To help ease the transition from Head Start to Kindergarten, the Head Start Staff works with each elementary school to deliver transition reports created by the Head Start teachers. In addition, classroom staff begins transition activities early in the year to ease the child’s entry into kindergarten. The staff invites Kindergarten teachers to come and speak to the families at parent meetings, toward the end of the year.

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

42%

64%

40% 42%34%

26%

100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 97%

Olathe Head Start

Fall 2014

Spring 2015

*values are the percentage of students who meet or exceed Widely Held Ex-pectations

Policy Council

Policy Council meetings are scheduled on a monthly basis, to empower parents to make decisions about program policies that may enhance services to children and families. In order to assist parents in participating in the Policy Council, Olathe Head Start provides childcare and dinner. Olathe School District Board representatives are

actively involved with the Policy Council, to assure that the program staff, parents and governing body fulfill their responsibilities.

Governing Body

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During the 2014-2015 school year, the agency used the Teacher Strategies GOLD assessment tool. This tool compliments the curriculum that is used in the classrooms. It evaluates the effectiveness of the program in meeting specific school readiness goals for children’s learning in the areas of social/emotional development; gross motor; fine motor; cognitive development; and children’s significant progress between the beginning of the year and the end of the year. To help ease the transition from Head Start to Kindergarten, the Head Start Staff works with each elementary school to deliver transition reports created by the Head Start teachers. In addition, classroom staff begins transition activities early in the year to ease the child’s entry into kindergarten. The staff invites Kindergarten teachers to come and speak to the families at parent meetings, toward the end of the year.

The Olathe Public Schools Head Start Program has established and maintains a formal structure of shared governance through which parents can participate in policy making or in other decisions about the program.

This structure consists of the following groups, as required:

Governing Body- The Olathe School Board Policy Council- made up of parents and

community representatives Parent Committee- Established at each school where Head Start services are

offered

Since its inception in 1965, Head Start has recognized the value of including parents as FULL PARTNERS in making decisions that concern them, their children, and the program. Shared governance of the program may, in fact, be one of Head Start’s most unique contributions. The practice of shared decision-making in Olathe School District’s Head Start program promotes shared responsibilities. It gives a voice to all concerned with the health, education and well-being of the children served. Shared decision making allows everyone opinions to be heard and considered.

Head Start’s parent and family engagement builds relationships that support family well-being, support bonds between parents and their children, and promote learning for parents, children and families. Olathe Head Start engages parents with a rich variety of educational opportunities and cultural/social activities. One of Olathe Head Start’s goals is to help parents positively impact their child’s school readiness. The program collaborates with multiple community partners to provide education that fosters stronger families and a healthy community. Programs include parenting, child development, nutrition, health, mental health, budgeting, community advocacy, meeting the needs of children with developmental disabilities and literacy.

Emergency assistance via referrals to local resources Special education services for children with disabilities Well-supervised staff with degrees or CDA credentials

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Parent Involvement Activities

Parent Committees Father Involvement Parent Training Opportunities

o Conscious Discipline

o Health Fair

o Stress Management

Free breakfast and lunch that meets Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) requirements Mental Health services with on-site observations Hearing, vision, speech, developmental growth assessments, and health history screenings Transition services into and out of Head Start Parent involvement services including parenting skills, health & development, how to further

their education, mental health, etc. 150 of the most vulnerable children in our area. The best preschool academic program available. Family goal planning and other family services Emergency assistance via referrals to local resources Special education services for children with disabilities Well-supervised staff with degrees or CDA credentials Free breakfast and lunch that meets Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) speech,

developmental growth assessments, and health history screenings Transition services into and out of services including mental health, etc.

Head Start staff connects parents with social service assistance, job training and employment assistance, medical and dental services, vision and hearing screening, nutrition assistance and counseling, and supports children with special needs.

Family goal planning and other family services Emergency assistance via referrals to local resources

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Parent Involvement Activities Parent Committees Father Involvement Parent Training Opportunities

o Conscious Discipline

o Health Fair

o Stress Management

staff with degrees or CDA credentials

Free breakfast and lunch that meets Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) requirements

Mental Health services with on-site observations

Hearing, vision, speech, developmental growth assessments, and health history screenings

Transition services into and out of Head Start

Parent involvement services including parenting skills, health & development, how to further their education, mental health, etc.

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Children and Families Served

2014-2015

Children Served- 196 Families Served- 186 Average Monthly Enrollment-

100% Within 0-100% Poverty- 196 Children with Disabilities- 34 Children with Medical Home-

o end of the year: 177 Children with Health Insurance-

o end of the year: 176 Health Screenings- 151 Dental Exams complete- 167 Families Experiencing

Homelessness- 21 Foster Care- 5 Single Parents-119 Parents without a high school

education or GED-44

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FY 2015 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY REVIEW RESULTS STILL PENDING

FISCAL INTEGRITY/ERSEA REVIEW COMPLIANT

CLASS REVIEW

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT SCORE 6.4318 CLASSROOM ORGANIZATION SCORE 6.1515 INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT SCORE 3.9242

FY 2016 LEADERSHIP, GOVERNANCE, MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS NOT SCHEDULED

COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES & SCHOOL READINESS WEEK OF 10/26/15

FY 2017 EVALUATION & DETERMINATION

Federal Review

Community Partnerships:

• Olathe District Schools Special Education Services

• Johnson County Community College

• Community America Credit Union

• Johnson County Mental Health

• Life Church

• Brown Mackie Nursing School

• Students from local High Schools (Olathe, Blue Valley, Gardner)

• Mid America Nazarene Interns

• Head Start Parents/Grandparents

• Community Residents

• Kohl’s Department Store

• Home Depot

• Build A Book Shelve

• Watch DOG Dads

• Olathe Police

Dept.

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