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Annual Report Region 10 Education Service Center

Head Start and Early Head Start For the year ending August 31, 2017

Contents Program Description ................................................................................................................ 1

Highlights and Changes .......................................................................................................... 2

Enrollment ................................................................................................................................. 4

Characteristics of Children and Families .............................................................................. 4

Language ............................................................................................................................... 4

Ethnicity and Race ............................................................................................................... 5

Health Services......................................................................................................................... 6

Dental Services..................................................................................................................... 8

Mental Health Services ........................................................................................................... 9

Results of Monitoring Visit .................................................................................................... 11

Financial Aspects 2016-2017 ............................................................................................... 12

Head Start and Early Head Start Program ......................................................................... 15

Results of Audit for Year Ending August 31, 2017 .............................................................. 16

Efforts to Prepare Students for Kindergarten........................................................................ 16

Documentation of Children's Progress included: .................................................................. 17

Family Engagement ............................................................................................................... 18

Family and Community Engagement Program Services ................................................. 19

Head Start and Early Head Start: Success Starts Here ......................................................... 21

Success = Graduation for Mom and High Quality Early Head Start for the Child .............. 21

College For Mom Because of Early Head Start.................................................................... 22

Head Start – A Life-Changing Experience ..................................................................... 22

Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... 23

Program Description Region 10 Education Service Center (ESC) was the grantee for Head Start and Early Head Start services and partnered with eighteen (18) school districts in Collin, Ellis, Grayson, Kaufman and Rockwall counties to provide services to a funded enrollment of 1,120.


Highlights and Changes

During the 2016-2017 school year, the Head Start/Early Head Start program continued to provide excellent services for children and families. Some of the highlight and changes included:

The program celebrated an important milestone, its 25th anniversary of providing services for children and families, with a luncheon and special program on July 24, 2017. The Region 10 ESC Executive Director, many Region 10 ESC staff members, representatives from partner school districts, current and former Head Start/Early Head Start staff, members of the community and current and former Head Start/Early Head Start parents participated. A special time of remembrance was held for the program’s first director, Dr. Steve Hale, who died in June 2017, and the program was honored that his wife and daughter were in attendance. A video that captured the essence of the celebration is available for viewing here at 25 years of Head Start.

The program successfully utilized an internet-based program developed in-house to track services for children and families. The program had been in the development stages and was used on a limited basis during the previous school year but was at full capacity during the 2016-2017 school year. Known as the Electronic Family Folder, or EFF, this program tracks services and provides a variety of reports, enabling the Head Start/Early Head Start program to efficiently, effectively and compassionately serve children and families.

Head Start’s district partnerships decreased from 19 to 18 when Gunter ISD determined that there was not a sufficient number of eligible students to support a class.

Crandall ISD added additional classes because of the growth in the number of eligible children in the community.

The Office of Head Start released the final version of the Head Start Performance Standards in November 2016, and the program continued to make the appropriate changes to ensure compliance with these changes. Some of these included:

Staff qualifications Job descriptions were revised to reflect changes in required credentials

for specific positions within the program.

Early Head Start Home Based Services and Services for Teen Parents year round

By August 1, 2017, the Home Based Program must provide at least one home visit per week per family that lasts at least 90 minutes and must provide a minimum of 46 visits per program year. In addition, a minimum of 22 group socialization activities for families must be provided over the course of a program year.

In the Center Based Early Head Start Program, all enrolled children are to be provided with 1,380 hours of planned class operations. The Early Head Start schedules are aligned with local school districts’ partners and designed to meet the needs of teen parents, so the standards require regular home-based services be provided during the summer months when the teens are not attending school.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGAtNKAPdCM&t=1s


Program Governance The Policy Council members, Head Start/Early Head Start parents and

community members who are responsible for providing guidance to the Head Start/Early Head Start program, were formerly limited to a total of three years of service. In response to the revised Performance Standards, the program changed the Policy Council by-laws to reflect members being allowed to serve five one-year terms.

If a parent has a child in Early Head Start and the child transitions to Head Start, the parent may continue to serve on the Policy Council if elected.

Attendance The local campus must contact the parents if a child is unexpectedly

absent, and the parent has not contacted the program within one hour of the start of the school day. The new procedure was implemented in both Head Start and Early Head Start to promote the safety and well-being of the children enrolled in the program.

Early Head Start earned the Parents as Teachers (PAT) Blue Ribbon Affiliate award in

November 2016. As an affiliate of Parents as Teachers, the Early Head Start Home Based

Program adheres to 17 essential requirements to maintain the certification. PAT Affiliates are required to go through a quality endorsement and improvement process every five years. The Early Head Start program received the Blue Ribbon Affiliate status for meeting or exceeding the 17 essential requirements due to the rigor of the Office of Head Start federal monitoring process and Early Head Start’s positive results. The Parents as Teachers Quality Endorsement is official recognition that the program continuously provides a high level of service and excellent programming to families and communities.

Early Head Start Lead Teachers developed their skills by coaching the center-based teachers through book study and mentoring.

o At monthly team meetings, Lead Teachers worked together to enhance their coaching skills with the classroom teachers. They used the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s published book Powerful Interactions: Coaching; a follow-up to the teachers’ book study of Powerful Interactions in the Classroom.

In Head Start/Early Head Start classrooms, the Active Supervision Toolkit was utilized, implemented and monitored through the Classroom Observation Checklist.

The Head Start Consultant Checkup Newsletter was distributed electronically on a monthly basis to teaching teams with updates, pertinent information, upcoming events, etc.

The Head Start Teacher Checklist was implemented in each classroom for ongoing monitoring/self-assessment.


Enrollment The Region 10 ESC Head Start/Early Head Start program served a total of one thousand three hundred eight (1,308) children in partnership with Allen ISD, Crandall ISD, Denison ISD, Ennis ISD, Farmersville ISD, Forney ISD, Frisco ISD, Kemp ISD, Mabank ISD, McKinney ISD, Midlothian ISD, Palmer ISD, Pottsboro ISD, Rockwall ISD, Royse City ISD, Sherman ISD, Waxahachie ISD and Whitesboro ISD. One thousand sixty-six (1,066) three and four-year-old children were served in fifty-two (52) Head Start/Pre-Kindergarten wrap-around classes in these school districts. Two hundred forty- two (242) infants, toddlers, and pregnant women were served in Early Head Start at three sites – McKinney, Rockwall and Sherman. Along with serving families from the community, the Early Head Start program was in partnership with the local school districts’ pregnant and parenting teen programs. Head Start maintained full enrollment throughout the year and had a waiting list of 127 children. The largest numbers on the waiting list were in Mabank, Frisco, Sherman, Crandall and Midlothian. The program served approximately 91% of all eligible children. Early Head Start also maintained full enrollment with the largest waiting list in McKinney. The Early Head Start program served approximately 98% of all eligible children. Each participant was determined eligible based on criteria established by the federal Office of Head Start. Data related to children’s eligibility was as follows:

Type of Eligibility Head Start

Early Head Start

Income below 100% of poverty line 793 163

Recipient of public assistance (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Supplemental Security Income, etc.)

96 18

Status as foster child 52 16

Status as homeless 63 41

Over income 56 4

Characteristics of Children and Families

Language

In Head Start, 71% of the families identified themselves as monolingual English speakers, and 25% identified themselves as predominantly Spanish speakers. Small percentages (less than 1%) of families identified themselves as speakers of Native Central American, South American, Mexican, Eastern Asian, Pacific Island, European, Slavic and African languages. Families who spoke Middle Eastern and South Asian languages represented 1% of the enrollment. One family declined to specify a primary language, and four did not specify. When compared to the 2015-2016 school year, the percentage of English-speaking families increased while the percentage of Spanish-speaking families decreased. In Early Head Start, 61% of the families identified themselves as monolingual English speakers, and 37% identified themselves as predominantly Spanish speakers. In comparison with the 2015-2016 school year, these percentages indicate a 6% decrease in the number of English


speakers and an approximately 4% increase in the number of Spanish speakers. Very small percentages, less than 1% of the families, spoke other languages including Middle Eastern, South Asian, European, Slavic and African languages.

Ethnicity and Race The information below indicates the race and ethnicity of the children involved in Head Start and Early Head Start.

Head Start

Race and Ethnicity Hispanic or Latino Origin

Non-Hispanic or Latino Origin

Asian 3 12

Black or African American 15 154

Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

1 0

White 78 310

Bi-racial/Multi-racial 35 53

Other (no race specified) 333 3

Unspecified (no race or ethnicity specified)

3 2

Early Head Start (includes children and pregnant women)

Race and Ethnicity Hispanic or Latino Origin Non-Hispanic or Latino Origin

American Indian or Alaskan Native

1 1

Black or African American 1 40

White 15 34

Biracial/Multi-racial 18 19

Other – Hispanic who only identified as Hispanic

113 0


Health Services Head Start and Early Head Start must provide high quality health and dental health services that are developmentally, culturally and linguistically appropriate. Within 30 days after the child enters the program or receives the first home visit, staff must work with the families to determine whether each child has an ongoing source of continuous, accessible care provided by a health care professional who maintains the child’s ongoing health record. If a child does not have a source for ongoing care and health insurance coverage is lacking, the program must assist families in finding a source of care and health insurance that will meet the required criteria as soon as possible. The table below shows information about the availability of insurance for the children.

Insurance Data Start of year

End of year

Head Start children with health insurance 930 995

Early Head Start children with health insurance 192 210

Head Start children whose insurance was Medicaid/CHIP 849 903

Early Head Start children whose insurance was Medicaid or CHIP

179 195

Head Start children with private insurance 74 85

Early Head Start children with private insurance 11 14

Head Start children with no insurance 136 71

Early Head Start children with no insurance 33 15

Head Start with military insurance (CHAMPUS or Tri-Care) 7 7

Early Head Start also served seventeen (17) pregnant women and assisted them with accessing insurance for ongoing prenatal care. The table that follows indicates their insurance status.

Type of insurance Number of pregnant women at enrollment

Number of pregnant women at end of enrollment

At least one type of insurance

7 13

Medicaid 4 10

Publicly funded insurance but not Medicaid

2 2

Private health insurance 1 1

No insurance 10 4

For children in Head Start, eight hundred thirty-seven (837) children were up-to-date on a schedule of age-appropriate primary and preventive health care at the end of the enrollment year; eighty-seven (87) were diagnosed with a chronic condition requiring medical attention and twenty-five (25) received treatment. The primary reason that the children did not received the treatment was that parents did not follow through with the appointment. Head Start children received assistance for health conditions as indicated on the table below.


Health Condition Number of children

Asthma 94

Hearing 8

Vision problems 6

Diabetes 2

Because childhood obesity continues to be a national problem, the Head Start program monitors children’s body mass index and provides assistance and guidance to parents of children who are considered overweight or obese. During the 2016-2017 program year, 35% of the children enrolled were considered either overweight or obese as indicated by their body mass index (BMI). Two hundred one (201) children were considered to be overweight (BMI at or above the 85th percentile but below the 95th percentile for the child’s age and sex) and one hundred seventy-seven (177) were considered to be obese (BMI at or above the 95th percentile for child’s age and sex). For children in Early Head Start, one hundred twenty-nine (129) were up-to-date on a schedule of age-appropriate primary and preventive health care at enrollment, with one hundred sixty-five (165) meeting the criteria at the end of the enrollment year. Twenty-eight (28) were diagnosed with a chronic condition requiring medical attention; eleven (11) received treatment. Early Head Start children received assistance for the following health conditions:

Health Condition Number of children

Anemia 2

Asthma 8

Vision problems 1

Because children must be immunized to stay healthy, Head Start and Early Head Start emphasized the importance of children receiving the age-appropriate immunizations. The table below indicates the status of immunizations in the program.

Immunizations Up-to-date at enrollment Up-to-date at end of enrollment year

Head Start 537 539

Early Head Start 158 158

The program also tracked the children who had received all possible immunizations at that time, but had not yet received some of the age-appropriate immunizations as determined by a health professional. For Head Start, three hundred ninety-eight (398) children were in this category at the time of their enrollment and four hundred nineteen (419) at the end of the year. For Early Head Start, fifty-eight (58) were in this category at the time of enrollment with sixty-seven (67) at the end of the year. In Head Start, one hundred thirty-one (131) children met the state guidelines for exemption from immunizations at the beginning of the enrollment; one hundred eight (108) met the requirement at the end of year. For Early Head Start, nine (9) met the state exemption requirement at the beginning of the year, but none met the requirement at year’s end.


Dental Services Children in Head Start and Early Head Start often have significant needs for dental services. The program collected data on the number of children who had a continuous accessible source of dental care at the beginning of the enrollment year and at the end of the year.

Seven hundred ninety-four (794) Head Start children received preventive care, and eight hundred eight (808) completed a professional dental examination. One hundred seventy-four (174) needed treatment, and one hundred nineteen (119) completed treatment. In Early Head Start, one hundred nineteen (119) infants and toddlers were up-to-date on a schedule of age appropriate preventive and primary oral health care at the end of the program year.

933

990

900

910

920

930

940

950

960

970

980

990

1000

Head Start children with continuousaccessible dental care at beginning of year

Head Start children with continuousaccessible dental care at end of year

141

175

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

Early Head Start children with continuousaccessible dental care at beginning of year

Early Head Start children with continuousaccessible dental care at end of year


Mental Health Services Another important aspect of the Head Start/Early Head Start Performance Standards in Health Program Services is social and emotional development of infants, toddlers and preschool children. Research continues to show a direct correlation between social and emotional development and long-term academic success. For several years, the program has employed two full-time, Master’s level Social Workers who served the program as Mental Health Consultants. Their caseloads included children in both Head Start and Early Head Start, and they provided support to families, staff and children. The table below indicates the mental health services provided for children in Head Start and Early Head Start.

Mental Health Service Head Start Early Head Start

Number of children for whom staff received consultation from Mental Health Consultants

31 19

Number of children for whom the Mental Health Consultants consulted with parents about the child’s mental health

25 13

Number of children for whom the Mental Health Consultant facilitated a referral for mental health services

7 5

Number of children referred for mental health services outside of Head Start/Early Head Start

6 5

Services for Children with Disabilities Infants and toddlers with disabilities participated in an inclusive educational environment with their peers because of the partnership between Early Head Start and the local Part C provider, the Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) program. The local districts collaborated with Head Start to serve preschool children with disabilities in a variety of settings. Some Head Start children with disabilities were served in the Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD) classroom for a portion of the day and the Head Start classroom for another portion of the day. Some Head Start teachers were dually certified in both general and special education, so the Head Start children with disabilities simultaneously received special education and Head Start services in the Head Start classroom. Head Start teachers and PPCD teachers collaborated in providing activities that children with disabilities could share and enjoy together with their peers. The chart below reflects the percentage of children with disabilities served in Head Start and Early Head Start.


Although a delay in speech and language development was the most common disability among children in the Head Start program, the program also provided services for children with other disabilities as indicated below.

14%13%

17.88%

15.60%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

20%

% 15-16 % 16-17

Percent of Children with Disabilities Enrolled

EHS HS

Type of Disability Number Served

Health impairment 4

Speech or language impairments

121

Intellectual disabilities 1

Hearing impairment including deafness

3

Orthopedic impairment 1

Visual impairment including blindness

1

Autism 6

Non-categorical 15


Results of Monitoring Visit

The review of the Head Start/Early Head Start program occurred over a two-year period, beginning in the 2014-2015 school year and completed in the 2015-2016 school year. Five different teams were involved in the monitoring process and reviewed the program in the areas of:

Environmental Health and Safety (February 10-13, 2015) Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment and Attendance/Fiscal (March 2-6, 2015) Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) (April 13-17, 2015) Comprehensives Services/School Readiness (November 30-December 4, 2015) Leadership/Governance/Management Systems (January 21-22, 2016)

The monitoring teams were involved in a variety of activities including reviewing documentation, visiting classrooms, and interviewing staff, parents and Board members. Three of the teams cited areas of non-compliance and some concerns. Items listed as concerns did not require any corrective action, and all areas of non-compliance were addressed in a timely manner with corrections approved by the Office of Head Start. The chart below summarizes the areas of non-compliance.

Area Standard Description

Environmental Health and Safety

Head Start Code of Conduct

Supervision of children

Environmental Health and Safety

Transportation Signage showing locations of seat belt cutters and fire extinguishers

Comprehensive Services/School Readiness

Child Development and Education Approach

Developmental and linguistic appropriateness of learning environment

Comprehensive Services/School Readiness

Quality Standards, Curricula and Assessment

Appropriate implementation of a research-based early childhood curriculum that promotes young children’s readiness

Leadership/Governance/ Management Systems

Ongoing Monitoring Monitoring to ensure that children were adequately supervised

Regarding the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), in fiscal year 2010, the federal Office of Head Start began using CLASS, an observation instrument that assessed the quality of teacher-child interactions in a center-based program. The tool was utilized as a part of the federal monitoring of programs to collect information about the quality of the classrooms and to gather information about children’s experiences. The federal team conducted the standardized methodology of the CLASS in 32 randomly selected Head Start classrooms and provided the scores as listed below:

Area National Average Region 10 ESC score

Emotional support 6.10 6.16

Classroom Organization 5.83 6.14

Instructional Support 2.90 3.21


Scores are interpreted as follows:

Scores of 6-7 indicated that effective teacher-child interactions were consistently observed.

Scores of 3-5 indicated that teachers displayed a mix of effective interactions and periods when interactions were ineffective or not occurring.

Scores of 1-2 indicated low quality of interactions between teacher and child.

In each area, Region 10 ESC Head Start’s scores exceeded the national average for that year.

Financial Aspects 2016-2017

For the fiscal year (FY) 2016-2017, the program received funding from the Office of Head Start in the amount of $9,186,221. The program was able to meet its goals and primary functions because of the funding used for materials and supplies for the classroom and parent events, field trips for Head Start, staff travel for training and technical assistance and personnel, including substitutes and all other program activities. The continued partnerships with school districts and the ongoing support of the Education Service Center helped to facilitate and promote an efficient and successful Head Start and Early Head Start program. The program’s direct costs were $8,708,122 and the training and technical assistance (T&TA) costs were $125,871 for a total of $8,833,993. The indirect costs were $325,228. The children were enrolled in the school districts’ pre-kindergarten programs and received free breakfast and lunch. Because of the partnership with school districts, the Head Start program received no funding from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); the school district partners received the USDA funds. The charts that follow delineate the program expenditures for 2016-2017 and the proposed budget for 2017-2018.


73%

14%

2%2%

0%0%

9% 0%

2016-2017 HEAD START/EARLY HEAD START BUDGET

Personnel Fringe Travel

Supplies Contractual Equipment

Other Facilities Construction


72%

15%

0%4%

0%0%

9% 0%

2017-2018 HEAD START/EARLY HEAD START BUDGET PROJECTION

Personnel Fringe Travel

Supplies Contractual Equipment

Other Facilities Construction


Head Start and Early Head Start Program

FY 2016-2017 Original Budget 2016-

2017

Actual Expenditures for 2016-2017 Percent of Total

Proposed New FY

2017-2018 (Basic + T &

TA)

Category Basic + T & TA

Basic T & TA* Total

Personnel 6,284,127.00 6,334,033.00 90,778.00 6,424,811.00 73% 6,360,442.00

Fringe Benefits 1,244,777.00 1,242,713.00 1,242,713.00 14% 1,299,034.00

Travel 7,500.00 120,717.00 8,304.00 129,021.00 2% 31,075.00

Equipment 0.00 0.00 0.00 0% 0.00

Supplies 350,635.00 216,176.00 216,176.00 2% 341,113.00

Contractual 6,000.00 0.00 6,070.00 6,070.00 <1% 6,000.00

Facilities Construction

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0% 0.00

Other 949,930.00 794,483.00 20,719.00 815,202.00 9% 751,907.00

Direct Costs 8,842,969.00 8,708,122.00 125,871.00 8,833,993.00 96% 8,789,571.00

Indirect Costs 343,252.00 352,228.00 0.00 352,228.00 4% 423,563.00

Total Amount 9,186,221.00 9,060,350.00 125,871.00 9,186,221.00 100% 9,213,134.00

*T & TA is Training and Technical Assistance

Non-Federal Share The program received $4,006,040 in non-federal share, meeting and exceeding the federal requirement of 20%. Non-federal share included donations of goods and services, volunteer time, medical and dental services and support from the school districts for a portion of the teachers’ salaries and benefits, classroom space and office space and administrative support. Public and Private Funds Received Head Start and Early Head Start funds were received from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start. No other public or private funds were received.


Results of Audit for Year Ending August 31, 2017 The certified public accounting firm of Edgin, Parkman, Fleming, and Fleming, PC conducted the annual audit. The Region 10 ESC Board of Directors approved the report of the 16-17 audit on December 20, 2017. The auditors determined that the ESC complied in all material respects with the type of compliance requirements that could have a direct and material effect on a major program. Also, the firm did not identify any deficiencies in internal controls that could be considered to be material weaknesses.

Efforts to Prepare Students for Kindergarten “Preschool children make the transition into kindergarten more successfully when their schools and families prepare for it together, and when their preschool and kindergarten teachers connect. Also, by coordinating transition efforts, preschool and elementary programs can help children maintain and maximize the gains they made in preschool.” (Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center website) Region 10 ESC Head Start and Early Head Start again exemplified this through its partnership with 18 school districts. Region 10 ESC Head Start students were ready for their kindergarten experience because their Pre-Kindergarten/Head Start experience better prepared them to be involved in the public school. Families and students quickly became aware of the various rules and procedures related to public schools. Early in the school year, they learned about attendance policies, transportation procedures, procedures for volunteering in class and strategies that allowed them to work closely with the teacher and the principal. Families who began their experiences in the school-based Early Head Start program had 3-5 years of experience in a school setting before their children started kindergarten, so they were already familiar with requirements, guidelines, and procedures involved in the public-school setting. The curriculum used in the classrooms also contributed to the children’s school readiness. Region 10 ESC Head Start classrooms implemented the High/Scope Curriculum and Key Developmental Indicators, Texas Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines, Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework Birth to Five and the learning system/curriculum that each district partner had chosen for its Head Start/Pre-K teachers. The state-adopted district learning systems were developed using the Texas Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines; all systems were closely aligned with the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework. The systems included the domains of language development, literacy, mathematics, science, creative arts, social and emotional development, approaches to learning and physical health and development. The districts also utilized Frog Street, Scholastic Big Day Opening the World of Learning (OWL) and the DLM Early Childhood Express. Head Start Education Consultants provided support and intentional coaching for the teaching teams throughout the school year using the Practice-Based Coaching Model. In addition, consultants conducted observations in all Head Start classrooms using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) a research-based tool to evaluate the effectiveness of the Head Start classrooms. National research on the CLASS indicated that high CLASS scores were consistent with instruction that prepared children for kindergarten. When visiting classrooms, the Education Consultants provided support to teachers with guidance on


emotional support, classroom organization and instructional support to maximize children’s learning. Because the program’s CLASS data from the instructional support domain indicated a need for improvement, the Education team developed specific training to address the identified concerns during the summer professional development. The Professional Development Plans for teachers and instructional assistants also listed specific strategies to support identified needs. Some of the tools that were utilized to support teaching teams included:

The Active Supervision Toolkit which was utilized, implemented and monitored through the Classroom Observation Checklist (16-17)

Consultant Checkup Newsletter electronically distributed monthly with updates, pertinent information, upcoming events, etc.

Teacher Checklist implemented for ongoing monitoring/self-assessment Teaching teams encouraged children’s active learning which helped children make choices and manipulate materials. Opportunities for children to develop reasoning, problem-solving and decision-making skills were provided as well. Teaching teams also labeled each part of the classroom to promote early literacy and numeracy skills along with organization, classification and seriation skills. Posted lesson plans in each classroom reflected planned activities for socialization, self-esteem, health, safety, hygiene, and nutrition to address content areas using developmentally appropriate practices. Frequently throughout the year, Region 10 Education Consultants reviewed Head Start students’ ongoing assessment data with the teaching teams. Teaching teams were encouraged to plan and modify classroom activities and experiences based on children's interests, individual needs, and data from the ongoing assessments.

Documentation of Children's Progress included: Home Visits: Two per year required Screenings: Preschool Language Scale 4 - for speech/language (English and Spanish) Developmental and Social/Emotional screening (Brigance) Vision Hearing Other screenings determined by the district Assessment: Devereux (DECA) Portfolio Assessment Teaching Strategies GOLD Documentation: Assessments Home Visits Parent/Teacher Conference


Lesson Plans Anecdotal Notes Contact Notes Child Portfolio All Region 10 ESC Head Start teachers held a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, were appropriately certified by the state to teach Pre-Kindergarten, and they were school district employees. Because of the nature of the partnership between Region 10 ESC and the school district, both the district and Region 10 ESC were jointly responsible for the appropriate implementation of the Head Start Performance Standards. Within the Region 10 ESC program, the focus of school readiness included Early Head Start. The Birth to 5 Education Consultants worked with the Early Head Start Lead Teachers to administer the Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale – Revised (ITERS-R) in each classroom and provided feedback to the teachers. Specific professional development sessions were planned based on the results of the administration of the ITERS-R, Teaching Strategies GOLD and the DECA. The Head Start and Early Head Start teachers encouraged the parents in their role as their children’s first and most important teacher by reinforcing the home-school connection during each parent-teacher conference and each home visit. The home visit form and the parent-teacher conference form were designed to facilitate discussion about the partnership between the school and the home in helping the child learn the necessary skills to be ready for kindergarten.

Family Engagement According to the Early Childhood Knowledge and Learning Center website, “family engagement is a collaborative and strengths-based process through which early childhood professionals, families, and children build positive and goal-oriented relationships. It is a shared responsibility of families and staff at all levels that requires mutual respect for the roles and strengths each has to offer. Family engagement focuses on culturally and linguistically responsive relationship-building with key family members in a child’s life. These people include pregnant women and expectant families, mothers, fathers, grandparents, and other adult caregivers. It requires making a commitment to creating and sustaining an ongoing partnership that supports family well-being. It also honors and supports the parent-child relationships that are central to a child’s healthy development, school readiness, and well-being.” Head Start and Early Head Start’s priority of family engagement is reflected in the following charts showing the number of fathers involved and the percentage of family members volunteering.


Family and Community Engagement Program Services Implementing the new Performance Standards for the Family and Community Engagement Program Services was a focus of the program. As stated in the standards, the program offered an individualized family partnership process that included:

collaboration with families to identify their interests, needs and aspirations,

assistance for families to help them achieve identified individualized family outcomes,

establishment and implementation of a family partnership agreement process that was jointly developed and shared with parents in which staff and families meet to review

47

21

6

63

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Number of Fathers

Number of Fathers

63%

0.80%

35.60%

Percentage of Volunteer Activities

Classroom

Health Services AdvisoryCommittee

Policy Council


individual progress, revise goals, evaluate and track whether identified goals are met, and adjust strategies on an ongoing basis, and the

assignment of staff and resources based on the urgency and intensity of identified family needs and goals.

The Family Resource Specialists worked closely with the families during the implementation process, encouraging and motivating them to move forward with their plans. Families also received a resource directory brochure with information about available services within the community. Family Resource Specialists continued to assist families in accessing needed services and provide support and follow-up services to determine if their needs had been met. In short, Head Start families received many types of service and support during the 2016-2017 school year as represented on the following table.

Service Families expressed an interest or identified need in the program year

Families received the service during the year

Emergency/crisis intervention 377 222

Housing assistance 58 42

Mental health services 104 56

English as second language 53 21

Adult education 129 34

Job training 110 45

Domestic violence 2 0

Child support assistance 21 8

Child abuse and neglect 4 2

Health education 676 209

Parenting education 806 477

Assistance to families of incarcerated individuals

1 0

Relationship/marriage education 15 11

Asset building services such as financial education, debt counseling, etc.)

320 198

Families who received at least one service

624 173


Early Head Start families also received services as indicated below:

Service Families expressed an interest or identified need in the program year

Families received the service during the year

Emergency/crisis intervention 25 13

Housing assistance 25 16

Mental health services 19 11

English as second language 4 2

Adult education 65 28

Job training 18 11

Domestic violence 1 1

Child support assistance 6 3

Child abuse and neglect 1 0

Health education 26 12

Parenting education 106 18

Assistance to families of incarcerated individuals

1 1

Relationship/marriage education 6 3

Asset building services such as financial education, debt counseling, etc.)

13 5

Families who received at least one service

162 86

Head Start and Early Head Start: Success Starts Here Head Start and Early Head Start were designed to benefit not only the participating child but also the child’s family. During the 2016-2017 school year, many families were strengthened because of support they received from staff members and community resources that they accessed. These stories of families’ successes are representative of the many children and families who have benefited from the services of Head Start and Early Head Start. For Early Head Start, names have been changed to protect confidentiality. The Head Start story includes the real names of the parent and child and was shared during the 25th Anniversary Celebration in July 2017.

Success = Graduation for Mom and High Quality Early Head Start for the Child Sarah, a pregnant high school student with very few high school credits, began Early Head Start in the spring semester 2015. As she worked with the program’s Family Resource Specialist, Sarah shared her goal of completing the graduation requirements ahead of schedule. The birth of Sarah’s baby in March 2015 only strengthened her resolve to graduate early. Sarah successfully completed her graduation requirements in January 2017 while balancing caring for an active toddler, meeting the Early Head Start requirements, and working 20-30 hours per week at McDonald’s. In June 2017, the Family Resource Specialist was one of many cheering for Sarah as she participated in the graduation ceremonies recognizing her accomplishment.


College For Mom Because of Early Head Start Molly enrolled in Early Head Start as a pregnant teen. She hid her pregnancy from her mother until the day that the baby was born. She finished high school while living at home and then enrolled in the community college nearby. She balanced going to school, working, meeting program requirements for her son and being a responsible employee. She is in the process of completing her degree at a four-year university. Although she and the baby’s father are not together, they have found a way to successfully parent their son together.

Head Start – A Life-Changing Experience My name is Sherita and I am sending this as a letter of appreciation on behalf of my daughter Jurni who attended Head Start in Frisco ISD during the 2016-2017 school year. As parents we try to put our children in the best learning environments to help them succeed, but some of us lack the resources that allow us to provide them with such an experience. However due to Region 10 Head Start, I was given the opportunity to do so. As a result, my daughter's personality has bloomed, confidence has increased, she loves learning, and most of all she has memories of this great opportunity which are priceless. Initially I was reluctant about putting her in the program. My past experiences with (another) Head Start took me back to where teachers lacked passion and dedication. Those experiences lead me to believe that it would not be beneficial to enroll in this program, but some how some way we enrolled and it was one of the best decisions that I have made. Mrs. Aguilera and Ms.Ama were loving from day one. I knew she was in good hands, and in the back of my mind, I was at peace. There was nothing more satisfying to me than knowing that she was given the same amount of love and care at school as at home. They were phenomenal indeed. Karen Reed and Ana Castello have been great as well. I was very impressed with their level of professionalism. Ana made sure I had the necessary documents, and she made the enrollment process efficient and effective. Karen Reed was very resourceful. She went above and beyond her duty to assist me. She made me feel like there was hope. She never judged me for all of my many shortcomings. Her heart was pure. She showed empathy and concern. I do not think I have the words to express how honored I was to have had her as our resource specialist. To say she was extraordinary would be an understatement. The Policy Council meetings were also great. It showed me that even as a nobody I am somebody. The staff allowed us all to make a difference. We were able to have an input regarding many things, and for that I am forever grateful. This entire experience was rewarding and life changing. My daughter has learned so much from Mrs. Aguilera and Ms. Ama. We love them dearly for all that they have done for us. Their dedication was beyond measure, and I thank God for the opportunity. The impact from this experience is life-long and I will never forget it. Thanks for preparing her for the rest of her learning experience. I thank you all for your commitment and dedication in helping to shape our youth. Hopefully I will be blessed with the opportunity to enroll my soon-to-be 4-year-old in the program.


Executive Summary

Region 10 Education Service Center is a Head Start/Early Head Start grantee serving 1,120 children in Collin, Ellis, Grayson, Kaufman and Rockwall counties in Texas. The program collaborates with school districts to provide Head Start for 952 children and 168 infants, toddlers and pregnant women. Head Start school district partners include Allen, Farmersville, Frisco and McKinney in Collin County; Ennis, Midlothian, Palmer and Waxahachie in Ellis County; Denison, Pottsboro, Sherman and Whitesboro in Grayson County; Crandall, Forney, Kemp and Mabank in Kaufman County; Rockwall and Royse City in Rockwall County. Early Head Start school district partners are McKinney, Rockwall and Sherman. The Community Assessment provides data on the counties, cities and school districts where the Head Start/Early Head Start program operates. The program’s enrollment area ranges from small rural cities to rapidly growing suburban districts.

Families living in poverty are the primary participants in the Head Start/Early Head Start program. Eight cities within the designated enrollment area have poverty levels higher than the national average – Denison, Ennis, Farmersville, Kemp, Mabank, Sherman, Waxahachie and Whitesboro.

Ten cities are experiencing rapid growth with two of those on the list of the nation’s fastest growing cities. Frisco is number two, and McKinney is number three on the list. The other eight cities are Allen, Ennis, Forney, Midlothian, Rockwall, Royse City, Sherman/Denison metropolitan area, and Waxahachie.

McKinney in Collin County is the largest city and school district; Kemp in Kaufman County is the smallest.

The number of children who speak a language other than English continues to increase in all counties served by the program.

The reports of child abuse and neglect for each county are addressed in the Community Assessment. Confirmed cases of abuse and/or neglect increased in 2015-2016 in Ellis, Grayson and Rockwall counties.

Child development programs for preschool children include child care centers, registered family day homes, Early Head Start, Pre-Kindergarten, Head Start/Pre-K blended programs, faith-based, part-day programs.

Infants/toddlers with disabilities are served through Early Childhood Intervention and the collaborative efforts of Early Head Start/Early Childhood Intervention.

Preschool children with disabilities are served through the school districts’ Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD) and collaborative efforts between Head Start/Pre-K and PPCD.


Infants, toddlers and preschool children who are classified as homeless, according to the McKinney-Vento Act, are categorically eligible for Head Start/Early Head Start services. Districts whose enrollment of homeless children increased during 2015-2016 included Ennis, Forney, Kemp, McKinney, Midlothian, Pottsboro and Whitesboro.

Family Resource Specialists assisted the families in accessing needed services including emergency/crisis intervention, housing assistance, mental health services, English as a Second Language (ESL), adult education, job training, domestic violence, child support assistance, child abuse and neglect, health services, health education, parenting education, assistance for families of incarcerated individuals, relationship/marriage education, substance abuse prevention and treatment and asset building services such as financial education and debt counseling.

Because children must be healthy to be able to learn, children’s health is a priority in Head Start/Early Head Start. Family Resource Specialists work with families to ensure that infants, toddlers and preschool children can access private insurance, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). If families are not eligible, limited Head Start/Early Head Start funds assist families to ensure that children participate in a regular schedule of medical and dental care.

Head Start children received assistance for the health conditions of anemia, asthma, hearing, overweight/obese, vision problems, high lead levels and diabetes; obesity is the most common condition.

Early Head Start infants and toddlers received assistance for asthma, hearing difficulties and vision problems.

Family Resource Specialists work closely with campus nurses to ensure that infants, toddlers and preschool children are up-to-date on immunizations. By the end of the year, 637 Head Start children and 170 Early Head Start infants and toddlers were up-to-date on the required immunizations.

Children in Head Start and Early Head Start often have significant needs for dental services. In Head Start, 921 children received preventive care; 232 needed dental treatment and received it. In Early Head Start, 143 children had continuous accessible dental care.

Emotional and behavioral health is integral to children’s academic success. In Head Start, 54 children received additional help for mental health issues; 13 Early Head Start children and 5 parents received guidance on ways to assist their children with behavioral issues.

Each Head Start/Early Head Start county has its own resource directory that is available online at Head Start/Early head start resources

Because many families want employment that provides a living wage, the largest employers for each county are listed in the Community Assessment.

https://www.region10.org/programs/early-childhood-services/links/