Page 6 - 2020-2021_CFS_HeadStart_AnnualReport

NOTES FROM THE YEAR:
• During FY2021 Head Start underwent a a a a a a a a virtual Focus Focus Area Area 1 1 1 monitoring review review Focus Focus Area Area 1 1 1 reviews reviews provide programs with an an an an opportunity to to discuss their design design management and and and and structure and and and and services: through these reviews reviews the the the the Office of of of Head Start gains an an an an an an an an understanding of of of the the the the program’s design design and and and and and plans for implementing high-quality services services that meet the the needs of of of of children and and and and families All areas areas of of of Head Head Head Start Start Start and and and Early Head Head Head Start Start Start services services were found to be in in full compliance with Head Head Head Start Start Start Program Performance Standards No areas areas of of concern were noted in in the review • Children’s Friend Head Start staff have begun work as partners with the Rhode Island Department of Education and and local school districts on on on on a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a new federal initiative dedicated to to the transition from early childhood education to to public school school kindergarten kindergarten kindergarten classes This will help children children and and and families be be ready ready for for kindergarten kindergarten kindergarten and and and kindergarten kindergarten kindergarten teachers and and and their schools be be ready ready for for children children coming from Head Start This exciting new initiative is is currently in in in in in in in in in the the the planning phase and will kick-off in in in in in the spring o of 2022 • All Head Start classrooms continue to to be Culturally and and Linguistically Responsive: this means we take dedicated steps to to support support our bilingual bilingual children and and families Research indicates that supporting bilingualism from from early childhood on can have wide-ranging benefits from from cognitive and and social growth to employment opportunities and and competitiveness in in the workplace Our CLR classrooms are staffed by teachers who have developed sensitivity to multicultural families and and and and and their their needs they embrace and and and and and highlight the the the the the child child and and and and and family’s culture and and and and and language(s!) in in in the the the the the classroom Parents are are are engaged in in in their their child’s education and and and and and children are are are truly able to succeed as as bilingual learners with bright futures • Children’s Friend staff helped lead the the Rhode Island Head Start Association Conference Conference in in in in May 2021 Due to to to to the the the the ongoing inability to to to to meet in in in in large groups due to to to to the the the COVID-19 pandemic the the the Conference Conference shifted to to to to a a a a a a a a a a a a a a virtual format with wild success Parents of of children in in Early Head Head Start Start Head Head Start Start and and and and Pre-K from across Rhode Island were invited and and and and an an an an an an an average of of of 50 people attended each session The Conference’s topic was Transitions (of any sort) Topics and and and speakers included “Navigating the Special Education System in in in Public Schools” from from Lisa Alfonso-Lynes of Children’s Friend “Foster Positive Mental Health Outcomes” from from from Lindsay Huffhines Ph D Bradley Hospital and and “Transitioning to Kindergarten” from from Keynote Speaker Lisa Nugent of of the Rhode Island Department of Education • Policy Council and site-specific Parent Committee meetings were held on schedule over Zoom to to ensure that our entire community was able to to participate safely SCHOOL READINESS:
School readiness measures whether children possess the the the skills knowledge and and and attitudes necessary for for success in in school school and and and for for for later in in life and and and the the extent that children children are are are ready ready ready for for for school school school families are are are ready ready ready to support children’s learning and schools are are are ready ready ready for for children children Each year we seek to improve School Readiness out- comes for the children in in our Head Head Head Start Start Start Early Early Head Head Head Start Start Start (center and and home-based) and and Early Early Head Head Head Start Start Start – Child Care Partnerships programs We use the Teach- ings Strategies GOLD GOLD GOLD (GOLD)® to to develop curricula and track child outcomes GOLD® is a a a a a a a a a a birth to to kindergarten assessment system that assesses school readiness on a a a a a a a a per-student level It is completed three times throughout the school year and and and provides individual- ized assessment and and and and feedback to to teachers and and and and parents to to to to help identify children’s strengths and and and and challenges and and and to to to track student progress It is also used to to to assess program efficacy and and and improvement on a a a a a a a a a a a a classroom- center- and and agency-level The following graphs show the percentages of children in in in in in all Children’s Friend sites who were meeting/exceeding expectations in in in in the developmental areas of social-emotional physical language language Spanish Spanish language language cognitive literacy literacy Spanish Spanish literacy and mathematics Please note the following: In Early Head Start – Child Care Partnerships we do not not not have any data on Spanish Spanish language or or Spanish Spanish literacy as these are are not not compo- nents of the the program program or or curriculum In our our Early Head Start programs our our staff received needed training on use use use of GOLD® for effective measurement in in in in the the popu- lation they serve in in part because Early Early Head Head Start Start uses a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a different curriculum Our Early Early Head Head Start Start programs also operate based on on rolling admissions and dis- charge so so the the the the the cohort cohort measured measured in in in in the the the the the fall might not be the the the the the same as as as the the the the the cohort cohort measured measured in in in the the the the the spring Early Head Start home visits were also conducted virtually during part of of the the year Even given these factors an acceptable percentage of of children in in in in Early Head Start met or exceeded school readiness goals during the 2020-2021 program year