NDE Early Childhood 101 Bringing Together Title I, Head Start, and Other Early Childhood Partners

What is an Early Childhood Program? Federal Title I - For the purposes of Title I, children from birth to the age that the LEA provides a free public elementary education may receive preschool services

Early Childhood Education : Defined by State Statute Rule 11, §79-1101(3)(b) “…any prekindergarten part-day or full-day program or in-home family support program with a stated purpose of promoting social, emotional, intellectual, language, physical, and aesthetic development and learning for children from birth to kindergarten entrance age and family development and support.”

Rules and Regulations State Federal Rule 11 Rule 51 Rule 10 Title I, Part A McKinney-Vento Head Start Performance Standards IDEA

Resources & Funding Funds from various sources may be blended in the development and operation of an early childhood program or service Title I funds may be used in the operation of a preschool or any early childhood program An LEA may reserve an amount from LEA’s total allocation to operate a Title I preschool program for eligible children in the district as a whole or for a portion of the district.

Resources & Funding An LEA that uses Title I funds to provide early childhood development services to low-income children below the compulsory school attendance age must ensure services comply at a minimum with achievement standards established under Section 641A(a) of Head Start Act. [§1112(c)(1)(G), ESEA.] Such as: Purposeful learning activities and play A balanced schedule and coherent curriculum Aligned content standards & ongoing assessment Parent informed program planning

Title I and Even Start A district may choose an Even Start Family Literacy model as their early childhood program approach which includes early childhood education, adult literacy or adult basic education and parenting education into a unified family literacy program [§1231, ESEA.] Note: Although specific Even Start (Title I, Part B) funds are no longer available, LEA’s may still choose this model using Title I, Part A or other ESEA funds. .

Nebraska Head Start Facts -2011 Head Start, Migrant and Seasonal Head Start, American Indian Head Start, Early Head Start 19 Programs 394 Classes plus: 945 Home Based children 30 Combination children 296 School classrooms with Head Start programs 245 School districts partnered with Head Start 6,685 Nebraska children enrolled in HS 4,839 HS/MSHS children 1,608 EHS/MSHS children 2,534 HS children transitioned to kindergarten

Head Start and School Readiness Federal Head Start Act of 2007*: Requires that each agency establish program goals for improving the school readiness of children participating in its program that align with the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework (formerly The Head Start Child Outcomes Framework), State early learning standards, Requirements and expectations of the schools, to the extent that they apply to the ages of children participating in the program. [*Head Start Act -Section 641A(g)(2)(A)]

1 Adopt and align established Office of Head Start child goals from the Early Learning Framework 2 Create and implement a plan of action for achieving goals 3 Assess child progress on an ongoing basis and aggregate and analyze data 3 times per year 4 Examine data for patterns of progress for groups of children in order to develop and implement a plan for program improvement ACF-PI-HS-11-04

Nebraska Early Learning Domains

ALIGNMENT

Head Start Curricula Standards Section 640(o) of the Act requires all curricula: Be based on scientifically valid research Be age and developmentally appropriate Reflect all areas of child development and learning Be aligned with the Head Start Framework Parents shall have the opportunity to examine any such curricula or instructional materials… 45 CFR 1307.3 (b) (1) (iii) requires that each agency consult with parents in establishing school readiness goals.

Rule 11 Curriculum requirements 004.10 Developmentally and Culturally Appropriate Curriculum, Practices and Assessment. Well rounded curriculum that addresses all areas of child development and learning through play based learning. Links the district early childhood with the district kindergarten/primary program…

Head Start Assessment Requirements Assess child progress on an ongoing basis and aggregate and analyze data 3 to 4 times per year* Maintain ongoing assessment information to inform individualized strategies for children’s continued development and learning Collect child level data that can be aggregated at the program level (whether in house or external) Aggregate and analyze child assessment data to demonstrate child progress at or beyond developmental norms *2 times per year for programs operating less than 90 days ACF-PI-HS-11-04, NCQTL, Dr. Joseph, 9/11

Head Start Assessment Requirements Examine data for patterns of progress for groups of children to inform continuous program improvement Looking at the patterns of progress and outcomes for groups of children by age rate of attendance language groups program settings and/or options child, family, or community risk factors Responding through program improvement plans Professional Development (intensity, frequency, and type of training) Work with partners Family engagement Curriculum supports or enhancements ACF-PI-HS-11-04, NCQTL, Dr. Joseph, 9/11

Rule 11 Assessment Requirements Use child assessment (evaluation) practices based on documentation gathered through an established system of ongoing observation and assessment to provide objective measures of each child’s performance and progress in development and learning.

Rule 11 Assessment Requirements The assessment data are used to plan activities to meet the individual needs of children. Any formal assessment tools used must meet accepted standards of reliability and validity. ( Results Matter )

Rule 11 Staff Qualifications for Early Childhood Program Coordinator - certificated teacher with at least 9 college credit hours in EC Teachers -Bachelors’ degree with one of the early childhood endorsements Para educators- 12 early childhood credits or equivalency (i.e., Project Para = 3 hrs.) Title I funding of staff must meet the criteria in Rule 11

Reporting Systems State Federal NDE Nebraska Staff & Student Record System (NSSRS) NDE Consolidated Data Collection (CDC) NDE Results Matter Online Child & Program Environment Assessment System NDE Annual Program Report/Approval DHHS Child Care Licensing (LIS) USDA – Child and Adult Food Program Federal Head Start/Early Head Start Taryn Mae

Monitoring Processes Title I Monitoring Checklist Title I ESEA Application Title I Schoolwide Plan Annual Self-Review of Title I Schoolwide and Targeted Programs McKinney-Vento Requirements Federal Head Start Monitoring NDE Office of Early Childhood

Other Considerations Eligibility for Title I preschool “targeted” children in foster care experiencing homelessness neglected verified with a disability or developmental delay Eligibility for Title I “schoolwide” All children in attendance area are eligible for preschool services

Other Considerations Head Start must reserve 10% of federal funded enrollment, “by grantee” to serve children with a disability or developmental delay Head Start Income eligibility - Household Income verification is required for enrollment Head Start staff must be cleared through child abuse registry/background checks of staff Transportation needs and regulations

Important Links http://www.ed.gov “Serving Preschool…Under Title I” http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/preschoolguidance2012.pdf http://www.education.ne.gov/federalprograms/Title%20X.html Homeless Education http://www.education.ne.gov/oec/index.html NDE Office of Early Childhood http://www.education.ne.gov/oec/hssco.html NE Head Start-State Collaboration Office http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc - US DHHS - Head Start (search, Head Start Performance Standards, staff qualifications, etc.) http://www.education.ne.gov/oec/pdfs/para_eq.pdf Para educator link

Contact Information Federal Programs - Staff http://www.education.ne.gov/federalprograms/Contact_Us.html Office of Early Childhood – Staff http://www.education.ne.gov/oec/staff.html Head Start-State Collaboration Office Eleanor Kirkland @ eleanor.kirkland@nebraska.gov Diane Kvasnicka @ diane.kvasnicka@nebraska.gov McKinney-Vento Roger Reikofski @ roger.reikofski@nebraska.gov

Contact Information Federal Head Start Technical Assistance – Nebraska state-based: Bethanie Grass; bgrass@icfi.com Mary Finney-Afrank; mfinney-afrank@icfi.com

Questions Please contact us if specific questions Thank you for your participation!