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CHSA Update

July 7, 2011
Federal Budget Negotiations

 

Negotiations continue today between President Obama and House Republicans over the federal budget and debt ceiling.

  

Since the House leadership continues to push for cuts in domestic discretionary spending (which includes Head Start), the issue deserves a closer look.  In fact, when adjusting for inflation and population growth, this portion of the budget has remained flat since 2001, according to figures from Sen. Daniel Inouye, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations.  In other words, the growing federal deficit has nothing to do with Head Start or related domestic discretionary spending.  The federal deficit instead comes from increased military expenditures, tax cuts and mandatory entitlement programs.

 

Our Congressional Representatives need to hear this message.

We expect that very soon negotiations will determine future funding for early education and related federal programs.

Stay tuned.

 

Local Research Finds Head Start Children More Prepared for Kindergarten

 

Congratulations to Head Start at the Community Action Commission of Santa Barbara County, whose children were recently studied by researchers at the UC Santa Barbara Graduate School of Education.  The research found that 81 percent of Head Start children ranked within the top two levels of kindergarten readiness criteria, compared to 36 percent of the no preschool control group.

 

For more information, the Santa Barbara Independent newspaper recently reported on the findings: New Readiness Research.  

 

Head Start Training and Technical Assistance Network

 

Meet the Members of the CA Head Start TTA Network

 

Rebecca Votaw, MA, has worked in the field of early childhood education, early intervention and infant mental health for 20 years; providing training and technical assistance to Early Head Start and Head Start programs, and worked as a Disabilities Coordinator for an EHS/HS program in the Bay Area.

 

Rob Colombini has been working in Head Start since 1993and has been a Head Start teacher, Education Coordinator, Manager, Transition Manager, and Head Start Director.  Rob has been a Training and Technical Assistance Provider in both Regions IX (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington) and X (Arizona, Nevada, California, Hawaii and the Outer Pacific).

 

Lora Hunter has been working in the Early Childhood Education field for over a decade. She has a BA in Early Childhood Education and History, and a Master's of Education degree in Elementary and Early Childhood Education and an MA in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. She began working for Head Start in 2003 as an administrator and was with the National Head Start Family Literacy Center.

 

Lori Vivas, a former Head Start parent, has worked in the field of early childhood development for 20 years, working as a Teacher Assistant, Teacher, Site Supervisor, Education Specialist, Education Manager, and Program Administrator. Lori has worked as a Federal Reviewer of Early Head Start and Head Start programs. She has a BA in Child Development.

 

Judy Brummel has worked in the field of early childhood education for more than 20 years providing consulting services to Head Start/Early Head Start programs as well as Zero to Three National Center.  She has been a Director and Program Manager of Head Start/Early Head Start programs.  Judy has a BA in Child and Family Studies and is a graduate of the Head Start - J & J Management Fellows Program.

 

Therese Snyder has extensive experience supporting comprehensive approaches and practices that support meaningful family engagement and enhance learning and development with children.  She is a former Head Start special education teacher, elementary teacher, and educational specialist.  Therese has a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Special Education Leadership and Policy Studies.

 

Marcie Bugera has extensive experience with the ongoing cycle of child assessment and planning for continuous improvement.  She is a former Head Start teacher, site supervisor, and education/disabilities manager.  Marcie has Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education and has completed Training of Trainers for CLASS Reliability and Understanding the CLASS Framework

 

Upcoming Events

 

2011-12 Training and information sharing opportunities will be offered on a variety of topics designed to support School Readiness, Professional and Career Development, Family Engagement, and Collaboration.   In cooperation with CHSA, each HS/EHS Grantee will have the opportunity to participate in a survey to determine topics of need.  The survey will be out shortly after the CHSA Leadership Institute. Based on information from this survey, trainings, information sharing, and networking opportunities will be developed.  Each of these events will be offered at more than one location and at different dates and times.  Events will also be offered via webinars.  Details will be provided on the events for a six month period to allow grantees to be able to plan for staff participation and maximize use of the trainings.

 

Be sure to submit your survey to ensure the needs of your program are included.

 

California Head Start-State Collaboration Office - July 2011  

 

Alignment of Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework with California Preschool Learning Foundations and the Desired Results Developmental Profile

 

The CHSSCO, in cooperation with the CHSA, State TTA Center staff, the Region IX Office and CDE, has developed a plan to align the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework with the California Preschool Learning Foundations. WestEd, which developed the Foundations, has developed a draft alignment which will be sent out to the Head Start community by the end of June. Two focus groups will be convened to collect input, one at SETA Head Start (Sacramento) on July 18 and a second at the CHSA Directors and Managers Conference (San Diego) on July 26. A final alignment will be completed and released to the field in August.

 

As we have previously reported, staff at SETA Head Start have finished an alignment of the revised Outcomes Framework with the DRDP, and believe the new missing elements needed for full alignment will be included in the upcoming Volumes 2 &3 of the Foundations. The Child Development Division and DRDP contractors (BEAR at UC Berkeley and WestEd) are planning to pilot a revised DRDP (which will be aligned with volumes 2 & 3 of the Foundations and the Head Start Outcomes Framework) in the fall of 2012 leading to a final aligned DRDP slated to be rolled out in 2015. All Head Start programs using the DRDP will be included in this pilot and will be allowed to begin using the prototype DRDP in fall 2012.

 

SETA (and other grantee reps selected by the CHSA with input by Head Start TTA staff) will work with the CDD contractors in preparation of the fall 2012 pilot. CHSSCO has discussed this plan with the Region IX Office to see if these timelines are acceptable to meet compliance requirements. We are still awaiting a response.

 

State Early Learning Council (ELAC)

 

As you may have heard, Governor Brown decided to eliminate the California Early Learning Council and return the federal funding, due to potential future cost impacts of ELAC recommendations. However the final signed budget bill restored the council and funding.  It is uncertain what, if any, changes will be made to the structure or activities of the council due to the Governor's concerns.

 

Early Learning Challenge Grants

 

  • The federal DOE and DHHS released the requirements for the new grant awards on July 1 at http://www.ed.gov/early-learning 
  • Timeline. The application will be released in mid-August and will be due in October.  
  • Grant size. Grants will range from $50 to $100 million, depending on the size of the state's population of children living in poverty under age five (with some possible discretion to ensure rural states are represented too).
  • Grant period. Grants will be awarded for four years, from December 31, 2011 through December 2015.  

Below are the priorities for funding:

  •  Absolute Priorities. (States must address these.)
    1. Use early learning and development standards and kindergarten entry assessments to promote school readiness.
    2. Use a tiered quality rating and improvement system to promote school readiness.
  • Competitive Priority. (States that address this will earn extra points.)
  • Include all early learning and development programs in the tiered rating and improvement system.
  • Invitational Priorities. (The DOE and HHS care about these things and hope states do too.)
  • Sustain program effects into the early elementary grades.
  • Encourage private sector support.

 

Head Start Dental Home Initiative

 

The Head Start Dental Home Initiative is getting back on track and has identified new regionally based dental consultants:  Dr. Irene Hilton will oversee state teams in Region IX. There are two southern California consultants, Dr. Santos Cortez and Dr. Jennifer Holtzman, and currently one in northern California, Dr. Yogita Thakur. Please contact Michael Zito if you or your health services manager are interested in getting in touch with any of the dental consultants.

 

Head Start Inclusion Workgroup

 

This workgroup, formed by the State-Based T/TA Office disabilities specialist and CHSSCO, includes the CHSA, CDE Special Education Division, First 5, WestEd, Department of Developmental Services, and local Head Start disabilities managers. The workgroup sponsored a statewide webinar and regionally based and facilitated interagency discussions on May 23, 2011 regarding Early Head Start and Head Start interagency agreements with local education agencies and regional centers.

 

Bridges Journal

 

The summer 2011 edition of the Bridges Journal has just been mailed out to programs statewide and is also available at: http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/documents/bridges2011winter.pdf 

This issue was developed in partnership with the Child Development Training Consortium and has a wealth of professional development information for early educators.

 

 

Contact Michael Zito at [email protected] if you have any comments or questions.

 

In This Issue
Federal Budget Negotiations
HS Readiness Research
Head Start TTA Network
CHSSCO Report, July 2010

CHSA  Policy & Leadership Conference 

July 26-28, San Diego

Information & schedule 

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