Committee and Task Force Meeting Summaries   

Quality Committee - February 17, 2015

The Quality Committee did not meet in January.
On behalf of the Data Committee, Peter Antal visited our February meeting to seek input on our ideas for data needs. We reviewed the dissemination of the quality cards over the past few months. Almost all of the Family cards have been distributed, but many Provider cards remain. The PowerPoint slides corresponding to the Quality Definition cards will be piloted by Committee over the next couple of months. The committee continues to consider the next steps of our work. 

Workforce and Professional Development Committee - February 27, 2015  

Melissa Clement, head of the Child Care Licensing Unit, met with the Workforce and Professional Development Committee at its February meeting to discuss the process for revising the Child Care Licensing Rules for 2016.  We discussed the feedback and data that will be most helpful to the revision process, as well as the importance of encouraging child care teachers and directors to provide input at public hearings.  The Committee shared its recommendation that a degree should be required for lead teachers.  The WPD Committee also discussed the next steps in finalizing the Shared Professional Early Childhood Core Competencies and generated a list of individuals and organizations to be contacted, as well as the people who will take responsibility for those contacts.  At the March meeting, we will finalize the process for making those contacts.  We also briefly reviewed the Glossary that is being developed for the SPECCC.  We had a brief conversation with Peter Antal about the Spark NH Needs Assessment but will need to follow that up with a more extensive conversation.

Policy Committee - March 2, 2015

The Policy Committee finalized the title of the latest draft of the ten, recommended early childhood policy priorities, to "A Framework for Action for New Hampshire's Young Children." The draft was shared with the Office of the Governor, and the feedback was positive.   Next steps include: background research by NH Kids Count and publishing a white paper on the priorities.  Updates were given on Spark NH's regional partnerships and the CCDF taskforce.

Data Committee - March 2, 2015

The Data Committee had the opportunity to meet with DPHS staff working on the Web-based Interactive System for Direction and Outcome Measures (WISDOM), which is a web based data platform for Public Health information. The current data that is available and operability was reviewed. The group discussed upgrades planned for the near future that will incorporate some new data related to children and the potential for collaboration regarding additional child related data.

Evaluation Committee - March 6, 2015

The group gave final feedback on the Spark NH Committee member survey. Peter is planning to cross check the survey with the Wilder Tool questions to see what additional questions could be added. A discussion about Project LAUNCH evaluation needs also took place. The components were reviewed as they relate to the larger Council. Priority of questions was also discussed.    

Family Partnership and Engagement Task Force - March 9, 2015

The task force reviewed their past work and talked about the plan for the upcoming year. Plans include opportunities for parent feedback, participation in Parent Advocacy Day, and creating materials for parents. The hope is to contact new parent groups that might not yet be involved with the work of Spark NH.

Executive Committee - March 11, 2015

The group approved the meeting summary and debriefed the last Council meeting. A draft of the updated committee guidelines was shared. The group discussed the equity work of the Council. Language around an opportunity from the National Governor's Association was shared. We are working to fill the higher education position on the Council. There are some project funds left to be spent. Committee chairs can forward their requests to Laura. Public Awareness opportunities were discussed including a Bedrock presentation to the Institute on Disability and an early childhood strand at the DOE Summer Summit.

Workforce and Professional Development Committee - March 27, 2015

The Workforce and Professional Development Committee held a discussion with Peter Antal as part of his work with the Spark NH Data Committee.  WPD Committee members offered feedback on the Spark Needs Assessment Survey and identified data that would be helpful for the purposes of our committee.  We made final revisions to a letter that will be sent to relevant stakeholders with the draft Shared Professional Early Childhood Core Competencies (SPECCC).  The SPECCC will be reviewed and approved at our April meeting.  We also identified stakeholder groups from which we would like to recruit members for our committee and agreed on a process for recruiting and orienting new members.  Ellen Wheatley has taken a new position in Washington DC and will no longer be able to serve as co-chair of our committee.  We have all appreciated her leadership and will miss her!

Policy Committee - April 6, 2015

"A Framework for Action for New Hampshire's Young Children" has been formatted into a nicely-designed one-pager.   The committee heard updates about the "Framework" white paper and NH Kids Count's research on these policy priorities. The committee continued discussions about the release of the "Framework." Members shared how they have used the document during this legislative session. The committee discussed ideas for Spark NH project funds and recommended continuing collective impact discussions between regional partners of Spark NH. Peter Antal led a discussion regarding recommendations for Spark NH's data needs and future data products. Updates were given on Spark NH's regional partnerships and the CCDF taskforce.

Data Committee - April 6, 2015

Peter Antal helped the committee discuss the next steps in thinking about indictors. We discussed how to rate indicators and then how to group them.   Between meetings, Peter will send out a grid to help the committee rate indicators to help to narrow and reach consensus on a core group of indicators. We will discuss them at the meeting. This may be done over 2-3 meetings depending on the complexity.

Executive Committee - April 8, 2015

The group accepted last month's summary and created the Council agenda. A revised budget was approved. They reviewed committee proposals for project funds. The updated committee guidelines were finalized. Next steps for the equity work at the Council level were discussed. Several regional early childhood initiatives are interested in connecting with each other and further connecting with Spark NH. The next meeting with the Governor's office and Commissioners is scheduled. All of the Council positions have been filled at this time.

Meetings are held at 2 Delta Drive in Concord NH unless otherwise noted.