Duluth Public Schools/Duluth Head Start
Annual Report to the Public
2016-2017
MISSION
The mission of Duluth Head Start is to provide services for income eligible preschool children and their families. These services include opportunities to enhance social and cognitive skills, increase health and wellness and build upon family strengths. Our mission guides our work with families.
FUNDING
Duluth Head Start receives grants from the Office of Head Start and the State of Minnesota through the Minnesota Department of Education. Additionally, we received funds through the State Pathway II Early Learning Scholarships and the new State funded Voluntary PreK.
Federal Head Start Budget $1,905,113. This money funds personnel ($1,169,961.) and fringe benefits of ($557,016.) For the nine classrooms and the support staff who work program wide. The remainder is spent on items needed to support our services to families. Office supplies, printing, cell phones for Family Advocates, Mental Health consultation, transportation contracts, (cabs), mileage, indirect charges, insurance, classroom supplies and travel. Federally funded enrollment is 239.
Pathway II Early Learning Scholarship Award $191,040. This money supports the classrooms with additional paraprofessional assistance. This third classroom staff allows us to provide for active supervision, small group learning opportunities and help to prepare and serve breakfast, snack and lunch. In addition, these funds allow us to provide some mid-day busing for two schools that are more difficult to access.
State Head Start Budget $499,203. These funds provide three options including a Childcare Collaboration at the YWCA Childcare Center in West Duluth, Families in Transition staff is supporting families experiencing homelessness and a Home Based option for families who, for many reasons, cannot access our classrooms across the city. $421,640 is dedicated to staff wages and fringe benefits, while the remainder includes a small contract with the YWCA to support the center. State funded enrollment is 51.
ATTENDANCE
The Office of Head Start requires programs to maintain attendance rates of 85% or better. We must also monitor classrooms/sites that fall below that level and analyze the reasons for the lower attendance. In 2016-2017, our average attendance was 84.49%. In 2017-2018, we anticipate this number will improve as we work to allow 4 year olds to ride on K-5 buses, thereby partially addressing the needs of Head Start families for help with transportation. Transportation is not a Head Start requirement nor is it funded by Head Start.
AUDIT
The most recent audit completed in June 2017 shows there were no audit findings for Head Start. A copy of the audit is available through our office. Follow the contact information at the end of this report.
MEDICAL INFORMATION
One of the most important pieces of the work we do in Head Start is to assist families with their health needs. This means we work to ensure all families have a source of ongoing and continuous health insurance. With our cumulative enrollment at 308 children, (funded enrollment is 239) 103% have health coverage. 71% of our children were up to date on our yearly physical exam requirements, 85% of our children are up to date on their immunizations and 98% have what we call a Dental Home; meaning they have a relationship with a dentist.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT ACTIVITIES
The Office of Head Start provided a framework for programs to use when working with families. The ultimate goal is to help ensure children and their families are ready for their next school experience. The Parent, Family and Community Engagement Framework, guides our Family Advocates in their support to families in setting goals, large and small, building on family strengths, understanding child development, connecting to the community and becoming advocates and leaders.
PREPARING CHILDREN FOR KINDERGARTEN
Using our curriculum, Opening the World of Learning and companion pieces like the strategies to encourage positive social-emotional skills; we are proud of the gains made by our youngest learners. We know that all children in our program can and do make gains over the course of a year. We are fortunate to have many Minnesota Reading Corps members who are skilled at doing formative assessments with children to monitor their growth in literacy. Along with these quick and fun assessments, Minnesota Reading Corp members complete targeted interventions with children who need more support.
We work closely with the School District’s Early Childhood Special Education department to ensure we are working together to serve children who qualify for Special Services. We know and believe that early intervention is the key to success for children with disabilities.
The School District’s PreK-Grade 3 Leadership Team has made some progress on a plan to build a strong and responsive bridge between Prek and K-3rd grade. We have engaged a group of teachers, principals and District leaders to work on our plans. In 2017-2018 we will implement changes to the way we offer kindergarten Round-Up, Open Houses. This new plan will allow one: one meetings between Kindergarten teachers and parents of incoming Kindergarten students on the first few days of school in the Fall of 2018. In Prek we do home visits to start building relationships with families. In Kindergarten there will be school visits.
HEAD START AND THE DULUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Head Start has had a long and successful relationship with the Duluth Public Schools. As the Federal and State Head Start grantee, the Duluth Public Schools work in concert with Head Start to ensure we are able to meet all the Program Performance Standards aimed at supporting families living in economic poverty.
This partnership allows Head Start to be part of five elementary school communities with the use of clean, modern and well-maintained facilities and a natural connection to the K-5 world. We are the only Head Start program in the State to have this partnership, which means our staff are school district employees, just like K-12 staff. Good wages, benefits and working conditions equals low turnover and that pays off with our ability to attract and retain highly trained and experienced staff.This partnership, while unique in Minnesota, is more common across the country.
For more information, please feel free to contact us online, by phone or in person.
Duluth Head Start
2102 N. Blackman Ave.
Duluth MN 55811
218-336-8815