Final Project, Week 5 Head Start Program Evaluation Holly Conner March 24, 2010 MPA 6115.
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Transcript of Final Project, Week 5 Head Start Program Evaluation Holly Conner March 24, 2010 MPA 6115.
Final Project, Week 5Head Start Program Evaluation
Holly Conner
March 24, 2010
MPA 6115
Evaluation Findings
Parental Involvement– Head Start parents have a positive attitude toward
parenting Spend more time with children Create stimulating home environment Reading to child daily
– High impact seen in those enrolled during pregnancy and African Americans
– Areas of improvement: Communication between staff and parents Increase in resources for increasing involvement at home Need for ongoing parental support groups and regular meeting
with staff
Evaluation Findings
Disability Recruitment– Average of 10% client population designated as
disabled.– Recruitment methods include partnerships with:
Disability service agencies (Medicare Part C) Pediatrician offices Community disability organizations
– Early intervention needed to identify children in need
Evaluation Findings
Disability Recruitment– Areas of Improvement
New outreach and assessment programs
Expansion of partnerships to include hospitals and additional pediatric practices
Evaluation Findings
Testing and Assessment– Regular interval testing present at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24
months, followed by every year until age 5.– Documented areas of concern and facilitated discussion
with parents Developed plan of action to address concerns
– Resistance by parents due to stigma of a delayed child– Areas of Improvement
Partnerships with behavioral and educational specialist to increase support options to parents.
Evaluation Findings
Nutritional Protocol– Nutritional guidelines established by federal
government– Overall parental satisfaction– Areas of Improvement
Increased variety within guidelines More fresh, less processed foods Cooking/nutrition lessons for parents Increased information on home nutrition
Presentation Methods
Group presentation with Q&A– Slideshow
Data charts Guideline examples Examples of existing documentation
– Assessment forms– Nutritional regulations
– Handouts
Learning Culture
What is a learning culture?– “An organization that knows how to learn, with
people who freely share what they know and are willing to change based on the acquisition of new knowledge” (Rosenberg, 2008)
– Head Start can use the variety of backgrounds of all stakeholders as an advantage to sharing knowledge and adapting to change as needed.
Learning Culture
Why is a learning culture needed?– “If organizations can sense and respond to
emerging opportunities, there is a good chance they will endure. If they can sense and respond to each new opportunity with greater ingenuity and speed…there is a good chance they will bloom” (Conner & Clawson, 2002)
– In order to address the continuingly changing needs of Head Start, stakeholders need to plan for the future today.
Learning Culture
Involvement of all stakeholders is needed to facilitate continued learning and improvement– Findings indicate areas of expansion of current
services to improve outreach potential– Sharing of ideas and resources will increase
Head Start outreach and improve community impact
– Change must be embraced, not challenged.
Final Thoughts
Moving Forward– Noted areas of improvement should be explored to find how
Head Start can expand services and improve parent/center relations
– Evaluator will: Provide additional data to support findings Assist in determining improvement priority Direct administrators to known resources to aid in
improvement plan Help create timeline for improvements and possible re-
evaluation
References
Conner, M.L., & Clawson, J.G. (2002). Creating a Learning Culture. Ageless Learner. Retrieved from http://agelesslearner.com/articles/lc_connerclawson_tc600.html
Rosenberg, Marc. (2008, April-May). Building a Learning Culture. ELearning! Magazine. Retrieved from http://marcrosenber.com/images/Building_an_E-Learning_Culture.pdf