| Agenda
and Speaking Faculty |
| Day
One: November 20, 2003 |
| 8:30 |
Registration
& Continental Breakfast |
| 9:00 |
Keynote:
Identifying Trends and Initiatives for Managing and Improving
the Head Start System
Intended primarily for preschoolers from low-income families,
Head Start’s mission is to promote school readiness to enable
each child to develop to his or her fullest potential. Head Start
children also receive comprehensive health services, including
immunizations, physical and dental exams and treatment, and nutritional
services. Head Start engages parents in their children's learning
and helps them make progress toward their educational and employment
goals.
•Focusing on staffing and career development
•Improving the coordination & management of local programs
and centers
•Encourage Participation of parents in early childhood development
•Providing for better facilities for preschool children
Pearlie H. Elloie, Director, Office for Children,
Youth & Families, Total Community Action |
| 10:00 |
Improving
Performance Measures for Head Start Programs
Develop a framework for measuring and reporting the performance
of Head Start programs. Design, implement, and effectively use performance
indicators consistent with the long-term development aim of early
childhood care and education programs. Utilize Logic Modeling: Linking
end outcomes to specific program activities. Felipe
Monroig, Director of External Affairs, The
Performance Institute |
| 11:00 |
Morning
Networking Break & Refreshments |
| 11:00 |
Family
and Child Outcomes for Early Head Start Programs
The
Early Head Start program was established in 1995 because of the
growing evidence that the earliest years, from birth to 3 years
of age, also are crucial to children's growth and development.
In fiscal year 2002, Early Head Start served about 62,000 infants
and toddlers with a budget of $654 million and more than 660 grantees
participating in the program. Identify effective program evaluation
strategies and outcomes for children and families involved in
Early Head Start.
Invited* |
| 12:15 |
Networking
Luncheon |
| 1:15 |
Build
on the Success of Head Start Programs: Forging Partnerships for
Services
As
Head Start improves and expands, it must fit into an increasingly
complex array of federal, state, and community level services and
resources available to low-income children and families. Learn innovative
ways to obtain the funds needed for higher educational standards
imposed on Head Start teachers, and ensuring that the most seriously
underserved audiences (i.e., the children of seasonal and migrant
workers) get more focus by collaborating efforts with service providers.
• Providing continuity and coordination with schools
• Facilitating state and local collaboration
• Encouraging partnerships with the private sector
Invited* |
| 2:15 |
Teacher
Education: One Strong Step to Ensuring High Quality
The reauthorization of Head Start includes
provisions to increase the percentage of Head Start teachers with
bachelor’s degrees to 50 percent over five years. Increasing
the number of well-educated teachers in Head Start classrooms is
the single most important step to closing the school-readiness gap
between Head Start children and their more affluent peers. A stronger
focus on literacy and promoting critical early learning skills is
integral to improving Head Start program outcomes. High quality
teachers:
• Reach students more effectively, using age-appropriate approaches
to instruction
• Provide good early literacy experiences
• Equals quality schools
Amy Wilkins, Executive Director, Trust for
Early Education |
| 3:15 |
Afternoon
Break |
| 3:30 |
Data Analytic Strategies for Measuring Head
Start Programs
Researching and analyzing quality in
program practices has been the role of the Head Start Quality Research
Consortium. The consortium worked cooperatively with each other
and experts to develop instruments, procedures and protocols to
gather the program performance measures recommended by expert advisers.
Developing ongoing databases and data analytic strategies for appropriately
examining quality practices in Head Start Programs is a major component
of the 1995-2000 consortium as well as the current consortium (2001-2006).
Identify and implement the revised instruments based on the results
of the assessments made by QRC.
Dr. Richard Lambert, Assistant Professor, Department
of Educational Leadership, University of North Carolina at Charlotte |
| 4:30 |
Adjourn |
| |
|
|
Day Two: November 21, 2003 |
| 8:30 |
Continental Breakfast |
| 9:00 |
Professional
Development to Train and Retain Quality Head Start Teachers
To Meet today’s goal of raising
the bar of teaching standards for young children, the Council of
Professional Recognition offers training and technical assistance
through the Child Development Associate (CDA) Certification Program.
The Council sets the policies and standards for the CDA National
Credentialing Program and awards CDA Credentialing. The Council
is responsible for assessments and the implementation of policies
regarding the CDA Competency Standards and assessment system. Identify
the unique characteristics and innovations in the field of early
childhood education through CDA certification.
• Improve teaching skills and understanding
of young children’s process
• Opportunities for professional development
• Strengthen commitment to providing high quality care and
education
Kathleen Sullivan, Council for Early Childhood
Professional Recognition |
| 9:45 |
Ensuring
Quality and Accountability in Faith-Based Partnerships for Early
Child Care Services and Education
Improving
the quality of Head Start programs is a key initiative. Forging
partnerships to ensure that facilities are healthy and safe for
children is essential to achieving Head Start program objectives.
Identify the value in implementing faith-based partnerships to
provide essential child care programs:
1. Strengthen teacher-child ratios
2. Implement child-centered curriculum and assessment
3. Recruit well-trained teachers and provide a safe learning environment
Reverend
Steve Braxton, Ecumenical Child Care Network
|
| 10:45 |
Morning
Networking Break & Refreshments |
| 11:00 |
Innovations
in Harnessing Funding for Key Head Start Programs
Head Start provides grants to local public
and private agencies to provide comprehensive child development
services to children and families. Grants to conduct Head Start
programs are awarded to local public or private not-for-profit,
or for-profit agencies; but that may not be enough to finance your
Head Start programs. Access and tap into pockets of funding to support
your Head Start centers. Identify new sources to finance the necessary
materials for your Head Start center to provide effective services.
Karen
Rossmaier, Fiscal Officer, Child Development Inc. |
| 12:00 |
Conference
Roundtable & Networking Luncheon: What We've Learned and How
to Apply it
During this facilitated luncheon
discussion, take the best practices and lessons learned from the
conference presentations and discuss “next step” ideas
for implementing leading grants management concepts in your school
districts.
Facilitated by Kara Farina, Director, Social
Policy Center, The Performance Institute |
| 1:15 |
Post-Conference
Workshop: Learn to Meet Head Start Performance Standards |
| |
The Devereux
Early Childhood Assessment Program (DECA) is designed to enhance
the quality of early childhood programs. Through the program, early
childhood professionals and families learn specific strategies to
support young children's social and emotional development and to
enhance the overall quality of early childhood programs. DECA works
to identify and strengthen young children's protective factors and
thereby increase resilience and support teachers, families, and
communities in their efforts to minimize the impact of risk factors
that hinder healthy social and emotional development. This interactive
workshop training provides participants an introduction to the Devereux
Early Childhood Assessment Program. Participants will be guided
through the five steps of the comprehensive DECA Program. These
five steps are:
1) Collecting information on individual children
and program practices;
2) Administering the DECA, a strength-based assessment of social
and emotional development;
3) Summarize assessment results;
4) Develop and implement plans for children who have concerns and
for program elements that need improvement; and
5) Evaluate progress
Linda Likins, National Director, Devereux
Early Childhood Initiative |
| 4:15 |
Adjourn |
|
Or
by calling us at
703-894-0481
|
 |
Venue |
|
The
2003 Head Start Symposium will be held at the Bourbon
Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, LA, November 20-21. Located in the
heart of the French Quarter, the Bourbon Orleans is centrally
located behind the famed St. Louis Cathedral, with direct access
to the shopping on Royal Street, the fortune tellers and street
performers of Jackson Square, cafe au lait and beignets at famous
cafes and of course, Bourbon Street.
Bourbon Orleans Hotel
717 Orleans St.
New Orleans, LA 70116
504-523-2222
http://www.bourbonorleans.com
|
Hotel |
|
A limited number of rooms have been
reserved at the Bourbon Orleans Hotel at a discounted rate of
$89 (if reserved by October 28th). Please contact the hotel with
the number provided below to make reservations. Be sure to ask
for the Performance Institute conference rate. The hotel will
ensure that your conference experience is not only educational
but also comfortable and enjoyable in every aspect.
Bourbon Orleans
Hotel
717 Orleans St.
New Orleans, LA 70116
504-523-2222
http://www.bourbonorleans.com
|
Tuition |
|
The
fees for attending the 2003 Head Start Symposium are:
Registration
Fees:
|
| Conference
|
$1,095 |
| Workshop: |
$395 |
|
Group
Discounts |
|
Reduced tuition rates for delegates who attend in groups of three
or more are available by calling James Simpson at 703-894-0481,
or emailing him at [email protected]. |
|
