Blended Programming Through Collaboration Getting Together and Working Efficiently and Collectively

1. Blended Programming Through Collaboration Getting Together and Working Efficiently and Collectively �ensure that every child will enter school ready to learn�

2. Objective You will be able to see how�Head Start, public/private school districts, parents, community/faith based child care providers, and the business community join together to�create a strategic�plan for preschool in�your community � This piece will show programmatic blending outlines and suggestions You will learn techniques and some best practices of collaborations.

3. �Why Build Collaborative Partnerships� Combine resources for bigger impact Articulates your vision Brings great legitimacy, creativity, and effectiveness to your cause Mobilizes partners Increases community understanding and support Engages your public

5. �What�s Your Headline� Vision Statement What is best for the children and families being served Strengths of Model/Value Added Challenges

6. Primary Partners School District Faith-based For-profit Child Care Program Shared Visions Wrap-Around Child Care Head Start Wrap-Around Child Care

7. Other Partners Local Empowerments (state dollars) AEA (Area Education Agencies) Public Health (WIC, Child Health, etc.) Child Care Resource and Referral Chamber of Commerce (city officials) Local Businesses State Association State Collaboration Office T/TA Regional Office

8. Similarities�. Vision Respect Referrals Strong Community Support Transition Activities All providing preschool

9. Differences�. Licensing Curriculum Schedules Staff credentials Transportation Wrap-Around Child Care Tuition

10. Partnership� Licensed teacher 40 hours Assistant Teacher 40 hours Access to Coordinator Professional Development Transportation Monies Tuition Curriculum Classroom Supplies One-time start monies Monthly �partner� meetings Joint Registration, parent handbook, forms

11. This is where it all starts�.

12. A national study by the NHSA done the fall of 2007 showed some common threads in collaborations� Focuses were mostly on: School Readiness Funding (braided) Head Start Program Performance Standards State Standards Professional Development Quality Rating Systems (Quality Identifier) Curriculum and Assessment Standards

13. Common threads continued� Successes: Blended classrooms Joint training Joint recruitment and enrollment Statewide vision Good relationships among partners Money, influence and the right people brought together Ability to deal with turf issues Legislation and policies support collaboration Partnerships with local community serve all children Common child and program assessment systems

14. Common Threads Continued� Barriers: Differences in eligibility requirements Transportation Staff qualifications, salary, benefits Different program requirements, e.g. class size Competing for children, staff and facilities Lack of federal policy/framework Funding and budget Not viewed as equal partners Different interpretations of quality Conflicting philosophy, purpose and focus Note: the more of this barrier you can work out first the easier the rest will seem to fall in place.

15. Value-Added What does Head Start have to offer to your Collaboration that creates �value � for your partners��

16. Value-Added Wrap-Around Child Care Classroom Equipment On-going Monitoring Parent Involvement Forms � Handbooks, etc. Professional Development Core Leadership Team (Nurse, Nutrition, Mental Health) CACFP ~vs~ USDA Fluoride Varnish DHS Licensing Required trainings CPR/First Aid, Universal Precautions, Mandatory Reporting

17. �Hot Spots� Staff �buy-in� Job loss Change Teacher Qualifications Supervision Family Style Meals Teeth Brushing

18. �Trade � Off�s� Fully Enrolled!!!!! Joint Registration Advertising Client List � Parent will come� Transportation Cooperative Buying Power In-kind Rent, Utilities, Janitorial, Staff, Professional Development, Advertising, Office Supplies

20. Two Part Collaboration Meetings Fiscal Braided Funding Programmatic Blending Administrators Principals Directors Fiscal Officers Administrative Assistants Etc. Administrators Principals Directors AEA Representatives Education Specialist Enrollment Specialist Teachers/Staff Parents reps Etc. Must be able to bounce back and forth coordinating the two information�s source inputs. Must be able to bounce back and forth coordinating the two information�s source inputs.

21. Programmatic meeting step 1 At the first meeting the purpose of the collaboration must be discussed and everyone must agree to its importance. Therefore, the purpose is to understand �The Goal� The beauty of the State Pre-K monies is that they will not be awarded to a community without collaborations being made or attempted between all pre-k organizations within a school district area. You first must identify all collaborating partners. Then mediate current relationships between all involved. This is not only right, and a healthy piece but necessary for a strong collaboration. List concerns of collaborating, List strengths of collaborating, List all commonalities between collaborating partners. and also �salute� where needed. Give homework for next meeting focusing on ideas of infusion, and bring to next meeting curriculum, policies, standards, procedures and handbooks.

22. Programmatic meeting step 2 Going through/over what each brings to the table as far as: Curriculum used Policies and Procedures Quality Identifier (Head Start Performance Standards, NAEYC, or State Equivalent). Vision Statements Staff Qualifications Let each partner go through theirs and explain why they use them and why they are either strengths or not. Then collectively see where infusions can take place, and begin listing what are common and what can be changed/switched to accommodate the collaboration. End this meeting (if you haven't already) by coming up with a collaborative mission statement. (could be done at the end of step 1).

23. Programmatic meeting step 3 Determining the Physical Site of the collaboration pre-school. Show best model of a fully infused classroom. 20 children, 3 staff, co-teaching. Determine the amount of children needing served in your area/district. Divide that number by 20 to determine the amount of classrooms needed to serve these children and how many you have available. With that information make a decision on the type of collaborating model your going to use. Along with the development of a plan to reach your ideal goal over a longer time span. Time to work out logistics and other details. Transportation Nutrition Curriculum Organizational governance Etc. This step may take several meetings to work out these many details.

24. Programmatic meeting step 4 Enrollment: Probably the touchiest piece of a collaboration. But understanding the need of separating �braided funding� from �programmatic blending� meetings is a key component to understanding the fairest enrollment technique in the collaboration process. The classroom, the children, the families, and the staff should not think, or label children in �slots�. The classroom is designed to where no one can distinguish which child is which or which child is receiving different services from another. The ONLY personnel needing to focus on �slots� are those working with the braided funding.

25. Enrollment Continued� Programmatic Side Applications for the collaborated pre-school are filled out and turned in so a priority list can be developed. Priorities are set by a point system that favors age, disabilities, and income poverty guidelines. This addresses the highest needs first. Classrooms then only identify when the class enrollment falls under designed capacity. Braided Funding Side From a single application system of the program, enrollment priorities are determine by a point system that prioritizes placement into funded slots available. The number of funded slots for each collaborating partner is only determined by the population of children that given week. Once slots are full, the list of remaining children becomes a waiting list.

26. Enrollment Continued� (using Central Decatur Pre-School as example).

27. Enrollment Continued�

28. Collaboration continued�

29. Central Decatur Collaboration Pre-School Program�

30. What programmatic looks like�

31. Seamless Educational System