04.01.01e - Education Services Plan

1. Goals and Philosophy of IMSHS.
2. School Readiness Goals
   1. Implementation of curriculum.
   2. Child assessment, observation, and recording.

1. Curriculum implementation.
2. Portfolio observation & recording and assessment.
3. Classroom management and child guidance.
4. Nutrition and meal service.
5. IMSHS Policies and Procedures
6. Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework
7. Parent Engagement training so staff can facilitate peer activities that help parents and families: enhance parent-child relationships; strengthen their role as educators; reflect and set learning goals; learn about transitions; and, encourage parent leadership & advocacy.
8. Planned Language Approach
   1. The Big 5 (Alphabet knowledge & Early Writing, Background Knowledge, Book Knowledge & Print concepts, Oral Language & Vocabulary, and Phonological Awareness
   2. Code Switching
9. Overview of State Licensing & Head Start Standards
10. In addition Education Coordinators receive training on:
    1. Supervision
    2. Coaching/Mentoring

1. State Licensing Standards
2. Head Start Performance Standards
3. Creative Curriculum
4. Anti-Bias Curriculum, Whole language & Project Approach
5. IMSHS Policies and Procedures

1. Training Sessions
2. Observing Teachers in Classroom

1. Infant/Toddler classrooms follow the Creative Curriculum for Infant, Toddlers, & Twos (Second Edition).
2. Preschool classrooms follow the Creative Curriculum for Preschool (4th Edition).
3. All classrooms complement the above curricula with the Anti-Bias Curriculum, Whole Language Approach & Planned Language Approach Strategies.

1. Maintain group size and ratio according to IMSHS & HS Standards:
   1. Infant & Toddlers 4:1 (qualified teacher) with maximum group size of 8
   2. Three-Year Olds 8:1 with group size of 16 (3-year old classroom is one in which more than half of the children are 3 years old, or will turn 3 by September 1st).
   3. Four & Five-Year Olds 10:1 with a group size of 20
2. Assign two paid staff persons for each classroom throughout the day.
3. Every classroom has at least one teacher, teacher assistant, or a third person not counted in the adult/child ration, who speaks the child's language (including sign-language when applicable).
4. Assign and move primary caregivers with children as they transition from infant into toddler rooms, whenever possible.
5. Assign one staff member per classroom to begin his/her schedule 15-30 minutes prior to arrival of the children to conduct routine safety classroom check and prepare learning areas for children's arrival.
6. Assign a staff member to inspect the playground, before children's scheduled outdoor hour, and complete the Playground Safety Checklist.

1. Make all the necessary accommodations in consultation with parents and in accordance with the child's Individual Education Plan (IEP) or Individual Family Services Plan (IFSP) to successfully include children with disabilities with same age peers.
2. When developmentally appropriate and supported by the parents, provide opportunities for the children to learn self-control, autonomy and responsibility including independent use of toilet facilities.
3. Integrate health, mental health, and safety activities into the classroom daily schedule; including preparation for medical and dental exams, tooth brushing, hand washing, safety practices, emergency drills, cooking preparation activities, etc.
4. Coordinators inform teachers of results on children's screenings, evaluations, or examinations and evaluate how this information affects the child's developmental progress, participation in the classroom, or socialization with his/her peers.

1. Teachers use the Lesson Plans in the Education Manuals (no other plans will be accepted).
   1. Monthly Infant Plan for children 6 wks. to 12 mos. - each teacher is responsible for hers.
   2. Toddler Lesson Plan (Modified Creative Curriculum) for children 13 -36 mos. - teachers plan together.
   3. Creative Curriculum Preschool Lesson Plan for children 3-5 years.
2. Classrooms with multi-age children use the predominant age to select the lesson plan to use.
3. Teaches will not use additional lesson plan inserts e.g. forms for individualized goals and objectives, detailed description of activities etc.

1. Teaching staff follows IMSHS Language Acquisition Policy & Procedures.
2. Lesson plans should include at least one math, literacy, and science activity per week.
3. Provide a balance of teacher-directed and child-initiated activities that include individual and small group activities (indoor and outdoor).
4. Provide children with concrete experiences and materials to promote exploration, comparison, and experimentation. (Absolutely no calendar or weather time, mandated drills or worksheets, pattern art, food used for art or play, handwriting lessons, or mandated phonic instruction is to be used.)
5. Provide numeric, emerging literacy, science, social studies, language, and art opportunities throughout every learning area, in accordance with the Creative Curriculum and Whole Language Approach.
6. Plan, and implement,  Planned Language Approach strategies into daily routines and activities, including the Big 5 (Alphabet knowledge & Early Writing, Background Knowledge, Book Knowledge & Print concepts, Oral Language & Vocabulary, and Phonological Awareness)

1. Use music to enhance children's creativity and learning according to the following: Babies & Toddlers - play a variety of soft background music, including soft classical music, cultural, and English lullabies (as much as possible). Hum or sing to babies throughout daily routines as alternative to speech and to enhance language development. Loud music or sounds are detrimental to babies.
   1. 3-6 mos - Introduce simple repetitious rhyming songs using child's own hands, toes, or fingers to gently move in time.
   2. 6 mos.-1 year - Encourage child to play along with music by providing simple musical instruments.
   3. 1 to 1-1/2 years - Introduce visual components: use soft, plastic or rubber animals to move about in time to music. Picture books and felt visuals can also provide visual reinforcement.
   4. 1-1/2 & Older - Play music as often as possible. Be sure to include folk, classical, jazz, and other forms.
2. No music with vulgar language or sexual innuendo is allowed in the classroom or during bus trips.
3. Be intentional when playing music.
   1. Select music according to activity
   2. Do not play music all day.

Daily

May-Nov.

Mobile Infants & Toddlers: Provide 60 minutes of outdoor playtime--Carriage rides do not count as outdoor playtime.

Preschool: Provide 90 minutes of outdoor play (can be divided into two sessions), plus 30 minutes of teacher-directed physical-movement activities (indoor or outdoors).

Five Week Challenge: Each delegate will compete in a five-week physical challenge per the following guidelines:

• All classrooms participating document classrooms physical activities in one PALA weekly Activity Log per classroom
  • Teachers can guide mobile infants and toddlers through simple movements--5 to 10 minute increments can be done throughout the day, no minimum required. Record the total minutes each day. 
  • Preschool teachers guide children to do at least 30 minutes of physical activity--can be done in two 15 minute workouts. increments of less than 15 minutes, and daily totals of  less than 30 minutes, will not be counted toward challenge goal.
• Invite Staff and Parents to participate in doing 60 minutes of physical activity three times a week, or more, for five consecutive weeks. Two 30 minute activities, per day, will be accepted, but no less, in order to count toward challenge goal. Each individual participating must fill and sign his/her own form.
  • Adult physical activities that will be accepted are 30 minutes to an hour of: walking, playing a sport, running, any type of aerobics or guided physical activity such as Zumba, swimming, etc.
  • Planting flower beds, mowing lawn, cleaning house, etc., will not be accepted as physical activities toward the challenge goal.
• Grantee will give Gold, Silver, or Bronze awards to the top three delegates. Award will be based on aggregate of delegate's total qualifying hours, per participants, divided by their funded enrollment.

1. Follow IMSHS Nutrition Policy & Procedures when planning and doing nutrition activities.
2. Using feeding techniques that enhance attachment, increase feeling of security, and provide an overall sense of well-being (see Infant Feeding Procedure).
   1. Hold babies to take bottles;
   2. Use chairs with trays and infant seats only for feeding babies that need them;
   3. Involve toddlers in table-setting, serving, and clean-up, according to their abilities;
   4. Sit with small groups (4-5) of toddlers and serve from their seats (do not hold child's hand to serve);
   5. Eat with children, modeling affirmative attitudes, manners, and conversation.
3. Arrange meal areas as far as possible from the diapering area.
4. Teaching staff DO NOT place any food items on the diaper tables, including food bins.

Bi-weekly, Per Procedure

May - Nov.

1. Assign each child his/her own crib or cot, which is used for sleeping only and labeled with each child's own name. Cribs are 3 feet apart when children are sleeping.
2. Nap times provide children a peaceful respite from activity:
   1. Pat, rock, etc. children who cannot sleep;
   2. Partly darkened rooms--NO classroom shall be completely dark, teachers should be able to see ALL children at ALL times;
   3. Play lullabies or other soothing music;
   4. No infant room shall be darken when babies are awake, even if only one. Individualize infants' sleeping routines according to parents' information and the babies' cues--babies should be allow to nap in accordance to their OWN schedule.;
   5. Follow a familiar nap time ritual with toddlers,soothing and quieting them;
   6. Do not reprimand children who do not sleep;
   7. Kinder-eligible children will NOT be expected to give up nap time for work time. Follow IDCFS requirements.
3. Teaching staff use nap time to plan, document children's development, update portfolios, etc.

1. Assure that routines and transitions occur in a predictable unrushed manner and according to each child's needs.
2. Use daily routines (diapering, meals, etc.) as opportunities to build a close relationship with each child while attending to his needs.

1. Discuss the transition with the parents before it occurs.
2. Allow the child to visit the room where he/she is to be moved, with a current caregiver, for short periods of time and increase it as the child becomes more comfortable.
3. When a number of children need to be transferred, move a current caregiver with them; this will assist both the staff and the children to accept the change more easily (especially if transition needs to be done quickly).

1. Home visits, staff-parent conferences, and progress notes.
2. Invite at least one parent per classroom to participate in the Parent Education Committee to give input into educational services.
3. Provide parents with ideas for learning experiences they can do at home that can promote children's development.
4. Engage parents in conversations and share child assessment data to help parents learn about children's progress.
5. Provide opportunities for the parents to review and give input into their child's assessment.
6. Send bi-weekly Notitas to share information about children's social, emotional, and cognitive development and the importance of the home language. Encourage staff to consistently connect with families to gather child information and parent observations to inform teaching.
7. Send home ideas/activities that promote learning.
8. Encourage families to observe & participate in child learning and development during home visits and in the classroom.
9. Encourage parent-to-parent support about children's learning and development during parent meetings.
10. If parents have access to computer, provide them with User ID to the Galileo assessment web-page & show them how to navigate page to check on their child's progress.

1. Engage with parents as equal partners in learning about their child while acknowledging parent's premier role as their child's first teacher.
2. Foster meaningful, reciprocal relationships between mother and child, and father and child in manner that is both culturally receptive and responsive.
3. Talk together with families about the child's signals in ways that help families explore these signals and understand and respond to their child's behavior.
4. Work together with families to help children overcome behavioral challenges.
5. Facilitate, or refer parents to: parental support and/or educational groups where they can share their concerns (e.g. children's behavioral problems and special needs).

Offer a Family Literacy Program following the guidelines below:

For Children:

1. Offer at least three parent-child literacy group activities.
2. Hold at least three book distributions.
3. Offer a 2-week reading challenge for parents and their children.
4. Provide special library events.
5. Have project literacy activities.
6. Offer take-home literacy activities like a lending library, Polaroid literacy projects, book-in-a-bag, reading bear, etc.

For Parents:

1. Offer parents opportunities to work on their literacy development by referring to, or providing literacy classes.
2. Assist families with their education and training goals, and provide referrals to educational resources (GED, adult education, and ESL).
3. Provide literacy workshops
4. Invite them to participate in literacy activities such as: story time, individual reading, journal writing, project literacy activities, or special events at the local library.

• Staff schedule time, each week, to enter initial data or update it.
• Monitor that information is accurate.
• Use entered data to generate delegate reports.

1. Read and follow the Child Assessment Procedure.
2. Computers and internet access will be made available to all preschool classrooms for children and teachers to access the Galileo website.
3. Data entry duties will only be assigned to teaching staff, or to a part time data entry staff person.
4. Continuously monitor the ongoing assessment documentation.
   1. Provide time for teachers to input assessment data and plan individualized activities.
   2. Give technical assistance to teaching staff as needed.
   3. Plan training based on observations or teacher's requests.
5. Staff will follow the Assessment Procedure:
   1. If you have a child with disabilities, make sure to have the required preliminary meeting, as stated in the procedure; then assign the assessment scales that best meet his/her needs.
   2. Assure that every child has a file for Galileo assessments, and individual assessment reports.
   3. Assign the Galileo G3 scales to your students depending on his current age range.
   4. You can substitute scales as needed. E.g. Ramon is 4 years old and his language & literacy baseline can be assessed using the 3-5 scales, but not in math. In this case, the teacher would use the 3-5 Language & Literacy scale, but use the 2-4 Early Math scale instead of the 3-5 Early Math scale.
6. Review the child's development, at least weekly, and document the individual increase and acquisition of developmental skills into the Galileo Assessment data Website (http://www.ati-online.com/)
7. If parents have access to computer, provide them with User ID to the Galileo assessment web-page & show them how to navigate page to check on their child's progress.
8. Follow the Assessment and Outcomes Procedure, to print and compile classroom data, analyze results, and evaluate progress toward meeting goals in School Readiness Plan.

1. Use the Creative Curriculum Classroom Observation and CLASS to observe, document, and analyze curriculum implementation, teaching strategies and adult/child interaction.
2. Use CLASS to observe, document, and teaching strategies and adult/child interaction.
3. Use data to check compliance toward IMSHS thresholds and School Readiness Goals.

Monthly

2 times a season

after each observation

1. Delegate and grantee staff will collect and analyze children's developmental assessment data after each of the delegate's checkpoints in the procedure.
2. Delegate staff will share individual child assessment reports with parents after each checkpoint, and will use the results to make immediate changes, or adaptations to the environment, and to review curriculum, individual child goals, ongoing assessment, teaching strategies, and/or training needs.
3. Grantee staff will use the results to plan for training and/or technical assistance for delegate staff to meet School Readiness Goals.
4. Child Assessment Outcome reports, including necessary follow-up, will be given to the Board of Directors and Policy Committee after each assessment.
5. Delegate staff and grantee staff will monitor implementation following the Monitoring Procedures.
6. Delegates will use the aggregated data when doing their annual program planning and submit a child outcomes program improvement plan, which includes action plans and budget details.
7. The Education Manager will collect and analyze statewide developmental progress data to check progress toward meeting School Readiness Goals and use the results at the Strategic Planning Meeting to develop objectives for program improvements and revision to School Readiness Plan.

1. Attempts should be made to obtain inter-agency agreements between the Migrant Head Start agency and local public schools, Head Start, Child Care Centers as necessary and update them annually.
2. When a child has a disability, follow the Transition of Children with Disabilities Guidance.
3. Develop a transition plan to Kindergarten, including budget, and specific activities that include consultation with parents, a field trip to school, and translation services if needed.
4. Transfer children's relevant records to public schools, after parents have signed the permission to release information.
5. Invite school district personnel to Parent Fair and any other center event to familiarize them with the Head Start program.
6. Develop parent training sessions in collaboration with school personnel when possible, to explain transition requirements, parents' roles and responsibilities in public schools, and to answer parents' questions. In addition:
   • ensure families know about their rights under federal and state law, such as their rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education ACT (IDEA).
   • ensure families have ongoing opportunities to discuss their observations and concerns about their child's strengths and challenges prior to transitions from MSHS to other HS or child care facilities and from MSHS to K-12.
   • share information about activities and everyday interactions with children that promote school readiness as outlined in the School Readiness Plan.
   • ensure that families have ongoing opportunities to discuss child assessment data so that families are prepared to initiate and/or participate in similar discussions with teachers in K-12.
   • provide families with information about child development and the impact of transitions on children across early childhood and school settings.
   • provide advocacy training and opportunities for families to develop and use advocacy skills in the context of their child's lifelong learning.
7. Assist families who stay in the area to enroll children in child care, preschool, or Region V Head Start programs, if they wish.
   • help families identify and understand quality criteria in early childhood settings as children transition to new classrooms.
   • use family partnership process to help families develop transition plans for themselves and their children.
8. Document the transition program's name and address in the Education Services Track Sheet and enter into the Galileo Online System.
9. Assist families to apply for state day care voucher, if applicable.

Delegate team

(depending on type of transition)

1. IMSHS has collaborative agreement with Texas Migrant Council's (TMC) grantee office to collaborate in the transition of families to and from Texas.
2. IMSHS delegate agencies contact and establish similar collaborative agreements with agencies in other states where families migrate to and from, if applicable.
3. Explain to parents (through workshops, newsletters, etc.) the importance of a smooth transition.
4. Prior to transitions, initiate communication, at least, with the counterparts in areas where the majority of the families move to.
5. Follow strict confidentiality procedures and obtain parent's consent to transfer relevant records between agencies.
6. When a child has a disability, follow the Transition of Children with Disabilities Guidance.
7. Ensure that all children with follow-up needs have a file with: completed transition form, signed parent consent form, and copies of all applicable records, and that files are sent to the Health Services Manager.
8. Coordinator enters transition information into the Galileo Online system.
9. Grantee staff contacts such programs in the spring to start the transition process for those families returning to Illinois.

Delegate Team

(depending on type of transition)

As Needed

May-Nov.