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Jonathan Engel: Community Development Director, Head Start
John Hall: Executive Director, Educational/Support Services, Hayes CISD
Martha Ortiz: Even Start Director
Audrey Abed: Adult Education Coordinator, FLCC
for the 1997 National Title 1 Conference
Meeting the Challenge: Serving the Children
January 12, 1997
Oakland Convention Center
COLLABORATE IN ORDER TO MEET
THE LITERACY NEEDS OF
EDUCATIONALLY DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN
AND THEIR FAMILIES?
-
TO BUILD LOCAL CAPACITY
- TO LEVERAGE RESOURCES TO THE POINT OF CONTACT WITH THE FAMILY
- TO INTEGRATE SCHOOLS INTO THE COMMUNITY FABRIC
- TO REACH THE PARENTS OF AT RISK CHILDREN IN A MEANINGFUL WAY
- TO ENHANCE EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE OF SCHOOL DISTRICT STAFF OF COLLABORATING PARTNERS
- TO REDUCE, EVEN ELIMINATE, DUPLICATION OF EFFORT
- TO BE CUSTOMER FRIENDLY
- TO OVERCOME DISTRUST AND FEAR PARENTS HAVE IN REGARD TO SCHOOL AND AUTHORITY
- TO COMBAT THE SCARCITY MENTALITY
- SOMETIMES ITS GOOD TO REINVENT THE WHEEL. YOU CAN'T FIX WHAT'S BROKE, IF YOU CAN'T SEE WHAT'S BROKEN
- TO BUILD A COMMUNITY OF LIFELONG LEARNERS
- TO CREATE AND SEIZE MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES
- TO GET MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK (WHICH REALLY ISN'T YOURS. IT HAS BEEN LENT TO YOU BY YOUR CUSTOMERS!)
YOU CAN'T DO IT ALONE
NOBODY CAN
IT REALLY DOES TAKE A VILLAGE
WE CAME HERE FOR A REASON!!
1990 U.S.
Census
Kyle, Texas
- 52% of people over 25 do not have a high
school diploma or GED- 100% of female headed households with children
under 6 live in poverty- Median household income = $20, 947
- 33.6% below poverty level
In Buda, Texas (to immediate North)- Median household income = $39,875
- 5.1% below poverty level
RURAL ISOLATION
METHOD TO DATE
To leverage the Maximum Amount of Education Resources and Supports to the Point of Contact with
CUSTOMER/STUDENT/FAMILY
Through Collaborative Effort that is shaped by the Priorities, Constraints, and Mandates of KFLCC Partners and Their Funders
Adult Education & Literacy: The Adult Education Act and the National Literacy Act provide funds for ESL/ABE/GED instruction. These funds are augmented by state governments and are administered by state education agencies. Adult education programs should be available in virtually every community. Eligibility is defined by the ability to function at a literacy level at or below the 12th grade (17 years or older).
Even Start: Even Start is a federally funded family literacy initiative (USDOE) that is administered through state governments. In Texas, it is funded through a competitive grant process in four year cycles run by the state education agency. Eligibility requirements include 1. Residence in a Title One recruitment area 2. Families with children between the age of 0 and 8.3. At least one parent who is in need of adult education as described above.
Head Start: Head Start is a comprehensive child and family development program for economically disadvantaged families with three and four year old children. Head Start exists in virtually every community in the U.S. Typically, child care is provided on a half day basis. Head Start grantees are routinely refunded, except in cases of non-compliance. Some Head Start programs have received awards for Early Head Start which will provide similar services to families with infants and toddlers. Head Start funds flow directly from the federal to the local level.
JOBS/TANF: JOBS (Job Opportunities and Basic Skills) and TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) are basically the welfare reform initiative that is unfolding somewhat differently in every state in the country. The important thing to remember is that funds follow this program( funds that can provide critical supports like child care) and the objective of family self sufficiency is consistent with Title 1 objectives.
JTPA: JTPA (the Job Training and Partnership Act) is a federally funded workforce development program that is administered locally by private industry councils (PICS). Traditionally, PICS have served economically disadvantaged youth and adults who are in search of employment. PICS provide education and training and other supports for eligible clients. Traditionally, PICS have worked with persons who are likely able to get and keep a job within a relatively short time frame (0-2 years).
Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBS): At the federal level there has been an effort to consolidate some 27 different workforce development programs into a comprehensive workforce development system. The current prevailing vision is that this system should be locally controlled by LWDBS. Among other programs, JTPA will fall under the purview of LWDBS.
One Stop Career Centers: One stop career centers are locations where students, workers, and employers can meet their employment related needs. The concepts of universality, customer choice, program integration, and performance driven outcomes are central to the development of one stop career centers.
Public Schools: The primary delivery system of K-12 education in the U.S. By far, the largest funding source to meet the educational needs of children. Schools should actively partner with other entities in order to maximize opportunities for the children they educate.
Special Projects: All of the entities listed here initiate special projects from time to time. These are usually driven by a competitive grant process. For instance, the KFLCC currently has a grant to operate a special project that focuses of transitioning GED students to well paying jobs or success in post secondary education.
Other Players: Community colleges, foundations, service organizations, volunteers, colleges etc.
1. Just because collaboration is a good idea, that does not mean it is easy. Collaboration is not something you do in addition to your "real job". Done correctly, it becomes a large part of your real job. Program Administrators who view collaboration as a viable approach should consider including language about collaboration in job descriptions.
2. Just as within a single organization, there are multiple levels within collaborations. To be successful, "buy in" to the collaboration needs to be firmly established and nurtured at all levels. The concept of vertical integration is central to successful collaboration. In the early phases of the Kyle Family Learning and Career Center, there was complete buy in at the administrative level. Nobody bothered to inform front line staff of this. More importantly, nobody bothered to seek front line staff input. To the extent possible, include all stakeholders in planning, implementing, and developing the collaboration.
3. Collaborations are made up of individual programs, each of which has its own priorities, mandates, constraints, missions etc. In order for the collaboration to succeed, these priorities, constraints, and missions must be equally valued and honored. If the collaboration fails to meet the objectives of any single partner, all partners will suffer for it. This means that all staff in the collaboration need to be cross trained. Everybody needs to be knowledgeable about each other's program objectives. Data collection systems need to be developed to meet the program reporting requirements of each partner.
4. Accountability and evaluation are tricky issues for successful collaborations. Each component program of the collaboration will have its own system of program monitoring. The data collection system referenced above must be able to meet the accountability demands of each program. The problem is that there is no mechanism for evaluating the effectiveness of the collaboration itself. The reason for this is, in essence, nobody is paying for the collaboration. Collaboration successes and synergies may go unnoticed and, therefore, unpromoted. It is a good idea to take the time to celebrate the successes of the collaboration Thought should be given to the creation of a way to evaluate the effectiveness of the collaboration as a whole.
5. There will be problems. Accept it. The product is worth the problems. Some problems that I can almost guarantee that will arise are as follows.
-Equity: Staff from some programs will inevitably feel that their program is pulling more (or less) than their share of the proverbial load. Resentment and frustration will rear their ugly heads.
-Identity: Successful collaborations tend to subsume the identity of the component programs. This is actually good. It is customer friendly. Clients no longer have to sort out a whole laundry list of programs to find the one they need. Nonetheless, some staff will have very strong attachments and loyalties to their individual programs, and they will see the collaboration as undermining their program and, sometimes, they will act accordingly. Obviously, such actions can have devastating effects.
It is the responsibility of collaboration administrators to "ride herd" on problems like equity and identity. Failure to carefully monitor and periodically address such issues will kill the collaboration.
Like death and taxes, this is a certainty.
Staff retreats and workshops are good vehicles for resolving issues related to equity and identity.
MONTHLY STATISTICAL REPORT
MONTH: SEPTEMBER 1996
| PROGRAM | # OF CUSTOMERS | # OF HOURS |
| EVENSTART | 40 | 843.5 |
| HEAD START | 15 | 231.5 |
| JTPA | 5 | 160 |
| TEN COUNTY ONLY | 70 | 788.5 |
| JOBS | 3 | 94.5 |
| WIN | 26 | 172 |
| COMPUTER CLASS | 21 | 110 |
| TOTAL | *141 | *1894 |
| PROGRAM | ESL | ABE | GED | PI | PARENTING |
| EVENSTART | 24 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 38 |
| HEAD START | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| JTPA | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| TEN COUNTY ONLY | 42 | 12 | 16 | 0 | 9 |
| JOBS | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 74 | 26 | 31 | 3 | 60 |
| ESL - English as a Second Language | GED - General Equivalency Diploma |
| ABE - Adult Basic Education | PI - Personal Improvement |
NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS 156
TOTAL NUMBER OF SERVICES 190
| SELF SERVE 118 | CAREER 1 | TRAINING 20 | EMPLOYMENT 51 |
MONTHLY STATISTICAL REPORT
MONTH: OCTOBER 1996
| PROGRAM | # OF CUSTOMERS | # of hours |
| EVENSTART | 40 | 882.5 |
| HEAD START | 11 | 162.5 |
| JTPA | 6 | 225 |
| TEN COUNTY ONLY | 74 | 725 |
| JOBS | 3 | 110.5 |
| WIN | 15 | 176 |
| COMPUTER CLASS | 14 | 84 |
| CDL CLASS | 6 | 18 |
| TOTAL | *145 | *1906 |
| PROGRAM | ESL | ABE | GED | PI | PARENTING |
| EVENSTART | 24 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 36 |
| HEAD START | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| JTPA | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| TEN COUNTY ONLY | 36 | 17 | 20 | 2 | 3 |
| JOBS | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 68 | 31 | 31 | 3 | 46 |
| ESL - English as a Second Language | GED - General Equivalency Diploma |
| ABE - Adult Basic Education | PI - Personal Improvement |
NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS 145
TOTAL NUMBER OF SERVICES 171
| SELF SERVE 111 | CAREER 15 | TRAINING 13 | EMPLOYMENT 32 |
MONTHLY STATISTICAL REPORT
MONTH: NOVEMBER 1996
| PROGRAM | # OF CUSTOMERS | # of hours |
| EVENSTART | 41 | 842.75 |
| HEAD START | 13 | 129.75 |
| JTPA | 5 | 207 |
| TEN COUNTY ONLY | 61 | 523.5 |
| JOBS | 2 | 90 |
| WIN | 14 | 100 |
| COMPUTER CLASS | 4 | 8 |
| CDL CLASS | 7 | 22 |
| TOTAL | *128 | *1593 |
| PROGRAM | ESL | ABE | GED | PI | PARENTING |
| EVENSTART | 20 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 37 |
| HEAD START | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| JTPA | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| TEN COUNTY ONLY | 39 | 8 | 13 | 1 | 3 |
| JOBS | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 64 | 21 | 21 | 1 | 49 |
| ESL - English as a Second Language | GED - General Equivalency Diploma |
| ABE - Adult Basic Education | PI - Personal Improvement |
NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS 118
TOTAL NUMBER OF SERVICES 159
| SELF SERVE 85 | CAREER 19 | TRAINING 15 | EMPLOYMENT 40 |
Although economic growth in the Austin area is
currently concentrated in the
Williamson County area, an upsurge in economic
activity in Hays County and Kyle is inevitable
due to its location on the
Austin - San Antonio Corridor
The mission of the One Stop Career Center
will be to provide customized services
to the employers and workers who will
fuel economic growth
The objective of the Learning Center will be to
prepare students so that they may benefit from
the services of the One Stop such that they can
contribute to the local economy and
provide for their families.
MISSION
"The Family Learning and Career Center
is dedicated to the provision
of opportunities for family education,
workforce and personal development,
technological development,
and life long learning for all members
of the community in a
positive caring environment."
Family Literacy Activity Packet
1997 National
Title I Conference "Meeting the Challenge - Serving the Children"
by Martha Ortiz
Director
Even Start Program Audrey Abed
Adult Education Coordinator
Kyle Family Learning & Career Center January 12, 1997
- The Community Action Even Start Program serves families in the Hays Consolidated Independent School District.
- This district, which covers a mostly rural and wide geographical area, includes a large portion of Spanish-dominant families eligible for Even Start services.
- EVEN START is a family-focused
program that offers services in three areas:
- Early Childhood Education
- Adult Education
- Parent Education
- Each family is expected to participate in all three areas.
- Upon enrollment in the program, each participant is enrolled in the adult education classes at the Kyle Family Learning and Career Center according to their educational needs and goals.
- The child (ren) are also enrolled in the Kyle Family and Child Development Center Even Start) while their parents are engaging in their adult education classes.
- The Open Door between the Kyle Family Learning Center and Even Start uses Collaboration as its key.
- Kyle Family Learning Center opens doors for parents by providing training in personal and family goal setting exercises and attainment of educational goals, such as achieving a GED certificate or proficiency in English through English as a Second Language classes. It will also provide job counseling, employment skills training, or job referral for all enrolled.
- Even Start serves as a support services agency for eligible program participants by:
- providing transportation through contracted services for use of Head Start vehicles
- providing transportation services through Hays Consolidated School District Kyle) vehicles which is credited to the Even Start Program as in-kind from the school district.
- at the Family Learning and Career Child Development Center Even Start), all Head Start co-enrolled children, WIN (Workforce Instructional Network)participants and Even Start children are provided with a warm, caring. and safe learning environment by:
- quality child care providers
- quality early childhood educational activities
- quality PACT (Parent and Child Together) activities prior to a weekly parenting session provided by Even Start Family Educators at Even Start center
- when necessary Even Start parents are provided with case management services by the Family Educators to ensure that commitment to educational goals is not deterred or abandoned.
- Even Start program participants have been highly successful in achieving their educational goals through the dedicated efforts of the Even Start Family Educators who enrolled them at the Kyle Family Learning and Career Center. In turn, program participants are encouraged to become life- long learners through the dedicated and enthusiastic efforts of the instructional staff at the learning center.
- Education is valued in
the home by the entire family
- Family self-esteem improves
and serves as a catalyst for quality family interaction time
- Family is given the key to open the door to self sufficiency and success
WIN-WIN SITUATION FOR KYLE FAMILY LEARNING CENTER AND EVEN START OPEN DOOR
- Collaboration is strengthened
through frequent and open communication and planning between staff personnel
- Components of each program
are fulfilled because of support provided families by all staff personnel
- Open referral system allows families to participate in all aspects of programs for which they qualify.
& CAREER CENTER
107 CENTER STREET, KYLE, TEXAS
(512) 268-2719
CAREER CENTER
8:00 - 5:00 PM
(Self - Serve Only)
5:00 - 8:00 PM
Call for Class Schedule
8:30 - 2:00 PM
5:00 - 8:00 PM
SATURDAY
10:00 - 3:00 PM
(CALL 353-8491 FOR AN APPOINTMENT)
Complete the following
form as a task analysis for your family literacy activity.
Who is your community? (Give brief demographic overview of your town.)
State the level of adult learners. (English as a Second Language, Adult
Basic Education, GED, or a mixed level group.)
Objective of the Family Literacy Activity:
Materials/Resources You Will Need:
Description of the Activity:
Adult Learner Outcomes:
Child Learner Outcomes:
THE NINE DOTS ABOVE ARE TO BE CONNECTED BY FOUR STRAIGHT LINES WITHOUT LIFTING THE PENCIL FROM THE PAPER
How do schools fit into a profamily system? A school that considers families as clients will flex and adapt its procedures to meet the needs of children and families. Working with other agencies in a profamily system of services, schools and school systems can:
- Engage children and their families in an active learning process in the school. This leads to positive learning outcomes, and it nurtures a commitment to lifelong learning.
- Allow for parent choice of schools and school programs. Many public systems have magnet schools, schools-within-schools, open enrollment areas, special attendance permits for child care, and other options to allow parents choice in their children's education.
- Create flexible school schedules to meet parent needs. Not all classes at the same school need to run on the same schedule; some families would prefer an early schedule, some a later one.
- Provide before and after-school programs on site or link them with other organizations in the community to provide students with safe travel between the school and the program.
- Reduce the stigma of public assistance for children from Iow income families. Some schools have a separate lunchline for students getting free lunch; others provide some school programs only for children who can pay. A profamily school acknowledges the value of all families and allows all students access to all activities and services.
- Designate a "family advocate" for families to attend conferences with teachers, administrators, and special staff and link families to needed support services. In many schools, parents are outnumbered by school staff in meetings and conferences, and school staff use professional terms and acronyms that are not readily understood by parents. The "family advocate" represents the interests of parents by asking questions, requesting clarification or explanation of terms, and making sure that parents understand and consent to any decisions that are made. The advocate also knows about other services that families need and can help families make connections.
- Provide translation for non-English-speaking parents at meetings, conferences, and children's performances. Translate written materials (school and district forms, newsletters, and letters from the principal) so that families can be informed fully about events and practices at the school.
- Introduce "Family Kindergarten," "Family Math," and other programs to familiarize parents with learning activities and strategies to reinforce school learning at home.
- Establish a parent hotelmen or a telephone tree so that families stay in touch with school events. Make sure that it is available to all parents, no matter what language they speak.
- Work with adult education agencies, community colleges, private industry councils, or local nonprofit groups to provide adult literacy, English as a second language, and employability skills training for family members at the school site. Schedule this training at the most convenient time for parents to participate, provide child care for younger children, and furnish supervised homework sessions for older ones.
Jonathan Engel
Community Development Director, Head Start
Community Action Inc., Hays, Caldwell, & Blanco Counties
P.O. Box 1246
San Marcos, TX 78667
Voice: (512) 396-4564
FAX: (512) 396-4565
E-mail: jonengel@itouch.net
John Hall
Executive Director, Educational/Support Services
Hays CISD
215100 IH 35
Kyle, TX 78640
Voice: (512) 268-0880
FAX: (512) 268-2147
E-mail: jahjah@itouch.net
Martha Ortiz
Director, Even Start Program
Community Action Inc. Of Hays, Caldwell, & Blanco Counties
P.O. Box 1246
San Marcos, TX 78667
Voice: (512) 268-5091
FAX: Same, call first
Mary Helen Martinez
(512) 268-2719
For more information contact: Kyle Family Learning Center
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