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Child Outcomes

Head Start is a comprehensive child development program that encompasses all aspects of a child’s development and learning.  Upon entry to the program, each child receives required screenings to confirm that he or she is in good health and developing well.  This is the initial determination of a child’s overall health status, developmental strengths, and needs.  Areas of concern are identifies such as a possible delay or disability that may lead to referral to a public school.

After screening, child observation and ongoing assessment continue throughout the child’s enrollment in Head Start.  Using appropriate observation and assessment procedures, staff and parents work as a team to follow each child’s progress and experiences from his arrival in the program to his departure.

This information gathered from observations and ongoing assessment addresses all aspects of development and learning, including the eight learning domains:  physical health and development, social/emotional development, language arts, literacy, mathematics, science, social science, and fine arts in order to provide an overall picture of the child.  When gathered, this information is utilized to guide Head Start programs in their curriculum planning and ongoing assessment of the progress and accomplishments of the children.  The Head Start Child Outcomes Framework is intended to guide programs in their curriculum development.  The Framework is composed of 8 Domains, 27 Sub-domains, and approximately 100 Indicators of children’s skills, abilities, knowledge, and behaviors.  Children also are assessed three times per year to determine each child’s progress.  The Head Start Child Outcomes Framework is comparable to the Illinois Early Learning Standards.  These are terms that teaching staff may refer to during conferences and meetings with parents.

Positive Behavior Plan

Heartland Head Start has established a policy concerning the occasional highly disruptive child in the classroom.  Some of the behaviors that a child who is highly disruptive might display with great frequency or intensity are: 

The Heartland Head Start policy on handling the highly disruptive child is as follows:

The above policy will be explained to parents at the Behavior Plan Meeting and parents and appropriate staff will sign the Behavior Plan.  A parent’s signature on the Behavior Plan is verification that the plan was developed with their input and serves as documentation that parents agree to cooperate and implement the plan at home if necessary.

Heartland Head Start reserves the right to invoke suspension at any offense or inappropriate or aggressive behavior and to require parents to pick up their children if they are behaving aggressively or inappropriately. 

Transition Program

A transition specialist provides activities and information throughout the school year concerning the child’s transition into Head Start and from Head Start into the public school kindergarten.  Parents receive monthly transition information which gives ideas and activities to help the children prepare for entering Head Start as well as prepare for entering kindergarten.  Throughout the year, a bi-monthly parent child page, “On Track To Kindergarten”, is sent home for the children who will be entering kindergarten the following year.  The topic of kindergarten readiness is discussed at Parent Child Connection activities.  Monthly Fun Clubs usually have a station with readiness skills to help the parent and child understand ways they can work together to encourage school readiness.  In the spring, Kindergarten Nights are held in cooperation with the local public schools.  A packet of information is mailed or given to parents before public school kindergarten registration.  Also in the spring, Head Start children who will be going on to kindergarten in the fall visit a kindergarten classroom.  Each year Head Start children and families are invited to attend “Ready, Set, Go to Kindergarten!” activities before the children attend kindergarten.

Each year in the fall before classes begin for the new school year, our program sponsors a Head Start Orientation for mothers, fathers, and children.  It is important for parents to attend if at all possible because information about your child’s Head Start experiences will be discussed.  You and your child will be able to meet your child’s teacher and see your child’s classroom.

School Visits

Mothers and fathers are welcome to observe their child in class or participate as a volunteer helper.  If possible, please call your child’s teacher or your Family Resource Advisor (FRA) to be sure the children will be at class and not on a field trip.  All parent observers and parent helpers must sign in on the classroom parent volunteer sheet.  Often parents will share cultural traditions, bring a family pet to school, or bring store bought treats for their child’s birthday.  Parents are also welcome to help with field trips.  Teachers send home a weekly classroom newsletter which will include information on upcoming field trips and other classroom events.  Head Start phone numbers are located on the front cover and page 28 of the parent handbook, and also on the back page of the monthly Parent Pages newsletter.

Heartland Head Start offers programs that feature different approaches to a preschool experience.  Each option includes all Head Start component services and opportunities. 

Classroom Rules

It is the goal of Heartland Head Start to provide a safe and secure learning environment for all children and staff.  This goal involves a team approach (staff and families) in teaching and supporting a child’s appropriate and acceptable behavior with their friends.  Head Start staff and parents/guardians will discuss the Program’s Positive Behavior Agreement and signatures will be obtained at the initial home visit.

At Heartland Head Start, we use a comprehensive, developmentally appropriate curriculum that will help prepare your child for future school and life experiences.  Your child will learn about their self, their family, their community and their culture.  We hope to introduce your child to the way others celebrate and experience life.  We invite you to share your family traditions and cultural experiences with our Head Start community.

Classroom staff will frequently review with the children the following rules to ensure positive learning experience. 

  1. We take care of our things
  2. We treat each other nicely
  3. We walk in the classrooms
  4. We speak softly and do not interrupt
  5. We use our words to express our feelings

 

Attendance

Attending Head Start daily is important to your child's development.  Head Start program funding is also dependent on attendance.  Your child should have regular attendance unless ill.  Please call Heartland Head Start within the beginning first half hour of class when your child is ill. 

If your child will be absent and attends a blended daycare location, please call the daycare staff.

If your child will be absent and attends a Head Start classroom in B/N, please call the central office, (309) 662-4880.

If your child will be absent and attends the Pontiac Center, please call (815) 842-2845.

Beginning and ending times vary greatly throughout Heartland Head Start, depending on the location and the type of program.  Each classroom's daily schedule is planned with these beginning and ending times in mind.  An Attendance Agreement is signed by each family that includes this statement:  "I will have my child present at the regularly scheduled class times or notify the program if the child will be late and/or absent."

 

Our attendance policy is as follows:

*Children are to arrive no sooner than 5 minutes prior to the beginning of the school day.

*Children should not be picked up earlier than 5 minutes before the end of the school day.

 

Consequences for bringing a child to school later than 30 minutes:

*1st time:  Family will be reminded of our attendance time.

*2nd time:  Family will be contacted by the FRA (Family Resource Advisor) and teacher regarding next steps.

We understand that occasional conflicts do occur.  When this happens, arrangements must be made a day in advance with the child's teacher or the site Education Manager if the child will be arriving late.  This will not be counted against the family as a late attendance time.  If a child needs to be picked up early, the child's teacher or the site Manager must be notified in advance if at all possible.

 

Consequences for not picking a child up on time:

*All emergency contacts will be attempted.  It is extremely important that we have your most up-to-date emergency contact information!

*In the event that all emergency contacts have been unsuccessful and your child has still not been picked up 15 minutes after the end of the school day, the child abuse hotline will be contacted.

*Heartland Head Start is responsible for the well-being and protection of your child until the parent or outside authorities arrive.

*Heartland Head Start staff will not hold your child responsible for the situation and any discussion regarding this issue will only be with the parent or guardian and never with the child.

 

 

Bus Rules

We are happy to provide bus privileges for as many children as possible.  If your child will be riding a bus to Head Start, please talk to them about these bus rules.  The rules will help assure that those on the bus have a safe and pleasant experience.

*Please note: Parents of children riding the bus must participate in transportation training and sign the transportation agreement form.  A parent is required to sign a form when their child is placed on the bus, and also sign when they take their child off the bus.  NO CHILD will be picked up or dropped off WITHOUT A SIGNATURE.  Please remember that we are not required to provide transportation services.  We will suspend bus service if a child’s behavior threatens the safety of others on the bus.  Failure to follow bus rules and procedures may be cause for a child to be removed from the bus.

*Parents who bring their child to Head Start are asked to have their child at their center before the start of the planned educational activities for the day.  Your teacher can tell you what time this would be as it varies from class to class. 

Complaint Procedure

If a parent or community person has a complaint about the Heartland Head Start program, he or she should first try to resolve it at the source, within five days of the issue.  If it is not resolved, he or she can meet with the appropriate content leader, within ten working days of the issue.  If the complaint is still unresolved, the director should meet with the person to try to resolve it, within 15 working days of the issue.  In the even there is still a problem, the person with the complaint can put his or her concerns in writing for the Policy Council to review at their next regularly scheduled meeting, or a special meeting can be called by the Chairperson of the Policy Council.  The Policy Council Chairperson is responsible to see that the complaint is resolved in 30 days or less after the Policy Council members review the situation.  The decision of the Policy Council in how to handle the complaint is final.