The National Head Start Child Development Institute December 3-8, 2000, Washington, D.C.

ACYF Administration on Children, Youth and Families	U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Children and Families
	1. Log No. ACYF-IM-HS-00-17	2. Issuance Date: 08/07/00
	3. Originating Office: Head Start Bureau
	4. Key Word: Child Development Institute

INFORMATION MEMORANDUM [See Attachment at the bottom]

TO: All Head Start and Early Head Start Grantees and Delegate Agencies

SUBJECT: The National Head Start Child Development Institute
December 3-8, 2000, Washington, D.C.

INFORMATION:

The Head Start Bureau is pleased to extend this invitation to Head Start and Early Head Start programs to attend the National Head Start Child Development Institute in Washington, D.C., December 3-8, 2000. For the first time since the 1988 Education Coordinator's Institute, we are convening leaders of every Head Start and Early Head Start program in the nation to reassess and accelerate our collective efforts to foster healthy child development and school readiness. The Institute will help frame a common vision and strategy for continuing to improve the quality and outcomes of Head Start's child development services in the 21 st century.

The Institute will build on, connect, and extend a broad array of recent initiatives to enhance Head Start program quality and accountability, including:

Efforts to improve the quality of child assessment and to use data on children's progress, accomplishments and outcomes as a tool for local program improvement
Revision of the Head Start Program Performance Standards
Creation of Early Head Start
Development of Program Performance Measures and Family and Child Experiences Survey-FACES research on program quality and outcomes
Design and implementation of the PRISM system for program monitoring
Continued investments to enhance staff compensation, support local program improvement efforts, and provide responsive training and technical assistance services, including new support to enhance Head Start family literacy services and partnerships, and
Mandates and funding to increase the number of Head Start teachers with college degrees in early childhood education.

Institute Goal - The goal of the Child Development Institute is to increase the knowledge and skills of local education leaders to create a vision and a plan, and to implement strategies to improve child development and education programming for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in all settings. These visions, plans and strategies will enhance the quality, intentionality, and effectiveness of teacher and home visitor interactions with children and families, towards the goal of improved child outcomes.

Participants - The Institute learning experiences and materials are specifically developed for leaders and managers of child development and education for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers through center-based, home-based and family child care programming. Attendees should be leaders who will use the information from the Institute to plan, lead and manage the education program improvement initiatives within their local agencies. Therefore, we hope that the Education Coordinator/Manager of each Head Start and Early Head Start grantee and every delegate agency will make plans to attend this important Institute.

In addition to the Education Coordinator/Manager, an Early Head Start or Head Start grantee or delegate agency may also send another child development manager. This person may be the disabilities services manager, home-based program manager, supervisor/coordinator of education services for family or center-based child care (or others who serve in these capacities with different titles) or the Head Start or Early Head Start Director. This is a total of two attendees per grantee or delegate agency.

When an agency operates both Head Start and Early Head Start with separate staff, they may register an agency total of three people from the categories listed above.

The Institute is not designed for teachers, home visitors, or executive directors unless they also fit into one of the above mentioned categories. Nor is it for Policy Council leaders or governing board members.

Program Content - The National Head Start Child Development Institute is based on the Head Start Program Performance Standards, other policies and regulations, as well as research and models of best practice. The priorities and themes of the Institute include the following:

Fostering progress in children's literacy in program and family settings
Promoting learning and outcomes in mathematics and science
Enhancing language development and supporting English language learners
Curriculum and child assessment
Supporting social and emotional development and guiding children's behavior, and
Educational leadership in Head Start and Early Head Start.

Presentations and discussions in all topic areas will include strength-based approaches to individualizing for all children, including children with disabilities. They will focus on the full continuum of education for pregnant women, infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Institute Design

Learning Experiences will include dialogues with Head Start leaders and other experts in the field and keynote speakers of national prominence. Also featured will be small group discussions based on the plenary sessions and focused on applications to program planning, management systems, professional development, leadership and supervision. Participants will be given opportunities to meet with staff who have similar interests or job responsibilities, and local teams will engage in work sessions to discuss what they have learned and how it might be applied back home in their own programs.
Institute Materials and Assignments - Participants will receive a variety of publications and articles to complement and enhance the Institute process and outcomes. Following receipt of paid Institute registration, individuals will receive an Institute agenda, and selected reading materials and a list of information each participant is requested to bring with them regarding their local program. The Institute Syllabus will include a "Take Home Planner" for participants to work on during the week as they mold a plan for enhancing program quality in their agencies. These Take Home Planners will be shared and discussed with colleagues, parents, partners, and governing boards when participants return home.
Institute Follow-up - One product of the Institute will be a training template, including publications and videos, which will serve as a resource for subsequent Regional and State events. We also anticipate future events for participants and their local colleagues to further support the implementation of local plans to enhance the quality of programming and outcomes for children and their families.

Institute Registration, Fees and Schedule -

Registration materials (PDF format, 517KB, 9 pages) are enclosed. The registration fee is $275.00 per participant. Head Start grant funds may be used to support travel, per diem, and registration fees. All registration forms and payment of registration fees are to be received by September 29, 2000.
Arrival and Departure - Regional and National staff will personally welcome Institute participants at an Opening Reception on Sunday evening, December 3, at 6:00 p.m. Our work will begin at 9:00 a.m., Monday, December 4, and conclude at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, December 8, 2000. Since each day's work builds on the content and experiences of the previous day and also leads to the next day's learning, it is important that a commitment be made to participate for the entire week. Therefore, please make your travel arrangements for arrival on Sunday, December 3 and for departure after 4:00 p.m. on Friday, December 8.
College credit will be offered for successful completion of the Institute assignments and experiences. There is a space provided in the enclosed Institute registration materials to indicate your interest in receiving undergraduate credit, graduate credit, or continuing education units. More information on the college credit option will be mailed to participants upon receipt of completed registration forms.
A web site has been established to support communication regarding The National Head Start Child Development Institute, including on-line registration. The web site is http://www.hsnrc.org/.

In closing, I believe this Institute will establish the vision and priorities for Early Head Start and Head Start child development services for years to come. Full participation of leadership teams from each local program is crucial to meeting the nation's expectation, and our obligation, to provide each child and family with a quality comprehensive child development program. I look forward to joining you at this important national event.

/S/
Helen H. Taylor
Associate Commissioner
Head Start Bureau

Attachment:

A: Registration [This information is obsolete. You may request a print or electronic copy of the original by sending an e-mail to Lois Winkel at loisw@headstartinfo.org.]