News You Can Use Week of April 27, 2012
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| Day of Opportunity a Success! Last week is Nashville we had the opportunity to showcase alumni stories from the around the country. It was an incredibly moving experience - the power of Head Start to change lives couldn’t have been clearer. View some of the videos from the event hosted by Mark Shriver and you’ll understand why there was not a dry eye in the house. Hopefully you also participated in the Day of Opportunity in your program - let us know and send us pictures! We’re grateful to all of you who’ve been involved in our 27 Million Windows Project so far - it’s a strong tool for advocacy in these challenging times. If you haven’t already, check out the stories of our 27 and people affected by Head Start in nearly every state at go.nhsa.org/27millionwindows! NHSA Annual Conference and CEUs We were thrilled to have nearly 3,500 members of the Head Start community join us last week in Nashville, TN! A tremendous amount of knowledge was shared, and hopefully everyone had time to hear some music, too. If you attended, you can obtain your certificate of Continuing Education Units by going to https://nhsaannual.expotracker.net/CEU/. The Bammy Awards! The Bammy Award is a cross-discipline award that identifies and acknowledges excellence throughout the education field -- from teachers, principals and superintendents, to school nurses, support staff, advocates, researchers, early childhood specialists, education journalists and parents. There are two categories for Head Start: Directors and Staff! A couple of directors have been nominated, but no staff. Monday, April 30 is the deadline, so go to www.bammyawards.com and make a nomination today! Then tell eveyone you know to go and vote! We look forward to seeing every program represented! Get more information get nominating and get voting here. Grant Writing in an Era of Competition: Head Start Grant Writing Webinar Last week, the Office of Head Start released the first round of Head Start Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) for service areas affected by the Designation Renewal System. If you are planning to apply or are looking for more information, NHSA is offering a FREE WEBINAR to help you prepare your grant proposal. The webinar will consist of a panel of expert grant writers, including: Aubrey Nehring, CEO, Audobon Area Community Services, Inc., Aaron Lieberman, Co-founder and CEO, Acelero Learning, Inc., and more to be announced! The Webinar will cover the following:
What: Grant Writing in an Era of Competition: Head Start Grant Writing Webinar Sesame Workshop Parent Survey About Technology Access and Use Are you the parent or guardian of a child between 2 and 6 years of age? If so, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop invites you to take a survey about reading with your child. Parents who complete the survey will have a chance to win a $50 gift card to Amazon.com! For more information about the survey and to get started, click here. Help Improve Services to Homeless Children The United State Interagency Council on Homelessness is currently gathering information about improving early childhood learning and educational outcomes for children experiencing homelessness. Submit your thoughts here by April 30th. Screen-Free Week is Here! NHSA is proud to officially endorse Screen-Free Week (April 30-May 6), the annual celebration where children, families, schools, and communities turn off screens and turn on life. Visit www.screenfree.org to join the fun and to download your free Screen-Free Week Organizer's Kit. It’s packed with fact sheets, great suggestions for screen-free activities, pledge cards, and more! NHSA's 2012 Manager and Director Academy Relevant to the new demands on Head Start managers, the NHSA Manager and Director Academy provides a focus on leadership development, risk management, systems, and community partnerships. In an intensive week-long setting. distinguished facilitators and senior managers from highly effective Head Start programs will share their extensive knowledge and substantial skills in four day-long learning modules. Each day will be split between presentation, activities and case study. Time will be allocated for networking and reflection. The Academy is designed exclusively for program leaders, from the selection of facilitators, to the design of course-work and the planned on-going dialogue. Attendees will gain a portfolio of knowledge and skills that will enable them to effectively link excellence and accountability in their own programs. Registration is open! Find out More... 2012 – 2013 NHSA Awards and Scholarship Nominations Open! Because of the dedicated involvement of parents, staff, and other concerned individuals Head Start is the high-quality program that it is today. Each year, NHSA seeks to acknowledge those individuals and organizations that have made a significant difference in their Head Start communities through the NHSA Awards and Scholarship program. The nomination process for the 2012 – 2013 awards and Scholarship year is now open. Please go to our Web site for more information and the link to nomination applications. Dr. Alice Sterling Honig's 36th Annual Quality Infant/Toddler Caregiving (QIC) Workshop Training caregivers of children under the age of three, the world-renowned QIC workshop is based on research and theory in social-emotional, cognitive, motor, sensory, and language development. This course consistently draws participants from around the world. Lectures include observations and interactions with real infants, as well as videos and demonstrations of developmentally appropriate toys and games. Lead faculty for the QIC workshop is Alice Sterling Honig, Ph.D., professor emerita of child development at Syracuse University. The workshop will be held May 14-18 in Syracuse, NY. Learn more at http://falk.syr.edu/ChildFamilyStudies/QIC.aspx. Hatch Pilot Program to Demonstrate Effective Mobile Technology Integration in Early Learning Classrooms Hatch®, a leading provider of technology for early learning, is accepting applicants for a free pilot program of Hatch’s mobile technology solution created specifically for early learners. The goal of the Hatch iStartSmart Mobile Pilot Program is to allow early education programs to evaluate the effectiveness of mobile technology in a controlled implementation, as well as to raise awareness of best practices for implementation of technology in early learning environments. To qualify for the Pilot Program, applicants must be able to commit to implementing the Hatch Mobile technology in a minimum of ten participating schools or classrooms, with a minimum of 180 students using the Hatch Mobile tablet. Apply by May 31, 2012 using the application at www.hatchearlylearning.com/pilot. And add your voice to Hatch’s Early Childhood Technology Today Survey at http://www.hatchearlychildhood.com/Pages/survey! WEBINAR: Implementing Tiered Instruction for Diverse PreK Learners Planning for effective learning opportunities for many children at the same time is a challenge for those teaching classes of young children with diverse abilities. On Thursday, May 3, 2012 from 4:00pm – 5:00pm ET, the Council for Exceptional Children and the Division for Early Childhood will host a collaborative webinar to provide guidance on how to plan, implement, and evaluate evidence-based teaching sequences at tier one, including the process of what data to collect, how often, in what way, and with which tools. Participants will increase their knowledge of effective instructional strategies and the data-driven decision-making process at tier one, in addition to obtaining key skills that will assist in the application of evidenced-based instructional practices throughout daily classroom routines and activities. More information and registration at http://www.cec.sped.org/scriptcontent/custom/events/webinar_detail.cfm?webinar=WEB1207. CDA Candidates Can Earn $50 Volunteering To Test New Exam The CDA Council for Professional Recognition is pilot testing a new CDA exam that Candidates will take on a computer, as part of their credentialing process, starting next year. Current Candidates who are applying for their first CDA can volunteer to take the new exam and receive $50 by providing feedback about their test-taking experience. The pilot test runs through this June. To learn more, please visit www.cdacouncil.org/cdaexam. May Family Connections Newsletter The May Edition of NHSA Family Connections newsletter is information rich and discusses the topic of School Readiness for families. This newsletter guides shows families that learning experiences that take place in everyday family life help infants, toddlers, and preschool age children “get ready for school.” Family Connections is produced by PreSchoolFirst and is an exclusive benefit for NHSA Program Members. To access, go to NHSA’s Family Service Resource Center. Family Connections is produced by Resource for Immigrant Families The Immigrant Guide is a new ready-to-use, affordable and practical resource for parent education workshops. Equip immigrant parents with critical knowledge around laws, finances, education, jobs, housing, health, and more to give them confidence that impacts the whole family. Help them learn life lessons before they learn the hard way. You can request free samples at www.unitingresources.org. Save the Dates for Upcoming NHSA Events!
Grant Opportunities through Promise Neighborhoods The Promise Neighborhoods program is carried out under the legislative authority of the Fund for the Improvement of Education (FIE), which supports nationally significant programs to improve the quality of elementary and secondary education at the State and local levels and to help all children meet challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards. Learn more about these grant opportunities:
Department of Education Guidance for Title I Use in Preschool On April 19th, the Department of Education posted revised non-regulatory guidance for districts and school using Title I Part A (Title I) funds to implement high-quality preschool programs. Over the last few years, administrators, teachers, and early learning stakeholders have shared concerns and questions with the Department, seeking clarity and guidance on how to use Title I funds to implement high-quality preschool programs for eligible children. In developing this guidance, Department staff has worked hard to answer these questions. Learn more. Don’t Miss Upcoming Legal Advisory Service Trainings The Head Start Legal Advisory Service, a collaboration between Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP and the National Head Start Association, has developed key offerings designed with programs like yours in mind. Join Ted Waters and Zoë Beckerman, leading Head Start attorneys, for the following webinars: (5/01/12) Late Breaking Webinar - Analysis of Head Start Recompetition RFPs (3 pm Eastern time) As you know, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children & Families (ACF) has just released brand new RFPs for Recompetition service areas. These new RFPs are unlike any we’ve seen before from ACF. Applications will be scored by ACF differently than they have been before. Some of the changes to how your application will be scored include the following:
In addition, there is a new “Phase 2” requiring a review of certain financial systems, capability, and more that will be performed by financial experts contracted by ACF. Who Should Attend: Head Start management and staff who write grants, but all are welcome. (5/02/12; 6/13/12) Understanding Head Start and Early Head Start Eligibility (3 pm Eastern time) ACF's Program Instruction HS-10-02, Income Eligibility for Enrollment, addresses how Head Start employees must determine and verify income eligibility and requires annual training. The PI states that programs "should provide annual training to employees responsible for determining and verifying income eligibility and to ensure that those employees are fully aware of the consequences established by the grantee for employees who knowingly sign a verification form that contains false information." So here’s your chance. This topic is of special importance – as you know, programs have received additional scrutiny about their eligibility practices from Congress, the Government Accountability Office, the HHS Office of Inspector General, and the Office of Head Start. In the wake of Congressional and Departmental scrutiny, now is the time to make sure your staff is determining eligibility correctly. This session will help your program comply with the often-confusing eligibility rules, and ensure that all of your employees who determine eligibility get needed training. We'll cover not only the basics of the Head Start eligibility process, but also discuss the consequences of knowing violations of the eligibility rules. This webinar will cover:
Tips for best practices will be included and your questions will be addressed. Who Should Attend: Eligibility Workers, Eligibility Managers, ERSEA staff, Executive Directors, Head Start program Directors, and other senior staff, but all are welcome. The Head Start Legal Advisory Service, a collaboration between Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP and the National Head Start Association, has this topic, as well as other new offerings on topics designed with programs like yours in mind. To register or see the full list of this season’s trainings, please go to: http://headstart.peachnewmedia.com/store/provider/provider09.php.
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and is an exclusive benefit for NHSA Program Members. To access, go to