Agenda - 05-19-2015 - 7a - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 prepare children for kindergarten, access to quality, affordable childcare, and support for families like school-based mental health and more community enrichment activities. Takingthe results of the recent gap analysis, community prioritization, research, and other cradle-to-career/college models into consideration, FSA staff has identified a solution to be implemented with remaining FY 2014-15 Social Justice Funds to increase zone children’s readiness for kindergarten and literacy skills.This action isdesigned as a first step in building the long-term foundation for the pipeline in each zone, and a cohort of children that can be followed longitudinally throughout thework. The transition to kindergarten is an important one, yet a national survey of kindergarten teachers showed that they considered only about 50% of their students to have made a successful transition to school (Rimm-Kaufman, Pianta, & Cox, 2000). This transition includes challenges such as the social demands of new peer relationships and the need to follow new classroom routines, in addition to the cognitive demands of school (Berlin, Dunning, & Dodge, 2010). Many school systems, including within Orange County, have experimented with strategies to facilitate the transition to kindergarten. Mirroring national trends (LoCasale-Crouch et al. 2008; Pianta et al., 2001), the most frequently used transition strategies are “low-intensity, generic contact such as flyers, brochures, and open houses.” This is the case also in Orange County, where schools and educators struggle to find the resources to implement systematic transition strategies for incoming kindergartners. One school reported that they ask teachers to do at least one home visit to each of their new kindergartners before the yearbegins, outside of their regular teaching responsibilities. Another school reported holding open-house style informational sessions to interested parents. Both expressed interest in expanding and formalizing their kindergarten preparation/transition practicesif resources allowed. Responding to these needs, and the research showing the importance of early literacy and preparation for kindergarten, this request for funds would allocate funds to at least one school in each zone to pilot a kindergarten “kick start” program and literacy services for incoming kindergartners who 1) have not attended pre-school or other organized care or 2) are otherwise identified as being at-risk for transition challenges that may affect their academic, emotional, or other well-being.FSA staff has already begun conversations with staff at several schools to identify evidence-based curricula and plan for logistics. In preliminary conversations, the identified Zone 4 School is New Hope Elementary and the Zone 6 Schools are Carrboro Elementary and Frank Porter Graham Elementary. Northside Elementary (Zone 6) will likely send identified students to Carrboro Elementary for logistical reasons. Approximately $80,000 of the requested total will be allocated for these activities, with the total amount being split between the zonesto meet identified student need. FSA staff will also work with each pilot program to ensure that activities are evaluated to show the effects of this investment. The remaining amountof the total request, approximately $10,000,will be used to fund temporary staff based ina partner organization in each zone to act as azone “navigator” for the end of this fiscal year (FY 2014-15). Continuing funds for fiscal year 2015-16 for these positions will be grantedto partner organizations in each zone as a grant, and will be approximately $150,000 of the requested $250,000 FSA budget for FY 2015-16. No permanent County positions will be added with this proposal. These navigators will serve both short-term and long- term functions for the FSA project.