Title: AC6-Agreement with United Way of Palm Beach County, Inc.

Recommendation:
I recommend that the School Board approve an Agreement for the Early Childhood Cluster Initiative (ECCI) with the United Way of Palm Beach County in partnership with Children's Services Council in the amount of $4,441,180 effective October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007. 

Description:

This Agreement with United Way of Palm Beach County, Inc. provides $4,441,180.00 for the continuation of the pilot Early Childhood Cluster Initiative (ECCI) program.  ECCI began in June 2005 and is in the second year of implementation.  The program is operated as a partnership between the District, United Way and the Children's Services Council within the Department of Early Childhood Education.  The primary funder of the program is the Children's Services Council.

The ECCI program provides for 20 classrooms serving 360 prekindergarten children in the following ten (10) elementary schools, each of which has a Beacon Center on campus: Barton, Forest Park, Lantana, Northmore, Pahokee, Pioneer Park, Pleasant City, Washington, West Riviera, and Village Academy.  United Way will also contract directly with up to two (2) community child care centers and family child care homes as a part of the cluster project.

ECCI serves three and four year old children who live within each participating school's service area through a High/Scope approach.  Features of the program include:
1.  Use of certified teachers rather than CDAs
2.  Use of Early Learning Associates (ELAs) rather than CDAs
3.  Low student/teacher ratio of 1 to 6; each classroom has one certified teacher and two ELAs
4.  Intensive coaching model with six resource teachers providing technical assistance
5.  Intensive training in High/Scope for the certified teachers and coaches during the work day
6.  Intensive parent education/involvement program, including two ECCI parent educator staff members
7.  Four extra ELAs serving as floaters for the classrooms
8.  Parent volunteer program provided by an ECCI volunteer coordinator
9.  Reduced cost for parents of $1.30 per day
10.  Administrative support provided by a program manager, unit team leader and secretary in addition to District related supports

The ECCI program will be evaluated using the FLKRS (Florida Kindergarten Readiness Uniform Screening Screener), ECERS (Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale) and the High/Scope PQA (Program Quality Assessment).  In addition, United Way has contracted with Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago to conduct an assessment of the project's fidelity to the original  model and rate of success.

Financial Impact:
The financial impact to the FY 2006 - FY 2007 Special Revenue-Other Funds budget is an increase of up to $4,441,180 effective October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007.  These funds will be allocated to the Department of Early Childhood Education's budget.

For Additional Information, contact:

Ann Killets (akillets@palmbeach.k12.fl.us)

Alison Adler

M.J. Steele

Attachments (list):
ECCI Data Panel 05-07.pdf
legal checklist Early Childhood.pdf
United Way Early Childhood Cluster section 1.pdf
United Way Early Childhood Cluster section 2.pdf
Q&AAC6.doc