Office of Head Start Priorities

The following Web sites provide current information on Administration and Office of Head Start priorities:

1. www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/earlychildhood/
2. www.hhs.gov/headstart/
3. www.acf.hhs.gov
4. www.headstartinfo.org

As part of its support of Office of Head Start's national priorities and program improvement initiatives, the HSRC has been engaged in the following efforts:

Early Literacy

In June 2002, in response to the President's Good Start, Grow Smart early childhood initiative, the OHS launched the Strategic Teacher Education Program, or STEP. Its purpose is to ensure that every Head Start program and every classroom teacher has a fundamental knowledge of early development and literacy, and of state-of-the-art, research-based early literacy teaching techniques. This, in turn, will lead to improved child outcomes and school readiness for Head Start children. STEP places a strong emphasis on mentor-coaching to provide teachers with support and "on-the-job" guidance and training to achieve excellence in daily practice. STEP-Net, an electronic communications network, has also been created to provide Head Start mentor-coaches with multiple resources and a "place" to ask questions and to exchange information and ideas.

For more information on STEP, including video presentations and resources from national training conferences, visit:

1. Early Literacy (STEP-Net)

Child Outcomes and the National Reporting System

Released in 2000, The Head Start Child Outcomes Framework provides a broad set of learning and development goals important for school success. The Framework is composed of eight general Domains, 27 more specific Domain Elements, and numerous Indicators of children's skills, abilities, knowledge, and behaviors. The Framework is intended to guide assessment of three-to-five-year-old children at the local level. For a copy of The Head Start Child Outcomes Framework, visit www.headstartinfo.org.

Health

Health remains an important element in the comprehensive child development services offered by the Head Start program. Nearly 1,700 Head Start Health Managers, Directors, and others came to Washington, D.C. in April 2003 to participate in the National Head Start Health Services Institute. Expert presentations, evidence-based strategies, and successful program practices were offered to enhance the quality, intentionality, and effectiveness of health services in local Head Start programs. Among those presenting at the Institute were Surgeon General Richard Carmona and noted pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton. For more information on the Institute, including video presentations and resources, visit www.hsnrc.org/HealthInstitute/index.cfm.

Fiscal Improvement Project

To strengthen the fiscal management and grants administration capabilities of Head Start grantees, the Office of Head Start initiated the Fiscal Improvement Project. The cornerstone of this initiative has been the development of an online searchable database that contains all of the statutes, regulations and policies related to fiscal management of Head Start grants. Using this tool, users can quickly locate, sort through, and appropriately interpret and apply large amounts of information related to Head Start grants administration and financial management. This system, called the Fiscal Assistant, also houses plain language discussions of topics of importance to Head Start fiscal and program managers. The Fiscal Assistant can be found at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/hsb/hsfa/

The Fiscal Improvement Project extends beyond the development of this core resource and will include supplemental materials and resources to support sound fiscal and grants management policies and procedures in Head Start programs.

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