Summary

Numbers Served:

278 children; 101 adults/families; 2 child care facilities, with 129 children total at those facilities, 25 child care facilities attending regional child care trainings; 34 health assessments and screenings; 643 home visits; 40 4-K slots and 634 books distributed.

Total Budget:

$268,146

Abbeville County First Steps School Readiness Profile

Population Characteristics[1]	Figure
Population of Young Children (Ages 0-5)	2100
Children Eligible for Free/Reduced Lunch (5K)*	62.7%
Average Per Capita Personal Income	$20,289.00
Children in Poverty (Ages 0-5) ****	18.4%
Children Who Are Over Age in Third Grade***	19.3%
Children in Third Grade Performing below Basic on PACT Reading **	8.0%
Children in Third Grade Performing below Basic on PACT Math**	13.4%
Low Birth Weight Infants	10.6%
Births to Mothers with Less than High School Education	18.7%
Less than Adequate Prenatal Care	11.8%

Note: Data is for 2003 except where noted (*2005, **2004, ***2001, ****1999).

Profile Comments: In Abbeville County, only 49% of children age 4, are enrolled in preschool programs in the county. There is a significant need for quality four-year-old programs to promote school readiness. According to Kids Count 2003, 7.2% of children were not ready for 1^st grade based on the Cognitive Skills Assessment Battery. In 2002, 11.6% of all children enrolled in first grade in Abbeville County were retained. According to the Abbeville Impact Agenda assessed in 2004, there is gap of 170 families with children under three-years-old, who need a home visit from a certified parent educator. Also there are twenty two out of twenty-five child care providers in the county, who are un-enhanced, and 1, 154 children who need child care, due to mothers being in the workforce. The needs are great in Abbeville County for early education, quality child care, and family strengthening.

SCHOOL READINESS STRATEGIES

Early Education

Statewide Goal – South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness will leverage state, local and private resources to increase the quality of, and number of children participating in, developmentally appropriate pre-kindergarten programs in both the public and private sectors. Particular emphasis will be placed on fidelity to research-based instructional models and targeting of students at-risk of early school failure.

FY 2005 Results:

Partnership Goal – Increase the number of children attending high quality early childhood education programs by establishing one full-day 4-K class and one half day 4-K class at Long Cane Elementary School.

[sde2]

· 34 additional children received quality early education

· All teachers were trained with The Creative Curriculum for Preschool

· All children received hearing and vision screenings, and DIAL 3 assessments

· All ACFS funded programs met South Carolina 4K requirements for curriculum, pupil-teacher ratios, materials, and class size.

· 100% of parents received a home visit from 4K teachers.

· 50% of parents returned the family satisfaction survey, and 99% of parents rated the program with a 4 or 5, with 5 being the best, and 1 being the worse.

Family Strengthening

Statewide Goal – South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness will work collaboratively with its agency partners, the faith community and private sector to support parents and families in their own efforts to maximize the school readiness, well-being and long-term academic success of the state’s young children.

FY 2005 Results:

Partnership Goal – Increase the capacity of parents to be their child’s best and most important teacher by expanding home visitation services.[sde3]

· 61 families (totaling 73 children) received at least one Parent As Teachers (PAT) home visit from a certified parent educator. Using the program model to differentiate intensity according to need, 22 families received 1-5 home visits, 19 received 6 to 9 home visits, 12 families received 10-12 home visits, and 8 families received 13-19 home visits throughout the year.

· A total of 438 home visits were delivered, providing parents with information and resources to strengthen their role as their child’s most important teacher.

· All parent educators completed training in the Born to Learn Curriculum and are certified from birth to five years old.

· 100% of parents rated the home visits with (3 as very helpful. There was a 21% return rate with the parent evaluation of the Parents As Teachers Program, the rating scale ranged from 3(very helpful) to 1(Not helpful at all).

Child Care

Statewide Goal – South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness recognizes quality child care as a research-based determinant of school readiness. As such, First Steps will collaborate with parents, the child care community and its agency and community partners to maximize child care quality throughout the state. Particular emphasis will be placed on assisting parents in their efforts to identify those settings most likely to maximize developmental outcomes, and assisting providers in their own efforts to maximize the learning environments they provide for young children.

FY 2005 Results:

Partnership Goal – Improve the quality of child care by offering quality enhancement grants and proving regional trainings for all childcare providers.

· 2 ABC Enhanced Childcare Centers were offered quality enhancement grants, based on completing an ECERS evaluation, completing a quality enhancement plan for their center, attending 4 child care trainings, and meeting with the ABC Monitor to ensure compliance.

· 1 ABC Enhanced Center received $2800 in early learning materials to enhance quality child care in their three and four year old classrooms.

· 16 childcare trainings were offered throughout the year, and providers could receive up to 31.5 DSS credit hours.

· All trainings are provided by certified trainers through the Center of Childcare Career and Development.

· All trainings are free to providers, and open to center, group, and family providers in Abbeville, Greenwood, and McCormick Counties.

· A total of 25 centers and family/group child care providers have attended the child care trainings, serving a total of 250 infant age to five year old children.

School Transition

Statewide Goal – South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness recognizes school entry as a pivotal transition point in each child’s educational career. In an effort to ensure strong collaborative relationships between the state’s families and schools, the initiative will develop strategies to maximize parents’ understandings of state and local expectations and ensure a smooth and beneficial school transition for each child.

Partnership Goal –Ensure an educationally beneficial school transition by serving 20 at-risk children in the Countdown to Kindergarten program.

FY 2005 Results:

22 identified children completed the Countdown program during summer 2004.
94.44 percent of teachers (statewide) participating in Countdown to Kindergarten reported that the program made a positive difference in students’ readiness for school. 100% of these same respondents agreed that the program strengthened their abilities to help participating students meet state curriculum standards.

School Readiness Strategies for 2005-2006

The school readiness strategies for 2005-2006 will remain the same, with a few minor changes. In 2004-2005, Abbeville County First Steps was funding one full day 4k program for Abbeville County School District, and one half day 4k program. For 2005-2006, First Steps will fund one full day 4K program and one extended day 4K program, so that students will receive two full day programs. Also Greenwood County First Steps will join together with Abbeville County First Steps to provide funding for the regional child care trainings to serve child care providers in Abbeville, Greenwood, and McCormick Counties. Also the Abbeville Rotary Club has started a campaign to raise money throughout the community for a preschool learning bus to donate to Abbeville County First Steps’ Parents As Teachers Program. This learning bus will serve the most at-risk preschool families in the community. The local rotary club has joined together with Abbeville County School District and the United Way to raise the money for the bus.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

D O L L A R S (budget only)

State

Appropriation

State-Private

In-kind

Local-

Private

Lottery

Appropriation

Federal

TOTAL

$155,489

$49,064

$40,852

$7,572

$15,169

$268,146

NOTE: The above State Appropriation amount leveraged all state-private, in-kind, local-private, lottery and federal dollars.

READINESS STRATEGIES	BUDGET	ACTUAL EXPENDITURES	DIFFERENCE
Parents As Teachers	$72,801	$68,468	$4333
Public Early Ed. Full-time 4K	$69,888	$69,888
Public Early Ed. Partial 4K	$52,472	$52,451	$21.00
Countdown to Kindergarten	$17,873	$16637	$1236
Facility Quality Enhancement	$13,909	$12,557	$1352
Center Staff Training and Dev.	$2395	$1487	$908
County Programmatic	$18,424	$17,579	$845
County Administrative	$20,384	$19,394	$990
TOTAL	$268,146	$258,461	$9,685

*** The difference of $9,685 left in private and local funds will be used to help fund programs in the 2005-2006 budget.

NOTABLE DONORS

DONOR’S NAME	AMOUNT
United Way	$335
Abbeville County School District	$3100
TOTAL	$3435

Local Match Percentage for 2005: 53.08%

BOARD INFORMATION

During FY 05, the Abbeville County First Steps partnership board members volunteered 472 hours, including [sde4] 100 hours for our preschool learning bus project.

Value of Volunteer Time: $17.55[2] X 472 = $8283

Abbeville County First Steps Board Membership

Mr. [sde5] Barry Jacks, Board Chair, Pre-kindergarten through primary education

Mrs. Deborah Ayers, Family Education, training, and support provider

Mr. Michael Burke, County Department of Health and Environmental Control

Mrs. Deborah Chiles, Childcare and early childhood development, education provider

Mrs. Peggie Crawford, School District Appointee

Mrs. Ann Davis, School District Appointee

Mr. Santana D. Freeman, Head Start Appointee

Dr. Tiffany Freese, Parent of a Preschool Child

Mr. Henry Green, Business Community

Mrs. Michelle Jackson, Parent of a Preschool Child

Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Land, County Library Appointee

Mrs. Zelda Oates, Legislative Appointee

Mrs. Heather Osborne, Non-profit organization that provides services to children and families

Mrs. Jan Owens, Family Education, training, and support provider

Dr. Randle T. Ruble, Faith Community

Mrs. Lynn Patterson, member from early childhood education

Mrs. Jennifer Payne, Non-profit organization that provides services to children and families

Mrs. Michelle Stancil, Healthcare provider

Mrs. Samantha Turman, Business Community

Mrs. Montee Gary/Thelma Woody, County Department of Social Services Appointee

SUCCESS STORIES

Working in the First Steps 4K classroom for the past two years has been challenging along with extremely rewarding. I felt a true sense of pride as I saw each 4 year old mature, grasping the concepts being taught within the classroom. I thoroughly enjoyed being a small part in their learning environment. As you know I am a strong advocate for First Steps. To me the good that is done in 4K simply cannot be expressed in words and placed on paper. A small portion of the programs worth is experienced on a daily basis as each high-risk student begins to come up to standard with children that they will be attending 5K with.

Strengths and weakness of students are discovered and worked with accordingly. Individualized encouragement for learning activities that are taught, along with structured discipline helps to build self-esteem. I sense that combination helps to form good study habits for further education excellence. Not only do the students that go through this program excel, I feel that the entire 5K excels due to the fact that students from 4K have been given a head start. I feel we would all be surprised if we could accurately evaluate all accomplishments that each student personally absorbs from this program. Hopefully, more people will continue to see the accomplishments that are gained annually and contribute as needed to further the success of this program.

-Helen Hill, Paraprofessional, Long Cane Elementary School

Since the implementation of the full day four-year-old kindergarten classes, the retention rate in five-year-old kindergarten has been reduced by approximately 15%.

-Barry Jacks, Principal at Long Cane Elementary School, First Steps Board Chair

I as a mother have acquired skills to better help my children at home. I feel both my girls have improved with social, learning, and listening skills.

-4K parent

Our parent educators have been very helpful and teaching and working with him on his motor skills, and knowing his surroundings, and what to expect in his upcoming years.

-Mrs. Wilson, Parents As Teachers Program

The most helpful information with the childcare trainings has been learning about development and temperament of children.

-Childcare Provider

Abbeville County Rotary Club, Abbeville County School District, and the United Way have joined together in a campaign to raise money for a preschool learning bus for Abbeville County First Steps’ Parents As Teachers Program. This bus will be driven to low income areas by parent educators to bring a quality early learning environment to preschool children and parents. Children will be able to learn through play in learning centers as parent educators teach parents about early brain development. This project has brought a lot of collaboration, and enticed the entire community.

-Angela Pruitt, First Steps Director

[1] http://www.sckidscount.org/report05/lbw.pdf

[2] http://www.independentsector.org/programs/research/volunteer_time.html

Summary

Abbeville County First Steps School Readiness Profile

Family Strengthening

Child Care

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Federal

READINESS STRATEGIES

ACTUAL

EXPENDITURES

NOTABLE DONORS

DONOR’S NAME

Local Match Percentage for 2005: 53.08%

BOARD INFORMATION

Abbeville County First Steps Board Membership

SUCCESS STORIES