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What’s New
The “What’s New” section contains the latest information relevant to the Head Start community. Each dated entry below provides a brief description and links to the corresponding materials.
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December 2011
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November 2011
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October 2011
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September 2011
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August 2011
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July 2011
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June 2011
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May 2011
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OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES $500 MILLION FOR RACE TO THE TOP-EARLY LEARNING CHALLENGE
New State Competition to Establish and Expand High Quality Early Learning Programs
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced a new $500 million state-level grant competition, the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge. Joining Duncan and Sebelius at the announcement were business, law enforcement and military leaders who have advocated for increased investments in early learning to reduce crime, strengthen national security, and boost U.S. competitiveness.
"For kids, high quality early learning programs mean they will enter school better prepared with a greater chance of finishing high school and college," said Vice President Joe Biden, Chairman of the Administration's Middle Class Task Force. "Expanding access to such early education and child care programs will also make it easier for working parents to hold down a job – a key priority of the Middle Class Task Force – giving them peace of mind that their children are in a high quality learning environment while they are at work."
"To win the future, our children need a strong start," said Secretary Duncan. "The Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge encourages states to develop bold and comprehensive plans for raising the quality of early learning programs across America."
"This Challenge represents the Obama Administration's commitment to helping vulnerable children and families reach their full potential," said Secretary Sebelius. "Our collective health and financial security as a nation will depend on high quality investments during the critical early years of a child's life."
The Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge will reward states that create comprehensive plans to transform early learning systems with better coordination, clearer learning standards, and meaningful workforce development. Secretary Duncan and Secretary Sebelius also challenged the broader innovation community – leading researchers, high-tech entrepreneurs, foundations, non-profits and others – to engage with the early learning community to close the school readiness gap.
States applying for challenge grants will be encouraged to increase access to quality early learning programs for low income and disadvantaged children, design integrated and transparent systems that align their early care and education programs, bolster training and support for the early learning workforce, create robust evaluation systems to document and share effective practices and successful programs, and help parents make informed decisions about care for their children.
Research shows that high-quality early learning programs lead to long-lasting positive outcomes for children, including increased rates of high school graduation, college attendance and college completion. Yet, just 40 percent 4-year olds in America are currently enrolled in preschool programs. The most recent report from the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) indicates that, for the first time in a decade, states are reducing some of their key investments in early learning.
The Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grants will encourage states to make the best possible use of current federal and state investments in child care and early learning. The Obama Administration has sought and secured increased investments in Head Start and child care so that more families have access to quality, affordable care, while also pursuing important reforms such as requiring Head Start grantees to compete for continued funding. The administration has also steered resources towards evidence-based, cost-effective home visiting programs.
In his remarks today, Duncan also thanked Congress for supporting Race to the Top saying, "We are deeply grateful to Congress for supporting these programs. Congress understands the value of investing in education reform, particularly early learning, even in these economic times."
The Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge will be administered jointly by the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services. Starting today, the public may provide input, including data and relevant research, by visiting http://www.ed.gov/blog/2011/05/watch-live-duncan-and-sebelius-make-major-announcement-about-race-to-the-top-and-early-learning/. Guidance, eligibility, range of awards and number of grants will be announced in coming weeks. The application will be released later this summer with grants awarded to states no later than December 31, 2011.
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April 2011
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The Office of Head Start 1st National Birth to Five Leadership Institute will provide opportunities for leadership development through the promotion of effective strategies for achieving school readiness and continuous program improvement. While all Head Start staff have a leadership role to play in achieving positive outcomes for children, families, and communities, this Institute is designed for staff and parent leaders. Programs are encouraged to select a team of leaders who, after the Institute, will be prepared to lead the way for 2011 and beyond. Early Bird Registration now open!
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March 2011
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The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) plans to provide funds for Graduate Student Research Grants to support dissertation research by advanced graduate students who are working in partnership with Head Start programs and with faculty mentors. Competitive applicants will 1) demonstrate a collaborative partnership with their program partners and 2) pursue research questions that directly inform local, state or federal policy relevant to multiple early care and education contexts. Applicants should consider pursuing data collection across contexts, including child care, pre-k, home-visiting programs, Head Starts and/or others. Funding for this announcement is based on availability.
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Federal Register notice of proposed rule to codify statutory eligibility requirements for Head Start and Early Head Start program enrollment.
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The OHS Summit: On the Road to School Readiness provided information, tools, and strategies to promote program quality and positive child outcomes.
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January 2011
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The poverty guidelines are the other version of the federal poverty measure. They are issued each year in the Federal Register by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
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A Message from Acting Assistant Secretary David Hansell on the Passing of Sargent Shriver.
Earlier this week America lost Sargent Shriver, an extraordinary champion of our country’s most vulnerable children and families.
He is perhaps best remembered as the person President Johnson chose in February of 1964 to lead the War on Poverty as Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity. Mr. Shriver developed a multi-faceted campaign designed not only to address problems of economic hardship, but also to bolster the efforts of those struggling to assure civil rights for all Americans. It would become one of the most important initiatives of the Johnson Administration and led to the creation of programs such as Head Start, now a part of ACF.
At the time, Mr. Shriver laid out a philosophy remarkably similar to our mission today. "The War on Poverty," he said, "is a means of making life available for any and all pursuers. It does not try to make men good -- because that is moralizing. It does not try to give men what they want -- because that is catering. It does not try to give men false hopes -- because that is deception. Instead, the War on Poverty tries only to create the conditions by which the good life can be lived -- and that is humanism."
Sargent Shriver's dedication and commitment ensured that millions of disadvantaged children and their families had an equal opportunity to succeed. The Administration for Children and Families continues to live Sargent Shriver’s vision daily as we work to promote the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals and communities across the country.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family as we continue to implement his vision of an America where all can prosper.
  
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