The Head Start Community Assessment, or What I Did This Spring

This is what I consider a “cleansing post,” because it bridges the gap between when I last posted and now.  I have to write clean-the-desk post(s) before I can move on, but it won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t read this long, somewhat academic post. 

This spring I signed a contract with my former employer, the agency that operates the Head Start program in Caddo Parish.   For a fee, I agreed to compile a community assessment for the program, a task that must be completed every five years.  I had done the last one and thought it would be a simple process of looking at the sources I used before, finding the updates, plugging new figures into the old document, and I’d be finished.  I was wrong, wrong, wrong!  The process turned out to be extremely time-consuming.  I’ve either been working on it or procrastinating working on it, thus, powerless to do anything else, for months. 

Desk during community assessment and my faithful dog companion

The stack on the right is the rapidly growing stack of parent surveys.

I decided that the agency needed to conduct a parent survey to determine whether the program is meeting the needs of the students and their families, as well as determining what challenges the families had faced during the last program year. 

I devised a survey that borrowed heavily from a document recommended by the national Head Start folks, but it was long—two pages of questions.  I foolishly didn’t use an app for the survey, nor did I use a bubble answer form that could be calculated by machine.  No, it was all to be done by hand—first the families’ responses, then hand-tabulated by me.  I figured this would be a pilot year, and only a few families would complete the survey, then the survey could be streamlined based on our experience and become a tool used annually by Head Start.

Over 500 families responded to the survey, almost exactly one-third of the families served—Head Start is funded to serve 1,564 preschool students annually. This unexpected response would keep me busy every night, hand-tallying the results.  Ninety-four per cent of those responding indicated that they were satisfied with the overall preschool program. Transportation services (or the lack thereof) had caused frustration for some families.  When asked about their feelings about the teachers and assistant teachers, 96% of those queried said they were satisfied.  Some folks indicated they were neutral to the two questions, but only one parent said they were dissatisfied. Other questions yielded similar results. 

The administration and I were pleased with the results.  Sometimes unhappy parents get more of our attention than the quiet, satisfied parents, and we don’t feel as successful as we actually are.

In addition to the parent survey, I researched and reviewed census data, Head Start and Early Head Start (HS/EHS) program information reports, statistics from state agencies, and assessments done by various groups that showed the strengths and needs of our community, primarily Caddo Parish.  I organized all the studies and statistics in a binder, behind tabs corresponding to the services provided by Head Start—education, health, nutrition, mental health, etc. and wrote a 35 page summary of my findings.

The Binder

Like many of the reports I consulted, I concluded that the problems of child poverty, generational poverty, and the negative population growth of Caddo Parish present big challenges for all Caddo citizens.  A high poverty rate and fewer people translate into an inadequate tax base to meet the community’s needs.  Other problems often accompany poverty, which I also addressed in my assessment, as well as listing some stressors experienced and reported by the Head Start families.

While it would be easy to be discouraged by the persistent issues facing our community, the voices of the parents of the Caddo Community Action Agency HS/EHS students lifted me up when they answered open ended questions about their experiences with CCAA Head Start.  I end with some of their words:

The staff was absolutely amazing, so friendly from the moment you walk through the doors. 

Communication and education friendly. Love & love & love

My daughter has become very outspoken and teaches her little brother what she learns at school.

I love the CCAA Head Start program.

I love the staff.

Great staff!  Keep up the great works. Love & miss you guys.

More than satisfied.

I love this preschool

Love her teacher’s patience

My child teachers rocked!  Pleased with the outcome, would recommend [them to anyone]!

I appreciate everything Head Start has done for my kids.  Thanks a bunch.

Love his teacher and the way she interacts with her students

Love the staff.  My son really enjoys going to school each morning.

All employees at the center are very friendly and welcoming.  Informative and helpful. Great job!

I saw a difference in my child as she began learning at school.  I was happy.

Thanks for all you do!

This has been such a wonderful program, it has been God sent!

I’m proud of my child’s progress at this center.

I am pleased with the growth academically I have seen in my child.

My daughter S—turned out better than I thought. Thank you for the wonderful help with her.

Doing a great job!

The Head Start is doing a great job with my children.  The teachers are great!

C—has learned a lot this school year.  She has two of the world’s best teachers.

This is a great school for my son.  He just wakes up and says he’s ready to go.

Mrs. M-- & Mrs. W—are the best teachers ever!

The staff is excellent with the kids.

Keep up the good work.

Good Job.

Thank you for a great year!!

I’m very pleased with K—‘s accomplishments.

Thank y’all for working with us this year.

Thanks for everything & teaching my child and preparing him for elementary [school].

For every lesson plan I was able to comment on things that I felt needed to be worked on.

The teachers really help with my twins social skills.

We go over what is going to be done [taught] each week.

I was able to express what help I thought my child needed.