Way to Grow: a Proposed Plan to Promote School Readiness of Minneapolis Children
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 303 243 PS 017 729 AUTHOR Kurz-Riemer, Karen; And Others TITLE Way To Grow: A Proposed Plan To Promote School Readiness of Minneapolis Children. INSTITUTION Minnesota Youth Coordinating Board, Minneapolis. SPONS AGENCY McKnight Foundation, Minneapolis, MN. PUB DATE Dec 87 NOTE 69p. PUB TYPE Reports - Descriptive (141) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC03 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Community Involvement; Cooperation; Costs; Delivery Systems; Early Childhood Education; *Ecological Factors; Family Programs; Guidelines; Organization; Parent Child Relationship; *Parent Part.v-ipation; *Prevention; Program Descriptions; *Program Implementation; *School Readiness; Social Services IDENTIFIERS *Minnesota (Minneapolis); Prenatal Care ABSTRACT A coordinated continuum of comprehensive, community-based services that help Minneapolis parents meet the developmental needs of their children from birth through the fifth year is proposed as a way to increase children's readiness for school. After an executive summary and brief introductory chapter, contents of the document focus on: (1) key themes related to intervention, implementation, delivery services, planning and evaluation, and other topics; (2) the conceptual framework of the plan; (3) dimensions of the plan; (4) implementation guidelines; and (5)'related issues. The conceptual framework covers such topics as school readiness, an ecological perspective, a prevention-oriented approach, targeted services, prenatal outreach services, family support, home visits, and means of enhancing the parent-child relationship. The plan for the early childhood school readiness program consists of five components: community linkages, a direct services continuum, public education and outreach, education and training, and research and evaluation. Implementation is discussed in terms of organizational structure, timeline, cost and funding. Issues concerning mobility are also considered. Six appendices provide related materials, such as an article on early prevention, and a description of Minnesota's early childhood family education programs. (RH) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received born the person or organization originating it ID Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction outlay Points of view or °romans stated 'nth* deco- meld do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. "Po _JR() :)A PROPOSED PLAN TO PROMOTE SCHOOL READINESSOF MINNEAPOLIS CHILDREN "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY VOX 1<ta- R tetftve TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." BEST COPYAVAILARF Way to Grow A Proposed Plan to Promote School Readiness of Minneapolis Children Prepared for the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board by Karen Kurz-Riemer, Marilyn Larson, and Joyce Lynum Flournoy December 1987 Made possible by a grant from The McKnight Foundation 3 WAY TO GROW 2 Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board About the Authors 202 City Hall Karen Kurz-Riemer is an Early Childhood Family Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415 Education (ECFE) Specialist with the Minneapolis Public Schools. She taught Child & Family Studies at St. (612) 348-6995 Cloud State University for two years and coordinated the statewide ECFE pilot programs under the Council on Quality Education from 1976 to 1982. She has been a Board Members consultant to midwest Head Start programs and worked directly with children and parents. She has a Master's Mayor Donald Fraser, Chair Degree from Erikson Institute for Advanced Study in City of Minneapolis Child Development in Chicago, and is a parent of a stepson, age 16, and two daughters, ages six and three. Mark Andrew, Vice-Chair Hennepin County Board of Conunissionert Marilyn Larson is Supervisor of Early Childhood Family Education and Head Start in the Duluth Public Schools. Judy Farmer, Secretary She has been an instructor at the College of St. Board of Education Scholastica, developed and administered an employer- Minneapolis Public Schools sponsored child care center, and taught Head Start. She is currently a member of the Panel of Specialists for the Scott Neiman National Resource Center for Children in Poverty based at Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board Columbia University. She has a Master's Degree in Home Economics from the University of Wisconsin- Ken Nelson Stout in Menomonie, and is a parent of a daughter, age Minnesota House of Representatives 21 and a son, age 19. Judge Allen Oleisky Joyce Lynum Flournoy is a Regional Lead Teacher for the Hennepin County District Court, Minneapolis Public Schools Early Childhood Family Juvenile Division Education Program. She has directed a comprehensive child care program for special needs children 16 months to Donna Peterson six years of age in north Minneapolis and taught adult Minnesota State Senate vocational education classes in child development. She designed and implemented a Child Development Learning Rip Rapson Laboratory for pregnant and adolescent parents and their Minneapolis Public Library Board children. She has a Master's Degree in Child Development from Syracuse University, New York, and Sharon Sayles - Belton is a parent of an eight-month old son. Minneapolis City Council Sam Sivahich Hennepin CoUnty Board of Corimissioners Dave TilSen Board of Education Minneapolis Public Schools Executive Director Richard Mammen design: Robert W. Schmitt 4 WAY TO GROW Contents 3 Chapter 5 Executive Summary 4 The Implementation 36 Chapter 1 Organizational Structure Introduction 6 36 Timeline 37 Chapter 2 Costs and Funding 37 Key Findings 9 Chapter 6 Chapter 3 Some Issues 43 The Conceptual Framework 12 Issues Regarding The Need 12 Organizational Structure 43 School Readiness 13 Issues Regarding Mobility 43 An Ecological Perspective 14 Cost Issues 44 Prevention vs. Treatment 16 Universal vs. Targeted Services 17 Appendices A. Acknowledgments 46 Collaboration 18 Discussion Questions for Community-Based Services 18 B. Structured Interviews 51 Prenatal Outreach Services 20 C. Reprint: "Focusing on The First Two Years 22 Prevention in the First Sixty Family Support 23 Months" 52 Home Visits by D. Partial List of Existing Paraprofessionals 24 Services for Direct Service A Focus on Family Strengths 26 Continuum 56 Enhance the Parent-Child E. List of Supporting Reports 60 Relationship 26 F. Description of Minnesota's Chapter 4 Early Childhood Family The Plan 28 Education Programs 61 Mission Statement 28 Endnotes 64 Goals 28 Program Components: Community Linkages 28 Direct Service Continuum 28 Public Education/ Outreach 33 Education/Training 34 Research/Evaluation 35 5 WAY TO GROW Executive Summary of WAY TO GROW: 4 There is a current wave of interest in early childhood issues nationwide. Both the public A proposed plan to promote school and private sectors have been involved in issuing readiness of Minneapolis children by a flurry of recent reports, which poinrto the rising numbers of children at risk for school coordinating a continuum of failure and all its attendant social problems. comprehensive, community-based A related issue is also receiving national services that support and assist all attention. This is the issue of prevention versus treatment. It is becoming increasingly apparent parents in meeting the develop- that school failure, juvenile delinquency, teen pregnancy, and related social problems are mental needs of their children from difficult to remedy. These problems, in turn, often lead to lifelong dependency on oursystems conception through age five. of public support. hi 1985, the Minneapolis Community Business Employment Alliance (MCBEA) convened a task force and issued are port called Preventing Unemployment: A Case for Early Childhood Education. Its central conclusionwas that the employability of adults is related to their school performance and overall developmentas children. It recommended that the Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board develop a comprehensive plan for the delivery of early childhood services in Minneapolis. After completing a preliminary study called Three Plus in December 1986, the MYCB sought and received a planning grant from the McKnight Foundation to develop an early childhood school readiness plan for the city of Minneapolis. Covering a six-month time period from mid-May to December 1987, the planning process for Way to Grow involved over 200 persons representing public and private agencies and organizations throughout Minneapolis and the State, as well as selected experts nationwide. That input, combined with an intensive review of research and programming in this country and others, produced Way to Grow. Way to Grow combines prevention and intervention for all Minneapolis families of children from conception to kindergarten enrollment, with a continuum of services based on need. It supports and strengthens the existing variety of services for children and parents in Minneapolis. 6 WAY TO GROW The Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Way to Grow has five components: Board would implement Way to Grow through a Management Board, compoSed'of representatives from selecteci.public and private 1. Community Linkages City and State organizations; as well as members- at-large who are parents of young children. A which provides