STRONG MINDS NETWORK
INFORMATION SESSION
DM 163080
AGENDA
Welcome
Introductions
Presentation:
Children’s Services Council
Strong Minds Network
Questions
Children’s Services Council: Who We Are
Children’s Services Council, a special district created by
Palm Beach County voters in 1986, provides leadership,
funding, evaluation, program and system
development on behalf of the county’s children
so they grow up healthy, safe, and strong.
CSC Guiding Principles
• Primary prevention and early
intervention
• Targeting the earliest
developmental stages
• Theoretical integrity
• Minimal sufficiency
• Data driven and evidencebased
• Continuous learning and
improvement
• High return on investment
Building an Early Childhood System of Care
Education and Outreach
Healthy Beginnings
Quality Child Care:
• Early Education
• Afterschool
BRIDGES
Professional Development
Program & System Performance
Data Systems
Palm Beach County’s QRIS Journey
• 1998, Quality Rating Improvement Systems (QRIS) considered best
practice
• 2002, Palm Beach County pilot, 6 sites
• 2003, the system was named Quality Rating System, 40 sites
• 2006, Palm Beach County and 11 other counties in Florida, formed
the Multi-County Collaborative to align the standards in Florida
◦ System renamed Quality Counts (tri-county; Palm Beach County,
Miami-Dade County, and Broward County.)
• 2014, Quality Counts had 210 sites serving approximately 11,000
children
Why a New System?
• New evidence & research
• Focus on child outcomes
• Return on investment (ROI)
• Feedback from national experts
• Feedback from stakeholders
• Most intentional high quality providers
Strong Minds Network
Strong Minds Vision and Mission
Vision:
Children will have quality early educational experiences that will increase their chances
of achieving school success and becoming productive members of society
Mission:
To use research and data to increase the quality of early care and education programs
through integrated supports and resources offered to the early learning community,
children and their families.
Goals:
Children are ready for school
• To improve children’s learning and development
• To improve teacher-child interactions
• To improve parent engagement
Who’s Included
• Children: Birth-Five in Palm Beach County
• Practitioners: working with children Birth-Five in Palm Beach
County
• Programs: publicly-funded
◦ Includes: School Readiness, Early Head Start, Head Start
◦ System Partners: Early Learning Coalition, Early Head
Start/Head Start, Palm Beach State College, School District
of Palm Beach County, Literacy Coalition, Family Central,
The Children’s Forum, Healthy Beginnings, & Bridges
System Elements
Pre-Entry/Eligibility/Annual Requirements
Navigation Support
Registry
Valid and Reliable Child & Program Assessments
Targeted Technical Assistance & Career Advising
Professional Development Opportunities (Formal, Informal, ACHIEVE, Scholarships)
Tiered Reimbursement Supplement
Pre-Entry Criteria
 School Readiness Agreement or Head Start/Early Head Start
Contract
 In good standing* with: SR Agreement
VPK Agreement
HS/EHS Contract
Licensing
*In good standing is defined as no quality assurance/compliance plan within the last 12 months
 No Class 1 and no more than two of the same Class 2 licensing
violations in the past 12 months
Pre-Entry Criteria
 Agree to use GOLD Child Assessment System
 Gold Seal Accreditation within three years of
achieving In-Network status
 All professional staff are active members of the Palm
Beach County Early Childhood Registry
Application
 Online application will be available beginning March 2, 2015 at:
http://earlylearningpbc.org
 Notification by email within 15 days regarding status:
Ineligible
Assessment Pending
The Early Childhood Registry
The Registry is a professional development approval
system that has been created to support and promote
quality assurance, formal and informal courses, and
assure trainer content knowledge.
The Registry helps track formal and informal education
and provides a basis for planning future professional
development.
Active Registry Membership
 Before applying to Strong Minds
 User Manual available at
https://www.pbcregistry.org/index.php/forms
Documents (Direct Care Program Registration User Manual)
 Register your site in the Registry system
http://www.pbcregistry.org/
 Make sure all current staff join the Registry
 Make sure the viewable list of staff along with career level, position
title, and registry status is accurate and up to date
 Contact: Kimesha House or LaCandice James 561-374-7650
Program Assessments
Program Assessment
Program Assessments for Strong Minds
 Preschool CLASS – classrooms with children 3-5
 Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale(ITERS-R)–
classrooms with children 0-2 ½
 Toddler CLASS – optional for classrooms with
children 2 ½-3
 Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale (FCCERS-R) – for
Family Child Care Centers
 www.forumpac.com for more information
Program Assessment
Program Assessment Protocol
 50 % of preschool classrooms assessed
 50% of infant / toddler classrooms assessed
 Classrooms randomly drawn by assessment staff prior to
arrival at the site
Network Status
In-Network
Promising
Emerging
In-Network Status
Minimum Assessment
Scores
Minimum Assessment
Scores
(Tier 1)
(Tier 2)
4.0 on identified items of 5.5 on identified items on
ITERS-R/FCCERS-R
ITERS-R or FCCERS-R
Available Supports
Targeted Technical
Assistance
Professional
Development
*CLASS Domains:
*CLASS Domains:
5.0 Emotional Support
6.5 Emotional Support
4.0 Classroom Organization
5.5 Classroom Organization
1.5 Instructional Support
3.0 Instructional Support
Full access to SEEK
Scholarship
*not applicable to FCCH
*not applicable to FCCH
Tiered Reimbursement
Supplements
Career Advising
ACHIEVE Salary
Supplement
Promising Status
Minimum Assessment Scores
3.5-3.99 on identified items of
ITERS-R/FCCERS-R
Available Supports
Limited targeted technical
assistance
Professional Development
*CLASS Domains:
Career Advising
4.5-4.99 Emotional Support
ACHIEVE Salary Supplement
3.5-3.99 Classroom Organization
SEEK Scholarship
1.0-1.49 Instructional Support
*not applicable to FCCH
Emerging Status
Assessment Scores
Available Supports
Less than a 3.5 on identified
items of ITERS-R/FCCERS-R
Limited targeted technical
assistance
Professional Development
*CLASS Domains:
Career Advising
Less than 4.5 on Emotional
Support
SEEK Scholarship
Less than 3.5 on Classroom
Organization
*not applicable to FCCH
Technical Assistance
Technical Assistance
 TA Specialists provide technical assistance to programs with InNetwork and Promising status in the following targeted areas:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Accreditation
Assessment and Documentation
Behavior Management / Special Needs
Curriculum, Planning and Instruction
Interactions
 TA supports can be offered on site, via phone, virtually, and in
groups
Career Advising
 To provide individual professional development guidance
and support to the Early Childhood Workforce of Palm
Beach County
 Strong Minds Network programs are assigned a Career
Advisor
 Appointment, extended hours, walk-in during business
hours, on-site
 One on one, face to face, through technology and group
settings
 Tutoring services
Professional Development
 Registry approved community based training
 Informal/non-credit courses
 College Credit Certificates
 AS Degree in Early Childhood Education
 Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education
 Master Degree in Early Childhood Education
 Early Childhood degrees at other institutions of Higher Education
SEEK Scholarships
Available to staff* in licensed Early Childcare Sites
 GED Test Fee
 Translation/Evaluation of Foreign Higher Education degrees
 PBSC Test Fees (PERT, TABE, COMPASS)
 ECPC/FCCPC coursework
▪ Director Credential coursework
 Non-Credit Coursework (HEO) ▪Community Based Training
 Associate Degree in ECE
 (including Prep, General Education and Language course)
 Required books/materials for coursework
*Specific Eligibility
requirements must be met
SEEK Scholarships
In addition the following are also available to Strong
Minds programs (any status)
 Bachelor Degree in ECE
 Master’s Degree – up to 12 ECE Credits
Handbook, Deadlines and Application Forms available at
www.palmbeachstate.edu/IEECE
*Specific Eligibility
requirements must be met
ACHIEVE Salary Supplements
Available to staff*in Strong Minds sitesIn-Network and Promising Status only
*Specific Eligibility
requirements must be met
What is Tiered Reimbursement?
Strong Minds Tiered Reimbursement Supplement
Program issues differential payments to programs that
participate in the county’s voluntary quality child care
network and meet In-Network Status.
The purpose of the Tiered Reimbursement Supplement is
to assist in offsetting the cost of quality for high performing
programs.
Tiered Reimbursement Supplement
Tier 1
Tier 2
(Daily reimbursement Rate)
(Daily reimbursement Rate)
High Needs Area
6%
($1.74)
8%
($2.32)
Not in High Needs Area (Publicly
Funded)
6%
($1.74)
8%
($2.32)
Not in High Needs Area (Private
Pay)
4%
($1.16)
6%
($1.74)
High Needs= High Poverty Zip Code & High Poverty Census Tract Area
GOLD Child Assessment System
WHAT IS IT?
-Teaching Strategies GOLD is an authentic and formative early childhood
assessment tool.
-TS GOLD requires early education practitioners to observe, document,
and assess the demonstrated abilities of children from birth to
Kindergarten across several areas of development.
- It is designed to support a cycle of ongoing observation, documentation,
assessment, planning, and reporting.
GOLD Child Assessment System
What supports are available for the GOLD Program participants?
• GOLD Program – application available to programs with In-Network status at:
www.elcpalmbeach.org/child-assessment-pilot
• GOLD Introductory Training and ongoing TA provided upon request by the
Assessment Team at the ELCPBC. Additional supports offered by ELCPBC:
Webinars, Newsletters, GOLD Provider Meetings, Video Tutorials, and Online
Resources.
• Technology Support - Provided by NonProfits First
• Informal trainings at Palm Beach State College
• Ongoing TA provided upon request by Strong Minds Technical Assistance
Specialists.
For More Information
Please visit the website of the Children’s Services Council at:
www.cscpbc.org
Information Session PowerPoint Presentation
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Strong Minds Network Provider Manual
Please Contact Strong Minds Navigators at:
strongminds@cscpbc.org
561-374-7521
561-374-7532