Program Information
The Guam Head Start Program provides comprehensive services to 534 children ages 3 – 5 and their families, with priority given to preschoolers who will be entering Kindergarten next year. The Head Start Program is under the Guam Department of Education and the Head Start Classrooms or Centers are part of most Elementary schools in Guam. See the Head Start Center Listing to check which school have a Head Start Center for this School Year.
The Guam Department of Education (GDOE) is the grantee for the program. Health and Human Services, Administration for Children Youth and Families, Office of Head Start program provides the majority of the funding with the Department of Education ensuring a level of effort of 20% of the grant award.
The Guam Education Policy Board (GEPB) is the Governing Body for the program and works with the Parent Policy Council in shared decision making and discussion in the planning of the program.
Guam Head Start Philosophy:
The Guam Department of Education Head Start Program strives to provide comprehensive services for eligible children and families. The more knowledge and understanding the families have regarding issues and concerns, the better they can advocate for themselves and their families.
Guam Head Start Vision:
All children and families will receive services respectful of their differences, which allow them to reach and go beyond their life goals and become stronger voices for their families, their children, and themselves. (May 2017)
Guam Head Start Program Goals and Objectives:
Goal I: The program will strengthen its educational services to maximize the school readiness potential of children for kindergarten.
- Objective 1: Each year the program will at least meet the average CLASS scores in the three domains and each dimension based on the previous year’s OHS findings as a means to measure classroom (teacher / child Interactions) quality.
- Objective 1a: In the areas where the program met or exceeded the national average the program will not fall below the national average.
- Objective 1b: Instructional support scores will improve and meet or exceed the national average each year.
- Objective 1c: Classroom Organization scores will improve to meet or exceed the national average each year.
- Objective 2: All teaching staff will meet a minimum of 40 hours of professional development provided by the program. Of the 40 hours of professional development, 15 hours will focus on strategies specific to the improvement in the two lowest domains within Teaching Strategies Gold Kindergarten Readiness Indicators that fall below the 85–90% readiness by the end of the previous school year.
Goal II: Families will increase their knowledge of positive parenting skills to promote their children’s development and reduce parental stress.
- Objective 1: The program will provide at least 15 workshops each year that address parenting skills, child development or parental stress.
- Objective 2: At a minimum, 40% of parents each year will attend at least one parent workshop offered on parenting skills, child development or parental stress. The percentage of parents attending will increase by 5% each year with at least 50% of parents attending by year five.
- Objective 3: Family Partnership Agreements related to the family engagement outcomes Family Well-Being, Positive Parent-Child Relationships and Families of Lifelong Educators will have a 75% completion rate each year.
Goal III: Fiscal Goal: The grantee management, the business office and governing bodies will be active participants in the program’s ongoing fiscal planning to ensure sufficient funds to operate the program effectively.
- Objective 1: There will be at least two work sessions a program year with at least one representative from the grantee management, financial office and governing body that focus on planning of the Head Start local and federal budget and grant application process.