United Way of Treasure Valley Education Projects
Guided Discovery Program
United Way of Treasure Valley, Caldwell YMCA, and Learning Lab are partners for the Guided Discovery Program. The Caldwell Guided Discovery Preschool School Year 2010-2011 results are as follows.
The teachers observed and wrote anecdotal observations on children every day. Two times during the school year, the teachers compiled the observations on each child and conducted a parent-teacher conference, using the compiled observations. The first parent-teacher conference "time one" was in early January 2011. The second parent-teacher conference "times two" was in late May 2011.
The High Scope Child Observation Record is their tool for assessing children's development. The tool focuses on six different "Key Experiences": Initiative, Social Relations, Creative Representation, Movement and Music, Language and Literacy and Mathematics and Science.
They were able to collect both time one and time two data on 30 different children. All of the children's overall score for all six-key experiences improved between time one and time two.
Between time one and time two:
- 24 children improved in initiative
- 20 children improved in social relations
- 26 children improved in creative representation
- 27 children improved in movement and music
- 28 children improved in language and literacy
- 28 children improved in mathematics and science
High Scope Early Language Skills Assessment was also used to assess children's development in language and literacy. This is a new tool from High Scope that focuses on four areas: comprehension, phonological awareness, alphabetic principle and concepts about print. The teachers conducted the pre-assessment in October 2010 and the post-assessment in May 2011.
Pre and post data was collected on 28 different children.
- 26 children's scores improved in at least one area between their pre and post assessment.
- 21 children's scores improved in two or more areas between their pre and post assessment.
Between the pre and post assessment:
- 20 children improved in comprehension
- 15 children improved in phonological awareness
- 16 children improved in alphabetic principle
- 17 children improved in concepts about print
They saw the greatest improvement in scores in their three day a week program compared to their two day a week program. For example: Thirteen of the 14 children in the three day a week program improved in at least two areas of the ELSA. In the two day a week program, nine of the 14 children improved in at least two areas of the ELSA.
Caldwell Guided Discovery Preschool School Year Success Stories:
I. SAM
Sam's mom said she signed Sam up for their program after having a not-so-positive experience with a religious based preschool the prior year. Mom said that before entering his previous program, they had asked that Sam cut his long hair. They did so because they hoped the program benefits would be worth it. After a few months, they pulled Sam out of the program, disappointed with the curriculum. When his parents saw that the YMCA had a local program, they immediately signed him up knowing the reputation of the Y to be accepting of everyone. At the end of the school year, she said she was "so glad to have found us" and signed her daughter up for the next year. She told me, "I have two more that need this preschool program and you will get them as long as this program exists."
II. MAX
Max's dad came into the YMCA facility one morning for his daily workout and noticed a sign about the Guided Discovery Preschool Program. When he asked the front desk and told them he was interested in the program for his four-year old son, they sent him to our classroom where we were having our Open House. I spoke with Dad who told me he really wanted something like this for his son but wanted to talk to his wife. He asked lots of questions about the curriculum and environment. He tried to call his wife at work. When he couldn't reach her he said, "I am going to sign him up and tell her later, hope she doesn't mind." At the end of the year, when I spoke with Dad and showed him Max's progress from beginning of the year to the end, he thanked me for helping his son learn what was needed for kindergarten, not just the ABC's but the social independence. They didn't know what they would have done without them and wished they had the program when their oldest child was that age. Even though Max says he "didn't learn anything he just played and had fun."
Mentoring Collaborative
Transition to Junior High has been identified as a critical milestone in educational success. There is opportunity for growing programs for this age group to ensure that engagement is not lost, and is a greater opportunity for youth to be successful.
After last year's very successful collaboration, the agency partners (Boys & Girls Club of Nampa, Boys & Girls Clubs of Ada County, Treasure Valley Family YMCA, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Idaho, and Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Council), will continue to collaborate around community needs and build strong leadership and service learning opportunities for youth at transitioning junior-high age. One of their goals is to make "life-changing results in the lives of young people." Still in development, early emerging goals are:
- Agreeing to team up around leadership aspiration and inspiration for unserved/underserved middle school - junior high school age youth.
- The framework of the program will be modeled loosely after the "Leadership Boise/Nampa" Chamber Leadership Development Program.
- Engaging other aspiring young community leaders as volunteers.
After-School Snack Program
Many times, the nutritions snacks served by the Boys & Girls Club or YMCA are what many of the kids rely on for dinner that evening.
Boys and Girls Clubs of Ada County, Boys and Girls Clubs of Nampa, Caldwell YMCA and United Way of Treasure Valley have collaborated to ensure the youth served in Canyon County at these locations will have access to nutritious snacks after school. Albertson's Supervalu is committed to funding the 2011-12 school year. In addition to receiving healthy snacks, there will be an emphasis on nutrition education. Out partners in this endeavor serve a number of low-income youth every day. Results show an average of 143 children a day relied on this snack in Nampa and 51 children a day in Caldwell.