Element 5: Element Five Goal:

Ensure that Albuquerque area children are ready for school and have the social, emotional and behavioral skills that are essential for future healthy interpersonal relationships, association with nonviolent peers, and academic success.

1. Improve the quality of early childhood collaboration and service delivery as perceived by early childhood stakeholders in Albuquerque / Bernalillo County by May 2011.
2. Provide screening to 200 children each year, age five and younger, who would otherwise not be screened for social, emotional & behavioral development and school readiness, through May 2012.
3. Provide appropriate social and emotional follow-up services for 55 children and their families identified through developmental screening each year, through May 2012.

Collaboration/service delivery: To assess the baseline status of early childhood (EC) collaboration and service delivery, BUSS evaluators developed the Albuquerque Community Early Childhood Services Integration Assessment survey. The Lead Evaluator contracted with Varela Consulting Group, drew from six EC frameworks and instruments and consulted with project staff and more than 20 local and national early childhood experts to create the survey (Appendix W). RDA administered the online survey via Survey Monkey between July and September 2009. Of the 290 EC stakeholders invited to participate, 123 submitted useable responses. Survey results suggest very low baseline levels of collaboration (1.6 to 1.8 on a 4- point scale) across all dimensions of Albuquerque’s EC system: infrastructure, services, program operations, and family engagement practices. In December 2009, the Lead Evaluator presented survey results to 37 EC stakeholders representing 22 programs and agencies. Varela Consulting Group facilitated group processes to recommend specific actions and objectives for system improvement. Subsequently, Varela Consulting Group met with BUSS project staff and partners to refine stakeholder recommendations into an Element Five Early Childhood Strategic Plan outlining core strategies and implementation steps on how EC services can be designed, implemented and linked together into a comprehensive system of EC services (Appendix X).

To foster and formalize EC collaboration within APS, staff from seven APS departments/units convened in May 2009 to identify core EC strategies and outcomes being addressed by different APS programs and to identify opportunities for alignment of efforts. Invited by the BUSS Project Manager and facilitated by Varela Consulting Group, the participants participated in an internal early childhood resource mapping session. Results indicated the need to (A) develop APS wide EC results and indicator statements that all EC programs can work towards; (B) encourage a joint approach to professional development that is more coordinated; and (C) work together on a specific outcome such as parent involvement. An internal EC team, lead by the APS EC Coordinator, will follow-up on recommendations, and try to position the group as an official entity working to improve school readiness outcomes.

Building Community Capacity: Because the BUSS project takes a system approach to addressing school readiness, a place-based strategy where all activities outlined in Element 5 will be carried out in one specific location, has been strongly recommended by evaluators, to increase impact, produce measurable results and develop a pilot approach using a school as a platform. Helen Cordero Primary School in the West Mesa Cluster has been selected to pilot a place-based approach due to high need in the surrounding community, willingness on part of principal and staff to be trained in new approaches, the schools’ goal to increase connection between school, families and community, and the existing state pre-K and APS EC services. A local EC Collaborative will be established in the area to map existing resources and work with consultant Sherri Alderman to facilitate service integration.

Developmental screening: One (1) half-time Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) was hired November2009, and the Denver II and Ages & Stages developmental assessment tools were selected as the main methods to be used for screening children. The FNP has been placed at Helen Cordero Primary School to provide screening for children in the community (0-5) and in the on-site pre-K programs. Screening services will be expanded to additional areas in the City two days a month by using a medical van provided by Blue Cross Blue Shields. The FNP will work with school staff to develop resource awareness and refer children to appropriate agencies for social, emotional, developmental issues determined to be present. A second bilingual FNP and a Health Assistant will be hired spring 2010. Home visitation: A scope of work for City of Albuquerque was negotiated June 2009, and was delayed due to city processes requiring an approval by City Council. An additional delay was experienced in September 2009 when a new Mayor was elected. A meeting was organized January 2010 with the new Director of Family and Community Services to move the contract forward.

Intensive services: Due to the strategic planning process for Element 5 and the late hiring of the FNP, this contract has been delayed. It is anticipated that the contract will be drafted to meet the needs of children identified through screening as well home visitations by City of Albuquerque staff.

Training of Parents as Teachers/Nurtured Heart:

• (A) Four (4) City of Albuquerque EC staff attended week long training in the Parents as Teachers Born to Learn curriculum March 2009. All facilitators report that the Parents as Teachers program is very helpful in engaging families in learning about child development.
• (B) One (1) Psychologist and one (1) EC Specialist (1), who have been actively engaged in the implementation of the Nurtured Heart Approach in the City of Albuquerque, attended the Nurtured Heart Advanced Training in Champaign, Illinois Public Schools July 2009.
• (C) One (1) APS EC Resource Teacher, attended the Parents as Teachers Born to Learn Institute March 2009, and the APS EC Program Coordinator attended a two-day Supervisory training of Parents as Teachers Born to Learn Institute March 2009.
• (D) Six (6) staff members from Helen Cordero Elementary School attended the Nurtured Heart Approach Advanced Training Seminar in Tucson, Arizona, January 2010. With six advanced trained school staff, the principal will work to fully implement the program with all staff and community members through trainings and meetings during and after school hours.