Success Story

Office of Head Start

Background

TMSC has, since 1990, provided information and distribution services to the Office of Head Start. Head Start is the largest, discretionary grant program operated by the Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The comprehensive early childhood development program focuses on ensuring preschool children ages 0-5 from low-income families begin school ready to learn.

Head Start's 1600 plus grantees and delegate agencies and nearly 50,000 classrooms are spread throughout the United States and its territories. Each program is required to deliver services that meet the quality levels prescribed in enabling legislation and regulations.

It was natural for OHS to turn to TMSC when a systematic way to connect, share and learn from their wealth of information and knowledge was needed. Head Start grantees and delegates also needed ways to work together collaboratively to build new knowledge. In addition, they needed a way to find out about and access professional development and training options.

The Challenge

Head Start has been challenged to strengthen program accountability and document the educational gains young children make while in the program. To do so, it needs to transform itself into multiple knowledge developing and sharing and learning communities. OHS needed to find an effective, efficient way to enable Head Start staff, administrators and parents to access the data, information and knowledge resources and learning developed over the years. OHS also needed a way to deliver the training and technical services to strengthen program accountability and improve services for participating children and families.

TMSC's recommendation to extend use of various technologies to organize and manage knowledge seemed an obvious choice. The use of technologies presented their own challenges. One challenge was to develop an integrated system that addresses the community's multiple needs. The second challenge was supporting staff, administrators, training and technical specialists, parents and others while they learned to integrate working electronically into their standard operating procedures. This will be a major cultural transformation for individuals who are more familiar and comfortable working face-to-face.

The Solution

TMSC implemented a multi-step unified approach to meet these diverse needs. The structure and content of the pilot of the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center was developed in coordination with OHS federal team leads. Focus groups made up of grantees and regional office staff participated in early planning and evaluation. The ECLKC pilot was launched in late January of 2006. The six-week rollout period included face-to-face presentations by TMSC Subject Matter Experts to Head Start Regional Office staff and OHS federal staff. Feedback regarding the pilot ECLKC was provided at the presentations and over the next month. Analysis of the feedback resulted in stepped changes.

The very positive response by users - not only to the pilot but also to the rollout strategies - validated TMSC's approach to transforming cultural practices through connecting, sharing and learning. Version 1.1 of ECLKC adds functionalities as well as content.

The Outcome

TMSC's responsibilities for the Office of Head Start are expanded to provide information and knowledge management services. OHS currently plans for ECLKC to become a portal. It expects ECLKC to enable community members to accomplish mandated programmatic goals efficiently and effectively.