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Head Start meets yearly standard
The CNMI Head Start program has met its funded enrollment of 462 students for school year 2013-2014, according to its director, Melissa Palacios.
This number is the required amount of enrolled students the schools must have during the school year in keeping with federal guidelines.
“At no point during [last] school year did we go below the funded enrollment,” Palacios said.
According to her, the total cumulative enrollment was 492 children, as some children moved to another school or moved off-island.
Of the cumulatively enrolled children, zero of them were 1 or 2 year olds.
According to Palacios, a total of 140 3-year-old students were served, while 343 children were 4 years old.
Some 122 of these children were in the program for their second year, with two being in their third year.
Updates on the program were given yesterday at the Head Start Policy Council meeting through the disseminated school year 13-14 Program Information report, which was reviewed and approved by the council.
The PIR gave updates on minimum qualifications of Head Start instructors, which are a bachelor’s degree in early Head Start education or in a related field such as elementary education.
Part of the report covered child and family services as well as the overall health of Head Start’s children.
The program assists students and families in health issues by providing them with referrals to health care services.
The program successfully referred 455 children for health insurance, while 297 children had up to date immunization, according to Palacios.
On information relating to Head Start staff, the PIR also noted positions that have not been filled for three months or longer. Two positions remain open, one in a Tinian center and the other in a Kagman center.
