Recovery.gov - Track the Money

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

Head Start promotes school readiness of low-income children through provision of comprehensive health,developmental & family services.Permanent COLA $91,148 (3.06%) ARRA COLA $46,805 (1.84%): Eligible Head Start staff will receive a cost of living increase of at least 4.9 percent in their hourly rate of pay, except for employees who are NTT (non-tenured track) union represented and have a ratified contract in place. The COLA increase of 3.06 percent will permanently increase the agency's pay scale including entry-level positions. The 3.06 COLA also supported fringe benefits, travel, supplies, contractual, and other. Quality Improvement $163,643: ARRA funds will be used to provide an additional two weeks of employment for personnel to attend/participate in a credentializing program to obtain a social service competency based credential. The family/community partnership coordinator will participate in a management institute to further her skills to provide effective mentoring/coaching to family/community service workers, ensure staff are educated on current practices and trends, and develop knowledge and skills to meet agency goals around parent education and other community assessment findings; provide a bilingual certification to enable an employee to better service the Spanish speaking children and families. Also educate staff concerning the distinctions on the subject of bilingual certification, translations and interpreter services; Contracts for teaching staff will be extended by one week to participate in a week long education series, instructed by a professor holding a doctorate in early childhood special education focusing on overview of early childhood disabilities, strategies for teachers working with disability children, finding individual strengths of children with disabilities, implementing IEP activities, utilizing available resources and assessing one's practice and/or teaching methods; In order to carry out Response to Intervention (RTI) plans developed by the LEA's for children, staff need to be educated on processes, procedures and expectations of local response to intervention systems and we are hiring a public school professional to educate staff. Improving ADA compliance on a playground, which includes the purchase of a new structure that includes transfer platforms to ensure accessibility; hiring of one additional support teacher for helping to reduce child to teacher ration; and paying off a bus loan.

Clarification of Codes