HSContinBlueprintv5AFinlo

Partnerships
For Sustained Learning:

H ead

A G uide to C reating
S tart –S chool P artnerships

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families
R

Office of Head Start

This document was prepared under Contract no. GS-10F-0311K of the Office of
Head Start, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, by the Head Start Resource Center,
1000 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1000, Arlington, VA 22209.

Dear Head Start Colleagues:
We are pleased to introduce a new Head Start resource, Partnerships for Sustained Learning:
A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships. This Guide represents one important part of
a larger Head Start school readiness agenda and focuses on the importance of creating
better continuity across Head Start and the early years of elementary school. Research and
experience have taught us that when children’s experiences build on what has come before and
connect to what comes next, they are more likely to be successful long-term learners.
This Guide is unique in that it is designed to be used at the local level by Head Start program
directors and staff as a tool for working with their elementary school counterparts. The underlying
assumption is that programs and practices established at the local level are best suited to meet
the highly contextualized strengths and needs of the community being served and therefore are
more likely to be effective. To that end, it places school leaders, classroom teachers and staff, and
families squarely at the center of the work.
The Guide includes a Blueprint for Continuity that outlines key components, guiding principles, and
enabling mechanisms that programs can use to lay a foundation for reaching out to and working with
schools. In addition, the Guide provides practical planning tools and concrete examples of ways that
Head Start programs and schools could agree to work together to create more continuity.
It is our hope that this Guide will become a valuable resource to you as you continue to work to
assure that children are successful learners in Head Start and beyond.

Foreword
This G u i de is intended to be used primarily by
Head Start and early elementary grades staff and
administrators to develop partnership agreements
designed to increase continuity across their two
systems. The underlying assumption is that
programs and practices established at the local
level by practitioners are best equipped to meet
the highly contextualized strengths and needs of
B lu epr i n t fo r Co n t i n u i t y

Guiding
Pr i n c i pl es

When children experience more continuous teaching and learning opportunities across Head Start and the early grades of
elementary school, readiness gains are more likely to be sustained and children are more likely to continue to be successful.
Effective continuity depends on attention to creating linkages across all aspects of children’s Head Start–school experiences,
including the right people in the process, and implementing strategies to build capacity and sustain progress.

Families Keep
the Process
Going

Teachers Make
Things
Happen

Leadership
Matters

M ec h a n i s m s

Key
C o m p o n en ts

Building continuity from Head Start to Elementary School

Teaching and
Learning

Support
Services

Making the Move
from Head Start
to School

Professional
Development for
Teachers, Staff,
and Leaders

Organizational
Structures

Intentional Family
Engagement
Strategies

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

1

the community/school population being
served. This Guide provides classroom
teachers—who play a central role in the
partnership planning and implementation
process—with examples and suggestions
for working together to create more
continuity across their respective
programs. Preschool administrators,
school principals, and program specialists
are also important in providing leadership

2

as well as creating flexibility and
opportunities for planning and working
together. To that end, the Guide provides
guidance and strategies for how leadership
can be effective in supporting and
sustaining efforts to increase continuity
through partnerships. A common thread
throughout the Guide is a strong focus
on engaging families as members of the
planning process and partnership team.

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide
to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

“By fostering seamless transition of children and continuity of services between
Head Start and the elementary schools, HHS will begin to better integrate
Head Start into a continuum of care that will positively impact the school readiness
and long-term success of Head Start children.”
—Improving School Readiness and Promoting Long-Term Success:
The Head Start Roadmap to Excellence

Introduction
As part of its overall school readiness goal,
Head Start joins a growing national effort that
recognizes the importance of creating more
comprehensive systems of education that are linked
from one stage of learning to the next—reducing
the chances that children will be lost along the way
and increasing opportunities for positive academic,
social, and economic outcomes. The Improving
Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 and the
Head Start Program Performance Standards include
many provisions calling on Head Start agencies
to coordinate with school districts to promote the
effective movement of children into the school
system and increase continuity of pedagogy
and support services. In addition, the Head Start
Roadmap to Excellence, the quality initiative of the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
sets a course for what it will take to reach improved
school readiness and long-term success by laying
out a set of specific actions, including those
designed to integrate Head Start into a continuum
of high quality early care and education spanning
the years before and after children enter school
(Head Start–grade 3).
Specifically, the Roadmap addresses “Supporting
Seamless Transitions and Continuity through Head
Start, Kindergarten and Third Grade” and lays out
goals for supporting programs to build relationships
with local elementary schools and families. Creating

Head Start–School Partnerships was conceived as
an important strategy that could be used to build
relationships with schools to support transitions and
increase continuity across the two systems.
Linking Head Start programs and
elementary schools through
Partnership Agreements
This Guide focuses at the community level on
the importance of supporting efforts to link local
Head Start programs and their feeder elementary
schools and families. It presents a blueprint that
may be used by Head Start and elementary school
staff and leadership to revise or enhance existing
partnerships or establish new agreements designed
to create more continuity for children as they move
from one learning system to the next. Working
together, Head Start programs and schools may
use this Guide to collectively plan and implement
a set of strategies and actions they intend to use to
strengthen linkages and increase continuity across
their programs. Identifying ways for local Head
Start programs and schools to work together is
not without its challenges. However, identifying
successful strategies and activities that can be
implemented locally across the two systems is
important to assure that children are exposed to
seamless learning experiences that can close the
school readiness gap and help them to sustain gains
made in Head Start.

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

3

The Guide is based on a Blueprint for
Continuity that identifies three important areas
or components where Head Start programs and
schools may focus their partnership efforts. Further,
the Blueprint identifies guiding principles and
a set of key mechanisms that can inform joint
planning. To ensure efforts to build continuity are
comprehensive, effective partnerships will focus
broadly on creating continuity across the following
following three key components:
1. Teaching practices and learning
expectations:  Creating

new links to build
on, sustain, and expand children’s learning.
2.  Delivery of support services: Providing

needed services that contribute to children’s
ability to be successful in school.
3. Making the move from Head Start to
School:  

Focusing on the move to school as a
key transfer point and opportunity to support
school readiness and family engagement.
Making partnerships work depends to a large
extent on the relationships formed by individuals
across the two systems. Effective relationships
will move the process. Guiding principles
for working together to create partnership
agreements identify teachers, school and program
leaders and administrators, and families as key

Guiding
Pr i n c i pl es

B lu epr i n t fo r Co n t i n u i t y
Families Keep
the Process
Going

Teachers Make
Things
Happen

Leadership
Matters

M ec h a n i s m s

Key
C o m p o n en ts

Building continuity from Head Start to Elementary School

4

Teaching and
Learning

Support
Services

Making the Move
from Head Start
to School

Professional
Development for
Teachers, Staff,
and Leaders

Organizational
Structures

Intentional Family
Engagement
Strategies

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

contributors to the process. As they work together
to create and maintain partnerships that result
in strong and functional connections, Head Start
and school staff are encouraged to follow these
three guiding principles:
1. Leadership matters:   When Head Start and
school leaders are engaged in and supportive
of efforts to create more continuity across
programs, the likelihood of success is
enhanced.
2. teachers make things happen:  When
teachers are given the information, flexibility,
and support they need to work together for
continuity, plans and ideas become reality.
3. Families must be part of the
picture:  

When families are continuously
engaged as active partners in every aspect
of their child’s teaching and learning
experiences, across programs, they
strengthen and support Head Start–school
continuity.
Finally, in order to assure that partnerships work,
lead to positive results, and are sustained over
time, Head Start and school staff are encouraged to
utilize the following three key mechanisms as they
plan specific strategies and approaches:
1. Professional development opens
up communication, builds shared
understanding, and creates more continuity
in programs and practices across levels.
2. Establishing organizational

for working and planning
across Head Start programs and schools
supports sustainability and institutionalizes
best practices.

structures

3. Intentional family engagement

assure that gains made are
sustained at home.
strategies

How to use the Guide
This Guide is intended to be used as a starting point
to inform the work of each partnership to identify
elements that fit the context and represent efforts
that are within the capacity of the program and the
school. It is not likely that any two agreements will
look the same, but instead will reflect the unique
characteristics of the communities served and the
priorities set for working together. Each partnership
agreement should address each of the three
components, but specific agreement details should
be determined by the Head Start and school staff
working in collaboration.
How the Guide is organized
The Guide is organized around the three key
components, mechanisms, and guiding principles
identified in the Blueprint for Continuity. It can be
used as a communication and planning tool for
programs and schools beginning to work together
to create partnership agreements. It provides
flexible guidance, strategies, actions, and concrete
examples for Head Start and school staff to use to
inform their planning.
For each component in the Blueprint, the Guide
will provide:
n  A
 goal statement and background
information

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

5

n  A
 section entitled “Get the Big Picture,”

which provides an extensive menu of
possible action items and strategies that
early learning programs and schools could
consider as they begin to think about ways to
work together
n  A
 section entitled “Scale Down to What
Works,” which provides a more realistic
example of what an actual Head Start–
school partnership might look like for each
component
n  A
 set of worksheets to help narrow the focus
and arrive at specific partnership items
Once the strategies for working together have
been identified, then the worksheets can be
used to carry out the harder work of deciding
who should be involved, how the work will get
done, what resources are needed, and when the
work will begin. When these details have been
determined and agreed upon, then a formal
partnership agreement can be written and signed.

6

Planning the
Partnership Agreement
Using the attached worksheets, review
suggested strategies and activities, check ones that
you feel could realistically be implemented in your
Head Start–school situation, and brainstorm others
that could be added.

Step 1.

Step 2. For each strategy selected, discuss and
answer the following questions:
n  W
 ho needs to be involved?
n  W
 hat will we need to do to make this
happen?
n  W
 hat resources will we need?
n  W
 hen do we need to get started on this
work?
n  H
 ow will we measure progress?

Based on your decisions, partners may
choose to draw up a formal agreement that
names the Head Start program and the school,
summarizes the work to be done, and includes
dates and signatures of program director and
school principal. The worksheets can be used as a
more detailed partnership plan that can provide
timelines, guide the ongoing activities, and track
progress and outcomes.
Step 3.

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

Component 1: Creating continuity in teaching and learning
Goal: Support children’s sustained learning by identifying and implementing common elements
of standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessments that are appropriate for all learners and can
increase pedagogical alignment and continuity across programs.
For children to be successful learners, teaching approaches and learning experiences must be aligned—that
is, delivered in such a way that they enable children to build on what they have already accomplished and
be prepared for what comes next. When early learning standards, curricula, instructional practices, and
assessment are linked to one another within a single grade or learning level, they are said to be in horizontal
alignment. When curricula, instructional practices, assessment, and expectations for achievement follow
continuous paths across levels of learning, they are said to be in vertical alignment. Keeping children on track
and avoiding fade-out in learning gains is best accomplished when teaching and learning is aligned both
horizontally and vertically.
Big Picture Options
Head Start and
elementary
school leaders

working together
can:

Head Start and
school staff

working together
can:

Professional
development
opportunities to

support continuity
in teaching and
learning include:

n Facilitate teacher time to exchange information or plan together
n Support classroom efforts to create more continuity in standards, curriculum,
assessment, and instruction across programs
n Participate in cross-program efforts to align curricula, instruction, and assessment (such
as mapping curricula and identifying gaps and redundancies)
n Create a continuum of learning by aligning state early learning and K-3 standards and the
Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework with curricula
n Develop mechanisms to share assessment data and create cross HS/school teams to
study and use data
n Participate on each other’s governance or planning committees to increase
understanding of organizational culture and educational priorities
n Attend joint training sessions and establish leadership learning communities
n Meet together regularly to exchange information on the learning environment and
activities, time allocation, assessment and tracking progress, instructional approaches,
and rules and routines used in Head Start and early grades classrooms
n Participate in classroom exchanges to learn about instructional techniques and materials
used and to develop new ideas about how to align instruction
n Develop lessons collaboratively, share outcomes and discuss implications
n Map curriculum goals across levels and use standards to align instructional practices vertically
n Develop common assessment tools, such as observation records, anecdotal observations
or portfolios, that can be used over time across preschool and the early grades
n Joint training workshops to increase common understanding of child development and
pedagogical approaches for teaching children in Head Start and the early grades
n Establishing cross-system learning communities of teachers to increase communication,
exchange of teaching strategies, and peer support
n Provision of in-class mentors or coaches who work across program/grade levels
n Leadership academies and communities of practice for school administrators and
program directors
n Convening Head Start–school end-of-year meetings for teachers and leaders to discuss
effective instructional practices and sustain their use in subsequent years.
n Create study groups/action teams to develop joint plans to address toughest problems
in areas such as tracking child progress and addressing achievement disparities, student
engagement, family outreach, etc.

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

7

Component
1: Creating
continuity
in teaching
and learning
(continued)
Component
1: Creating
continuity
in teaching
and learning
(cont’d)
Big Picture Options (continued)
Structural
arrangements

that support
continuity in
teaching and
learning include:
Ways to engage/
support families

in efforts to
increase continuity
in teaching and
learning include:

n Joint Head Start–school Leadership Teams to review current approaches and practices
and work together to find areas where continuity in curriculum, instruction, and
assessment could be increased
n P-3 partnerships are part of annual Head Start and school improvement plans

n Creation and use of common protocols across Head Start programs and schools for
communicating with families about their children’s school experiences, such as:
 o 
Hearing about and planning ways to support children’s learning at home
 o 
Receiving regular information about children’s classroom experiences
 o 
Receiving regular updates on children’s individual progress and engagement
 o 
Being asked about their perceptions and concerns regarding their children’s progress
 o 
Being part of developing individual learning plans for their children
 o 
Support parent engagement on Head Start and/or school decision-making and planning
committees
Scale down to what works

Partnership
Agreements for

creating continuity
in teaching and
learning might
include plans to:

n Participate in joint professional development activities and training designed to build
common understanding of child development, research, and best practices in teaching and
learning for children in early learning through grade 3
n Convene leadership academies and peer learning communities that build the capacity of
early learning/school administrators to lead efforts to increase continuity
n Implement information exchange opportunities for teachers and administrators to
become familiar with classroom environments, teaching practices, and program
operations in early learning programs and schools
n Establish shared data points and procedures to track learning progress and other
indicators such as chronic absence across early learning programs and schools
n Align K-3 standards with the state early learning guidelines and Head Start Child
Development and Early Learning Framework
n Designate common characteristics of curricula, instruction, and assessments that must
be in place across early learning and K-3 to increase continuity and alignment
n Designate early learning-school leadership or planning teams to oversee and facilitate
efforts to create more continuity across curricula, instruction, and assessments
n Develop and use common protocols for sharing information on children’s learning
experiences with families

How to use the worksheets
Using the attached worksheets, review suggested
strategies and activities, check ones that you feel
could realistically be implemented in your Head
Start–school situation, and brainstorm others that
could be added.

8

For each strategy selected, discuss and answer the
following questions:
n Who needs to be involved?
n What will we need to do to make this
happen?
n What resources will we need?
n When do we need to get started on this
work?
n How will we measure progress?

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

Worksheet 1a.  Creating Continuity in Teaching and Learning

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Strategy

Who needs
to be
involved?

What program directors and school leaders can do to link teaching and learning

o Establish

communication
process to share
information on
curriculum and
expectations

o Facilitate teacher
time to exchange
information, plan
or attend joint
training

o Develop common
or aligned
definitions of
school readiness

o Support

classroom
efforts to create
continuity in
standards,
curriculum,
assessment, and
instruction across
programs

o Participate in

cross-program
efforts to align
curricula,
instruction, and
assessment
(such as mapping
curricula and
identifying
gaps and
redundancies)
continued on next page…

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

9

Worksheet 1a.  Creating Continuity in Teaching and Learning

o Participate on

each other’s
governance
or planning
committees
to increase
understanding
of culture and
educational
priorities

o Attend joint

training sessions
for program
directors and
school leaders,
and establish
leadership
learning
communities

o Review and

analyze Head
Start and
kindergarten
assessment
data, and make
joint plans to
adjust curriculum
and instruction
for quality
improvement

Other things that program directors and school leaders can do

o
o

10 Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Who needs
to be
involved?

Strategy

What program directors and school leaders can do to link teaching and learning

Worksheet 1b.  Creating Continuity in Teaching and Learning

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Strategy

Who needs
to be
involved?

What teachers and staff can do to link teaching and learning

o Meet together

regularly to
exchange
information
on current
classroom
practices,
assessment,
and instructional
approaches used
in preschool and
early grades
classrooms

o Participate

in classroom
exchanges to
learn about
instructional
techniques and
materials used,
and to develop
new ideas about
how to align
instruction

o Develop lessons

collaboratively,
share outcomes,
and discuss
implications

o Map curriculum

goals across
levels and use
standards to
align instructional
practices
vertically
continued on next page…

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

11

Worksheet 1b.  Creating Continuity in Teaching and Learning

o Develop common

assessment
tools, such as
observation
records,
anecdotal
observations or
portfolios, that
can be used
across Head Start
and the early
grades
Other things that Head Start And School Staff Can Do

o

o

o

o

12 Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Who needs
to be
involved?

Strategy

What teachers and staff can do to link teaching and learning

Worksheet 1c.  Creating Continuity in Teaching and Learning

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Strategy

Who needs
to be
involved?

Professional development opportunities that could be planned to link teaching
and learning

joint
o Establish
preschool/school
Leadership
Teams to
review current
approaches and
practices and
work together
to find areas
where continuity
in curriculum,
instruction, and
assessment could
be increased
aligned
o Include
or articulated
curriculum
goals and
expectations for
children entering
kindergarten into
annual school
and Head Start
improvement
plans

o Where possible,

offer jobembedded
professional
development to
Head Start and
school teachers
and staff through
mentoring and
coaching
continued on next page…

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

13

Worksheet 1c.  Creating Continuity in Teaching and Learning

o Develop

leadership
academies and
communities
of practice
for school
administrators
and program
directors

end-ofo Convene
year meetings for
Head Start and
school teachers,
and program
directors and
principals, to
discuss effective
instructional
practices and
sustain their use
in subsequent
year(s)
Other professional development opportunities

o

o

14 Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Who needs
to be
involved?

Strategy

Professional development opportunities that could be planned to link teaching
and learning

Worksheet 1d.  Creating Continuity in Teaching and Learning

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Strategy

Who needs
to be
involved?

Structures that could be put in place to link teaching and learning

o Meet together

regularly to
exchange
information
on current
classroom
practices,
assessment,
and instructional
approaches used
in preschool and
early grades
classrooms

o Participate
in classroom
exchanges to
learn about
instructional
techniques and
materials used,
and to develop
new ideas about
how to align
instruction
lessons
o Develop
collaboratively,
share outcomes,
and discuss
implications
curriculum
o Map
goals across
levels and use
standards to
align instructional
practices
vertically
continued on next page…

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

15

Worksheet 1d.  Creating Continuity in Teaching and Learning

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Who needs
to be
involved?

Strategy

Structures that could be put in place to link teaching and learning

Other structures that could be put in place

o

o

o

o

Are Families Engaged?

• Are families encouraged and given guidance on ways to support learning
at home?
•  Do families receive ongoing information on classroom experiences?
• Do staff routinely communicate with individual families about their child’s
progress and engagement in school?
• Do staff seek feedback from families on their perceptions of children’s progress
and engagement in school?
• Are families actively involved in developing individual learning plans for
their children?

16 Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

Component 2: Creating continuity in delivery of support services
Goal: Increase continuity of service delivery across Head Start and elementary schools as a way to
reduce both academic and nonacademic barriers to achievement and ensure sustained learning.
Conditions that children encounter outside of school can play a significant role in how well they are able to
engage in learning. When barriers to learning are reduced or eliminated, children are more likely to perform
well in school. Head Start programs and schools recognize that meeting the needs of children in all areas—
including health, social-emotional, and cognitive development—play an important role in assuring school
readiness and sustained learning success. However, when children make the move to elementary school,
there is an increased risk that they may become disconnected from important family support services.
  When Head Start programs, elementary schools and community service providers work together—
especially across the crucial time when children and families are moving from Head Start to elementary
school—the likelihood that existing services will be sustained and needed new services will be accessed
increases. This is especially critical for the support of special populations of children and families, such as
dual language learners, children with developmental delays or disabilities, children in the welfare system,
and children who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Children and/or families need:
 n  Information and access to school-based educational and non-educational services
 n  Information and access to community-based services
 n  Information on health and nutrition resources
 n  Targeted support and information to address the needs of children with disabilities
 n  Help navigating the service-provision process
 n  Targeted Head Start–school support to sustain existing and access new services needed at school
entrance
 n  Access to resources and information in their home language
 n  Support to families to build a sense of efficacy and become confident advocates for their children
Big Picture Options
Head
Start and
elementary
school
leaders

working
together can:

Head Start
and school
staff working

together can:

n Share information on current service delivery resources offered through early learning
programs, schools, and the community
n Identify protocols for developing and disseminating joint resource guides on services
n Agree to share family support and parent outreach staff to work with individual families to
provide information and help them access needed services
n Use joint participation on local community early childhood councils to increase understanding
of available resources and improve communication and collaboration for serving families in
early learning programs and in schools
n Involve community service providers on planning teams
n Offer joint training and information sessions for parents on accessing community services
n Conduct joint family needs assessments as part of transition planning
n Exchange information, with parental consent, on services and supports currently being used
by families
n Include service delivery in individual transition plans
n Conduct meetings with parents and prepare print materials in a language that parents
can understand

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

17

Component 2: Creating continuity in delivery of support services (continued)
Big Picture Options (continued)
Professional
development
opportunities

to enhance
service delivery
continuity
include:
Structural
arrangements

that support
continuity of
services include:

Ways to
engage/
support
families
in efforts
to increase
continuity in
service delivery
include:

n Joint training for teaching staff, leaders, and program specialists on topics such as the
impact of non-academic barriers to achievement, availability of local support services,
recognizing family stress, and working with families to identify needs and access services
n Leadership training on the impact of non-academic barriers to achievement and
organizational strategies to address barriers

n Shared family support staff and parent outreach staff
n Cross-system comprehensive services planning team or early childhood council services
subcommittee
n Creation of parent-to-parent support groups that include parents of children birth to eight
n Joint efforts to create service hubs centralized out of Head Start programs and/or
elementary schools
n Create Head Start–school family peer support networks
n Conduct joint needs assessments with families as part of transition planning
n Confer regularly with parents regarding the needs of children and provide information on
available services

Scale down to what works
Partnership
Agreements

for continuity
in delivery of
support services
might include
plans to:

n Develop a protocol for exchanging information about existing services being provided and
new services needed
n Meet jointly with families to discuss needs, connect children to available school-based
services such as after school care or academic tutoring
n Develop joint plans for assessing needs and connecting dual language learners and their
families to services
n Offer joint training to families and provide resources to inform families of available schooland community-based services
n Participate in joint professional development activities focused on linking services
n Designate staff to serve as service delivery liaisons for families as children make the move to
school

How to use the worksheets
Using the attached worksheets, review suggested
strategies and activities, check ones that you feel
could realistically be implemented in your Head
Start–school situation, and brainstorm others that
could be added.

For each strategy selected, discuss and answer the
following questions:
n Who needs to be involved?
n What will we need to do to make this
happen?
n What resources will we need?
n When do we need to get started on this
work?
n How will we measure progress?

18 Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

Worksheet 2a.  Creating Continuity in Delivery of Support Services

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Strategy

Who needs
to be
involved?

What program directors and school leaders can do to link services

o Provide

opportunities
for family
support, health,
and extended
services staff
from schools
and Head Start
programs to
meet together
to exchange
information and
work together

o Develop an

understanding
of the services
offered in Head
Start programs
and schools
by meeting
together to share
information
on existing
services offered
to children and
families

o Participate on

local community
early childhood
councils to
increase
understanding
of available
resources
and improve
communication
and community
collaboration
continued on next page…

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

19

Worksheet 2a.  Creating Continuity in Delivery of Support Services

Other things that program directors and school leaders can do

o

o

o

o

20 Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Who needs
to be
involved?

Strategy

What program directors and school leaders can do to link services

Worksheet 2b.  Creating Continuity in Delivery of Support Services

o

Schedule time
to meet together
to exchange
information
on services
currently offered
to children and
families

o

Share
information, with
parental consent,
on needs and
existing services
being delivered
to children and
families

o

Conduct
joint needs
assessments
with parents

o

Include strategies
for sustaining
existing and
providing new
school-based
extended learning
opportunities
in individual
transition plans

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Strategy

Who needs
to be
involved?

What teachers and staff can do to link services

continued on next page…

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

21

Worksheet 2b.  Creating Continuity in Delivery of Support Services

o

Work together
to compile
and distribute
information to
families about
how to access
community-based
services such as
health, cultural,
recreational,
social support
and programs
linked to learning
skills

o

Work together
to create social
networks of
support for
families
Other things that teachers and staff can do

o

o

o

22 Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Who needs
to be
involved?

Strategy

What teachers and staff can do to link services

Worksheet 2c.  Creating Continuity in Delivery of Support Services

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Strategy

Who needs
to be
involved?

Professional development opportunities that could be planned to link services

o Offer joint

training for
Head Start and
school teachers
and staff on
topics that build
staff capacity
to understand
the importance
of and support
access to local
or school-based
services and
extended learning
opportunities
for children and
families. Topics
could include:
• Impact of
non-academic
barriers to
achievement
• R
 ecognizing
family stress
• W
 orking with
families to
identify needs
and access
services
• Identifying
available
services in the
community
continued on next page…

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

23

Worksheet 2c.  Creating Continuity in Delivery of Support Services

o

Facilitate
classroom
exchanges for
Head Start and
kindergarten
teachers to help
inform them of
practices and
procedures in
each setting

o

Create
communities of
practice or offer
joint leadership
training to
principals and
program directors
on transition
issues and best
practices
Other professional development opportunities

o

o

o

24 Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Who needs
to be
involved?

Strategy

Professional development opportunities that could be planned to link services

Worksheet 2d.  Creating Continuity in Delivery of Support Services

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Strategy

Who needs
to be
involved?

Structures that could be put in place to link services

o Designate and

support shared
family support or
family outreach
specialist
between Head
Start programs
and schools

o Establish joint

Head Start–
school parent-toparent support
groups
Other structures that could be put in place

o

o

Are Families Engaged?

•  Do families have information on available community resources?
• Are staff trained to identify family stress and use of best practices for linking
families to services?
• Is the school/center environment welcoming to families? Are families aware of
services available through the school/center?
• Are family members consulted regularly with regard to the needs of their children
for support services and extended learning opportunities?
•  Does the center/school have a designated parent resource area?

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

25

Component 3: Creating continuity for making the move from Head Start
to elementary school
Goal: Establish cooperative relationships between families, Head Start and school staff to increase
collaboration, involvement, and understanding of the process of moving from Head Start to school and
ease the transition by increasing children’s preparation across domains of learning and familiarity with
the new school environments and expectations.
Family-school relationships established in Head Start and sustained as the child enters elementary school can
have a positive, lasting impact on family engagement and children’s learning. Equal exchange of information and
opportunities to share concerns and insights helps to build a foundation for successful transition for children
and families. When Head Start and school staff plan and work together to create opportunities for families to be
engaged in supporting the move to school and in sustaining their involvement in leadership activities, the resulting continuity of care and education helps to increase families’ sense of effectiveness in the process and ensure
continued engagement in their child’s learning at home and at school.
  For the transition from a Head Start program to school to be a productive and positive experience,
activities and experiences must be both intentional and targeted to the needs of children and families.
Practices must take the best of Head Start and schools to create a coordinated process that involves
families, teachers, school leaders, support staff, and community members. Activities must be varied to meet
the needs of all children and families, ongoing to make the greatest impact, and focused on both individuals
and groups of children and families. The importance of assuring that transition planning and activities are
appropriate and responsive to the cultural and linguistic characteristics of children and families must be a
key consideration across transition strategies.
Families need oportunities to:

  n  Learn about the new school environment and expectations
  n  Share information and insights about their child with Head Start and elementary school teachers
  n  Be a part of planning the transition from Head Start to elementary school
  n  Connect with other families
  n  Link with other parent leaders to sustain leadership roles established in Head Start through membership
on committees and parent organizations

  n  Learn about ways to prepare for transition and support learning at home
  n  Understand the importance of transitioning from Head Start to school and its impact on learning
Children need opportunities to:
  n  Learn about their new school and school routines

  n  Meet their new teacher
  n  Maintain connection with their former preschool teacher
  n  Practice new skills they will need in school
  n  Connect with peers

26 Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

Component 3: Creating continuity for making the move from Head Start
to elementary school (continued)
Big Picture Options
To support children and engage parents in making the transition to school
Head Start and
elementary
school leaders

can:

Head Start and
elementary
school TEachers

can:

Professional
development
opportunities

can be offered
that include:

Structural
arrangements

can be established
that:

n Provide common times for Head Start and school staff to meet together to plan activities and
exchange information
n Make planning for the transition to elementary school a part of annual Head Start/elementary
school improvement planning process
n Take an active role in Head Start–school transition planning
n Facilitate the exchange of data across programs
n Develop a series of home activities that families can do with their children to build new skills
both during the Head Start and kindergarten/first year of school
n Conduct family meetings about issues related to making the move from Head Start to school
n Create newsletters and other resources that go to families during the Head Start and
kindergarten years
n Plan jointly offered family training and orientation sessions
n Develop common messages on important issues such as regular attendance, good health
and nutrition
n Conduct kindergarten registration events and parent information sessions
n Create a formal process for sharing data and information about children
n Work together to identify discontinuities children may encounter in making the move to school
and develop strategies to alleviate or help children to deal with them
n Plan summer orientation events and activities
n Make arrangements for the Head Start teacher to visit students in their new classrooms
n Plan activities and provide materials across the Head Start and kindergarten year that help
children understand and cope with transition issues
n Joint training for Head Start and school staff on issues relating to transitioning to school,
such as a review of current research on transitions and their impact on achievement and best
practices for working with parents and supporting children during the move from Head Start to
elementary school
n Communities of practice and training academies for principals and program directors
n Classroom exchanges to inform teachers of practices and procedures in Head Start and
kindergarten classrooms
n Create cross-program transition planning teams to develop formal plans for making the move
to school
n Identify family-school liaisons to facilitate and work with families to plan for making the move
to school
n Establish parent-to-parent peer mentoring programs to match Head Start parent leaders to
school parent leaders to create or sustain engagement in leadership roles

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

27

Component 3: Creating continuity for making the move from Head Start
to elementary school (continued)
Scale down to what works
Partnership
Agreements for

creating continuity
for making the
move from Head
Start to school
might include
plans to:

n  Implement, with parental consent, a procedure for transferring and receiving records
n  Conduct joint meetings with families to discuss needs of individual children and develop plans
that reflect the language and culture of each child and family.
n  Plan and conduct early learning program and school activities designed to help parents:
 o 
Become familiar with school staff, environments, policies, and procedures
 o 
Understand the academic and social expectations for children
 o 
Continue to support children’s learning at home – including preparing for the move from
early learning program to school
 o 
Sustain or assume parent leadership roles at the school
 o 
Meet with other parents to exchange information and make connections.
n Plan and conduct Head Start program-school activities to facilitate on-time kindergarten/
school registration
n Participate in joint professional development activities and training focused on working
effectively with parents

How to use the worksheets
Using the attached worksheets, review suggested
strategies and activities, check ones that you feel
could realistically be implemented in your Head
Start–school situation, and brainstorm others that
could be added.

For each strategy selected, discuss and answer the
following questions:
n Who needs to be involved?
n What will we need to do to make this
happen?
n What resources will we need?
n When do we need to get started on this
work?
n How will we measure progress?

28 Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

Worksheet 3a. Creating Continuity in Making the Move from Head Start
to School

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Strategy

Who needs
to be
involved?

What program directors and school leaders can do to link supports for making the
move from Head Start to School

o Provide

opportunities for
Head Start and
school teachers
and staff to
meet together to
plan transition
activities

the
o Make
transition to
school part of
the respective
annual Head
Start and School
Improvement
planning process
active
o Be
participants in
joint Head Start–
school transition
planning and
activities
a formal
o Create
process for
sharing data and
information about
children entering
school (with
parental consent
as needed)
continued on next page…

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

29

Worksheet 3a. Creating Continuity in Making the Move from Head Start
to School

o

Participate in a
center/school
mapping exercise
to identify
elements in
the respective
environments
that differ from
each other and
consider ways
to create more
environmental
continuity where
possible
Other things that program directors and school leaders can do

o

o

o

o

30 Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Who needs
to be
involved?

Strategy

What program directors and school leaders can do to link supports for making the
move from Head Start to School

Worksheet 3b. Creating Continuity in Making the Move from Head Start
to School

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Strategy

Who needs
to be
involved?

What teachers and staff can do to link supports for making the move from
Head Start to School

o Review data

and information
on children,
including
individualized
transition plans
developed during
the Head Start
year

joint
o Conduct
kindergarten
registration
events and parent
information
sessions
the Head
o Connect
Start child and
kindergarten
teacher by
scheduling
classroom visits
and joint home
visits

o Introduce

children and
families to new
school settings
by inviting
them to school
events during
the year before
kindergarten
entry
continued on next page…

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

31

Worksheet 3b. Creating Continuity in Making the Move from Head Start
to School

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Who needs
to be
involved?

Strategy

What teachers and staff can do to link supports for making the move from
Head Start to School

o Plan and conduct

joint summer
orientation events
and activities
to introduce
children and
families to the
new school
environment and
routines before
school starts

o Participate in a

center/school
mapping exercise
to identify
elements in each
environment
that differ and
consider ways
to create more
environmental
continuity where
possible

o Jointly develop

and distribute
informational
materials for
families and
children during
the Head Start
year and summer
to introduce
them to their new
school/school
expectations
continued on next page…

32 Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

Worksheet 3b. Creating Continuity in Making the Move from Head Start
to School

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Strategy

Who needs
to be
involved?

What teachers and staff can do to link supports for making the move from
Head Start to School

o Make

arrangements for
the Head Start
teacher to visit
students in their
new kindergarten
classroom(s)
Other things that teachers and staff can do

o

o

o

o

o

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

33

Worksheet 3c. Creating Continuity in Making the Move from Head Start
to School

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Who needs
to be
involved?

Strategy

Professional development opportunities that could be planned to link supports for
making the move from Head Start to School

joint
o Provide
training for Head

Start and school
teachers and
staff on issues
related to making
the move from
Head Start to
school, including
for example:
• Research and
literature on
transitions to
school and
their impact on
learning
• Research
and literature
on family
involvement
in the learning
process
• Best practices
for engaging
and working
with families
as their
children make
the move to
school

o Facilitate
classroom

exchanges for
Head Start and
kindergarten
teachers to help
inform them of
practices and
procedures in
each setting
continued…

34 Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

Worksheet 3c. Creating Continuity in Making the Move from Head Start
to School

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Strategy

Who needs
to be
involved?

Professional development opportunities that could be planned to link supports for
making the move from Head Start to School

o Create

communities of
practice or offer
joint leadership
training to
principals and
program directors
on transition
issues and best
practices
Other professional development opportunities

o

o

o

o

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

35

Worksheet 3d. Creating Continuity in Making the Move from Head Start
to School

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Who needs
to be
involved?

Strategy

Structures that could be put in place to link supports for making the move from
Head Start to School

o Establish Head

Start–school
planning teams
to develop formal
procedures
for supporting
children and
families as they
transition to
school

family
o Identify
liaisons to
work across
early learning
programs and
schools to share
information
with parents
and facilitate
transitions

o Establish

parent-to-parent
peer mentoring
programs to
match Head Start
parent leaders
and school parent
leaders to assure
parents stay/
become engaged

o

continued on next page…

36 Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

Worksheet 3d. Creating Continuity in Making the Move from Head Start
to School

How will we
measure
progress?

When
should we
start?

What
resources
will we
need?

What will
it take to
make this
happen?

Who needs
to be
involved?

Strategy

Structures that could be put in place to link supports for making the move from
Head Start to School

o

o

o

Are Families Engaged?

•  Are families involved in transition planning?
•  Are families informed about transition issues?
•  Are Head Start family members connected to parent peers in the schools?
• Do families understand expectations for their children when they start
kindergarten?
•  Do family members have opportunities to be involved with their child at school?

Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships

37

Conclusion
As work to create effective practices and policies to
support continuity across Head Start and the early
grades continues, it will take additional effort to
ensure that systems are linked in meaningful ways.
Linking systems requires more than simply putting
adjoining pieces together. To be effective, attempts
must be intentional and build interrelated sets of
experiences and expectations that can ultimately
result in better outcomes for children.

Early learning programs are well-positioned
to assume a leadership role in demonstrating
effective approaches to building continuity through
partnerships that recognize the importance of
engaging families and that are aimed at increasing
continuity in teaching and learning, the delivery of
support services, and making the move from Head
Start to school. Successful implementation can lead
to models of best practice that will inform the work
of other schools and programs and contribute to
long term student success. n

38 Partnerships for Sustained Learning: A Guide to Creating Head Start–School Partnerships