Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

COMMITTEE ON JOINT EDUCATION

Date:02/22/2012
ATTENDANCE
Time:08:07 AM to 08:50 AM
Beezley
Hamner
Place:HCR 0112
Heath
Holbert
This Meeting was called to order by
Hudak
Representative Massey
Johnston
Joshi
This Report was prepared by
Kerr A.
Kristen Johnson
King K.
Murray
Peniston
Ramirez
Renfroe
Schafer S.
Solano
Spence
Summers
Todd
Bacon
Massey
X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call
Bills Addressed: Action Taken:
Presentation on the Parent-Child Home Program-


08:07 AM -- Presentation on the Parent-Child Home Program

Representative Massey, Chair, called the meeting to order and welcomed the presenters to the table. Former Senator Norma Anderson; Hereford Percy, Chairman of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE); and Kelley Sura, grant writer and strategist, Advocates for Younger Generations (AYG), came to the table to make a presentation on the Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP). Several handouts were distributed to the committee members (Attachments A though D).

JtEd0222AttachA.pdf JtEd0222AttachB.pdf

JtEd0222AttachC.pdf JtEd0222AttachD.pdf








Senator Anderson provided background of AYG and its beginnings. She stated that AYG first heard about the PCHP from a U.S. Chamber of Commerce publication that discussed early childhood issues. She discussed the PCHP program in Seattle, stating that the program was initiated by several business leaders who were concerned about workforce readiness. She stated that the program in Seattle began with a pilot program and that business leaders invested $2 million to get it started. She stated that the success of the pilot prompted business leaders to contribute an additional $4 million to operate a five-year program and once the five-year program was complete, United Way made PCHP their number one priority. She added that the program has been extremely successful across the nation.

Mr. Percy provided background of his involvement with PCHP and stated that it is easy to see that educational development is economic development. He stated that investors ask three things of the program: is it cost-effective; what is the return on investment; and is there documentation of this program's success. Mr. Percy spoke to each of these issues.


08:16 AM

Mr. Percy continued his testimony, stating that early childhood education is the foundation on which all subsequent education is based.


08:19 AM

Ms. Sura discussed PCHP, providing an overview of the program. She stated that the premise of PCHP is that parents are a child's first and most important teacher. She stated that the program is most suitable for those who are living in poverty and are non-English speakers. The stated that the target population is a challenging one to serve in Colorado. She stated that AYG has been discussing the PCHP and how to add value to the existing framework. She stated that AYG wants to roll out the program with a living well component that includes education on personal hygiene, mental health, and other health-related issues.


08:26 AM

Ms. Sura continued with her testimony, saying that the PCHP is evidence-based and has been for 45 years. She stated that children who participate in the program have outstanding results, including: IQ score improvement; enter school as prepared as their middle-class peers; are 50 percent less likely to need special education services; perform at or above state and national norms throughout elementary and middle school; and graduate from high school at the same rate as middle-class students.

The committee discussed program partnerships and the services that the program provides.


08:31 AM

Representative A. Kerr asked about the PCHP's connections with adult literacy. Senator Anderson responded that the program gets help from school districts, human services, and other organizations to identify the students who are in need of services. She added that the parent or guardian of the child must be present when the paraprofessional staff visits the home.








Representative Peniston asked how the program identifies the paraprofessionals who visit the homes, what their qualifications are, and if they are paid. Ms. Sura responded that the standard model of the program includes intensive training including 16 hours of initial training and two hours per week of additional training, which occurs throughout the entire two-year program. She stated that the home-visitors are paid. She added that the ideal home visitor is a person who has credibility and can gain the trust of the family they are visiting.

Representative Todd asked about the operating costs for running the PCHP. Ms. Sura responded that costs vary across the nation, but that on average, the cost is about $4000 to $5000 per family, per year. She stated that if the program is run in highly condensed areas, the costs may go down, but in rural communities, the cost may exceed the average. She added that with AYG's model, they would like to have a shared investment from those who have the resources to contribute, and at the state level, they are looking for ways to cover costs for those regions where it is unlikely that the community will be able to generate the needed resources.

Senator Bacon commented that if the many groups who are working on early childhood issues came together to work on the issues together, it would be a huge boon for early childhood education.


08:43 AM

Mr. Percy commented that bringing these groups together is so important and that he sees the passion for this program from business leaders.

Representative Todd commented that early childhood education is on the docket of chambers of commerce in the state, but the question is how to get this rolling. She stated that reaching out to the chambers of commerce in the state is important. She stated that this may be our answer -- being proactive -- when we talk about how much money is being spent on remediation. She added that the PCHP is tried and true and that we should not re-invent the wheel for something that already exists and is successful.

Senator Anderson commented that it may be a rough road ahead, but this program has 45 years of research behind it, showing its success.

Representative Summers expressed excitement for the program.


08:50 AM

Representative Massey thanked the presenters and the committee adjourned.