Danbury Head Start a Top Scorer

Head Start of Northern Fairfield County has received a perfect score, A+, 100%, according to federal assessments, and is a leader in Connecticut, and according to U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, who visited the city Saturday to make the announcement.

Blumenthal and former Congressman Jim Maloney, who is the president and chief officer of the Connecticut Institute for Communities, spoke at a press conference Saturday at the Mill Ridge Education Center to announce good news about the Head Start of Northern Fairfield County which serves the greater Danbury area including Danbury, Bethel, Brookfield, New Fairfield, Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield and Sherman.

 Many of Danbury's luminaries were on hand to receive the news that the Head Start of Northern Fairfield County has received a perfect score, A+.

 Blumenthal thanked all of those who have worked together to arrive at these high scores, including the City Council, the Danbury Board of Education, the Danbury School System, and Maloney, who has invested much of his time in the successful program. “We also know how important the parents are to making this happen,” said Blumenthal.

Speaking to the children, Blumenthal said, “You will take many tests in your life, and you will be measured in many ways, and you have one of the best Head Starts in Connecticut. You have performed better and accomplished more than many in the country. You are all above the national average.”

 Blumenthal also said that the rest of the country would do well to come to Danbury and study the success of the program, and offered a challenge to the rest of the state to rise to the quality of what Danbury has achieved. He also said, “This accomplishment makes everyone proud but we cannot become complacent.”

Vowing to fight any efforts to reduce Head Start funding, Blumenthal said, “People who say we don't need Head Start, that people can teach their own kids, need to see this program. Everyone needs a Head Start.”

Maloney applauded the results as well. “In federal reviews, they look to see if you are doing all the tasks you are supposed to. Classroom scoring assessments set national norms for Head Start and Danbury measured higher in every category but one.” Smiling, Maloney continued, “The only one we did not exceed the national norm was for negative content.”

Maloney pointed to the chart, which showed that the national norm for negative content was indeed far lower in the national norms. 

According to the report issued by the Department of Health and Services, in their overview of findings, there were several highlights of the Danbury Head Start that were instrumental to these high scores.

 Reasons that were included in the report included the fact that The Connecticut Institute for Communities was soundly managed, in all areas, by a highly professional, well educated and experienced staff. The leadership team was well organized and issued strong written policies and procedures. The report also states that the program “has a rich technology environment” and noted that all classrooms had computers for the children's use. Also, the partnership with Danbury's Board of Education and school system “shared it's financial and non-financial resources with Head Start and Early Head Start” was instrumental to the success. The school system also offered the dental health program available to those enrolled in the program.

 The BOE made approximately 20 rooms available in the Mill Ridge Education Center for Early Head Start and Head Start's use, and also provided transportation for children and teen parents to and from the Mill Ridge Education Center. 

Almost 400 children currently are enrolled in the Early Head Start and Head Start program at Mill Ridge, which provides education and kindergarten readiness programs for low income children birth to age five.