Hager students benefiting from new preschool program

May 18—The Owensboro Public Schools Board of Education made the decision at the beginning of this school year to separate from the federally funded Kentucky Head Start program, a decision that Hager Preschool teachers have lauded.

In a recent report to the board from leaders at the school, teachers cite not having to spend as much time on the necessary paperwork and reporting required of the federal program. Most of the 11 certified teachers say this has allowed them to spend more time focused on educating students, and less time on data entry.

A big difference in the Head Start and the traditional preschool programs is the admission of 3-year-olds. Head Start programs serve children from ages 3- to 5-years-old, and now Hager only accepts 3-year-old children who have a developmental delay or a known disability.

Sherry Baber, OPS preschool coordinator, said this has been a unique year for the school. She also said students and teachers alike have enjoyed this new system.

"We have been able to teach our children at a higher level because we have been able to focus more on 4- and 5-year-old education and very few 3-year-olds," which has allowed for more gains in the classroom, she said.

One educator said in the report, "I was able to focus more on building a relationship with my students rather than all the paperwork and protocol, and in turn, I feel as if my students are better prepared for the transition to kindergarten."

Another educator called this year refreshing, adding that they were able to "give my students more of myself, and I can definitely see the difference in gains they have made throughout the year."

According to recent data, which comes from the methods preschool educators use to assess student growth — Brigance Screener, Teaching Strategies Gold, Footsteps2Brilliance, Eureka Math, and parent questionnaires — OPS preschool students did perform better this year than last year.

Sherri Baber, OPS preschool coordinator, said there are several things to keep in mind when accessing this information, however. For one, the pandemic also disrupted the 2020-21 preschool classroom.

And unlike previous years, educators also were able to expand the Eureka Math program.

For example, in the fall of 2020, about 4.7% of Hager students tested kindergarten ready in math. That number lowered to about 3% in the spring of 2021.

In the fall of 21, however, half of Hager students tested ready for kindergarten in math, and in the spring of 22, nearly 73% did.

Student literacy scores also saw a similar jump in growth.

Teachers reported both of these increases in scores is the determining factor in the growth for literacy and math.

Matthew Constant, OPS superintendent, said preschool students using Eureka Math is important because that program is also used in kindergarten through fifth-grade curriculum.

"This provides better alignment to kindergarten," he said.

Patricia Puckett, Hager curriculum facilitator, said the school used a parent questionnaire to help educators determine how students are doing with social emotional learning, and self-help.

Based on that questionnaire, most families reported their student earning gains from the fall to the spring semester.

The one classroom at Hager that showed students not showing improvement with SEL and self-help skills is a classroom in which there are several students with severe behavior issues. There is also a high turnover of students in that particular classroom as well, Puckett said.

In all, Baber said Hager students are not only prepared, but excited for kindergarten next year.

"We have some eager students who have done wonderfully, and are ready to move forward," she said.

Bobbie Hayse, bhayse@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-691-7315