Electronic system being tested to help Head Start keep track of youngsters | Family | Idaho Statesman
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — When Israel Paredes picks up his son from preschool, the routine is pretty familiar: Say hello to the teacher and admire the art project made that day. Make sure the little one has all his belongings together. And, starting in July, help his son take off the jersey with the attached electronic tracking device.
Paredes' son is part of a one-year pilot program - the only one of its kind in California - at the Head Start preschool at George Miller III Center in Richmond. Two hundred preschool students in 10 classes at the site have been outfitted with jerseys carrying small electronic locator tags, which help staff keep track of where the children are and what they've eaten that day.
"When we did some research and came across this technology, it appeared to us that it would free our teachers up from some of these administrative tasks so they can teach," said Karen Mitchoff, spokeswoman for the Contra Costa County Employment and Human Services Department, which oversees the Head Start centers. "Teachers go into teaching so they can teach. This doesn't replace supervision. It just enhances staff's ability."
Head Start - a federal program providing educational and support services to low-income children and their families - requires teachers to take attendance every hour and keep tabs on what students are eating, then report back to the federal government to continue funding.
The locator devices, paid for with a $50,000 federal technology grant, were implemented not only to reduce the time teachers spend on paperwork, but as a safety-enhancement tool.
When dropping off a child, the parent or guardian scans a blank tag, associating the tag number to their child's name on a computer in the classroom, and signs the child in on the computer's touch screen. The tag goes into the jersey's zipped pocket, allowing staff to track where students are and automating data entry for meals.
On their computer screens, staff members can see children as moving dots. The room's color will change to orange on the screen if the student-to-teacher ratio doesn't meet requirements, or if a student is nearing the exit. The color will turn red if the child leaves the room.
When a parent or guardian picks up a child, the tag is removed, and the child is signed out on a computer touch screen, automatically clearing the student's name from the device.
The tags also are automatically reset at midnight each evening, ready and blank for the next morning.
Collected data is stored in an encrypted system, accessible only to staff.
Privacy groups have expressed concerns about the new program, worried about students' personal data becoming vulnerable.
Mitchoff stressed that tags store no child-specific data, other than names, for each day only and is erased each night.
"We recognize that there are concerns," she said. "This really is focused on safety and the ability of teachers to utilize their skills to teach."
Staff held a parent meeting before launching the program at the beginning of July, explaining how the tags worked and why they'd be used. Parents had lots of questions, Mitchoff said, but accepted the change.
Paredes, the father of a preschooler, said he welcomed the devices.
"I care about my children's safety. Anything that keeps them safer, I'm for it," he said.
Teacher Simone Beauford said staff are also supportive of the program.
"It has helped us a lot," she said. "We try to give the best care possible. This is a tool to help us do better."
After a year, administrators will evaluate whether to continue the program, which has a monthly cost of $1.50 per child. County officials also are considering rolling it out in two other Head Start centers in Contra Costa, but didn't specify where or when.
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