DESCRIPTION OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM
The First Five Years Initiative is an early childhood education program that incorporates a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) based curriculum to prepare the children for elementary school. Our children are learning while having fun and developing physically, emotionally, socially, and cognitively.
The First Five Years Initiative provides children with a safe learning environment while their parents are working on the backstretch. The program starts at 5 a.m. because the backstretch workers begin their morning routines with the horses at this time. Before this program, children were dropped off at illegal one room "day care" centers, or they were left in cars while their parents worked. In general, day care centers do not open this early and the lack of financial resources of these families left them with few options. Many of the children attending our program are from immigrant families earning below the poverty level.
BCCA hires an external education company, Bright Horizons, to provide an early childhood educational and development program. The majority of our families receive a subsidy from the Department of Social Services ("DSS") due to their low incomes. BCCA covers a portion or all remaining tuition costs for the families after the DSS subsidy, which is based on a sliding scale. The First Five Years Initiative ensures the safety of these children while preparing them for a successful future regardless of whether or not the families can afford to pay.
EVALUATION AND MEASUREMENT OF SUCCESS
BCCA’s programs use the Meaningful Assessment and Planning Process (MAPP) to measure success. MAPP is an assessment, planning, and portfolio process based on the observations of children’s interests and needs. Teachers thoughtfully develop flexible, engaging lesson plans designed for what stage children are at in their development, and then document, assess, and communicate this information with the families. The program provides a numeric graph with developmental levels that teachers use when a child achieves specific goals for their age group. The levels are listed from 1-9, with 9 being the most proficient. The graph includes social, emotional, and physical goals. Example goals include managing feelings, making friends, eating and drinking, dressing, walking, sitting and standing, running, jumping, and catching. When a child achieves an objective, the teacher checks off the appropriate developmental level on the graph and logs the date in which it happened. Each child has their own electronic chart which will track their progress from day one until graduation. MAPP provides performance and growth reports which are then evaluated by teachers to determine if a child is on track or falling behind.
QUICK STATS
Since its opening in 2002:
Anna House has educated over 1,000 students.
BCCA has raised over $10,000,000 to cover tuition and operational expenses.
In addition to ringing the NASDAQ closing bell, BCCA is a proud recipient of the Ellen and Herb Moelis Industry Service Award presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America.