The Education Department was established to serve the educational needs of the enrolled members of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas. Through Tribal and BIA programs administered by the department, Tribal members receive funding for Higher Education at the college or university level of their choice and Adult Vocational Training at any accredited vocational institution. Through the Johnson O'Malley Program, elementary and high school students from the Tribe receive tutoring, school supplies, incentive rewards, and any other assistance they may need to help them compete on an equal footing with their peers outside of the Reservation.
For more information:
Janie Rhinesmith
Education Director
(936)563-1280
Head Start Program
The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe administers numerous federal programs including our Head Start Program. The Head Start Program is a comprehensive four-day program, focused on helping each child develop the skills which will enable him/her to function optimally in his/her environment. This Head Start Program has been operating continuously since its inception which started in 1965. The program serves a diverse group population of low-income families living throughout Polk County. Currently there are 100 children enrolled in the program, putting us at 100% capacity. As a result of our commitment to serve children with disabilities, 10% of our enrollment is reserved for children with special needs. These range from speech impairments to congenital birth defects. In addition, about 10% of our children are from families whose first language is Spanish.
Administrative offices and three classrooms are housed in the Tribal Community Center. Three more classrooms, a cafeteria and a parent/teacher resource room are housed in portable buildings within the complex. This concept allows the Head Start children to attend school in one location.
We provide a learning environment that helps children develop socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically in a manner appropriate to their age and stage of development. An individualized approach is taken toward assessing a child's needs and designing a daily plan that will meet those needs. Our program is also designed to meet the needs of the community and the families of the children we serve. We strive to enhance the children's understanding of the ethnic and cultural characteristics of our community. In doing so we acknowledge parents as the child's primary teacher and they are encouraged to be an integral part of the child's education. The parents/guardians are encouraged to volunteer in the classroom, kitchen or assist the teachers in other areas. In-kind services are important to the program and can be received from the parents/guardians or through the community.
Our program provides a health program to promote early identification and intervention as well as preventive health services. We conduct vision and dental screenings at the center and the child's family is provided with information to link them to an on-going health care system. We provide mental health and psychological services to encourage the healthy development of the child socially and emotionally and if needed, training is provided for both staff and parents to supplement these services. Contracted licensed Professionals are available to provide additional supportive services when needed.
We provide nutritional and well-balanced meals including breakfast, lunch and a snack, which helps to meet over one -third of the child's daily nutritional needs. A variety of foods are served to broaden the child's ethnic and cultural experiences. A Nutrition Consultant is contracted to ensure that the nutrition area is meeting all necessary guidelines for the children as well as meeting the standards in the content area.
We provide screenings which will help identify children that may need referral for further evaluation to determine if the child has a disability. Following professional diagnosis of a disability, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is developed and implemented. Other on-going services are provided as needed to meet the child's needs.
We believe parents have the most influence on a child's development; therefore, we are committed to providing parent education and life skills training that will improve the quality of life for their families and children. We respect and enable the parents to be the primary educators of their children. We encourage family partnership through assistance with family goal setting, child development, health/mental health and nutrition education, community advocacy, home visits and transition tracking practices. Ongoing assitance is provided to families based on individual family needs. Families are assisted through the provision of information on obtaining and using available community resources, crisis intervention, and emergency assistance. Head Start is the first step in a child's public education and can be most profitable when parents become involved at the beginning stages. An open line of communication between staff and parents is a requirement to keep parents actively involved with program planning. Carrying out responsibilities through Policy Council, volunteer participation, insight into child development, and most important, planning for and participating in transition activities that their child will make from Head Start to Kindergarten.
We believe that the achievement of these goals will provide a sense of dignity and self-worth within the child and his/her family, thereby increasing the ability of the child and family to relate to each other and to others. Through the establishment of patterns and expectations of success for the child, we strive to create a climate of confidence for present and future learning efforts and overall development. Our ultimate goal is to truly give the at-risk children we serve a Head Start for success in life.
Program Hours: Monday - Thursday 8:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. Program runs mid-August through mid-May.
Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Alabama-Coushatta Head Start Program
147 Daycare Road
Livingston, Texas 77351
(936)563-1300 or 1301