Acelero Learning Clark County Head Start Selected for Two Top Honors

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Acelero Learning Clark County's Head Start program was chosen as Nevada's Head Start Center of Excellence, which is part of the federal effort to identify National Head Start Centers of Excellence. "On behalf of Nevada, it is a great pleasure to nominate Acelero Learning Clark County as Nevada's representation in the National Competition for Head Start Centers of Excellence," wrote Governor Jim Gibbons. "In particular, Acelero has demonstrated excellence in closing the achievement gap in preparing low income students for elementary school readiness."

In another competition, made possible by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), ALCCHS was also granted the Head Start Expansion funds for the State of Nevada. These ARRA Funds will allow the program to serve an additional 84 children and hire 10 additional staff.

"I am so proud that our Head Start program has come so far in just our first two years in Clark County," said Laura Harrison, Acelero Learning Clark County's Executive Director. "Being selected as the Center of Excellence for the State, and being awarded the expansion funds for Nevada, is clear recognition of all the hard work of our staff, families, and board members. We are a quality program only because of all of their time and efforts."

"We are pleased with this recognition, and delighted to be able to expand to serve more children," said Dr. Tom Pierce, the founding board chair of Acelero Learning Clark County. "We started Acelero Learning Clark County to bring a new approach to Head Start in Clark County. Our success to date shows this approach is working. And we will continue to look for ways to innovate and continuously improve our services for children and families."

"I am pleased to see Acelero Learning Clark County receive much-deserved recognition for their Head Start program," commented Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, one of the program's many strong supporters.

"The recently-awarded Recovery Act Funds will be essential in allowing the program to both put more people to work and to provide more children with Head Start services, which are so desperately needed in Clark County. Further, Acelero Learning Clark County's selection as the Head Start Center of Excellence for Nevada provides further evidence of their high-quality approach to providing comprehensive services to children and families in need. I commend the staff, parents, and volunteers for their hard work."

"The Head Start and Early Head Start ARRA funding is not only helping us to expand our outreach services to thousands of children and families across the country; but it is also helping to stimulate local communities by providing new jobs and new resources to purchase local goods and services," commented Yvette Sanchez Fuentes, Director, Office of Head Start in Washington, DC.

"I have worked hard to understand Acelero's approach, and I am pleased to see they are getting positive results," said Clark County Commissioner Lawrence Weekly. "I hear from my constituents all the time about the high-quality of the services being provided in Head Start. The County plays a major role in supporting Head Start by providing a number of different facilities for the program. We are pleased to see these buildings put to such effective use."

Since being selected as the replacement grantee for Head Start in Clark County in March of 2008, Acelero Learning Clark County has made a series of dramatic program improvements. For example, ALCC has increased teacher salaries by 20% and increased the number of qualified teachers by 60%. Also, this past summer, Acelero Learning Clark County provided over 66,000 additional hours of service, with the same amount of federal funds, by operating classrooms on a year-round basis. All of these efforts have been made to ensure that children are prepared to succeed in school; and for families to succeed in their lives.

Honored as Nevada's Head Start Center of Excellence 2010

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SOURCE Acelero Learning