Collaboration Meeting Planning Materials

The Head Start-Public Schools Collaboration Demonstration Project (CDP) included 13 teams of Head Start programs and their local elementary schools who worked together to improve the transition to kindergarten for children and their families. These planning materials were created for the CDP and have been adapted as an example for general use.

Use this collection of resources to plan and host a collaboration meeting within your region. The CDP teams used these resources to establish a collaboration team, plan an agenda, set a goal, make a plan, and create a team charter. These guidelines can be adapted to fit the unique characteristics of each team’s region, timeline, capacity, and other influencing factors.

Teams can use the following agenda, tips for success, and other resources to collaborate in support of the successful transition from the Head Start program to school as well as the ongoing success of children and families. By the end of the meeting, each team will:

Examine their efforts to support children and families in their communities as they transition from the Head Start program to a receiving elementary school.
Identify one or two critical goals they can impact in the next year that will build on and enhance connections across their public school and Head Start settings.
Commit to a process in order to remain focused on these goals, hold one another accountable, and move meaningful work forward.
Establish relationships and processes to ensure continued collaboration beyond kindergarten transitions.