REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
May 21, 2024
FROM
JACQUELYN GREENE, Director, Preschool Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Amendment to Contract with WestEd for Continued California Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning Services Teaching Pyramid Training
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve Amendment No. 3 to Contract No. 22-11 with WestEd to continue to provide the California Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning Services Teaching Pyramid training, updating Section II - Contractor Responsibilities for additional training and support to authorized trainers and coaches, increasing the contract amount by $116,500, from $846,775 to $963,275, and extending the contract by 18 months, for a total contract period of January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2025.
(Presenter: Jacquelyn Greene, Director, 383-2005)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health, and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item does not impact Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The increased contract amount of $116,500 is 90% funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families grant funds and 10% funded by the California Department of Education. Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the Preschool Services Department’s (PSD) 2023-24 budget and will be included in the 2024-25 recommended budget.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
PSD operates the Early Head Start, Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership, Head Start, State General Child Care and Development, and State Preschool programs. These programs provide education, health, nutrition, cognitive, social/emotional, and physical growth and development, and parent involvement services for children ages 0 to 5 with the overall goal of increasing family engagement and the school readiness of young children in economically disadvantaged families.
WestEd is designated by the State of California, Early Education and Support Division, as the sole authorized provider of California Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning Services (CA SEFEL) Teaching Pyramid training. Teaching Pyramid is a systematic framework of evidence-based, user-friendly practices to help early childhood educators meet the needs of the growing number of children with challenging behaviors and mental health concerns. WestEd provides coaching, leadership facilitation, and exclusive training on advanced content of CA SEFEL.
Since January 2021, WestEd has trained PSD staff on how to support children with challenging behaviors and mental concerns. The training consists of leadership team development, professional development, document implementation, and classroom coaching and support. The training allows the PSD staff to better serve these children and their families. The recommended amendment will allow WestEd to continue providing CA SEFEL Teaching Pyramid training to new PSD staff and adds services to support the comprehensive professional development of the PSD educators, which include support to the trainers, and classroom coaching staff.
WestEd’s performance will continue to be monitored by a review of monthly reports to ensure compliance with the administrative, fiscal, and program requirements of the contract. WestEd will cooperate with the County in the monitoring and evaluation of this contract and comply with all established reporting requirements. The contract may be terminated without cause by the County with 30 days written notice.
PROCUREMENT
WestEd is designated by the State of California, Early Education and Support Division, as the sole authorized provider of CA SEFEL services. The Purchasing Department concurred with the non-competitive procurement of services from WestEd based on the justification of a sole source service provider.
On November 13, 2020, the Purchasing Department approved non-competitive Contract No. 4400016187 with WestEd to provide CA SEFEL services, in the amount of $193,475, for the period of January 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022.
On January 11, 2022 (Item No. 20), the Board of Supervisors (Board) approved Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. 22-11 (previously Contract No. 4400016187) with WestEd to provide CA SEFEL services, updating Section II - Contractor Responsibilities to expand regional teams, train a new cohort and follow up on previously trained cohorts, increasing the contract amount by $250,000, from $193,475 to $443,475, and extending the contract an additional year, for a total contract period of January 1, 2021, through June 30, 2023.
On June 13, 2023 (Item No. 48), the Board approved Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. 22-11 with WestEd to provide CA SEFEL increasing the contract amount by $403,300, from $443,475 to $846,775, and extending the contract an additional year, for a total contract period of January 1, 2021, through June 30, 2024.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Patty Steven, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on April 5, 2024; County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on April 24, 2024; Finance (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on May 2, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on May 6, 2024.