Northfield Community Education Center reports early-childhood gains, ABE growth and facility grant

Erin Bailey, director of the Northfield Community Education Center (NCEC), told the Northfield Public School Board on Aug. 25 that children who attend NCEC preschool programs are leaving prepared for kindergarten and that adult basic education (ABE) enrollment and contact hours rose last year.

Bailey said the center used the FastBridge screening administered in the first month of kindergarten to compare incoming students and reported favorable results for children who attended NCEC programs. She also said the center served a diverse early-childhood population last year: of about 180 hand-in-hand preschool students, "just over 44% were receiving a scholarship, 36 percent were students of color, and 36 percent were special education students." Bailey said NCEC families report high satisfaction on annual parent surveys.

The NCEC also reported growth in adult basic education. Bailey said ABE last year enrolled about 189 students who spoke 15 languages and represented 24 countries, and that morning ABE classes and new offerings such as GED testing and Spanish driver's-education have helped increase participation and contact hours.

On facilities and funding, Business Services staff and Bailey told the board the district has a signed Multipurpose Community Facility Projects grant that will fund a remodel of the ABE space; construction documents and bidding are planned this fall with work slated for next summer. "We have a signed grant agreement and so are able to start spending money in that grant account," Superintendent Michael Hillman said during the meeting but added most construction will occur next summer and grant funds must be expended by December 2026.

Board members asked for details about how NCEC measures staff engagement and parent response rates. Bailey said the employee engagement survey is given to school-year or year-round employees (about 85 staff at NCEC) and that part-time recreation staff receive different surveys. On parent surveys, Bailey said roughly 300 families are associated with NCEC and about 63 parents completed last year's building survey; she described the survey as emailed and anonymous unless respondents provide identifying information.

Board members also pressed for clarification about outcomes for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Bailey said NCEC aims for all special education students to show growth and for 80% to meet all IEP goals in the year. She explained some goals "roll forward" from year to year because services start at very young ages and are carried across years.

Board members raised questions about two grants that affect programming. Bailey and Hillman said the district is planning for continuity if the 21st Century Community Learning Centers funding is delayed; the district has blended and braided multiple funding sources and is able to code eligible students for targeted-services reimbursement while maintaining fund balances to continue programming.

Bailey closed by listing outreach events the NCEC will host this year, including a family-oriented Truck and Tractor Night on Sept. 12, and by thanking the board for its support.

The presentation included data on assessment changes (Teaching Strategies GOLD and other MDE-approved assessments used in some classrooms last year) and a note that NCEC will standardize certain early-childhood assessments this school year to improve comparability.

Questions and follow-up items from the board included requests for (1) the employee-engagement survey denominator and scope, (2) a clearer count of parent survey response rates by program, and (3) timelines and bidding plans for the ABE remodel funded by the state grant; administrators said more detailed materials are available on request and that construction updates will follow as design documents are finalized.