Audubon Area Community Services Head Start Program Exceeds Federal Quality Benchmarks, Helping Children Build a Strong Foundation for Lifelong Success

Owensboro, KY — Audubon Area Community Services (AACS) is proud to share outstanding results from its most recent Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS®) review conducted by the Office of Head Start. Serving children and families across 16 counties in Western Kentucky, the AACS Head Start program exceeded federal Quality thresholds in all three CLASS® domains, reflecting the powerful impact of high-quality early education on young lives.

CLASS® is the nationally recognized tool used by the Office of Head Start to measure the quality of teacher–child interactions—interactions that research shows are critical to children’s emotional well-being, early learning, and long-term achievement. Programs are assessed across three domains that together paint a picture of how children experience their classrooms every day.

Audubon Area Community Services’ Head Start program earned the following scores:

  • Emotional Support: 6.2690
  • Classroom Organization: 6.1957
  • Instructional Support: 3.1014

Each score exceeds the Office of Head Start’s Quality threshold, signaling classrooms where children are nurtured, engaged, and encouraged to grow.

“These results tell a powerful story about what happens when children are surrounded by caring adults who truly understand how young learners grow,” said Brad Wright, Early Childhood Director for Audubon Area Community Services. “High-quality early education doesn’t just prepare children for kindergarten—it helps shape their confidence, curiosity, and love of learning. Exceeding these benchmarks shows that our classrooms are places where children are building skills that will serve them for a lifetime.”

Why These Results Matter for Children and Families

Exceeding Quality thresholds across all CLASS® domains highlights the strength of the AACS Head Start program and its lasting impact on children’s lives:

  • Emotional Support

    Children experience warm, responsive relationships that help them feel safe, valued, and confident—an essential foundation for healthy development and resilience.

  • Classroom Organization

    Well-structured, engaging classrooms allow children to focus, explore, and learn in environments that promote positive behavior and a sense of stability.

  • Instructional Support

    Teachers intentionally support language development, problem-solving, and critical thinking—skills that help children succeed not only in school, but throughout their lives.

“Every meaningful interaction matters,” said Stephanie Millay, Childhood Development Team Manager. “When children feel supported and encouraged, they are more willing to ask questions, try new things, and believe in themselves. These scores reflect the daily moments—big and small—where our teachers are helping children discover their potential and prepare for future success.”

By surpassing federal Quality thresholds in all three CLASS® domains, Audubon Area Community Services’ Head Start program demonstrates its deep commitment to providing children with strong beginnings that lead to greater opportunities later in life.

Families and community partners can be confident that children enrolled in AACS Head Start programs are receiving more than early education—they are gaining a solid foundation for lifelong learning, achievement, and well-being.