WV Pre-k
and
Child Care Partnerships
WV DHHR, Division of Early Care &
Education
Timelines
• 2012-2013 full implementation
• Full participation is estimated to
be between 75-80% of the eligible
children
Why Consider Participation?
Statewide
• ’05-’06 enrollment – 8,942
• 2012-13 projected four year old population
– 21,106
• Unmet need at 80%- 9,744
Why Consider Participation?
Consider Where are those children now?
Where will they be?
What impact will there be on your
center?
What can child care offer?
• Inclusive of all children
• Facilities/equipment/expertise for young
children
• Continuity of care, extended day/ year
care for families
What can child care offer?
• Families and children are already connected and
have relationships
• Expanded period of time for learning
• Food service
• Transportation does not need to be provided
What can child care offer?
• With help of LEA, a qualified staff can be
hired through the child care center, without
factoring into professional positions for
LEA
• Parental choice
Benefits of Child Care Involvement
• Raises credibility and provides validation
for the child care center
• Opportunity to enhance quality
programming
• Access to additional resources
• Provides access to additional professional
development
• Opportunity to increase teacher salaries
Think Strategically
What does it mean to child
care to be involved in the
WV Pre-k?
Programmatic Differences
Structural Orientations –
• Child care provides education as well as
care but on an extended and more flexible
schedule
• Public education is oriented to “education”
with a consistent schedule, they provide
care also but is not the main focus
WVBE Policy 2525
• All pre-k programs in public
schools, including preschool
special needs, and any
contracted community program
must follow this policy
Policy 2525
• First in effect Feb. 12, 2003
• Revised and adopted Aug. 14,
2005
• Several revisions with input from
a large collaborative group
• Revisions this fall/winter
§126-28-4 Parents as Partners
• Two Face to face conferences
• Documented methods of
communication
• Meaningful involvement
• Transition and inclusion supports
• Decision-making
§126-28-5 Attendance
• Enrollment is voluntary
• Children can only be dis-enrolled with
the consent of parent, teacher, and
principal if deemed in the best interest
of the child
• Once enrolled children follow
attendance polices
• Attendance is not part of the LEA’s
OEPA Monitoring
§126-28-5 Attendance- Implications
• County collaborative policy on procedures
for attendance/ tardiness/ dis-enrollment
• Must follow WV Code § 18-8-1 for removal
from classroom ( IE- financial or behavior)
• Options
• Advance discussions/ contractual
agreement on how to handle
§126-28-5 Attendance- Implications
• Expectation that children attend
consistently and on time
• Increased expectations from child care
attendance that may vary from parent
work schedules
§126-28-6 Collaboration and the
County Plan
• All counties must submit a plan for
approval
• Review team; makes approval
recommendation; and provides
county specific feedback
§126-28-6 Collaboration and the
County Plan
• Secretary of WV DHHR receives the
approval/non-approval recommendations
and accepts or rejects
• WV State Board of Education reviews the
Secretary's actions and the
recommendations for approval/nonapproval
County Collaborative Planning
Team
The county plan is to be developed by a
team that includes core partners:
• Public School Preschool
• Public School Preschool Special Needs
• Licensed Child Care Center(s)
• Head Start
• Local DHHR
• Parent
County Collaborative Planning
Team
The county planning team can also include:
• WV Birth to Three
• CCR&R’s
• FRN’s
• ACDS
• Starting Points
• Business
Child Care Core Partner
• Elected by the licensed child care in
county
• Core partner is designated in order to
have one person sign
• Represent all child care interests
• Encourage other centers to attend in
addition to core partner
• Critical to attend meetings
Child Care Core Partner
• Seek out CCR & R and local WV DHHR
CSM or representative for support
• Questions or problems contact ECE
Division WV DHHR
• Sign plan to indicate agreement – feel
comfortable that child care was adequately
supported and is involved
• State in letter concerns
Maximization of Resources
• Must collaborate with existing community
programs within the county before opening
new LEA only classrooms- unless partners
do not exist or choose not to participate
• 50% of classrooms in community
programs
• Counties must explore all feasible
supports to enable child care to participate
Maximization of Resources
Impact Study
• Purpose to determine impact on
community programs for any proposed
classroom
• Preference of personal contact to
complete – during a team meeting;
individual or phone contact
Changes to Plan
• All changes of substance must be
submitted with signatures of all the
collaborative partners for approval to the
Secretary of the WVDHHR and WVBE 30
days prior to implementation of changes.
Contractual Agreements
• Contract and budget must be submitted for
each collaborative community classroom
to WVDE Early Childhood Coordinator by
July 15 of each year.
• Negotiate and analyze each area of policy
to establish expectations between the
partners – resources, oversight, and how
the quality standards will be managed.
Contracts- Implications
• Be sure you are clear on all aspects
• What oversight activities will there be?
• How will resources be distributed and who
decides how they will be spent?
• If an LEA teacher is placed in the center
what on-site oversight is there?
• What happens when a teacher is ill or
needs to be out?
§126-28-8 Personnel Standards
Qualifying certification/ endorsement
•
•
•
•
Early education
Prek-K endorsement
Birth to Five
Preschool Special Needs
§126-28-8 Personnel Standards
Teacher Permits
Individuals without qualifying certification/
endorsement may be eligible for a permit up to
five years, annual renewal:
• Educational requirements per §126-28-8 plus
25% of required coursework for qualifying
certification as defined by the higher education
institution in which they are enrolled.
• Annual minimum of 6 credit hours towards
qualifying certification/endorsement
§126-28-8 Personnel Standards
Teacher Permits
Annual Permit for up to five years for
persons with degrees in:
• Elementary Education
• Child and Family Studies/Early Childhood
or Child Development
§126-28-8 Personnel Standards
Teachers – Community Programs
Community Programs can allow for following
degrees to work towards certification:
• Board of Regents
– Specialization in Early Childhood
• Associate on Child Development & 1 yr
experience
• Associate in Occupational Development &
1 yr experience
– Emphasis on Child Development
Assistance in Obtaining
Permit
WV Department of Education
Nathan Estel 558-7011
Verification of 25% Coursework or
enrollment in college – Higher Education
Institution
County Board of Education
§126-28-8 Personnel Standards
Implications
Options in Community Programs• Center may employ a teacher with
qualifying certification – consider salary
enhancement
• Center may employ a “permitable” teacher
• LEA may place a teacher in the center
• Clarify in contract how qualifying teacher
absences will be covered
§126-28-9 Regulation of Facilities
• Core set of health and safety standards
that align with the child care licensing and
Head Start Performance Standards are
imbedded in WVBE Policy 2525
• Differing governance
• Child care centers must be licensed;
private preschools must meet licensing
standards
§126-28-9 Regulation of Facilities
• No more than 20 children enrolled per
classroom
• 1 adult : 10 children
§126-28-9 Regulation of Facilities
Implications
• Enrollment of Pre-k classroom cannot
exceed 20 children
• Enrollment must be stable for designated
WV Pre-k hours
• Financial implications should be
considered when negotiating contract
§126-28-10 Standards for Preparing
Students - Early Learning Standards
Framework (ELSF)
• ELSF provides the content standards and
objectives for pre-k classrooms( WVBE
Policy 2520.15)
• ELSF effective June 1, 2004
• ELSF part of President Bush’s Good Start,
Grow Smart program (CCDF Funds)
§126-28-11 Curricular Frameworks
and Assessments
Requires Approved Curricular
Framework and Assessment
systems be used in WV Pre-k
classrooms
§126-28-11 Curricular Frameworks
and Assessments
Creating Child-Centered Classrooms: 3-5 Yr
Olds (1997; 2000 reprint)
Assessment system under development
The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool (2002)
Fourth Edition
The Creative Curriculum Developmental
Assessment System (2001)
Educating Young Children (2002), Second
Edition
Preschool Child Observation Record COR 2nd
Edition (2003)
§126-28-11 Curricular Frameworks
and Assessments
Required Companion Resources
Creating Inclusive Classrooms (1999)
Learning to Read and Write
Developmentally Appropriate Practices
for Young Children (2000)
§126-28-11 Curricular Frameworks
and Assessments- Implications
Every WV Pre-k Classroom:
• Must be using an approved curricular
framework and accompanying assessment
• Curriculum and Assessment is time
consuming – teachers need planning time
• Teacher time considered in planning/
negotiations
§126-28-12 Transition and
Continuity
• The goal is high quality care and
education in every setting
• It is important to consider the child within
the family context
• Minimize the number of settings in which a
child receives care and education
§126-28-12 Transition and
Continuity- Implications
Intention is that children being served
naturally in the child care should continue
at the child care and receive quality WV
Pre-k in their regular classroom to
minimize transition and provide continuity.
§126-28-13 Inclusive Environments
• No segregation on the basis of
socioeconomic level, ability, and/or funding
streams
• Fully inclusive classrooms provide
individual services and programming for all
children.
§126-28-14 Staff Development and
Training
• 15 hours annually on high quality
programming for four year olds; 6 on
inclusive environments
• Follow the WV STARS process
• 30 hrs of curriculum training over a 24
month period.
• Participation with county collaborative to
receive
§126-28-15 Program Oversight
• Local oversight designed through county
planning teams
• Part of collaborative contracts
• Be very clear and upfront with the LEA on
classroom oversight
• Clear on oversight of LEA employed
teacher
§126-28-16 Financing
16.2 If programs are part of the collaborative
county plan and provide education
services to eligible children that can be
counted in the county school aid funding
formula, those services must be provided
at no cost to the parent/guardian of the
children. In collaborative settings, WV Prek is considered an enhancement to the
program and parents shall not be charged
additional costs for the enhanced services.
§126-28-16 FinancingImplications
Operating Expenses for WV Pre-K
Parent Tuition
• Tuition reduction based on supporting LEA
resources
– Payment of set rate per child/ per day by LEA
– Resources that offset other costs
• Tuition charges for before and after based
on supporting LEA resources
§126-28-16 FinancingImplications
Operating Expenses for WV Pre-K
Parent Tuition
• Tuition policy of full day/week payment
with Pre-k being an enhancement to the
existing program
§126-28-16 FinancingImplications
Options for Operating Expenses for WV
Pre-K- Child Care Subsidy
May continue to receive subsidy payment
based on defined conditions:
• Licensed child care center; at least 10
hours per day
• Child must be eligible and only for
approved hours
§126-28-16 FinancingImplications
Options for Operating Expenses for WV Pre-KChild Care Subsidy
• Payments received from LEA are to be
considered as support to enhancement of
program, and not to cover basic cost of care.
• Parents cannot be charged the fee during WV
Pre-k hours
• Use center to maximum extent possible
• Process to insure sign in/out procedures alert
the center to times child may attend Pre-k but
not eligible for subsidy
§126-28-16 Financing
• Children in a contractual classroom in a
child care center are enrolled in WVDE
WVEIS system and are counted for the
LEA to receive school aid funding formula.
• School aid funding formula is generally
paid a year behind.
• Counties considered “growth” counties can
receive a % of the funding during the
school year
§126-28-16 Financing
• Centers and LEA work collaboratively to
determine what resources each will provide
• Approach collaboration with what center has to
offer vs what will center gain
• Budgets are reflected on the WV Pre-k
Contractual Community Programs FTE
Calculations Form
• FTE for school aid funding formula is determined
by the budget
• FTE adjustment can be made by WVDE to cover
cost of teacher
§126-28-17 Program Evaluation
Annual evaluation of each classroom based
on the ECERS-R assessment
• Due annually by July 15
• Must use the ECERS-R ADF
• Classroom reviews conducted by a county
level team with at least one administrator
• Center Directors should participate on the
ECERS-R evaluation teams
Technical Assistance Website
www.wvdhhr.org/oss/pieces/ta
•County Plan format
•Request Assistance
•Guidance Documents
•Frequently Asked Questions
•Curriculum
•WV Early Learning Standards Framework
Contact Information
WV DHHR – ECE Division
Kay Tilton
(304) 558-2993
ktilton@wvdhhr.org
Melanie Clark
(304) 558-0971
melanieclark@wvdhhr.org
Ann Nutt
(304) 558-0863
annnutt@wvdhhr.org
Contact Information
WV Pre-k Team
Cathy Jones, WVDE
(304) 558-8098
ctrjones@access.k12.wv.us
Lena Rapp, Head Start State Collaboration
(304) 558-4638
lenarapp@wvdhhr.org