Name of Grant Program: Quality Full-Day Kindergarten
Fund Code: 701
PART III – REQUIRED PROGRAM INFORMATION
ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN FY2013 AND IMPLEMENTATION PLANS FOR FY2014
Answer the questions below related to the grant priorities, providing detailed information about the full-day
kindergarten (FDK) program that was supported in FY2013 by the Transition to FDK and/or Quality FDK
Grants (Fund Codes 701 and 702). All districts should include information on activities conducted in FY2013
as well as plans for FY2014.
Districts that receive the supplementary funds for kindergarten that originated with Community
Partnerships for Children (Ch. 188) should report on the FY2013 activities related to those funds with
other Fund Code 701 activities, unless otherwise instructed.
PLEASE NOTE: Some of the following questions need to be answered by applicants that were FY2013
Fund Code 702 Transition to FDK grantees (coded in this document as FY13-702-T). Some other
questions need to be answered by applicants that were FY2013 Fund Code 701 Quality FDK grantees
(coded as FY13-701-Q). Some other questions need to be answered by all FY2013 Fund Code 701
grant applicants (coded as ALL) - irrespective of whether the applicant received the Fund Code 701
and/or 702 grant in FY2013. Each section below has three groups of questions, the first group of
questions is for FY13-702-T; the second is for FY13-701-Q; and the third is for ALL.
I. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
(FY13-702-T)
1. Transition to FDK Progress in FY2013
a. Describe efforts to recruit all required members of the Early Childhood/Early Elementary Curriculum
Committee and its activities thus far.
b. Describe activities to develop a FDK curriculum and a full-day schedule. If a tentative schedule has
been developed, please attach a copy.
c.
Please list and briefly describe any specific curriculum and/or curriculum materials that have been
purchased or are to be ordered this summer (2013).
(FY13-701-Q)
2. Quality FDK Accomplishments/Activities in FY2013
a. What issues did the Early Childhood/Early Elementary Curriculum (EC/EEC) Committee address
this year and how was this work coordinated with other curriculum committees in the district? What
progress has been made towards the implementation of the revised 2011 Massachusetts
Curriculum Frameworks for English Language Arts and Literacy and for Mathematics?
b.
Provide examples of how standards were used to guide instruction.
(ALL)
3. Quality FDK Plans for FY2014
a. How will the district continue to work with public school preschools, community-based preschools,
Head Start, and family child care providers to support children in all domains of development, and
to introduce and implement the revised 2011 Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for English
Language Arts and Literacy and for Mathematics? Describe opportunities for joint professional
development related to curriculum and assessments based on these new Frameworks.
b. What are the projected tasks and initiatives of the EC/EEC Committee and/or the district to address
curriculum integration across all content areas and continuity of curriculum form preschool through
third grade?
c.
Describe how the curriculum and instruction will align with the College and Career Readiness goals
for both academic and non academic learning?
d. List EC/EEC Committee member names, positions, and school/programs. Indicate if it is a joint
committee with School Readiness.
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Name of Grant Program: Quality Full-Day Kindergarten
Fund Code: 701
II. QUALITY AND NAEYC ACCREDITATION
(FY13-702-T)
1. Transition to FDK Progress in FY2013
a. Describe activities and/or progress made familiarizing staff with accreditation criteria and
processes, and describe barriers to accreditation that have been discussed or are anticipated.
b. Describe plans or activities to support other quality enhancements.
(FY13-701-Q)
2. Accomplishments/Activities in FY2013
a. For districts pursuing NAEYC accreditation, check off which stages apply and describe activities
that the district underwent in FY2013 to support this stage of accreditation.
Enrollment/Self Study
Application/Self Assessment
Candidacy
Site Visit
Deferral
Reaccreditation
b. For the districts approved to use an Alternative to Accreditation, complete and submit Attachment
B: Report of Use of an Alternative to NAEYC Accreditation in FY2013 form with this grant
application.
(ALL)
3. Plans for FY2014
a. Describe the district’s goals related to accreditation. If the district has developed a staggered
implementation plan for accreditation, please describe the plan. Include details on how many
buildings will be involved each year.
b. For districts that were granted a postponement from NAEYC Accreditation in FY2013, please
describe the district’s plans for pursuing NAEYC accreditation in FY2014.
c.
For districts pursuing accreditation but could benefit from a one-year postponement of self-study
activities due to fiscal or programmatic limitations, complete and submit Attachment C: Request for
a One Year Postponement from NAEYC Accreditation in FY2014 form with this grant application.
Please explore the implications of this postponement on the accreditation/re-accreditation process,
for example, increased fees for lapsed accreditation, and consider applying for a timeline extension
from the NAEYC Academy.
d. Discuss other plans that the district has to address the quality of its FDK programs, such as class
size, ratios, and professional development.
III. SUPPORTING/IMPROVING INCLUSION AND EDUCATION OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
(FY13-702-T)
1.Transition to FDK Progress in FY2013
a. Describe actions taken to ensure supports are provided and accommodations are made to
successfully include children with disabilities in the general education FDK classroom.
b. Discuss anticipated needs and challenges encountered or that may occur in the next school year in
serving English language learners in the FDK classrooms.
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Name of Grant Program: Quality Full-Day Kindergarten
Fund Code: 701
III. SUPPORTING/IMPROVING INCLUSION AND EDUCATION OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS (continued)
(FY13-701-Q)
2. Accomplishments/Activities in FY2013
a. Discuss progress made or challenges encountered in providing supports and accommodations to
include children with disabilities in the general education FDK classrooms.
b. Have any of the teachers in your district participated in the Rethinking Equity and Teaching for
English Language Learners (RETELL) trainings. Describe the impact. If not, how are the needs of
English language learners being addressed? Describe progress made or challenges encountered in
providing supports to English language learners (if applicable).
(ALL)
3. Plans for FY2014
a. Describe the district’s projected plans to address challenges and improve inclusion of students with
disabilities in FDK classrooms.
b. Describe projected plans to address challenges and to improve instruction for English language
learners (if applicable). Will any of the district’s teachers be trained through RETELL this year?
IV. ASSESSMENT
(FY13-702-T)
1. Transition to FDK Progress in FY2013
a. Describe efforts to identify the needs for and progress on selecting/preparing for authentic,
research-based assessment in the FDK classrooms.
(FY13-701-Q)
2. Accomplishments/Activities in FY2013
a. Describe challenges and progress in implementing ongoing, research-based assessment.
(ALL)
3. Plans for FY2014
a. For districts that are part of the first MKEA cohort (participating in training during FY2012 and
implementing the assessment tools starting in FY2013), please describe how you are using the
assessment data gathered through the administration of the MKEA to inform curriculum and
instruction.
b. For districts that are a part of the second MKEA cohort (participating in training during FY2013 and
implementing the assessment tools starting in FY2014), describe your plans for implementation and
how the selected assessment fits and aligns with other assessment activities in the FDK program.
c. Note: all other FY2014 FDK grantees will be required to participate in training during FY2014
and implement the assessment tools starting in FY2015. Any districts not responding to 3a or
3b above should include a statement confirming that districts administrators and staff are or will
soon be aware of this requirement.
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Name of Grant Program: Quality Full-Day Kindergarten
Fund Code: 701
V. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
(FY13-702-T)
1. Transition to FDK Progress in FY2013
a. Describe content areas/topics and attendance at professional development activities (workshops,
college courses, mentoring programs) offered to kindergarten staff, paraprofessionals, and others
related to the transition to FDK.
b. Indicate the number of teachers, instructional aides, and other staff who participated.
c.
Did staff attend the Spring FDK Networking Session on May 6, 13 or 17, 2013? Yes___ or No___
(FY13-701-Q)
2. Accomplishments/Activities in FY2013
a. Please check the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Regional network meetings
that the district participated in during the 2012-2013 school year:
_____ Winter FDK Networking Session (November 19, November 28, or December 3, 2012)
_____ Spring FDK Networking Session (May 6, May 13 or May 17, 2013)
(ALL)
3. Plans for FY2014
a. Describe plans for professional development related to assessment practices in kindergarten,
including but not limited to topics such as implementing developmentally appropriate early
childhood assessment practices, analyzing assessment data, using data to inform instruction and/or
using data to guide program quality improvement.
b. Are there topics that the district would be interested in hearing/learning about on FY2014 webinars
and/or at regional kindergarten networking sessions? Please describe.
c.
Describe the impact of teacher evaluation systems on professional development for Kindergarten
teachers in the 2013-2014 school year.
VI. ENHANCING TRANSITIONS INTO AND FROM KINDERGARTEN
(FY13-702-T)
1. Transition Accomplishments/Activities in FY2013
a. Describe activities that the district implemented to support children and families in the transition to
FDK.
b. Describe activities the district implemented to include community-based preschool providers, Head
Start and public school and community-based after-school and out-of-school time providers in the
transition to FDK.
(FY13-701-Q)
2. Transition Accomplishments/Activities in FY2013
a. Describe the activities to improve transitions of all students into kindergarten.
b. Describe the activities to improve transitions of all students into first grade.
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Name of Grant Program: Quality Full-Day Kindergarten
Fund Code: 701
VI. ENHANCING TRANSITIONS INTO AND FROM KINDERGARTEN (continued)
(ALL)
3. Plans for FY2014
a. Describe partners in the transition process for all children and the role they play regarding
transitions (e.g., School Readiness Committee, School Committee, local CFCE council, Early
Intervention, or community-based early education programs).
VII. SCHOOL READINESS COMMITTEE
(FY13-702-T)
1. Transition to FDK Progress in FY2013
a. Describe progress in recruiting required and other members of the School Readiness Committee
and its activities so far, including its role in developing and/or overseeing this grant. Also describe
collaboration thus far between the School Readiness Committee, the EC/EE Curriculum
Committee, and the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Council.
b. If school readiness issues have been identified in the community (preschool through first grade),
please describe them and how the information was gathered.
(FY13-701-Q)
2. Accomplishments/Activities in FY2013
a. Describe any new school readiness issues that were identified this year.
b. The Head Start Reauthorization of 2007 required Head Start programs to enter into a Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) with their local educational agencies (LEA) to coordinate and to promote
continuity of services and effective transition of children into the school system. There are many
areas of collaboration that are required to be addressed in the MOU. The Department has
identified three of those areas to gather information on the extent to which LEAs and Head Start
programs are working together to align and coordinate practices.
Please discuss activities that the district engaged in with Head Start programs during the 20112012 school year in the following areas:
1. curriculum, instruction, and assessment
2. opportunities for joint professional development
3. communication and parent outreach to support smooth transitions into kindergarten
(ALL)
3. Plans for FY2014
a. What ongoing or new initiatives will occur to address school readiness in the community?
b. Describe any plans the district has to work with its local Head Start program during the 2013-2014
school year in the following areas:
1. curriculum, instruction, and assessment
2. opportunities for joint professional development
3. communication and parent outreach to support smooth transitions into kindergarten
c.
For districts that have not yet started participation in the MKEA, describe plans to review and/or
select a tool.
d.
List School Readiness Committee member names and positions.
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Name of Grant Program: Quality Full-Day Kindergarten
Fund Code: 701
VIII. FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
(FY13-702-T)
1. Transition to FDK Progress in FY2013
a. Describe communication with families about the FDK program. Attach a copy of information that
may have been provided to families about FDK registration and tuition policies.
b. Describe efforts to meet the needs of families from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
c.
Describe barriers that families may experience in accessing placements in the FDK classrooms and
plans to address these barriers.
(FY13-701-Q)
2. Accomplishments/Activities in FY2013
a. Describe activities/initiatives that the district implemented to engage with families.
b. Describe what type of information is collected from families, prior to the start of kindergarten,
regarding their child’s development and learning and how teachers use this information to inform
instruction.
c.
What barriers did families face in their engagement in the kindergarten program?
(ALL)
3. Plans for FY2014
a. Discuss proposed new activities, policies, etc. for engaging families in the kindergarten program.
b. If the community receives a Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) grant from
the Department of Early Education and Care, please describe how the district coordinates Quality
FDK grant’s family engagement initiatives with the CFCE initiatives.
IX. Support for Local Implementation of the Department’s District Standards and Indicators:
(ALL)
1. Plans for FY2014
Please indicate (with an X or check mark) which of the following Department District Standards and
Indicators and State Strategies will be deliberately and intentionally supported through the activities
proposed in this grant application:
a. District Standards and Indicators:
Leadership and governance
Focused school committee governance
Effective district and school leadership
District and school improvement planning
Educationally sound budget development
Effective district systems of support for school support and intervention
Curriculum and instruction
Aligned, consistently delivered, and continuously improving curriculum
Strong instructional leadership and effective instruction
Sufficient instructional time
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Name of Grant Program: Quality Full-Day Kindergarten
Fund Code: 701
a. District Standards and Indicators (continued):
Assessment
Data collection and dissemination
Data-based decision making
Student assessment
Human resources and professional development
Staff recruitment, selection, and assignment
Supervision and evaluation
Professional development
Student support
Academic support
Access and equity
Educational continuity and student participation
Services and partnerships to support learning
Safety
Financial and asset management
Comprehensive and transparent budget process
Adequate budget
Financial tracking, forecasting, controls, and audits
Cost-effective resource management
Capital planning and facility maintenance
b. State Strategies:
Prepare students for college and careers
Strengthen curriculum and instruction
Strengthen educator effectiveness
Support data use to improve policy decisions and student
Turn around our lowest performing schools
OPTIONAL: Please comment on the above if there is more detail you want to add beyond what is already
described in other responses in the application.
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