Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Program



Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) ProgramRegistration Procedures/GuidelinesTITLE I SCHOOLS2014 – 2015Continuation of the state-funded Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Program will begin on August 18, 2014 with the opening of schools. VPK funding will continue to provide a 3- hour program (8:20 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.). The Enrichment Program portion of the day (11:20 a.m. – 1:50 p.m.) will be funded by Title I Administration in Title I schools.The following guidelines and registration procedures are provided to schools to assist with the 2014 – 2015 VPK registration process.VPK Registration ProcessImportant Dates:? Before February 28, 2014 Advertise VPK Lottery process to parents. Deadline for parents to submit initial school entry registration documents to enter child in VPK Lottery.? February 28, 2014 Schools hold public VPK Lottery and distribute Certificate of Eligibility (COE) information to parents . See attached list of Early Learning Coalition Eligibility Service Centers. The COE is not needed for participation in the lottery. Create a waiting list. ? February 28- March 4, 2014 Schools send written notification to parents of selected and unselected children.? March 20, 2014 Last day for parents of selected children to submit signed original Certificate of Eligibility.? By March 21, 2014 Schools submit Final Roster, Waiting List and copies of the COEs to Office of Early Childhood Programs.Requirements for Student Eligibility and Initial School EntryAttain age 4 on or before September 1, 2014Reside in school attendance boundariesParents must provide initial school entry registration documents as indicated in the Initial Entry Registration Procedures Manual found on the website of theM-DCPS Federal and State Compliance Office Data Card (FM-2733)Completed Home Language Survey (FM-5196)Disclosure at Time of Registration (FM-5740)Completed free/reduced price meal application. (Students with a denied school lunch status are eligible to participate in the VPK Program.)VPK Student Selection Process in Public SchoolsThe class size is 19 regular education students and one Special Education (SPED) student. When a school has more eligible applicants for the 19 regular education slots available, the school must make their selections utilizing a lottery system. Numbers are pulled until the maximum class size is reached (Final Roster). Continue drawing and recording numbers for the waiting list only after the number 19 is drawn.If the applicant family has twins or triplets, the drawing of one name entitles all children to be eligible for enrollment. The exception would be if the number drawn is number 19, or the last one. In this case, only one of the twins or triplets will be allowed to enroll. Provide parents a written statement regarding the selection process of the twins, triplets, and other multiple configurations.No priority is given to families with older children already enrolled at the school. The Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ (M-DCPS) Out-of-Area Transfer Procedures do not apply to VPK Program students.Lottery ProceduresThe VPK Lottery will take place at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, February 28, 2014 at a designated area (media center, school cafeteria, etc.) in those schools offering VPK classes.ONLY STUDENTS WHO HAVE ALL THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR INITIAL SCHOOL ENTRY WILL BE CONSIDERED. All children, with the exception of the SPED children, must reside within the school attendance boundaries.Parents are instructed to obtain the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) online at . See the attached list of Early Learning Coalition Eligibility Service Centers for parents who are unable to access the internet.The COE is not needed to participate in the school’s VPK lottery selection process.Once the child’s name is drawn, the parent submits the signed original COE to the school by Thursday, March 20, 2014. Failure to bring the COE by the deadline forfeits the lottery selection.If the child’s name is not drawn in the lottery, parents can choose to place their child’s name on a waiting list at the school or choose a private VPK provider. Parents may also choose to send their child to a Role Model Program in Miami- Dade County Public Schools.All parents must be notified in writing of their child’s enrollment status by Tuesday, March 4, 2014.Documents to be Placed in Each Student’s File Folder After Lottery SelectionSigned Prekindergarten Screening Consent (FM-5490)Copy of original, signed COEVPK Certificate of Eligibility (COE)Sections II, III and IV (including the parent’s signature) must be completed on each original COE. The signature of the school principal is required in Section III. The date the child will begin attendance at the school must be included to complete the COE information. To establish the child’s confirmation number, write the M-DCPS Federal Identification Number (FEIN) 59-60000572, followed by the school location number. For example, Florida City Elementary School, Location Number 2001, would be entered as 59-6000572-2001.File a copy of the COE in a folder designated for VPK students. Do not file in the child’s cumulative folder.Return the original COE to the parent.Mail a copy of the COE to the Office of Early Childhood Programs, Attention: Greysel Marquez, Senior Secretary, Mail Code 9613.Final Roster for Selected StudentsA final roster is completed for children selected in the lottery.Submit the final roster of all students to the Office of Early Childhood Programs, Attention: Greysel Marquez, Senior Secretary, Mail Code 9613 by Friday, March 21, 2014. Waiting ListOnce the enrollment capacity is reached at a VPK site, a waiting list of all other eligible children must also be established and ranked according to the results of the lottery. Parents of children on the waiting list will be contacted throughout the school year, once a space becomes available due to student withdrawals. The waiting list must be used to maintain an enrollment of 19 regular education students. Solicitation of children from neighboring schools offering the same program model may become necessary if enrollment has fallen below the class size maximum of 20 and the school’s waiting list has been depleted. To maintain full enrollment at all times, contact the Office of Early Childhood Programs for assistance if additional students are needed. By Friday, March 21, 2014, the Final Roster, Waiting List and the COEs are due to the Office of Early Childhood Programs. These documents may be mailed, faxed, scanned and electronically mailed or delivered in person.Mail Code: 9613Address: School Board Administration Building (SBAB) Annex 1501 N.E. 2nd Avenue, Suite 234 Miami, FL 33132Telephone: 305-995-7631Fax: 305-995-7650, Attention: Greysel Marquez, Senior Secretary E-mail: gmarquez@VPK Registration throughout the YearAs children enroll throughout the year, fax the school’s copy of the VPK Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to the Office of Early Childhood Programs, Attention: Greysel Marquez, Senior Secretary, at 305-995-7650. When a student transfers from another school, a new COE and transfer form must be provided by the parent to the school. If a parent does not have the COE, direct them to go online at to obtain a new COE prior to enrollment.VPK Enrollment and Attendance ProceduresSchools must make every effort to maintain full enrollment for the program to ensure that no funding shortfalls impact program implementation. Full enrollment consists of 19 regular education students and one (1) Special Education student, not to exceed 20 students. Budget shortfalls in this area will have a detrimental impact on program implementation.Parents of prekindergarten students must pay separate fees for food services based on the student’s free/reduced lunch status. Parents must pay separate fees as determined by the service providers for before-school and after-school care.When registering the students into ISIS, the Title I eligible students who attend the all day program (VPK plus Enrichment) must be given code “F” along with the teacher’s employee number and the course number 5100530. After selecting a prekindergarten course code for a VPK student, the registrar must enter the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) number to continue the registration process. All students’ status is “0” which indicates that they are not counted for Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) purposes.VPK Attendance Procedures (8:20 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.)Student attendance is reported daily utilizing the District’s Electronic Gradebook System. VPK Programs must follow School Board Policy 5200 – Attendance as with all K-12 students. To comply with the uniform attendance policy for funding the VPK program, Information Technology Services (ITS) submits electronic attendance records to the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe on a monthly basis. Complete a VPK Child Attendance and Parental Choice Certificate (Form OEL-VPK 03L, February 14, 2007) for each student, attach the monthly electronic attendance record then secure the parent’s or guardian’s signature at the end of each month. Retain the documents on file for six years in the school’s office for audit purposes but not in the student’s cumulative folder. Staff from the Early Learning Coalition of Miami-Dade/Monroe will conduct unannounced visits to randomly selected elementary schools to monitor the district’s compliance with the VPK Florida Statute.Role Model Program in Prekindergarten Special Education (SPED) Classroom forChildren with DisabilitiesThe Role Model Program was created in order to provide opportunities for prekindergarten children with disabilities to interact with non-disabled peers. These children attend the full-day prekindergarten sessions at no cost to the parent; they participate in all classroom activities, field trips, and parent education meetings. Children in the Role Model Program must be four years of age on or before September 1, 2014 to participate in the full-day VPK Program and the role model child must be screened and selected by the Pre-K SPED teacher. The four-year-old children must have a COE to participate. There are no income or attendance boundary requirements for role models; however, parents must provide transportation. Employees’ children who meet the role model criteria should be considered by each location. Please review the forthcoming annual weekly briefing to be sent from Prekindergarten Program for Children with Disabilities for the requirements and procedures for screening and selection in the Role Model Program.Contact Information For information about the Role Model Program, contact Ms. Dolores Mendoza, Executive Director, Prekindergarten Program for Children with Disabilities, at 305-271-5701 or at dmendoza@. For information about the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Program, contact Dr. Marisel Elías-Miranda, Administrative Director, Office of Early Childhood Programs, at 305-995-7632 or at melias@ or Ms. Kim Roy, Instructional Support Specialist, Office of Early Childhood Programs, at 305-995-1588 or at.kroy@.2014-2015 VPK REGISTRATION TIMELINE FOR TITLE I SCHOOLSSCHOOL ACTIVITY IMPLEMENTATION DEADLINESACTIVITYCOMPLETEDAdvertise the VPK lottery process toparents. Deadline for parents to submit initial school entry registration documents to schools.Before February 28, 2014Conduct public VPK Lottery at adesignated room at school. The COE is not needed for participation in the lottery.February 28, 2014Distribute flyer with information onwhere to obtain a VPK Certificate of Eligibility (COE) for VPK Lottery - selected students. February 28, 2014Create a waiting list.February 28, 2014Notify parents in writing using sampleLottery Notification Letter.Instruct parents to obtain and bring original COE by the deadline of March 20, 2014.Sign COE Section III, Number 25.February 28 - March 4, 2014Collect signed original COEs.Copy and return originals to parent.February 28 – March 20, 2014Notify parents in writing that slot is forfeited If completed COE is not submitted by March 20, 2014.March 21, 2014Send Final Roster and Waiting List toOffice of Early Childhood Programs.February 28 – March 21, 2014Submit copies of COEs to Office ofEarly Childhood Programs.February 28 – March 21, 2014FINAL ROSTER 2014 – 2015TITLE I PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM(Please CHECK OFF receipt of item in each column.)NameLastFirstLottery#BirthCertificateCertificate ofEligibility #Proof ofResidenceHealthRecordsScreeningConsent FormLanguageSurvey CardMealApplicationSample1?076153-1475-258?????1234567891011121314151617181920 (SPED)XSchool Name: Location #: 405130047837677Prepared By: WAITING LIST 2014 – 2015TITLE I PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM(Please CHECK OFF receipt of item in each column.)NameLastFirstLottery #Birth CertificateProof ofResidenceHealth RecordsScreeningConsent FormSchool Name: Location #: 4123303712553808Prepared By: MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Office of Early Childhood ProgramsVoluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) ProgramSample Lottery Notification Acceptance Letter(School Letterhead)Date: To the Parents of We are pleased to inform you that your child has been selected through the lottery for the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Program for the 2014 – 2015 school year. We look forward to working with you to provide your child a high-quality prekindergarten experience. The application for the Certificate of Eligibility is available at , or in person at an Early Learning Coalition Eligibility Service Center. In order to finalize the registration process, you must return the original Certificate of Eligibility (COE) with Section III signed to this school by Thursday, March 20, 2014, or you will forfeit your child’s slot. There will be no exceptions.Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Please address any questions to9144001143000(School contact person) Sincerely,School Principal2869814207929499School NameMIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Office of Early Childhood ProgramsVoluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) ProgramSample Lottery Notification Non-Selection Letter(School Letterhead)Date: To the Parents of We regret to inform you that your child was not selected through the lottery for the VPK Program for the 2014 – 2015 school year at this school. However, we have placed your child’s name on the waiting list. We will contact you if openings occur. You may also obtain VPK services with a local private provider. Kindly check for your choice of a private VPK provider.Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. Please address any questions to9144001270000(School contact person) Sincerely,School Principal2917825239290110010School Name14312420673511001136515269000103120012 ................
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