New Jersey Department of Education



New Jersey Department of EducationDivision of Early Childhood Education and Family EngagementFormer Abbott School Districts2018-19 Annual Update to the 2013-2019 Preschool Program Plan PurposeThe purpose of the Five-Year Preschool Plan is to provide a comprehensive description of how the school district will implement each component of a high-quality preschool program for three- and four-year-old children over the next five years, as detailed in New Jersey Administrative Code 6A:13A and in the Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines. This 2018-2019 Annual Update should be based on the results of data derived from program assessments, including the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale-Third Edition (ECERS-3), curriculum-specific program assessment tools, the Self-Assessment and Validation System (SAVS), the Data Summary Tool and any other source of information specific to the school district’s preschool program. Once approved, the school district’s Annual Update works in conjunction with your approved five-year plan. Submission Instructions: Please complete, submit and/or upload the following documents by November 15, 2017. Please ensure that all PDF documents are signed and dated.DocumentFile TypeSubmission ToSubmission Method2018-2019 Annual Update to Five-Year Preschool Program Plan WordHomeroomExecutive CountrySuperintendent Upload via Homeroom Standard MailDistrict Signed Board ResolutionPDFHomeroom Executive County SuperintendentUpload via HomeroomStandard MailProgram Plan Signed Cover SheetPDFHomeroom Executive County SuperintendentUpload via HomeroomStandard MailDistrict Statement of Assurances SignedPDFHomeroom Executive County SuperintendentUpload via HomeroomStandard MailBudget Planning WorkbookExcelHomeroomExecutive County SuperintendentUpload via Homeroom Standard Mail If you have any questions, please direct them to DECEFE at (609) 777-2074. Program Plan ComponentsPlease complete the information requested for the following components: DISTRICT INFORMATIONDISTRICT STATEMENT OF ASSURANCESOUTREACH/PROGRAM DELIVERY CHRONIC ABSENTEEISMADMINISTRATIVE OVERSIGHTMASTER TEACHERSINTERVENTION AND SUPPORT SERVICES: Special Education and InclusionINTERVENTION AND SUPPORT SERVICES: Preschool Intervention and Referral Team (PIRT) HEALTH AND NUTRITION FAMILY AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENTCURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENTPROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTSUPPORTING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSTRANSITION PROGRAM EVALUATIONBUDGET NARRATIVEBUDGET PLANNING WORKBOOKApprovalSchool districts that submit timely and complete plan updates will be mailed Department approval on or before April 1, 2018. Late plan update submissions by school districts are not guaranteed Department approval on or before April 1, 2018. Incomplete plan update submissions will be returned for resubmission prior to Department review and approval with no guarantee of Department approval on or before April 1, 2018. District InformationCounty:County Code:District:District Code:____________________________Chief school administrator: _________________________________________________________________Address: _________________________________________________________________________________Telephone Number:Fax Number ______________________________E-Mail Address:___________________________________________________________________________school Business administrator: _____________________________________________________________Address:________________________________________________________________________________Telephone Number:Fax Number: ____________________________E-Mail Address:___________________________________________________________________________Preschool Program Contact:Title: ___________________________________Address:_________________________________________________________________________________Telephone Number:Fax Number: ______________________________E-Mail Address:____________________________________________________________________________Date of the Board Resolution: __________________________________________________________________Attach a copy of the signed and dated Board Resolution. If not included, provide the date of expected approval. Your plan update can only be approved when a board resolution approving submission of the update is received by the department. Chief School Administrator’s Signature Date School Business Administrator’s Signature DateDISTRICT STATEMENT OF ASSURANCESThe Chief School Administrator hereby assures that the following has occurred. The preschool program will serve eligible children in the preschool classrooms, pursuant to P.L. 2007, c.260 and New Jersey Administrative Code 6A:13A. I certify that the above item and Five-Year Preschool Program Plan Update for 2018-2019 are correct and complete._________________________________________ _________________ Chief School Administrator’s Signature Date OUTREACH/PROGRAM DELIVERYWhat changes did you make to your 2018-19 district/school’s outreach and program delivery plan based on your most effective recruitment strategies in past school years? Describe and submit evidence of the recruitment and outreach materials that indicate the preschool program is available to all children, including those with special needs. Evidence submitted must include at least one example that has the Child Find Information displayed.What trends are you noticing that have affected the district’s ability to serve all the children that wish to enroll?List the number of eligible children projected to be served each year by age and setting. # childrenTotal # of childrenOverall % of universe# of classrooms for each setting3s4sIn-districtProviderHead StartCurrent (2017-2018) (2018-2019)Provide an explanation for changes in enrollment across the in-district, private provider and Head Start agency, if applicable.If the district was required to submit a SAVS Improvement Plan to increase enrollment to meet at least 90% of the universe, submit a copy of that plan with strategies or steps taken thus far. CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM Please review the guidance regarding Chronic Absenteeism: (Chronic Absenteeism Guidance)What is used to track attendance in your preschool program? Include tracking for district and provider programs.What was your preschool absenteeism rate for 2016-2017?What strategies will the district employ to reduce preschool absenteeism?ADMINISTRATIVE OVERSIGHTWho is the administrator responsible for overseeing the preschool program in 2018-2019 (e.g., early childhood director, supervisor, principal etc.)? Is this a change from the current year? ** Please note: administrators must hold the appropriate New Jersey Supervisor’s Certificate or New Jersey Principal’s Certificate, have experience in preschool education and participate in annual training specific to preschool program planning and implementation and the school district’s comprehensive preschool curriculum. Refer to the section on Administrative Oversight in New Jersey Administrative Code 6A:13A, and in the Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines for further information. Who is responsible for the oversight of the district budget and/or provider expenditures in 2018-2019? Is this a change from the current year? MASTER TEACHERS According to N.J.A.C. 6A:13A, each master teacher should have the following required qualifications and experience:A bachelor’s degree and teacher certification; Three to five years experience teaching in general education preschool programs; Experience providing professional development to classroom teachers; Experience in implementing developmentally appropriate preschool curricula;Experience with performance-based preschool assessments; Are all of the district’s master teacher positions filled for 2018-2019? If not, why? Are any of your master teachers enrolled in the current year’s 2017-2018 Master Teacher Seminar and working towards becoming an Early Childhood Professional Development fellow? If yes, state names.What is the ratio of master teachers/instructional coaches to classrooms? If this is a change from the current school year, how does it impact the program?Are there any programmatic changes to the role of the master teacher for the 2018-2019 school year? Have master teachers been trained as part of a Train-the-Trainer by the curriculum developer? If so, who? (please list names)________________________________________________________________________ INTERVENTION AND SUPPORT SERVICES: Special Education and InclusionTo the maximum extent appropriate, preschool children eligible for special education will be enrolled in general education preschool programs with their non-disabled peers with access to a high quality preschool curriculum. Refer to the Intervention and Support Services sections of the New Jersey Administrative Code 6A:13A and the Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines for current research and recommended practices for inclusion, intervention and support. Highlights of code and guidance are provided below. Supports for IEP goals are provided within classroom activities and routines.Special education staff, master teachers and PIRT and/or I&RS consult with teachers to address goals.Pull-out services are used on a limited basis.Classroom teachers participate in all meetings throughout the IEP process and provide input through utilization of the Review of the Preschool Day.Collaboration among teachers, special education staff and intervention teams is built into the schedule.In the table below, project the number of children with disabilities to be included in general education settings for 2018-2019 to ensure inclusion to the maximum extent possible. estimated # of children with disabilities # in general education classrooms# in self-contained classroomsYear 2018-2019Based on the chart above and the new inclusion chart you completed in the Data Summary Tool, how will you change your inclusion practices for the 2018-2019 school year, if applicable? Are there children with disabilities being served in out-of-district settings? If yes, answer the questions below as well.How many 3-year-olds?How many 4-year-olds?What is the plan to return children with disabilities in out-of-district settings back to the home district?INTERVENTION AND SUPPORT SERVICES: Preschool Intervention and Referral Team (PIRT) Are there any changes to the role of the PIRT such as coaching and using a reflective log in the 2018-2019 school year?Are all of the PIRT positions filled for 2018-2019? If not, why?Are there any new PIRT that are currently enrolled in the 2017-2018 Role of the PIRT Seminar?What is the ratio of PIRT staff to classrooms? How many PIRT members have been trained in:The Pyramid Model? TPOT?Of those trained in the TPOT, how many are reliable? Is the district using the TPOT in every classroom?Who is administering the TPOT in those classrooms? What developmental screening tool will be used in the program? Is this a change from the current school year?Who administers the developmental screening tool and when? PIRT team referrals:How many total general education case files are opened each year for children who need PIRT services? Of those, how many are for children with challenging behaviors? Of those, how many are for children with other issues? How many children who were provided with an intervention were given IEPs?HEALTH AND NUTRITIONRefer to the section on Health and Nutrition in New Jersey Administrative Code 6A:13A, and in the Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines. (Implementation Guidelines)What is the ratio of nurses to preschool children? Is this a change from the current school year? If so, why?As per code (N.J.A.C. 6A:13A), at a minimum, vision, hearing, dental, height and weight screenings of each eligible child upon enrollment in preschool. To accommodate district scheduling constraints and late registrants the DECEFE recommends that screenings occur within the first 30 days of school. Submit a copy of the 2018-2019 proposed schedule of health screenings for preschool children (including what the screenings are and when they will be completed).How are the families notified of the screenings?Are the preschool children served family style meals in their classrooms? If not, where do they eat their meals? What are you doing to move to family style?What health-related family education programs will be provided and when?What professional development do the nurses provide to classroom teachers and children?What professional development do the nurses need to be more effective in your preschool program?FAMILY AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENTRefer to the sections on Family and Community Involvement in New Jersey Administrative Code 6A:13A, and Family Services in the Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines. What district staff will be responsible for coordinating social services and programs to families? Who is serving in the role of the CPIS? Name Role(s)Specialty EmailHow do you identify needs within your community and for families? What activities will be available for parents/families of the children in the preschool program? Has the program administrator or designee attended the Strengthening Families workshops and do you have plans to implement the factors? Does your district collaborate with the County Councils or Central Intake Hubs? List the names and titles of the members of the school district’s Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC). New Jersey Administrative Code 6A:13A requires the membership of the council include families, contracting private providers and Head Start agencies (if applicable), and stakeholders in the community, who can provide resources to address identified needs. NameTitle Code states that the ECAC meets at least quarterly. How often will your ECAC meet in 2018-19What is the projected focus, goals, and objective of the Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC)?CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENTRefer to the section on Curriculum and Assessment in New Jersey Administrative Code 6A:13A, and in the Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines.What curriculum is the district using?___ Creative Curriculum___ Curiosity Corner___ High Scope___ Tools of the Mind How long has the district been utilizing that curriculum?What edition will you be using for the 2018-2019 school year? (If the district is contemplating a change to curriculum implementation, contact DECEFE for assistance with the process. All changes must be approved by the Department.)How will you ensure the curriculum is being implemented to fidelity? (i.e. use of a curriculum fidelity tool –how and when)What performance based assessment is the district using? __ Teaching Strategies GOLD__Child Assessment Tool (Curiosity Corner)__Child Observation Record (High Scope)__Work Sampling System (Tools of the Mind)How does the district ensure the performance based assessment is used to fidelity? How does the district plan to use performance based assessment at the:student levelclassroom levelschool or program leveldistrict-wide levelWhat did your data from 2016-2017 Data Summary Tool show about the district’s implementation of curriculum and assessment? How do you plan to address any concerns?If the district is using curriculum supplements and/or assessment resources, what are they and please explain how they work together?PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTInstructions for Creating a Preschool Professional Development PlanProfessional development for preschool programs should be planned and implemented as a comprehensive, multiyear strategy for improvement. The creation of the plan must be a collaborative endeavor. Through a formal needs assessment and through open dialogue with educational staff, targeted professional development can be determined. To optimize its effectiveness, professional development must also have the following qualities:Be aligned to the Standards and focus on the implementation of the comprehensive preschool curriculum; Reflect current research and understanding of best practices for preschool learners and include a long-term vision for preschool through third grade education; and Include systematic ongoing training that is based on children’s development and adult learning. Prior to the development of the plan, the educational staff should reflect on past professional development experiences to determine how previous trainings have impacted teaching practices and children’s learning outcomes. Future professional development experiences should be planned using a systematic, multiyear approach, inclusive of district Data Summary Tool, Self-Assessment Validation System (SAVS), and Preschool Quality Evaluation (NIEER Report), to further strengthen, sustain, and/or address a newly identified need. The long-term plan should be revisited periodically and, when necessary be adjusted so that the intended outcomes are achieved in terms of teaching practice and children’s learning outcomes. Professional development needs to be evaluated periodically to help plan for positive learning opportunities. Role of Children’s LearningChildren’s learning must be examined when planning for professional development. Administration and educational staff need to examine aggregated data generated from the performance-based assessment used. Based on trends reflected in the data (e.g. missing or low performance areas), professional development should be provided to strengthen teaching practices in those particular areas. Small group sessions for the educational staff to meet to reflect on collected evidence for the performance-based assessment should be built into the school calendar. Time should be set aside for the educational staff to share portfolios and check for reliability in scoring. Differentiated professional development should also be provided for individual classrooms with specific low performance or missing areas in children’s learning. Role of the Results of Structured Classroom ObservationsSummarized and individual results of the administration of structured observation instruments should determine professional development focus areas. Using systematic program observation data as well as curriculum implementation reports to plan for professional development is essential for improving quality. Goals are established for educational staff as a whole as well as individually. Guidance on the use of structured classroom observation instruments can be found in the professional development section of the Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines. Implementation GuidelinesThe Curriculum Fidelity toolAn on-going system should be in place to measure the fidelity of the program’s curriculum. The curricula fidelity tool can be used to guide teacher’s implementation and effectiveness of the curriculum chosen. Programs should develop a plan on the use of this tool, whether it be conducted by administrators or master teachers, or used by teachers as a self-assessment tool. This tool is essential when learning how to stay true to the curriculum and at the same time stay aligned to the Preschool Implementation Guidelines and Preschool Standards. Goals should be established for educational staff as a program as well as individually. Description of Training Differentiated training should be provided based on the experience and needs of the educational staff (i.e., new teachers and assistants are provided with an initial training of district’s curriculum). Curriculum training for districts in late stages of implementation should be designed for the delivery of updated research and sustaining quality (i.e., classroom visits) with a minor role for curriculum developers. The professional development offered should include a variety of delivery methods to reach multiple learning styles and maximize adult learning. Techniques to disseminate information include coaching, peer coaching, self-assessment, learning communities, observation, feedback, classroom walk-through’s, small group workshops, whole group workshops, and modeling. Conference attendance should be limited due to the lack of retention and follow-through support that is associated with this delivery system. How does the preschool program administrator(s) identify the needs of professional development for the preschool staff? How do you plan to meet the professional development needs of the all teaching staff (MTs, PIRT, teachers, teacher assistants)?Check the classroom evaluation tools (below) that will be administered and summarized to help guide professional development focus areas. Curriculum Specific:__ Fidelity Tool (Creative Curriculum)__ Implementation Self-Assessment Guide (Curiosity Corner)__ Preschool Quality Assessment (High Scope)__ Fidelity Checklist (Tools of the Mind)__ Other (please describe)Cross Curricula:__ Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale – Third Edition__ CLASS __ Supports for Early Literacy Assessment__ Preschool Classroom Mathematics Inventory__ Classroom Assessment Scoring System__ Other (please describe) Describe the projected professional development topics for teachers, teacher assistants and administrators that includes curriculum, assessment and other trainings. If there are costs associated with the PD from consultants, include this information and any associated materials.What professional development in 2018-19 is targeted for district early childhood supervisors, master teachers/coaches, PIRT, nurses, social workers and CPIS? Include topics that address curriculum, assessment, teacher evaluation, inclusion, ELL/DLL, etc. If there are costs associated with the PD from consultants, specify this information.2018-2019 Professional Development PlanTopicParticipantsDates(tentative)Trainer(s)CostIs your district and/or providers enrolled in Grow NJ Kids, New Jersey’s Quality Rating and Improvement System? If not, do you plan to enroll in the future? If no, please explain why or what would make you enroll? Enrollment forms can be found at or you can contact DECEFE for additional information.SUPPORTING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERSRefer to the section on Supporting English Language Learners in the Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines (Implementation Guidelines). Note that the optimal model for enhancing the learning and development of English language learners is through the support of both home language and English. Bilingual and dual language classrooms are optimal.How many children based on the Home Language Survey speak a language other than English at home? Of this amount how many students’ based on teacher observation seem to have difficulty communicating in English? How many bilingual preschool teachers will be employed in 2018-2019? What language(s) do they support?How many bilingual preschool assistants will be employed in 2018-2019? What language(s) do they support?How many preschool classrooms do not have a bilingual teacher or assistant?What is the name and title of the person(s) responsible for making decisions about serving preschool English language learners in the district? List the primary strategies the district will use to ensure that English language learners receive needed supports in preschool classrooms below. Language proficiency screening tools are not appropriate for making placement decisions about 3- and 4-year-olds.Does your district have a master teacher specializing in bilingual education? If not, who fills that role? If yes, what additional trainings do they provide?How are families of preschool English language learners supported?How does the classroom environment support preschool English language learners and their families? PROGRAM EVALUATIONRefer to the sections on Program Evaluation in New Jersey Administrative Code 6A:13A and the Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines. It is recommended that the school district use an annual self-assessment (SAVS) to assess the status of its preschool program and to inform the Five-year preschool program plan and annual updates. Use the checklists below to indicate the classroom and program evaluation tool(s) that will be used to inform the assessment and improvement process. Classroom Evaluation Instruments:____Creative Curriculum Implementation Checklist____Curiosity Corner Implementation Self-Assessment Guide____High Scope Preschool Quality Assessment____Tools of the Mind Fidelity Checklist ____Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale – Third Edition (ECERS-3)____Supports for Early Literacy Assessment (SELA)____Preschool Classroom Mathematics Inventory (PCMI)____Other (please describe)Program Evaluation Tools: __Parent surveys _Staff surveys _Administrator surveys _Center director surveys _Other (please describe)How will the results be summarized and used? What changes did the data from the 2016-2017 Data Summary Tool cause you to make for the 2018-2019 school year? _____________________________________________________________________________TRANSITIONRefer to the section on Transition in New Jersey Administrative Code 6A:13A, and in the Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines.What methods will be used to communicate to receiving teachers about?Children with disabilities transitioning from early intervention programs to preschool? Children transitioning from preschool to kindergarten? All school districts should have a transition team. Which positions will make up the district’s team? NameTitle How often will they meet?What strategies will be in place for preschool and kindergarten alignment of curriculum, standards, assessment, and professional development? List projected transition goals and activities for administrators, teaching staff, children and families for each of the categories below. Administrators Teaching Staff FamiliesChildrenFrom early intervention to preschoolFrom home to preschoolFrom preschool to kindergartenFrom kindergarten to third gradeFrom kindergarten to third grade_____________________________________________________________________________BUDGET NARRATIVEIdentify and describe any significant increases or decreases in the following budget areas:Budget AreaNarrativeSalariesBenefitsRental CostsSuppliesMaintenanceTransportationOther ................
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