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North Carolina Pre-K (NC Pre-K) (formerly More at Four) |
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Introduction The NC Pre-K (formerly More at Four Pre-kindergarten Program) is a program of the Division of Child Development and Early Education in the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The NC Pre-K Program is designed to provide high-quality educational experiences to enhance school readiness for eligible four-year olds. The program requirements are built on the premise that to be successful academically in school, children need to be prepared in all five of the developmental domains outlined by the National Education Goals Panel. Each of these domains is critical to children's well-being and for their success in ready and math as they come to school. The five domains, as reflected in Foundation: Early Learning Standards for North Carolina Preschoolers and Strategies for Guiding Their Success are:
The requirements are designed to ensure that a high-quality pre-kindergarten classroom experience is provided for eligible four-year olds in each local NC Pre-K Program and that, to the extent possible, uniformity exists across the state. Eligibility for NC Pre-K Programs Local Contractors are responsible for determining NC Pre-K Child Eligibility. Children served in a NC Pre-K slot must meet age requirements, eligibility beyond age requirements, and service priority criteria as defined in this section. Age Requirement
Eligibility Beyond Age Requirements A child that meets the age requirements is eligible for NC Pre-K is the child meets one of the criteria below:
Priority Requirements to Serve Children Who are "At-Risk" The priority of NC Pre-K is to serve children who are "at-risk". For the purposes of determining eligibility for the NC Pre-K program, a child is considered "at-risk" if the child meets one of the criteria below:
Eligibility for Families at or below 75% of State Median Income (SMI) Income eligibility for NC Pre-K is determined by family size and gross income. Children in families with annual incomes at or below 75% of the State Median Income (SMI) level are considered at risk for NC Pre-K services and will receive priority. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Maintenance of Effort (TANF MOE) When a child is determined eligible for services, a % of poverty category must be determined, entered on the Eligibility/Enrollment Scorecard sheet and in NC Pre-K Kids. This information will be used to determine TANF MOE. Service Priority Status After a pool of eligible children is determined, service priority status should be used to prioritize those children for NC Pre-K services. Priority 1. Children Who Are "At-Risk" First priority for service must be given to children who are "at-risk". A child is considered to be "at-risk" if the child meets one of the criteria below:
Priority 2. Other Eligible Children Once children who are at-risk have been served, service may be provided to other eligible children who meet one of the criteria below:
Exception for maintaining slots for 3-year old children NC Pre-K slots designated to a site within a county/region can be used to serve 3-year old children when they become eligible. However, no slot may be held for a 3-year old if a 4-year old child who is "at-risk" is available and waiting to be served. Official NC Pre-K Day and Year NC Pre-K sites must provide a Pre-K program for a regular school day (6.5 - 10 hours per day) for 180 instructional days per school calendar year. Program Attendance Policy Child attendance must be taken daily and submitted monthly for reimbursement. When a child enrolled in the NC Pre-K program has been absent for three consecutive days, the site-level administrator should contact the family and determine the child's participation status. Any changes must be reported to the local contractor. Nutrition Sites must provide breakfast and/or snacks and lunch meeting USDA requirements during the regular school day. The partial/full cost of meals may be charged when families do not qualify for free/reduced price meals. When children bring their own food for meals and snacks to the center, if the food does not meet the specified nutritional requirements, the center must provide additional food necessary to meet those requirements. Transportation When all other options have been exhausted, families with children participating in the NC Pre-K may be charged a nominal amount for transportation to/from the NC Pre-K site. However, children who are at-risk should not be denied services based on the family's inability to pay. Wrap-around Services Families may also be charged for the cost of wraparound services provided before or after the regular school day, during holidays, or during summer months. NC Pre-K dollars may not be used for such costs. Religious Activities Activities, instruction, or communication which promote religious beliefs shall not be directed toward children participating in NC Pre-K during the NC Pre-K school day. Early Learning Standards and Curricula NC Pre-K programs must be knowledgeable about Foundation: Early Learning Standards for North Carolina Preschoolers and Strategies for Guiding Their Success, and use these early learning standard to guide their planning of developmentally appropriate, high-quality experiences for children. In addition, each NC Pre-K classroom shall use an approved curriculum. The selected curriculum must be approved by the NC Child Care Commission. The Child Care Commission shall approve additional curricula during quarterly meetings following a pre-determined timeline. This shall be reflected in the NC Child Care Commission minutes. The following list represents currently approved preschool curricula:
Instructional Assessment Classrooms are required to conduct ongoing assessments to gather information about each child's growth and skill development, as well as inform instruction. The following instruments meet this requirement.
Staff-to-Child Ratio and Class Size The classroom will not exceed a maximum staff-to-child ration of 1 to 9 with a maximum class size of 18 children, with one teacher and one assistant teacher per classroom. Classroom that provide for inclusive settings for children with disabilities may require an adult to child ration smaller that 1 to 9. For LEA-administered public school exceptional children's preschool classrooms, ratios must be in compliance with the North Carolina Policies Governing Services for Children with Disabilities, Section 1508-2. NC Pre-K Staff Administrator Licensure and Credentials
Teacher Education, Licensure and Credentials All teachers will hold, or be working toward a North Carolina (NC) Birth-through-Kindergarten (B-K) Standard Professional II or Preschool Add-on licensure. For teachers working toward the required education and license, the following requirements apply: Public Schools Teachers will hold a minimum of a BA/BS degree and;
Nonpublic Schools (Private Child Care/Pre-Kindergarten Settings) Teachers will hold a minimum of a/an:
All NC Pre-K teachers in nonpublic schools holding a minimum of a BA/BS degree must be enrolled with the Early Educator Support, Licensure & Professional Development Unit (formerly the Teacher Licensure Unit) of the DCDEE.
Time Limit for Classroom to have B-K Licensed Teacher
Teachers Assistant Education and Credentials
All assistant will have a high school diploma or GED and will hold, or be working toward, a minimum of an Associate Degree in early childhood education or child development or a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Teacher assistants working toward the Associate Degree or CDA shall make progress by completing a minimum of six documented semester hours per year. The administrator shall maintain documentation available for review by the Division of the progress toward the required standard.
Non-public Schools (Private Child Care/Pre-Kindergarten Setting)
Exceptions for Public Schools
Teacher assistants employed by public schools are exempt from this requirement to hold an ECE/CD Associate Degree or CDA if they meet the employment requirements outlined by the federal "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) legislation, and have one of the following:
(Source: NC Pre-Kindergarten Program Requirements - Effective SFY 2011-2012
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Surry County Information Surry County Early Childhood Partnership, Inc. (Smart Start) is the administrator for North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten (NCPK) program in Surry County. For the 2010-2011 school year, Surry County was allotted 258 More at Four slots. For the 2011-2012 school year, Surry County was allotted 207 NCPK slots due to the reduction in the State Budget for NCPK. There are currently 5 NCPK Providers consisting of 18 sites and 23 classrooms.
NC Pre-K Providers
Office of School Readiness- click here MAF Publications and Presentations
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To contact us:
Phone: 336-786-1880 Email: smartstartofsurry@embarqmail.com
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