6M-8.700. Provider on Probation; Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program Improvement Plan and Implementation; First Year Probation

(1) Probation. A provider remains on probation until it meets the minimum rate adopted by the Office as satisfactory under Section 1002.69(6), F.S. An early learning coalition or school district, as applicable, shall place on first year probation any Voluntary Prekindergarten Education (VPK) provider which fails to meet the minimum kindergarten readiness rate for a program type (school-year or summer) adopted by the Office of Early Learning as satisfactory under Section 1002.69(6), F.S, and require such provider to submit and implement an approved improvement plan designed to improve the provider’s kindergarten readiness rate. An improvement plan shall include:

(a) Use of Approved Curriculum or Staff Development Plan. A VPK provider on probation must select either an approved curriculum from the list of approved curricula for providers on probation on the Office’s website per Rule 6M-8.604, F.A.C., or a staff development plan available from the Office of Early Learning per Rule 6M-8.605, F.A.C., as a target area in its improvement plan. An early learning coalition or school district, as applicable, shall require a VPK provider on probation to use an approved curriculum or staff development plan in accordance with Section 1002.67(4)(c), F.S. The Office’s website is: http://www.floridaearlylearning.com/providers/provider_resources/vpk_curriculum.aspx.

(b) Additional Target Areas. A VPK provider on probation must select a minimum of one of the following additional areas in its improvement plan:

1. Administrative and management practices, including training, educational level, and retention of prekindergarten instructors;

2. Classroom learning environment;

3. Child developmental screenings and assessments;

4. Social-emotional interactions among prekindergarten instructors and students;

5. Students’ ability to make age appropriate progress in the development of language and cognitive capabilities and emotional, social, regulatory and moral capacities;

6. Percentage of students attending seventy (70%) percent or more of the instructional hours offered by the VPK provider; or

7. Family involvement in the early childhood program.

(c) Strategies for Improvement. A description of strategies for improvement of the provider’s VPK program which includes the following and, at the discretion of the provider, any other additional areas:

1. A list of target areas for the VPK provider’s improvement identified under paragraphs (1)(a) and (b) and any additional areas a provider deems important to its improvement;

2. A list of specific actions already taken, and proposed to be taken, by the VPK provider for improvement of target areas; and,

3. An implementation schedule or timeline for the VPK provider to implement the proposed actions.

(2) Submission and Approval of Improvement Plan.

(a) A VPK provider on probation must submit its improvement plan electronically through the website https://vpk.fldoe.org/. The provider must have an approved improvement plan in place for at least 30 days prior to receiving an advance payment and for at least 30 days prior to offering VPK instruction for the program type for which the provider must submit an improvement plan, as applicable. A VPK provider on probation may submit an improvement plan any time after the Office posts the final readiness rates.

(b) An early learning coalition or school district, as applicable, shall approve a VPK provider’s improvement plan within 14 days following receipt of the improvement plan if the plan is submitted with a list of target areas and specific actions for improvement as described in this rule.

(c) If the improvement plan does not address the criteria established in paragraphs (1)(a)-(c), the early learning coalition or school district, as applicable, shall disapprove the improvement plan with suggestions for revision. The VPK provider on probation shall submit an amended improvement plan within 14 days following the receipt of notification of disapproval of its improvement plan with suggestions for revision. The early learning coalition or school district, as applicable, shall offer to work with the VPK provider on probation to revise the initial disapproved improvement plan to address the criteria in paragraphs (1)(a)-(c).

(3) Prior to offering the VPK program, a provider on probation must demonstrate that it is implementing its improvement plan by using an approved curriculum or a staff development plan in accordance with Section 1002.67(4)(c), F.S., including all program materials and professional development elements associated with the approved curriculum or staff development plan, and by submitting the following to the early learning coalition or school district, as applicable.

(a) For use of an approved curriculum:

1. A receipt or invoice demonstrating that the VPK provider has purchased an approved curriculum and has scheduled instructor trainings developed by the curriculum publisher on use of the curriculum; or

2. An acknowledgement that the VPK provider has received the complete approved curriculum through a donation and has scheduled instructor trainings developed by the curriculum publisher on use of the curriculum.

(b) For use of a staff development plan:

1. Copy of Department of Children and Families (DCF) transcripts evidencing successful training completion for VPK staff consistent with the staff development plan in accordance with Section 1002.67(4)(c), F.S; and,

2. An acknowledgement that the VPK provider has implemented its staff development plan.

(4) On Form OEL-VPK 05A (January 2016), Provider Acknowledgement, the provider must acknowledge being placed on probation and that if the provider remains on probation for two (2) consecutive years or more and subsequently fails to meet the minimum readiness rate, the provider will be required to apply for a good cause exemption. The provider must complete the acknowledgement within twenty-one (21) days of the posting of the final VPK readiness rates by the Office of Early Learning on the VPK readiness rate website, http://vpk.fldoe.org. Form OEL-VPK 05A (January 2016) is hereby incorporated by reference. A copy of the form may be obtained as provided in Rule 6M-8.900, F.A.C. or at https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-06524.

Rulemaking Authority 1001.213, 1002.79 FS. Law Implemented 1002.67(4)(c), 1002.75(3)(a)-(b) FS. History–New 3-26-13, Amended 2-2-15, 6-23-16.