The Office issued an order denying the request made by the Learning Care Group, Inc. (LCG) on behalf of its wholly owned subsidiaries: La Petite Academy, Inc. d/b/a La Petite Academy, Childtime Childcare, Inc., d/b/a Childtime Learning Centers, and ...

 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Florida's Office of Early Learning

RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:

6M-8.620:Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Pre- and Post Assessments

The Office of Early Learning hereby gives notice:

The Office issued an order denying the request made by the Learning Care Group, Inc. (LCG) on behalf of its wholly owned subsidiaries: La Petite Academy, Inc. d/b/a La Petite Academy, Childtime Childcare, Inc., d/b/a Childtime Learning Centers, and Tutor Time Child Care Learning Centers LLC d/b/a Tutor Time Child Care/Learning Centers, for a variance from certain requirements of Rule 6M-8.620, F.A.C., Voluntary Prekindergarten Pre- and Post-Assessments. The petition was filed with the Office of Early Learning via email on or about July 15, 2015 and via U.S. certified mail on or about July 22, 2015. Notice of the petition was published on July 21, 2015 in Volume 41, Number 140 of the Florida Administrative Register. The order denying the request was filed on October 13, 2015. This order follows an order by the Department of Education denying the same petitioner its request to use an alternative to the Teaching Strategies Gold assessment. By denial of the use of alternative assessment material, the request for variance under this rule, which sets forth procedural requirements only, is moot, as it hinged upon being able to utilize an alternative test. Even assuming the Department of Education had not denied that request, the Office would deny this request, set our more fully in the order, based upon the following: (1) the request is inconsistent with the purpose of the statute to create a uniform system of measurement for VPK providers, and (2) the petition fails to demonstrate a substantial hardship created by imposition of the rule as noticed and adopted.

A copy of the Order or additional information may be obtained by contacting: Margaret O’Sullivan Parker, General Counsel, Office of Early Learning, 250 Marriott Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32399, [e-mail].