Department of Education, Departmental

 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

2012-2013 Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education Program Curriculum Approval Process

The Florida Department of Education announces the call for publishers’ submissions of comprehensive prekindergarten curricula for the 2012-2013 Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Curriculum Approval Process. This process is outlined in Florida Administrative Rule 6A.1.099825: VPK Curriculum Approval Process, approved by the State Board of Education on October 9, 2012.

For the purposes of this approval process, a curriculum is defined as a set of written materials that

• is replicable
• addresses the use of materials, scheduling, arranging the environment, and interaction between children and adults, either separately or in combination
• includes more than activity suggestions and more than theory and pedagogy
• is aligned with the performance standards approved for use in VPK
• is aligned with scientifically-based research.

Only comprehensive curricula will be reviewed for approval during this process. In order to be considered comprehensive, the materials submitted must stand alone and cover all domains found in the performance standards approved for use in VPK programs (Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards for Four-Year-Olds (2011) http://www.fldoe.org/earlylearning/pdf/feldsfyo.pdf). If ancillary or supplemental materials are required in order for a given curriculum to be considered comprehensive those additional materials must be submitted with the basic curriculum as a packaged set and must be made available to providers as a complete curriculum at a set price.

Information about the process, including policies and procedures, specifications, and deadlines, can be found on the DOE/OEL website at: http://www.fldoe.org/earlylearning/curric.asp.

Publishers should heed the following critical dates:

November 28, 2012, 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. EST – Publisher’s Conference Call – General information, Question and Answer session (optional)

December 10, 2012 - The following forms/documents are due to the Department of Education Office of Early Learning for each title to be submitted:

1. Intent to Submit
2. Publisher’s Registration
3. Publisher’s Agreement

January 9, 2013 – The following forms/documents are due to the Department of Education Office of Early Learning for each title submitted:

1. Publisher’s Written Correlation (electronic preferred)
2. Scope and Sequence (electronic preferred)
3. Skills Trace documents (electronic preferred)
4. Publisher’s Professional Development Plan (electronic preferred)
5. Publisher’s Overview Document (electronic)
6. Publisher’s Presentation (optional)
7. Full set of curriculum materials

January 9, 2013 - The following items are due to each VPK Curriculum Approval Committee member assigned to review the title submitted:

1. Publisher’s Written Correlation (electronic preferred)
2. Scope and Sequence (electronic preferred)
3. Skills Trace documents (electronic preferred)
4. Publisher’s Professional Development Plan (electronic preferred)
5. Publisher’s Overview Document (electronic)
6. Publisher’s Presentation (optional)
7. Full set of curriculum materials

Spring 2013 - Publication of the list of approved VPK Curricula packages for providers on probation to DOE website: www.fldoe.org/earlylearning

Questions related to this announcement may be directed to Dr. Tara Huls, Education Policy Consultant, or Michelle Sizemore, Director of Program Standards and Professional Development, by phone at [phone] or by email at [e-mail] or [e-mail], respectively.