Program Assessment Requirements for the School Readiness Program, Program Assessment Threshold Requirements for the School Readiness Program
RULE NOS.:RULE TITLES:
6M-4.740Program Assessment Requirements for the School Readiness Program
6M-4.741Program Assessment Threshold Requirements for the School Readiness Program
NOTICE OF CHANGE
Notice is hereby given that the following changes have been made to the proposed rule in accordance with subparagraph 120.54(3)(d)1., F.S., published in Vol. 47 No. 2, January 5, 2021 issue of the Florida Administrative Register.
The changes to the proposed rule are being made in response to comments from the Joint Administrative Procedures Committee and the public hearings held on January 27, 2021. The changes are as follows:
6M-4.740 Program Assessment Requirements for School Readiness Programs.
(1) No change.
(2) Program Assessment Requirements. Beginning with the 2019-20 School Readiness Contract year and subsequent years, all School Readiness providers serving children from birth to kindergarten entry must have a program assessment conducted and meet the Contract Minimum Threshold to be eligible to participate in the School Readiness Program. A coalition shall waive the Contract Minimum Threshold if the coalition determines that a provider is essential to meet local child care capacity needs as defined in the coalition’s School Readiness Plan, pursuant to rule 6M-9.115, F.A.C. Providers that have had the Contract Minimum Threshold waived must be on a Quality Improvement Plan. Providers that meet the minimum score for contracting but do not meet the Quality Improvement Threshold shall be placed on a Quality Improvement Plan.
(a) Form OEL-SR 740, Program Assessment Requirements Handbook, dated (________) (February 2020), is hereby incorporated by reference and may be obtained at the office website at www.floridaearlylearning.com or by contacting the Office of Early Learning, Department of Education, 250 Marriott Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32399. The incorporated form is also available at: https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-_______ https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref 11798
(b) through (i) No change.
(j) For the 2021-22 contract year only, a provider’s eligibility to contract may be based on the score received from a program assessment conducted in fiscal years 2018-19, 2019-20 or 2020-21. At the time of contracting, the coalition shall use the most recent program assessment score.
(3) No change.
(4) Frequency.
(a) through (d) No change.
(e) Program assessments conducted during participation in other quality initiatives that meet requirements as defined in Form OEL-SR 740, Program Assessment Requirements Handbook, may shall be used for meeting Contract Minimum Threshold requirements provided it was conducted for the purpose of overall teacher/child interaction, is the most recent program assessment score available, was conducted within the fiscal year applicable for contracting and reduces duplication of effort.
(f) No change.
(5) through (6) No change.
6M-4.741 Program Assessment Threshold Requirements for the School Readiness Program
(1) Contract Minimum Threshold.
(a) In accordance with Rule 6M-4.740, F.A.C. providers must have a program assessment conducted and meet the Contract Minimum Threshold prior to executing a School Readiness Contract. For the 2020-21 and 2021-22 School Readiness contract year, providers must have a program assessment conducted and meet the Contract Minimum Threshold prior to executing a School Readiness Contract. The provider must receive a minimum program assessment composite score of 3.50 (rounding two decimals), or meet the exception as defined in paragraph (2)(i) of Rule 6M-4.740, F.A.C., to participate in the School Readiness Program.
(b)(c) For the 2022 -23 School Readiness contract year, providers must have a program assessment conducted and meet the Contract Minimum Threshold prior to executing a School Readiness Contract. The provider must receive a minimum program assessment composite score of 4.00 (rounding two decimals) to participate in the School Readiness Program.
(2) Quality Improvement Threshold.
(a) In accordance with Rule 6M-4.740, F.A.C. providers that meet the Contract Minimum Threshold score but do not meet the Quality Improvement Threshold shall be placed on a Quality Improvement Plan, in accordance with the School Readiness Contract, for 12 months. For the 2020-21 and 2021-22 School Readiness contract year, providers who have program assessment results that fall below the Quality Improvement Threshold of a 4.00 (rounding to two decimals) composite program assessment score, as defined in Rule 6M-4.740, F.A.C., but meet the contract minimum threshold will be placed on a Quality Improvement Plan for 12 months pursuant to Rule 6M-4.740, F.A.C.
(b)(c) Beginning with the 2022-23 School Readiness contract year, providers that have been on a Quality Improvement Plan for 12 months and do not meet or exceed the Contract Minimum Threshold of a 4.00 (rounding to two decimals) composite program assessment score at the next annual program assessment will have their School Readiness contract terminated by the coalition unless the provider is considered essential to meet local child care capacity needs pursuant to Rule 6M-4.740, F.A.C.
(3) No change.
