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. 45 No. 228, November 22, 2019 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 December 16, 2019 and February 27, 2020. The changes are as follows:
6M-4.740 Program Assessment Requirements for School Readiness Programs.
(1) Definitions. The following definitions are applicable to all rules under chapter 6M-4, F.A.C.
(a) through (e) No change.
(f) “Early Learning Coalition” or “coalition” refers to the entity charged with administering Sschool Rreadiness Pprogram services pursuant to sections 1002.83 and 1002.84, F.S. “Early Learning Coalition” or “coalition” includes applicable OEL contractors.
(g) through (h) No change.
(i) “Personnel” is defined as the director and all teachers entered into the OEL-defined system QPS on the Class Roster and includes all instructional staff assigned to classrooms as lead and assistant teachers. Instructional staff does not include substitutes or others who fill in for an absent teacher or those who are temporarily in a classroom for a teacher break.
(j) through (l) No change.
(m)(l)”School Readiness Child Care Slots” refers to the number of School Readiness paid child care slots filled during a month of service.
(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) No change.
(b) Providers must electronically report in the OEL-defined system a director, the number of classrooms as well as teachers and care levels assigned to those classrooms as outlined in Form OEL-SR 740, Program Assessment Requirements Handbook. Non-exempt providers or exempt providers that have opted in to participate in program assessment requirements, pursuant to subsection (3) or this rule, must submit an updated monthly roster in the OEL-defined system.
(c) through (d) No change.
(e) Program assessments will be provided by the coalition annually.
1. through 2. No change.
3. A single classroom will be reassessed and its score will replace the previous score to calculate a new composite score if the teacher previously assessed is still actively teaching in the classroom being reassessed. If the previously assessed teacher is not active in the classroom and the newly assigned teacher is hired after the previous assessment was completed, the single classroom will be reassessed and its score will replace the previous score combined with the previously assessed classroom scores to calculate a new composite score. If the previously assessed teacher is not active in the classroom and the newly assigned teacher was moved from a different classroom, every classroom will be reassessed for the new scores to replace the previous assessment scores.
4. No change.
(f) Coalitions shall notify providers of their program assessment score within 14 calendar days after the composite program assessment score is generated. Individual classroom scores and notes shall be provided to providers within 10 calendar days upon written request by provider.
(g) No change.
(h) For providers not on a Quality Improvement Plan who score below the Quality Improvement Threshold, the coalition shall place the provider on a Quality Improvement Plan within ten five calendar days after the provider is notified of the composite program assessment score.
(i) Except as noted herein, f For contracted School Readiness providers that score fall below the Contract Minimum Threshold, the coalition shall terminate the current contract and may revoke the provider’s eligibility for up to five years. Written notice of termination will be sent to the provider from the coalition at least thirty (30) calendar days before the termination date. Written notification must include a reason and identify the contract revocation period. For the 2020-21 School Readiness contract year only, an exception shall be made for providers that score a 3.00-3.49 and do not receive a contract minimum score of 3.5 on a voluntary second assessment shall receive a School Readiness Contract if they agree to participate in a Quality Improvement Plan as prescribed in paragraph (6) of this rule. The Quality Improvement Plan strategies the provider must participate in are CLASS Group Coaching Training and Certified Coaching Visits as defined in Exhibit 3 of The State of Florida Statewide School Readiness Provider Contract, Form OEL-SR 20, incorporated by reference in Rule 6M-4.610, F.A.C. If the selected teacher has previously participated in CLASS Group Coaching Training, the coalition shall select a different strategy from Exhibit 3 of the School Readiness contract.
(3) Exemptions.
(a) No change.
(b) When a provider’s violations cited by the Department of Children and Families or local licensing agency, as applicable, or filled School Readiness child care slots meet or exceed the exemption threshold in paragraph (3)(a) of this rule, during the operating hours from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., per its provider type, the provider shall no longer be exempt under this section. A coalition shall monitor violations cited by the Department of Children and Families or local licensing agency, as applicable, and filled School Readiness child care slots monthly and notify a provider within 21 calendar days if the provider’s filled slots meet or exceed the exemption threshold in paragraph (3)(a) of this rule or if the provider is cited for disqualifying licensing violations have occurred. A provider must receive a program assessment pursuant to subsection (2) of this rule within 30 calendar days of notification to continue contracting for School Readiness services.
(c) through (d) No change.
(4) Frequency.
(a) Upon the effective date of this rule, all All participating School Readiness Program providers shall receive an annual program assessment prior to executing a School Readiness Contract.
(b) In the event of a change where the provider is considered a new provider and must execute a new School Readiness Contract per subsection 6M-4.610(4), F.A.C., the provider may request, prior to executing a new contract, to retain the most recent program assessment score from the prior owner without having to conduct a new assessment if the provider can provide documentation to the coalition that it has retained 80% of personnel listed in the OEL-defined system and there is no change in capacity or classrooms from when the previous assessment was conducted for the remainder of the contract period. Examples of acceptable documentation include current payroll time sheets and evidence in CARES of monitored personnel during the pre-contractual health and safety inspection, classroom rosters, or attendance documentation.
(c) through (f) No change.
(5) No change.
(6) Quality Improvement Plans. The Quality Improvement Plan will include performance goals and quality improvement strategies as provided for in Form OEL-SR 20, incorporated by reference in rule 6M-4.610, F.A.C. Coalitions may choose quality improvement strategies as indicated in the coalition’s approved School Readiness Plan pursuant to rule 6M-9.115, F.A.C., to develop Quality Improvement Plans for providers that need to increase program assessment scores.
(a) through (b) No change.
(c) Providers who were on a Quality Improvement Plan for the 2019-20 School Readiness contract year that do not meet the Quality Improvement Threshold but score at or above the Contract Minimum Threshold for the 2020-21 contract year are permitted to be on a Quality Improvement Plan for two (2) consecutive 12-month periods.
(d) through (e) No change.
6M-4.741 Program Assessment Threshold Requirements for the School Readiness Program
(1) Contract Minimum Threshold.
(a) No change.
(b) For the 2020-21 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.
(c) No change.
(2) through (3) No change.
Form OEL SR-740 Program Assessment Requirements Handbook
Has been revised as follows:
Provider Registration Process, Requirements:
Bullet 1, added text to provider registration process requirements: At least 60 calendar days prior to a contract execution (new provider with no previous composite for the prior contract year) or annual program assessment due date (provider with a previous or current SR contract) , a provider must notify the Early Learning Coalition (coalition) of their desire to provide School Readiness services in the upcoming year.
Bullet 2, added and deleted text: Upon the coalition’s request, the provider shall register their current classrooms, including all lead and assistant directors, and instructional personnel, i.e. teachers with the exception of substitutes and those who fill in for teacher breaks, assigned to each classroom in the OEL-defined system.
Bullet 3, added new bullet with new text: Directors indicate if they are instructional or administrative. Only instructional directors are included in child assessment reliability rates and are assigned to classrooms.
Bullet 4, no change.
Observer Requirements: No change.
Expectations for Observations, Observation Norms: No change.
Expectations for Observations, Recording Observations in the OEL-defined System: Added new bullet:
The ELC must approve the rating and generate a composite in the OEL-defined system within 72 hours of entering the final observation required to generate a composite score.
Data Correction, Second Assessments and Special Considerations: No change.
