Florida's Office of Early Learning
RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:
6M-8.601Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Provider Kindergarten Readiness Rate
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. 44 No. 55, March 20, 2018 issue of the Florida Administrative Register.
The changes to the proposed rule are being made in response to comments from the public hearing held on April 11, 2018. The changes are as follows:
Rule 6M-8.601
(1) No change.
(2) Accuracy of Data.
(a) No change.
(b) Verification. The private or public provider may verify the accuracy or submit suggested corrections to the cumulative list of VPK participants or the total number of hours the VPK participants attended when such change would result in their inclusion or exclusion in the calculation of the VPK Provider Kindergarten Readiness Rate, as measured by the threshold of seventy (70%) percent, as described in subparagraph (3)(a)1., of this rule. The provider may submit corrective information to the Office of Early Learning (OEL) within the review period described below after publication of the cumulative list on the VPK Provider Kindergarten Readiness Rate website (vpk.fldoe.org). OEL and the respective early learning coalition shall review the corrective information and accept or reject the requested corrective information within the review period. The provider review period for verification and dispute shall be twenty-one (21) calendar days from the time of publication of the cumulative list of children served. The early learning coalition shall review and accept or reject any changes to the verification data within a period of ten (10) calendar days after the close of the provider review period.
(c) Dispute. If a private or public school provider disputes the accuracy of the data as published on the website or if a private provider disputes ownership as defined in section (4), the provider may file a dispute on the website and submit documentation to the Office of Early Learning review and consideration. OEL will review all disputes filed by providers and provide a response to each dispute. The provider review period for verification and dispute shall be twenty-one (21) calendar days from the time of publication of the cumulative list of children served. The early learning coalition shall review and accept or reject any changes to the verification data within a period of ten (10) calendar days after the close of the provider review period.
(d) Timelines. The provider review period for verification and dispute shall be twenty-one (21) calendar days from the time of publication of the cumulative list of children served. The early learning coalition shall review and accept or reject any changes for hours attended to the verification data within a period of ten (10) calendar days after the close of the provider review period. OEL shall process all approved changes made in verification and resolve all disputes prior to publication of the final VPK Kindergarten Readiness Rate.
(3) No change.
(4) VPK Provider Kindergarten Readiness Rates. VPK Provider Kindergarten Readiness Rates shall be binding on new private VPK owners if the change of ownership occurred at a point in time in which seventy (70%) percent or more of the VPK school-year or summer program remained. For the purpose of this rule, a change of ownership does not include the sale or transfer to family members, persons with a pre-existing ownership interest in the business or an “individual person associated with a provider.” For the purpose of this subsection, “individual associated with a provider” means an individual or family member of an individual who, regardless of compensation, holds a management position, oversees the operations of a provider, or is an officer, shareholder, beneficial owner or member of the board of directors of a provider.
(5) No change.
