Program Assessment Requirements for the School Readiness Program, Program Assessment Threshold Requirements for the School Readiness Program
Florida’s Office of Early Learning
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. 44 No. 164, August 22, 2018 issue of the Florida Administrative Register.
6M-4.740 Program Assessment Requirements for the School Readiness Program
(1) Definitions. The following definitions are applicable to all rules under Chapter 6M-4, F.A.C.
(a) “Care Levels” refers to the age of the majority (51% or more) of enrolled children in a classroom. Three care levels are used to meet the required observation quota: Infant (ages 0-18 months), Toddler (ages 19-35 months), and PreK (ages 36 35 months-kindergarten entry.)
(b) No change.
(c) “Composite Classroom” means a School Readiness provider classroom randomly selected through the OEL-defined system to meet the composite score calculation requirements of 50% of classrooms at each care level served by at the provider.
(d) “Composite Program Assessment Score” means an average of all OEL-adopted program assessment tool dimension scores, omitting the negative climate score, if included in the dimensions of the tool applicable, received by composite classrooms in a School Readiness Provider.
(e) “Contract Minimum Threshold” means the minimum score pursuant to s. 1002.82(2)(n), F.S., and defined in Rule 6M-4.741, F.A.C., that a provider must achieve on the program assessment tool to be eligible to contract for the School Readiness Program.
(f) No change.
(g)(f) “Negative Climate Score” means the measure of the level of expressed negativity shown by teachers and/or children in a classroom.
(h)(g) “Observer” means a certified reliable observer for the age group of the classroom being observed, that meets the requirements of Form OEL-SR 740.
(j)(h) “Program Assessment” refers to the measurement of the quality of teacher-child interactions, including responsive caregiving, emotional and behavioral support, engaged support for learning, classroom organization, and instructional support for children using the assessment adopted by the Office.
(j)(i) “Quality Improvement Plan” refers to a targeted 12 month plan to improve program quality using performance goals and strategies.
(k)(j) “Quality Improvement Threshold” means the score as adopted by the Office under s. 1002.82(2)(n), F.S., and defined in Rule 6M-4.741, F.A.C., under which a provider is eligible to contract for the School Readiness Program but must be on a Quality Improvement Plan.
(l)(k) “School Readiness Child Care Slots” refers to the number of School Readiness paid child care slots filled during a month of service. If a slot has multiple children enrolled that do not attend on the same day for any day of that month, this slot shall be counted as one School Readiness child care slot.
(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 November October, 2018, 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: add FAC link.
(b) through (c) No change.
(d) Providers that fail to comply with paragraph subsection (2)(b) and (c) of this rule will not have a program assessment conducted and will not be eligible for a contract to provide School Readiness services.
(e) Program assessments will be provided by the coalition annually.
1. Providers that have been determined ineligible to contract based on program assessment scores may request one additional assessment that meets the requirements in Form OEL-SR 740 for selected classrooms to be conducted at the provider’s expense by an observer. The new Composite Program Assessment Score must meet the contract minimum threshold for the provider to be eligible for a School Readiness contract.
a. No change.
b. A single classroom will may be reassessed 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 new assigned teacher is hired after the previous assessment was completed, the single classroom will be reassessed. If the previously assessed teacher is not active in the classroom and the new assigned teacher was moved from a different classroom, every classroom will must be reassessed for the new scores to replace the previous assessment scores.
2. Providers currently on a Quality Improvement Plan may request one additional assessment that meets the requirements in Form OEL-SR 740 for selected classrooms to be conducted at the provider’s expense by an observer to satisfy the requirements of the Quality Improvement Plan prior to scheduled assessment to conclude the conclusion of the 12 month Quality Improvement Plan.
(f) through (h) No change.
(3) Exemptions.
(a) Providers meeting one of the following shall be exempt from the annual program assessment requirement:
1. A provider that has not received one Class I or more than three of the same Class II School Readiness health and safety violations as cited by the Department of Children and Families or local licensing agency, as applicable, in a two year period and is a:
a. Child care center with 20 percent or less of all filled School Readiness child care slots out of the maximum capacity as defined in Forms OEL-SR-6202, OEL-SR-6204, and OEL-SR-6206 as incorporated by reference in Rule 6M-4.620, F.A.C.
b. No change.
2. through 3. No change.
(b) through (e) No change.
(4) through (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 approved School Readiness Coalition 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) Providers that have been on a Quality Improvement Plan for 12 months and do not meet the Quality Improvement Threshold at the next annual program assessment will have their School Readiness contract terminated by the coalition and will not be eligible for a subsequent School Readiness contract. The coalition shall terminate the contract and may revoke the provider’s eligibility for up to five years within 45 30 calendar days of the program assessment. 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.
(b) through (d) No change.
Form OEL-SR 740, Program Assessment Requirements Handbook
Provider Registration Process, Requirements, following information that must be provided will also include: Instructor email, Instructor date of birth, Credentials, Date of hire and Date started in classroom
Second Assessments, Processes:
When requesting a second assessment from the early learning coalition ELC, a provider shall indicate its preference for the assessment to be conducted by an approved OEL vendor, coalition or coalition designee, if available.
Providers must coordinate second assessment requests through their affiliated early learning coalition and provide payment prior to the assessment being conducted.
Providers may indicate whether they prefer to have the same observer conduct the second assessment.
6M-4.741 Program Assessment Requirements for the School Readiness Program
(1) No change.
(2) Quality Improvement Threshold.
(a) through (b) No change.
(c) Beginning with the 2019-20 School Readiness contract year and subsequent years, providers who have not previously been placed on a Quality Improvement Plan that have program assessment results that fall below a 3.00 (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. Providers shall not be on a Quality Improvement plan for more than one 12 month period.
(3) No change.
