Section 5-A3501. HIGH QUALITY STANDARDS

 

3501.1A CBO providing pre-K education services shall be designated as a high quality pre-K program and be eligible for the purposes of funding under this chapter, if the CBO meets each of the following high-quality standards:

(a) An adult-to-child ratio of one-to-eight (1:8) for children thirty (30) months to three (3) years of age and of one-to-ten (1:10) for children four (4) years of age or older. When children of different ages are combined in one group, the adult-to-child ratio for the youngest child shall apply;

 

(b) The consistent use of a comprehensive curriculum that is aligned with the District of Columbia’s early learning standards. High quality pre-K programs shall provide a comprehensive educational program and use age-appropriate instructional practices in the implementation of that program. Programs shall use, as the basis of their education programs, one of the following curriculum models:

 

(1) Creative Curriculum®;

 

(2) HighScope®;

 

(3) Tools of the Mind®;

 

(4) Core Knowledge®;

 

(5) Opening the World of Learning©;

 

(6) Houghton Mifflin Pre-K®;

 

(7) Frog Street®;

 

(8) Montessori®; or

 

(9) Another curriculum approved by OSSE that is both research-based and nationally recognized.

 

(c) Accreditation by a national accrediting body approved by OSSE;

 

(d) Utilization of child assessment tools that are aligned with the curriculum selected by the program. Children enrolled in the program shall be assessed using this tool at least three (3) times during the program year and the assessments shall be shared with families at least two (2) times during the program year. The program shall ensure that child assessment procedures reflect appropriate practices for young children. The program shall provide the results of the assessment for each child to OSSE within a month after conducting the assessment;

 

(e) For each high quality pre-K program classroom, the high quality pre-K program shall employ, at a minimum, one (1) teacher and one (1) teacher assistant who meet the following minimum educational requirements:

 

(1) Teacher:

 

(A)Hold at least a bachelor’s degree in child development, early childhood education, early childhood special education or child and family studies; except that a person may have an associate’s degree in child development, early childhood education, or child and family studies provided that the person is enrolled, at the time of employment by the CBO, in a bachelor’s degree program and on track to receive it by December 2017; or

 

(B)Hold a bachelor’s degree in a field other than child development, early childhood education, early childhood special education, or child and family studies and have earned eighteen (18) credits in early childhood education.

 

(C)Hold a bachelor’s degree in a field other than a child development, early childhood education, early childhood special education or child and family studies and successful completion of applicable Early Childhood Praxis Exams.

 

(2)Assistant teacher:

 

(A) Hold at a minimum a Child Development Associate credential and be enrolled, at the time of employment by the CBO, in an early childhood associate’s degree program and on track to receive the degree by December 2017; or

 

(B)Hold an associate’s degree in a field other than child development, early childhood education, early childhood special education, or child and family studies and have earned nine (9) credits in early childhood education;

 

(f) The following teachers and assistant teachers shall be paid wages  equivalent to District of Columbia Public School pre-K teachers or assistant teachers, respectively, based on years of experience:

 

(1) A teacher that holds a bachelor’s degree in early child development, early childhood education, or child and family studies or who has a bachelor’s degree and has completed eighteen (18) credits in child development, early childhood education, or child and family studies;

 

(2) An assistant teacher that holds an associate’s degree in early childhood education or who has completed nine (9) credits in child development, early childhood education, or child and family studies;

 

(g) A professional development and training plan for pre-K teachers and assistant teachers;

 

(h) High quality pre-K programs shall provide opportunities for the parents of children to participate in and support the program’s educational mission as active partners in their child’s learning and development. High quality pre-K programs shall be supportive and sensitive to the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the parents. High quality pre-K programs shall plan activities to increase parent participation such as encouraging families to volunteer their time, talents, special skills, and experiences. High quality pre-K programs shall plan educational workshops for parents, hold two (2) parent- teacher conferences a year, and provide other activities that foster family partnership over the program year. Parents shall be given timely notice in advance of each enrichment opportunity. Documentation of the offered parent activities and of the family participation is required and shall be submitted along with a site’s quarterly report;

 

(i) A plan that meets OSSE’s requirements to ensure inclusion of children with disabilities, in accordance with Federal law;

 

(j) High quality pre-K programs shall provide and maintain at all times safe, secure, and developmentally appropriate space for use as classrooms. The classrooms shall be of sufficient size to provide a minimum of thirty-five (35) square feet of interior, usable space per child which space shall be accessible to children with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act;

 

(k) High quality pre-K programs shall ensure that the daily active play for each pre-K age child includes, at a minimum, two (2) hours of active play time, including a minimum of forty-five (45) minutes of outdoor play time, weather permitting. In inclement weather, active play shall be encouraged and supported in a safe indoor play area;

 

(l) High quality pre-K programs shall be licensed according to Chapter 3 of Title 29 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (29 DCMR), prior to the receipt of funding. All participating sites shall remain in compliance with the licensing requirements as defined by 29 DCMR regulations;

 

(m) Maintain a process for continuous improvement, ongoing classroom assessments, and the collection of authentic child assessment data at least three (3) times a year; and

 

(n) Provide comprehensive health and support services for all children enrolled in the program. High quality pre-K programs shall ensure all children receive within forty-five (45) days of enrollment a developmental screening that includes assessments of social and emotional development. High quality pre-K programs shall also ensure children receive vision and hearing screenings.

 

3501.2Designation as a high quality pre-K program is solely for the purpose of obtaining pre-K enhancement and expansion funding.

 

3501.3 The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (“OSSE”) may waive compliance with one or more of the high quality standards in Subsection 3501.1 for no more than twelve (12) months if:

 

(a)The pre-K CBO seeking a waiver received pre-K enhancement and expansion funding from OSSE previous to its request for a waiver;

 

(b)OSSE determines that the immediate economic impact on the pre-K CBO is sufficiently great to make immediate compliance temporarily impractical;

 

(c) OSSE determines that the pre-K CBO is meeting or exceeding the intent of the high quality standard(s) for which waiver is requested; and

 

(d)OSSE determines that granting a waiver to the pre-K CBO is in the best interest of children receiving care at the pre-K CBO.

 

3501.4A pre-K CBO may apply for a waiver by submitting a written request to OSSE that shall include the following:

 

(a) The pre-K CBO's name, address, and its assigned license number;

 

(b) Citation of each standard for which a waiver is being sought;

 

(c) Explanation and description of the extent to which the pre-K CBO seeks to be waived from the standard;

 

(d) Timeframe in which the pre-K CBO anticipates coming into compliance with the standard;

 

(e) Proof of the immediate economic impact of compliance on the pre-K CBO;

 

(f) Proof that the intent of the specific standard shall be achieved in a manner other than that prescribed by the standard; and

 

(g) All other relevant information regarding the alleged hardship.

 

3501.5Any waiver of a standard shall be at the discretion of OSSE and may be revoked by OSSE at any time, either upon violation of any condition attached to it or upon the determination of OSSE that continuance of the waiver is no longer in the best interest of children receiving care at the pre-K CBO.

 

3501.6A determination by OSSE that the pre-K CBO is not in compliance with the terms of the waiver shall void the waiver, require the pre-K CBO to become compliant with the standard, and may be the basis of additional enforcement action.

 

 

authority

Sections 102, 106 and 501 of the Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Amendment Act of 2008, effective July 18, 2008 (D.C. Law 17-202; D.C. Official Code §§ 38-271.02, 38-271.06, and 38-275.01 (2012 Repl. & 2015 Supp.)) (“Pre-k Act”), and Mayor’s Order 2009-44, dated March 27, 2009.

source

Final Rulemaking at 63 DCR 1251 (February 5, 2016); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 63 DCR 4872 (April 1, 2016); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 64 DCR 6770 (July 21, 2017).