4527686 Amendments to Specify Montessori Center Director and Teacher Qualifications, and Montessori Group Size and Adult/Child Ratios
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OFFICE OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION
NOTICE OF FINAL RULEMAKING
The State Superintendent of Education (“Superintendent”), pursuant to the authority set forth in the Child Development Facilities Regulation Act of 1998, effective April 13, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-215, D.C. Official Code § 7-2031 et seq. (2008 Repl.)), Mayor’s Order 2009-130, dated July 16, 2009, Sections 2(a), 5a, and 6 of the Day Care Policy Act of 1979, effective September 19, 1979, as amended (D.C. Law 3-16; D.C. Official Code §§ 4-401, 404.01, and 4-405 (2008 Repl. & 2012 Supp.)), and Mayor’s Order 2009-3, dated January 15, 2009, hereby gives notice of the adoption of amendments to Title 29 (Public Welfare), Chapter 3 (Child Development Facilities), Section 332 (Center Director Qualifications), Section 334 (Teacher Qualifications), and Section 343 (Group Size and Adult/Child Ratios) of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR), governing the licensure and operating standards for child development facilities, with particular focus on Montessori professionals and facilities, effective on the date of publication of this notice in the D.C. Register.
This final rulemaking is limited to amendments establishing qualifications for Montessori center directors and teachers, and adding amendments to the adult-to-child ratios and group size requirements in Montessori facilities, based on the provisions proposed in a broader proposed rulemaking amending Title 29, Chapter 3, published on July 30, 2010, at 57 DCR 6729 (see, 57 DCR pages 6768, 6771, and 6780).[1] The Montessori-specific rules are being adopted as final without any further changes. Final action to adopt these rules was taken on August 21, 2013. The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (“OSSE”) is currently in the process of preparing a notice of proposed rulemaking to update the remaining child development facilities rules.
Subsection 332.1 of Section 332 (Center Director Qualifications) of Chapter 3 (Child Development Facilities) of Title 29 (Public Welfare) of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations is amended by adding a new paragraph (g) to read as follows:
1. Subsection 332.1 is amended to read as follows:
a. Paragraph (e) is amended by striking the word “or” at the end.
b. Paragraph (f) is amended by striking the period at the end and inserting the phrase “; or” in its place.
c. A new paragraph (g) is added to read as follows:
(g) A Montessori school director, shall have at least forty-eight (48) hours successful course completion from a regionally accredited or OSSE approved college or university; a Montessori certificate issued by a program accredited by any of the following: the Montessori Accreditation Commission for Teacher Education, National Center for Montessori Education, or the Association Montessori Internationale; and at least three (3) years supervised experience working with children in a licensed District of Columbia child development center or its equivalent in another jurisdiction.
2. Subsection 334.1 is amended to read as follows:
Subsection 334.1 of Section 334 (Teacher Qualifications) of Chapter 3 (Child Development Facilities) of Title 29 (Public Welfare) of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations is amended by adding a new paragraph (f) to read as follows:
a. Paragraph (d) is amended by striking the word “or” at the end.
b. Paragraph (e) is amended by striking the period at the end and inserting the phrase “; or” in its place.
c. A new paragraph (f) is added to read as follows:
(f) Montessori school teacher, at least forty-eight (48) credit hours of successful completion of course work from a regionally accredited or OSSE approved college or university; a Montessori certificate issued by a program accredited by any of the following: the Montessori Accreditation Commission for Teacher Education, National Center for Montessori Education, or the Association Montessori Internationale; and at least two (2) years supervised experience working with children in a licensed District of Columbia child development center or its equivalent in another jurisdiction.
Section 343 (Group Size and Adult/Child Ratios) is amended by adding new subsections 343.9, 343.10, and 343.11) to read as follows:
343.9 A licensed Montessori child development center that is duly accredited by American Montessori Society (AMS) and the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) or otherwise approved by the State Superintendent of Education for the District of Columbia may exceed the adult to child ratio or group size requirement by no more than fifty percent (50%) of the ratios established in this chapter.
343.10 When children of varying ages anywhere from ages two (2) years or older are grouped together in conformance with Montessori accreditation standards, the average age of all of the children in the age group of two (2) through five (5) years shall be used to determine the group’s maximum size and appropriate adult- to- child ratio.
343.11 A program may be granted an exemption to the adult-to-child ratio if the program submits a written request to OSSE. This request shall include at minimum the following information:
(a) A detailed description of the program model including evidence and history that demonstrate the effectiveness of the model;
(b) An explanation as to why an exception to the adult-to-child ratio is integral to the delivery of the program model; and
(c) An explanation and supporting evidence that the proposed adult to child ratio shall not jeopardize the basic health and safety of participating children.
[1] There is also one additional prior proposed rulemaking containing Montessori-related amendments published on January 22, 2010, at 57 DCR 998. This proposal was slightly revised and reproposed in the July 30, 2010, notice of proposed rulemaking. Comments received for both proposals have been taken into consideration.
