Serving Preschool Children

1. Title I , Part A, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as Amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 Serving Preschool Children Virginia Department of Education Coordinators’ Academy July 30-31, 2013

2. Preschool-age Child • A preschool-age child is one who is below the grade at which a school division (local education agency, LEA) provides a free public elementary education. • For the purpose of Title I, from birth to the age that the division provides a free public elementary education may receive preschool services.

3. Title I Preschool Program • Program for which a school division or school uses Title I funds, in whole or in part, to improve cognitive, health, and social-emotional outcomes for eligible children below the grade at which a division provides a free public education. • Program is designed to prepare eligible children with the prerequisite skills and dispositions for learning that will enable them to benefit from later school experiences.

4. Title I Funds SupportPreschool Programs • Any school division or school may use Title I funds to operate, in whole or in part, a preschool program consistent with Title I requirements. • The use of Title I funds for a preschool program is a local decision.

5. Title I Funds SupportPreschool Students • Title I funds were reserved to serve 4,287 students in Virginia during the 2012-2013 school year. • VPI funds were reserved to serve 17,295 students in Virginia during the 2012-2013 school year.

6. Title I Funds andPreschool Programs

7. School Operated A Title I school may use all or a portion of its Title I funds to operate a preschool program for eligible children.

8. School Operated A Title I school may use all of the Title I funds to operate a preschool program if the school determines that such use of those funds holds the most promise for raising the achievement level of its students and the school implements the preschool program consistent with applicable requirements.

9. School Operated

10. School Operated • If a schoolwideprogram school operates a preschool program, all preschool children who reside in the school’s attendance area are eligible to be served. • If a targetedassistance program school operates a preschool program, it may only serve preschool children who reside in its attendance area and whom the school identifies as at risk of failing to meet the State’s academic achievement standards when they reach school age.

11. Division Operated A school division may reserve aportionof funds off the top of its Title I allocation to operate a preschool program for eligible children in the division as a whole or in a portion of the division.

12. Division Operated • A school division may notreserve its entire Title I allocation to operate a district wide program. • A school division must ensure that there are enough funds remaining to make allocations to some or all of its eligible school attendance areas or zones. • Such allocations must enable participating schools to operate a Title I program of sufficient size, scope, and quality to help students served by the program achieve proficiency on the state’s academic achievement standards.

13. Division Operated A school division may serve preschool children who reside throughout the division whom the division identifies as eligible because they are at risk of failing to meet the state’s academic achievement standards when they reach school age.

14. Division Program: Eligible?

15. Division Operated • A school division may not useTitle I funds to implement a districtwide program to benefit all preschool students unless all the schools in the division are Title I schools operating schoolwide programs. • A school division may serve preschool children who reside in specific Title I attendance areas.

16. Coordinating With Other Preschool Programs A school division may use Title I funds to coordinate with and support eligible children enrolled in other preschool programs, such as Head Start.

17. Automatically Eligible Children • Some children are “automatically eligible” to participate in a Title I preschool program • Children who participated in Head Start or a Title I preschool program at any time in the prior two years • Children who received services under Part C of Title I (migrant education) in the prior two years

18. Automatically Eligible Children • …“automatically eligible” (continued) • Homeless preschool age children • Children who are in a local institution for neglected or delinquent children and youth attending a community-day program for these children

19. Private School: Equitable Services Children in a private preschool are not receiving elementary education, and thus are not entitled to receive equitable services under Title I.

20. Professional Development • In certain circumstances, Title I funds may be used to support ongoing training and professional development to assist teachers and paraprofessionals in satisfying the requirements of Title I. • The training must be related to the Title I preschool program and is designed to meet the needs of Title I eligible children.

21. Early Childhood Education • Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) • Update on VDOE Resources • Virginia's Foundation Blocks for Early Learning • Virginia’s Curriculum Review and Planning Tool • Virginia’s Quality Indicators for Responsive Teaching

22. Questions

23. Contact Information Title I Gabie Frazier, (804) 225-2907, gabie.frazier@doe.virginia.gov Chris McLaughlin, (804) 225-2901, chris.mclaughlin@doe.virginia.gov Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) Cheryl Strobel, (804) 371-7578, cheryl.strobel@doe.virginia.gov