Why Montessori / The State of Preschool Education

Iowa | Voluntary Preschool Program

General

Pre-kindergarten Initiative in 2013-14:
Iowa Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program

State agency with administrative authority over pre-K:
Iowa Department of Education

Availability of program:
314 out of 338 school districts (92%)

Are districts, counties, or towns in Iowa required to offer this pre-kindergarten initiative?
No, optional

Hours of operation per day:
Part day, at least 10 hours/week

Is there a formal partnership at the state level to provide extended day services through collaboration with other agencies and programs?
No3

Enrollment

Fall 2013, Total children:
24,167

Fall 2011, by age:
919 3-year-olds; 22,783 4-year-olds; 510 5-year-olds1

Fall 2011, by type of administering agency:
Breakdown not available2

Program enrollment, Fall 2013, by operating schedule:
Breakdown not available3

Eligibility

Minimum age for eligibility:
4 by September 15

Maximum age for eligibility:
5 by September 15

Kindergarten eligibility age:
5 by September 15

Does state policy allow any exceptions to the age requirement for prekindergarten or kindergarten eligibility?
Yes4

State policy on enrolling children in state pre-K when they are eligible for kindergarten:
Kindergarten age-eligible children with documented disabilities may enroll in pre-K; Kindergarten age-eligible children may enroll in pre-K at local program’s discretion; Kindergarten age-eligible children may enroll in pre-K and repeat the 4-year-old pre-K year; Children may not enroll in pre-K if they are age-eligible for kindergarten5

Aside from age, how is eligibility determined for individual children for this state prekindergarten initiative?
All age-eligible children in districts offering the program, or in the entire state, may enroll

What was the state-specified income requirement during the 2013-14 program year?
No income requirement

To whom, or to what percentage of children, does the income requirement apply?

Is there a sliding payment scale based on income?
No

Is child eligibility for this state prekindergarten initiative ever reassessed after a child has been enrolled in the program?
No

Risk Factors

Risk factors besides income that can be used to determine eligibility:
Not applicable

How many of the specified risk factors must be present for eligibility?
NA

How do these risk factors relate to the income cutoff for the state pre-K program?
No income requirement

Class Sizes

Maximum class size:
3-year-olds, 18; 4-year-olds, 20

Staff-child ratio requirement:
3-year-olds, 1 to 9; 4-year-olds, 1 to 10

Teachers

Minimum teacher degree requirement:
BA (public and nonpublic)

Required teacher certification, licensure, and/or endorsement:
Public and nonpublic: EC with special education (B-3rd grade); EC without special education (B-3rd grade); Pre-K through K early childhood

Education level of teachers during 2011-12 by percent:
BA, 100%

Education level of teachers during 2011-12 totals:
Breakdown not available

Teacher in-service requirement:
15 clock hours per school year8

Minimum assistant teacher degree requirement:
Other or varies by factors such as classroom (public and nonpublic)9

Assistant teacher specialized training requirement:
Public and nonpublic: CDA (PreK) ; Paraeducator with EC (PrsK-12 and PreK)

Services

Meal requirement:
Snack6

Support services for English Language Learners and families:
Bilingual non-English classes are permitted in pre-K; Monolingual non-English classes are permitted in pre-K; Professional development or coaching is provided for teachers; Programs are required to screen and assess all children; A home language survey is sent home at the beginning of the school year

Support services required for all programs:
Parenting support or training; Parent involvement activitiesChild health services; Nutrition information; Referral for social services; Transition to K activities; Parent conferences and/or home visits

 

Regulations

Screening and referral requirements:
Required: Vision; Hearing; Height/Weight/BMI; Blood pressure; Immunizations; Psychological/Behavioral; Full physical exam; Developmental; Dental; Locally determined: Other

State’s early learning standards document in 2013-14.
Iowa Early Learning Standards

For more information about the early learning standards in 2013-14:
https://www.educateiowa.gov/documents/early-childhood/2013/03/iowa-early-learning-standards-20127

Funding

Days per week the state prekindergarten initiative is funded to operate using state funds:
Determined locally, must be at least 10 hours/week3

Annual operating schedule for this state-funded prekindergarten initiative:
Academic year3

Actual fiscal year 2014 spending for this state prekindergarten initiative:
$66,099,739

All funding sources:
State, $66,099,739

State funding sources and amounts:
State, $66,099,73910

Federal funding sources and amounts:
None

Is funding for this state prekindergarten initiative determined by a school funding or state aid formula?
Yes; 50% of the K-12 student aid10

Agencies eligible to receive funding directly:
Public schools, Other settings11

Agencies with which subcontracting is permitted:
Head Start, Private CC, Faith-based centers11

Is there a required local match for this program?
No

Select a state program to view details.


Iowa | Voluntary Preschool Program Footnotes

  1. Additional students of preschool age were served with other state or federal funding sources. Of the total 919 3-year-old children, 18 were on a support-only IEP. This would not have generated federal funds for the district. State special education instructional funds (instructional IEP) supported 325 3-year-old children in this program. There were 630 4-year-old children and 84 5-year -old children who were in this program and generated state special education instructional funds (again an instructional IEP). These funds are generated through our property taxes. Of the 21,816 4year-old children in the SVPP and generating the .5 student count 292 were on a support only IEP. Iowa allows these students (ex. speech only) to generate this state funding so they are included in our total count of 4-year-old children. The total number of preschool children in the program and generating state special education instructional funds is 1039. There were 28 3- and 5-year-old children on a support-only IEP (speech) in the program that did not generate any funding for the district.
  2. Q8a includes both instructional services as well as support only services. All these children are on an IEP. WE generate additional state funding for instructional services.
  3. All programs are under the auspices of the school district. That does not mean all children are served in the school building. Community partners such as Head Start, Accredited nonpublic schools, and licensed child care/preschools serve children.
  4. Programs operate a minimum of 10 hours per week. Most programs operate at least 12 hours per week. Programs operate at least 3 days per week and most operate 4-5 days per week. While there is not a formal state partnership to provide extended-day services, partnerships exist at the local level. There has been an increase in the number of districts partnering with Head Start to provide school-day programming.
  5. Programs operate a minimum of 10 hours per week. Most programs operate at least 12 hours per week. Programs operate at least 3 days per week and most operate 4-5 days per week. While there is not a formal state partnership to provide extended-day services, partnerships exist at the local level. There has been an increase in the number of districts partnering with Head Start to provide full-day programming.
  6. Children with IEPs may participate based on the needed services.
  7. Children who are age-eligible for K may enroll if space and funding are available. Kindergarten students may generate the full 1.0 funding if they are provided additional hours, working on the Iowa Core in the kindergarten classrooms.
  8. Programs are required to offer a snack, although it is recommended that they serve a meal. If the program operates more than 15 hours per week a meal is served. The majority of programs provide lunch or breakfast to children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
  9. The Iowa Early Learning Standards (IELS) were developed in 2007. In 2012, they were revised, and now include social studies.
  10. State policy requires professional development but does not specify hours. Districts report the number of hours annually, with SVPP teachers having 15 clock hours of professional development in the 2013-2014 year.
  11. Some classrooms follow Iowa program standards, others NAEYC, others Head Start. For Iowa standards classroom assistants may choose the Iowa paraeductor certificate with early childhood or CDA. If they choose the Iowa paraeductor certificate they must enroll in the classes and complete them within a year. If the program operates under NAEYC, annual reports and on-site monitoring requires evidence that 50 percent of assistant teachers have a CDA and 100% percent are working toward a CDA. NAEYC defines an equivalent to the CDA as 12 college credits in ECE fields. In addition, assistant teachers participate in orientation prior to or at the beginning of employment.