General

Pre-kindergarten Initiative in 2013-14:
Alaska Prekindergarten Program

State agency with administrative authority over pre-K:
Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

Availability of program:
8 out of 54 school districts (15%)1

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

Hours of operation per day:
Part day, at least 3 but no more than 5 hours/day3

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:
291

Fall 2011, by age:
291 4-year-olds

Fall 2011, by type of administering agency:
Public schools, 2912

Program enrollment, Fall 2013, by operating schedule:
Part day, 2913

Eligibility

Minimum age for eligibility:
4 by September 1

Maximum age for eligibility:
5 by August 30

Kindergarten eligibility age:
5 by September 1

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;

Aside from age, how is eligibility determined for individual children for this state prekindergarten initiative?
Eligibility is determined by individual child or family characteristics in addition to age

What was the state-specified income requirement during the 2013-14 program year?
Eligible for free lunch, or 130% FPL5

To whom, or to what percentage of children, does the income requirement apply?
Mirroring federal Head Start guidelines, up to 35 percent of enrollment may be children whose family incomes are between 100 and 130 percent FPL after priority is given to children at or below 100 percent FPL. In addition, some communities meet poverty of access criteria per federal Head Start regulations. School districts partnering with Head Start programs must follow federal Head Start requirements. All programs must follow state pre-elementary statutes and regulations.

Is there a sliding payment scale based on income?
No5

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:
Child disability or developmental delay;History of abuse, neglect, or family violence; Homelessness or unstable housing; Non-English speaking family members; Child history of foster care; Locally determined risk factors5

How many of the specified risk factors must be present for eligibility?
1

How do these risk factors relate to the income cutoff for the state pre-K program?
Meeting the income cutoff can count as one of the risk factors

Class Sizes

Maximum class size:
4-year-olds, 20

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

Teachers

Minimum teacher degree requirement:
BA (public and nonpublic)9

Required teacher certification, licensure, and/or endorsement:
Public and nonpublic: ECE endorsement (P-3)9

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

Education level of teachers during 2011-12 totals:
BA, 21

Teacher in-service requirement:
6 credit hours per 5 years

Minimum assistant teacher degree requirement:
CDA (public and nonpublic)10

Assistant teacher specialized training requirement:
Public and nonpublic: CDA (P)

Services

Meal requirement:
Breakfast or Lunch and one snack

Support services for English Language Learners and families:
Bilingual 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; Translators or bilingual staff are available if children do not speak English7

Support services required for all programs:
Parenting support or training; Child health services; Nutrition information; Other; Locally determined

Regulations

Screening and referral requirements:
Required: Vision; Hearing; Immunizations; Psychological/Behavioral; Developmental; Locally determined: Height/Weight/BMI; Blood pressure; Full physical exam; Dental; Other6

State’s early learning standards document in 2013-14.
Alaska Early Learning Guidelines

For more information about the early learning standards in 2013-14:
http://www.eed.state.ak.us/publications/EarlyLearningGuidelines.pdf8

Funding

Days per week the state prekindergarten initiative is funded to operate using state funds:
Determined locally, at least 3 hours/day but no more than 53

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

Actual fiscal year 2014 spending for this state prekindergarten initiative:
$1,786,000

All funding sources:
State, $1,786,00011

State funding sources and amounts:
State general fund, $1,786,000

Federal funding sources and amounts:
None

Is funding for this state prekindergarten initiative determined by a school funding or state aid formula?
No

Agencies eligible to receive funding directly:
Public schools

Agencies with which subcontracting is permitted:
Public schools, Head Start, Private CC, Faith-based centers, Family CC

Is there a required local match for this program?
No

Select a state program to view details.


Alaska Footnotes

  1. One of the 54 school districts only provides high school services
  2. Five out of the eight programs are jointly operated by public schools and Head Start.
  3. Programs operate 4 or 5 days a week for a minimum of 14 hours a week; hours of operation are determined locally. Programs may partner with child care or other services to provide wrap-around care but, by state definition, state-funded pre-K cannot operate more than 5 hours a day.
  4. For children with IEPs. If parents and members of the IEP team determine that pre-K is the least restrictive environment for the child, the child could receive services through pre-K even if he or she did not meet the age requirements.
  5. Mirroring federal Head Start guidelines, up to 35 percent of enrollment may be children whose family incomes are between 100 and 130 percent FPL after priority is given to children at or below 100 percent FPL. In addition, some communities meet poverty of access criteria per federal Head Start regulations. School districts partnering with Head Start programs must follow federal Head Start requirements. All programs must follow state pre-elementary statutes and regulations.
  6. School districts partnering with Head Start programs must follow federal Head Start requirements. All programs must follow state pre-elementary statutes and regulations.
  7. In addition, if a school district partners with a Head Start program, all federal Head Start requirements must be met. While there is a state policy requirement of professional development for teachers, only some formal training was available in the 2012-2013 school year, although technical assistance was provided.
  8. An independent alignment of the ELGs and the new standards has been completed. Guidelines are aligned to the Alaska Developmental Profile, the Head Start Child Outcome Framework, and the Teaching Strategies Gold assessment process.
  9. Teachers must be state certified with a degree in ECE or a related field or specialized training in ECE or a related field.
  10. A current CDA, or 12 ECE credits or an Associate degree with specialized training in early childhood education or an AAS in early childhood education or a similar or related field.
  11. An additional $214,000 was used for set-aside funds for intervention districts.