General

Pre-kindergarten Initiative in 2013-14:
Universal Pre- Kindergarten Grant (UPK) and Inclusive Preschool Learning Environment Grant (IPLE- Grant 391).

State agency with administrative authority over pre-K:
Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care1

Availability of program:
220 out of 351 towns/communities (63%)2

Are districts, counties, or towns in Massachusetts required to offer this pre-kindergarten initiative?
No, competitive2

Hours of operation per day:
Determined locally, varies by program4

Is there a formal partnership at the state level to provide extended day services through collaboration with other agencies and programs?
No4

Enrollment

Fall 2013, Total children:
12,991

Fall 2011, by age:
Breakdown not available3

Fall 2011, by type of administering agency:
Public schools, 5,659; Nonpublic schools, 7,332

Program enrollment, Fall 2013, by operating schedule:
Extended day, 6,172; School day, 747; Part day, 7614

Eligibility

Minimum age for eligibility:
2 years, 9 months by locally determined date

Maximum age for eligibility:
Locally determined

Kindergarten eligibility age:
Locally determined

Does state policy allow any exceptions to the age requirement for prekindergarten or kindergarten eligibility?
Yes5

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-K5

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 age6

What was the state-specified income requirement during the 2013-14 program year?
85% SMI (UPK); None (Grant 391)6

To whom, or to what percentage of children, does the income requirement apply?
Any child may enroll in any program, but programs are selected to receive UPK and IPLE funding based on program characteristics and on the characteristics of the children in the program. There is no income requirement for IPLE, though programs may use some of the reported risk factors at the local level to prioritize the selection of eligible children without IEPs due to the high demand. IPLE grant-funded programs that are also supported by other supplemental funding, such as EEC financial assistance, IDEA, and Head Start must follow the eligibility requirements determined by these funding sources which are based on individual child or family characteristics in addition to age. The 85% SMI income requirement applies to all children in UPK receiving subsidy money, but does not apply to tuition-paying families. For families to enter the subsidy system they can have up to 50 percent of SMI and can continue receiving assistance up to 85 percent of the SMI. For families with special needs, they can enter up to 85 percent SMI and remain until 100 percent.

Is there a sliding payment scale based on income?
Determined locally6

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 applicable6

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

How do these risk factors relate to the income cutoff for the state pre-K program?
Not Applicable

Class Sizes

Maximum class size:
3- and 4-year-olds, 20

Staff-child ratio requirement:
3- and 4-year-olds, 1 to 10 (UPK); 1 to 7-10 (IPLE)7

Teachers

Minimum teacher degree requirement:
BA (public); No minimum degree required (nonpublic)12

Required teacher certification, licensure, and/or endorsement:
Public: EC Teacher of Students with and without Disabilities (Pre-K to Grade 2); Nonpublic: 3 credits (Preschool)12

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

Education level of teachers during 2011-12 totals:
Breakdown not available12

Teacher in-service requirement:
150 clock hours per 5 years (IPLE); 20 clock hours per year (UPK)

Minimum assistant teacher degree requirement:
HSD or Equivalent (public); 18 years + 3 credit CD course (nonpublic)13

Assistant teacher specialized training requirement:
Public: None; Nonpublic: 18 years + 3 credit CD course

Services

Meal requirement:
Depends on length of program day8

Support services for English Language Learners and families:
Professional development or coaching is provided for teachers; State policy does not regulate services for English Language Learners10

Support services required for all programs:
Parent conferences and/or home visits

Regulations

Screening and referral requirements:
Required: Vision; Hearing; Developmental9

State’s early learning standards document in 2013-14.
Guidelines of Preschool Learning Experiences

For more information about the early learning standards in 2013-14:
http://www.eec.state.ma.us/docs1/research_planning/guidelines4preschool.pdf11

Funding

Days per week the state prekindergarten initiative is funded to operate using state funds:
Determined locally, varies by program4

Annual operating schedule for this state-funded prekindergarten initiative:
Determined locally4

Actual fiscal year 2014 spending for this state prekindergarten initiative:
$51,415,007

All funding sources:
State, $15,828,732; Federal, $35,586,27514

State funding sources and amounts:
IPLE budget allocation FY14, $8,342,828; UPK budget allocation, $7,500,00015

Federal funding sources and amounts:
IDEA, $3,436,306; TANF/CCDF funds, $32,149,96915

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, Head Start, Private CC, Faith-based centers, Family CC, Other settings: Private Schools

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

Is there a required local match for this program?
Yes14

Select a state program to view details.


Massachusetts Footnotes

  1. The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care is the state licensing authority and exerts authority over the early education and care programs in the Commonwealth. The Massachusetts State Head Start Collaboration Office sits in the Department of Early Education and Care, but does not itself exercise administrative authority over the prekindergarten initiatives.
  2. The IPLE grant is offered in 186 cities/towns. The UPK grant is offered in 92 cities/towns. Many cities/towns offer both programs. Unduplicated, 220 towns offer the programs. There were 2 grant distributions for UPK during the 2013-2014 program year: a renewal grant for the current group of UPK grant recipients (awarded to 205 current programs) and an open competitive round for only those preschool programs that were not part of UPK (awarded to 29 programs). The IPLE grant was awarded through a renewal grant in 2013-2014.
  3. In 2013-2014 program year, 5,311 children were enrolled in IPLE. 7,680 children were enrolled in the UPK program. There could be some duplicated children if programs receive both the UPK and IPLE grant.
  4. The hours and operating schedule vary by type of program and setting. Programs can operate either a school year or full year schedule. UPK programs are required to offer or provide access to school-day, full year services. The majority of IPLE grantees follow the public school calendar year, which is determined locally. These IPLE grant funded programs typically offer a combination of part-day, school-day and extended-day. Part week opportunities are also used, which are all determined locally. IPLE grant funded programs that are supported by other supplemental funding, such as EEC financial assistance, UPK grant or Head Start must follow the operating schedule as determined by these contractual requirements. All IPLE students are reported in “locally determined” schedules.
  5. The hours and operating schedule vary by type of program and setting. Program can operate either a school year or full year schedule. UPK programs are required to offer or provide access to full day full year services. The majority of IPLE grantees follow the public school calendar year, which is determined locally. These IPLE grant funded programs typically offer a combination of part day, school day and extended day. Part week opportunities are also used, which are all determined locally. IPLE grant funded programs that are supported by other supplemental funding, such as EEC financial assistance, UPK grant or Head Start must follow the operating schedule as determined by these contractual requirements. All IPLE students are reported in “locally determined” schedules.
  6. For UPK, state policy does not regulate the enrollment of kindergarten-age eligible children in prek. A child with special needs could remain in the preschool program, however, they would no longer be counted in the UPK formula. The children must be in the preschool classroom by the renewal date of the grant but the state does not have a cut-off date. The children are no longer eligible for preschool when they are eligible to enter kindergarten in the cit/town in which they live. The school districts determine kindergarten eligibility locally. For IPLE, kindergarten-age eligible children with documented disabilities may enroll in pre-K. As per State Special Education Regulations, the team may allow a child to remain in a program designed for three and four year old children for the duration of the school year in which the child turns five years old (including the summer following the date of the child’s fifth birthday).
  7. It is determined by UPK if a child is part of the financial assistance system, and the sliding fee scale for parent co-pay is determined by income. Any program receiving subsidy funds may use the Massachusetts sliding fee scale. If not, programs can establish their own.
  8. For IPLE grants, the ratio can range from 1 to 7 to 1 to 10 based upon the number of children with disabilities enrolled in the session. Class size is based upon the number of children with disabilities enrolled in the session, per state special education regulations. UPK is 1 to 10.
  9. Programs operating fewer than 4 hours per day must schedule snacks. Program operating between 4 and 9 hours must schedule a regularly scheduled meal in addition to a snack, while those operating more than 9 hours must schedule two meals and two snacks. Parents or providers may provide snacks.
  10. All LEAs are required to offer screenings and referrals under Child Find, and screenings are available to children in non-LEAs through services in the public schools. Types of health screening offered are not specified.
  11. PD applies to Grant 391; No regulation in UPK. EEC-licensed child care programs must develop a mechanism for and encourage ongoing communication with parents, including communicating effectively with families whose primary language is not English or who require alternative communication methods. The 2010 Licensing Regulations indicate that one-third of the required professional development of educators must address diverse learners. LEA regulations regarding special education services require that communications to families shall be in both English and the primary language of the home, if such primary language is other than English. Any interpreter used to implement this provision shall be fluent in the primary language of the home.
  12. In 2003, the state put in place the Guidelines for Preschool Early Learning Experiences, which covered all recognized domains of development at the time. All programs (except family child care) must follow the Guideline. In 2011, the state merged its current standards with the Common Core State Standards and released the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for Pre-K. Programs are not required to follow the Curriculum Frameworks, though public school programs in UPK are likely to follow them. Public school programs must also follow the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for preschool and kindergarten for older 4- and 5-year-olds. IPLE grant funded programs are required to implement developmentally appropriate and inclusive early childhood curriculum aligned with the Massachusetts Preschool Early Learning Guidelines; The Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for Preschool and Kindergarten; Massachusetts Quality Rating and Improvement Standards for Center-based/School-based programs; and the Early Childhood Program Standards for Three and Four Year Olds. Public School programs must also follow the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for preschool and kindergarten for older 4- and 5-year-olds.
  13. All teachers must have an early childhood education certification. Public school teachers must have a pre-K–grade 2 certification. Nonpublic school teachers must be certified by the Department of Early Education and Care. Lead teachers must either be 21 years old or have a high school diploma and must complete a three-credit course in child growth and development. For centers at Level 2 in the QRIS, all members of the teaching staff must have a minimum of 3 credits in ECE or a related field, and 50 percent of classrooms must have an educator with a BA. For Level 3 programs, 75 percent of classrooms must have an educator with a BA. For Level 4 programs, 100 percent of classrooms must have an educator with a BA.
  14. For UPK, assistant teachers must be 18 years old or have a high school diploma. For IPLE, the minimum requirements for this role are: Possession of a high school diploma or equivalent; AND one of the following: Possession of an Associate’s (or higher) degree; OR Completion of 48 credit hours at an Institution of Higher Education; OR passing a Completion of paraprofessional exam. In the event that the IPLE public school setting is also a Title I school/program, then these paraprofessional requirements apply. Assistant Teachers (nonpublic) must have a high school diploma or equivalent and must work at all times under the direct supervision of at least a teacher qualified staff person, must be at least 18 years of age and have 3 credits in Child Growth and development . EEC does not provide certification for Assistant Teachers (Nonpublic Schools).
  15. From all sources, total UPK funding is $39,649,969 and total IPLE funding is $11,7779,134. TANF and CCDF funds contribute to UPK while IPLE uses IDEA funds. “High needs children” are defined as children who have multiple risk factors linked to poor school and life outcomes, including: children and parents with special needs; children whose home language is not English or are English Language Leaners; families and children involved with multiple state agencies; recent immigrants; children with parents who are deployed and are not living on a military base; low-income households; parents with less than a high school education; and children who are homeless or move more than once a year.