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Early Learning / Prekindergarten

Early Learning / Prekindergarten
 

  Early Learning / Prekindergarten  

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Stuart Greenberg
Executive Director
325 West Gaines Street, Room 514
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400

Phone: (850) 245-0445
Fax: (850) 245-5105

About Us

The Department of Education/Office of Early Learning (DOE/OEL) works in collaboration with Florida's Office of Early Learning (formerly the Agency for Workforce Innovation (AWI)) and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to implement the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education program.

News

Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards for Four-Year-Olds (2011) manual available for purchase - New!

The Department of Education is pleased to announce that the Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards for Four-Year-Olds (2011) manual is available for purchase. The attached flyer(s) provides details for ordering the manual through our vendor, PDB Worldwide. The price, $10.50, includes shipping. Purchases can be made using credit cards, checks, money orders, and purchase orders.

The website for purchase of the Standards for Four-Year-Olds manual is: www.flstandardsfouryearolds.com. If you need assistance accessing the website, placing an order, or paying for an order, please contact PBD Worldwide toll-free at 1-855-352-7826 (855-FLA-STAN) or by email .

Class Size Requirements for Prekindergarten Programs - New!

The Florida Department of Education, Division of Public Schools has issued a Technical Assistance Paper (TAP), DPS: 2011-173 that provides guidance on the class size requirements for Florida's Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program and other classes for prekindergartners. The paper includes guidance on which course codes are applicable and how schools should report to the DOE Automated Student Database. Below is the list of appendices referenced in this paper:

2012-13 Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education Program Curriculum Approval Process - New!

The Florida Department of Education is beginning the 2012 Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Curriculum Approval Process for Providers on Probation.

The Department of Education welcomes public input on the draft documents below. After reviewing these documents, you may participate in an online survey.

  • The timeline for the 2012-2013 Curriculum Approval Process is currently being revised. It is expected that the new list of approved curricula will be available to VPK providers in January 2013.
  • Draft Curriculum Approval Specifications (PDF, 429KB)
  • Draft Policies and Procedures for Curriculum Approval (PDF, 344KB)
  • Survey about Draft Documents for Curriculum Approval Process - Deadline: 5 p.m., EST, Friday, February 3. Please note, the three documents found above should be previewed in order to respond to this survey. All comments will be reviewed and considered when finalizing the documents. The final documents are subject to approval by the Chancellor and Commissioner of Education. Deadline to take part in survey has passed.

Standards used in VPK Education Programs - New!

The Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards for Four-Year-Olds (2011) were formally adopted by the State Board of Education on October 18, 2011, as the Standards for use in VPK Education Programs. For more information about the Standards for Four-Year-Olds, please visit the Performance Standards page.

An electronic version of the entire Standards for Four-Year-Olds document is available below:

A list of the standards and benchmarks found in the Standards for Four-Year-Olds is available below:

Crosswalks between the Standards for Four-Year-Olds and other documents:

Sample Lesson Plans Based on the Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards for Four-Year-Olds (2011) New!

These lesson plans based on the Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards for Four-Year-Olds (2011), are designed to help develop the skills that four-year-olds should know and be able to do by the end of their prekindergarten year. There are targeted Standards for Four-Year-Olds included in each lesson plan. To show prekindergarten administrators and teachers how one lesson can be easily integrated across the five domains of development, related Standards for Four-Year-Olds are also included in each lesson plan.

What’s Happening in VPK!

This informational flyer for VPK providers has updates about the 2008-09 Kindergarten Readiness Rate and new additions to the Training Management System (TMS) web site.

Florida Department of Education, Office of Early Learning VPK Fact Sheet

The VPK Fact Sheet is published monthly to highlight recent achievements in Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education Program. It includes the number of children currently enrolled in the VPK program, number and percentage of teachers taking and completing DOE-approved on-line and instructor led courses and updates on coming additions to our online resources.

Collaborative Agency Directory: Frequently Asked Questions for OEL, DCF and DOE

In collaboration with Florida's Office of Early Learning (OEL), and the Department of Children and Families (DCF), the Department of Education, Office of Early Learning (DOE/OEL) has created this document with answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) about VPK and related programs. The document includes names, telephone numbers and web sites for each agencies areas of responsibility.