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Early Learning / Prekindergarten

Early Learning / Prekindergarten
 

 Early Learning / Prekindergarten 

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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 the Agency for Workforce Innovation (AWI) and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to implement the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education program.

News

Announcement of 2009-10 Rule Development Workshops New!

One of the major accountability components of Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education Program is the calculation of the VPK Provider Kindergarten Readiness Rate. To gather public input on the methodology for calculating the 2009-10 VPK Provider Kindergarten Readiness Rate, we have scheduled seven Rule Development Workshops (see attachments for a copy of the DRAFT Rule and locations and times of the scheduled workshops).

Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener (FLKRS) Training for Kindergarten Teachers

Each public school is required to administer a kindergarten readiness screening to all kindergarten students in the school district within the first 30 school days of each school year, section 1002.69(1), F.S. To ensure that kindergarten students attending non-public schools who participated in VPK are screened, school districts also provide training to non-public school kindergarten teachers on the administration of the Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener (FLKRS) each year. Please visit the links below for information regarding the dates for the fall 2010 FLKRS trainings that will be available in your district.
2010 District FLKRS Training Dates

Understanding the VPK Provider Kindergarten Readiness Rate Report: Linking Results to Instructional Resources New!

This document was prepared by the Florida Department of Education, Office of Early Learning to answer questions related to what may be impacting a provider’s readiness rate and to provide information on available instructional resources to assist VPK providers. Understanding the VPK Provider Kindergarten Readiness Rate Report: Linking Results to Instructional Resources (PDF, 120KB)

Inclusion of Department of Education Developed Online Courses in District Development Inservice Plans New!

Since the passage of the legislation to implement Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education Program, the Department of Education (DOE) has created high quality professional development courses and materials for VPK instructors that are aligned with the VPK Education Standards. To date, the DOE has developed three online courses that are appropriate for certified public school VPK teachers. To provide certified public school VPK teachers with the opportunity to earn in-service points toward recertification, we have developed Master In-service Plans for the following DOE-approved online courses: Emergent Literacy for Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Instructors; English Language Learners in the VPK Classroom; Language and Vocabulary in the VPK Classroom.

Results of 2009 Kindergarten Screening New!

Consistent with the Department of Education’s Next Generation Prekindergarten-20 Strategic Plan to strengthen foundation skills in reading and mathematics, we are pleased to provide you with the results of the 2009 screening of public school kindergarten students. These results are especially noteworthy given that 63-percent of Florida’s four-year-olds participated in the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education Program in 2008-09.

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 AWI, DCF and DOE

In collaboration with the Agency for Workforce Innovation (AWI), 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.