Mo. Code Regs. tit. 5 § 20-100.320

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 23, December 2, 2024

Section 5 CSR 20-100.320 - Prekindergarten Program Standards

PURPOSE: This amendment is to respond to changes in section 163.018, RSMo, by HB 604, which allows a district or a charter school that has declared itself as a local education agency to contract with an early childhood education program to provide early learning services. HB 604 gave the board the authority to set standards for any early childhood education program that is under a contract as set forth above, and these standards contained herein are entitled "Prekindergarten Program Standards."

(1) Any school district or charter school reporting children ages three (3) to five (5) for calculation in their average daily attendance must meet standards approved by the State Board of Education (board) including:

(A) A lead teacher in each prekindergarten classroom who holds a bachelor's degree and teaching certificate in early childhood education or early childhood special education; and

(B) A teacher assistant or paraprofessional who holds an associate's degree in early childhood, or child development, or sixty (60) college hours with a minimum of nine (9) college credit hours in early childhood, child development, or child/family related courses and experience working in a program with young children and their families for any classroom with more than ten (10) children.

(2) Any school district or charter school contracting with an early childhood education program reporting children ages three (3) to five (5) for calculation in their average daily attendance must meet standards approved by the board set forth in (1)(A) and (B) of this rule, and including:

(A) The program provides school day, school year programming with options for full day, full year programming;

(B) The program has a teacher-to-child ratio of one (1) to ten (10), maximum class size of twenty (20) children;

(C) The program implements a developmentally appropriate curricula aligned with the early learning standards, and approved by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE);

(D) The program aligns with the early learning standards that implement a developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically appropriate, authentic, reliable, and valid general development and social/emotional screening tool and summative assessment used with all children. Information from the screenings and assessments will be used for educational purposes;

(E) The program develops and implements procedures to ensure all staff members of the early childhood education program shall undergo background checks as described in section 168.133, RSMo; and

(F) The program is accredited by Missouri Accreditation of Programs for Children and Youth within ninety (90) days of a fully executed contract.

5 CSR 20-100.320

Amended by Missouri Register February 18, 2020/Volume 45, Number 4, effective 3/31/2020