New Jersey Department of EducationDivision of Early Childhood Education

Preschool Education Aid (PEA)One-Year Operational Plan

School Year 2019-2020

Due Date: August 1, 2019

Preschool Expansion Aid (PEA)One-Year Operational Plan

School Year 2019-2020

Operational Plan Components

InstructionsPart I: PEA Proposal Title PagePart II: One-Year Operational PlanPart III: Statement of Assurances

Preschool Education Aid FY20 (PEA)

Part I: PEA Proposal Title PagePart II: One-Year Operational PlanPart III: Statement of Assurances

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Instructions

School districts applying for Preschool Education Aid (PEA) must submit a one-year operational plan for the 2019-2020 school year in conjunction with a budget workbook. The purpose of PEA is to assist districts in expanding high-quality preschool services for three- and four-year-old children. The operational plan and budget workbook should provide information on implementation activities and related costs for the 2019-2020 school year.

The completed Operational Plan and Budget Workbook must be submitted to the New Jersey Department of Education via the NJDOE Homeroom by 4 p.m. on August 1, 2019.

Follow the instructions below to complete the Operational Plan. Separate instructions for completion of the Budget Workbook can be found on the NJDOE’s Division of Early Childhood Education webpage. The district’s PEA project director, business and facilities administrators must collaborate to complete the plan. Complete the cover page and attach a copy of the certified board resolution.

Part I: PEA Proposal Title Page

Complete the PEA Proposal Title Page with all requested information and required signatures.

Part II: One-Year Operational Plan

Operational Plan Overview

Provide a general overview of the operational plan of the district’s preschool program, addressing each of the questions listed.

Program Component Activity Forms

1.Complete the Program Component Activity Forms for each of the seven program area components. Limit the response to a maximum of two pages for each component: (1) outreach, recruitment and enrollment; (2) community collaboration and planning; (3) curriculum development and implementation; (4) professional development and training; (5) inclusion; (6) program evaluation; and budget narrative (7).

2. Describe in detail the specific activities and strategies that will contribute to achieving each objective. You are encouraged to use multiple activities and strategies for each objective. Please label each objective so that we know which objective you are aligning to.

3. Describe how the district will measure the progress/success toward achieving each objective.

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Part III: Statement of Assurances

The Chief School Administrator must print, sign and date the Statement of Assurances form. The Statement of Assurances must be approved by the Board of Education and certified by

the School Business Administrator.

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Preschool Education Aid FY20 (PEA)Part I: PEA Proposal Title Page

Title of Program: Preschool Education Aid 2019-2020 County/Code: ____________

Office: Early Childhood Education

Applicant District /Code

Address

City State Zip

Project Director: _________________________________________________________________

Telephone Number: (____)____________________ Fax#: (____)__________________

Email_______________________________

Business Administrator: ________________________________ Phone#: (____)___________

Email________________________________

Duration of fiscal period from: to:

Total Amount of Funds Requested: $__________________________________________Date of Board Resolution: ____________________________________________________________________

Attach the Board Certified Resolution or provide the date of expected board resolution. Proposal Certification: To the best of my knowledge and belief, the information contained in the proposal is true and correct. The document has been duly authorized by the governing body of this agency and we will comply with the attached assurances if funding is awarded. I further certify that the proposal is complete.

___________________________________________________ _________________________________________ ________________Signature of Chief School Administrator Print Name Date

Applicants must upload required application documents via NJ Homeroom, no later than 4 p.m. on August 1, 2019. The New Jersey Department of Education will not accept a late proposal. The responsibility for a timely submission resides with the applicant. The

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applicant district will not be eligible for an award if the proposal is incomplete or received after the due date.

Part II: One-Year Operational Plan

Operational Plan Overview (no more than three pages)

Provide a general overview of the district’s FY 2020 preschool program operational plan. Listed below are questions the district must address in the narrative:

Describe your current preschool program, including community services/resources offered to the preschool children and families.

What is the vision of your preschool program? How would additional funding support it? How are the needs of the children and families in your program determined? Briefly

describe how this plan addresses those circumstances. What are the qualifications and existing responsibilities of the person who will oversee

the proposed preschool program? Describe the opportunities for master teachers, the Preschool Intervention and Referral

Team (PIRT), and special education staff to engage in collaboration and consultation.

Program Component Activity Forms

Outreach, Recruitment and Enrollment

Please respond to the following (no more than 2 pages) [See the Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines as a reference.]:Describe the strategies the district has in place for serving eligible preschool students. What efforts will the district implement to recruit and place preschool children, especially the hardest to reach families (e.g., recent immigrants, low-income, teen parents, etc. and working towards serving the universe? Please note: The universe of eligible preschool children to be served by a school district in the next school year is determined by taking the number of first graders reported on the Application for State Aid (ASSA) and multiplying that number by two.

Please also address the following: The program will begin operation no later than October 1, 2019. Please note the projected

start date, if earlier. Effective methods of child recruitment are detailed. When applicable, district makes collaborative arrangements with community child care

programs and/or Head Start to provide services to eligible children. It is highly encouraged that districts contract with community child care programs and/or

Head Start agencies to offer a high-quality preschool program within a mixed delivery

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system to serve eligible children. Note: Districts who contract with Head Start and/or private providers will be given priority consideration

When applicable districts can use a lottery system for enrollment.m and Component Activity Forms (For Non-Personnel Costs)

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Community Collaboration and Planning

Please respond to the following (no more than 2 pages) ) [See the Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines as a reference.]:

In the space below, describe your plan for creating an Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC). Describe your plan to recruit members. If your district has an equivalent entity, provide the mission statement, membership roster and collaboration with the community. Additional information about the Early Childhood Advisory Council can be found in the Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines (page 22).

Please also address the following: List the name and title of the Community Parent Involvement Specialist and/or person

primarily responsible for each district family services (not including PIRT social workers).

List the activities and supports that will be available for families in the preschool program.

Supports for collaboration Activities and supports for transition

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Curriculum Development and Child Assessment Implementation

Please respond to the following (no more than 2 pages) ) [See the Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines as a reference.]:In the space below, please identify your district’s preschool curriculum. If your district is not yet implementing an evidence-based comprehensive curriculum that meets all of the Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards, please refer to the NJDOE’s Early Childhood Curriculum and Assessment webpage.

Please describe how the district implements the following: An evidence-based curriculum that is comprehensive and designed to help teachers and

children meet all of the Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards. If already in implementation, please note choice of curriculum (including edition), number of hours of professional development in curriculum completed and number of years of implementation.

If you are not currently implementing, please describe the process that will be used to choose an evidence-based curriculum.

Use of child assessment to track development and learning of preschool students. Transition plans reflect effective articulation and communication, preschool through

grade three. Innovative approaches for meeting children’s needs are evident. Clear and evidence-based methods for meeting the language needs of children who are

English language learners (ELLs) are described. Teachers and other staff are qualified as required: preschool classroom teachers hold a

bachelor’s degree and, at a minimum, a certificate of eligibility or certificate of eligibility with advanced standing for preschool through grade three or other equivalent preschool certification as set forth in N.J.A.C. 6A:9B .

Class size is 15 children preschool classrooms.

Professional Development and Training

Please describe how the district implements the following (2 page maximum): The professional development plan is systematic and comprehensive (fidelity to the

chosen curriculum, supports for ELL, inclusion, integrated therapies, appropriate assessment, etc.). [See the Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines as a reference.]

Administrators demonstrate knowledge of, and experience in, early childhood education and must attend required professional development offerings.

Teaching staff will receive ongoing support from knowledgeable supervisors/administrators.

A plan for how the Master Teacher and PIRT (Preschool Intervention & Referral Team) roles and responsibilities will be filled must be addressed, including how they will provide expertise to support teaching and learning.

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Inclusion

Please describe how the district implements the following (no more than 2 pages). The district board of education shall ensure the inclusion of preschool children with

disabilities in general education settings to the maximum extent possible. The program is designed to provide appropriate supports for preschool children with disabilities during the regular routine, such as adaptive activities and materials, adjusted schedules, and integrated therapies.

Specify the percentage of children in inclusion settings. Special education staff, master teachers and PIRT and/or I&RS (Intervention and Referral

Services) consult with teachers to address goals. Pull-out services are not recommended and are used on a very limited basis. Classroom teachers participate in all meetings throughout the IEP process and provide

input through utilization of the Review of the Preschool Day. Collaboration among teachers, special education staff and intervention teams is built into

the schedule. Teachers will receive support from special education staff and other experts. (It is not

necessary to have special education teachers in each classroom.) Ensure that preschoolers with disabilities are included in general education classrooms

with ratios guided by naturally occurring proportions. Naturally occurring proportions is defined as including the same percentage of children with disabilities in general education classrooms as the percentage of their presence in the general population of the preschool program (Policy Statement on Inclusion, 2015). Students with disabilities should be dispersed 2-3 children per class throughout all general education classrooms with no more than 5 children identified with a disability per class.

Program Evaluation

Please respond to the following (no more than 2 pages) Please describe measurable methods of assessing the effectiveness of the program components and the effects on children. Include information about the district’s current program evaluation methods. [See the Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines as a reference.]

Please describe how the district will address the following: A plan to enroll in Grow NJ Kids and complete the program self-assessment. Use of evaluation to inform program development and planning for individual children. Please note: With the exception of developmental screenings and diagnostic testing or random assessment as part of a NJDOE-approved research design, no standardized testing will be administered on preschool children. Instead, performance-based assessment will be administered, such as Teaching Strategies GOLD or HighScope COR Advantage.

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Budget Narrative

Please respond to the following (no more than 2 pages) Please provide a proposed budget narrative that explains each of the major sections of the budget and be sure to address the following:

One-time costs such as renovation, playground enhancements and startup costs for classrooms.

Additions to staff. Intentions to contract with Private Providers or Head Start Please Note: Letters of intent

to contract with private providers and Head Start must be included with your application. Professional development and/or curriculum/performance based assessment purchases. Family engagement. No temporary classroom units (TCU’s) or other temporary facilities, as defined in

N.J.A.C. 6A:26 shall be used for preschool classrooms.

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Part III: Statement of Assurances

As the duly authorized chief school administrator/school business administrator of the applicant agency, I am aware that submitting the accompanying application to the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) constitute the creation of a public document, and I certify that the applicant agency:

Has the legal authority to apply for the funds made available under the requirements of the announcement, and has the institutional, managerial and financial capacity to ensure proper planning, management and completion of the project described in this application.

Will give the NJDOE, or its authorized representatives, access to, and the right to examine, all records, books, papers, or documents related to the award and will establish a proper accounting system in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

Will establish safeguards to prohibit employees from using their positions for a purpose that constitutes, or presents the appearance of, personal or organizational conflict of interest, or personal gain.

Will comply with provisions of the Public School Contracts Law: N.J.S.A. 18A:18A-1, et seq., and other relevant state laws and regulations as well as its principals and subgrantees, for all grant awards in excess of $25,000.00, is not presently debarred, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, suspended, or voluntarily excluded by any federal agency from receiving federal funds in accordance with Executive Orders 12549 and 12689.

Will comply with Section 6002 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), P.L. 94-580, codified at 42 U.S.C. 6962 if the applicant is an entity of state and/or local government and will give preference to the purchase of recycled materials identified in U.S. EPA guidelines (40 CFR Part 247-254).

Will comply with all federal and state statutes and regulations relating to nondiscrimination. These include, but are not limited to:

(A) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (P.L 88-352; 34 CFR Part 100) which prohibits

discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin;

(B) Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1681-1683, and 1685-1686; 34 CFR Part 106), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex;

(C) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794; 34 CFR Part 104), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicaps;

(D) Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (41 CFR Parts 60-741.5(a)), as applicable, which requires affirmative action in employment;

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(E) the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended (42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.; 45 CFR Part 90), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, and

(F) the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended (P.L. 101-336), which guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities.

Will comply with Executive Order 11246, “Equal Employment Opportunity,” dated September 24, 1965, as amended by Executive Order 11375, dated October 13, 1967, and as supplemented by the regulations at 41 CFR Part 60.

Will comply with the provisions of the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988, as implemented at 34 CFR Part 85, Subpart F, for grantees, as defined at 34 CFR Part 85, Sections 85.605 and 85.610.

Will comply with the provisions of the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989, as implemented at 34 CFR Part 86, Subparts A-E (institutions of higher education only).

Will comply with the provisions set forth in the facilities efficiency standards wherein preschool classrooms shall have 950 square feet in total with a minimum of 750 square footage of usable space and shall be no higher than the second floor of a building as defined in N.J.A.C. 6A:26 and shall not be located in the basement.

Will comply with the provisions of full day general education and full day self-contained

classrooms.

Applicant Agency:

Signature of Chief School Administrator: Applicant Agency:

Signature of School Business Administrator: Date:

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