Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten Program (VPK)

1. Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten Program (VPK)

2. VPKFlorida Legislation • Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program (VPK) allows every child who resides in Florida and • attains the age of four years on or before September 1 of the school year • to participate in a high quality learning experience • at no cost to parents

3. VPKFlorida Legislation • Public, private and faith-based community preschools may offer a 540-hour school year VPK program • Florida public schools may offer a 540-hour school year VPK program • Public, private and faith-based community preschools may offer a 300-hour school summer VPK program • Florida public schools are required to offer a 300 hour summer VPK program

4. SummerVPK To meet the required state mandate of a 300-hour program, Summer VPK was first implemented May 31- July 28, 2006. • 700 students attended a seven and a half hour day • teachers were employed for an eight-hour day • parents participated in after-school Family Literacy events.

5. Summer VPK Curriculum • Let’s Begin With The Letter People Curriculum • Structured approach to literacy learning that focuses on: • Oral Language and Vocabulary Development • Print Awareness • Phonologic and Phonemic Awareness • Alphabetic Knowledgeprint awareness,

6. FloridaVPK Performance Standards DOE Office of Early Learning www.myfloridaeducation.com/earlylearning • Physical Health • Approaches to Learning • Social and Emotional Development • Language Communication • Emergent Literacy • Cognitive Development • General Knowledge and Motor Development Standards identify what four year old children should know and be able to do by the end of their prekindergarten year.

7. VPK Online Training • DOE has a free five-hour online Emergent Literacy course, at: • www.myfloridaeducation.com/earlylearning • Provides technical assistance on emergent literacy, language, emergent reading, emergent writing and environment.

8. Summer VPK Outdoor Play/Gross Motor Activities

9. Summer VPK Writing Activities

10. VPK Challenges • If your child did not attend a VPK Program, why not? • Responses from 3,000 Kindergarten parents included: • 772 parents never heard of VPK • 524 parents were not aware their child was eligible for VPK • 400 parents enrolled in another preschool • 147 parents indicated no aftercare program at the VPK location • 173 parents indicated VPK was too far from home

11. Additional VPK Challenges • State policy prohibits the VPK provider from determining eligibility thus parents must • complete the VPK eligibility application process at a community agency not at the VPK • school. Information is available at www.elcbroward.org • Florida’s class-size reduction requirements, limits space in the public schools for the • Implementation of a school-year VPK program. • .

12. Questions? LaQuita Lee, Director PreK-2 Department 754-321-1951

13. Broward County Public Schools VPK Program Thank You!