Or. Admin. R. 414-470-0040 - Minimum Requirements: Preschool Promise Program

There are multiple pathways to become a highly qualified teacher. To be eligible to provide preschool services under the Preschool Promise Program, a Preschool Promise Provider must:

(1) Provide, at a minimum, the annual number of instructional hours required for full-day kindergarten.

(2) Take into consideration the scheduling needs of families who need full-time service.

(3) Provide continuity from infant and toddler services to early elementary grades.

(4) Demonstrate an ability to maximize available federal, state and local funds.

(5) Demonstrate quality through meeting program standards including but not limited to:

(a) Participates in the quality rating and improvement system (Spark) for early childhood programs.

(b) Adopts culturally responsive teaching methods and practices.

(c) Providing highly trained lead preschool teachers who have:

(A) At least a bachelor's degree in:

(i) Early childhood education or a field related to early childhood education; or

(ii) A field not related to early childhood education but teacher has completed coursework that is equivalent to a major in early childhood education and has sufficient training in early childhood education as determined by the Division; or

(B) An associate's degree with additional training or additional certification in early childhood education or a field related to early childhood education, as determined by the Division; or

(C) Until sufficient alternative credentialing to indicate that the teacher is highly trained is developed by the Division, in partnership with the Educator Advancement Council and affected stakeholders, the lead preschool teacher must have a Child Development Associate (CDA) Preschool Credential or at least Step 8 on the Oregon Registry Online (ORO).

(d) Providing lead preschool teachers and teacher assistants with a salary that meets the minimum salary requirements established by the Early Learning Council.

(e) Providing at least one assistant teacher in each classroom who provides support for academic instruction and who meets the state's personnel qualification requirements of one of the top two tiers for the quality rating and improvement system.

(f) Participates in an ongoing monitoring and program evaluation system that is used for continuous program improvement as established by the Division.

(g) Provides a high quality, culturally responsive family engagement environment that supports parents as partners in a child's learning and development.

(h) Provides high quality, culturally responsive curricula, assessments and professional development that are linked to one another and to the state's comprehensive early learning standards.

(i) Provides a classroom environment that is inclusive of all children, regardless of ability or family income.

(j) Providing children and families with additional health and child development supports, such as screening, referrals and coordination with health care providers.

(k) Incorporates best practices in outreach, enrollment and programming for diverse cultural and linguistic populations and children who have been historically underserved in preschool programs.

(l) Works in collaboration with community programs to ensure that families have knowledge of, and are connected to, community resources and supports to meet the needs of children and families served by the preschool program.

(6) Applications to operate a Preschool Promise program as authorized in ORS 329.172 will be scored on the Preschool Promise Provider's ability to meet Preschool Promise requirements. Scoring criteria will be established by the Division.

(7) A Preschool Promise Provider may engage one or more subcontractors to provide one or more services in connection with the preschool offered by the provider, including but not limited to services such as transportation, food preparation, janitorial services, bookkeeping, staff training, or teaching. The Division may require in its grant agreement that any subcontractors hired by the provider or subcontracts entered into by the provider are subject to review and approval by the Division. A provider may not subcontract the performance of its entire preschool operations to another entity, nor may the provider negate or transfer its obligation under a grant agreement with the Division to provide the preschool program described in the grant agreement. The provider, not its contractor, must engage or contract directly with the parent, guardian or similar authorized representative of any child enrolled in the provider's program and the provider must remain responsible for the provision of the preschool to such parent, guardian or authorized representative, despite the use of one or more subcontractors to fulfill the provider's contractual obligations.

Notes

Or. Admin. R. 414-470-0040

ODE 32-2016, f. & cert. ef. 5-3-16; ODE 123-2019, minor correction filed 09/09/2019, effective 09/09/2019; Renumbered from 581-019-0043 ODE 151-2019, filed 12/09/2019, effective 12/9/2019; ELD 5-2020, amend filed 01/30/2020, effective 1/30/2020

Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 326.425(7)

Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 329.172