Education Program
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V
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a
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en (
VPK
)
The summer of 2006 will
be the first
year of implementation
for the Summer
Voluntary
Prekindergarten
(VPK)
Education
Program.
This fact sheet has been
written
to provide
information
about the Summer VPK Program and to explain
what you, as the family of a child with special needs, can expect.
Here are some important things you should know about the
n
Your child
is eligible
to attend the Summer VPK Program if you are a
resident
of Florida;
your child
was four years old as of September 1,
2005; and your child did not attend the VPK School Year Program.
n
The Summer VPK Program
offered by your local
school
district
but may not necessarily be available in every elementary school.
n
The program
offered by private
preschool
programs in your
community.
n
The Summer VPK Program will
be 300 hours in
length.
School districts
and participating
private
preschool
programs in your community will
decide on the starting
and ending dates and the length
of the school
day for the Summer VPK Program.
n
The Summer VPK teachers will
be certified
teachers or have a
Bachelor’s degree in an approved area.
n
One teacher is required
for every 10 children.
The classes
may be
organized so that two teachers will have a classroom for 20 children.
n
The Summer VPK Program will
be a developmentally
appropriate program based on the VPK Education
Standards.
These standards provide
guidance
on ways
classroom instruction
and the classroom environment
can promote learning.
The program’s
instructional
focus
will address the following areas:
n
Physical Health
?
n
Approaches to Learning
?
n
Social and Emotional Development
?
n
Language and Communication
?
n
Emergent Literacy
?
n
Cognitive Development and General Knowledge
?
n
Motor Development
?
n
Both school district
and private preschools
in your community offering
the Summer VPK
Program will
have policies
related
to attendance
and discipline.
n
There is no requirement for school districts
and private
preschool programs to transport
children to Summer VPK. Families should
anticipate
that transportation
will
be their
responsibility.
n
The VPK program is not special education
and does not provide for specially
designed
instruction
or related
services.
If your child
has
an Individual
Educational
Plan
(IEP) during
the
school
year,
those services
will
not be provided
as a part of the Summer VPK Program.
n
If your child
does have an IEP or other special
needs,
the school
district
will
make the program
accessible
to your child. For example, ramps
must be available
for a child
in a wheelchair,
large
print
or other special
materials
must be
provided for a child
with a visual
impairment,
or special
supports
that are listed
on a health
plan must be addressed.
n
If your child
does have special
needs, please
make sure you share this information
when
registering for the Summer VPK Program.
n
You can learn
more about the Summer VPK Program by contacting
your local
school
district
or the
Early Learning Coalition in your area.
n
Contact information for your local Early Learning Coalition can be found at
http://www.foridajobs.org/VPK/index.htm
.
