Preschool instructional coaches are funded in New Jersey's State Preschool Program to provide and maintain high levels of quality by helping and supporting preschool teachers. The primary role of the preschool instructional coach is to visit classrooms and coach teachers using the reflective cycle.

Responsibilities for Coaching Support and Professional Development:

• Visit classrooms on a regular basis to coach and provide feedback to teachers to support high quality teaching practices.

• Administer structured program evaluation instruments to measure quality practices in preschool classrooms.

• Model developmentally appropriate classroom practices and lessons, facilitate Professional Learning Community (PLC) meetings, and plan and implement workshops to strengthen areas of needed improvement identified from structured observation instruments (aggregated data), curriculum observation instruments, performance-based assessment results, district evaluation data, and other information. 

• Provide individualized follow-up support to the teacher's level of development and plan small group meetings/trainings for teachers with similar needs.

A PIRS works within a consultation model with school district staff and administrators to deliver preschool age-appropriate services designed to decrease referrals to special education and to maximize general education classroom teachers’ ability to support all students.

Responsibilities:

• Provide support to general education classroom teachers to address the needs of children with challenging behaviors or learning disabilities. 

• Conduct regular classroom visits to observe, model, provide feedback, and make recommendations about appropriate strategies, classroom modifications, and the selection of adaptive materials to address the needs of children with challenging behaviors or potential learning difficulties.

• Bring professionals across disciplines together with families, as appropriate.

• Refer children, when all other efforts have failed, to the school district child study team, as set forth at N.J.A.C. 6A:14, Special Education;

The preschool intervention and referral team (PIRT) helps preschool staff modify children’s challenging behaviors (i.e., physical, social, language, emotional) that block successful participation in a general preschool classroom through development and implementation of intervention plans. The primary role of the PIRT is to provide support and suggested interventions to teachers so that all children can succeed within the general education classroom. The team may include any combination of the following: teachers, behavior specialists, psychologists, learning disabilities teacher-consultants, school social workers, speech and language pathologist or other specialists and is supervised by the school district preschool administrator.

Preschool Intervention and Referral Team Responsibilities/Process:

• Support classroom teachers in order to provide strategies for children who are exhibiting difficulty in the classroom as indicated through the Early Screening Inventory (ESI) screening process or the observation of the classroom teacher and instructional coach.

• Create and implement a PIRT intervention plan for each child when a Request For Assistance (RFA) is received.

• Conduct classroom visits as necessary to implement the PIRT intervention plan. These visits may include observations, providing feedback regarding the child or support plan, providing recommendations and modeling strategies when appropriate.

• Modify and adapt the PIRT intervention plan as necessary throughout the year.

• Evaluate the progress of the student and if necessary, facilitate a written referral to the school district Child Study Team as set forth in N.J.A.C. 6A:14.

• Facilitate transition of all PIRT case files to other programs as necessary (i.e., Kindergarten, CST).

The social worker is a district position in the role of collaborating with the classroom teachers, preschool coach, CPIS and other school district professionals to support the Family Services Program. In conjunction with the CPIS, the social worker should reach out to families, determine individual needs, provide advocacy services and help obtain available community services. Responsibilities also include assisting parents in learning about child development, nutrition, providing a safe environment and how to support the curriculum chosen by the school district. The social worker should accomplish this by designing and providing family workshops based on identified needs and topics revealed on parent surveys. 

• The Community and Parent Involvement Specialist (CPIS) enhances and supports family involvement in the preschool program. Through classroom activities, parent workshops, community resource family activities, and support groups, the CPIS strives to make each family’s preschool experience a positive and rewarding one.

• The CPIS also assists in the enrollment of new registrants and participates in preschool orientation activities to help families and children become acquainted with their new school environment.