Preschool Programs

Overview

A local education agency may reserve Title I, Part A funds to provide early childhood education programs for eligible children. A school operating a schoolwide program may use Title I funds for any activity that supports the needs of students in the school as identified through the comprehensive needs assessment and articulated in the schoolwide plan. These funds can be used to operate, in whole or in part, a preschool program to improve cognitive, health, and social-emotional outcomes for children from birth to the age at which the LEA provides a free public elementary education. Such programs are designed to prepare children for success in kindergarten. All preschool-aged children who reside in the school's attendance area are eligible to participate. Targeted assistance campuses can provide services only to children eligible based on the Statute described below. This need must be identified through the comprehensive needs assessment and articulated in the campus plan.

Statute from ESEA as amended through P.L. 114-95, enacted December 10, 2015 (ESSA)

A local education agency may reserve funds made available to carry out this section to provide early childhood education programs for eligible children - 1113(c)(5)

Each local education agency plan shall describe:

if applicable, how the local educational agency will support, coordinate, and integrate services provided under this part with early childhood education programs at the LEA or individual school level, including plans for the transition of participants in such programs to local elementary school programs - 1112(b)(8)
in the case of an LEA that chooses to use funds under this part to provide early childhood education services to low-income children below the age of compulsory school attendance, ensure that such services comply with the performance standards established under section 641A(a) of the Head Start Act - 1112(c)(7)

A school that operates a schoolwide program under this section may use funds available under this part to establish or enhance preschool programs for children who are under 6 years of age - 1114(c)

An eligible school operating a schoolwide program shall develop a comprehensive plan that:

includes a description of the strategies that the school will be implementing to address school needs, including a description of how such strategies will address the needs of all children in the school, but particularly the needs of those at risk of not meeting the challenging State academic standards, through activities which may include strategies for assisting preschool children in transition from early childhood education programs to local elementary school programs - 1114(b)(7)(iii)(V)

To assist targeted assistance schools and local educational agencies to meet their responsibility to provide for all their students served under this part the opportunity to meet the challenging State academic standards, each targeted assistance program under this section shall:

determine which students will be served - 1115(b)(1)
serve participating students identified as eligible children under subsection (c), including by
- coordinating with and supporting the regular education program, which may include services to assist preschool children in the transition from early childhood education programs such as Head Start, the literacy program under subpart 2 of Part B of Title II, or State-run preschool programs to elementary school programs - 1115(b)(2)(C)

In targeted assistance schools, eligible children include:

Head Start and preschool children - A child who, at any time in the 2 years preceding the year for which the determination is made, participated in a Head Start program, the literacy program under subpart 2 of Part B or Title II, or in preschool services under this title, is eligible for services under this part - 1115(c)(2)(B)

Each LEA receiving assistance under this part shall carry out the activities described in subsection (b) with Head Start agencies and, if feasible, other entities carryout out early childhood development programs. Each LEA shall develop agreements with such Head Start agencies and other entities to carry out such activities. - 1119(a)

The activities referred to in subsection (a) are activities that increase coordination between the LEA and a Head Start agency and, if feasible, other entities carrying out early childhood education programs serving children who will attend the schools of the LEA, including:

developing and implementing a systematic procedure for receiving records regarding such children, transferred with parental consent from a Head Start program or, where applicable, another early childhood education program - 1119(b)(1)
establishing channels of communication between school staff and their counterparts (including teachers, social workers, and health staff) in such Head Start agencies or other entities carrying out early childhood education programs, as appropriate, to facilitate coordination of programs - 1119(b)(2)
conducting meetings involving parents, kindergarten or elementary school teachers, and Head Start teachers, or, if appropriate, teachers from other early childhood education programs, to discuss the developmental and other needs of individual children - 1119(b)(3)
organizing and participating in joint transition-related training of school staff, Head Start program staff, and, where appropriate, other early childhood education program staff - 1119(b)(4)
linking the educational services provided by such local educational agency with the services provided by local Head Start agencies - 1119(b)(5)