Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten Program (VPK)

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Florida’s Voluntary Prekindergarten Program

(VPK)

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

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

Summer VPK

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.

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 Knowledge print awareness,

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.

Florida VPK Performance Standards

• DOE has a free five-hour online Emergent Literacy course, at:

• www.myfloridaeducation.com/earlyl

earning

• Provides technical assistance on emergent literacy, language, emergent reading, emergent writing and environment.

VPK Online Training

Summer VPK

Outdoor Play/Gross Motor Activities

Summer VPK

WritingActivities

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

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.

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Questions?

LaQuita Lee, Director PreK-2 Department

754-321-1951

Broward County Public SchoolsVPK Program

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