OEL Program and Policy Webinar

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OEL Program and Policy Webinar

• June 27, 2007
• 300- 500 p.m.

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AWI-OEL VPK Improvement Process
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VPK ImprovementProcess Draft Rule

• What it does
• Establishes procedures for an early learning
  coalition or school district to approve an
  improvement plan for a VPK provider with a low
  kindergarten readiness rate.

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Why?

• VPK law requires the State Board of Education to
  periodically adopt a minimum kindergarten
  readiness rate that
• demonstrates satisfactory delivery of the VPK
  program
• is not higher than the rate at which 15 percent
  of all VPK providers would fall below the minimum
  satisfactory rate
• Sections 1002.51-1002.79, Florida Statutes

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Low Performing Providers

• VPK law requires a VPK provider whose
  kindergarten readiness rate falls below the
  minimum satisfactory rate to
• Year 1 submit an improvement plan for approval
  by the coalition or school district and implement
  the plan
• Year 2 use a DOE-approved curriculum, along
  with other corrective actions, as conditions of
  probation
• Year 3 be removed from the VPK program after
  two consecutive years on probation
• (Sections 1002.67 (3)(c)1-3., F.S.)

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ProviderAcknowledgement

• Providers who fall below the minimum kindergarten
  readiness rate must acknowledge their designation
  as a Low Performing Provider and complete a
  questionnaire about their VPK program
• Includes total number of instructors and
  percentage with Early Childhood education,
  training, curriculum, and more
• Sample provider acknowledgement template

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Development of the Improvement Plan

• Providers must
• conduct a needs assessment of their program
• Identify at least 2 targeted areas for
  improvement
• set a timeline to implement the proposed actions.

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Improvement Plan Template

• To create a customized improvement plan, a
  template will be available for Low Performing
  Providers.
• Includes display of
• program information previously provided
• results of a needs assessment
• targeted areas for improvement
• view a sample provider Improvement Plan

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Needs Assessment

• Administered within the last year of the
  providers VPK program
• If no assessment, then this will be part of the
  improvement plan

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Strategies for Improvement

• Describe targeted areas based on needs assessment
• Actions already taken or proposed to be taken (at
  least two)

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Submission and Approval

• A provider must submit the plan within 30 days
  after acknowledgement as a Low Performing
  Provider.
• A coalition or school district, as applicable,
  must approve the plan within 10 business days if
  plan is complete according to the criteria
• If the plan is incomplete or insufficient, it
  will be returned for revision and must be
  resubmitted within 30 days
• A provider may not begin instruction for a new
  VPK class or program until the improvement plan
  has been approved

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Implementation

• A provider must provide a copy of an improvement
  plan upon request
• A provider must submit periodic reports on the
  providers progress in implementing the plan to
  the coalition or school district as applicable
• AWI-OEL determines the timeline for periodic
  reports
• Recommendation Quarterly (November, February,
  May, August)

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• All aspects of the Improvement Process must be
  completed electronically through the Web site
  www.ImproveVPK.org
• An alternative method is available for providers
  not able to submit online, with approval by AWI
  however this paper method will require that a
  coalition, school district, or AWI staff enter
  the information into the electronic format

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Internet Resources

• VPK Improvement Process Web site
• AWI-OEL Web Tutorial
• Supporting materials will be available on the Web
  site to coalitions and school districts

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Specific Questions

• Send questions about the VPK Improvement Process
  to

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• VPK Improvement Process Resources

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VPK Improvement Process Resources

• The Office of Early has developed eight fact
  sheets to assist providers in developing their
  Improvement Process Plan.

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VPK Improvement Process Resources

• The fact sheets focus on the target areas of the
  Improvement Plan. The target areas include
• Administrative and Management Practices
• Classroom Instructional Practices
• Social-Emotional Interactions among
  Prekindergarten Instructors and Children
• Classroom Learning Environment
• Developmentally Appropriate Curricula
• Developmental Screenings
• Developmental Assessments
• Family Involvement

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VPK Improvement Process Resources

• Each fact sheet includes
• A description of the target area
• Rationale for the target area
• Examples of actions that can be taken to improve
  the target area
• Resources for improvement

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VPK Improvement Process Resources

• The fact sheets will be uploaded to the
  improvement process website www.improvevpk.org.
  While completing the improvement plan, providers
  will be able to click on the link for the target
  area and the fact sheet will be displayed.
  Providers will also be able to print the fact
  sheets from the website.

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• Rulemaking Update

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Rulemaking Update

• VPK Rules 60BB-8.100 thru 8.900 were recently
  amended with an effective date of May 24, 2007.
• The updated VPK forms referenced in the amended
  rules are posted on the OEL website.
• Upcoming Rules
• VPK Improvement Process
• Public Hearing, if needed, has been noticed in
  the FAW for July 20, 2007, at the Hyatt Regency
  Hotel in Tampa, Fl
• Adoption (Mid-August)
• School Readiness Health Safety Standards
• Public Hearing tentatively planned for the first
  week of August. Notice will be posted in FAW

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Rulemaking Update

• School Readiness Education Standards
• Workshop is tentatively planned for early August
  in Tallahassee
• Public Hearing is tentatively planned for
  Mid-August in Orlando
• Notice will be posted in FAW
• Comments can be sent to us at
• OELPOLICY_at_awi.state.fl.us

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2007 Provider Market Rate
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Rate Calculator

• Early Learning Coalitions completed entering the
  private pay rates of all legally operating
  providers into the web-based Rate Calculator
  system on April 30, 2007.
• AWI-OEL staff have completed analysis of the data
  and used the rates of the licensed and registered
  providers to calculate the 2007 market rate.

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Provider Counts

• 15,189 providers entered in the Rate Calculator
• 2,933 of the providers - no rates entered into
  the Rate Calculator

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Response Rates By Provider Type

• Licensed Child Care Centers
• 79 (6,369 of the 7,976) licensed centers entered
  into the Rate Calculator reported private pay
  rates
• 1,607 licensed centers did not respond

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Response Rates By Provider Type (cont.)

• Licensed Family Child Care Homes
• 83 (4,118 of the 4,903) licensed family child
  care homes entered into the Rate Calculator
  reported private pay rates.
• 785 licensed family child care homes did not
  respond.

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Response Rates By Provider Type (cont.)

• Registered Family Child Care Homes
• 75 (1,644 of the 2,185) registered family child
  care homes entered into the Rate Calculator
  reported private pay rates.
• 541 registered family child care homes did not
  respond.

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Market Rate Guidance

• Florida Statute 402.3051 requires that, the
  market rate be established for licensed child
  care facilities or facilities that are not
  subject to s. 402.305, licensed or registered
  family day care homes, licensed before-school and
  after-school child care programs, and unregulated
  care provided by a relative or other caretaker.

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Market Rate Guidance (cont.)

• School Readiness Act requires that each coalition
  adopt a payment schedule that considers the
  current prevailing market rate.
• The prevailing market rate is defined as the
  annually determined 75th percentile of a
  reasonable frequency distribution of market rate
  in a predetermined geographic market at which
  licensed child care providers charge a person for
  child care services.

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Market Rate Guidance (cont.)

• To determine a reasonable reimbursement rate for
  school readiness services, the private pay rate
  of licensed child care centers, licensed family
  child care homes and registered family child care
  homes are collected at the local level. The
  seventy fifth percentile of the rate for each
  provider type and care level is then determined
  to calculate the market rate.

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Calculation of the 75th Percentile

• Provider rates are extracted from the Rate
  Calculator
• Data is broken out by
• County
• Provider Grouping (e.g. Licensed center,
  Licensed Family Child care, Registered Family
  Child Care)
• Age group
• Rate category, (only full time weekly rates are
  used)

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Calculation of the 75th Percentile

• Full time rates equal to or less than 50.00 are
  discarded
• Full time rates equal to or more than 400.00 are
  discarded
• Rates are ranked in descending order
• The total number of rates greater than zero is
  determined
• The total number of rates greater than zero (step
  3) is multiplied by .75
• Rates are counted up from the bottom (lowest
  rate) until the number determined in step 4 is
  reached. This number is the 75th percentile.

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2007-2008 Reimbursement Rates

• Upon the release of the 2007 Payment Rate
  guidance, each early learning coalition should
  review the results to determine if a rate change
  is appropriate.

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• Administrative Plan Amendment

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Administrative Plan Amendment

• Any remaining elements that a coalition has not
  submitted for the Administrative Plan Amendment
  are due July 13, 2007.
• Please submit the completed document to
  Anne.Cahn_at_awi.state.fl.us

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OELCash ManagementProcedures
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Effective Cash Managment

• Cash Management includes
• Accountability of all funds at all times
• Written procedures to minimize the time between
  transfer of funds and payment of expenditures
• Maintaining sufficient cash on hand to prevent
  the disruption of services

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Requirement for EFTs

• Electronic Fund Transfers (EFT) must be used
• Submit Direct Deposit form (DFS-A1- 26E) to
  Department of Financial Services to initiate
  EFT
• Make sure info on Direct Deposit form matches
  MyFloridaMarketplace information

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VPK Prepayments

• Prepayments allowed by 1002.71(5)(b)
• Prepayments are based on enrollment
• Reconciliation based on certified attendance
• Prepayment must be reconciled by final invoice
• Coalitions owed funds by providers must
  document this on final invoice
• Follow Fiscal Guidance 240.03 to seek repayment
  

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Advanced Payments in School Readiness and VPK
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Initial Cash Advance for School Readiness

• Requests made before, or early into, new
  fiscal year
• Advanced amount may not exceed - 30 days
  cash requirement - Highest invoice amount
  from previous year
• Documented unusual circumstances may allow
  higher request for advanced amount
• No new advances until all prior year advances
  are paid in full

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VPK Administrative Advances

• Request for advance may not exceed 1/12 of
  total administrative allocation
• Use VPK Reimbursement Request Invoice form
  (AWI-VPK 90) for request

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VPK Program Advances

• Highest enrollment
• X base allocation
• ? 11
• (adjusted by DCD)

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VPK Program Advances

• May request no advance, lesser advance or greater
  advance (with documentation)
• Use VPK Reimbursement RequestInvoice (AWI-VPK
  90)
• Additional advances allowed withdocumentation

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Monthly Reconciliationsand Cash Needs

• No more than one months expenses heldin surplus
• Use forms AWI-SR 80 AWI-SR 81 to increase or
  decrease balance of cash advance
• When cash advance balance is greater
  thanprevious years highest invoice,
  justificationneeded
• Unusual circumstances allow higher balance
• Where possible, reconcile advanced payment to
  actual monthly expenditures

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Final Invoice

• Balance of advanced funds should equal zero by
  final invoice
• If advanced funds remain at the end of the fiscal
  year, check made out to AWI must accompany final
  invoice

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Interest Earned on Advanced Funds Federal Funds

• Must be held in secure interest bearing account
• First 100 of interest may be retained
• Must reflect this retained interest onform
  AWI-SR 80
• Must be used to offset administrative
  reimbursements (97BBA) on month 100 is retained

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Interest Earned on Advanced Funds VPK

• Must be held in secure interest bearing account
• Must return all interest to AWI

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Interest Earned on Advanced Funds (cont.)

• Interest must be calculated quarterly
• Interest must be calculated separately for each
  program (SR VPK)
• Earned interest must be returned by check payable
  to AWI within 30 days after end of each quarter

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Disallowances

• For current year disallowances
• Reduce next monthly Reimbursement Request Invoice
  by disallowed amount
• Show reduction to OCA originally impacted
• Document in writing the disallowance and attach
  to invoice

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Disallowances

• For prior year disallowances
• Remit check to AWI for disallowed amount
• Check prior year box on Reimbursement Request
  Invoice
• ID the OCAs impacted by disallowance
• Provide supporting documentation

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Refunds

• When a provider refunds money tocoalition for
  current year overpayment
• Reflect reduction in next monthly Reimbursement
  Request Invoice
• Enter refund toward OCA impacted
• Provide supporting documentation

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Refunds

• When a provider refunds money to coalition for
  prior year overpayment
• Remit check to AWI for overpayment amount
• Check prior year box on Reimbursement Request
  Invoice
• ID the OCAs impacted by disallowance
• Provide supporting documentation