Date Published: February 20, 2008
While the state Department of Education lists 16 Treasure Coast voluntary prekindergarten providers as low performing — some for the second consecutive year — educators say they have seen their young learners make great strides in just a few months.
The state Board of Education released a list of low performing VPK providers this week, after the state announced its readiness rate for all providers participating in the state program during the 2006-2007 school year. The rate determines how prepared students were for kindergarten based on testing they get in the first month of school.
Providers such as Lenora Quimby, owner of For Kids Only in Vero Beach, say some 4-year-olds start the state's free prekindergarten program having never been in a school setting or away from their parents. Some don't speak English or are not potty-trained, other providers say. Some might not have a permanent home.
That makes it tough for VPK providers to get all of their students ready for kindergarten.
"We have a really diverse group of children," said Quimby, also an Indian River County School Board member. For Kids Only was listed as a low-performing VPK provider for the second year. "We do the best we can."
School districts and private preschools register to offer the program and are reimbursed by the state for each child enrolled. Providers that scored below 211 of a possible 300 are considered low-performing and must now submit an improvement plan to their early learning coalition, which oversees private providers, or school district.
"There's a lot of things (the state) doesn't weigh into (the rating)," said Mary Logston, director of Loving Care Child Development Center in St. Lucie County.
Martin County School District changed its curriculum at the beginning of the year in response to the 2005-2006 ratings. Staff got additional training on the curriculum and support, said Anne Cahn, VPK coordinator for Martin County.
One of the district's centers — Salerno Schoolhouse — was listed as a low-performing provider for the second consecutive year.
Quimby said about half of the students in her VPK class last year were new to her center, so they hadn't had previous exposure to the alphabet song, letters and other activities that children who enroll in her center as toddlers get.
Logston said staff is looking into its rate this year to ensure accuracy. Some of her children last year had learning disabilities and others didn't speak English when they first started the program.
Within a few months, these children were speaking English fluently, she said.
Below is a listing of voluntary prekindergarten providers considered to be low performing, based on kindergarten readiness screenings, followed by the readiness rate given to each provider. Those scoring below 211 of 300 are considered low performing. Parents can look up their own providers online at www.vpk.fldoe.org.
LOW PERFORMING PROVIDERS
INDIAN RIVER
Fellsmere Child Development Center, 200
For Kids Only*, 209
Ross Small World, 175
The Teacher's Place of Vero Beach Inc., 199
MARTIN
Little People's Academy Inc.*, 200
Martin County School District Port Salerno Elementary,
summer program 208
Martin County School District Salerno Schoolhouse*, 150
Toddlers Learning Center, 200
OKEECHOBEE
EOC Northside Head Start*, 187
Little People's Academy II, 200
The Clubhouse, 186
ST. LUCIE
ALPI George W. Truitt Head Start*, 200
ALPI Village Green Head Start, 198
Loving Care Child Development Center, 202
Starlight Christian Learning Center, 175
Trinity Academy Preschool, summer, 150
* Low performers for the second consecutive year.
Colleen Wixon
TC Palm
February 20, 2008