GRANTEE ABSTRACT 

New Jersey

Overview 

We propose to bring the components of New 

Jersey’s High-Quality State Preschool Program 

to 19 High-Need Communities through a mixeddelivery system of school-based, private 

provider and Head Start programs, maximizing 

the learning and development of Eligible 

Children (including preschoolers with special 

needs, English language learners, and other 

vulnerable populations, such as children in 

foster care, or in military, homeless and/or 

migrant families), and collaborating with 

settings that precede and follow preschool to 

ensure high-quality experiences throughout the 

birth to eight continuum. In the last decade, the 

State of New Jersey has positioned itself to 

launch and implement the New Jersey 

Preschool Expansion Plan. 

Project Objectives 

To accomplish our project, we will use the 

model that has worked so well for our HighQuality State Preschool Program. Schools, 

private providers and Head Start programs in 

the 19 High-Need Communities will implement 

the high-quality components of the State 

Preschool Program. We will enhance current 

programs and generate new High-Quality 

Preschool Program slots for Eligible Children 

through the following activities: 

Lead Agency 

New Jersey State Department of 

Education 

Year 1 Federal Award Amount 

$17,498,115 

Plan Period 

January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2018 

Preschool Development Grants will support 

states to build, develop, and expand voluntary, 

high-quality preschool programs for children from 

low- and moderate-income families. 

There are two types of grants. 

Development Grants are for states that 

currently serve less than 10 percent of fouryear-olds and have not received a Race to the 

Top – Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) 

grant. 

Expansion Grants are for states that currently 

serve 10 percent or more of four-year-olds or 

have received an RTT-ELC grant. 

•	 Conducting a needs assessment of the 

current programs; 

•	 Providing intensive support to elevate 

quality; 

•	 Measuring program progress regularly; 

•	 Monitoring fiscal practices regularly; 

•	 Implementing strategies to enroll hard-toreach families; 

•	 Meeting children’s individualized needs 

through comprehensive supports; and 

•	 Aligning and coordinating transitions. 

This abstract was submitted as part of New Jersey’s Preschool Development Grant Application. 

1 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- 

EXPANSION GRANTEE: NEW JERSEY
 

Proposed Project Outcomes 

By the end of the grant period, we intend to 

meet the following proposed project outcomes: 

1. The 19 target school districts are 

implementing the program and learning 

standards, and are equipped to use 

comprehensive assessment systems, 

kindergarten entry assessments, as well as 

support children with disabilities and 

English language learners. 

2. 60% of preschool children with disabilities 

in the school districts are served in 

inclusive, general education settings. 

3. Classroom level quality reaches a 5.0 or 

higher on the Early Childhood Environment 

Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R). 

4. 100% of teachers in all settings, including 

Head Start and Private Provider settings, 

have their Preschool to Third Grade (P-3) 

certificates. 

5. Serve an additional 1,248 Eligible Children 

in High-Quality Preschool Programs with 

Preschool Expansion Grant funding. 

6. Improve existing slots for 729 Eligible 

Children and 338 other children in HighQuality Preschool Programs by limiting 

class sizes, decreasing child to staff ratios, 

extending the program day, providing 

Comprehensive Services (through Central 

Intake and County Councils), and 

employing/compensating teachers with 

bachelor’s degrees and preschool 

certification. 

7. Implement a sustainability plan to maintain 

and expand the new and improved slots. 

8. Participating programs implement the
 

elements of the High-Quality State
 

Preschool.
 

9. Implement the NJKEA to improve the 

efficacy of kindergarten classrooms, and 

have teachers enroll in the Kindergarten 

Seminar. 

10. Implement the First through Third Grade 

Guidelines. 

High Need Communities to be served 

under New Jersey’s Plan 

COUNTY DISTRICTS 

Atlantic Absecon City 

Atlantic City 

Egg Harbor City 

Galloway Twp 

Hamilton Twp 

Burlington Mount Holly Twp 

Camden Bellmawr Boro 

Lindenwold Boro 

Cape May Middle Twp

Cumberland Upper Deerfield Twp

Gloucester Clayton Boro 

Paulsboro Boro

Hudson North Bergen 

Monmouth Freehold Boro 

Ocean Berkeley Twp 

Lakewood Twp 

Passaic Clifton City 

Somerset Bound Brook Boro 

Union Linden City 

This abstract was submitted as part of New Jersey’s Preschool Development Grant Application. 2