2016 ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT

PRESCHOOL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

New Jersey

Preschool Development Grants AUGUST 2017
ED 524B Page 1 of 39

State: New Jersey Zip: 08625

U.S. Department of Education

PDG Grant Performance Report Cover Sheet

Based on ED 524B OMB No. 1894-0003 Exp. 06/30/2017

Check only one box per Program Office instructions. ✔ Annual Performance Report Final Performance Report

General Information

1. PR/Award #: S419B50020 2. Grantee Federal Information Processing Code: 34

3. Project Title: RTT - Preschool Development Grant

4. Grantee Name: New Jersey Department of Education

5. Grantee Address:100 Riverview Plaza

City: Trenton

6. Project Director Name: Beth Ann Gardiner

Title: Project Director, Preschool Expansion

Phone #: (609) 984-4960 Ext.: Fax #:(609) 777-0967

Email Address: beth.gardiner@doe.state.nj.us

Reporting Period Information

7. Reporting Period: From: 01/01/2016 To: 12/31/2016

8. Budget Expenditures (To be completed by your Business Office. See instructions.)

Budget Period Federal Grant Funds Non-Federal Funds (Match/Cost Share)

a. Previous Budget Period $3,781,090.00 $4,773,000.00

b. Current Budget Period $14,290,155.00 $7,447,000.00

c. Entire Project Period

(For Final Performance Reports only)

9. Indirect Cost Information (To be completed by your Business Office. See Instructions.)

a. Are you claiming indirect costs under this grant? Yes No

b. If yes, do you have an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement approved by the Federal Government? Yes No

c. If yes, provide the following information:

Period Covered by the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement: From: 07/01/2016 To: 06/30/2020

Approving Federal agency: ✔ ED Other Specify other:

Type of Rate: (Final Performance Reports only) Provisional Final Other Specify other:

d. For Restricted Rate Programs (check one) -- Are you using a restricted indirect cost rate that:

Is included in your approved Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

Complies with 34 CFR 76.564(c)(2)?

10. Performance Measures Status

a. Are complete data on performance measures for the current budget period included in the

Project Status Chart?

b. If no, when will the data be available and submitted to the Department?

Yes No
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U.S. Department of Education

PDG Annual Performance Report

Executive Summary

Based on ED 524B OMB No. 1894-0003 Exp. 06/30/2017

Grantee State: NJ PR/Award #: S419B50020

You are required to submit an Executive Summary of up to 3000 words with your Annual Performance

Report. This summary should relate to your approved application and summarize the goals and

objectives that have been achieved under your grant, what you learned, and any evaluation results.

Describe any unanticipated outcomes or benefits from your project and any barriers that you may have

encountered. If there have been any changes to the project from the approved application, those

should be explained as well.

The New Jersey Department of Education, Division of Early Childhood Education and Family

Engagement (DECE), has been highly successful in implementing high-quality preschool programs

through a combination of state and now, federal funding from the Preschool Expansion Grant. New

Jersey oversees the operation of public preschool programs in 147 local school districts throughout

the state, representing over 50,000 preschoolers served. Through funding to school districts,

preschool programs are now operating in a variety of settings including public schools, private

community providers and Head Start programs. The DECE works collaboratively with other

Department of Education offices (Special Education, Title One, Homeless and Migrant Education) as

well as a variety of other state agencies including the Departments of Human Services (Division of

Family Development), Children and Families (Offices of Licensing, Child Protection and Permanency,

and Family and Community Partnerships), and Health (Office of Early Intervention), providing

maximum supports for early learning and integration of services for children and families.

New Jersey's Preschool Expansion Grant builds on the strength of its well-developed high-quality early

childhood education infrastructure. The addition of preschool expansion funds to the already farreaching and comprehensive early learning system in New Jersey provided an opportunity for

outreach to 16 additional school districts and their local communities. In year two of the grant (2016)

state-wide enrollment targets were exceeded, reaching a total of 1887 additional high-need fouryear-olds in new (1120) and improved (767) slots. All high-quality components continue to be

monitored by dedicated staff who work closely with individual school districts for successful

implementation. Through funding from the Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) 

grant, New Jersey further developed its robust tiered quality rating and improvement system, Grow NJ

Kids, which is now being used to support quality improvements throughout the early learning

community, including in the preschool expansion districts and locally contracted private providers.

Grow NJ Kids, along with other required high-quality elements, provides a framework for program

implementation, engagement of families, workforce development, and program administration.

Below can be found highlights and accomplishments of year two (2016) implementation.
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Highlights and Accomplishments

1. Measurable quality improvements - In the fall of 2015, baseline measurements of classroom

quality were conducted by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) with the

use of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale - Third Edition (ECERS-3). Assessments

were completed in a total of 122 classes over 17 (original) school districts, measuring

classroom quality in all four-year-old and mixed-age general education/inclusion classes. A

study of those same classrooms was conducted again in the spring of 2016 in order to gauge

quality improvements over the first year of grant implementation. The results of the spring

2016 study show measurable quality improvements in overall averages and rangesfor the full

sample of classrooms. The average total score of all districts was 3.58 in the fall, increasing to

4.27 (on a 7-point scale) in the spring, showing a significant change for the first year of

program implementation. Statewide scores improved over all subscales (see below). These

results are a testament to the intensive supports and interventions that districts received from

DECE staff.

Average scores by ECERS-3 subscale and overall

Space and Furnishings Fall '15 = 3.54 Spring '16 = 4.06

This subscale addresses the areas of indoor and outdoor space, room arrangement, organization,

display, furnishings and equipment.

Personal Care Routines Fall '15 = 3.24 Spring '16 = 4.03

This subscale addresses practices around daily routines such as meals and toileting as well as health

and safety practices.

Language and Literacy Fall '15 = 3.91 Spring '16 = 4.56

This area addresses the classroom's formal and informal communication, language and vocabulary

expansion opportunities, and use of books and attention to print.

Learning Fall '15 = 2.98 Spring '16 = 3.71

This subscale looks at the learning opportunities in each of the areas of the classroom including fine

motor, art, music/movement, blocks,sand/water, dramatic play, nature/science, math/number

materials and activities, use of technology, and diversity.

Interaction Fall '15 = 4.49 Spring '16 = 5.15

This area addresses supervision of children, discipline, staff-child interactions, individualized teaching

and learning, and interactions among children.

Program Structure Fall '15 = 4.15 Spring '16 = 5.14

This area addresses classroom operations and schedule, including groupings, transitions and flexibility.

Overall Average Score Fall '15 = 3.58 Spring '16 = 4.27
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2. Implementation of the New Jersey Kindergarten Entry Assessment (KEA) - In 2016, the first

cohort of eight preschool expansion districts was enrolled in the New Jersey Kindergarten

Entry Assessment (KEA) and supporting Kindergarten Seminar. A total of 96 teachers and

administrators from the eight districts participated in three-day, in-person trainings in

Teaching Strategies GOLD (GOLD), a rigorous and developmentally appropriate performancebased assessment instrument. Thirteen three-day KEA sessions were conducted in three

regions of the state.

During the first seven weeks of kindergarten, teachers collected evidence of children's

performance across three of the nine GOLD domains including social-emotional, literacy, and

mathematics, for the purpose of assigning a rating along a developmental continuum. Once

teachers made ratings for each child at the end of the seven-week period, district-level

teachers and administrators were able to view ratings and data of individual children, as well

as aggregate ratings within each learning domain. Technical assistance visits were made by

Teaching Strategies and DECE staff early in the school year, as well as subsequent visits at the

request of individual districts.

As a strategy to support best practices in the kindergarten year, teachers participating in KEA

also attend the Kindergarten Seminar, which is a five-day regional series that began in October

2016 and ends in May 2017. This exciting and novel approach to supporting KEA

implementation has revolved around best practices (e.g., curricular, whole-child learning, and

appropriate environments) in order to support educators implementing this assessment

system effectively and with fidelity. The seminars provide participants an introduction to key

features of New Jersey's Kindergarten Implementation Guidelines and the KEA initiative. The

series includes sessions to support teachers in organizing classroom environments and

schedules, implementing developmentally appropriate practices, applying effective teaching

strategies that support children's development and learning, incorporating the New Jersey

Student Learning Standards and weaving in the GOLD assessment cycle throughout. Finally, all

participants will use the instrument throughout the kindergarten year as a formative

assessment tool.

3. New Jersey visit by US Secretary of Education, John King - In June 2016, New Jersey was

honored to host the US Secretary of Education, John King. Secretary King and his staff visited

the Clifton Early Learner Academy, Clifton, NJ in order to promote pay equity for preschool

teachers and showcase the early successes of the Preschool Expansion Grant. During the visit,

Secretary King visited a preschool classroom (run in collaboration with the local Head Start),

actively engaged with the excited children and then conducted a live interview with the

teacher. In advance of the meeting, a video crew from the US Department of Education
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(USDOE) spent a day with the preschool teacher and developed a video “Spend the Day with

PreK” which was subsequently posted to the USDOE Facebook page and Youtube (https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWRmsr4D_yc&feature=youtu.be) and viewed by over 2.6

million people. The event provided an opportunity for New Jersey to highlight the successful

growth of high-quality preschool programs made possible through the Preschool Expansion

Grant.

4. Participation in the Pyramid Equity Project - In 2016, one New Jersey preschool expansion

district (Clifton, NJ) was selected to work with national experts to implement the enhanced

Pyramid Model and evaluate the effects on children's social-emotional and behavioral health,

expulsion and suspension, and racial/ethnic and ability-based disparities in each of these

areas. The Clifton Early Learner Academy, working with the Pyramid Equity Project, is

receiving monthly training and technical assistance support from national experts in Pyramid

Model implementation and culturally responsive practices. When the work with the district is

complete (June 2018), the Clifton site will serve as a national model addressing

disproportionate discipline practices in early childhood programs.

Program activities include:

• Training in implicit bias and culturally responsive practices;

• Training and support of the implementation leadership team;

• Training and support in the use of Practice-Based Coaching by classroom coaches;

• Reliability training in the use of the Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool;

• Training in data tools and data decision-making related to implementation and

outcomes;

• Support for the implementation of a behavior incident tracking system that includes a

mechanism for making decisions related to disproportionate discipline practices.

Throughout the second year, New Jersey continued to make good progress in addressing some of the

challenges faced in the first year of implementation, including the development of professional

learning opportunities for program administrators and the improvement of inclusion rates across

districts. Staff continue to customize technical assistance to meet the needs of individual districts,

planning on-site meetings with school administrators and classroom support and coaching as needed.

Efforts to support implementation of the newest component of the grant, the KEA, will be ongoing as

working across grade levels in the elementary school setting has presented some new challenges.

Kindergarten teachers are, generally, not under the supervision of the preschool administrators so

planning, execution, and supervision of KEA implementation requires an additional level of

involvement and support from other district administrators. Individualized supports to-date have

included such things as phone correspondence and face-to-face meetings with preschool supervisors,

other district administrators (principals, elementary and curriculum supervisors, etc.) and DECE staff
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with both preschool and Kindergarten areas of specialization. In this way, each district is supported in

determining the best strategies for successful participation and implementation of all KEA

components. DECE staff will continue to tailor technical assistance to each district to provide

maximum support for achievement of positive outcomes for Kindergarten children.
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U.S. Department of Education

PDG Annual Performance Report

Grant Status Form 

Explanation of Progress (524B Section A)

Based on ED 524B OMB No. 1894-0003 Exp. 06/30/2017

Grantee State: NJ PR/Award #: S419B50020

Section A: Performance Objectives Information and Related Performance Measures Data

(narrative)

1. Project Objective

1(a) GPRA Performance Measure: The number and percentage of Eligible Children served in

High-Quality Preschool Programs funded by the grant. Describe the State's progress in meeting

this Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) measure based on enrollment of Eligible

Children in High-Quality Preschool Programs funded by the grant as of December 1, 2016.

In 2016, New Jersey successfully enrolled 1120 new children into preschool classrooms and improved

preschool services and conditions for an additional 767 children. Throughout the spring and summer

of 2016, DECE completed the following activities in an effort to increase enrollment of eligible

children into high-quality preschool programs:

• Supported districts in locating appropriate classroom space to serve additional preschool

children, either in-district or in private provider locations;

• Provided resources and support to all districts in developing Four-Year Preschool Program Plan

updates to expand capacity and quality across all districts;

• Worked with districts to develop recruitment and marketing strategies, determine family

eligibility, and enroll eligible children;

• Provided guidance on budgeting and planning for the start of the new school year.

Districts completed the following activities in support of increasing enrollment of eligible children:

• Developed Four-Year Preschool Program Plans and budgets to expand capacity;

• Located and secured space for new classrooms and developed contracts with private providers

as needed;

• Purchased materials and equipment to prepare classrooms for the opening of the school year;

• Developed or expanded marketing and recruitment strategies to locate typically hard-to-reach

populations;

• Began outreach to families in an effort to maximize enrollment of both general education and

special education students into grant-funded classrooms.
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Program activities are monitored closely by the project director and district liaisons who are in regular

contact with preschool supervisors and fiscal specialists to gauge progress on all project components,

including enrollment of children and inclusion of children with special needs. Monthly enrollment

reports are required of all districts until enrollment targets are met and individualized strategies were

shared with districts to maximize recruitment of new children from hard-to-reach families.

Enrollment numbers are also tracked through the state's data collection system, Application for State

School Aid (ASSA), which is used to gather resident and non-resident pupil counts. Regular check-ins

with supervisors to determine areas of need and meetings amongst district liaisons ensure that

resources are shared and maximum supports are in place.

Please describe, as required in Program Requirement (k)(2) in the Notice Inviting Applicants (NIA),

how the State established policies and procedures that ensure that the percentage of Eligible Children

with disabilities served by the High-Quality Preschool Programs is not less than either the percentage

of four-year-old children served statewide through part B, section 619 of IDEA (20 U.S.C. 1400 et

seq.), or the current national average, whichever is greater.

Note: The current national percentage of four year-old-children receiving services through part B, section 619 of

IDEA is 6.4%. Source: 2012 IDEA Part B Child Count (www.ideadata.org). States should include detailed

information on ALL structural elements.

An important component of our High-Quality State Preschool Program is the inclusion of preschool

children with disabilities in general education settings. We know that a general education preschool

classroom is an optimal environment to support children with disabilities' individual needs, because of

the wide range of skills, interests, and abilities typical of this age group. We are also committed to

ensuring that adaptations and supports for preschoolers with disabilities are carried out in the context

of the curriculum's daily activities, interactions and routines.

New Jersey preschool expansion grant districts are required to include children with disabilities in

general education to the maximum extent possible. DECE recommends that districts plan enrollment

of children in general education classrooms to mirror the general population, which would be 1-2

children with special needs in a class of 15 children. Guidance for inclusion of children with special

needs can be found in the New Jersey Administrative Code NJAC 6A:13A, the Self-Assessment

Validation System (SAVS) and the Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines. Required elements

for inclusion, as noted in the guidelines are as follows:

• Administrative supports are in place that facilitate inclusion;

• Children with special needs are served in the least restrictive environments with Individual

Education Plan (IEP) goals addressed in the context of the curriculum and daily activities;

• Children with special needs are served in general education classrooms to the maximum extent

possible;

• The proportion of children with and without special needs reflects that of the general
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population;

• The IEP team includes the teacher, parent, child study team member, and special education

personnel; and

• Push-in and pull-out services are not used or are used on a limited basis.

All high-quality elements are required in the inclusion classrooms as noted in question 2, below. In the

2016-2017 school year, the overall expansion district average inclusion rate is 14%. While this is higher

than the national average, there is still much work to be done in many of the expansion 

districts. Individual percentages of inclusion per subgrantee can be found in the APR Data Workbook,

Table A(3)(c). This table indicates a very wide range of inclusion rates amongst the expansion 

districts.

New Jersey's successful rates of inclusion are based, in large part, on the history of our state-funded

preschool programs. During the many years that state programs have been in place, inclusion of

preschool children with special needs has been a high priority. State-funded districts who are serving

less than 50% of their children with special needs in general education settings are required to make a

plan to improve rates, with a target rate of 50% inclusion. Individual districts are provided support by

DECE staff in collaboration with our colleagues in the Office of Special Education, including on-site

visits to assess classrooms and provide technical assistance and meeting with school administrators to

troubleshoot issues that arise. New Jersey Department of Education also provides professional

development on preschool inclusion best practices, providing the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

and developing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Districts are also required to use the

Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence of Infants and Young Children to

implement strategies for preschool children with behavior challenges, resulting in decreases in the

number of referrals to child study teams for special education services.

While progress has been made to include children with special needs in general education classrooms,

improved numbers of inclusion students continues to be slow in several districts. In many districts, the

historical model has been to serve preschool children with special needs in self-contained classes.

When a review indicates that targets are not being met, the DECE district liaisons, along with our

colleagues from the Office of Special Education work closely with special education and early

childhood staff from the school district to develop an improvement plan. DECE district liaisons provide

individualized support and coaching to increase levels of inclusion. The Office of Special Education

provides an additional level of technical assistance and offers professional development to support

inclusion.
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Describe the State's progress in increasing the number and percentage of Eligible Children served in

High-Quality Preschool Programs funded by the grant.

In 2016, subgrantees were successful in enrolling a total of 1,120 children into new slots and 767 in

improved slots, totaling 1,887. The state's experience and high level of expertise in developing new

preschool programs laid the groundwork for ease of transition into the work of the grant. The

preschool expansion programs follow already established high-quality standards as outlined in the

Elements of High Quality Preschool Programs, New Jersey Administrative Code NJAC 6A:13A (Code)

written as a result of the Abbott decision. Also in place are program standards including NJ Preschool

Teaching and Learning Standards, NJ Kindergarten Implementation Guidelines, and NJ First through

Third Grade Implementation Guidelines.

In the spring of 2016, one school district made a decision not to continue participating as a 

subgrantee for the remaining three years of the grant. In consultation with our project officer, a

decision was made to reallocate the school district's 93 slots to eliminate the need to recruit and

orient another subgrantee into the project. The DECE moved quickly to redistribute the slots in order

to reach projected targets for year two. All 16 remaining school districts were invited to request

additional slots and were required to submit justification noting whether they were at full enrollment

and how many additional children they would be able to accommodate. The slots were distributed to

five selected school districts, providing an opportunity for them to expand their program to serve

additional high-need four-year olds. The speedy resolution of this issue resulted in a successful and

seamless transfer of slots and associated funding to serve more preschool children in their

communities.

All Preschool Expansion grant districts are enrolled in New Jersey's tiered Quality Rating and

Improvement System, Grow NJ Kids (GNJK). In 2016, all programs completed their self-assessment

(the first step in GNJK) and are at various levels of having completed Quality Improvement Plans,

gathering documentation, and applying for enhancement grants to support quality improvements.

The New Jersey State Preschool Program coordinates services and supports to school districts through

collaborations with Head Start and the Office of Special Education. In this way resources are shared

and maximized to provide the greatest benefit and limit duplication of services. The Head Start state

collaboration director is located at the NJ Department of Education (NJDOE) which allows for ongoing

dialogue and trouble-shooting of any issues that arise as districts develop partnerships with their local

Head Start programs. The DECE works closely with the Office of Special Education to provide supports

to districts to increase the number of children with special needs that are included in preschool

general education classrooms.

Progress in establishing and maintaining high-quality programs within our subgrantee school districts

is monitored closely with regular reporting requirements (enrollment, expenditures), personal, faceto-face contact with all districts, and bi-monthly meetings with supervisors to share information and

review program requirements.
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1(b) GPRA Performance Measure: The number and percentage of children served overall in the

State Preschool Program. Please describe any increases or decreases in this GPRA measure

based on fall enrollment in the State Preschool Program for the 2016-17 school year.

New Jersey State preschool programs are currently serving a total of 49,653 preschool children. The

breakdown of children by program is as follows: 35 Former Abbott districts (fully-funded) serve

43,326 children (19,998 three-year-olds and 23,328 four-year-olds) and 96 Preschool Expansion Aid

(PEA) districts (partially-funded) serve 6327 children (442 three-year-olds and 5885 four-year-olds).

Including new grant-funded slots, a total of 69% of high-need four-year-olds are being served

statewide. The percentage of four-year-olds being served has decreased slightly due to the

recommended implementation of smaller class sizes (from 18 per class to 15 per class) in the districts

that are serving both State- and grant-funded children.

To support high quality early childhood programs, the DECE:

· Develops and aligns teaching, learning, and program standards and guidance based on current

research on early childhood education;

· Develops resources to facilitate the implementation of each component of high-quality preschool

programs;

· Tracks and adjusts progress through a continuous evaluation and improvement cycle; and

· Provides statewide, regional and on-site support to key staff in state-funded schools and districts.

Currently, the DECE supports preschool programs in 147 school districts in a mixed delivery system of

private providers, Head Start and school districts (former Abbott, PEA, and Preschool Expansion Grant

districts). The DECE reviews preschool budgets to guide the use of funding for former Abbott and PEA

districts. The division also oversees the work of the state advisory council, the NJ Council for Young

Children, which aligns and coordinates early childhood services across the state, and houses the Head

Start Collaboration director, in order to coordinate the work of school districts' contracting and

collaborating with Head Start.

Quality of the program is measured at five levels:

Child level

· Children are screened upon entry to the program to assess development and to help determine if

additional supports may be needed; their progress in the classroom is tracked using

performance-based assessments that help teachers adjust instruction based on the various

developmental stages of children in the group.

Classroom level

· Teachers, coaches and building administrators/provider directors use tools to evaluate classroom

practices, interactions, activities (e.g. Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Third Edition

(ECERS-3); Supports for Early Literacy Assessment (SELA); Preschool Rating Instrument for

Science and Mathematics (PRISM); and curriculum-specific fidelity tools)
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Site/Programlevel

· Beginning in 2015, providers and schools in the State Preschool Program began participating in

GNJK. Roll-out has continued across the state to continue enrolling new participants across all

program types. To promote high quality programs for infants and toddlers, child care providers

in each community serving high need infants and toddlers are encouraged to participate in

GNJK.

District level

School districts assess the implementation of each program component through the use of GNJK or:

· A self-assessment (with a validation component), the Self-Assessment Validation System (SAVS),

which measures the implementation of each component of the Preschool Program

Implementation Guidelines and Code.

· Summaries of both classroom evaluations and child performance to inform areas of need and

professional development planning.

State level

Classroom quality and child progress are carefully monitored through:

· Aggregate scores and ratingsfrom GNJK.

· University-conducted structured evaluations of classroom quality in a random sample of

classrooms every year.

· University-conducted tracking of child outcomes over time.

· Summaries and analysis of district-reported SAVS data, classroom evaluations and child

performance.

· Analysis of number of children served, rates of inclusion, and teacher qualifications.

· Audits of fiscal practices.
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1(c) GPRA Performance Measure: The number and percentage of children in the High-Need

Communities served by the grant that are ready for kindergarten as determined by the State's

Kindergarten Entry Assessment or, if the State does not yet have a Kindergarten Entry Assessment,

other valid and reliable means of determining school readiness.

In the Year 2 APR, grantees will provide disaggregated data on the school readiness of the children served

by the grant. This may include information collected about the children served by the grant at the end of their

2015-16 preschool year or in their 2016-17 kindergarten year. States may provide data from a sample of

children (e.g., a sample being used for any evaluation).

In the Year 2 APR, grantees must describe their progress towards identifying the measures, methods,

and data on the school readiness of children served by the Preschool Development Grant. In the

narrative below provide the following information:

• The name of the assessment tool(s) and the Essential Domains of School Readiness

measured;

• When the assessment tool(s) is/are given (e.g., in preschool and/or kindergarten);

• Whether the assessment is mandated by the State, and for which children;

• How long the State has been using the assessment tool(s);

• Whether the assessment tool(s) is/are implemented throughout the High-Need Community

and/or Statewide;

• Whether the State provides or will provide training for local staff administering the assessment.

If so, describe the requirements including processes to ensure continued reliability in the

administration of the measure;

• If school readiness data is reported to the State, describe when and how data are reported.

Also, please describe, if applicable:

• The State's definition of "school readiness;"

• Disaggregated information about children's school readiness on individual domains or

subsets of the measure;

• School readiness data for children disaggregated by subgroup (e.g., students who are

American Indian or Alaskan Native; Asian, not Pacific Islander; Native Hawaiian/other

Pacific Islander; Black or African American; Hispanic/Latino; White, not Hispanic; two or

more races; with disabilities; English learners; and from any other subgroups the state

determines appropriate; and

• How the State will continue to make progress in meeting this GPRA measure.

The New Jersey Kindergarten Entry Assessment (KEA) is part of a larger data system, the New Jersey

Standards Measurement and Resource for Teaching (NJ SMART). NJ SMART is a comprehensive

statewide longitudinal data system that serves multiple purposes: staff/student identification, data

warehousing, data reporting, and analytics. The KEA is a performance based assessment, used

primarily to inform instruction and as one data point in assessing preschool program efficacy.

Assessments and Instruments

The name of the assessment tool(s) and the Essential Domains of School Readiness measured;

Teaching Strategies GOLD® (TS GOLD®)

The key to a seamless transition from the various early learning environments from which children

come into the K-12 public school system is in understanding the developmental stage and level of

readiness of children at the intersection point of kindergarten entry. We chose a Kindergarten Entry
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Assessment (KEA) that met two main objectives: 1) To understand children's academic and social

development at school entry to inform instruction, and 2) To serve as one data point in evaluating

preschool program efficacy. Teachers collect data about children in the first seven weeks of school

and use the information to understand children's readiness. Thresholds are based on national

norms and norms from our pilot. The numbers below describe the cumulative raw scores for each

domain that a child who is “ready” for kindergarten should possess. TS GOLD® is being used with

children entering kindergarten.

Teaching Strategies has established kindergarten readiness points for all six areas of development

and learning: Social Emotional, Physical, Language, Cognitive (Approaches to Learning), Literacy, and

Mathematics. The kindergarten readiness point is intended to be used in the fall for the New Jersey

Kindergarten Entry Assessment (KEA).

Area Raw Score for K GOLD® Readiness

Social Emotional 47

Physical 30

Cognitive (Approaches to Learning) 49

Literacy 41

Mathematics 35

Whether the assessment is mandated by the State, and for which children;

The KEA is voluntary and funded. School districts can choose to administer the tool. However, the

preschool expansion grant school districts are required to begin using the KEA during either the

2016-2017 or 2017-2018 school year.

When the assessment tool(s) is/are given (e.g., in preschool and/or kindergarten);

The tool is administered in kindergarten. Many school districts also use the TS GOLD® assessment

system in their preschool programs.

How long the State has been using the assessment tool(s);

New Jersey began a pilot of the KEA starting in September of 2013, and continues to expand

enrollment each year. As of June 2016, the DOE has trained 854 teachers and 302 district level

administrators across 91 districts in TS GOLD® covering 15,267 children. TS GOLD® is a rigorous and

appropriate performance-based assessment instrument. During the first seven weeks of

kindergarten, teachers collect evidence of children's performance across three of the nine TS GOLD®

domains including social emotional, literacy, and mathematics, for the purpose of assigning a rating

along a developmental continuum. Teachers who are in year two of implementation collect evidence

on two additional TS GOLD® domains including, cognitive and language. Once teachers make ratings

for each child at the end of the seven-week period, district-level teachers and administrators are able

to view ratings and data of individual children, as well as aggregate ratings within each learning

domain. The DECE TS GOLD® administrators have access so that they can generate aggregated
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outcome reports; they cannot generate any child-level reports or access child-level data. One

DECE TS GOLD® Manager has access to individual teacher accounts, with child-level data, only when

an administrator or teacher submits a written request for assistance. Child data reports go to a New

Jersey Department of Education (DOE) Data Steward. In order to maintain the highest data security

and quality standards, optimize data use and minimize misuse of information, both the

DECE TS GOLD® Manager and the New Jersey DOE Data Steward participate in yearly training offered

through the Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC).

Whether the assessment tool(s) is/are implemented throughout the High-Need Community and/or

Statewide;

During the current 2016-2017 school year, the first cohort of preschool expansion districts was

required to begin using the KEA. Eight of the preschool expansion school districts had some portion of

their Kindergarten teachers and supervisors attend training on the KEA between June and August

2016. A total of 86 teachers and 10 administrators from the expansion districts participated in the

KEA training which was held in three regions of the state in 13 separate three-day sessions. Individual

school district administrators decided which of their Kindergarten staff would participate (all or a

sampling of classes). Teachers that attended the KEA training conducted by Teaching Strategies are

currently in the process of attending the Kindergarten seminar, a series of 5 classes conducted by the

NJDOE. The seminar classes cover such pertinent topics such as: review of NJ Kindergarten

Implementation Guidelines, learning environment and materials, customizing curricula, differentiated

instruction, and documentation.

Training and Test Quality

Whether the State provides or will provide training for local staff administering the assessment.

Teaching Strategies conducted a total of 13 three-day in-person training sessions this past summer, in

3 regions and has now reached 854 teachers and 302 administrators from 91 school districts

throughout the state. Training topics included: Observing and Documenting, Scoring Reports, Family

Communication, and Reliable Assessments. Similar training will be provided to the remainder of the

expansion districts in 2017.

After the training, teachers completed a reliability assessment, adding credence to the accuracy of

teacher ratings before beginning to use the instrument. Teachers collect their data over the first

seven weeks of school. They use the information collected to assign a score in each of the three

developmental areas. Throughout the roll-out, KEA teacher training is supported by the training of

district administrators as well as professional learning communities that help to embed principles of

assessment into every day practice.

New Jersey has developed a set of guidelines and checklists to guide the interpretation of the

portfolio collections, which helps ensure that teachers are collecting and rating information accurately

and reliably. Once the teachers assign the scores, Teaching Strategies uploads the data into NJ

SMART, New Jersey's statewide longitudinal data system. Teachers and administrators also
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participate in a kindergarten seminar that supports the high quality implementation of performance

based assessments.

Data and Usage

The State's definition ofschool readiness:

New Jersey defines school readiness as the extent to which children have developed the necessary

physical, cognitive, language, and social-emotional skills when they enter kindergarten to be

successful in school and in life. However, we also maintain that only age should determine whether or

not a child enters kindergarten, and that the school system is responsible for creating family

partnerships and ensuring that the kindergarten learning environment is ready for the child,

regardless of the child's competencies when they transition. This definition is in accordance with what

we know to be best transition practices for children, families, and schools. Further, the New Jersey

position is in accordance with the research provided by the National Association of Early Childhood

Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS-SDE).

Disaggregated information about children's school readiness on individual domains orsubsets of

the measure;

The school districts that are participating in the preschool expansion grant are required to use the KEA

beginning in year two. Half of the school districts (eight) were trained in 2016 (or before) and the

other half will be trained in the summer of 2017. As participating teachers are in the early stages of

KEA implementation, data collection and input to the system is still in its infancy stages. In some

cases, data is missing for participating teachers and school districts. DOE will plan to provide

individualized technical assistance to districts to help ensure that data entry is completed as expected.

Data that has been gathered does not yet show a complete picture of the preschool expansion

students at kindergarten entry, although early data indicates a high level of readiness in the literacy

domain, one measure of school readiness.

Upon completion of an assessment period and the assignment of scores, Teaching Strategies uploads

the scores into NJ SMART. The Department of Education's NJ Standards Measurement and Resource

for Teaching (NJ SMART) is a comprehensive statewide longitudinal data system solution that serves

multiple purposes: staff/student identification, data warehousing, data reporting, and analytics. We

will be able to link the kindergarten readiness data to prior experiences in early learning and

development settings, where possible, and to later performance on New Jersey state tests, starting

with the third grade Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC)

assessments.

NJ-EASEL (New Jersey Enterprise Analysis System for Early Learning), our early childhood integrated

data system, when ready, will allow us to match data from our early childhood data systems to assess

our programs' efficacy. We will be able to link the valuable KEA data with early learning and

development programs across sectors (e.g., Licensing, NJ SMART, Workforce Registry, Home Visiting,

child care, State preschool, Early Head Start, Head Start, and Early Intervention), providing concrete
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feedback on the efficacy of all early care and education programs.

The NJ-EASEL technology is being developed by the State Office of Information Technology (OIT). For

GNJK, TS GOLD® will provide us with insight into whether the levels of the system are correlated with

children's performance in kindergarten, and will provide valuable information to programs so that

they can make adjustments that will improve the chances for children to succeed in kindergarten and

beyond.
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For Preschool Development Grants - Development Grants States ONLY:

1(d) GPRA Performance Measure: The number of States that collect and analyze data on State

Preschool Program quality, including the structural elements of quality specified in the

definition of High-Quality Preschool Programs.
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Section A: Part B - Selection Criteria

In this section of the APR, States will report on their progress addressing the Preschool Development Grant's

selection criteria. The State should read the questions carefully and report in the narrative fields directly below the

questions. Please include any data, data notes or formulas to help the readers understand the State's narrative

responses.

1. Ensuring Quality in Preschool Programs (Selection Criteria “C” of the application)

Describe the State's use of funds received over the grant period for State Preschool Program

infrastructure and quality improvements, including the State's efforts to implement a system of

monitoring and support at the State level toward activities such as those described in Section (C)(1)(ak) of the NIA.

Note: States will report amounts and percentage of funds for State Preschool Program infrastructure

and High-Quality Preschool Programs in the Competitive Preference Priority 3 Chart.

During 2016, New Jersey's efforts to ensure quality were supported with the strong early learning

infrastructure already in place. Using the elements of the state's High Quality Preschool Program

in conjunction with GNJK, expansion districts were provided maximum supports to ensure the

continued expansion of high quality preschool programs in 16 districts throughout the state.

a) Early Learning and Development Standards - New Jersey has in place early learning and

development standards encompassing birth through grade three. These include: NJ Birth to Three

Early Learning Standards, NJ Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards, NJ Kindergarten

Implementation Guidelines, and First through Third Grade Implementation Guidelines.

b) Program Standards consistent with a High-Quality Preschool - Individual districts'

implementation of program standards is monitored by district liaisons who reviewed and

approved Four-Year Preschool Program Plan updates, budgets, and professional development

plans to ensure compliance with grant requirements. Districts also worked to complete GNJK selfassessments, develop Quality Improvement Plans, and apply for enhancement grants. Grant

funds also supported a spring 2016 study of classroom quality across districts through use of the

ECERS-3. The study, completed by NIEER, gathered data across all standards for individual

districts. Reports were shared with district personnel and DECE staff and will continue to be

measured annually (each spring) to gauge progress in improving scores on the ECERS-3. A report

of the NIEER study, comparing fall 2015 and spring 2016 scores can be found in the Executive

Summary. Data shows that ECERS-3 scores improved over all subscales and most indicators.

c) Programs for children with disabilities and English learners - Expansion districts are required to

have appropriate supports in place for English language learners; those supports vary by district

and school. All districts are also required to include children with special needs in general

education classrooms. Progress in this quality indicator varies by district and individualized

supports are being provided by district liaisons to improve numbers of inclusion students. All

districts are required to use a developmental screening tool to help identify children who are most
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at risk for achievement and behavior problems. In addition, districts have a Preschool

Intervention and Referral Team (PIRT) to provide targeted strategies for positive behavior

supports. The Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT) is being used to assess and improve

children's learning environments and classroom behavior strategies, and districts have access to

Preschool Special Education Consultants that will support best practices in the classrooms,

including those that support children with disabilities in the mixed-delivery system. Grant funds

are being used by districts to purchase developmental screening tools and pay salaries of required

staff, including PIRT members.

d) Methods to determine availability of High-Quality Preschool Programs - DECE works closely

with individual districts to determine best locations for preschool programs using the needs

assessments conducted by NIEER in the spring of 2015 as well as outreach to the early learning

community. Five school districts are currently contracting with local Head Start programs to meet

projections for added high quality classrooms.

e) Preschool teacher education, training programs, and professional development - Teachersin

programs participating in Preschool Expansion are required to possess, at a minimum, a bachelor's

degree, and a P-3 certificate or equivalent. Any teachers or teacher assistants wishing to obtain a

degree or a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential are eligible for scholarships through

GNJK. In 2016, a wide variety of professional development opportunities were available through

GNJK and DECE.

f) Improvementsto teacher and administrator training programs and professional development

- Trainings were held in various geographic locations to meet the needs of participants 

in GNJK, including the expansion districts. In addition, the DECE conducted targeted 

training to support preschool supervisors, new Master Teachers, and new PIRT members working

in expansion districts. Expansion grant staff conducted supervisor professional development

during 2016 that specifically targeted preschool supervisors and was held in conjunction with bimonthly support meetings. Topics included: preschool teaching best practices, an overview of

the New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards, reflective supervision and lesson

planning, designing inclusive preschool classrooms, performance-based assessments, and the

Pyramid model of positive behavior supports.

g) Use of a Statewide Longitudinal Data System to link data - Children registered in both grantand state-funded preschool programs are enrolled into New Jersey's statewide longitudinal data

system, NJ SMART. Each child is assigned a unique Student Identification Number, allowing the

system to follow each child from grade level to grade level. Participating school districts, private

providers, and Head Start programs receive their own site-level codes, which will ultimately allow

us to develop a monitoring system connecting child outcome to early experiences at specific

district, provider, and Head Start sites.

h) Implementing a comprehensive Early Learning Assessment System - New Jersey has a robust

comprehensive early learning assessment system that is built into GNJK. Implementation of the
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four types of assessment (screening, performance-based assessment, environmental measures,

and measures of teacher-child interaction) is incorporated into GNJK (for early learning providers

and participating school districts) and the Self-Assessment Validation System (SAVS) for Statefunded school districts not enrolled in GNJK. In year two of the grant, participating school districts

used GNJK to assess the program across five categories and five levels. School districts, private

providers and Head Start programs are required to use valid and reliable developmental 

screenings(Ages & Stages Questionnaire, Early Screening Inventory-Revised); formative

assessments that correspond with the comprehensive curricula and learning standards (TS GOLD®,

The Child Observation Record (COR) or Work Sampling System); and measures of environment

(ECERS-3) and adult-child interaction (Classroom Assessment Scoring System/CLASS).

i) Building preschool programs capacity to engage parents - As part of the GNJK self-assessment,

expansion districts are required to use an additional Strengthening Families self-assessment to

gauge effectiveness in parent engagement and supports. Training in the Strengthening Families

Protective Factors is offered through both GNJK and DECE. Expansion districts are required to

have active parent advisory groups and encouraged to participate on their local County Councils

for Young Children (CCYC) which are required to have 51 percent parent membership. The goal is

to have school district participation on the CCYCs to support development of parent leaders in

each community. Each county council works within the community to support families as children

transition into preschool through kindergarten and helps to facilitate linkages to community

resources.

j) Building state- and community-level support for high-quality programs - Through the RTT-ELC

grant, the State established a coordinated network of prenatal/early childhood services known as

Central Intake Hubs to function as a single point of entry at the county level for pregnant or

parenting families. Central Intake helps to streamline access to health care resources, social

services, and other community supports. Early learning providers across settings are working to

connect families with Central Intake and encourage them to participate on the CCYCs for their

counties. No grant funds are being used, as these activities are covered by the RTT-ELC grant.

k) Other activities to support the delivery of High-Quality Preschool - Bi-monthly meetingsfor

preschool expansion supervisors provide opportunities for networking and exchange of

information and strategies amongst school districts. Some districts have made connections with

State-funded preschool programs in their county in order to seek guidance and benefit from

experience. Preschool expansion supervisors have also started networking amongst themselves

to share best practices and troubleshoot any implementation challenges that arise.
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2. Expanding High-Quality Preschool Programs in Each High-Need Community (Selection

Criteria D of application)

Describe the progress the State has made during the reporting year to implement and sustain

voluntary high quality preschool programs for eligible children in two or more High-Need Communities

(Selection Criteria D(4) of the application) that include ALL structural elements listed below that are

included in the definition of High-Quality Preschool Programs. States should include detailed

information on ALL structural elements.

High staff qualifications, including a teacher with a bachelor's degree in early childhood

education or a bachelor's degree in any field with a State-approved alternative pathway, ✔ which may include coursework, clinical practice, and evidence of knowledge of content and

pedagogy relating to early childhood, and teaching assistants with appropriate credentials;

✔ High-quality professional development for all staff;

✔ A child-to-instructional staff ratio of no more than 10 to 1;

✔ A class size of no more than 20 with, at a minimum, one teacher with high staff qualifications;

✔ A Full-Day program;

Inclusion of children with disabilities to ensure access to and full participation in all

✔

opportunities;

Developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically responsive instruction and evidence-

✔ based curricula, and learning environments that are aligned with the State Early Learning and

Development Standards, for at least the year prior to kindergarten entry;

Individualized accommodations and supports so that all children can access and participate

✔

fully in learning activities;

✔ Instructional staff salaries that are comparable to the salaries of local K-12 instructional staff;

✔ Program evaluation to ensure continuous improvement;

On-site or accessible Comprehensive Services for children and community partnerships that

✔ promote families access to services that support their children's learning and development;

and

✔ Evidence-based health and safety standards.
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Please describe the progress the State has made in establishing High-Quality Preschool Programs

that include ALL structural elements listed above that are evidence-based and nationally recognized

as important for ensuring program quality.

To ensure program quality, New Jersey is using the same process that was used to raise the quality of

the 35 school districts currently in the state's High-Quality Preschool Program (former Abbott

districts). The 16 school districts participating in preschool expansion are required to meet the same

high-quality program and learning standards used in the state's program, and memorialized in our

Administrative Code, N.J.A.C., 6A:13A, Elements of High Quality Preschool Programs, Preschool

Program Implementation Guidelines, Self-Assessment Validation System (SAVS) and GNJK. Private

providers and Head Start programs contracted with school districts have agreed to the terms of the

annual Preschool Provider Contract in addition to using GNJK to work through the levels of quality.

The state's administrative code and other quality guidance documents (mentioned above) contain the

following required quality structural elements that were addressed with preschool expansion grant

districts in 2016:

• Maximum class size of 15 children with one certified teacher and a teacher assistant;

• Full-day preschool program consisting of a six-hour day and in keeping with each districts' school

calendar for a 10-month academic period (180 day minimum);

• In-district administrator and/or supervisor to ensure coordination of all of the elements of the

high-quality preschool program within each school district, including oversight of any

contracted private providers or Head Start programs;

• Teacher with a Bachelor's degree and certification in preschool - grade three or other equivalent

preschool certification. Teachers working at private provider programs contracted through 

the districts are eligible for scholarships through GNJK in order to complete a Bachelor's

degree program and attain teaching certification;

• Instructional salaries that are comparable to school district salaries;

• Developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically relevant comprehensive curriculum

(districts choose from High Scope, Tools of the Mind, Creative Curriculum and Curiosity 

Corner) and assessment (TS GOLD®, Child Observation Record, or Work Sampling System), that

is aligned with the Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards. Professional development in a

variety of curricula and assessment systems was offered in an effort to support full curriculum

implementation and effective child assessment. Larger expansion districts used grant funds to

support personalized professional development and coaching by the curriculum developers;

• Master Teacher(s) to provide coaching, classroom support, and professional development to

instructional staff; master teachers are required at a ratio of one to not more than 20

preschool classrooms. In 2016, four expansion districts sent a total of five staff to the seminar
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for new master teachers; the nine-session seminar is held monthly to orient and train master

teachers in the requirements of their new role. Participants successfully completing all course

requirements are awarded a fellowship letter from the NJDOE. Requirements include the

submission of a portfolio that includes written evidence of reflective coaching sessions,

documentation of completion of structured observation instruments, and group presentations

based on NJ Teaching and Learning Standards.

• Structured observation tools are used by the Master Teacher to assess implementation of

curriculum and quality components and to systematically gauge quality changes over time. 

The primary tool used in New Jersey in 2016 was the ECERS-3 (new last year) which is now

gaining more widespread use on the national level. Training in the application and appropriate

use of the ECERS-3 have been conducted throughout the state to orient expansion district staff

to its use and effectiveness in measuring and guiding quality improvements. To build capacity

and support DECE's work with school districts, seven NJDOE staff have now become reliable in

the ECERS-3.

• Developmental screening instruments are required to be administered by classroom teachers at

the beginning of the school year. The screening tool is used to determine if further evaluation

of the child may be necessary. Professional development in administering the various

screening tools was offered to districts in 2016 and individualized support was provided by

district liaisons on an as-needed basis.

• Preschool Intervention and Referral team (PIRT) to provide intervention and support services;

PIRT may consist of school psychologist, learning disabilities teacher, social worker, and/or

speech and language specialists. The PIRT is responsible for consulting with master teachers

and classroom teachers to adapt and modify teaching practices to help preschool children

meet the preschool standards. Two sessions of professional development in the Pyramid

Model for Supporting Social and Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children by the

Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) are underway this

school year. All expansion districts were invited to attend the four-day sessions to get training

for additional staff in the Pyramid model of positive behavior supports for children. The fall

2016 Pyramid trainings (two sessions of 4-days each) were attended by 23 staff from

preschool expansion districts. PIRT members were also invited to training in the Teaching

Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT) which is used to gauge teacher effectiveness in

implementing the Pyramid positive behavior supports in the classroom. In the 2016-2017

school year, there will be a total of 16 sessions of two-day trainings in the TPOT which will be

attended by approximately 26 preschool expansion staff (based on registrations to-date).

• Preschool nurses are required at a ratio of one for every 300 preschool students, including those

students contracted with private provider and Head Start programs. The nurses' role is to

ensure that basic health services are provided, including:

o Vision, hearing, height and weight screenings of each child upon enrollment in preschool;
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o Maintenance of records pertaining to immunization, physical examinations and other

records necessary for transition to kindergarten;

o Parent education and communication designed to meet the health, nutritional, and social

service needs of children enrolled in the program.

• Community Parent Involvement Specialist (CPIS) or other appropriate person (social service staff) is

required of each expansion district to collaborate with all relevant preschool instructional staff,

administrators, and support personnel to plan and facilitate greater engagement of families in the

school and community. District CPIS work closely with preschool personnel to assess family needs

(through surveys), engage parents in preschool and district-wide events, and connect them with

local advisory councils or parent groups. Expansion districts also use the Strengthening Families

protective factors framework and self-assessment as a requirement of participation in GNJK.

Strengthening Families, developed by the Center for the Study of Social Policy, provides seven

primary strategies for engaging and supporting families while building protective factors to

empower parents as partners in their child's education. Individual school districts plan a wide

variety of parent events to best meet the needs of their communities.

• Each district board of education was required to establish an Early Childhood Advisory Council

(ECAC) comprised of district and community stakeholders whose role is to engage around early

childhood issues in the community, advise on preschool matters, and seek opportunities for

collaboration and resource-sharing. CPIS also work to connect families with local County Councils

for Young Children (CCYC). Each CCYC works within the community to support families, facilitate

linkages to community resources, and provide opportunities for families' involvement in authentic

decision-making and leadership development.

• Expansion districts are required to include children with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) in

the preschool general education classrooms, recommended at a rate of 1-2 per class of 15

children. Preschool supervisors are working closely with their special education counterparts to

determine appropriate placements for children and provide related services and supports to

ensure the greatest likelihood of success. District liaisons work closely with each school district to

share appropriate resources and give guidance on best practices for inclusion. Additional supports

are available through the NJDOE, Office of Special Education, in the form of regional specialists

that can provide on-site and personalized technical assistance to districts as needed.

• School districts are required to provide appropriate supports for English language learners

depending on the particular need of each community. Home language surveys are distributed to

families upon enrollment to help determine levels of support needed for new preschool enrollees.

Districts provided supports in a variety of ways including bilingual instructional staff, in-class

strategies for teachers by an ELL specialist, bilingual classroom materials, professional

development for instructional staff, and resources for parents.

• Professional development for districts was offered by the state in a variety of venues and on various

topics to support all components of the grant requirements. In 2016, the state's GNJK training
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was the primary vehicle for delivery of training. Training was offered in several different regions to

maximize accessibility for all participating subgrantees. Topics covered a wide range of subjects

and levels in order to provide options for districts depending on need. The DECE also scheduled

professional development for Master Teachers and PIRT members to help ensure compliance with

grant requirements. Districts were also responsible for developing individualized professional

development plans to support such topics as curriculum implementation, inclusion of children with

special needs, and support of English language learners. The following specific topics were 

among those offered free of charge to expansion districts through GNJK and DECE:

• Let's Move Child Care

• ECERS - 3 Overview

• Creative Curriculum

• High Scope Curriculum

• Teaching Strategies Gold

• Inclusion Strategies

• Pyramid Positive Behavior Supports

• Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT)

• Strengthening Families

• Performance-BasedAssessments

• NJ Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards

Districts were required to create transition teams to develop plans for transitioning children from

entering preschool through third grade. Teams are comprised of various stakeholders including

administrative staff, teachers (across grade levels and disciplines), and Child Study Team staff who

meet to establish district goals and plans for seamless transitions of children and families through

the early education system.

Progress on implementation of the above quality structural elements and required grant components

are monitored by district liaisons with the use of the GNJK self-assessment, ECERS-3, and the District

Activities Tracking Plan. These tools help guide the work of the liaisons with the districts and provide

methods for planning and measuring quality improvements over time. Intensive technical assistance is

provided to be sure districts are successfully implementing all elements. In the past year (2016), 126

on-site technical assistance and monitoring visits were conducted with preschool expansion districts.
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Selection Criteria (D)(4) from NIA

Describe the number and percent of Eligible Children served and the cost per slot.

The total percentage of eligible children being served by the grant across 16 school districts is 49%.

The number of new children targeted to be served in year two of the grant was exceeded by 160

additional new slots. The cost per pupil for year two was $9,225 for new slots and $4,500 for

improved slots. There are no planned changes to targets for years three and four.
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3. Collaborating with Each Subgrantee and Ensuring Strong Partnerships (Selection Criteria E

of the application)

Describe the extent to which the State has collaborated with each Subgrantee to ensure that each

Subgrantee is effectively implementing High-Quality Preschool Programs (Selection Criteria E

(1-9) of the application) and how the State ensures strong partnerships between each Subgrantee

and LEAs or other Early Learning Providers, as appropriate.

Since the start of the grant in January 2015, DECE has worked to develop and maintain close

working relationships with the participating school districts. All districts are assigned a liaison who

is primarily responsible for regular contact and program monitoring to ensure all grant

components are being successfully implemented.

1. Establishment of roles and responsibilities of the state and subgrantee toward implementing the

state's planThe NJDOE and subgrantee school districts have clearly defined roles as outlined in the annual

Cooperative Agreements that are developed by NJDOE and signed by responsible parties at both

the state (commissioner and Director of Budget and Accounting) and local levels (school

superintendent). State responsibilities includes oversight of all district activities and grant

components. Four dedicated staff oversee the work of 16 expansion districts. Grant staff are

housed within the DECE and enjoy the benefits of much experience and expertise to support the

development and maintenance of high-quality preschool programs. Staff are assigned to specific

districts and are responsible for the following grant activities completed annually:

• Review and approve Four-Year Plan updates and budgets;

• Conduct on-site visits to meet with school personnel;

• Assist districts in assessing selection of classroom space and setting up new rooms as necessary;

• Provide support and resources on specific topics (e.g., inclusion, curriculum, math,

developmental assessments,screening tools, TPOT, etc.);

• Assist districts in negotiating relationships, contracts, and budgets with private providers, as

applicable.

School districtroles and responsibilities:

• Develop annual plans and budgets;

• Determine locations for new classrooms, as needed;

• Develop contracts with private providers, as applicable;

• Recruit, hire, and supervise staff;
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• Implement required quality components including grant and GNJK;

• Recruit and enroll children;

• Complete enrollment and quarterly expenditure reports.

2. Increasing organizational capacity and infrastructure of the subgrantee to provide high-quality

preschool programsDECE staff continues to work closely with school districts to build internal organizational capacity

including the addition of staff and structural supports to meet all grant components. Staff maintain

close contact through email, phone, and face-to-face meetings with all districts to provide

individualized direction and assistance as needed and monitor progress on quality components.

3. Minimizing local administrative costs - Budgets are reviewed and approved annually by DECE staff

with the support of the Office of Academic Initiatives and Fiscal Accountability. Quarterly expenditure

reports are submitted and reviewed to ensure appropriate expenditure of funds. Funds to districts are

paid through the state's Electronic Web-Enabled Grant System (EWEG) as reimbursement requests are

submitted, reviewed and approved providing an additional mechanism for monitoring expenditures.

4. Monitoring to ensure delivery of high quality- District liaisons work with individual districts to

monitor quality components to determine the status of implementation through on-site visits and

District Activities Tracking plans. GNJK is used to measure additional quality standards that are tracked

across five categories and five levels. Classroom quality studies are done by NIEER on an annual 

basis to gauge quality changes. First year results demonstrated that expansion districts made

improvements across all quality subscales in the ECERS-3. Individual school districts that contract with

private providers or Head Start are responsible for monitoring both program and fiscal components of

the provider. Privately contracted providers receive the same support services for their classes

including coaches, behavior support, nurses, and therapies where appropriate. District Master

Teachers assess classroom quality using the ECERS-3 and supervisors in contracted provider programs

also participate in GNJK to assess quality across all program components.

5. Coordination of plansrelated to assessments, data sharing, instructional tools, family

engagement, cross-sector and comprehensive services efforts, professional development, and

workforce and leadership developmentGrow NJ Kids is the primary vehicle for coordination of plans across all areas noted above.

Incorporated into GNJK are instructional tools, family engagement, cross-sector and comprehensive

services, professional development, and workforce. This assures that all school districts and provider

partners work within the same high quality parameters and are being held to the same high standard.

Also incorporated into GNJK is the Strengthening Families framework which addresses assessment

and best practices related to family engagement. GNJK also includes the NJ Preschool Teaching and

Learning Standards.
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In addition to GNJK, preschool expansion programs are guided by Department of Education and the

N.J.A.C. 6A:13A, Elements of High Quality Preschool Programs which describes regulations used by

districts to ensure compliance with state requirements for grant participation. This serves as a

reference for districts and liaisons when determining such things as teacher compensation

requirements and the role of the Master Teacher. Additional high quality parameters are outlined in

the Preschool Program Implementation Guidelines which describes more detailed recommendations

for community collaboration, recruitment and outreach, and administration.

District liaisons work closely with individual districts to develop professional development plans

(annually) and access free training available through the state and GNJK. Regular meetings are also

held with key district staff to review information about all grant requirements and share resources to

support the work of the districts. This year's meetings also provided an opportunity for professional

development for school administrators on relevant topics such as inclusion, performance-based

assessments, and Pyramid Positive Behavior supports.

6. Coordination and delivery of High-Quality Preschool Programs - DECE continues to work closely

with various state departments through the NJCYC and the Interdepartmental Planning Group (IPG).

This important collaboration provides ongoing opportunities for coordination of service delivery

across state- and federally-funded preschool programs, home visiting, child care, Head Start agencies,

Title I programs, programs for homeless children, and programs for young children with disabilities.

In addition to coordination at the program office level, the NJDOE has a strong system of checks and

balances for fiscal accountability across program funding sources. Districts are required to maintain a

uniform system of financial bookkeeping and reporting that is consistent with generally accepted

accounting principles. State-funded preschool programs have their own unique revenue source and

program codes for budgeting and reporting expenditures, allowing school districts to track preschool

funding separately from other state and federal funding (Title I, IDEA, McKinney-Vento, etc.). Any

district receiving grant dollars received unique program codes for tracking grant expenditures. Each

school year, districts provide the NJDOE with a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report detailing

expenditures from all funding sources in the prior school year. Districts must also submit annual

independent audits of all expenditures.

7. Integration within economically diverse, inclusive settings - To ensure economic diversity within

each program, New Jersey leverages existing state funding provided to participating high-need

communities to enhance existing preschool slots and add new slots for eligible children. School

districts already receiving state funding for preschool are permitted to serve any resident three- and

four-year-old child, without regard to income eligibility. This allows for more economically diverse

populations in each classroom. Preschoolers with disabilities are also included in classrooms serving

eligible children, following the model already established within the state's High-Quality Preschool

Program.

8. Delivery to eligible children in need of additional supports - Each district is responsible to create

an annual program plan update to articulate how and where they will serve each of the following
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groups (where appropriate): children with disabilities, English language learners (ELL), children in

migrant families, children in homeless families and children in military families. The plan describes

what accommodations will be made to address the unique needs of each group. For instance, the

plan will show how the Home Language Survey will be shared with teachers and directors/principals

to address the needs of ELLs, and will describe what accommodations will be made for their families,

including assistance with translation.

9. Outreach and engagement of diverse families - Districts employed a wide variety of techniques

including public service announcements, door-to-door distribution of flyers, leaving information at

local pediatricians' and business offices, translation of materials into native languages represented in

the community, mass mailings to public school families, newspaper advertisements, and outreach to

local family resource centers. Districts also use the Strengthening Families self-assessment to gauge

effectiveness of family engagement and work on improving services to all families. District CPIS are

responsible for planning parent events and connecting families to community resources.

4. Alignment Within a Birth Through Third Grade Continuum (Section F of the application)

Describe progress the State has made for alignment within a birth through third grade continuum in

activities for birth through age five programs ((F)(1)(a-b) in the NIA) and kindergarten through third

grade ((F)(2)(a-d) in the NIA).

Through the RTT-ELC and preschool expansion grants, New Jersey has expanded and improved

initiatives to ensure smooth transitions for children and families across the birth through third grade

continuum. In the second year of the grant, New Jersey state departments continued working in a

cross-sector collaboration to expand and enhance services to families of its youngest children. In

regular meetings of the NJCYC, a myriad of community stakeholders and state leaders discussed

issues across all sectors that affected families seeking access to services. NJCYC members in

attendance represented programs of all types serving families of children from prenatal through

school-age. Efforts undertaken at the NJCYC and the IPG continue to support a strong continuum of

learning for children from birth through third grade. In addition, internal work being done at DECE

encompasses birth to grade three, including such projects as Early Head Start/Head Start,

Kindergarten and First through Third Grade Guidelines

1. (a/b) Transitions for programs serving children from birth to five - Central Intake, New Jersey's

single point of entry into comprehensive early childhood system provides the framework for seamless

referral and coordination among key child and family-serving partners from pregnancy to age eight.

With core funding commitments at the state level (Departments of Health, Children and Families,

Human Services and Education), and cross-sector collaboration, the Central Intake hubs ensure easier

access for programs and families to a continuum of early learning and development services and

supports within each community. Partners in this collaboration include Early Intervention, Special

Education, Home Visiting, Early Head Start/Head Start, child care and family child care, Special Child

Health Services, before and after care programs, prenatal clinics and Medicaid-managed care
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organizations.

This past year, the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) implemented a statewide

network of County Councils for Young Children (CCYC) which are now up and running in all counties.

The CCYC structure embraces the Strengthening Families Framework which facilitates parent

participation in identifying local successes/concerns, setting priorities, and establishing a local

structure. Each CCYC partners with local providers (e.g. Home Visiting, Head Start, Child Care Resource

and Referral, Family Resource Centers, etc.) to identify parents to participate on the CCYC. The CCYC

also includes other stakeholders and services (e.g. faith-based organizations, civic groups, libraries,

museums, etc.) that support parents and families. Expansion districts are encouraged to solicit

participation from parent advisory groups on the CCYC. Each CCYC, which is comprised of 51%

parents, seeks to develop the skills of parent leaders and recruit additional parents to participate in

local events. The goal is that parents will have greater input into the service delivery and coordination

at the local level and become equal partners in improving quality and access to early childhood

services. Both Central Intake and CCYC have dedicated sources of funding that align with specific 

state or federal priorities and/or grants. Because of their direct relationship to identifying and linking

children and families to preschool programs they are considered leveraged resources for support of

preschool expansion. Transition teams are now in place in all districts and staff are meeting between

grade levels to develop transition plans for children and families from before preschool entry through

grade three.

2. Transitions for programs serving children from Kindergarten to Grade 3 -

(a) Ensuring that children are prepared for Kindergarten: New Jersey is working to ensure

that children are well prepared for kindergarten by implementing the components of the high-quality

preschool in the schools and providers in the 16 subgrantee communities, and by encouraging sites

serving infants and toddlers to participate in GNJK. Districts are being supported by DECE staff to

meet the standards of the state preschool program, and are being included in the ongoing evaluation

of classrooms to inform quality improvements. Districts are working to meet the structural elements

dictated by code and guidelines, and are participating in GNJK to ensure that all program features are

in place.

Expansion programs are required to fully implement developmentally appropriate, culturally

responsive instruction and evidence-based curricula. Teachers also use a performance-based

assessment system such as TS GOLD, Work Sampling System, or Child Observation Record.

Professional development in both curriculum implementation and performance-based assessments

were provided in 2016 through GNJK; in addition, many individual districts provided their own

professional development to staff to ensure full implementation of curriculum. With this and all other

high-quality elements in place, New Jersey is poised to ensure that children are well-prepared for

entry into Kindergarten.

(b) Effortsto sustain developmental gains of children:

(i) Collaboration between preschool and Kindergarten teachers - Each districts' transition
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team consists of teachers across grade levels including preschool and Kindergarten teachers. The

transition team meetings provide opportunities for dialogue and planning around the needs of

children and families in transition. Some examples of transition activities that have taken place in the

past year include:

• Preschoolstudent visits to kindergarten classes;

• Kindergarten orientation for all students;

• Parent/teacherconferences;

• Parent/guardian workshops;

• Preschool-KindergartenBuddy Program;

• Transition to Kindergarten;

• Multiple open houses with flexible times;

• Kindergarten Summer Prep Program/Extended School Year Program

During 2016, all districts were introduced to the Kindergarten Entry Assessment (KEA) and the

Kindergarten seminar. The KEA uses the TS GOLD system to assess children's academic and social

development as they enter kindergarten. Teachers are encouraged to use TS GOLD beyond

kindergarten to measure progress, guide individualized instruction, and assist in curriculum planning,

professional development, and interactions with parents. This provides opportunities for all districts

to improve best practices at the kindergarten level and further coordinate activities and experiences.

(ii) Expanding access to full-day kindergarten - All participating expansion districts already

offer full-day Kindergarten.

(iii) Increasing percentage of children who read and do math at grade level - Expansion of

the KEA provides additional data to track progress of children from preschool into early elementary

years. Data will be reviewed and targets will be set to increase the percentage of students who are

proficient in reading and math skills.

(c) Plan to engage families - Transition teams at the district level have planned a variety of

transition activities to include families. Parents attending the preschool program are surveyed using

the Strengthening Families Protective Families Survey to gauge their needs.

(d) Steps you have taken to build upon or align -

(i) Child learning standards - Through the RTT-ELC grant and NJCYC, the NJ Birth to Three

Early Learning Standards and Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards were aligned and a guidance

document created. Kindergarten and First through Third Grade Implementation Guidelines have also

been completed.

(ii) Teacher preparation and workforce competence - The Kindergarten Seminar is available

to all districts participating in the KEA and includes sessions that introduce the key features of the

Kindergarten Implementation Guidelines and the KEA. Classes continue to be available through GNJK

and NJDOE, covering standards and implementation across all early grade levels including the new
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First through Third Grade Implementation Guidelines.

(iii) Comprehensive early learning assessment - District liaisons have been working closely

with districts to implement comprehensive assessment systems from preschool into kindergarten and

beyond. Professional development in the use of various levels of assessment, including TS GOLD is

provided through the RTT-ELC and expansion grants. Support is available to help teachers at all grade

levels integrate the information learned to systematically address all areas of assessment: classroom

environment, teacher-child interaction, developmental screening and performance-based

assessment.

(iv) Data systems - As districts enroll teachers in the KEA, data is entered into NJ SMART, the

state's longitudinal data system. Children will be assessed at both the beginning and end of

kindergarten to track progress.

(v) Family engagement - See 2(c) above.
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Section A: Part C - Competitive Preference Priorities

Competitive Preference Priority 1: Contributing Matching Funds (if included in the State's

approved application.

Describe the progress the State has made on its credible plan for obtaining and using non-Federal

matching funds to support the implementation of its ambitious and achievable plan during the grant

period. For progress not made in this area, please describe the State's strategies to ensure that

measurable progress will be made by the end of the grant period. Please describe any changes made

to the data reported in Table 7(a); explain if your Year 2 Target differs from the Year 2 Actual.

Competitive Preference Priority 2: Supporting the Continuum of Early Learning and

Development (if included in the State's approved application).

Describe progress made in creating a more seamless progression of supports and interventions from

birth through third grade, such as high-quality infant and toddler care, home visitation, full-day

kindergarten, and before and after care services for, at a minimum, a defined cohort of eligible children

and their families within each high need community served by each Subgrantee. For progress not

made in these areas, please describe the State's strategies to ensure that measurable progress will be

made by the end of the grant period.

New Jersey has continued its collaborative partnership approach (IPG) that spans the birth through

third grade continuum and goes across multiple sectors, including the Department of Education

(Division of Early Childhood Education and Family Engagement, Offices of Special Education and Title

One, Homeless and Migrant Education), the Department of Human Services (Division of Family

Development), the Department of Children and Families (Offices of Licensing, Child Protection and

Permanency, and Family and Community Partnerships), and the Department of Health (Office of Early

Intervention). This cross agency collaboration has resulted in a more coordinated delivery of services

starting prenatally, and we continue to find new ways to ensure continuous and consistent highquality early learning and development opportunities throughout the prenatal/birth to age eight

continuum.

As can be seen in our original application (and in the 2015 APR), our match began with a significant

boost due to an increase of $14.4 million from FY13 to FY14. As shown in Table 7(a), we then met our

projected year one (FY15) increase of $4,773,000 to New Jersey's already substantial preschool

program budget of over $650 million annually. In year two (FY16), we then exceeded our initially

projected match of $5,773,000 by over $1.67 million (for a total match of $7,447,000 in year two). In

spite of a flat enrollment projection for FY17, state funding preschool did not decrease in year three

(FY17). Instead, we maintained our year two matching level of $7,447,000. If we conservatively

project to maintain that same matching level for year four as well, we will more than meet our match

for the grant. These matching funds will be used to support additional slots in the high-need

communities participating in New Jersey's High-Quality Preschool Program. Funding will be

distributed to individual school districts (and to contracted providers, as appropriate) based on

enrollment projections submitted to and approved by the New Jersey Department of Education.

Including our initial match of $14.4 million, our total matching contribution will equal $41,514,000,

representing a 78% match to our grant funding.
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Central Intake hubs and CCYC (see 4, 1 a/b above) provide a mechanism to streamline families' access

to comprehensive services. Information about services available through collaboration with our state

partners has been shared with each district for use by social workers and Community Parent

Involvement Specialists (CPIS). They in-turn have shared the information with families in an effort to

maximize supports and resources to needy families. Central Intake provides families access to such

services as home visiting, child care, adult education, housing, health, and mental health services.

Local parent councils are active in all counties and district staff have been developing contacts by

attending meetings and events to gather information about the availability of community resources

and to make connections with local stakeholders. DECE district liaisons are working with their

assigned districts to help facilitate development of relationships and collaboration in their local

communities.

In-district transition teams, including staff from various early grade levels and across disciplines,

continue to meet to ensure that transitions between grades and programs are as smooth and

seamless as possible. Transition teams and district staff were also responsible for surveying families

to identify educational and social service needs and provide resources and information to them as

needed. The work done in transition teams is also providing new opportunities for dialogue across

grade levels to work toward better articulation and minimal disruptions during periods of transition.

Preschool expansion supervisors work closely with district special education coordinators to seek

children for enrollment into the preschool general education settings. Placement of children with IEPs

into the general education setting is done through a joint effort of preschool and special education

staff working together to determine "goodness of fit" for eligible children with special needs.

Individual districts reached various levels of success in the integration of children with special needs

and liaisons continue to work closely to promote positive growth in this area. Districts are provided

with resources and professional development to learn more about strategies for inclusion of children

with special needs. Districts have continued outreach to local Early Intervention providers to bring

children with special needs into their state- or federally-funded preschool programs as they turn three

years old. Children are then enrolled into grant-funded classrooms as they become age- and incomeeligible to participate and space is available.

To ensure that the benefits of the high-quality preschool program continue beyond preschool, district

administrators are introduced to the KEA and Kindergarten Implementation Guidelines. Kindergarten

teachers participating in the KEA are also be enrolled in the Kindergarten Seminar, which focuses

content on using both the Guidelines and the KEA. To help schools navigate the increasingly complex

world of Common Core and higher expectations for accountability, and to promote smooth transitions

across the grade levels, New Jersey also developed First through Third Grade Implementation

Guidelines. Funded through the RTT-ELC grant, the guidelines include information on pedagogy and

young children, best practices in assessment, reading interventions, center- and project-based

learning, as well as specific guidance on implementing and assessing the Common Core using
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developmentally appropriate instructional practices and highlighting strategies for teacher evaluation.

District liaisons and DECE colleagues are working closely with individual districts for successful

implementation of the KEA and best practices in grades kindergarten through third grade.

Competitive Preference Priority 3: Creating New High Quality State Preschool Slots (if included

in the State's approved application).

Describe progress made in using at least 50% of the State's federal grant award to create new State

Preschool Program slots that will increase the overall number of new slots in State Preschool

Programs that meet the definition of High-Quality Preschool Programs. For progress not made in this

area, please describe the State's strategies to ensure that measurable progress will be made by the

end of the grant period.

New Jersey continues to be highly successful in creating new high quality preschool slots. To-date, 

the subgrantees are serving a total of 1887 new or improved slots. Of these, 767 are improved and

1120 are new which exceeds initial projections for year two. As districts begin planning for year three

implementation (school year 2017-2018), DECE staff are working closely with districts to ensure that

they are prepared to increase enrollment as projected in the year ahead.
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Section B: Budget Information

Budget and Sustainability (Section G in the application)

1. Please provide a brief explanation of any discrepancies between the State's approved budget and

its total expenditures for the reporting year. Explain carry-over funds that have not been expended or

obligated from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016.

2. Please describe any substantive changes that you anticipate to the State's Preschool Development

Grant budget in the upcoming fiscal year (January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017).

3. Describe the State's progress on its plan for sustainability at the end of the grant period to ensure

that the number and percentage of Eligible Children with access to High-Quality Preschool Programs

in the State will be maintained or expanded, including to additional High-Need Communities.

We are confident that New Jersey will be able to maintain, and possibly expand, the number and

percentage of eligible children being served in high-quality preschool programs after the grant period.

For the current school year (2016-17), we are already expecting to spend a larger amount of state aid

Any substantive changes to our year three budget will likely involve carrying forward unexpended

year two funding, but no changes are currently proposed in the nature of how funding will be

expended. Our subgrantee school districts will continue to expend year two grant funding to close

out the 2016-16 school year. We expect the majority of the school districts will not begin to spend

year three funding until the second quarter of 2017.

State-level infrastructure funding will also be carried forward into year three, with no substantive

changes to our expenditures. We do expect that direct and indirect costs from one of our larger

MOUs will be charged to the budget during year three. In addition, we anticipate benefit

expenditures will increase during year three since state benefit costs continue to rise annually.

Related expenses (travel, supplies, indirect) are also expected to increase above year one and two

levels and grant staff intensify their work with subgrantee districts.

New Jersey's year two approved budget was under-expended by a total of $3,208,344.10.

Approximately $386,594.19 of this funding is attributable to our state-level infrastructure

expenditures (including indirect costs and grantee technical assistance). The remaining unexpended

portion of $2,839,749.91 is funding budgeted for our high-quality preschool programs.

State-level infrastructure expenditures were lower than expected because salary, benefit, grantee

technical assistance and MOU costs came in lower than anticipated. We expect grant expenditures to

increase during year three of the grant, but will also reexamine how grant funding is budgeted to

maximize our interactions with districts operating the high-quality preschool programs.

Subgrantee expenditures for the high-quality preschool programs increased significantly from year

one to year two. District programs are now well underway, grant expenditures have become more

regular, and we expect expenditures to continue to increase through the course of the grant.
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on state-funded preschool programs than originally anticipated in our application. We also expect to

maintain that increase for the 2017-18 school year. In addition, state legislators are in the process of

proposing several pieces of legislation aimed at increasing funding and enrollment in the state-funded

preschool program. While we cannot guarantee future funding increases, we are encouraged by the

current state of preschool funding in New Jersey.

4. Please provide a brief explanation of any discrepancies, if any, between the Subrecipients'

approved budgets and their total expenditures for the reporting year. Explain carry-over funds that

have not been expended or obligated from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016.

Although our subgrantees' total expenditures for year one were significantly under expended, we saw

those expenditures increase significantly in year two, and we expect expendituresto increase further

as subgrantees continue to enroll more grant-funded children. As stated above, subgrantees will

continue to use year two grant funding to close out the 2016-17 school year. After that point, they

will begin using year three grant funding to support the costs of the 2017-18 school year.
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