2016 ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT

PRESCHOOL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS

Arkansas

Preschool Development Grants AUGUST 2017
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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 #: S419B150025 2. Grantee Federal Information Processing Code:

3. Project Title: 84.419 B Preschool Development Grants-Expansion

4. Grantee Name: Arkansas Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education

5. Grantee Address:700 Main Street

City: Little Rock State: Arkansas Zip: 72201

6. Project Director Name: Tonya Williams

Title: Director of Arkansas Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education

Phone #: 501-320-8953 Ext.: Fax #:

Email Address: Tonya.Williams@dhs.arkansas.gov

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 $14,993,000.00 $8,204,374.00

b. Current Budget Period $15,275,434.00 $8,204,374.00

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: To:

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?

Yes No

b. If no, when will the data be available and submitted to the Department? 07/30/2017
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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: AR PR/Award #: S419B150025

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 State of Arkansas has utilized the Preschool Development Grant funds to expand the current state funded

preschool program, Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) Program, by 1,364 slots and improve an additional 1,506

currently state funded slots. This is an increase over Year 1 by 126 expansion slots and 106 improvement slots.

The State enrolled 92% of the enrollment opportunities provided by the Preschool Development Grant. During

Year 3, the State will continue to provide additional resources and technical assistance to sub-grantees that

focus on eliminating service barriers for children and families and strong recruitment efforts.

The State has continued to build upon and strengthen its robust early child and education (ECE) system. Use of

the funds, combined with funds from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, have resulted in the completion of the

following projects: 1) Arkansas Child Development and Early Learning Standards: Birth through 60 Months

adopted by the AR Early Childhood Commission in April 2016 and approved by the AR State Board of

Education; 2) A Family Engagement Framework and state infrastructure; and 3) Connection of the Kindergarten

Readiness Indicators with the Arkansas Child Development and Early Learning Standards for Teachers.

Because of the changes in the State's procurement requirements, the selection and piloting of the new

Kindergarten Entry Assessment (KEA) is targeted to begin in Fall 2017. These projects have primarily been

funded by the Kellogg grant, supplemented by existing state funded resources (e.g. Child Care and

Development Funds (CCDF), Arkansas Department of Education Funds). In addition to these projects, the State

utilizes funding from the Preschool Development grant to: implement statewide training promoting relationship/

leadership based practices; develop statewide training for the Child Development and Early Learning Standards

with plans to roll out the training to programs during 2017 and implement the State's system of monitoring and

continuous improvement. A portion of the PDG funding was dedicated to support the revision of the state's

Workforce Knowledge and Competency Framework to specify the qualifications and ongoing development

required for early care and education professionals. However, the PDG funds were not used as the

subcommittee located resources via a national expert that is using their organization's funding to assist AR.

Arkansas recognizes that a well-educated and qualified workforce is critical to nurturing the learning and

development of young children, particularly those with high needs. Arkansas has utilized funding provided by

the Preschool Development Grant to provide support the expansion of the Powerful Interactions Program to

Early Childhood Education providers. Since the Fall of 2016, ECE providers continue to participate in the staff

development for the Powerful Interactions Program. Programs funded by the Preschool Development Grant

have been attending this training and will continue into the upcoming year.

The State agrees to the implementation of a new Kindergarten Entry Assessment, and working through the

procurement process for selection is underway. The new KEA plan aligns with the Arkansas Child Development

and Early Learning Standards, is culturally and linguistically appropriate, targets sound measurement properties,

and intends to provide strength based reports for parents, teachers, and administrators. The State has proposals

for agencies to assist in the completion of the KEA and is targeting roll out in the upcoming school year. Until 

this is complete, the Qualls continues to be the KEA being used and the ability to separate the data of the

children from PDG is proving to be challenging or nonexistent at this time. Because of the changes in the State's

procurement requirements, the selection and piloting of the new Kindergarten Entry Assessment (KEA) is

targeted to begin in Fall 2017. New procurement requirements and practices were being refined for

implementation with ongoing adjustments to the procedures and process resulting in the delay to roll out the new

instrument of KEA. When the KEA was vetted out for a bid, a suitable vendor was not located resulting in
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additional bid process.

The State has completed the Family Engagement guide, which provides supports for early childhood programs

in building a family engagement system. The guide consists of the state's definition for family engagement,

guiding principles, brain development, benefits, pyramid framework, strategies for each of the family

engagement outcomes, models for continuous improvements, and a state-wide resource list. A training DVD is

available to assist programs with the use of the Family Engagement Guide.

Challenges and Lessons Learned: In the first year, the notice of the initial grant award was in the middle of the

year when all programs were up and operational creating a push to get staff in place, conducting subgrantees

selection and clear implementation plans in place. There were unexpected challenges of rolling out the funding

to subgrantees via contracts. At the same time new procurement requirements and practices were being refined

for implementation with ongoing adjustments to the procedures. At the beginning of the second year, the

procurement challenges have been much less and the subgrantees are embracing the PDG funds to assist in

improving their state funded preschool program and expanding school readiness services to more children in the

community. The new procurement requirements are in place and while the process of submitting invoices for

services rendered is new to the local educational agencies, this seems to be working out favorably.

When the PDG grant was drafted, Arkansas made a conscious decision to require higher educational levels or a

minimum of an associate degree in early childhood education for the paraprofessional to assist the teacher and

to enhance greater opportunities for programs to impact the developmental readiness level for children. While

this sounds like a good concept to improve the teacher pipeline, fourteen of the seventeen PDG subgrantees

have struggled to locate and employ these individuals with an associate degree in early childhood education

within their communities across the state and this included the areas where institutions of higher education had a

degreed program to offer. All state funded preschool programs were already required to have a minimum of a

child development associate (CDA) credential for paraprofessionals and when the state accepted the PDG

funds, there was no way to anticipate a limited number of individuals with an associate degree to fulfill this grant

requirement. Also, some paraprofessionals with a CDA credential working in the state funded preschool program

and in many cases, had been employed with the program for many years, did not want to seek a higher

credential resulting in programs having to decide to seek a waiver from the state or risk losing a valuable and well

trained preschool paraprofessional. Although this has been a struggle for the subgrantees, the state

encourages subgrantees to take advantage of supporting their paraprofessional employee with training

opportunities including tuition assistance from PDG. All lead teachers meet the PDG program staff qualification

requirement of 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.

Other challenges include developing the job description or how to utilize the family services personnel. Job

descriptions were gathered from multiple sources and provided to subgrantees to assist in establishing the

position and how to assist those individuals selected on the expectations to implement services for the families

and their children. Technical assistance was also provided at a state PDG meeting and those subgrantees that

have a clear grasp on the job description and expectation provided mentor-ship to those who were struggling.

Because this was a new type of position for the local education agencies, which is the majority of the PDG

subgrantees, the administration had to create the availability of this position. The second year has proven to

have less issues with how to fully utilize the family services personnel and some subgrantees have work within

their internal administration to have this service available more broadly to the state funded preschool services.

Clearly this position has been more invaluable to the program than initially expected.

Conducting dental screenings was a difficult concept for most of the local education agencies to understand how

they needed to be involved and then attempting to locate dentists in some of the subgrantees' locations to

provide this service was challenging. Comments paraphrased from a subgrantee wrote, that although this has

been a timely process, frustrating to obtain parental consent and providers hesitant to commit working with them,

this has been a new experience getting to know their community better and allowing them to serve the children

and their families. Information is provided to the subgrantees on mobile dental clinics that may be available to

visit their geographic location from AR Children's Hospital. This has been helpful to those subgrantees who can
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benefit in the mobile dental clinics traveling radius.

Recruitment to enroll children was easier for the second year as compared to the first year. The PDG

classrooms have been stable and consistent with the exception of one subgrantee, which is a community Head

Start Service. At the request of the Executive Director with the agreement from the Board of Directors and the

Policy Council, the program was unable to sustain the services with the amount of funding they received to do

PDG and/or ABC. Additionally the Executive Director indicated a need to change and focus of services for

particular age children, this program has indicated a plan to relinquish the state funded preschool program as

well as the PDG services consisting of 16 improvement and 29 expansion slots. Until written notice is received,

technical assistance has been offered to assist with their recruitment process. This change may result in nearby

subgrantees picking up the children that may need services in this locale after notifying our Project Officer to

confirm the relinquished program and request for approval to offer services through another existing subgrantee.
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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: AR PR/Award #: S419B150025

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.

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.

As of December 1, 2016, the State of Arkansas served 12.7% of eligible children with disabilities in High-Quality

Preschool Programs. All subgrantees of the Preschool Development Grant must adhere to the state funded

preschool program, Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) Program, Rules and Regulations. The ABC Rules and

Regulations require that within 45 days of enrollment, a child shall receive a routine annual developmental

screening to determine individual needs. The purpose of the screening is to identify developmental delays and/or

educational deficiencies. Children so identified shall be referred to Special Education within seven calendar days

of the date of screening. Programs must comply with State and Federal laws for children with disabilities. The

developmental screening must include, at a minimum, the following areas: vocabulary, visual-motor integration,

language and speech development, fine and gross motor skills, social skills and developmental milestones. The

ABC/PDG Program Specialists review the developmental screenings during regular monitoring visits and/or online desk reviews to ensure policies and procedures are being implemented and followed accordingly. The data

specialists monitor the State's data system to ensure that the subgrantees are entering the data accordingly and

following through with services.

As of December 1, 2016, the State of Arkansas enrolled 2,691 of the allotted 2,870 eligible children in high need

communities funded by the PDG grant. Programs are continuing to recruit children for the current 232 enrollment

vacancies located throughout the 17 agencies and 85 sites. The areas with vacancies are being reviewed and

evaluated based on the state data matrix to determine reallocation to programs who are in need of additional

enrollment opportunities within their communities.
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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.

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.

During the 2016 program year, 20,443 children (three and four year olds) were served with funds from the State

Preschool Program, 33% of those served within the high need communities. There were a total of 12,334 four

year old children funded solely by the State Preschool Program - Arkansas Better Chance (ABC), 1,470 were

funded with a combination of state preschool funds and PDG funds, and 1,364 were funded solely by PDG. Due

to the PDG grant, the State of Arkansas was able to increase enrollment opportunities to four year olds by 11%.

The State has been flat funded therefore, there has not been a change in enrollment for the State Preschool

Program.

During the 2016-2017 program year, the State of Arkansas expanded the state funded preschool program by an

additional 1,364 enrollment opportunities to four year olds equating to an 11% increase. This allowed an

additional 68 high-quality preschool classrooms in Arkansas' highest need communities. DCCECE provides

ongoing technical assistance for providers regarding recruitment and enrollment of children for the state funded

preschool and PDG programs.
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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.

State of Arkansas ACT 49 of 2003: Section 4 requires that all children who are enrolled into the state funded

preschool program be assessed upon enrollment in the program and continue until each child completes the

fourth grade, so long as the child is enrolled into a public school within the state. The assessments provide an

indication of each child's school readiness and is directly aligned with the Arkansas Early Childhood Education

Framework/Early Learning Guidelines (which were revised and approved in 2016 changed to the Child

Development and Early Learning Standards) and serves to promote curriculum development and instructional

methods.

The current assessment tool for the state funded preschool program is, Work Sampling, and must be

implemented within all state funded preschool programs. Work Sampling measures the following domains of

school readiness: personal and social development, language and literacy, mathematical thinking, scientific

thinking, social studies, art, and physical development. All child development staff, are required, ABC Rules

and Regulations (11.10), to attend Work Sampling training during their first year of employment.

The AR Department of Education representatives have been working on a state subcommittee with a number of

Early Childhood professionals to revise the the Kindergarten Readiness Indicators Checklist (KRIC) and to align

with the Child Development and Early Learning Standards as well as align with the States Kindergarten
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Standards including standards for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Physical Development. The KRIC

has been completed by the subcommittee and the intent now is to identify a new instrument for the Kindergarten

Entry Assessment (KEA). Until this is complete, the decision by the AR Department of Education is to continue

using the Qualls Early Learning Inventory (QELI) is a basic instrument for Kindergarten teachers to gauge where

on the developmental spectrum those children entering Kindergarten. The QELI is an assessment tool for the

use in primary grades to identify student development in six behavioral characteristics related to school learning.

It is a "snapshot" of the child's skills entering kindergarten and early first grade. The QELI helps teachers

observe and record information about cognitive knowledge and classroom behaviors in six key areas:

o General Knowledge -- Common information and general facts expected of young children

o Oral Communication -- How well a student communicates ideas, describes what has been seen

or heard, or asks about things

o Written Language -- Recognition and use of written words

o Math Concepts -- Understanding and use of beginning mathematical ideas and processes

o Work Habits -- Manner in which students seek and respond to learning opportunities

o Attentive Behavior -- Ability to sustain focus on classroom activities

The Kindergarten Readiness Indicators Checklist (KRIC) has also been aligned with the Qualls Early Learning

Inventory (QELI). Per state regulations, the QELI is administered within the first 45 days of the school year,

although results are not typically available to teachers until as early as November or as late as January. At the

time of its adoption, few options Kindergarten Entry Assessment (KEA) tools were available. However, as an

assessment tool, the QELI has had limitations for its usefulness in comparing students across the state since it is

not a standardized assessment, it only has moderate internal consistency, and little formal research has been

conducted to evaluate its usefulness in assessing children's Kindergarten readiness. In recognition of the QELI's

limitations, the Arkansas Department of Education is in the process of procuring a new Kindergarten Entry

Assessment for implementation in academic year 2017-2018 or Year 3 of the PDG grant. Cohort progress will be

measured longitudinally, but with the change in KEA, comparisons across cohorts will be more difficult, however

general kindergarten readiness comparisons should continue to be possible.

Arkansas will continue to make progress towards this GPRA performance measure, increasing the number and

percentage of children in the high-need communities served by the grant that are ready for Kindergarten, by

continuing to assess QELI outcomes. Academic year 2016-2017 QELI data has been requested from the

Arkansas Department of Education to examine PDG Cohort 1 Kindergarten outcomes. Beyond the scope of this

GPRA performance measure, assessment data for later grades will also be collected as each cohort progresses

through grade school to examine the longitudinal impact of the PDG, as well as data on non-cognitive indicators,

such as attendance and discipline. These non-cognitive indicators are an important component of assessing the

long-term impact of early childhood education. Lifelong success is not measured by a test, but rather by 

showing up and getting one's work done.

PDG programs and children will be identified within the ABC/QELI Report in order to evaluate the impact of the

grant on child outcomes. PDG dollars are being used for both child level and program level support, and this

distinction will be made in evaluating PDG impact. Additionally, as the statewide longitudinal data system

expands, there is the expectation that program impact comparisons will be made across various early childhood

education models (i.e. Head Start, Private PreK, 21st Century Community, HIPPY, Even Start, etc.) All student

outcomes will be measured using the state's KEA, additional assessment data, and non-cognitive indicators of

success. Both student and program impact will be considered in determining PDG effectiveness in improving

student outcomes in high-need communities.

The State will continue to make progress in the reporting of school readiness data to the State, in order to

provide an alignment with birth to kindergarten and kindergarten through third grade. By way of the AR

Governor's office, an agreement is in place on measuring how children are performing as they exit preschool and

move into Kindergarten up while complying with FERPA. Tracking the children in the PDG programs is being

planned for the upcoming year to determine the results.
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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.

N/A - Arkansas was awarded the Preschool Development Grant - Expansion funds.
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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.

The State has continued to build upon and strengthen its robust early child and education (ECE) system. Use of

the funds, combined with funds from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, have supported the following on-going

projects: 1) State Child Development and Early Learning Standards that were adopted by Early Childhood

Commission April 2016 and approved by the AR State Board of Education; 2) Completion and implementation of

the Family Engagement Framework and the roll out of staff development and state resource materials January

2016; 3) Kindergarten Entry Assessment and Checklist - approved by the Early Childhood Commission January

2016; 4) Currently pending selection and piloting a new Kindergarten Entry Assessment- Fall 2017. The

projects are primarily funded by the Kellogg Foundation grant, supplemented by existing state funded resources

(e.g., CCDF, Arkansas Department of Education Funds). In addition to these projects, the State planned to

utilize funding from the Preschool Development Grant to:

revise the state's Workforce Knowledge and Competency Framework, implement statewide training promoting

relationship based practices; and strengthen the State's system of monitoring and continuous improvement. In

kind funds were dedicated to support the Workforce Knowledge and Competency Framework, therefore the

planned the PDG funds were not used to support this project as initially intended but will be used to provide staff

development once the framework is approved.

Arkansas recognizes that a well-educated and qualified workforce is critical to nurturing the learning and

development of young children, particularly those with high needs. Arkansas has utilized funding provided by

the Preschool Development Grant to provide support the expansion of the Powerful Interactions Program to

Early Childhood Education providers. Fall 2016, ECE/PDG providers had access to register for the Powerful

Interactions staff development. Programs funded by the Preschool Development Grant are required to attend

the Powerful Interactions Program. Approximately 47% of the PDG programs have attended and the remaining

programs are targeted to attend the scheduled staff development during Year 3.

The State is in the initial stages, seeking input and recommendations for the new Kindergarten Entry

Assessment. The new KEA will be aligned with the Arkansas Child Development and Early Learning Standards,

will be culturally and linguistically appropriate, will have sound measurement properties, and will provide strength

based reports for parents, teachers, and administrators. The State will seek requests for qualifications from

vendors to assist in the completion of the KEA that is currently out for procurement bid. There will be a KEA

Assessment Vendor Fair where LEAs will be invited to attend and obtain details on the state approved and

funded instruments/tools that LEAs will select for implementation for the next three years. This will be an

screening tool that will include kindergarten through second grade. The target is implementation for Fall 2017.

Plans are in place with the Arkansas Department of Education to conduct the longitudinal study as children move

from Preschool through elementary. The Kindergarten Readiness Indicator Checklist (KRIC) is being provided 

to all parents who have children entering Kindergarten.

The State has completed the Family Engagement guide, which provides supports for early child programs in

building a family engagement system. The guide consists of the state's definition for family engagement, guiding

principles, brain development, benefits, pyramid framework, strategies for each of the family engagement

outcomes, models for continuous improvements, and a state-wide resources inclusive of a training DVD. The
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first statewide Train the Trainer session was held in March 2016. In August 2016, the PDG Coordinators and

Family Service Managers attended the three day Strengthening Families staff development. All of the PDG

subgrantees participated in the Arkansas Guide for Promoting Family Engagement, TIPS (Teaching Important

Parenting Skills) - curriculum that supports family engagement, and Inclusion of Children with Disabilities

October 2016. The Family Services Managers received materials to support working with families individually

and groups.

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;
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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.

The following elements assist in establishing program quality through High Staff Qualifications:

ABC Program Rules and Regulations require the lead teacher shall hold a standard Arkansas teacher license

with P-4 certification. Non-public school based or non-educational cooperative based ABC programs may hire a

non-certified teacher with a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or child development. 100% of all

classrooms funded with PDG funds employ a teacher with a minimum of a bachelor's degree in early childhood

education or a bachelor's degree in any field with a State-approved alternative pathway. Arkansas also

encourages providers to employ a paraprofessional with a minimum of an associates degree. A decision was

made by the Arkansas Department of Education [ADE] and approved by the ADE State Board to replace the P4

certification with the B5 [Birth to Five Years of Age] credential. The B5 credential is yet to be fully implemented

statewide resulting in a decrease in availability of teachers trained in early childhood education. Therefore, this

rule as well as all ABC Rules and Regulations will be revised and promulgated in the upcoming year.

High-Quality Professional Development: Between July 1 and June 30 each year, all ABC teachers and

paraprofessionals shall participate in a minimum of thirty (30) hours of staff development on topics pertinent to

early childhood education and approved by DCCECE. Teachers and paraprofessionals shall be required to

receive training in the following areas: Arkansas Early Childhood Frameworks, PreK ELLA (Early Literacy

Learning in Arkansas), INDEX (Math and Science for Young Children), Social/Emotional Learning in Arkansas,

Work Sampling Online, COPA, Special Needs, including process, Special Education rules and regulations and

IDEA.

A child-to-instructional staff ratio of no more than 10 to 1: ABC Rules and Regulations (10.02) states the adult-tochild ratio in any classroom with ABC children shall not exceed 1:10 (3 years-5 years).

A class size of no more than 20 with, at a minimum, one teacher with high staff qualifications: ABC Rules and

Regulation (10.01) states the group size in any classroom with ABC children shall not exceed 20 children for

ages 3-5 years or the classroom’s licensing capacity, whichever is less.

A Full-Day program: ABC Rules and Regulations (9.06) states that for each child enrolled, ABC programs shall

provide a minimum of 7 hours per day, 178 days per year for instruction.

Inclusion of children with disabilities to ensure access to and full participation in all opportunities: ABC Rules and

Regulations (14.07 & 14.08) states for any ABC child also receiving special education services, appropriate staff

from the Education Cooperative or school district shall have access to the child at mutually agreeable times

during the program day in order to provide services outlined in the child’s IEP. For any ABC child requiring the

intervention services of special education, the ABC program shall collaborate with special education

professionals to ensure each party has access to necessary information to provide the appropriate services.

Early Education Special Education teachers shall have access to any information pertaining to a child receiving

special education that is in the possession of the ABC program that would be necessary for reviewing and

evaluating the child’s progress in the general education setting. Access to proprietary information on the child

shall be on a need-to-know basis.

Developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically responsive instruction: ABC Rules and Regulations

(13.01) states all early childhood programs funded by ABC monies shall be developmentally appropriate and

individualized to meet the needs of each student enrolled. The following references shall be utilized to determine

developmental appropriateness: Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs, From

Neurons to Neighborhoods, and Arkansas Early Childhood Frameworks.

ABC Rules and Regulations (13.06) states all programs must utilize a curriculum approved by DCCECE. A list of

approved curriculum models will be made available by DCCECE on an annual basis. A program wishing to use a

curriculum not on the list may request, in writing to DCCECE, consideration of an additional curriculum. Program

coordinators shall ensure teachers have adequate training on curriculum.

Individualized accommodations and supports so that all children can access and participate fully in learning

activities: ABC Rules and Regulations (13.03) states each classroom shall be equipped with toys, books and

play apparatus to take care of the needs of the total group and to provide each child with a variety of activities

through the day. A variety of equipment shall be accessible from low shelves to children of all ages and shall be
ED 524B Page 14 of 20

arranged in learning centers.

ABC Rules and Regulations (13.04) states the program shall be individualized to meet the needs of each student

enrolled. Each curriculum model and the actual classroom practice will be assessed using the applicable

environmental rating scale to ensure the model is developmentally appropriate.

Instructional staff salaries that are comparable to the salaries of local K-12 instructional staff. The Memorandum

of Understanding ("MOU") entered into by and between The Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division

of Child Care and Early Childhood Education (DCCECE-"Lead Agency") and the ABC Grantee-"Subgrantees",

articulates specific roles and responsibilities in support of the State in its implementation of an approved

Preschool Development Grant-High Quality Preschool Program Expansion Grant (HQPP). Implementing

Instructional staff salaries comparable to the salaries of local K-12 instructional staff is an element within the

MOU signed agreement.

Program evaluation to ensure continuous improvement: ABC Programs are monitored in three ways: 1) through

the Child Care Licensing adhering to minimum Child Care Licensing regulations; 2) ABC program monitoring

staff or compliance to ABC standards; 3) Arkansas Better Beginnings (AR-BB), the state's Tiered Quality Rating

and Improvement System (QRIS), which includes classroom assessments using the Early Childhood

Environment Rating Scale (ECERS); and 4) Work Sampling Assessment of all children. ABC program

specialists conduct unannounced visits each year and utilize a detailed multi-item protocol that measures

compliance to all sections of the ABC program standards.

The Family Service Managers have been instrumental in extending accessibility of on-site and comprehensive

services for children and establishing community partnerships to promote families access to services that

support their children's learning and development. The FSMs have a maximum caseload of 40 PDG children

and families. They work to ensure parents have the resources they need at home and for success of their

children at school. The FSMs work with parents on translating materials for for ELL families, job resumes,

securing jobs, insurance for children, applying to college and vocational schools, single parent families, family

abuse, and Kindergarten registration. This is accomplished through parent visits on-site, FSMs home visits with

children and families and community partnerships.

They have helped to organize parent activities throughout the year. Parents are invited to participate in activities

with their child and school family. Some examples are a Winter Wonderland at a skating rink, Thanksgiving

celebration, Mr. Al concert, Health Fair, Mobile Literacy Program; Bess the Book Bus, on-site Lending Library,

Painting with Parents, and Make and Take Math games.

ABC Rules and Regulation 6.02: Any program funded through ABC shall work in collaboration with DCCECE ,

ADE, local businesses and other early childhood providers (school districts, educational cooperatives, Head

Start, HIPPY, private and non-profit providers, etc.) to ensure that all eligible children are served in the most

suitable environment. Regulation 9.01: All ABC classroom programs shall satisfy the requirements specified in

The Child Care Licensing Act, Ark. Code Ann. 20-78-201 through 224 and rules and regulations enacted

pursuant to these sections.

Through DHS, ABC, and ECERS standards for health and safety are set for pre-K classrooms. Audits by each

program keep staff accountable for these standards. All programs maintain high ratings in Better Beginnings

and ECERS. Developmental Screenings are completed prior to the child entering the program.

All children are screened for vision and hearing. Dental screenings are provided through local dentists and

hygienists for all children. The local Educational Cooperatives assist with referrals for mental and behavioral

concerns in children. The family service managers assist with screenings. All staff are trained in First Aid and

CPR.
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The enrollment at the end of Program Year 2 was 93.7% enrollment.

The State enrolled 93.7% of the funded slots with a total of 2,870 eligible children.

Improvement Expansion

PDG Funds $2,460 $7,830

Local Match (40%) $3,240 $5,220

$13,050

Selection Criteria (D)(4) from NIA

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

State Funded Preschool $4,860

(per-child allocation)

Total Cost Per Slot $13,050
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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.

The DCCECE strives to build a strong working relationship with each of the the PDG/ABC providers to ensure it

is reciprocal and collaborative to support the success of the provider partners. All subgrantees are afforded the

opportunity to participate in all facets of staff development including but not limited to as follows: family

engagement, effective communication, leadership development, classroom/behavioral management techniques

and state resources, encourage support of employees- teachers, paraprofessionals, and/or family service

managers to acquire and/or complete degreed/credential programs, access and use of the state data

management system, grant/financial management.

Regulation 11.10:

Teachers and paraprofessionals shall be required to receive training in the following areas:

Arkansas Early Childhood or Infant/Toddler Education Frameworks

Pre-K ELLA (Early Literacy Learning in Arkansas)

INDEX ( Math and Science for Young Children)

Social/Emotional Learning in Arkansas

Work Sampling Online 

COPA

Special Needs, including process, Special Education rules and regulations and IDEA

With the exception of annual Work Sampling training and updates, time frames for completing such requirements

may vary with availability and access to the above trainings. DCCECE or ADE Special Education may mandate

additional training subject to needs in various locations.

Training opportunities are phased in across all programs due to desire to keep the groups small and training

more effective.

An additional activity that programs are encouraged to develop within their communities is the School Readiness

Teams, which supports seamless transitions and long-term success of PreK and kindergarten between early

learning settings, promoting collaborative relationships, and engaging in constructive data sharing initiatives. In

addition to coordination of programs at the community-level, efforts have been made to include early childhood

education staff in joint professional development and leadership opportunities. Joint professional development

has allowed teachers to benefit from ongoing access to a highly qualified facilitator as well as the opportunity to

receive feedback, advice, and support from their peers. Each team must have representatives in the categories

as follows: PreK director and teacher; ABC teacher; Child Care (CCDF/voucher); Head Start; infant/toddler;

Home Visiting; Special Education; principal; K teacher; and parent. The annual Collaborating for School

Readiness Summit was held in November 2016. At the Summit a small grant of approximately $1500 per team

was made available to the School Readiness Teams via the Kellogg Foundation, to assist in supporting

coordination and community collaboration on a team decided project. Additional details are provided in Section 4

Alignment Within a Birth Through Third Grade Continuum.

PDG program specialist and the PDG program manager provide ongoing technical assistance, assist in

examining data and developing improvement plans, and encourage participation in appropriate professional

developmental opportunities.

One of the most frequent TA request is providing assistance in working with children and their families regarding

challenging behaviors/behavioral management. On July 1, 2016, Arkansas DHS/Division of Child Care and

Early Education (DCCECE) launched the statewide program, BehaviorHelp, to provide support for child care

providers to address and seek resolution for children who experience challenging behaviors. The purpose is to

reduce suspensions and expulsions of young children and enhance their social and emotional development.

BehaviorHelp Process as follows:
ED 524B Page 17 of 20

1. A request form is submitted to staff in the DCCECE. It asks what behavior(s) the child care center or parents

are noticing while the child is in the child care setting and provides contact information. The form is available at

http://humanservices.arkansas.gov/dccece/Pages/ChildCareAssistance.aspx

2. DCCECE staff will contact the child care provider (or whoever submitted the form) directly to ask questions

and learn more.

3. DCCECE staff might provide a helpful tool or tip to help support the teacher and child. The tips are designed

to help adults deal with routine behaviors that young children experience such as tantrums, crying, kicking,

biting, etc.

4. If more intensive assistance and support might be needed, DCCECE will make referrals to partner agencies

who will assist teaching staff at the child care center.

 This could be short-term technical assistance or longer-term mental health consultation or both

 This could also involve staff training

DCCECE staff, technical assistance providers and mental health consultants all work together to understand the

behavior concerns and provide the teacher and parent with tools to support the child. With the help and

guidance of adults, over time children can learn the social and emotional skills needed for school success,

including how to manage their feelings and behaviors.

Rarely there may be times when parents, teachers, technical assistance providers and consultants think that a

child would benefit from services in a different setting. In this situation, the DCCECE can review the case with all

parties and determine if a transition would be in the best interest of the child. This review must take place prior 

to moving the child to a new setting.

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).

The State of Arkansas fosters relationship between PDG subgrantees and other early care and education

programs to determine services currently being provided for children birth-5. Subgrantees are also working with

their local School Readiness Teams, which were established in 2012, to assess and create goals for continuous

quality improvement promoting a strong continuum of learning across state funded preschool, Head Start, home

visiting, child care/CCDF, and public school settings.

The School Readiness Teams support seamless transitions and long-term success of PreK and kindergarten

between early learning settings, promoting collaborative relationships, and engaging in constructive data sharing

initiatives. In addition to coordination of programs at the community-level, efforts have been made to include

early childhood education staff in joint professional development and leadership opportunities. Joint professional

development has allowed teachers to benefit from ongoing access to a highly qualified facilitator as well as the

opportunity to receive feedback, advice, and support from their peers.

November 2016, a small grant of approximately $1500 per team was made available to the School Readiness

Teams via the Kellogg Foundation, to assist in supporting coordination and community collaboration on a team

decided project. The Teams have identified: team members and their affiliation; the top needs and challenges

that are impacting the school readiness of young children; measurable and obtainable goals using the ESSA and

Arkansas Child Development and Early Learning Standards; action steps to address the identified needs and

challenges building off the current work in early childhood; detailed time lines to complete each of the action

steps; and data to measure progress for each goal. Teams have been working over the past several months to

obtain the identified goals and will be expected to submit a report on the outcome and/or success.

Similar to the collaboration and joint learning opportunities of teachers, birth-third grade efforts will also focus on

establishing and supporting teamwork among school principals and early care and education directors/

administrators.
ED 524B Page 18 of 20

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.

The State of Arkansas has fostered the relationships between PDG subgrantees and other early care and

education programs to determine where children birth-5 currently being served. Subgrantees are also working

with their local School Readiness Teams, which were established in 2012, to assess and create goals for

continuous quality improvement promoting a strong continuum of learning across state funded preschool, Head

Start, home visiting, child care/CCDF, and public school settings. The School Readiness Teams support

transitions between early learning settings, promoting collaborative relationships, and engaging in constructive

data sharing initiatives.

The School Readiness Teams support seamless transitions and long-term success of Pre-K and Kindergarten

between early learning settings, promoting collaborative relationships, and engaging in constructive data sharing

initiatives. In addition to coordination of programs at the community-level, efforts have been made to include

early childhood education staff in joint professional development and leadership opportunities. Joint professional

development has allowed teachers to benefit from ongoing access to a highly qualified facilitator as well as the

opportunity to receive feedback, advice, and support from their peers.

Similar to the collaboration and joint learning opportunities of teachers, birth-third grade efforts will also focus on

establishing and supporting teamwork among school principals and early care and education directors/

administrators.

Year 2 (as of December 1, 2016) - 100% of the $500,000, non-Federal matching funds had been obtained to

support the implementation of its ambitious and achievable plan, which consists of Arkansas Child Development

and Early Learning Standards revision and implementation, Statewide Family Engagement Initiative, and the

selection process to piloting the new Kindergarten Entry Assessment. A private family foundation in Northwest

Arkansas that has made an investment and commitment to PreK children in their locale. To date the foundation

has made a financial commitment of $972,000 that began in 2014. It is unknown the longevity of this

commitment. DCCECE maintains a memorandum of agreement with the foundation to ensure the quality of the

program through ongoing monitoring and technical assistance. Two of the PDG programs are eligible for these

additional funds.
ED 524B Page 19 of 20

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.

As of December 1, 2016, the State of Arkansas had met 93.7% of it's target for new high-quality preschool

program slots. The State will implement new strategies, focused on the recruitment and enrollment of children,

for the 2017-2018 program year to ensure that 100% of the new high-quality preschool slots are utilized for

children in high need communities.

$10,680,120 of the Preschool Development Grant (71%) has been allocated for the expansion of high-quality

preschool slots.
ED 524B Page 20 of 20

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.

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.

Subgrantees did not invoice for the full alloted amount due to not able to fulfilling awarded slots. As a result,

unused slots were reallocated to programs with a waiting list of eligible 4 year olds. In some cases, subgrantees

utilized other funding sources to support the preschool services.

Subgrantees' program year operates in the states fiscal year from July 1 to June 30, therefore it is necessary to

reconcile the difference between the state fiscal year [July-June] as compared to the end of year reporting for the

PDG being January to December. The sub-recipients did not start on the PDG until August, beginning of

2015-2016 school program year. Subgrantees did not expend all their funds by December 31, 2016.

DCCECE is working collaborative with a steering committee supported by state foundations and comprised of

partners including parents, educators, civic leaders, business professionals and policy makers who are

committed to helping every Arkansas student graduate prepared for success in college and the workplace. The

committee has developed recommendations aimed at dramatically improving student achievement, closing the

achievement gap and making Arkansas a leading state in education. Currently the committee is exploring

additional funding of voluntary, high-quality PreK to all children in the state and are working daily to move the

initiative forward. The belief of this group is to make sure our students start their academic career ahead and

stay ahead from the beginning. It is known that students who have a strong start, become educated, productive

members of the workforce.

No substantive changes are anticipated to the budget at this time.

The state requested and received approval to carry over funds to the next year.

Subgrantees did not invoice for the full allotted amount due to being unable to fulfill awarded slots. As a result,

unused slots were reallocated to programs with a waiting list of eligible 4 year olds.

In some cases, Subgrantees utilized other funding sources to support the preschool services.

CCDF, ABC, National School Lunch, and in some cases Title 1 funds, were used until later in the school year.

Programs had a delayed start as the state was establishing a new procurement process.