Nebraska Administrative Code › Topic - EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF › Title 92 - NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION › Chapter 11 - REGULATIONS FOR THE APPROVAL OF PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS ESTABLISHED BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR EDUCATIONAL SERVICE UNITS AND FOR THE ISSUANCE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION GRANTS › Section 92-11-002 - Definitions

Current through June 17, 2024
002.01
At risk when used with
				reference to a child
means the child is experiencing conditions or
				factors which could have a negative impact on his or her development or
				learning, including but not limited to such factors as low birth weight,
				poverty, being a child of teen parents or parents who did not graduate from
				high school, or living in a home whose occupants have limited ability to speak
				and understand English.
002.02
Board
means the State Board of Education.
002.03
Center-based
				program
means a prekindergarten program serving children in a
				class on a part-dav or full-day program basis.
002.04
Class
means a
				group of children who are receiving early childhood services in a classroom for
				a specific time period established by the school district or educational
				service unit. When there is more than one group of children (example: a morning
				group and an afternoon group ). each group represents a distinct class for all
				purposes and must meet all requirements of this Chapter. Each class will meet
				instructional hour requirements for center-based programs indicated in Section
				005 of this Chapter.
002.05
Commissioner
means the State Commissioner of
				Education.
002.06
Comprehensive services
means services other than the
				educational and family development and support components of the
				prekindergarten programs that are accessible to program participants including,
				but not limited to, nutritional, medical, dental, social, and mental health
				services.
002.07
Contact Hours,
when used in conjunction with
				home-based programs, means that program staff will have contact with each
				enrolled family at least three (3) times each month and a minimum total of 180
				minutes per month.
002.08
Curriculum
means an intentional design to enhance
				children's learning that is appropriate for the age and development of the
				children and is designed and implemented to promote positive outcomes in the
				areas of social, emotional, intellectual, language, physical, and aesthetic
				development, for all children served in the prekindergarten program.
002.09
Department
means the State Department of Education, which is comprised of the Board and
				the Commissioner.
002.10
Developmentally appropriate
means that the learning
				environment and teaching strategies are based on widely accepted theories and
				research about the typical and atypical growth, development, and learning of
				children.
002.11
Established
, when used with reference to
				prekindergarten programs established by a school board or educational service
				unit, means a prekindergarten program that is operated by a school district or
				educational service unit directly; or by contract with another entity; or in
				coordination, cooperation, collaboration or partnership agreement with another
				entity.
002.12
Family
				development and support
means those components of a
				prekindergarten program which recognize the central role of the family in their
				children's development. Family development and support includes, but is not
				limited to, home visitation, parent resources and information, conferences, and
				referrals for additional services for children and families.
002.13
Family
				literacy
means education and related activities which involve
				children and their families in interactive literacy experiences.
002.14
Full-day
				program
means a prekindergarten center-based program that provides
				instruction, programming, and services for 6 or more hours per day in a class
				setting.
002.15
Home-based program
means a prekindergarten program
				that specifically provides home visiting services and does not include a
				center-based component. This definition includes Sixpence programs as described
				in subsection 005.13, but does not apply to or include special education
				services in the home under Rule 51 and Rule 52 (92 NAC 51 and 52).
002.16
Home visiting
				services
means a method of service delivery for child and family
				development and support where guidance, information, and child development
				services are offered in partnership with the family. Services may be provided
				for either home- or center-based programs in the family home or at another
				location determined by the family and the home visiting specialist or teacher.
				This definition includes Sixpence home-visiting programs as described in
				subsection 005.13. but does not apply to or include special education services
				in the home under Rule 51 and Rule 52 (92 NAC 51 and 52).
002.17 Home visitor means a person who
				provides family development and support services under the supervision of a
				home visiting specialist or a teacher.
002.18
Home visiting
				specialist
means a person who develops, supervises, and provides
				home visiting services.
002.19
Infant
means a child age birth to 18 months.
002.20
Instructional hour when
				used in connection with center-based programs
means a period of
				time, at least sixty (60) minutes long, which is used for teaching in the
				following areas of children's growth and learning: social-emotional
				development, cognitive learning in the areas of language and literacy,
				mathematics, science, and problem solving; creative arts, health and nutrition;
				and physical and motor development. Meal or snack time is part of the program
				curriculum and provides opportunities for learning and social development, as
				well as nutrition, and therefore, is included as part of the instruction time.
				Outdoor and gross motor time will be included as part of the instruction time.
				Time spent transporting, conducting parent/teacher conferences or home visits
				will not count as instructional time.
002.21
Instructional
				hour
, when used in connection with home-based programs, means
				contact hours. Time spent conducting home visits or phone contact will count as
				contact hours. Parent/teacher conferences are not considered contact
				hours.
002.22
Kindergarten entrance age
means five years of age on
				or before July 31 of the current school year.
002.23
Paraeducator
means an individual who serves in a non-teaching role under the supervision of
				a teacher certificated to teach pursuant to 92 NAC 21.
002.24
Parent
means
				parent or legal guardian.
002.25
Part-day program
means a prekindergarten center-based
				program that provides instruction, programming, and services for less than 6
				hours each day in a class setting.
002.26
Partnership
				agreement
means, for the purposes of this Chapter, a formal
				written agreement that describes the level and nature of commitment of each
				party to the prekindergarten program. The partnership agreement should describe
				the following: resources contributed by each partner; rights and
				responsibilities of each partner; and any other relevant information agreed
				upon by all parties. The parties are not required by this Chapter to enter into
				partnership agreements or form a partnership under the Nebraska Uniform Limited
				Partnership Act.
002.27
Prekindergarten program
means all early childhood
				part-day or full-day center-based programs (may be called preschool. Head
				Start, child care. Sixpence or some other name depicting a center-based
				program) and/or home-based programs provided for children who have not reached
				the age of five on or before July 31 of the current school year.
002.28
Preschooler
means a child age 3 years to kindergarten entrance age.
002.29
School year
means the time period between July 1 and June 30 each year.
002.30
Teach
means
				and includes, but is not limited to, the following responsibilities as Found ln
Neb,. Rev Stat, §
										79-101(12):
(a) the organization and management of the
				classroom or the physical area in which the learning experience of
				prekindergarten age children takes place;
(b) the assessment and diagnosis of the
				individual educational needs of the children;
(c) the planning, selecting, organizing, prescribing, and
				directing of the learning experiences of the children;
(d) the planning of teaching strategies and
				the selection of available materials and equipment to be used;
(e) the evaluation and reporting of
				children's progress; and
(f) the
				provision of a learning environment and opportunities for positive
				relationships with children and families.