DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O.
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 176
August 31, 2007
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Billy K.
Cannaday, Jr. Superintendent of
Public Instruction
|
|
SUBJECT: |
New Web-based Data Collection and Fall
Verification Reporting Requirements for Fiscal Year 2008 (July 1, 2007,
through June 30, 2008) |
The Virginia Preschool Initiative provides programs for at-risk four-year-old children that include quality preschool education, health services, social services, parental involvement, and transportation. Programs must provide services for the entire school year and must operate on a half-day or full-day schedule. Programs operating half-day will receive state funds prorated at 50 percent. For a new program in the first year of implementation only, a program operating less than a full school year will receive state funds on a fractional basis determined by the pro-rata portion of a school year the program is provided.
The program guidelines and
Virginias Foundation Blocks for Early Learning are available at the
following website: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Instruction/Elem_M/early/preschoolinitiative.html
Fall
Verification Report and Data Submission
Beginning
with fiscal year 2008, all eligible school divisions, regardless of
participation, are required to complete the Web-based fall verification report
for the Virginia Preschool Initiative. The report is due October 1, 2007. The
collection windows will be open from August 31 through October 1.
The verification report and data
collection will be submitted through the Department of Educations Single Sign-On
for Web Applications System (SSWS). Instructions are available in Attachment A.
Access to the verification report should be requested through the school
divisions SSWS account manager. For
those school divisions that are eligible and choosing to participate, budget
and program summary information will also be collected.
Funding
It is anticipated that state funds for the VPI program will be distributed
based on an allocation formula providing the state share (based on each
divisions composite index) of $5,700 per child for 100 percent of the estimated
unserved at-risk four-year-olds in each locality as projected by the Department
of Education.
The projected local distribution of state funds for each locality for school year 2007-2008 is included in the Budget Calculator section of the SSWS application. This section provides the formula-driven entitlement available to each locality. If the locality chooses to serve fewer children than the total number allocated by formula, insert the actual number of children served in the calculator in the Local Actual fields. The state and local shares of cost will automatically be recomputed for your information.
All eligible school
divisions, regardless of participation, are required to mail a copy of the
signed certification form to Cheryl Strobel, Office of Elementary Instruction,
Virginia Department of Education, P.O. Box 2120, Richmond, VA 23218. The signed
certification form is due by October 1, 2007.
If you have program
questions, please contact Cheryl Strobel, early childhood education specialist,
at (804) 371-7578 or Cheryl.Strobel@doe.virginia.gov.
Budget questions should be directed to Brian Logwood, budget director, at (804)
225-2025 or brian.logwood@doe.virginia.gov.
BKCJr/CPS/rt
Attachment
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2007/inf176a.pdf