Program summary: Preschool

Educating for success

Preschool School Readiness Kindergarten Readiness Voluntary Pre-K Beth Yokom, Assistant Manager 763-506-1266

Mission Anoka-Hennepin Preschool provides highquality learning environments that prepare children to enter kindergarten with the skills and confidence to progress and flourish.

Program Preschool classes are offered mornings, afternoons, and evenings. Children attend two to five days per week. Saturday and summer classes are also available. Intensive, targeted preschool for children from low income families is delivered through the Kindergarten Readiness Preschool and the Voluntary Pre-K program. These programs also provide transportation and a meal during program hours.

experiences in a fun and engaging classroom environment. Teachers work closely with children and continually monitor progress on kindergarten readiness skills. Parents may participate in a classroom lending library, take-home activities, serve as a classroom volunteer, and attend parent/child days and parent/teacher conferences.

Participants Anoka-Hennepin Schools serve a diverse student population with a wide range of needs and skill levels. In 2016-17, of the 1,346 preschool students served: 40 percent of families utilized the sliding fee scale or tuition was waived; 216 were identified with special needs; 154 students’ families did not speak English as their primary language at home.

Children participate in large group, small group and independent learning activities.

The curriculum includes literacy, language, math, science, art, motor and music www.discovercommunityed.com

Funding

Voluntary Pre-K (VPK)

Anoka-Hennepin Preschool is funded through participant fees and categorical state funding.

State funds support a sliding fee scale based on family size and income. Fees are waived or reduced upon request if there are special circumstances.

Anoka-Hennepin Schools is one of 74 districts and charter schools to receive additional state funding to offer free Voluntary Pre-K, beginning in the 2016-17 school year. Programs are located at Adams Elementary, University Avenue Elementary and Evergreen Park World Cultures Community School this year.

2016-17 Funding (Actual): Parent Fees Grants/Fundraising State Aid Early Learning scholarships General Education funding TOTAL

$ 970,534 $ 11,949 $ 1,460,636 $ 367,727 $ 250,096 $ 3,060,942

Challenges Preschool programs across the state were fortunate to receive funding increases, thanks to the investment in early learning efforts. Additional funding can be challenging as districts manage expansion with limited space and staffing while using new funding intentionally.

Outcomes Teachers assess each child’s progress throughout the preschool year, assemble a collection of each child’s work, and parents receive the final results.

For 2016-17, 88 percent of students exiting preschool were ready for kinder-garten. Teaching Strategies GOLD is used to assess development and progress in the areas of social/ emotional, physical, cognitive, language, literacy and mathematics.

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