District officials said DPS’ five remaining preschool programs are currently going through a second round of state reviews.
“Investment in high-quality preschool programming will pay tremendous dividends for our families and our community as more young learners have access to the support they need to become kindergarten ready,” DPS Superintendent Lori Ward said.
“It’s a priority for our district, and our five-star rating is recognition of our ongoing commitment to ensuring that our children have the best opportunities to succeed before they enter kindergarten.”
The Ohio Department of Education says Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) recognizes programs that meet quality standards based on national research that lead to improved outcomes for children, exceeding the health and safety regulations tied to licensing.
Program standards review school curriculum, administration/leadership, staff qualifications and staff/student ratio. Early childhood and preschool programs funded by ODE are required to achieve a rating of 3, 4, or 5 to maintain state funding. The state went to a five-star rating system in October 2013.
Among the other local ODE-sponsored preschools to receive a five-star rating are Xenia Central Middle, Fairborn Primary, Kettering JFK, Preble County Public Preschool, West Carrollton Shade, Northridge Timberlane.
ODE has set a goal of rating all school-based preschool programs by this summer.
About the Author
