The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Division of Early Learning (DEL) announces the 2026-27 School Year Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Program (PKEEP) High-Quality Designation Application.
To apply for an allocation of PKEEP funding, a community-based organization (CBO) providing pre-K education services to children ages 3 to 4 shall:
- Be currently licensed and maintain compliance pursuant to Chapter 1 of Title 5A of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR 5A, Chapter 1);
- Submit a High-quality Designation Application on a form furnished by OSSE and receive designation from OSSE, which demonstrates that the CBO meets each of the following:
- Eligibility criteria pursuant to 5A DCMR § 3500.3 (including designation as a Level II child care subsidy provider); and
- High-quality standards pursuant to 5A DCMR § 3501.1; and
- Attend the entire high-quality designation mandatory pre-application conference.
Pre-Application Conference
The pre-application conference was held on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. All CBOs interested in applying for an allocation of PKEEP funding were required to attend the pre-application conference.
Application Submission
Applicants must submit the completed PKEEP High-quality Designation Application and all supporting documentation no later than 4 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 4, 2026. More information on how to complete and submit the application can be found here.
- FY27 PKEEP High-Quality Application.
- Please submit the application and all supporting documents in Smartsheet.
- Required Supporting Documentation
- The following supporting documents must be submitted with the PKEEP High-Quality Designation Application. All documents must be clearly labeled (corresponding to the list below) and legible (easy to read) to facilitate an easy and intuitive navigation and review.
- Evidence the CBO is currently accredited.
- Evidence the CBO participates in the Head Start program, if applicable.
- Evidence the CBO participates in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) or is exempt from participation. (Note: If exempt from participation, provide a statement that the CBO does not meet the required threshold for the CACFP.)
- Teacher(s) and assistant teacher(s) salary schedule. (Note: Use the FY27 PKEEP Staffing Plan Form to Submit the required information.)
- Current organizational chart.
- All curriculum and assessment tool subscription contracts/agreements
- Contracts/agreements for all comprehensive and professional services the CBO is planning to use for the PKEEP.
- The professional development and training plan for PKEEP teachers and assistant teachers for the 2026-27 school year.
- The CBO’s family engagement plan, including the date it was last revised.
- List of the dates or date ranges of parent teacher conferences in the 2026-27 school year. Please note, conferences can be conducted through a variety of modalities, including virtually.
- Daily schedule for the PKEEP classroom for the 2026-27 school year.
- The following supporting documents must be submitted with the PKEEP High-Quality Designation Application. All documents must be clearly labeled (corresponding to the list below) and legible (easy to read) to facilitate an easy and intuitive navigation and review.
The completed application package must be submitted to OSSE via Smartsheet no later than 4 p.m. on Monday May 4, 2026. OSSE reserves the right to not consider incomplete or late submissions.
For questions about PKEEP, please contact Dionne Muir-Clarke, education program specialist, at [email protected] or (202) 445-9031.
Attachments:
- 2026-27 School Year Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Program (PKEEP) High Quality Application Instructions
- 2026-27 School Year PKEEP High Quality Designation Application PDF (For Planning Only)
- 2026-27 School Year KEEP High Quality Designation Application
- 2026-27 School Year PKEEP Enrollment Projection Form