The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Division of Early Learning (DEL) announces the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion High-Quality Designation Application.

In order to apply for an allocation of Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion funding, a community-based organization (CBO) providing pre-K education services to children ages 3 to 4 shall:

1. Be currently licensed and maintain compliance pursuant to Chapter 1 of Title 5A of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR 5A, Chapter 1);
2. 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:
   1. Eligibility criteria pursuant to 5A DCMR § 3500.3 (including designation as a Level II provider); and
   2. High-quality standards pursuant to 5A DCMR § 3501.1; and
3. Attend the entire high-quality designation mandatory pre-application conference.

Pre-Application Conference

The pre-application conference is scheduled for Thursday, April 11, 2024, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. virtually via GoToWebinar. All CBOs interested in applying for an allocation of Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion funding must attend the pre-application conference. Register for the Pre-Application Conference here.

Application Submission

Applicants must submit the completed high-quality designation application and all supporting documentation. (See the attachment “FY25 Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Program [PKEEP] Application Instructions”, linked below, for more detailed information on how to submit.)

• FY25 PKEEP High-Quality Application electronic version.
  • Please submit the application and all supporting documents via the Smartsheet Form.
• 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 has a waiver exempting them from participation.
  • If exempted from participation, provide the waiver from OSSE or a statement that the CBO does not meet the required threshold for the CACFP.
  • PKEEP specific program budget for FY25. Please note, the budget must reflect the CBO’s plan to comply with the pay parity requirement.
  • Teacher(s) and assistant teacher(s) salary schedule.
  • Current organizational chart.
  • All curriculum and assessment tool subscription contacts/agreements
  • Note: Documentation is not needed for any current PKEEP provider that uses the OSSE sponsored Teaching Strategies® subscription.
  • All comprehensive services contracts/agreements the CBO is planning to use for the PKEEP.
  • The professional development and training plan for PKEEP teachers and assistant teachers for the 2024-25 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 2024-25 school year. Please note, conferences can be conducted through a variety of modalities, including virtually.
  • The CBO’s plan for continuous improvement, ongoing classroom assessments and the collection of authentic child assessment data at least three times a year.
  • Daily schedule for the PKEEP classroom for the 2024-25 school year.
  • PKEEP Teacher/Assistant Teacher Certification:
  • Note: Evidence of all degrees (official or unofficial transcripts), other education and/or certifications for all PKEEP teachers and assistant teachers should be submitted. All foreign credentials must be evaluated by a foreign credential evaluation company.

The completed application package must be submitted to OSSE no later than Friday, May 17, 2024 at 4 p.m. 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.