What is the Beaver Dam 4 Kids program?
The Beaver Dam 4 Kids (BD4K) program is a voluntary, early learning program available to ALL four-year-old children and their families within the Beaver Dam Unified School District. BD4K is a play-based program designed to nurture the social, emotional, and early literacy skills of four-year-old children. It does not take the place of kindergarten. BD4K is implemented using a community-collaborative model that builds on existing resources within our community. Partnerships between public and parochial schools, child care centers and preschools are used to provide quality early childhood education for four-year-olds. The BD4K program started in the 2008-09 school year with 73% of age-eligible children participating.
Do all partners have to meet Department of Public Instruction guidelines?
Yes, the school district and partnership sites will meet Department of Public Instruction (DPI) regulations, which include classes taught by a teacher who is licensed by DPI early childhood education, a minimum of 437 hours per year of classroom instruction and 87.5 hours of parent involvement offerings.
How is the BD4K program funded?
The BD4K program is funded no differently than any other aspect of the school district. The two primary sources of revenue to support the program are General State Aid and property taxes, 64% and 36% respectively.
What are the benefits of families when child care center/preschools collaborate to implement BD4K?
Benefits include: the guarantee of a highly qualified, DPI licensed teacher; curriculum that addresses the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards for preschool children; availability of extended or wrap-around care at certain sites; expanded parent involvement and training opportunities; and additional resources to maintain and build on quality early learning programming.
Why would community sites want to participate in BD4K?
Benefits of participating in the BD4K program include: the strengthening of partnerships between community organizations, the schools and parents to provide high quality early learning experiences to all children in our community; financial reimbursement to sites; expanded staff development opportunities; curriculum materials; and a strong marketing tool to attract families.
ENROLLMENT INFORMATION
When does the enrollment process take place?
Registration for the upcoming school year takes place in April at each of the sites: Community Care, Kids’ Care, Pooh Corners, Rainbow Connection, St. Katharine Drexel Primary Campus, YMCA, and Wilson Elementary School. After this time, ongoing registration can be completed at Wilson Elementary School, 405 W. Third St., Beaver Dam.
How are children registered to participate BD4K?
To register your child for the four-year-old kindergarten program, you need to bring the following information: Proof of residency, Original Birth Certificate, and Immunization Record. There is also a $30 registration fee.
How are site assignments determined?
Site assignments will be based on need for child care services, place of residence, special programming needs, transportation, and available openings at the site requested. The Beaver Dam Unified School District will determine all final placement decisions.
What age must a child be to participate in the BD4K program?
A child must be four years old on or before September 1st to participate in the program.
Can a program charge an additional fee for the BD4K program?
There is no cost to families for the regularly scheduled hours of the program. If parents elect to have wrap around services (child care at a daycare/preschool site before or after BD4K) or participate in religious components at St. Katharine Drexel, the parents will pay the rate established by each individual child-care facility for the contracted services provided.
Can centers accept children who live in another school district?
A four-year-old who resides outside of the district will be able to apply through the Open Enrollment process IF his/her home district offers a DPI-approved four-year-old kindergarten program. The student would need to meet all the criteria for Open Enrollment in order to be accepted into the program.
Will transportation be provided to students participating in the BD4K program?
Transportation is provided for the BD4K program, following the existing BDUSD transportation guidelines. Provided transportation is available only during the hours of the BD4K program.
What models of implementation are used to deliver the program?
There are four basic models of implementation. BD4K currently uses
models I and III.
Model I – School District Teacher; School District Site
Model II – School District Teacher; Community Site
Model III – Community Teacher; Community Site
Model IV – Resources for Parents and in-home day care providers
How is BD4K information distributed, and who is responsible?
Information can be found on the school district website, at the BDUSD Education Service Center, Wilson School, and participating sites. BD4K Coordinator,
Laura Maron, can be contacted at Wilson School, 920 885-7373 ext. 4501.
Will each site follow its own curriculum, or will there be one standard?
Each site will follow the same curricular benchmarks based on the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards. The curriculum is designed to meet the social, emotional and educational needs of four-year-old children.
How is student progress documented?
All sites are required to observe children and document student progress on common early learning outcomes. All sites will conduct screenings three times a year (fall, winter, and spring) to monitor progress and track student growth.
Can religious instruction take place?
No, not during the BD4K program. BD4K complies with state and federal regulations that specify the separation of church and state. If centers elect to offer religious instruction before or after the BD4K program, they may do so, but staff and parents must understand that this is NOT affiliated in any way with the BD4K program and that they (parents) must pay any additional fees required for this component.
What is “parent involvement” and how are the annual 87.5 hours of parent involvement activities provided?
Parent involvement is a support network for parents and families to expand the child’s educational experience. The BD4K partners work collaboratively to offer 87.5 hours of parent education and involvement activities. Examples include, but are not limited to, family fun nights, potluck dinners, family field trips, training workshops, parent-teacher conferences, open houses, parent newsletters and parent contacts.
Can a child be removed from a BD4K program because of special education, emotional or behavioral needs?
No, the goal of the BD4K program is to place children in the environment that best meets the needs of the child. A problem solving team including the site staff, BDUSD staff, parents and others will meet if a child is experiencing difficulties and determine how to best support the needs of the child. The team will work together to determine the best placement for the child to succeed. If a child entering the BD4K program is currently identified with a disability, an Individual Education Program (IEP) team that includes parents, teachers, and other professionals will meet to determine the best and most appropriate placement for the child. If a child enters the BD4K program without a diagnosed disability, but is exhibiting delays in development, the partner site is expected to document the child’s progress and interventions used.
Does a program have to adhere to a specific schedule/calendar to be in the program?
All site programs have to meet DPI requirements of a minimum of 437 instructional hours and 87.5 hours of parental involvement per year in the BD4K program. All sites will closely follow the BDUSD calendar. Sites may have a.m. and/or p.m. sessions 5 days per week, each session will last 2 ½ hours. Session times vary per site.
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