✉️ VDOE Readiness Connections Update: November 26, 2024

Virginia Department of Education sent this bulletin at 11/26/2024 12:00 PM EST

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

Save the Date

December 22 - Local CLASS Observations are due.
Learn more.

2 Weeks Left to Share Your Experiences as a Child Care Provider and Earn $30

If you lead a child care center or family day home that serves children ages 0-5, you may be eligible to take a confidential survey that will help us understand how to better support providers.

All eligible respondents will receive a $30 gift card and be entered into a $100 raffle!

Our partners at UVA have sent emails with your site’s unique survey link (from noreply@surveys.virginia.edu). Please see the FAQ (www.see-partnerships.com/providersurveyfaq.html) with any questions, or contact our UVA partners at see-partnerships@virginia.edu or 434-297-6882.

Child Care Centers and Family Day Homes

Potable Water Lead Testing Reminders

January 1, 2025, VDOE will begin determining compliance with the potable water lead testing law, § 22.1-289.057 of the Code of Virginia impacting all licensed child day programs, and certified preschools and religious exempt child day centers that serve preschool age children. Programs are reminded to minimally submit their testing plans to the Virginia Department of Health Office of Drinking Water prior to January 1. While best practice is to test all potable water outlets, and programs participating in the VDH grant program are supported in testing all potable water outlets, programs not participating in the grant program must ensure a minimum sampling of two high-priority outlets. Refer to resources and technical assistance documents on the child care website and VDH website for more information.

Virginia Preschool Initiative

To learn more about Virginia Preschool Initiative, visit the VPI website.

Early Childhood Special Education

Webinar Recording Available: Virginia Guidelines for Early Childhood Inclusion of Children with IEPs

On November 20, The VDOE offered a webinar focused on building, sustaining, and improving early childhood inclusion of children with IEPs. Participants received information related to the benefits and legal requirements of early childhood inclusion as well as contexts for inclusion in Virginia. Resources were provided to support and improve inclusion. The recording and materials are available below.

Head Start

New Enrollment Resources to Support Head Start Programs

The Office of Head Start has released new comprehensive resources through their Nurturing the Promise Campaign that supports the implementation of the updated Head Start Program Performance Standards. These resources focus on making enrollment and engagement accessible for families, meeting the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) enrollment requirements, identifying barriers to enrollment, and strengthening recruitment strategies. For more information about other resources, review the early childhood learning and knowledge center website.

VQB5 - Virginia's Unified Measurement and Improvement System

Local CLASS Observations - due by December 22

This fall all VQB5 classrooms must complete a local CLASS observation coordinated by their Ready Regions, with scores entered and verified in LinkB5 by December 22. Once scores are verified, site leaders can access their local CLASS scores via the LinkB5 Reports.

Instructions for Accessing Your CLASS data in LinkB5
Using CLASS Scores to Guide Improvement
Additional resources to support CLASS observation completion are available on the VQB5 Measuring Quality Interactions webpage.

Early Learning Support

STREAMin³ Monthly Webinars

Did you know that STREAMin³hosts free 30-minute webinars every month? Join them live or watch a library of recordings anytime at the STREAMin ³ webinar page.

STREAMin³ Office Hours every Tuesday!

Join Coaches from STREAMin³ on Tuesdays for optional office hours for support with STREAMin³ implementation. Spanish-speaking coach available.

Join STREAMin³ Office Hours
Weekly on Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Ready B5 Recap Fall Edition is HERE!

Click to view the fall edition of Ready B5 Recap, the Quarterly Newsletter for Early Childhood Care and Education in Virginia.

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