TRI-VALLEY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FOR
PRE-KINDERGARTEN SERVICES
2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR
Proposals due June 2, 2023
@ 2:00 p.m. Local Time
TRI-VALLEY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
BUSINESS OFFICE
34 MOORE HILL ROAD, GRAHAMSVILLE, NY 12740
INTRODUCTION
General Information
The Tri-Valley Central School District is requesting proposals from qualified agencies to provide Pre-Kindergarten Services for eligible four (4) year old children from the School District of Tri-Valley for the 2023-2024 school year in accordance with the District’s approved school calendar. These services shall be provided pursuant New York State Education Law Section 3602-ee, Grant Funded Prekindergarten (Pre-K) Programs Initially Awarded to School Districts in School Years 2014-2015 and 2023-2024. The Pre-K curriculum proposed is expected to align with the School District’s and NYS K-12 educational standards.
To be considered, the Business Administrator must receive the proposal in the Business Office of the Tri-Valley Central School District by 2:00 p.m. June 2, 2023. The Board of Education of the Tri-Valley Central School District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals submitted.
During the selection process, the Tri-Valley Central School District reserves the right, where it may serve their best interest, to request additional information or clarifications from those submitting a proposal, or to allow
corrections, errors or omissions in this request. At the discretion of the Tri-Valley Central School District, agencies submitting proposals may be requested to make oral presentations as part of the evaluation process. See
Appendix D for evaluation criteria. Prior to entering into a contract with a collaborative prekindergarten provider, the district will conduct a minimum of one on site visit.
It is anticipated the selection of any agency or agencies will be completed by July 15, 2023. Following the notification of the selected agency or agencies it is expected that a contract satisfactory to the Tri-Valley Central School District be negotiated between the parties by August 10, 2023.
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Tri-Valley Central School District Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program Community-Based Organization (CBO) Application Due: 6/2/2023 |
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| Directions: Please complete the Organizational Information and submit it as the cover page to the application. Following this cover page, please provide detailed written responses for the remaining categories
● Program Design and Quality of Programmatic Oversight and Fiscal management ● Learning Environment and Curriculum ● Facility Quality ● Teaching Staff Patterns, Qualifications, Performance and Professional Learning ● Child Eligibility, Screening, Progress Monitoring and Outcomes ● Nutrition, Health and Well-being ● Learning Environment and Curriculum ● Family Engagement and Support/ Partnerships with Non-Profit, Community and Educational Institutions ● Budget of Proposed Expenditures ● See Appendices A through C for additional information and requirements
Please submit three (3) copies of your agency’s written proposal in a sealed envelope entitled “Proposal for Pre-Kindergarten Services” no later than 2:00p.m. on June 2, 2023:
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Robert Whitaker
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| Organizational Information | |
| Organization’s Name:
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| Telephone:
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Email Address:
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| Contact Person & Title:
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| Type of Organization: □ Public Institution □Private Non-Profit □Private Profit
Please attach proof of organizational status (e.g. 501 (c) (3) IRS letter)
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| State whether Organization is licensed, by which agency, and type of license: | |
| Statement of the Organization’s Mission:
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TIME REQUIREMENTS
The following is a list of key dates up to and including the date Pre-Kindergarten services are to commence:
Request for Proposals Issued 4/24/23
Due Date for Proposals 6/2/2023
Selected Agency/Agencies Notified 7/15/2023
Date Services to Commence (estimated) 9/6/2022
PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
Inquiries concerning the request for proposals should be addressed in writing no later than 5/26/2023 to:
Robert Whitaker
Tri-Valley Central School District
34 Moore Hill Rd.
Grahamsville, NY 12740
(I) Program Design and Quality of Programmatic Oversight and Fiscal Management
Include a detailed narrative which articulates the applicant agency’s/CBO’s philosophy and mission, describes how the eligible collaborating prekindergarten program proposes to provide services that meets the goals and objectives of the district's collaborative prekindergarten program for new half-day and/or full-day four-year-old placements including:
● Demonstrated experience, capacity and effectiveness in immediately implementing an innovative, creative, developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive and sustaining full-day prekindergarten program serving four-year-old students, including those who are ability- and language-diverse;
● Effective, efficient, and collaborative administrative structure, record management and documentation procedures.
● Fiscal solvency and anticipated fiscal share and other resources that will be contributed to full-day prekindergarten program for four-year-old students;
(II) Learning Environment and Curriculum
Provide a detailed description of how the applicant agency/CBO will ensure adherence to the following requirements related to learning environment and curriculum:
● Schedule and Activities for Student-Centered Learning & Development
o Utilization of differentiated instruction with an emphasis on language, emergent literacy, early mathematical skills, social and emotional development, physical abilities, and structured and unstructured play
o Description of program space, scheduling, environment and learning activities to advance students centered learning and development\
● Learning Centers
Description of classrooms with clearly-defined, well-equipped learning centers that promote a balance of individual and small group activities.
Learning centers include, but are not limited to:
o Creative and performing arts
o Blocks and construction
o Library, media and technology
o Mathematics and math manipulatives
o Science and mature
o Writing
o Role playing
o Indoor and outdoor activities
Each Learning Center:
o Has an assortment of theme-based materials for small group and independent inquiry and exploration
o Is well-equipped with an appropriate number of a variety of
accessible age-appropriate materials
o Promotes literacy development with appropriate and accessible
reading and writing materials
o Reflects diverse cultures, languages and abilities
● Curriculum and Instruction
Utilization of a developmentally appropriate curriculum that:
o Is evidenced-based
o Aligns to NYSED’s Prekindergarten Early Learning Standards
o Incorporates the key domains of child development as outlined in NYSED’s Resource Guide School Success in Prekindergarten
o Emphasizes language, emergent literacy, early mathematics skills, social and emotional development, physical abilities, and structures & unstructured play
o Facilitates and supports individualized, differentiated, responsive and sustaining instruction for diverse abilities, cultures, and languages
o Ensures continuity with instruction in the early elementary grades
o Integrates with the school district’s kindergarten-Grade 12 instructional program
o Provides access to and utilizes internet connected and capable technology within classrooms as a component of instructional programming
● Preschool Students with Disabilities
Adequate and appropriate accommodations, modifications, and supports to enable preschool students with disabilities effective and equitable access, inclusion and integration in the full range of the program’s curriculum, instruction, activities, goals and objectives.
● Emergent Multilingual Learners
Implementation of adequate and appropriate accommodations, modifications, and supports to enable language- diverse Emergent Multilingual Learns with effective and equitable access, inclusion and integration in the full range of the program’s curriculum, instruction, activities, goals and objectives.
(III) Facility Quality
Provide a detailed description of how the applicant agency/CBO will ensure adherence to health and safety oversight of the design, sanitation, maintenance, and repair of prekindergarten buildings, classrooms, premises,
equipment and furnishings with the objective of maximizing child development and early learning while protecting the health and safety of students at all times. Plans should ensure compliance with the application
requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Provide a copy of the certificate of occupancy for the proposed prekindergarten premises.’
(IV) Teaching Staff Patterns, Qualifications, Performance, and Professional Learning
Provide a detailed description of how the applicant agency/CBO will ensure adherence to the following requirements related to staffing patterns, qualification, performance, and professional learning.
● Staffing Patterns
Staffing pattern policy to recruit, place and retain a program workforce that considers the diversity and needs of the school district’s prekindergarten students and families.
● Teacher Certification Requirements
Provide evidence that applicant agency will comply with teacher certification requirements in accordance with NYSED requirements for Universal Pre-K Programs. Mechanism, process and adequate staffing to collect, record, maintain, verify, update, and report teacher certification compliance and data for:
o NYS Certified Prekindergarten Teachers
o Uncertified Prekindergarten Teachers (including the five-year plan for Teacher certification);
o Where applicable, an appropriately certified on-site educational director;
o Prekindergarten Teaching Assistants; and Teacher Aides
● Maximum Class Sizes and Minimum Staffing Levels
Assurance maximum four-year-old class sizes
| Collaborating Pre-Kindergarten Provider Type | Maximum Class Size (Four-year-old students) | Minimum Staffing Levels Assigned to Each Class |
| Family Daycare | 6 | 1 Teacher |
| Group Family Daycare | 12 | 1 Teacher |
| 18 | 1 Teacher And 1 Paraprofessional [Teaching Assistant or Teacher Aide(s)] |
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| Community Based Organization | 19-20 | 1 Teacher And 2 Paraprofessionals [Teaching Assistant(s) or Teacher Aide(s)] |
● Professional Learning
A plan for professional learning opportunities which take into account how the collaborating agency will provide substantial professional development opportunities for the instructional staff as it is directly related to student
achievement. The plan should also address collaborative opportunities with Tri-Valley Central School District. The plan should be based upon the comprehensive instructional and non-instructional needs of its prekindergarten four-year-old students, their families and communities. Consideration for inclusion:
o Aggregated information on prekindergarten student progress
o Alignment to NYSED’s Learning Standards and NYSED’s Resource Guides for Success in Early Learning
o Tri-Valley Central School District’s UPK-3 rd grade curriculum
o Input from Tri-Valley Central School District and other collaborating teachers
o Feedback from families
o Feedback provided from NYSED (Quality Assurance Protocol)
● Performance
Articulate the applicant agency’s/CBO’s plan to measure the environmental quality and Teacher-Student interactions of the prekindergarten program with a valid and reliable tool.
o For the purpose of consistent prekindergarten program evaluation, Tri-Valley Central School District requests that collaborating prekindergarten providers/CBOs agree to use the same tool to measure the quality of
the learning environment across prekindergarten classrooms in all settings.
o The formal observation tool used by collaborating prekindergarten providers to measure the quality of teacher-student interactions at minimum, is an approved teacher practice rubric for New York State.
▪ Tri-Valley Central School District currently utilizes The Danielson Group Framework for Teaching
(V) Child Eligibility, Screening, Progress Monitoring, and Outcomes
Provide a detailed description of demonstrated success in assessing and meeting the needs of diverse learners,
including children with disabilities in an integrated setting and Emergent Multilingual Learners in English and
home language development. Detail adherence to the following protocols:
● Student Eligibility & Attendance
o Tri-Valley Central School District will coordinate and conduct all outreach, recruitment, eligibility, registration, lottery (if necessary), waitlist, enrollment, intake and placement of students in collaborating prekindergarten programs.
o Eligible students are children who reside within the Tri-Valley Central School District, are four years of age on or before December 1 st , or who will otherwise be first eligible to enter public school kindergarten commencing with the following school year. Eligible students will adhere to the Tri-Valley Central School instructional day calendar and attendance policy.
● New Entrant and Prekindergarten Initial Screening
A process for communicating with Tri-Valley Central School District in regards to students enrolled in the collaborating Prekindergarten program requiring an initial screening assessment.
● Progress Monitoring Assessments
Administration of valid and reliable progress monitoring assessments minimally twice per year to measure the progress of each prekindergarten student’s language, cognitive and social-emotional development.
o For the purpose of consistent prekindergarten progress monitoring, Tri-Valley Central School District requests that collaborating prekindergarten providers/CBOs agree to use the same tools to measure student growth.
o Tri-Valley Central School District currently utilizes Star Early Literacy (computer-based assessment) to measure growth in language and cognition. A tool for Social-Emotional growth is currently under review.
o Standardized tests will not be administered in prekindergarten
*In accordance with NYS Education Law Section 3602-ee, If a school district/collaborating agency chooses to use a locally developed assessment, it must partner with an organization, typically a university, to go through the psychometric process to deem the assessment valid and reliable. Until a locally developed assessment is deemed valid and reliable, it is required to use commercially developed assessments that have been deemed valid and
reliable.
(VI) Nutrition, Health and Well-being
Provide a detailed plan for ensuring adherence to the following requirements related to child nutrition, health, and well-being in all prekindergarten program settings:
● Each student’s needs are met through the provision of appropriate meals and snacks. Nutritious meals and snacks are provided at appropriate times and for sufficient durations conducive to meaningful students- student and students-staff interactions
● Provide students with a variety of daily opportunities to engage in developmentally appropriate activities that are indoor and outdoor, structured and unstructured and moderately to vigorously physical
(VII) Family Engagement & Support and Partnership with Non-profit, Community & Educational Institutions
Provide a detailed plan for documenting protocols for ensuring adherence to the following requirements related to family engagement & support, and partnerships with non-profit, community and educational institutions in
collaborating prekindergarten program settings:
● Family Engagement Policy and Practice
Active engagement of families, parents and/or guardians in the education of their children. The plan should reflect outreach strategies and how families are engaged free of charge in the languages they understand.
● Annual Program Evaluation Completed by Families
Collaborating agencies will distribute and encourage families, parents and/or guardians to complete the Tri- Valley Central School District program evaluation and/or survey.
● Community Partnerships/Comprehensive Support Services
Collaborating agencies will minimally describe the applicant relationship with Tri-Valley Central School District in transitioning their four-year-old students and families to kindergarten. (e.g., Attending relevant events, Meet and Greet with Kindergarten and Special Area Teachers, etc.)
(VIII) Budget Proposal Summary
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(I) Budget Proposal Summary |
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| Number of classrooms allocated for UPK students for the 2023-2024 school year:_____
Number of UPK students proposed to be serviced for the 2023-2024 school year:_____ (This figure should include both half day students and/or full day students)
● Number of half day (AM) students: _____
● Number of half day (PM) students: _____ *Note: The sum of the number of AM and PM students should be equal to the total number of half day UPK students proposed to be serviced for the 2022-2023 school year.
● Number of full day students: _____
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| Chief Executive Officer:
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Signature of Chief Executive Officer:
Date of Application Submission:
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APPENDIX A
Safety and Access
The Provider and the District will agree on the terms of Safety, Access, and Entry into school district buildings, including security protocols, method and hours of access and method and responsibility for closing the access points if necessary. A Safety Plan that addresses the UPK Center’s protocol shall be given to the District’s UPK Director no later than September 1 prior to the start of the school year.
APPENDIX B
General Requirements of the New York State Education Department
A. Admission requirements for children
(a) No child may participate in the pre-kindergarten program unless:
1. A report of a medical examination of the child signed by a physician is submitted within 30 days of admission which states that the child is free from contagious or communicable disease.
2. The child has been immunized to the extent appropriate to his/her age in accordance with section 2164 of the Public Health Law; or has been granted an exemption from such immunization.
(b) Admission shall be in accordance with Tri-Valley Central School District Policies.
B. Physical facilities
(a) Each pre-kindergarten classroom shall have at least a minimum of 30 square feet per child of usable activity space, excluding cloakrooms, bathrooms and storage facilities.
(b) There shall be a minimum of 75 square feet of outdoor play area per child. Less than 75 square feet per child may be permitted upon submission of evidence of careful spacing of equipment and limitation of use to small groups at a time.
(c) There shall be no construction, addition, substantial modification or change in occupancy of buildings or parts of buildings used or to be used in the operation of the pre-kindergarten program unless plans and designs of changes have been approved by the department.
(d) Each pre-kindergarten program shall provide adequate indoor and outdoor space to accommodate a variety of gross motor activities which encourage physical and social development of the children.
(e) The pre-kindergarten program shall be located on or close to the first floor of the building and is accessible for children with handicapping conditions who may participate in the program.
(f) A bathroom shall be part of, or immediately accessible to, the pre-kindergarten classroom. Such bathrooms must be barrier free.
(g) Appropriate space shall be designated for the use of parent activities.
C. Safety and sanitation
(a) All buildings, premises, equipment and furnishings used for the pre-kindergarten program shall be safe and suitable for the comfort and care of the children and shall be provided and maintained in a good state of repair and sanitation, as determined by the commissioner.
(b) Suitable precautions shall be taken to eliminate all conditions which may contribute to or create a fire.
(c) Fire drills shall be held in accordance with the provisions of section 807 of the Education Law. A record of these drills shall be maintained.
D. Health and nutrition
(a) The pre-kindergarten program shall ensure the health and safety of the children participating in the program.
(b) The program shall be equipped with a first aid kit and kept stocked for emergency treatment. First aid supplies must be kept in a clean container and in an area not accessible to children.
(c) A pre-kindergarten program shall have a written plan on file as prescribed by the commissioner which shall describe the medical and health policies and procedures which shall be explained to all staff and parents.
(d) The Health & Nutrition program shall be in accordance with Tri-Valley Central School District policies.
E. Discipline
(a) For the purpose of this section, corporal punishment means any act of physical force upon a child for the purpose of punishing that child.
(b) The program shall establish and inform all parents and staff of a written pupil discipline policy. Such policy shall include the following:
(c) Any discipline used must relate to the child’s misbehavior and be handled without prolonged delay on the part of the staff;
(d) Room isolation, corporal punishment, and denial of food are prohibited
APPENDIX C
Indemnity and Insurance Requirements
The Provider agrees to defend, indemnify and hold the District, its officers, employees, and agents, harmless, at all times during and after the term of this Agreement, from and against all claims, damage, losses, and expenses (including without limitations, reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from, or in any way connected with the negligent or intentional acts or omissions of, or a breach of any term of or condition contained in this Agreement by the Provider, its employees, agents or representatives.
Provider shall be required to produce and maintain, at its own expense, a policy of public liability and property damage insurance in which the District is named as an additional insured.. The minimum limits of coverage of such insurance shall be $1,000,000 for injury or death, per person or per incident, and $1,000,000 with respect to property damage.
Provider shall also be required to produce and maintain, at its own expense, Workers Compensation Insurance in accordance with New York State law at all times during the term of this Agreement.
Each policy of insurance required shall be of form and content satisfactory to the District and shall be non- cancelable without ten (10) days prior written notice to the District.
A duplicate original of such insurance policy or a certificate of insurance shall be given to the District as part of this proposal.
APPENDIX D
Proposal Evaluation:
Upon review of the proposals submitted, the Proposer shall be selected based on the following criteria:
(a) Cost will be a paramount factor in fulfilling enrollment. The District’s goal is to extend service to as many students as financially possible, and the Board of Education will therefore be taking a hardline approach to analyzing cost. Consideration will also be given to enrollment in the District’s school-based program;
(b) demonstrates the ability to provide a high quality learning environment,
early childhood programming, and other necessary described in this RFP;
(c) experience of the Proposer, proven track record, references, experiences of
persons selected to handle work;
(d) the Proposer’s capacity to effectively, efficiently and immediately provide
needed services;
(e) the ease of utilization and accessibility of the program to parents and/or
guardians;
(f) capacity to provide ongoing staff development;
(g) staffing patterns and qualifications;
(h) documentation that all applicable health and safety codes and licensure or
registration requirements are met;
(i) anticipated fiscal share and other resources will be contributed to the universal pre-kindergarten program;
(j) current program design and experience in providing developmentally-appropriate programs;
(k) fiscal solvency;
(l) stability of staff, rate of turnover and ability to fill vacancies in a timely manner;
(m) articulated mission/philosophy statements;
(n) record management and documentation procedures followed by the agency;
(o) administrative structure;
(p) capacity and experience in serving children with disabilities;
(q) capacity and experience in serving children and their parents and/or guardians when they are limited English proficient;
(r) children’s progress as demonstrated by assessments;
(s) demonstrated effectiveness of the eligible agency’s program; and student enrollment.
(t) Quality of the proposer’s family and community engagement plan
(u) Alignment of proposer’s educational program and assessments with those of the District