Middletown Preschool Program Starts Sept. 10

The start of the school year is soon approaching and registration is in full swing for the upcoming academic year.

District Director of Student Services Robert Dunn shared some information for parents entering preschool this year.

Dunn said there was a posting on the website in January for applications.

The first 50 income eligible students to apply are enrolled in the program. If there are more than 50 applicants for the tuition slots, the district conducts a lottery for the remaining 50 slots, Dunn said via email.

Monthly tuition for the five day per week, half-day program is $300.00 and transportation is the responsibility of the parent.

In addition, there are 50 slots held for those students identified through Child Find to be eligible for special education and related services based on the criteria from the NJAC 6A:14-3.5(b) 7, which identifies a developmental delay.

 "Preschool child with a disability" corresponds to preschool handicapped and means a child between the ages of three and five experiencing developmental delay, as measured by appropriate diagnostic instruments and procedures, in one or more of the areas in (c)10i through v below, and requires special education and related services.

When utilizing a standardized assessment or criterion-referenced measure to determine eligibility, a developmental delay shall mean a 33 percent delay in one developmental area, or a 25 percent delay in two or more developmental areas, Dunn said via email.

These areas include physical, including gross motor, fine motor and sensory (vision and hearing), cognitive, communication, social and emotional development and adaptive development.

There are about 15 students per class but this may increase as the year progresses as students become eligible for special education services.

Teachers use the creative curriculum to teach for these young students. This curriculum focuses on communication, cognitive and academic readiness, adaptive, social and emotional, motor and sensory development skills.

There are two sessions during the day. The first session begins at 8:45 a.m. through 11:15 a.m.. The second session begins at 12:15p.m and ends at 2:45 p.m. from September 10 through June 25.

The students are taught at the New Monmouth and Harmony Elementary Schools by teachers that hold a certification of Preschool through Grade 3, an elementary school teacher or a teacher of the handicapped.
As for summer work, the summer reading lists on the district website begin with Kindergarten. However, the preschool staff is always encouraging parents to read to their children, Dunn said.

Students with Individual Education Plans (IEP) are offered Extended School Year (ESY) based on the IEP teams decision on the following criteria Is the regression/recoupment analysis which considers the amount of regression a student experiences as a result of an interruption in educational services with the amount of time required to regain the prior level of skill. 

Other criteria may include the nature and severity of the student's disability, the ability of the child's parents to provide educational structure in the home, behavioral and physical impairments, the ability of the student to interact with nondisabled peers, the student's vocational needs, the availability of alternative resources, whether the requested services are "extraordinary" for the student's condition, "emerging skills" and "breakthrough opportunities," as when a student is on the brink of learning to read.

Regression/recoupment analysis is an integral part of the determination of the appropriateness of ESY services, but it is not the only measure used in determining the necessity of a structured extended school year program.

Consideration of all pertinent information and individual student circumstances are taken into account in determining appropriateness of ESY programming.

Parents interested in the Middletown Township Preschool Program, can complete the application found on the website, at middletownk12.org.

Parents are asked to return the completed application to Student Services at the August T. Miner BOE Office at Bayshore Middle School, Door 21.