PRESCHOOL STAFF | Administrative Guideline Manual

2280 - PRESCHOOL STAFF

The preschool program shall be directed and supervised by a director, a head teacher, an elementary principal, or a site administrator (hereafter referred to as "director") who is on-site and responsible for supervision of the program. This person shall hold a valid educator license designated as appropriate for teaching or being an administrator in a preschool setting issued pursuant to Ohio law and have completed at least four (4) courses in child development or early childhood education from an accredited college, university, or technical college.

The director and staff shall be recruited, employed, assigned, evaluated, and provided in-service education in accordance with adopted Board policies and without discrimination on the basis of age, color, national origin, race, sex, or disability.
The preschool staff member assigned in each preschool class shall be of good character, possess adequate physical and emotional health, be equipped by education, training, and/or experience for the work they are to perform, and meet the requirements of State law.
Staff members, non-teaching employees, and volunteers shall annually sign a non-guilty/non-conviction statement on a prescribed form.
Each director and preschool staff member shall be examined by a licensed physician, physician's assistant, advanced practice nurse, or certified nurse practitioner within twelve (12) months prior to the first day of employment.
Each preschool staff member shall be at least eighteen (18) years of age and have a high school diploma or a certification of high school equivalency issued by the State Board of Education or a comparable agency. A staff member may be less than eighteen (18) years of age if:
1. the staff member is a graduate of a two (2) year career-technical center child care training program approved by the State Board of Education;
2. the staff member is a student enrolled in the second year of such a program that leads to high school graduation, provided that the student performs duties in the preschool program under the continuous supervision of an experienced preschool staff member and receives periodic supervision from the career-technical center child care training program teacher/coordinator in the student's high school.
The director and staff shall be assigned responsibilities in accordance with written job descriptions commensurate with their certification and/or licensure pursuant to Ohio law, and qualifications, respectively. The director and/or lead teacher acting as the director shall be onsite at the preschool program for at least half of the program's operating hours.
The director of each preschool program shall be responsible for the following:
1. providing that the health and safety of the children are safeguarded by an organized program of school health services designed to identify child health problems and to coordinate school community health resources for children as evidenced by, but not limited to, the following:
  1. requiring immunizations and compliance with emergency medical authorization requirements under R.C. 3313.712
  2. providing procedures for emergency situations, including fire drills, rapid dismissals, tornado drills, and school safety drills in accordance with R.C. 3737.73, and keeping records of such drills or dismissals
  3. posting emergency procedures in preschool rooms and making them available to school personnel, children, and parents
  4. posting emergency numbers by each telephone
  5. supervising grounds, play areas, and other facilities when scheduled for use by children, and
  6. providing first-aid facilities and materials
2. maintaining cumulative records for each child
3. supervising each child's admission, placement, transition, and withdrawal according to established procedures
4. preparing a roster of children enrolled annually
5. providing that clerical and custodial services are assigned for the program
6. supervising the instructional program and daily operation of the program
7. supervising and evaluating preschool staff members according to a planned sequence of observations and evaluation conferences, and supervising nonteaching employees
The director of the preschool program shall:
1. hold a valid educator license designated as appropriate for teaching or being an administrator in a preschool setting issued pursuant to Section 3319.22 of the Revised Code and have completed at least four (4) courses in child development or early childhood education from an accredited college, university, or technical college;
2. meet the appropriate qualifications pursuant to Section 3301.54 of the Revised Code;
3. be responsible for the duties outlined in Section 3301.56 of the Revised Code;
4. complete training on relevant State and Federal licensing rules as prescribed by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW).
Each class/group in a preschool program shall have assigned a lead teacher in accordance with the following:

Preschool programs operated by a public school shall have a lead teacher for each class/group of children enrolled that meets one (1) of the following:
1. valid prekindergarten teaching certificate issued under Ohio law
2. valid prekindergarten associate certificate issued under Ohio law
3. valid kindergarten-primary certificate issued under Ohio law and have completed at least four (4) courses in child development in early childhood education from an accredited college, university, or technical college
4. a bachelor's degree in child development or early childhood education earned from an accredited college or university with a minimum of thirty (30) quarter or twenty (20) semester hours in child development/preschool program planning and methods including a supervised practicum with preschool children
5. an early childhood license pursuant to Ohio law
6. preschool special education programs shall have an intervention specialist teacher that meets one (1) of the following requirements:
  1. a valid license or education of the handicapped certificate with an endorsement in prekindergarten special needs or early education of the handicapped;
  2. a valid early childhood intervention or primary intervention specialist license;
  3. a valid supplemental or intervention specialist license in the area of prekindergarten special needs, early childhood intervention specialist, or intervention specialist in the areas of visually or hearing impaired children if the children are visually or hearing impaired; or
  4. a valid K-12 intervention specialist license and meets one (1) of the qualifications of a general education preschool lead teacher.
Extended day child care provided to preschool children before or after the preschool program shall have staff members assigned that, at a minimum, are at least eighteen (18) years of age and have at least a high school diploma or certification of high school equivalency issued by the State Board of Education or comparable agency. The extended child care staff member must also meet requirements related to a medical examination, in-service, and background check as cited in this rule. Child care staff/child ratios in accordance with this rule must be maintained at all times.
Infant and toddler care programs shall have staff members assigned that, at a minimum, are at least eighteen (18) years of age and have at least a high school diploma or certification of high school equivalency issued by the State Board of Education or comparable agency. The extended child care staff member must also meet requirements related to a medical examination, in-service, and background check as cited in this rule. Child care staff/child ratios in accordance with this rule must be maintained at all times.
Substitutes for preschool staff members shall meet the following requirements:
1. be at least eighteen (18) years of age,
2. have at least a high school diploma or certification of high school equivalency,
3. have a medical statement signed by an appropriate medical provider certifying that the person is free of communicable disease and is fit to work with children,
4. meet requirements related to annual in-service/orientation training, criminal background check pursuant to R.C. 3301.541, and current non-guilty non-conviction statement,
5. provide evidence of an appropriate substitute license under R.C. 3319.226,
6. provide evidence they are qualified to provide services to children with disabilities if applicable, and
7. meet all other requirements for the position in which they are substituting in accordance with R.C. 3319.226.
Preschool staff members shall complete ten (10) annual clock hours. This may be part of the professional development plan in accordance with A.C. 3301-24 (Ohio law licensure requirements). Annual completion refers to the school year, from July 1^st to June 30^th.

Preschool staff employed part-time shall complete the in-service requirement based upon the percentage of time or full-time equivalency of their preschool assignment.
The training specified in paragraph (M) above shall be provided by an approved trainer who shall have at least two (2) years of experience specific to the subject area and possess one (1) of the following:
1. an associate or higher degree in child development or early childhood education, education, special education, speech-language pathology, home economics, nursing, nutrition, psychology, dental hygiene, or social work
  
  Evidence of an associate or higher degree shall be a copy of a diploma, a transcript, or other written evidence accepted by the director as evidence of completion of at least ninety (90) quarter credit hours or sixty (60) semester credit hours from an accredited college, university, or technical college. The coursework shall include at least thirty-six (36) quarter credit hours or twenty-four (24) semester credit hours in courses in any of the subject areas.
2. a prekindergarten certificate or endorsement or early childhood license issued by the State Board of Education
3. a license as a physician or registered nurse
A director and preschool staff member shall provide evidence of a BCII investigation and FBI criminal background check as required by R.C. 3301.541. Documentation that reports and five (5) year updates are sent to the District or to DEW's Office of Educator Licensure as required by law shall be kept on file.

Each staff member and volunteer shall annually complete a non-guilty/non-conviction statement.

The preschool staff member/child ratio must be maintained at all times.

Sufficient individuals must always be physically present with the children to meet staff member/child ratio requirements.
Each class/group shall have at least one (1) lead teacher as defined in paragraph (I) above.
No child shall ever be left alone or unsupervised.

In each program, the maximum number of children per preschool staff member and the maximum group size by age category of children are governed by State law and regulations and shall be as follows:

General Education classrooms are taught by a general education teacher or dual-licensed teacher who meets lead teacher qualifications and will be made of fifty percent (50%) or fewer children with disabilities with a maximum of eight (8) children with disabilities.

Lead teachers of general education classrooms will not serve as the intervention specialist or IEP case manager for children with disabilities.

Co-taught classrooms are considered general education classrooms that are taught by two (2) licensed teachers, one (1) licensed general education teacher and one (1) licensed intervention specialist.

All children in the class are included on the general education teacher’s roster and children with disabilities are also counted on the intervention specialist’s caseload.

The maximum number of children per program and maximum number of children per staff member is based on the age category of children served. Waivers are required when a group of more than eight (8) preschool children with IEPs are served in accordance with A.C. 3301-51-11.

Age Group & Staff Member/Child Ratio	Maximum Group Size

Birth to less than twelve (12) months/1:5 (or 2:12 if two (2) preschool staff members are in the room)	12

Twelve (12) months to less than eighteen (18) months/1:6	12

Eighteen (18) months to less than thirty (30) months/1:7	14

Thirty (30) months to less than three (3) years/1:8	16

Three (3) years/1:12	24

Four (4) year olds and five (5) year olds not in kindergarten or school/1:14	28

Preschool integrated classrooms in which fifty percent (50%) or fewer students in the class are children with disabilities shall meet the following:

A full-time staff member shall be provided when there are eight (8) full-day or sixteen (16) half-day preschool children eligible for special education enrolled in a center-based preschool special education program.
Staff ratios of one (1) teacher for every eight (8) children at all times in center-based programs, and a second staff member shall be present when nine (9) or more children are enrolled (including nondisabled children enrolled in a class session).
The maximum group size shall not exceed sixteen (16) children, with a maximum of eight (8) children with disabilities. The lead teacher is responsible for specially designed instruction for one (1) or more children with IEPs enrolled in the classroom. Waivers are required when a group of more than eight (8) preschool children with IEPs are served in accordance with A.C. 3301-51-11.

An intervention specialist classroom teacher will have a caseload of no more than eight (8) preschool children with disabilities in one (1) class session. A teacher who is responsible for two (2) half-day sessions may serve no more than sixteen (16) students with disabilities.

At least two (2) responsible adults shall be readily available at all times when seven (7) or more children are present in the program. One (1) adult shall be a preschool staff member. The second adult shall:
1. be available within the building used for the preschool program or in an adjacent outdoor area;
2. be able to be summoned by the preschool staff member without leaving the group alone or unsupervised; and
3. be able to react in response to such summons so as to reduce risk to children during an emergency circumstance.
When age groups are combined, the maximum number of children per preschool staff member shall be determined by the age of the youngest child in the group, except that when no more than one (1) child, thirty (30) months of age or older, receives care in a group in which all the other children are in the next older age group, the maximum number of children per preschool staff member and maximum group size requirements of the older age group established in paragraph (P) above shall apply.

Preschool and school-age groups may be combined at the beginning or end of the day when there are twelve (12) or fewer children.
In a room where children are napping or resting, if all children are at least eighteen (18) months of age, the maximum number of children per preschool staff member shall, for a period not to exceed one and one-half (1 1/2) hours in any twenty-four (24) hour day, be twice the maximum number of children per preschool staff member established in paragraph (P) above if all the following criteria are met:
1. at least one (1) preschool staff member shall be physically present in the room at all times during nap/rest time
2. the preschool staff member(s) assigned to a room where children are napping shall be responsible for the care and supervision of the children in the room and shall be able to summon other child-care staff members without leaving the room
3. there shall be enough preschool staff members readily accessible within the building in which the program is located to provide that the maximum number of children per preschool staff member as required by paragraph (P) above is met at all times
4. nap/rest time preparation shall have been completed and all napping children shall be resting or sleeping on cots or mats
  
  Staff are not required to be present in a nap room for the purpose of supervising children if fifty percent (50%) of the wall space is open, staff can see all children at all times, and staff are routinely checking children every five (5) minutes.
Staff members shall be made aware of each child's cumulative and health records.