AHPS Preschool Programs Meet Guidelines

AHPS Elementary Preschool Programs Meet State Guidelines
Posted on 10/23/2024
Jeter-Watson Elementary School staff member McKenna Reed looks on as Assistant Principal Dee Ann Tickner plays guitar music for some preschool students. All Alleghany Highlands Public Schools Division elementary schools comply with new state evaluation guidelines for preschool programs. The new standards are called the Virginia Quality Birth to Five Systems. (AHPS Photo)

Programs at all four AHPS elementary schools – Callaghan, Jeter-Watson, Mountain View, and Sharon – have been recognized for meeting all standards for the Virginia Quality Birth to Five System, commonly referred to as VQB5.  

 

VQB5 is part of Virginia guidelines with a unified rating and improvement system to assess the Commonwealth’s publicly funded early childhood care providers. VQB5 was created to improve children’s school readiness and expand access to parents and support providers. 

 

Under the rating system, a birth-to-five program’s quality of teaching and learning is measured by its interactions between a teacher and child and its curriculum, which is aligned with Virginia’s early learning and development standards. 

 

The Virginia Department of Education has made provider profiles and ratings, available to the public through an online portal. The portal is located at earlychildhoodquality.doe.virginia.gov. Families can use the portal to access data on 3,211 sites in Virginia, including AHPS’ four elementary schools. AHPS schools are among the many sites in the Commonwealth that meet or exceed expectations.

 

“Early learning is crucial for later classroom success,” shared Kim Halterman and Melinda Snead-Johnson, leaders of AHPS.  “We are so proud of the quality of preschool programs offered in our school division!”

 

Under VQB5, classroom evaluations are conducted by specially trained “CLASS” observers. These trained observers must pass rigorous qualifications to become certified through the VDOE. Mallory Thompson, principal at Mountain View Elementary School, is trained as an observer, as are Tammie Hoke-Looney and Dee Ann Tickner from Jeter-Watson Elementary School. Tickner is an assistant principal. Hoke-Looney is a pre-kindergarten teacher.

 

“The process of becoming a CLASS observer is intense. I had three full days [of training] initially, and then a test to pass. Each year observers have to complete and score a passing grade on a calibration video and work with other observers to ensure we are scoring correctly. We also have other training to complete yearly. This process is rigorous and not taken lightly,” Thompson said.

 

“I personally feel that it has made me a better administrator as I utilize things I have learned to better observe staff that do not fall into this category,” she said.

 

AHPS was formed in July 2022 when Alleghany County Public Schools, Covington City Public Schools, and Jackson River Technical Center merged. At the onset of the merger, one of the main goals was to provide children with access to quality preschool programs at the four elementary schools.

 

That goal has been met, but the ability to offer preschool programs is largely dependent upon the number of students who enroll. Families must enroll a child at the elementary school they would attend. Decisions on offering a preschool program at a school are based on the number of students signed up.  

 

“We are thrilled to have preschool programs in each elementary school this year,” said Halterman and Snead-Johnson.

 

In the larger community, a group of local stakeholders called the Alleghany Highlands Early Learning Partnership, commonly known as AHELP, partners with AHPS and The Alleghany Foundation to expand access to resources for young children in the area.  AHELP member organizations are featured on its website, ahelpva.com.  

 

A few openings remain in AHPS preschools for the current school year. Interested families should reach out to the school their child would attend.  Families interested in attending next year should be alert for announcements beginning in late winter 2025.

 

AHPS news and events are regularly updated on Facebook at AHPublicSchool and Instagram at ahpublicschools. Information is also available at www.ahps.k12.va.us.

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