Shaw University and WCPSS Partner in New Preschool

February 19, 2008 - A new partnership between the Shaw University Education Department and the Wake County Public School System will create a special education preschool program on the Shaw campus.

At its Feb. 19 meeting, the Wake County Board of Education approved the new instructional initiative that will get underway in 2008-09. The board action completes years of planning that began with talks between the university and the school system in 2004.

“This partnership between the university and school system will help us serve our special education students,” said Assistant Superintendent Marvin Connelly. “We normally have to construct buildings for new classroom space, but in this case we built a partnership and created classrooms.”

The Wake County Public School System will provide the staff for four classrooms, materials, resources and equipment required to implement an exemplary preschool curriculum and meet the special education needs of the WCPSS students assigned to the program.

Shaw University will provide the classrooms and outdoor facilities, administrative oversight of the center and a variety of resources from the faculty and students of the Shaw Department of Education. Shaw will also provide space for WCPSS staff to complete the referral and evaluation process for preschool-age children being considered for special education services.

The center director will be a member of the Shaw faculty who will be responsible for day to day management of the center and direct all of its personnel. The WCPSS Director of Preschool Services will serve as a consultant to the center director and will provide supervision and evaluation for all school system employees. The school system will provide four teachers and four teacher assistants.

Initially, class size will not exceed 12 students per four-year-old class and eight students per three-year-old class, with half reserved for typically developing children and half reserved for special education students. Ideally, the total enrollment of the program will not exceed 44 students.

Half of the children will be selected by the school system through the special education eligibility/placement process. Half of the children will be selected by Shaw. A limited number of slots will be reserved for children of students and staff at Shaw.

Shaw will determine a tuition rate for students participating in the preschool program who do not qualify to receive special education services and who do not fall under other funding categories.

The center will be open for children from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. on a year-round basis. The preschool classes will operate for six hours per day according to the school system schedule. Shaw and the school system will work together to determine the calendar option that best meets the needs of the community served and other contracted obligations.

Shaw will operate some services and programs at the center in which the school system will not be involved. Shaw plans to operate a child development program for infants, toddlers and two year olds. Shaw will also offer a variety of community services such as before and after school care for children enrolled in the center. In addition, Shaw may develop summer programs, Saturday academies and parent education programs.

The program’s staff and instructional materials and equipment are included in the WCPSS budget for 2008-09.  Classroom costs will be covered by the WCPSS Facilities operating budget. No other costs are anticipated.

-wcpss-