Family Engagement Plan
Our Pre-K program is based on a family- centered philosophy that guides all aspects of our program planning and implementation. We believe that families play an important role in their child’s academic and social/emotional success. One activity that encourages our home school partnership is our home visits that we conduct at the beginning of each school year. These visits allow children to meet their teachers in their own environment, which helps ease their transition to the school environment and makes them feel more comfortable.
We value the parent-teacher partnership and encourage family members to volunteer in our program. Aside from volunteering in the program, we offer many family engagement activities and field trips throughout the year that we encourage you to attend with your child. These activities may include but are not limited to the following: Each school lists their plan for 90-hours.
Family Volunteer Guidelines
We encourage and welcome parent participation. If you would like to volunteer to help out in the classroom or attend any field trips, you are now required to get an APS background check. APS Pre-K will pay for one background check per family but there is a process to follow. Each Pre-K school will have staff available to support you in the process. If other family members would also like to volunteer, the cost is $12 per person.
If you would like to apply on your own, the process is online and it is simple to apply. Just visit Volunteer with APS and click on the “Volunteer Now” link to set up an account. This background check needs to be processed within 30 days of entering the program. The background check is good for two years at any APS school.
When volunteering, we ask:
- That you sign in at the office and obtain a visitor’s badge each time you volunteer.
- Please be respectful to teachers and other parents.
- Children cannot be removed from the direct supervision of staff.
- The use of physical contact to reprimand a child is not allowed. Classroom staff will handle disciplinary action.
- Please do not use devices such as cell phones when volunteering.
- Respect the confidentiality and privacy of children, families, and staff.
- That you refrain from taking photos or videos of other children.
Screening and Assessment
The Pre-K teachers conduct developmental screenings of all Pre-K children prior to the third month of attendance. The screenings used in the Pre-K program are the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) and the ASQ SE. These screening tools provide information about the development of children in six distinct developmental areas: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, personal-social, and social emotional. The ASQ and the ASQ SE are family friendly screening tools and are completed by families.
Families are an important part of the screening process. When the family completes the questions on the ASQ-3/ASQ: SE they return the forms to the Pre - K teacher. The teacher will score, and analyze the information. Families will be informed of the results. If indicated, appropriate referrals for further assessments and possible services are made to Child Find. They will look more closely at any area the family noted. All APS Pre-K classrooms provide an inclusive Pre-K setting to accommodate all children’s needs.
How ASQ-3 Works
- Choose the right questionnaire for the child's age. Photocopy or print it, or use ASQ Online.
- Give it to the parent to complete and return.
- Parent fills out the questionnaire at home. They're clear, quick, and easy to do!
- Score the questionnaire when the parent returns it. Score by hand in minutes, or in seconds with ASQ Online.
- Share the results with the parent. Discuss referral options if there are developmental concerns.
- Give the parents fun ASQ-3 Learning Activities. Help them boost development at home between screenings!
Health Screenings
Each child in the Pre-K program must receive the following health screenings by a school health care professional within the first three months of attendance. Parents are notified about all results from screenings and appropriate referrals are made to address any identified health concerns.
- physical examination
- current immunization
- vision screening
- hearing screening
- dental screening
If the school nurse contacts you please have your child evaluated as soon as possible, and return the completed form to the school nurse. A general screening is a process that allows identification of physical growth, vision, hearing, or dental concerns. If you do not wish to have your child participate in these yearly screenings, please notify the nurse at your child’s school.
Meals
All school personnel are notified about each child’s special nutritional needs including allergies, medical conditions, and physician requests for dietary restrictions. Dining takes place in the school cafeteria. All APS programs participate in the USDA meal program.
- Two meals are provided per day
- Meals meet USDA requirements
- Families must complete the same forms for meal reimbursements as required of other students in the school, unless students are directly certified or categorically eligible to participate in the free or reduce program.
Child Find
Child Find is part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that requires states to identify, locate and evaluate all children with disabilities ages 3-21 who are in need of special education services. Albuquerque Public Schools conduct screening and evaluations of preschool-aged children who are suspected of having developmental delays or disabilities in one or more of the following areas: Communication Skills, Cognitive skills, Motor skills, Daily Living Skills, Social/Emotional Skills, Vision, hearing, Orthopedic needs.
Any parent/guardian with concerns about their child’s development (speaking, understanding language, learning, eye-hand coordination, movement, socialization, hearing, vision, or any other developmental concern) may contact Child Find for a screening. A child must be at least 3 years old but not eligible for kindergarten yet and be a resident of the Albuquerque Public School District.
Parents/Caregivers must sign consent before the screening can take place. The screening takes about 45 minutes. The screener will play with your child using developmental screening tools. You will be asked questions about things your child may do at home or in childcare. Children will also have their vision and hearing checked. The screener will then talk with the parents/caregivers about the outcomes of the screening and any next steps to be taken. This may include further evaluation(s) or referrals to other community services.
Albuquerque Public Schools’ New Mexico State Pre-K teachers begin to gather important information about the child from the family immediately. The family knows the child best and has the most current information and understanding about their child. Through the Home Visit questionnaire, and Ages and Stages and the Ages and Stages: Social/Emotional Questionnaires (ASQ-3/ASQ:SE), the family provides the Pre - K teacher valuable knowledge about the child’s growth and development. This information is gathered and examined to give the Pre - K teacher a profile of learning for that child before the child enters into the classroom. The family and Pre - K teacher meet to discuss the results and the educational plan for Pre-K . In some cases, the information provided by the family may indicate possible developmental concerns that warrant additional screening .
If a student is screened and recommended for further evaluation, the screener will make an appointment with the parents at the screening for the indicated evaluation(s).
After the evaluation, if special education services are being considered, an IEP (Individual Education Plan) meeting will be held. The IEP team, which includes parents/caregivers, IEP specialist, and one or more of the following, Special Education Preschool Teacher, Speech and Language Pathologist, and if indicated an Occupational Therapist and/or Physical Therapist, will review the evaluation results, determine eligibility and write the child’s IEP.
Depending on the needs of the student there is a continuum of services available from specialized classes for students with severe disabilities or delays to minimal special education support in a New Mexico State PreK classroom. We also provide Speech Language therapy only for students who demonstrate difficulty with articulation.