Prekindergarten
Prekindergarten (PK)
Prekindergarten is a full-day, standards-based program that serves all eligible dependents and families in most locations throughout DoDEA. Prekindergarten programs implement a comprehensive curriculum promoting child development and learning in the following domains and content areas: physical, social-emotional, cognitive, language and literacy, mathematics, science and technology, social studies, and the arts. DoDEA PK programs are developmentally appropriate, follow an adopted curriculum, and provide safe, caring, learning environments which engage you children in intentional learning experiences. Current adopted DoDEA College and Career Ready Standards and curriculum materials are implemented in PK learning environments.
Enrollment Eligibility
Prekindergarten is a program for DoDEA-eligible dependents who meet the four-year-old age requirement (must turn four by September 1 of the current school year).
DoDEA Prekindergarten
M.C. Perry Primary School offers a high-quality prekindergarten program that reflects best practices and provides health and nutrition, family involvement, and social services. This multipronged approach elevates the learning experience to serve the whole child and their families.
Prekindergarten (PK) Components
Education Component:
The educational component provides children with a safe and secure learning environment providing varied, hands-on, engaging experiences that support every child to develop socially, intellectually, physically, and emotionally in a manner appropriate to their age and stage of development.
Health Component:
The health component provides a comprehensive school health services program that includes a broad range of medical, dental, and mental health services to PK children to assist in their physical, emotional, cognitive, and social development.
Nutrition Component:
The nutrition component provides lunch and snack experiences that meet the student’s daily nutritional needs, recognizing individual differences and cultural patterns, and thereby promoting sound physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth and development. PK students participate in family style dining, serving themselves each day in the classroom. Family style dining encourages learning and development before, during, and after mealtimes.
Parent Involvement Component:
The family involvement component provides intentional experiences and activities that foster parent-school partnership and enhances the parental role as the principal influence in a child’s education and development. DoDEA recognizes parents as integral contributors to the educational program and to their communities and provides opportunities for parent participation in classroom and other program activities.
Social Services Component:
The social services component provides information to parents to increase awareness of community services and resources to enhance family life.
Preschool Services for Children with Disabilities (PSCD)
Preschool Services for Children with Disabilities (PSCD) offers eligible young children with disabilities specially designed instruction, support, and services to meet their identified individualized learning needs. The purpose of special education services is to enable students to successfully develop to their fullest potential by providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as implemented by DoD Instruction 1342.12, “Provision of Early Intervention and Special Education Services to Eligible DoD Dependents.”
Preschool Services for Children with Disabilities (PSCD) are provided for children beginning at age three who demonstrate an unexpected delay in developmental functioning when compared with the functioning of a non-disabled children of the same chronological age or who has been identified as having a specific disability. Eligibility for PSCD is determined through a comprehensive evaluation process that includes standardized evaluation instruments and is confirmed by observations and professional judgement of early intervention or related services professionals.
DoDEA does not offer programs for three-year-olds outside of PSCD. For typically developing children, DoDEA prekindergarten programs begin at age four.
Universal Prekindergarten Program
The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is pleased to announce the implementation of Universal Prekindergarten in 80 locations for School Year 2024-2025. This initiative marks the first phase of a comprehensive three-phase plan to enhance early childhood education within the DoDEA school system.
For additional information please contact your school's registrar.
