Current through Reg. 50, No. 187; September 24, 2024
(1)
General Eligibility. A parent with a four-year-old child who meets the
Voluntary Prekindergarten Program eligibility requirements described in Rule
6M-8.200, F.A.C., and has a
disability and a current individual educational plan (IEP) developed by the
local school board may enroll the child in either a standard (school-year or
summer) Voluntary Prekindergarten Education (VPK) Program or in a VPK
specialized instructional services program type. Parents may enroll a child in
only one program type; a child may not be enrolled in a school-year or summer
program type and the VPK specialized instructional services program type at the
same time.
(2) Child Eligibility.
(a) In order to register a child for the VPK
specialized instructional services (SIS) program type, a parent must do all of
the following:
1. Register the child in
accordance with the requirements of Rule
6M-8.201, F.A.C.;
2. Submit to the early learning coalition a
completed and signed Specialized Instructional Services Supplemental Student
Application, Form OEL-VPK 01S, dated June 2014, which is hereby incorporated by
reference and may be obtained as described in Rule
6M-8.900, F.A.C. or found at
http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-04438;
and,
3. Submit to the early
learning coalition a copy of the child's current IEP developed by the local
school board.
(b) Upon
receipt of the required registration documentation from a parent registering
his or her child for the VPK SIS program type, a coalition shall first
determine the child's eligibility for the VPK program under Rule
6M-8.201, F.A.C. A coalition
shall then determine the child's eligibility for the SIS program by reviewing
the completed and signed Form OEL-VPK 01S, and attached copy of the child's
current IEP. A child shall be determined eligible for the VPK SIS program type
by an early learning coalition if:
1. The
Form OEL-VPK 01S is completed with accurate information as certified by the
parent;
2. The parent has selected
a type or types of SIS in item 6. of Form OEL-VPK 01S which are consistent with
the child's IEP; and,
3. The IEP
submitted by the parent is dated within the last year.
(c) Upon determining that a child is eligible
to participate in a VPK SIS program type, the appropriate coalition staff shall
complete the "Early Learning Coalition Use Only" section of Form OEL-VPK 01S,
as indicated in grey to document the child's eligibility. Additionally, the
coalition shall complete sections I. and II. in Part A and items 1. through 8.
in Part B of Form OEL-VPK 02S, dated June 2014. Form OEL-VPK 02S, Part A, dated
June 2014 and Form OEL-VPK 02S, Part B, dated June 2014, are both hereby
incorporated by reference and may be obtained as described in Rule
6M-8.900, F.A.C. or found at
http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-04439
and
http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-04440,
respectively. The coalition shall provide a copy of the forms referenced in
this paragraph, with the appropriate sections completed, to the child's
parent.
(3) Provider
Selection.
(a) The parent shall select a SIS
provider or providers which offer services consistent with the student's
current IEP from providers approved by the DOE under Rule
6A-6.03033, F.A.C., to offer SIS
in the coalition service area. Services consistent with the student's current
IEP may include, but are not limited to:
1.
Applied behavior analysis as defined in Sections
627.6686 and
641.31098, F.S.;
2. Speech-language pathology as defined in
Section 468.1125, F.S.;
3. Occupational therapy as defined in Section
468.203, F.S.;
4. Physical therapy as defined is Section
486.021, F.S.;
5. Listening and spoken language specialists
and an appropriate acoustical environment for a child who is deaf or hard of
hearing who has received an implant or assistive hearing
device.
(b) If the parent
selects multiple providers from more than one coalition service area, the
coalitions may enter into an interagency agreement regarding the payment of the
providers.
(4) Student
Enrollment.
(a) After a parent has chosen a
SIS provider, the parent shall work with the selected SIS provider to complete
section III. of Form OEL-VPK 02S, Part A. If a parent selects multiple SIS
providers, the coalition shall provide the parent an OEL-VPK 02S, Part A form
to complete with each selected SIS provider.
(b) Each SIS provider shall have an
authorized representative complete, sign and date the "Voluntary
Prekindergarten Education Program Specialized Instructional Services Provider
Agreement" (Form OEL-VPK 20S) where indicated and submit the completed form,
along with the completed Form OEL-VPK 02S, Part A, to the early learning
coalition. Form OEL-VPK 20S, dated June 2014, is hereby incorporated by
reference and may be obtained as described in Rule
6M-8.900, F.A.C. or found at
http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-04441.
A SIS provider must receive a fully executed copy of Form OEL-VPK 20S from the
coalition prior to rendering VPK SIS to any student.
(c) SIS providers which do not submit a
completed Form OEL-VPK 02S, Part A, for a student and a completed Form OEL-VPK
20S shall not be eligible to receive reimbursement.
(5) Scheduling Services.
(a) The parent of a student shall schedule
all SIS using Form OEL-VPK 02S, Part B, dated June 2014. The parent shall work
with each selected SIS provider to complete the form, which must include all
scheduled services from all selected SIS providers. If additional space is
required to list all scheduled services, the parent may attach additional
copies of Form OEL-VPK 02S, Part B.
(b) After scheduling all SIS on Form OEL-VPK
02S, Part B, the parent shall submit the completed form to the early learning
coalition for review at least 10 business days prior to the first appointment
scheduled.
(c) Within 5 business
days of receipt, the early learning coalition shall review the Form OEL-VPK
02S, Part B, to determine whether projected reimbursement for the scheduled
services exceed the student's available VPK funding, and to return a copy of
the form to the parent and each selected SIS provider.
(d) If the scheduled services would exceed
the student's available VPK funding, the coalition shall not authorize payment
for that service, shall strike through that service on the Form OEL-VPK 02S,
Part B, and include a comment on the form that full payment for the service is
not authorized. The provider and the parent may still contract for the stricken
services, but the coalition will not reimburse the provider in an amount
greater than that approved on the Form OEL-VPK 02S, Part B.
(e) If the parent wishes to add appointments
to an existing Form OEL-VPK 02S, Part B, which has already been reviewed by the
early learning coalition, the parent shall coordinate with the applicable SIS
provider to schedule additional services, which shall be added to the existing
form. The parent shall resubmit the revised Form OEL-VPK 02S, Part B, to the
coalition for review. The resubmittal and review process shall follow the
process detailed in paragraphs (5)(b)-(c) above.
(f) Services not identified on the Form
OEL-VPK 02S, Part B, as reviewed and authorized by the early learning coalition
shall not be reimbursed.
(6) Determining Student's Available Funding
Amount.
(a) New enrollment. The cumulative
total of services reimbursed for a child may not exceed the amount of the
full-time equivalent (FTE) student established for each county in accordance
with Section 1002.71(3),
F.S. In the absence of a specific base student allocation for VPK SIS:
1. The VPK school-year FTE allocation shall
be used for students whose parents select the school-year option in Item 7 of
the completed Form OEL-VPK 01S. Services received under this allocation must
occur between 14 calendar days before Labor Day and June 30th of the year the
child is eligible for VPK.
2. The
VPK summer FTE allocation shall be used for students whose parents select the
summer option in Item 7 of the completed Form OEL-VPK 01S. Services received
under this allocation must occur between May 1 and 15 calendar days before
Labor Day of the year the child is eligible for
kindergarten.
(b)
Reenrollment for good cause. Notwithstanding the funding described in paragraph
(a) above, if a student is reenrolled for good cause under Rule
6M-8.210, F.A.C., into the SIS
program type from a school-year or summer program type, the funding available
to the student shall be equal to the student's FTE allocation for the program
type in which the student was previously enrolled, minus any amount previously
paid for such services rendered to the student.
(7) Provider Payment.
(a) To receive reimbursement for services
rendered, a SIS provider shall obtain the parent's initials and date on Form
OEL-VPK 02S, Part B, certifying that services were rendered. Within 30 calendar
days of providing services, the SIS provider shall submit the Form OEL-VPK 02S,
Part B, with the parent's certification to the coalition as an invoice or as an
attachment to an invoice for reimbursement.
(b) A coalition shall reimburse SIS providers
for SIS rendered to an eligible student as certified by the parent on the Form
OEL-VPK 02S, Part B. The coalition shall not reimburse a SIS provider for costs
other than specialized instruction, for example missed appointments, late fees,
or interest. However, a SIS provider must provide the parent with its policy
for missed appointments, including late arrivals, in writing and may then
follow its normal business practices regarding charges for missed appointments
or late arrivals. A coalition shall reimburse the SIS provider in the calendar
month following the month in which an invoice for reimbursement is received by
the coalition.
(c) SIS providers
shall not invoice coalitions for services which have been paid for by other
sources. If an SIS provider retains SIS funds for services paid for by other
sources, the provider shall be subject to any available penalty at law, which
may include, but is not limited to, referral for fraud investigation.
(d) An early learning coalition's total
payment on behalf of a student enrolled under this rule shall not exceed the
student's FTE established in accordance with Section
1002.71(3),
F.S. If the student receives services through multiple SIS providers, the
funding shall be distributed to the SIS providers in accordance with the
schedule of services established on the Form OEL-VPK 02S, Part B. In accordance
with paragraph (5)(d) above, if the cost of services rendered to a student
exceeds the amount of funding available through the VPK program, those services
shall not be part of the VPK program.
(8) Reenrollment. Being enrolled under this
rule constitutes an enrollment for the purposes of Rule
6M-8.201, F.A.C. Changing a
student's enrollment between a standard VPK-program type (school-year or
summer) and the VPK specialized instructional services program type constitutes
a reenrollment for the purposes of Rule
6M-8.210, F.A.C. However,
changing SIS providers while enrolled in the specialized instructional services
program type does not constitute a reenrollment under Rule
6M-8.210, F.A.C. To re-enroll a
student, the parent must comply with the terms of Rule
6M-8.210,
F.A.C.
Rulemaking Authority
1001.213(2),
1002.75(1),
(3),
1002.79 FS. Law Implemented
1002.66,
1002.53(3)(d),
(4)(b),
1002.71(4),
1002.72,
1002.75(1),
(3)(d)-(e)
FS.
New 8-5-14.