Guidelines for Onsite Visits to Nonpublic Nursery Schools and Kindergartens

Before:

1. Review Commissioner’s Regulations thoroughly and be prepared to demonstrate how the school meets or exceeds each part;
2. Review credentials (education & experience) of educational director lead teachers and teacher assistants/aides to verify compliance with Regulations.
3. Submit a complete application (with all requested attachments) by the deadline identified by SED;
4. Organize administrative, staff, and student records and other required documents so that information is readily accessible;
5. Clean the outdoor and indoor premises thoroughly (including bathrooms and kitchens) and make sure all equipment and supplies are in good working order;
6. Arrange classrooms into clearly defined learning centers and traffic areas;
7. Remove clutter in every area that is used by students; information and/or materials on walls, windows, doors, floors, ceilings, and tops of  furniture should be limited and have an identifiable purpose;
8. Prepare a class list for each group of children and a list of staff (designate their group and position) for onsite use only;
9. Ensure that teachers have their lesson plans onsite for review and feedback during the visit; and
10. Inform all staff, including clerical and custodial workers, and parents of the scheduled onsite visit.

During:

1. Make arrangements for the educational and/or administrative director(s) to be available during the entire visit;
2. Advise teachers to maintain their planned routines and transitions so that a typical day may be observed;
3. Advise teachers to direct their questions to the administrative staff so that they may be addressed during the exit meeting;
4. Provide a place (preferably with a table) where records may be reviewed by SED staff;
5. Have critical documents available for review such as, incorporation papers, licenses, certificates, inspection reports, staff background forms for new hires, etc.; and
6. Plan for a lunch break if the duration of the visit is more than three hours;

After:

1. Review notes from the exit meeting and begin to address areas outlined as soon as possible;
2. Review and respond to the follow-up letter which you should receive from SED no later than two to three weeks after the visit;
3. Photos not depicting children my be submitted as evidence of required or recommended changes in the indoor and/or outdoor facilities (e.g., rearrangings a learning center, installing playground equipment);
4. Contact the Department with any questions and/or concerns about the registration process, the visit or required follow-up; and
5. Continue to provide status reports to the Department on any significant changes in program plans or operations that relate to compliance with Regulations.