The Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education, in cooperation with the Arkansas Head Start Collaboration Project and the Arkansas Department of Education, has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for training in Emergent Literacy for children ages 3-5 years. All training will implement the Pre-K ELLA (Pre-K Early Literacy Learning in Arkansas) Professional Development Training Modules. No other professional development models of literacy training will be considered for funding. Maximum funds for all Pre-K ELLA training is in an amount not to exceed $600,000 for all contracts from October 1, 2001 through June 30, 2002.
An informational meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 7, 2001, at 1:00 p.m. in the Garden Level Conference Room C of the Main Street Mall Building (6th and Main Streets) in Little Rock. The Pre-K ELLA Professional Development Training Modules will be available at that time for review. Information may also be obtained by contacting Kathy Stegall with the Program Support Unit of the Division of Child Care at 501-682-9699 or www.state.ar.us/childcare.
Only those proposals received in the Division office by 12:30 p.m. on July 23, 2001, will be considered for funding.
This RFP has three categories of training/evaluation open for application:
1) A state-wide train-the-trainers project which will prepare professionals throughout the state to train other early care and education teachers to use the literacy modules in their respective child care settings.
2) State-wide, regional or local projects for providing professional development training to early care and education teachers for use of the Pre-K Ella Literacy Modules in child care settings.
3) An evaluative category to evaluate the effectiveness of Pre-K Ella and its implementation in relation to improving pedagogy, classroom environment and child learning in the attainment of literacy skills.
The RFP is available from the Division of Child Care (DCC) and Early Childhood Education (ECE) by calling Kathy Stegall at 501-682-9699, or by writing DCC & ECE, 101 East Capitol, Suite 106, Little Rock, AR 72201 or www.state.ar.us/childcare.