455 N. Lacey St.
Jackson, MO 63755
(573) 243-5271
Early Childhood:
(573) 243-5347

Parents As Teachers

Parents as Teachers is an early childhood parent education and family support program designed to help all parents give their children the best possible start in life. The program is a FREE service provided by the Jackson R-2 School District.

Parents as Teachers provides parents with:

  • Personal Home Visits by trained Parent Educators
  • Group Meetings & Screenings
  • Resource/Referral Network
Want to Enroll? Please call the EC office at 573-243-5347 

Jackson R-2 Preschool Program

Jackson R-2 offers several preschool programs designed to meet each family's needs. Our half day program follows the schedule of the elementary schools in the district. Our developmentally appropriate curriculum, The Creative Curriculum for Preschool (Doge, Colker, Heroman, 2002), is research-based and approved by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

Our students will learn in environments that are child-centered, process-oriented, and choice driven. A variety of learning opportunities are provided to enhance early reading, math, problem solving, communication, socialization and motor skills.

Teachers and Teacher Assistants facilitate the development of self-control in children by using positive guidance techniques such as modeling and encouraging appropriate behaviors, redirecting, and setting clear limits. The Jackson R-2 School District employs certified teachers with degrees in Early Childhood Education and/or Early Childhood Special Education and well-trained Teacher Assistants. Early Childhood classes are offered at East Elementary.

Early Childhood Special Education

Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) services are provided for all children ages 3 to 5 with disabilities. The district is required by law to provide a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment for eligible students on their third birthday. Certificated staff work closely with families and community resources to enhance the learning of young children.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

Eligibility for early childhood special education is based upon significant delays in development that affect the student's educational performance. Three to 5 year old (not yet kindergarten age) children may be determined as eligible using any of the sixteen disability categories, including that of Young Child with a Developmental Delay, as defined in the Missouri State Plan for Special Education.

To be eligible for services under the Young Child with a Developmental Delay, ALL of the following conditions are met:

The student's development is significantly below that of their peers. Significantly below is defined as performance at or below 1.5 standard deviations, or equivalent levels, of the mean in any of TWO developmental areas OR at or below 2.0 standard deviations, or equivalent levels, in any ONE area of development and the child needs special education and related services. Areas of development that can be used for eligibility determination include: cognitive development; communication development; physical development; adaptive behavior development; social or emotional development.

The Jackson R-2 School District offers monthly screenings to help parents determine if their child has developmental delays in any areas. During the screening process, Early Childhood staff will interview parents, observe the child and use developmentally appropriate screening tools to assess the child. If the screening indicates it is necessary to further evaluate, a team of professionally certified staff will conduct a comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation. The staff will review the results of the evaluation with parents and as a team, determine if the child meets eligibility for services. If eligibility is determined, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) will be developed to determine the specific services the child will need. Parents are involved in each step of this process.

Early Childhood Special Education Placement Options:

Early Childhood Setting; Early Childhood Special Education Setting; Home; Part time EC/Part time ECSE setting; Residential facility; separate school; Itinerant service outside the home.

Early Childhood Special Education students are placed into classes based upon need of services. Students may attend one, two, three, four, or five days according to the decision of the IEP team. There is no fee to attend Early Childhood Special Education and transportation is provided.

Transition:

The transition process from First Steps to Early Childhood Special Education requires that the LEA be involved at least six months prior to the child's third birthday. All evaluative/diagnostic procedures shall be followed in determining the student's eligibility for ECSE services.

The district is required to provide special education and related services as identified in the IEP as of the student's third birth day unless the third birth day occurs during a normal vacation period. Children whose third birth days are May through August may continue in the First Steps program until the initiation of the district's school year at no cost to the parents. The Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) will terminate upon commencement of the school year. Children whose third birth dates are April 1 through May 1, may either transition to the district program before the end of the current school year or continue services in First Steps until the initiation of the district's next school year. Children who meet ECSE eligibility and enroll in the district for the remainder of the school year must be considered for Extended School Year as required by law.

For more information you may contact:

Jessica Maxwell, Associate Superintendent of Administrative & Student Services, 573-243-9501
Mrs. Carrie Holland, ECSE Coordinator, 573-243-9554

Title I Preschool

Students that are screened and are determined to have mild - moderate delays in development are referred to the Title I Preschool. Students may qualify by scoring -1.0 standard deviations below their typically developing peers on the screening instrument used by the district or meet other criteria, such as difficulty separating from parent, difficulty interacting with peers, etc.

Title I Preschool is offered for those children turning three years of age before August 1st and for those children turning four years of age before August 1st. Generally, students completing the three year old program will transition to the four year old program the following fall. The three year old program meets three to four mornings a week and the four year old program meets four mornings a week or five afternoons a week. There is no fee to attend the Title I preschool and transportation is provided.

Little Indians Preschool

The Jackson R-2 Preschool offers a tuition-based program for all children who are three to five years of age. It is our belief that all children can learn and all children benefit when, regardless of ability, they are served together in an inclusive environment. All children have much to contribute in an inclusive setting. We believe that learning for children with special needs is enhanced by the social and language models typical peers provide. Typically developing children learn tolerance for differences among people. All children are learning to work and play together to gain the skills needed to continue a lifetime of learning.

Based upon these beliefs, the Jackson R-2 Preschool will offer the following types of integrated classrooms:

Some classrooms have two-thirds of the children developing typically and can have up to one-third of children with disabilities as the school year progresses. This classroom will have no more than 18 students by the end of the school year. An Early Childhood teacher and ECSE teacher will co-teach these classrooms with the assistance of a Teacher Assistant.

Some of our Title I preschools will have 20 students with 15 students qualifying for Title I services and 5 typical developing peers. These classrooms will be taught by a certified early childhood teacher and two teacher assistants.

Some classrooms have approximately 50% children developing typically and approximately 50% children with disabilities. There will be no more than 12 children in these classrooms. An ECSE teacher and Teacher Assistant will lead these classrooms. Students are placed based on a two, three, or five day schedule, either morning or afternoon.

Our Little Indian program is a tuition-based program and there is no transportation provided for students participating in this program. For more information regarding openings and/or fees, please contact the Early Childhood Center at 243-5347 or the Administration Office at 243-9501.

Extended Day

Extended day will be offered as part of the half day preschool program for the Early Childhood programs. Students that attend morning preschool can attend the extended day program in the afternoons from 11:20 - 3:15. Students that attend the afternoon preschool can attend the extended day program in the mornings from 7:15-12:00. This program is voluntary and there is an additional fee. For more information regarding openings and/or fees, please contact the Early Childhood Center at 243-5347 or the Administration Office at 243-9501.

After School Kid's Club

For parents that need after school care for their children, we offer the Jackson R-2 After School Kid's Club. Students can attend this program from 3:30 - 5:45 p.m. For more information, please click here.

Useful Links

The Jackson R-2 School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, disability, age, or any other characteristic protected by law in its programs, activities or employment practices.