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Becoming an Official Core Knowledge Preschool

Official Core Knowledge Preschools/Visitation Sites have made a serious commitment to Core Knowledge. These schools have submitted a copy of their yearlong monthly planning guide, three units (which have been implemented at the school) on a Core Knowledge topic, and other supporting documents. They have also kept their Official Preschool status up-to-date by submitting yearly renewals. Official schools are identified with the Official Core Knowledge Preschool Logo pictured to the right.

What are the benefits of becoming an Official Preschool?

In addition to being among the few Official Core Knowledge Preschools in the country, schools that achieve Official Preschool status will be

  • Recognized in an awards ceremony at the National Conference
  • Designated as a visitation site
  • Given a certificate for one complimentary National Conference registration
  • Given a certificate for one complimentary registration for a Core Knowledge Preschool professional development workshop
  • Eligible to nominate teachers to be trained as Core Knowledge consultants
  • Permitted to use the Official Preschool status logo (see above right) and Core Knowledge Logo on their stationery

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How do we become an Official Core Knowledge Preschool?

Step One: Getting Started

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How do I apply for Official Preschool Status?

Once your school has completed the requirements in Step One, you are ready to submit an application for Official Preschool Status.

  1. Complete the Core Knowledge Official Preschool Application. If you have sent in this form in the past you will simply need to update the form with your current information.
  2. Submit the application with the Core Knowledge Preschool Implementation Checklist and Core Knowledge Official Preschool Planning Checklist that you complete during the "Getting Started" step. (These are the same forms we use to review your documentation.) Send in your forms with the additional documentation noted below.

    3. Reminder: Preschools must have participated in some Core Knowledge Preschool professional development before applying for Official Preschool status. Although preschools applying for Official status are only required to attend the Getting Started, Autonomy, Social Skills, and Work Habits, Assessment and Planning to Address Children’s Learning Needs and Leadership Training for Preschool Administrators modules, it should be noted that those schools who have participated in additional training modules have received more comprehensive instruction on implementing specific domains of learning in a Core Knowledge classroom.

  3. Collect additional supporting documentation that includes
    • A letter of commitment documenting that all preschool teachers at your school or center teach the Preschool Sequence.
    • A typed copy of your school's Year-Long Planning guide, using the Sample Monthly Planning Guide.
    • For each classroom, an in-depth comparison of at least one past month of the teacher’s detailed lesson plans, i.e., these plans and activities have actually been taught, with the corresponding monthly planning guide. You may use color coding or other symbols to show how the teacher’s plans correspond directly to the monthly plan. We expect the books, poems, songs, skills, etc. listed in the annual monthly plan to be clearly evident in the teacher’s plans..
    • A typed copy of three detailed unit plans written and implemented at the school based upon a Core Knowledge Preschool Sequence area. Your school must present one of these units at the National Conference each year.
    • A copy of a Daily Schedule
    • An end of year CK-PAT center-wide report showing your year-long results, using either Core Knowledge or Head Start domains.
    • An updated Preschool Profile, if you do not have a current profile on file in our database (i.e., less than one year old.)
  4. Send all forms and documentation in paper or electronic format.
  5. Following a review of your paperwork, you will receive feedback from the Core Knowledge Foundation regarding the status of your application and either advised to schedule a site visit or work on identified areas before scheduling a site visit.
  6. Contact the Core Knowledge Foundation to schedule a follow-up visit, to include
    • ½ day visit per classroom (See Other Support and On-site Visits for site visit fees.)
    • Lesson plans review. In preparation for this review, each teacher will need to extract one month from the previous school year’s plan, and conduct a self-review using the weekly plans, monthly plan and year-long plan. (Please note that we will want to look at weekly lesson plans for each teacher during the site visit. In preparing for a site visit, please be sure each teacher has an organized file of at least 4 months of lesson plans. These will be compared to your Year-Long Monthly Planning Guide.)
    • A meeting with parents
    • Staff interview and survey
  7. Following our visit, you will receive feedback from the Core Knowledge Foundation regarding the status of your application.
    • If you are offered recognition as an Official Core Knowledge Preschool & Visitation Site, we will present you with a plaque at the opening session of the Core Knowledge National Conference. Camera-ready artwork for your school letterhead and other printed items will be sent as soon as status is achieved.
    • Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. However, in order to receive your plaque at the Core Knowledge National Conference, applications must be received by July 1 st and visits must be scheduled to take place no later than August 15th prior to the National Conference.
    • Please note that the final determination for Official Preschool status is the sole decision of the Core Knowledge Foundation. If for any reason we believe your center does not fully meet the quality standards expected for the Official status, we reserve the right to withhold the Official Preschool status.
  8. In the event a preschool falls short of the required points on the Implementation Checklist, we reserve the right to provide the preschool with areas for improvement and the option of awarding “provisional” Official Preschool status pending an action plan for implementation and demonstration for having made the required changes.
  9. If awarded status as an Official Core Knowledge Preschool & Visitation Site you must be willing to welcome visitors to your center. We also ask that you distribute a standard Visitor's Feedback form that we will provide to anyone who visits your school.
    • We simply ask you to collect them and send copies to us for our records. This will help you receive feedback about your school as well as help us hear all the wonderful things going on since we can't personally visit all schools each year.

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For how long is our Official Preschool status active? How often do we renew our status?

Your status must be renewed annually. We ask you to submit the following items:

Each Year (by October 15th)

  • Submit your preschool’s Monthly Planning Guide for the current year
  • Submit a preschool unit plan for presentation at the National Conference
  • Submit a comparison of a selected month’s weekly plans from the previous year and the Year-Long plan.
  • Submit center-wide CK-PAT results (on a disk or in a paper report format) from previous year

If you experience any turnover in your lead teaching staff, we ask that you schedule another site visit. If no turnover has occurred, a site visit should be scheduled every three years to maintain active status as an Official Core Knowledge Preschool Visitation Site.

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Why are there so many requirements to become an Official Core Knowledge Preschool?

Designation as an Official Core Knowledge Preschool and Visitation Site is intended to be a mark of distinction. Before awarding such recognition, we must carefully verify the great work that goes into effectively implementing the Core Knowledge curriculum. By personally visiting your site and working closely with you, we can underscore your credibility as an "Official Core Knowledge Preschool."

Making the commitment to be a Core Knowledge school is a very important decision that should involve a great deal of discussion among the school staff, parents, and others involved with the operation of the school.

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Who is permitted to use trademarked Core Knowledge logos and how?

Please note: Core Knowledge® is a registered trademark that can not be used as part of a school's name.

It is important to all of us that any preschool that indicates that it is a "Core Knowledge Preschool" represents a high standard of quality early childhood education.

Only Official Preschools can use the Official Core Knowledge Preschool logo, to the left.
Official Preschools are permitted to use the Core Knowledge Foundation's logo, to the left. You can download a file suitable for print here.
No school is permitted to reproduce or use the Preschool logo, to the left.

K–8 Schools: If your preschool is part of a school system that includes grades above preschool, the Official Preschool Status is given independent of those grades. Grades K-8 within the same school would need to apply for Official School status through the K–8 Schools Department. Click here for more information on becoming an Official K–8 School.

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Where do I mail my application?

Return the completed form and application to:

Core Knowledge Foundation
Attn: Official Preschools
801 East High Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902

If you have any questions about becoming an Official Core Knowledge Preschool, please contact the Preschool Department.

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Downloadable Information and Application Forms

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Last updated: Fri, March 14 2008

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