(A) All preschool staff members shall be
recruited, employed, assigned, evaluated, and provided in-service education in
accordance with adopted governing board policies and without discrimination on
the basis of age, color, national origin, race, sex, or handicap.
(B) All preschool staff members assigned
in each preschool class shall be of good character, possess adequate physical
and emotional health, be equipped by education, training, and/or experience for
the work they are to perform, and meet the requirements as prescribed in
division (B) of section 3301.54 of the Revised Code.
(C) The director shall be onsite at the
preschool program at least half of the program's operating hours and
responsible for the following:
(1) Ensuring that the
health and safety of the children are safeguarded by an organized program of
school health services designed to identify child health problems and to
coordinate school community health resources for children as evidenced by, but
not limited to, the following:
(a) Requiring immunizations and compliance with emergency medical
authorization requirements under section 3313.712 of the Revised
Code;
(b) Providing procedures for emergency situations, including fire
drills, rapid dismissals, tornado drills, and school safety drills in
accordance with section 3737.73 of the Revised Code, and keeping records of
such drills or dismissals;
(c) Posting emergency procedures in preschool rooms and making
them available to school personnel, children, and parents;
(d) Posting emergency numbers by each telephone;
(e) Supervising grounds, play areas, and other facilities when
scheduled for use by children; and
(f) Providing first-aid facilities and materials.
(2) Maintaining
cumulative records for each child;
(3) Supervising each
child's admission, placement, and withdrawal according to established
procedures;
(4) Preparing a roster of
children enrolled annually;
(5) Ensuring that
clerical and custodial services are provided for the program;
(6) Supervising the
instructional program and daily operation of the program; and
(7) Supervising preschool
staff members.
(D) The director of the preschool program
shall:
(1) Hold a valid educator
license designated as appropriate for teaching or being an administrator in a
preschool setting issued pursuant to section 3319.22 of the Revised Code and
have completed at least four courses in child development or early childhood
education from an accredited college, university, or technical
college;
(2) Meet the appropriate
qualifications pursuant to section 3301.54 of the Revised Code;
and
(3) Be responsible for
the duties outlined in section 3301.56 of the Revised Code.
(4) A director employed
to direct a program operated by an eligible, nontax-supported, nonpublic school
shall be considered to meet the requirements of this rule if they hold a valid
teaching certificate issued in accordance with section 3301.071 of the Revised
Code.
(E) The director is responsible for
completing training on relevant state and federal licensing rules as prescribed
by the department.
(F) Each class/group in a preschool
program shall have assigned a lead teacher in accordance with the
following:
(1) A public school
preschool general education class as defined in rule 3301-51-11 of the
Administrative Code shall have a lead teacher that meets one of the following
during instructional time:
(a) Valid prekindergarten teaching certificate issued under
section 3319.22 of the Revised Code; or
(b) Valid prekindergarten associate license issued under section
3319.22 of the Revised Code; or
(c) Valid kindergarten-primary certificate issued under section
3319.22 of the Revised Code and have completed at least four courses in child
development or early childhood education from an accredited college,
university, or technical college; or
(d) A bachelor's degree in child development or early
childhood education earned from an accredited college or university with a
minimum of thirty quarter or twenty semester hours in child
development/preschool program planning and methods including a supervised
practicum with preschool children; or
(e) An early childhood license pursuant to section 3319.22 of the
Revised Code.
(f) The lead teacher cannot serve as the intervention specialist
of record for children with a disability.
(2) A public school
preschool special education class as defined in rule 3301-51-11 of the
Administrative Code, operated by a public school or a county board of
developmental disabilities shall have an intervention specialist classroom
teacher that meets one of the following during instructional time:
(a) A valid license or education of the handicapped certificate
with an endorsement in pre-kindergarten special needs or early education of the
handicapped issued pursuant to section 3319.22 of the Revised
Code;
(b) A valid early childhood intervention or primary intervention
specialist license issued pursuant to section 3319.22 of the Revised
Code;
(c) A valid supplemental or intervention teaching license in the
area of pre-kindergarten special needs, early childhood intervention
specialist, or intervention specialist in the areas of visually impaired or
hearing impaired, if the children are visually impaired or hearing impaired;
or
(d) A valid K-12 intervention specialist license issued pursuant
to section 3319.22 or 3319.26 of the Revised Code and meets one qualification
of a general education preschool lead teacher.
(3) A preschool program
operated by an eligible nontax-supported, nonpublic school, shall have a lead
teacher who is at least eighteen years of age who has a high school diploma or
certification of high school equivalency issued by the state board of education
or comparable agency or holds a valid teaching certificate issued in accordance
with section 3301.071 of the Revised Code.
(G) Any individual who may have an
assigned schedule with a preschool child (or group) or may be used to count in
the ratio is obligated to have the following on file:
(1) Evidence that they
are at least eighteen years of age or meet the requirements of section 3301.54
of the Revised Code;
(2) A high school
diploma, GED or high school equivalency or applicable
certification/licensure;
(3) Orientation training
as prescribed by the department, completed within thirty days of the
individual's start date;
(4) A signed non-guilty
non-conviction statement on a prescribed form that is signed
annually;
(5) A criminal record
check that meets the following:
(a) The requirements as prescribed in section 3301.541 of the
Revised Code and if applicable, rehabilitation criteria as described in rules
3301-20-01 and 3301-20-03 of the Administrative Code; or
(b) The background check requirements as prescribed in rule
5101:2-12-09 of the Administrative Code and the Child Care and Development
Block Grant Act of 2014, 42 U.S.C. 9858 (CCDBG Act of 2014) for programs
contracted to provide publicly funded child care services and department
licensed head start programs; and
(6) A medical statement
signed by a licensed physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse,
or a certified nurse practitioner that documents that they are free of
communicable disease and fit to work with children dated on or before the first
day of employment.
(H) Annual in-service training for
preschool staff members is to be in one or more of the following
areas:
(1) Child development or
early childhood education;
(2) Ohio approved
professional development training; or
(3) Health and
safety.
(4) Annual refers to the
school year, from July first to June thirtieth, or every twelve months from the
date of hire for staff employed after the school year begins.
(I) It is the program's
responsibility to ensure the following:
(1) Each staff member has
completed and is current with an approved course for age-appropriate first aid
and CPR in accordance with rule 5101:2-12-10 of the Administrative
Code.
(2) A person who has
completed and is current with an approved course to recognize the common signs
of communicable disease or other illness will observe each child daily as they
enter the group and be readily available at all times.
(3) In each building, to
have readily available at all times at least one preschool staff member who has
completed and is current with a child abuse recognition and prevention course
based on an approved curriculum. The child abuse recognition and prevention
curriculum used in the course may be consistent with requirements as
established by section 3319.073 of the Revised Code or appear on the approved
curriculum list posted on the department's website. Consistent with
requirements as established by section 3319.073 of the Revised Code, such staff
shall complete at least four hours of in-service training in child abuse
recognition and prevention within two years of employment and every five years
thereafter.
(4) Each class/group in a
preschool program is to have at least one assigned lead teacher who meets the
applicable requirements.
(J) Substitutes shall meet the following
requirements:
(1) Evidence that they
are at least eighteen years of age.
(2) Have at least a high
school diploma or certification of high school equivalency issued by the state
board of education or comparable agency.
(3) A medical statement
signed by a licensed physician, physician's assistant, advanced practice
registered nurse, or certified nurse practitioner that documents they are free
of communicable disease and fit to work with children.
(4) Evidence of criminal
record checks and five-year updates as follows:
(a) Evidence that meets the requirements as prescribed in section
3301.541 of the Revised Code and if applicable, rehabilitation criteria as
described in rules 3301-20-01 and 3301-20-03 of the Administrative Code;
and
(b) Evidence that meets the background check requirements as
prescribed in rule 5101:2-12-09 of the Administrative Code and the Child Care
and Development Block Grant Act of 2014, 42 U.S.C. 9858 (CCDBG Act of 2014) for
programs contracted to provide publicly funded child care services and
department licensed head start programs.
(5) Evidence on file that
individuals in public school districts, county board of developmental
disabilities, educational service centers and community schools have an
appropriate substitute license as prescribed in section 3319.226 of the Revised
Code.
(6) Evidence on file that
staff listed on an IEP providing services for children with disabilities are
qualified personnel as required in rule 3301-51-11 of the Administrative
Code.
(7) Minimum requirements
for the position for which they are substituting in accordance with section
3319.226 of the Revised Code.
(8) Orientation training
as prescribed by the department, completed within thirty days of the
individual's start date; and
(9) A signed non-guilty
non-conviction statement on a prescribed form updated annually.
(K) Preschool staff employed part-time
shall complete the in-service requirement based upon the percentage of time or
full-time equivalency of their preschool assignment pursuant to section 3301.54
of the Revised Code.
(L) Preschool staff members licensed by
the department shall complete ten annual clock hours, which may be part of the
professional development plan in accordance with Chapter 3301-24 of the
Administrative Code. Annual completion refers to the school year, from July
first to June thirtieth.
(M) The training specified in paragraph
(M) of this rule shall be provided by an approved trainer who shall have at
least two years of experience specific to the subject area and possess one of
the following:
(1) An associate or
higher degree in child development or early childhood education, education,
special education, speech language pathologist, home economics, nursing,
nutrition, psychology, dental hygiene, or social work. Evidence of an associate
or higher degree shall be a copy of a diploma, a transcript, or other written
evidence accepted by the director as evidence of completion of at least ninety
quarter credit hours or sixty semester credit hours from an accredited college,
university, or technical college. The coursework shall include at least
thirty-six quarter credit hours or twenty-four semester credit hours in courses
in any of the subject areas listed in paragraph (J) of this rule;
or
(2) A prekindergarten
certificate or endorsement or early childhood license issued by the state board
of education; or
(3) A license as a
physician or registered nurse.
(N) A director and preschool staff member
shall provide evidence of criminal record checks and five-year updates that
meet:
(1) The requirements as
prescribed in section 3301.541 of the Revised Code and if applicable,
rehabilitation criteria as described in rules 3301-20-01 and 3301-20-03 of the
Administrative Code; or
(2) The background check
requirements as prescribed in rule 5101:2-12-09 of the Administrative Code and
the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014, 42 U.S.C. 9858 (CCDBG
Act of 2014) for programs contracted to provide publicly funded child care
services and department licensed head start programs. Documentation that
reports and five-year updates are sent to the district or the department's
office of educator licensure as required by section 3319.391 of the Revised
Code shall be kept on file.
(O) The preschool staff member/child
ratio must be maintained at all times.
(1) Sufficient
individuals must always be physically present with the children to meet staff
member/child ratio requirements in accordance with section 3301.56 of the
Revised Code.
(2) No child shall ever
be left alone or unsupervised.
(3) In each program the
maximum number of children per preschool staff member and the maximum group
size by age category of children shall be as follows:
(a) General education and co-taught classrooms
| AgeGroup | Staff Member/ChildRatio | Maximum GroupSize |
| Birth to less than12 months | 1:5 or 2:12 if twopreschool staff members are in the room | 12 |
| 12months to less than 18 months | 1:6 | 12 |
| 18months to less than 30 months | 1:7 | 14 |
| 30months to less than 3 years | 1:8 | 16 |
| 3years | 1:12 | 24 |
| 4 year olds and 5 year olds not in kindergarten orschool | 1:14 | 28 |
(b) Special education classrooms
| AgeGroup | Staff Member/ChildRatio | Maximum GroupSize |
| 3 year old, 4 yearold and 5 year old children not in kindergarten or school | In accordance with section 3323.022 of the RevisedCode | 15 children (max of 8 childrenwith a disability) |
(c) Integrated classroom
| AgeGroup | Staff Member/ChildRatio | Maximum GroupSize |
| 3 year old, 4 yearold and 5 year old children not in kindergarten or school | In accordance with section 3323.022 of the RevisedCode | 16 children (max of 8 childrenwith a disability) |
(4) Preschool special
education programs shall meet the child/staff ratio requirements of section
3323.022 of the Revised Code and rule 3301-51-11 of the Administrative
Code.
(5) An intervention
specialist classroom teacher will have a caseload of no more than eight
preschool children with disabilities in any one class session. If a teacher is
responsible for two half-day class sessions, no more than sixteen children with
disabilities will be served by the teacher.
(P) Volunteers may be counted in the
staff/child ratio if a BCII investigation is kept on file; however, a program
shall ensure that such practice does not become routine.
(Q) A second adult shall be readily
available at all times when seven or more children are present in the program.
The second adult shall:
(1) Be available within
the building used for the preschool program or in an adjacent outdoor area;
(2) Be able to be
summoned by the preschool staff member without leaving the group alone or
unsupervised;
(3) Be able to react in
response to such summons so as to reduce risk to children during an emergency
circumstance;
(4) Meet background check
requirements as prescribed in rule 5101:2-12-09 of the Administrative Code and
the Child Care Development Block Grant Act of 2014 (42 USC 9858) for programs
contracted to provide publicly funded childcare services and department
licensed head start programs.
(R) When age groups are combined for
programming purposes the following requirements must be met:
(1) When age groups are
combined, the maximum number of children per preschool staff member shall be
determined by the age of the youngest child in the group, except that when no
more than one child, thirty months of age or older, receives care in a group in
which all the other children are in the next older age group, the maximum
number of children per preschool staff member and maximum group size
requirements of the older age group established in this rule shall
apply.
(2) Any accredited
program that uses the Montessori method endorsed by the American Montessori
society (www.amshq.org) or the association Montessori internationale
(www.montessori-ami.org) as its primary method of instruction may combine
preschool children of ages three to five years of age with children enrolled in
kindergarten. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in division (B)(2) of
section 3301.56 of the Revised Code, when such age groups are combined, the
maximum number of children per preschool staff member shall be twelve and the
maximum group size shall be twenty-four children.
(3) Preschool and school
age groups may be combined at the beginning of the day or at the end of the
day, when the total is twelve or fewer children.
(S) In a room where children are napping
or resting, if all children are at least eighteen months of age, the maximum
number of children per preschool staff member shall, for a period not to exceed
one and one-half hours in any twenty-four-hour day, be twice the maximum number
of children per preschool staff member established in paragraph (N) of this
rule if all the following criteria are met:
(1) At least one
preschool staff member shall be physically present in the room at all times
during nap/rest time;
(2) The preschool staff
member(s) assigned to a room where children are napping shall be responsible
for the care and supervision of the children in the room and shall be able to
summon other child-care staff members without leaving the room;
(3) There shall be enough
preschool staff members readily accessible within the building in which the
program is located to ensure that the maximum number of children per preschool
staff member as required by paragraph (N) of this rule is met at all times;
and
(4) Nap/rest-time
preparation shall have been completed and all napping children shall be resting
or sleeping on cots or mats.
