Preschool Providers

Preschool special education services are available for children ages 3 to 5 with disabilities or delays in development that affect learning. These services are provided free of charge to eligible children. The Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) is responsible for coordinating the special education process for children 3 to 5 years of age. There are 11 CPSEs in different areas of the city that work with families in the district where the family lives.

Preschool Special Education Landing Page

The preschool special education landing page provides access to materials and resources for preschool providers to support their work with children and families.  Topics include, but are not limited to, focusing on families, instructional planning and support and social and emotional learning and behavior supports.  The page also contains links to all upcoming professional learning opportunities and previously recorded webinars.

Creating Inclusive Classrooms

New York City Public Schools is committed to creating inclusive preschool environments that enable all children to enter Kindergarten with a solid foundation for future success. Inclusion is not only a belief that all children can learn but have the ability to learn together. Inclusive preschool environments offer the opportunity for special education students to learn and socialize in their least restrictive environment (LRE), which means students have the opportunity to learn alongside their typically developing peers to the greatest extent possible.

Research shows that inclusive settings promote academic growth, independence, and social-emotional gains for both children with and without disabilities.  The resources below will provide additional information and recommendations for practice related to inclusion and children with disabilities.

Focusing on Family Support

Families play a key role in their child’s development and learning. We believe that families are central to young children’s lives, assume critical roles in their child’s development, and are their child’s first and forever teachers.  Collaboration among key stakeholders, including families, is a cornerstone for implementing high-quality early childhood inclusion.  Resources and program policies are needed to promote multiple opportunities for communication and collaboration among families.

The resources below can help you support and collaborate with your families.

Special Education Process and Programs

  • Family Engagement and Special Education; Creating an Inclusive Preschool Classroom: Best Practices for Family Engagement and Special Education
  • Special Education; Re-Imagining Special Education for New York City Students
  • Moving to Preschool: Guides and information around the Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) process, including transitioning from Early Intervention.
  • Transitioning to Kindergarten; An important goal of preschool special education is to prepare a child to succeed in kindergarten. Children enter kindergarten in September of the year when they turn five years old. The kindergarten transition process begins the school year before kindergarten while a child is in preschool.
  • Information for Families about SCIS: Information for Families About Preschool Special Class in an Integrated Setting (SCIS) Classes in NYCPS District Schools and Pre-K Centers 

Family Guides and Resources

Professional Learning

Instructional Resources

New York City Public Schools is committed to ensuring that students with disabilities have the opportunities to benefit from high-quality instruction, to reach the same standards as all students, and to leave school prepared to successfully transition to post-school learning, living and employment.

The resources below will assist you in providing high quality instruction and learning experiences for all children.

Behavior Resources and Supports

The resources below will support you with the systematic implementation of evidence-based practices to develop young children’s social and emotional competencies and positive behavior. 

  • Preschool Guidance for Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP) The intent of this guidance is to provide schools with general information regarding (a) the Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) process, including when a FBA should be conducted and how to request an FBA for a preschool child and (b) the development/implementation of a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). This is not intended to serve as an alternative to the in-depth training required to conduct an FBA and develop a quality BIP.
    • BIP Progress Monitoring Data Collection Toolkit:  This packet includes a daily chart for staff to keep track of the targeted problem behavior (frequency, intensity and duration) and the replacement behavior (frequency).  It includes a chart for weekly daily summaries and blank graphs to look at trends. Graphing procedures provide step-by-step instructions for plotting FBA baseline and progress monitoring data. The baseline data must be used as a standard to establish performance criteria and against which to evaluate intervention effectiveness. This packet provides the data collection    tools to inform the BIP.
  • The Preschool Behavior Resource Guide: A Framework of Tiered Supports offers a framework to support schools with the systematic implementation of evidence-based practices to develop young children’s social and emotional competencies and positive behavior. It focuses on proactive measures to effect positive outcomes for all children and to prevent the development and/or occurrence of challenging behavior.
  • Behavioral Supports and Interventions Quality Indicators Classroom-Based Behavioral Supports and Interventions serves to guide schools in their efforts to provide behavioral supports and interventions to preschool children to maximize positive behavioral outcomes. It provides quality indicators for effective practices that advance children’s positive behavior and prevent and reduce challenging behavior.

Guidance Documents

Guidance Documents for NYC Public Schools Programs

Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT) Services

Progress Monitoring Resources

Operations and Policy

Request for Determination of Student Status / Notification of Student Absence Without Legal Excuse (RDNA)

IEP Distribution

Regional Need

  • Regional Need for Preschool Special Education: This page presents the regional need for preschool special education programs and multidisciplinary evaluation programs. It is intended for providers who are interested in offering or expanding such programs.
    • NYSED Preschool Applications: This webpage includes the Initial Application for Approval to Operate a Preschool Special Education and/or Multidisciplinary Evaluation Program and the Modification Application for Approval to Expand and/or Modify a Preschool Special Education and/or Multidisciplinary Evaluation Program 

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B Section 611 and Section 619 Vendor Funding  (4410 Non-Public Agencies only)

NYSED Preschool Variance Procedures

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