Our district operates a Birth to Three Program that transitions into a Preschool Program, both housed within the same building and sharing the same RCDTS code. To date, we’ve used negative grade levels (-5 through -1) to represent student ages and developmental stages as follows:
-5 = 0 years
-4 = 1 year
-3 = 2 years
-2 = PreK3
-1 = PreK4
A challenge arises when students transition from the Birth to Three Program to the Preschool Program. State guidelines require students to exit the Birth to Three Program on their third birthday. Currently, these students are enrolled in PreK3 (-2) upon turning three and remain in PreK3 (-2) the following school year before being promoted to PreK4 (-1). To reflect this in SIS, students are typically marked as "retained," which does not accurately reflect the nature of the progression.
To address this, we are planning the following:
Create a new school in PowerSchool SIS specifically for the Birth to Three Program.
Promote students to the existing Preschool Program on their third birthday.
Introduce a new grade level, PreK2, within the Preschool Program to accurately reflect the student’s first year in preschool following Birth to Three.
Although both programs share the same physical building and RCDTS code, this structure aims to maintain clearer records for reporting.
I have a few questions I would appreciate input on:
When creating the new "Birth to Three" school in PS SIS, can we continue to use the existing negative grade levels?
(e.g., -5 = 0 years, -4 = 1 year, -3 = 2 years)
If so, In the Preschool Program, would it be acceptable to use this structure?
-3 = PreK2
-2 = PreK3
-1 = PreK4
If this approach is not advisable, would the following be a better option to avoid overlapping grade levels?
-6 = 0 years
-5 = 1 year
-4 = 2 years
-3 = PreK2
-2 = PreK3
-1 = PreK4
For the Preschool Program, which currently houses all grade levels in SIS, how should we go about inactivating grade levels that will no longer be used (e.g., -5, -4, and potentially -3)?
We are aiming for a logical, sustainable structure that minimizes disruption while improving clarity and reporting accuracy. Any suggestions, experiences, or best practices are greatly appreciated!
Thank you in advance for your support and feedback.
Steve
