Become a Pre-K or ThreeSchool Classroom
Become a North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten (NC Pre-K) Program Site
Join our team of NC Pre-K sites and become part of a growing professional community that helps prepare young children and their families for kindergarten and life ahead!
Eligibility requirements
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Must be a 4- or 5-star licensed facility
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Accept child care subsidy
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Lead Teacher has B-K license or eligible to receive one
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Teaching Assistant has an AA in Early Childhood Education, a CDA, or working towards it
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Administrator has Level III Administrator Credential, Principal License, or working towards it
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Meet all program guidelines mandated by the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE) and the NC Pre-K program
What does hosting a ThreeSchool classroom look like?
About:
The NC Pre-K program provides early education to four-year-olds in a play-based, dynamic environment.
Program Structure:
NC Pre-K operates for 10 months, 36 weeks, 6.5 hours/day Monday-Friday. The calendar follows Wake County Public Schools Traditional Calendar.
Class Size:
Maximum classroom size of 18 with a teacher/child ratio of 1:9
Salary
Salary Scale implemented for qualified teaching staff
Curriculum
NC Pre-K uses Creative Curriculum which facilitates play-based learning.
- The Creative Curriculum promotes discovery and inquiry with opportunities for children to think critically and develop process skills with hands-on investigations of relevant and interesting topics in the classroom.
- The Creative Curriculum streamlines planning, teaching, and engagement so teachers can be responsive to child needs and develop meaningful engagement with every child and family.
- Allows for teachers to individualize instruction by understanding how children’s abilities progress and scaffold learning experiences to respond to each child’s current strengths and needs, including those with disabilities.
Application Information:
- Site Selection opens 3 years, or as needed, within the 3-year funding cycle
- The next cycle will open in SY 2025-2026. Go here to request receiving a notification about the next cycle.
- The process is standardized by the state and is overseen by the NC Pre-K Committee.
- A non-conflicted Site Selection Committee reviews applications and makes recommendations back to the NC Pre-K Committee.
- The DCDEE Site Selection Application is electronic and submitted through an online portal, eCimpact.
- Here are some site selection resources provided by DCDEE
More about NC Pre-K
The NC Pre-K program is a state initiative that serves at-risk four-year-old children and prepares them for school success. With guidance from the Division of Child Development and Early Education (DCDEE), Wake County Smart Start (WCSS) administers this program in Wake County in collaboration with Telamon Head Start, Wake County Public School System and Wake County Human Services.
Four- and five-star licensed facilities are selected to provide high quality intentional educational experiences. Children participating in the NC Pre-K program are served in classrooms in public schools, licensed child care facilities or Head Start programs. NC Pre-K prioritizes children whose families earn at or below 75% of the State Median Income.
For more information about site selection, contact us.
Become a Wake ThreeSchool (WTS) Program Site
Join our team of Wake ThreeSchool sites and become part of a professional community that helps prepare children for success in Pre-K, Kindergarten and life ahead.
Who is eligible to host a ThreeSchool classroom?
4- or 5-star facilities
Licensed classrooms
Priority given to existing NC Pre-K sites or sites that are also applying to become an NC Pre-K site
Why should my site consider hosting a WTS classroom?
- It’s an opportunity to positively impact a child’s early education
- Provides families with a high-quality learning experience they may not have otherwise had
- Creates community; sites develop meaningful relationships with families
- Provides continuity of care and stability for families as they transition from WTS to NC Pre-K
- Increases sites’ capacities to serve families in the community and makes a positive financial impact on your business
From a current ThreeSchool provider:
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- “To know that we are the foundation and to know that we are giving something to a child that they would’ve never received if they had not been in the Wake Three program. To know that there is this program that can be funded and these kids can go to school and get those social skills and be a part of a really good program. We just knew we were going to apply and are very thankful we were accepted as a school to have the program and to continue to be the foundation for these kids. The world, they need this; the kids really do need this.”- Coprecia Robinson, Director of The Happy Face Preschool
What does hosting a ThreeSchool classroom look like?
About:
The WTS program provides early education to three-year-olds in a play-based, dynamic environment, similar to the NC Pre-K program
Program Structure:
WTS operates for 10 months, 36 weeks, 6.5 hours/day Monday-Friday. The calendar follows Wake County Public Schools Traditional Calendar.
Class Size:
Maximum classroom size of 16 with a teacher/child ratio of 1:8
From a current ThreeSchool provider:
“They [the children] go into their centers, and the teacher has a structured activity that is fun. They don’t realize they are learning because they’re playing. When they go into those centers, the things..that will really blow your mind are … how they interact with each other. To hear the language, to see the sharing, to see how they’re building in blocks together- those things are so amazing. This is truly preparing them for NC Pre-K…and for going into public school. It is a truly a great head start for them.” – Coprecia Robinson, Director of The Happy Face PreSchool
Curriculum: WTS uses Creative Curriculum which facilitates play-based learning. More information here:
- The Creative Curriculum promotes discovery and inquiry with opportunities for children to think critically and develop process skills with hands-on investigations of relevant and interesting topics in the classroom.
- The Creative Curriculum streamlines planning, teaching, and engagement so teachers can be responsive to child needs and develop meaningful engagement with every child and family.
- Allows for teachers to individualize instruction by understanding how children’s abilities progress and scaffold learning experiences to respond to each child’s current strengths and needs, including those with disabilities.
- Use Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Tool to accompany the use of the Creative Curriculum
- Teaching Strategies GOLD is an authentic, ongoing observational system for assessing children from birth through kindergarten; the ongoing assessment offers a broad, more meaningful picture of development.
- It helps teachers observe children in the context of everyday experiences
- Structured around 38 objectives that help teachers link observable behavior to essential early learning requirements and predict likely next steps in every area of development and learning.
Application Information
Every year, prospective sites will complete and submit a WTS Site Application.
- The application will be reviewed by the WTS team using the WTS Site Selection Rubric.
- The Site Selection Rubric is designed as a comparative tool to help standardize the site selection process.
- A rubric is completed for each site applicant using the information from the WTS application and supporting documentation submitted by the applicant.
- The WTS team will conduct site observations for new site applicants using the WTS Observation Rubric.
- The following components will be observed:
- Welcoming
- Space/Materials
- Adult/Child Interactions
- Classroom Activities
- Lesson Plan/Curriculum
- Outdoor Environment
- Diversity and Inclusion
- The following components will be observed:
- The WTS team will make final recommendations to the WTS Advisory Committee based on the Site Application Rubric Score, Site Observation Score, and DCDEE compliance history.
- Final slot allocations are contingent upon the approval of the Wake County Board of Commissioners’ budget and need indicated by the WTS Community Needs Assessment.
Timeline for WTS Site Selection Process
Step 1
October- Information about the site selection process is shared with the community
- Interest Sessions for prospective providers
Step 2
November- WTS Site Application opens to all 4- and 5-star facilities
Step 3
December/January- Completed WTS Site Application is due back to the WTS team
Step 4
February – April- Site Observations are completed
Step 5
May/June- A final recommendation will be made to the WTS Advisory Committee
- Sites will be notified of their application status by June
Contact Us
Go here to request receiving a notification about the next site selection cycle
For questions or assistance with site applications, contact Natasha Williams at NWilliams@wakesmartstart.org