East Valley SD #90 PreK-3 BRIDGE Initiative

 Bridging Resources and Increasing Developmental Growth in Early-Learning

The mission of the East Valley PreK-3 BRIDGE Initiative is to provide a high quality of children’s learning experiences from before they enter the K-12 system and extending those experiences through elementary school to provide a solid foundation that improves and closes the achievement gap.

Commitment to Early Learning

We believe in the development of a collaborative relationship between East Valley SD and all private, public, home-based, religious preschool, and childcare providers and facilities of the East Valley community in efforts to provide a solid early learning foundation for all children to be “kindergarten ready.”

Commitment to Full Day Kindergarten

We believe in full day Kindergarten for all children in efforts to close the achievement gaps when given the opportunity to participate in a full day educational experience.

Commitment to Alignment PreK-3

We believe in the efforts to improve the quality and coherence of our children’s learning opportunities PreK-3 to “empower and inspire all students in the pursuit of excellence.”

PreK-3 Bridge Leadership Partner Team

The PreK-3 EV Bridge Partnership Team provides guidance for the EV PreK Initiative and the P-3 Alignment of curriculum, instruction, assessment, interventions, professional development, and engagement activities. The team meets throughout the school year. Membership is open to anyone who is interested in joining our team. The team includes administrators, school staff members, representatives from community preschools, outreach early learning providers, and parents. Partners agree to: 1) the use of the Washington State Early Learning Guidelines, 2) share student assessment data, 3) participate in district-sponsored professional development, 4) collaborate through participation at the P-3 EV Bridge Partnership meetings.

                      Child Find Screening

Are you worried about your child's development?

• Does your child have a medical disorder or birth defect that interferes with their development?
• Does the child seem to have hearing or vision issues?
• Does your child have difficulty communicating with people outside the family?
• Does your child have difficulty keeping up with other children their age?
• Does your child have issues learning when they are experiencing social-emotional difficulties?

East Valley School District has a duty to locate, identify, and evaluate all children who reside within our boundaries who may have exceptional educational needs. It is our policy to locate and screen all children, ages birth through 21, with suspected disabilities who are residents of the district, are homeless due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason, and/or who have not graduated from high school.

What happens during child find?

The purpose of a Child Find Screening is to identify issues that may affect your child’s learning, growth, and development and to help parents identify their child’s strengths and weaknesses.

During the screening, your child may stack small blocks, cut with scissors, draw, count, name colors, jump, and have fun!

After the screening, someone will talk to you about the results and you may be given suggestions, a referral for more testing, or scheduled to have skills rechecked later. You will have the chance to ask any questions about your child’s development. The whole process takes about 45 minutes.

Where can I go for screening?

All school districts in Washington State have Child Find Screenings available. Any child, birth to five, whose family or caregivers would like more information about their child’s development can contact their local district to receive a free Child Find Screening. For more information and to schedule a screening in the East valley School District, please contact:

     Mary Almon, Special Education 509-573-7324 [email protected]

     Kathy Snow, EVSD Early Learning Psychologist 573-766 [email protected]

If your family is living in a temporary situation, you may contact the district where you are currently staying for a screening.

WAC 392-172A-02040 - School districts shall conduct child find activities calculated to reach all students with a suspected disability for the purpose of locating, evaluating and identifying students who are in need of special education and related services, regardless of the severity of their disability