VPK Provider Accountability

VPK Provider Accountability

by | Mar 11, 2026

The page “VPK Program Accountability” on the Florida Department of Education website explains Florida’s accountability system for the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) education program. It describes statutory requirements under Florida law that hold VPK providers responsible for children’s achievement and learning outcomes through defined performance metrics and designations. The web page includes links to data, rules, guides, FAQs, performance results and resources related to providers with incomplete status or on probation.

DEL Professional Learning

DEL Professional Learning

by | Mar 11, 2026

Florida’s early care and education (ECE) professional learning system provides training opportunities to early care providers to ensure children receive developmentally appropriate educational opportunities. The ECE professional learning system is a framework with elements that define career pathways tied to credentials, certifications and qualifications to meet the needs of individual adult learners in the field. The Division of Early Learning’s (DEL) network of lead trainers, representing each of the 30 early learning coalitions and school districts, delivers professional learning regionally. DEL chooses lead trainers for their education, experience in early education, and training and recognition as an outcomes-driven training facilitator. Visit the DEL professional learning web page to learn about the available professional learning opportunities.

2024 ReadingPals Conference & Celebration with Emily Hanford

by | Nov 4, 2024

Renowned journalist and producer, Emily Hanford, whose hit podcast Sold a Story (Sold a Story en español) was one of the most-shared shows on Apple Podcasts in 2023, gave the keynote address. Emily’s work has helped change practice and policy on literacy across the country. She shared stories and insights to shift our perspective on how children are being taught to read in the U.S., and what volunteers, parents/caregivers, teachers, and community partners need to know to make the greatest impact.

ReadingPals provides volunteer mentors for students from pre-K to 3rd grade who may need extra help—operating across 15 Florida regions. Over the last 12 years, nearly 30,000 students have received a ReadingPals mentor and a share of 530,000 donated books.

The Academy: Innovative Learning Platform

The Academy: Innovative Learning Platform

by | Oct 7, 2024

The Academy serves as a central hub for educators, school leaders, families, and community partners seeking practical, user-friendly materials. The goal is simple – to encourage widespread use of these free valuable tools in classrooms, schools, homes, and other settings-anywhere that children are learning. Access a variety of brief lessons and longer courses designed to help you use the many free, evidence-based materials highlighted on fcrr.org. Each resource was made with you in mind. The Academy will help you use them. Literacy coaches, school leaders, and providers can also use these lessons in their own coaching and professional learning sessions with their teachers or literacy events with families and community members. The Academy houses everything you need to provide face-to-face professional learning opportunities in your school, district, and community. These long courses are designed to foster expertise in reading instruction, literacy coaching, and literacy leadership, and may even contribute towards endorsements or recertification (training and state approval may be required to access some courses).

2024 Hunger Survey

2024 Hunger Survey

by | May 30, 2024

A recent poll commissioned by No Kid Hungry Florida sheds light on the challenges Floridian families face in affording groceries, with rising food prices outpacing incomes. Families are making sacrifices, like shopping at multiple locations (58%) and opting for cheaper, less convenient stores (48%), often sacrificing food quality. This financial strain hits hard for families with students in K-12 public schools, where 82% report difficulty affording groceries. This underscores the critical role of school meals in providing essential nutrition to students. Explore the full survey results to understand the impact of food insecurity in Florida.