§18-5-18c. Early childhood programs; eligibility and standards for placement; guidelines and criteria.

County boards shall provide by the school year one thousand nine hundred eighty-nine--ninety, and continuing thereafter, programs and instructional procedures that recognize the variability in achievement, development, and background experience of the early childhood years.

Such programs and instructional procedures may include, but shall not be limited to, developmental kindergarten, developmental first grade, early first grade, transitional first grade, and/or developmental second grade.

Placement of children in any of the aforementioned early childhood programs shall be based on the judgment of the teacher and other professional personnel after consultation with the parent or guardian and in accordance with the evaluation model for children as set forth in section two, article two-e of this chapter. Counties may designate one or more classes or schools for such early childhood programs and may transport children to these schools.

Provisions shall be made for early childhood teachers to communicate on a regular basis with other teachers, professional personnel and representatives of other appropriate agencies.

The state board shall establish and prescribe guidelines and criteria relating to the establishment, operation and successful completion of early childhood programs in accordance with the other provisions of this section and high quality educational programs.