Preschool

Early Childhood Program

The Trumbull County Educational Service Center (TCESC) Preschool Program provides preschool services for typically developing students with disabilities ages 3-5.
The TCESC Preschool Program is taught by two adults, a classroom teacher and a classroom assistant.

TCESC Preschool Program implements the Creative Curriculum for Preschool. We supplement our curriculum with explicit instruction in phonemic awareness using the Michael Haggerty Phonemic Awareness Program.

TCESC preschool classrooms operate at different schedules. Our full-day programs operate 5
days a week for 4.75 hours. The half-day programs operate for 3 hours and 15 minutes per day,
Four days a week. Half-day programs are located in Girard, Champion, and Warren McGuffey.
Joseph Badger TCESC preschool operates four days a week for 6.5 hours daily.
Preschool Intervention Services are provided to the children who are eligible for special
education and related services based upon the results of a school-based multi-factored
evaluation.
Eligibility for Special Education Preschool Program requires that:
The child is 3-5 years of age and is NOT eligible for Kindergarten.
The child demonstrates a disability or exhibits significant delays in one or more of the following areas:
-Communication Skills-Motor Functioning
-Social-emotional behavioral functioning
-Cognitive abilities
-Adaptive behaviors

If you have questions about how to pursue an evaluation for your child, you can contact TCESC Early Childhood Supervisor Gerri Melillo at 330-505-2800, extension 137.

ALL preschool children enrolled in the TCESC preschool program MUST be registered with their
home school district.

TCESC Preschool classrooms are located in the following school districts:

Bristol
Champion
Girard
Hubbard
Joseph Badger
LaBrae
Lakeview
Liberty
Lordstown
Niles
Warren McGuffey

TCESC is a recipient of an Early Childhood Grant from the Ohio Department of
Education. This grant provides funding for typically developing children who meet specific
financial criteria. All typically developing children's families will be asked to complete the Early Childhood Education Income Eligibility Screening Tool. Results of the information on
the form may result in a request for proof of income.
Although preference is given to 4-year-old children, the following criteria are needed for
enrollment as a Typically Developing child:

The child is potty trained
The child should be 3 years of age by October 1
The child cannot be of kindergarten age (as identified by their local school district)

Philosophy
All young children are unique individuals who are born ready to learn. The relationships children form are influential, as the interactions they have with teachers and other school personnel greatly affect learning. Environments matter since the classroom community, classroom arrangement, and material available support learning. Our young learners have a variety of experiences designed to help all of them enter kindergarten ready for success.

Vision
Trumbull County Educational Service Center Office of Early Childhood is committed to providing high-quality comprehensive services and programs to prepare young children for lifelong learning.

Core Values

Recognize that all children are capable and competent learners.
Respect that all children are capable and competent learners.
Assist parent(s)/guardian(s) in understanding their role(s) as the child's first teacher.
In order to meet the needs of all children, provide developmentally appropriate instruction and effective programs wherever the setting.
Provide research-based, high-quality comprehensive and continuous professional development to educators of your children.

TCESC Preschool Program offers the full continuum of recommended educational placements for children with disabilities. The following options are available for preschool students with disabilities at no cost to families:

Public School Preschool General Education Classes

Itinerant services are provided to meet the needs of the student identified on their Individual Education Plan (IEP)
TCESC Preschool Program works collaboratively with Head Start to offer general education preschool classrooms

Public School Integrated Preschool Classes in which 50% or fewer of the students are children with disabilities
Public School Preschool Special Education Call in which more than 50% of students are children with disabilities
Service Provider Location

Child attends to receive services identified on the IEP.

If a family prefers a nonpublic childcare setting that incurs a cost, TCESC will provide itinerant services at that preschool setting. In this situation, the itinerant services are provided at no cost to families.