Reporting early education students in jmc Office is crucial for securing funding from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). In Minnesota, many preschool students are enrolled in Early Childhood and Family Education (ECFE) or School Readiness (SR) programs, which are not funded through MARSS. Some programs, however, are MARSS-funded, such as Voluntary PreKindergarten (VPK) and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE).
Defining Minnesota Early Education Subgroups
On the Edit School Data page in jmc Office, assign grade 0 subgroups (such as KA or KB) to the corresponding state-defined Preschool Group to identify students eligible for early education funding. With the exception of ECSE, these Preschool Groups apply to both MARSS-funded and Non-MARSS programs.
Grade 0 Subgroups: In jmc Office, all Kindergarten and preschool students are categorized as grade 0. Additional subgroups (e.g., KG, KA, KB, KC, KD, EC, HK) differentiate between Kindergarten programs (such as AM/PM) and early education programs.
Preschool Subgroups: Grade 0 subgroups identified as Preschool can be assigned to a preschool program using the Preschool Groups drop-down list. The EE indicator identifies ECFE and SR preschool groups, while PA–PJ identifies VPK.
Non-MARSS Funded Early Education Reporting
On the Edit Student Early Education page in jmc Office, you can create an early education program record to specify the funding source for ECFE and SR students. These records provide details needed by MDE for funding allocation and are shared through the standard Ed-Fi Update Student process.
Program Name drop-down list: Identifies the early education program reported to MDE. Options include SR (School Readiness) and ECFE (Early Childhood Family Education).
Funding Sources checkboxes: Record scholarships, programs, or parental contributions by selecting the appropriate checkboxes on the student’s early education record.
Marking ECFE and SR students reportable to the MDE
After defining grade 0 subgroups, assign students to the correct subgroup and mark them as eligible for early education funding on the View Student Data page in jmc Office. This allows their records to be submitted to MDE and distinguishes them from K–12 students who receive general funding.
Grade drop-down list: Selecting 0 makes the Kdg Group drop-down available, where you can assign the appropriate subgroup to early education students.
General tab: Contains the MARSS checkbox, which enables student information to be reported to MDE.
MARSS tab: Allows you to remove a student from the K–12 group receiving general MARSS funding and place them in the appropriate early education cohort as defined by their grade 0 subgroup.
MARSS Funded Early Education Reporting
Programs such as VPK and ECSE are funded through MARSS. To report these students correctly, fill out the required fields on a student’s MARSS tab in jmc Office.
State Aid Category: Identifies the type of preschool program in which a student is enrolled, or flags a record as an early childhood screening only. Valid state aid codes are listed in the MARSS Reference Guide provided by MDE.
Grade Level: The Grade Level field on a student’s MARSS status line must match the grade level assigned on the student’s data page. For VPK students, this should align with the grade 0 subgroup defined for VPK on the Edit School Data page.