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Concord preschool educators describe integrated ‘play equals learn’ model and cite capacity limits
Summary
Preschool staff told the Concord School Board’s instructional committee the district runs integrated classrooms across three elementary schools, follows New Hampshire Early Learning Standards and the DRDP assessment, and is operating at or near recommended class sizes with waiting lists for tuition students.
Sarah Robinson, chairing the Concord School Board’s Instructional Committee, opened the meeting’s preschool presentation and introduced district preschool staff.
Sue Kerrigan, the district’s preschool coordinator, told the committee the program serves both tuition-paying children and children identified for special education services and that preschool classrooms are intentionally integrated. “I’m the preschool coordinator for all of the buildings,” Kerrigan said while outlining program structure and staff roles.
The presentation framed preschool instruction around play-based, developmentally appropriate practices and the district’s work to include sensory supports, AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) devices and therapy collaboration. Preschool staff said they use the New Hampshire Early Learning Standards and the state-mandated DRDP measure this year for special-education students; Concord participated in earlier DRDP pilots and is phasing in broader use. Staff described routine documentation of progress through teacher observations, IEPs and state-required reporting.
Program structure and numbers: Preschool operates at Abbot Downing (one classroom), Beaver Meadow (three classrooms) and Millbrook (two classrooms). Staff described a mix of tuition students (about half the enrollment) and students served under special-education eligibility. The district runs a smaller, separate classroom model for newly eligible 3‑year‑olds (students may begin receiving services as soon as they turn 3). Kerrigan said the program’s daily schedules vary by age (two-hour and two-and-a-half-hour sessions) and by individual need.
Demand and referrals: Preschool staff reported active referral and screening work. They said the district runs citywide “child check” screening clinics twice a year (October and January) and screens and evaluates year-round. Since the start of the school year staff reported 66 referrals, with 32 completed evaluations and 20 students identified for special education (about 57% of completed evaluations). Presenters said the caseload is dynamic; enrollment numbers change frequently and the preschool typically maintains a waiting list for tuition seats.
Capacity and class size: Committee members asked whether the preschool program is at capacity. Preschool staff said many classrooms are at or near recommended sizes (roughly 12–15 students per class) and that the district has added a classroom to address demand, but that ongoing expansion will be difficult to plan because referral numbers vary across the year. Staff said they routinely turn away some tuition applicants because of space limits and that registration typically fills quickly after it opens in February.
Assessment and data: The presenters described the DRDP (state early-childhood progress measure) as now mandatory for special-education preschoolers and said Concord has limited free state licenses available to expand the measure to non-IEP students; staff are discussing whether the district should extend DRDP use to all preschool students so the classroom-level data are comparable. Committee members asked about per-student licensing costs; staff said the state can provide exact pricing but estimated the per-student cost would be modest (a figure described in discussion as roughly in the mid‑teens per student, pending DOE confirmation).
Why it matters: Preschool staff emphasized early intervention and inclusive classrooms as both instructional and equity priorities — teaching children to communicate, self‑regulate and practice early literacy and social skills before kindergarten. Committee members and presenters flagged preschool capacity and classroom space as topics for future discussion and for budget planning.
What’s next: Staff invited committee members to visit classrooms and said they will provide more precise DRDP cost information from the Department of Education. Committee members suggested preschool programming and capacity be considered as part of strategic planning and budget discussions.
