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Admission

Students must be accepted into the program at ECELC before registering in BPS.

Special Education Evaluation

Young children develop at varying rates and many concerns parents have regarding their children are often typical for their stage of development. If you have concerns regarding your child's development in the following areas, please call the Preschool office to share information about your concerns and/or to schedule a screening appointment:

  • Communication (Speaking or Understanding Language)
  • Cognition (Basic Knowledge, Processing Information)
  • Fine Motor Skills (Hand Skills)
  • Gross Motor Skills (Movement, Strength, Balance) 

Children with disabilities are identified through the special education evaluation and eligibility process. Upon completion of a screening, our specialists may determine that your child requires a formal evaluation. If so,  the initial evaluation process will begin. For specific information regarding this process, please visit the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Summary of the Process and Timeline:

  1. Screening
  2. Consent to evaluate sent to parents
  3. Evaluators set appointments to evaluate within 30 school days of receiving the signed consent 
  4. Initial eligibility meeting is held within 45 school days to review results and determine eligibility for services. If your child is found eligible for services, an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) will be created by the team.
  5. Parent must complete and return school registration forms
  6. A draft IEP is sent to parents for review and signatures
  7. Your child can begin school once registration is complete and a signed IEP is received
 
NOTE: Weekends, holidays, school vacation days and school cancellation days are not included in the timeline. This is a lengthy process. Please be patient with us, as we typically have many children going through this process simultaneously and are unable to expedite the process for individual families.
 
Children who do qualify for services may enter the program on or after their third birthday. Transportation can also be provided to and from school at no cost in order to ensure each child receives the services he or she needs.  Pick up and drop off locations can vary; however, our buses can only travel within the Barnstable district.   

Peer Model Enrollment Process

ECELC Peer Application – English

ECELC Peer Application – Portuguese

ECELC Peer Application – Spanish

A child must be 3 years old by September 1st and be a Barnstable resident to qualify for the Barnstable Public Schools Preschool Program at Enoch Cobb Early Learning Center. Children are selected for regular education spots within the integrated preschool classrooms on a first-come-first-serve basis, as long as space is available. 

Children selected for the preschool program must first attend a screening session. We begin the screening process in March for the following school year. Children must be at least 2 years and 7 months old to be screened. During the screening session, children engage in a variety of play activities with a small group of other children, while school staff observe how they communicate, participate and interact with others.   

Within a week of your child’s screening appointment, you will be notified via email of the outcome:

  • Children who meet developmental milestones will qualify for a regular education spot in our program, if available.  
  • If a child presents with developmental concerns during the screening process, the caregiver will be encouraged to schedule an evaluation to determine if the child qualifies for special education services. 
  • Children who do not qualify for special education services, but require additional support in order to be successful in the classroom, may qualify for an intervention spot. Interventions spots are limited to a total of eight across the program and will be offered on a first-come-first serve basis. 
Waiting List

Applications open in February and close when all spaces are filled. Once all spots are filled for the school year, we will maintain a waiting list of 10 children. Those on the waiting list may be offered a spot in the program at a later date should space become available.