Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program for Four-Year-Old Children

The Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program rules are found in Iowa Administrative Code 281-16. These rules provide guidance to school districts in the implementation of the Statewide Voluntary Preschool for Four-Year-Old Children created in Iowa Code  256C.

CASA Supports

The Consolidated Accountability and Support Application (CASA) is one location for SWVPPs to provide mandatory compliance information and enter improvement plans.

• What do I need to do to get started?
• Instructions for CASA Access (114.04 KB) .pdf
• Preschool Desk Audit Instructions (687.15 KB) .pdf

Iowa’s school districts and their community partners operating Statewide Voluntary Preschool Programs (SWVPP) and preschool classrooms providing Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) instructional services are required to demonstrate that the program(s) are meeting one of the three sets of approved preschool program standards:

1. 2026 Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards (IQPPS) (662 KB) .pdf
2. Head Start Program Performance Standards
3. National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

See the Early Childhood Standards webpage for more information.

Iowa’s school districts and their community partners who have adopted the Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards (IQPPS) are encouraged to utilize the IQPPS documents and resources to engage in a continuous improvement process. These tools were designed to support the understanding of current practices, strengths and challenges, and ensure the implementation of the standards and criteria. Every school district implementing the IQPPS standards at any location, including community partners, will submit evidence of IQPPS standards via CASA. See Preschool Desk Audit Instructions (687.15 KB) .pdf .

Additionally, after a new SWVPP is approved, the Iowa Department of Education will conduct an on-site visit. The goal of an on-site visit is to receive an in depth understanding of the program via family interview, classroom observations, facility tour, classroom portfolio and staff files review.

Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program requires participating school districts to adopt a research-based or evidence-based curricula that is developmentally and culturally appropriate. Additionally, the SWVPP demonstrates how the curriculum is aligned with the Iowa Early Learning Standards.

The Iowa Department of Education does not endorse any one preschool curriculum. This is a locally determined decision; districts should ensure curriculum meets described criteria within their approved program standards.

Iowa Code 279.60 requires districts to assess all preschool children with the GOLD® Assessment under the State of Iowa GOLD license.

All SWVPP teachers, including those in partner sites, participate in professional development tailored to their role as early childhood educators, in alignment with Iowa Code 284.6. School districts also extend early childhood professional development opportunities to community partner teachers who are not district employees, as well as district support staff, such as teacher associates and classroom paraprofessionals. These professional development opportunities are integrated into the school district’s career development plan to represent a cohesive PK-12 system for educators.