UPK FAQs

UPK uses a comprehensive academic and social-emotional curriculum aligned to DoDEA's College and Career Ready Standards. Each classroom has a teacher certified in early childhood education and an educational aide to support all students' needs.

All children who meet DoDEA eligibility requirements and turn four years old on or before Sept. 1, 2024, are eligible to register for UPK. Parents will need to complete the online registration process though the DoDEA Student Information System (DSIS). Registration will open this spring. To learn more about enrolling your student, visit dodea.edu/registration. 

No; DoDEA UPK is an optional educational program for eligible military-connected students. Participation in UPK is not a requirement for kindergarten.

DoDEA UPK is a full-day program. Part-time enrollment is not available.  

Yes, if your child meets the eligibility requirements for UPK and the host nation program has ended, your child is eligible to enroll in UPK for the rest of the school year. However, we cannot accommodate students enrolling in UPK during Host Nation preschool program break periods when there is an intent to disenroll at the conclusion of the break period to continue in the Host Nation preschool program.

The student/teacher ratio for UPK is 18:1. Every UPK classroom has a full-time, certified early childhood educator and a full-time educational aide working alongside the classroom teacher to support students. 

DoDEA has selected The Creative Curriculum for Preschool, which supports student learning through age-appropriate, play-based curriculum and instruction that focuses on the whole child. 

DoDEA follows the College and Career Ready Standards for Preschool in their teaching and learning plans, addressing the whole child with developmentally appropriate practices. In prekindergarten, students will engage in learning experiences through play to support development in the following areas: social-emotional, language, cognitive and physical. Literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, and the arts are woven into daily experiences during extended inquiry-based studies. These studies foster curiosity, perseverance, and a desire to learn, preparing students for success in a dynamic world. 

At the end of the year, students will have a keen sense of who they are, strategies to get along and share with others, basic knowledge of safe ways to explore their world, and academic skills putting them in a good place entering kindergarten.  

Art, music, and physical education are embedded throughout the day in the prekindergarten classroom. The UPK curriculum addresses the needs of the whole child.

Our UPK classrooms are designed with our youngest learners in mind. Every UPK classroom has a welcoming space with area rug and an Interactive Flat Panel (IPF) device for large-group roundups, inviting areas for investigations and explorations with blocks, art, sand and water, dramatic play, library, and many, curiosity-provoking materials to capture children’s imagination. There are also age-appropriate outdoor spaces to support children’s physical development and playful learning experiences.

Students will have a rest period during the day because rest plays a crucial role in enhancing children’s memory and boosts learning. They are encouraged, but not required, to sleep. Children who do not sleep can be given book boxes or a few quiet toys.

Meal accommodations (e.g., allergies, dietary restrictions) are handled on a case-by-case basis, following DoD Directive 1015.5, DoD Student Meal Program, and local administrative decisions.

The FARM program reduced fee rate is set by the USDA. Currently, USDA has not yet published meal rates for the 2024-25 school year. For informational purposes, the 2023-24 lunch meal rates for grades PK-5 are as follows:  

• Full price: $3.50  
• Reduced price: $.40

At the elementary school level, the school walking zone comprises all residences within one mile of the school. All installation community supervision guidelines must be followed.

To register for student transportation services, you must first complete the online registration process for UPK through the DoDEA Student Information System (DSIS). Once your student is registered for UPK, you will have all the information needed to complete the school bus registration. School bus registration varies by location and is processed by your school’s Student Transportation Office (STO). To learn more about the registration process for your school, visit your school’s website and select “Student Transportation” from the lefthand navigation menu. 

There is no deadline for registration; if a family arrives after the start of the school year and their child is eligible for pre-kindergarten, they can enroll.  

A: Students cannot be denied enrollment in prekindergarten regardless of toilet learning status. Parents should send a complete change of clothes to school, to be prepared in case of an accident.

All eligible four-year-olds will participate in the PK program in the least restrictive environment and will receive services according to their individualized education plan.

Consistent with K-5 practices, special education services for UPK students will be based upon the individual needs of each student in the least restrictive learning environment.

Family-style dining is a requirement of the prekindergarten program and is part of the prekindergarten curriculum. It is a meal service which allows children to serve themselves and make choices in food selection and serving sizes. Family-style dining is a best practice and is encouraged by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) because it helps establish healthy lifelong habits and attitudes towards food. Students derive great benefits from participation in family-style dining. Family-style dining promotes growth of social, emotional, language, and motor skills, executive functioning, and an understanding of health and nutrition. All children eat the same foods and enjoy pleasant conversation. Meals and snacks sent from home are not permitted.