Board adopts revised Iowa Quality Preschool Program standards; new birth‑to‑five learning standards presented for review

The State Board approved revisions to the Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards (IQPPS) and took a first read of the Iowa Early Learning Standards (birth–five), a proposed fourth‑edition update that reorganizes benchmarks into a single, age‑progression format to improve usability for teachers and caregivers.

Staff said the IQPPS revisions refine infrastructure and program‑quality elements — curriculum, learning environment, health and safety and leadership — and include requirements marked as mandatory to improve program consistency. The board adopted these IQPPS revisions by vote after a first read in April; department staff will follow with implementation supports and training materials for the field.

Department consultants then outlined the early‑learning standard revision process: a multi‑stage update that began with research and public input, followed by two revision teams and statewide public comment. The fourth edition reworks each domain (for example, science or language) into a single table that shows developmental progress across birth through age 5 rather than placing infant/toddler and preschool standards in separate sections. That structural change, staff said, was driven by field requests for a more usable single‑page progression so teachers can quickly compare a child’s development across ages. The revised early learning standards will return for a final board consideration at the June meeting.