(1) The trustees of a school may establish a public preschool program to meet the unique developmental needs for children between the ages of 3 and 5 years. When preschool programs are established they must be an integral part of the public school and must be governed according to the following accreditation standards for the preschool standards of early learning content and accreditation in coordination with the standards outlined for schools within ARM Title 10, chapter 55, excluding 10.55.601, 10.55.602, 10.55.603, 10.55.704, 10.55.705, 10.55.709, 10.55.710, 10.55.712, 10.55.715, and ARM Title 10, chapter 55, subchapters 10 through 21. For the purposes of the accreditation process detailed in ARM 10.55.606, preschool programs will be assessed on the programꞌs assurance standards only.

(2) Preschool programs shall meet this chapterꞌs curriculum, instruction, and program delivery standards, supporting childrenꞌs development of the knowledge and skills outlined in the content standards in subchapter 3, which describe the expectations for what young children should know and be able to do across the four core developmental domains of learning upon entrance to kindergarten.

(3) Montanaꞌs preschool standards shall be reviewed and revised on a five-year cycle beginning July 1, 2017.