This database is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States (ECS). Most entries are legislative, although rules/regulations and executive orders that make substantive changes are included. Every effort is made to collect the latest available version of policies; in some instances, recent changes might not be reflected. For expediency purposes minimal attention has been paid to style (capitalization, punctuation) and format.
Please cite use of the database as: Education Commission of the States (ECS) State Policy Database, retrieved [date].
| State |
Status/Date |
Level |
Summary |
|
 AK | Signed into law 05/2012 | P-12 | Establishes a Voluntary Parent and Early Childhood Education Program for children under 5, to be planned, implemented, and reported on by the Department of Education and Early Development. The program must provide a system of early childhood education that, among other things, enhances school readiness, increases parental involvement and increases early identification of health and developmental problems. Requires school districts to provide a room in a school free of charge; and requires the department to develop and enter into local partnerships to implement the
program. http://www.legis.state.ak.us/PDF/27/Bills/SB0182C.PDF
Title: S.B. 182
Source: www.legis.state.ak.us
| |
| CO | Signed into law 05/2012 | P-12 | Requires each local education provider (LEP, i.e., school districts, Boards of Cooperative Educational Services or BOCES, charter schools) to provide to students in kindergarten through 3rd grade the instruction and evidence based interventions necessary to ensure to the greatest extent possible that early-grade students develop the reading skills necessary to enable them to succeed in later grades.
Beginning in 2012-13, requires LEPs to report to the department the number of early-grade students with significant reading deficiencies, based on the state board's definition. Beginning in the 2013-14 academic year, requires each LEP to measure reading competency for early-grade students using a combination of assessments approved by the department, which is required to create a list of approved instructional programs and professional development tools. The department will provide training, technical assistance, and coaching as necessary.
Creates a process for teachers, parents, and other personnel to create a Reading to Ensure Academic Development (READ) plan for when a student with significant reading deficiencies is identified. Provides the READ plan is part of the student's academic record until the student achieves reading competency.
Creates a process for parents and educators to determine if the student should advance to the next grade level in the next academic year. If the student is completing 3rd grade, the joint decision is subject to approval of the local superintendent, or his/her designee. If the student does not advance, the LEP must provide more rigorous instructional services to the student.
Creates the Early Literacy Grant Program in the department to provide funding to LEPs for literacy assessment, instructional support, and appropriate interventions for early-grade learners. Creates the Early Literacy Fund to support the implementation of the act and to provide a source of funds for the grant program. Also describes how funding will be calculated for the program and for per student support.
http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2012a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/BE80872E0CC93D2987257981007DC105?Open&file=1238_enr.pdf
Title: H.B. 1238
Source: http://www.leg.state.co.us
| |
| MO | Signed into law 06/2010 | P-12 | Removes the provision specifying that no fee can be charged for Parents as Teachers services, clarifies that families with children younger than the kindergarten entry age will be eligible to receive specified services, requires priority to be given to high-needs families according to department criteria, and allows school districts to establish cost-sharing strategies for these services. These provisions will expire December 31, 2015.
http://www.house.mo.gov/content.aspx?info=/bills101/bills/hb1543.htm
Title: H.B. 1543--Multiple Provisions
Source: http://www.house.mo.gov
| |
| KY | Signed into law 04/2008 | P-12 | Provides that family resource and youth services centers must provide services to enhance a student's ability to succeed in school. Provides that the most economically disadvantaged students and families must receive priority status for receiving services. Provides that family resource centers must be located in or near every elementary school in the state in which at least 20% of the student body are eligible for free/reduced lunch. Provides family resource centers must promote identification and coordination of existing resources, and must include the following core components for each site:
(a) Full-time preschool child care for 2- and 3-year-old children
(b) After-school child care for children ages 4-12, with full-time child care during the summer and on other days when school is not in session
(c) Families in training, which shall consist of an integrated approach to home visits, group meetings, and monitoring child development for new and expectant parents
(d) Family literacy services or a similar program designed to provide opportunities for parents and children to learn together and promote lifelong learning
(e) Health services or referrals to health services, or both.
Provides that youth services centers must be located in or near each school in the state, except elementary schools, in which at least 20% of the student body are eligible for free/reduced lunch. Provides youth services centers must promote identification and coordination of existing resources, and must include the following core components for each site:
(a) Referrals to health and social services
(b) Career exploration and development
(c) Summer and part-time job development for high school students
(d) Substance abuse education and counseling
(e) Family crisis and mental health counseling.
Establishes a grant program for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to award grants to eligible school districts to establish or maintain family resource or youth services centers. Provides that a family resource or youth services center that receives funding for one year or more is not ineligible for funding based solely on the percent of the student body eligible for free/reduced lunch unless the percent of the student body eligible for free/reduced lunch is below 20% for 5 consecutive years. Specifies that a school district may not operate a family resource center or a youth services center that provides abortion counseling or makes referrals to a health care facility for the purpose of seeking an abortion.
Directs the division of family resource and youth services centers to promulgate administrative regulations to implement requirements for applications for continuation funding of a family resource or youth services center and establish a continuing education program for coordinators and staff. http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/08RS/SB192/bill.doc
Title: S.B. 192
Source: www.lrc.ky.gov
| |
| UT | Signed into law 03/2008 | P-12 | Establishes UPSTART, a pilot project that uses a home-based educational technology program to develop the school readiness skills of children age 4-5 who have not entered kindergarten. Provides that UPSTART is created to evaluate the effectiveness of giving preschool children access, at home, to online interactive individualized instruction to prepare them academically for success in school, and to test the feasibility of scaling an online home-based curriculum in reading, math and science to all preschool children in Utah.
Requires the state board of education to use an RFP process to select an education technology provider to deliver the home-based technology program. Provides standards that the home-based educational technology program must meet. Among these:
The contractor must:
--Provide technical support to families for the installation and operation of the instructional software
--Provide for the installation of computer and Internet access in the homes of low-income families that cannot afford the equipment and service
--Work in cooperation with school district personnel who will provide administrative and technical support for the program
--Solicit families to participate in the program
--In implementing the home-based educational technology program, seek the advice and expertise of early childhood education professionals in the Utah System of Higher Education on issues such as:
(i) soliciting families to participate in the program
(ii) providing training to families
(iii) motivating families to regularly use the instructional software.
In addition, the contractor must have the capability to perform specified tasks through the Internet. These include:
--Communicating with parents
--Storing research data
--Producing reports for parents, schools and the legislature
--The capability to quickly and efficiently modify, improve and support the product.
Provides the program must include:
--Computer-assisted, individualized instruction in reading, mathematics, and science
--A multisensory reading tutoring program
--A validated computer adaptive reading test that does not require the presence of trained adults to administer and is an accurate indicator of reading readiness of children who cannot read.
Provides that the contract must provide funding for a home-based educational technology program for preschool children for one year with an option to extend the contract for additional years or to expand the program to a greater number of preschool children, subject to legislative appropriation.
Provides a school district may participate in UPSTART if the local school board agrees to work in cooperation with the contractor to provide administrative and technical support for the pilot project. Provides a school district that participates in UPSTART will receive funding for paraprofessional and technical support staff, and must agree to adopt standardized policies and procedures in implementing the pilot project.
Requires the contractor to solicit families to participate in UPSTART through a public information campaign and referrals from participating school districts. Provides that at least 30% of participating children must be from low-income families, and that participating children must be from families with diverse ethnic backgrounds and reside in both urban and rural areas in different regions of the state. Requires the contractor to make the home-based educational technology program available to families at an agreed-upon cost if the number of families who would like to participate in UPSTART exceeds the number of participants funded by the legislative appropriation.
Directs the state auditor to either conduct an annual audit of the contractor's use of funds for UPSTART or contract with an independent certified public accountant to conduct an annual audit. Directs the state board of education to:
--Require by contract that the contractor will open its books and records relating to its expenditure of funds pursuant to the contract to the state auditor or the state auditor's designee
--Reimburse the state auditor for the actual and necessary costs of the audit
--Contract with an independent, qualified evaluator, selected through an RFP process, to evaluate the home-based educational technology program for preschool children.
Also directs the state board to make an annual report on UPSTART to the Education Interim Committee. Provides that the report must address the extent to which UPSTART is accomplishing the purposes for which it was established as set forth in statute, and must include:
--The number of families:
(i) volunteering to participate in the program
(ii) selected to participate in the program
(iii) requesting computers
(iv) furnished computers
--The frequency of use of the instructional software
--Obstacles encountered with software usage, hardware or providing technical assistance to families
--Student performance on pre-kindergarten and post-kindergarten assessments conducted by school districts and charter schools for participating and non-participating students
--As available, the evaluation of the program conducted pursuant to statute.
Section 26 of S.B. 2 establishes a repeal date of July 1, 2014.
Pages 10-15: http://le.utah.gov/~2008/bills/sbillenr/sb0002.pdf
Title: S.B. 2 - Sections 3-9
Source: le.utah.gov
| |
| UT | Signed into law 03/2008 | P-12 | Establishes the English Language Learner Family Literacy Centers to:
(1) Increase parent involvement
(2) Communicate with parents who are not proficient in English concerning required and optional activities at the school, in the parents' preferred language to the extent practicable
(3) Increase academic achievement, literacy skills and language gains in all ethnic groups of students and their families
(4) Coordinate with school administrators, educators, families and students
(5) Support and coordinate with other language acquisition instructional services and language proficiency programs in the public schools.
Directs the state board of education, after consultation with school districts and charter schools, to adopt a formula that allocates the money appropriated by the legislature for the English Language Learner Family Literacy Centers Program to school districts and charter schools in a fair and equitable manner. Provides that money appropriated for the English Language Learner Family Literacy Centers Program must be used by school districts and charter schools to pay for costs of English Language Learner Family Literacy Centers.
Directs the state board of education to make a report to the Education Interim Committee on the effectiveness of the English Language Learner Family Literacy Centers Program before November 30, 2011.
Pages 36-37 of 43: http://le.utah.gov/~2008/bills/sbillenr/sb0002.pdf
Title: S.B. 2 - Section 24
Source: le.utah.gov
| |
| NY | Adopted 09/2007 | P-12 | Amends regulations regarding program requirements for students in prekindergarten and kindergarten. Directs each school operating a prekindergarten and/or kindergarten to adopt and implement curricula, aligned with the State learning standards, that ensures continuity with instruction in the early elementary grades and is integrated with the instructional program in grades 1-12. Provides that this program must include:
(i) background knowledge
(ii) phonological awareness
(iii) expressive and receptive language
(iv) vocabulary development
(v) phonemic awareness
(vi) fluency
(vii) comprehension.
Provides the instructional program for prekindergarten and kindergarten must be based on the ages, interests, strengths and needs of the children, and that learning experiences in such programs must include:
(i) differentiated instruction to support the acquisition of new concepts and skills
(ii) materials and equipment which allow for active and quiet play in indoor and outdoor environments
(iii) instruction in the content areas of English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies and the arts, including dance, music, theatre and visual arts; that is designed to facilitate student attainment of the State learning standards and is aligned with the instructional program in the early elementary grades
(iv) opportunities for participation in inquiry-based activities and projects
(v) opportunities to use a wide variety of information in print and electronic mediums
(vi) fine and gross motor activities in prekindergarten, and instruction in physical education in kindergarten pursuant to section 135.4 (c)(2)(i) of this Title
(vii) instruction on health and nutrition topics for students in prekindergarten and health education for students in kindergarten pursuant to section 135.3(b) of this Title.
Requires each school operating a prekindergarten and/or kindergarten program to develop procedures to ensure the active engagement of parents in the education of their children. Provides such procedures must include support to children and their families for a successful transition into prekindergarten or kindergarten and into the early elementary grades.
Title: Title 8 NYCRR Section 100.3
Source: Lexis
| |
| IA | Signed into law 05/2007 | P-12 | Creates a statewide voluntary preschool program for four-year-old children. Provides that preschool teachers in the program must be certified and possess a bachelor's or graduate degree in early childhood education or another appropriate major from an accredited college or university with a major.
Directs preschool program teachers to collaborate with other agencies, organizations, and boards to enhance program capacity to meet the diverse needs of children and families participating in the program, including needs for early care, health and human services. Directs teachers in the program to work to maintain relationships with each child's family to enhance the child's development in all settings by collaborating with providers of parent education and family support opportunities.
Directs the state board to further define the following program requirements, which must be used to determine whether a district program is an approved local program:
a. Maximum and minimum teacher-to-child ratios and class sizes.
b. Applicable state and federal program standards.
c. Student learning standards.
d. Provisions for the integration of children from other state and federally funded preschools.
e. Collaboration with participating families, early care providers, and community partners including community empowerment area boards, head start programs, shared visions and other programs provided through the child development coordinating council, licensed child care centers, registered child development homes, area education agencies, child care resource and referral services, early childhood special education programs, Title I programs, and family support programs.
f. A minimum of 10 hours a week of instruction on the skills and knowledge included in the preschool student learning standards.
g. Parental involvement.
h. Provision for ensuring that children receiving care from other child care arrangements can participate in the preschool program with minimal disruption due to transportation issues.
http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us/Cool-ICE/default.asp?Category=billinfo&Service=Billbook&frame=1&GA=82&hbill=HF877
Title: H.F. 877
Source: coolice.legis.state.ia.us
| |
| WA | Signed into law 04/2007 | P-12 | Declares that the purpose of this act is to provide tools to promote the hiring of suitable providers of child care by: (1) Providing parents with access to information regarding child care providers; (2) Providing child care providers with known information regarding applicants' sexual misconduct or other abusive conduct; (3) Providing parents with child care licensing complaint histories regarding child care providers; and (4) Requiring background checks of applicants for employment in any child care facility licensed or regulated under current law.
http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2007-08/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/Senate%20Final/5317-S.FBR.pdf
Title: S.B. 5317
Source: http://www.leg.wa.gov
| |
| AZ | Signed into law 04/2005 | P-12 | Transfers the family literacy program from the state board's division of adult education to the division of early childhood education programs. Adds that the representative of an adult education provider funded by the division of adult education on any project team can be filled by a provider that complies with the policies, academic standards, performance outcomes, assessment and data collection requirements of adult education as prescribed by the division of adult education. In required grant application provisions, allows application to include determination that the family literacy programs will document efforts to continually recruit eligible families in place of a determination that at least ten but no more than twenty parents with children will be eligible for and enrolled in the family literacy program at all times.
http://www.azleg.state.az.us/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=2050
Title: H.B. 2050
Source: www.azleg.state.az.us
| |
| AR | Rule Adoption 06/2004 | P-12 | Establishes general guidelines for the operation of early childhood programs funded under the Arkansas Better Chance Program
and the Arkansas Better Chance for School Success Program. http://arkedu.state.ar.us/pdf/ade%20174%20abc.pdf
Title: ADE 174
Source: Arkansas State Web site
| |
| AR | Signed into law 02/2004 | P-12 | Provides for family resource centers to remove nonacademic barriers to academic success; authorizes use of national school lunch funds for this program; provides that the State Child Abuse and Prevention Board shall determine which schools are priority elementary schools and to award grants to qualified school districts. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2003s2/public/HB1091.pdf
Title: H.B. 1091
Source: StateNet
| |
| HI | Signed into law 06/2003 | P-12 | Establishes the Commission on Fatherhood within the Office of the Lieutenant Governor to provide for a statewide program, on a permanent and continuing basis, to promote healthy family relationships between parents and children that are father- friendly and inclusive; requires Lieutenant Governor's Office to provide staff and administrative support to the commission. http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/docs/getstatus.asp?qu=sb1423&showstatus=on&showtext=on&press1=docs
Title: S.B. 1423
Source: Hawaii Legislative Web site
| |
| MD | Vetoed 05/2003 | P-12 | Authorizes early childhood educational and developmental programs to enter specified agreements to promote early childhood educational programs. States that the purpose of the agreement is to collaborate and develop a plan to provide parents of indigent or at-risk children with information on the importance of early childhood education and the availability of specified services and programs such as mental health services for young children and children with developmental disabilities. Requires the state department of education to assist in developing the agreement, monitor and review results from the agreement, and submit an annual report to the legislature on the program's effectiveness in promoting early childhood educational and developmental programs. Governor letter regarding veto: http://mlis.state.md.us/2003rs/veto_letters/hb0635.htm and bill as submitted to governor: http://mlis.state.md.us/2003rs/bills/hb/hb0635e.rtf
Title: H.B. 635
Source: mlis.state.md.us
| |
| MO | Signed into law 06/2002 | P-12 | Defines family literacy and permits districts to create family literacy programs and to use at-risk funding to support them. Makes family literacy an area of critical need. Beginning in FY 2005, 1.5% of line 14 funding will be used to fund family literacy programs in unaccredited and provisionally accredited districts and academically deficient schools.
Title: H.B. 1711
Source: House Research Staff Summaries
| |
| OK | Signed into law 06/2002 | P-12 | Relates to funding for parent education programs; relates to the development and implementation of a Technology Intern Partner Program; relates to procedures and funding for such intern program; authorizes school districts to operate as federal Head Start Program grantees; exempts students enrolled in and teachers teaching in Head Start programs from being counted towards the calculation of State aid to school districts.
Title: S.B. 1212
Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet
| |
| PA | Signed into law 06/2001 | P-12 | Act No. 26 of 2001. Amends the Pennsylvania Adult Basic and Literacy Education Act; provides for short title, for findings and purpose, for definitions, for grant program, for limitations on funding, for interagency coordinating council, for audits and records and for monitoring and reporting; stresses family literacy: "Family literacy education is an opportunity for undereducated adults and their children to increase the child's readiness for school and chances for academic success, the parent's involvement in the child's education and the parent's basic skills."
Title: S.B. 35
Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet
| |
| FL | Signed into law 05/2001 | P-12 | The following programs have been repealed by S.B. 1162:
1) Gold Seal Quality care program, a three tiered quality rating system
2) Early screening and intervention program for children in subsidized child care programs
3) Child Development Associate Training Grants for preschool teachers
4) Community resource mother or father programs
5) Public Prekindergarten program
6) First Start Program (birth to three program for children with disabilities and at risk children)
Title: S.B. 1162 - Omnibus
Source:
| |
| NM | Signed into law 04/2001 | P-12 | Relates to public education; provides for even start family literacy programs; provides for benchmarks, performance standards and evaluations; makes an appropriation.
Title: H.B. 33
Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet
| |
| NH | Signed into law 05/2000 | P-12 | Creates a Parents as Teachers Pilot Program to create a partnership between parents and early childhood development professionals; provides there shall be 2 school district based programs, one in an urban community and one in a rural community in Sullivan county.
Title: S.B. 170
Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet
| |
| ID | Signed into law 03/2000 | P-12 | Appropriates funds to the Executive Office of the Governor for fiscal year 2001; limits the number of full-time equivalent positions to 24; provides legislative intent regarding the Parents as Teachers Program.
Title: S.B. 1538
Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet
| |
| UT | Signed into law 03/2000 | P-12 | The amendments to this act provide for increased "parents rights" in the realm of public education. The new law states that parents have the right to "…control the care, supervision, upbringing, and education of their children…" When a new policy or rule is adopted by the state board of education it must include a report detailing its impact on these parents' rights. In addition, this new law states that schools are prohibited from requiring in-home educational or parenting programs without parental permission.
Title: H.B. 102
Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet
| |
|