From the ECS State Policy Database P-3 Preschool

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 NY Signed into law 07/2012 P-12 Permits a district to authorize transportation for students attending a universal prekindergarten program in addition to transpotation funded by such program or transportation for students attending another district-sponsored or -run prekindergarten program, within district-established mileage limits. If provided, requires such transportation to be provided equally to all students in like circumstances residing in the district. Requires that the district bear the cost of such transportation (cost of such transportation not subject to state aid). http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=S07218&term=&Summary=Y&Memo=Y&Text=Y Title: S.B. 7218 Source: assembly.state.ny.us HI Signed into law 06/2012 P-12 Provides legislative findings. Establishes the executive office on early learning, to be temporarily placed in the office of the governor, and permanently established within the department of education for administrative purposes only, effective July 2015. Establishes a director of the executive office on early learning, and requirements for and duties of the director. Establishes the duties of the executive office on early learning in developing the state's early learning system, including among others: (1) Establishing additional early learning programs and services, including public and private partnerships; (2) Establishing policies and procedures governing the inclusion of children with special needs; (3) Developing incentives to enhance the quality of early learning programs, services, and educational professionals; (4) Coordinating efforts to develop a highly-qualified, stable, and diverse workforce; (5) Developing standards of accountability to ensure that early learning experiences are high-quality; (6) Collecting, interpreting, and releasing state early learning data; (7) Recommending the appropriate proportion of state funds to be distributed to programs and services across the early learning system; and (8) Consulting with community groups, including statewide organizations involved in early learning professional development, policy and advocacy, and early childhood programs. Transfers the state head start state collaboration office from the department of human services to the executive office on early learning. Establishes the early learning advisory board to replace the early learning council, and repeals provisions related to the early learning council. Establishes the membership and responsibilities of the early learning advisory board. Transfers administration of the pre-plus program to expand access to affordable and high-quality early childhood education for low-income children from the department to the executive office on early learning. Makes provisions regarding charter school occupancy of vacant school facilities also applicable to pre-plus programs seeking facilities. Requires the executive office on early learning, no later than 20 days before the convening of the 2013 regular session, to suhmit a report to the legislature on the status of an implementation plan for the development of the early learning system, including a timeline of the implementation plan and projected funding needs, with a focus on targeting four-year-old children. Repeals junior kindergarten programs at the end of the 2013-2014 school year. Starting with the 2014-2015 school year, requires students to be at least 5 years of age on July 31 of the school year in order to attend kindergarten. http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2012/bills/SB2545_CD1_.pdf Title: S.B. 2545 Source: www.capitol.hawaii.gov OH Signed into law 06/2012 P-12 Defines "school child," "child care," and other terms. Removes various references to preschool or school child program license renewal and to issuance of a two-year license to such a program upon successful completion of term of provisional license. Adds new language that the license issued after the provisional license remains valid unless revoked or the program ceases operations. Requires the department of education to annually inspect/investigate each licensed preschool and school child program; requires the department to notify each program of its results. Page 39-44 of 592: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/BillText129/129_SB_316_EN_Y.pdf Title: S.B. 316 - Licensure of Preschool and Child Care Programs Source: www.legislature.state.oh.us CA Passed 06/2012 P-12 Proclaims the importance of early childhood education; encourages senate constituents to enroll their chidren in preschool and other early childhood education programs. http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/sen/sb_0001-0050/sr_32_bill_20120621_enrolled.pdf Title: S.R. 32 Source: www.leginfo.ca.gov NC Signed into law 06/2012 P-12 Directs the Division of Child Development and Early Education to establish income eligibility requirements for the NC Pre-K program not to exceed seventy-five percent (75%) of the State median income. Determines that up to twenty percent (20%) of children enrolled may have family incomes in excess of seventy-five percent (75%) of median income if they have other designated risk factors. http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2011/Bills/House/PDF/H966v4.pdf Title: H.B. 966 Source: Westlaw/StateNet LA Signed into law 06/2012 P-12 Transfers from the state board to the department the authority to grant waivers from the requirement that each Cecil J. Picard LA4 Early Childhood Program provide enrichment activities. Repeals requirement that waiver applicant have specific, achievable plans for meeting the full 10-hour program requirement by the beginning of the third year of operation. Repeals provision that such a waiver be provided no more than two consecutive operational years, and only at time of approval of initial application or during applicant's first year of operation. http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=811565 Title: S.B. 155 Source: www.legis.state.la.us CO Signed into law 06/2012 P-12 Allows charter schools that are authorized to provide kindergarten to also offer preschool programs. Addresses requirements for the preschool programs. http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2012a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/A386D89EDA600136872579820026D8D7?Open&file=1240_enr.pdf Title: H.B. 1240 (section 51) Source: http://www.leg.state.co.us CT Signed into law 06/2012 P-12 Requires that a permanency plan of a child in the care and custody of the Commissioner of Children and Families include information regarding what steps the department has taken to make any necessary referrals for children under five years of age to early intervention, preschool, or special education services, steps taken to enable a child sixteen years of age or older to learn independent living skills and complete a secondary education or vocation program, and steps taken to develop a personalized transition plan that includes education for children between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. http://www.cga.ct.gov/2012/ACT/Pa/pdf/2012PA-00053-R00SB-00293-PA.pdf Title: S.B. 293 Source: ga.ct.gov LA Adopted 05/2012 P-12 2011 H.B. 373 authorizes approved nonpublic elementary schools to offer prekindergarten instruction to 3-year-olds. New provisions provide rules and regulations to protect the health and safety of 3-year-olds attending prekindergarten at an approved nonpublic elementary school. Pages 82-84 of 199: http://www.doa.louisiana.gov/osr/reg/1205/1205.pdf Title: LAC 28:LXXIX.Chapter 30 Source: www.doa.louisiana.gov 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 CT Signed into law 05/2012 P-12 (Sec. 1) Requires the SBE to provide funds to appropriate school districts to create 1,000 new school readiness spaces. (Not Codified) (Sec. 2) Allocates any unspent funds (up to $ 80,000) appropriated for the new school readiness spaces, to the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA) to update its 2008 study of the space and facilities needed to provide universal early childhood education for all three- and four-year-olds in the state. If CHEFA receives funding for the updated study, it must submit the updated study and any recommendations to the Education Committee by April 1, 2013. (Not Codified) http://www.cga.ct.gov/2012/ACT/PA/2012PA-00116-R00SB-00458-PA.htm Title: S.B. 458 Source: cga.ct.gov IL Adopted 05/2012 P-12 From Illinois Register: This rulemaking resulted from the state board's application for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to design and implement early learning and development systems that are comprehensive in scope and coordinated among the various state agencies charged with administering the programs. The state board served as the lead agency for the application. Agency staff worked with outside consultants, early childhood education advocates and staff from the Department of Human Services (DHS), Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and the Illinois Early Learning Council to prepare the application. Unfortunately, Illinois was not successful in this effort and did not receive the grant. The lack of funding now available for the initiatives set forth in Part 235, coupled with the public comment received, have resulted in certain initiatives being removed from the rulemaking or their implementation dates being delayed. Briefly, the amendments address several significant changes that relate to the core focus areas of the federal grant. In particular, efforts were made to coordinate the state board's Preschool for All Children (PFA) and Prevention Initiative grant programs with those offered through or licensed by DHS or DCFS. In particular, the proposed amendments required any recipient of these grants to use the DHS' Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System (a requirement that has since been removed from the rulemaking) and continue to require that grantees register certain staff in DHS' Gateways to Opportunity staff registry and credentialing system. Additionally, a portion of the federal grant was to be used to continue the agency's efforts to develop and implement a kindergarten readiness tool to gauge a student's progress during the school year. Under the rules as proposed any school district that offers kindergarten (whether full or half day) would be required to administer the Kindergarten Individual Development Survey, or KIDS. While this requirement was placed in 23 Ill. Adm. Code 1 (to be adopted later this spring), Section 235.70(o) of early childhood rules had required that all school districts with PFA grants participate in the limited statewide implementation of KIDS in the 2013-14 school year. Part 235 amendments include expansion of program standards to address initiatives serving children ages 3 to 5 (see Section 235.Appendix B). While developmental guidelines for infants and toddlers have been removed from the rules due to public comment, the existing learning and developmental standards for children ages 3-5 have been updated and now align to the recently adopted Illinois Learning Standards for English language arts and mathematics, commonly referred to as the common core standards. Other changes in Part 235 include the following: • Requesting in Section 235.20(c)(4) that applicants provide information about other similar programs operating in the same service area, including the number of children estimated to be served, if that figure is known • Setting in Section 235.30(a)(1)(C) minimum criteria for procedures used to assess the progress of children enrolled in a PFA program • Clarifying in Section 235.50(a)(1)(A) that consideration in the proposal review process will be given to applicants serving areas where the need for services exceeds the available resources, when that information is available to an applicant. Pages 48- of 95: http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/index/register/register_volume36_issue18.pdf Title: 23 IL ADC 235.20, 30, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70; 23 IL ADC 235.APP. A, B, C Source: www.cyberdriveillinois.com FL Signed into law 04/2012 P-12 Requires each private prekindergarten provider and public school in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program to implement an evidence-based pre- and post-assessment approved by the state board of education. Requires the approved assessment to be valid, reliable, developmentally appropriate, and designed to measure student progress in early literacy, numeracy and language. Repeals provisions basing private providers' and public schools' "kindergarten readiness rate" on the results of the statewide kindergarten screening for students completing the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. Adds provision requiring kindergarten readiness rates to include student learning gains when available, calculated using a value-added measure. Eliminates certain provisions related to the good cause exemption for private providers otherwise deemed ineligible to deliver and receive state funds for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. Requires each coalition to report student enrollment monthly, and prohibits a student enrollment count for the prior fiscal year from being amended after December 31 of the subsequent fiscal year. Bill text (pages 12-16 of 41): http://myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_h5101er.docx&DocumentType=Bill&BillNumber=5101&Session=2012 Final bill analysis (page 5 of 13): http://myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=h5101z.PKAS.DOCX&DocumentType=Analysis&BillNumber=5101&Session=2012 Title: H.B. 5101 - Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program Source: myfloridahouse.gov FL Vetoed 04/2012 P-12 From final bill analysis: Conforms applicable statutes to the appropriations provided in the General Appropriations Act for the school readiness program for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. Defines terms for purposes of the School Readiness Act. Requires definitions for expenditures and reports for (1) direct expenditures for services to children; (2) administrative costs; (3) nondirect expenditures; and (4) quality. Requires the Office of Early Learning to: (1) adopt a list of approved curricula; (2) identify a preassessment and postassessment for School Readiness participants; (3) adopt a statewide, standardized contract to be used by coalitions with each school readiness provider; (4) coordinate with other agencies to perform data matches on individuals or families participating in the school readiness program; and (5) submit annually a recommended allocation of funds to the School Readiness Allocation Conference including payment rates, parent co-payment percentages, and the Gold Seal premium rate percentage. Revises procurement and expenditure requirements by early learning coalitions. Requires coalitions to merge if they are unable to comply with expenditure requirements. Allows the Office of Early Learning to provide a waiver for merging coalitions for the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 years if justification for excess expenditures is provided. Revises the eligibility criteria for the enrollment of children in the school readiness program: o First priority is a child under 13 from a working family receiving TANF; o Second priority is an at-risk child under 9; o Third priority is a child under 6 from an economically disadvantaged family, and children younger than 6 who are disabled; o Fourth priority is a child ages 9 through 13 who is a sibling of a younger child in the school readiness program through the at-risk provision; o Fifth priority is a child ages 6 through 13 who is a sibling of a younger child in the school readiness program through the economically disadvantaged provision; and o Last priority is for a child who is also concurrently enrolled in the Head Start program and the Voluntary Prekindergarten Program. Provides for the allocation of school readiness funds as specified in the General Appropriations Act. For 2012-2013, requires the Office of Early Learning to submit by May 31, 2012, a recommended allocation of School Readiness Program funds, including standardized provider payment rates, Gold Seal premium rate percentages, and a parent co-payment percentage to the School Readiness Allocation Conference for review. Requires recalculation of the funding allocations quarterly by the Office of Early Learning. Provides for fraud investigations and provides penalties for school readiness providers and parents who knowingly submit false information related to child eligibility and attendance in a school readiness program. Creates the School Readiness Allocation Conference, are to review allocation recommendations by the Office of Early Learning. Establishes a due date for school readiness providers to submit market rates to be used as part of the prevailing market rate schedule. Bill text: http://myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=_h5103er.docx&DocumentType=Bill&BillNumber=5103&Session=2012 Final bill analysis: http://myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?FileName=h5103z.PKAS.DOCX&DocumentType=Analysis&BillNumber=5103&Session=2012 Governor's veto message: http://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/4.20.12-HB-5103-Veto-Letter.pdf Title: H.B. 5103 Source: myfloridahouse.gov LA Signed into law 04/2012 P-12 Requires the state board of education to create a comprehensive and integrated network through which to manage and oversee all programs funded through state or federal resources that provide early childhood care or educational services.The board will establish a defintion of kindergarten readiness; establish performance targets for children under the age of three and academic standards for kindergarten readiness for three- and four-year olds; create a uniform assessment and accountability system; and coordinate with other relative state agencies with respect to the network's duties. http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=792594 Title: S.B. 581 Source: http://www.legis.state.la.us SD Signed into law 03/2012 P-12 Permits schools to charge a fee for early childhood services for any child who is under the age of compulsory attendance pursuant to § 13-27-1 and is not enrolled in kindergarten or a more advanced grade. http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2012/Bills/HB1195ENR.pdf Title: H.B. 1195 Source: legis.state.sd.us NM Signed into law 02/2012 P-12 The 2011 Early Childhood Care and Education Act created the State Early Learning Advisory Council, charged with making recommendations to enhance return on investment in early childhood care and education and to foster coordination and alignment of early childhood care and education programs. That made the two offices that this bill addresses redundant. S.B. 187 eliminates the office of Child Development and the Child Development Board, and makes the Children, Youth and Families Department responsible for oversight of its preschool programs.. http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/12%20Regular/bills/senate/SB0187.pdf Title: S.B. 187 Source: http://www.nmlegis.gov NC Signed into law 08/2011 P-12 Provides that in order to maintain high academic standards and the integrity of NC Pre-K, the Department of Health and Human Services is directed to do the following, after consultation with the Department of Public Instruction: (1) Continue both the critical infrastructure and sufficient per child funding to ensure that current standards are not reduced; (2) Require all lead teachers to obtain (within a prescribed timeframe) and maintain Birth-Kindergarten licensure or a pre-school add-on license; (3) Determine, in consultation with the Early Childhood Advisory Council, whether NC Pre-K should operate as a distinct program within the Division of Child Development and Early Education; and (4) Continue to base the academic standards of NC Pre-K upon the following five domains of child development, which are essential to the success of pre-kindergarten programs: (a) approaches to learning, (b) cognitive development, (c) language development and communication, (d) emotional and social development, and (e) health and physical development. http://www.governor.state.nc.us/newsItems/ExecutiveOrderDetail.aspx?newsItemID=1951 Title: E.O. 100 Source: http://www.governor.state.nc.us IA Signed into law 07/2011 P-12 Allows a grantee to direct the use of moneys received to serve any qualifying child ranging in age from three years old to five years oId, regardless of the age of population indicated on the grant request in its initial year of application. A grantee is encouraged to consider the degree to which the program complements existing programs and services for three-year-oId, four-year-old, and five-year-old at-risk children available in the area, including other child care and preschool services, services provided through a school district, and services available through an area education agency. http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us/linc/84/external/govbills/HF645.pdf Title: H.F. 645 - Multiple Sections Source: http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us TX Signed into law 07/2011 P-12 Repeals a provision that required districts with a student membership above 5,000 and that does not provide child care (directly or by contract) for the district's school-age students to annually consider, during at least two public hearings, the need for and availability of child care before, after, or both before and after the school day and during school holidays and vacations for the district's school-age students. Repeals provision directing the Work and Family Policies Clearinghouse in the Texas Workforce Commission to distribute to each district with at least 5,000 students information describing model prekindergarten and school-age child care programs and explaining how a district may obtain funds through the federal Dependent Care Development Grant program or other grant programs. Repeals provision directing districts to distribute the information received from the clearinghouse to the public at a hearing. Page 17 of 19: http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/821/billtext/pdf/SB00008F.pdf#navpanes=0 Title: S.B. 8 - Repealing Child Care Provision Source: www.legis.state.tx.us CT Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 To revise the requirements for early childhood educators and direct the Commissioner of Education to use unexpended funds for providing professional development to school readiness staff. http://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/ACT/Pa/pdf/2011PA-00054-R00SB-00927-PA.pdf Title: S.B. 927 Source: http://www.cga.ct.gov LA Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Authorizes certain nonpublic schools to develop and offer prekindergarten instruction and indicates the minimum age at which children enter these programs. http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=758137 Title: H.B. 373 Source: http://www.legis.state.la.us ME Vetoed 06/2011 P-12 Original bill language proposed to create a unified early childhood education system. An adopted amendment replaced the bill with a resolve requiring the Maine Children's Growth Council to establish and convene a stakeholder group to identify options and alternatives to improve the efficacy and efficiency of Maine's early childhood system. http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_125th/billtexts/SP016002.asp Title: S.P. 160 Source: http://www.mainelegislature.org VT Signed into law 05/2011 P-12 Amends language to read: There is no limit on the total number of children who may be enrolled in prekindergarten education or who receive essential early education services. Repeals all provisions describing which students could/would be enrolled. Upon passage of this act, school districts may take all necessary actions to prepare to offer prekindergarten education by or through public schools as authorized under this act and 16 V.S.A. § 829. http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/2012/Acts/ACT038.pdf Title: S.B. 53 Source: http://www.leg.state.vt.us VT Adopted 04/2011 P-12 Amendments to the existing Prekindergarten Education rules increase oversight of the community needs assessment process required before a school district may establish or expand prekindergarten education. Enable potentially qualified providers to partner with school districts to provide prekindergarten education. Title: VT ADC 7-1-9:2601 through 2612 Source: Westlaw/StateNet NM Signed into law 03/2011 P-12 Expands the number of providers eligible for pre-kindergarten services and identifies application and funding criteria. . http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/11%20Regular/final/SB0605.pdf Title: S.B. 605 Source: http://www.nmlegis.gov TN Signed into law 04/2010 P-12 Requires the Office of Early Learning in the Department of Education to post its annual report on the status of pre-kindergarten programs on the Office of Early Learning's website. The report is supposed to include the number, location, and types of providers of pre- kindergarten classrooms and the number of risk students served. http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB3737 Title: H.B. 3737 Source: http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov CO Signed into law 04/2010 P-12 Concerns the creation of the early childhood educator development scholarship program; creates the Early Childhood Educator Development Scholarship Program in the Department of Education to provide scholarships to persons who are employed in early childhood development who are pursuing an associates or arts degree in such education. http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2010a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/E5651CFE1C233C14872576A80026B1B6?open&file=1030_enr.pdf Title: H.B. 1030 Source: http://www.leg.state.co.us CA Vetoed 10/2009 P-12 States findings and declarations regarding children of youth who are in custody, or on probation or in the foster care system. Requires priority for participation in state preschool programs to be given to children who have a biological custodial parent who is, or who has recently been a dependent or ward of the juvenile court pursuant to specified provisions of law. Prohibits priority enrollment from being used to displace children who are currently receiving care. Bill: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_0751-0800/ab_769_bill_20090908_enrolled.pdf Veto message: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_0751-0800/ab_769_vt_20091012.html Title: A.B. 769 Source: www.leginfo.ca.gov OH Signed into law 08/2009 P-12 Partially from DOE summary of H.B. 1: Reduces the number of annual inspections of preschool programs and licensed school child programs by the department of education from twice during each 12-month period of operation to once each 12-month period of operation. Permits the department of education to inspect any program more than once during any 12-month period if considered necessary by the department. Existing provision required at least one annual inspection to be unannounced. Amendment allows all inspections to be unannounced. DOE summary of H.B. 1: http://www.education.ohio.gov/GD/DocumentManagement/DocumentDownload.aspx?DocumentID=71635 Pages 1023-1024 of 3120: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/BillText128/128_HB_1_EN_N.pdf Title: H.B. 1 - Section 3301.57 Source: www.legislature.state.oh.us GA Adopted 04/2009 P-12 Amends rules concerning the Bright From the Start Program, including governing body, licensure and staff. Title: GAC 591-1-1-.16 and .31 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet CO Signed into law 03/2009 P-12 Adds children enrolled in state-subsidized early childhood education programs operated by public schools and who are eligible for reduced-cost lunches under the federal National School Lunch Act to the list of qualifying students eligible to receive a free lunch under the child nutrition school lunch protection program. http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2009a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/3E0D0EC009ECA5BA87257537001A2CF2?open&file=033_enr.pdf Title: S.B. 33 Source: http://www.leg.state.co.us/ AR Signed into law 03/2009 P-12 Ensures that the enrollment age in prekindergarten is consistent with the enrollment criteria for entry into public school; ensures that adequate notice is given to prekindergarten program providers. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009/R/Bills/SB252.pdf Title: S.B. 252 Source: http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us TX Adopted 03/2009 P-12 Establishes new procedural and reporting requirements for prekindergarten grants to school districts, open- enrollment charter schools, and education service centers operating as fiscal agents of shared services arrangements. http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter102/ch102aa.html Title: 19 TAC 2.102.AA.102.1002 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet CA Adopted Rule Filing 12/2008 P-12 Amends rules concerning state preschools. Amends the enrollment priorities for state preschool programs to give priority to three- and four-year-old neglected or abused children who are recipients of child protective services or recipients who are at risk of being neglected or abused upon written referral fom a legal, medical or social service agency without regard to income. Second priority goes to (1) children enrolled in the State Preschool Program as three-year-olds, (2) children whose families have the lowest income ranking based on the most recent ranking schedule adopted by the state superintendent of public instruction, (3) when two or more families have the same income ranking, the child with exceptional needs as defined in Education Code Section 8208(1) shall be admitted first, and (4) if no families with children with exceptional needs, the contractor may establish priorities in an order determined by the contractor for (a) children identified as limited English or non-English proficient or (b) children from families whose special circumstances may diminish the children's opportunities for normal development. Regulation also adds a section regarding collaborative full-day services. Title: Title 5 CCR Sec(s) 18131, 18131.1 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet FL Adopted 09/2008 P-12 Amends rule to revise the education standards for children in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=0&tid=6138177&type=1&File=6A-1.099823.doc Title: FAC 6A-1.099823 Source: https://www.flrules.org/ RI Signed into law 07/2008 P-12 Establishes the Prekindergarten Education Act; Requires the state department to begin planning an initial, pilot prekindergarten program that meets high quality standards, builds on the existing early childhood education infrastructure in the state (including child care, Head Start and public schools) and serves children ages three (3) and four (4) who reside in communities with concentrations of low performing schools. Requires planning phase to develop specific goals to expand the pilot prekindergarten program over time and to identify opportunities to strengthen care and learning programs for infants and toddlers. Requires the department to quantify the resources needed to achieve and maintain high quality standards in prekindergarten programs and identify incentives and supports to develop a qualified early education workforce, including opportunities for experienced early childhood educators and paraprofessionals to acquire college degrees and earn early childhood teacher certification. Requires the department to begin to develop plans to collect and analyze data regarding the impact of the pilot prekindergarten program on participating children's school readiness and school achievement. http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/PublicLaws/law08/law08265.htm Title: H.B. 8168 Source: http://www.rilin.state.ri.us VT Rule Adoption 06/2008 P-12 Amends rules pertaining to prekindergarten education in Vermont. Provides guidance for staff qualifications, program quality requirements, financial and child progress reporting, portability, required contents of contracts between school districts and private early care and education providers, and an appeal process. VERMONT 1129 Title: Uncodified Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet OK Signed into law 06/2008 P-12 Relates to the State Charter Schools Act; allows charter schools to provide prekindergarten programs to four-year-olds; allows a charter school previously sponsored by the Board of Education of a school district which continues operation in such district to retain any personal property purchased with state or local funds; excludes noncertified employees as qualified employees for the Academic Achievement Award Program; relates to the academic performance index. http://www.sos.state.ok.us/documents/Legislation/51st/2008/2R/SB/2100.pdf Title: S.B. 2100 Source: http://www.sos.state.ok.us VT Signed into law 05/2008 P-12 Provides for the quality of all prekindergarten education programs offered by or through public school districts. For the 2008–2009 school year, any prekindergarten education program operated by a school district or by a private provider on behalf of a school district that is not yet participating in the STARS program is to be granted presumptive eligibility at a three star level if the program is in good regulatory standing with the department for children and families. Requires the departments for children and families and of education jointly to develop and approve rules for the STARS program, applicable respectively to public and private providers, to be adopted by the department for children and families. The rules are to be in effect no later than April 1, 2009. A prekindergarten education program operated by a school district or by a private provider on behalf of a school district that was operating on or before October 1, 2008 has one year from the effective date to achieve full compliance with provisions in the rules related to conducting child development assessments and governing the manner in which school districts and private providers establish and negotiate contract payments. http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/legdoc.cfm?URL=/docs/2008/bills/passed/H-884.HTM Title: H.B. 884 Source: http://www.leg.state.vt.us NE Signed into law 04/2008 P-12 At the request of 1 a parent or guardian, a school district is to issue a certificate of attendance to a student who receives special education services, who has reached seventeen years of age, and who has not completed his or her individualized education plan. Requires districts to allow a student who receives a certificate of attendance under this section to participate in the high school graduation ceremony of such high school with students receiving high school diplomas. A student may receive only one certificate of attendance and may participate in only one graduation ceremony based on such certificate. The receipt of a certificate of attendance does not affect a school district's obligation to continue to provide special education services to a student receiving such certificate. Does not preclude a student from receiving a high school diploma by meeting the school district's graduation requirements or in his or her individualized education plan or receiving a diploma of high school equivalency upon completing the requirements of such section. The school district may allow a student who has previously participated in a graduation ceremony based on a certificate of attendance to participate in an additional graduation ceremony when such student receives a high school diploma. For school year 2008-09, any early childhood education program established by a school board or an educational service unit that is not receiving a grant or funding through the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act may enroll children who meet the age requirements to be enrolled in kindergarten. http://uniweb.legislature.ne.gov/FloorDocs/Current/PDF/Final/LB1153.pdf Title: L.B. 1153 Source: http://uniweb.legislature.ne.gov TN Signed into law 03/2008 P-12 Directs the Office of Education Research and Accountability (OEA) to survey each LEA that conducts a pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) program to determine if employment rights and benefits available to K- 12 teachers also accrue to Pre-K teachers. The report will be completed prior to January 15, 2009 and submitted to the House and Senate Education Committees. http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/BILL/HJR0811.pdf Title: H.J.R. 811 Source: http://www.legislature.state.tn.us NY Adopted 12/2007 P-12 Complies with 2007 S.B. 2107, Part B, section 19, which authorizes the board of regents and the commissioner to prescribe uniform quality standards for universal prekindergarten programs. Title: Title 8 NYCRR Subpart 151-1 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet IA Adopted 11/2007 P-12 Reflects that education programs are not to discriminate on the basis of the added characteristics of sexual orientation and gender identity. Clarifies that a preschool program must meet accreditation standards on the same basis as any prekindergarten program offered by a school district. Makes various other updates. IOWA 6161 Title: IAC 281, 12.1(1), 281-12.2(256), 12.3(6), 12.3(13), 12.8(1) Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet 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 PA Signed into law 07/2007 P-12 Section 13 (Article XV-D of the Act) is amended to add a subarticle that establishes the Pre-K Counts Program (to the extend funds are appropriated). Competitive grants procedures and mechanisms are spelled out. http://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/Legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=PDF&sessYr=2007&sessInd=0&billBody=H&billTyp=B&billNbr=0842&pn=2347 Title: H.B. 842 - Early Learning Provisions Source: http://www.legis.state.pa.us TN Signed into law 06/2007 P-12 Provides that the Office of Education Accountability coordinate a study of the effectiveness of pre-kindergarten programs and shall specifically assess the effectiveness of such pre-kindergarten programs on student achievement, both short term effects and long term effects. http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/Chapter/PC0357.pdf Title: H.B. 1530 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet VT Signed into law 06/2007 P-12 Require the state board of education and the secretary of human services to adopt joint rules regarding prekindergarten education; clarifies that a public school choosing to offer prekindergarten education services to three- and four-year-old residents may count those children receiving ten hours of service per week within its average daily membership, with a weight of 0.46; limits the number of prekindergarten students that a school district may count. http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/legdoc.cfm?URL=/docs/2008/bills/passed/H-534.HTM Title: H.B. 534 Source: http://www.leg.state.vt.us ME Signed into law 05/2007 P-12 Defines "public preschool program" in the laws governing education. This definition differentiates a public preschool program from a one-or-two-year kindergarten program. The bill also integrates approval of early childhood education plans for programs for children 4 years of age into the laws governing basic school approval. http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/billpdfs/LD056001.pdf Title: S.B. 172; LD 560 Source: Maine Legislature WV Adopted 05/2007 P-12 Amends rules governing the standards for pre- kindergarten education. Title: Title 126, Series 28 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet 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 IN Signed into law 05/2007 P-12 From Center for Evaluation & Education Policy: Appropriates money for state agencies and makes other distributions. Specifies a school funding formula. Requires a study of the efficiency and effectiveness of charter schools. Changes references from vocational education to career and technical education. Creates a prekindergarten pilot program. Increases tuition support by approximately 3.7% in FY2008 and 3.6% in FY2009. Funds the Early Literacy Intervention Grant and the Reading Diagnostic Assessment programs at the continued level of $3.7 million/year and $1 million/year, respectively. Increases textbook reimbursement from $19.9 million to $39.9 million. Funds Full-Day Kindergarten at $33.5 million in FY2008 and $58.5 million in FY2009 with a cap of $2,500 per FDK student. Non-English Speaking Program funds were increased by $6.2 million to $6.9 million/year. Gifted and Talented Program funds were increased by $7.18 million to a level of $12.78 million/year. Testing and Remediation monies were increased by $10 million to a total of $41 million/year, while GQE Remediation funds remained level at $4.9 million/year. Creates funding of up to $100,000/year for school consolidation studies that school corporations can apply directly to the IDOE to use in order to assess the feasibility of consolidation or merging services with another corporation. Funds the school finance studies conducted by the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University at $140,000/year. Requires a comprehensive study of the efficiency and effectiveness of charter schools in Indiana and commissions the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy to complete the study. Keeps funding for summer school constant at $18.36 million/year. Funds education service centers at $2.32 million/year. Funds the Principals' Leadership Academy at $462,832/year. The Technology Grant Program was funded at $5 million for the biennium. Funds the School Business Officials Academy at $150,000/year. Title: H.B. 1001 Source: Center for Evaluation & Education Policy NY Signed into law 04/2007 P-12 Eliminates references to district-level prekindergarten policy advisory boards and their authority to adopt prekindergarten programs. Provides that two or more districts may submit a joint application to operate a joint universal prekindergarten program. In New York City, transfers authority for decisionmaking on prekindergarten programs from community school boards and the city board to community school superintendents and the chancellor. Specifies that, to be eligible for approval by the commissioner, proposed programs must provide for: (1) Assessment of the development of language, cognitive and social skills (2) Staff development and teacher training must be provided to staff and teachers in all settings in which prekindergarten services are provided (3) Random selection must be used to select children when there are more eligible children than can be served in a given school year (4) Provides that a district that operated a targeted prekindergarten program in the base year may use the selection process established for such program. Deletes earlier references to prekindergarten aid and supplemental prekindergarten aid funding levels and formulas. Provides that each district is eligible to receive a grant amount equal to the lesser of: (1) The sum of its prekindergarten aid base plus the product of its selected aid per kindergarten pupil multiplied by the number of additional aidable prekindergarten pupils served in the current year, or (2) The maximum allocation computed using the methodology defined in statute. Defines "selected aid per kindergarten pupil," "base aidable prekindergarten pupils," "unserved prekindergarten pupils," "additional aidable prekindergarten pupils" and the "prekindergarten aid base." Provides that the total grant payable through the universal prekindergarten program must equal the lesser of: (1) The total grant amounts computed for the current year, based on data on file with the commissioner as of September 1, 2007, or (2) The total actual grant expenditures incurred by the school district as approved by the commissioner. Authorizes the board of regents and the commissioner to prescribe uniform quality standards for universal prekindergarten programs. Directs the regents when developing regulations to consider and recognize the diversity of settings and models available for the delivery of prekindergarten programs operated by eligible agencies in alternative settings, including libraries and community-based organizations, that comply with statute related to universal prekindergarten. Provides that the uniform quality standards must include minimum qualifications for personnel providing instructional and other services for prekindergarten programs. Directs the commissioner and board of regents to take into account, in promulgating these regulations, the availability of certified prekindergarten teachers and teaching assistants, and consider ways to increase the pool of qualified personnel. Also directs the commissioner and board of regents to include in regulations: (1) Minimum curriculum standards that ensure such programs have strong instructional content that is integrated with the district's K-12 instructional program (2) Performance standards for prekindergarten programs, which must include procedures for assessing the performance of such programs and establishing mechanisms for tracking progress of such programs and reporting such progress to the parents of prekindergarten students and the public (3) Transitional guidelines and rules that allow a program to meet the required staff qualifications and any other requirements set forth in this statute or regulations (4) A provision for a waiver of any inconsistent provisions so as to allow districts that operated a targeted prekindergarten program in the 2006-2007 school year to continue to operate such program pursuant to the regulations that applied to the program in such school year; provided that the amounts allocated to such targeted prekindergarten program must not exceed the amount of targeted prekindergarten grant funds received by the district for the 2006-2007 school year. http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=s2107 http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=s2107 Title: S.B. 2107 - Part B, Section 19 Source: assembly.state.ny.us NE Approved by voters 12/2006 P-12 A constitutional amendment to permit use of funds dedicated to the common schools for early childhood educational purposes. If adopted, requires the creation of an early childhood education endowment fund for the purpose of supporting early childhood education in the state as provided by the Legislature. Requires allocation of an amount equal to forty million dollars for the endowment fund. Only interest or income on such early childhood education endowment fund may be appropriated as provided by the Legislature. For purposes of Article VII of this Constitution, early childhood education means programs operated by or distributed through the common schools promoting development and learning for children from birth to kindergarten-entrance age. If the annual income from twenty million dollars of private funding is not irrevocably committed by July 1, 2011, to the use of the early childhood education endowment fund, then the forty-million-dollar allocation pursuant to subdivision (3)(b) of this section may revert to the use of the common schools as the Legislature shall determine. http://www.unicam.state.ne.us/legal/SLIP_LB1006.pdf Title: L.B. 1006 Source: http://www.unicam.state.ne.us/ NM Adopted 11/2006 P-12 Implements a state-funded Pre-Kindergarten program. http://www.ped.state.nm.us/press/2006/november/6%2030%209%20NMAC%20PreKdraft110806%20_3_.pdf Title: NMAC 6.30.9 Source: http://www.ped.state.nm.us CA Vetoed 09/2006 P-12 Defines preschool services as part- or full-day educational programs for prekindergarten-aged children. Establishes a family fee schedule. Requires state full-day preschool programs include center-based programs. Provides requirements for state full-day preschool programs. Requires family child care home education networks to terminate payment to child day care facilities with revoked or temporarily suspended licenses. http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_2851-2900/ab_2881_bill_20060918_enrolled.pdf Title: A.B. 2881 Source: California Legislature CA Signed into law 09/2006 P-12 Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Department of Education to administer prekindergarten and family literacy programs. Requires a participating program to provide certain child development and family literacy services in order to receive funding. Requires a local educational agency to select a program coordinator. Makes an appropriation to provide direct child care services for children in participating classrooms. Encourages participating providers to offer full-day services. http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_0151-0200/ab_172_bill_20060907_chaptered.pdf Title: A.B. 172 Source: California Legislature FL Adopted 08/2006 P-12 Develops rules to allow the public an opportunity to provide input inthe development of minimum standards for private prekindergarten providersdelivering the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. FLORIDA 30748 http://www.firn.edu/doe/rules/6a-66.htm#6A-6.040 Title: FAC 6A-6.040 Source: Florida Rules IL Signed into law 07/2006 P-12 Relates to grants for a preschool educational program administered by the state board July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2008. Provides that appropriated funds shall be distributed to achieve a goal of preschool for all children whose families choose to participate. Defines "at-risk" children as those who because of their home and community environment are subject to such language, cultural, economic and like disadvantages to cause them to have been determined as a result of screening procedures to be at risk of academic failure. Provides that first priority for newly-funded preschool programs must be given to qualified programs serving primarily at-risk children and second priority to qualified programs serving primarily children with a family income of less than 4 times the federal poverty level. Directs the state board to annually report to the general assembly on what percentage of new funding was provided to programs serving primarily at-risk children, what percentage of new funding was provided to programs serving primarily children with a family income of less than 4 times the federal poverty level, and what percentage of new funding was provided to other programs. http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/94/PDF/094-1054.pdf Title: S.B. 1497 Source: www.ilga.gov NY Vetoed 07/2006 P-12 Requires every child enrolling in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten or first grade in a public elementary school to present a dental health certificate. Dental health certificates must contain a report of a comprehensive dental examination performed on such child. Title: A.B. 6640 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet IL Emergency Rule Adoption 06/2006 P-12 Establishes emergency rules regarding the Preschool for All Children program; provides educational services to all 3 to 5 year old children whose families choose to participate. 325-338 of 591: http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/index/register/register_volume30_issue27.pdf Title: 23 IAC 235.10, .60, .70, .100, .200, .300, .400, .500 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet CA Rejected by Voters. 06/2006 P-12 Proposes an amendment to the California Constitution to establish a right to voluntary public preschool for all four-year old children, administered by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and county school superintendents, funded by a tax on individuals and couples with specified incomes. Establishes voluntary preschool education for all four-year olds. Funded by 1.7% tax on individual income over $400,000; couples' income over $800,000. Directs Counties to prepare five- year assessments and annual reports regarding preschool curriculum, facilities and childcare coordination, teacher recruitment/ pay and budgeting. Requires state Superintendent to develop preschool teaching credential with financial aid for teachers. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Increased personal income taxes on high-income earners beginning in 2007, with revenues reaching approximately $2.4 billion annually in 2010-11. Revenues would support an entitlement to one year of preschool for four-year olds beginning in 2010-11. Revenues in the early years of the program could be used for facilities, teacher training, student financial aid, and early implementation of preschool services. http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_j.htm#2006Primary Title: V. 3 (Prop. 82) Source: CA Secretary of State IA Signed into law 06/2006 P-12 Increases membership on the community empowerment state board. Requires family support services in the community empowerment initiative to include home visitation. Creates a community empowerment gifts and grants account in the Iowa empowerment fund. Makes an appropriation to the school ready children grants account of the Iowa empowerment fund. Makes an appropriation for preschool tuition support for low-income families. Makes an appropriation for efforts to improve the quality of early care. Makes an appropriation to the community empowerment gifts and grants account. Creates a business community investment advisory council to advise the Iowa empowerment board. Directs the advisory council to advise the Iowa empowerment board on the best means to leverage private investment in early care, health, and education services and provide options for creating model projects for public-private partnerships to support quality early care, health, and education programming in communities. Requires the advisory council to submit a report with recommendations and findings to the Iowa empowerment board on or before December 31, 2006. Lists specific areas report must address. Makes an appropriation for professional development and training activities for persons working in early care, health, and education by the Iowa empowerment board in collaboration with representation from Iowa state university of science and technology cooperative extension service in agriculture and home economics, area education agencies, community colleges, child care resource and referral services, and community empowerment area boards. http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us/Cool-ICE/default.asp?Category=billinfo&Service=Billbook&menu=false&hbill=HF2769 Title: H.B. 2769 Source: VT Became law without GOVERNOR'S signature. 05/2006 P-12 Creates a prekindergarten education study committee. Directs the committee to gather the following information: (1)  How many private and public or publicly funded prekindergarten education services currently exist in Vermont. (2)  What kinds of services and educational programs are offered by existing prekindergarten education programs. (3)  The costs of existing prekindergarten education programs and how they are funded. (4)   Current department of education and agency of human services standards for prekindergarten education facilities.  Directs the committee to study and make findings regarding: (1)  What the research says about the effects of prekindergarten education. (2)  Whether prekindergarten education services should be offered at public expense and, if so: (A)  whether services should be provided by public schools, private providers, or both; (B)  the estimated costs of providing public prekindergarten programs and what public monies should be used to support them; (C)  what would be the mechanism for dispersing these monies; and (D)  what state agency or agencies should have responsibility for developing standards regarding the quality and content of prekindergarten education programs and for determining educator qualifications, and whether standards for public schools should differ from those for private providers. (3)  Which groups of children benefit academically and socially from receiving prekindergarten educational services.  (4)  Whether all groups of prekindergarten children benefit from an inclusionary educational environment. (5)  Whether enrollment in a prekindergarten education program should be voluntary. (6)  Whether participation may take place outside the district of residence. (7)  Whether a community should conduct a needs assessment before starting or expanding a program, and if so, how private providers and school districts should be involved in the assessment.  (8)  Whether publicly funded early education services are an effective economic development strategy. Directs the committee to report its findings and recommendations to the senate and house committees on education, the senate committee on health and welfare, and the house committee on human services by January 30, 2007. Bars the state board from changing, repealing or adopting any rules on early childhood or prekindergarten education services prior to June 30, 2008. During the 2007–2008 school year, requires a district that begins a new prekindergarten program to contract with qualified early childhood education service providers in the district unless it determines that it cannot efficiently and effectively provide quality services using these providers, or that no qualified programs exist in the district or no private programs are interested in providing the services in collaboration with the school district.  In determining efficiency and effectiveness, requires districts to emphasize affordability, access, and high quality in early learning experiences.  Directs the commissioner of education to determine whether a school district has met these requirements, and provdies that the commissioner's decision shall be final. http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/legdoc.cfm?URL=/docs/2006/acts/ACT186.HTM Title: S.B. 314 Source: www.leg.state.vt.us NE Signed into law 04/2006 P-12 From the fiscal note: LB 1256 establishes an endowment fund to provide early childhood education grants to programs for at-risk children from birth to age three. Upon the effective date of an endowment agreement, administration of the Early Childhood Education Grant Program with respect to programs for children from birth to age three will transfer to the board of trustees. If there is no endowment agreement in effect, the department will request proposals for all early childhood education programs from school districts, which include birth to kindergarten. The State Department of Education is to request proposals from private endowments to be the provider for the Nebraska Early Childhood Endowment within 90 days of passage of the bill. The endowment provider must place no less than $20 million in a private endowment within five years. At least $1 million must be placed in the endowment prior to December 31, 2006 and a minimum of $5 million prior to June 30, 2007. All interest, earnings and proceeds from the endowment are deposited into the Early Childhood Endowment Cash Fund at least quarterly to be used for grants, evaluation and technical assistance. The bill provides for the Early Childhood Endowment Fund to consist of $40,000,000 of the Cash Reserve Fund, which shall remain in the Cash Reserve Fund, on the effective date of an endowment agreement until June 30, 2007. The interest earned on the $40 million accrues to the Early Childhood Education Cash Fund. After July 1, 2007, the Early Childhood Endowment Fund will consist of the greater of $40 million, or 10% of the value of funds belonging to the state for educational purposes (Permanent School Fund), if the constitutional amendment contained in LB 1006 passes in November, 2006. If the amendment does not pass, then the endowment agreement may provide for the obligations of the endowment provider to terminate if another source of funding is not secured. A six-member Early Childhood Education Endowment Board of Trustees is created to administer the grant program. Grants may be provided to school districts, cooperatives of school districts and educational service units. Grant recipients are eligible for up to 50% of the total budget of the program each year. Continuation grants may be awarded. Revenue: The bill provides for interest earned on $40 million of the Cash Reserve Fund. http://www.unicam.state.ne.us/legal/SLIP_LB1256.pdf Title: L.B. 1256 Source: http://www.unicam.state.ne.us MD Signed into law 04/2006 P-12 Establishes a Task Force on Universal Preschool Education; providing for the membership and staffing of the Task Force; specifies the purposes and goals of the Task Force; requires the Task Force to evaluate and make recommendations regarding specified issues by a specified date and to submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly; provides for the termination of the Act. http://mlis.state.md.us/2006rs/bills/hb/hb1466t.pdf Title: H.B. 1466 Source: Maryland Legislature LA Signed into law 11/2005 P-12 Exempts LA 4 (prekindergarten) classes from class size ratio for the 2005-2006 school year if the district or charter school enrolled any students during the 2005-2006 school year who were displaced that year due to school closures as a result of natural catastrophe or disaster or the district or charter school cannot meet the class size ratio requirements due to the enrollment of students displaced by natural catastrophe or disaster. http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=329555 Title: H.B. 19A Source: www.legis.state.la.us RI Adopted 09/2005 P-12 Adopts rules regarding the requirements for an Early Childhood Education in public schools in grades PK-2 certificate. Outlines rules for Certificate of Eligibility for Employment (CEE) be valid for three years and Professional Certificates be valid for one or five years. RHODE ISLAND REG 2460 (SN) Title: Section I Source: StateNet WV Adopted 07/2005 P-12 Policy 2525 sets the standards for implementing high quality universal pre-kindergarten programs. This policy covers all public school preschool programs and any community program such as Head Start or child care that contracts with the county school system to provide a WV Pre-k classroom. Health and safety standards are now a part of the policy. Included in these standards are requirements that meals must be provided if a pre-k classroom is in operation for more than four hours; all children who enter a program must have age appropriate immunizations; and classroom size will be limited to no more than 20 children. All pre-k classrooms not administered by the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) must be licensed through the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (WVDHHR) Day Care Licensing.     Other revisions include a more defined composition of the review team. This review team will evaluate the quality and content of the county plans and whether counties are maximizing funding. Local Education Agencies (LEA) will have oversight for the prekindergarten classrooms in their counties; however, the state board and the Secretary for the WVDHHR will maintain state oversight.   http://wvde.state.wv.us/policies/p2525_ne.pdf  Title: Title 126, Series 28 Source: http://wvde.state.wv.us HI Signed into law 06/2005 P-12 The purpose of this Act is to: (1) Improve early childhood education by establishing and appropriating funds for a temporary early childhood education task force to develop a framework to increase access to early childhood education, improve the quality of early childhood learning programs, support the professional development of early childhood educators and service providers, educate families about the value of early childhood education, and identify funding mechanisms to appropriately compensate early childhood educators; and (2) Increase the inventory of available facilities for early childhood education programs by identifying unused public school facilities. The department of education is to identify unused public school facilities for use by early childhood education programs. Suitable empty classrooms, as determined by the department, are to be inventoried for potential use in early childhood education programs. Priority is to be given to facilities on sites with sufficient space for three or more classrooms to be renovated or constructed. The department is to assist in the identification of possible construction sites for private providers to build early childhood education facilities. http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessioncurrent/bills/HB1300_cd1_.htm Title: H.B. 1300 Source: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov HI Signed into law 06/2005 P-12 Creates a temporary private preschool licensing and accreditation task force to develop recommendations for licensing and accreditation standards, policies, and procedures for private elementary schools serving children under the age of five. Requires the task force to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any recommended legislation, to the department of human services and to the legislature before the 2006 regular session. States that the report shall serve as a basis for legislation or for administrative rule amendments by the department of human services. Disbands the task force effective June 30, 2006. http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessioncurrent/bills/sb1018_cd1_.htm Title: S.B. 1018 Source: www.capitol.hawaii.gov TX EFFECTIVE ON 9/1/05 06/2005 P-12 From fiscal note: The bill authorizes the commissioner of education to establish a program to provide incentives to providers of early childhood care and education that provide coordinated services with prekindergarten and Head Start programs.  The bill does not specify the type of incentive. If financial incentives are provided, annual costs of an estimated $1.0 million could be incurred. The bill requires the State Center for Early Childhood Development and the P-16 Council to develop and adopt a voluntary school readiness certification system by September 1, 2006. http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/cgi-bin/tlo/textframe.cmd?LEG=79&SESS=R&CHAMBER=S&BILLTYPE=B&BILLSUFFIX=00023&VERSION=5&TYPE=B Title: S.B. 23 Source: http://www.capitol.state.tx.us CO Signed into law 06/2005 P-12 Makes an accomodation for counting preschoolers and 3- and 4-year olds with disabilities enrolled (for state funding purposes) by letting schools count them on November 1 or the school date closest to November 1, instead of October 1. http://www.leg.state.co.us/Clics2005a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/E5270E41C6FE350A87256F4F00049514?Open&file=032_enr.pdf Title: S.B. 32 Source: www.leg.state.co.us TN Signed into law 05/2005 P-12 General Assembly expresses its unwavering support for an increase in funding for the expansion of the early childhood education program. Urges and encourages the Governor to include such an earmarked appropriation within the administration's general appropriations act for fiscal year 2005-2006.From fiscal note: To the extent the FY06 recommended budget is approved, state expenditures would increase by $25.0 million. This would be funded from recurring excess net education lottery proceeds in the Lottery for Education Account after higher education lottery scholarships have been funded. Assumptions: • $10.0 million in state funds were appropriated for early childhood programs for FY05. • $25.0 million has been included in the recommended FY06 budget.http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/BILL/HJR0131.pdf Title: H.J.R. 131 Source: StateNet FL Signed into law 05/2005 P-12 Creates exemption from public records requirements for individual records of children enrolled in Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. Specifies that such records include assessment data, health data, records of teacher observations, and personal identifying information of an enrolled child and his or her parent. States that a parent has the right to inspect and review the individual Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program record of his or her child and to obtain a copy of such record. Provides for retroactive application; provides for exceptions to exemption; provides for future review & repeal; provides statement of public necessity. http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/bills_detail.aspx?Id=17522&sBillNumberText=1695&iSessionSelectedIndex=1&iChamberSelectedIndex=2 Title: H.B. 1695 Source: www.myfloridahouse.gov MO Signed into law 05/2005 P-12 The current definition of "teacher" in the teacher tenure act includes certified teachers who teach at the pre-kindergarten level. This act modifies the aforementioned definition by requiring that such prekindergarten teachers, in order to fit the definition of teacher, must teach in a prekindergarten program in which no fees are charged to parents and guardians Title: S.B. 266 Source: StateNet OH Signed into law 05/2005 P-12 Postsec. Community College Establishes the "Partnership for Continued Learning" to promote systemic approaches to education.  The Partnership must (1) support regional efforts to foster collaboration among providers of preschool through postsecondary education, (2) identify the workforce needs of private sector employers in the state, and (3) make recommendations to facilitate collaboration among education providers and to maintain a high-quality workforce. The recommendations must address at least the following issues: (1) Expansion of access to preschool and other education for children under five years of age; (2) Increasing opportunities for high school students to earn college credit; (3) Expansion of access to workforce development programs administered by school districts, institutions of higher education, and other providers of career-technical education; (4) Alignment of statewide academic content standards for grades 9 through 12, the Ohio Graduation Tests, and the curriculum requirements for a high school diploma with the expectations of prospective employers and postsecondary institutions regarding the knowledge and skills high school graduates should attain;[1] (5) Improvement of science and mathematics skills among students and employees to meet the needs of a knowledge-intensive economy; (6) Reduction of remediation needs for postsecondary students; (7) Expansion of access to postsecondary education, including strategies for overcoming financial, cultural, and organizational barriers; (8) Alignment of teacher preparation programs approved by the State Board of Education with the instructional needs and expectations of school districts;[2] (9) Strategies for the retention of Ohio graduates in the state workforce and for the attraction of talented graduates from outside the state;  (10) Strategies for promoting adult continuing education to maintain a strong workforce and economy; (11) Appropriate means of measuring the impact of statewide efforts to promote collaboration among education providers and to develop a high-quality workforce and strategies for collecting and sharing data relevant to this evaluation; and (12) Strategies for developing and improving opportunities and for removing barriers to achievement for children who are identified as gifted. http://lsc.state.oh.us/analyses/analysis126.nsf/e77dc78db8ad9b2b85256598004e3f1a/ Title: S.B. 6 Source: http://lsc.state.oh.us/analyses MD Rule Adoption 05/2005 P-12 Proposes to adopt rules to the Board of Education. Provides for transfers to public kindergarten. Requires local boards of education to establish regulations for early admission in prekindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade. MARYLAND REG 10189 (SN) Title: COMAR 13A.08.01.01, .02, .02-2 Source: StateNet TN to governor 05/2005 P-12 Amends title 49, chapter 6, part 1 to establish the "Voluntary Pre-K for Tennessee Act of 2005". Based on the success of Tennessee's existing pilot pre-kindergarten programs, these programs may be expanded on a voluntary basis by local education agencies and the communities they serve to provide more opportunities for quality early childhood education and pre-kindergarten experiences. http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/BILL/HB2333.pdf Title: H.B. 2333 Source: StateNet CO Signed into law 04/2005 P-12 Increases from 1,000 to 1,500 the number of children a district may apply to the department for authorization to serve through a full-day kindergarten component of the district's preschool program. http://www.leg.state.co.us/Clics2005a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/FB38088C4F083DE787256F8E00813440?Open&file=200_enr.pdf Title: S.B. 200 (Section 15) Source: www.leg.state.co.us MD Rule Adoption 04/2005 P-12 Revises the Maryland Student Records System Manual (MSRSM) as a result of recent changes regarding health and graduation requirements. State assessments, prekindergarten requirements, kindergarten and prekindergarten phase-in dates, enrollment and transfers, and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Updates references to the MSRSM. MARYLAND REG 10154 (SN) Title: COMAR 13A.02.06.02, 13A.0801.01, .08.02.01 Source: StateNet MD (S) THIRD READING PASSED (46-0) 04/2005 P-12 Requiring the State Department of Education to develop a plan to accredit certain early learning programs and child care programs that are planning to provide or are providing specified kindergarten or prekindergarten programs to specified children; requiring the State Department of Education to submit the plan to the Joint Committee on Children, Youth, and Families on or before December 31, 2005; etc http://mlis.state.md.us/2005rs/billfile/hb1491.htm Title: H.B. 1491 Source: StateNet NM Signed into law 04/2005 P-12 Relates to the Pre-Kindergarten Act; provides for voluntary participation in pre-kindergarten programs; provides for requests for proposals; provides for reimbursement of eligible provers that are public school programs. The legislature finds that research provides evidence that participation in a quality preschool program has a positive effect on children's intellectual, emotional, social and physical development. The purpose of the Pre-Kindergarten Act is to support pre-kindergarten programs in communities throughout the state that will improve the development of children so they are ready to learn when they enter the educational system. http://legis.state.nm.us/Sessions/05%20Regular/bills/house/HB0337.html Title: H.B. 337 Source: StateNet FL Signed into law 01/2005 P-12 Establishes the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program, to take effect in each county at the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year. Every child in the state who turns 4 on or before September 1 is eligible and remains eligible until the child enters kindergarten or the beginning of the school year for which the child is eligible for admission to kindergarten, whichever occurs first. Allows for school-year prekindergarten programs provided by public and private schools and summer prekindergarten program provided by public and private schools. Establishes requirements for public and private school-year prekindergarten programs, including instructor requirements, and for public and private summer prekindergarten programs. Requires department to adopt minimum standards for prekindergarten directors at private programs. Establishes requirements for processing applications for program participation and informing parents about program options. Specifies that although parent may enroll child in any private prekindergarten program, the provider may determine whether to admit any child. Every public and private prekindergarten provider must comply with antidiscrimination requirements, regardless of whether the program receives federal financial assistance. Requires department, by April 1, 2005, to adopt minimum standards for training courses in emergent literacy for prekindergarten instructors. Establishes instructor credential goals for the 2010-2011 and 2013-2014 school years. Requires department to develop, by April 1, 2005, performance standards for students in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. Establishes probationary system for public and private programs whose students do not meet kindergarten readiness standards. Removes from eligibility any public or private program on probation for two consecutive years that fails to meet minimum kindergarten readiness rates. Establishes statewide system for kindergarten readiness screening. Requires every parent enrolling a child in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program to submit the child for statewide kindergarten screening. Establishes funding system for the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. Requires the department of education to administer the accountability requirements of the program at the state level, and requires the Agency for Workforce Innovation to administer the operational requirements of the program at the state level. Creates the Florida Early Learning Advisory Council within the Agency for Workforce Innovation to submit recommendations to the department and the agency on early learning policies in Florida, including the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program. Establishes composition of advisory council. Abolishes Florida Partnership for School Readiness; eliminates statutory references to the partnership; transfers partnership's powers, duties, records, personnel and funds to the Agency for Workforce Innovation. Deletes statutory references to school readiness coalitions and establishes requirements for early learning coalitions. Requires the Agency for Workforce Innovation to identify best practices of early learning coalitions so as to improve the outcomes of school readiness programs. Requires statewide articulation agreement to guarantee the articulation of 9 credit hours toward a degree in early childhood education for programs related to training of Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program instructors. Makes allocation to the department of education, the Agency for Workforce Innovation and the department of children and family services for purposes of administering the program during the 2004-2005 fiscal year. http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/loadDoc.aspx?FileName=_h0001Aer.doc&DocumentType=Bill&BillNumber=0001A&Session=2004A Title: H.B. 1A Source: www.myfloridahouse.gov CA Vetoed 09/2004 P-12 Requires the California Children and Families Commission to complete and submit a cost study that provides an estimate of the cost of a voluntary Preschool for All program in the state. Convenes a Workforce Development Blue Ribbon Committee to develop a workforce development plan that establishes an infrastructure for educating, preparing and supporting a well-trained, culturally and linguistically diverse teaching and administrative staff in early care and education programs, Preschool for All programs, and kindergarten and grades 1 to 3. Requires the committee, by January 1, 2006, to present a workforce development plan. http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_0701-0750/ab_712_bill_20040828_enrolled.pdf Veto message: http://www.governor.ca.gov/govsite/pdf/vetoes/AB_712_veto.pdf Title: A.B. 712 Source: www.leginfo.ca.gov MI Signed into law 09/2004 P-12 Relates to the State School Aid Act of 1979; allocates funds for grants to intermediate districts to provide programs for parents with preschool children to improve school readiness and foster the maintenance of stable families by encouraging positive parenting skills. http://www.michiganlegislature.org/documents/2003-2004/publicact/pdf/2004-PA-0337.pdf Title: S.B. 885 Source: StateNet NJ Signed into law 08/2004 P-12 Provides that any non-Abbott school district which is not required to operate a preschool program and which does not receive early childhood program aid may collect tuition from the parents or guardians of students enrolled in the district's preschool program; provides the amount of the tuition may not exceed the per pupil cost of the program. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2004/Bills/AL04/125_.PDF Title: A.B. 2170 Source: StateNet MS Signed into law 05/2004 P-12 Authorizes local school boards to collaborate with the State Board of Education, Community Action Agencies and the Department of Human Services to develop and implement a voluntary full day prekindergarten program for three-year-olds and four-year-olds. Local school boards can use non-state funds to implement the program. http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2004/pdf/SB/2900-2999/SB2969SG.pdf Title: S.B. 2969 Source: StateNet AR Signed into law 01/2004 P-12 Amends the state "Better Chance for School Success" program to remove matching requirements, set implementation goals and makes the program applicable to schools instead of districts; amends provisions regarding early childhood programs. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2003s2/public/HB1057.pdf Title: H.B. 1057 Source: Arkansas Legislative web site DE Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 Creates a task force to examine early childhood education programs; develops a plan for implementation of universal pre-kindergarten and full day kindergarten. http://www.legis.state.de.us/Legislature.nsf/fsLIS?openframeset&Frame=Main&Src=/LIS/LIS142.NSF/Home!Openform Title: H.J.R. 9 Source: Delaware Legislative Web site AK Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 Relates to advancement in public schools of children under school age; provides that a district's educational program must prescribe that under school-age students advance through the curriculum or grade level by the following school year. http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill_text.asp?hsid=HB0154D&session=23 Title: H.B. 154 Source: Alaska Legislative web site TX Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 Adds prekindergarten or after school child care programs to the provision governing subsidized childcare services. Title: S.B. 76 Source: StateNet FL Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 Implements specified provisions of State Constitution; creates voluntary universal prekindergarten education program; limits application of provisions regarding school readiness programs; requires State Board of Education to submit report with recommendations or options for on curriculum, design and standards of said program; directs Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability & Auditor General to conduct audits and submit reports to the governor and legislature. http://www.leg.state.fl.us/house/Session/index.cfm?Mode=Bills&BI_Mode=ViewBillInfo&BillNum=1334&Chamber=Senate&Year=2003&Title=%2D%3EBill%2520Info%3AS%25201334%2D%3ESession%25202003 Title: S.B. 1334 Source: Florida Legislative Web site KS Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 Authorizes local boards to (1) enter into cooperative or interlocal agreements with one or more other boards for the establishment, operation and maintenance of preschool programs; (2) Contract with private, nonprofit corporations or associations or with any public or private agency or institution for the establishment, operation and maintenance of preschool programs. (3) Prescribe and collect fees for providing preschool programs. States that fees for providing preschool programs may only recover the costs incurred for operating preschool programs. Requires revenues from fees collected by a board for a preschool program to be deposited in the general fund of the school district and to be considered reimbursements to the district for the purpose of the school district finance and quality performance act. Allows such revenues to be expended whether the same have been budgeted or not and amounts so expended shall not be considered operating expenses. http://www.kslegislature.org/enrollbills/approved/2003/82.pdf Title: S.B. 82 Source: www.kslegislature.org MS Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 Establishes oversight committee to assess all prekindergarten or school readiness programs run by any public or private school or Head Start program in the state, as well as any school readiness program operated by any licensed childcare center in the state. Specifies what data every assessment must collect, including teacher qualifications, child eligibility criteria. In light of the findings of the assessment, the oversight committee must make recommendations on the need for additional early childhood programs and measures needed to guarantee that early childhood programs in operation in Mississippi meet or surpass recognized standards of excellence. The oversight committee must report to the legislature on these findings and recommendations by January 15, 2004. Requires the oversight committee to cause to be developed a single assessment instrument to gather and synthesize the required data into a single report. http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2003/html/SB/2600-2699/SB2636SG.htm Title: S.B. 2636 Source: billstatus.ls.state.ms.us AR Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 Creates the Better Chance for School Success Program to provide early education for low-income, 3- and 4-year-old children in low-performing school districts. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2003/public/HB2376.pdf Title: H.B. 2376 Source: Arkansas Legislative Web site NM Pocket Veto by GOVERNOR. 04/2003 P-12 Requires that certain state funds for head start programs be used for collaboration with private and nonprofit providers. Title: S.B. 572 Source: StateNet AR Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 Expands the Arkansas Better Chance Program; allows any licensed early childhood program with early childhood accreditation by the Department of Human Services and meeting the Arkansas Better Chance Core Quality Approval Standards of the Department of Education to apply for funding, regardless of the sponsorship of the program. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2003/public/HB2402.pdf Title: H.B. 2402 Source: State legislative web site NM Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 Requires that certain state funds for Head Start programs be used to contract and subcontract with private and nonprofit programs that meet federal Head Start performance standards. Title: H.B. 658 Source: StateNet MS Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 Requires the department of education to conduct a needs assessment to determine what areas do not currently have pre-kindergarten programs, and a cost-benefit analysis creating statewide pre-kindergarten programs. Requires department to perform cost-benefit analysis of making kindergarten mandatory statewide. Requires the department to study developing an optional occupational diploma that would include course requirements to make sure that students possess mastery of skills and employment competencies. http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2003/html/HB/0800-0899/HB0859SG.htm Title: H.B. 859 Source: billstatus.ls.state.ms.us NM to governor 03/2003 P-12 House Joint Memorial 12 requests that the Interagency Coordinating Group (ICG) study the alignment of early care education programs in New Mexico, establish a framework for a statewide comprehensive and universal system of preschool programs and fully delineate the procedures and methodology necessary to implement such a framework; and that the group report its finding to the Legislative Education Study Committee by November 2003. Link to fiscal note: http://legis.state.nm.us/Sessions/03%20Regular/firs/hjm012.pdf Title: H.J.M. 12 Source: http://legis.state.nm.us WV Adopted 01/2003 P-12 Provides rules relating to West Virginia's universal access to the state's Pre-Kindergarten System. WEST VIRGINIA REG 4202 (SN) Title: Title 126, Series 28 Source: StateNet MA Signed into law 08/2002 P-12 Permits districts to establish full-time or part-time preschool, after-school or summer school programs English language learners programs, although these programs may not substitute for English language learners programs provided during the regular school year. http://www.state.ma.us/legis/bills/house/ht05010.htm Title: H.B. 5010 Source: http://www.state.ma.us/legis/bills/house/ht05010.htm MD Signed into law 08/2002 P-12 Requires districts by 2007-08 school year to provide free prekindergarten programs to all eligible children within district. Defines "eligible children" as free/reduced lunch eligible if child were in kindergarten; any whose parent wishes to enroll in public prekindergarten program; and who are 4 years old by September 1 of the school year in which the parent wishes to enroll the child. In each district's comprehensive master plan, board must identify strategies to ensure that publicly-funded prekindergarten programs are available to all eligible children by the 2007-08 school year. Releases publicly funded pre-kindergarten programs from minimum school day/holiday requirements of K-12 schools. http://mlis.state.md.us/2002rs/bills/sb/sb0856e.rtf Title: S.B. 856 Source: mlis.state.md.us 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 GA Signed into law 05/2002 P-12 Creates the voluntary Georgia's Pre-K Program; requires all printed materials relating to the program to refer to it as Georgia's Pre-K Program. http://www.legis.state.ga.us/Legis/2001_02/fulltext/hb97.htm Title: H.B. 97 Source: www.legis.state.ga.us IA Signed into law 05/2002 P-12 Requires state board to establish standards for district and area education agency career development programs and for individual teacher career development plans. Requires state director to develop a transition plan for implementation of the career development standards established in statute relating to licensure renewal. Moves national board certification registration deadline for purposes of payment of one-half of national board certification fee from June 30, 2002 to June 30, 2005. Teachers must likewise register for national board certification by June 30, 2005 and be certified in three years to obtain 2,500 annual award. Eliminates age limitations of employees eligible for early retirement incentives, leaving these to local board discretion. Includes licensed preschool teachers in definition of "beginning teachers," "classroom teachers," and "teachers." Eliminates requirement that beginning teacher's mentor be classroom teacher. Creates new defintions for "intensive assistance" and "performance reviews" for non-beginning teachers. Revises section requiring boards to provide for evaluations of beginning teachers and performance reviews for non-beginning teachers. Requires state board to adopt state director-developed model criteria for teacher evaluation, advancement and career development. Encourages districts to evaluate their current career development alignment with their student achievement goals and research-based instructional strategies, and implement district career development plans. Reduces from 5 to 3 years the frequency with which teacher performance reviews must be conducted, and requires that these be based in part on individual career development plans. Makes additional changes to beginning teacher evaluation system and teacher career development programs. Establishes timeline for development of administrator preparation program. Establishes minimum teacher salary requirements. Requires department to undertake study of feasibility of change to student achievement and teacher quality program. Creates statewide career path pilot program: http://www.legis.state.ia.us/GA/79GA/Legislation/HF/02500/HF02549/Current.html Title: H.B. 2549 Source: www.legis.state.ia.us LA Signed into law 04/2002 P-12 Revises early childhood development program for four-year-olds. Allows applicants to seek a waiver for the requirement of enrichment activities provided before and after the regular school day if providing a full ten hour day is not possible for reasonably feasible or economically justifiable reasons. Applicants seeking a waiver must have specific and achievable plans for meeting the full ten hour requirement by no later than the beginning of the third year of operation. http://www.legis.state.la.us/leg_docs/021ES/CVT6/OUT/0000JIZB.PDF Title: S.B. 33A Source: www.legis.state.la.us ME Signed into law 04/2002 P-12 Changes the day care center references to child care facility; changes the definition of children in the laws governing nursery schools, which is based on the age of a child; changes the definition of day care centers and nursery school; removes provision in the laws governing nursery schools regarding communicable diseases, ratios, and administration of medications. http://janus.state.me.us/legis/bills/billdocs/LD202701.doc Title: H.B. 1523 Source: janus.state.me.us OR Vetoed 07/2001 P-12 Directs state department to provide instructional phonics game to each approved Oregon prekindergarten. Title: S.B. 593 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet LA Signed into law 06/2001 P-12 Establishes a program of universal early childhood education and care classes for four-year olds in any public school system that wishes to participate. Title: S.B. 776 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet CO Signed into law 05/2001 P-12 Concerns the required expenditure of a portion of a school district's per pupil operating revenue for the school district's preschool program. Title: S.B. 123 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet TX Signed into law 05/2001 P-12 Districts are required to offer prekindergarten classes if the district identifies 15 or more children who are eligible (English learners, educationally disadvantaged, or homeless) and are at least four years of age. A school district may offer prekindergarten classes if the district identifies 15 or more eligible children who are at least three years of age. A district may not charge tuition for a prekindergarten class offered under this section.b) A district that offers a prekindergarten program on a tuition basis: (1) may not adopt a tuition rate for the program that is higher than necessary to cover the added costs of providing the program, including any costs associated with collecting, reporting, and analyzing data under Section 29.1532(c); and (2) must submit the proposed tuition rate to the commissioner for approval. Title: S.B. 596 Source: Texas Legislative Web Site 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: TN Signed into law 05/2001 P-12 Preschool Funding: Requires schools for preschool children organized as public schools or as public school classes to be maintained and supported from state, local and federal funds which hereafter may be appropriated specifically for preschool purposes, or from such gifts, donations or grants as may be received for preschool purposes. Allows state funds generated through the Basic Education Program (BEP) formula and local matching funds to be used for preschool purposes. If funded through the BEP, preschool would be based upon average daily preschool membership. Title: S.B. 1881/H.B. 1921--Omnibus Bill Source: http://www.legislature.state.tn.us NE Signed into law 04/2001 P-12 LB 759 changes current law pertaining to early childhood education pilot program grants. The bill provides for an Early Childhood Education Grant Program in lieu of the pilot projects that are currently funded. Programs selected for grants may be provided one-half of the total budget of the program per year. Pilot projects previously funded shall be eligible for continuation grants if their programs adhere to the requirements of the bill. The State Department of Education (NDE) may use up to 5% of the total appropriation for the grant program to evaluate and provide technical assistance to the early childhood education programs. NDE is to develop rules and regulations to implement the program. The state provided $560,000 of general funds in 2000-01 for pilot program grants for early childhood education programs. The bill does not require any additional funding for early childhood education program grants. Section 3 requires preschool programs, established by school boards or educational service units, to be approved by NDE. All teaching and administrative staff who are providing educational services in early childhood education programs are required to have training in early childhood education and have a permit or certificate issued by NDE. NDE indicates this is current practice, so no fiscal impact is estimated for these provisions. Title: L.B. 759 Source: http://www.unicam.state.ne.us AR Signed into law 03/2001 P-12 , Amends the application process for the Arkansas Better Chance Program; provides funding for early childhood programs. Title: H.B. 2241 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet CO Signed into law 03/2001 P-12 Requires school district preschool program councils to periodically assess whether alternative community providers are available and to ensure the highest quality service at the lowest cost. Title: S.B. 49 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet CO Signed into law 03/2001 P-12 Provides certain significant family risk factors of a child's home environment for eligibility in the preschool program. Title: S.B. 120 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet CO Signed into law 03/2001 P-12 Concerns the duties of the Colorado Department of Education in providing oversight of the Colorado Preschool Program. Title: H.B. 1041 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet AL Signed into law 05/2000 P-12 Creates the Office of School Readiness within the Department of Children's Affairs; provides for the operation and management of a voluntary pre-kindergarten program. Title: S.B. 132 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet MD Vetoed 05/2000 P-12 Establishes the Judith P. Hoyer Early Care and Education Centers and Education Enhancement Grant Program for the development of collaborative approaches to delivery of full-day early care and education and family support services; defines terms; designates the Department of Education as the agency supervising the grant program; requires the Department to distribute the funds to local systems on a competitive basis; limits local school use of funds. Title: S.B. 793 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet NY Signed into law 05/2000 P-12 Relates to state aid for school districts; funds a workforce education program in New York City; creates the Universal Prekindergarten Reserve Fund; provides State aid for conversion to full day kindergarten; relates to administration of the School Tax Relief Program; relates to 1997 and later assessment rolls; relates to tuition assistance program awards; relates to allowances for members of the Legislature, funding for the Legislature and legislative commissions. Title: A.B. 9291 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet HI Signed into law 04/2000 P-12 Expands the life of the Good Beginnings Alliance to 2010; expands the membership of the Interdepartmental Council by 2 members; expands the representation of the GBA Board of Directors by 5 representatives. Title: H.B. 536 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet MD Signed into law 04/2000 P-12 Establishes the Judith P. Hoyer Early Childhood Care and Education Program, a grant program for early child care and education centers and education enhancement for the development of collaborative approaches for the delivery of full-day early care and education and family support services; designates the Maryland Department of Education as the agency supervising the grant program. Title: H.B. 1249, S.B. 1249 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet AL Signed into law 03/2000 P-12 Relates to preschool programs; requires preschools receiving funding under the early childhood block grant program to become accredited. Title: H.J.R. 96 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet AZ Signed into law 03/2000 P-12 Relates to preschool programs; requires preschools receiving funding under the early childhood block grant program to become accredited. Title: H.B. 2398 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet GA Signed into law 03/2000 P-12 There is created voluntary pre-enrollment of two-year-olds in local school systems. Parents must include a certification of immunization as a condition of pre-enrollment. Title: H.B. 1187 Source: Georgia Department of Education VA Signed into law 03/2000 P-12 Provides that the guidelines for the at-risk four-year-old preschool program may be differentiated according to the agency delivering the services in order to comply with various federal or state requirements; requires (i) one teacher for any class of ten students or less, (ii) if the average daily membership in any class exceeds 10 students but does not exceed 20 students, a full-time teacher's aide must be assigned to the class, and (iii) the maximum class size must be 20 students. Title: S.B. 170 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet WY Signed into law 03/2000 P-12 Relates to preschool programs; provides a school district may establish a preschool program under certain conditions; provides for funding a preschool program; provides certain limitations on enrollment; provides for technical assistance under certain circumstances; provides for program assessment; provides for reporting of program assessments. Title: H.B. 185 Source: Lexis-Nexis/StateNet