BILL REQ. #: S-3953.2
State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2012 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/23/12. Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.
AN ACT Relating to improving access to high-quality early learning programs; amending RCW 43.215.141 and 43.215.142; adding new sections to chapter 43.215 RCW; creating new sections; and repealing RCW 43.215.140.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that children who have
high-quality preschool opportunities are more likely to succeed
throughout their K-12 education and beyond, and are less likely to
require grade-level retention and special education. The legislature
also finds that access to high-quality preschool programs varies widely
around the state based on many factors, including program availability
and family income. The legislature further finds that a comprehensive
preschool program such as the early childhood education and assistance
program that offers health, nutrition, and family support services to
at-risk children and their families promotes improved educational and
life outcomes. The legislature further finds that a high-quality
preschool program that is offered to children from families of various
income levels can effectively provide developmental benefits to lower-income children, while addressing gaps in availability for working
class and middle-class families who may not be able to afford high-quality preschool. The legislature also finds that a key strategy in
the state's ten-year early learning plan is supporting school readiness
by implementing voluntary preschool for all three and four year old
children in Washington. The legislature also finds that aligning
targeted infant and toddler opportunities that include high-quality
child care with preschool is critical to the success of Washington's
education system.
Therefore, the legislature intends to create a more comprehensive,
voluntary, high-quality preschool program in Washington that, upon full
implementation, will be a program for all three and four year old
children in Washington. The legislature also intends to concurrently
phase in targeted birth-to-three programs, including high-quality child
care, as a component of the implementation of the new Washington
preschool program.
Sec. 2 RCW 43.215.141 and 2010 c 231 s 3 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) Beginning ((September 1, 2011, an early learning)) with the
2014-15 school year, the Washington preschool program shall be
implemented to provide voluntary preschool opportunities for children
three and four years of age ((shall be implemented)) according to the
funding and implementation plan in RCW 43.215.142. ((The program must
be a comprehensive program providing early childhood education and
family support, options for parental involvement, and health
information, screening, and referral services, as family need is
determined. Participation in the program is voluntary. On a space
available basis, the program may allow enrollment of children who are
not otherwise eligible by assessing a fee.))
(2) ((The first phase of the program shall be implemented by
utilizing the program standards and eligibility criteria in the early
childhood education and assistance program.)) In establishing the Washington preschool program in this
section, the director shall adopt rules or program performance
standards for the following program components((
(3), as appropriate and
necessary during the phased implementation of the program)):
(a) ((Minimum program standards, including lead teacher, assistant
teacher, and staff qualifications;)) All
three and four year old children are eligible to attend. However,
families with incomes that exceed two hundred fifty percent of the
federal poverty level shall be required to pay a copay at a rate
established by the director. During the initial implementation phases
of the Washington preschool program, the director shall establish
guidelines for prioritizing eligible children;
(b) Approval of program providers; and
(c) Accountability and adherence to performance standards
(b) Transportation of children shall be an allowable expense of the
provider, but the provider shall not be required to provide
transportation for children participating in the program;
(c) A minimum of four hundred fifty classroom hours must be
provided each year;
(d) Lead teachers shall be required to have a bachelor's degree in
early childhood education or a related field, or a bachelor's degree
and demonstrated competencies. Assistant teachers shall be required to
have an associate of arts degree in early childhood education or a
related field, or an associate of arts degree and demonstrated
competencies. These degree requirements shall be phased in over time,
according to a schedule determined by the department. The department
shall report the phase in schedule for degree requirements, and
equivalent competencies, to the legislature by June 30, 2012;
(e) Class size may not exceed eighteen children per class;
(f) The teacher:child ratio may not exceed one teacher to nine
children;
(g) Lead teachers shall be required to complete one hundred hours
of approved continuing education or equivalent academic credit every
five years; and
(h) Child health coordination services and family supports must be
provided.
(((4))) (3) The department has administrative responsibility for:
(a) Approving and contracting with providers according to rules
developed by the director under this section. The rules shall allow
public and private early learning providers to apply, providing that
the program is free from religious instruction, activities, symbolism,
and control or influence. Eligible providers may include, but are not
limited to, nonprofit, profit, and faith-based organizations; licensed
child care centers and family homes; private schools; school districts;
educational service districts; community and technical colleges; local
governments; tribes; and tribal organizations. Existing organizations
that receive funding through the early childhood education and
assistance program are eligible and encouraged to apply for a contract
under the Washington preschool program;
(b) Monitoring classroom quality;
(c) Requiring the administration of a child assessment of social-emotional, cognitive, and physical development that is directly aligned
with the kindergarten inventory established in RCW 28A.150.315(2);
(((b) In partnership with school districts, monitoring program
quality and assuring the program is responsive to the needs of eligible
children;)) (d) Assuring that program providers work cooperatively with
school districts to coordinate the transition from preschool to
kindergarten so that children and their families are well-prepared and
supported; ((
(c)and)) (e) Providing technical assistance to contracted providers;
(d)
(f) Establishing criteria and a process for lead and assistant
teachers to demonstrate the required competencies;
(g) Establishing criteria and a process for approving continuing
education and academic credits;
(h) Establishing qualifications and continuing education
requirements for other staff in addition to lead and assistant
teachers;
(i) Providing information regarding program and child outcome data
to the education data center created in RCW 43.41.400; and
(j) Submitting a report annually to the governor, the
superintendent of public instruction, and the legislature that provides
information regarding the program. The report shall include child
outcomes, performance goals, the extent in which the goals are being
met, and the status of program implementation. The first report must
be submitted by December 1, 2015, and annually thereafter.
Sec. 3 RCW 43.215.142 and 2010 c 231 s 4 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) Funding for the Washington preschool program ((of early
learning)) established under this chapter must be appropriated to the
department. ((Allocations must be made on the basis of eligible
children enrolled with eligible providers.)) The department must
develop a formula to recommend to the legislature to be used to
allocate funds to program providers.
(2) The Washington preschool program shall be implemented in
phases, so that full implementation is achieved in the ((2018-19))
2024-25 school year. As the Washington preschool program is
implemented, it is the intent of the legislature that additional
enrollment slots will be funded for the program and that existing
enrollment slots in the early childhood education and assistance
program will be transferred over time to this program.
(3) For the ((initial phase of the early learning program in school
years)) 2011-12 ((and)), 2012-13, and 2013-14 school years, the
legislature shall appropriate funding to the department for
((implementation of)) the early childhood education and assistance
program in an amount not less than the 2009-2011 enacted budget for the
early childhood education and assistance program. The appropriation
shall be sufficient to fund an equivalent number of slots as funded in
the 2009-2011 enacted budget.
(4) Beginning in the ((2013-14)) 2014-15 school year, additional
funding for the Washington preschool program must be phased in
beginning in elementary school ((districts)) enrollment areas, as
defined by school districts, providing all-day kindergarten programs
under RCW 28A.150.315 and where there is lower than average access to
head start or the early childhood education and assistance program.
(5) Funding shall continue to be phased in incrementally each year
until full statewide implementation of the ((early learning))
Washington preschool program is achieved in the ((2018-19)) 2024-25
school year, at which time any eligible child shall be entitled to be
enrolled in the program.
(6) The department and the office of financial management shall
annually review the caseload forecasts for the program and, beginning
December 1, 2012, and annually thereafter, report to the governor and
the appropriate committees of the legislature with recommendations for
phasing in additional funding necessary to achieve statewide
implementation of the Washington preschool program in the ((2018-19))
2024-25 school year.
(7) ((School districts and approved community-based early learning
providers may contract with the department to provide services under
the program.)) The department shall collaborate with school districts,
community-based providers, and educational service districts to promote
an adequate supply of approved providers.
(8) The department may adopt rules to implement this section and
RCW 43.215.141.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4 A new section is added to chapter 43.215 RCW
to read as follows:
The early learning advisory council shall establish a subcommittee
to guide the development and implementation of the Washington preschool
program created in RCW 43.215.141.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5 A new section is added to chapter 43.215 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) The early learning advisory council shall establish a preschool
readiness subcommittee, which shall be cochaired by the department and
the nongovernmental private-public partnership created in RCW
43.215.070. The subcommittee shall be composed of at least one
representative from each of the following:
(a) The early learning advisory council;
(b) The office of the superintendent of public instruction;
(c) The department of social and health services;
(d) The department of early learning;
(e) The nongovernmental private-public partnership created in RCW
43.215.070; and
(f) Additional stakeholders with expertise in birth-to-three policy
and programs and quality child care, as designated by the early
learning advisory council.
(2) The subcommittee may convene advisory subgroups on specific
topics as necessary to assure participation and input from a broad
array of diverse stakeholders.
(3) The subcommittee shall be monitored and overseen by the early
learning advisory council created in RCW 43.215.090.
(4) In 2011-12 and 2012-13 school years, the subcommittee shall
develop a comprehensive, technical, preschool readiness plan, which
shall include further development of the Washington State Birth to 3
Plan and include high quality child care programming. The
subcommittee, at minimum, must include the following recommendations in
its preschool readiness plan:
(a) Program standards including, but not limited to, direct
services to be provided, and professional qualifications;
(b) Performance measures;
(c) Funding eligibility criteria for providers and programs;
(d) Funding mechanisms;
(e) Funding necessary to implement preschool readiness programs;
(f) Governance responsibilities for the department of early
learning; and
(g) A timeline for implementation that is concurrent with the
expansion of the Washington preschool program created in RCW
43.215.141.
(5) While developing the preschool readiness plan, the subcommittee
must review programs that provide voluntary, intensive, research-based,
comprehensive prevention services for expectant parents and families
with children from birth to age three who are at-risk of academic
failure. The subcommittee must review programs including, but not
limited to, state early head start, home visiting, and other high-quality program models that serve children from birth to three.
(6) The subcommittee shall present its initial recommendations to
the early learning advisory council and the legislature by December
2012, and final recommendations in December 2013. Thereafter, the
subcommittee shall report to the early learning advisory council and
relevant legislative committees each year.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6 RCW 43.215.140 (Definitions) and 2010 c 231
s 2 are each repealed.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7 This act may be known and cited as the
high-quality early learning act.