S-4671.1 _______________________________________________
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6170
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 53rd Legislature 1994 Regular Session
By Senate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senators Pelz and McDonald; by request of Department of Community Development)
Read first time 02/01/94.
AN ACT Relating to clarifying the statutory language governing the early childhood education and assistance program; amending RCW 28A.215.100, 28A.215.110, 28A.215.120, 28A.215.130, 28A.215.150, 28A.215.160, 28A.215.170, 28A.215.180, and 28A.215.200; amending 1988 c 174 s 1 (uncodified); amending 1987 c 518 s 1 (uncodified); and providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 28A.215.100 and 1985 c 418 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
It is the intent of the legislature to
establish ((a preschool)) an early childhood state education and
assistance program. This special assistance program is a voluntary enrichment
program to help prepare some children to enter the common school system and
shall be offered only as funds are available. This program is not a part of
the basic program of education which must be fully funded by the legislature
under Article IX, section 1 of the state Constitution.
Sec. 2. RCW 28A.215.110 and 1990 c 33 s 213 are each amended to read as follows:
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout RCW 28A.215.100 through 28A.215.200 and 28A.215.900 through 28A.215.908.
(1) "Advisory committee" means the advisory committee under RCW 28A.215.140.
(2) (("At risk" means a child not
eligible for kindergarten whose family circumstances would qualify that child
for eligibility under the federal head start program.
(3)))
"Department" means the department of community, trade, and
economic development.
(((4))) (3) "Eligible
child" means ((an at-risk child as defined in this section)) a
child not eligible for kindergarten whose family income is at or below one
hundred percent of the federal poverty level, as published annually by the
federal department of health and human services, and includes a child whose
family is eligible for public assistance, and who is not a participant in a
federal or state program providing ((like educational)) comprehensive
services and may include children who are eligible under rules adopted by the
department if the number of such children equals not more than ten percent of the
total enrollment in the ((preschool)) early childhood program. Priority
for enrollment shall be given to children from families with the lowest income
or to eligible children from families with multiple needs.
(((5))) (4) "Approved ((preschool))
programs" means those state-supported education and special assistance
programs which are recognized by the department of community, trade, and
economic development as meeting the minimum program rules adopted by the
department to qualify under RCW 28A.215.100 through 28A.215.200 and 28A.215.900
through 28A.215.908 and are designated as eligible for funding by the
department under RCW 28A.215.160 and 28A.215.180.
(5) "Comprehensive services" means an assistance program that focuses on the needs of the child and includes education, health, and family support services.
(6) "Family support services" means providing opportunities for parents to:
(a) Actively participate in their child's early childhood program;
(b) Increase their knowledge of child development and parenting skills;
(c) Further their education and training;
(d) Increase their ability to use needed services in the community;
(e) Increase their self-reliance.
Sec. 3. 1988 c 174 s 1 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:
The legislature finds that the early childhood
education and assistance program provides for the educational, social, health,
nutritional, and cultural development of children at risk of failure when they
reach school age. The long-term benefits to society in the form of greater
educational attainment, employment, and projected lifetime earnings as well as
the savings to be realized, from lower crime rates, welfare support, and
reduced teenage pregnancy, have been demonstrated through lifelong research of
at-risk children and ((preschool)) early childhood programs.
((The legislature further finds that
existing federal head start programs and state-supported early childhood
education programs provide services for less than one-third of the eligible
children in Washington.))
The legislature intends to encourage development of community partnerships for children at risk by authorizing a program of voluntary grants and contributions from business and community organizations to increase opportunities for children to participate in early childhood education.
Sec. 4. RCW 28A.215.120 and 1988 c 174 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
The department of community, trade, and
economic development shall administer a state-supported ((preschool))
early childhood education and assistance program to assist eligible
children with educational, social, health, nutritional, and cultural
development to enhance their opportunity for success in the common school
system. Eligible children shall be admitted to approved ((preschool)) early
childhood programs to the extent that the legislature provides funds, and
additional eligible children may be admitted to the extent that grants and contributions
from community sources provide sufficient funds for a program equivalent to
that supported by state funds.
Sec. 5. RCW 28A.215.130 and 1988 c 174 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
Approved ((preschool)) early
childhood programs shall receive state-funded support through the
department. ((School districts, and existing head start grantees in
cooperation with school districts)) Public or private nonsectarian
organizations, including, but not limited to school districts, educational
service districts, community and technical colleges, local governments, or
nonprofit organizations, are eligible to participate as providers of the
state ((preschool)) early childhood program. ((School
districts may contract with other governmental or nongovernmental nonsectarian
organizations to conduct a portion of the state program.)) Funds
appropriated for the state program shall be used to continue to operate
existing programs or to establish new or expanded ((preschool)) early
childhood programs, and shall not be used to supplant federally supported
head start programs. Funds obtained by providers through voluntary grants or
contributions from individuals, agencies, corporations, or organizations may be
used to expand or enhance preschool programs so long as program standards
established by the department are maintained, but shall not be used to supplant
federally supported head start programs or state-supported ((preschool))
early childhood programs. Persons applying to conduct the ((preschool))
early childhood program shall identify targeted groups and the number of
children to be served, program components, the qualifications of instructional
and special staff, the source and amount of grants or contributions from sources
other than state funds, facilities and equipment support, and transportation
and personal care arrangements.
Sec. 6. RCW 28A.215.150 and 1988 c 174 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:
The department shall adopt rules under chapter
34.05 RCW for the administration of the ((preschool)) early childhood
program. ((Federal head start program criteria, including set aside
provisions for the)) Approved early childhood programs shall conduct
needs assessments of their service area, identify any targeted groups of
children, to include but not be limited to children of seasonal and migrant
farmworkers and native American populations living either on or off
reservation, ((to the extent practicable, shall be considered as guidelines
for the state preschool early childhood assistance program)) and provide
to the department a service delivery plan, to the extent practicable, that
addresses these targeted populations.
The department in developing rules for the ((preschool))
early childhood program shall consult with the advisory committee, and
shall consider such factors as coordination with existing head start and other
((preschool)) early childhood programs, the preparation necessary
for instructors, qualifications of instructors, adequate space and equipment,
and special transportation needs. The rules shall specifically require the ((preschool))
early childhood programs to provide for parental involvement ((at a
level not less than that provided under the federal head start program criteria))
in participation with their child's program, in local program policy
decisions, in development and revision of service delivery systems, and in
parent education and training.
Sec. 7. 1987 c 518 s 1 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:
The long-term social, community welfare, and
economic interests of the state will be served by an investment in our
children. Conclusive studies and experiences show that providing children with
((certain)) developmental experiences and providing parents with
effective parental ((guidance)) partnership, empowerment,
opportunities for involvement with their child's developmental learning, and
expanding parenting skills, learning, and training can greatly improve ((their))
children's performance in school as well as increase the likelihood of
((their)) children's success as adults. National studies have
also confirmed that special attention to, and educational assistance for,
children ((and)), their school environment ((is)), and
their families are the most effective ways in which to meet the
state's social and economic goals.
The legislature intends to enhance the readiness to learn of certain children and students by: Providing for an expansion of the state early childhood education and assistance program for children from low-income families and establishing an adult literacy program for certain parents; assisting school districts to establish elementary counseling programs; instituting a program to address learning problems due to drug and alcohol use and abuse; and establishing a program directed at students who leave school before graduation.
The legislature intends further to establish programs that will allow for parental, business, and community involvement in assisting the school systems throughout the state to enhance the ability of children to learn.
Sec. 8. RCW 28A.215.160 and 1988 c 174 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:
The department shall review applications from
public or private nonsectarian organizations for state funding of early
childhood education and assistance programs and award funds ((on a
competitive basis)) as determined by department rules and based on local
community needs and demonstrated capacity to provide services.
Sec. 9. RCW 28A.215.170 and 1988 c 174 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:
The governor shall report to the legislature
before each regular session of the legislature convening in an odd-numbered
year, on the ((merits of continuing and expanding the preschool program or
instituting other means of providing early childhood development assistance.
The)) current status of the program, the state-wide need for early
childhood program services, and the plans to address these needs. The
department shall consult with the office of the superintendent of public
instruction ((shall assist the governor)) in the preparation of the
biennial report and ((shall be consulted)) on all issues of mutual
concern addressed in ((said)) the report.
((If the governor recommends the
continuation of a state-funded preschool program, then)) The
governor's report shall include specific recommendations on at least the
following issues:
(1) The desired relationships of a state-funded
((preschool)) early childhood education and assistance program
with the common school system;
(2) The types of children and their needs that the program should serve;
(3) The appropriate level of state support for
implementing a comprehensive ((preschool)) early childhood
education and assistance program for all eligible children, including related
programs to prepare instructors and provide facilities, equipment, and
transportation;
(4) The state administrative structure necessary to implement the program; and
(5) The establishment of a system to examine
and monitor the effectiveness of ((preschool)) early childhood
educational and assistance services for ((disadvantaged)) eligible
children to measure, among other elements, if possible, how the average
level of performance of children completing this program compare to the
average level of performance of all state students in their grade level, and to
the average level of performance of those ((at-risk)) eligible
students who ((do)) did not have access to this program. The
evaluation system shall examine how the percentage of these children needing
access to special education or remedial programs compares to the overall
percentage of children needing such services and compares to the percentage of
((at-risk)) eligible students who ((do)) did not
have access to this program needing such services.
Sec. 10. RCW 28A.215.180 and 1990 c 33 s 214 are each amended to read as follows:
For the purposes of RCW 28A.215.100 through
28A.215.200 and 28A.215.900 through 28A.215.908, the department may award state
support under RCW 28A.215.100 through 28A.215.160 to increase the numbers of
eligible children assisted by the federal or state-supported ((preschool))
early childhood programs in this state ((by up to five thousand
additional children)). Priority shall be given to ((groups in))
those geographical areas which include a high percentage of families qualifying
under the ((federal "at risk")) "eligible child"
criteria. The overall program funding level shall be based on an average grant
per child consistent with state appropriations made for program costs:
PROVIDED, That programs addressing special needs of selected groups or
communities shall be recognized in the department's rules.
Sec. 11. RCW 28A.215.200 and 1990 c 33 s 215 are each amended to read as follows:
The department may solicit gifts, grants,
conveyances, bequests and devises for the use or benefit of the ((preschool))
early childhood state education and assistance program established by
RCW 28A.215.100 through 28A.215.200 and 28A.215.900 through 28A.215.908. The
department shall actively solicit support from business and industry and from
the federal government for the ((preschool)) state early childhood
education and assistance program and shall assist local programs in developing
partnerships with the community for ((children-at-risk)) eligible
children.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 12. This act shall take effect July 1, 1994.
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