BILL REQ. #:  S-0352.1 

Read first time 01/29/2003.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to prekindergarten; and adding new sections to chapter 28A.215 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature intends to establish a certification process for public and nonpublic prekindergarten programs to seek voluntary approval, by the state board of education, of their child development and educational offerings. The purpose of the approval is to give parents and other consumers of prekindergarten programs some standard to use to assess the quality of prekindergarten programs and the program's ability to prepare children for kindergarten.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   By rule, the state board of education shall adopt standards and procedures for the certification and approval of all public and nonpublic prekindergarten programs. The standards for approval shall require that the programs provide the children with the academic skills that are needed for the children to be successful as they enter into the next level of school. Such programs are encouraged to apply for approval. In developing standards, the state board of education shall review nationally developed standards. However, before any standards or procedures for approval of prekindergarten programs are implemented, the state board of education shall present the standards and procedures to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate for the committees' review and comment.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   The state board of education shall post a list of approved prekindergarten programs on the board's internet web site.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   Sections 1 through 3 of this act are each added to chapter 28A.215 RCW.