,i #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ajda ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #aa1 #bjac ,mrs4 ,mc,carthy of ,new ,york introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and the ,workforce ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife to improve early education4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,providing ,resources ,early for ,kids ,act of #bjac or the ,,pre-,k ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,children's experiences in the first #e years of life influence the developing brain and have a significant and lasting impact4 7#b7 ,all children deserve access to high-quality early learning experiences that can support children's cognitive1 social1 and emotional development and help prepare children to succeed in school and in life4 7#c7 ,research shows that high-quality early education programs can improve early reading and early mathematics skills1 decrease grade retention1 decrease the need for special education services1 and increase the likelihood that children will graduate from secondary school and become productive members of society4 7#d7 ,the economic benefits of early education experiences are clear1 and providing parents with greater access to high-quality early learning programs will benefit children1 families1 and our ,nation4 7#e7 ,high-quality early education programs have well-trained and well-compensated teachers1 small class sizes1 a full-day program1 comprehensive services1 family participation1 and a research-based curriculum that aligns with strong early learning standards4 ,the quality of ,state early education programs varies significantly across the ,united ,states4 7#f7 ,while nearly three-quarters of children ages #c through #e who are not in kindergarten spend time in non-parental care each week1 research suggests that most are not in high-quality settings that meet the full range of their developmental needs4 7#g7 ,a ,federal partnership with ,states-- 7,a7 will help increase access to voluntary1 high-quality preschool programs2 7,b7 is a necessary step to improving the ,nation's elementary and secondary schools and helping ,states close the achievement gap and improve graduation rates2 and 7,c7 should be a national priority4 #c4 ,early education grants 7a7 ,program established ,from amounts made available to carry out this ,act1 the ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 shall make grants each fiscal year to ,states to enhance or improve ,state-funded preschool programs4 7b7 ,allotment 7#a7 ,determination ,from funds appropriated under section #ac1 and not reserved under subsection 7c71 the ,secretary shall make a base allotment to each ,state that has submitted an approved application and is either-- 7,a7 a qualified ,state 7as defined in section #d7;a772 or 7,b7 a selected ,state 7as designated under section #d7;b774 7#b7 ,amount ,the amount of the base allotment described under paragraph 7#a7 for each ,state shall be based on the number of children who are under age #e from a family with income below the poverty line for each ,state1 compared to the number of such children from all ,states1 except that no ,state shall have a base allotment that is less than #j4be percent of the amounts appropriated under this ,act4 7#c7 ,basis for the base allotment ,the ,secretary shall determine the amount of the base allotment under paragraph 7#b7 as if every ,state was to receive a base allotment4 7#d7 ,remainder ,in any fiscal year for which not every ,state is to receive a base allotment1 the ,secretary shall reallot any funds remaining after the determination of a base allotment under paragraph 7#b7 to each ,state that has submitted an approved application and is a qualified ,state4 ,such remaining funds shall be realloted among such qualified ,states and shall be determined by comparing the number of children who are under age #e from a family with income below the poverty line for each such qualified ,state to such number for all such qualified ,states4 7c7 ,reservation ,from the amount appropriated each fiscal year to carry out this ,act1 the ,secretary shall reserve #a percent for the purpose of making grants to ,indian tribes and tribal organizations1 as described in section #aj4 #d4 ,state eligibility 7a7 ,qualified ,states ,for purposes of this ,act1 the term qualified ,state means a ,state that meets each of the following criteria3 7#a7 ,the ,state carries out a voluntary ,state-funded preschool program that includes1 at a minimum1 the following3 7,a7 ,use of research-based curricula that are aligned with ,state early learning standards that are developmentally appropriate and include1 at a minimum1 each of the following domains3 7i7 ,language development4 7ii7 ,literacy4 7iii7 ,mathematics4 7iv7 ,science4 7v7 ,creative arts4 7vi7 ,social and emotional development4 7vii7 ,approaches to learning4 7viii7 ,physical and health development4 7,b7 ,use of nationally established1 or better1 best practices for group size and teacher-to-student ratios1 appropriate to the age group being served4 7,c7 ,a requirement that each teacher holds an associate degree1 or higher1 in early childhood education or a related field4 7,d7 ,a requirement to operate for at least the length of an academic year4 7#b7 ,the ,state shall have developed a plan1 including a timetable1 for moving toward a requirement for ,state-funded preschool programs that each teacher holds a baccalaureate degree in early childhood education1 or in a related field if specialized training in early childhood education has also been completed1 not more than #e years after the ,state first receives a grant as a qualified ,state under this ,act4 7#c7 ,the ,state1 at a minimum1 shall ensure that the average per-child expenditure by the ,state and the ,state's political subdivisions to support ,state-funded preschool programs for the fiscal year for which the grant is made is equal to1 or greater than1 the average of such per-child expenditure for the previous #b fiscal years4 7#d7 ,the ,state1 at a minimum1 shall ensure that the total expenditure by the ,state to support ,state-funded preschool programs for the fiscal year for which the grant is made is equal to1 or greater than1 such expenditure for the preceding fiscal year4 7#e7 ,the ,state1 at a minimum1 shall ensure that the total expenditure by the ,state to support ,state-funded child care services and activities for the fiscal year for which the grant is made is equal to1 or greater than1 such expenditure for the preceding fiscal year4 7b7 ,selected ,states 7#a7 ,in general ,each fiscal year1 the ,secretary shall carry out1 on a competitive basis1 a process for the designation of ,states as selected ,states for purposes of this ,act4 ,the ,secretary shall determine whether to designate any ,states as selected ,states and1 if so1 shall determine the ,states that are to be designated as selected ,states4 7#b7 ,basis for determinations ,the determinations required by paragraph 7#a7 shall be based on-- 7,a7 a ,state meeting the requirements of paragraphs 7#c7 through 7#e7 of subsection 7a72 7,b7 the quality of the applications submitted2 and 7,c7 the extent to which a ,state demonstrates that the ,state1 if designated1 will become a qualified ,state within #b fiscal years4 7#c7 ,period of designation ,a designation as a selected ,state under this subsection shall apply to a ,state for #b fiscal years4 ,if a ,state is both a qualified ,state and a selected ,state for a fiscal year1 the ,state shall be treated for purposes of this ,act as a qualified ,state rather than a selected ,state4 #e4 ,applications 7a7 ,in general ,a ,state desiring to receive funds under this ,act shall submit an application to the ,secretary at such time and in such manner as the ,secretary may reasonably require4 ,in developing such application1 the ,state shall consult with the ,state ,advisory ,council on ,early ,childhood ,education and ,care 7described in section #fdb;,b7b7 of the ,head ,start ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ihcg;b7b777 or a similar ,state entity1 and providers of early childhood programs operating in the ,state4 7b7 ,required contents ,the application referred to in subsection 7a7 shall include1 at a minimum1 the following3 7#a7 ,if the ,state desires to be treated as a qualified ,state1 information sufficient for the ,secretary to determine whether the ,state is a qualified ,state4 7#b7 ,if the ,state desires to be designated as a selected ,state-- 7,a7 assurances that the ,state1 if designated as a selected ,state1 will become a qualified ,state within #b fiscal years2 7,b7 information sufficient for the ,secretary to determine whether the ,state meets the requirements of paragraphs 7#c7 through 7#e7 of section #d7;a72 and 7,c7 information relating to any competitive criteria that the ,secretary may establish4 7#c7 ,a description of how the funds received under this ,act will be used to enhance or improve preschool programs in the ,state4 7#d7 ,a description of how the ,state is working to build the ,state's capacity to serve more children in high-quality early education programs1 including the building of new facilities1 as appropriate4 7#e7 ,a description of how the ,state will ensure that any funds made available to ,state-funded preschool program providers are made available to a range of types of such preschool providers1 including local educational agencies and community-based providers such as child care and ,head ,start1 as appropriate4 7#f7 ,assurances that amounts received by the ,state under this ,act will be used only to supplement1 and not to supplant1 ,federal1 ,state1 and local funds otherwise available to support existing early childhood services and activities4 7#g7 ,a description of how the ,state will evaluate the effectiveness of the use of funds received under this ,act4 7#h7 ,a description of how the ,state will use the funds to better meet the needs of low-income working parents4 7#i7 ,a description of how the use of funds will help meet the developmental needs of children in the ,state4 7#aj7 ,a description of how the ,state will ensure that ,state-funded preschool programs are available to1 and appropriate for1 children with disabilities4 7#aa7 ,a description of how the ,state-funded preschool programs will be culturally and linguistically appropriate and how the ,state plans to meet the early education needs of children with limited ,english proficiency4 7#ab7 ,a description of how the ,state is working to develop and use research-based curricula that are aligned with ,state early learning standards and are linguistically and culturally appropriate for children with limited ,english proficiency4 7#ac7 ,a description of how the ,state agency designated under subsection 7c7 will coordinate with other ,state agencies delivering early childhood development programs or services4 7#ad7 ,a description of how the ,state will ensure that ,state-funded preschool programs will coordinate with local educational agencies in the area to ensure a smooth and successful transition to kindergarten4 7#ae7 ,a description of how the ,state monitoring process will effectively assess and ensure the quality of ,state-funded preschool programs4 7#af7 ,a description of how the ,state will coordinate this grant with the efforts of the ,state ,advisory ,council on ,early ,childhood ,education and ,care 7described in section #fdb;,b7b7 of the ,head ,start ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ihcg;b7b777 or another ,state entity that is coordinating a system of early childhood development and education for children from birth to kindergarten entry4 7#ag7 ,a description of how the ,state-funded preschool programs that are not universal prioritize children from low-income families4 7#ah7 ,a description of how the ,state is working to eliminate barriers and improve access to ,state-funded preschool programs for children who live in rural areas4 7#ai7 ,a description of how the ,state is working to address the transportation needs of families for whom lack of transportation is a significant barrier to accessing ,state-funded preschool4 7c7 ,state agency ,the application shall designate a ,state agency to administer and oversee grant funds and the activities carried out under this ,act4 #f4 ,use of funds 7a7 ,priority ,in using funds provided under this ,act1 a ,state shall give priority to improving the quality of ,state-funded preschool in communities with high concentrations of low-income children4 7b7 ,specific uses ,subject to subsections 7c7 and 7d71 a ,state that receives funds under this ,act shall use such funds to carry out #a or more of the following activities3 7#a7 ,to increase the number of teachers and program directors in ,state-funded preschool programs who hold a baccalaureate degree in early childhood education1 or in a related field if specialized training in early childhood education has also been completed4 7#b7 ,to increase the number of teacher aides in ,state-funded preschool programs who hold an associate degree in early childhood education1 or in a related field if specialized training in early childhood education has also been completed4 7#c7 ,to increase the number of program directors1 teachers1 and teacher aides who have specialized training in working with children and families with limited ,english proficiency4 7#d7 ,to increase the number of program directors1 teachers1 and teacher aides who have specialized training in working with children with disabilities4 7#e7 ,to increase the compensation or benefits provided to teachers1 program directors1 and teacher aides in ,state-funded preschool programs in order to improve the ability of those programs to recruit and retain such teachers1 program directors1 and teacher aides4 7#f7 ,to decrease group size in classrooms in ,state-funded preschool programs4 7#g7 ,to improve the teacher-to-student ratios in classrooms in ,state-funded preschool programs4 7#h7 ,to provide1 in ,state-funded preschool programs1 #a or more of the following comprehensive services that support healthy child development and positive child outcomes and school readiness3 7,a7 ,vision and hearing screenings and referrals4 7,b7 ,health and mental health screenings and referrals4 7,c7 ,parent involvement opportunities4 7,d7 ,nutrition services4 7#i7 ,to extend the number of-- 7,a7 hours per day of program operation of ,state-funded preschool programs2 7,b7 days per week of program operation of ,state-funded preschool programs2 or 7,c7 weeks per year of program operation of ,state-funded preschool programs4 7#aj7 ,to improve the ,state's system for monitoring the quality of ,state-funded preschool programs4 7#aa7 ,to provide opportunities for intensive and on-going research- and evidence-based professional development in the domains described in section #d7;a77#a77;,a7 for staff of ,state-funded preschool programs4 7#ab7 ,to provide induction and support for preschool program directors1 teachers1 and staff during the first #c years of employment in a new position1 and to provide on-going mentoring to such individuals by persons with education and expertise in supporting teachers in effective teaching practices with young children and in supporting program directors in early childhood education and program management4 7#ac7 ,to renovate existing facilities1 except that such renovation must be limited to minor rehabilitation or remodeling needed to ensure that ,state-funded preschool program facilities are age and developmentally appropriate4 7#ad7 ,to provide preschool classroom supplies or equipment4 7c7 ,set-,aside ,a ,state that receives funds under this ,act shall use #aj percent of such funds to improve the quality of early learning environments for children from birth to age #c through research- and evidence-based methods4 7d7 ,special rule 7#a7 ,in general ,notwithstanding subsection 7b71 a qualified ,state that receives funds under this ,act may use not more than #ej percent of the funds remaining after the set-aside described under subsection 7c7 for the purpose of expanding a ,state-funded preschool program1 with priority for such expansion to communities with high concentrations of low-income children1 that meets or exceeds the criteria in section #d7;a7 if-- 7,a7 the amount appropriated under section #ac is not less than #bej1jjj1jjj2 or 7,b7 the ,state-funded preschool program meets or exceeds the following criteria3 7i7 ,the standards described in subparagraphs 7,a7 and 7,b7 of section #d7;a77#a74 7ii7 ,each teacher holds a baccalaureate degree in early childhood education 7or a related field if specialized training in early childhood education has also been completed74 7iii7 ,each provider provides full-day services at all locations4 7iv7 ,each provider provides comprehensive services to at-risk children participating in the ,state-funded preschool program4 7v7 ,each teacher participates in on-going professional development in child development and learning4 7vi7 ,each provider provides linguistically and culturally appropriate standards for serving children with limited ,english proficiency participating in the ,state-funded preschool program4 7#b7 ,state definition and applicability ,for the purpose of establishing a priority for expansion under paragraph 7#a71 the ,state shall define what constitutes a high concentration of low-income children4 ,in any ,state described in paragraph 7#a7 in which all communities with high concentrations of low-income children are served by a ,state-funded preschool program1 the priority for expansion described in such paragraph shall not apply4 7e7 ,rule of construction ,funds provided under this ,act shall be used only to improve or enhance a ,state-funded preschool program4 ,nothing in this ,act shall be construed such that a ,state may use these funds only for existing ,state-funded preschool program providers4 #g4 ,matching requirements ,the ,secretary shall not make a grant to a ,state under this ,act unless the ,state agrees to the following3 7#a7 ,qualified ,state ,in the case of a qualified ,state1 the ,state will make available non-,federal contributions in an amount equal to not less than #cj percent of that portion of the ,federal funds provided under the grant that represent the base allotment under section #c7;b77#b74 7#b7 ,selected ,state ,in the case of a selected ,state1 the ,state will make available non-,federal contributions in an amount equal to not less than #ej percent of that portion of the ,federal funds provided under the grant that represent the base allotment under section #c7;b77#b74 #h4 ,reporting requirements 7a7 ,report to ,congress ,for each year in which funding is provided under this ,act1 the ,secretary shall submit an annual report to ,congress on the activities carried out under this ,act1 including1 at a minimum1 information on the following3 7#a7 ,the activities undertaken by qualified ,states and selected ,states that improved or enhanced ,state-funded preschool programs4 7#b7 ,the progress of selected ,states in moving toward fulfilling criteria to become a qualified ,state4 7#c7 ,the extent to which the ,state used funds to expand a ,state-funded preschool program1 as allowed under section #f7;d74 7#d7 ,the costs and barriers to expansion1 including building and renovating preschool facilities so that such facilities are high-quality and age and developmentally appropriate4 7b7 ,report to ,secretary ,each ,state that receives a grant under this ,act shall submit to the ,secretary an annual report on the following3 7#a7 ,the activities carried out by the ,state under this ,act1 including-- 7,a7 how funds provided under this ,act were used to enhance and improve the quality of ,state-funded preschool programs1 including enhancing and improving the quality of ,state-funded preschool programs serving children who live in a rural area2 and 7,b7 such other information as the ,secretary may reasonably require4 7#b7 ,the activities carried out by the ,state-funded preschool program1 including-- 7,a7 the number and ages of children served by the ,state-funded preschool program2 and 7,b7 the number and ages of children in such program with a disability1 with limited ,english proficiency1 from low-income families1 and from rural areas4 #i4 ,special rule ,funds under this ,act may not be used for the purposes of assessments that provide rewards or sanctions for individual children or teachers4 #aj4 ,applications for ,indian tribes ,the ,secretary shall award competitive grants to ,indian tribes and tribal organizations to carry out a program under this ,act4 ,an ,indian tribe or tribal organization desiring to receive funds under this ,act shall submit an application to the ,secretary at such time and in such manner as the ,secretary may reasonably require4 ,for purposes of submitting such application and for expending funds received under this ,act1 ,indian tribes and tribal organizations shall comply with sections #d through #i4 #aa4 ,definitions ,for purposes of this ,act3 7#a7 ,local educational agency ,the term local educational agency has the meaning given such term in section #iaja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7#b7 ,poverty line ,the term poverty line has the meaning given such term in section #iaja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7#c7 ,rural area ,the term rural area means a geographic area served by a rural local educational agency4 7#d7 ,rural local education agency ,the term rural local educational agency means a local educational agency having administrative control or direction of schools which meet a metro-centric locale code of #da1 #db1 or #dc as determined by the ,national ,center for ,education ,statistics1 in conjunction with the ,bureau of the ,census1 using the system of the ,national ,center for ,education ,statistics for classifying local educational agencies4 7#e7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,education4 7#f7 ,state ,the term ,state has the meaning given such term in section #iaja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7#g7 ,state-funded preschool program ,the term ,state-funded preschool program means a program that-- 7,a7 serves children who are ages #c through #e2 7,b7 has a primary focus of supporting early childhood education1 including supporting children's cognitive1 social1 emotional1 and physical development and approaches to learning2 7,c7 helps prepare children for a successful transition to kindergarten2 and 7,d7 is funded either in whole or in part by a ,state through a ,state agency with authority to promulgate regulations and monitor participating programs4 7#h7 ,limited ,english proficiency ,the term limited ,english proficiency1 when used with respect to a child1 means a child-- 7,a7 7i7 who was not born in the ,united ,states or whose native language is a language other than ,english2 7ii7 7,i7 who is a ,native ,american 7as defined in section #iaja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja771 an ,alaska ,native1 or a native resident of an outlying area 7as defined in such section #iaja72 and 7,,ii7 who comes from an environment where a language other than ,english has had a significant impact on the child's level of ,english language proficiency2 or 7iii7 who is migratory1 whose native language is a language other than ,english1 and who comes from an environment where a language other than ,english is dominant2 and 7,b7 whose difficulties in speaking or understanding the ,english language may be sufficient to deny the child-- 7i7 the ability to successfully achieve in a classroom in which the language of instruction is ,english2 or 7ii7 the opportunity to participate fully in society4 #ab4 ,construction ,nothing in this ,act shall be construed to require a child to attend a preschool program4 #ac4 ,authorization ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this ,act such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years #bjad through #bjah4