,,ii #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #afgc ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,november #g1 #bjac,mr4 ,franken introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to help ,states develop and improve the qualifications and training of their early childhood educator workforce4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,early ,childhood ,care and ,education ,workforce ,improvement ,act4 #b4 ,purpose ,the purpose of this ,act is to help ,states build their capacity to train1 credential1 fairly compensate1 and retain a highly qualified early childhood care and education workforce4 #c4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,child ,the term child means a child-- 7,a7 who is age #e or younger2 or 7,b7 who has not yet entered kindergarten4 7#b7 ,early childhood care and education program ,the term early childhood care and education program means-- 7,a7 any program or provider1 regardless of setting or funding source1 that provides early care and education for children1 including any program operated by a child care center or in a family child care home2 7,b7 any preschool program funded by the ,federal ,government1 a ,state1 or a local educational agency2 or 7,c7 an ,early ,head ,start program or ,head ,start program4 7#c7 ,early childhood educator ,the term early childhood educator means an individual who works in an early childhood care and education program that is ,state-licensed or ,state-regulated and who is-- 7,a7 a center-based or family child care provider2 7,b7 an infant or toddler specialist2 7,c7 an early intervention specialist or early childhood special educator2 7,d7 a ,head ,start or ,early ,head ,start teacher or teacher assistant2 7,e7 a preschool teacher1 other teacher1 or teacher assistant2 or 7,f7 a provider of training or technical assistance4 7#d7 ,early ,head ,start ,the term ,early ,head ,start means an ,early ,head ,start program supported under section #fde;,a of the ,head ,start ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ihdj74 7#e7 ,early learning guidelines ,the term early learning guidelines means a set of standards or guidelines that-- 7,a7 describe what all children should know and be able to do2 7,b7 are appropriate for each age group 7such as infants1 toddlers1 and preschoolers71 for ,english learners1 and for children with disabilities or developmental delays2 7,c7 cover all areas of child development and early learning related to the essential domains of school readiness1 including cognitive1 social1 emotional1 and physical development1 and approaches to learning2 and 7,d7 are universally designed and developmentally1 culturally1 and linguistically appropriate4 7#f7 ,head ,start ,the term ,head ,start means the ,head ,start program supported under the ,head ,start ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ihca et seq474 7#g7 ,institution of higher education ,the term institution of higher education has the meaning given the term in section #aja7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja7;a774 7#h7 ,quality rating and improvement system ,the term quality rating and improvement system means a tiered quality rating system for early childhood care and education programs1 which shall-- 7,a7 contain multiple quality rating levels that build on each other1 leading to nationally recognized standards of program quality2 7,b7 appropriately assess the quality of early childhood care and education programs in the ,state2 7,c7 build on licensing standards and other ,state regulatory standards for such programs2 7,d7 be designed to improve the quality of different types of early childhood care and education programs2 7,e7 describe the quality of early childhood care and education programs2 7,f7 build the capacity of ,state early childhood care and education programs and communities to promote parents' and families' understanding of the ,state's early childhood care and education programs and the ratings of the programs in which the child is enrolled2 and 7,g7 provide financial incentives and other supports to early childhood care and education programs to achieve and sustain higher levels of quality4 7#i7 ,secretaries ,the term ,secretaries means the ,secretary of ,education and the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services4 7#aj7 ,state ,the term ,state means each of the several ,states of the ,united ,states1 the ,district of ,columbia1 the ,commonwealth of ,puerto ,rico1 the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 ,guam1 ,american ,samoa1 and the ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands4 #d4 ,program authorized ,from the amounts made available under section #aa1 the ,secretaries1 in accordance with the interagency agreement described in section #aj1 are authorized to award grants1 on a competitive basis1 to ,states having applications approved under section #e1 to enable such ,states to implement and administer the activities and initiatives described in section #f4 #e4 ,applications 7a7 ,in general ,each ,state desiring a grant under this ,act shall submit an application to the ,secretaries at such time1 in such manner1 and accompanied by such information as the ,secretaries may reasonably require4 7b7 ,contents ,each application submitted under subsection 7a7 shall include the following3 7#a7 ,a demonstration of an existing comprehensive early childhood educator professional development system in the ,state1 or a plan for developing such a system that-- 7,a7 is developed in collaboration with-- 7i7 the ,state ,advisory ,council on ,early ,childhood ,education and ,care designated or established under section #fdb;,b7b77#a77;,a7 of the ,head ,start ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ihcg;a7b77#a77;,a771 where applicable2 7ii7 an administrator of a ,state lead agency 7as described in section #feh;,d of the ,child ,care and ,development ,block ,grant ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #iheh;b772 7iii7 the ,state ,director of ,head ,start ,collaboration appointed or designated under section #fdb;,b7a77#c77;,a7 of the ,head ,start ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ihcg;b7a77#c77;,a772 7iv7 the ,state educational agency 7as defined in section #iaja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja772 7v7 institutions of higher education that award a degree in early childhood education2 and 7vi7 early childhood education professional organizations2 7,b7 uses available early childhood care and education workforce data1 such as the percentage of the early childhood educators who hold a license or certificate in early childhood care and education1 in order to assess and provide resources for the ,state's early childhood care and education workforce needs2 and 7,c7 coordinates with the ,state higher education agency 7as defined in section #ajc of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajjc771 institution of higher education accrediting agencies or associations1 #b- and #d-year institutions of higher education that award a degree in early childhood education1 and other organizations or agencies with expertise in early childhood educator preparation that provide the formal education and training necessary to-- 7i7 encourage the establishment or expansion of credit-bearing opportunities that recognize prior learning and expertise2 7ii7 make higher education in early childhood education more accessible for working adult learners by offering postsecondary education courses at accessible times and locations and providing support to adult learners1 especially adult learners who are low-income individuals or dual language learners2 7iii7 develop articulation agreements between #b- and #d-year public and private institutions of higher education2 and 7iv7 expand the number of degree programs in early childhood education that meet nationally recognized standards for the preparation of early childhood educators4 7#b7 ,a description of how the ,state will-- 7,a7 adopt professional standards and competencies for early childhood educators based on nationally recognized standards for professional preparation of early childhood educators2 7,b7 develop career pathways and link opportunities to career pathways for early childhood educators1 toward continuous and incremental improvement of the early childhood educator workforce2 7,c7 target funds to the highest need areas1 which shall be determined based on-- 7i7 the level of access to high-quality1 affordable early childhood care and education programs2 7ii7 the percentage of children living in poverty2 and 7iii7 the percentage of early childhood educators with degrees and other credentials in early childhood education2 7,d7 engage rural communities in participating in early childhood educator workforce improvement activities and how the ,state will provide technical assistance in rural communities to address unique barriers to the implementation of early childhood educator workforce programs2 and 7,e7 establish or enhance compensation and retention initiatives that reward and help retain early childhood educators who achieve a degree in early childhood education to work in a non-school early childhood education program1 and to the extent feasible1 have parity of compensation with public school elementary teachers in the same geographic area4 #f4 ,state use of funds 7a7 ,in general ,a ,state that receives a grant under this ,act shall ensure that grant funds will be used to support services for early childhood educators and early childhood care and education programs across all early childhood age groups1 such as infants1 toddlers1 and preschoolers4 7b7 ,reservation of funds ,a ,state that receives a grant under this ,act shall use not more than #e percent of the grant funds for the administration and provision of technical assistance needed to carry out the initiatives and activities described in subsections 7c71 7d71 and 7e71 collectively4 7c7 ,required activities 7#a7 ,in ,general ,a ,state that receives a grant under this ,act shall use grant funds to carry out the following3 7,a7 ,providing scholarships for tuition1 fees and materials1 and support1 including college counseling1 paid substitutes1 and release time1 to early childhood educators or individuals who are preparing to be early childhood educators to enable such individuals to earn-- 7i7 a child development associate credential2 or 7ii7 an associate or baccalaureate degree in early childhood education1 or a closely related field 7as determined by the ,secretary74 7,b7 ,in a ,state with a quality rating and improvement system1 enhancing and expanding coaching1 mentoring1 and other professional development to help early childhood care and education programs improve at least #a level on the ,state's quality rating and improvement system4 7,c7 ,providing ongoing professional development opportunities for early childhood educators that relate to-- 7i7 the specialized knowledge and skills of early childhood educators for working with different ages and levels of development of children 7including infants1 toddlers1 and preschoolers72 7ii7 the ,state's early learning guidelines2 7iii7 high-quality teacher-child interactions2 7iv7 cultural competence for working with a diversity of children and families2 7v7 dual language learners2 7vi7 children with disabilities1 as described in parts ,b and ,c of the ,individuals with ,disabilities ,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #adaa et seq4 and #adca et seq472 and 7vii7 engaging and partnering with parents and families4 7,d7 ,encouraging cross-sector training opportunities for teachers and staff working in ,head ,start1 ,early ,head ,start1 child care1 early intervention programs1 infant and early childhood mental health programs1 home visiting programs1 and ,state-funded prekindergarten and preschool programs that receive funds under title ,i of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #fcja et seq471 where applicable4 7,e7 ,expanding the number of early childhood educators who are trained to work with infants and toddlers4 7#b7 ,priority ,in using grant funds received under this ,act1 a ,state shall give priority to using such funds to carry out the activities described under subparagraph 7,a7 of paragraph 7#a74 7d7 ,permissible uses of funds ,a ,state that receives a grant under this ,act may use grant funds to-- 7#a7 support directors of early childhood care and education programs in the areas of program management and leadership1 adult learning to support staff development1 and child development2 and 7#b7 expand the number of early childhood educators who have experience in providing professional development1 coaching1 mentoring1 or consultation to early childhood educators about working with infants1 toddlers1 and their families4 7e7 ,reports ,a ,state that receives a grant under this ,act shall submit an annual report to the ,secretaries at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information as the ,secretaries may require1 including1 at a minimum1 the following3 7#a7 ,in the case of a ,state that has a quality rating and improvement system1 any evidence of an increase in the number of early childhood care and education programs participating in the ,state's quality rating and improvement system1 that-- 7,a7 have improved at least #a level on the ,state's quality rating and improvement system2 and 7,b7 received coaching1 mentoring1 scholarships for postsecondary education1 or other technical assistance related to professional knowledge and skills to improve quality as described under subsection 7c77#a74 7#b7 ,the number of scholarships provided by the ,state1 as described under subsection 7c77#a77;,a71 disaggregated by-- 7,a7 whether the scholarships support the pursuit of-- 7i7 a child development associate credential2 7ii7 an associate degree in early childhood education1 or a closely related field 7as determined by the ,secretary72 or 7iii7 a baccalaureate degree in early childhood education1 or a closely related field 7as determined by the ,secretary72 7,b7 the race1 gender1 annual income1 and native language of the individual receiving such scholarship2 7,c7 in the case of a scholarship recipient who is1 at the time the scholarship is awarded1 working as an early childhood educator-- 7i7 the age of the children with whom the early childhood educator works2 7ii7 the type of early childhood care and education program setting in which the early childhood educator works1 and the percentage of children in such program setting who are-- 7,i7 eligible for ,early ,head ,start or ,head ,start2 or 7,,ii7 receiving child care services for which financial assistance is provided in accordance with the ,child ,care and ,development ,block ,grant of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #iheh et seq472 and 7iii7 the number of years that the early childhood educator has worked in the field of early childhood education prior to receiving such scholarship2 and 7,d7 the number of scholarship recipients who are working in the field of early childhood education #b years after receiving a credential or degree described in subsection 7c77#a77;,a71 whether such recipient is-- 7i7 working in the same early childhood care and education program2 7ii7 in a different early childhood care and education program2 or 7iii7 in the same role or in a different role within the field of early childhood education4 7#c7 ,data describing the professional development activities offered to early childhood educators1 including information about such activities relating to the categories described in clauses 7i7 through 7vii7 of subsection 7c77#a77;,c71 as appropriate4 7#d7 ,data describing the cross-sector training opportunities provided1 as described in subsection 7c77#a77;,d71 including-- 7,a7 the primary role of professionals who participated in a cross-sector training2 7,b7 the primary setting in which such professionals work2 7,c7 the topic of the training2 and 7,d7 the sources of funding for the training4 7#e7 ,if applicable1 evidence of an increase in the number of early childhood educators working with-- 7,a7 infants and toddlers2 7,b7 children with developmental delays or disabilities2 and 7,c7 dual language learners4 7#f7 ,data describing any increase in early childhood care and education programs in the ,state4 #g4 ,matching funds requirement 7a7 ,amount of matching funds ,a ,state that receives a grant under this ,act shall contribute to the activities assisted under such grant by providing matching funds from non-,federal sources in an amount as follows3 7#a7 ,for the first year of the grant award1 an amount equal to not less than #bj percent of the amount of the grant4 7#b7 ,for the second year of the grant award1 an amount equal to not less than #cj percent of the amount of the grant4 7#c7 ,for the third year of the grant award1 an amount equal to not less than #dj percent of the amount of the grant4 7#d7 ,for the fourth and fifth years of the grant award1 an amount equal to not less than #ej percent of the amount of the grant4 7b7 ,matching funds requirement ,the matching funds requirement under subsection 7a7 may be met by contributions that are-- 7#a7 in cash or in kind2 and 7#b7 from any private source or ,state or local funds4 #h4 ,supplement and not supplant ,grant funds provided under this ,act shall supplement1 and not supplant1 other ,federal1 ,state1 and local funds that are available for early childhood workforce improvement programs4 ,states receiving grant funds under this ,act may provide additional funds1 other than funds received under this ,act1 to enhance the early childhood provider quality initiatives and activities that are supported by such grant funds4 #i4 ,maintenance of effort ,a ,state that receives funds under this ,act for a fiscal year shall maintain the fiscal effort provided by the ,state for the activities supported by the funds under this ,act at a level equal to or greater than the level of such fiscal effort for the preceding fiscal year4 #aj4 ,interagency agreement ,the ,secretary of ,education and the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services shall jointly develop policies for1 and administer activities under1 this ,act in accordance with such terms as the ,secretaries shall set forth in an interagency agreement4 ,such interagency agreement1 at a minimum1 shall include a description of the respective roles and responsibilities of the ,secretaries in carrying out this ,act4 #aa4 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this ,act such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years #bjad through #bjai4