Bill > H462

This bill establishes a High Quality Pre-Kindergarten Education grant program, administered by the department of early education and care in collaboration with the department of elementary and secondary education, to fund pre-kindergarten programs for children between the ages of 2 years and 9 months and kindergarten eligibility. The program aims to reduce the achievement gap and improve third-grade reading scores by investing in a high-quality, mixed-delivery early education system. Grant applicants must meet specific requirements, including student tracking, a low child-to-instructor ratio (no more than 10:1), family engagement strategies, qualified teachers with ongoing professional development, full school-day programs, small class sizes (no more than 20 students), inclusion of children with disabilities, comparable teacher salaries and benefits to K-12 staff, developmentally and linguistically appropriate instruction, evidence-based curricula, support for all children's participation, alignment with state early learning standards, access to comprehensive services, community partnerships, evidence-based health and safety standards, implementation timelines, program evaluation and data collection, and descriptions of the learning environment and physical facilities. Grant priority is given to underperforming districts in the first year, followed by districts with specific accountability rankings and third-grade reading proficiency scores in subsequent years. Recipient districts must develop an implementation plan overseen by a local governing council and submit quarterly reports, with failure to implement the plan leading to grant termination. The board of early education and care will create regulations for the program, and the commissioner will annually evaluate its effectiveness and provide technical assistance for replication.