Bill Text: CA AB47 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: State preschool program.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-1)

Status: (Vetoed) 2016-01-15 - Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. [AB47 Detail]

Download: California-2015-AB47-Introduced.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 47	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member McCarty

                        DECEMBER 1, 2014

   An act to add and repeal Section 8235.1 of the Education Code,
relating to preschool.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 47, as introduced, McCarty. State preschool program: report.
   Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to
administer all California state preschool programs, which include
part-day age and developmentally appropriate programs for 3- and
4-year-old children, as provided. Existing law provides that 3- and
4-year-old children are eligible for the state part-day preschool
program if the family meets one of several eligibility requirements,
including income eligibility.
   This bill would require the Department of Education to report to
the Legislature and Department of Finance, by June 1, 2016, a plan
for expanding the state preschool program to all eligible low-income
children who do not have access to one year of state preschool or
transitional kindergarten. The bill would require the report to
contain an analysis of the need for new facilities for the state
preschool program in order to provide access to all eligible
children.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the
Preschool for All Act of 2015.
  SEC. 2.  The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) Recent reforms such as the common core state standards and the
local control funding formula establish greater quality and equity
in California's public K-12 education system.
   (b) None of these reforms, however, address the reality that the
achievement gap is present well before children first step through
the kindergarten classroom door.
   (c) Recent research shows that by the age of two, low-income
children are six months behind in language development relative to
their higher income peers. By age five, low-income children are more
than two years behind in language development.
   (d) Research shows that California children with the largest gaps
in school readiness and achievement are the least likely to
participate in any preschool and the least likely to attend
high-quality programs.
   (e) Only one-half of California low-income preschoolers receive
state preschool or federal Head Start services, and only one-quarter
of all children attend transitional kindergarten.
   (f) Children who are not reading proficiently by the end of 3rd
grade are four times more likely to not graduate from high school on
time.
   (g) Only 48 percent of California 3rd graders test proficient or
better in English-language arts.
   (h) More than 100 studies nationally have shown that high-quality
preschool significantly improves children's school readiness and
school performance.
   (i) Numerous longitudinal studies show that high-quality preschool
decreases grade retention and special education placements, and
increases high school graduation rates, college enrollment, and
earnings as adults as well as decreases costs in criminal justice and
welfare.
   (j) In the 2014-15 annual Budget Act, the Legislature and Governor
committed to providing all low-income children with at least one
year of state preschool or transitional kindergarten.
   (k) An independent research analysis of over 20 preschool programs
demonstrated that quality preschool provides a return of $15,000 for
every child served.
   (l) If California were to invest in high-quality preschool, the
savings in the prison system alone are estimated to be $1.1 billion a
year due to the reduction in prison population by 13,000.
  SEC. 3.  It is the intent of the Legislature that both of the
following occur:
   (a) All low-income children have access to either a state
preschool program or a transitional kindergarten.
   (b) Funds are allocated to expand the state preschool program to
provide full day, full year preschool for all eligible low-income
children who otherwise would not be served in either state preschool
or transitional kindergarten.
  SEC. 4.  Section 8235.1 is added to the Education Code, to read:
   8235.1.  (a) By June 1, 2016, the department shall report to the
Legislature and the Department of Finance a plan for expanding the
state preschool program to all eligible low-income children who do
not have access to one year of the preschool program or a
transitional kindergarten program.
   (b) The department shall include in the report required pursuant
to subdivision (a) an analysis of the need for new facilities for the
state preschool program in order to provide access to all eligible
children.
   (c) (1) The report required to be submitted to the Legislature
pursuant to this section shall be submitted in compliance with
Section 9795 of the Government Code.
   (2) This section is inoperative on June 1, 2020, pursuant to
Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, and as of January 1, 2021 is
repealed.