Bill Text: IA HF2495 | 2023-2024 | 90th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to statewide voluntary preschool program quality standards and renewals.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-02-14 - Introduced, referred to Education. H.J. 262. [HF2495 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2023-HF2495-Introduced.html

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House File 2495 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 2495
BY BAGNIEWSKI
A BILL FOR
An Act relating to statewide voluntary preschool program
quality standards and renewals.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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Section 1. Section 256C.1, Code 2024, is amended by adding
the following new subsection:
NEW SUBSECTION . 1A. “Collaboration” means ongoing
communication, coordination, and cooperation between an
approved local program and families, early care providers,
and community providers that leads to the provision of
comprehensive services and the progression toward the purposes
of this chapter.
Sec. 2. Section 256C.3, subsection 3, Code 2024, is amended
to read as follows:
3. Program requirements.
a. The state board shall adopt rules to further define the
following preschool program requirements which shall be used
to determine whether or not a local program implemented by a
school district approved to implement the preschool program
qualifies as an approved local program:
a. (1) Maximum and minimum teacher-to-child ratios and
class sizes.
b. (2) Applicable state and federal program standards.
c. (3) Student learning standards.
d. (4) Provisions for the integration of children from
other state and federally funded preschools by ensuring,
subject to the approval of a child’s parent, guardian, or
custodian, that a child integrated into an approved local
program has uninterrupted instruction and access to the
services provided by the approved local program .
e. (5) Collaboration with participating families, early
care providers, and community partners including but not
limited to early childhood Iowa area boards, head start
programs, shared visions and other programs provided under
the auspices of the child development coordinating council,
licensed child care centers, registered child development
homes, area education agencies, child care resource and
referral services provided under section 237A.26 , early
childhood special education programs, services funded by Tit. I
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of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,
and family support programs.
f. (6) A minimum of ten hours per week of instruction
delivered on the skills and knowledge included in the student
learning standards developed for the preschool program.
g. (7) Parental involvement in the local program.
h. (8) Provision for ensuring that children receiving
care from other child care arrangements can participate in the
preschool program with minimal disruption due to transportation
and movement from one site to another. The children
participating in the preschool program may be transported by
the school district to activities associated with the program
along with other children.
b. Approval of a preschool program under this section shall
be valid for five years from the date of approval.
Sec. 3. Section 256C.3, subsection 4, paragraph a, Code
2024, is amended to read as follows:
a. Methods of demonstrating community readiness to
implement high-quality instruction in a local program
shall be identified. The potential provider shall submit
a collaborative program proposal that demonstrates the
involvement of multiple community stakeholders including
but not limited to, and only as applicable, parents, the
school district, accredited nonpublic schools and faith-based
representatives, the area education agency, the early childhood
Iowa area board, representatives of business, head start
programs, shared visions and other programs provided under
the auspices of the child development coordinating council,
center-based and home-based providers of child care services,
human services, public health, and economic development
programs. The methods may include but are not limited to a
school district providing evidence of a public hearing on the
proposed programming and written documentation of collaboration
agreements between the school district, existing community
providers, and other community stakeholders addressing
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operational procedures and other critical measures. At least
once every five school budget years, an approved local program
shall provide evidence to the state board that the approved
local program is sufficiently incorporating community readiness
and involving multiple community stakeholders as required by
this paragraph.
Sec. 4. Section 256C.3, subsection 5, paragraph c, Code
2024, is amended to read as follows:
c. The department shall implement procedures to monitor the
quality of the programming provided under the preschool program
and revoke a preschool program’s status as an approved local
program if the program fails to meet program quality standards
under this chapter .
Sec. 5. Section 256C.3, subsection 5, Code 2024, is amended
by adding the following new paragraph:
NEW PARAGRAPH . e. The state board, in collaboration with
the department, shall encourage school districts to collaborate
with community partners to ensure comprehensive, integrated
early childhood services, including but not limited to the
delivery of preschool services outside of a school district in
community-based settings where other early childhood services
are being provided, are available to all eligible children.
Sec. 6. Section 256C.4, subsection 1, paragraph e, Code
2024, is amended to read as follows:
e. Preschool foundation aid funding shall not be used for
the costs of constructing a facility in connection with an
approved local program. Preschool foundation aid funding may
be used by approved local programs and community providers
for any purpose determined by the board of directors of the
school district to meet standards for high-quality preschool
instruction and for purposes that directly or indirectly
benefit students enrolled in the approved local program,
including but not limited to professional development for
preschool teachers, instructional equipment and supplies,
material and equipment designed to develop pupils’ large and
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small motor skills, translation services, playground equipment
and repair costs, food and beverages used by children in the
approved local program, safety equipment, facility rental
fees, and for other direct costs that enhance the approved
local program, including by contracting with community
partners for any such services. Preschool foundation aid
funding may be used by approved local programs for the costs
of transportation involving children participating in the
preschool program. The costs of transporting other children
associated with the preschool program or transported as
provided in section 256C.3, subsection 3 , paragraph “h” “a” ,
subparagraph (8), may be prorated by the school district.
Preschool foundation aid funding received by an approved local
program that remains unexpended and unobligated at the end of
a fiscal year beginning on or after July 1, 2017, shall be
used to build the approved local program’s preschool program
capacity in the next succeeding fiscal year excluding that
portion of such unexpended and unobligated funding that the
school district authorizes for transfer for deposit in the
school district’s flexibility account established under section
298A.2, subsection 2 , if the statutory requirements for the use
of such funding are met. For purposes of determining whether a
school district has authority to transfer preschool foundation
aid funding for deposit in the school district’s flexibility
account established under section 298A.2, subsection 2 , the
school district must have provided preschool programming
during the fiscal year for which funding remains unexpended
and unobligated to all eligible students for whom a timely
application for enrollment was submitted.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
This bill relates to statewide voluntary preschool program
(SVPP) quality standards.
The bill defines “collaboration” for purposes of the SVPP as
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ongoing communication, coordination, and cooperation between
an approved local program and families, early care providers,
and community providers that leads to the provision of
comprehensive services and the progression toward the purposes
of the SVPP.
The bill requires the state board of education (BOE) to adopt
rules that provide for the integration of children from other
state and federally funded preschools by ensuring, subject
to the approval of a child’s parent, guardian, or custodian,
that a child integrated into an approved local program has
uninterrupted instruction and access to the services provided
by the approved local program.
The bill limits a preschool program’s status as an approved
local program for a period of five years.
The bill requires, at least once every five years, for an
approved local program to provide evidence to the BOE that the
approved local program is sufficiently incorporating community
readiness and involving multiple community stakeholders.
The bill requires the department of education (DE) to
implement procedures for revoking a preschool program’s status
as an approved local program if it fails to meet program
quality standards for the SVPP.
The bill requires the BOE, in collaboration with the
DE, to encourage school districts to collaborate with
community partners to ensure comprehensive, integrated
early childhood services, including but not limited to the
delivery of preschool services outside of a school district in
community-based settings where other early childhood services
are being provided, are available to all children for the SVPP.
The bill makes conforming changes.
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