Bill Text: MI HB5281 | 2013-2014 | 97th Legislature | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Education; teachers; credentials required for great start readiness program teachers; revise. Amends sec. 32d of 1979 PA 94 (MCL 388.1632d).

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 4-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-11 - Printed Bill Filed 02/06/2014 [HB5281 Detail]

Download: Michigan-2013-HB5281-Introduced.html

---

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE BILL No. 5281

 

February 6, 2014, Introduced by Reps. Franz, Kelly, Genetski and Rogers and referred to the Committee on Education.

 

     A bill to amend 1979 PA 94, entitled

 

"The state school aid act of 1979,"

 

by amending section 32d (MCL 388.1632d), as amended by 2013 PA 60.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 32d. (1) From the funds appropriated in section 11, there

 

is allocated to eligible intermediate districts and consortia of

 

intermediate districts for great start readiness programs an amount

 

not to exceed $149,275,000.00 for 2013-2014. In addition, from the

 

funds appropriated in section 11, there is allocated to the great

 

start readiness reserve fund created under subsection (14) an

 

amount not to exceed $25,000,000.00 for 2013-2014. Funds allocated

 

under this section for great start readiness programs shall be used

 

to provide part-day, school-day, or GSRP/head start blended

 

comprehensive free compensatory classroom programs designed to

 

improve the readiness and subsequent achievement of educationally

 

disadvantaged children who meet the participant eligibility and

 

prioritization guidelines as defined by the department. Beginning

 

in 2013-2014, for a child to be eligible to participate in a

 

program under this section, the child shall be at least 4, but less

 

than 5, years of age as of the date specified for determining a

 

child's eligibility to attend school under section 1147 of the

 

revised school code, MCL 380.1147.

 

     (2) Funds allocated under subsection (1) shall be allocated to

 

intermediate districts or consortia of intermediate districts based

 

on the formula in section 39. An intermediate district or

 

consortium of intermediate districts receiving funding under this

 

section shall act as the fiduciary for the great start readiness

 

programs. In order to be eligible to receive funds allocated under

 

this subsection from an intermediate district or consortium of

 

intermediate districts, a district, a consortium of districts, or a

 

public or private for-profit or nonprofit legal entity or agency

 

shall comply with this section and section 39.

 

     (3) In addition to the allocation under subsection (1), from

 

the general fund money appropriated under section 11, there is

 

allocated an amount not to exceed $300,000.00 for 2013-2014 for a

 

competitive grant to continue a longitudinal evaluation of children

 

who have participated in great start readiness programs.

 

     (4) To be eligible for funding under this section, a program

 

shall prepare children for success in school through comprehensive

 

part-day, school-day, or GSRP/head start blended programs that

 

contain all of the following program components, as determined by

 

the department:

 

     (a) Participation in a collaborative recruitment and

 

enrollment process to assure that each child is enrolled in the

 

program most appropriate to his or her needs and to maximize the

 

use of federal, state, and local funds.

 

     (b) An age-appropriate educational curriculum that is in

 

compliance with the early childhood standards of quality for

 

prekindergarten children adopted by the state board.

 

     (c) Nutritional services for all program participants

 

supported by federal, state, and local resources as applicable.

 

     (d) Health and developmental screening services for all

 

program participants.

 

     (e) Referral services for families of program participants to

 

community social service agencies, as appropriate.

 

     (f) Active and continuous involvement of the parents or

 

guardians of the program participants.

 

     (g) A plan to conduct and report annual great start readiness

 

program evaluations and continuous improvement plans using criteria

 

approved by the department.

 

     (h) Participation in a multidistrict, multiagency, school

 

readiness advisory committee convened as a workgroup of the great

 

start collaborative that provides for the involvement of classroom

 

teachers, parents or guardians of program participants, and

 

community, volunteer, and social service agencies and

 

organizations, as appropriate. The advisory committee annually

 

shall review the program components listed in this subsection and

 

make recommendations for changes to the great start readiness

 

program for which it is an advisory committee.

 

     (i) The ongoing articulation of the kindergarten and first

 

grade programs offered by the program provider.

 

     (j) Participation in this state's great start to quality

 

process with a rating of at least 3 stars.

 

     (5) An application for funding under this section shall

 

provide for the following, in a form and manner determined by the

 

department:

 

     (a) Ensure compliance with all program components described in

 

subsection (4).

 

     (b) Ensure that at least 90% of the children participating in

 

an eligible great start readiness program for whom the provider is

 

receiving funds under this section are children who live with

 

families with a household income that is equal to or less than 250%

 

of the federal poverty level.

 

     (c) Ensure that the applicant only uses qualified personnel

 

for this program, as follows:

 

     (i) Teachers possessing proper training. For programs managed

 

directly by a district or intermediate district, a teacher must

 

have either a valid teaching certificate and an early childhood (ZA

 

or ZS) endorsement are required. or a bachelor's degree in early

 

childhood education. This provision does not apply to an eligible

 

child development program. In that situation, a teacher must have a

 

valid Michigan teaching certificate with an early childhood (ZA or

 

ZS) endorsement, a valid Michigan elementary teaching certificate

 

with a child development associate credential, or a bachelor's

 

degree in child development with specialization in preschool

 

teaching. However, if an applicant demonstrates to the department

 

that it is unable to fully comply with this subparagraph after

 

making reasonable efforts to comply, teachers who have significant

 

but incomplete training in early childhood education or child

 

development may be used if the applicant provides to the

 

department, and the department approves, a plan for each teacher to

 

come into compliance with the standards in this subparagraph. A

 

teacher's compliance plan must be completed within 2 years of the

 

date of employment. Progress toward completion of the compliance

 

plan shall consist of at least 2 courses per calendar year.

 

     (ii) Paraprofessionals possessing proper training in early

 

childhood development, including an associate's degree in early

 

childhood education or child development or the equivalent, or a

 

child development associate (CDA) credential. However, if an

 

applicant demonstrates to the department that it is unable to fully

 

comply with this subparagraph after making reasonable efforts to

 

comply, the applicant may use paraprofessionals who have completed

 

at least 1 course that earns college credit in early childhood

 

education or child development if the applicant provides to the

 

department, and the department approves, a plan for each

 

paraprofessional to come into compliance with the standards in this

 

subparagraph. A paraprofessional's compliance plan must be

 

completed within 2 years of the date of employment. Progress toward

 

completion of the compliance plan shall consist of at least 2

 

courses or 60 clock hours of training per calendar year.

 

     (d) Include a program budget that contains only those costs

 

that are not reimbursed or reimbursable by federal funding, that

 

are clearly and directly attributable to the great start readiness

 

program, and that would not be incurred if the program were not

 

being offered. Eligible costs include transportation costs. The

 

program budget shall indicate the extent to which these funds will

 

supplement other federal, state, local, or private funds. Funds

 

received under this section shall not be used to supplant any

 

federal funds received by the applicant to serve children eligible

 

for a federally funded preschool program that has the capacity to

 

serve those children.

 

     (6) For a grant recipient that enrolls pupils in a school-day

 

program funded under this section, each child enrolled in the

 

school-day program shall be counted as 2 children served by the

 

program for purposes of determining the number of children to be

 

served and for determining the amount of the grant award. A grant

 

award shall not be increased solely on the basis of providing a

 

school-day program.

 

     (7) For a grant recipient that enrolls pupils in a GSRP/head

 

start blended program, the grant recipient shall ensure that all

 

head start and GSRP policies and regulations are applied to the

 

blended slots, with adherence to the highest standard from either

 

program, to the extent allowable under federal law.

 

     (8) An intermediate district or consortium of intermediate

 

districts receiving a grant under this section may provide services

 

directly or may contract with 1 or more districts or public or

 

private for-profit or nonprofit providers that meet all

 

requirements of subsection (4) and retain for administrative

 

services an amount equal to not more than 7% of the grant amount.

 

In addition, an intermediate district or consortium of intermediate

 

districts may expend not more than 2% of the total grant amount for

 

recruiting and public awareness of the program.

 

     (9) Each grant recipient shall enroll children identified

 

under subsection (5)(b) according to how far the child's household

 

income is below 250% of the federal poverty level by ranking each

 

applicant child's household income from lowest to highest and

 

dividing the applicant children into quintiles based on how far the

 

child's household income is below 250% of the federal poverty

 

level, and then enrolling children in the quintile with the lowest

 

household income before enrolling children in the quintile with the

 

next lowest household income until slots are completely filled.

 

     (10) An intermediate district or consortium of intermediate

 

districts receiving a grant under this section shall conduct a

 

local process to contract with interested and eligible public and

 

private for-profit and nonprofit community-based providers that

 

meet all requirements of subsection (4) for at least 30% of its

 

total slot allocation. If the intermediate district or consortium

 

is not able to contract for at least 30% of its total slot

 

allocation, the grant recipient shall notify the department and, if

 

the department verifies that the intermediate district or

 

consortium attempted to contract for at least 30% of its total slot

 

allocation and was not able to do so, then the intermediate

 

district or consortium may retain and use all of its allocated

 

slots as provided under this section.

 

     (11) A recipient of funds under this section shall report to

 

the department in a form and manner prescribed by the department

 

the number of children participating in the program who meet the

 

income eligibility criteria under subsection (5)(b) and the total

 

number of children participating in the program. For children

 

participating in the program who meet the income eligibility

 

criteria specified under subsection (5)(b), a recipient shall also

 

report whether or not a parent is available to provide care based

 

on employment status. For the purposes of this subsection,

 

"employment status" shall be defined by the department of human

 

services in a manner consistent with maximizing the amount of

 

spending that may be claimed for temporary assistance for needy

 

families maintenance of effort purposes.

 

     (12) As used in this section:

 

     (a) "GSRP/head start blended program" means a part-day program

 

funded under this section and a head start program, which are

 

combined for a school-day program.

 

     (b) "Part-day program" means a program that operates at least

 

4 days per week, 30 weeks per year, for at least 3 hours of

 

teacher-child contact time per day but for fewer hours of teacher-

 

child contact time per day than a school-day program.

 

     (c) "School-day program" means a program that operates for at

 

least the same length of day as a district's first grade program

 

for a minimum of 4 days per week, 30 weeks per year. A classroom

 

that offers a school-day program must enroll all children for the

 

school day to be considered a school-day program.

 

     (13) An intermediate district or consortium of intermediate

 

districts receiving funds under this section shall establish a

 

sliding scale of tuition rates based upon household income for

 

children participating in an eligible great start readiness program

 

who live with families with a household income that is more than

 

250% of the federal poverty level to be used by all of its

 

providers, as approved by the department. A grant recipient shall

 

charge tuition according to that sliding scale of tuition rates on

 

a uniform basis for any child who does not meet the income

 

eligibility requirements under this section.

 

     (14) The great start readiness reserve fund is created as a

 

separate account within the state school aid fund established by

 

section 11 of article IX of the state constitution of 1963. Money

 

available in the great start readiness reserve fund may not be

 

expended for 2013-2014 unless transferred by the legislature not

 

later than January 31, 2014 to the allocation under subsection (1)

 

for great start readiness programs. Money in the great start

 

readiness reserve fund shall be expended only for purposes for

 

which state school aid fund money may be expended. The state

 

treasurer shall direct the investment of the great start readiness

 

reserve fund. The state treasurer shall credit to the great start

 

readiness reserve fund interest and earnings from fund investments.

 

Money in the great start readiness reserve fund at the close of a

 

fiscal year shall remain in the great start readiness reserve fund

 

and shall not lapse to the unreserved school aid fund balance or

 

the general fund.