Bill Text: MI SB0047 | 2013-2014 | 97th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Education; preschools; age for eligibility to enroll in great start readiness programs; revise. Amends sec. 32d of 1979 PA 94 (MCL 388.1632d).

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-01-16 - Referred To Committee On Education [SB0047 Detail]

Download: Michigan-2013-SB0047-Introduced.html

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SENATE BILL No. 47

 

 

January 16, 2013, Introduced by Senator BOOHER 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 2012 PA 201.

 

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 $109,275,000.00 for 2012-2013. Funds allocated under

 

this section shall be used to provide part-day, school-day, or

 

GSRP/head start blended comprehensive free compensatory classroom

 

programs designed to do 1 or both of the following:

 

     (a) Improve the readiness and subsequent achievement of

 

educationally disadvantaged children, as defined by the department,

 

who will be at least 4, but less than 5 years of age, as of

 

December 1 of the school year in which the programs are offered,

 

and who meet the participant eligibility and prioritization

 

guidelines as defined by the state board. Subject to subsection

 

(13), beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, 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.

 

However, a child is also eligible to participate in a program under

 

this section as follows:

 

     (i) For the 2013-2014 program year, the child is 5 years of age

 

and his or her birthdate is after November 1 but on or before

 

December 1.

 

     (ii) For the 2014-2015 program year, the child is 5 years of

 

age and his or her birthdate is after October 1 but on or before

 

November 1.

 

     (iii) For the 2015-2016 program year, the child is 5 years of

 

age and his or her birthdate is after September 1 but on or before

 

October 1.

 

     (b) Provide preschool and parenting education programs similar

 

to those under former section 32b as in effect for 2001-2002.

 

Beginning in 2007-2008, funds spent for programs described in this

 

subdivision shall not exceed the amount spent under this

 

subdivision for the immediately preceding fiscal year. Funds spent

 

for programs described in this subdivision shall be used for

 

services to families with income below 300% of the federal poverty

 

level.

 

     (2) Funds allocated under this section shall be allocated to

 

intermediate districts or consortia of intermediate districts. An

 

intermediate district or consortium of intermediate districts

 

receiving funding under this section shall act as the fiduciary for

 

the great start readiness programs. For 2012-2013, the fiduciary

 

intermediate districts and consortia of intermediate districts

 

shall allocate the funding under this section as follows:

 

     (a) An amount not to exceed $100,400,000.00 allocated to

 

intermediate districts and consortia of intermediate districts as

 

directed by the department based on the formula in section 39. In

 

order to be eligible to receive funds allocated under this

 

subdivision from an intermediate district or consortium of

 

intermediate districts, a district or consortium of districts shall

 

comply with this section and section 39.

 

     (b) An amount not to exceed $8,875,000.00 allocated in grants

 

to competitive great start readiness programs as directed by the

 

department based on the grant award process in section 32l. In order

 

to be eligible to receive funds allocated under this section from

 

an intermediate district or consortium of intermediate districts, a

 

competitive great start readiness program shall comply with this

 

section and section 32l.

 

     (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 2012-2013 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. At a minimum, the process shall include all

 

other funded preschool programs that may serve children in the same

 

geographic area, 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.

 

     (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 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.

 

     (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 more than 75% of the children participating in

 

an eligible great start readiness program are children who live

 

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

 

300% 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 valid teaching

 

certificate and an early childhood (ZA or ZS) endorsement are

 

required. This provision does not apply to a district, intermediate

 

district, or competitive program that subcontracts with 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. 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 by the applicant to serve children

 

eligible for a federally funded existing 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) An intermediate district or consortium of intermediate

 

districts receiving a grant under this section may contract with

 

for-profit or nonprofit preschool center providers that meet all

 

requirements of subsection (4) and retain for administrative

 

services an amount equal to not more than 5% of the grant amount.

 

An intermediate district, consortium of intermediate districts, or

 

competitive grant program may expend not more than 10% of the total

 

grant amount for administration of the program.

 

     (8) Any public or private for-profit or nonprofit legal entity

 

or agency may apply for a competitive grant under this section.

 

However, a district or intermediate district may not apply for a

 

competitive grant under this section unless the district,

 

intermediate district, or consortium of districts or intermediate

 

districts is acting as a local grantee for the federal head start

 

program operating under the head start act, 42 USC 9831 to 9852.

 

     (9) 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 or other eligibility criteria prescribed by the department

 

and the total number of children participating in the program. For

 

children participating in the program who meet the income or other

 

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.

 

     (10) 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.

 

     (11) A grant recipient receiving funds under this section is

 

encouraged to establish a sliding scale of tuition rates based upon

 

a child's family income for the purpose of expanding eligible

 

programs under this section. A grant recipient may charge tuition

 

for programs provided under this section according to that sliding

 

scale of tuition rates on a uniform basis for any child who does

 

not meet the program eligibility requirements under this section.

 

     (12) The department shall develop a plan for a multiyear

 

phased-in approach to transfer funding for great start readiness

 

programs under this section into an early childhood block grant

 

program, along with funding for great start collaboratives under

 

former section 32b and funding for great parents, great start

 

programs under former section 32j. The early childhood block grant

 

program will allocate funds to intermediate districts and consortia

 

of intermediate districts to act as fiduciaries and provide

 

administration of regional early childhood programs in conjunction

 

with their regional great start collaborative to improve program

 

quality, evaluation, and efficiency for early childhood programs.

 

The department shall work with intermediate districts, districts,

 

great start collaboratives, and the early childhood investment

 

corporation to establish a revised funding formula, application

 

process, program criteria, and data reporting requirements.

 

     (13) If a child who is otherwise eligible to participate in a

 

program under this section is not 4 years of age on the program

 

eligibility date specified in subsection (1)(a), but will be 4

 

years of age not later than December 1 of a program year, the child

 

shall be eligible to participate in the program if the parent or

 

legal guardian of that child notifies the program in writing not

 

later than June 1 before the beginning of the program year that he

 

or she intends to enroll the child in the program. A program that

 

receives this written notification may make a recommendation to the

 

parent or legal guardian of a child described in this subsection

 

that the child is not ready to enroll in the program due to the

 

child's age or other factors. However, regardless of this

 

recommendation, the parent or legal guardian retains the sole

 

discretion to determine whether or not to enroll the child in a

 

program under this subsection.