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.