1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; creating a quality rating and improvement system;
1.3 	proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 124D.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. [124D.142] QUALITY RATING AND IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM.
1.6 	(a) There is established a quality rating and improvement system based on the goal 
1.7 	that all Minnesota's children have access to high-quality early learning and care programs 
1.8 	in a range of settings that meet the needs of children and their families. Creation of a 
1.9 	standards-based quality rating and improvement system includes:
1.10 	(1) establishing an early care and education framework that improves quality 
1.11 	opportunities for early learning for all of Minnesota's young children. The framework 
1.12 	shall be based on the Minnesota quality rating system rating tool and informed by 
1.13 	evaluation results;
1.14 	(2) using the framework as a tool to ensure that publicly funded and regulated early 
1.15 	learning and care services in both public and private market programs are high quality. 
1.16 	The state shall establish a plan to link all future state funding to the framework; and
1.17 	(3) using the framework to track progress toward statewide access to high-quality 
1.18 	early learning and care programs, progress toward the number of low-income children 
1.19 	whose parents can access quality programs, and progress in reducing the number of 
1.20 	children not fully prepared to enter kindergarten.
1.21 	(b) In creating the quality rating and improvement system in paragraph (a), the state 
1.22 	shall consider the cost of administering and staffing the system and collecting assessment 
1.23 	and evaluation data.
2.1 	(c) Prior to the creation of a statewide quality rating and improvement system in 
2.2 	paragraph (a), the state shall employ the Minnesota quality rating system rating tool in 
2.3 	use in fiscal year 2008.

2.4 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2009.