HF 1192

as introduced - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to early childhood education; providing for
early learning guidelines and a quality rating system;
appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in
Minnesota Statutes, chapter 124D.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [124D.145] EARLY LEARNING GUIDELINES.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Department of education and department of
human services. new text end

new text begin The commissioners of education and human
services shall disseminate information to parents and provide
information and training guidance to early care and education
providers on the early learning guidelines developed for three-
and four-year-old children that describe what children should
know and be able to do to be prepared for kindergarten entrance.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Department of human services. new text end

new text begin The commissioner
of human services shall develop early learning guidelines and
distribute the guidelines to parents and early care and
education providers. The guidelines must include what children
from birth to age three should know and be able to do to be
prepared for kindergarten entrance. The commissioner shall
provide information to parents and information and training to
early care education providers on the guidelines.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Early care and education program providers. new text end

new text begin An
early care and education program or provider that receives state
money must be provided with a copy of the early learning
guidelines for children ages birth to age five developed by the
commissioners of education and human services to guide their
early care and education practices.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin VOLUNTARY QUALITY RATING SYSTEM FOR CHILD CARE.
new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of human services, in partnership with
the Ready 4 K Quality Rating System Task Force, shall develop a
plan by January 15, 2006, for a voluntary quality rating system
for child care that provides consumer information to parents,
identifies quality child care settings, and raises the quality
of care in child care settings. The plan shall include the
process for choosing an early care and education nonprofit
organization to administer the quality rating system.
new text end

new text begin (b) The quality rating system must:
new text end

new text begin (1) be aligned with the early learning guidelines developed
by the commissioners of education and human services;
new text end

new text begin (2) be research-based;
new text end

new text begin (3) provide easy-to-understand information for parents;
new text end

new text begin (4) be objective and verifiable;
new text end

new text begin (5) be fair and representative of the care provided by
child care programs;
new text end

new text begin (6) be aligned with the Head Start performance standards
and the Minnesota Department of Education's standards for school
readiness programs in the public schools; and
new text end

new text begin (7) include at a minimum:
new text end

new text begin (i) quality learning environment indicators;
new text end

new text begin (ii) staff qualification indicators;
new text end

new text begin (iii) family involvement and parent education indicators;
and
new text end

new text begin (iv) program evaluation.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS.
new text end

new text begin (a) $....... in fiscal year 2006 and $....... in fiscal
year 2007 are appropriated from the general fund to the
commissioner of education for the purposes of section 1.
new text end

new text begin (b) $....... in fiscal year 2006 and $....... in fiscal
year 2007 are appropriated from the general fund to the
commissioner of human services for the purposes of section 1.
new text end