SF 3119

2nd Engrossment - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 04/15/2010 02:53pm

A bill for an act
relating to early childhood education; modifying the membership and duties
of the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 124D.141,
subdivisions 1, 2, 3.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 124D.141, subdivision 1, is amended to
read:

Subdivision 1.

Membership; duties.

Two members of the house of representatives,
one appointed by the speaker and one appointed by the minority leader; and two members
of the senate appointed by the Subcommittee on Committees of the Committee on Rules
and Administration, including one member of the minority; new text begin the commissioner of health, or
the commissioner's designee; new text end and two parents with a child under age six, shall be added
to the membership of the State Advisory Council on Early Education and Care. The
council must fulfill the duties required under the federal Improving Head Start for School
Readiness Act of 2007 as provided in Public Law 110-134.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 124D.141, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Additional duties.

new text begin (a) new text end The following duties are added to those assigned
to the council under federal law:

(1) make recommendations on the most efficient and effective way to leverage state
and federal funding streams for early childhood and child care programs;

(2) make recommendations on how to coordinate or colocate early childhood and
child care programs in one state Office of Early Learning;

(3) review program evaluations regarding high-quality early childhood programs;
deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(4) make recommendations deleted text begin to the governor and legislature, including proposed
legislation deleted text end new text begin as provided in paragraph (c) new text end on how to most effectively create a high-quality
early childhood system in Minnesota in order to improve the educational outcomes of
children so that all children are school-ready by 2020 deleted text begin . deleted text end new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (5) make recommendations as provided in paragraph (c) on how to screen earlier and
comprehensively assess children for school readiness in order to provide increased early
interventions and increase the number of children ready for kindergarten. In formulating
recommendations, the council shall consider:
new text end

new text begin (i) ways to communicate with parents of children who are not participating in early
childhood education or care programs about early intervention and school readiness;
new text end

new text begin (ii) ways to communicate with family child care providers, child care centers, and
school-based early childhood and Head Start programs about early intervention and
school readiness;
new text end

new text begin (iii) if there are age-appropriate and culturally sensitive screening and assessment
tools for three-, four-, and five-year-olds;
new text end

new text begin (iv) the role of the medical community in screening;
new text end

new text begin (v) incentives for parents to have children screened at an earlier age;
new text end

new text begin (vi) incentives for early education and care providers to comprehensively assess
children in order to improve instructional practice;
new text end

new text begin (vii) how to phase in increases in screening and assessment over time;
new text end

new text begin (viii) how the screening and assessment data will be collected and used and who will
have access to the data;
new text end

new text begin (ix) how to monitor progress toward the goal of having 50 percent of three-year-old
children screened and 50 percent of five-year-old children assessed for school readiness
by 2015 and 100 percent of three-year-old children screened and five-year-old children
assessed for school readiness by 2020;
new text end

new text begin (x) how to monitor progress toward the goal of having 50 percent of four-year-old
children assessed by their early childhood education and care providers to determine their
level of performance in order to promote their learning and development; and
new text end

new text begin (xi) costs to meet these benchmarks.
new text end

new text begin The council shall consider the screening instruments and comprehensive assessment
tools used in Minnesota early childhood education and care programs and kindergarten.
The council may survey early childhood education and care programs in the state to
determine the screening and assessment tools being used or rely on previously collected
survey data, if available.
new text end

new text begin (b) For purposes of this subdivision:
new text end

new text begin (1) "school readiness" is defined as the child's skills, knowledge, and behaviors
at kindergarten entrance in these areas of child development: social; self-regulation;
cognitive, including language, literacy, and mathematical thinking; and physical;
new text end

new text begin (2) "screening" is defined as the activities used to identify a child who may need
further evaluation to determine delay in development or disability; and
new text end

new text begin (3) "assessment" is defined as the activities used to determine a child's level of
performance in order to promote the child's learning and development.
new text end

new text begin (c) Any costs incurred by the council in making recommendations under paragraph
(a), clause (5), must be paid from nonstate and nonfederal funds appropriated to the
council under subdivision 3. If no nonstate or nonfederal funds are received, the council
may not proceed in making recommendations under paragraph (a), clause (5). The council
shall report its recommendations under this subdivision, including draft legislation
necessary to implement the recommendations, to the governor and the chairs and ranking
minority members of the legislative committees and divisions with jurisdiction over early
childhood education policy and finance no later than January 15, 2013, with interim
reports on February 15, 2011, and February 15, 2012.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 124D.141, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Administration.

deleted text begin An amount up to $12,500 from federal child care
and development fund administrative funds and up to $12,500 from prekindergarten
exploratory project funds appropriated under Laws 2007, chapter 147, article 19, section
3, may be used to reimburse the parents on the council and for technical assistance and
administrative support of the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and
Care. This funding stream is for fiscal year 2009. deleted text end The council may pursue deleted text begin additional
funds deleted text end new text begin funding new text end from state, federal, and private sources. deleted text begin If additional operational funds are
received, the council must reduce the amount of prekindergarten exploratory project
funds used in an equal amount deleted text end new text begin Money received from these sources shall be credited to an
account in the special revenue fund and is appropriated to the council for the purposes
of this section new text end .