Minnesota Legislature
SF 3606
as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 02/28/2020 03:07pm
1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 3.31 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6
4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 4.23 4.24 4.25 4.26 4.27 4.28 4.29 4.30 4.31 5.1 5.2 5.3
A bill for an act
relating to education; modifying early learning and child care provisions to require
a kindergarten readiness assessment and quality rating and improvement system
evaluation; amending Minnesota Statutes 2018, sections 124D.142; 124D.162.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1.
Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 124D.142, is amended to read:
124D.142 QUALITY RATING AND IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM.
new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end
new text begin System established. new text end
deleted text begin (a)deleted text end There is established a quality rating and
improvement system (QRIS) deleted text begin frameworkdeleted text end new text begin , known as Parent Aware, new text end to ensure that Minnesota's
children have access to high-quality early learning and new text begin child new text end care programs in a range of
settings so that they are fully ready for kindergarten by 2020.
new text begin Subd. 2. new text end
new text begin System components. new text end
deleted text begin Creation of adeleted text end new text begin The new text end standards-based voluntary quality
rating and improvement system includes:
(1) quality opportunities deleted text begin in orderdeleted text end to improve deleted text begin thedeleted text end educational outcomes deleted text begin ofdeleted text end new text begin and preparenew text end
children deleted text begin so that they are readydeleted text end for schooldeleted text begin . Thedeleted text end new text begin ;
new text end
new text begin (2) a new text end framework deleted text begin shall bedeleted text end based on the Minnesota quality rating system rating tool and
a common set of child outcome and program standards and informed by evaluation results;
deleted text begin (2)deleted text end new text begin (3) new text end a tool to increase the number of publicly funded and regulated early learning and
new text begin child new text end care services in both public and private market programs that are high qualitydeleted text begin .deleted text end new text begin ;
new text end
new text begin (4) voluntary participation so thatnew text end if a program or provider chooses to participate, the
program or provider will be rated and may receive public funding associated with the ratingdeleted text begin .
The state shall develop a plan to link future early learning and care state funding to the
framework in a manner that complies with federal requirementsdeleted text end ; and
deleted text begin (3)deleted text end new text begin (5) new text end tracking progress toward statewide access to high-quality early learning and new text begin child
new text end care programs, progress toward the number of low-income children whose parents can
access quality programs, and progress toward increasing the number of children who are
fully prepared to enter kindergarten.
deleted text begin
(b) In planning a statewide quality rating and improvement system framework in
paragraph (a), the state shall use evaluation results of the Minnesota quality rating system
rating tool in use in fiscal year 2008 to recommend:
deleted text end
deleted text begin
(1) a framework of a common set of child outcome and program standards for a voluntary
statewide quality rating and improvement system;
deleted text end
deleted text begin
(2) a plan to link future funding to the framework described in paragraph (a), clause (2);
and
deleted text end
deleted text begin
(3) a plan for how the state will realign existing state and federal administrative resources
to implement the voluntary quality rating and improvement system framework. The state
shall provide the recommendation in this paragraph to the early childhood education finance
committees of the legislature by March 15, 2011.
deleted text end
deleted text begin
(c) Prior to the creation of a statewide quality rating and improvement system in paragraph
(a), the state shall employ the Minnesota quality rating system rating tool in use in fiscal
year 2008 in the original Minnesota Early Learning Foundation pilot areas and additional
pilot areas supported by private or public funds with its modification as a result of the
evaluation results of the pilot project.
deleted text end
new text begin Subd. 3. new text end
new text begin Evaluation. new text end
new text begin
(a) By February 1, 2021, the commissioner of human services
must arrange an independent evaluation of the quality rating and improvement system's
effectiveness and impact on:
new text end
new text begin
(1) children's progress toward school readiness;
new text end
new text begin
(2) the quality of the early learning, child care, and education system supply and
workforce; and
new text end
new text begin
(3) parents' ability to access and use meaningful information about early learning, child
care, and education program quality.
new text end
new text begin
(b) The evaluation must be performed by a consultant or staff member from another
agency. An evaluator must have experience in program evaluation and must not be regularly
involved in implementation of the quality rating and improvement system.
new text end
new text begin
(c) The evaluation findings, along with the commissioner's recommendations for potential
future evaluations or plan for continuous improvement, must be reported to the chairs and
ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over education
and early childhood by February 15, 2022. The report must include draft legislation, if
needed, to implement the report recommendations.
new text end
new text begin
(d) At a minimum, each evaluation must:
new text end
new text begin
(1) analyze the effectiveness of the quality rating and improvement system, including
but not limited to review of:
new text end
new text begin
(i) whether quality indicators and measures used in the quality rating and improvement
system are consistent with evidence and research findings on early learning, child care, and
education program quality; and
new text end
new text begin
(ii) patterns or differences in observed quality of participating early learning, child care,
and education programs in comparison to programs at other quality rating and improvement
system star rating levels and accounting for other factors;
new text end
new text begin
(2) perform an evidence-based assessment of children's developmental gains in ways
that are appropriate for children's linguistic and cultural backgrounds;
new text end
new text begin
(3) analyze the extent to which differences in developmental gains among children
correspond to the star ratings of the early learning, child care, and education programs,
providing disaggregated findings by:
new text end
new text begin
(i) children's demographic factors, including geographic area, family income level, and
racial and ethnic groups;
new text end
new text begin
(ii) type of provider, including family child care provider, child care center, Head Start,
and school-based early childhood provider; and
new text end
new text begin
(iii) any other categories identified by the commissioner, in consultation with the
commissioners of health and education or the entity performing the evaluation;
new text end
new text begin
(4) analyze the accessibility for providers to participate in the quality rating and
improvement system, including ease of application and supports for a provider to receive
or improve a rating; and provide disaggregated findings by type of provider, including
family child care provider, child care center, Head Start, and school-based early childhood
provider; and by geographic area; and
new text end
new text begin
(5) analyze the availability of providers participating in the quality rating and
improvement system to families; and provide disaggregated findings by type of provider,
including family child care provider, child care center, Head Start, early Head Start, and
school-based early childhood provider; and by geographic area.
new text end
Sec. 2.
Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 124D.162, is amended to read:
124D.162 KINDERGARTEN READINESS ASSESSMENT.
new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end
new text begin Implementation. new text end
new text begin (a) new text end The commissioner of education deleted text begin maydeleted text end new text begin must new text end implement
a kindergarten readiness assessment representative of incoming kindergartnersdeleted text begin . Thedeleted text end new text begin to:
new text end
new text begin
(1) identify preparedness of a child for success in school;
new text end
new text begin
(2) inform instructional decision making;
new text end
new text begin
(3) improve understanding of connections between kindergarten readiness and later
academic achievement; and
new text end
new text begin
(4) produce data that can assist in evaluation of the effectiveness of early childhood
programs.
new text end
new text begin
(b) The commissioner must provide school districts with a process for measuring the
school readiness of incoming kindergartners on a comparable basis. A school district is
encouraged to use the commissioner-provided measurement process under this section.
new text end
new text begin Subd. 2. new text end
new text begin Assessment development. new text end
new text begin Measurement tools used for a kindergarten readiness
new text end assessment must be new text begin research-based, developmentally appropriate, valid and reliable, aligned
to the state early childhood indicators of progress and kindergarten academic standards, and
new text end based on the Department of Education Kindergarten Readiness Assessment at kindergarten
entrance study.
new text begin Subd. 3. new text end
new text begin Reporting. new text end
new text begin
Beginning in the 2021-2022 school year, a school district that uses
the commissioner-provided measurement process must annually report kindergarten readiness
results under this section to the department in the form and manner determined by the
commissioner concurrent with the district's world's best workforce report under section
120B.11. The commissioner must publicly report kindergarten readiness results as part of
the performance reports required under section 120B.36 and consistent with section 120B.35,
subdivision 3, paragraph (a), clause (2).
new text end
new text begin Subd. 4. new text end
new text begin Longitudinal data system. new text end
new text begin
Beginning with data reported on incoming
kindergartners in the 2021-2022 school year, the commissioner must integrate kindergarten
readiness data under this section into statewide longitudinal educational data systems.
new text end