1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to children; establishing a pilot grant 
  1.3             program to provide comprehensive educational 
  1.4             programming for children ages birth to eight; 
  1.5             appropriating money. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [BRAIN POWER:  PLAYPEN TO PLAYGROUND GRANT 
  1.8   PROGRAM.] 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] A pilot grant program is 
  1.10  established in the department of children, families, and 
  1.11  learning to provide comprehensive educational programming for 
  1.12  children ages birth to eight.  
  1.13     Subd. 2.  [GOALS.] The goals of the brain power:  playpen 
  1.14  to playground grant program are to: 
  1.15     (1) improve academic and social outcomes for young children 
  1.16  ages birth to eight so that they will be prepared to reach their 
  1.17  highest academic potential; 
  1.18     (2) increase learning opportunities for young children; 
  1.19     (3) encourage the use of different and innovative teaching 
  1.20  methods designed to maximize learning and based on academic 
  1.21  research involving brain formation and development; and 
  1.22     (4) require the measurement of learning outcomes. 
  1.23     Subd. 3.  [GRANT APPLICATION.] Early childhood care and 
  1.24  education service providers serving children ages birth to eight 
  1.25  may apply to the commissioner of children, families, and 
  2.1   learning for brain power:  playpen to playground funds in 
  2.2   addition to funding sources which the applicant may be entitled 
  2.3   to access under existing law.  Applicants must submit an 
  2.4   application to the commissioner in the form prescribed by the 
  2.5   commissioner.  The application must include a detailed 
  2.6   description of the program including:  
  2.7      (1) a defined service delivery area and the number of 
  2.8   children to be served; 
  2.9      (2) how the program will be structured to reflect the 
  2.10  characteristics of the children, their families, and the 
  2.11  community involved in the program; 
  2.12     (3) how the program will differ in context, scope, content, 
  2.13  delivery, or other respects from early childhood care and 
  2.14  education programming already available through existing state 
  2.15  and local funding sources; and 
  2.16     (4) how the program will integrate professional development 
  2.17  for staff of kindergarten through grade three and ages birth to 
  2.18  five. 
  2.19     Subd. 4.  [ELIGIBILITY.] Applicants must meet the following 
  2.20  eligibility criteria:  
  2.21     (1) applicants must consist of a consortia of local 
  2.22  representatives from the following service delivery systems:  
  2.23  Head Start; early childhood and family education; learning 
  2.24  readiness; the child care community, including school-age child 
  2.25  care; the local school district; public health; and the county; 
  2.26     (2) applicants must be governed by an advisory group 
  2.27  consisting of equal numbers of parents and involved service 
  2.28  providers; 
  2.29     (3) programs must operate according to a plan approved by 
  2.30  the commissioner; 
  2.31     (4) applicants must agree to utilize, within their first 
  2.32  year of operation, the work sampling system of child assessment 
  2.33  and use the early benchmark at age 3-1/2 years as required by 
  2.34  the commissioner; and 
  2.35     (5) applicants will be expected to determine indicators and 
  2.36  demonstrate strategies to achieve a common set of outcomes and 
  3.1   document processes used to achieve improved outcomes for 
  3.2   children. 
  3.3      Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.4      $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2000 from the 
  3.5   general fund to the commissioner of children, families, and 
  3.6   learning for the purposes of the brain power:  playpen to 
  3.7   playground grant program under section 1.  This appropriation is 
  3.8   available until June 30, 2001.