December 10, 2009, Introduced by Reps. Spade, Roy Schmidt, Polidori, Haase, Liss, Constan, Barnett, Kennedy, LeBlanc, Hammel, Gonzales, Bauer, Slezak, Huckleberry, Slavens, Melton and Tlaib and referred to the Committee on Education.
A bill to amend 1979 PA 94, entitled
"The state school aid act of 1979,"
by amending section 32d (MCL 388.1632d), as amended by 2009 PA 121.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 32d. (1) For 2009-2010, from the state school aid fund
appropriation in section 11, there is allocated an amount not to
exceed $88,100,000.00 to eligible districts for great start
readiness programs and from the general fund appropriation in
section 11, there is allocated an amount not to exceed
$7,575,000.00 for competitive great start readiness program grants.
Funds allocated under this section shall be used to provide part-
day or full-day comprehensive free compensatory programs designed
to do 1 or both of the following:
(a) Improve the readiness and subsequent achievement of
educationally disadvantaged children as defined by the department
who will be at least 4, but less than 5 years of age, as of
December 1 of the school year in which the programs are offered,
and who show evidence of 2 or more risk factors as defined by the
state board.
(b) Provide preschool and parenting education programs similar
to those under former section 32b as in effect for 2001-2002.
Beginning in 2007-2008, funds spent by a district for programs
described in this subdivision shall not exceed the lesser of the
amount spent by the district under this subdivision for 2006-2007
or the amount spent under this subdivision in any subsequent fiscal
year.
(2) To be eligible to receive payments under this section, a
district shall comply with this section and section 39. To receive
competitive grant payments under this section, an eligible grant
recipient shall comply with this section and section 32l.
(3) In addition to the allocation under subsection (1), from
the general fund money appropriated under section 11, there is
allocated an amount not to exceed $300,000.00 for 2009-2010 for a
competitive grant to continue a longitudinal evaluation of children
who have participated in great start readiness programs.
(4) To be eligible for funding under this section, a program
shall prepare children for success in school through comprehensive
part-day or full-day programs that contain all of the following
program components, as determined by the department:
(a) Participation in a collaborative recruitment and
enrollment process. At a minimum, the process shall include all
other funded preschool programs that may serve children in the same
geographic area, to assure that each child is enrolled in the
program most appropriate to his or her needs and to maximize the
use of federal, state, and local funds.
(b) An age-appropriate educational curriculum that is in
compliance with the early childhood standards of quality for
prekindergarten children adopted by the state board.
(c) Nutritional services for all program participants.
(d) Health screening services for all program participants.
(e) Referral services for families of program participants to
community social service agencies, as appropriate.
(f) Active and continuous involvement of the parents or
guardians of the program participants.
(g) A plan to conduct and report annual great start readiness
program evaluations and continuous improvement plans using criteria
approved by the department.
(h) Participation in a multidistrict, multiagency, school
readiness advisory committee that provides for the involvement of
classroom teachers, parents or guardians of program participants,
and community, volunteer, and social service agencies and
organizations, as appropriate. The advisory committee shall review
the program components listed in this subsection and make
recommendations for changes to the great start readiness program
for which it is an advisory committee.
(i) For great start readiness programs operated by a district
or consortium of districts, provide for the ongoing articulation of
the early childhood, kindergarten, and first grade programs offered
by the district or districts.
(j) Assessment of all children in the program who will be at
least 4 years of age as of December 1 of the school year at least 3
times during the school year using the "Get It, Got It, Go!"
screening assessment of preschool literacy benchmarks developed by
the center for early education development at the university of
Minnesota. The program shall report the results of the assessments
to the department. The assessments shall be conducted at the
beginning, middle, and end of the school year.
(5) An application for funding under this section shall
provide for the following, in a form and manner determined by the
department:
(a) Ensure compliance with all program components described in
subsection (4).
(b) Ensure that more than 50% of the children participating in
an eligible great start readiness program are children who live
with families with a household income that is equal to or less than
300% of the federal poverty level.
(c) Ensure that the applicant only employs qualified personnel
for this program, as follows:
(i) Teachers possessing proper training. For programs the
district manages itself, a valid teaching certificate and an early
childhood (ZA) endorsement are required. This provision does not
apply to a district that subcontracts with an eligible child
development program. In that situation, a teacher must have a valid
Michigan teaching certificate with an early childhood (ZA)
endorsement, a valid Michigan teaching certificate with a child
development associate credential, or a bachelor's degree in child
development with specialization in preschool teaching. However,
both of the following apply to this subparagraph:
(A) If a district demonstrates to the department that it is
unable to fully comply with this subparagraph after making
reasonable efforts to comply, teachers who have significant but
incomplete training in early childhood education or child
development may be employed by the district if the district
provides to the department, and the department approves, a plan for
each teacher to come into compliance with the standards in this
subparagraph. A teacher's compliance plan must be completed within
4 years of the date of employment. Progress toward completion of
the compliance plan shall consist of at least 2 courses per
calendar year.
(B) For a subcontracted program, the department shall consider
a teacher with 90 credit hours and at least 4 years' teaching
experience in a qualified preschool program to meet the
requirements under this subparagraph.
(ii) Paraprofessionals possessing proper training in early
childhood development, including an associate's degree in early
childhood education or child development or the equivalent, or a
child development associate (CDA) credential, or the equivalent as
approved by the state board. However, if a district demonstrates to
the department that it is unable to fully comply with this
subparagraph after making reasonable efforts to comply, the
district may employ paraprofessionals who have completed at least 1
course in early childhood education or child development if the
district provides to the department, and the department approves, a
plan for each paraprofessional to come into compliance with the
standards in this subparagraph. A paraprofessional's compliance
plan must be completed within 2 years of the date of employment.
Progress toward completion of the compliance plan shall consist of
at least 2 courses or 60 clock hours of training per calendar year.
(d) Include a program budget that contains only those costs
that are not reimbursed or reimbursable by federal funding, that
are clearly and directly attributable to the great start readiness
program, and that would not be incurred if the program were not
being offered. The program budget shall indicate the extent to
which these funds will supplement other federal, state, local, or
private funds. Funds received under this section shall not be used
to supplant any federal funds by the applicant to serve children
eligible for a federally funded existing preschool program that has
the capacity to serve those children.
(6) For a grant recipient that enrolls pupils in a full-day
program funded under this section, each child enrolled in the full-
day program shall be counted as 2 children served by the program
for purposes of determining the number of children to be served and
for determining the amount of the grant award. A grant award shall
not be increased solely on the basis of providing a full-day
program. As used in this subsection, "full-day program" means a
program that operates for at least the same length of day as a
district's first grade program for a minimum of 4 days per week, 30
weeks per year. A classroom that offers a full-day program must
enroll all children for the full day to be considered a full-day
program.
(7) A district or consortium of districts receiving a grant
under this section may contract with for-profit or nonprofit
preschool center providers that meet all requirements of subsection
(4) and retain for administrative services an amount equal to not
more than 5% of the grant amount. A district or consortium of
districts may expend not more than 10% of the total grant amount
for administration of the program.
(8) Any public or private for-profit or nonprofit legal entity
or agency may apply for a competitive grant under this section.
However, a district or intermediate district may not apply for a
competitive grant under this section unless the district,
intermediate district, or consortium of districts or intermediate
districts is acting as a local grantee for the federal head start
program operating under the head start act, 42 USC 9831 to 9852.
(9) A recipient of funds under this section shall report to
the department on the midyear report the number of children
participating in the program who meet the income or other
eligibility criteria prescribed by the department and the total
number of children participating in the program. For children
participating in the program who meet the income or other
eligibility criteria specified under subsection (5)(b), a recipient
shall also report whether or not a parent is available to provide
care based on employment status. For the purposes of this
subsection, "employment status" shall be defined by the department
of human services in a manner consistent with maximizing the amount
of spending that may be claimed for temporary assistance for needy
families maintenance of effort purposes.