SB3101 HD2

Report Title:

Early Childhood Education

Description:

Builds a comprehensive system of early childhood learning services by further developing and refining the recommendations of the temporary early childhood education task force. Establishes and appropriates funds for an early learning educational task force. Builds upon the existing framework and services for early childhood learning. Effective date July 1, 2020. (SB3101 HD2)

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	3101
TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006		S.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII		H.D. 2

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to early childhood education.

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

PART I

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the mind is shaped significantly by experiences and other stimuli in the first five years of a child's life. This period sets the foundation in which a person forms his or her behavioral, emotional, social, and decision-making skills, values, self-esteem, and lifelong learning ability. In short, this period paves the way for a child's healthy, successful development.

Neglect and inadequate care in the early years can hold a child back from achieving the child's full potential and, instead, place the child at risk for poor outcomes later in life, which has considerable social costs.

Research and studies have shown that providing children with proper early childhood care and education has a far-reaching, long-term impact on their development. Thus, the legislature recognizes the importance of providing children with early learning opportunities of the highest quality. Early learning programs, both public and private, should meet professionally-accepted standards, be staffed by well-trained, appropriately-compensated educators, and be available to all children.

Accordingly, the legislature created the temporary early childhood education task force in 2005 to:

(1) Develop plans and proposals to increase access to early learning programs for all children;

(2) Increase participation in these programs by promoting their value; and

(3) Improve the quality of programs and practitioners.

The legislature also finds that forty per cent of four-year-old children are already being served by public schools through the kindergarten program. Having recognized this fact, the legislature, through Act 219, Session Laws of Hawaii 2004 (Act 219), established junior kindergarten in public elementary schools for children who are at least five years old after August 1 and before January 1 of the school year, beginning with the 2006-2007 school year. The intent of Act 219 was to implement a flexible, developmentally appropriate curriculum to ensure a child's school readiness.

The benefits of early learning programs have already been proven in states such as Oklahoma, which has provided state funding for voluntary pre-kindergarten or junior kindergarten programs since 1998 through its Early Childhood Four-Year-Old Program, resulting in a closing of the achievement gap among students: the test scores of low-income students improved by twenty-six per cent, and those of Hispanic students improved by fifty-four per cent.

The purpose of this Act is to build a comprehensive system of early childhood learning services by further developing and refining the recommendations of the temporary early childhood education task force. Specifically, this bill:

(1) Establishes and appropriates funds for an early learning educational task force; and

(2) Builds upon the existing framework and services for early childhood learning.

PART II

SECTION 2. (a) There is established the early learning educational task force, to be attached to the department of education for administrative purposes only. The task force shall develop plans and timelines for a coherent, comprehensive, and sustainable early learning system.

The task force shall be composed of two working groups, namely, the interdepartmental working group and quality assurance working group.

(b) The interdepartmental working group shall develop plans to maximize public and private resources to provide early learning opportunities for all children in the state who are four years old by January 1 of each school year, beginning with the 2006-2007 school year.

(1) Expand upon the current system of public education services for all four-year-old children;

(2) Maintain and expand the role of the department of human services in providing early learning opportunities through programs such as the preschool open doors program;

(3) Maintain and expand the role of the office of community services of the department of labor and industrial relations in providing early learning opportunities through programs such as Head Start;

(4) Maintain and expand the role of the department of health in providing early learning opportunities to special needs children;

(5) Maintain and expand the role of the department of education in extending educational services to all four-year-old children who wish to enroll;

(6) Be primarily sited in public facilities, whether the program is publicly or privately run;

(7) Recognize a variety of early learning approaches and service deliveries; and

(8) Be sustained by various types of funding, including federal, state, and private funds.

(d) The task force shall make recommendations for the early learning system, relating to:

(1) Developing a plan to implement standards for age- and developmentally-appropriate curriculum;

(2) Recruiting teachers into public and private schools who are certified in early childhood education;

(3) Continuing professional development of teachers;

(4) Maintaining small class sizes and adult-to-child ratios; and

(5) Encouraging more family education and participation.

(e) The composition of the early learning educational task force shall be as follows:

(1) For the interdepartmental working group:

(A) The superintendent of education or the superintendent's designee;

(B) The chairperson of the board of education or the chairperson's designee;

(D) The director of health or the director's designee;

(E) The executive director of the office of community services of the department labor and industrial relations or the executive director's designee;

(F) Two members from the community, appointed by the superintendent of education; and

(G) Two members from the community, appointed by the director of human services.

(2) For the quality assurance working group:

(A) A specialist from the department of education on the junior kindergarten and Families for R.E.A.L. programs;

(B) The dean of the University of Hawaii college of education or the dean's designee;

(D) The chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Hilo or the chancellor's designee;

(E) A representative designated by the chancellors of the University of Hawaii community colleges;

(F) The president of Chaminade University or the president's designee;

(G) The executive director of the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools or the executive director's designee;

(H) The director of the Hawaii Head Start - State Collaboration Office or the director's designee;

(I) The executive director of the Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children or the executive director's designee;

(J) The board president of PATCH Hawaii or the board president's designee; and

(K) A representative of the organizations of native Hawaiian community-based programs for early childhood education.

(f) The chairperson of the task force shall be selected from among the community members appointed to the task force, by a majority of the members of the task force.

(g) The early learning educational task force may form subcommittees to:

(1) Obtain input from stakeholders, early education professionals, and any other individuals as may be determined necessary by the task force; and

(2) Perform any other function as may be deemed necessary by the task force for the fulfillment of its functions.

(h) The subcommittees shall be exempt from chapter 92, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

(i) The department of education and department of human services may enter into a contract with any agency or organization to implement any part of this Act.

(j) The members of the early learning educational task force shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for expenses necessary for the performance of their duties, including travel expenses.

SECTION 3. The early learning educational task force shall submit reports to the governor and legislature as follows:

(1) An interim report of its progress, including any proposed legislation, to be submitted no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2007 regular session; and

(2) A final report of its progress, findings, and recommendations, including any additional proposed legislation, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2008 regular session.

SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $250,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007 for the operations of the early learning educational task force.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this part.

PART III

SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007 to enhance junior kindergarten services to ensure children are provided with learning experiences that promote the skills they need to be successful in kindergarten or first grade.

Specifically, these funds will be used as follows:

(1) To create a full-time equivalent (1.00 FTE) permanent specialist who focuses on early childhood education and is responsible for policies, curriculum, and assessment relating to junior kindergarten programs;

(2) To create ( FTE) permanent teaching positions for individuals with degrees in elementary education and preferably have an endorsement or substantial coursework in early childhood education;

(3) For ongoing, professional development of teachers; and

(4) For classroom resources.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this section.

SECTION 6. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $300,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007 to expand to three new sites the department of education's Families for R.E.A.L., which is an early childhood program that fosters interaction between parents and their children; provided that each site shall receive $100,000; provided further that priority for new sites shall be in areas not currently served by Head Start programs.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this section.

SECTION 7. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $700,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007 to support grantees of the Early Head Start and Head Start programs, which are comprehensive early childhood education programs that serve low-income children and families.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of labor and industrial relations for the purposes of this section.

PART IV

SECTION 8. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2020, and shall be repealed on July 1, 2008.