SB3112.DOC

SECTION 1. (a) The department of human services shall establish a public-private partnership pilot project to provide early childhood education program services in which family interaction is an integral component in the educational process. An entity contracted pursuant to this Act shall include an educational component within its program that strengthens the family's understanding of early childhood development, provides developmental screening, and prepares children for kindergarten.

(b) Pursuant to section 103F-402, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the department of human services shall solicit proposals and award contracts to eligible private providers of early childhood education to provide an early childhood education program to children across the State. Eligible providers shall incorporate quality standards in their programs pursuant to subsection (e). The department of human services may provide support to providers to incorporate quality standards, including support related to teacher-child interactions, individual child assessments, and family engagement. Eligible providers shall comply with all applicable state and federal laws.

(1) Children in the year prior to being eligible to attend kindergarten; and

(2) Underserved or at-risk children.

(d) Enrollment in the early childhood education program shall be voluntary. A child who is enrolled in or eligible to attend a public elementary school, or who is required to attend school pursuant to section 302A-1132, Hawaii Revised Statutes, shall not be eligible for enrollment in the early childhood education program.

(e) Eligible providers of the early childhood education program shall incorporate quality standards in their programs that are research-based, developmentally appropriate practices associated with better educational outcomes for children, including:

(1) Positive teacher-child interactions;

(2) Use of individual child assessments that are used for ongoing instructional planning, based upon all areas of childhood development and learning, including cognitive, linguistic, social, and emotional approaches to learning and health and physical development;

(3) Family engagement; and

(4) Alignment with the Hawaii early learning and development standards, which align with department of education standards, including common core state standards, state content and performance standards, and general learner outcomes for grades kindergarten to twelve, to facilitate a seamless and high-quality educational experience for children.

(f) In addition to all other requirements imposed under this section, eligible providers shall have operated an early childhood education program for at least one year prior to being contracted pursuant to this Act and provide to the department of human services documentation of existing financial resources to fund its educational program operations. Any provider that is awarded a contract pursuant to this Act shall agree to obtain and expend funding to match state funding provided under this Act and submit quarterly reports to the department of human services that document the contracted provider's expenditures of moneys received by funding source.

(g) No state moneys appropriated pursuant to this Act shall be expended by a contracted provider for administrative costs.

(h) The department of human services shall monitor implementation of the quality standards required under subsection (e).

(i) The department of human services shall coordinate with other departments, agencies, and programs to facilitate comprehensive services for early childhood education.

(j) The department of human services shall collect data to evaluate services provided, inform policy, and improve the provision of early childhood education through the early childhood education program.

(k) The department of human services shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, necessary to carry out the purposes of this section, including compliance with all applicable state and federal laws.

(l) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to enable the establishment of a voucher program for educational purposes.

(m) For purposes of this Act:

"Family engagement" means practices that engage families in meaningful ways and recognize the need for families to actively support their child's learning and development, including classrooms that make families feel welcome, communication with families, the promotion of responsible parenting, and involvement in decisions that affect families and their children.

SECTION 2. The department of human services shall submit an annual report on the pilot project, including the enrollment, providers used, quality standards, rules adopted, data collected, evaluations, and any proposed legislation, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session, commencing with the regular session of 2015.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2014-2015 for purposes of this Act; provided that no funds appropriated by this Act shall be expended unless the provider contracted pursuant to this Act obtains matching funds from sources other than the State and expends the funds on the early childhood education program established pursuant to this Act.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2014, and shall be repealed on June 30, 2019.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	3112
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2014
STATE OF HAWAII