House File 2495 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2495 BY BAGNIEWSKI A BILL FOR An Act relating to statewide voluntary preschool program 1 quality standards and renewals. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5971YH (2) 90 dg/jh
H.F. 2495 Section 1. Section 256C.1, Code 2024, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 1A. Collaboration means ongoing 3 communication, coordination, and cooperation between an 4 approved local program and families, early care providers, 5 and community providers that leads to the provision of 6 comprehensive services and the progression toward the purposes 7 of this chapter. 8 Sec. 2. Section 256C.3, subsection 3, Code 2024, is amended 9 to read as follows: 10 3. Program requirements. 11 a. The state board shall adopt rules to further define the 12 following preschool program requirements which shall be used 13 to determine whether or not a local program implemented by a 14 school district approved to implement the preschool program 15 qualifies as an approved local program: 16 a. (1) Maximum and minimum teacher-to-child ratios and 17 class sizes. 18 b. (2) Applicable state and federal program standards. 19 c. (3) Student learning standards. 20 d. (4) Provisions for the integration of children from 21 other state and federally funded preschools by ensuring, 22 subject to the approval of a childs parent, guardian, or 23 custodian, that a child integrated into an approved local 24 program has uninterrupted instruction and access to the 25 services provided by the approved local program . 26 e. (5) Collaboration with participating families, early 27 care providers, and community partners including but not 28 limited to early childhood Iowa area boards, head start 29 programs, shared visions and other programs provided under 30 the auspices of the child development coordinating council, 31 licensed child care centers, registered child development 32 homes, area education agencies, child care resource and 33 referral services provided under section 237A.26 , early 34 childhood special education programs, services funded by Tit. I 35 -1- LSB 5971YH (2) 90 dg/jh 1/ 5
H.F. 2495 of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 1 and family support programs. 2 f. (6) A minimum of ten hours per week of instruction 3 delivered on the skills and knowledge included in the student 4 learning standards developed for the preschool program. 5 g. (7) Parental involvement in the local program. 6 h. (8) Provision for ensuring that children receiving 7 care from other child care arrangements can participate in the 8 preschool program with minimal disruption due to transportation 9 and movement from one site to another. The children 10 participating in the preschool program may be transported by 11 the school district to activities associated with the program 12 along with other children. 13 b. Approval of a preschool program under this section shall 14 be valid for five years from the date of approval. 15 Sec. 3. Section 256C.3, subsection 4, paragraph a, Code 16 2024, is amended to read as follows: 17 a. Methods of demonstrating community readiness to 18 implement high-quality instruction in a local program 19 shall be identified. The potential provider shall submit 20 a collaborative program proposal that demonstrates the 21 involvement of multiple community stakeholders including 22 but not limited to, and only as applicable, parents, the 23 school district, accredited nonpublic schools and faith-based 24 representatives, the area education agency, the early childhood 25 Iowa area board, representatives of business, head start 26 programs, shared visions and other programs provided under 27 the auspices of the child development coordinating council, 28 center-based and home-based providers of child care services, 29 human services, public health, and economic development 30 programs. The methods may include but are not limited to a 31 school district providing evidence of a public hearing on the 32 proposed programming and written documentation of collaboration 33 agreements between the school district, existing community 34 providers, and other community stakeholders addressing 35 -2- LSB 5971YH (2) 90 dg/jh 2/ 5
H.F. 2495 operational procedures and other critical measures. At least 1 once every five school budget years, an approved local program 2 shall provide evidence to the state board that the approved 3 local program is sufficiently incorporating community readiness 4 and involving multiple community stakeholders as required by 5 this paragraph. 6 Sec. 4. Section 256C.3, subsection 5, paragraph c, Code 7 2024, is amended to read as follows: 8 c. The department shall implement procedures to monitor the 9 quality of the programming provided under the preschool program 10 and revoke a preschool programs status as an approved local 11 program if the program fails to meet program quality standards 12 under this chapter . 13 Sec. 5. Section 256C.3, subsection 5, Code 2024, is amended 14 by adding the following new paragraph: 15 NEW PARAGRAPH . e. The state board, in collaboration with 16 the department, shall encourage school districts to collaborate 17 with community partners to ensure comprehensive, integrated 18 early childhood services, including but not limited to the 19 delivery of preschool services outside of a school district in 20 community-based settings where other early childhood services 21 are being provided, are available to all eligible children. 22 Sec. 6. Section 256C.4, subsection 1, paragraph e, Code 23 2024, is amended to read as follows: 24 e. Preschool foundation aid funding shall not be used for 25 the costs of constructing a facility in connection with an 26 approved local program. Preschool foundation aid funding may 27 be used by approved local programs and community providers 28 for any purpose determined by the board of directors of the 29 school district to meet standards for high-quality preschool 30 instruction and for purposes that directly or indirectly 31 benefit students enrolled in the approved local program, 32 including but not limited to professional development for 33 preschool teachers, instructional equipment and supplies, 34 material and equipment designed to develop pupils large and 35 -3- LSB 5971YH (2) 90 dg/jh 3/ 5
H.F. 2495 small motor skills, translation services, playground equipment 1 and repair costs, food and beverages used by children in the 2 approved local program, safety equipment, facility rental 3 fees, and for other direct costs that enhance the approved 4 local program, including by contracting with community 5 partners for any such services. Preschool foundation aid 6 funding may be used by approved local programs for the costs 7 of transportation involving children participating in the 8 preschool program. The costs of transporting other children 9 associated with the preschool program or transported as 10 provided in section 256C.3, subsection 3 , paragraph h a , 11 subparagraph (8), may be prorated by the school district. 12 Preschool foundation aid funding received by an approved local 13 program that remains unexpended and unobligated at the end of 14 a fiscal year beginning on or after July 1, 2017, shall be 15 used to build the approved local programs preschool program 16 capacity in the next succeeding fiscal year excluding that 17 portion of such unexpended and unobligated funding that the 18 school district authorizes for transfer for deposit in the 19 school districts flexibility account established under section 20 298A.2, subsection 2 , if the statutory requirements for the use 21 of such funding are met. For purposes of determining whether a 22 school district has authority to transfer preschool foundation 23 aid funding for deposit in the school districts flexibility 24 account established under section 298A.2, subsection 2 , the 25 school district must have provided preschool programming 26 during the fiscal year for which funding remains unexpended 27 and unobligated to all eligible students for whom a timely 28 application for enrollment was submitted. 29 EXPLANATION 30 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 31 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 32 This bill relates to statewide voluntary preschool program 33 (SVPP) quality standards. 34 The bill defines collaboration for purposes of the SVPP as 35 -4- LSB 5971YH (2) 90 dg/jh 4/ 5
H.F. 2495 ongoing communication, coordination, and cooperation between 1 an approved local program and families, early care providers, 2 and community providers that leads to the provision of 3 comprehensive services and the progression toward the purposes 4 of the SVPP. 5 The bill requires the state board of education (BOE) to adopt 6 rules that provide for the integration of children from other 7 state and federally funded preschools by ensuring, subject 8 to the approval of a childs parent, guardian, or custodian, 9 that a child integrated into an approved local program has 10 uninterrupted instruction and access to the services provided 11 by the approved local program. 12 The bill limits a preschool programs status as an approved 13 local program for a period of five years. 14 The bill requires, at least once every five years, for an 15 approved local program to provide evidence to the BOE that the 16 approved local program is sufficiently incorporating community 17 readiness and involving multiple community stakeholders. 18 The bill requires the department of education (DE) to 19 implement procedures for revoking a preschool programs status 20 as an approved local program if it fails to meet program 21 quality standards for the SVPP. 22 The bill requires the BOE, in collaboration with the 23 DE, to encourage school districts to collaborate with 24 community partners to ensure comprehensive, integrated 25 early childhood services, including but not limited to the 26 delivery of preschool services outside of a school district in 27 community-based settings where other early childhood services 28 are being provided, are available to all children for the SVPP. 29 The bill makes conforming changes. 30 -5- LSB 5971YH (2) 90 dg/jh 5/ 5