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Regular Session, 2013
SENATE BILL NO. 130
BY SENATOR APPEL
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
EARLY CHILDHOOD ED. Creates the Early Childhood Care and Education Network and
the Tiered Kindergarten Readiness Improvement System. (gov sig)
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 17:407.23, 407.24, and 407.25, to enact R.S. 17:407.26 and R.S.2
36:651(K), and to repeal R.S. 17:24.10, relative to early childhood care and3
education; to create the Early Childhood Care and Education Network and provide4
for the establishment of the Tiered Kindergarten Readiness Improvement System;5
to provide for criteria for membership in the network and participation in the6
kindergarten readiness system; to provide for withdrawal from and exemptions from7
membership in the network; to provide for educational program standards and8
alignment of such standards with licensure standards for certain child care centers9
and facilities; to provide for an accountability system for early childhood care and10
education programs; to provide for the responsibilities of the State Board of11
Elementary and Secondary Education, the state Department of Education, and other12
state agencies; to provide with respect to the allocation of public funding to members13
of the network and continued eligibility for such funding; to provide for an14
enrollment and registration system for early childhood care and educational15
programs and classes; to establish the Cecil J. Picard LA 4 Early Childhood Program16
as part of the network and provide relative to funding, participation criteria, and cost17 SB NO. 130
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to participate in LA 4 classes; to provide for the promulgation of rules; and to1
provide for related matters.2
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:3
Section 1. R.S. 17:407.23, 407.24, and 407.25 are hereby amended and reenacted4
and R.S. 17:407.26 is hereby enacted to read as follows:5
§407.23. Early Childhood Care and Education Network; Tiered Kindergarten6
Readiness Improvement System; creation; participation;7
components; duties and responsibilities8
A. Not later than July 1, 2013, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary9
Education, hereinafter called the state board, shall create a comprehensive and10
integrated network through which to manage and oversee all programs funded11
through state or federal resources that provide early childhood care or educational12
services.13
B. To facilitate the creation of this network, the state board shall:14
A.(1) The Early Childhood Care and Education Network is hereby15
created to manage, coordinate, and oversee all publicly funded programs that16
provide early childhood care or educational programs to children from birth17
to age five.18
(2) The network shall be administered by the State Board of Elementary19
Education through the state Department of Education.20
B.(1) Except as provided in R.S. 17:407.26, all public schools and school21
districts, state-approved nonpublic schools, child care centers and facilities22
licensed by the state, and other qualified entities that receive public funding and23
provide child care and educational programs to children from birth until age24
five shall be members of the network and shall participate in the Tiered25
Kindergarten Readiness Improvement System as provided in Subsection C of26
this Section.27
(2) The state board shall establish a process by which any public or28
approved nonpublic school, child care center or facility, or other qualified entity29 SB NO. 130
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that is not otherwise required to participate may join the Early Childhood Care1
and Education Network and participate in the Tiered Kindergarten Readiness2
Improvement System.3
C.(1) Not later than the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year, the state4
board shall establish and implement the Tiered Kindergarten Readiness5
Improvement System to establish common standards of kindergarten readiness,6
assess the quality of early child care and education programs serving children7
from birth to age five, provide information to parents and the public regarding8
the quality of early child care and education programs, services, and classes,9
and provide resources to support needed improvements in the provision of early10
child care and education programs.11
(2) Such system shall include:12
(1) Establish a (a) A definition of kindergarten readiness aligned with state13
content standards for elementary and secondary schools.14
(2) Establish performance (b) Performance targets for children under the age15
of three and academic standards for kindergarten readiness for three- and four-year16
old children to be used in publicly-funded early childhood education programs.17
(3) Create a (c) A uniform assessment and accountability system for publicly-18
funded early childhood education programs that includes a letter grade indicative of19
student performance.20
(d) Criteria for membership and continued participation in the Early21
Childhood Care and Education Network.22
(4) Coordinate D. The state board shall coordinate and collaborate with23
the Department of Children and Family Services and the Department of Health and24
Hospitals to align the standards for the licensing of child care child day care centers25
and facilities, including the requirements for participation in the Louisiana Quality26
Start Child Care Rating System, with the standards established for early childhood27
education programs pursuant to the Tiered Kindergarten Readiness28
Improvement System.29 SB NO. 130
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(5) Establish a timeline for the creation and implementation of the early1
childhood care and education network that shall be fully implemented by the2
beginning of the 2015-2016 school year.3
C.(1) In creating this network, the state board, through the state Department4
of Education, shall work cooperatively and collaboratively with the Department of5
Children and Family Services and the Department of Health and Hospitals to6
establish a seamless early childhood educational system that is coordinated and7
integrated across all programs and related state agencies, regardless of public8
funding source.9
(2)(a) The state Department of Education shall submit the plans and10
recommendations formulated by the impacted agencies to Louisiana's Early11
Childhood Advisory Council, the Child Care Association of Louisiana, and the12
nonpublic school commission appointed by the state board pursuant to R.S. 17:11 for13
review and comment.14
(b) Each reviewing entity shall submit its comments and recommendations15
to the state Department of Education, which shall prepare a summary report to be16
submitted to the state board for its consideration not later than January 1, 2013.17
(3) By not later than March 1, 2013, the state board shall submit a written18
report to each member of the legislature, the Senate Committee on Education19
secretary, and the House Committee on Education secretary on the status of20
development of the early childhood care and education network. Such report shall21
include but not be limited to any recommendations relative to changes in law or22
administrative policy needed to properly implement the network.23
E.(1) The state board shall, to the extent allowed by state and federal24
law, align and allocate funding to members of the network with the25
performance standards established by the board for the Tiered Kindergarten26
Readiness Improvement System. A member of the network that fails to meet27
the prescribed performance standards for four consecutive years will no longer28
be eligible to participate in the network, but may be reinstated upon meeting the29 SB NO. 130
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criteria established by the state board.1
(2) The state board shall establish a transition process whereby the2
parent or legal guardian of a child registered or enrolled in a program or class3
offered by any network member that withdraws or loses eligibility to participate4
in the network has sufficient time to place their child with a participating5
network member.6
F.(1) Not later than November 1, 2013, the state Department of7
Education shall provide written notice to all members of the network advising8
them of the requirements of the Tiered Kindergarten Readiness Improvement9
System and their duties and responsibilities as members of the network. Such10
notice shall include the procedure by which members of the network may11
decline to participate and information regarding the implications of such12
nonparticipation.13
(2) Any publicly funded provider of early childhood care or educational14
programs, services, or classes that does not wish to be a member of the network15
and participate in the Tiered Kindergarten Readiness Improvement System16
shall notify the Department of Education and the state agency through which17
they are licensed, in writing, that they have withdrawn from the network and18
acknowledge that by doing so they may no longer be eligible to receive public19
funding.20
G.(1) The Department of Children and Family Services, the Department21
of Health and Hospitals, and any other state agency that licenses child day care22
centers or facilities, shall notify the Department of Education on a regular basis,23
but not less than every six months, if the license of a child day care center or24
facility under their jurisdiction has lapsed or has been revoked.25
(2) A child day care center or facility that fails to maintain a current,26
valid license to operate shall not be eligible to be a member of the network, but27
may be reinstated at such time as the center or facility regains state licensure28
and meets any other requirements as established by the state board.29 SB NO. 130
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H. The state board shall develop and implement a unified registration1
and enrollment system to facilitate family access to high quality early childhood2
care and educational programs, services, and classes offered by members of the3
network that shall be based upon program performance, supply and demand,4
and local need.5
I. Each member of the network and all public agencies that provide6
child care or education programs shall cooperate fully with the state board and7
the Department of Education and provide such information, data, and8
assistance as deemed necessary by the state board.9
§407.24. The Cecil J. Picard LA 4 Early Childhood Program; inclusion in10
Early Childhood Care and Education Network11
A. The Cecil J. Picard LA 4 Early Childhood Program shall be12
administered through the Early Childhood Care and Education Network and13
all classes taught through the program shall comply with all rules and14
regulations promulgated by the state board for participation in the network and15
the Tiered Kindergarten Readiness Improvement System.16
B. The state Department of Education shall allocate funding, out of17
monies appropriated for such purpose, to any member of the network that18
applies for such funding and uses the funding solely for the purpose of19
providing early childhood development classes pursuant to The Cecil J. Picard20
LA 4 Early Childhood Program. Such classes shall be referred to in this Part as21
"LA 4 classes".22
C.(1) LA 4 classes shall be made available through the unified23
registration and enrollment system for every eligible child for whom funding is24
available, provided that the child meets the requirements of law for25
immunization documentation required for regular school enrollment.26
(2)(a) LA 4 classes shall be provided at no cost, except for any applicable27
lunch cost, to the child or his family for any eligible child who is considered "at-28
risk" as defined by the state board.29 SB NO. 130
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(b) Any other eligible child may be charged a tuition fee for all or part1
of the LA 4 class, in an amount not to exceed that necessary for the member of2
the network to provide the LA 4 class to the child and, in any case, no more than3
the average amount allocated per pupil on those children from whom no tuition4
may be required, excluding any amount attributable to the provision of5
classroom space and utility costs. Such tuition may be scaled and imposed6
according to the child's family income in compliance with criteria established7
by the state board.8
D. An otherwise eligible child who is considered "at-risk", as defined by9
the state board, shall be given preference in the unified registration and10
enrollment system developed pursuant to R.S. 17:407.23(I).11
§407.25. Rules12
The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall promulgate13
rules and regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act to14
implement the provisions of this Part. When promulgating such rules and15
regulations, the board shall minimize the financial and administrative impact16
on members of the Early Childhood Care and Education Network to the17
greatest extent possible.18
§407.26. Applicability; limitation19
This Part shall not apply to :20
(1) early Early childhood programs and child care centers and facilities21
that receive public funds solely for food and nutrition assistance .22
(2) Early childhood programs and child care centers and facilities that23
are licensed by the state but do not receive public funding.24
(3) Child daycare centers and facilities that serve fewer than seven25
children.26
Section 2. R.S. 36:651(K) is hereby enacted to read as follows:27
K. The Early Childhood Care and Education Network (R.S. 17:407.2328
et seq.) is placed within the Department of Education and shall exercise and29 SB NO. 130
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perform its powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities as provided by law.1
Section 3. R.S. 17:24.10 is hereby repealed.2
Section 4. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not3
signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature4
by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If5
vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become6
effective on the day following such approval.7
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jeanne C. Johnston.
DIGEST
Present law requires the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) to
create an early childhood care and education network, by July 1, 2013, through which to
manage and oversee publicly-funded programs that provide early childhood educational
services, and to:
(1)Establish performance targets for children under the age of three and academic
standards for kindergarten readiness for three- and four-year old children.
(2)Create a uniform assessment and accountability system that includes a letter grade
indicative of student performance.
(3)Coordinate with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and the
Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) to align the standards for the licensing
of child care facilities, including the requirements for participation in the La. Quality
Start Child Care Rating System, with the standards established for early childhood
education programs.
(4)Establish a timeline for the creation and implementation of the early childhood care
and education network that shall be fully implemented by the beginning of the 2015-
2016 school year.
(5)Work cooperatively and collaboratively with DCFS and DHH, to establish a
seamless early childhood educational system coordinated and integrated across all
programs and related state agencies, regardless of public funding source.
Proposed law essentially retains present law and provides as follows:
(1)Establishes the Early Childhood Care and Education Network to manage and oversee
all publicly-funded programs that provide early childhood care or educational
programs to children from birth to age five. Specifies that the network will be
administered by BESE through the state Department of Education.
(2)Requires BESE, by the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year, to establish and
implement the Tiered Kindergarten Readiness Improvement System to establish
common standards of kindergarten readiness, assess and provide information
regarding the quality of early child care and education programs, and provide
resources to support improvements in such programs. Provides that the system shall
include: SB NO. 130
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(a)A definition of kindergarten readiness.
(b)Performance targets for children under the age of three and academic
standards for kindergarten readiness for three- and four-year old children.
(c)A uniform assessment and accountability system that includes a letter grade
indicative of student performance.
(d)Criteria for membership and continued participation in the Early Childhood
Care and Education Network.
(3)Requires all public schools and school districts, state-approved nonpublic schools,
child care centers and facilities licensed by the state, and other qualified entities that
receive public funding and provide child care and educational programs to children
from birth until age five to be members of the network and participate in the Tiered
Kindergarten Readiness Improvement System.
(4)Requires BESE to establish a process by which schools and child care centers or
facilities that are not required to participate in the network and kindergarten
readiness system may join and participate.
(5)Exempts early childhood programs and child care centers and facilities that receive
public funds solely for food and nutrition assistance, those that are licensed by the
state but do not receive public funding, and child day care centers and facilities that
serve fewer than seven children.
(6)Requires BESE to coordinate with DCFS and DHH to align the standards for the
licensing of child day care centers and facilities with the standards established for
early childhood education programs in the Tiered Kindergarten Readiness
Improvement System. Present law required for alignment with the requirements to
participate in the La. Quality Start Child Care Rating System .
(7)Requires BESE, to the extent allowed by state and federal law, to align and allocate
funding to members of the network with the performance standards established for
the kindergarten readiness system.
(8)Network members that fail to meet prescribed performance standards for four
consecutive years lose eligibility to participate in the network but may be reinstated
upon meeting BESE criteria.
(9)Requires BESE to establish a transition process whereby the parent or legal guardian
of a child registered or enrolled in a program or class offered by any network
member that withdraws or loses eligibility to participate in the network has sufficient
time to place their child with a participating network member.
(10)Requires the Dept. of Education (DOE) to provide written notice, not later than
November 1, 2013, to all members of the network advising them of the requirements
of the kindergarten readiness system, their duties and responsibilities as members of
the network, the procedures by which they may decline to participate, and the
implications of nonparticipation.
(11)A publicly funded provider of early childhood care or educational programs,
services, or classes that does not wish to be a member of the network and participate
in the kindergarten readiness system shall notify DOE and the state agency through
which they are licensed, in writing, that they have withdrawn from the network and
acknowledge that by doing so may no longer be eligible to receive public funding.
(12)Requires DCFS, DHH, and any other state agency that licenses child day care centers SB NO. 130
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or facilities to notify DOE at least every six months if the license of a child day care
center or facility under their jurisdiction has lapsed or has been revoked.
(13) A child day care center or facility that fails to maintain a current, valid license to
operate shall not be eligible to be a member of the network, but may be reinstated at
such time as the center or facility regains state licensure and meets any other
requirements as established by BESE.
(14)Requires BESE to develop and implement a unified registration and enrollment
system to facilitate family access to early childhood care and educational programs,
services, and classes offered by members of the network based upon program
performance, supply and demand, and local need.
(15)Requires network members and public agencies that provide child care or education
programs to cooperate fully with BESE and DOE and provide necessary information
and assistance.
Present law establishes the Cecil J. Picard LA 4 Early Childhood Program to provide early
childhood development and enrichment activity classes (LA 4 classes) to every child within
the jurisdiction of a participating school system or charter school who would be eligible to
enter public school kindergarten the following year and meets program criteria.
Proposed law retains present law but provides that the LA 4 program shall be administered
through the Early Childhood Care and Education Network and all LA 4 classes shall comply
with the rules and regulations promulgated by BESE for participation in the network and the
Tiered Kindergarten Readiness Improvement System. Present law also deletes provisions
relative to the provision of enrichment activity classes.
Present law provides that LA 4 classes are to be provided at no cost to children eligible for
free and reduced lunch, except for lunch costs, and that tuition may be charged on a sliding
scale based upon family income for all other children.
Proposed law retains present law and additionally provides that an otherwise eligible child
who is considered "at-risk", as defined for the kindergarten readiness system shall be given
preference in the unified registration and enrollment system.
Present law provides for a phased-in implementation of a plan to provide for universal access
to LA 4 classes at no cost other than applicable lunch costs by the 2013-2014 school year.
Proposed law deletes present law.
Present law specifies the criteria for LA 4 educational programs and enrichment activities,
the criteria for teachers, classroom space and facilities, classroom and instructional
materials, meals and snacks, and provision of family support services.
Proposed law deletes present law.
Proposed law requires BESE to minimize the financial and administrative impact on
members of the network to the greatest extent possible when promulgating rules and
regulations to implement proposed law.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 17:407.23, 407.24, and 407.25; adds R.S. 17:407.26 and R.S. 36:651(K);
repeals R.S. 17:24.10)