House File 645 H-1524 Amend House File 645 as follows: 1 1. Page 1, before line 1 by inserting: 2 < DIVISION I 3 FY 2012-2013 > 4 2. Page 20, after line 30 by inserting: 5 < DIVISION II 6 STATEWIDE PRESCHOOL PROGRAM FOR FOUR-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN 7 Sec. ___. Section 237A.21, subsection 3, paragraph 8 p, Code 2011, is amended to read as follows: 9 p. One person who is part of a local program 10 implementing the statewide preschool program for 11 four-year-old children under chapter 256C 256J . 12 Sec. ___. Section 237A.22, subsection 1, paragraph 13 f, Code 2011, is amended to read as follows: 14 f. Make recommendations for improving 15 collaborations between the child care programs 16 involving the department and programs supporting the 17 education and development of young children including 18 but not limited to the federal head start program , the 19 statewide preschool program for four-year-old children 20 and the early childhood, at-risk, and other early 21 education programs administered by the department of 22 education. 23 Sec. ___. Section 256.11, subsection 1, paragraph 24 c, Code 2011, is amended to read as follows: 25 c. For the purposes of this subsection , 26 “prekindergarten program” includes but is not limited 27 to a school district’s implementation of the preschool 28 program established pursuant to chapter 256C 256J . 29 Sec. ___. Section 257.16, subsection 1, Code 2011, 30 is amended to read as follows: 31 1. There is appropriated each year from the 32 general fund of the state an amount necessary to pay 33 the foundation aid under this chapter , the preschool 34 foundation aid under chapter 256C , supplementary 35 aid under section 257.4, subsection 2 , and adjusted 36 additional property tax levy aid under section 257.15, 37 subsection 4 . 38 Sec. ___. Section 272.2, subsection 18, Code 2011, 39 is amended to read as follows: 40 18. May adopt rules for practitioners who are not 41 eligible for a statement of professional recognition 42 under subsection 10 , but have received a baccalaureate 43 degree and provide a service to students at any or all 44 levels from prekindergarten through grade twelve for 45 a school district, accredited nonpublic school, area 46 education agency, or preschool program established 47 pursuant to chapter 256C 256J . 48 Sec. ___. Section 285.1, subsection 1, paragraph 49 a, subparagraph (3), Code 2011, is amended to read as 50 -1- HF645.2246 (1) 84 kh/tm 1/ 11 #1. #2.

follows: 1 (3) Children attending prekindergarten programs 2 offered or sponsored by the district or nonpublic 3 school and approved by the department of education or 4 department of human services or children participating 5 in preschool in an approved local program under chapter 6 256C 256J may be provided transportation services. 7 However, transportation services provided to nonpublic 8 school children are not eligible for reimbursement 9 under this chapter . 10 Sec. ___. REPEAL. Chapter 256C, Code 2011, is 11 repealed. 12 Sec. ___. EFFECTIVE DATE AND APPLICABILITY. This 13 division of this Act takes effect July 1, 2011, and 14 applies to budget years beginning on or after July 1, 15 2011. 16 DIVISION III 17 PRESCHOOL PROGRAM FOR FOUR-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN 18 Sec. ___. NEW SECTION . 256J.1 Definitions. 19 As used in this chapter: 20 1. “Department” means the department of education. 21 2. “Director” means the director of the department 22 of education. 23 3. “Eligible school district” or “school district” 24 means a school corporation organized under chapter 25 274 that meets the requirements of section 256J.3, 26 subsection 4, and has been approved by the department 27 to implement preschool programs as provided in this 28 chapter. 29 4. “High-quality preschool program” means a 30 preschool program that meets the federal head start 31 program performance standards adopted pursuant to the 32 federal Improving Head Start for School Readiness 33 Act of 2007, Pub. L. No. 110-134, the Iowa quality 34 preschool program standards and criteria as determined 35 by the department in accordance with 281 IAC 16.3, and 36 the national association for the education of young 37 children program standards and accreditation criteria. 38 5. “Preschool scholarship” means the state funding 39 allocated to school districts to pay tuition for 40 eligible children enrolled in preschool programs 41 implemented pursuant to this chapter. 42 6. “Private education partner” means a private 43 preschool provider that may submit claims for 44 reimbursement to a school district for providing 45 high-quality preschool instruction to four-year-old 46 children receiving scholarships in accordance with this 47 chapter. 48 7. “State board” means the state board of 49 education. 50 -2- HF645.2246 (1) 84 kh/tm 2/ 11

Sec. ___. NEW SECTION . 256J.2 Preschool program 1 for four-year-old children —— scholarships —— purpose. 2 1. A preschool program for four-year-old children 3 is established in the department to provide an 4 opportunity for all eligible children, including 5 economically disadvantaged children, to enter 6 school ready to learn. The purpose of the preschool 7 scholarship program shall be to provide scholarships 8 to pay for eligible four-year-old children to attend 9 high-quality preschool provided by school districts or 10 private education partners. 11 2. The state board shall adopt rules pursuant 12 to chapter 17A, and may adopt emergency rules under 13 section 17A.4, subsection 3, and section 17A.5, 14 subsection 2, paragraph “b” , as necessary to implement 15 this chapter. 16 Sec. ___. NEW SECTION . 256J.3 Preschool program 17 requirements. 18 1. Eligible children. A child who is a resident of 19 Iowa and is four years of age on or before September 15 20 of a school year is eligible to enroll, based on order 21 of registration, in a preschool program implemented 22 pursuant to this chapter and may be eligible for a 23 preschool scholarship based upon the most current 24 sliding tuition scale determined and published by the 25 department in accordance with subsection 5. A school 26 district approved to participate in the preschool 27 program pursuant to this chapter may enroll a younger 28 child or an older child in the preschool program if 29 space is available; however, the child shall not be 30 counted in the preschool enrollment count for preschool 31 scholarship funding purposes under section 256J.5. 32 a. A family may choose to enroll the family’s 33 four-year- old child in an approved school district 34 preschool program or a preschool program implemented by 35 a private education partner. Families shall complete 36 all enrollment requirements, including but not limited 37 to income verification. 38 b. A school district or a private education partner 39 may charge tuition for children participating in 40 the preschool program, but shall not charge more for 41 tuition than the amount determined and published by the 42 department. All families enrolling eligible children 43 are required to pay tuition based on income and the 44 most current sliding tuition scale determined and 45 published by the department. 46 2. Teacher requirements. 47 a. An individual serving as a preschool teacher 48 in the preschool program for four-year-old children 49 shall be employed by or under contract with the 50 -3- HF645.2246 (1) 84 kh/tm 3/ 11

approved school district or by a private education 1 partner located within the approved school district’s 2 boundaries and shall meet one of the following 3 qualifications: 4 (1) The individual is appropriately licensed under 5 chapter 272 and meets the requirements of chapter 284. 6 (2) The individual possesses, or is working toward 7 obtaining within two years of starting employment under 8 this subsection, an early childhood certificate of 9 eligibility issued under chapter 272, and meets either 10 of the following conditions: 11 (a) Holds a bachelor’s or graduate degree from an 12 accredited college or university. 13 (b) Holds an associate of arts degree and is 14 working toward obtaining a bachelor’s degree within 15 three years. This subparagraph division (b) is 16 repealed August 31, 2014. 17 b. A preschool teacher in an approved preschool 18 program shall collaborate with other agencies, 19 organizations, and boards in the community to further 20 the program’s capacity to meet the diverse needs of the 21 children enrolled in the program and the families of 22 the children, such as needs for early care, health, and 23 human services. In addition, the approved preschool 24 program shall work to maintain relationships with 25 each child’s family in order to enhance the child’s 26 development in all settings by collaborating with 27 providers of parent education and family support 28 opportunities. 29 3. Program requirements —— program approval. The 30 state board shall adopt rules to further define the 31 following preschool program requirements, which shall 32 be used to determine whether or not a local program 33 implemented by a school district or private education 34 partner qualifies for approval to implement a preschool 35 program: 36 a. Maximum and minimum teacher-to-child ratios and 37 class sizes. 38 b. Applicable state and federal program standards, 39 including but not limited to the federal head start 40 program performance standards adopted pursuant to the 41 federal Improving Head Start for School Readiness 42 Act of 2007, Pub. L. No. 110-134, the Iowa quality 43 preschool program standards and criteria as determined 44 by the department in accordance with 281 IAC 16.3, and 45 the national association for the education of young 46 children program standards and accreditation criteria. 47 c. Student learning standards. 48 d. Applicable comprehensive statewide child 49 assessment determined by the department. 50 -4- HF645.2246 (1) 84 kh/tm 4/ 11

e. Provisions for the integration of children from 1 other state and federally funded preschools. 2 f. Collaboration with participating families, early 3 care providers, and community partners including but 4 not limited to early childhood Iowa area boards, head 5 start programs, shared visions, licensed child care 6 centers, registered child development homes, early 7 childhood special education programs, services funded 8 by Tit. I of the federal Elementary and Secondary 9 Education Act of 1965, and family support programs. 10 g. A minimum of ten hours per week, thirty-four 11 weeks per year, of instruction delivered on the 12 skills and knowledge included in the student learning 13 standards developed for the preschool program. 14 h. Family involvement in the preschool program. 15 i. Provision for ensuring that children receiving 16 care from other child care arrangements can participate 17 in the preschool program with minimal disruption due to 18 transportation and movement from one site to another. 19 4. School district requirements. The state board 20 shall adopt rules to further define the following 21 requirements for school districts implementing a 22 preschool program pursuant to this chapter: 23 a. Collect documentation of school district and 24 private education partner readiness to meet program 25 requirements. The school district shall submit 26 documentation to the department that demonstrates that 27 the school district contacted all known potential 28 private education partners within the school district, 29 including but not limited to, and only as applicable, 30 accredited nonpublic schools and faith-based 31 preschools, the early childhood Iowa area board, the 32 federal head start program, shared visions and other 33 programs provided under the auspices of the child 34 development coordinating council, and center-based 35 providers of child care services. 36 b. Collaborate with all approved high-quality 37 preschool program sites in the district to better serve 38 children enrolled in the preschool program in the 39 following ways: 40 (1) Extending the day, for children eligible for 41 preschool scholarships, through other state funding 42 and federal funding, including but not limited to 43 funding available through early childhood Iowa area 44 boards, federal head start programs, shared visions 45 and other programs provided under the auspices of the 46 child development coordinating council, licensed child 47 care centers, registered child development homes, early 48 childhood special education programs, services funded 49 by Tit. I of the federal Elementary and Secondary 50 -5- HF645.2246 (1) 84 kh/tm 5/ 11

Education Act of 1965, and family support programs. 1 (2) Promoting family involvement through family 2 support programs as well as district programs. 3 c. Participate in data collection and performance 4 measurement processes and reporting, including 5 reporting fall and spring applicable comprehensive 6 statewide child assessment data as specified by the 7 department. 8 d. Identify eligible children through targeted 9 outreach to all families in partnership with the early 10 childhood Iowa area board. 11 e. Collect information regarding and verify 12 family income to implement the sliding tuition 13 scale determined and published by the department in 14 accordance with subsection 5. 15 f. Address professional development for school 16 district preschool teachers in the school district’s 17 professional development plan implemented in accordance 18 with section 284.6. 19 g. Collaborate with private education partners 20 to provide a coordinated system of appropriate 21 professional development for preschool teachers and 22 staff employed in the preschool program. 23 h. Pay only those claims submitted by the school 24 district’s private education partners which are 25 verified by the process set forth in section 279.29. 26 5. Department requirements. The department shall 27 do the following: 28 a. Implement an application and approval process 29 for school district participation in the preschool 30 program that includes but is not limited to the 31 enrollment requirements provided under subsection 1. 32 b. Track the progress of all children served by 33 a school district preschool program and by the school 34 district’s private education partners and track the 35 children’s performance in elementary and secondary 36 education. 37 c. Implement procedures to monitor the quality of 38 the programming provided under the preschool program 39 at all school district and private education partner 40 sites. 41 d. Determine a statewide comprehensive child 42 assessment to measure child outcomes for all children 43 participating in the preschool program at school 44 districts and private education partner sites. 45 e. Submit an annual report to the governor, the 46 general assembly, the early childhood Iowa state board, 47 and the child development coordinating council. 48 (1) The early childhood Iowa state board and the 49 child development coordinating council shall advise 50 -6- HF645.2246 (1) 84 kh/tm 6/ 11

the department regarding collaboration of high-quality 1 preschool programs for eligible children. 2 (2) The early childhood Iowa state board shall 3 promote the preschool program in local communities to 4 increase family awareness of quality preschool programs 5 and scholarship opportunities. 6 (3) The early childhood Iowa area boards shall 7 collaborate with school districts and their private 8 education partners to strengthen preschool quality. 9 f. Develop a statewide list of approved school 10 district and private education partner preschool 11 programs and publish the list on its website. The list 12 shall include information about preschool scholarships 13 and the sliding tuition scale in addition to other 14 information for families. 15 g. Develop and review annually a sliding tuition 16 scale for purposes of granting preschool program 17 scholarships to families whose incomes are at or below 18 three hundred percent of the federal poverty level as 19 defined by the most recently revised poverty income 20 guidelines published by the United States department of 21 health and human services. 22 6. Private education partner —— religious 23 expression. An approved high-quality preschool 24 program offered by a religious entity or organization 25 shall not be prohibited from the free exercise of 26 religion during the program’s hours of instruction if 27 the program meets the program requirements established 28 pursuant to this section. 29 Sec. ___. NEW SECTION . 256J.4 Funding provisions 30 —— enrollment. 31 1. General. 32 a. State funding provided for preschool 33 scholarships shall be allocated to school districts for 34 each school year based upon the amount appropriated and 35 the funding formula set forth in section 256J.5. 36 b. Except as otherwise provided in chapter 298A, 37 a school district approved to participate in the 38 preschool program may authorize expenditures for the 39 school district’s preschool programming from any of 40 the revenue sources available to the district from 41 the sources listed in chapter 298A, provided the 42 expenditures are within the uses permitted for the 43 revenue source. In addition, the use of the revenue 44 source for preschool programming must have been 45 approved prior to any expenditure from the revenue 46 source for the school district’s preschool program. 47 c. Funding provided for the preschool program 48 pursuant to this chapter is intended to supplement, 49 not supplant, existing public funding for preschool 50 -7- HF645.2246 (1) 84 kh/tm 7/ 11

programming. 1 d. Preschool scholarship funding shall not be 2 commingled with the other state aid payments made 3 under section 257.16 to a school district and shall be 4 accounted for by the school district separately from 5 the other state aid payments. Preschool scholarship 6 payments made to school districts are miscellaneous 7 income for purposes of chapter 257. A school district 8 shall maintain a separate listing within its budget 9 for preschool scholarship payments received and 10 expenditures made. A school district shall certify 11 to the department that preschool scholarship funding 12 received by the school district was used to supplement, 13 not supplant, moneys otherwise received and used by the 14 school district for preschool programming. 15 e. Preschool scholarship funding shall not be used 16 for the costs of constructing a facility in connection 17 with a school district or private education partner 18 preschool program. 19 f. Preschool scholarship funding received by a 20 school district or private education partner may be 21 used in conjunction with funding from family-paid 22 tuition to support the school district or private 23 education partner in providing the preschool program. 24 Not more than five percent of the scholarship funding 25 received annually by a school district shall be used 26 for the costs of supervising the program. 27 2. Eligible student enrollment. 28 a. To be included as an eligible student in the 29 preschool enrollment count by a school district, a 30 child shall meet the requirements of section 256J.3, 31 subsection 1, and shall be enrolled in and attending a 32 preschool program implemented by a school district or a 33 school district’s private education partner. 34 b. The enrollment count for the preschool program 35 shall include all eligible children who are enrolled 36 in and attending a preschool program implemented by 37 a school district and the school district’s private 38 education partners shall be collected by the school 39 district on the date prescribed in section 257.6 and 40 shall be certified to the department by the school 41 district by October 15. 42 Sec. ___. NEW SECTION . 256J.5 State funding 43 allocation —— expenditure limitation. 44 1. State funding. 45 a. Allocation formula. For each fiscal year in 46 which moneys are appropriated by the general assembly 47 for purposes of the preschool program for four-year-old 48 children, preschool scholarship funding shall be 49 allocated to approved school districts on a per pupil 50 -8- HF645.2246 (1) 84 kh/tm 8/ 11

basis calculated on the proportion that the number of 1 the approved school district’s first grade children who 2 are eligible for free or reduced price meals under the 3 federal Healthy, Hungry-Free Kids Act of 2010, Pub. L. 4 No. 111-296, multiplied by the average of the previous 5 three years of certified kindergarten enrollment, bears 6 to the sum of the number of first grade children in 7 all approved school districts who are eligible for 8 free or reduced price meals under the federal Healthy, 9 Hungry-Free Kids Act of 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-296, 10 multiplied by the average of the previous three years 11 of certified kindergarten enrollment in all approved 12 school districts in the state for the base year. 13 b. Redistribution of state funding. Based on 14 the October 1 certified preschool enrollment count 15 determined pursuant to section 256J.4, subsection 2, 16 the department shall evaluate the needs of approved 17 school districts and approved private education 18 partners and shall take action to redistribute unused 19 state funding as appropriate. 20 c. Limited purpose. State funds provided for 21 purposes of this chapter shall not be expended for 22 any purpose not expressly authorized in this chapter 23 or in administrative rules adopted to administer this 24 chapter. 25 2. Program sites —— conditional allocation. A 26 school district shall not receive preschool scholarship 27 funding without school district or private education 28 partner preschool program sites. 29 3. Program continuation subject to approval. For 30 subsequent budget years, continuation of a school 31 district’s participation in the preschool program is 32 subject to the approval of the department based upon 33 the school district’s compliance with accountability 34 provisions and the department’s on-site review of the 35 school district’s implementation of the preschool 36 program. 37 4. Insufficient funding. If the amount appropriated 38 annually for purposes of this section is not 39 sufficient to pay the total allocation to approved 40 school districts, the allocation shall be based on 41 the proportion that the total allocation for each 42 approved school district bears to the sum of the total 43 allocations to all approved school districts. 44 5. Payments to private education 45 partners. Reimbursements shall be provided to private 46 education partners by approved school districts on a 47 monthly basis, beginning with the month in which the 48 school district receives payment under subsection 1, 49 paragraph “a” , and ending in July, upon submission and 50 -9- HF645.2246 (1) 84 kh/tm 9/ 11

verification of actual instructional costs incurred 1 in the school year. 2 6. Department administration and oversight. Except 3 as otherwise provided by law for a fiscal year, 4 of the amount appropriated by the general assembly 5 for a fiscal year for purposes of this chapter, the 6 department may use an amount sufficient to fund up 7 to four full-time equivalent positions which shall 8 be in addition to the number of positions authorized 9 for the department for the fiscal year to provide 10 administration and oversight of the preschool program. 11 Oversight shall include but not be limited to data 12 collection requirements, maintenance of website 13 listings of school district and private education 14 partners providing high-quality preschool programs, and 15 assessment results. 16 7. Open enrollment not applicable. Section 282.18 17 shall not apply to preschool programs implemented under 18 this chapter. However, approved programs shall be open 19 to all eligible Iowa children, regardless of a child’s 20 district of residence. 21 8. Participation in preschool not good 22 cause. Participation by a child in an approved 23 preschool program under this chapter does not qualify 24 as “good cause” , as defined in section 282.18, 25 subsection 4, paragraph “b” , for purposes of claiming 26 continuous enrollment in a school district other than 27 the district of residence. 28 Sec. ___. Section 272.2, Code 2011, is amended by 29 adding the following new subsection: 30 NEW SUBSECTION . 19. Adopt rules establishing 31 an early childhood certificate of eligibility for 32 individuals who meet the requirements of section 33 256J.3, subsection 2, paragraph “a” , subparagraph 34 (2), for preschool teachers. The rules for obtaining 35 such a certificate shall require that an applicant 36 successfully complete twelve hours of coursework from 37 an accredited institution of higher education in early 38 childhood education, child development, elementary 39 education, or early childhood special education, and 40 this coursework shall encompass child development and 41 learning of children from birth through kindergarten; 42 family and community relationships; observing, 43 documenting, and assessing young children; teaching and 44 learning; and professional practices and development. > 45 3. Title page, line 5, after < matters > by inserting 46 < and providing effective date and applicability 47 provisions > 48 4. By renumbering as necessary. 49 -10- HF645.2246 (1) 84 kh/tm 10/ 11 #3.