Michigan Legislative Website

Sec. 32d.

(1) From the funds appropriated in section 11, there is allocated to eligible intermediate districts and consortia of intermediate districts for great start readiness programs an amount not to exceed $109,275,000.00 for 2012-2013. Funds allocated under this section shall be used to provide part-day, school-day, or GSRP/head start blended comprehensive free compensatory classroom programs designed to do 1 or both of the following:

(a) Improve the readiness and subsequent achievement of educationally disadvantaged children as defined by the department who will be at least 4, but less than 5 years of age, as of December 1 of the school year in which the programs are offered, and who meet the participant eligibility and prioritization guidelines as defined by the state board.

(b) Provide preschool and parenting education programs similar to those under former section 32b as in effect for 2001-2002. Beginning in 2007-2008, funds spent for programs described in this subdivision shall not exceed the amount spent under this subdivision for the immediately preceding fiscal year. Funds spent for programs described in this subdivision shall be used for services to families with income below 300% of the federal poverty level.

(2) Funds allocated under this section shall be allocated to intermediate districts or consortia of intermediate districts. An intermediate district or consortium of intermediate districts receiving funding under this section shall act as the fiduciary for the great start readiness programs. For 2012-2013, the fiduciary intermediate districts and consortia of intermediate districts shall allocate the funding under this section as follows:

(a) An amount not to exceed $100,400,000.00 allocated to intermediate districts and consortia of intermediate districts as directed by the department based on the formula in section 39. In order to be eligible to receive funds allocated under this subdivision from an intermediate district or consortium of intermediate districts, a district or consortium of districts shall comply with this section and section 39.

(b) An amount not to exceed $8,875,000.00 allocated in grants to competitive great start readiness programs as directed by the department based on the grant award process in section 32l. In order to be eligible to receive funds allocated under this section from an intermediate district or consortium of intermediate districts, a competitive great start readiness program shall comply with this section and section 32l.

(3) In addition to the allocation under subsection (1), from the general fund money appropriated under section 11, there is allocated an amount not to exceed $300,000.00 for 2012-2013 for a competitive grant to continue a longitudinal evaluation of children who have participated in great start readiness programs.

(4) To be eligible for funding under this section, a program shall prepare children for success in school through comprehensive part-day, school-day, or GSRP/head start blended programs that contain all of the following program components, as determined by the department:

(a) Participation in a collaborative recruitment and enrollment process. At a minimum, the process shall include all other funded preschool programs that may serve children in the same geographic area, to assure that each child is enrolled in the program most appropriate to his or her needs and to maximize the use of federal, state, and local funds.

(b) An age-appropriate educational curriculum that is in compliance with the early childhood standards of quality for prekindergarten children adopted by the state board.

(c) Nutritional services for all program participants.

(d) Health and developmental screening services for all program participants.

(e) Referral services for families of program participants to community social service agencies, as appropriate.

(f) Active and continuous involvement of the parents or guardians of the program participants.

(g) A plan to conduct and report annual great start readiness program evaluations and continuous improvement plans using criteria approved by the department.

(h) Participation in a multidistrict, multiagency, school readiness advisory committee that provides for the involvement of classroom teachers, parents or guardians of program participants, and community, volunteer, and social service agencies and organizations, as appropriate. The advisory committee annually shall review the program components listed in this subsection and make recommendations for changes to the great start readiness program for which it is an advisory committee.

(i) The ongoing articulation of the kindergarten and first grade programs offered by the program provider.

(5) An application for funding under this section shall provide for the following, in a form and manner determined by the department:

(a) Ensure compliance with all program components described in subsection (4).

(b) Ensure that more than 75% of the children participating in an eligible great start readiness program are children who live with families with a household income that is equal to or less than 300% of the federal poverty level.

(c) Ensure that the applicant only uses qualified personnel for this program, as follows:

(i) Teachers possessing proper training. For programs managed directly by a district or intermediate district, a valid teaching certificate and an early childhood (ZA or ZS) endorsement are required. This provision does not apply to a district, intermediate district, or competitive program that subcontracts with an eligible child development program. In that situation, a teacher must have a valid Michigan teaching certificate with an early childhood (ZA or ZS) endorsement, a valid Michigan elementary teaching certificate with a child development associate credential, or a bachelor's degree in child development with specialization in preschool teaching. However, if an applicant demonstrates to the department that it is unable to fully comply with this subparagraph after making reasonable efforts to comply, teachers who have significant but incomplete training in early childhood education or child development may be used if the applicant provides to the department, and the department approves, a plan for each teacher to come into compliance with the standards in this subparagraph. A teacher's compliance plan must be completed within 2 years of the date of employment. Progress toward completion of the compliance plan shall consist of at least 2 courses per calendar year.

(ii) Paraprofessionals possessing proper training in early childhood development, including an associate's degree in early childhood education or child development or the equivalent, or a child development associate (CDA) credential. However, if an applicant demonstrates to the department that it is unable to fully comply with this subparagraph after making reasonable efforts to comply, the applicant may use paraprofessionals who have completed at least 1 course that earns college credit in early childhood education or child development if the applicant provides to the department, and the department approves, a plan for each paraprofessional to come into compliance with the standards in this subparagraph. A paraprofessional's compliance plan must be completed within 2 years of the date of employment. Progress toward completion of the compliance plan shall consist of at least 2 courses or 60 clock hours of training per calendar year.

(d) Include a program budget that contains only those costs that are not reimbursed or reimbursable by federal funding, that are clearly and directly attributable to the great start readiness program, and that would not be incurred if the program were not being offered. The program budget shall indicate the extent to which these funds will supplement other federal, state, local, or private funds. Funds received under this section shall not be used to supplant any federal funds by the applicant to serve children eligible for a federally funded existing preschool program that has the capacity to serve those children.

(6) For a grant recipient that enrolls pupils in a school-day program funded under this section, each child enrolled in the school-day program shall be counted as 2 children served by the program for purposes of determining the number of children to be served and for determining the amount of the grant award. A grant award shall not be increased solely on the basis of providing a school-day program.

(7) An intermediate district or consortium of intermediate districts receiving a grant under this section may contract with for-profit or nonprofit preschool center providers that meet all requirements of subsection (4) and retain for administrative services an amount equal to not more than 5% of the grant amount. An intermediate district, consortium of intermediate districts, or competitive grant program may expend not more than 10% of the total grant amount for administration of the program.

(8) Any public or private for-profit or nonprofit legal entity or agency may apply for a competitive grant under this section. However, a district or intermediate district may not apply for a competitive grant under this section unless the district, intermediate district, or consortium of districts or intermediate districts is acting as a local grantee for the federal head start program operating under the head start act, 42 USC 9831 to 9852.

(9) A recipient of funds under this section shall report to the department in a form and manner prescribed by the department the number of children participating in the program who meet the income or other eligibility criteria prescribed by the department and the total number of children participating in the program. For children participating in the program who meet the income or other eligibility criteria specified under subsection (5)(b), a recipient shall also report whether or not a parent is available to provide care based on employment status. For the purposes of this subsection, "employment status" shall be defined by the department of human services in a manner consistent with maximizing the amount of spending that may be claimed for temporary assistance for needy families maintenance of effort purposes.

(10) As used in this section:

(a) "GSRP/head start blended program" means a part-day program funded under this section and a head start program, which are combined for a school-day program.

(b) "Part-day program" means a program that operates at least 4 days per week, 30 weeks per year, for at least 3 hours of teacher-child contact time per day but for fewer hours of teacher-child contact time per day than a school-day program.

(c) "School-day program" means a program that operates for at least the same length of day as a district's first grade program for a minimum of 4 days per week, 30 weeks per year. A classroom that offers a school-day program must enroll all children for the school day to be considered a school-day program.

(11) A grant recipient receiving funds under this section is encouraged to establish a sliding scale of tuition rates based upon a child's family income for the purpose of expanding eligible programs under this section. A grant recipient may charge tuition for programs provided under this section according to that sliding scale of tuition rates on a uniform basis for any child who does not meet the program eligibility requirements under this section.

(12) The department shall develop a plan for a multiyear phased-in approach to transfer funding for great start readiness programs under this section into an early childhood block grant program, along with funding for great start collaboratives under section 32b and funding for great parents, great start programs under section 32j. The early childhood block grant program will allocate funds to intermediate districts and consortia of intermediate districts to act as fiduciaries and provide administration of regional early childhood programs in conjunction with their regional great start collaborative to improve program quality, evaluation, and efficiency for early childhood programs. The department shall work with intermediate districts, districts, great start collaboratives, and the early childhood investment corporation to establish a revised funding formula, application process, program criteria, and data reporting requirements.