November 30, 2016, Introduced by Senators HOPGOOD, ANANICH, KNEZEK, JOHNSON, BIEDA and GREGORY and referred to the Committee on Families, Seniors and Human Services.
A bill to amend 1979 PA 94, entitled
"The state school aid act of 1979,"
by amending section 32d (MCL 388.1632d), as amended by 2016 PA 249.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
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 $243,600,000.00 $396,600,000.00
for 2016-2017. 2017-
2018. Funds allocated under this section for great start readiness
programs shall be used to provide part-day, school-day, or
GSRP/head start blended comprehensive free compensatory classroom
programs designed to improve the readiness and subsequent
achievement of educationally disadvantaged children who meet the
participant eligibility and prioritization guidelines as defined by
the department. For a child to be eligible to participate in a
program under this section, the child shall be at least 4, but less
than 5, years of age as of September 1 of the school year in which
the program is offered and shall meet those eligibility and
prioritization guidelines. Beginning in 2017-2018, for a child to
be eligible to participate in a program under this section, the
child shall be at least 3, but less than 5, years of age as of
September 1 of the school year in which the program is offered and
shall meet those eligibility and prioritization guidelines. It is
the intent of the legislature to allocate for 2017-2018 an
additional $170,000,000.00 to begin serving eligible 3-year-olds
under this section and to allocate for 2018-2019 another additional
$170,000,000.00 for a total of $340,000,000.00 for 2018-2019 for
serving all eligible 3-year-olds. With this additional funding, the
total overall allocation under this section for serving all
eligible 3- and 4-year-olds is expected to be $736,600,000.00 for
2018-2019.
(2) Funds allocated under subsection (1) shall be allocated to
intermediate districts or consortia of intermediate districts based
on the formula in section 39. An intermediate district or
consortium of intermediate districts receiving funding under this
section shall act as the fiduciary for the great start readiness
programs. In order to be eligible to receive funds allocated under
this subsection from an intermediate district or consortium of
intermediate districts, a district, a consortium of districts, or a
public or private for-profit or nonprofit legal entity or agency
shall comply with this section and section 39.
(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 2016-2017 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 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
supported by federal, state, and local resources as applicable.
(d) Physical and dental health and developmental screening
services for all program participants.
(e) Referral services for families of program participants to
community social service agencies, including mental health
services, 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 school readiness advisory committee
convened as a workgroup of the great start collaborative 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 and make recommendations
regarding the program components listed in this subsection. The
advisory committee also shall make recommendations to the great
start collaborative regarding other community services designed to
improve all children's school readiness.
(i) The ongoing articulation of the kindergarten and first
grade programs offered by the program provider.
(j) Participation in this state's great start to quality
process with a rating of at least 3 stars.
(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) Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, ensure
that at least 90% of the children participating in an eligible
great start readiness program for whom the intermediate district is
receiving funds under this section are children who live with
families with a household income that is equal to or less than 250%
of the federal poverty level. If the intermediate district
determines that all eligible children are being served and that
there are no children on the waiting list under section 39(1)(d)
who live with families with a household income that is equal to or
less than 250% of the federal poverty level, the intermediate
district may then enroll children who live with families with a
household income that is equal to or less than 300% of the federal
poverty level. The enrollment process shall consider income and
risk factors, such that children determined with higher need are
enrolled before children with lesser need. For purposes of this
subdivision, all age-eligible children served in foster care or who
are experiencing homelessness or who have individualized education
plans recommending placement in an inclusive preschool setting
shall be considered to live with families with household income
equal to or less than 250% of the federal poverty level regardless
of actual family income and shall be prioritized for enrollment
within the lowest quintile.
(c) Ensure that the applicant only uses qualified personnel
for this program, as follows:
(i) Teachers possessing proper training. A lead teacher must
have a valid teaching certificate with an early childhood (ZA or
ZS) endorsement or a bachelor's or higher degree in child
development or early childhood education 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 education, 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. Eligible costs include transportation costs. 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 received by the applicant to serve children eligible
for a federally funded 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 described in section 39 for
purposes of determining the amount of the grant award.
(7) For a grant recipient that enrolls pupils in a GSRP/head
start blended program, the grant recipient shall ensure that all
head start and GSRP policies and regulations are applied to the
blended slots, with adherence to the highest standard from either
program, to the extent allowable under federal law.
(8) An intermediate district or consortium of intermediate
districts receiving a grant under this section shall designate an
early childhood coordinator, and may provide services directly or
may contract with 1 or more districts or public or private for-
profit or nonprofit providers that meet all requirements of
subsections (4) and (5).
(9) An intermediate district or consortium of intermediate
districts may retain for administrative services provided by the
intermediate district or consortium of intermediate districts an
amount not to exceed 4% of the grant amount. Expenses incurred by
subrecipients engaged by the intermediate district or consortium of
intermediate districts for directly running portions of the program
shall be considered program costs or a contracted program fee for
service.
(10) An intermediate district or consortium of intermediate
districts may expend not more than 2% of the total grant amount for
outreach, recruiting, and public awareness of the program.
(11) Each grant recipient shall enroll children identified
under subsection (5)(b) according to how far the child's household
income is below 250% of the federal poverty level by ranking each
applicant child's household income from lowest to highest and
dividing the applicant children into quintiles based on how far the
child's household income is below 250% of the federal poverty
level, and then enrolling children in the quintile with the lowest
household income before enrolling children in the quintile with the
next lowest household income until slots are completely filled. If
the grant recipient determines that all eligible children are being
served and that there are no children on the waiting list under
section 39(1)(d) who live with families with a household income
that is equal to or less than 250% of the federal poverty level,
the grant recipient may then enroll children who live with families
with a household income that is equal to or less than 300% of the
federal poverty level. The enrollment process shall consider income
and risk factors, such that children determined with higher need
are enrolled before children with lesser need. For purposes of this
subdivision, all age-eligible children served in foster care or who
are experiencing homelessness or who have individualized education
plans recommending placement in an inclusive preschool setting
shall be considered to live with families with household income
equal to or less than 250% of the federal poverty level regardless
of actual family income and shall be prioritized for enrollment
within the lowest quintile.
(12) An intermediate district or consortium of intermediate
districts receiving a grant under this section shall allow parents
of eligible children who are residents of the intermediate district
or within the consortium to choose a program operated by or
contracted with another intermediate district or consortium of
intermediate districts and shall enter into a written agreement
regarding payment, in a manner prescribed by the department.
(13) An intermediate district or consortium of intermediate
districts receiving a grant under this section shall conduct a
local process to contract with interested and eligible public and
private for-profit and nonprofit community-based providers that
meet all requirements of subsection (4) for at least 30% of its
total slot allocation. For the purposes of this 30% allocation, an
intermediate district or consortium of intermediate districts may
count children served by a head start grantee or delegate in a
blended head start and great start readiness school-day program.
Children served in a program funded only through head start shall
not be counted toward this 30% allocation. The intermediate
district or consortium shall report to the department, in a manner
prescribed by the department, a detailed list of community-based
providers by provider type, including private for-profit, private
nonprofit, community college or university, head start grantee or
delegate, and district or intermediate district, and the number and
proportion of its total slot allocation allocated to each provider
as subrecipient. If the intermediate district or consortium is not
able to contract for at least 30% of its total slot allocation, the
grant recipient shall notify the department and, if the department
verifies that the intermediate district or consortium attempted to
contract for at least 30% of its total slot allocation and was not
able to do so, then the intermediate district or consortium may
retain and use all of its allocated slots as provided under this
section. To be able to use this exemption, the intermediate
district or consortium shall demonstrate to the department that the
intermediate district or consortium increased the percentage of its
total slot allocation for which it contracts with a community-based
provider and the intermediate district or consortium shall submit
evidence satisfactory to the department, and the department must be
able to verify this evidence, demonstrating that the intermediate
district or consortium took measures to contract for at least 30%
of its total slot allocation as required under this subsection,
including, but not limited to, at least all of the following
measures:
(a) The intermediate district or consortium notified each
nonparticipating licensed child care center located in the service
area of the intermediate district or consortium regarding the
center's eligibility to participate, in a manner prescribed by the
department.
(b) The intermediate district or consortium provided to each
nonparticipating licensed child care center located in the service
area of the intermediate district or consortium information
regarding great start readiness program requirements and a
description of the application and selection process for community-
based providers.
(c) The intermediate district or consortium provided to the
public and to participating families a list of community-based
great start readiness program subrecipients with a great start to
quality rating of at least 3 stars.
(14) If an intermediate district or consortium of intermediate
districts receiving a grant under this section fails to submit
satisfactory evidence to demonstrate its effort to contract for at
least 30% of its total slot allocation, as required under
subsection
(1), (13), the department shall reduce the slots
allocated to the intermediate district or consortium by a
percentage equal to the difference between the percentage of an
intermediate district's or consortium's total slot allocation
awarded to community-based providers and 30% of its total slot
allocation.
(15) In order to assist intermediate districts and consortia
in complying with the requirement to contract with community-based
providers for at least 30% of their total slot allocation, the
department shall do all of the following:
(a) Ensure that a great start resource center or the
department provides each intermediate district or consortium
receiving a grant under this section with the contact information
for each licensed child care center located in the service area of
the intermediate district or consortium by March 1 of each year.
(b) Provide, or ensure that an organization with which the
department contracts provides, a community-based provider with a
validated great start to quality rating within 90 days of the
provider's having submitted a request and self-assessment.
(c) Ensure that all intermediate district, district, community
college or university, head start grantee or delegate, private for-
profit, and private nonprofit providers are subject to a single
great start to quality rating system. The rating system shall
ensure that regulators process all prospective providers at the
same pace on a first-come, first-served basis and shall not allow 1
type of provider to receive a great start to quality rating ahead
of any other type of provider.
(d) Not later than December 1 of each year, compile the
results of the information reported by each intermediate district
or
consortium under subsection (10) (13) and report to the
legislature a list by intermediate district or consortium with the
number and percentage of each intermediate district's or
consortium's total slot allocation allocated to community-based
providers by provider type, including private for-profit, private
nonprofit, community college or university, head start grantee or
delegate, and district or intermediate district.
(16) 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 eligibility criteria under subsection (5)(b) and the total
number of children participating in the program. For children
participating in the program who meet the income 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 health
and 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.
(17) 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.
(18) An intermediate district or consortium of intermediate
districts receiving funds under this section shall establish a
sliding scale of tuition rates based upon household income for
children participating in an eligible great start readiness program
who live with families with a household income that is more than
250% of the federal poverty level to be used by all of its
providers, as approved by the department. A grant recipient shall
charge tuition according to that sliding scale of tuition rates on
a uniform basis for any child who does not meet the income
eligibility requirements under this section.
(19) From the amount appropriated in subsection (1), there is
allocated an amount not to exceed $10,000,000.00 for reimbursement
of transportation costs for children attending great start
readiness programs funded under this section. To receive
reimbursement
under this subsection, not later than November 1 ,
2016,
of the fiscal year, a program funded under this section that
provides transportation shall submit to the intermediate district
that is the fiscal agent for the program a projected transportation
budget. The amount of the reimbursement for transportation under
this subsection shall be no more than the projected transportation
budget or $150.00 multiplied by the number of slots funded for the
program under this section. If the amount allocated under this
subsection is insufficient to fully reimburse the transportation
costs for all programs that provide transportation and submit the
required information, the reimbursement shall be prorated in an
equal amount per slot funded. Payments shall be made to the
intermediate district that is the fiscal agent for each program,
and the intermediate district shall then reimburse the program
provider for transportation costs as prescribed under this
subsection.