A. The department shall develop and implement an early pre-kindergarten program and a pre-kindergarten program. The department may transfer funds to the public education department for an approved public provider or may contract with any other eligible provider for the delivery of early pre-kindergarten and pre-kindergarten program services.

B. The department shall establish standards and performance measures for the early pre-kindergarten and pre-kindergarten programs to ensure the delivery of high-quality, effective services that prepare participating children for kindergarten. The department and the public education department shall cooperate to align standards for early pre-kindergarten, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten programs. Those departments shall enter into an agreement to share data necessary to report on the early pre-kindergarten and pre-kindergarten programs' performance, including the percentage of program participants who:

(1) enter kindergarten:

(a) developmentally prepared for it;

(b) needing special services; and

(c) proficient in reading and mathematics; and

(2) are retained in kindergarten or first, second or third grade.

C. The department shall coordinate with federal head start agencies to avoid duplication of effort and maximize the use of available resources in the implementation of the early pre-kindergarten and pre-kindergarten programs.

D. The department shall promulgate rules on pre-kindergarten program services, including state policies and standards defining length of service for pre-kindergarten and early pre-kindergarten programs, and shall review the process for making contract awards and for the expenditure and use of contract funds.

E. The department shall monitor activity under early pre-kindergarten and pre-kindergarten program contracts to ensure adherence to child-centered, developmentally appropriate practices and outcomes. The department shall provide early childhood training and technical assistance to contract award recipients.

F. Each year, the department shall provide an annual report to the governor and the legislature on the early pre-kindergarten and pre-kindergarten programs.

History: Laws 2005, ch. 170, § 4; 2019, ch. 48, § 21.

The 2019 amendment, effective July 1, 2020, required the early childhood education and care department to develop and implement an early pre-kindergarten program and pre-kindergarten program, to establish standards and performance measures for the programs, to coordinate with federal head start agencies to avoid duplication of effort and maximize the use of available resources in the implementation of the programs, and to provide early childhood training and technical assistance to early pre-kindergarten and pre-kindergarten program contract award recipients; in the section heading, added "early pre-kindergarten and", and "programs"; in Subsection A, deleted "children, youth and families department and the public education", after "department shall", deleted "cooperate in the development and implementation of a voluntary" and added "develop and implement an early pre-kindergarten program and a pre-kindergarten", and deleted "for the provision of pre-kindergarten services throughout the state. The pre-kindergarten program shall address the total developmental needs of preschool children, including physical, cognitive, social and emotional needs, and shall include health care, nutrition, safety and multicultural sensitivity" and added the remainder of the subsection; added new Subsections B and C and redesignated former Subsections B through D as Subsections D through F; in Subsection D, after "policies and standards", added "defining length of service for pre-kindergarten and early pre-kindergarten programs"; in Subsection E, after "shall monitor", added "activity under early pre-kindergarten and", after "contracts to ensure", deleted "the effectiveness of" and added "adherence to", deleted "departments shall assign staff to work on the development and implementation of the program and on the monitoring of contract awards. The early childhood training and technical assistance programs of the children, youth and families department and assigned staff from the public education department staff" and added "department", after "shall provide" added "early childhood training and", and after "technical assistance to", deleted "eligible providers" and added "contract award recipients"; and in Subsection F, added "Each year", and after "the legislature on the", deleted "progress of the state's voluntary" and added "early pre-kindergarten and".