2020 -- H 7400 | |
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LC003332 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE RHODE ISLAND EARLY CHILDHOOD | |
INNOVATION ACT | |
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Introduced By: Representatives McNamara, Jackson, Vella-Wilkinson, Diaz, and | |
Date Introduced: January 31, 2020 | |
Referred To: House Finance | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. The general assembly finds and declares as follows: |
2 | (1) The first three (3) years of life are a period of incredible growth in all areas of a |
3 | baby's development. A child's early relationships with parents and caregivers can promote healthy |
4 | brain development, build social and emotional skills, and support language and literacy |
5 | development starting from birth. |
6 | (2) Children who come from families who are identified as at-risk based on |
7 | socioeconomic status, parent education level, and limited parent knowledge or experience are |
8 | significantly less likely to be proficient in reading and math than other students when they enter |
9 | school, experiencing an education achievement gap (hereinafter referred to in chapter 87.1 as the |
10 | "achievement gap") which begins at birth and is often further exacerbated as children progress in |
11 | their education. |
12 | (3) There is overwhelming evidence that the state of Rhode Island could expect a very |
13 | high return to the public by investing in high quality early childhood programming for all of our |
14 | children. |
15 | (4) Early childhood investments targeted towards program development for |
16 | disadvantaged children will help to promote both efficiency and educational equality for the |
17 | children of our state. |
18 | (5) While recognizing the efforts that have been made through the "Rhode Island |
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1 | prekindergarten education act", chapter 87 of title 16, more effort can and should be expended to |
2 | reach children at an even younger age. |
3 | (6) The general assembly seeks to develop a research-based model for children ages three |
4 | (3) years of age and under and that focuses on low-income and at-risk families to eliminate the |
5 | achievement gap. |
6 | (7) The expansion of funding for programs that advance outcomes for children during the |
7 | early years of life is critical to achieving the state's goal for grade-level reading by the third grade. |
8 | SECTION 2. Title 16 of the General Laws entitled "EDUCATION" is hereby amended |
9 | by adding thereto the following chapter: |
10 | CHAPTER 87.1 |
11 | RHODE ISLAND EARLY CHILDHOOD INNOVATION ACT |
12 | 16-87.1-1. Short title. |
13 | This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Rhode Island Early Childhood |
14 | Innovation Act." |
15 | 16-87.1-2. Definitions. |
16 | As used in this section: |
17 | (1) "Achievement gap" means the difference in educational success and proficiency in |
18 | reading and math experienced by children who come from families who are identified as at-risk |
19 | based on socioeconomic status, parent education level, and limited parental knowledge or |
20 | experience. These children are significantly less likely to be proficient in reading and math than |
21 | other students when they enter school, especially in kindergarten, and they experience an |
22 | education achievement gap which begins at birth and is often further exacerbated as these |
23 | children progress in their education. |
24 | (2) "At-risk families" means those who are identified as having one risk factor on the RI |
25 | newborn health assessment. |
26 | 16-87.1-3. Innovative fund authorized. |
27 | (a) The department of human services shall establish an early childhood innovation fund. |
28 | The purpose of this fund shall be to support programs that seek to close the achievement gap that |
29 | currently exists for at-risk children as they enter kindergarten. The general assembly shall allocate |
30 | one million dollars ($1,000,000) each year to invest in high quality, evidence informed, |
31 | voluntary, early childhood models that expand upon the current landscape of programs directed at |
32 | children from birth to three (3) years of age, and to allow successful existing programs to serve |
33 | more at-risk families. Recipients of funding may include nonprofit organizations, local |
34 | governments, universities, and local education authorities. |
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1 | (b) The department of human services, working together with the department of |
2 | education, shall create a competitive request for proposals process to allocate funding for the |
3 | fiscal year no later than October 1 prior to the start of the fiscal year for which funding shall be |
4 | distributed. The request for proposals should fund only programs with evidence of model |
5 | effectiveness, clear procedures for ensuring program quality and an ongoing commitment to, and |
6 | plans for, advanced evaluation of results. Priority should be given to those programs that seek to |
7 | engage and support parents and caregivers as leaders in their child's education. |
8 | (c) The department of human services shall communicate its efforts through this fund |
9 | with the home visiting program in the department of health to best ensure coordination of efforts |
10 | across early childhood. Programs funded through this fund will implement procedures for |
11 | ensuring that families are referred to other state funded early childhood programs such as, but not |
12 | limited to, department of health evidence-based home visiting programs from which they would |
13 | benefit. Programs with demonstrated experience linking families to additional resources should |
14 | be given priority in the funding competition. |
15 | 16-87.1-4. Reporting. |
16 | On or before October 31, 2021, and annually thereafter by October 31, the department of |
17 | human services shall report back to the general assembly and the governor on the status and |
18 | progress of the pilot program authorized by this chapter. |
19 | SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE RHODE ISLAND EARLY CHILDHOOD | |
INNOVATION ACT | |
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1 | This act would establish the Rhode Island Early Childhood Innovation Act. The act |
2 | would authorize the department of human services to establish an early childhood innovation |
3 | fund for the purpose of supporting programs designed to narrow the education achievement gap |
4 | for at-risk children as they enter kindergarten. The act provides the general assembly would |
5 | allocate $1,000,000 annually to this fund. |
6 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
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