2023 -- H 5790

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LC001545

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND PRE-KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION

ACT

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Cotter, Baginski, Morales, Speakman, Tanzi, Casimiro,
Kazarian, Kislak, McNamara, and Batista

     Date Introduced: February 22, 2023

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Chapter 16-87 of the General Laws entitled "Rhode Island Pre-Kindergarten

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Education Act" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following sections:

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     16-87-8. High-quality, universal pre-kindergarten.

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     (a) The general assembly acknowledges the need to adequately prepare all children to

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succeed in school by providing access to publicly funded, high quality pre-kindergarten education

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programs for all children ages three (3) and four (4).

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     (b) Access to free, inclusive and high-quality pre-kindergarten classrooms in a mixed-

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delivery system that includes Head Start agencies, local education agencies, licensed center-based

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child care providers, and licensed family child care providers, or family child care networks, shall

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be expanded annually across all communities in Rhode Island until every family who wants a high-

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quality pre-kindergarten seat for their children ages three (3) or four (4), has one.

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     (c) Universal access will be considered achieved when no less than seventy percent (70%)

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of all children ages three (3) and four (4) are enrolled in high-quality pre-kindergarten programs.

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     (d) For the school year 2024-2025, the Rhode Island pre-kindergarten program

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administered by the department of education shall make funds available to offer no less than four

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thousand (4,000) high-quality pre-kindergarten seats through a mixed-delivery model, of which no

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less than twenty-five percent (25%) shall be made available for all children age three (3).

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     (e) No later than December 31, 2023, the department of education, in collaboration with

 

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the department of human services, the Head Start Collaboration Office, and the RI early learning

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council shall submit to the governor, speaker of the house, senate president, and chairs of house

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and senate finance committees and education committees a year-by-year growth plan to achieve

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universal access to high-quality pre-kindergarten for all children ages three (3) and four (4). The

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growth plan shall detail annual growth targets and projected funding needs, as well as how the state

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will:

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     (1) Equitably distribute pre-kindergarten funding to eligible providers, as described in §

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16-87-9(a);

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     (2) Ensure that infant-toddler care is further strengthened through state investments as the

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state pre-kindergarten program is expanded to achieve universal access;

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     (3) Prepare, recruit and retain a highly-qualified early childhood workforce, and ensure

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adequate wages for early childhood educators, regardless of setting, that provide a living wage and

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are equivalent to wages for elementary educators with similar credentials and experience in the

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state;

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     (4) Build capacity among new and existing providers to ensure quality standards are met

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in all settings; and

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     (5) Ensure providers in the mixed-delivery system have sufficient facilities to expand

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access to high-quality pre-kindergarten services.

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     16-87-9. High quality elements.

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     (a) To expand access to high-quality pre-kindergarten education programs, the state shall

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implement and provide sufficient funding to support a mixed-delivery system comprised of eligible

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providers including local education agencies, Head Start agencies, licensed center-based child care

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providers, licensed family child care providers or licensed family child-care provider networks, or

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a consortium of these entities.

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     (b) To build and maintain an adequate system of providers, the state shall support a

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continuous quality improvement system for providers of pre-kindergarten services participating in,

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or seeking to participate in, the state pre-kindergarten program.

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     (c) The Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education (the

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"department") is hereby authorized to promulgate and adopt rules and regulations for the

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implementation of high quality, universal pre-kindergarten. Research-based quality standards shall

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be defined in regulation by the department, and shall include, but not be limited to:

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     (1) Teacher education and certification;

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     (2) Class size and staff ratios;

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     (3) Learning time;

 

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     (4) Developmentally appropriate, evidence-based learning standards;

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     (5) Curriculum prioritizing developmentally appropriate, play-based learning;

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     (6) Access, inclusion and support for students with special needs;

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     (7) Support for English language learners;

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     (8) Professional development;

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     (9) Child assessments; and

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     (10) Observations and coaching to improve practice.

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     (d) To whatever extent deemed necessary by the department, quality standards may be

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differentiated by pre-kindergarten education setting, such that every provider-type in a mixed-

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delivery model is able and expected to meet the highest research-based quality standards as defined

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by the department.

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     16-87-10. Successful transitions.

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     (a) Successful coordination between Rhode Island’s high-quality pre-kindergarten and

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kindergarten programs is essential for setting a solid foundation for all students. In order to have a

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seamless pathway from pre-kindergarten to third grade, standards, curriculum, instruction and

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assessments shall be aligned.

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     (b) Effective transition programs and practices to help students and families move

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successfully from one setting to another shall be established.

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     (c) All local education agencies (LEAs) in Rhode Island shall develop a kindergarten

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transition strategy to support incoming students and families. The transition strategy shall include

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two (2) parts:

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     (1) Student and family communication and engagement plans; and

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     (2) Program-level transition plans.

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     (d) These strategies may include:

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     (1) For student and family transition, the following strategies shall be considered:

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     (i) Student visits to their future kindergarten classroom;

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     (ii) Kindergarten teacher visits to the pre-kindergarten classrooms;

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     (iii) Workshops for families of incoming kindergarten children; and

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     (iv) Kindergarten orientation sessions the summer before school starts.

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     (2) For program-level transition planning the following strategies shall be considered:

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     (i) Creation of transition teams and liaisons between pre-kindergarten programs and district

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schools;

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     (ii) Joint professional development and data sharing for pre-kindergarten to third grade

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teachers; and

 

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     (iii) Teacher-to-teacher conferences.

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     16-87-11. Pre-Kindergarten facilities.

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     (a) No later than December 31, 2023, the department of human services shall provide the

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senate president and the speaker of the house with a report on the status of disbursement and impact

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of capital funds made available by the early learning facilities general obligation bond approved on

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March 2, 2021.

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     (b) The department of elementary and secondary education and the department of human

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services shall establish programs and initiatives to ensure providers renovate, acquire, develop,

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and/or expand facilities that meet licensing and facilities standards, in order to increase access to

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high-quality pre-kindergarten learning environments. Programs and initiatives may include, but

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shall not be limited to:

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     (1) Grant programs to be used for facility planning, predevelopment activities, and/or

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urgent facility maintenance required for the health, safety and quality of existing programs;

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     (2) Supporting the establishment of strategic partnerships between local education agencies

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and community-based early learning providers to make use of available space in existing facilities;

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and/or

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     (3) Technical assistance for providers to access capital, navigate licensing standards for

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facilities, and/or begin the facility improvement and development processes.

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     SECTION 2. Section 16-87-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-87 entitled "Rhode Island

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Pre-Kindergarten Education Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     16-87-4. Early childhood workforce development.

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     (a) The Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education shall work with

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other state departments and private philanthropy to establish a statewide, comprehensive, research-

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based early childhood workforce development scholarship program to expand the number of early

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childhood educators who have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and

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who work with children from birth to age five (5).

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     (b)(1) In furtherance of the goals set forth in this chapter, no later than January 1, 2023, the

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governor’s workforce board shall convene a working group comprised of representatives from the

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department of elementary and secondary education, department of human services, office of the

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postsecondary commissioner, the RI early learning council, organized labor, and early childhood

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education industry employers, whose purpose shall be to identify barriers to entry into the early

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childhood education workforce, and to design accessible and accelerated pathways into the

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workforce, including, but not limited to, registered apprenticeships and postsecondary credit for

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prior work experience.

 

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     (2) No later than April 1, 2023, the working group shall provide the general assembly with

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recommendations for addressing the barriers to workforce entry and implementing the solutions

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identified by the working group; the recommendations shall outline any administrative and

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legislative action that would be required by participating agencies to implement the

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recommendations.

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     (3) If and when appropriate, and in accordance with program administration guidelines, the

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industry employers may seek to create a sector partnership via the real jobs Rhode Island program

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to implement workforce solutions.

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     SECTION 3. Sections 16-87-3 and 16-87-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-87 entitled

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"Rhode Island Pre-Kindergarten Education Act" are hereby repealed.

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     16-87-3. Planning phase for a pre-Kindergarten program.

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     (a) The Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education shall begin

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planning an initial, pilot pre-Kindergarten program that meets high quality standards, builds on the

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existing early childhood education infrastructure in the state (including child care, Head Start and

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public schools) and serves children ages three (3) and four (4) who reside in communities with

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concentrations of low performing schools. This planning phase will develop specific goals to

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expand the pilot pre-Kindergarten program over time and will also identify opportunities to

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strengthen care and learning programs for infants and toddlers.

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     (b) During this planning phase, the Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary

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education will quantify the resources needed to achieve and maintain high quality standards in pre-

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Kindergarten programs and identify incentives and supports to develop a qualified early education

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workforce, including opportunities for experienced early childhood educators and

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paraprofessionals to acquire college degrees and earn early childhood teacher certification.

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     (c) The Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education will begin to

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develop plans to collect and analyze data regarding the impact of the pilot pre-Kindergarten

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program on participating children's school readiness and school achievement.

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     16-87-5. Reporting.

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     The Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education shall report back to

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the general assembly and the governor on the progress of the pilot planning phase no later than

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October 31, 2008.

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     SECTION 4. 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 -- RHODE ISLAND PRE-KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION

ACT

***

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     This act would create public, high-quality pre-kindergarten education programs which are

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available to all children ages three (3) and four (4) throughout Rhode Island to increase children’s

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school readiness. This act would also require the Rhode Island Pre-Kindergarten Program to make

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funds available to offer no less than four thousand (4,000) high-quality pre-kindergarten seats for

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the school year 2024-2025. This act would repeal the statutory laws pertaining to the initial pilot

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pre-kindergarten program.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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