MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2000 Regular Session

To: Education; Appropriations

By: Representatives Scott (17th), Thomas

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO IMPLEMENT A FULL DAY VOLUNTARY PREKINDERGARTEN EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR FOUR-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN IN CERTAIN SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH SERVICES PROVIDED THROUGH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, HEAD START OR OTHER CHILD DAY CARE PROGRAMS; TO ESTABLISH CERTAIN CRITERIA FOR THE PROGRAM; TO DIRECT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO ESTABLISH AN APPLICATION PROCESS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS DESIRING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM; TO AUTHORIZE THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO USE AVAILABLE FUNDING FOR GRANTS TO PARTICIPATING SCHOOL DISTRICTS; TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO RECOMMEND TO THE LEGISLATURE WHETHER OR NOT THE PROGRAM SHOULD BE PERMANENTLY ESTABLISHED; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) As used in this section, the term "four-year-old" means any child who is four (4) years of age on or before September 1.

(2) To ensure that all four-year-olds have access to quality educational services, the Legislature finds and declares the following:

(a) Parents have the primary duty to educate their young preschool children.

(b) The State of Mississippi can assist parents in their role as the primary caregivers and educators by providing services for a full-day prekindergarten program that addresses instructional, social and emotional needs for four-year-old children.

(3) The State Board of Education, in collaboration with the Department of Human Services, shall develop and implement a voluntary program to provide services for a full-day prekindergarten program that addresses the cognitive, social and emotional needs of four-year-old children, subject to the following conditions and provisions:

(a) Participation in the program must be voluntary on the part of the four-year-old child's parent, guardian or custodian.

(b) The State Board of Education, the Department of Human Services, the State Board of Health, the Mississippi Head Start Association and the public and private day care centers jointly shall develop criteria for the following: (i) enrollment of four-year-old children who have predicted significant readiness deficiencies; (ii) qualifications of personnel employed to serve the children; (iii) teacher-student ratio; (iv) health and safety standards; (v) hours of operation of the programs; and (vi) provisions for the transportation of the four-year-old children.

(c) The core curriculum of all four-year-old programs must meet or exceed the State Department of Education's prekindergarten curriculum benchmarks. The curriculum must encompass language development, mathematics language development, math concepts, social and emotional development and physical development (fine, gross, sensory motor development).

(d) To ensure coordination, participating school districts shall review available educational resources, programs and services in order to avoid duplication of public services available through Head Start or public or private day care centers.

(e) The State Board of Education shall determine a process for interested school districts to apply for grant funds in order to participate in the four-year-old program. Subject to the availability of funding, beginning in fiscal year 2001, the State Board of Education shall award grants for at least one (1) program in each Mississippi congressional district, subject to a maximum of twenty-five (25) programs throughout the state, and in subsequent years, may award additional program grants subject to the availability of funds. These programs shall be awarded to targeted school districts that are most in need of an instructional program for four-year-old children who have predicted significant readiness deficiencies. The State Department of Education annually will determine a cost-per-child rate that shall be used in funding a targeted program and shall collaborate with the Department of Human Services in the determination of fair market rates for subsidized child care. The targeted districts will be responsible for blending services for children to avoid duplication in the areas of transportation, personnel, training of personnel, facilities and child nutrition. Such services may be provided by the participating school district in the public schools, the local Head Start facility or a public or private day care center.

(4) The State Department of Education may use any available funds, public or private, for the support and maintenance of full-day prekindergarten education programs authorized under this section.

(5) The State Board of Education shall report to the Legislature on July 1, 2001, and annually thereafter, on the desirability of expanding and permanently establishing the program.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2000.