AB 2660 Carrie Bales Dania Salcedo Chris Sanchez

AB 2660 Carrie Bales Dania Salcedo Chris Sanchez Rachel Arredondo Erika I. Gonzalez-De. La. Cruz

Background The CDE administers a child care and development system, maintaining over 1, 300 service contracts with approximately 750 public and private agencies supporting and providing services to children from birth through 12 years of age. The combined federal and state funding for child care and development programs total $3. 6 billion (state funds of $2. 7 billion and federal funds of $938 million), offering 436, 185 slots. The 2015 -16 Budget Act included $98 million (Proposition 98/GF) to expand 7, 030 full-day preschool and 2, 500 part day preschool slots. Of this amount 5, 830 were set aside for fullday care offered by LEAs. The funding also covered a 5% increase in the Standard Reimbursement Rate for these programs that was made on January 1, 2016.

Background The Governor's January budget includes a proposal to reform preschool and child care programs. The proposal includes an early education block grant that consolidates $1. 6 billion of Transitional Kindergarten, Preschool, and Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) to serve low-income and at-risk children. The proposal also eliminates all Title V child development contracts and instead provides care through vouchers. The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance rejected this proposal in April.

Prior Legislation AB 47 (Mc. Carty) of 2015 would have established the Preschool for All Act of 2015 to require, on or before June 30, 2018, all eligible children who are not enrolled in transitional kindergarten to have access to the California State Preschool Program the year before they enter kindergarten. Governor Brown vetoed this bill stating that the discussion on expanding state preschool should be considered in the budget process.

AB 2660 Summary This bill establishes the Quality Early Education and Development Act of 2016, and requires the California Department of Education (CDE), on or before January 1, 2018, to submit a multi-year plan for providing access to high quality prekindergarten programs to the Legislature and the Department of Finance. Introduced by Assembly Member Mc. Carty (Coauthors: Assembly Members Bonta, Dodd, and Eduardo Garcia) amended in the Assembly on April 12, 2016.

AB 2660 Purpose Early Edge California is sponsoring this bill to take steps to ensure the state develops a comprehensive plan to provide high-quality pre-kindergarten programs for California's disadvantaged children. According to the sponsor, too many children are still missing out on the high quality preschool experiences that research shows will provide them with lifelong benefits. The American Institutes for Research found that across California, more than 33, 000 four year olds and four times as many three-year olds from low-income families are still unserved by any publicly funded school readiness program. The sponsors believe a comprehensive plan to deliver high quality pre-kindergarten programs and provide access for all eligible children is a small investment that will result in great benefit for California's children, families, and economy.

AB 2660 Requirements 1. Requires CDE: a. Develop the multi year plan b. In consultation with the State Board of Education (SBE), and the State Advisory Council on Early Learning and Care c. To outline how they will provide access for income-eligible children to high-quality prekindergarten programs for a minimum of one year before enrollment in kindergarten d. Plan must include opportunities and challenges relating to facilities requirements

AB 2660 Requirements 2. Requires certain program elements to be included in the plan to ensure quality, including, but are not limited to: a. Developmentally appropriate early learning standards and curricula b. Assessments c. Sufficient learning time through a full-day program d. Meaningful family engagement e. Support of diverse learners such as special needs and dual language learners

AB 2660 Requirements 3. Requires the plan to also focus on teacher qualifications and training, including: a. Strategies for multiple pathways to degrees, certificates, and credentials b. Support for early childhood educators to attain additional education and qualifications c. Support a workforce that reflects the diversity of the state

AB 2660 Requirements 4. Requires recommendations for changes to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing requirements for issuance and renewal of permits authorizing service in the care, development, and instruction of children in child care and development programs and permits authorizing supervision of a child care and development program. 4. Requires the plan to also address strategies for achieving pay parity for prekindergarten educators and other educators, including transitional kindergarten (TK) through grade 12 teachers.

AB 2660 Fiscal Effect 1) One-time General Fund administrative costs to the CDE of approximately $315, 000 over two years to implement the plan. a) Specifically, CDE estimates costs of $200, 000 in 2016 -17 to support 1. 5 positions and travel costs, and $108, 000 to support staffing and administrative cost for the first half of 2017 -18. b) There are many elements of the plan that would require comprehensive research and development by a consultant with a high-level of support by an analyst. c) The consultant would need to confer with numerous experts in various aspects of early education within the Department as well as with outside organizations.

AB 2660 Fiscal Effect 2. Proposition 98/GF cost pressures, in the millions of dollars, to implement the recommendations of the plan. a. There approximately 33, 000 children eligible for federal head start, state preschool or TK that currently do not have access. b. In 2015, the Department of Finance estimated costs of approximately $590 million to provide full day access to all low income children not currently served by the state. c. The proposed plan in this bill will also address issues related to program quality, teacher preparation and pay parity. d. Solutions to these issues are also likely to create significant cost pressures.

Pros Underprivileged children have a chance to bridge the gap (socially, interactively, emotionally, academically) Front-loading social aspects of school so those learners are prepared for kindergarten Cons Money According to Stanford we are sending kids to school way too early Singapore schools (second in world in Math) don’t send their kids to preschool or kindergarten

Resources http: //www. leginfo. ca. gov/pub/15 -16/bill/asm/ab_26512700/ab_2660_cfa_20160502_175343_asm_comm. html http: //scholar. uwindsor. ca/cgi/viewcontent. cgi? article=1039&context=socialwork pub