BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



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          Date of Hearing:  April 29, 2015


                           ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION


                              Patrick O'Donnell, Chair


          AB 47  
          McCarty - As Amended April 22, 2015


          SUBJECT:  State preschool program


          SUMMARY:  Expresses the intent of the Legislature that no later  
          than January 1, 2017, the State Budget shall include an  
          appropriation for the California State Preschool Program (CSPP)  
          sufficient to provide all children who are eligible for the  
          program, and whose parents wish to enroll them, the opportunity  
          to enroll in the program in the year before they enter  
          kindergarten.  The bill finds and declares that studies have  
          shown that high-quality preschool significantly improves  
          children's school readiness and school performance, that quality  
          preschool provides a return of $15,000 for every child served,  
          and that investment in high-quality preschool will result in  
          savings in prison expenditures.  The bill further expresses the  
          intent of the Legislature that all low-income children have  
          access to either a state preschool program or a transitional  
          kindergarten program and to provide funds to expand the CSPP to  
          provide full day, full year preschool for all eligible  
          low-income children.


          EXISTING LAW:


          1)Establishes eligibility for child care services and child  








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            development programs administered by the California Department  
            of Education (CDE) and requires the Superintendent of Public  
            Instruction (SPI) to adopt rules and regulations on  
            eligibility, enrollment and priority of services needed for  
            implementation (Education Code (EC) Section 8263).

          2)Specifies that in order to be eligible for federal and state  
            subsidized child development services, families must meet at  
            least one requirement in each of the following areas:

             a)   A family is (A) a current aid recipient, (B) income  
               eligible, (C) homeless or (D) one whose children are  
               recipients of protective services, or whose children have  
               been identified as being abused, neglected, or exploited,  
               or at risk of being abused, neglected, or exploited; and,

             b)   A family needs the child care services (A) because the  
               child is identified by a legal, medical, social services  
               agency, or emergency shelter as (i) a recipient of  
               protective services or (ii) being neglected, abused, or  
               exploited, or at risk of neglect, abuse or exploitation, or  
               (B) because the parents are (i) engaged in vocational  
               training leading directly to a recognized trade,  
               paraprofession or profession, (ii) employed or seeking  
               employment, (iii) seeking permanent housing for family  
               stability, or (iv) incapacitated. (EC Section 8263(a))

          3)Establishes the CSPP and provides that the programs shall  
            include, but not be limited to, part-day age and  
            developmentally appropriate programs designed to facilitate  
            the transition to kindergarten for three- and four-year-old  
            children in educational development, health services, social  
            services, nutritional services, parent education and parent  
            participation, evaluation, and staff development.  (EC Section  
            8235).

          4)Defines "income eligible" as a family whose adjusted monthly  
            income is at or below 70% of the state median income (SMI),  
            adjusted for family size, and adjusted annually.  For the  








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            2014-15 fiscal year, the income eligibility shall be 70% of  
            the SMI that was in use for the 2007-08 fiscal year, adjusted  
            for family size.  (EC Section 8263.1)

          FISCAL EFFECT:  None.  This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the  
          Legislative Counsel.


          COMMENTS:  Background on child care and development programs.   
          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. Contractors include  
          school districts, county offices of education, cities, colleges,  
          other public entities, community-based organizations, and  
          private agencies.  According to the Legislative Analyst's  
          Office, overall funding for the child care and development  
          programs decreased by almost $1 billion between 2008-09 and  
          2012-13, with the elimination of 110,000 slots.  Last year,  
          state and federal funds provided an increase of $281 million,  
          with a $2.4 billion allocation for child care and development  
          programs, offering 355,000 slots.  


          CSPP.  The CSPP offers part-day and full-day preschool programs  
          through contracts with local educational agencies, private  
          contractors, and colleges.  These programs are required to  
          comply with health and safety standards under Title 22  
          regulations and higher developmental and teacher qualification  
          standards under Title 5 regulations adopted by the CDE.   
          Priority for enrollment goes to four- or three-year-old  
          neglected or abused children who are recipients of Child  
          Protective Services or recipients who are at risk of being  
          neglected or abused, without regard to income.  Second priority  
          goes to four-year-old children who were enrolled in CSPP as a  
          three-year-old, followed by four-year-old children with the  
          lowest income ranking.  Three-year-old children may be enrolled  
          after four-year-olds are enrolled.  Income eligibility is 70% of  
          the SMI ($46,896 for a family of four).  Part-day preschool  








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          operates three hours per day for 175 days.  The General Child  
          Care program provides "wrap around" to provide full-day care.  


          FY 2014-15 budget increases.  In FY 2014-15, CSPP received $664  
          million in Proposition 98 General fund for the part-day  
          preschool program.  The 2014-15 budget included 7,500 additional  
          slots for preschool, plus an additional 4,000 slots that would  
          be effective on June 15, 2015. According to the CDE, when the  
          4,000 part day slots were offered to contractors and school  
          districts, the CDE received requests for over 32,301 slots.  The  
          Governor's proposed 2015-16 budget includes funds for 153,177  
          slots, 38,913 more slots than in 2008-09. 

          What does this bill do?  This bill states the intent of the  
          Legislature to appropriate sufficient funds no later than  
          January 1, 2017 to provide all eligible children with access to  
          the CSPP the year before they enter kindergarten.


          The author states, "A powerful body of research shows that  
          investing in quality early education is highly effective in  
          promoting student academic success. Early intervention in a  
          child's education increases cognitive, language, social, and  
          emotional development. This leads to increased high school  
          graduation rates, college attendance, decreasing crime, and  
          builds a stronger middle class.  


          Recently, California has led the way with historic reforms with  
          the common core standards and the local control funding formula.  
           Though both reforms strive to create greater quality and equity  
          in California's public education system, these reforms will not  
          close the achievement gap before a child first enters a  
          kindergarten classroom.












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          AB 47 expands on last year's commitment from the Governor and  
          Legislature to expand the state preschool program for all low  
          income families who do not have access to one year of state  
          preschool or transitional kindergarten.  Now is the time to make  
          a wise investment to expand preschool to all eligible low income  
          students."


          What is the estimated need?  It is challenging to determine the  
          full extent of the need of families that meet eligibility  
          criteria.  From 2005 to 2011, funds were provided to establish  
          centralized eligibility lists (CEL), providing data on the  
          number of families waiting for subsidized care in all 58  
          counties.  While some counties voluntarily maintained the CEL,  
          there is no longer a statewide source of data collection.  The  
          LAO estimates approximately 31,500 four-year-old children who  
          have need for full-day preschool out of 250,000 four-year-olds  
          who meet eligibility criteria.     


          Value of preschool.  Studies, such as those from the RAND  
          corporation, have shown that quality early childhood education  
          programs have a number of benefits, including improving  
          children's readiness for school, higher test scores, reduced  
          grade-level retention, higher rates of school completion, and  
          higher likelihood of college attendance.  


          Committee amendment.  Staff recommends striking the intent  
          provision in the bill and insert the following:


          "No later than January 1, 2017, there shall be access to the  
          state preschool program for all children who are eligible for  
          the program in the year before they enter kindergarten, and  
          whose parents wish to enroll them.  It is the intent of the  
          Legislature to provide sufficient funding in the state budget  
          for this purpose."








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          Arguments in support.  First 5 California supports the bill and  
          states, "A powerful body of research shows that investing in  
          high-quality preschool programs enhances the quality of care and  
          education that children receive.  Studies conclude that  
          high-quality preschool programs improve school readiness and  
          lead to better long-term academic achievement.  Research also  
          shows a child's brain develops most dramatically during the  
          early years of life.  The school and life success of at-risk  
          children can be significantly increased through high-quality  
          early learning programs, which also are essential to preventing  
          the achievement gap.  


          In California, too many children miss out on a critical  
          developmental window of opportunity.  Only half of California's  
          low-income, preschool-aged children are served in State  
          Preschool or Head Start, and only one-quarter of all children  
          are eligible for the current transitional kindergarten program."


          Arguments in opposition.  California Right to Life Committee,  
          Inc. (CRLC) states, "CRLC does not support early childhood  
          education by governmental schools.  Young children need parental  
          guidance in their early years, especially.  When this is not  
          possible, families should locate childcare within their families  
          or in private agencies."  


          REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:




          Support


          Early Edge California (sponsor)








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          Advancement Project


          Bay Area Council


          California Catholic Conference


          California Federation of Teachers


          California State PTA


          Children Now (prior version)


          Compton Unified School District


          Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California


          First 5 California


          First 5 Fresno County


          First 5 Santa Clara County


          Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones (prior version)


          Jumpstart:  Children Fist








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          LAUP


          Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce


          Los Angeles Urban League


          Lutheran Office of Public Policy - California


          MISSION: READINESS


          National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter  
          (prior version)


          North Bay Leadership Council


          Parent Institute for Quality Education


          Sacramento City Unified School District


          Santa Clara County Office of Education


          United Way (prior version)













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          Opposition


          California Right to Life Committee, Inc.




          Analysis Prepared by:Sophia Kwong Kim / ED. / (916) 319-2087