BILL NUMBER: AB 2592	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 27, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 8, 2010

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Buchanan
    (   Coauthors:   Assembly Members 
 Brownley   and Torlakson   ) 

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2010

   An act to add Article 14.7 (commencing with Section 8310) to
Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code,
relating to early childhood education.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2592, as amended, Buchanan. Early Learning Quality Improvement
System.
   Existing law establishes the Early Learning Quality Improvement
System Advisory Committee for the purpose of developing a policy and
implementation plan for an Early Learning Quality Improvement System
for the state. Existing law requires the committee to submit to the
Legislature and the Governor an interim report by December 31, 2009,
and a final report by December 31, 2010. The report is required to
address various issues relating to early care and education programs
that serve children from birth to 5 years of age, inclusive.
   This bill would require the State Department of Education to
 develop and  implement a quality rating scale based
on the committee's recommendations  for the purposes of
measuring the quality of early care and education providers and 
 programs  . The bill would also require the California
State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care to
conduct an annual review of the  quality rating scale
  program  , and provide ongoing recommendations
for improvement  of the quality rating scale  .
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) Numerous studies have shown that high-quality early learning
programs for low-income children significantly narrow the achievement
gap, reduce the high school dropout rate, and produce savings from
lower costs in special education, welfare, recidivism or prisons, or
both, and crime.
   (b) Senate Bill 1629 of the 2007-08 Regular Session, enacted as
Chapter 41 of the Statutes of 2009, established the Early Learning
Quality Improvement System Advisory Committee to assess the current
early care and education infrastructure, including other state and
local quality rating systems, and develop an early learning quality
rating scale and implementation plan for the Early Learning Quality
Improvement System.
   (c) On March 10, 2009, President Barack Obama called on the United
States Congress to create the federal Early Learning Challenge Fund,
a proposal that would challenge states to develop effective,
innovative models that promote high standards of quality and a focus
on outcomes across early learning settings. In the President's 2011
Budget, he dedicated $9 billion over 10 years toward this effort.
   (d) On November 16, 2009, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed
Executive Order S-23-09 that established the California State
Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care to build on
the Early Learning Quality Improvement System Advisory Committee's
work, and to ensure that California is eligible to compete for and
maximize its share of new federal early learning dollars.
   (e) It is the intent of the Legislature that the development of
the Early Learning Quality Improvement System provide a quality
rating scale with program indicators that promote high-quality early
care and education and future academic success.
  SEC. 2.  Article 14.7 (commencing with Section 8310) is added to
Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code,
to read:

      Article 14.7.  Early Learning Quality Improvement System Act


   8310.  For purposes of this article, "early care and education
providers" and "early care and education facilities" mean early care
and education providers or facilities that are regulated pursuant to
Title 5 or Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.
   8311.  The department shall  develop and 
implement a quality rating scale based on the recommendations
submitted by the Early Learning Quality Improvement System Advisory
Committee pursuant to Section 8301. The quality rating scale shall do
 all of  the following:
   (a) Measure the quality of services of an early care and education
provider.
   (b) Measure elements of quality of an early care and education
 facility   program  that include, but are
not limited to, the following:
   (1) Quality of the learning environment.
   (2) Quality of adult-child interactions.
   (3) Adult-to-child ratios.
   (4) Provider's education and professional qualifications,
including those recognized by the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing.
   (5) Parent and family involvement.
   (c) Inform parents and other consumers of early care and education
services about the quality of a facility in a simple and easy to
understand manner.
   8312.  The California State Advisory Council on Early Childhood
Education and Care shall conduct an annual review of the program and
provide ongoing recommendations for the improvement of the quality
rating scale.
   8313.  The department shall develop and implement any rules and
regulations necessary for the implementation of this article.