BILL NUMBER: AB 2592 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 28, 2010
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 and repeal 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. Rating Scale Pilot Program.
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 , contingent upon the receipt of federal
funds for this purpose, require the State Department of
Education to implement a quality rating scale pilot program
based on the committee's recommendations for the purposes of
measuring the quality of early care and education providers and
programs facilities . The bill would
also require the California State Advisory Council on Early Childhood
Education and Care to conduct an annual review of the pilot
program, and provide ongoing recommendations for improvement of
the quality rating scale. The bill would require the State
Department of Education to conduct an evaluation of the pilot program
based on these reviews, and to submit the evaluation to the
appropriate policy committees of the Legislature on or before January
1, 2016.
This bill would make these provisions inoperative on June 30,
2017, and would repeal them as of January 1, 2018.
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)
(c) 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 Rating Scale Pilot Program
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 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:
8311. (a) Based on the final recommendations
developed by the Early Learning Quality Improvement System Advisory
Committee pursuant to Section 8301, the department shall implement a
quality rating scale, on a pilot basis, that reflects the cultural
and linguistic diversity of California's young children. The quality
rating scale may do any or all of the following:
(a)
(1) Measure the quality of services of an early care
and education provider.
(b)
(2) Measure elements of quality of an early care and
education program and facility that include, but are not
limited to, the following:
(1)
(A) Quality of the learning environment.
(2)
(B) Quality of adult-child interactions.
(3)
(C) Adult-to-child ratios.
(4)
(D) Provider's education and professional
qualifications, including those recognized by the Commission on
Teacher Credentialing.
(5)
(E) Parent and family involvement.
(c)
(3) 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.
(b) The department shall develop criteria for the selection of
early care and education providers and facilities to participate in
the pilot program described in subdivision (a). The department shall
ensure that the early care and education providers and facilities
selected are geographically diverse and provide services to low
income children, children with special needs, and English learners.
8312. The California State Advisory Council on Early Childhood
Education and Care shall do both of the following:
(a) Conduct an annual review of the pilot program established
pursuant to this article and provide ongoing recommendations for the
improvement of the quality rating scale.
(b) Develop criteria to be used to evaluate the pilot program
established pursuant to this article.
8313. The department shall develop and implement any rules and
regulations necessary for the implementation of this article.
8314. The department shall conduct an evaluation of the pilot
program established pursuant to this article based on the annual
reviews and criteria developed by the California State Advisory
Council on Early Childhood Education and Care pursuant to Section
8312. The department shall submit the evaluation to the appropriate
policy committees of the Legislature on or before January 1, 2016.
8315. This article shall not be implemented unless federal early
care and education funds are provided for these purposes.
8316. This article shall become inoperative on June 30, 2017,
and, as of January 1, 2018, is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2018, deletes
or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is
repealed.