State Preschool Program

Overview

Beginning in 2007, Iowa is phasing in state funding to establish a voluntary Statewide Preschool Program open to all four-year-olds. State funding will begin at $15 million the first year, and it is anticipated that state spending for the program will reach $109 million in six years. There are also two ongoing sources of grants which fund preschool programs for at-risk and low-income three- and four-year old children. The Shared Visions Program is administered through the Child Development Coordinating Council, a state-level board established to coordinate child development services for at-risk three- and four-year-olds. The School Ready Children Grant Program is part of Iowa’s Community Empowerment Initiative. A state level Empowerment Board and state Community Empowerment Office facilitate and coordinate the planning and coordination of community empowerment programs. Locally, Community Empowerment Area Boards are created to administer the School Ready Children grants and other Empowerment funds.

The Shared Visions program received $6.8 million in 2005-2006 for preschool programs serving 2,322 children. The School Ready Children grant program for 2007-2008 will receive $5.5 million specifically for preschool attendees. According to the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), Iowa served 4% of all four-year-olds through its Shared Visions preschool program in 2005-2006, and 1% of its three-year-olds.

State Policy

During his administration, Governor Vilsack expressed his support for expanding access to quality preschool to all children whose parents want them to enroll and proposed including 4-year-olds in the school funding formula. Governor Culver has made that a reality, beginning in 2007. The new Statewide Preschool Program is intended to give all 4-year-olds an opportunity to start kindergarten “ready to learn.”

The legislature intends that the Community Empowerment initiative—particularly the School Ready Children Grant Program—will encourage early intellectual stimulation of very young children, increase the basic skill levels of students entering school, and increase the quality and accessibility of child care and preschool.

Eligibility Criteria

The Statewide Preschool Program is open to all four-year-olds, even if they do not live in the district offering the program. Districts may also enroll younger or older children if space and funds permit. While the program is being phased in, if funding is insufficient to approve participation for all districts that seek funding, the Department of Education will give priority to districts with no existing preschool programming and districts with high percentages of children in poverty (i.e., from families with income at or below 185% of the federal poverty level).

The Shared Visions Program focuses on providing services to low-income children, based on 130% of the federal poverty guidelines. However, 20% of the slots can be used for children with other risk factors, including children with developmental disabilities or birth defects; children with a parent who is a high school dropout, drug abuser, or prison inmate; or children who are homeless or in foster care. These other eligible children must pay tuition on a sliding scale basis. Other children meeting age requirements may be included in the program on a full-tuition basis. The program serves three- and four- year-olds, but Shared Visions also helps fund full-day kindergarten programs serving five-year-olds in public school settings.

Eligibility for the School Ready Children grant program is limited to children deemed at risk of not succeeding in school, which the state Empowerment Board defines as limited to families with income at or below 200% of the poverty level.

Program Length/Duration

The Statewide Preschool Program will offer a minimum of ten hours a week of preschool instruction, exclusive of recess.

Although there are no program length requirements for either the Shared Visions or School Ready Children programs, the Child Development Coordinating Council considers program length options in awarding Shared Visions grants in consideration of families needing full-time childcare. According to NIEER, Shared Visions programs operate at least four days a week, between three and ten hours a day.

Funding

During the phase-in period (school years 2007-2008 to 2010-2011), school districts participating in the Statewide Preschool Program will receive per pupil preschool foundation aid from a fixed yearly appropriation during their first year of operation. Following the phase in period, preschool foundation aid  will flow to school districts directly through the state education aid formula in the same manner as K-12 aid. Preschool foundation aid will be based on actual enrollment and paid at a per pupil rate of 60% of the state’s K-12 per pupil foundation aid.

The appropriation for school year 2007-2008 and the following two years will be $15 million annually; the 2010-2011 appropriation is about $16.2 million. In 2011-2012, the fixed appropriations end and all funding will flow through the state aid formula. The state anticipates total state funding for the program to reach $63.8 million in 2010-2011 and $108.9 million by 2013-2014 as enrollment grows.

Funding for the Shared Visions and School Ready Children programs is dependent on annual legislative appropriations. Both of these funding streams involve state-funded grants paid to providers of prekindergarten, including public schools, Head Start agencies and private, center-based providers. The Shared Visions program is funded through discretionary appropriations administered by the Child Development Coordinating Council. The appropriation for 2007-2008 is $12,606,196, which covers all child development services, not just prekindergarten. (Only about 60% of the Shared Visions appropriation went to fund preschools in 2005-2006.) The appropriation for Shared Visions is up $1.3 million over 2006-2007.

The School Ready Children Grant Program provides funding through an account in the Iowa empowerment fund, part of the state’s general funds. The school ready account within the empowerment fund is administered by the director of the department of education. The appropriation for 2007-2008 is $23,781,594, with $5,500,000 of those funds earmarked as grants to preschool providers to assist low-income parents with tuition. (Unlike the Shared Visions grants, School Ready funds are not used directly to establish or create preschool programs.) Local Community Empowerment Boards may use other School Ready funds for: child development and child care services, provider training, children's health and safety, assessment services to identify chemically exposed infants and children, parent support and education, and family home visitation.

Although Shared Visions funding has remained flat for years, Empowerment funding has increased, with School Ready appropriations rising from around $15 million per year in fiscal years 2001-2004 to the latest appropriation of $23.8 million.

Quality Standards

Statewide Preschool Program

The new Statewide Preschool Program has not yet been included in the National Institute for Early Education Research’s (NIEER) national survey of state preschool programs. Teachers in the program will be required to have a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or another appropriate major and a state license with a kindergarten or prekindergarten endorsement. Requirements include a maximum class size of 20 and a staff/child ratio no greater than 1:10. Family education and support are included, and programs are encouraged to provide comprehensive services—including  wrap-around care, health, hearing and vision screening, and referrals—in collaboration with other agencies.

Programs must adopt NAEYC program standards, Head Start Program Performance Standards, the Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards, or other standards approved by the Department of Education. Programs must implement a comprehensive research-based or evidence-based curriculum aligned with the Iowa Early Learning Standards

Shared Visions Program

NIEER gave Iowa’s Shared Visions program a rating of 5 out of 10 on its checklist of quality benchmarks because it lacks: a teacher in-service requirement, any degree requirement for assistant teachers, specialized teacher training for non-public school programs, a bachelor’s degree requirement for non-public school programs, and comprehensive curriculum standards. (However, in 2005 Iowa adopted Early Learning Standards for ages 3 through 5, which are not yet included in the NIEER rating system.)

Iowa requires prekindergarten teachers to have a bachelor’s degree and be licensed only if they teach in a public school. Teacher credential requirements are not mandatory for other public or private prekindergarten programs. A staff to student ratio of 1:8 is required in any Shared Visions Program. Parental involvement is a strong component under both the Shared Visions and the School Ready programs. Iowa also meets the NIEER benchmarks requiring one meal each day, and site visits and other monitoring.

The state has also promulgated Quality Preschool Program Standards that help early childhood programs assess their quality and work toward accreditation. Shared Visions providers must be accredited by NAEYC, or working towards accreditation.

School Ready Children Grant Program

The School Ready Children Grant Program does not directly create or establish preschool programs, but provides grants that enable children from families in poverty to attend preschool. The state Empowerment Board requires the local empowerment boards to use School Ready grant funds for preschool services that meet one of its quality program standards, such as NAEYC accreditation or participation in Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards assessment and implementation.

Delivery of Preschool Services

The Statewide Preschool Program will be funded and implemented through local school districts, which will be required to collaborate with community providers, private preschools, Head Start programs, and other early care and education programs.

Prekindergarten programs and services funded through either Shared Visions or the School Ready Children Grant programs can be provided through public schools, public and private child care centers, and other community providers. The Shared Visions program is administered by the Child Development Coordinating Council—established to coordinate child development services for at-risk three- and four-year-olds—which funds providers directly. The department of education oversees funding to the local community empowerment boards, which then allocate School Ready Children grants to public schools and public and private childcare and pre-k programs. Under new legislation, the Director of the Iowa Department of Management—the state’s planning and budgeting agency—will designate early care staff to coordinate between the various programs and develop a plan for integration of all early childhood services.

Requirements for Student Assessment and Program Evaluation

The Statewide Preschool Program requires school districts to track student progress, measure student’s learning and development using a research-based assessment tool, and submit annual reports to the Department of Education. The Department will monitor program quality and will track the performance of preschool program participants as they progress from kindergarten through twelfth grade, and beyond if possible.

Under the Shared Visions program, grantees must implement procedures to assess program effectiveness and accountability. Grantees annually must report on expenditures, enrollment, assessment measures, staff qualifications, etc.

Preschool programs receiving School Ready funds must submit an annual report including information on various performance measures.

Early care staff designated by the Director of the Department of Management will institute and oversee accountability measures for assessing the outcomes produced by all early childhood education programs including the Shared Visions and School Ready Children grant programs. This staff will also be responsible for compiling information on all programs and providing an annual report to the governor and general assembly regarding the outcomes produced by individual programs.

Legal Framework

Education Clause in State Constitution

The education article of the Iowa constitution provides that the General Assembly controls educational funds and "shall encourage, by all suitable means, the promotion of intellectual, scientific, moral, and agricultural improvement."

Summary of Case Law on School Finance System

There is no case law addressing the constitutionally of the school finance system. The only school finance litigation to date only addressed Iowa’s Local Option Sales Tax law, which allows counties and cities to levy an additional one-cent sales tax to be used for school infrastructure purposes. In 2002, a coalition of school districts and individuals sued the state, alleging that this optional local sales tax unconstitutionally created disparities in educational resources for children living in "non-retail-rich" counties or cities. After the legislature amended the law so that local option revenues would be distributed equitably among all local option districts, plaintiffs withdrew their suit.

Summary of Case Law on Preschool

No cases have addressed preschool issues.

Constitutional Provisions on Public Education

Iowa Const., Art. IX, 2nd, § 1

The educational and school funds and lands shall be under the control and management of the general assembly of this state.

Iowa Const., Art. IX, 2nd, § 3

The general assembly shall encourage, by all suitable means, the promotion of intellectual, scientific, moral, and agricultural improvement. …

Case Law on the Right to Public Education and Preschool

Is Education a Fundamental Right under the State Constitution?

No determination to this effect.

School Finance Cases in Favor of Plaintiffs:

Coalition for a Common Cents Solution v. State of Iowa (Iowa District Court for Warren County, filed April 2002)

Iowa funds its schools through local property taxes and a foundation aid formula. When this suit was filed, Iowa’s Local Option Sales Tax law also allowed counties and cities to levy an additional one-cent sales tax to be used for construction and repair of local school facilities. A coalition of 160 school districts and individual plaintiffs filed this suit, alleging that this system of allowing districts to use revenue from local sales taxes was unconstitutional in that it provides unequal and inadequate educational resources to children who live in "non-retail-rich" counties or cities. In 2003 the legislature amended the local option sales tax so that local revenue from the tax would be deposited in a state fund that would be distributed equitably among local option districts for school infrastructure purposes. In 2004 plaintiffs withdrew the suit without prejudice.

Standard for a Constitutionally Adequate Education:

None.

School Finance Cases against Plaintiffs:

None.

Decisions Ruling School Finance Issues Were Non-Justiciable:

None.

Cases Related to State-Funded Preschool:

None.

Pending School Finance Cases:

None.

Statutes, Regulations and Guidance Documents on State Preschool Program

Iowa Code Annotated (I.C.A.) § 28.8, School ready children grant program —establishment and administration

Iowa Code Annotated (I.C.A.) § 256.11, Educational standards

Iowa Code Annotated (I.C.A.) § 256A.1, Child Development Assistance Act

Iowa Code Annotated (I.C.A.) § 256C.1, Statewide Preschool Program For Four-Year-Old Children

Iowa Code Annotated (I.C.A.) § 262.71, Center for early development education

Iowa Code Annotated (I.C.A.) § 279.51, Programs for at-risk children

Iowa Administrative Code (Ia. Ad. Code) § 281-12.1 et seq., General Accreditation Standards

Iowa Administrative Code (Ia. Ad. Code) § 281-16.1 et seq., Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program

Iowa Administrative Code (Ia. Ad. Code.) § 349-1.10, Community Empowerment

Iowa Administrative Code (Ia. Ad. Code.) § 281-64.1 et seq., Child Development Coordinating Council

HF [House File] 761 (2005), Act Relating to Improvement of the Early Care, Child Care Services, Education, Health and Human Services Systems

HF [House File] 396 (2007)

Shared Visions Grant Renewal Application 2007-2008

Questions and Answers Regarding Iowa Community Empowerment’s School Ready funds

Community Empowerment School Ready Funds -- Preschool Program Support for Low-Income Families Performance Measure Data (Tool CC(B))

Community Empowerment School Ready Funds -- Preschool Program Support for Low-Income Families (Tool CC(A))

Iowa Early Learning Standards

Quality Preschool Program Standards

Provisions Expressing State Policy on Preschool:

Governor Culver’s Budget Address (January 30, 2007)

A strong start for every Iowa child must be a shared goal. Ninety percent of brain development occurs from birth through age 6. We can’t afford not to invest in our kids. We need them to arrive at kindergarten prepared, ready and able to learn.

To that end I am asking you to make an additional 20 million dollar commitment to early childhood education. This step is part of annual increases in funding necessary until every Iowa four-year-old has access.

Governor Vilsack's Condition of the State Address (January 10, 2006)

… A strong community also supports quality education and recognizes that we depend on well-educated citizens. In this grand capital, much of the work that we do seeks to improve learning opportunities in our state. When we work together to reduce class sizes and to focus on math and reading skills for our early learners, our children reverse in an eight-year decline in test scores under the Iowa Basic Skills Test. Today we probably speak of a five-year increase in scores and we can expect even better results as a result of our "Strong Start" initiative designed to ensure the parents, as their child's first and best teacher, to improve the quality of childcare and to expand preschool opportunities. …

Last year we launched a "Strong Start" initiative, a coordinated early childhood effort to improve education for our youngsters to make sure that our youngsters started school ready to learn and healthy. We must build on that effort. Continued and expanded investment in "Strong Start" will mean that we will always have those new discoveries that our state and our nation needs to create opportunity and to support community to meet that important responsibility. I am asking the General Assembly to ensure that every four-year-old child in our state has access to quality preschool. We started last year by expanding the number of youngsters who would have that opportunity. This year we must continue and expand our commitment to "Strong Start" to ensure that every child has access to quality childcare because every child has dreams bigger than skyscrapers and with a "Strong Start," those dreams can become their reality.

Governor Vilsack’s Condition of the State Address (January 11, 2005)

The [Iowa Learns] Council recommended that we begin with our youngest children. Brain research has established and proved that 85 percent of the core structure of the brain of a child forms in the first six years of life. To fulfill our collective responsibility to our children, we must have a comprehensive commitment to these young learners. We must have a commitment that coordinates and integrates early child care and education…The third step in this process involves preschool—access to preschool. It is a core essential to any comprehensive commitment to our youngsters. It forms the basis, the foundation, of a great start to learning once school begins…Let this be the general assembly that makes the decision to begin now to increase every year the number of children having access to accredited preschool…so that we reach the day that every child in our state, every child in our state, has access to quality preschool.

Statewide Preschool Program

I.C.A. § 256C.2(1)

… The purpose of the preschool program is to provide an opportunity for all young children in the state to enter school ready to learn by expanding voluntary access to quality preschool curricula for all children who are four years old.

School Ready Children Grant Program

I.C.A. § 28.2 Purpose and scope

... 2. It is intended that through the community empowerment initiative every community in Iowa will develop the capacity and commitment for using local decision making to achieve the following initial set of desired results:

• a. Healthy children.
• b. Children ready to succeed in school.
• c. Safe and supportive communities.
• d. Secure and nurturing families.
• e. Secure and nurturing early care and education environments.

3. To achieve the initial set of desired results, the initiative's primary focus shall first be on the efforts of the state and communities to work together to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of early care, education, health, and human services provided to families with children from birth through age five years. …

Ia. Ad. Code § 349-1.10 Iowa empowerment funds

(1) Purpose. The purpose of Iowa empowerment funds is to:

• a. Encourage early intellectual stimulation of very young children;
• b. Increase the basic skill levels of students entering school;
• c. Increase the health status of children;
• d. Reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect;
• e. Increase parents' involvement with their children; and
• f. Increase the quality and accessibility of child care and preschool.

Eligibility Criteria for State Preschool Program:

Statewide Preschool Program

I.C.A. § 256C.3

1. A child who is a resident of Iowa and is four years of age by September 15 of a school year shall be eligible to enroll in the preschool program under this chapter. If space and funding are available, a school district approved to participate in the preschool program may enroll a younger or older child in the preschool program; however, the child shall not be counted for state funding purposes.

… 5(d). The state board, in collaboration with the department, shall ensure that the administrative rules adopted to support the preschool program emphasize that children's access to the program is voluntary, that the preschool foundation aid provided to a school district is provided based upon the enrollment of eligible students in the school district's local program regardless of whether an eligible student is a resident of the school district, …

I.C.A. § 256C.6(3)

Insufficient Funding. For the fiscal years in the period beginning July 1, 2007, and ending June 30, 2011, if the number of requests from school districts for initial participation in the preschool program exceeds the funding made available for the preschool program, the department shall utilize all of the following selection criteria in selecting the school districts that will be approved to participate in the preschool program:

a. Priority shall be given to school districts that do not have existing preschool programming within the school district boundaries.

b. Priority shall be given to school districts that have a high percentage of children in poverty and such children shall receive first priority for the programs.

c. Consideration shall be given to the size of school districts in large, medium, and small categories in order for there to be equitable statewide distribution of preschool program services.

d. Consideration shall be given to school districts with established, high-quality, community partnerships for the delivery of preschool programming that are seeking to expand access. …

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-16.9(a)

… Poverty shall be measured by the percentage of the elementary students in the applicant district that qualify for free or reduced school hot lunch.

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-16.15

… Approved programs are open to all eligible Iowa children, regardless of a child’s district of residence.

Shared Visions Program

I.C.A. § 256A.2

A child development coordinating council is established to promote the provision of child development services to at-risk three-year- and four-year-old children.

I.C.A. § 279.51(2)

Funds allocated … shall be used by the child development coordinating council for the following:

… b. At the discretion of the child development coordinating council, award grants for the following:

(1) To school districts to establish programs for three-year-old, four-year-old, and five-year- old at-risk children which are a combination of preschool and full-day kindergarten. …

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-64.7 Primary eligibility

(1) Child development grants. At least 80 percent of the funded available enrollment slots for at-risk three- and four-year-old children shall be directed to serve children in primary eligibility categories as follows:

a. Children reaching three or four years of age on or before September 15 of the contract year; and

b. Members of a low-income family.

(2) Public school child development grants. At least 80 percent of the funded available enrollment for at-risk three-, four-, and five-year-old children in public school child development programs shall be directed to serve children in primary eligibility categories as follows:

a. Children reaching three, four, or five years of age on or before September 15 of the contract year; and

b. Members of a low-income family.

(3) Enrollment criteria. Applicants must document the number of children enrolled under primary eligibility and the criteria used for enrollment.

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-64.8 Secondary eligibility

(1) Criteria. Up to 20 percent of the available funded child development enrollment slots for at-risk may be filled by children who are three or four years of age on or before September 15 or public school enrollment slots by children who are three, four, or five years of age on or before September 15; are above the income eligibility guidelines provided that they are served on a sliding fee schedule determined at the local level; and are eligible according to one or more of the following criteria if the child:

1. Is functioning below chronological age in two or more developmental areas, one of which may be English proficiency, as determined by an appropriate professional;

2. Was born at biological risk, such as low birth weight (under 1500 grams— approximately three pounds) or with a diagnosed medical disorder, such as spina bifida or Down's syndrome;

3. Was born to a parent who was under the age of 18; or

4. Resides in a household where one or more of the parents or guardian:

Has not completed high school;

Has been identified as a substance abuser;

Has been identified as chronically mentally ill;

Is illiterate;

Is incarcerated; or

Is a child or spouse abuser.

5. Has other special circumstances, such as foster care or being homeless.

The program may include children not at risk, provided they are at full pay and meet other age requirements.

Shared Visions Grant Renewal Application 2007-2008

Income Eligibility Guidelines for Shared Visions Child Development Grants

For family units with more than 8 members, add $4,524 for each additional member.

*Based on 130% of 2007 Federal Poverty Guidelines

School Ready Children Grant Program

I.C.A. § 28.8(6) The priorities for school ready children grant funds shall include providing preschool services on a voluntary basis to children deemed at risk of not succeeding in elementary school.

Community Empowerment School Ready Funds -- Preschool Program Support for Low-Income Families (Tool CC(A))

Definition of Low-Income Parents: Families with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.

In addition, if sufficient funding is available after addressing the needs of those who meet the basic income eligibility requirement, a CEA board may provide for eligibility for those with a family income in excess of the basic income eligibility requirement through use of a sliding fee scale or other co-payment provision. …

Program Length/Duration:

Statewide Preschool Program

I.C.A. § 256C.3(3)

The state board shall adopt rules to further define the following preschool program requirements …:

… f. A minimum of ten hours per week of instruction delivered on the skills and knowledge included in the student learning standards developed for the preschool program. …

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-16.3(d)

Eligible children shall receive from the teacher at least 10 hours per week of intentional instruction directly related to the program’s curriculum, such time to be exclusive of recess.

Shared Visions Program

I.C.A. § 256A.3(5)

In awarding program grants to an agency or individual, the council shall consider the following:

…c. the ability of the program to provide childcare in addition to child development services for families needing full-day childcare.

School Ready Children Grant Program

Questions and Answers Regarding Iowa Community Empowerment’s School Ready Funds

12. Q – Are there expectations regarding the weekly number of days or hours children should attend a preschool program to qualify for Empowerment support?

A – No, again as long as the program meets one of the criteria for quality.

Scope of State’s Responsibility to Provide Preschool:

Statewide Preschool Program

I.C.A. § 256C.2(1)

A statewide preschool program for four-year-old children is established. The purpose of the preschool program is to provide an opportunity for all young children in the state to enter school ready to learn by expanding voluntary access to quality preschool curricula for all children who are four years old.

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-16.1

Statewide voluntary preschool programs are established to create high quality early learning environments for four-year-old children whose families choose to access such programs. …

Shared Visions Program

I.C.A. § 256A.2 A child development coordinating council is established to promote the provision of child development services to at-risk three-year- and four-year- old children.

I.C.A. § 256A.3

The child development coordinating council shall:

1. Develop a definition of at-risk children for the purposes of this chapter. The definition shall include income, family structure, the child's level of development, and availability or accessibility for the child of a head start or other child care program as criteria.

2. Establish minimum guidelines for comprehensive early child development services for at-risk three-year- and four-year-old children. The guidelines shall reflect current research findings on the necessary components for cost- effective child development services.

3. At least biennially, develop an inventory of child development services provided to at-risk three-year- and four-year-old children in this state and identify the number of children receiving and not receiving these services, the types of programs under which the services are received, the degree to which each program meets the council's minimum guidelines for a comprehensive program, and the reasons children not receiving the services are not being served. The council is not required to conduct independent research in developing the inventory, but shall determine information needs necessary to provide a more complete inventory.

4. Make recommendations to the department of education and the general assembly regarding appropriate curricula and staff qualifications and training for early elementary education, coordination of the curricula with child development programs, and the development of an at-risk children definition for use in school-district-sponsored early elementary and before and after school child care programs.

5. Subject to the availability of funds appropriated or otherwise available for the purpose of providing child development services, award grants for programs that provide new or additional child development services to at-risk children….

… 7. Encourage the establishment of regional councils designed to facilitate the development on a regional basis of programs for at-risk three-year- and four- year-old children.

… 9. Subject to a decision by the council to initiate the programs, develop criteria for and award grants under section 279.51, subsection 2.

10. Encourage the establishment of programs that will enhance the skills of parents in parenting and in providing for the learning and development of their children.

I.C.A. § 262.71 The board of regents shall develop a center for early development education at one of the regents' institutions …. The center's programs shall be conducted in a laboratory school setting to serve as a model for early childhood education. The programs shall include, but not be limited to, programs designed to accommodate the needs of at-risk children.

School Ready Children Grant Program

I.C.A. § 28.8

1. The departments of education, human services, and public health shall jointly develop and promote a school ready children grant program ….

…3. A school ready children grant shall, at a minimum, be used to provide the following:

a. Preschool services provided on a voluntary basis to children deemed at risk of not succeeding in elementary school as determined by the community board and specified in the grant plan developed in accordance with this section. ...

…6. The priorities for school ready children grant funds shall include providing preschool services on a voluntary basis to children deemed at risk of not succeeding in elementary school….

Scope of State's Responsibility to Fund Preschool:

Statewide Preschool Program

I.C.A. § 256C.3(5)(d)

The state board, in collaboration with the department, shall ensure that the administrative rules adopted to support the preschool program emphasize … that the preschool foundation aid provided to a school district is provided based upon the enrollment of eligible students in the school district's local program regardless of whether an eligible student is a resident of the school district, …

I.C.A. § 256C.4 Funding Provisions -- Enrollment.

1. General.

a. State funding provided under the preschool program shall be based upon the enrollment of eligible students in the preschool programming provided by a school district approved to participate in the preschool program.

b. A school district approved to participate in the preschool program may authorize expenditures for the district’s preschool programming from any of the revenue sources available to the district from the sources listed in chapter 298A, provided the expenditures are within the uses permitted for the revenue source. In addition, the use of the revenue source for preschool or prekindergarten programming must have been approved prior to any expenditure from the revenue source for the district’s approved local program.

c. Funding provided under the preschool program is intended to supplement, not supplant, existing public funding for preschool programming.

d. Preschool foundation aid funding shall not be commingled with the other state aid payments made under section 257.16 to a school district and shall be accounted for by the local school district separately from the other state aid payments. …

e. Preschool foundation aid funding shall not be used for the costs of constructing a facility in connection with an approved local program.

2. Eligible Student Enrollment.

a. To be included as an eligible student in the enrollment count of the preschool programming provided by a school district approved to participate in the preschool program, a child must be four years of age by September 15 in the base year and attending the school district’s approved local program.

b. The enrollment count of eligible students shall not include a child who is included in the enrollment count determined under section 257.6 or a child who is served by a program already receiving state or federal funds for the purpose of the provision of four-year-old preschool programming while the child is being served by the program. Such preschool programming includes but is not limited to child development assistance programs provided under chapter 256A, special education programs provided under section 256B.9, school ready children grant programs and other programs provided under chapter 28, and federal head start programs and the services funded by Title I of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

I.C.A. § 256C.5 Funding Formula.

1. Definitions. For the purposes of this section and section 256C.4:

a. “Base year”, “budget year”, “regular program state cost per pupil”, and “school district” mean the same as defined or described in chapter 257.

b. “Eligible student” means a child who meets eligibility requirements under section 256C.4.

c. “Preschool budget enrollment” means the figure that is equal to sixty percent of the actual enrollment of eligible students in the preschool programming provided by a school district approved to participate in the preschool program on October 1 of the base year, or the first Monday in October if October 1 falls on a Saturday or Sunday.

d. “Preschool foundation aid” means the product of the regular program state cost per pupil for the budget year multiplied by the school district’s preschool budget enrollment.

2. Preschool Foundation Aid District Amount.

a. For the initial school year for which a school district approved to participate in the preschool program receives that approval and implements the preschool program, the funding for the preschool foundation aid payable to that school district shall be paid from the appropriation made for that school year in section 256C.6 or in another appropriation made for purposes of this chapter. For that school year, the preschool foundation aid payable to the school district is the product of the regular program state cost per pupil for the school year multiplied by sixty percent of the school district’s eligible student enrollment on the date in the school year determined by rule.

b. For budget years subsequent to the initial school year for which a school district approved to participate in the preschool program receives that approval and implements the preschool program, the funding for the preschool foundation aid payable to that school district shall be paid from the appropriation made in section 257.16.

3. Aid Payments. Preschool foundation aid shall be paid as part of the state aid payments made to school districts in accordance with section 257.16.

4. Administration And Oversight. Except as otherwise provided by law for a fiscal year, of the amount appropriated for that fiscal year for payment of preschool foundation aid statewide, the department may use an amount sufficient to fund up to three full-time equivalent positions which shall be in addition to the number of positions authorized for the fiscal year, as necessary to provide administration and oversight of the preschool program.

I.C.A. § 257.16

There is appropriated each year from the general fund of the state an amount necessary to pay … the preschool foundation aid under chapter 256C …

Shared Visions Program

I.C.A. § 256A.3

The child development coordinating council shall:

…5. Subject to the availability of funds appropriated or otherwise available for the purpose of providing child development services, award grants for programs that provide new or additional child development services to at-risk children.

I.C.A. § 279.51

1. There is appropriated from the general fund of the state to the department of education for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, and each succeeding fiscal year, the sum of twelve million six hundred six thousand one hundred ninety-six dollars.

The moneys shall be allocated as follows:

a. Two hundred seventy-five thousand eight hundred sixty-four dollars of the funds appropriated shall be allocated to the area education agencies to assist school districts in developing program plans and budgets under this section and to assist school districts in meeting other responsibilities in early childhood education.

b. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, and for each succeeding fiscal year, eight million five hundred thirty-six thousand seven hundred forty dollars of the funds appropriated shall be allocated to the child development coordinating council established in chapter 256A for the purposes set out in subsection 2 of this section and section 256A.3 [child development assistance programs]. …

2. Funds allocated under subsection 1, paragraph "b", shall be used by the child development coordinating council for the following:

a. To continue funding for programs previously funded by grants awarded under section 256A.3 and to provide additional grants under section 256A.3….

b. At the discretion of the child development coordinating council, award grants for the following:

(1) To school districts to establish programs for three-year-old, four-year-old, and five-year-old at-risk children which are a combination of preschool and full-day kindergarten….

School Ready Children Grant Program

Ia. Ad. Code § 349-1.10

…(3) Criteria for school ready funds. School ready funds may be provided according to the community plan following community assessment of assets, resources and needs and identification of priorities.

a. Services, at a minimum in a community plan, may include, but are not limited to:

(1) Child development services.

(2) Child care services.

(3) Child care provider training on a child's early learning experience.

(4) Children's health and safety.

(5) Assessment services to identify chemically exposed infants and children.

(6) Parent support and education.

(7) Preschool services for children at risk.

b. Up to 3 percent, not to exceed $60,000, of annual school ready funds may be used by the community board for administrative costs and other implementation expenses.

c. Empowerment areas are encouraged to commit 60 percent of school ready funds to family home visitation and parent support based upon a local community needs assessment.

d. The Iowa board will incorporate statewide quality standards and results indicators adopted by other boards and commissions into the Iowa board’s funding requirements for investments in early care, education, health, and human service.

e. Eligibility to receive school ready funds shall be limited to designated empowerment areas.

f. School ready funds may be adjusted for other federal and state grant moneys received by the empowerment area.

g. Distribution of school ready funds shall be in accordance with directives in the current legislative appropriation of these funds.

Source of Funding for Preschool Program:

Statewide Preschool Program

I.C.A. § 256C.5 Funding Formula.

… 2. Preschool Foundation Aid District Amount.

a. For the initial school year for which a school district approved to participate in the preschool program receives that approval and implements the preschool program, the funding for the preschool foundation aid payable to that school district shall be paid from the appropriation made for that school year in section 256C.6 or in another appropriation made for purposes of this chapter. For that school year, the preschool foundation aid payable to the school district is the product of the regular program state cost per pupil for the school year multiplied by sixty percent of the school district’s eligible student enrollment on the date in the school year determined by rule.

b. For budget years subsequent to the initial school year for which a school district approved to participate in the preschool program receives that approval and implements the preschool program, the funding for the preschool foundation aid payable to that school district shall be paid from the appropriation made in section 257.16.

3. Aid Payments. Preschool foundation aid shall be paid as part of the state aid payments made to school districts in accordance with section 257.16. …

I.C.A. § 256C.6

1. Phase-In. For the initial fiscal year in which a school district participates in the preschool program pursuant to an appropriation provided in subsection 2, the department shall apply a modified set of the requirements of the provisions of this chapter relating to preschool program implementation, preschool enrollment reporting, and distribution of funding as necessary to begin the distribution in that fiscal year and additional program implementation in the next fiscal year. For each month after September 1, in the initial fiscal year that a school district approved to participate in the preschool program begins programming, the department shall reduce the preschool foundation aid payable to the school district by one-tenth of the amount that would otherwise have been payable to the school district for the full school year.

2. Appropriations For Initial Years. There is appropriated from the general fund of the state to the department of education for the designated fiscal years the following amounts, or so much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the initial year preschool foundation aid payments to school districts approved to participate in the preschool program and administrative costs:

a. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008, and ending June 30, 2009, fifteen million dollars.

b. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2009, and ending June 30, 2010, fifteen million dollars.

c. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2010, and ending June 30, 2011, sixteen million one hundred sixty-two thousand five hundred dollars.

3. Insufficient Funding. For the fiscal years in the period beginning July 1, 2007, and ending June 30, 2011, if the number of requests from school districts for initial participation in the preschool program exceeds the funding made available for the preschool program, the department shall utilize all of the following selection criteria in selecting the school districts that will be approved to participate in the preschool program:

a. Priority shall be given to school districts that do not have existing preschool programming within the school district boundaries.

b. Priority shall be given to school districts that have a high percentage of children in poverty and such children shall receive first priority for the programs.

c. Consideration shall be given to the size of school districts in large, medium, and small categories in order for there to be equitable statewide distribution of preschool program services.

d. Consideration shall be given to school districts with established, high-quality, community partnerships for the delivery of preschool programming that are seeking to expand access. …

I.C.A. § 257.16

There is appropriated each year from the general fund of the state an amount necessary to pay the foundation aid under this chapter, the preschool foundation aid under chapter 256C, supplementary aid under section 257.4, subsection 2, and adjusted additional property tax levy aid under section 257.15, subsection 4. …

Shared Visions Program

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-64.6

In a year in which funds are made available by the Iowa legislature, the [child development coordinating] council shall grant awards to child development programs …

I.C.A. § 279.51

1. There is appropriated from the general fund of the state to the department of education for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, and each succeeding fiscal year, the sum of twelve million six hundred six thousand one hundred ninety-six dollars.

The moneys shall be allocated as follows:

…b. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, and for each succeeding fiscal year, eight million five hundred thirty-six thousand seven hundred forty dollars of the funds appropriated shall be allocated to the child development coordinating council established in chapter 256A for the purposes set out in subsection 2 of this section and section 256A.3. …

2. Funds allocated under subsection 1, paragraph "b", shall be used by the child development coordinating council for the following:

a. To continue funding for programs previously funded by grants awarded under section 256A.3 and to provide additional grants under section 256A.3. The council shall seek to provide grants on the basis of the location within the state of children meeting at-risk definitions.

b. At the discretion of the child development coordinating council, award grants for the following:

(1) To school districts to establish programs for three-year-old, four-year-old, and five-year- old at-risk children which are a combination of preschool and full-day kindergarten. …

School Ready Children Grant Program

Ia. Ad. Code § 349-1.10(3)

…f. Distribution of school ready funds shall be in accordance with directives in the current legislative appropriation of these funds.

I.C.A. § 28.9 Iowa empowerment fund

1. An Iowa empowerment fund is created in the state treasury. …

2. A school ready children grants account is created in the Iowa empowerment fund under the authority of the director of the department of education. Moneys credited to the account shall be distributed by the department of education in the form of grants to community empowerment areas pursuant to criteria established by the Iowa board in accordance with law.

2A. Unless a different amount is authorized by law, up to three percent of the school ready children grant moneys distributed under the auspices of the Iowa board to a community empowerment area board may be used by the community board for administrative costs and other implementation expenses.

HF 396 (2007) [FY 2006- 2007 and after]

Section 1. 2006 Iowa Acts, chapter 1157, section 17, subsection 2, is amended to read as follows:

2. Of the amount appropriated in subsection 1, $5,500,000 is allocated to increase the funding designated for distribution to community empowerment areas to assist low-income parents with tuition for preschool and other supportive services for children ages three, four, and five who are not attending kindergarten in order to increase the basic family income eligibility requirement to not more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. In addition, if sufficient funding is available after addressing the needs of those who meet the basic income eligibility requirement, a community empowerment area board may provide for eligibility for those with a family income in excess of the basic income eligibility requirement through use of a sliding scale or other copayment provision.

Sec. 2. Effective Date—Retroactive Applicability. This Act, being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment, is retroactively applicable to July 1, 2006, and is applicable on and after that date.

Scope of Child's Right to Attend Preschool:

None.

Curriculum Content Standards for Preschool Program:

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-12.5

(1) Prekindergarten program. If a [public] school offers a prekindergarten program, the program shall be designed to help children to work and play with others, to express themselves, to learn to use and manage their bodies, and to extend their interests and understanding of the world about them. The prekindergarten program shall relate the role of the family to the child's developing sense of self and perception of others. ...

Iowa Early Learning Standards

The State Board of Education and the Council on Human Services have adopted Early Learning Standards for ages 3 through 5.

Sample:

Area 4: Communication, Language, & Literacy

4.1 Language Understanding and Use

Standard: Children understand and use communication and language for a variety of purposes. …

Benchmarks

The child:

1. shows a steady increase in listening and speaking vocabulary.

2. initiates, listens and responds appropriately in conversations with peers and adults.

3. speaks in sentences of increasing length and grammatical complexity.

4. follows simple oral directions that involve several actions.

5. asks and answers a variety of question types. …

Statewide Preschool Program

I.C.A. § 256C.3(3)

The state board shall adopt rules to further define the following preschool program requirements …:

… b. Applicable state and federal program standards.

c. Student learning standards. …

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-16.2

… “Curriculum” means research-based or evidence-based written framework that is comprehensive, addresses the needs of the whole child, and provides a guide for decision-making about content, instructional methods, and assessment. An applicant may utilize more than one curriculum.

… “Developmentally appropriate” describes practices that are based upon knowledge of how children develop and learn, and are responsive to the individual’s learning strengths, interests, and needs.

… “Program standards” means the expectations for the characteristics or quality of early childhood settings centers and schools approved by the department. Approved program standards include National Association for the Education of Young Children Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria, Head Start Program Performance Standards, the Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards or other approved program standards as determined by the department. …

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-16.3. Preschool Program Standards

Program standards include Head Start Performance Standards, Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards, or the National Association for the Education of Young Children Accreditation Program Standards and Criteria. All approved local preschool programs shall adopt preschool program standards that meet the following requirements.

… (5) Child standards. The preschool program shall demonstrate how the curriculum, assessment, staff development, and instructional strategies are aligned to the Iowa Early Learning Standards. The teacher shall provide instruction on the skills and knowledge included in the Iowa Early Learning Standards.

(6) Curriculum. The preschool program shall adopt a research or evidence based curriculum. …

Shared Visions Program

I.C.A. § 256A.3

The child development coordinating council shall:

…(2) Establish minimum guidelines for comprehensive early child development services for at-risk three- and four-year-old children. The guidelines shall reflect current research findings on the necessary components for cost-effective child development services.

Teacher Certification/Qualification Standards for Preschool Program:

I.C.A. § 256.11

The educational program [in state accredited public and non-public schools] shall be as follows:

1. … Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, a prekindergarten teacher shall hold a license certifying that the holder is qualified to teach in prekindergarten. A nonpublic school which offers only a prekindergarten may, but is not required to, seek and obtain accreditation.

If the board of directors of a school district contracts for the operation of a prekindergarten program, the program shall be under the oversight of an appropriately licensed teacher. If the program contracted with was in existence on July 1, 1989, oversight of the program shall be provided by the district. If the program contracted with was not in existence on July 1, 1989, the director of the program shall be a licensed teacher and the director shall provide program oversight. Any director of a program contracted with by a school district under this section who is not a licensed teacher is required to register with the department of education.

… For the purposes of this subsection, “prekindergarten program” includes but is not limited to a school district’s implementation of the preschool program established pursuant to chapter 256C.

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-12.4

… The following standards shall apply to personnel employed in accredited schools.

…(13) Prekindergarten staff. Prekindergarten teachers shall hold a license/certificate valid for the prekindergarten level. The board shall employ personnel as necessary to provide effective supervision and instruction in the prekindergarten program.

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-12.5 The following education program standards shall be met by schools and school districts for accreditation with the start of the 1989-1990 school year.

(1) Prekindergarten program…. A prekindergarten teacher shall hold a license/certificate licensing/certifying that the holder is qualified to teach in prekindergarten. A nonpublic school which offers only a prekindergarten may, but is not required to, seek and obtain accreditation.

Ia. Ad. Code § 282-14.140(3) Teacher—prekindergarten-kindergarten.

a. Authorization. The holder of this endorsement is authorized to teach at the prekindergarten-kindergarten level.

b. Program requirements.

(1) Degree—baccalaureate. …

Statewide Preschool Program

I.C.A. § 256C.3

2. a. An individual serving as a teacher in the preschool program must meet all of the following qualifications:

(1) The individual is either employed by or under contract with the school district implementing the program.

(2) The individual is appropriately licensed under chapter 272 and meets requirements under chapter 284.

(3) The individual possesses a bachelor’s or graduate degree from an accredited college or university with a major in early childhood education or other appropriate major identified in rule by the department.

… 4. School District Requirements. The state board shall adopt rules to further define the following requirements of school districts implementing the preschool program:

…d. Career development for school district preschool teachers shall be addressed in the school district’s career development plan implemented in accordance with section 284.6. …

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-16.2

… “Para-educator” is a certified educational assistant as defined in Iowa Code section 272.1(6) and licensed under the rules in 282—Iowa Administrative Code chapter 22.

… “Staff” means those individuals implementing preschool program activities under the direct supervision of a teacher. Staff includes teachers as well as licensed para-educators, teacher aides and teacher associates who possess or are working toward a Child Development Associate Credential (CDA) or an associate degree in child development or early childhood education, and department of human services approved licensees or registrants under Iowa Code chapter 237A.

“Teacher” means an individual who holds a valid practitioner’s license issued by the board of educational examiners under Iowa Code chapter 272 and holds an endorsement from the board of educational examiners that includes prekindergarten or kindergarten. There is no requirement that the teacher be an employee of the applicant district; the teacher may be employed by a private provider or other public agency with whom the district has entered into an agreement or contract under Iowa Code chapter 28E.

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-16.3(8)

Staff development. The district shall make available to any teacher of its voluntary preschool program not employed by the district such staff development that the district offers to the district’s personnel to maintain the skills appropriate to their role. Career development for school district preschool teachers shall be addressed in the school district’s career development plan implemented in accordance with Iowa Code section 284.6. The school district shall assure that the district support staff for the program are provided appropriate staff development in early childhood education.

Shared Visions Program

I.C.A. § 256A.3

…(5) In awarding program grants to an agency or individual, the council shall consider the following:

1. The quality of the staff and staff background in child development services.

Other Quality Standards for Preschool Program:

I.C.A. § 256.11

(1) If a school offers a prekindergarten program, the program shall be designed to help children to work and play with others, to express themselves, to learn to use and manage their bodies, and to extend their interests and understanding of the world about them. The prekindergarten program shall relate the role of the family to the child's developing sense of self and perception of others. Planning and carrying out prekindergarten activities designed to encourage cooperative efforts between home and school shall focus on community resources…. A nonpublic school which offers only a prekindergarten may, but is not required to, seek and obtain accreditation.

… For the purposes of this subsection, “prekindergarten program” includes but is not limited to a school district’s implementation of the preschool program established pursuant to chapter 256C.

Ia. Ad. Code 281-12.1 These [general accreditation standards set forth in this section] govern the accreditation of all prekindergarten, if offered, or kindergarten through grade 12 school districts operated by public school corporations and the accreditation, if requested, of prekindergarten or kindergarten through grade 12 schools operated under nonpublic auspices.

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-12.5 The following education program standards shall be met by schools and school districts for accreditation with the start of the 1989-1990 school year.

1. Prekindergarten program…. Planning and carrying out prekindergarten activities designed to encourage co-operative efforts between home and school shall focus on community resources. A prekindergarten teacher shall hold a license/certificate licensing/certifying that the holder is qualified to teach in prekindergarten. A nonpublic school which offers only a prekindergarten may, but is not required to, seek and obtain accreditation.

The state has also promulgated Quality Preschool Program Standards that "were developed as a beginning point of a continuum of quality early learning experiences that would align early childhood programs to work toward accreditation with NAEYC program standards and criteria."

Statewide Preschool Program

I.C.A. § 256C.3

… 2. Teacher Requirements.

… b. A teacher in the preschool program shall collaborate with other agencies, organizations, and boards in the community to further the program’s capacity to meet the diverse needs of the children taught by the teacher and the families of the children, such as needs for early care, health, and human services. In addition, a teacher in the preschool program shall work to maintain relationships with each child’s family in order to enhance the child’s development in all settings by collaborating with providers of parent education and family support opportunities.

3. Program Requirements. The state board shall adopt rules to further define the following preschool program requirements … :

a. Maximum and minimum teacher-to-child ratios and class sizes.

b. Applicable state and federal program standards.

… d. Provisions for the integration of children from other state and federally funded preschools.

… g. Parental involvement in the local program.

h. Provision for ensuring that children receiving care from other child care arrangements can participate in the preschool program with minimal disruption due to transportation and movement from one site to another.

… 5. Department Requirements.

a. The department shall implement an application and selection process for school district participation in the preschool program that includes but is not limited to the enrollment requirements provided under section 256C.4. …

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-16.3. Preschool Program Standards. Program standards include Head Start Performance Standards, Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards, or the National Association for the Education of Young Children Accreditation Program Standards and Criteria. All approved local preschool programs shall adopt preschool program standards that meet the following requirements.

(1) Personnel. A minimum of one teacher shall be present with eligible children during the voluntary preschool program instructional time.

(2) Staff-children ratio. There must be at least one staff member present per every ten children in a classroom during the instructional time described in subrule 16.3(4). A minimum of two staff members shall be present when 11 – 20 children are present. Staff members shall have reasonable line-of-sight supervision of all children.

(3) Maximum class size. There shall be no more than twenty (20) children per classroom.

… (5) Child standards. The preschool program shall demonstrate how the curriculum, assessment, staff development, and instructional strategies are aligned to the Iowa Early Learning Standards. The teacher shall provide instruction on the skills and knowledge included in the Iowa Early Learning Standards.

… (9) Space. The preschool program shall provide adequate and appropriate space and facilities as defined by the program standards.

(10) Materials. The preschool program shall provide instructional materials and supplies consistent with the program standards and Early Learning Standards.

(11) Meals. The preschool program shall provide adequate and appropriate meals or snacks as defined by the program standards.

(12) Family education and support. The preschool program shall involve families through at least one home visit, one family night and at least two family teacher conferences per year. Family involvement may include volunteering in the classroom, orientation to the preschool program, parent education, general communications, or other activities.

(13) Integration of other preschool programs. The preschool program shall make provisions for the integration of children from other state and federally funded preschool programs including Head Start, IDEA, Title I, and community empowerment.

(14) Comprehensive services. The preschool program may collaborate with other agencies for the provision of the following:

• Quality developmentally appropriate early learning experiences;
• Extended day child care;
• Transportation;
• Developmental screening, including health, hearing, and vision screening;
• Referral to other agencies providing health insurance, health care, immunizations, nutrition services, mental health and oral health services; and
• Family education and support.

Shared Visions Program

I.C.A. § 256A.3

…(5) In awarding program grants to an agency or individual, the council shall consider the following:

…b. The degree to which the program is or will be integrated with existing community resources and has the support of the local community.

c. The ability of the program to provide for child care in addition to child development services for families needing full-day child care.

d. A staff-to-children ratio within the guidelines established under subsection 2, but not less than one staff member per eight children.

e. The degree to which the program involves and works with the parents, and includes home visits, instruction for parents on parenting skills, on enhancement of skills in providing for their children's learning and development, and the physical, mental, and emotional development of children, and experiential education.

f. The manner in which health, medical, dental, and nutrition services are incorporated into the program.

g. The degree to which the program complements existing programs and services for at-risk three-year- and four-year-old children available in the area, including other child care services, services provided through the school district, and services available through area education agencies.

h. The degree to which the program can be monitored and evaluated to determine its ability to meet its goals.

i. The provision of transportation or other auxiliary services that may be necessary for families to participate in the program.

j. The provision of staff training and development, and staff compensation sufficient to assure continuity.

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-64.9 Grant awards criteria

(1) Criteria points. The following information shall be provided and points shall be awarded to applicants based on the following criteria as stated in the request for proposal:

1. Provision of a comprehensive child development program.

2. Limited class size.

3. Limited pupil-teacher ratios.

4. Provision of parental involvement.

5. Demonstration of community support.

6. Utilization of services provided by other community agencies.

7. Use of qualified teachers.

8. Existence of a plan for program evaluation including, but not limited to, measurement of student outcomes.

9. Developmentally appropriate practices.

(2) Additional grant components. The following information shall be provided and points shall be awarded to applicants based on the following additional components.

1. Program summary.

2. Research documentation.

3. Identification and documentation of local at-risk population.

4. Letters of community support.

5. Program budget (administrative costs not to exceed 10 percent of total award).

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-64.15 Grantee responsibilities

… 5. Continuation programs shall participate in the Self-Study and Accreditation Program of the [NAEYC] National Academy of Early Childhood Programs. Programs shall have two years from the date of initial funding to complete the self-study process. Programs shall have three years from the date of initial funding to attain accreditation. Programs unable to attain accreditation by the end of the three-year period may apply for a waiver of accreditation by March 15 of the third year. Waivers shall be awarded at the discretion of the council. Programs not attaining accreditation or not receiving a waiver of accreditation will be terminated.

…6. New/expansion programs shall participate in the Self-Study and Accreditation Program of the [NAEYC] National Academy of Early Childhood Programs during their first year of council funding. New/expansion programs shall be granted a waiver of accreditation during their first year of funding. New/expansion programs must complete self-study and attain accreditation during their second year of funding. Programs not able to attain accreditation during their second year may apply for a waiver of accreditation by March 15 of the current fiscal year. Waivers shall be granted at the discretion of the council. Programs not attaining accreditation or not receiving waivers will be terminated.

School Ready Children Grant Program

I.C.A. § 28.3(6A)

The director of the department of management shall designate early care staff, as part of the community empowerment initiative, to provide coordination and other support to the state's early care system. The early care staff shall work with the state and local components of the community empowerment initiative, shared visions programs funded under chapter 256A, and other public and private efforts to improve the early care system. The early care staff duties shall include but are not limited to the following:

…b. Developing and disseminating accountability measures for assessing the outcomes produced by the department of education, the community empowerment initiative, and other publicly funded efforts to improve early care of young children, including but not limited to shared visions and other programs provided under the auspices of the child development coordinating council, high-quality preschool programs, head start programs, and school ready children grant programs. The initial measures utilized shall be the individual growth and development indicators developed by the early childhood research institute on measuring growth and development or other measures of high quality to be authorized by law.

c. Collecting, interpreting, and redisseminating data collected from the measures for assessing outcomes under paragraph "b". Factors subject to interpretation may include area demographics, relative expenditures, collaboration between programs in an area, and other factors impacting the outcomes produced by an individual program.

d. Annually providing information to the governor and general assembly regarding the outcomes produced by individual programs. The information shall be included in the Iowa empowerment board's annual report.

I.C.A. § 28.4

The Iowa [empowerment] board shall perform the following duties…

…13. Integrate statewide quality standards and results indicators adopted by other boards and commissions into the Iowa empowerment board's funding requirements for investments in early care, education, health, and human services.

Community Empowerment School Ready Funds -- Preschool Program Support for Low-Income Families (Tool CC(A))

The Iowa Empowerment Board strongly promotes the implementation of evidence-based, quality practices and services that have been proven to positively affect outcomes for children. CEA Boards are strongly encouraged to use these funds to assist families to access preschool services that meet quality program standards that include, but are not limited to the following:

• Accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
• Accreditation by the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)
• Comprehensive child development services offered by Shared Visions Preschool Programs (The SR funds can be used on a per child basis to supplement funding that supports this program.)
• Comprehensive child development services offered by Head Start Programs (The SR funds can be used on a per child basis to supplement funding that supports this program.)
• Preschools or child care centers with an average score of 5 (with no subscale score under 2) on the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale – Revised (ECERS-R) completed by an outside evaluator who has established 85% inter-rater agreement within six months of the observation
• Programs completing Iowa’s Quality Preschool Program Standards self-assessment, quality improvement plan and technical assistance
• Programs participating in Iowa’s Voluntary Quality Rating System (QRS) that have achieved a Level 3, 4 or 5.
• Programs willing to complete any of the above quality standards within a reasonable time period determined in a contractual agreement between the CEA and provider
• Programs meeting a comparable set of standards

Questions and Answers Regarding Iowa Community Empowerment’s School Ready funds

… Please note the programs must meet one of the criteria listed in Tool CC (A).

Delivery of Preschool Services:

Statewide Preschool Program

I.C.A. § 256.11 A nonpublic school which offers only a prekindergarten may, but is not required to, seek and obtain accreditation. If the board of directors of a school district contracts for the operation of a prekindergarten program, the program shall be under the oversight of an appropriately licensed teacher. If the program contracted with was in existence on July 1, 1989, oversight of the program shall be provided by the district. If the program contracted with was not in existence on July 1, 1989, the director of the program shall be a licensed teacher and the director shall provide program oversight. Any director of a program contracted with by a school district under this section who is not a licensed teacher is required to register with the department of education.

… For the purposes of this subsection, “prekindergarten program” includes but is not limited to a school district’s implementation of the preschool program established pursuant to chapter 256C.

I.C.A. § 256C.3 Preschool Program Requirements.

… 2. Teacher Requirements.

… b. A teacher in the preschool program shall collaborate with other agencies, organizations, and boards in the community to further the program’s capacity to meet the diverse needs of the children taught by the teacher and the families of the children, such as needs for early care, health, and human services. In addition, a teacher in the preschool program shall work to maintain relationships with each child’s family in order to enhance the child’s development in all settings by collaborating with providers of parent education and family support opportunities.

3. Program Requirements. The state board shall adopt rules to further define the following preschool program requirements …:

… d. Provisions for the integration of children from other state and federally funded preschools.

e. Collaboration with participating families, early care providers, and community partners including but not limited to community empowerment area boards, head start programs, shared visions and other programs provided under the auspices of the child development coordinating council, licensed child care centers, registered child development homes, area education agencies, child care resource and referral services provided under section 237A.26, early childhood special education programs, services funded by Title I of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, and family support programs.

… h. Provision for ensuring that children receiving care from other child care arrangements can participate in the preschool program with minimal disruption due to transportation and movement from one site to another.

4. School District Requirements. The state board shall adopt rules to further define the following requirements of school districts implementing the preschool program:

a. Methods of demonstrating community readiness to implement high-quality instruction in a local program shall be identified. The potential provider shall submit a collaborative program proposal that demonstrates the involvement of multiple community stakeholders including but not limited to, and only as applicable, parents, the school district, accredited nonpublic schools and faith-based representatives, the area education agency, the community empowerment area board, representatives of business, head start programs, shared visions and other programs provided under the auspices of the child development coordinating council, center-based and home-based providers of child care services, human services, public health, and economic development programs. The methods may include but are not limited to a school district providing evidence of a public hearing on the proposed programming and written documentation of collaboration agreements between the school district, existing community providers, and other community stakeholders addressing operational procedures and other critical measures.

b. Subject to implementation of chapter 28E agreements between a school district and community-based providers of services to four-year-old children, a four-year-old child who is enrolled in a child care center or child development home licensed or registered under chapter 237A, or in an existing public or private preschool program, shall be eligible for services provided by the school district’s local preschool program. …

Shared Visions Program

I.C.A. § 256A.2. Child development coordinating council established

A child development coordinating council is established to promote the provision of child development services to at-risk three-year- and four-year-old children. …

I.C.A. § 256A.3. Duties of council

The child development coordinating council shall:

…3. At least biennially, develop an inventory of child development services provided to at-risk three-year- and four-year-old children in this state and identify the number of children receiving and not receiving these services, the types of programs under which the services are received, the degree to which each program meets the council's minimum guidelines for a comprehensive program, and the reasons children not receiving the services are not being served. The council is not required to conduct independent research in developing the inventory, but shall determine information needs necessary to provide a more complete inventory.

4. Make recommendations to the department of education and the general assembly regarding appropriate curricula and staff qualifications and training for early elementary education, coordination of the curricula with child development programs, and the development of an at-risk children definition for use in school-district-sponsored early elementary and before and after school child care programs.

…7. Encourage the establishment of regional councils designed to facilitate the development on a regional basis of programs for at-risk three-year-old and at-risk four-year-old children.

8. Annually, submit recommendations to the governor and the general assembly on the need for investment in child development services in the state.

…10. Encourage the establishment of programs that will enhance the skills of parents in parenting and in providing for the learning and development of their children.

School Ready Children Grant Program

I.C.A. § 28.3. Iowa empowerment board created

1. An Iowa empowerment board is created to facilitate state and community efforts involving community empowerment areas, including strategic planning, funding identification, and guidance, and to promote collaboration among state and local early care, education, health, and human services programs.

…5. A community empowerment assistance team or teams of state agency representatives shall be designated to provide technical assistance and other support to community empowerment areas and for the board's efforts to address early care, education, health, and human services. A technical assistance system shall be developed using local representatives of the state agencies represented on the Iowa board and other state agencies and individuals involved with local early care, education, health, and human services.

…6A. The director of the department of management shall designate early care staff, as part of the community empowerment initiative, to provide coordination and other support to the state's early care system. The early care staff shall work with the state and local components of the community empowerment initiative, shared visions programs funded under chapter 256A, and other public and private efforts to improve the early care system. The early care staff duties shall include but are not limited to the following:

a. Providing support to the public and private stakeholders who are involved with the early care system, acting to strengthen the early care system, and developing accountability measures for early care efforts.

b. Developing and disseminating accountability measures for assessing the outcomes produced by the department of education, the community empowerment initiative, and other publicly funded efforts to improve early care of young children, including but not limited to shared visions and other programs provided under the auspices of the child development coordinating council, high-quality preschool programs, head start programs, and school ready children grant programs. The initial measures utilized shall be the individual growth and development indicators developed by the early childhood research institute on measuring growth and development or other measures of high quality to be authorized by law.

c. Collecting, interpreting, and redisseminating data collected from the measures for assessing outcomes under paragraph "b". Factors subject to interpretation may include area demographics, relative expenditures, collaboration between programs in an area, and other factors impacting the outcomes produced by an individual program.

d. Annually providing information to the governor and general assembly regarding the outcomes produced by individual programs. The information shall be included in the Iowa empowerment board's annual report.

I.C.A. § 28.5. Community empowerment areas

1. The purpose of a community empowerment area is to enable local citizens to lead collaborative efforts involving early care, education, health, and human services programs on behalf of the children, families, and other citizens residing in the area. Leadership functions may include but are not limited to strategic planning for and oversight and managing of such programs and the funding made available to the community empowerment area for such programs from federal, state, local, and private sources. The initial focus of the purpose is to improve results for families with young children.

2. Each county and school district in the state shall have the option of participating in a community empowerment area. …

I.C.A. § 28.6. Community empowerment area boards created

1. a. Community empowerment area functions shall be performed under the authority of a community empowerment area board. … The membership of a community empowerment area board shall include members with early care, education, health, human services, business, faith, and public interests. …

I.C.A. § 28.7. Community empowerment area board responsibilities and authority

1. A community empowerment area board shall do the following:

…b. Administer community empowerment grant moneys available from the state to the community board as provided by law and other federal, state, local, and private moneys made available to the community board. Eligibility for receipt of community empowerment grant moneys shall be limited to those community boards that have developed an approved school ready children grant plan in accordance with this chapter. …

2. A community board may do any of the following:

a. Designate one or more committees for oversight of grant moneys awarded to the community empowerment area.

b. Function as a coordinating body for services offered by different entities directed to similar purposes within the community empowerment area.

c. Develop neighborhood bodies for community-level input to the community board and implementation of services.

HF 761

Sec. 18. EARLY CARE INTEGRATION PLAN

The community empowerment office of the department of management, with the assistance of the departments represented on the Iowa empowerment board, shall develop a plan to integrate the efforts of the state agency staff who have job functions directed to the early care system, as defined in section 28.1, as amended in this Act. The plan shall be submitted to the chairpersons and ranking members of the committees on human resources and education of the senate and the house of representatives on or before December 16, 2006.

Community Empowerment School Ready Funds -- Preschool Program Support for Low-Income Families (Tool CC(A))

The Iowa Empowerment Board strongly promotes the implementation of evidence-based, quality practices and services that have been proven to positively affect outcomes for children. CEA Boards are strongly encouraged to use these funds to assist families to access preschool services that meet quality program standards that include, but are not limited to the following:

• Accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
• Accreditation by the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC)
• Comprehensive child development services offered by Shared Visions Preschool Programs (The SR funds can be used on a per child basis to supplement funding that supports this program.)
• Comprehensive child development services offered by Head Start Programs (The SR funds can be used on a per child basis to supplement funding that supports this program.)
• Preschools or child care centers with an average score of 5 (with no subscale score under 2) on the Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale – Revised (ECERS-R) completed by an outside evaluator who has established 85% inter-rater agreement within six months of the observation
• Programs completing Iowa’s Quality Preschool Program Standards self-assessment, quality improvement plan and technical assistance
• Programs participating in Iowa’s Voluntary Quality Rating System (QRS) that have achieved a Level 3, 4 or 5.
• Programs willing to complete any of the above quality standards within a reasonable time period determined in a contractual agreement between the CEA and provider
• Programs meeting a comparable set of standards

Requirements for Student Assessment and Program Evaluation:

I.C.A. § 28.3(6A)

The director of the department of management shall designate early care staff, as part of the community empowerment initiative, to provide coordination and other support to the state's early care system. The early care staff shall work with the state and local components of the community empowerment initiative, shared visions programs funded under chapter 256A, and other public and private efforts to improve the early care system. The early care staff duties shall include but are not limited to the following:

…b. Developing and disseminating accountability measures for assessing the outcomes produced by the department of education, the community empowerment initiative, and other publicly funded efforts to improve early care of young children, including but not limited to shared visions and other programs provided under the auspices of the child development coordinating council, high-quality preschool programs, head start programs, and school ready children grant programs. The initial measures utilized shall be the individual growth and development indicators developed by the early childhood research institute on measuring growth and development or other measures of high quality to be authorized by law.

c. Collecting, interpreting, and redisseminating data collected from the measures for assessing outcomes under paragraph "b". Factors subject to interpretation may include area demographics, relative expenditures, collaboration between programs in an area, and other factors impacting the outcomes produced by an individual program.

d. Annually providing information to the governor and general assembly regarding the outcomes produced by individual programs. The information shall be included in the Iowa empowerment board's annual report.

Statewide Preschool Program

I.C.A. § 256C.3

4. School District Requirements. The state board shall adopt rules to further define the following requirements of school districts implementing the preschool program:

… c. A school district shall participate in data collection and performance measurement processes and reporting as defined by rule. …

5. Department Requirements.

… b. The department shall track the progress of students served by a school district preschool program and the students’ performance in elementary and secondary education.

c. The department shall implement procedures to monitor the quality of the programming provided under the preschool program.

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-16.2(7)

The preschool program shall adopt research or evidence based assessment to provide information on children’s learning and development.

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-16.13. Accountability Requirements. An approved local program shall meet the program requirements for increased school readiness specified herein in rule 16.3. The program requirements are minimum standards. The department encourages approved local programs to go beyond the minimum as the programs work toward ongoing improvement.

(1) Annual reports. Each approved local program shall provide an annual report to the department regarding program requirements on forms provided by the department. Failure to submit an annual report by the date specified therein shall result in suspension of financial payments to the applicant until such time as the report is received by the department.

(2) Performance measures. The approved local program shall collect data on all of the following:

a. The number of eligible children participating in the preschool program.

b. The number of eligible children participating in a program that meets NAEYC, Head Start, or Quality Preschool Program Standards.

c. The curriculum.

d. The assessment as defined herein.

e. The number of teachers.

f. The kindergarten literacy assessment as defined in Iowa Code section 279.60.

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-16.14. Monitoring. The department shall develop a monitoring system based on the annual reporting requirements and performance measures described in rule 16.13, to be implemented no later than one year after funding is first provided under this chapter. The monitoring system shall insure that the provisions herein requiring a properly licensed teacher and adoption of program standards are met, and shall be designed to follow the academic progress of children who voluntarily participated in the statewide preschool program as the children progress through elementary and secondary grade levels. If feasible, it is the intent of the department to include postsecondary monitoring of such children.

Shared Visions Program

I.C.A. § 256A.3 The child development coordinating council shall:

… 6. Encourage the submission of grant requests from all potential providers of child development services and shall be flexible in evaluating grants, recognizing that different types of programs may be suitable for different locations in the state. However, requests for grants must contain a procedure for evaluating the effectiveness of the program and accounting procedures for monitoring the expenditure of grant moneys.

The council shall seek to use performance-based measures to evaluate programs. Not more than five percent of any state funds appropriated for child development purposes may be used for administration and evaluation.

… 8. Annually, submit recommendations to the governor and the general assembly on the need for investment in child development services in the state.

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-64.15 Grantee responsibilities

The grantee shall maintain records which include but are not limited to:

1. Information on children and families served.

2. Direct services provided to children.

3. Record of expenditures.

4. Other appropriate information specified by the council necessary to the overall evaluation.

…Grantees shall provide quarterly reports that include information detailing progress toward goals and objectives, expenditures and services provided on forms provided for those reports. Failure to submit reports by the due date shall result in suspension of financial payments to the grantee until the time that the report is received. No new awards shall be made for continuation programs where there are delinquent reports from prior grants.

Ia. Ad. Code § 281-64.17 Evaluation

The grantee shall cooperate with the council and provide requested information to determine how well the goals and objectives of the project are being met.

School Ready Children Grant Program

I.C.A. § 28.8

… 4. The community board shall submit an annual report on the effectiveness of the grant program in addressing school readiness and children's health and safety needs to the Iowa empowerment board and to the local governing bodies. The annual report shall indicate the effectiveness of the community board in achieving state and locally determined goals.

Community Empowerment School Ready Funds -- Preschool Program Support for Low-Income Families, Performance Measure Data (Tool CC(B))

Each preschool program receiving School Ready (SR) funds targeted to assist children living in low-income families shall, at the end of fiscal year, submit the information below to the Community Empowerment Board providing the funds.

The Community Empowerment Board shall submit to the state, as part of their annual report and through an on-line data collection tool, information they have received from the funded preschools. …

HF 816

Section 10. IOWA EMPOWERMENT FUND

…As a condition of receiving funding appropriated in this subsection, each community empowerment area board shall report to the Iowa empowerment board progress on each of the state indicators approved by the state board, as well as progress on local indicators.