Federal Legislation
The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007
requires the Governor of each State to designate or establish as
council to serve as the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood
Education and Care for children from birth to school entry
(referred to simply as State Advisory Councils).
The text as it appears in the Act, states:
(b)(1)(A) The Governor of the State shall--
- designate or establish a council to serve as the State Advisory
Council on Early Childhood Education and Care for children from
birth to school entry (in this subchapter referred to as the `State
Advisory Council'); and
- designate an individual to coordinate activities of the State
Advisory Council, as described in subparagraph (D)(i).
(B) The Governor may designate an existing entity in the State
to serve as the State Advisory Council, and shall appoint
representatives to the State Advisory Council at the Governor's
discretion. In designating an existing entity, the Governor shall
take steps to ensure that its membership includes, to the extent
possible, representatives consistent with subparagraph (C).
(C) Members of the State Advisory Council shall include, to the
maximum extent possible--
- a representative of the State agency responsible for child
care;
- a representative of the State educational agency;
- a representative of local educational agencies;
- a representative of institutions of higher education in the
State;
- a representative of local providers of early childhood
education and development services;
- a representative from Head Start agencies located in the State,
including migrant and seasonal Head Start programs and Indian Head
Start programs;
- the State Director of Head Start Collaboration;
- a representative of the State agency responsible for programs
under section 619 or part C of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1431 et seq.);
- a representative of the State agency responsible for health or
mental health care; and
- representatives of other entities determined to be relevant by
the Governor of the State.
(D)(i) The State Advisory Council shall, in addition to any
responsibilities assigned to the Council by the Governor of the
State--
- conduct a periodic statewide needs assessment concerning the
quality and availability of early childhood education and
development programs and services for children from birth to school
entry, including an assessment of the availability of high-quality
pre-kindergarten services for low-income children in the
State;
- identify opportunities for, and barriers to, collaboration and
coordination among Federally-funded and State-funded child
development, child care, and early childhood education programs and
services, including collaboration and coordination among State
agencies responsible for administering such programs;
- develop recommendations for increasing the overall
participation of children in existing Federal, State, and local
child care and early childhood education programs, including
outreach to underrepresented and special populations;
- develop recommendations regarding the establishment of a
unified data collection system for public early childhood education
and development programs and services throughout the State;
- develop recommendations regarding statewide professional
development and career advancement plans for early childhood
educators in the State;
- assess the capacity and effectiveness of 2- and 4-year public
and private institutions of higher education in the State toward
supporting the development of early childhood educators, including
the extent to which such institutions have in place articulation
agreements, professional development and career advancement plans,
and practice or internships for students to spend time in a Head
Start or prekindergarten program; and
- make recommendations for improvements in State early learning
standards and undertake efforts to develop high-quality
comprehensive early learning standards, as appropriate.
(ii) The State Advisory Council shall hold public hearings and
provide an opportunity for public comment on the activities
described in clause (i). The State Advisory Council shall submit a
statewide strategic report addressing the activities described in
clause (i) to the State Director of Head Start Collaboration and
the Governor of the State.
(iii) After submission of a statewide strategic report under
clause (ii), the State Advisory Council shall meet periodically to
review any implementation of the recommendations in such report and
any changes in State and local needs.
(2)(A) The Secretary shall use the portion reserved under section
640(a)(4)(A)(iii) to award, on a competitive basis, one-time
startup grants of not less than $500,000 to eligible States to
enable such States to pay for the Federal share of developing and
implementing a plan pursuant to the responsibilities included under
paragraph (1)(D)(i). A State that receives funds under this
paragraph shall use such funds to facilitate the development or
enhancement of high-quality systems of early childhood education
and care designed to improve school preparedness through one or
more of the following activities--
- promoting school preparedness of children from birth through
school entry, including activities to encourage families and
caregivers to engage in highly interactive, developmentally and
age-appropriate activities to improve children's early social,
emotional, and cognitive development, support the transition of
young children to school, and foster parental and family
involvement in the early education of young children;
- supporting professional development, recruitment, and retention
initiatives for early childhood educators;
- enhancing existing early childhood education and development
programs and services (in existence on the date on which the grant
involved is awarded), including quality improvement activities
authorized under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of
1990; and
- carrying out other activities consistent with the State's plan
and application, pursuant to subparagraph (B).
(B) To be eligible to receive a grant under this paragraph, a
State shall prepare and submit to the Secretary a plan and
application, for a 3-year period, at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary shall require,
including--
- the statewide strategic report described in paragraph
(1)(D)(ii), including a description of the State Advisory Council's
responsibilities under paragraph (1)(D)(i);
- a description, for each fiscal year, of how the State will make
effective use of funds available under this paragraph, with funds
described in subparagraph (C), to create an early childhood
education and care system, by developing or enhancing programs and
activities consistent with the statewide strategic report described
in paragraph (1)(D)(i);
- a description of the State early learning standards and the
State's goals for increasing the number of children entering
kindergarten ready to learn;
- information identifying the agency or joint interagency office,
and individual, designated to carry out the activities under this
paragraph, which may be the individual designated under paragraph
(1)(A)(ii); and
- a description of how the State plans to sustain activities
under this paragraph beyond the grant period.
(C) The Federal share of the cost of activities proposed to be
conducted under subparagraph (A) shall be 30 percent, and the State
shall provide the non-Federal share.
(D) Funds made available under this paragraph shall be used to
supplement, and not supplant, other Federal, State, and local funds
expended to carry out activities related to early childhood
education and care in the State.
(E) Not later than 18 months after the date a State receives a
grant under this paragraph, the State shall submit an interim
report to the Secretary. A State that receives a grant under this
paragraph shall submit a final report to the Secretary at the end
of the grant period. Each report shall include--
- a description of the activities and services carried out under
the grant, including the outcomes of such activities and services
in meeting the needs described in the periodic needs assessment and
statewide strategic report;
- information about how the State used such funds to meet the
goals of this subsection through activities to develop or enhance
high-quality systems of early childhood education and care,
increase effectiveness of delivery systems and use of funds, and
enhance existing programs and services;
- information regarding the remaining needs described in the
periodic statewide needs assessment and statewide strategic report
that have not yet been addressed by the State; and
- any other information that the Secretary may require.
(F) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to provide the
State Advisory Council with authority to modify, supersede, or
negate the requirements of this subchapter.'