NAEYC Children’s Champions

February 15, 2007

• Senate Committee Unanimously Approves Head Start Bill
• Senate and House Passed Continuing Resolution – Sent to President

Yesterday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee unanimously approved the bipartisan Head Start for School Readiness Act (S. 556), which reauthorizes the Head Start Act for the next five years. The House intends to introduce its bill soon.

A number of changes in the bill are improvements over last year’s version. However, the funding levels set forth in this bill are inadequate, and must be significantly increased not only to restore past cuts but also to fund new requirements. NAEYC will continue to work with Senators to make further improvements to the legislation before it comes to the floor.

Here are some of the highlights of the Senate bill (S. 556):

NRS and Other High Stakes Assessment
Suspends the implementation and terminates further development and use of the National Reporting System test. The bill also requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to incorporate the results of a study on developmental outcomes and assessments for young children currently underway by the National Academy of Sciences into assessments and standards used by Head Start programs. It also states that assessments cannot be used for high stakes decisions for children and teachers, or as the sole basis for program evaluation and funding decisions.

Early Head Start
Increases Early Head Start in two ways: (1) Head Start agencies can apply to serve additional infants and toddlers if a community assessment demonstrates that eligible Head Start (preschool-age) children are being and will be served, and if the agency can show that it can meet the Early Head Start requirements and standards; and (2) raises the percent of funds set aside for Early Head Start from 12 to 20 percent over the course of five year reauthorization.

Teacher and other Staff Qualifications
Requires that by September 30, 2012 that every Head Start teacher have an associate degree and that by September 30, 2013, has a goal that 50 percent of center-based teachers in each state has a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education (or a related area). By September 30, 2010, all assistant teachers have at least a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. In addition, each Head Start teacher will be required to attend at least than 15 clock hours of professional development per year and each will have a professional development plan.

Coordination and Collaboration
Each state would receive a grant for the Head Start Collaboration Office which would help Head Start programs with other child and family services. Requires each governor to establish an Early Care and Education Council (or designate an existing council) of the various agencies and stakeholders in early childhood education, birth to school, including child care and Head Start representatives, with the purpose of coordinating programs and services, providing a more cohesive workforce system that includes higher education articulation agreements, creating a unified data system, and reviewing of early learning and elementary grade standards for alignment. The Council would include representative The bill allocates $100 million for one-time grants to states (states each get one grant and have 3 years to apply) for the Council. The state must provide a match of 70 percent of the total grant.

Transition and Alignment
Head Start programs would work with schools to enhance the transition of children and families. Head Start programs and school districts would work together for shared communication and strategies around curriculum objectives and teaching practices.

Training and Technical Assistance
At least 2 percent of funding would beset aside for training, of which half would go to Head Start grantees and some of the remaining funds would be used for state training offices. Increases the set-aside for quality from 25 percent to 30 percent in FY 2008 and 40 percent in 2009 and subsequent years.

Governance and Accountability
Increases the responsibilities of the board of directors particularly on fiscal and fiduciary matters and changes the responsibilities of the parent policy councils.
Allows unannounced site inspections in addition to the monitoring visits.
Programs with systematic or substantial deficiencies would be required to recompete to continue to receive Head Start grants.

Migrant and Seasonal and Indian Head Start
Increases the funding set sides for these programs.

Quality and Flexibility
Increases the quality set aside from 25% currently to 40% in 2009 and subsequent years.
Increases income eligibility to 130%, but requires programs to reach out to the poorest children first.
Authorizes a new Centers of Excellence program for governors to identify exemplary Head Start programs to serve as models and other purposes.

CONTINUING RESOLUTION SENT TO PRESIDENT
The 109th Congress did not finish the appropriations for all of fiscal year 2007. The Continuing Resolution passed this year by the House and the Senate would give a small boost to Head Start ($104) and to Pell Grant awards, as well as some increases in elementary and secondary education, but no increase in Child Care & Development Block Grant discretionary funds. The House and Senate Budget Committees are holding hearings for the development of the Budget Resolutions for fiscal year 2008.

NAEYC: Comments on Major Legislation in 2005

• CCDBG (Child Care & Development Block Grant)
• Head Start
• Higher Education