08 LC 33
2253
House
Bill 939
By:
Representatives Oliver of the
83rd,
Benfield of the
85th,
Ashe of the
56th,
Porter of the
143rd,
Smyre of the
132nd,
and others
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Article 1 of Chapter 1A of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to early care and learning,
so as to establish a program to expand Georgia´s Pre-K Program to
three-year-olds; to provide for an annual report to the General Assembly; to
provide for legislative intent with regard to funding the program; to establish
a program to incentivize and acknowledge quality pre-k programs; to provide for
an annual report to the General Assembly; to provide for legislative intent with
regard to funding the program; to amend Code Section 50-27-3 of the Official
Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to definitions relative to the lottery for
education, so as to add a definition for the term "pre-kindergarten"; to
provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Article
1 of Chapter 1A of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to general provisions relative to early care and learning, is amended by
inserting new Code sections to read as follows:
"20-1A-18.
(a)
No later than July 1, 2008, and subject to appropriations, the board shall
establish a program to expand Georgia´s Pre-K Program to children who
attain the age of three by September 1. Such program shall provide services in
a manner similar to those currently provided under such program, except as
otherwise deemed age-appropriate by the department for three-year-old children
and shall include an ongoing long-term method of longitudinal evaluation as
conducted by the board. The board shall establish criteria for the selection of
sites, which shall all be voluntary, and shall approve sites in accordance with
such criteria.
(b)
The board shall provide an annual report on the program established pursuant to
this Code section to the General Assembly no later than December 1 following
each fiscal year in which funds are appropriated by the General Assembly to
conduct such program and said report shall include, at a minimum, the method of
evaluation as required in subsection (a) of this Code section.
(c)
It is the intent of the General Assembly that the program established pursuant
to this Code section be funded with lottery proceeds appropriated from the
Lottery for Education Account.
20-1A-19.
(a)
No later than July 1, 2008, and subject to appropriations, the board shall
establish a program to acknowledge and support existing exemplary pre-k
programs and to incentivize improvement in quality in underperforming pre-k
programs. Such program shall be designed to provide grants in three tiers, as
follows:
(1)
Pre-k programs that have or receive accreditation by the National Association
for the Education of Young Children;
(2)
Pre-k programs that have received a Certificate of Distinction from the
department; and
(3)
Pre-k programs which are determined by the department to be in need of
improvement in order to be an exemplary program.
The
board shall develop criteria for the establishment of the program and for
eligibility of pre-k programs which shall include an ongoing long-term method of
longitudinal evaluation as conducted by the board.
(b)
The board shall provide an annual report on the program established pursuant to
this Code section to the General Assembly no later than December 1 following
each fiscal year in which funds are appropriated by the General Assembly to
conduct such program and said report shall include, at a minimum, the method of
evaluation as required in subsection (a) of this Code section.
(c)
It is the intent of the General Assembly that the program established pursuant
to this Code section be funded with lottery proceeds appropriated from the
Lottery for Education Account."
SECTION
2.
Code
Section 50-27-3 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
definitions relative to the lottery for education, is amended by adding a new
paragraph to read as follows:
"(17.1)
'Pre-kindergarten' means a class or program preceding kindergarten for children
ages three years or older."
SECTION
3.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.