[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1755 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1755

To award grants to States to establish, enhance, or expand high-quality 
    preschool programs for children ages 3 through 5 in rural areas.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 26, 2009

   Mr. Hare (for himself, Mr. Rehberg, Mr. Loebsack, and Ms. Hirono) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                          Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To award grants to States to establish, enhance, or expand high-quality 
    preschool programs for children ages 3 through 5 in rural areas.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FACTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Early 
Education Access Act''.
    (b) Facts.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) Investing in early childhood programs can yield 
        positive gains for children and rural communities, such as--
                    (A) academic achievement and progression;
                    (B) decreased cost to local governments for 
                expensive social services, such as special education;
                    (C) a skilled and productive workforce; and
                    (D) economic development.
            (2) The 2007 National Center for Education Statistics 
        report ``Status of Education in Rural America'' found that 
        rural areas maintain the lowest level of enrollment in 
        preschool programs when compared with urban and suburban school 
        districts.
            (3) In 2006, an estimated 2.69 million children between the 
        ages of three and five were living in rural areas, and only 
        half had access to ``center-based preschool''.
            (4) Students in rural districts have been found to be 
        fifteen percent less likely to begin kindergarten with key 
        early literacy skills and fifty percent less likely to possess 
        beginning sounds recognition than urban and suburban children.
            (5) Rural children are sixty percent more likely to require 
        special education placement than children from non-rural areas.
            (6) Rural communities face significant obstacles in 
        providing access to high quality preschool programs needed to 
        mitigate these problems, such as limited financial resources, 
        scarcity of qualified teachers, deficient training and 
        professional development opportunities, inadequate facilities, 
        and lack of transportation options.
            (7) In spite of increasing State investments, access to 
        high-quality preschool programs varies widely among urban, 
        suburban, and rural areas within a State due to the lack of 
        capacity in rural communities.
            (8) Head Start offers the only option for high quality 
        early education in rural communities, however, many low-income 
        children living in rural settings do not qualify, and many who 
        do qualify are not being served.
            (9) Given rural challenges and limited access to preschool 
        programs in rural communities, Federal investments are 
        necessary in order for children in rural areas to benefit from 
        the research-proven gains offered by high-quality early 
        learning programs.
            (10) On March 10, 2009, President Obama called on Congress 
        to enact the Early Learning Challenge Grant to help States 
        raise the quality of early learning programs.
            (11) Federal funding for preschool programs that require 
        States to compete for funds and then allows them to create a 
        formula to provide grants to rural providers will increase the 
        availability of high quality early childhood education 
        opportunities.

SEC. 2. RURAL EARLY EDUCATION GRANTS.

    (a) Program Established.--From the amounts made available to carry 
out this Act, the Secretary shall make grants to States to establish, 
enhance, or expand high-quality preschool programs provided by rural 
preschool providers.
    (b) Duration of Grants.--
            (1) Initial grants.--An initial grant under this Act shall 
        be for a period of 5 years.
            (2) Additional grants.--An initial grant under this Act may 
        be renewed under section 11.

SEC. 3. STATE ACTIVITIES.

    (a) Required Use of Funds.--Except as provided in subsection (b), a 
State shall use funds received under this Act to carry out a program to 
award subgrants to rural preschool providers in accordance with the 
application requirements under section 4 and the formula requirements 
under section 5.
    (b) Allowable Use of Funds.--A State that receives a grant under 
this Act may use up to 5 percent of the grant to perform one or more of 
the following State activities:
            (1) Providing consultation to administrators of rural 
        preschool providers on strategies to combine services with 
        local Head Start agencies to expand enrollment or to provide 
        additional services to children enrolled in programs provided 
        by the rural preschool providers.
            (2) Creating partnerships between rural preschool providers 
        and institutions of higher education in order to enable 
        participating teachers and paraprofessionals to obtain a 
        bachelor's degree as nontraditional students by expanding a 
        State-funded professional development program (or other 
        existing program) to include a program for preschool teachers 
        who are employed in rural areas.
            (3) Providing relief for student loans and other incentives 
        for preschool teachers who are employed by rural preschool 
        providers after receiving a bachelor's degree in early 
        childhood education.
            (4) Establishing a monitoring system to ensure that all 
        rural preschool providers awarded a grant under this Act 
        demonstrate progress toward implementing high-quality preschool 
        programs.
            (5) Developing and implementing statewide procedures to 
        promote coordination between rural preschool providers and 
        local educational agencies.
            (6) Disseminating information about the financial 
        management of rural preschool providers, including financial 
        management strategies that combine Federal, State, local, and 
        private funds.

SEC. 4. STATE APPLICATIONS.

    (a) In General.--A State desiring to receive a grant under this Act 
shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in such 
manner as the Secretary may reasonably require.
    (b) Required Contents.--The application referred to in subsection 
(a) shall include--
            (1) a description of how the funding formula in section 5 
        will ensure that funds are received only by eligible rural 
        preschool providers in such State;
            (2) a plan for measuring the progress demonstrated by rural 
        preschool providers in such State toward implementing high-
        quality preschool programs;
            (3) an assurance that the State, at a minimum, will ensure 
        that the total expenditure by the State and its political 
        subdivisions to support such programs for the fiscal year for 
        which the grant is made is equal to, or greater than, such 
        expenditure for the preceding fiscal year;
            (4) how the State will--
                    (A) promote coordination between rural preschool 
                providers and the local educational agencies in such 
                State;
                    (B) ensure that institutions of higher education in 
                such State will receive funds for activities pursuant 
                to section 3(b)(2), if applicable;
                    (C) ensure that partnerships between rural 
                preschool providers and Head Start programs under 
                section 7(b) in such State will enhance the quality or 
                the availability of resources provided to children 
                served by the Head Start agency; and
                    (D) determine that rural preschool providers in 
                such State fulfill the minimum eligibility requirements 
                of section 6; and
            (5) a description of the lead agency in such State, 
        designated by the Governor of such State, to administer and to 
        supervise the implementation of programs authorized under this 
        Act.

SEC. 5. ALLOTMENT TO RURAL PRESCHOOL PROVIDERS.

    Each State shall create a formula to award subgrants to rural 
preschool providers that considers--
            (1) factors that impede the implementation of a high-
        quality preschool program, including geographical barriers, 
        local poverty rates, and scarcity of professional development 
        opportunities for teachers;
            (2) the educational needs of children enrolled in the rural 
        preschool program provided by a rural preschool provider, 
        including children with learning disabilities and limited 
        English proficiency; and
            (3) the current availability of rural preschool program 
        opportunities.

SEC. 6. ELIGIBILITY FOR RURAL PRESCHOOL PROVIDERS.

    (a) Eligibility Requirements.--In order to receive a subgrant under 
this Act, a rural preschool provider must demonstrate that it--
            (1) maintains a maximum classroom size of 20 children per 
        classroom;
            (2) maintains a teacher-to-student ratio of 10 to 1 or 
        lower;
            (3) implements a program that adheres to comprehensive 
        early learning standards;
            (4) provides at least one highly nutritious meal for each 
        child for every 3 hours of program participation per day; and
            (5) provides at least one highly nutritious snack for each 
        child participating in the program for up to 3 hours per day.
    (b) Waiver.--A rural preschool provider that exceeds the classroom 
size and ratio requirements in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a) 
due to smaller enrollments or geographic barriers may apply to have 
such requirements waived in order to receive a subgrant under this Act. 
The State shall designate an appropriate agency with expertise in early 
childhood education to review and to approve such applications.

SEC. 7. LOCAL USE OF FUNDS.

    (a) Required Use of Funds.--A rural preschool provider that 
receives a subgrant under this Act shall use funds to meet one or more 
of the following program requirements:
            (1) Providing one highly competent assistant teacher per 
        classroom of more than 10 children.
            (2) Providing not less than 15 hours of participation in a 
        high-quality professional development program for each teacher 
        per school year.
            (3) Providing health screening and referral services for 
        children enrolled in the preschool program, including regular 
        dental and vision screenings.
            (4) Providing resources and qualified staff necessary to 
        serve children with disabilities.
            (5) Providing resources and qualified staff necessary to 
        serve children of limited English proficiency.
            (6) Coordinating with local educational agencies.
    (b) Head Start-Preschool Partnership.--
            (1) In general.--In order to fulfill the requirements of 
        subsection (a), a rural preschool provider may use grant funds 
        to form a partnership with a local Head Start agency. Such 
        partnerships shall pay for the services needed to serve 
        preschool students not eligible for a Head Start program, which 
        may include services, such as--
                    (A) facilities, including classroom space;
                    (B) health screening and referral services;
                    (C) materials and supplies used in a preschool or 
                Head Start program; and
                    (D) highly competent teachers and assistant 
                teachers.
            (2) Limitation.--The provision of services through a 
        partnership with a local Head Start agency shall not reduce the 
        quality or availability of resources provided to eligible 
        children served by the Head Start agency.
    (c) Allowable Use of Funds.--Rural preschool providers that have 
satisfied any one requirement in subsection (a) may use the remaining 
funds to--
            (1) establish partnerships with local community colleges 
        and institutions of higher education to enable teachers and 
        staff to participate as nontraditional students in degree 
        programs that award a bachelor's degree, or higher credential, 
        in early childhood education;
            (2) recruit more highly competent preschool teachers and 
        provide incentives to retain such teachers, including salary 
        enhancements and enhanced employee benefits packages;
            (3) provide resources necessary to enroll more children and 
        offer the full range of services provided by the rural 
        preschool provider to newly enrolled children;
            (4) provide safe and efficient transportation to and from 
        the program provided by the rural preschool provider;
            (5) extend part-day programs to full-day programs and part-
        week programs to full-week programs;
            (6) implement programs to encourage parents to support 
        their children's early education, such as after school reading 
        programs and regular home visits by preschool teachers with 
        students and their families; and
            (7) promote coordination with local educational agencies.

SEC. 8. MATCHING REQUIREMENTS.

    The Secretary shall not make a grant to a State under this Act 
unless the State agrees to the following:
            (1) In the case of a State that provides funding to rural 
        preschool providers to carry out a program that, in addition to 
        the requirements under sections 6 and 7, meets the following 
        requirements, the non-Federal share of the cost of the 
        activities under this Act will be 40 percent:
                    (A) Provide an assistant teacher with an 
                associate's degree in early childhood education or a 
                child development associate's credential in every 
                classroom of more than 10 children; and
                    (B) Adopt a plan for requiring that, within 5 years 
                after the State first receives a grant under this Act, 
                all lead teachers employed by a rural preschool 
                provider hold a bachelor's degree in early childhood 
                education or in a related field with specialized 
                training in early childhood education.
            (2) In the case of a State that provides funding to rural 
        kindergarten providers to carry out a program that meets the 
        requirements under sections 6 and 7, the non-Federal share of 
        the cost of the activities under this Act will be 50 percent.
            (3) In the case of a State that does not provide any 
        funding for rural preschool providers, the non-Federal share of 
        the cost of the activities under this Act will be 60 percent.

SEC. 9. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

    Each State that receives a grant under this Act shall report the 
following to the Secretary annually:
            (1) The progress of each local preschool provider in 
        implementing high-quality preschool programs.
            (2) The number of rural preschool providers receiving 
        funding.
            (3) Such information as the Secretary may reasonably 
        require regarding State and local partnerships with higher 
        education institutions that are supported with funds awarded 
        under this Act.
            (4) The number of rural preschool programs that have 
        extended from part-day to full-day and part-week to full-week.
            (5) The number of rural preschool programs that have formed 
        partnerships with local Head Start providers pursuant to 
        section 7(b).
            (6) The number of students in average daily attendance at 
        programs provided by rural preschool providers, and the net 
        increase or decrease of such attendance per year.
            (7) State activities to disseminate information and to 
        provide consultation about program financing among 
        administrators of rural preschool programs, pursuant to section 
        3(b).
            (8) Progress in promoting coordination between rural 
        preschool providers and local educational agencies.

SEC. 10. SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.

    Funds made available under this Act may be used only to supplement, 
and not supplant, other Federal, State, local, or private funds that 
would, in the absence of the funds made available under this Act, be 
made available for early childhood programs.

SEC. 11. RENEWAL PROCEDURE.

    Five years after receiving an initial grant under this Act, a State 
may apply to renew the grant for an additional 5-year period, by 
providing to the Secretary--
            (1) the information reported under section 9;
            (2) a demonstration that the State and local share of per-
        child expenditures on rural preschool providers receiving funds 
        under this Act has increased at a rate equal or greater to the 
        rate of inflation over the 5-year period of the previous grant 
        award;
            (3) a demonstration that State investments in other forms 
        of early childhood education and care have not decreased as a 
        consequence of increased investments in rural preschool 
        programs;
            (4) information sufficient to determine such State's 
        eligibility for matching funds under section 8; and
            (5) any additional information that the Secretary may 
        reasonably require.

SEC. 12. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Comprehensive early learning standards.--The term 
        ``comprehensive early learning standards'' means standards that 
        offer guidance to rural preschool providers and ensure that 
        they cover the full range of areas essential to children's 
        learning and development, which standards shall include the 
        following early learning domains:
                    (A) Social-emotional development.
                    (B) Approaches to learning.
                    (C) Language development.
                    (D) Cognition and general knowledge.
            (2) Full-day.--The term ``full-day'', when used in 
        reference to a rural preschool provider, means a provider with 
        a minimum of a 6-hour schedule per day.
            (3) Full-week.--The term ``full-week'', when used in 
        reference to a rural preschool provider, means a provider with 
        a minimum of a 5-day schedule per week.
            (4) Head start agency.--The term ``Head Start agency'' 
        means any local public or private nonprofit agency or for-
        profit agency that is designated as a Head Start agency under 
        section 641 of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9836).
            (5) Head start program.--The term ``Head Start program'' 
        means a program provided by a Head Start agency.
            (6) Highly nutritious meal.--The term ``highly nutritious 
        meal'' means a meal that meets the component requirements 
        prescribed by the Secretary of Agriculture for the National 
        School Lunch Program, pursuant to section 9(a) of the Richard 
        B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(a)).
            (7) Highly nutritious snack.--The term ``highly nutritious 
        snack'' means a snack that consists of the component 
        requirements prescribed by the Secretary of Agriculture 
        pursuant to section 17 of the Richard B. Russell National 
        School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1766(a)).
            (8) High-quality preschool program.--The term ``high-
        quality preschool program'', when used in this Act, refers to 
        an educational program serving children ages 3 through 5 that--
                    (A) adheres to comprehensive early learning 
                standards that address all areas of early childhood 
                development;
                    (B) provides at least one highly nutritious meal 
                for each child for every 3 hours of program 
                participation per day and one highly nutritious snack 
                for each child participating in less than 3 hours per 
                day;
                    (C) provides in every classroom, a lead teacher 
                with a bachelor's degree in early childhood education, 
                or in a related field with specialized training in 
                early childhood education;
                    (D) provides an assistant teacher with an 
                associate's degree in early childhood education or a 
                child development associate's credential in every 
                classroom of more than 10 children;
                    (E) provides opportunities for teachers to 
                participate in at least 15 hours of high-quality 
                professional development per year; and
                    (F) provides vision, hearing, and health screening 
                and referral services to enrolled children.
            (9) High-quality professional development program.--The 
        term ``high-quality professional development program'', used in 
        reference to professional development programs that serve 
        preschool teachers, means a program that prepares teachers to--
                    (A) teach with a high level of oral, written, and 
                technological communication skills;
                    (B) understand research and data relevant to early 
                childhood education and to use developmentally 
                appropriate instructional techniques, including 
                techniques that are based on an understanding of 
                comprehensive early learning standards; and
                    (C) identify children with developmental 
                disabilities and provide appropriate referral services 
                for such children.
            (10) Highly competent.--The term ``highly competent''--
                    (A) when used in reference to a lead teacher in a 
                preschool classroom, means a teacher with a bachelor's 
                degree in early childhood education who has 
                demonstrated a high level of knowledge and use of 
                developmentally appropriate research-based curricula 
                for early childhood education; and
                    (B) when used in reference to an assistant teacher 
                in a preschool classroom, means an assistant teacher 
                with specialized education and training in development 
                and education of young children from birth until entry 
                into kindergarten, with--
                            (i) an associate's degree in early 
                        childhood education; or
                            (ii) a child development associate's 
                        credential recognized by a Head Start agency.
            (11) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1002).
            (12) Nontraditional student.--The term ``nontraditional 
        student'' has the meaning given in section 861(b)(3) of the 
        Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161q(b)(3)).
            (13) Local educational agency.--The term ``local 
        educational agency'' has the meaning given such term in section 
        9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 7801).
            (14) Rural area.--The term ``rural area'' means a 
        geographic area served by a rural local educational agency.
            (15) Rural local educational agency.--The term ``rural 
        local educational agency'' means a local educational agency 
        having administrative control or direction of schools which 
        meet a metro-centric locale code of 41, 42, or 43 as determined 
        by the National Center for Education Statistics, in conjunction 
        with the Bureau of the Census, using the system of the National 
        Center for Education Statistics for classifying local 
        educational agencies.
            (16) Rural preschool provider.--The term ``rural preschool 
        provider'' means a provider of a preschool program, a Head 
        Start agency, a local educational agency that provides 
        preschool services, or a provider of a child care program, a 
        nonprofit or for-profit agency, that--
                    (A) has met applicable State requirements governing 
                the entities that receive State funds in order to carry 
                out a preschool program; and
                    (B) serves children who reside within a rural area.
            (17) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
            (18) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
                                 <all>