[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 77 (Thursday, May 22, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1053]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      INTRODUCTION OF H.R. 2210, THE SCHOOL READINESS ACT OF 2003

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                         HON. MICHAEL N. CASTLE

                              of delaware

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 22, 2003

  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the School 
Readiness Act of 2003, which reauthorizes the Head Start program. This 
legislation improves the Head Start Act by emphasizing that every 
child, regardless of their economic status, should have the best chance 
possible to succeed. I would like to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Boehner), the Chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 
for his assistance in developing this legislation.
  In 1965, Head Start was created to give economically disadvantaged 
children access to the same educational, health, nutritional, social, 
and other services that were enjoyed by their more affluent peers. The 
goal of the program was, as it remains today, to provide children a 
solid foundation that will prepare them for success in school and later 
in life. As the centerpiece of the Federal government's efforts to 
support quality early childhood education for our nation's most 
disadvantaged youth, Head Start has served nearly 20 million low-income 
children and their families. Currently, Head Start serves over 900,000 
children every day and has nearly 1,500 grantees across the United 
States. In my home state of Delaware, Head Start programs serve 1,594 
children, with an additional 464 four year olds receiving assistance 
through state government funding.
  We all can agree on the need for Head Start and its astounding 
successes. We must also recognize that Head Start can produce even 
greater results for children. Students who attend Head Start programs 
do start school more prepared than those with similar backgrounds that 
do not attend Head Start. However, Head Start students continue to 
enter kindergarten well below national norms in school readiness. By 
moving to close this school readiness gap, this bill will improve 
results for almost a million Head Start students across the nation.
  The School Readiness Act of 2003 strengthens Head Start's academic 
focus while maintaining its comprehensive nature, eliminates out of 
date requirements and unnecessary demands on local grantees, improves 
teacher quality, demands grantee accountability while providing 
assistance to those that are underachieving, increases funding for Head 
Start, requires collaboration between early childhood education and 
care providers, and creates a demonstration project allowing some 
states to further coordinate state early childhood programs with Head 
Start.
  Under this bill, Head Start children will enter school with 
demonstrated prereading, language, and pre-mathematics skills, as well 
as the benefits from the nutritional and health services that Head 
Start has always provided. Children's progress will no longer be based 
on arbitrary and out of date performance measures, but on 
scientifically based and clear criteria that will enable parents and 
teachers to accurately view a child's progress.
  This bill will also require Head Start teachers to be more prepared 
to equip young children for school. By 2008, 50 percent of all Head 
Start teachers must have a baccalaureate degree, and after three years 
no new teachers will be hired without an associate degree.
  This bill also improves the accountability of Head Start programs. As 
under current law, local grantees will be responsible for their use of 
the federal funds. Those that are identified as underachieving, 
however, will receive additional assistance. This bill demonstrates our 
commitment to Head Start by authorizing a $202 million increase, making 
it a $6.87 billion program.
  Additionally, Head Start centers will now increase the likelihood of 
children starting kindergarten at the same level. This will be done 
through the efforts of Head Start programs to coordinate and reach out 
to other early childhood education and care providers, local school 
districts, local museums and libraries, and community and faith-based 
organizations. These efforts will be focused on the improved 
instruction and school readiness of children, as well as teacher 
training and quality improvement.
  For some states, this bill will also provide the opportunity for 
increased integration of preschool programs with Head Start. This 
opportunity will only be available to states that have exhibited a 
substantial dedication to early childhood education and care through 
financial investment, the creation of statewide school readiness 
standards, professional development requirements for early childhood 
teachers, and have demonstrated inter-agency coordination. States that 
take advantage of this opportunity will be required to maintain their 
current investment, thus protecting Head Start from state budget cuts. 
In addition, Head Start grantees that have not exhibited any egregious 
or uncorrected deficiencies on Health and Human Services evaluations 
over the last five years would continue to receive funding during the 
first year of the state demonstration program.
  The School Readiness Act of 2003 builds upon the reforms of previous 
reauthorizations of Head Start, as well as the recommendations of 
President Bush. I would like to take this opportunity to thank 
President Bush, and First Lady Laura Bush, for their leadership on this 
issue. The success of the White House Summit on Early Childhood 
Cognitive Development, which brought together hundreds of educators, 
researchers, librarians, business leaders and federal officials to help 
us better understand the issues surrounding early childhood learning, 
is a credit to this Administration.
  I look forward to working with the members of the Education and 
Workforce Committee and other members of Congress as we work to craft 
this legislation that will improve the school readiness of 
disadvantaged children. I urge my colleagues to join me and the other 
original cosponsors in support of the School Readiness Act of 2003.




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