[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 97 (Wednesday, July 14, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8122-S8131]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DODD:
  S. 2654. A bill to provide for Kindergarten Plus programs; to the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation with 
my colleagues Senator Kennedy and Senator Bingaman to jump-start school 
success for low-income children. Today we are introducing the Sandy 
Feldman Kindergarten Plus Act of 2004.
  Sandy Feldman, the President of the American Federation of Teachers, 
stepped down today after decades of public service. If there is one 
goal to which Sandy has dedicated herself over the years, it is the 
education of our Nation's children.
  Sandy is the product of New York City's public schools. She knows 
what great promise public education holds for our Nation. But, she also 
knows that all too often, we don't give our schools the resources they 
need to be able to live up to that promise.
  While I've worked with Sandy for many years, I've been particularly 
privileged to work with her in the area of early childhood education. 
It was Sandy who developed the concept for this Kindergarten Plus 
legislation and Sandy who spent countless hours developing the details 
to ensure that the initiative would work in a diverse array of 
communities.
  Although Sandy is leaving the AFT, I know she will continue fighting 
for our Nation's children, and for mothers, fathers, and teachers 
across this Nation. I look forward to her continued counsel and advice 
on education issues and other issues of importance to families.
  The Kindergarten Plus legislation we are introducing today will offer 
competitive grants to States to provide children below 185 percent of 
the poverty line with a transitional kindergarten during the summer 
before kindergarten formally begins and a transitional first grade 
during the summer between kindergarten and first grade.
  Why an extra four months of kindergarten for these children? The 
answer is simple. Because too many low income children today enter 
kindergarten unprepared for the year ahead, far behind their wealthier 
peers in both academic and social skills.
  According to a recent survey, 46 percent of kindergarten teachers 
report that at least half of their class or more has specific problems 
with entry into kindergarten. Yet, kindergarten is critical in 
preparing children to succeed in elementary school, especially for 
children at-risk of academic failure.
  There is no panacea, no magic wand to erase the deficiencies that too 
many low income children have in entering kindergarten on par with 
their more economically well-off peers. It is simply not possible in a 
two month period before kindergarten begins or in a nine-month half day 
pre-kindergarten program to wipe away the advantages that wealthier 
children have had in their first five years of life that result in the 
skill set with which they enter kindergarten.
  We can, however, do a better job of preparing less fortunate children 
for school. We can expose them to classroom practices and routines and 
the expectations for kindergarten behavior and protocol. We can 
introduce them to concepts and help them understand that classrooms 
have rules. We can expose them to literature, story time or circle 
time. We can help them understand that books are made up of printed 
words and that words are made up of individual letters. We can ask them 
questions to help develop their critical thinking skills, like what do 
you think will happen next in the story? Why? We can offer them ``show 
and tell'' to develop their oral language skills and ability to speak 
out loud in sequential sentences.

  Many children enter kindergarten with these skills. But, many do not. 
During the school year before a child is eligible to enter 
kindergarten, about 75 percent of children in families with more than 
$75,000 in income participate in some type of center-based program, 
compared to 51 percent of children in families with incomes between 
$10,000 and $20,000.
  The numbers are much more stark when looking at the children of 
mothers who dropped out of high school. Recent data shows that about 74 
percent of 3, 4, and 5 year old children whose mothers graduated from 
college were enrolled in a center-based program compared to only 42 
percent of 3, 4, and 5 year old children whose mothers did not complete 
high school.
  How does this translate to children? Some children know how to follow 
directions and some children do not. Some children transition well 
between activities as part of a daily routine, some children do not. 
About 85 percent of high income children, compared to 39 percent of low 
income children, can recognize letters of the alphabet upon arrival in 
kindergarten. About half the children of college graduates can identify 
the beginning sounds of words, but only 9 percent of the children whose 
parents didn't complete high school can recognize the beginning sounds 
of words.
  Of equal concern, kindergarten teachers report that about 80 percent 
of children whose mothers graduated from college persist at a task and 
are eager to learn whereas only about 60 percent of the children whose 
mothers have not graduated from high school persist at a task and are 
eager to learn.
  What we know from the research is that children can enter 
kindergarten better prepared to learn. We may not be able to close the 
gap between low income children and their wealthier peers, but we can 
certainly narrow it considerably.
  Our bill would provide states with resources to offer a transitional 
kindergarten during the summer before kindergarten begins. This would 
enable local school districts to offer a jumpstart on kindergarten with 
smaller class sizes during the summer. Before all kindergarten eligible 
children arrive, K+ children would have an introduction to 
kindergarten. The same opportunity would be part of the program for the 
summer between kindergarten and first grade.
  The introductory period would enable school districts to target low 
income children who may never before have participated in a center-
based program such as Head Start or state pre-k, or nursery school. 
They could target low income English language learners or low income 
children who participated in Head Start or state pre-k who could 
continue their progress during the summer.

[[Page S8128]]

  About 65 percent of mothers with children under age 6 are in the 
workforce today. Every day, about 13 million preschoolers, including 6 
million infants and toddlers, are in some type of child care 
arrangement. What we are trying to do with this bill is to pull out low 
income children who would be eligible to enter kindergarten in the fall 
and offer them a summer enrichment period as an introduction to 
kindergarten. It might be that a local Head Start or community-based 
organization's preschool would continue to operate their programs 
during the summer. However, these are local decisions made by school 
districts that apply for and receive K+ funding.

  It should be clear that the K+ program would operate as a supplement 
to existing programs, most of which follow the school calendar. In 
fact, children who participate in a high quality early learning program 
during the summer before kindergarten are not eligible to participate 
in K+ to avoid duplication of efforts and scarce resources.
  In the National Academy of Sciences report, ``From Neurons to 
Neighborhoods: the Science of Early Childhood Development'', numerous 
recommendations are made to improve the foundation with which children 
enter school. The report points out that with so many parents working 
today, the burden of poor quality and limited choice in child care 
rests most heavily on low income working families whose financial 
resources are too high to qualify for subsidies or Head Start yet too 
low to afford market prices for quality child care.
  It is the children of the working poor who are very much at risk of 
beginning kindergarten behind their wealthier and poorer peers. Yet, it 
is these children in addition to poor children who are most likely to 
enter kindergarten behind their wealthier peers, unprepared for the 
year ahead.
  Supporting the K+ program is the American Federation of Teachers, 
AFT, the Parent-Teacher Association, PTA, the Council of Great City 
Schools, the Society for Research in Child Development, SRCD, the 
Children's Defense Fund, and Easter Seals.
  We urge you to join us as cosponsors of this legislation and help 
give low income children a jump-start on school success.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a brief summary of the 
bill and the text of the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2654

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Kindergarten Plus Act of 
     2004''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Kindergarten has proven to be a beneficial experience 
     for children, putting children on a path that positively 
     influences their learning and development in later school 
     years.
       (2) Kindergarten and the years leading up to kindergarten 
     are critical in preparing children to succeed in elementary 
     school, especially if the children are from low-income 
     families or have other risks of difficulty in school.
       (3) Disadvantaged children, on average, lag behind other 
     children in literacy, numeracy, and social skills, even 
     before formal schooling begins.
       (4) For many children entering kindergarten, the 
     achievement gap between children from low-income households 
     compared to children from high-income households is already 
     evident.
       (5) 85 percent of beginning kindergartners in the highest 
     socioeconomic group, compared to 39 percent in the lowest 
     socioeconomic group, can recognize letters of the alphabet. 
     Similarly, 98 percent of beginning kindergartners in the 
     highest socioeconomic group, compared to 84 percent of their 
     peers in the lowest socioeconomic group, can recognize 
     numbers and shapes.
       (6) Once disadvantaged children are in school, they learn 
     at the same rate as other children. Therefore, providing 
     disadvantaged children with additional time in kindergarten, 
     in the summer before such children ordinarily enter 
     kindergarten and in the summer before first grade, will help 
     schools close achievement gaps and accelerate the academic 
     progress of their disadvantaged students.
       (7) High quality, extended-year kindergarten that provides 
     children with enriched learning experiences is an important 
     factor in helping to close achievement gaps, rather than 
     having the gaps continue to widen.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Eligible student.--The term ``eligible student'' means 
     a child who--
       (A) is a 5-year old, or will be eligible to attend 
     kindergarten at the beginning of the next school year;
       (B) comes from a family with an income at or below 185 
     percent of the poverty line; and
       (C) is not already served by a high-quality program in the 
     summer before or the summer after the child enters 
     kindergarten.
       (2) Kindergarten plus.--The term ``Kindergarten Plus'' 
     means a voluntary full day of kindergarten, during the summer 
     before and during the summer after, the traditional 
     kindergarten school year (as determined by the State).
       (3) Local educational agency.--The term ``local educational 
     agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of 
     the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     7801).
       (4) Parent.--The term ``parent'' includes a legal guardian 
     or other person standing in loco parentis (such as a 
     grandparent or stepparent with whom the child lives, or a 
     person who is legally responsible for the child's welfare).
       (5) Parental involvement.--The term ``parental 
     involvement'' means the participation of parents in regular, 
     2-way, and meaningful communication with school personnel 
     involving student academic learning and other school 
     activities, including ensuring that parents--
       (A) play an integral role in assisting their child's 
     learning;
       (B) are encouraged to be actively involved in their child's 
     education at school; and
       (C) are full partners in their child's education and are 
     included, as appropriate, in decisionmaking and on advisory 
     committees to assist in the education of their child.
       (6) Poverty line.--The term ``poverty line'' means the 
     poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and 
     Budget, and revised annually in accordance with section 
     673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 
     9902(2))) applicable to a family of the size involved.
       (7) Eligible provider.--The term ``eligible provider'' 
     means a local educational agency or a private not-for-profit 
     agency or organization, with a demonstrated record in the 
     delivery of early childhood education services to preschool-
     age children, that provides high-quality early learning and 
     development experiences that--
       (A) are aligned with the expectations for what children 
     should know and be able to do when the children enter 
     kindergarten and grade 1, as established by the State 
     educational agency; or
       (B) in the case of an entity that is not a local 
     educational agency and that serves children who have not 
     entered kindergarten, meet the performance standards and 
     performance measures described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) 
     of subsection (a)(1), and subsection (b), of section 641A of 
     the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9836a) or the prekindergarten 
     standards of the State where the entity is located.
       (8) School readiness.--The term ``school readiness'' means 
     the cognitive, social, emotional, approaches to learning, and 
     physical development of a child, including early literacy and 
     early mathematics skills, that prepares the child to learn 
     and succeed in elementary school.
       (9) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Education.
       (10) State educational agency.--The term ``State 
     educational agency'' has the meaning given the term in 
     section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
     1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

     SEC. 4. GRANTS TO STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES AUTHORIZED.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary is authorized to award 
     grants, on a competitive basis, to State educational agencies 
     to enable the State educational agencies to provide 
     Kindergarten Plus within the State.
       (b) Sufficient Size.--To the extent possible, the Secretary 
     shall ensure that each grant awarded under this section is of 
     sufficient size to enable the State educational agency 
     receiving the grant to provide Kindergarten Plus to all 
     eligible students served by the local educational agencies 
     within the State with the highest concentrations of eligible 
     students.
       (c) Minimum Amount.--The Secretary shall not award a grant 
     to a State educational agency under this section in an amount 
     that is less than $500,000.
       (d) State Use of Funds.--A State educational agency shall 
     use--
       (1) not more than 3 percent of the grant funds received 
     under this Act for administration of the Kindergarten Plus 
     programs supported under this Act;
       (2) not more than 5 percent of the grant funds received 
     under this Act to develop professional development activities 
     and curricula for teachers and staff of Kindergarten Plus 
     programs in order to develop a continuum of developmentally 
     appropriate curricula and practices for preschool, 
     kindergarten, and grade 1 that ensures--
       (A) an effective transition to kindergarten and to grade 1 
     for students; and
       (B) appropriate expectations for the students' learning and 
     development as the students make the transition to 
     kindergarten and to grade 1; and
       (3) the remainder of the grant funds to award subgrants to 
     local educational agencies.
       (e) Priority.--In awarding grants under this Act the 
     Secretary shall give priority to State educational agencies 
     that--

[[Page S8129]]

       (1) on their own or in combination with other government 
     agencies, provide full day kindergarten to all kindergarten-
     age children who are from families with incomes below 185 
     percent of the poverty line within the State; or
       (2) demonstrate progress toward providing full day 
     kindergarten to all kindergarten-age children who are from 
     families with incomes below 185 percent of the poverty line 
     within the State by submitting a plan that shows how the 
     State educational agency will, at a minimum, double the 
     number of such children that were served by a full day 
     kindergarten program in the school year preceding the school 
     year for which assistance is first sought.

     SEC. 5. SUBGRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.

       (a) In General.--Each State educational agency that 
     receives a grant under this Act--
       (1) shall reserve an amount sufficient to continue to fund 
     multiyear subgrants awarded under this section; and
       (2) shall award subgrants to local educational agencies 
     within the State to enable the local educational agencies to 
     pay the Federal share of the costs of carrying out 
     Kindergarten Plus programs for eligible students.
       (b) Priority.--In awarding subgrants under this section the 
     State educational agency shall give priority to local 
     educational agencies--
       (1) serving the greatest number or percentage of 
     kindergarten-age children who are from families with incomes 
     below 185 percent of the poverty line, based on data from the 
     most recent school year; and
       (2) that propose to significantly reduce the class size and 
     student-to-teacher ratio of the classes in their Kindergarten 
     Plus programs below the average class size and student-to-
     teacher ratios of kindergarten classes served by the local 
     educational agencies.
       (c) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the costs of 
     carrying out a Kindergarten Plus program shall be--
       (1) 100 percent for the first, second, and third years of 
     the program;
       (2) 85 percent for the fourth year of the program; and
       (3) 75 percent for the fifth year of the program.
       (d) In-Kind Contributions.--The non-Federal share of the 
     costs of carrying out a Kindergarten Plus program may be in 
     the form of in-kind contributions.

     SEC. 6. STATE APPLICATION.

       (a) In General.--In order to receive a grant under this 
     Act, a State educational agency shall submit an application 
     to the Secretary at such time and containing such information 
     as the Secretary determines appropriate.
       (b) Consultation.--The application shall be developed by 
     the State educational agency in consultation with 
     representatives of early childhood education programs, early 
     childhood education teachers, principals, pupil services 
     personnel, administrators, paraprofessionals, other school 
     staff, early childhood education providers (including Head 
     Start agencies, State prekindergarten program staff, and 
     child care providers), teacher organizations, parents, and 
     parent organizations.
       (c) Contents.--At a minimum, the application shall 
     include--
       (1) a description of developmentally appropriate teaching 
     practices and curricula for children that will be put in 
     place to be used by local educational agencies and eligible 
     providers offering Kindergarten Plus programs to carry out 
     this Act;
       (2) a general description of the nature of the Kindergarten 
     Plus programs to be conducted with funds received under this 
     Act, including--
       (A) the number of hours each day and the number of days 
     each week that children in each Kindergarten Plus program 
     will attend the program; and
       (B) if a Kindergarten Plus program meets for less than 9 
     hours a day, how the needs of full-time working families will 
     be addressed;
       (3) goals and objectives to ensure that high-quality 
     Kindergarten Plus programs are provided;
       (4) an assurance that students enrolled in Kindergarten 
     Plus programs funded under this Act will receive additional 
     comprehensive services (such as nutritional services, health 
     care, and mental health care), as needed; and
       (5) a description of how--
       (A) the State educational agency will coordinate and 
     integrate services provided under this Act with other 
     educational programs, such as Even Start, Head Start, Reading 
     First, Early Reading First, State-funded preschool programs, 
     preschool programs funded under section 619 or other 
     provisions of part B of the Individuals with Disabilities 
     Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1419, 1411 et seq.), and 
     kindergarten programs;
       (B) the State will provide professional development for 
     teachers and staff of local educational agencies and eligible 
     providers that receive subgrants under this Act regarding how 
     to address the school readiness needs of children (including 
     early literacy, early mathematics, and positive behavior) 
     before the children enter kindergarten, throughout the school 
     year, and into the summer after kindergarten;
       (C) the State will assist Kindergarten Plus programs to 
     provide exemplary parent education and parental involvement 
     activities such as training and materials to assist parents 
     in being their children's first teachers at home or home 
     visiting;
       (D) the State will conduct outreach to parents with 
     eligible students, including parents whose native language is 
     not English, parents of children with disabilities, and 
     parents of migratory children; and
       (E) the State educational agency will ensure that each 
     Kindergarten Plus program uses developmentally appropriate 
     practices, including practices and materials that are 
     culturally and linguistically appropriate for the population 
     of children being served in the program.

     SEC. 7. LOCAL APPLICATION.

       (a) In General.--In order to receive a subgrant under this 
     Act, a local educational agency shall submit an application 
     to the State educational agency at such time and containing 
     such information as the State educational agency determines 
     appropriate.
       (b) Consultation.--The application shall be developed by 
     the local educational agency in consultation with early 
     childhood education teachers, principals, pupil services 
     personnel, administrators, paraprofessionals, other school 
     staff, early childhood education providers (including Head 
     Start agencies, State prekindergarten program staff, and 
     child care providers), teacher organizations, parents, and 
     parent organizations.
       (c) Contents.--At a minimum, the application shall include 
     a description of--
       (1) the standards, research-based and developmentally 
     appropriate curricula, teaching practices, and ongoing 
     assessments for the purposes of improving instruction and 
     services, to be used by the local educational agency that--
       (A) are aligned with the State expectations for what 
     children should know and be able to do when the children 
     enter kindergarten and grade 1, as set by the State 
     educational agency; and
       (B) include--
       (i) language skills, including an expanded use of 
     vocabulary;
       (ii) interest in and appreciation of books, reading, 
     writing alone or with others, and phonological and phonemic 
     awareness;
       (iii) premathematics knowledge and skills, including 
     aspects of classification, seriation, number sense, spatial 
     relations, and time;
       (iv) other cognitive abilities related to academic 
     achievement;
       (v) social and emotional development, including self-
     regulation skills;
       (vi) physical development, including gross and fine motor 
     development skills;
       (vii) in the case of limited English proficiency, progress 
     toward the acquisition of the English language; and
       (viii) approaches to learning;
       (2) how the local educational agency will ensure that the 
     Kindergarten Plus program uses curricula and practices that--
       (A) are developmentally, culturally, and linguistically 
     appropriate for the population of children served in the 
     program; and
       (B) are aligned with the State learning standards and 
     expectations for children in kindergarten and grade 1;
       (3) how the Kindergarten Plus program will improve the 
     school readiness of children served by the local educational 
     agency under this Act, especially in mathematics and reading;
       (4) how the Kindergarten Plus program will provide 
     continuity of services and learning for children who were 
     previously served by a different program;
       (5) how the local educational agency will ensure that the 
     Kindergarten Plus program has appropriate services and 
     accommodations in place to serve children with disabilities 
     and children who are limited English proficient;
       (6) how the local educational agency will perform a needs 
     assessment to avoid duplication with other programs within 
     the geographic area served by the local educational agency;
       (7) how the local educational agency will--
       (A) transition Kindergarten Plus participants into local 
     elementary school programs and services;
       (B) ensure the development and use of systematic, 
     coordinated records on the educational development of each 
     child participating in the Kindergarten Plus program through 
     periodic meetings and communications among--
       (i) Kindergarten Plus program teachers;
       (ii) elementary school staff; and
       (iii) local early childhood education program providers, 
     including Head Start agencies, State prekindergarten program 
     staff, and center-based and family child care providers;
       (C) provide parent and child orientation sessions conducted 
     by teachers and staff; and
       (D) provide a qualified staff person to be in charge of 
     coordinating the transition services;
       (8) how the local educational agency will provide 
     instructional and environmental accommodations in the 
     Kindergarten Plus program for children who are limited 
     English proficient, children with disabilities, migratory 
     children, neglected or delinquent youth, Indian children 
     served under part A of title VII of the Elementary and 
     Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.), 
     homeless children, and immigrant children;
       (9) how the local educational agency will conduct outreach 
     to parents of eligible students, including parents whose 
     native language is not English, parents of children with 
     disabilities, and parents of migratory children, which may 
     include--

[[Page S8130]]

       (A) activities to provide parents early exposure to the 
     school environment, including meetings with teachers and 
     staff;
       (B) activities to better engage and inform parents on the 
     benefits of Kindergarten Plus and other programs; and
       (C) other efforts to ensure that parents have a level of 
     comfort with the Kindergarten Plus program and the school 
     environment;
       (10) how the local educational agency will assist the 
     Kindergarten Plus program to provide exemplary parent 
     education and parental involvement activities such as 
     training and materials to assist parents in being their 
     children's first teachers at home or home visiting; and
       (11) how the local educational agency will work with local 
     center-based and family child care providers and Head Start 
     agencies to ensure--
       (A) the nonduplication of programs and services; and
       (B) that the needs of working families are met through 
     child care provided before and after the Kindergarten Plus 
     program.

     SEC. 8. LOCAL REQUIREMENTS AND PROVISIONS.

       (a) Local Uses of Funds.--A local educational agency that 
     receives a subgrant under this Act shall use the subgrant 
     funds for the following:
       (1) The operational and program costs associated with the 
     Kindergarten Plus program as described in the application to 
     the State educational agency.
       (2) Personnel services, including teachers, 
     paraprofessionals, and other staff as needed.
       (3) Additional services, as needed, including snacks and 
     meals, mental health care, health care, linguistic 
     assistance, special education and related services, and 
     transportation services associated with the needs of the 
     children in the program.
       (4) Transition services to ensure children make a smooth 
     transition into first grade and proper communication is made 
     with the elementary school on the educational development of 
     each child.
       (5) Outreach and recruitment activities, including 
     community forums and public service announcements in local 
     media in various languages if necessary to ensure that all 
     individuals in the community are aware of the availability of 
     such program.
       (6) Parental involvement programs, including materials and 
     resources to help parents become more involved in their 
     child's learning at home.
       (7) Extended day services for the eligible students of 
     working families, including working with existing programs in 
     the community to coordinate services if possible.
       (8) Child care services, provided through coordination with 
     local center-based child care and family child care 
     providers, and Head Start agencies, before and after the 
     Kindergarten Plus program for the children participating in 
     the program, to accommodate the schedules of working 
     families.
       (9) Enrichment activities, such as--
       (A) art, music, and other creative arts;
       (B) outings and field trips; and
       (C) other experiences that support children's curiosity, 
     motivation to learn, knowledge, and skills.
       (b) Eligible Provider Grants and Applications.--The local 
     educational agency may use subgrant funds received under this 
     Act to award a grant to an eligible provider to enable the 
     eligible provider to carry out a Kindergarten Plus program 
     for the local educational agency. Each eligible provider 
     desiring a grant under this subsection shall submit an 
     application to the local educational agency that contains the 
     descriptions set forth in section 7 as applied to the 
     eligible provider.
       (c) Continuity.--In carrying out a Kindergarten Plus 
     program under this Act, a local educational agency is 
     encouraged to explore ways to develop continuity in the 
     education of children, for instance by keeping, if possible, 
     the same teachers and personnel from the summer before 
     kindergarten, through the kindergarten year, and during the 
     summer after kindergarten.
       (d) Coordination.--In carrying out a Kindergarten Plus 
     program under this Act, a local educational agency shall 
     coordinate with existing programs in the community to provide 
     extended care and comprehensive services for children and 
     their families in need of such care or services.

     SEC. 9. TEACHER AND PERSONNEL QUALITY STANDARDS.

       To be eligible for a subgrant under this Act, each local 
     educational agency shall ensure that--
       (1) each Kindergarten Plus classroom has--
       (A) a highly qualified teacher, as defined in section 9101 
     of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
     U.S.C. 7801); or
       (B) if an eligible provider who is not a local educational 
     agency is providing the Kindergarten Plus program in 
     accordance with section 8(b), a teacher that, at a minimum, 
     has a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or a 
     related field and experience in teaching children of this 
     age;
       (2) a qualified paraprofessional that meets the 
     requirements for paraprofessionals under section 1119 of the 
     Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     6319), is in each Kindergarten Plus classroom;
       (3) Kindergarten Plus teachers and paraprofessionals are 
     compensated on a salary scale comparable to kindergarten 
     through grade 3 teachers and paraprofessionals in public 
     schools served by the local educational agency; and
       (4) Kindergarten Plus class sizes do not exceed the class 
     size and ratio parameters set at the State or local level for 
     the traditional kindergarten program.

     SEC. 10. DIRECT GRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES.

       (a) Grants Authorized.--If a State educational agency does 
     not apply for a grant under this Act or does not have an 
     application approved under section 6, then the Secretary is 
     authorized to award a grant to a local educational agency 
     within the State to enable the local educational agency to 
     pay the Federal share of the costs of carrying out a 
     Kindergarten Plus program.
       (b) Eligibility.--A local educational agency shall be 
     eligible to receive a grant under this section if the local 
     educational agency operates a full day kindergarten program 
     that, at a minimum, is targeted to kindergarten-age children 
     who are from families with incomes below 185 percent of the 
     poverty line within the State.
       (c) Application.--In order to receive a grant under 
     subsection (a), a local educational agency shall submit to 
     the Secretary an application that--
       (1) contains the descriptions set forth in section 7; and
       (2) includes an assurance that the Kindergarten Plus 
     program funded under such grant will serve eligible students.
       (d) Applicability.--Sections 8 and 9 shall apply to a local 
     educational agency receiving a grant under this section in 
     the same manner as the sections apply to a local educational 
     agency receiving a subgrant under section 5(a).

     SEC. 11. EVALUATION, COLLECTION, AND DISSEMINATION OF 
                   INFORMATION.

       (a) In General.--Each State educational agency that 
     receives a grant under this Act, in cooperation with the 
     local educational agencies in the State that receive a 
     subgrant under this Act, shall create an evaluation mechanism 
     to determine the effectiveness of the Kindergarten Plus 
     programs in the State, taking into account--
       (1) information from the local needs assessment, conducted 
     in accordance with section 7(c)(6), including--
       (A) the number of eligible students in the geographic area;
       (B) the number of children served by Kindergarten Plus 
     programs, disaggregated by family income, race, ethnicity, 
     native language, and prior enrollment in an early childhood 
     education program; and
       (C) the number of children with disabilities served by 
     Kindergarten Plus programs;
       (2) the recruitment of teachers and staff for Kindergarten 
     Plus programs, and the retention of such personnel in the 
     programs for more than 1 year;
       (3) the provision of services for children and families 
     served by Kindergarten Plus programs, including parent 
     education, home visits, and comprehensive services for 
     families who need such services;
       (4) the opportunities for professional development for 
     teachers and staff; and
       (5) the curricula used in Kindergarten Plus programs.
       (b) Comparison.--The evaluation process may include 
     comparison groups of similar children who do not participate 
     in a Kindergarten Plus program.
       (c) Information Collection and Reporting.--The information 
     necessary for the evaluation shall be collected yearly by the 
     State and reported every 2 years by the State to the 
     Secretary.
       (d) Analysis of Effectiveness.--The Secretary shall conduct 
     an analysis of the overall effectiveness of the programs 
     assisted under this Act and make the analysis available to 
     Congress, and the public, biannually.

     SEC. 12. SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.

       Funds made available under this Act shall be used to 
     supplement, not supplant, other Federal, State, or local 
     funds available to carry out activities under this Act.

     SEC. 13. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       For the purpose of carrying out this Act, there are 
     authorized to be appropriated $1,500,000,000 for fiscal year 
     2005 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal 
     years 2006 through 2010.

    Summary of the Sandy Feldman Kindergarten Plus (K+) Act of 2004

       Purpose: To provide disadvantaged children with additional 
     time in kindergarten during the summer before and summer 
     after the traditional kindergarten school year, and to help 
     ensure that more children enter school ready to succeed.
       Background: Kindergarten is critical in preparing children 
     to succeed in elementary school. Many low-income children 
     begin kindergarten lagging behind other children in literacy, 
     math, and social skills, even before formal schooling begins.
       85 percent of high-income children, compared to 39 percent 
     of low-income children, can recognize letters of the alphabet 
     upon arrival in kindergarten. Half the children of parents 
     who have graduated from college can identify the beginning 
     sounds of words, but only 9 percent of the children whose 
     parents have not completed high school recognize the 
     beginning sounds of words. Kindergarten teachers report that 
     about 80 percent of the children whose mothers graduated from 
     college persist at a task and are eager to learn whereas only 
     about 60 percent of the children whose mothers have not 
     graduated from high school persist at a task and are eager to 
     learn.
       Brief Bill Summary: K+ creates a competitive grant program 
     for states to provide

[[Page S8131]]

     local education agencies (LEAs) with funds to provide 
     kindergarten to disadvantaged children the summer before and 
     the summer after the traditional kindergarten school year. In 
     awarding grants to LEAs, States shall give priority to 
     educational agencies serving the greatest number or 
     percentage of kindergarten-aged children who are from 
     families with incomes below 185 percent of the poverty line 
     and to LEAs that will significantly reduce kindergarten class 
     sizes for their summer programs.
       To be eligible for a grant, States must have in place: 
     developmentally appropriate practices and curriculum; goals 
     and objectives for a high quality summer program; a 
     description of how the State will provide professional 
     development for K+ teachers and staff; a description of how 
     the State will assist K+ programs to reach out to, and work 
     with, parents; and, a means to collect evaluative data to 
     determine the effectiveness of K+ programs across their 
     state.
       To be eligible for a subgrant, LEAs must have in place: 
     readiness standards and developmentally appropriate 
     curricula; a plan for using classroom practices and 
     strategies proven to be effective; a plan for notifying 
     parents and the community regarding the availability of K+; a 
     plan for parental involvement in any K+ program; and, a plan 
     to demonstrate how they will accommodate the needs of working 
     parents with ``before and after'' child care services.
       Funds to LEAs may be used to: pay for operational and 
     programmatic costs, including personnel and transportation; 
     transition services to first grade; outreach and recruitment; 
     parental involvement programs; and child care services. Each 
     LEA shall ensure a highly qualified teacher and qualified 
     paraprofessional or for non-school based programs a teacher 
     that at a minimum has a Bachelor's degree in early childhood 
     education.
       The bill authorizes $1.5 billion for fiscal year 2005, and 
     such sums as may be necessary for years 2006-2010; the 
     minimum State grant is $500,000.
                                 ______