AN ACT CONCERNING EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.

This bill increases, from $ 107,000 to $ 225,000, the maximum school readiness competitive grant a town or school readiness council can apply for per priority school or town. It allows grant recipients to receive a grant for one or more spaces in accredited school readiness programs. It also allows the education commissioner to provide grants in excess of the maximum grant amount to any town eligible for the competitive grant. Under current law, the commissioner can do so only for towns with at least two priority schools in their districts.

The bill also allows the State Board of Education (SBE) to issue a temporary 90-day teaching certificate in the early childhood education endorsement area at a board of education's request. SBE can already do this for elementary education, middle grades education, secondary academic subjects or fields, special education, and administration and supervision endorsement areas. The existing conditions must be met for the issuance of the endorsement (see BACKGROUND).

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2008 for the grant provision; upon passage for the temporary certificate provision.

The employing agent of a board of education must make a written request for the issuance of the certificate and attest to the existence of a special plan for supervision of the certificate holders and the applicant must:

1. hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited higher education institution with a major in, or closely related to, the certification endorsement area or, in the case of secondary or special subject or field endorsement area, possess at least the minimum total number of semester hours of credit required for the content area;

2. have met the applicable testing requirements;

3. present a written application on education commissioner- prescribed forms;

4. have successfully completed a SBE-approved program of classroom management and instructional methodology provided under contract with a Department of Higher Education-designated higher education institution;

5. possess an undergraduate college overall grade point average of at least “B” or, if the applicant has completed at least 24 hours of graduate credit, possess a graduate grade point average of at least “B”; and

6. present supporting evidence of appropriate experience working with children.

The education commissioner may waive either or both of the last two requirements upon a showing of good cause.

Yea

Nay

(03/14/2008)

Yea

Nay

(03/28/2008)