Reference is to the bill as introduced.
Amend the bill, as and if amended, by deleting all after the enacting words and inserting:
/ SECTION 1. Chapter 152, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 59-152-25.
For the purposes of this title:
(A) 'Evidence-based
program' means a program based on a clear and consistent program
model that is designated as such by the South Carolina First
Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees because the program:
(1)(a)
is grounded in published, peer reviewed research that is
linked to determined outcomes;
(b)
employs well trained and competent staff to whom the
program provides continual professional development that is
relevant to the specific model being delivered;
(c)
demonstrates strong linkages to other community based
services; and
(d)
is operated to ensure program fidelity; or
(2)
is commonly recognized by experts in the field as such a
program.
(B) 'Board of trustees'
or 'board' means the First Steps School to Readiness Board of
Trustees pursuant to Article 17, Title 63."
(C) 'Evidence-informed
program' means a program that does not satisfy the criteria of
an evidenced-based program model but that the South Carolina
First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees determines is
supported by research indicating its potential
effectiveness.
(D) 'Partnership'
refers to a local First Steps organization designated as such by
the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of
Trustees, organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code as a nonprofit corporation, and formed to further,
within the coverage area, the purpose and goals of the First
Steps initiative as stated in Sections 59-152-20 and
59-152-30.
(E) 'Preschool child'
means a child from the prenatal stage to entry into
five-year-old kindergarten.
(F) 'Prevalent program
investment' means a program administered by a partnership and
funded with state grant money, which accounts for at least ten
percent of total programmatic spending in First Steps.
(G) 'School readiness'
means the level of child development necessary to ensure early
school success as measured in the following domains: physical
health and motor skills; emotional and social competence;
language and literacy development; and mathematical thinking and
cognitive skills. School readiness is supported by the
knowledge and practices of families, caregivers, healthcare
providers, educators, and communities."
SECTION 2. Chapter 152, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 59-152-32.
(A) In Section 63-11-1720, the South
Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees may
carry out its assigned functions by developing a comprehensive
long-range initiative for improving early childhood development,
increasing school readiness and literacy, establishing results
oriented measures and objectives, and assessing whether services
provided by First Steps Partnerships to children and families
are meeting the goals and achieving the results established in
this chapter. The board shall do the following to fulfill these
duties before July 1, 2015:
(1)
in consultation with the State Board of Education, and
with the advice and consent of that board, adopt a description
of school readiness that includes specific:
(a)
characteristics and development levels of a ready child
that must include, but are not limited to, emerging literacy,
numeracy, and physical, social, and emotional competencies;
(b)
characteristics of school, educators, and caregivers that
the board considers necessary to create an optimal learning
environment for the early years of students' lives; and
(c)
characteristics of the optimal environment which would
lead to the readiness of students and their continued success;
(2)
establish specific benchmarks and objectives for use by
the board of trustees, local partnership boards, and any agency
that administers a program to benefit preschool children;
(3)
determine whether state and local programs and activities
are effective and contribute to achieving the goals established
in Section 59-152-30; and
(4)
publish and distribute a list of approved evidence-based
and evidence-informed programs.
(B) The board of
trustees shall review the school readiness description,
benchmarks, and objectives and adopt any revisions it considers
appropriate before December 31, 2014, again before December 31,
2019, and every five years afterward."
SECTION 3. Chapter 152, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 59-152-33.
(A) Before July 1, 2015, the South
Carolina Education Oversight Committee shall recommend an
assessment to evaluate and measure the school readiness of
students prior to their entrance into a pre-kindergarten or
kindergarten program per the goals pursuant to Section 59-152-30
to the State Board of Education. Prior to submitting the
recommendation to the State Board, the Education Oversight
Committee shall seek input from the South Carolina First Steps
to School Readiness Board of Trustees and other early childhood
advocates. In making the recommendation, the South Carolina
Education Oversight Committee shall consider assessments that
are research-based, reliable, and appropriate for measuring
readiness. The assessment chosen must evaluate each child's
early language and literacy development, numeracy skills,
physical well-being, social and emotional development, and
approaches to learning. The assessment of academic readiness
must be aligned with first and second grade standards for
English language arts and mathematics. The purpose of the
assessment is to provide teachers, administrators, and parents
or guardians with information to address the readiness needs of
each student, especially by identifying language, cognitive,
social, emotional, and health needs, and providing appropriate
instruction and support for each child. The results of the
screenings and the developmental intervention strategies
recommended to address the child's identified needs must be
provided, in writing, to the parent or guardian. Reading
instructional strategies and developmental activities for
children whose oral language and emergent literacy skills are
assessed to be below the national standards must be aligned with
the district's reading proficiency plan for addressing the
readiness needs of each student. The school readiness
assessment adopted by the State Board of Education may not be
used to deny a student admission or progress to kindergarten or
first grade. Every student entering the public schools for the
first time in prekindergarten and kindergarten must be
administered a readiness screening by the forty fifth day of the
school year.
(B) The results of
individual students in a school readiness assessment may not be
publicly reported.
(C) Following adoption
of a school readiness assessment, the State Board of Education
shall adopt a system for reporting population-level results that
provides baseline data for measuring overall change and
improvement in the skills and knowledge of students over time.
The Department of Education shall house and monitor the
system.
(D) The South Carolina
First Steps of School Readiness Board of Trustees shall support
the implementation of the school readiness assessment and must
provide professional development to support the readiness
assessment for teachers and parents of programs supported with
First Steps funds. The board shall utilize the annual aggregate
literacy and other readiness assessment information in
establishing standards and practices to support all early
childhood providers served by First Steps."
SECTION 4. Article 17, Chapter 11, Title 63 of the 1976 code is amended by adding:
"Section 63-11-45. The Director of the First Steps agency must be subject to the authority of the Agency Head Salary Commission."
SECTION 5. Article 17, Chapter 11, Title 63 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 63-11-1725.
(A) For the purposes of this article,
'advisory council' means the South Carolina Advisory Council
established by Executive Order Number 2010-06 in compliance with
the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, 42
U.S.C. Section 9837b, et seq.
(B) The membership of
the advisory council is exclusively composed of the membership
of the Board of Trustees of the South Carolina First Steps to
School Readiness Initiative. Each voting and nonvoting member
shall serve as a voting member of the South Carolina Advisory
Council, concurrent with his service on the board.
(C) The advisory
council is an entity distinct from the Board of Trustees and
must act accordingly to fulfill its responsibilities under 42
U.S.C. Section 9837b(b)(1)(D)(i) of the Improving Head Start for
School Readiness Act of 2007. The advisory council shall keep
separate minutes that explicitly distinguish its actions and
votes from those made when acting in the capacity of the board
of trustees. The advisory council must officially adjourn before
acting as the board of trustees, and the board of trustees shall
adjourn before acting as the advisory council.
(D) The State Director
of First Steps shall coordinate the activities of the advisory
council. Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. Section 9837b(b)(1)(D)(i), the
advisory council shall:
(1)
conduct a periodic statewide needs assessment concerning
the quality and availability of early childhood education and
development programs and services for children from birth to the
age of school entry, including an assessment of the
availability of high quality prekindergarten services for low
income children in the State;
(2)
identify opportunities for, and barriers to, collaboration
and coordination among federally funded and state-funded child
development, child care, and early childhood education programs
and services, including collaboration and coordination among
state agencies responsible for administering these programs;
(3)
develop recommendations for increasing the overall
participation of children in existing federal, state, and local
child care and early childhood education programs, including
outreach to underrepresented and special populations;
(4)
develop recommendations regarding the establishment of a
unified data collection system for public early childhood
education and development programs and services throughout the
State;
(5)
develop recommendations regarding statewide professional
development and career advancement plans for early childhood
educators in the State;
(6)
assess the capacity and effectiveness of two-year and
four-year public and private institutions of higher education in
the state for supporting the development of early childhood
educators, including the extent to which these institutions have
in place articulation agreements, professional development and
career advancement plans, and practice or internships for
students to spend time in a Head Start or prekindergarten
program;
(7)
make recommendations for improvements in state early
learning standards and undertake efforts to develop high quality
comprehensive early learning standards, as appropriate;
(8)
develop and publish, using available demographic data, an
indicators-based measure of school readiness at the state and
community level;
(9)
incorporate, within the periodic statewide needs
assessments required in 42 U.S.C. Section 9837(b), any data
related to the capacity and efforts of private sector providers,
Head Start providers, and local school districts to serve
children from birth to age five, including fiscal, enrollment,
and capacity data; and
(10)
perform all other functions, as permitted under federal
and state law, to improve coordination and delivery of early
childhood education and development to children in this
State.
(E) The advisory
council shall designate a meeting as its annual meeting. All of
the chief executive officers of the State agencies represented
on the Early Childhood Advisory Council must attend the annual
meeting in person.
(F) The advisory
council shall prepare an annual report of its activities for
presentation to the Governor and General Assembly."
SECTION 6. Article 17, Chapter 11, Title 63 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 63-11-1735. (A)
For the purposes of this article:
(1)
'BabyNet' is the interagency early intervention system
that is the Part C program in South Carolina.
(2)
'I.D.E.A.' means the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act, 20 U.S.C. Section 1400, et seq.
(3)
'Maintenance of effort' means the requirement of Part C
that relevant state and local agencies maintain a specified
level of financial support for early intervention services in
compliance with 34 C.F.R. 303.124.
(4)
'Part C program' means an program of early intervention
services to infants and toddlers with disabilities required in
each state by I.D.E.A. and for which South Carolina First Steps
to School Readiness is designated as the lead agency to
administer the Part C program in South Carolina by Executive
Order Number 2009-12 in compliance with Subchapter VIII, Chapter
33, Title 20, U.S. Code Annotated relating to Head Start
programs, and as provided in Section 44-7-2520(A), which relates
to definitions concerning the South Carolina Infants and
Toddlers with Disabilities Act.
(B) First Steps shall
ensure that BabyNet complies with the maintenance of effort
requirement by coordinating with all agencies that provide early
intervention services in this State to ensure they each properly
document all Part C expenditures annually."
SECTION 7. Section 59-152-10 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 59-152-10.
There is established South Carolina First Steps to School
Readiness, a comprehensive, results-oriented initiative for
improving early childhood development by providing, through
county local partnerships, public and
private funds and support for high-quality early childhood
development and education services for children by providing
support for their families' efforts toward enabling their
children to reach school ready to learn
succeed."
SECTION 8. Section
59-152-20 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 59-152-20.
The purpose of the First Steps initiative is to develop,
promote, and assist efforts of agencies, private providers, and
public and private organizations and entities, at the state
level and the community level, to collaborate and cooperate in
order to focus and intensify services, assure the most efficient
use of all available resources, and eliminate duplication of
efforts to serve the needs of young children and their families.
First Steps funds must not be used to supplant or replace any
other funds being spent on services but must be used to expand,
extend, improve, or increase access to services or to enable a
community to begin to offer new or previously unavailable
services in their community. The South Carolina First Steps to
School Readiness Board of Trustees, Office of
First Steps to School Readiness agency, and the
County local First Steps Partnerships
shall assure that collaboration, the development of
partnerships, and the sharing and maximizing of resources are
occurring before funding for the implementation/management
grants, as provided for in this chapter, are made
available ensure that collaborations, the existence
and continued development of partnerships, and the sharing and
maximizing of resources occur so that the funding of grants and
services, as provided in this chapter, may continue."
SECTION 9. Section 59-152-30 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 59-152-30.
The goals for South Carolina First Steps to School
Readiness are to:
(1)
provide parents with access to the support they might seek
and want to strengthen their families and to promote the optimal
development of their preschool children;
(2)
increase comprehensive services so children have reduced
risk for major physical, developmental, and learning problems;
(3)
promote high quality preschool programs that provide a
healthy environment that will promote normal growth and
development;
(4)
provide services so all children receive the protection,
nutrition, and health care needed to thrive in the early years
of life so they arrive at school ready to learn
succeed; and
(5)
mobilize communities to focus efforts on providing
enhanced services to support families and their young children
so as to enable every child to reach school healthy and ready to
learn succeed."
SECTION 10. Section 59-152-40 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 59-152-40. The South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees established in Section 63-11-1720 shall oversee and be accountable for the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness initiative."
SECTION 11. Section 59-152-50 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 59-152-50.
Within Under supervision of the
South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of
Trustees, an Office of there is created
South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness shall be
established, an agency of state government. The
office agency shall:
(1)
provide to the board information on best practice,
successful strategies, model programs, and financing mechanisms;
(2)
review the county local
partnerships' plans and budgets in order to provide technical
assistance and recommendations regarding local grant proposals
and improvement in meeting statewide and local goals;
(3)
provide technical assistance, consultation, and support to
county local partnerships to facilitate
their success including, but not limited to, model programs,
strategic planning, leadership development, best practice,
successful strategies, collaboration, financing, and
evaluation;
(4)
evaluate each program funded by the South
Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees on a
regular cycle to determine its effectiveness and whether it
should continue to receive funding;
(45) recommend
to the board the applicants meeting the criteria for First Steps
partnerships and the grants to be awarded;
(56) submit an
annual report to the board by December first which includes, but
is not limited to, the statewide needs and resources available
to meet the goals and purposes of the First Steps to School
Readiness initiative, a list of risk factors the agency
considers to affect school readiness, identification of areas
where client-level data is not available, an explanation of how
First Steps programs reach the most at-risk children, the
ongoing progress and results of the First Steps to School
Readiness initiative statewide and locally, fiscal information
on the expenditure of funds, and recommendations and legislative
proposals to further implement the South Carolina First Steps to
School Readiness initiative statewide;
(6)
provide for on-going data collection
and contract for an in-depth performance audit due January 1,
2003, and every three years thereafter, to ensure that statewide
goals and requirements of the First Steps to School Readiness
initiative are being met; and (7)
provide for ongoing data collection.
Before June 30, 2015, the board shall develop a response to the
November 2014 external evaluation of each prevalent program and
the overall goals of the initiative, as provided in Section
59-125-160. The agency shall contract with an external
evaluator to develop a schedule for an in-depth and independent
performance audit designed to measure the success of each
prevalent program in regard to its success in supporting the
goals of the State Board and those set forth in Section
59-152-20 and Section 59-152-30. Results of all external
performance audits must be published in the agency's annual
report; and
(78)
coordinate the First Steps to School Readiness initiative
with all other state, federal, and local public and private
efforts to promote good health and school readiness of young
children and support for their families."
SECTION 12. Section 59-152-60 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 59-152-60.
(A) The Office of First Steps
to School Readiness, in collaboration with each county
legislative delegation, shall initiate county forums for the
purpose of bringing together stakeholders who are actively
involved or interested in early childhood development and
education so as to initiate a County First Steps Partnership.
The times and locations of these forums and county-wide meetings
must be publicized in the local print and broadcast media.
(B) At a countywide
meeting the participants shall begin to select, to the extent
possible within the area covered by the partnership:
(1)
Not more than two members from each of these categories to sit
on the First Steps partnership board:
(a)
pre-kindergarten through primary educator; Each
county must be represented by a Local First Steps Partnership
Board and each local board must provide services within every
county it represents. A local partnership board must be
comprised of individuals with resources, skills, knowledge, and
interest in improving the readiness of young children for
school. A list of all local partnership board members must be
published in the partnership's annual report, be reported
annually to the local legislative delegation, and be on file
with the First Steps Agency.
(B) The
South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees
must establish bylaws for use by each local partnership board.
These bylaws must, in addition to other requirements provided in
this section, require that a meeting or election of a local
partnership board comply with all Freedom of Information Act and
IRS disclosure requirements.
(C) In
accordance with the bylaws established by the board of trustees,
each local partnership board shall maintain a total minimum
membership of twelve and a maximum membership of thirty elected,
appointed, and designated individuals. Elected and appointed
members shall comprise a voting majority of the board.
(1)
No more than four from any of the following
categories may be elected to sit on a First Steps Partnership
Board:
(a)
pre-kindergarten through primary
educator;
(b)
family education, training, and support provider;
(c)
childcare and or early childhood
development/education provider;
(d)
healthcare provider;
(e)
transportation provider local
government;
(f)
nonprofit organization that provides services to families
and children;
(g)
faith community; and
(h)
business community;
(i)
philanthropic community; and
(j)
parents of preschool children.
(2)
Three parents of pre-school children. After the
first year of the implementation of the First Steps to School
Readiness initiative, parents serving on the County First Steps
Partnership Board must have pre-school children being served by
First Steps programs; and
(3) Four
members from early childhood education.
(C)
After the county partnership board has been
formed, if necessary to To assure that all areas
of the county or multicounty region are adequately
represented and reflect the diversity of the
county coverage area, each county
legislative delegation may appoint up to four
additional members to a local partnership
board. Of these members, two are appointed by the Senate
members and two by the House of Representative members of the
delegation from persons with resources, skills, or knowledge
that have specific interests in improving the readiness of young
children for school.
(D3) Each of
the following entities located within a particular First
Steps Partnership coverage area shall designate one member
to serve as a member of its County the
local First Steps Partnership Board:
(a)
county department of social services;
(b)
county department of health and environmental control;
(c)
Head Start or early Head Start;
(d)
county library; and
(e)
each of the school districts in the county.
(D) In
conjunction with the independent external program evaluation
established in Section 59-152-160, the South Carolina First
Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees shall conduct a
formal review of the membership categories for First Steps
Partnership Board composition. Upon completion of the review,
the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of
Trustees shall submit to the General Assembly a statement either
verifying the continued applicability and appropriateness of the
composition categories for First Steps Partnership Boards in
place at that time, or recommending any appropriate and
necessary changes.
(E) Members who miss
more than three consecutive meetings without excuse or members
who resign must be replaced from the same categories as their
predecessor. The terms of the members of a
County local First Steps Partnership
Board are for two four years; however,
membership on the board may not exceed six
eight consecutive years.
(F) The chairman of a
County First Steps local partnership
board must be elected by majority vote of the board. The
chairman shall serve a one-year term; however, the chairman may
be elected to subsequent terms not to exceed a total of four
consecutive years.
(G)
County A local First Steps
Partnerships Partnership board must have
policies and procedures for conducting meetings and disclosing
records comparable to those provided for in the Freedom of
Information Act. Prior to every vote taken by the board,
members must abstain from voting if the issue being considered
would result in a conflict of interest. The abstention must be
noted in the minutes of the meeting."
SECTION 13. Section 59-152-70 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 59-152-70.
(A) A First Steps Partnership Board
shall, among its other powers and duties:
(1)
adopt by-laws as established by the First Steps to School
Readiness Board to effectuate the provisions of this chapter
which must include the creation of a periodic meeting schedule;
(2)
coordinate a collaborative effort at the county or
multi-county multicounty level which
will bring the community together to identify the area needs
related to the goals of First Steps to School Readiness; develop
a strategic long-term plan for meeting those needs; develop
specific initiatives to implement the elements of the plan; and
integrating service delivery where possible;
(3)
coordinate and oversee the implementation of the
comprehensive strategic plan including, but not limited to,
direct service provision, contracting for service provision, and
organization and management of volunteer programs;
(4)
effective July 1, 2016, each partnership's
comprehensive plan shall include the following core
functions:
(a)
service as a local portal connecting families of
preschool children to community-based services they may need or
desire to ensure the school readiness of their children;
(b)
service as a community convener around the needs
of preschool children and their families; and
(c)
support of state-level school readiness
priorities as determined by the State Board.
(45)
create and annually revise a county
update a needs assessment every three years;
(56) implement
fiscal policies and procedures as required by the First Steps
office agency and as needed to ensure
fiscal accountability of all funds appropriated to the
partnership;
(67) keep
accurate records of the partnership's board
meetings, board member's attendance, programs, and
activities for annual submission to the First Steps to School
Readiness Board of Trustees;
(78) collect
information and submit an annual report by October
1 first to the First Steps to School
Readiness Board of Trustees, and otherwise participate in the
annual review and the three-year evaluation of operations and
programs. The first annual report must be submitted
October 1, 2000. Reports must include but not be
limited to:
(a)
determination of the current level and data pertaining
to the delivery and effectiveness of services for young
children and their families, including the numbers of
preschool children and their families served;
(b)
strategic goals for increased availability, accessibility,
quality, and efficiency of activities and services for young
children and their families which will enable children to reach
school ready to learn succeed;
(c)
monitoring of progress toward strategic goals;
(d)
report on implementation activities;
(e)
recommendations for changes to the strategic plan which
may include new areas of implementation;
(f)
evaluation and report of program effectiveness and client
satisfaction before, during, and after the implementation of the
strategic plan, where available; and
(g)
estimation of cost savings attributable to increased
efficiency and effectiveness of delivery of services to young
children and their families, where available.
(B) Each County
First Steps local partnership may, in the
performance of its duties, employ or acquire
administrative, clerical, stenographic, and other
personnel as may be necessary to effectuate the provisions of
this section. However, overhead staff pursuant to
the local partnership bylaws established by the South Carolina
First Steps School to Readiness Board of Trustees. Overhead
costs of the partnership's a First Step
partnership's operations may not exceed eight percent of
its implementation/management grant allocation unless
prior approval is received from the First Steps to School
Readiness Board of Trustees the total state funds
appropriated for partnership grants. The South Carolina First
Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees shall contract with
an independent cost accountant to provide recommendations as to
an adequate, and not excessive, overhead cost rate for
individual partnerships no later than July 1, 2017. Once these
recommendations are received, the First Steps to School
Readiness Board of Trustees may adjust the overhead percentage
for the local partnership.
(C) Each
County First Steps partnership may apply for,
receive, and expend federal, state, and local funds, grants, and
other funding in order to improve programs as provided in
Section 59-152-25(A).
(D) Day care
facilities receiving grants must first use a portion of their
funds to achieve licensed status and then to achieve the
equivalent status to that of enhanced ABC provider.
(E)
To be designated a County First Steps
partnership, the county or multi-county
local partnership must be a private nonprofit corporation
organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
However, developing partnerships which have not yet
received 501(c)(3) status may qualify for grants if they have
received a state charter for incorporation and meet other
criteria as established by the board.
(E) Multiple
First Steps local partnerships may collaborate in a manner they
determine will maximize the efficient and effective provision of
First Steps services and programs to children and their families
and best enable the partnerships to execute their duties and
powers established in this chapter. In such a collaboration,
partnerships may merge or work in concert with one or more of
their program, administrative, or development functions or
establish multicounty partnerships. The decision to collaborate
in the manner permitted in this subsection rests entirely with
the local partnership boards of directors involved.
(F) As a
condition of receiving state funds, each local partnership must
be subject to performance reviews by the South Carolina First
Steps agency, including, but not limited to, local board
functioning and collaboration and compliance with state
standards and fiscal accountability. If any significant
operational deficiencies or misconduct are identified within
the partnership, the South Carolina First Steps Board of
Trustees must identify a remedy with input from the local
legislative delegation."
SECTION 14. Section 59-152-90 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 59-152-90.
(A) A local partnership's grant may
be funded annually by the First Steps School to Readiness Board
of Trustees and must be contingent on the General Assembly's
appropriation of funds to use for offering grants.
(B) To
obtain a grant, a County First Steps
partnership or developing partnership must
qualify by meeting the grant requirements established pursuant
to subsection (C). A First Steps Partnership shall submit
an application to the Office of First Steps
agency in a format specified by the First Steps to School
Readiness Board. The application shall include, as
appropriate to the level of grant applied for, the
level of funding requested, a description of needs of children
and families; assets and resources available; and the proposed
strategies to address needs as they relate to the goals of South
Carolina First Steps to School Readiness.
(B)
To receive a Level One development of the
collaborative effort, needs assessment, and strategic planning
grant, the County First Steps Partnership must meet the criteria
established by the First Steps to School Readiness Board
including, but not limited to, total population covered by the
partnership and quality of any pre-exiting needs assessment
and/or strategic plans for that geographic area.
(C)
To receive a Level Two implementation/management
grant for First Steps to School Readiness, a County First Steps
Partnership must have completed a needs assessment and review by
the First Steps to School Readiness Board and develop a
comprehensive, long-range plan to provide high quality early
childhood development and education services. The plan must
identify the needs of children and their families in the local
area; assets and resources available; explain how supports and
services are to be organized and delivered; establish
measurable objectives and interim goals for meeting the local
and state goals for First Steps; and an evaluation plan.
(D)
In developing these plans, the First Steps
Partnership must be given sufficient flexibility, but they must
be accountable to the First Steps to School Readiness Board for
fiscal management, program management, and program
results.
(EC)(1)
The allocations for the grants shall
take into consideration the quality of the grant proposal; the
population of children birth to age five contained in the area
served by the partnership; the percentage of students in grades
1-3 who are eligible for the free and reduced price lunch
program; average per capita income; and the area's ability to
support the strategic plan initiative. The criteria also shall
take into account the standing of the geographical area covered
by a county partnership in relation to the statewide Kids Count
indicators. Priority must be given to strategic plans that
incorporate models with demonstrated success.
Pursuant to 63-11-1730, the South Carolina First Steps to
School Readiness Board of Trustees shall establish the grant
qualification requirements. The board shall develop and
promulgate grant qualification requirements in regulation
pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act. These
requirements must include, but not be limited to, the
following:
(a)
adoption and adherence to bylaws promulgated by
the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of
Trustees, which includes but is not limited to compliance with
the board composition, attendance, voting, and disclosure
requirements;
(b)
use of the South Carolina First Steps to School
Readiness benchmarks and objectives;
(c)
implementation of programs and activities, which
are effective and contributing to state goals, and otherwise
acceptable pursuant to the requirements of Chapter 152, Title
59; and
(d)
fulfillment of all the duties in Section
59-152-70.
(2)
The South Carolina First Steps to School
Readiness Board of Trustees shall establish a formula, which
includes the identification of the most relevant and effective
factors, by which the allocations for qualifying Partnership
grants are calculated. The board shall identify the factors,
develop the funding formula, and promulgate regulations for
both. The factors used in the funding formula, and the weight
given to each factor by the formula, must reflect that the
intent of the General Assembly is to ensure that the money
allocated to each local partnership is in proportion to the
following:
(a)
population of eligible children;
(b)
population of at-risk children; and
(c)
population with below average income
(3)
The agency shall include the grant qualification
requirements and funding formula on its website. The website
information shall include formula details, announcements
regarding proposed changes to the formula, and directions for
public input.
(E) In
conjunction with the independent external program evaluation
established pursuant to Section 59-152-160, the board of
trustees shall conduct a formal review of the grant
qualification requirements and funding process adopted pursuant
to subsections (C) and (D) and, upon completion of the review,
shall submit to the General Assembly a statement either
verifying the continued applicability and appropriateness of the
grant qualification requirements and funding process in use at
that time or recommending any appropriate and necessary
changes
(F)
Funding must reflect the combined total allocations of
the coverage area of a multicounty partnership."
SECTION 15. Section 59-152-100 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 59-152-100.
(A) Grant funds expended by First
Steps partnerships must be used to address the needs of young
children and their families as identified in the partnerships'
comprehensive plans. The funds must be used to expand, extend,
or improve the quality of provided services if there is evidence
as to existing programs' effectiveness; offer new or previously
unavailable services in the area; or increase access to
services. Partnership grant funds may not supplant comparable
current expenditures by counties or state agencies on behalf of
young children and their families, and may not be used where
other state or federal funding sources are available.
Partnerships are expected to collaborate with other community
organizations or entities expending funds on early childhood
services designed to impact school readiness in order to
maximize impact and minimize duplication of efforts.
(B) At
least seventy-five percent of state funds appropriated for
programs must be used by the local partnership for
evidence-based programs. Not more than twenty-five percent of
state funds appropriated for programs to a local partnership may
be used for evidence-informed programs.
(C) All
activities and services provided by a First
Steps local partnership must be made available
to young children and families on a voluntary basis and must
focus on the following:
(1)
lifelong learning:
(a)
school readiness;
(b)
parenting skills;
(c)
family literacy; and
(d)
adult and continuing education.
(2)
health care:
(a)
nutrition;
(b)
affordable access to quality age-appropriate health care;
(c)
early and periodic screenings;
(d)
required immunizations;
(e)
initiatives to reduce injuries to infants and toddlers; and
(f)
technical assistance and consultation for parents and child care
providers on health and safety issues.
(3)
quality child care:
(a)
staff training and professional development incentives;
(b)
quality cognitive learning programs;
(c)
voluntary accreditation standards;
(d)
accessibility to quality child care and development resources;
and
(e)
affordability.
(4)
transportation:
(a)
coordinated service;
(b)
accessibility;
(c)
increased utilization efficiency; and
(d)
affordability solely on 'school readiness' as
defined in Section 59-152-25 by implementing programs geared
specifically toward the achievement of First Steps goals
pursuant to Section 59-152-30.
(BD)
Any part of the initiative within the county strategic
plan using local district resources within a school district
must be conducted only with approval of the district's board of
trustees."
SECTION 16. Section 59-152-120 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 59-152-120.
Funds received for implementation of a county
partnership's implementation/management grant by a
local partnership may not be used for capital expenses
for, new construction, or to
renovate, refurbish, or upgrade existing facilities without
prior approval by the South Carolina First Steps to School
Readiness Board of Trustees. However, funds may be
made available for renovating, refurbishing, or upgrading of
existing facilities used to support First Steps to School
Readiness activities and services for children, families, and
providers from funds made available to the partnerships in
Section 59-152-150(C) and Section 63-11-1750(A). The county
partnership must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the First
Steps to School Readiness Board that the capital expenditure is:
(1) a
priority need for the local initiative and other state or
federal funds for such projects are insufficient; and
(2)
necessary to provide services to under-served children and
families."
SECTION 17. Section 59-152-130 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 59-152-130.
(A) The County First
Steps Local partnerships shall provide an annual
match of at least fifteen percent, to include private
donations, grant funds, and in-kind donated resources, or any
combination of them. The South Carolina First Steps to
School Readiness Board of Trustees may decrease this percentage
requirement for a partnership based on their capacity to provide
that match. Private The First Step
partnership shall encourage private individuals and groups
must be encouraged to contribute to a
partnership's efforts to meet its match. The match required of
individual partnerships by the First Steps board should take
into consideration such factors as:
(1)
local wealth, using such indicators as the number and
percentage of children eligible for free and reduced lunches in
grades 1-3; and
(2)
in-kind donated resources.
Only in-kind donations, as defined by the
standard fiscal accountability system provided for in Section
59-152-140150, which meet the criteria
established by the South Carolina First Steps to School
Readiness Board of Trustees and that are quantifiable may be
applied to the in-kind match requirement. Expenses,
including those paid both by cash and through in-kind
contributions, incurred by other nonstate entities participating
in county partnerships may be included in determining matching
funds.
(B) The Office
of the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness
agency shall establish guidelines and reporting formats
for county partnerships to document expenses to
ensure they meet matching fund requirements. The
office agency shall compile a report
annually on the private cash and in-kind contributions received
by the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of
Trustees and County First Steps
partnerships."
SECTION 18. Section 59-152-140 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 59-152-140.
To ensure effective use of funds, awards under contract
for County First Steps Partnerships, with the
approval of the Office of First Steps to School
Readiness agency, may be carried forward and used in the
following fiscal year. Funds appropriated to South Carolina
First Steps to School Readiness may also be carried forward into
subsequent years."
SECTION 19. Section 59-152-150 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 59-152-150.
(A) The Office of
First Steps to School Readiness agency shall develop and
require local partnerships to adopt and implement a
standard fiscal accountability system including, but not limited
to, a uniform, standardized system of accounting, internal
controls, payroll, fidelity bonding, chart of accounts, and
contract management and monitoring. Additionally, the
accountability system shall require competitive bids for the
purchase or procurement of goods and services of ten thousand
dollars or more. A bid other than the lowest bid may be
accepted by a majority vote of the county
partnership board if other considerations outweigh the cost
factor; however, written justification must be filed with the
Office of First Steps agency. The
Office of First Steps agency may
contract with outside firms to develop and ensure implementation
of this standard fiscal accountability system, and the
Office of First Steps agency may inspect
fiscal and program records of county
partnerships and developing partnerships to ensure their
compliance with the required system. The Office
of First Steps agency may contract with a state
entity with existing means for developing contracts and
disbursing funds in order to make use of the existing
infrastructure, if it is efficient and not administratively
burdensome to partnerships.
(B) Each
County local First Steps partnership
shall expend funds through the South Carolina First Steps to
School Readiness Board of Trustees or its fiscal designees until
the capacity of the County First Steps
local partnership to manage its fiscal and administrative
responsibilities in compliance with the standard accountability
system has been reviewed and certified by the South Carolina
First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees or its
designee.
(C) All private and
non-state funds sought by local partnerships must be used
exclusively for meeting the goals and purpose of First Steps as
specified in Section 59-152-20 and Section 59-152-30.
Private funds received by a County First Steps
partnership must be deposited in a separate fund subject to
review by the First Steps agency and the State Board.
(D) Disbursements may
be made only on the written authorization of the individual
designated by the county partnership board and
only for the purposes specified. A person violating this
section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be
fined five thousand dollars or imprisoned for six months, or
both.
(E) The offenses of
misuse, misappropriation, and embezzlement of public funds,
apply to this chapter."
SECTION 20. Section 59-125-160 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 59-125-160.
(A) The South Carolina First Steps to
School Readiness Board of Trustees shall establish internal
evaluation policies and procedures for County First
Steps local partnerships for an annual review of
the functioning of the partnership, implementation of
strategies, and progress toward the interim goals and
benchmarks. In instances where no progress has been made, the
Office of First Steps to School Readiness
agency shall provide targeted assistance and/or the South
Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees may
terminate the grant. In addition, a program evaluation
of The First Steps to School Readiness initiatives at the state
and local levels must be conducted every three years
An independent evaluation of each prevalent program
investment using valid and reliable measures must be completed
and published by the First Steps Board of Trustees no less than
every five years. The First Steps board shall adopt a cyclical
evaluation calendar including each major program investment no
later than June 30, 2015. After publication of a baseline
report for each major program investment as defined in Section
59-152-25, subsequent reports will be published no later than
five calendar years from the date of each prior publication. In
addition to the independent evaluation of each prevalent
program, an evaluation of the progress on the initiative's goals
and purpose must be completed by November 1, 2014, and every
five years thereafter by an independent, external evaluator
under contract with the South Carolina First Steps to School
Readiness Board of Trustees. However, the selected
evaluator shall be approved, and the evaluation overseen, by a
committee consisting of three members, one appointed by the
First Steps Board, one appointed by the President Pro Tempore of
the Senate and one appointed by the Speaker of the House. These
committee members must be professionally recognized as
proficient in child development, early childhood education, or a
closely related field. The first report shall be provided no
later than January 1, 2003. The purpose of this
evaluation will be to gauge First Steps' progress in meeting the
goals established in Section 59-152-20 and Section 59-52-30.
(B) County
First Steps Local partnerships must agree to
participate in such an evaluation in order to receive a First
Steps grant. Subsequent grant approval and grant allocations
must be dependent, in part, on the results of the evaluations.
If an evaluation finds no progress has been made in meeting
local goals or implementing strategies as agreed to in the First
Steps grant, the grant must may be
terminated.
(C) The purpose of the
evaluation is to assess progress toward achieving the First
Steps goals and to determine the impact of the
initiative on children and families at the state and local
levels each strategy in supporting improved school
readiness as defined in Section 52-152-15. The impact
assessment shall include, but is not limited to, school
readiness measures; benefits from child development services;
immunization status; low birth-weight rates; parent literacy;
parenting skills; parental involvement; transportation; and
developmental screening results. During the course of the
evaluation, if an evaluator determines that any state agency has
failed to comply with the coordination and collaboration
provisions as required in this chapter, the final report must
reflect that information. Program Each
program evaluation reports report
must be reported to the General Assembly no later than three
months after conclusion of the evaluation. All County
First Steps Local partnerships shall cooperate
fully in collecting and providing data and information for the
evaluation of their funded strategies."
SECTION 21. Section 63-11-1720 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 63-11-1720.
(A) There is created the South
Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees which
must be chaired by the Governor, or his designee, and
must include the State Superintendent of Education, or his
designee, who shall serve as ex officio voting members of
the board. The board is composed of the twenty
appointed, voting members as follows:
(B) In making
the appointments specified in subsection (C)(1), (2), and (3) of
this chapter, the Governor, President Pro Tempore of the Senate,
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall seek to
ensure diverse geographical representation on the board by
appointing individuals from each congressional district as
possible.
(C) The
board shall include members appointed in the following
manner:
(1)
The Governor shall appoint two members
one member from each of the following sectors:
(a)
parents of young children;
(b)
business community;
(c)
early childhood educators;
(d)
medical or child care and development
providers; and
(e)
child care and development providers; and
(ef) the
General Assembly, one member from the Senate and one member from
the House of Representatives.
(2)
The President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall appoint one
member from each of the following sectors:
(a)
parents of young children;
(b)
business community;
(c)
early childhood educators; and
(d)
medical or child care and development providers.
(3)
The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint
one member from each of the following sectors:
(a)
parents of young children;
(b)
business community;
(c)
early childhood educators; and
(d)
medical or child care and development.
(4)
The chairman of the Senate Education Committee or his
designee.
(5)
The chairman of the House Education and Public Works
Committee or his designee.
(6)
The chief executive officer of each of the following shall
serve as an ex officio nonvoting voting
member:
(a)
Department of Social Services or his
designee;
(b)
Department of Health and Environmental Control or
his designee;
(c)
Department of Health and Human Services or his
designee;
(d)
Department of Mental Health or his
designee;
(e)
Department of Disabilities and Special Needs
or his designee;
(f)
Department of Alcohol and Other Drug
Abuse Services or his designee;
(g)
Department of Transportation or his designee;
(h) State
Budget and Control Board, Division of Research and Statistics or
his designee; and
(i) State
Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education
(e) State Head Start
Collaboration Officer; and
(f)
Children's Trust of South Carolina.
(7)
The following organizations shall
designate one member to serve as an ex officio nonvoting member:
(a) South
Carolina State Library;
(b)
Transportation Association of South Carolina; and
(c) State
Advisory Committee on the Regulation of Childcare
Facilities.
(BD)
The terms of the members are for four years and until
their successors are appointed and qualify, except of
those first appointed. When making the initial
appointments, the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the
Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall
designate half of their appointments to serve two-year terms
only. The appointments of the members from the General
Assembly shall be coterminous with their terms of office.
(CE)
Vacancies for any reason must be filled in the manner of
the original appointment for the unexpired term. A member may
not serve more than two terms or eight years, whichever is
longer. A member who misses more than three consecutive
meetings without excuse or a member who resigns must be replaced
in the same manner as his predecessor. Members may be paid per
diem, mileage, and subsistence as established by the board not
to exceed standards provided by law for boards, committees, and
commissions. A complete report of the activities of the First
Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees must be made
annually to the General Assembly."
SECTION 22. Section 63-11-1730 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 63-11-1730.
To carry out its assigned functions, the board is
authorized, but not limited to oversee and be
accountable for the South Carolina First Steps to School
Readiness Initiative, the board shall in accordance with the
APA:
(1)
develop and facilitate a comprehensive long-range
initiative for improving early childhood development and
increasing school readiness and literacy, which shall include
the specific requirements of Chapter 152, Title 59;
(2)
in accordance with the APA, promulgate regulations,
establish guidelines, policies and procedures for the
continued implementation of the South Carolina First Steps
to School Readiness initiative;
(3)
provide oversight on the implementation and
evaluation of the South Carolina First Steps to School
Readiness initiative at the state and county
local levels;
(4)
facilitate and direct the establishment of
developing County First Steps Partnerships and establish the
criteria for designation of County First Steps Partnerships;
(5)
establish criteria and
procedures for awarding state First Steps grants to County First
Steps Partnerships and promulgate grant
qualification requirements and a formula by which allocating for
qualifying partnership grants must be calculated;
(65)
provide ensure
the provision of technical assistance, consultation services
and support to County First Steps Partnerships
including: the creation and annual revision of county needs
assessments; the prioritization, implementation, and evaluation
of each First Steps Partnership's strategic plans based on needs
assessments; and the identification of assets from other
funding sources;
(76)
assess and develop recommendations:
for ensuring coordination and collaboration among service
providers at both the state and county level, for increasing the
efficiency and effectiveness of state programs and funding and
other programs and funding sources, as allowable, as necessary
to carry out the First Steps to School Readiness initiative,
including additional fiscal strategies, redeployment of state
resources, and development of new programs;
(87)
establish results
oriented and implement results-oriented measures
and objectives and assess whether services provided by
County First Steps Partnerships to children and
families are meeting the goals and achieving the results
established for the First Steps initiative pursuant to Chapter
152, Title 59;
(98)
receive gifts, bequests, and devises
for deposit for awarding grants to First Steps Partnerships;
and
(109)
report annually to the General Assembly by January first
on activities and progress to include recommendations for
changes and legislative initiatives and results of program
evaluations.
(10)
establish and promulgate internal policies and
procedures to allow the optimal operation of the board, and
which must include but not be limited to an established and
consistent process for making decisions;
(11)
develop, implement, and document an annual
performance process for the Director of the First Steps agency
as directed by the Agency Head Salary Commission;
(12)
establish and promulgate bylaws for adoption by
local First Steps Partnerships;
(13)
establish and promulgate internal evaluation
policies and procedures for local Partnerships for annual review
pursuant to Chapter 152, Title 59; and
(14)
arrange for the conduction of an independent
external program evaluation pursuant to Chapter 152, Title
59."
SECTION 23. Section 1-5-40(A) of the 1976 Code is amended by adding an item at the end to read:
"(107) South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness Board of Trustees"
SECTION 24. Sections 59-152-80 and 59-152-110 of the 1976 Code are repealed.
SECTION 25. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor. /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.