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TO ESTABLISH A STUDY COMMITTEE TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FIVE-YEAR-OLD KINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS IN THE STATE; TO PROVIDE FOR THE MEMBERSHIP AND DUTIES OF THE STUDY COMMITTEE, AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE STUDY COMMITTEE SHALL REPORT ITS FINDINGS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BY MAY 1, 2007.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. (A) There is created the Five-year-old Kindergarten Study Committee. The committee shall review the current five-year-old kindergarten system and determine its effectiveness. The committee must be composed of one member appointed by each of the following:
(1) State Superintendent of Education;
(2) Speaker of the House of Representatives;
(3) Chairman of the House Education and Public Works Committee;
(4) Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee;
(5) President Pro Tempore of the Senate;
(6) Chairman of the Senate Education Committee;
(7) Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee;
(8) Governor;
(9) South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness;
(10) South Carolina Daycare Association; and
(11) One private daycare facility.
(B) In determining the effectiveness of the current five-year-old kindergarten system, the study committee shall consider:
(1) the students':
(a) overall readiness for first grade;
(b) language arts skills;
(c) mathematics skills;
(d) fine motor skills;
(e) gross motor skills;
(f) social skills; and
(g) listening and communication skills;
(2) number of students enrolled in the public five-year-old kindergartens of the State;
(3) average household income of students enrolled in the public five-year-old kindergartens of the State; and
(4) amount of funds appropriated by the General Assembly for public five-year-old kindergartens of the State.
(C) A statewide four-year-old kindergarten program must not be implemented before the results of the Five-year-old Kindergarten Study Committee are reported.
(D) The committee shall submit its report to the members of the General Assembly by May 1, 2007, at which time the Five-year-old Kindergarten Study Committee is dissolved.
SECTION 2. This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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