H.R. 4965 · 113th Congress
Pre-K for USA Act
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 113th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
D
CastroSponsor5 cosponsors · 5 D
2 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
Pre-K for USA Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting jointly in accordance with an interagency agreement, to award competitive grants to local educational agencies or local governmental entities to develop, enhance, or expand…
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Jun 25, 2014
Pre-K for USA Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting jointly in accordance with an interagency agreement, to award competitive grants to local educational agencies or local governmental entities to develop, enhance, or expand high-quality preschool programs.
Requires each of those programs to include structural elements that are evidence-based and nationally recognized as important for ensuring program quality, including, at a minimum:
- high staff qualifications, including having a teacher with a bachelor's degree in early childhood education or in any field with a state-approved alternate pathway to teaching preschool children and having teaching assistants with appropriate credentials;
- high-quality professional development for all staff;
- at least 1 staff member for every 10 children;
- a class size that does not exceed 20 children;
- a full-day program;
- the full inclusion of disabled children;
- developmentally appropriate curricula and learning environments, that are aligned with state early learning and development standards, for at least the year preceding kindergarten;
- individualized accommodations and supports so that all children can participate fully in learning activities;
- instructional staff salaries that are comparable to the salaries of kindergarten through grade 12 teaching staff;
- program evaluation to ensure continuous improvement;
- onsite or accessible comprehensive services for children; and
- health and safety standards.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Pre-K for USA Act
Latest action (Nov 17, 2014): Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
Policy area: Education · Origin: House · Introduced: Jun 25, 2014
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.