Pryce: School Readiness Act Helps Give Kids Confidence in the Classroom
Legislation Will Build on Successes of Head Start, Strengthen Program for Greater Results
WASHINGTON , DC —House Republican Conference Chairman Deborah Pryce (R-OH) issued the following statement following House passage of the School Readiness Act of 2005:
“Every child has the right to a sound education. The legislation passed today will build on the successes of Head Start and strengthen the program so that kids can achieve even greater results.
“While the resources to fund Head Start are significant, more work is needed to achieve the ultimate program goal of closing the readiness gap between Head Start children and their more advantaged peers when they enter kindergarten. Studies indicate that children enrolled in Head Start make some progress, but still lag behind national norms in all aspects of school readiness.
“The School Readiness Act will not only strengthen early childhood services for disadvantaged children but it will also work to close the readiness gap, and address weaknesses in the Head Start financial control system so that every child can begin his or her education on equal footing and confidence in the classroom.”
Some highlights of the School Readiness Act of 2005 include:
- More competition. Local Head Start operators identified as having one deficiency or more during the five-year lives of their federal grants will be required to compete against other potential grantees when their grants come up for renewal. Under current laws and regulations, such recompetition is too limited, the independent GAO has found. The U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services, who oversees the Head Start program, will retain the right to terminate a Head Start grant at any time during the five-year grant cycle. Grantees that meet all requirements will be designated as “priority” grantees.
- Improved disclosure and transparency of Head Start. The bill will require all Head Start grantees to make available to the public an annual report detailing how money was spent, the sources from which funds were received, and how the agency has performed in terms of meeting the requirements of the law. An independent financial audit will also be required annually.
- Greater role for states. In order to qualify to receive a federal Head Start grant, organizations will be required to have objectives in place for improving school readiness that are aligned with state-developed K-12 academic content standards. In order to be considered “priority” grantees, organizations entrusted with federal Head Start funds will be required to utilize curricula that are aligned with state-developed K-12 academic content standards and based in proven scientific research. Grantees that fail to meet this standard will be required to compete with other potential grantees and will face the possibility of losing their federal grants.
- Greater role for local school districts. In order to be considered “priority” grantees, organizations entrusted with federal Head Start funds will be required to demonstrate active partnerships with local educational agencies (local school districts) serving the same communities to facilitate smooth transitions to kindergarten for their students. Grantees that fail to meet this standard will be required to compete with other potential grantees and will face the possibility of losing their federal grants.
- Better safeguards against financial abuse. Head Start operators will be required to meet a range of financial disclosure requirements as a condition of receiving and keeping their federal Head Start grants. Grantees will have to be overseen by a local governance board that provides direction and actively oversees all program activities, and will be required to document that they have strong fiscal controls in place, including the employment of a well-qualified chief financial officer with a history of successful management of a public or private organization. Grantees will also have to maintain administrative costs that do not exceed 15 percent of total program costs.
- Improved teacher quality. In order to be considered “priority” grantees, organizations entrusted with federal Head Start funds will be required to have a teaching staff of at least 50 percent with AA degrees. Grantees that fail to meet this standard will be required to compete with other potential grantees and will face the possibility of losing their federal grants. The percentage of Head Start staff nationwide required to have BA degrees will be increased to 50 percent.
No new testing. Like its 2003 counterpart, the School Readiness Act contains no new testing provisions. The legislation will strengthen the academic components of Head Start without adding additional tests or assessments.
- Improved school readiness. The bill will emphasize “what works” in preparing disadvantaged children for school. It will strengthen Head Start’s academic standards by emphasizing cognitive development and the results of scientifically-based research in topics critical to children’s school readiness (including language, pre-reading, pre-mathematics, and English language acquisition). The changes would be similar to those adopted with strong bipartisan support for President Bush’s Reading First and Early Reading First initiatives, established in the No Child Left Behind Act for K-12 education.
