ESTABLISHING THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SOLUTIONS TASK FORCE.

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Rep. S. Moore & Sen. Brown

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 122

ESTABLISHING THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SOLUTIONS TASK FORCE.

WHEREAS, early childhood, particularly the first 5 years of life, impacts long-term social, cognitive, emotional, and physical development; and

WHEREAS, healthy development in early childhood helps prepare children for the educational experiences of kindergarten and beyond; and

WHEREAS, early childhood development and education opportunities are affected by various environmental and social factors, including early life stress, socioeconomic status, relationships with parents and caregivers, and access to early education programs; and

WHEREAS, early life stress and adverse events can have a lasting impact on the mental and physical health of children; and

WHEREAS, early life stress can contribute to developmental delays and poor health outcomes in the future, with stressors such as physical abuse, family instability, unsafe neighborhoods, and poverty causing children to have inadequate coping skills, difficulty regulating emotions, and reduced social functioning compared to other children their age; and

WHEREAS, early childhood programs are a critical outlet for fostering the mental and physical development of young children; and

WHEREAS, high-quality early childhood programs can increase earning potential and encourage and support educational attainment, and early childhood development and education programs can also help reduce educational gaps; and

WHEREAS, a 2021 study by the School Effectiveness and Inequality Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on the long-term effects of the Boston’s preschool program found that participation in the preschool program led to significant long-term improvements in academic and behavioral outcomes in children; and

WHEREAS, compared to students who did not attend Boston preschool program, attendees were more likely to graduate high school, take the SAT, or enroll in college; and

WHEREAS, the MIT study also found that students who attended preschool had fewer school suspensions in high school and were less likely to experience juvenile incarceration; and

WHEREAS, Delaware must be innovative in developing a model that ensures all 3- and 4-year-olds in this State have access to early childhood education; and

WHEREAS, providing high quality universal pre-K for preschoolers requires a balance against negatively impacting the ability of home-based family child care programs to continue to serve their communities; and

WHEREAS, an examination is needed to determine what factors are known and what factors still need to be known to successfully implement universal early childhood education for all 3- and 4-year-olds in order to develop a model that works for parents, children, and communities in this State; and

WHEREAS, the primary issue that continues to be an obstacle to providing early childhood education in this State is determining the revenue sources for universal pre-K.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 153rd General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate concurring therein, that the Early Childhood Education Solutions Task Force (“Task Force”) is established to study and make findings and recommendations regarding a model of mixed-delivery, non-compulsory public pre-K offered to all 3- and 4-year-olds in this State by 2035.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force study new and existing revenue sources to fund a public pre-K program in this State and report its findings and recommendations.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force be comprised of the following members:

(1) One member of the majority caucus of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(2) One member of the minority caucus of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

(3) One member of the majority caucus of the Senate, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

(4) One member of the minority caucus of the Senate, appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

(5) The Secretary of the Department of Education.

(6) The Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services.

(7) The President of the Delaware Parent Teacher Association.

(8) The President of the Board of Directors of the Delaware School Boards Association.

(9) The Executive Director of the Delaware Association for the Education of Young Children.

(10) The Chair of the Delaware Early Childhood Council.

(11) The President of the Delaware State Education Association.

(12) Two representatives of home-based childcare facilities, 1 that represents a facility in New Castle County and 1 that represents a facility in Kent County or Sussex County, appointed by the Governor.

(13) Three representatives of childcare centers in this State, 1 representing a center in each county, appointed by the Governor.

(14) Three parents of children who are currently or were recently pre-kindergarten age, 1 parent representing each county in this State, appointed by the Governor.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a member serving by virtue of position may designate another individual from the organization that the member represents to attend a Task Force meeting in that member’s stead. The member must provide the designation in writing to the chair. A designee has the same duties and rights as the member serving by virtue of position.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the House notify members of the Task Force serving by virtue of their position of selection to serve on the Task Force and notify individuals authorized to appoint members to the Task Force of their appointing authority.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the House notify the temporary chair of the Task Force’s creation and provide the temporary chair with a copy of the legislation creating the Task Force.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the member from the majority caucus of the House of Representatives serve as temporary chair to guide the initial organization of the Task Force by doing all of the following:

(1) Notifying the individuals of the formation of the Task Force and, if applicable, notifying a person of the need to appoint a member.

(2) Setting a date, time, and place for the initial organizational meeting.

(3) Supervising the preparation and distribution of the meeting notice and agenda for the initial organizational meeting of the Task Force.

(4) Providing the meeting notice and agenda for the initial organizational meeting to the Director of the Division of Legislative Services.

(5) Notifying the Director of the Division of Legislative Services of the individual chosen to be temporary chair of the Task Force and providing contact information for that individual.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the Task Force choose a chair and vice chair from among themselves at the initial organizational meeting.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that when a chair of the Task Force has been designated, the chair is responsible for guiding the administration of the Task Force by, at a minimum, doing all of the following:

(1) Supervising the preparation and distribution of meeting notices, agendas, minutes, correspondence, and reports of the Task Force.

(2) Sending to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Director of the Division of Legislative Services, after the first meeting of the Task Force, a list of the members of the Task Force and the person who appointed them, if applicable, and providing notice of any changes in the makeup of the Task Force to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Director of the Division of Legislative Services.

(3) Providing meeting notices, agendas, and minutes to the Director of the Division of Legislative Services.

(4) Ensuring that the final report of the Task Force is submitted to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, with copies to all members of the General Assembly, the Governor, the Director and the Librarian of the Division of Legislative Services, and the Delaware Public Archives.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force must hold its first meeting no later than 45 days after the passage of this House Concurrent Resolution.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a quorum of the Task Force is a majority of its members.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that:

(1) Official action by the Task Force, including making findings and recommendations, requires the approval of a quorum of the Task Force.

(2) The Task Force may adopt rules necessary for its operation. If the Task Force does not adopt rules or if the adopted rules do not govern a given situation, the current edition of Mason’s Manual of Legislative Procedure controls.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the majority caucus of the House of Representatives is responsible for providing reasonable and necessary support staff and materials for the Task Force.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the chair and vice chair must compile a report, for consideration by the 154

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General Assembly, containing a summary of the Task Force’s work regarding the issues assigned to it under this House Concurrent Resolution, including its findings and recommendations, and submit the report to the General Assembly, the Governor, and the Director and the Librarian of the Division of Legislative Services no later than 6 months from the date this Resolution passes the General Assembly.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this House Concurrent Resolution expires on the day that the Task Force submits the report required under this Resolution.

SYNOPSIS

This House Concurrent Resolution establishes the Early Childhood Education Solutions Task Force to study and make findings and recommendations regarding a model of mixed-delivery, non-compulsory public pre-K that covers all 3- and 4-year-olds in this State by 2035.