Early childhood council discusses program updates & strategic initiatives
The Missouri Early Childhood State Advisory Council met yesterday and reviewed key updates on early childhood programs, including collaboration between Parent Advisory Councils, new federal regulations for Head Start, and updates on the First Steps Early Intervention Program. The council also discussed its strategic plan, the rebranding of the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Program, and the progress of activities planned for 2024.
Read our meeting recap.
House Activity
On Wednesday, the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee heard HB 371 (Pollitt), which requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to develop, use, and report student grade-level equivalence data success. During his testimony, Pollitt explained that the bill would add a fifth category, 'grade level,' to help parents better understand their children's achievement status.
DESE currently uses four categories: below basic, basic, proficient, and advanced. "You always hear folks say, 35% of our fifth graders are reading proficient or advanced. Well, actually, that's above grade level. When you try to explain to somebody that grade level is somewhere in the upper end of basic, I think we should define what grade level is," said Pollitt.
Hearings next week
The House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee will hear HB 711 (Pollitt), the Open Enrollment bill, which is legislation establishing procedures for nonresident students to transfer to accepting districts outside of where they reside.
The House Economic Development Committee will also hear HB 269 (Shields), which establishes three tax credit programs to expand childcare options for employers, employees, and childcare providers.
Aligned's take: We will testify in support of HB 711 and HB 269.
Next week, DESE Commissioner Dr. Karla Eslinger will provide the Senate Education Committee with an update on departmental operations on Tuesday at 8:00 a.m.
Read the weekly legislative report.
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