A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to establish a program to help States expand the educational system to include at least 1 year of early education preceding the year a child enters kindergarten.

Summary: Early Education Act of 2007 - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award matching grants to at least ten states to establish early education programs providing children with at least a half-day of schooling each week day during the academic year preceding kindergarten.

Requires each program to: (1) be carried out by one or more local educational agencies (LEAs), chosen by the state; (2) be available to all children served by the LEA or LEAs carrying out the program; and (3) involve only licensed or certified instructors.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Early Education Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) A national commitment should be established that all 
        children have access to high quality early education.
            (2) Research suggests that a child's early years are 
        critical to the development of the brain. Early brain 
        development is an important component of educational and 
        intellectual achievement.
            (3) The National Research Council of the National Academy 
        of Sciences reported that early education opportunities are 
        necessary if children are going to develop the language and 
        literacy skills necessary to learn to read.
            (4) Evaluations of early education programs demonstrate 
        that compared to children with similar backgrounds who have not 
        participated in early education programs, children who 
        participate in such programs--
                    (A) perform better on reading and mathematics 
                achievement tests;
                    (B) are more likely to stay academically near their 
                grade level and make normal academic progress 
                throughout elementary school;
                    (C) are less likely to be held back a grade or 
                require special education services in elementary 
                school;
                    (D) show greater learning retention, initiative, 
                creativity, and social competency; and
                    (E) are more enthusiastic about school and are more 
                likely to have good attendance records.
            (5) Studies have estimated that for every dollar invested 
        in quality early education, about 7 dollars are saved in later 
        costs.

SEC. 3. EARLY EDUCATION.

    The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 
et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

                       ``TITLE X--EARLY EDUCATION

``SEC. 10001. EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definition of Early Education.--In this section, the term 
`early education' means not less than a half-day of schooling each week 
day during the academic year preceding the academic year a child enters 
kindergarten.
    ``(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to establish a 
program to develop the foundation of early literacy and numerical 
training among young children by helping State educational agencies 
expand the education system to include early education for all 
children.
    ``(c) Program Authorized.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary is authorized to award 
        grants to not less than 10 State educational agencies to enable 
        the State educational agencies to expand the education system 
        with programs that provide early education.
            ``(2) Matching requirement.--The amount provided to a State 
        educational agency under paragraph (1) shall not exceed 50 
        percent of the cost of the program described in the application 
        submitted pursuant to subsection (d).
            ``(3) Requirements.--Each program assisted under this 
        section--
                    ``(A) shall be carried out by 1 or more local 
                educational agencies, as selected by the State 
                educational agency;
                    ``(B) shall be carried out--
                            ``(i) in a public school building; or
                            ``(ii) in another facility by, or through a 
                        contract or agreement with, a local educational 
                        agency carrying out the program;
                    ``(C) shall be available to all children served by 
                such local educational agency; and
                    ``(D) shall only involve instructors who are 
                licensed or certified in accordance with applicable 
                State law.
    ``(d) Application.--Each State educational agency desiring a grant 
under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the 
Secretary may require. Each application shall--
            ``(1) include a description of--
                    ``(A) the program to be assisted under this 
                section; and
                    ``(B) how the program will meet the purpose of this 
                section; and
            ``(2) contain a statement of the total cost of the program 
        and the source of the matching funds for the program.
    ``(e) Secretarial Authority.--In order to carry out the purpose of 
this section, the Secretary--
            ``(1) shall establish a system for the monitoring and 
        evaluation of, and shall annually report to Congress regarding, 
        the programs funded under this section; and
            ``(2) may establish any other policies, procedures, or 
        requirements, with respect to the programs.
    ``(f) Supplement Not Supplant.--Funds made available under this 
section shall be used to supplement, not supplant, other Federal, 
State, or local funds, including funds provided under Federal programs 
such as the Head Start programs carried out under the Head Start Act 
and the Even Start family literacy program carried out under subpart 3 
of part B of title I.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $300,000,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2008 through 2012.''.

SEC. 4. CONFORMING AMENDMENT.

    The table of contents in section 2 of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 is amended by adding at the end the following:

                       ``TITLE X--EARLY EDUCATION

``Sec. 10001. Early education program.''.