II 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 240 

To set the United States on track to ensure children are ready to learn 

when they begin kindergarten. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 14, 2009 

Mrs. MURRAY (for herself, Mrs. CLINTON, and Mr. BOND) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To set the United States on track to ensure children are 

ready to learn when they begin kindergarten. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ready to Learn Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT. 

6 The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 

7 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) is amended by adding at 

8 the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘TITLE X—SUPPORTING VOL2 UNTARY PREKINDERGARTEN 

3 ‘‘SEC. 10001. SUPPORTING VOLUNTARY PREKINDERGARTEN 

4 GRANTS. 

5 ‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From amounts avail6 able under section 10003, the Secretary is authorized to 

7 award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible States to 

8 pay the Federal share of establishing and administering 

9 full day voluntary prekindergarten programs for children 

10 age 4 in the State, in order to promote school readiness 

11 for such children. 

12 ‘‘(b) APPLICATION.— 

13 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If a State desires a grant 

14 under this title, the Governor of such State shall 

15 submit to the Secretary an application at such time, 

16 in such manner, and containing a plan that outlines 

17 how and when such State expects to provide vol18 untary prekindergarten for every 4-year old in the 

19 State. 

20 ‘‘(2) SUBGRANTS TO ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.— 

21 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

22 subsection (c)(2), a State that receives a grant 

23 under this title shall use the grant funds to 

24 award subgrants to eligible entities to carry out 

25 the requirements of this title. 


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1 ‘‘(B) SUBGRANTS FOR COMMUNITY-BASED

2 PROVIDERS.—In awarding subgrants under 

3 subparagraph (A), a State shall use not less 

4 than 25 percent of the grant funds provided to 

5 the State to award subgrants to eligible entities 

6 that are community-based providers of pre7 kindergarten programs. 

8 ‘‘(C) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—In this para9 graph, the term ‘eligible entity’ includes schools, 

10 child care entities, Head Start programs, or 

11 other community-based providers of prekinder12 garten programs. 

13 ‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.—A State that receives a grant 

14 under this title shall use— 

15 ‘‘(1) not less than 85 percent of the funds pro16 vided under such grant to carry out the activities de17 scribed in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (d); 

18 and 

19 ‘‘(2) not more than 15 percent of such funds at 

20 the State level for quality investment described in 

21 subsection (d)(3). 

22 ‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.— 

23 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A State that receives a 

24 grant under this title shall use grant funds to pro25 vide a high-quality prekindergarten program that— 


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1 ‘‘(A) serves children age 4 in the State, 

2 serving first children from low-income families 

3 with incomes that are not more than 200 per4 cent of the poverty line and those who are lim5 ited English proficient; 

6 ‘‘(B) not later than 2 years after the re7 ceipt of the grant, ensures that each classroom 

8 is taught by a teacher who has— 

9 ‘‘(i) a baccalaureate degree or ad10 vanced degree in early childhood education; 

11 or 

12 ‘‘(ii) a baccalaureate degree and spe13 cialized training in early childhood develop14 ment; 

15 ‘‘(C) utilizes a developmentally, culturally, 

16 and linguistically appropriate curriculum that is 

17 aligned with the State early learning standards 

18 and valid and reliable, multiple assessments for 

19 the purpose of improving instruction; and 

20 ‘‘(D) has a teacher-child ratio of not more 

21 than 1 to 10 and a group size of not more than 

22 20. 

23 ‘‘(2) ALLOWABLE USES OF FUNDS.—After a 

24 State has fulfilled the requirements described in 

25 paragraph (1), such State may use grant funds— 


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1 ‘‘(A) to serve younger children; 

2 ‘‘(B) to increase salaries; 

3 ‘‘(C) for additional comprehensive services 

4 as may be needed; and 

5 ‘‘(D) for the construction of new facilities, 

6 or the renovation, repair, or alteration of exist7 ing facilities, necessary to commence or con8 tinue such prekindergarten. 

9 ‘‘(3) QUALITY INVESTMENT.—A State that re10 ceives a grant under this title shall use grant 

11 funds— 

12 ‘‘(A) to carry out other activities needed to 

13 ensure the health and safety of children served 

14 under this title; 

15 ‘‘(B) for professional development for 

16 teachers and staff of the prekindergarten pro17 gram described in paragraph (1); and 

18 ‘‘(C) to provide comprehensive services. 

19 ‘‘SEC. 10002. ADMINISTRATION. 

20 ‘‘(a) FEDERAL SHARE; NON-FEDERAL SHARE.— 

21 ‘‘(1) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of a 

22 grant under this title shall be 50 percent of the costs 

23 of carrying out the activities described in section 

24 10001(d). 


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1 ‘‘(2) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—The non-Federal 

2 share of a grant under this title shall be provided in 

3 cash. 

4 ‘‘(b) MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.—The Secretary 

5 may not award a grant under this title to any State unless 

6 the Secretary first determines that the per-child expendi7 ture by the State and its political subdivisions for pre8 kindergarten programs (other than funds used to pay the 

9 non-Federal share under this section) for the fiscal year 

10 for which the determination is made is equal to or greater 

11 than such expenditure for the preceding fiscal year. 

12 ‘‘(c) SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT.—Grant funds re13 ceived under this title shall be used to supplement and 

14 not supplant other Federal, State, and local public funds 

15 expended to promote voluntary prekindergarten programs 

16 in the State. 

17 ‘‘(d) PROVISION OF GRANT FUNDS.—In awarding a 

18 grant under this title to a State, the Secretary shall pro19 vide the grant funds to the Governor of the State, to en20 able the Governor to designate a lead agency to best direct 

21 the funds in a manner that improves the State’s programs 

22 by carrying out the requirements of this title. 

23 ‘‘(e) COORDINATION.—In carrying out this title, the 

24 Secretary shall coordinate, not less often than quarterly, 

25 with the Secretary of Health and Human Services regardVerDate Nov 24 2008 03:17 Jan 15, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S240.IS S240

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1 ing the review of State plans as described in section 

2 10001(b) and the implementation of the prekindergarten 

3 programs under this title. 

4 ‘‘(f) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 

5 ‘‘(1) STATE REPORTS.—Each State that re6 ceives a grant under this title shall submit to the 

7 Secretary an annual report detailing the effective8 ness of each prekindergarten program in that State 

9 funded under this title. 

10 ‘‘(2) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary 

11 shall submit to the Committee on Health, Edu12 cation, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the 

13 Committee on Education and Labor of the House of 

14 Representatives an annual report that describes each 

15 State program of assistance for prekindergarten pro16 grams funded under this title. 

17 ‘‘(3) CONTENTS OF REPORTS.—A report sub18 mitted under paragraph (1) or (2) shall include— 

19 ‘‘(A) a description of each action taken to 

20 move toward providing a high-quality prekinder21 garten education to all 4-year olds; 

22 ‘‘(B) a summary of each measure that will 

23 be taken to achieve the goal of providing full 

24 day high-quality prekindergarten to all 4-year 


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1 olds, including a timetable according to which 

2 such measures will be implemented; 

3 ‘‘(C) a description of all efforts to improve 

4 the integration of full day high-quality pre5 kindergarten programs with the kindergarten 

6 through grade 12 education system; and 

7 ‘‘(D) a description of all efforts to educate 

8 parents about best practices for the role of par9 ents in the early education of a child. 

10 ‘‘SEC. 10003. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

11 ‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

12 this title such sums as may be necessary for each of the 

13 fiscal years 2010 through 2015.’’. 

Æ 


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