I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2561
To provide grants to States to establish, expand, or enhance prekindergarten 
programs for children who are not yet enrolled in kindergarten. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 23, 2003
Mr. ANDREWS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To provide grants to States to establish, expand, or enhance 
prekindergarten programs for children who are not yet 
enrolled in kindergarten.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Prekindergarten Ac-
cess Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM. 
Title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act of 1965 is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing:
‘‘PART E—PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS 
‘‘SEC. 5701. FINDINGS. 
‘‘Congress finds the following: 
‘‘(1) Countless studies have shown what every 
parent already knows: High-quality preschool edu-
cation programs work. They prepare children to 
learn when they go to school, and the programs in-
crease the success of students throughout their lives. 
‘‘(2) Children who get a high-quality prekinder-
garten education are less likely to repeat a grade 
level and have less need for special education in-
struction than those with no prekindergarten experi-
ence. 
‘‘(3) Prekindergarten programs make a signifi-
cant difference in the lives of children from low-in-
come families. A recent study found that children in 
high-quality child care programs had better thinking 
and attention skills, better mathematics and pre-
reading skills, and fewer behavioral problems. 
‘‘(4) In a study following children to age 21 
who received high-quality early children education, 
such children were more likely to have enrolled in 
college, been employed, and delayed parenthood. 
‘‘SEC. 5702. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘For purposes of this part, the following definitions 
shall apply:
‘‘(1) 
PREKINDERGARTEN.—The 
term 
‘pre-
kindergarten’ means a program serving children 
ages 3, 4, and 5 years old that supports children’s 
cognitive, social, emotional, and physical develop-
ment and helps prepare children for the transition to 
kindergarten. 
‘‘(2) 
ELIGIBLE
PREKINDERGARTEN
PRO-
VIDERS.—The term ‘eligible prekindergarten pro-
viders’ includes child care programs, Head Start 
agencies, and schools that—
‘‘(A) have met applicable State licensing 
requirements and have obtained accreditation 
by a national accrediting body with dem-
onstrated experience in accrediting child care, 
prekindergarten programs, or schools; or 
‘‘(B) agree to obtain such accreditation not 
later than 3 years after receipt of a grant under 
this part. 
‘‘(3) PREKINDERGARTEN TEACHER.—The term 
‘prekindergarten teacher’ means an individual who 
has or is working toward a bachelor of arts degree 
in early childhood development. 
‘‘SEC. 5703. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized to 
provide grants to a State with an approved application
under subsection (b) to allow such State to establish or 
expand prekindergarten early learning programs by eligi-
ble prekindergarten providers and local educational agen-
cies in partnership with early childhood programs, organi-
zations, or agencies that serve prekindergarten school chil-
dren. 
‘‘(b) STATE APPLICATION.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The State shall designate a 
State agency to administer, including the receipt and 
administration of funds and the evaluation of the 
program, the State-funded prekindergarten program 
funded under this part. 
‘‘(2) STATE
APPLICATION.—The appropriate 
agency shall submit an application to the Secretary 
that includes—
‘‘(A) an assurance that the State will pro-
vide non-Federal matching funds equal to not 
less than 20 percent of the award; and 
‘‘(B) a description of—
‘‘(i) how grant funds will be used to 
expand or enhance existing efforts across 
the State in providing access to high qual-
ity prekindergarten programs; 
‘‘(ii) how the State will collaborate 
with local child care agencies and councils,
including local child care resource and re-
ferral agencies; 
‘‘(iii) how grant funds will be used to 
supplement and not supplant existing Fed-
eral, State, local and private funds used 
for prekindergarten programs; 
‘‘(iv) how the State will ensure that 
grant funds are provided to a range of 
types of eligible prekindergarten providers; 
‘‘(v) how the State will help eligible 
prekindergarten providers attract and re-
tain qualified prekindergarten teachers; 
‘‘(vi) how the State will identify the 
eligible children and eligible prekinder-
garten providers; and 
‘‘(vii) how the State will give priority 
to full-time prekindergarten programs, in-
cluding the expansion of existing part-time 
programs into full-time programs.
‘‘SEC. 5704. LOCAL APPLICATIONS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—A local educational agency or eli-
gible prekindergarten provider, as the case may be, that 
desires to receive a grant under this part shall submit an 
application to the State agency designated under section
5703(b) at such time, in such manner, and containing 
such information as such agency may reasonably require. 
‘‘(b) SPECIAL RULE.—If the State prekindergarten 
program is not operated through the local educational 
agency, then the State shall award subgrants to eligible 
prekindergarten providers that currently administer pre-
kindergarten programs at the local level. 
‘‘(c) CONTENT.—An application referred to in sub-
section (a), at a minimum, shall—
‘‘(1) demonstrate a need for the establishment, 
enhancement, or expansion of a prekindergarten pro-
gram; 
‘‘(2) describe how the local educational agency 
or eligible prekindergarten provider collaborates with 
local early childhood councils and agencies; 
‘‘(3) provide an assurance that each individual 
hired is qualified to teach children at the prekinder-
garten level;
‘‘(4) provide an assurance that the ratio of 
teachers or child development specialists to children 
shall not exceed 1–10; 
‘‘(5) provide a description of how funds will be 
used to coordinate with and enhance, but not dupli-
cate or supplant, early childhood programs serving 
eligible children that exist in the community;
‘‘(6) describe how the agency or eligible pre-
kindergarten provider will use a collaborative process 
with organizations and members of the community 
that have an interest and experience in early child-
hood development and education to establish, ex-
pand, or enhance prekindergarten programs; 
‘‘(7) describe how the program will meet the di-
verse needs of children, ages 3 through 5, in the 
community who are not enrolled in kindergarten, in-
cluding children with disabilities or whose native lan-
guage is other than English; 
‘‘(8) describe how the agency or eligible pre-
kindergarten provider will collaborate with local 
schools to ensure a smooth transition for partici-
pating students from early childhood education to 
kindergarten and early elementary education; 
‘‘(9) describe the results the programs are in-
tended to achieve, and what tools will be used to 
measure the progress in attaining those results; and 
‘‘(10) provide an assurance that none of the 
funds received under this part may be used for the 
construction or renovation of existing or new facili-
ties (except for minor remodeling needed to accom-
plish the purposes of this part).
‘‘SEC. 5705. USES OF FUNDS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—An agency or eligible prekinder-
garten provider that receives a grant award under this 
part shall use funds received to establish, enhance, or ex-
pand prekindergarten programs for children, ages 3 
through 5, who are not enrolled in kindergarten, includ-
ing—
‘‘(1) providing a program that focuses on the 
developmental needs of participating children, in-
cluding their social, cognitive, physical, and lan-
guage-development needs, and using research-based 
approaches that build on competencies that lead to 
school success, particularly in language and literacy 
development and in reading; 
‘‘(2) paying the costs of purchasing educational 
equipment, including educational materials, nec-
essary to provide a high quality program; 
‘‘(3) pursuing accreditation by a national ac-
creditation body with demonstrated experience in ac-
creditation of prekindergarten programs, to be ob-
tained not later than 3 years after the date of re-
ceipt of funds under this part; 
‘‘(4) helping prekindergarten teachers pursue 
and attain the credential and degree requirements 
established by the State and provide a stipend for
attaining educational or professional development; 
and 
‘‘(5) meeting the needs of working parents. 
‘‘(b) PERMISSIBLE USES OF FUNDS.—A prekinder-
garten program established under this part may use funds 
received under this part to pay for transporting students 
to and from a prekindergarten program. 
‘‘SEC. 5706. REPORTING. 
‘‘(a) LOCAL REPORTS.—Each local educational agen-
cy or eligible prekindergarten provider that receives a 
grant award under this part shall submit an annual report 
to the designated State agency that reviews the effective-
ness of the prekindergarten program established with 
funds provided under this part on—
‘‘(1) number and ages of children served, in-
cluding information (disaggregated by family in-
come, race, disability, native language); 
‘‘(2) number of hours of service per day and 
number of months; 
‘‘(3) number of prekindergarten teachers; and 
‘‘(4) other sources of Federal, State, local, and 
private funds used to operate a program. 
‘‘(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall 
submit an annual report to Congress that evaluates the 
prekindergarten programs established under this part.
‘‘SEC. 5707. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this 
part 
$2,000,000,000 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2003, 
$4,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, $5,000,000,000 for 
fiscal year 2005, $8,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2006, and 
$10,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.’’.
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