I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1649
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
MAY 1, 2001
Mr. ANDREWS (for himself and Mr. KUCINICH) 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. PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAM.
Title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965 is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing:
‘‘PART M—PREKINDERGARTEN PROGRAMS
‘‘SEC. 10996A. 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. 10996B. 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.
‘‘(c) PREKINDERGARTEN TEACHER.—The term ‘pre-
kindergarten teacher’ means an individual who has or is
working toward a bachelor of arts degree in early child-
hood development.
‘‘SEC. 10996C. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized to
provide grants to a State with an approved application
under section 10996D to allow such State to establish or
expand prekindergarten early learning programs by eligi-
‘‘(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
teacher or child development specialist 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. 10996E. 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,
including—
‘‘(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. 10996F. 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. 10996G. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this 
part 
$2,000,000,000 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2001,
$4,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, $5,000,000,000 for
fiscal year 2003, $8,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2004, and
$10,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.’’.
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