in non-parental care each week, research suggests 
that most are not in high-quality settings that meet 
the full range of their developmental needs. 
(7) A Federal partnership with States— 
(A) will help increase access to voluntary, 
high-quality preschool programs; 
(B) is a necessary step to improving the 
Nation’s elementary and secondary schools and 
helping States close the achievement gap and 
improve graduation rates; and 
(C) should be a national priority. 
SEC. 3. EARLY EDUCATION GRANTS. 
(a) PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.—From amounts made 
available to carry out this Act, the Secretary of Education, 
in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, shall make grants each fiscal year to States to 
enhance or improve State-funded preschool programs. 
(b) ALLOTMENT.— 
(1) 
DETERMINATION.—From 
funds 
appro-
priated under section 13, and not reserved under 
subsection (c), the Secretary shall make a base allot-
ment to each State that has submitted an approved 
application and is either— 
(A) a qualified State (as defined in section 
4(a)); or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:04 Feb 06, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H587.IH
H587
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
(B) a selected State (as designated under 
section 4(b)). 
(2) AMOUNT.—The amount of the base allot-
ment described under paragraph (1) for each State 
shall be based on the number of children who are 
under age 5 from a family with income below the 
poverty line for each State, compared to the number 
of such children from all States, except that no 
State shall have a base allotment that is less than 
0.25 percent of the amounts appropriated under this 
Act. 
(3) BASIS FOR THE BASE ALLOTMENT.—The 
Secretary shall determine the amount of the base al-
lotment under paragraph (2) as if every State was 
to receive a base allotment. 
(4) REMAINDER.—In any fiscal year for which 
not every State is to receive a base allotment, the 
Secretary shall reallot any funds remaining after the 
determination of a base allotment under paragraph 
(2) to each State that has submitted an approved 
application and is a qualified State. Such remaining 
funds shall be realloted among such qualified States 
and shall be determined by comparing the number of 
children who are under age 5 from a family with in-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:04 Feb 06, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H587.IH
H587
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
come below the poverty line for each such qualified 
State to such number for all such qualified States. 
(c) RESERVATION.—From the amount appropriated 
each fiscal year to carry out this Act, the Secretary shall 
reserve 1 percent for the purpose of making grants to In-
dian tribes and tribal organizations, as described in sec-
tion 10. 
SEC. 4. STATE ELIGIBILITY. 
(a) QUALIFIED STATES.—For purposes of this Act, 
the term ‘‘qualified State’’ means a State that meets each 
of the following criteria: 
(1) The State carries out a voluntary State- 
funded preschool program that includes, at a min-
imum, the following: 
(A) Use of research-based curricula that 
are aligned with State early learning standards 
that are developmentally appropriate and in-
clude, at a minimum, each of the following do-
mains: 
(i) Language development. 
(ii) Literacy. 
(iii) Mathematics. 
(iv) Science. 
(v) Creative arts. 
(vi) Social and emotional development. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:04 Feb 06, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H587.IH
H587
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
(vii) Approaches to learning. 
(viii) Physical and health develop-
ment. 
(B) Use of nationally established, or bet-
ter, best practices for group size and teacher-to- 
student ratios, appropriate to the age group 
being served. 
(C) A requirement that each teacher holds 
an associate degree, or higher, in early child-
hood education or a related field. 
(D) A requirement to operate for at least 
the length of an academic year. 
(2) The State shall have developed a plan, in-
cluding a timetable, for moving toward a require-
ment for State-funded preschool programs that each 
teacher holds a baccalaureate degree in early child-
hood education, or in a related field if specialized 
training in early childhood education has also been 
completed, not more than 5 years after the State 
first receives a grant as a qualified State under this 
Act. 
(3) The State, at a minimum, shall ensure that 
the average per-child expenditure by the State and 
the State’s political subdivisions to support State- 
funded preschool programs for the fiscal year for 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:04 Feb 06, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H587.IH
H587
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
which the grant is made is equal to, or greater than, 
the average of such per-child expenditure for the 
previous 2 fiscal years. 
(4) The State, at a minimum, shall ensure that 
the total expenditure by the State to support State- 
funded preschool programs for the fiscal year for 
which the grant is made is equal to, or greater than, 
such expenditure for the preceding fiscal year. 
(5) The State, at a minimum, shall ensure that 
the total expenditure by the State to support State- 
funded child care services and activities for the fiscal 
year for which the grant is made is equal to, or 
greater than, such expenditure for the preceding fis-
cal year. 
(6) In the case of a State that has a rating sys-
tem to rate the quality of preschool programs in the 
State, the State shall ensure that all State-funded 
preschool programs in the State are rated under 
such system. 
(b) SELECTED STATES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each fiscal year, the Sec-
retary shall carry out, on a competitive basis, a proc-
ess for the designation of States as selected States 
for purposes of this Act. The Secretary shall deter-
mine whether to designate any States as selected 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:04 Feb 06, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H587.IH
H587
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
States and, if so, shall determine the States that are 
to be designated as selected States. 
(2) BASIS FOR DETERMINATIONS.—The deter-
minations required by paragraph (1) shall be based 
on— 
(A) a State meeting the requirements of 
paragraphs (3) through (5) of subsection (a); 
(B) the quality of the applications sub-
mitted; and 
(C) the extent to which a State dem-
onstrates that the State, if designated, will be-
come a qualified State within 2 fiscal years. 
(3) PERIOD OF DESIGNATION.—A designation 
as a selected State under this subsection shall apply 
to a State for 2 fiscal years. If a State is both a 
qualified State and a selected State for a fiscal year, 
the State shall be treated for purposes of this Act 
as a qualified State rather than a selected State. 
SEC. 5. APPLICATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—A State desiring to receive funds 
under this Act shall submit an application to the Secretary 
at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may 
reasonably require. In developing such application, the 
State shall consult with the State Advisory Council on 
Early Childhood Education and Care (described in section 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:04 Feb 06, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H587.IH
H587
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
642B(b) of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9837b(b))) or 
a similar State entity, and providers of early childhood 
programs operating in the State. 
(b) REQUIRED CONTENTS.—The application referred 
to in subsection (a) shall include, at a minimum, the fol-
lowing: 
(1) If the State desires to be treated as a quali-
fied State, information sufficient for the Secretary to 
determine whether the State is a qualified State. 
(2) If the State desires to be designated as a 
selected State— 
(A) assurances that the State, if des-
ignated as a selected State, will become a quali-
fied State within 2 fiscal years; 
(B) information sufficient for the Sec-
retary to determine whether the State meets the 
requirements of paragraphs (3) through (5) of 
section 4(a); and 
(C) information relating to any competitive 
criteria that the Secretary may establish. 
(3) A description of how the funds received 
under this Act will be used to enhance or improve 
preschool programs in the State. 
(4) A description of how the State is working 
to build the State’s capacity to serve more children 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:04 Feb 06, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H587.IH
H587
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
in high-quality early education programs, including 
the building of new facilities, as appropriate. 
(5) A description of how the State will ensure 
that any funds made available to State-funded pre-
school program providers are made available to a 
range of types of such preschool providers, including 
local educational agencies and community-based pro-
viders such as child care and Head Start, as appro-
priate. 
(6) Assurances that amounts received by the 
State under this Act will be used only to supple-
ment, and not to supplant, Federal, State, and local 
funds otherwise available to support existing early 
childhood services and activities. 
(7) A description of how the State will evaluate 
the effectiveness of the use of funds received under 
this Act. 
(8) A description of how the State will use the 
funds to better meet the needs of low-income work-
ing parents. 
(9) A description of how the use of funds will 
help meet the developmental needs of children in the 
State. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:04 Feb 06, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H587.IH
H587
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
(10) A description of how the State will ensure 
that State-funded preschool programs are available 
to, and appropriate for, children with disabilities. 
(11) A description of how the State-funded pre-
school programs will be culturally and linguistically 
appropriate and how the State plans to meet the 
early education needs of children with limited 
English proficiency. 
(12) A description of how the State is working 
to develop and use research-based curricula that are 
aligned with State early learning standards and are 
linguistically and culturally appropriate for children 
with limited English proficiency. 
(13) A description of how the State agency des-
ignated under subsection (c) will coordinate with 
other State agencies delivering early childhood devel-
opment programs or services. 
(14) A description of how the State will ensure 
that State-funded preschool programs will coordinate 
with local educational agencies in the area to ensure 
a smooth and successful transition to kindergarten. 
(15) A description of how the State monitoring 
process will effectively assess and ensure the quality 
of State-funded preschool programs. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:04 Feb 06, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H587.IH
H587
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
(16) A description of how the State will coordi-
nate this grant with the efforts of the State Advisory 
Council on Early Childhood Education and Care (de-
scribed in section 642B(b) of the Head Start Act 
(42 U.S.C. 9837b(b))) or another State entity that 
is coordinating a system of early childhood develop-
ment and education for children from birth to kin-
dergarten entry. 
(17) A description of how the State-funded pre-
school programs that are not universal prioritize 
children from low-income families. 
(18) A description of how the State is working 
to eliminate barriers and improve access to State- 
funded preschool programs for children who live in 
rural areas. 
(19) A description of how the State is working 
to address the transportation needs of families for 
whom lack of transportation is a significant barrier 
to accessing State-funded preschool. 
(c) STATE AGENCY.—The application shall designate 
a State agency to administer and oversee grant funds and 
the activities carried out under this Act. 
SEC. 6. USE OF FUNDS. 
(a) PRIORITY.—In using funds provided under this 
Act, a State shall give priority to improving the quality 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:04 Feb 06, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H587.IH
H587
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
of State-funded preschool in communities with high con-
centrations of low-income children. 
(b) SPECIFIC USES.—Subject to subsections (c) and 
(d), a State that receives funds under this Act shall use 
such funds to carry out 1 or more of the following activi-
ties: 
(1) To increase the number of teachers and 
program directors in State-funded preschool pro-
grams who hold a baccalaureate degree in early 
childhood education, or in a related field if special-
ized training in early childhood education has also 
been completed. 
(2) To increase the number of teacher aides in 
State-funded preschool programs who hold an asso-
ciate degree in early childhood education, or in a re-
lated field if specialized training in early childhood 
education has also been completed. 
(3) To increase the number of program direc-
tors, teachers, and teacher aides who have special-
ized training in working with children and families 
with limited English proficiency. 
(4) To increase the number of program direc-
tors, teachers, and teacher aides who have special-
ized training in working with children with disabil-
ities. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:04 Feb 06, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H587.IH
H587
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
(5) To increase the compensation or benefits 
provided to teachers, program directors, and teacher 
aides in State-funded preschool programs in order to 
improve the ability of those programs to recruit and 
retain such teachers, program directors, and teacher 
aides. 
(6) To decrease group size in classrooms in 
State-funded preschool programs. 
(7) To improve the teacher-to-student ratios in 
classrooms in State-funded preschool programs. 
(8) To provide, in State-funded preschool pro-
grams, 1 or more of the following comprehensive 
services that support healthy child development and 
positive child outcomes and school readiness: 
(A) Vision and hearing screenings and re-
ferrals. 
(B) Health and mental health screenings 
and referrals. 
(C) Parent involvement opportunities. 
(D) Nutrition services. 
(9) To extend the number of— 
(A) hours per day of program operation of 
State-funded preschool programs; 
(B) days per week of program operation of 
State-funded preschool programs; or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:04 Feb 06, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H587.IH
H587
emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS