Amendment #859 to H3400

Pre-K Initiative

Representatives Decker of Cambridge, Andrews of Orange, Khan of Newton, Moran of Lawrence, McMurtry of Dedham, Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield and Rogers of Cambridge move to amend Section 2 by adding the following: For fiscal year 2014 costs associated with the phased-in provision of universal access to high quality pre-school education and care to all eligible pre-school age children on the wait list for services maintained by the department under 3000-4060; provided, that services shall be provided through vouchers or contracts within a publicly funded, mixed delivery system; provided further, that a key goal of that system shall be contributing to third grade reading proficiency; provided further, that the department shall collaborate with the department of elementary and secondary education in establishing standards that ensure such proficiency by third grade; provided further, that the department shall promote high quality education and care by setting voucher and contract rates and other requirements under this program using the QRIS; provided further, that the department shall provide monthly updates not later than the first day of every month to the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on education, the chairs of the house and senate ways and means committees, the secretary of administration and finance and the secretary of education on the number of children provided services by this appropriation, the quality ratings of the placements provided, the number of children found ineligible for services and removed from the wait list during the validation process, the number of children of pre-school age added to the wait list during the previous month and the net change to the wait list over that month; and provided further, that the department shall work jointly with the department of elementary and secondary education and the chief information officer of the secretariat of education to ensure longitudinal analysis of the educational efficacy of the pre-school provided through this account and the success of children so served at attaining reading proficiency by third grade . . . . . . . . $10,000,000