SB 1594 Summary

• Creates a new statewide end-of-prekindergarten screening administered in the last 30 school days of school-year programs and last 10 days of summer programs to assess kindergarten readiness.

• Requires parents enrolling children in the Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program to submit their child for the end-of-prekindergarten screening.

• Establishes a program score methodology for private prekindergarten providers and public schools based on program assessment scores, learning gains data, and screening results; providers/schools below the minimum score must implement improvement plans and be placed on probation.

• Requires all prekindergarten providers and public schools to implement evidence-based pre- and post-assessments and participate in program assessments measuring quality of teacher-child interactions.

• Mandates professional development courses in emergent literacy, mathematical thinking, executive functioning, and teacher-child interactions for prekindergarten instructors, with at least 3-8 clock hours per course available online.

• Shifts kindergarten readiness rate calculation from the Office of Early Learning to the Department of Education and requires re-screening of kindergarten students who score below readiness level during the last 45-30 days of the school year.