Legislative Session number- 84

Bill Name: SF0906

Relating to early childhood education; modifying certain frequency and age
requirements for early childhood developmental screening, expanding authorized
screeners to public or private health care organizations or individual health
care providers and requiring programs to include referrals to appropriate
resources; requiring school districts to develop and implement community
outreach plans to diverse populations for early screening ensurance purposes and
encouraging districts to include parents, community partners, public or private
health care organizations and individual health care providers in the
development of the plans; requiring the commissioner of education to establish a
system to assess the school readiness of children entering kindergarten and to
set periodic milestones for progress in the number of children reaching
proficiency on assessment measures; requiring and providing for phase-in of the
school readiness kindergarten assessment initiative in school districts on a
voluntary basis, requiring inclusion of the results of the assessments in annual
school performance report cards; requiring the commissioner to evaluate the
effectiveness of the data gathering system for implementing development
assessments at kindergarten entrance on a school by school basis and to
periodically report to the legislature on progress toward reaching the
milestones; appropriating money to the commissioner for health and developmental
screening aid and for the school readiness assessment initiative
(ja)