KRS 199.8943: Quality-based graduated early care and education program rating system

-- Administrative regulations.

(1) As used in this section:

(a) "Federally funded time -limited employee" has the same meaning as in KRS

18A.005;

(b) "Primary school program" has the same meaning as in KRS 158.031(1); and

(c) "Public-funded" means a program which receives local, state, or federal

funding.

(2) The Early Childhood Advisory Council shall, in consultation with early care and

education providers, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, and others,

including but not limited to child -care resource and referral agencies and family

resource centers, Head Start agencies, and the Kentucky Department of Education,

develop a quality -based graduated early care and edu cation program rating system

for public-funded licensed child-care and certified family child -care homes, public-

funded preschool, and Head Start, based on but not limited to:

(a) Classroom and instructional quality;

(b) Administrative and leadership practices;

(c) Staff qualifications and professional development; and

(d) Family and community engagement.

(3) (a) The Cabinet for Health and Family Services shall, in consultation with the

Early Childhood Advisory Council, promulgate administrative regulations in

accordance with KRS Chapter 13A to implement the quality -based graduated

early childhood rating system for public -funded child -care and certified

family child-care homes developed under subsection (2) of this section.

(b) The Kentucky Department of Education shall, in consultation with the Early

Childhood Advisory Council, promulgate administrative regulations in

accordance with KRS Chapter 13A to implement the quality -based graduated

early childhood rating system, develope d under subsection (2) of this section,

for public-funded preschool.

(c) The administrative regulations promulgated in accordance with paragraphs (a)

and (b) of this subsection shall include:

1. Agency time frames of reviews for rating;

2. An appellate process under KRS Chapter 13B; and

3. The ability of providers to request reevaluation for rating.

(4) The quality-based early childhood rating system shall not be used for enforcement

of compliance or in any punitive manner.

(5) The Early Childhood Advisory Council, in consultation with the Kentucky Center

for Education and Workforce Statistics, the Kentucky Department of Education,

and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, shall report by October 1 of each

year to the Interim Joint Committee on Educati on on the implementation of the

quality-based graduated early childhood rating system. The report shall include the

following quantitative performance measures as data becomes available:

(a) Program participation in the rating system;

(b) Ratings of programs by program type;

(c) Changes in student school-readiness measures;

(d) Longitudinal student cohort performance data tracked through student

completion of the primary school program; and

(e) Long-term viability recommendations for sustainability at the e nd of the Race

to the Top-Early Learning Challenge grant.

(6) By November 1, 2017, the Early Childhood Advisory Council and the Cabinet for

Health and Family Services shall report on recommendations and plans for

sustaining program quality after the deplet ion of federal Race to the Top -Early

Learning Challenge grant funds.

(7) Any federally funded time -limited employee personnel positions created as a result

of the federal Race to the Top -Early Learning Challenge grant shall be eliminated

upon depletion of the grant funds.