Section 26.5-5-102 - School-readiness quality improvement program - created - rules(1) On and after July 1, 2018, and continuing thereafter subject to sufficient and available federal funding, there is created the school-readiness quality improvement program, referred to in this section as the "program", which is administered by the department as part of the Colorado shines system. The department shall award school-readiness quality improvement funding to eligible early childhood councils identified or established throughout the state pursuant to section 26.5-2-203. The department shall award school-readiness quality improvement funding to improve the school readiness of children five years of age and younger who are enrolled in early childhood education programs. The department shall award school-readiness quality improvement funding to eligible early childhood councils based on allocations made at the discretion of the department and subject to available funding. Nothing in this section or in any rules promulgated pursuant to this section creates a legal entitlement in any early childhood council to school-readiness quality improvement funding. Money awarded must be used to improve the school readiness of children, five years of age and younger, cared for in early childhood education programs.(2) Communities throughout the state that do not have an early childhood council may identify an existing early childhood council in another community or establish a new early childhood council pursuant to sections 26.5-2-204 and 26.5-2-205 to work toward the development and implementation of a comprehensive early childhood system to ensure the school readiness of young children in the community.(3)(a) An early childhood council seeking school-readiness quality improvement funding from the department pursuant to this section must apply directly to the department in the manner specified by department rule. An early childhood council applying for school-readiness quality improvement funding pursuant to this section must develop and submit a school-readiness plan to improve the school readiness of children in the community as described in subsection (5) of this section and shall meet any additional eligibility requirements specified by department rule.(b) Early childhood councils that receive school-readiness quality improvement funding pursuant to this section shall prioritize the distribution of the money to participating early childhood education programs that serve children five years of age or younger with risk factors associated with not being school ready, including but not limited to children living in low-income families, as specified by department rule.(4)(a) The department may provide technical assistance and financial incentives to: (I) Programs that are rated in the Colorado shines system at a level one or two to support the programs in advancing to a level three or higher quality level; and(II) Programs that are rated in the Colorado shines system at a level three, four, or five to support the programs in maintaining a high quality level or advancing to a higher quality level.(b) The early childhood council may support the department with the assistance described in subsection (4)(a) of this section by providing local community outreach and engagement strategies.(5) Each early childhood council seeking to apply for school-readiness quality improvement funding pursuant to this section must prepare and submit to the department a three-year school-readiness plan that outlines strategies to improve the school readiness of children. The school-readiness plan, at a minimum, must include: (a) A narrative that demonstrates the need to improve quality and increase the capacity for early childhood education programs in its service area;(b) A plan that describes how the early childhood council will target and recruit programs that are rated in the Colorado shines system at a level one or higher. The early childhood council must target and recruit programs to increase the access and availability of quality child care for children participating in the Colorado child care assistance program, created in part 1 of article 4 of this title 26.5. If the early childhood council received school-readiness quality improvement funding prior to the 2020-21 fiscal year, the early childhood council shall amend the three-year school-readiness plan to comply with the requirements of this section.(c) Strategies developed jointly with community partners to include, at a minimum, county departments of human or social services to target school-readiness quality improvement funding to improve the level of quality at participating early childhood education programs.(6)(a) The executive director shall promulgate rules for the implementation of this section, including but not limited to rules that: (I) Specify the procedure by which an early childhood council may apply for school-readiness quality improvement funding pursuant to the program; and(II) Specify the manner in which school-readiness quality improvement funding is distributed to early childhood councils, ensuring an equitable distribution between rural and urban communities; and(III) Identify any additional eligibility requirements for early childhood councils seeking school-readiness quality improvement funding.(b) At a minimum, the rules promulgated pursuant to this subsection (6) must identify a specific and measurable level of improvement in the Colorado shines system that an early childhood education program must achieve within each Colorado shines rating cycle in order to continue receiving school-readiness quality improvement funding, as well as the eligibility criteria for continued participation in the program. In addition, the department by rule may require preschool providers to attain within a Colorado shines rating cycle specific and measurable improvement on the quality standards established for preschool providers pursuant to section 26.5-4-205.(7)(a) The school-readiness quality improvement program is funded using federal child care development fund money or other federal or state money annually appropriated for the program. The department shall allocate the money to the eligible early childhood councils for distribution to early childhood education programs, as provided in this section.(b) If money is required to match the federal child care development funds, such matching money may be from, but need not be limited to, general fund money appropriated by the general assembly, local money, or private matching money. The general assembly is not obligated to appropriate general fund money if private matching money is not available or later becomes unavailable.(c) The department is authorized to enter into a sole-source contract with an organization to provide the following: (I) Quality rating assessments;(II) Technical assistance for early childhood education programs;(III) Community infrastructure and resource development for improving the quality of early childhood education;(IV) Parent and consumer education on the importance of quality early childhood education; and(V) Professional development activities.(d) The department is authorized to enter into a contract with an organization to provide the following:(I) Early literacy programming and related supports; and(II) Whole-child services.(8)(a) Each early childhood council shall submit a report to the department on or before August 15, 2019, and on or before August 15 each year thereafter. The report must address the quality improvement of the participating early childhood education programs and the overall effectiveness of the Colorado shines system in preparing children with identified risk factors for school. At a minimum, the report must address: (I) The number of early childhood education programs and children who participated in the Colorado shines system, including the number of children five years of age or younger served as a result of the school-readiness quality improvement funding in home-based programs and in center-based programs;(II) The baseline quality ratings of each participating early childhood education program for each Colorado shines rating cycle;(III) An analysis and explanation of the quality improvement strategies undertaken at each early childhood education program;(IV) The barriers to quality improvement that were encountered; and(V) Any other data required by the department.(c) Reporting early childhood councils, as well as the department or any private entity with which it may contract for reporting purposes, may draw upon the evaluations and studies prepared by a nationally recognized research firm to report on the school readiness of children in quality-rated early childhood education programs.(d) Each early childhood council shall work with state and local agencies, such as school districts, to support efforts to track, through high school graduation, the future academic performance of children who receive services from early childhood education programs that receive funding pursuant to this section.Amended by 2024 Ch. 34,§ 32, eff. 3/22/2024.Amended by 2023 Ch. 434,§ 9, eff. 6/9/2023.Added by 2022 Ch. 123, §3, eff. 7/1/2022.The provisions of this section are similar to several former provisions of § 26-6.5-106 as they existed prior to 2022. For a detailed comparison, see the comparative tables located in the back of the index.